Issue #79 - October 2014

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News and information from the Buller District Council - Te takiwä kaunihera o Kawatiri

By now you will have received all three information packs on the rates overhaul that Council is carrying out, why we need to do it, what options are available and the process for making a change.

As you read this Council will be in the middle of holding a series of public meetings throughout the district which will explain the rates in more detail and answer any questions you may have. If you have missed the meeting near you don’t worry you will still be able to have your say.

The purpose of the rates overhaul is not for Council to collect more money through rates, but to ensure that the amounts that individuals pay is as fair as possible, and consider factors such as user pays and/or ability to pay.

If you have missed the information packs or would like to see more information on what Council is proposing please see our website http://bullerdc.govt.nz/rates/rates-overhaul/ and give us your feedback.

Feedback we have received so far is very valuable. Anyone concerned about the rates they pay needs to get a good understanding of these issues. They have been talked about and complained about for years. This Council is committed to doing something about it and this will come into effect for the next financial year, beginning 1 July 2015.

No one knows for sure how their rates will be affected at this stage as Council hasn’t decided on an option to move forward with. Once one basis of rating is established Council have to consider if they will apply targeted rates and differential charges which will also alter the amount that individuals pay.

Council will be talking about these issues and will put a model forward for consultation at the November Council meeting. The public will then be invited to make formal submissions on the proposed model. Once the submission period closes the full Council will review and consider submissions received then make a decision to move forward. That rating method will then come into action in the new financial year.

Rates Payment Options 2

Do your trees hang low? 2

Royalties for the Regions 2

Buller Libraries 3

Solid Energy Centre 3

NBS Theatre 3

Buller Beautification 4 Awards

Notes and Notices 4

Buller District Council 4 Creative NZ Creative Communities Scheme

Outward Bound 4

Public Notices - Water 4

Annual Report SummaryFor year ended 30 June 2010

Do your trees hang low?

Now that we are well and truly into spring we have also benefitted from spring growth. So now is the perfect time to check and make sure that trees or plants from your property are not over hanging on the footpaths.

Council Policy is that trees can not overhang on a footpath any lower than 2.5 metres, or encroach the footpath to an extent that there is less than 1.5 metres of clear width.

If you receive notification from Council that you need to trim foliage then please make the effort.

Failure to do so will result in Council ordering the work to be done and you will be required to pay for this.

Rates Payment Options

Paying your rates in quarterly instalments is often a strain on household finances as bills are always coming in. As well as traditional payment methods like cash or cheque, Council now has a wider range of rates payment options available to help manage your bills.

Direct debit your ratesYou have the option to pay your rates in instalments of weekly, fortnightly, or monthly to spread the cost and ease the financial pressure. You can also choose to have your rates direct debited quarterly or annually.

All you need to do is complete a Rates direct debit application form which can be collected from Council offices in Westport or Reefton or from our website www.bullerdc.govt.nz/rates.

When you sign up to the direct debit system of payment, your rates will automatically adjust at the beginning of the new financial year. So for example, if your rates increase by $10 per week or decrease by $10 per week for the year starting 1 July – 30 June, the new amount is what is deducted from your account. This means you don’t have to worry about making sure the correct amount is being deducted.

Direct Credits/Internet BankingDirect credit and internet banking payments are accepted by Council. Please make sure your rates assessment number is in the reference field so we can allocate your payment correctly.

Ratepayers who already have a direct credit in place need to be aware that their payments do not automatically adjust like direct debits. So when the annual assessment arrives in August it is a good time to check that direct credit payments are still okay to cover the annual rate amount.

Credit Cards Council also accepts credit card payments. There is a small bank transaction charge added onto these payments.

Royalties for the Regions Every year the Government receives hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty payments for oil, gas, coal and mineral extraction in New Zealand.

These payments are made possible by the regions which provide much of the infrastructure and housing needed to support these industries. Local government develops roads, provides services and amenities that enable extraction, yet these regions don’t currently receive any direct benefit from these royalties.

Buller District Council Chief Executive, Paul Wylie has been to Wellington to show support and argue our case for the development of ‘a local share’ programme with the support from Local Government NZ. This was a well attended forum of both representatives from local government throughout New Zealand, Central Government politicians and media.

