The FlipSide Autumn 2019

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fLIPSIDE Autumn 2019 l your CODC news

THIS ISSUE: Elections 2019 | CO Awards | Upcoming Events

From the Mayor’s Desk

This is the time of year when Council usually consults with our community on our draft annual or long-term (10 Year) plans.

This year though is going to be different because we are simplifying the process.

You might recall that we consulted with you just 12 months ago on our 10-Year Plan. Elected members and staff dressed up in vibrant yellow and encouraged our community to “take 10 for 10”, asking people to take 10 minutes to think about what they wanted for their community for the next decade, and people did in droves with record-breaking engagement.

As our 2019/20 Annual Plan contains no significant change to what we signalled in our 10-Year Plan for Year 2, Council is not required to go through a formal consultation process, nor do we think it is a good use of your money to do so when so little is different from last year.

Instead, we want to have a conversation with you about how we are tracking with our 10-Year Plan projects – what we’ve achieved in Year 1 and what our focus is in Year 2.

By the time this issue of The FlipSide has found its way into your letterbox you can expect our Council communications channels, our website, Facebook and weekly Noticeboard slot in The News (all of which can be accessed online), to be sharing these project updates with you.

This is certainly a break from tradition for this Council, but it is an exciting achievement because it shows we are producing robust long-term plans.

Remember though that engagement between you and the Council happens all-year-round, not just at Annual Plan time. We are happy to receive feedback and hear your concerns and ideas whenever they crop up. There are many channels by which you can do this. See our “Keep in Touch” panel in this issue to find out how.

Tim Cadogan Your Mayor

Spotlight on Strategy and Policy During last year’s 10-Year Plan Council approved funding to establish a small strategy and policy team to advance work of organisational and strategic significance. That funding was used to establish two new positions, which along with the Economic Development Manager role, now form the Strategy and Policy Team.

The team is led by Dr Saskia Righarts who took up the position of Chief Advisor in November, joining CODC fresh from her role as Manager of Strategy at the Ministry of Justice in Wellington. Prior to that she had been an advisor for the NZ Police Executive and an academic at the University of Otago Faculty of Law. Saskia, who was born in Ranfurly, said she was loving being back in the district and the opportunities there are in this region.

The first key task for the newly established team was to conduct a stocktake of strategy and policy work currently underway in the organisation and identify the critical work that needs to be undertaken.

This work programme was presented to Council in February and a package of four projects were approved as immediate priorities: • Central Otago 2050 Plan (30-year vision and prosperity plan for Central Otago) • Council’s approach to Housing • Grants Policy • Museum Strategy

CENTRAL OTAGO 2050 PLAN: Knowing what we want Central Otago to look like in the future is critical to guide our investment choices, future policy and decision making. There are many opportunities in this region and we need to take a considered approach to leverage these opportunities in the years to come. This plan will map out a strategic direction to drive transformational change for Central Otago over the next 30 years.

COUNCIL’S APPROACH TO HOUSING: Nationally housing has been identified by the current government as a significant issue. This project will examine what this council’s role should be in supporting the local housing market and develop a policy to guide investment choices in this area.

GRANTS POLICY: The gifting of grants is an important role that council has in this community. It enables organisations to undertake initiatives that meet identified community needs and strengthen our district. This project will develop a policy that more clearly articulates the criteria for these grants and propose options for more streamlined processes to make accessing them easier for the community.

MUSEUM STRATEGY: There are several museums across our district, some of which are part-funded by council whereas others are volunteer run.

This project will develop a district wide museum strategy that will articulate council’s role in supporting our local museums and its funding framework.

Council also indicated at its February meeting that a Responsible Camping Strategy should be added in as a fifth priority project pending the outcome of work happening at a national level in that space.

Since receiving Council’s “green light” to push on with these projects work had begun to get a good picture on the current state and to finalise project plans for each work stream, said Saskia.

“As each project develops we will be keeping the community informed and there will be opportunities for the community to get involved in helping shaping these policies and strategies.”

Gets Ready is coming to Central Otago.

What is Gets Ready?

Gets Ready is a tool that allows Council to send real-time alerts during an emergency, lets people register friends or whanau that may need extra assistance in an emergency, lets people register skills, resources or aid that they can provide during an emergency, and helps prepare neighbourhoods to be part of a coordinated community response.

It functions as both a website and mobile app that provides features to support neighbourhood support groups, the emergency operations centre, council staff and the community.

This is relevant across day-to-day life, minor incidents such as boil water notices or fire bans and major emergency events such as earthquakes or floods.

Gets Ready emerged out of the Darfield community in the aftermath of the first Christchurch earthquake. They realised there was a need for better tools to work together. Out of this, Dave Askin pioneered Gets Ready with the aim of increasing community resilience, strengthening neighbourhood networks, and building partnerships between emergency services and the community.

