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Friday 29 October 2021
Grandstand stands alone
Demolition squad: Construction manager Brett Miller oversees the removal of the old squash courts building at Tākaka’s Rec Park. Photo: Jo Richards. JO RICHARDS
At 11.35am on Tuesday Corben Solly fired up his digger and extended the big bucket, which punched a large hole in the Rec Park’s old squash courts building. The simple act began the long-awaited demolition of the structure which has butted up against Golden Bay’s historic grandstand for decades. It also marked a major milestone in the reinstatement of the grandstand, now being revealed as the stand-alone building it was designed to be. As he watched the swinging digger bucket do its business, vice president of the A&P Association Noel Baigent was clearly happy with what he was witnessing. “This is a good day,” said Noel, whose great-grandfather was the Association’s president at the time of its first ever show and supplied timber for the original construction of the grandstand. Earlier in the morning, Noel addressed a group of around 20 people – including local councillors, Tasman District Council staff,
grandstand campaigners and members of the public – gathered in front of the grandstand. He highlighted pivotal moments in the community’s fight to save the grandstand, which he said started in February 2016 after he asked the Golden Bay Community Board why the structure had been slated for demolition. Over the past five-and-a-half years, campaigners have employed a wide variety of tactics, including setting up the Grand Stand Trust, organising public protest rallies, contesting legal battles, and establishing the Grandstand Restoration Society. “We’ve put up with a lot of stuff that should never have happened,” said Noel. He explained that the new councillors and staff who joined TDC in 2019 were instrumental in reversing the decision to remove the grandstand. “Thank you current councillors and CEO,” said Noel, before acknowledging other local supporters. “Thank you Grand Stand Trust and A&P colleagues and community.”
Before Corben was let loose on the squash courts, TDC’s project manager Joe Bywater and WSP consultants’ Shane Davies answered questions about the detailed reinstatement plans for the grandstand, while construction manager Brett Miller allowed the group to take a closer look at the building itself. “It’s a self-supporting structure; the thing is as solid as a rock,” said Brett. “But there are a few things to be sorted out.” Then came the main event. Once started, the demolition proceeded rapidly using a combination of brute strength and delicate precision. The toothed digger bucket ripped through walls and ceilings, before picking up roofing sheets and steel beams and placing them into separate neat piles, ready for removal and recycling. Two hours into the demolition and all that remained was a large, but tidy heap of rubble. One of the project’s key targets is to ensure the grandstand is useable for the... Continued on page 2
Three Waters mandate SUBMITTED
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced on Wednesday that the Government would be mandating the Three Waters reform, meaning local councils will not be able to opt-out. Tasman Mayor Tim King said that the decision not to provide more time to work through the issues and options, but to mandate the reforms through legislation was disappointing. “It was perhaps inevitable given the Government’s case is built around all New Zealand’s three waters assets being included,” said Tim. While details around ownership, governance and local influence over future decision making, remain unclear, TDC understands that the Murchison area will be serviced as part Entity C along with the rest of the Tasman area. Tim acknowledged that the high level of correspondence and concerns received from residents and ratepayers reflected the scale and importance of the issue and that these concerns are unlikely to be resolved by today’s decision. Informed by the overall feedback, the Government will establish a working group, which will include expertise from across local government, water industry experts and iwi, to partner to refine outstanding elements of the reforms. Work will continue on governance and representation, the interface with the Resource Management Act, and transition for rural water supplies. Legislation is expected before Christmas. The Government has also scheduled ongoing communications and engagement, including public submissions and hearings, as part of the legislative process. TDC will be requesting that those opportunities to submit and be heard are provided to residents and ratepayers throughout the district. Tim said, with no opt-out available, it was important that Tasman’s needs were reflected in all discussions leading up to the implementation of the Three Waters reform and TDC would continue to engage in those processes wherever possible. “Given the Government’s decision to mandate the reforms, what is important for us right now is to get the best outcome for our residents and ratepayers under the new structure and to continue managing and maintaining our current three waters assets during the period of transition”. The reforms are due to be implemented in 2024.
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Inside: Amazing avos Kidztheatre Gardening Movie review Bay Art Blacksmithing THE GB WEEKLY, FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER 2021
ISSN (PRINT) 2538-0923 ISSN (ONLINE) 2538-0931
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