Thursday, April 18, 2024

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced today the first steps in delivering on Local Water Done Well

 

Hon Simeon Brown.






Government announcement on Local Water Done Well


Cabinet has agreed on key steps to implement Local Water Done Well, the Coalition Government’s plan for financially sustainable locally delivered water infrastructure and services, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says. 


"Councils and voters resoundingly rejected Labour’s expensive and bureaucratic Three Waters regime, and earlier this year the Coalition Government repealed their policies.


“Today, we are announcing the next steps on how we will be implementing Local Water Done Well. This clear plan will deliver better, financially sustainable, and affordable water services while retaining local control of water assets.


“Our plan recognises the importance of local decision making and flexibility for communities and councils to determine how their water services will be delivered. The Government expects councils will work together to address financial sustainability and affordability challenges.”


Cabinet has agreed to a streamlined decision-making process for the establishment of council-controlled organisations (CCOs) for water services as part of Local Water Done Well.


“The Government’s transitional legislation is expected to be passed by mid-2024 and will make it easier for early movers to shift the delivery of water services into CCOs as a first step, setting the foundations for more financially sustainable and transparent services.


“Transitional provisions will also include the requirement for councils to prepare Water Services Delivery Plans within 12 months to demonstrate their commitment to deliver water services that are financially sustainable, meet regulatory standards for water infrastructure quality, and unlock housing growth. This will require the ring-fencing of funding so that sufficient revenues from water services are used to maintain those assets.


“Information supplied by councils in these Plans will assist in the establishment of economic regulation for water services by late 2025, ensuring fair prices and service quality for consumers, and appropriate investment in infrastructure,” Mr Brown says.


“The Government will provide further details in mid-2024 on the broader range of structural and financing tools which will be available to councils to ensure they can make the required investment in water services infrastructure. This legislation will be passed by the middle of 2025.”


The Government is currently working with Auckland Council as it develops options to the financial sustainability of Watercare’s investment programme.


“Cabinet has agreed a path which would enable any required legislative changes for a financially sustainable model for Watercare to be included in the Transitional Provisions Bill.”


Pigeon Post News, Richmond.

Tasman lifts all urban water restrictions


 

All Council-managed reticulated water supply restrictions lifted for Tasman


17 April, 2024


Tasman District Council has lifted all water restrictions on its Council-managed reticulated water supplies with immediate effect.


Due to significant rainfall last week, rivers in the affected catchments have returned to flows at which Council is able to lift the phased water restrictions for the Dovedale, Eighty-Eight Valley and Wakefield water supplies.

 

These areas had previously been under Phase C and D restrictions. However, the improvement in flow means that customers on those supplies are no longer required to restrict their water use.

 

There are no other Council-operated water supplies with restrictions at this time.

 

Residents on the Eighty-Eight Valley scheme are reminded that there is still a temporary boil water notice in place until testing confirms that the water quality has returned to normal following the heavy rainfall.


Residents will be advised when the notice is lifted.


By continuing to limit water use in the meantime, those on this scheme can reduce the risk of drawing lower quality water into their tanks.

 

Those on the Dovedale water scheme are also reminded that their supply is on a permanent boil water notice.


Outside of Council-managed reticulated water supplies, rationing measures are still in place for water consent holders in the Moutere Eastern and Western Groundwater water management zones.


We wish to thank everyone for their efforts to limit water use while restrictions have been in place.


Information around water tips can be found at www.tasman.govt.nz/my-property/water/water-saving-tips  


More information around water restrictions can be found at Current restrictions - reticulated | Tasman District Council

Tasman District Council.


Pigeon Post News, Richmond.

Monday, April 15, 2024

Fire season changes for the Coastal, Waimea and Nelson North zones

 

Source Fire and Emergency New Zealand.


