Subj : Cancelled: Takaka bike park goes for a skate as funds are pulled
To   : All
From : News
Date : Tue May 21 2024 12:32 pm

Work to progress a Takaka bike and skate park has been cancelled as
Government funding to Tasman District Council has been redirected.


A council officer said the Department of Internal Affairs issued a directive
to reallocate the funds, but a spokesperson for the agency countered, saying
that any reallocation of funds would only occur by mutual agreement.


Better Off funding had provided $50,000 for the skate and skills park's
feasibility study, community engagement, and design.


The funds were distributed by the previous Labour government for community
investment in recognition of the significant transfer of water infrastructure
ahead of the Three Waters reform that was later scrapped before it could
eventuate.


A spokesperson for the DIA said in a statement that any redirection of funds
was done by mutual agreement.


"Earlier this year the Government reviewed all funding under the previous
Government's Three Waters programme and considered opportunities to retain
existing funding arrangements to support Local Water Done Well.


"Cabinet subsequently directed the Department to work in partnership with
councils to identify, by mutual agreement, if any opportunities exist for
councils to redirect unspent Better Off funding to increase investment in
water infrastructure or to help establish new water services delivery
organisations."


But on Thursday, Richard Kirby, group manager community infrastructure, said
the council had received a directive from Internal Affairs to reallocate any
uncommitted Better Off funding into water projects.

Most of the funds are now slated for developing water service delivery plans
that the council anticipates new legislation will require of it in the coming
year.


"I made a call on the funding," Kirby said. "So, basically the money for that
bike park in Takaka from Better Off funding is gone, so if we want to go
ahead with it, council is going to have to fund it some other way."


Councillor Dan Shallcrass said the news was "a real shame" while councillor
Mike Kininmonth said he was "disappointed".


Also on Thursday, councillors were told that the solar panels on the Richmond
Library which caused the roof to sag and leak were installed after the
council received flawed engineering advice.

"We had an engineering report that said that the roof would be able to take
the weight of the panels," said Nick Chin, the council's enterprise and
property services manager.


However, the roof started leaking after the panels were installed 18 months
ago.


"We've gone back to the engineers and they said 'look, it was a
miscalculation'. they have admitted that there was a mistake."


The solar panels are now planned to be relocated from the centre of the roof
to the side of the building, which Chin said was "a lot more cost effective"
than the original idea to relocate the panels to the Takaka Library.


When presented with the information during last week's operations committee
meeting, councillor Brent Maru suggested the engineers would be insured for
mistakes in their professional advice.


"Is that being followed up and is that going to help offset the move?"


Committee chair and councillor Christeen Mackenzie directed Chin to
investigate that possibility after he said he hadn't looked into it.


Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On
Air

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A44 2020/02/04 (Windows/64)
 * Origin: S.W.A.T.S BBS Telnet swatsbbs.ddns.net:2323 (63:10/102)

.