The Otago Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is signing Central Otago up to pilot the tool with a vision to roll it out across the Otago region. We will be coming to you soon to encourage you and your neighbourhood to sign up to be added to the database. It will only take a matter of minutes and you will only be sent alerts relevant to the address you record.

Cromwell Masterplan Update

The Cromwell community will get its next opportunity to engage on the funding of the Cromwell Masterplan towards the middle of the year.

Since the release of the Let’s Talk Options community feedback analysis in December last year, Council staff and consultants have been working to develop a spatial framework for Cromwell and a business case for the Masterplan programme.

The spatial plans set out the direction for the next 30 years including how and where to accommodate growth, how to address the town centre and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Precinct as consulted on in the Let’s Talk Options engagement document.

CODC Executive Manager - Planning and Environment Louise van der Voort said that before the Masterplan could be presented to the Cromwell Community Board for adoption the Masterplan team needed to work through the financials, including the costs of the various projects and how these will be funded.

The aim was to present the Masterplan report to the Cromwell Community Board on 30 April. Following the Board’s decision the community would again be invited to share its thoughts.

Cromwell Community Board Chair Neil Gillespie said he hoped the great levels of community engagement in the Masterplan process to date would continue.

“We are getting to the business end of the programme. The community has told us what they would like us to do and soon it will be time for them to tell us how they believe we should fund it, the timeframe for making it happen and whether their rates help pay for it.”

The next report to the Cromwell Community Board will be for the adoption of the masterplan and approval to consult with the community on an amendment to the Long Term Plan. This amendment would be needed to accommodate the Cromwell Masterplan work programme not currently included in Council’s 10-Year Plan 2018-28 budgets.

Local Elections 2019 Local government elections are being held in October this year. Council has a website section that will be dedicated to providing information on these elections www.codc.govt.nz/elections for potential candidates as well as our community of voters.

KEY DATES FOR THE 2019 ELECTIONS From 17 July - Elections will be advertised and nominations called 19 July - Nominations open 16 August - Nominations close at midday 20 September - Voter packs mailed to electors. Voting opens.

12 October - Voting closes at midday. Progress result as soon as possible thereafter.

By 17 October - Official result released From 17 October - Official result advertised THINKING OF STANDING FOR OFFICE? A candidate handbook for the 2019 election will be available on Council’s website by 31 May and nomination forms will be available in early July.

ARE YOU ENROLLED? If you are enrolled as a parliamentary elector you will automatically be placed on council’s electoral roll as a residential elector. If you need to enrol or update existing name or address details on the parliamentary electoral roll, you can do so at any Post Shop, online at www.elections.org.nz or by phoning 0800 36 76 56.

If you pay rates on property within the council area but live outside that area you may be eligible to enrol as a ratepayer elector. Download a copy of the ratepayer enrolment form from Council’s website or pick one up at any service centre.

For further information please contact: Anthony Morton, Electoral Officer, on 0800 398 683 or iro@electionz.com.

Emergency Management Otago Consulting on 10-year Group Plan The “Four Rs” of Reduction, Readiness, Response and Recovery are front and centre of Emergency Management Otago’s new Group Plan, which is out now for community consultation.

The draft plan sets out an approach focused on working with and supporting communities before, during and after emergencies.

Otago has a coordinated regional approach to emergency management that also enables and supports each Council to make appropriate local arrangements. Emergency Management Otago staff in each district actively support communities to develop their own local response plans that reflect their unique conditions and requirements within a regionally consistent framework.

The review of the Group Plan has been underway for over a year and has included workshops in every district, and discussions with key stakeholders and partner agencies.

The full Draft Group Plan and a consultation summary are both online at www.otagocdem.govt.nz. Printed copies of both documents are available at Council service centres.

Submissions on the draft Group Plan close on 29 April.

Celebrating our own

The Central Otago Awards are presented biennially to businesses and individuals that are achieving great things and that exemplify the spirit of the region. Award categories include Business Excellence, Young Professional, Community Service, Apprentice and Youth.

The awards honour excellence, innovation, big hearts and the amazing contribution many make to our district. We encourage you to get involved by making a nomination. Consider getting a few people together and working as a group so that you can capture a person’s amazing contribution from different angles.

This year it’s easier and less time consuming for businesses to enter the Business Excellence Award category. The process now includes a short entry form and an opportunity for business owners to meet with the business judging panel to talk about what makes their business outstanding.

In 2019 we’re also giving you the opportunity to nominate a business and encourage them to enter the Business Excellence Award category. Anyone can nominate – employees, associates, friends, family, clients and customers. When the Awards Team receives a nomination we will contact the business, send them an entry form and invite them to enter. Nominations are confidential but you are welcome to let the business know you have made the nomination and encourage them to enter.