There are many regions throughout the country that are in a similar position to Buller, so it is great to see that many regions are joining together through Local Government New Zealand to present a united front.

In recent years Buller has seen a boom in mining resulting in many people living and working in the district. Significant increases in population can put extra strain on community infrastructure such as roads, wastewater and water treatment and currently it all falls on the ratepayer to fund.

One of the priorities in the LGNZ election manifesto was advocating for a proportion of royalty payments from minerals, oil and gas be channeled to help communities where the extraction occurs, this is called ‘a local share’. This would not only assist councils to meet the costs of the extra infrastructure that support extraction industries, but also enable more resilient economies post-mining by investment in local projects.

Buller District Council will continue to advocate for a local share or any other form of regional development that will help retain jobs and opportunities in our region. We do not want to see our young people hollowed out of our communities.

What’s new @ Buller Libraries W I N D O W S T O R E A D I N G . . .

For more information ring NBS Theatre 789 4219 or see our website www.nbstheatre.co.nz

Shows coming to your Theatre soon...

OCTOBER 10th Oct – 1.30pm Operatunity returns

NOVEMBER2nd Kelvin Cruickshank3rd Nigel Latta – presents teenage years6th BHS awards night14th The Underarm – play 29th Miss Fletcher Plays the Blues

Tickets on sale now at the theatre or www.ticketdirect.co.nz

NBS Theatre is now a Ticket Direct outlet, so no matter where in NZ the

show is – you can purchase your tickets from us!!!

Spotlight on Community Libraries

DECEMBER 4th Buller Community Choir5th & 6th Beryl Collins Christmas Concert13th Vision Church Xmas ShowDetails for December to be advised

We are very lucky in the Buller to have Community Libraries operating in Granity, Karamea, Seddonville and Maruia, all of which are staffed by a team of volunteers. The Westport and Reefton libraries support the Community Libraries with bulk loans from our collection and also with moral support and advice should it be required. Each of these libraries has a small membership fee.

Granity – the library is on the main road opposite the Lyric theatre and is open on Sundays from 10am to 11am. For more information, contact Lynaire and Terry on 782 8126.

Seddonville – the library is on Queen Street in Seddonville and is open on Wednesdays from 2.30pm to 3.30pm. For more information contact Lorraine on 782 1344.

Karamea – the library is in the War Memorial Building on Waverley Street. It is open six days per week from 10.30am to 12.30pm, (closed Sunday).

Maruia – the library operates out of the Maruia school library and is open school hours. For more information, contact Rita on 523 8941.

If you find it difficult to get into Westport or Reefton to borrow your books, pop into your local Community Library and have a look at their collections.Karamea Library

Granity Library

Registrations are now open for Term

4 Lessons at the Solid Energy Centre.

Make sure your child doesn’t miss

out - REGISTER NOW!Ph: 03 789 8316

info@solidenergycentre.co.nz

www.solidenergycentre.co.nz

Swimming Lessons

WESTPORT address Brougham Street PO Box 21 Westport 7866 ph 03 788 9111 fax 03 788 8041 free phone 0800 807 239

REEFTON address 66 Broadway PO Box 75 Reefton 7851 ph 03 732 8821 fax 03 732 8822 free phone 0800 808 821

Solid Energy Centre address Corner Pakington and Domett Streets Westport ph 789 8316

www.solidenergycentre.co.nz

NBS Theatre address 105 Palmerston Street Westport ph 789 4219

www.nbstheatre.co.nz

Sue Thomson Casey Memorial Library address Palmerston Street Westport ph 788 8030 fax 788 8147

24 Hour Noise Control Services ph 788 9115

24 Hour Animal Control Services ph 788 9111

After hours Operations emergencies Westport ph 788 9119 Reefton ph 732 8092- cemeteries - roading - sewerage - rural fire - stormwater - water - refuse - council property

Buller District Council email info@bdc.govt.nz website www.bullerdc.govt.nz

The Buller Community Newsletter is produced by Buller Printing for Buller District Council.

For circulation enquiries, please contact Buller Printing on ph 789 8858.