Fire season changes for the Coastal, Waimea and Nelson North zones


Since we have had a tremendous amount of rain here in Tasman and Nelson, Fire and Emergency New Zealand have changed the fire restrictions for Coastal, Waimea and Nelson zones from today 15 April 2024.


Coastal, Waimea and Nelson North zones will move from a prohibited fire season (total fire ban) to a restricted fire season from 8am Monday 15 April, until further notice.


This means no open-air fires can be legally lit unless a fire permit has been applied for and approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.


Announcing the fire season change, Community Risk Manager, Steve Trigg says “the rain over the past few days in Nelson Marlborough has eased the fire conditions.”


"While the risk has reduced, people still need to be mindful when lighting any fires outdoors with a permit.”


The change means the whole of the Nelson-Tasman area is in a restricted fire season, other than the Tasman coast, which remains in a prohibited fire season. Marlborough North is in a restricted fire season while Marlborough South remains in a prohibited fire season.


"It is important people are aware they still must have the necessary permissions and must ensure any fires are kept well controlled and safe.


"Always visit checkitsalright.nz before lighting and avoid lighting fires during or ahead of strong winds.”


Fire and Emergency New Zealand.


Pigeon Post News, Richmond.

MetService Weather News Release - Settled Start to the School Holidays

 


Settled Start to the School Holidays


15/04/2024

Covering period of Monday 15 - Thursday 18 April


As the remnants of the weather system from last week move away to the east, the first week of the April school holidays begins with settled weather. Although MetService is forecasting cloud and showers at times, there will be plenty of blue skies and sunshine to go around, before we reach a potentially damp weekend.




 

This week begins with short-lived, isolated showers speckled across the western halves of both the North and South Islands, but a ridge of high pressure rules the situation over country. Eastern regions can expect a dry Monday, though shorter days and weaker sunshine at this time of the year combined with light winds means morning cloud will take longer to clear up over the day – if at all.


A weak cold front moves onto the lower South Island before dawn on Tuesday, bringing rain about Southland and Otago in the morning, and the west coast of the South Island in the afternoon and evening. The front quickly loses steam as it tracks northwards and anticipated rainfall totals are well below those seen last week. 


MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor details, “The good news for the west coast is that after this band of rain, they can expect a couple of dry days over Wednesday and Thursday. Eastern regions are expected to miss most of the rain, although a few showers may crop up as everything moves through. Despite this, no matter where you are spending the next few days you can expect some sunshine.”


A shift in the weather is in store later this week, as a low-pressure system tracks over the Tasman Sea towards Aotearoa. The outlook indicates the possibility of a wet weekend over the North Island and cooler conditions in the South Island. MetService recommends keeping up to date with the latest forecasts and severe weather alerts on www.metservice.com, especially anyone planning to travel over the weekend. 



MetService Communications.


Pigeon Post News, Richmond.

Friday, April 12, 2024

Tasman Dry Weather Task Force update - April 12 2024


 Tasman Dry Weather Task Force update 


April 12, 2024

 

The significant amount of rainfall this week has allowed water rationing to be lifted for all Tasman consent holders except those in the Moutere Eastern and Western Groundwater Zones. 

Tasman's Dry Weather Task Force (DWTF) has updated its water restrictions for consent holders across the district.   

The following Water direction notices will apply from Monday 15 April 2024 for consent holders in these Water Management Zones:    

Changes to previous week: 

  • Removal of cease takes in Motupiko, Rainy and Moutere Surface/Dove/Powley Creek.  
  •  Tākaka, Waimea Unaffiliated, Stanley Brook, Baton/Wangapeka/ Glenrae/Tadmor/Tapawera - no restrictions. 
  • Stage 3 rationing has been lifted for Wai-iti Dam Service and Wai-Iti Zone. However, we will continue to manage the release of water from the Kainui Dam while river flows and rainfall assist with replenishment. 