Entries and nominations for this year’s awards close on Thursday 2 May. The awards ceremony will be held in Roxburgh on Friday 6 September. www.centralotagoawards.co.nz

Keep in touch

Ways to keep in touch with Council news in between your twice-yearly copy of The FlipSide: • Check out our weekly CODC Noticeboard published on page 5 of The News.

• Visit our website www.codc.govt.nz where we regularly post news and highlight what’s topical.

• ‘Like’ and follow Central Otago District Council on Facebook.

• Keep in touch with business news and vacancies via Council’s presence on LinkedIn. • Download The Central App to receive alerts to your phone and be able to link through to Council information at the quick push of a button. The Central App is not a Council initiative but we are proud supporters and users of the app.

• Tune in to Radio Central for regular Council news and features, including hearing the Mayor on the air fortnightly. Tune in on 91.9 in Alexandra, Clyde and Cromwell, 94.3 in the Teviot Valley and 104.3 in the Maniototo.

And here are some of the ways you can engage with Council: • Phone, email or send us a letter – you’ll find Council’s contact details on the back panel.

• Touch base with us via our online forms – general feedback, information and service requests – you’ll find these at www.codc.govt.nz/do-it-online • Engage directly with your elected representatives via - Councillor Connection – your chance to book a 10-minute slot to talk to councillors before their monthly meeting - VCB Connection – your chance to talk to the Vincent Community Board before its meeting - Maniototo Public Forum – contact the Ranfurly Service Centre if you wish to raise something in the Board’s public forum - TVCB Drop-in sessions – keep an eye out in the Teviot Bulletin for notice of when these are held - Chat one-on-one – you’ll find contact details for all Councillors and community board members on Council’s website - The Mayor’s Coffee & a Chat sessions around the district

What’s Coming Up

VALLANCE COTTAGE OPEN DAY

Monday 22 April 12.00-2.00pm Vallance Cottage, Samson Street, Alexandra Come and view this historic cottage and hear what the Vallance Cottage Working Group has planned for the reserve. If wet, Vallance Cottage will still be open for viewing.

COMMUNICATION THAT KIDS UNDERSTAND

Wednesday 8 May From 7.00pm St Aidan’s Church, Bantry Street, Alexandra Talk on communication styles and body language Open to members and non-members ($5). Alexandra Parents Centre is organising this presentation by Steph Holloway.

The initial taster session will be followed by four more sessions in May/June. Find out more by checking out ‘Alexandra Parents Centre’ on Facebook.

THE BIG BIKE FILM NIGHT

Friday 10 May 7.30-9.45pm Central Cinema, Alexandra Tickets: $17 - $22 Prepare to be inspired! The Big Bike Film Night is on a mission sharing the best cycling short films from around the world with you. Head to www.eventfinda.co.nz/2019/the-big-bike-film-night/ alexandra WORLD ENVIRONMENT WEEK

4-8 June During World Environment Week MAD4CO will host a series of events that focus on air pollution, local and global. These will include caring for our planting sites, film screenings, lunchbox conversations and other learning events where we can all do our bit to care for our region. More details closer to the time!

LIGHT UP WINTER 2019

Saturday 20 July 4.30-9.30pm Cromwell Town Centre Join your community for live music, a night market, the Light Up Your Hat competition and some very cool visual entertainment. The grand finale – weather permitting – will be the mass release of lanterns from the Big Fruit Reserve.

WOOLON CREATIVE FASHION AWARDS

30 -31 August Alexandra For more information head to www.woolon.co.nz From its humble beginnings, this fashion extravaganza now attracts entries from all over New Zealand and overseas, and makes the connection between fibre, art and glamour.

WAIATA THEATRE PRODUCTIONS – VARIETY CONCERT

1 – 4, 8 – 11, 15 – 18 August Earnscleugh, Wanaka, Ranfurly, Tapanui Tickets: $25 Dinner included, BYO refreshments. www.facebook.com/waiatatheatre

TEVIOT VALLEY WEARABLE TARTAN ART AWARDS

Saturday 14 September Ettrick Registration of interest by end of April. Entries close end of July. Entry forms available at 103 The Store, Roxburgh, and Faigan’s Café, Millers Flat.

For more of what’s on look out for events listings in our weekly CODC Noticeboard on page 5 of The News, or visit: www.centralotagonz.com/events

CONTACT US Central Otago District Council www.codc.govt.nz PO Box 122 Alexandra 9340 03 440 0056 | info@codc.govt.nz www.facebook.com/centralotagodistrictcouncil

Front cover image Milky Way, Pisa Moorings, Cromwell Brendon Pearson Photography facebook.com/BrendonPearsonPhotography