For editorial enquiries, please contact Buller District Council on 788 9111.

COUNCIL29 October 2014, starting at 5pmCouncil Chambers, Palmerston Street, Westport26 November 2014, starting at 5pmCouncil Chambers, Palmerston Street, WestportIf you have any enquiries regarding the above Council meetings, or would like to indicate your interest in speaking during the public forum, please contact Linda Pablecheque, linda@bdc.govt.nz on 788 9642.

INANGAHUA COMMUNITY BOARD9 December 2014, starting at 4pmReefton Visitor Centre Meeting Room, BroadwayIf you have any enquiries regarding the above meeting, or would like to indicate your interest in speaking at the public forum, please contact Mary Wilson, mary@bdc.govt.nz or 788 9618.

FINANCE & AUDIT COMMITTEE15 October 2014, starting at 5pmCouncil Chambers, Palmerston Street, Westport12 November 2014, starting at 5pmCouncil Chambers, Palmerston Street, Westport3 December 2014, starting at 5pmCouncil Chambers, Palmerston Street, Westport

Notes and NoticesYou are warmly invited to attend the Council meetings listed below.

Public NoticesRURAL TOWN WATER SUPPLIES

The Buller District Council wishes to advise and/or remind all consumers on the rural town water supplies at Little Wanganui Subdivision, Mokihinui, Ngakawau/Hector, South Granity, Waimangaroa and Inangahua Junction to boil all drinking water and water used for food preparation for at least three minutes.These water supplies are untreated and originate from bush catchments where there is always a potential for the water to be contaminated from a variety of animal and bird life.

Buller Beautification Awards Time to start thinking whether you would like to enter Council’s annual garden beautification awards. The gardens will be judged late January / early February 2015 and we are keen as to get as many gardens entered as possible. These awards are open to urban and rural properties, non-residential gardens, public spaces, and

pensioner housing gardens, and were initiated by the Council some time ago to encourage residents to take pride in the appearance of their property. Judges do not enter the properties, as the awards are all about what the residents and visitors can see as they pass by, therefore judging is done from the street only.Our judges will be campaigning gardens in November / December and will be dropping flyers into letterboxes around the district for those gardens that they think are worthy to enter these awards.Nomination forms will be available first week in January 2015. So come on all you enthusiastic gardeners from all over the district. Plan your summer garden now so that at the time of judging they will simply WOW the judges.If you would like to know more about these awards, contact Julie Sail at the Council.

BULLER DISTRICT COUNCILCREATIVE NZ CREATIVE COMMUNITIES SCHEME

Funding for Local ArtsApplications for financial assistance under the Buller Creative Communities Scheme are now being invited. Funding assistance is available for groups and individuals to assist with projects taking place in the Buller District that focus on participating in the arts. Applicants must be able to show that their projects will be of benefit to the Buller community.Application forms and further information are available from the funding page of our website www.bullerdc.govt.nz or at either of the Council offices in Westport or Reefton.Applications close at 4.30pm on Monday 28 October 2014.

The next closing date for this funding round is Monday 2 February 2015.

Outward Bound– Sue Thomson Memorial Scholarship

The Buller District Council in partnership with the Thomson-Casey families, is pleased to call for applications to its annual Sue Thomson Memorial Scholarship. This meets the cost for attendance at the highly regarded Outward Bound leadership course – Mind Body Soul!Mind Body Soul is the ultimate Outward Bound experience for 16 to 18 year olds. Over the 21 day adventure you will develop friendships that will last a lifetime. Through learning outdoor activities like sailing, kayaking, bush and navigation, you will leave with a strong sense of personal responsibility, independence and motivation. The course will challenge your limits, enable you to discover what is important to you, and show you the opportunity your future holds.This scholarship is focused on leadership potential as opposed to academic ability and persons with a disability are not excluded from applying. All the information you need is available on the council website www.bullerdc.govt.nz or from Linda Pablecheque, email linda@bdc.govt.nz or call 03 788 9642. Applications marked ‘Outward Bound’ must be received at the Buller District Council, PO Box 21, Westport 7866, by Friday 24 October 2014. The selection process will take place during November, with the successful applicant attending the January 2014 Mind Body Soul course.