Continued directions:  

  • Moutere Eastern Groundwater – stage 4 (a 65% cut) remains   
  • Moutere Western Groundwater – stage 2 (a 35% cut) remains    

Most areas within the district have had at least 50mm of rain in the last 24 hours to Friday AM, with Anatoki receiving almost 400mm during this period. 

All rivers have had good flushes and have reached between low and moderate flood flows while as of Friday morning, the Waimea Dam was overflowing.

However, Tasman DWTF Convenor Kim Drummond said despite the relief the rain had brought, it was still a concern that the two deep Moutere Zones – which have been severely affected by the dry weather over summer - are only slowly rising.  

“While the rain is most welcome for all areas, we need to remain vigilant regarding the management of Moutere groundwater. 

“We will also be sending staff out to check that the Moutere surface water has been replenished to the expected level. If the result comes back that the surface water has not risen as projected then a restriction will be reinstated. 

“It is important to protect the recovery of the aquifer. We want to ensure that all efforts are made to encourage sustained water level rises in these zones. “ 

 Regarding decisions that come from the Dry Weather Task Force, it is important that Consent holders take heed of the directions and remain familiar with Resource Consent conditions.    

Watering of lawns or decorative gardens is not permitted for any water user situated in water management zones where rationing is in effect.  This excludes users of Council managed reticulated water supply (where alternative restrictions will apply).    

Stock drinking water is not affected by these water restrictions.    

The position will be reviewed by the Dry Weather Taskforce next week. 
     
For more information, go to
https://www.tasman.govt.nz/my-property/water/water-supply/current-water-restrictions/


Tasman District Council.

Pigeon Post News, Richmond.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Heavy rain warning in place - Keep up to date - Continuing coverage

Bus Route 5 returned to normal

Service


For those going home this evening from work or school, Route 5 will return to normal service and travel through Ruby Bay. 


The road had debris from the storm last night making it impassable for the majority of today. 


From 3pm, the bus route will return to normal.

***

Stafford Drive, Ruby Bay closed 

12 April 2024

Tasman District Council

Stafford Drive is currently closed from the toilet block through to the bottom of the cliffs. Contractors are working to clear storm debris from the road but it is likely to be closed for most of the day.

***


Boil water notice - Eighty-Eight Valley water supply - Tasman District Council

12 Apr 2024, 08:04

Tasman District Council has issued a precautionary Boil Water Notice for residents on the Eighty-Eight water supply due to the forecasted prolonged heavy rainfall in the catchment. This has begun to affect the clarity (turbidity) of the source water (Parkes Stream) being supplied to the treatment plant making it harder to treat with chlorination.

To limit the amount of low-quality water drawn into your tanks, we recommend conserving water use wherever possible.

You are advised to boil all your water for the following purposes:

  • Drinking water
  • Food preparation
  • Mixing cold beverages
  • Utensil washing
  • Brushing teeth
  • Pets
  • Ice making

What to do if a boil water notice is in place

We suggest that you treat your water in some way before drinking it. There are two options to make your water safe to drink:

  • Boil all of the water that you drink. Do this just by bringing the water to a boil in your kettle or keep it at a rolling boil in a saucepan for 1 minute; or 
  • Hand chlorinate your storage tank with household bleach. 

You can also choose to drink bottled water, although this is the most expensive option. 

Note: nearly all household filters provide no protection against bacterial contamination. If you have an under the sink carbon filter or cartridge filter, you still need to boil your water. 

If you have a high quality cartridge filter followed by an Ultraviolet disinfection unit which is well-maintained and supply water to your entire house, there is no need to boil your water. 

The boil water notice will be lifted once the source water recovers and the quality of water leaving the treatment plant has improved. An update will be available once we are assured that the water quality has returned to normal.

What to do once the Boil Water Notice is lifted? 

It is recommended that you run all your cold taps for 5 minutes before using the water and flush any appliances.

If you have been away while a boil water notice has been in place, run your taps for 15 minutes to clear old water from your lateral.  
  
