Investing in Our Infrastructure from the Consultation Document
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INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OUR STORY SO FAR when compared with other similar our community without compromising invested in, and prioritise investment networks and this has reduced capital the amenity values of our urban areas. in infrastructure that balances cost, The story of the Clutha District works for sealed roads compared to 10 We want to ensure our communities risk, and service levels. is one of opportunity and to 15 years ago. There has also been a have the provisions to sustainably grow 3. Use our solid financial position and adaptation. focus on providing improved drinking in the future. existing infrastructure as a platform water for the majority of our towns, to enable growth. What we see in our past is that an Roads and water everywhere! along with sewage treatment upgrades. 4. Keep rates affordability at the abundance of natural resources drew We have also considered community Clutha District has a vast network of forefront of our actions and people to the area - the hunters, facilities on a case-by-case basis and, water schemes and local roads spread decisions, and work to keep rates fishers, whalers, miners, logging adapted and in some instances, divested throughout the district. The network increases at a low level. workers and farmers are testament facilities if this is the most sustainable can carry large and heavy vehicles, to that. Our ancestors and pioneers What we plan to do longer-term option. meaning much of the productive areas created trade and prosperity across are accessible. We are also served by (Our investment priorities) the district. Our challenges four state highways capable of carrying PRIORITIES TO FACILITATE GROWTH Early Māori roamed, hunting and higher volumes of traffic throughout the gathering and moving with the Council faces the challenges of Otago / Southland region. A rail freight Our Approach: We plan for and be seasons. Those trails were the district’s balancing the known with the unknown. corridor also runs directly through the adaptive to growth and enable private first deliberate infrastructure. Then Increasingly, we face added pressure district. It connects to Port Chalmers and infrastructure investment where it will European whalers shipped tonnes of financially, geographically, and further North and to Gore, Invercargill, benefit our community’s well-being. oil and whale bone across the world. politically. and Bluff Port to the south. Key priorities include: These include: Gold and coal were mined; sawmills Lifestyle: working from home – the • Enabling growth in the Milton- supported a booming trade in timber. • Our changing communities, where ability to work from the mountains to Milburn-Waihola Corridor. Cleared land was used for farming, some are growing, some are the sea. • Managing drinking water demand in from which modern dairy factories declining, and overall we are getting our rural and urban water schemes, and processing plants employed older. With a laptop and good internet and where viable, supplying more many people. • Natural disasters and planning for connection there are a growing capacity. number of people who can work from Underpinning all these activities the unknown. • We are also proposing a number of anywhere. The COVID-19 lockdown saw was an ever-growing infrastructure • Adapting to the effects of climate sewerage and water projects in other even more people take the leap into of housing, riverways, roads, change. areas to help them expand. This working remotely. By ensuring there is railways, bridges, and ferries, as • Changes in legislation and includes in Balclutha, Kaitangata, quality housing, good connectivity, and well as drinking water schemes and regulations, increased environmental Kaka Point and Tapanui. amenities, there is a strong opportunity wastewater systems. standards and potential water to attract new residents to settle in the PRIORITIES TO IMPROVE LEVELS OF industry reform. SERVICE • Changes in technology. district as part of the Living and Working Our Approach: We prioritise investment • Maintaining and replacing our in Clutha strategy. in infrastructure that balances cost, risk, WHAT WE’RE PLANNING widely distributed infrastructure over Where we want to be and service levels. time. Where we are now • Facilitating our district through the Council is committed to continuing to Key priorities include: We are a widespread district of over impacts of Covid-19. sustainably manage and maintain key • Upgrading rural and urban water schemes to comply with NZ Drinking 6,000 km2 including various towns and Our opportunities infrastructure for residents throughout smaller settlements that all have their our district. Water Standards. own infrastructure needs. In terms We want to continue making the most of In some instances we will increase • Upgrading wastewater infrastructure of key infrastructure, Council play an the resources that is Clutha District. levels of service to meet compulsory to improve the quality of discharges to the environment. important part in this. We maintain just Our areas for growth requirements, such as