1 IN CONVERSATION MAYOR GARY TONG It is a privilege to have been elected to opportunities and issues in-depth. While represent you as your Mayor for a second we come from different places and all term, and I am looking forward to speaking walks of life, as Southlanders we know up on behalf of your communities for another there is more we share in common than three years. divides us. Although no two communities are the same, many common themes Following the local government elections and aspirations have come out of the in October, councillors were sworn in for the 2016 – 2019 term and we’re now a few conversations we have had so far. months in. It’s still early days yet, but it One of the key issues facing Southland has been fantastic getting to talk to each of District Council this term is something them about the things that matter to their affecting communities all over communities. You can get to know all of New Zealand. The reality is that population your councillors a bit better later on in this growth is shifting heavily towards our issue of First Edition (page 13). major urban centres. We must meet many challenges – and many The ramifi cations that result from a opportunities – face on. Hard decisions lie declining population have the potential Southland, ahead. But the future is always exciting, to affect our district signifi cantly. Council and I’m looking forward to cracking into it. must be a part of a solution addressing Our district tour gave councillors and the issue of a declining population and the THANK YOU. I a chance to talk about some of those impact it has on Southland. STEVE RURU Looking to Southland District Council Chief Executive the Future More than 50 years ago the late Sam The numbers are eye-watering. Cooke sang that a change is going to come. He was so right. Visitor arrivals to New Zealand increased 24 percent between January 2013 and Change has come, and if anything January 2016, with a further 10 percent is certain it’s that change will keep increase in the year to March. coming. With change comes new challenges, and we as a district need to Visitor arrivals to New Zealand are be ready to meet them. expected to grow 5.4 percent a year, reaching 4.5 million in 2022, with a tourism The recent release of the Southland spend of $16 billion by that year. Regional Development Strategy Action Plan puts the need for more people Meanwhile, Milford cruise boat adult and new ways of doing things under passenger numbers continue to grow at a the microscope. There’s no doubt that great rate of knots, from 492,000 in 2015 SoRDS is a vast work programme. to a 585,000 for 2016. These numbers are It creates huge opportunities for the projected to continue to grow by at least 4 region, but there is a lot of process to percent compounding growth over the next go through. fi ve years. A key objective is to drive growth The Milford Opportunities Project is in two critical areas - tourism and giving serious thought to how to deal aquaculture – thereby bringing more with the massive growth in that area, people to Southland, creating more massaging the pressure points while social and economic diversity and maximising the visitor experience and protein producer. We’re truly blessed generating more growth. Success increasing economic returns. It is not to have the perfect climatic and water breeds success. The thinking is that a cruise boat capacity problem. There conditions to establish a world-class farm- with signifi cant economic runs on the are already 6200 seats a day of existing fi shery right here off our own coastline, board, Southland’s desirability as a capacity in the current summer schedule. but it is probably still fi ve to 10 years away, place to live in and do business in will The issue is how to spread the volume of with a good tail wind. rise accordingly. arrivals throughout the day. One answer On the other hand, tourism opportunities may be to have more of them camping Southland District Council is working are happening now, and as a community on the corridor, and to do that further proactively with these initiatives to we need to learn how to manage the effects development of accommodation options on move them forward. Tourism, in of the challenges that will inevitably follow. the corridor might be needed. particular, presents a real opportunity for the district in the next fi ve years. Some of this work is already happening. Council is working with the Department of Aquaculture offers the potential for The Milford Opportunities Project is one Conservation to form a governance group Southland to become a signifi cant prime example. to manage the infl ux and fl ow-on effects. 2 Among the other challenges in Southland this fi eld – which include the farming of are problems around digital connectivity, species such as oysters and crayfi sh, as Christmas with both mobile and broadband well as fi n-fi sh like salmon. The growth Hours coverage, freedom camping, making of aquaculture has been identifi ed as an sure our governance structure here in important component in the Southland All Southland District Council the district is fi t for purpose, and the Regional Development Strategy (page 8), offi ces will close on Friday, 23 sustainability of ageing infrastructure. a plan that intends to lay the framework to December at 12 noon. There are plenty of positives too. When build on and further diversify our region’s social and economic opportunities. you live in a place like Southland – a OFFICE OPENING HOURS district abundant in natural beauty, We’ve talked about many aspects of the fantastic people and resources aplenty – Invercargill Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm work our organisation does since the term they’re pretty easy to come by. began. From roading to ensuring our Lumsden Wed 4 Jan 11-4pm Take our tourism industry. Our district governance structure is fi t for purpose Otautau Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm is home to marquee-worthy areas like and how we can infl uence Southland’s Riverton Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm Fiordland, Stewart Island and the Catlins. young people to continue calling our Stewart Island Wed 4 Jan 8.30-12 Visitor numbers are booming, they’re district home, the issues are complex and forecast to grow even more, and the long-term. Te Anau Mon 9 Jan 8.30-5pm growing interest in our part of the world Winton Wed 4 Jan 8.30-5pm can bring huge economic opportunities to Council can’t always be the fi x. What us all. we can do, though, is be part of leading During the holiday period, staff will be the way to create a vibrant, thriving available to respond to urgent service requests. Similarly, the potential to unlock further Southland for our people. Call us for: opportunities in the aquaculture industry • Cemetery burials is incredibly exciting. Researchers are Making the right decisions is far from • Wandering stock looking at fi ve marine sites here in the an easy task – but as far as jobs go, it’s a • Infectious diseases south to see what opportunities exist in worthy one. • Noise control • Roading faults • Sewerage faults The growth in self-drive independent Other concepts at various stages of • Water supply faults travellers, whether they be freedom development include a Stewart Island • Dog and animal control campers or people staying in commercial Heritage Centre, Stewart Island Dark accommodation options, is also a hot issue Skies Sanctuary, Nature Exploratorium, and an opportunity. Experience Mandeville and a living Transfer Stations museum at Anderson Park. Add to The new tourism reality is that increased and Refuse Sites numbers of visitors are driving themselves this the Curio Bay Tumu Toka Natural so that they have the freedom to go where Heritage Centre, the development of they want, when they want. This includes which is already under way, and you get All Council transfer stations will be closed an ever-increasing number of freedom an idea of the scale and scope of work on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All other days will be normal opening hours. campers who by their very defi nition will SoRDS has on its agenda. often bypass traditional accommodation Broadening Southland’s economy is A list of transfer/refuse station addresses, options such as camping grounds. needed to offset not only the demographic information about what you can dispose of at each one and where to buy tokens Businesses might feel aggrieved that change our district is experiencing, but can be found on the Wastenet website they are not clipping the ticket. Indeed, also increased effi ciencies in the rural www.wastenet.org.nz sector, as demonstrated recently by the anecdotally, camping ground owners are Please note transfer stations now take EFTPOS. reporting a drop-off in visitor numbers closure of the Silver Fern Farms Mossburn venison plant. because more people are camping on the Wheelie Bin side of the road. This is a very real example of the kind The challenge for Southland as a district of challenges we face, and will continue Collection is how to embrace those visitors, to face. whether they be freedom campers or It’s happening daily in our district. Thirty There will be no collection on Monday 26 self-drive people staying in commercial years ago, the number of farm workers December 2016 and Monday 2 January accommodation, to get more benefi ts from 2017.