You may wish to chlorinate the water in your tank. For a 20,000 litre tank, 660 ml of plain household bleach will give you a chlorine residual of 1mg/l, which will provide good disinfection. Leave the water for at least 30 minutes for the chlorine to work and to mix around the tank.  

For further information please call us on 03 543 8400. Thank you for your co-operation. 

***

NZTA/Waka Kotahi Traffic Bulletin: UPDATE:


Top of the South/lower North Island drivers, don’t let bad weather get you in a spin


Update 12 April 5 am:
State Highway 6 Rocks Rd reopened around 2:20 am following its earlier closure.

 

The route was closed for approximately five hours.

 

All highways across Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough are currently open and weather conditions are forecast to improve.

However, flooding and fallen trees are affecting SH6 Lower Buller Gorge to the intersection with SH65. Road users are urged to use caution on this route and drive to the conditions.

 

The heavy rain and wind means the risk of slips, rockfalls, and treefalls remains on roads across the region, and drivers must continue to drive with care.


Contractors are on call and monitoring the network. Drivers are encouraged to report any state highway issues or hazards to NZTA/Waka Kotahi on 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).


***


11 April 2024

NZTA Waka Kotahi Traffic Bulletin: UPDATE: Top of the South/lower North Island drivers, don’t let bad weather get you in a spin (SH6 ROCKS RD CLOSED)


Update 9:30 pm:

State Highway 6 Rocks Rd in Nelson is now closed due to flooding.


The highway is closed between Bisley Avenue and Russell Street. It is expected to remain closed until the high tide period ends, around 2 am tomorrow (Friday) morning.

 

Updates on the highway’s status can be found on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website.




***

Evacuation alert issued for part of Spring Creek, close to the Wairau River, near Blenheim


Marlborough Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) is advising some residents in the township of Spring Creek near Blenheim to evacuate their homes by 9.00 am tomorrow morning. Find out more and see map


Evacuation Area Spring Creek near Blenheim. Credit Marlborough District Council.


Marlborough Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) is advising some residents in the township of Spring Creek near Blenheim to evacuate their homes by 9.00 am tomorrow morning.


Heavy rain in the upper Wairau catchment is expected to raise the Wairau River level significantly tomorrow, Friday 12 April, from around 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. At Spring Creek the river is expected to reach between 3,300 and 3,600 cubic metres (cumecs) per second after 9.00 am, and residents of Dodson, Hathaway and March streets, and part of Ferry Road, are advised to relocate as a precaution for the day. The Peninsula Road stop bank is potentially compromised due to previous storm events and seismic activity.

Twenty Civil Defence and iwi volunteers are door knocking and leafletting 70 homes this evening. Residents can evacuate tonight if they wish.

Marlborough CDEM advises:

  • Stay with friends or family first, make contact sooner rather than later
  • Have a grab bag ready
  • Take a change of clothes and sleeping bags or blankets for each household member
  • Take prescription medications, car and house keys and a phone charger
  • Keep your mobile phone on and charged so you can receive calls and Antenno alerts
  • Take your pets with you - they are your responsibility.

Peninsula Road is closed between Gouland and Ferry roads in Spring Creek. The Wairau Bar Road and Bothams Bend Road may be closed tomorrow as well.

For more information follow Council’s Facebook page and any instructions regarding evacuation, or phone Marlborough CDEM on 03 520 7400 if you need assistance.

The public can monitor river levels via Flood Watch at https://hydro.marlborough.govt.nz/floodwatch/ download Council’s Antenno app for alerts or go to www.marlborough.govt.nz

11 Apr 2024, 5:39 pm publication time.

Disclaimer

The information in this media statement was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.

***

NZTA Bulletin for 11 April 2024:


UPDATE: Top of the South/lower North Island drivers, don’t let bad weather get you in a spin


Update 11 April 2:30 pm:

Heavy rain is affecting the top of the South Island, so the State highway networks across Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough are being monitored closely.