increasing under 3,000km of local roads and 401 standards for sewage discharges and • Increasing the capacity of Council has proposed re-zoning changes bridges. There are 22 water schemes drinking water. We want to continue to stormwater infrastructure to reduce to the Clutha District Plan, which would that deliver water to 15 urban areas and consolidate and build on our existing the risk of localised flooding. affect Balclutha, Stirling, and Milton. over 2,000 rural properties throughout asset base, while we sustainably • Investing in the Milton main street Each plan change proposes areas of the district. We protect the environment manage and maintain key infrastructure improvements. land in and around these towns that and public health by collecting, treating for residents and future generations PRIORITIES TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT could be rezoned to Urban, Transitional and disposing of the treated sewage throughout our district. Importantly, WE’VE GOT (RENEWALS) or Industrial Resource Areas. Most of from 14 townships via 11 sewerage Council will also look at facilitating this can be serviced by extending the Our Approach: We’re aiming to have the schemes. Stormwater drainage helps growth where there is potential for this, existing infrastructure network, which is funds needed to replace assets when protect people and properties across to help achieve our goal of growing the normally done at the developer’s cost. they wear out (renew assets at the end 13 of the district’s communities. Council rating base. We acknowledge this is a of their economic life). is responsible for managing a billion In residential areas, Council wants to medium to longer term goal. Key priorities include: dollars worth of infrastructure, including understand what opportunities there the third largest local roading network in are to provide more residential choices Our strategy is to: • Minimising the costs and impacts of whilst sustainably managing the rural our ageing infrastructure. the country. 1. Plan for and be adaptive to growth environment (Our Environment). • Efficient road maintenance. In recent years there has been and enable private infrastructure • Continuing with our ‘fast tracked’ substantial investment in infrastructure, In industrial areas, Council wants to investment where it is beneficial to bridge replacement programme. and our communities are experiencing understand what opportunities there are the community. • Securing the future for Mt Cooee the benefits of these works. Our roading to provide more industrial land so that 2. Continue to focus on maintaining Landfill. network is generally in good condition we can continue to attract businesses to the infrastructure we have already 4 OUR PROPOSED INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE BIGGEST IN COUNCIL’S HISTORY Many of these proposed keep rates down, so borrowing projects are expected to see will help with this approach. us through for many decades. There are challenges and calls to We’re operating in a constantly make for adapting to the impacts changing environment with a of climate change, as our district lot of uncertainty. The ‘doability’ gets wetter, windier and warmer. of what we’re proposing will We’re also mindful of how we be a significant challenge and can prepare ourselves for natural risk. Funding is also a huge disasters or other unknowns that wastewater discharges and be changes, challenges and consideration. We know we will might come our way. need to use debt to fund these ensuring safer drinking water. Our opportunities to navigate. over time, to make it fairer so the Council’s mandate has been to forge approach is to be flexible and current generation doesn’t foot ahead to ensure compulsory work is adaptive as we know there will For more information refer to the the whole bill. We also want to done, especially towards improving undoubtedly Draft Infrastructure Strategy 2021/51 (available at www.cluthadc.govt.nz) Safer drinking water ($23.8M) Facilitating growth in the Milton/Milburn/Waihola area ($40.1M) Compliance with the NZ Drinking Water Standards is now a legal requirement. This area along State Highway 1 in the northern part of the district has strong Council also has responsibility to keep rates as low as possible to support the residential and industrial development potential. Several projects are proposed for economic wellbeing of the community. The level of treatment necessary is this growth area of the District on State Highway 1. This is also supported by recent dependent on the quality of the water source. Work for all our rural treatment plants district plan changes to enable further development in the area. Contributions from will take place. Also refer to the Greenfields information about the proposal that developers and those directly benefiting from the new infrastructure will fund the would provide improvements for a number of the district’s residents involving a majority of the costs. These projects include new wastewater and water treatment single, high capacity, reliable quality source on the Clutha and supply to four rural plants in Milburn and the Milton-Waihola water pipeline which move Waihola schemes and Lawrence.