GOOD NEWS - CREATING A BETTER LOOK.

Kathy Taylor thank you for sharing with me your concern regarding the appearance of the loose stone/grit around the base of the trees in our central city. Kathy NCC has been successfully trialling a rubber mulch around trees at the intersection of Bridge & Trafalgar Streets. It's a product created with recycled car tyres & can be used in public playgrounds, gardens etc. NCC is now working to progressively apply this mulch around the bases of the remaining trees in our central city.

Read More

GOOD NEWS - YOU CAN WALK SAFELY NOW.

Janet Finlay thank you for raising with me your concern with the irregular surface on the pathway through Anzac Park.

Janet you will be pleased to know NCC has repaired the pathway so you & your walking group can walk safely through the beautiful Anzac Park.

Read More

YOUNG PIPERS MAKING MUSIC IN NELSON.

You will be interested to know that the NZ Young Piper of The Year 2020 Championships are being held at the NMIT in Nelson this weekend..

There are 47 entries, 26% up on last year which shows piping is continuing to grow & develop in New Zealand.

Entrants are under 21 & come from Auckland to Invercargill to participate.

Read More

GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - FOUNDERS ANNUAL BOOK FAIR IS COMING (Covid-19 willing) Saturday 17th-Monday 26th October 2020,

You will be pleased to learn the annual Founders Book Fair, which was postponed from Queens Birthday weekend, will now start on Saturday 17 October 2020 and finish on Labour Day, Monday 26 October.

There's going to be a huge variety of second-hand books, DVDs, vinyl records, puzzles & games will be for sale at bargain prices.

You can purchase a $5 ten-day pass or pay a daily entry fee of just $2. The Book Fair will be open from 10am-4.30pm every day.

A big thank you to Peter Rigg & the other amazing group of dedicated volunteers who work on this project to raise much need funds for Founders Heritage Park.

Read More

GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - COMMUNITY FRUIT TREES PLANTED..

You will be pleased to learn NCC planted 200 community fruit trees last year.

Council first started planting fruit trees around our city's parks & reserves 25 years ago, with the most recent plantings being in Marco Reserve, Stanley Cres., Cattle Market Reserve. In previous years fruit & nut trees were planted along Orchard Stream esplanade reserve, Corder Park, Wolfe Reserve, Te Ata Reserve, Bledisloe North Reserve, Wigzell Park, Centennial Park and Vosper Reserve. Also in Stoke along Orphanage Stream, Orchard Stream, Main Road Stoke and the Railway Reserve.

There are 40 parks with fruit trees in them throughout the city.

The plantings range from fruit & nut trees & herbs, plus feijoas, figs, hazelnuts, olives, pears, persimmons and rosemary.

Read More

GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - DOG PARK TO OPEN SOON.

You will be pleased to learn that dogs will soon have a dedicated space to hang out & just be dogs, with the Marsden Valley Dog Park due to open in early October.

The park is situated north of the Marsden Valley Cemetery & accessed via Marsden Valley Road. The new park will have a dedicated space for small & large dogs, water fountains, benches, doggy doo bag dispensers, rubbish bins & space for 10 car parks.

The perimeter of the park will be fenced, but pedestrian access will be maintained via two double-gated access points. The park is well removed from residential areas, minimising nuisance issues such as noise.

Dogs love us unconditionally, don’t they?

Read More

GOOD NEWS – UPDATE – COME AND HAVE FUN..

You will be excited to learn the Pop-up Park in Halifax Street is now open & ready for you to come & have fun. This fresh idea is using a previously vacant space for the benefit of children and families to come & enjoy while visiting our City Centre..

Read More

GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - SAFETY ISLAND AVAILABLE LATER NEXT WEEK.

Clare Scott your voice has been heard, the pedestrian refuge on Franklyn Street that you have worked so hard to achieve will be available for use later next week. The refuge is located 30 metres downhill from the Waimea Road intersection. The curb has been adjusted, line markings changed & street lighting has been improved. The safety island will make it easier & safer for everyone wishing to cross Franklyn Street.

Read More

GOOD NEWS - BEAUTIFUL NZ - 
LAKE BRUNNER’S MOUNT TE KINGA TO GO PREDATOR FREE.
You will be interested to learn the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced the West Coast forest of Mount Te Kinga at Lake Brunner will be the latest predator free project to receive Government funding. It will create around 12 new jobs & is another step on the journey towards achieving a Predator Free Aotearoa by 2050. This bold vision can be achieved with Central government supporting the efforts of local councils & community groups to give nature a helping hand.
The project is designed to completely remove possums from the podocarp forests of 3,700 hectare on Mt Te Kinga & to protect them from reinvasion, as part of coordinated predator control across the wider Lake Brunner basin. This will encourage healthy forests & enable special native plants and wildlife to flourish.

Read More

NEWS - UPDATE - DUNEDIN TRIALS $2 FLAT BUS FARE.
You will be interested to know Queenstown has a $2 flat fare for bus trips. Following Queenstown's example Otago Regional Council has decided to introduce a $2 flat bus fare trial for Dunedin city. Should Nelson be running a similar trial?

Read More

GOOD NEWS - PADDY'S KNOB - A FUN PLACE TO BE.
Thank you Nelmac/NCC for redesigning/transforming Paddy’s Knob into a beautifully landscaped area. There are winding paths leading to a raised community garden bed, fruit trees, native plantings, an open lush green space to picnic, three huge viewing platforms & an exciting children’s playground made from natural materials. This is now a wonderful community space for everyone to enjoy.