 

Contractors are monitoring highways and areas prone to flooding – crews will be on call overnight.

 

The most intense rainfall is anticipated in Golden Bay and Tākaka. Motorists using State Highway 60 and the Tākaka Hill should take this into account when planning their journeys.

 

With the high tide period coinciding with the bad weather, the status of State Highway 6 Rocks Road will be carefully monitored. It remains probable that the route will be closed tonight between 10 pm and 2 am.

 

NZTA/waka Kotahi urges drivers to take care on the roads and check the weather and road conditions before they travel. Bad weather can see roads and highways closed at short notice.

·              Highway Conditions – Nelson/Marlborough

·              Driving to the conditions

·              Metservice Weather Warnings

 

Road users should avoid driving through flooded areas. Floodwaters can hide road damage, and currents may be far stronger than they appear. Don’t put yourself and those who may have to rescue you at risk.


***


Heavy rain warning in place


Tasman District Council has issued an update on weather warnings at 12:29 11 Apr 2024 as follows:



Update 11 April 2024

The Heavy Rain Warnings and Strong Wind Watch from MetService remain in place and the rainfall amounts and intensities in the advice are unchanged.

This means we continue to advise that main river flows around annual flood level are likely for Golden Bay rivers (Aorere/Tākaka) with peak times in the lower catchment likely to be prior to midnight.

For the Riwaka/Brooklyn area, we are not expecting high flows, rivers draining the lower western Motueka hills being well below annual flood level.

However we are seeing some increased intensities forecast for the southern end of the Richmond Ranges, affecting the Wairoa/Waimea River. So here we expect to get at least annual floods and perhaps up to a 5-year flood. It would be prudent to extend this to anywhere along the Richmond Ranges, so would include the Maitai River in this advice also.

Peak flows in lower catchments in these areas are likely to be after midnight, possibly between 2-4am. An annual flood should be well contained within the active channel of the river, whilst a 5-year flood in these areas would be likely to be well across all river berms.

No thunderstorms are forecast in this front, but there could still be isolated heavy downpours in any of these areas causing impacts for small streams.

For the rest of the Tasman District, some isolated heavy falls may occur, but rainfall totals are lower, around 50-80mm.

There is a high tide (4.4m) at midnight and also strong winds for this time, so likely to be some waves set up from this. However storm surge risk is likely to be low as this is not associated with low air pressure from this system.

Keep up to date with the latest MetService warnings here

(external link)


***


Dovedale Rural Water Supply - boil water reminder and request to conserve water


11 Apr 2024, 12:05 (Tasman District Council)

With the prolonged heavy rain event we are currently experiencing, we would like to remind Dovedale residents that the Dovedale Water Supply Scheme is on a permanent boil water notice. 

We also ask that you conserve water as much as possible during this event. The treatment plant is operating at a reduced flow rate due to poor stream conditions, so conserving water will assist us to continue to supply water from the reservoirs.

Please ensure that water is boiled for all the following purposes:

  • Drinking water
  • Food preparation
  • Mixing cold beverages
  • Utensil washing
  • Brushing teeth
  • Pets drinking water
  • Ice making  

How to boil water for drinking

Bring water to a rolling boil (where bubbles appear in the centre and do not disappear when the water is stirred) for one minute or boil a full electric jug until it switches off. Cool the water (do not use ice cubes to do this) and pour into clean container with a lid. Refrigerate until needed.

Note: nearly all household filters provide no protection against bacterial contamination. If you have an under the sink carbon filter or cartridge filter, you still need to boil your water.

If you have a high-quality cartridge filter followed by an Ultraviolet disinfection unit, which are well-maintained and supply water to your entire house, there is no need to boil your water.

For further information please call the Council on 03 543 8400.

Please pass this onto your neighbours, as we do not have contact information for everyone on the scheme and they may not use the internet. Thank you for your co-operation.



Pigeon Post News, Richmond.

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