An Update on Water Supply in the Moutere Hills Area (and the Waimea Dam)
Since the public meeting organised by the MHRA in April we have spent some time piecing together the factors affecting the provision of a potable water supply for the residents of the Dovedale and Upper Moutere area. This included meeting with a representative of TDC engineering department and with the chair of the present Dovedale Water Committee, and collecting information from the TDC website.
Water supply on the Dovedale Scheme has become somewhat more reliable as faulty sections have been replaced, but the water quality remains below standard and worsens over summer as intake reduces and water is taken from a lower outlet. A permanent "boil water notice" continues to be in place. TDC has not yet produced a required Public Health Risk Management Plan for the scheme and says this "will be reviewed as part of the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan". The volume available from the present source cannot be increased, and the scheme is seen as slowly amassing more debt.
Plans exist at TDC for supplying water to the Dovedale scheme from a new source in the Motueka river gravels near Woodstock to improve both quality and available quantity. However, any such plans have been postponed by TDC with a new "placeholder" date of 2026. There is no certainty of this date being any more reliable than the previously announced 2016 date. TDC claim that the $1.6 million dollars estimated to get a new source and treatment station and fix the supply pipes was seen as too high a price to be carried by the people serviced by the present scheme.
One of the problems preventing us moving forward is that focus has been on the existing Dovedale Scheme rather than on actual number of households (potential users) in the distribution area. Our Water Supply Survey is part of our effort to establish a better view of the demand in the distribution area.
Our chairman Tim Finn attended this year's submissions hearings on 17 October on behalf of the Moutere Hills Residents Association. Councillors Norriss, Edgar and Dowler plus council staff were present. The MHRA had issued a submission relating to the proposed speed changes around Mahana village and school.
MHRA presented in favour of the proposed reduction to 60 kph for 850 metres each way along Old Coach Road from the intersection with School Road, and for 220 m down School Road from the same intersection.
However, MHRA proposed that the 60 kph zones be extended along Old Coach Road to its intersection with the Moutere Highway, and for the complete extent of School Road from Old Coach Road to Carlyons Road, noting the presence of bends, intersections and general road conditions and usage that, in our opinion, made 60 kph a more suitable speed limit than the newly proposed 80 kph.
Read more: Report from the Speed Limits Review Hearings 2014
Hearings for the Draft Speed Limit Bylaw Amendment 2014 will be held today, Friday 17 October from 9.30 am at the Tasman District Council Chambers, 189 Queen Street in Richmond.
The MHRA will be presenting regarding our submissions (see below).
The full agenda can be found at the TDC website at this link. This includes the council reports and some notes on each submission and reasoning behind council proposals.
We are forwarding this news item from the TDC website. The proposed dam will affect all ratepayers in the district, whether they will actually get any water from the dam or not.
A special consultative process related to the proposed Waimea Community Dam will begin this Monday (13 October). Closing on 14 November, the Tasman District Council is consulting with ratepayers and residents on the proposed funding and governance options for the dam.
A Statement of Proposal and Summary of Information was adopted at today’s Council meeting. This set out the Funding and Governance options with some information for context; and identifies Council’s preferred options. A decision whether or not to build the dam will be made in June next year. [...]
The Council has also created a dedicated website which will be turned on Monday 13th and provide information regarding this consultation and provide the history and technical material related to the proposed dam. The web address is www.waimeacommunitydam.co.nz
Public meetings and information sessions are being held throughout the District over the consultation period.
Mayor Kempthorne says “I urge all Tasman ratepayers and residents to take part in the funding and governance consultation.”
Read the full news item at the TDC website.
Report from our AGM...
Planning and negotiations with landowners are ongoing on this project. We are continuing to focus on the preferred route: west of the highway from the school grounds along the Moutere River and we are still trying to achieve a route for both pedestrians and cyclists.
We would like to point out that where proposed routes are crossing private land all of this is possible only with the genuine support of the landowners - and we are grateful for the support that we have already received.
Some new options have opened up in recent negotiations and we are also in ongoing talks with TDC about how these can be implemented. More updates can be expected once a workable agreement with all concerned landowners is achieved. At that stage we would also begin pricing and fundraising for the project.