Read More

Following my amendment to the full council meeting on March 12 recommending “that Council adopt a nil rates increase for the 2020/2021 year in recognition of the serious world health & economic uncertainties”. I’m pleased to report that the Nelson City Council has decided to take a new approach to its Draft Annual Plan, including my proposal for a 0% rate rise.

Read More

NEWS UPDATE - IT’S DIFFERENT – IT’S THE NORMAND BALTIC.
You have been curious & wanting to know more about the vessel Normand Baltic docked at main wharf south Port Nelson. The vessel is sailing under the UK flag, was built in 2010, the overall length is 94.9 meters, her width is 20.03 meters & she has a gross tonnage of 4,792 tons.
The vessel conducts under water inspections, civil engineering diving operations, engineering construction & repair work with state of the art equipment.

Read More

NEWS – BEAUTIFUL DAY AT KAITERITERI.
It was a beautiful day yesterday for the Kaiteriteri Gold ½ Marathon (runners only) & the 14K course (runners & walkers). There were over 300 competitor’s enjoying their run/walk along the scenic/picturesque route to Sandy Bay & return. Many of the participants were sponsored in part by their employers eg the Motueka New World team, MyGym etc.
Four Motueka volunteer firefighters wearing their structural gear were doing some serious training for the Sky Tower Challenge in May (fifty-one flights of stairs 1103 steps) & along the way raised funds for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ.
It was a great day out for everyone & the M & M’s were there too doing marshalling duties. Running & walking is therapy for the soul, isn’t it?
Thank you Nelson Events for another very successful event.

Read More

NEWS UPDATE - BRITAIN BANS SALES OF NEW GASOLINE & DIESEL CARS.

You will be interested to learn that Britain will ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2035 — five years earlier than planned — putting pressure on the auto industry that is already struggling to cope with a global sales slump & the fallout from Brexit.
And for the first time, hybrid vehicles will also be covered by the ban.
The UK government detailed this more aggressive approach, saying it was necessary to fight the climate crisis and help the United Kingdom cut carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050.

Read More

NEWS UPDATE - NELSON JANUARY RAINFALL TOTALS.

You will be interested to see the graphs below that show rainfall totals for January were well below average. The Maitai Forks rain gauge recorded 5.5 mm for the whole of January, this is 95% below the average for January. River levels are still higher than levels this time last year but will continue to drop without significant rainfall.

Read More

GOOD NEWS – UPDATE – EVER POPULAR OPERA IN THE PARK RETURNS.
You will be excited to learn Opera in the Park is back this Saturday 15 Feb., with top NZ opera & contemporary singers alongside our national orchestra, the NZ Symphony Orchestra.
Come along & soak up the atmosphere of wonderful music in the open air. This is going to be a world-class event for everyone to enjoy. Remember to bring warm clothing, a torch and rug if you are in the picnic area. Those people/families with chairs can sit in designated areas. Bring your own food/picnic or you can buy from food stalls at the park.
The programme includes:
*Tami Neilson
*Jason Kerrison
*Joel Amosa
*Eliza Boom
There is also pre-Concert entertainment by Nelson City Brass, under the baton of Musical Director Nigel Weeks.
Trafalgar Park & Pavilion opens at 5.30pm with the event finishing at 10pm, Adults $25, Children aged 5 – 15 years $5, under 5s free (prices exclude TicketRocket service fee).
Pete Rainey, the music director, says they have pulled out all the stops so people/families are going to have a night to remember with an exciting line up of the Opera world’s brightest stars performing.

Read More

NEWS UPDATE - AIRPORT PERIMETER WALKWAY.
Neville Taylor thank you for raising with me your concern regarding the condition (badly over grown & very muddy when wet) of the northern end of the ever popular airport perimeter walkway. Neville you can be assured your concerns will be addressed. The Nelson Airport Company is moving without delay to evaluate the overall management of the walkway & to determine the improvements that need to be undertaken.

Read More

GOOD NEWS UPDATE - $20m MAIN WHARF NORTH REBUILD & RECYCLING.

You will be interested to know Port Nelson’s $20 million redevelopment of its Main Wharf North will be operational later this year & will create huge economic benefits for our region. 
The 100 metres of wharf will be rebuilt to a strength of 100-tonnes axle load, giving Port Nelson a full heavy-duty berth of 280 metres in length & will enable main wharf operations to move further north.
The new rebuilt section of the main wharf north will assist the port company to attract larger vessels up to 270 metres in length and 300-metre cruise vessels. 
In more recent times the North section has been used mainly for the discharging of fuel vessels and the tying up of the non-operational vessels. 
With the condition of the wharf deteriorating with age and the fuel berth relocated, Main Wharf North has had no operational function since then.
The port company plans to repurpose the century old timbers & recycle the concrete & steel.

Read More

GOOD NEWS - UPDATE - QUEENS GARDENS POND - THE DUCKS ARE HAPPY.
Julie Finlay & Max Floyd thank you for raising with me your concern when visiting the Queens Gardens to find algae has overtaken the pond & there appeared to be fewer ducks than usual.
Julie & Max I’m happy to let you know that the green growth on the surface of the Queens Gardens pond is not an algae bloom but rather a seasonal growth of duckweed (Lemnoideae). Although often mistaken for (photoautotrophic) algae, duckweed provides shade to the pond surface so it actually helps to reduce certain light-generating growths of algae. 
Duckweed grows rapidly during periods when water levels/flows are low, & then it gets carried away during rainy periods. The recent dry spell has meant minimal inflow to the pond from the Brook Stream, we have witnessed considerable growth this year. It is quite a remarkable sight.
The good news is that these aquatic plants (duckweed) are an important high-protein food source for our ducks, who were very happily enjoying their banquet when I visited the gardens earlier today.

Read More