Marlborough Recovery Update, Friday 30 June 2023

Date:

30 Jun 2023, 12:00 pm

Categories:

August 2022 Recovery Updates

Welcome to the Marlborough Recovery Update bringing youthe latest news on the recovery effort and the support available.

With recovery efforts, the Stantec review and public consultations almost completed, this newsletter is being wound down. The next, published on Friday 14 July 2023, will be the last.

Go to a wide range of information and support on the August Weather Event 2022 Recovery Information page page

August weather event

Twenty five one properties in Marlborough still have red placards following the August 2022 weather event. A further 62 have yellow and 32 have white due to the damage sustained, which was more extensive and widespread than the July 2021 weather event.

Marlborough Sounds transport options released for public feedback - fill in the survey

Hundreds of people attended public drop-in sessions around Marlborough and Nelson to have their questions answered on the Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study.

More than 330 Marlborough ratepayers, residents and others with an interest in the Sounds transport network have already provided feedback on ‘emerging preferred options’ and ‘hazard adaptation pathways’ for the Marlborough Sounds future transport network, and their estimated impact on rates.

Mayor Nadine Taylor said it was good to see how involved the Marlborough community is in the engagement process.

“Marlburians are passionate about their local community. The feedback we have received so far has been honest and insightful, and we will take it all on board when finalising the business case for Waka Kotahi later this year.”

“I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that the project team, Council and Waka Kotahi hear from as many people as possible. Getting everyone’s views will make our business case for Government funding as robust as possible. If you haven’t yet completed the online survey, there is still time to do so.”

The online survey is open until 5.00 pm, Tuesday 11 July.

Go to the Have Your Say - MSFAS page for more information including a link to the online survey

Options available

A project team led by engineering consultancy Stantec has completed eight months of research and assessment, which also included receiving detailed feedback from the Sounds community. Based on this work, five emerging preferred options have been identified. Hazard adaptation pathways have also been developed for each area, recognising the future risk of significant events such as storms, earthquakes and sea level rise.

Depending on the area, the emerging preferred options and hazard adaptation pathways fall under one of the following themes:

Road Focus: Most roads strengthened, with marine transport primarily for emergency response
Road Access: Key roads strengthened, with marine available where needed as back up
Balanced: A mix of investment in road and marine transport
Marine Access: Essential roads repaired, and marine transport made more available and more resilient
Marine Focus: Roads repaired where affordable, but roads are mostly focused on providing access to marine transport as the primary transport mode/method for access into and out of the area

The emerging preferred options for most of the Sounds, excluding the Kenepuru area, would be a road focused or road access approach. This means the bulk of any investment would be on making roading infrastructure more resilient while also improving and protecting the Sounds marine infrastructure.

The Kenepuru area has significant underlying geological instability which means its emerging preferred option is a balanced approach, investing in both roading and marine infrastructure. In order to ensure the roads are resilient there may be trade-offs in vehicle weight or length restrictions, but this would be compensated for with greater development of marine facilities.

The high-level cost estimates are:

Using these estimates the emerging preferred options have a cost in the order of $160M while the hazard adaptation pathways would be in the order of $80M. The hazard adaptation pathways are a mix of marine access and marine focus depending on the area.

Mayor Taylor reiterated how important it was to get feedback from anyone with an interest in the Marlborough Sounds transport network.

Remote Users Scheme to improve internet

Are you unhappy with your internet connection? There may be help available.

The Government is aware that there are many small communities, many in remote areas of the country, with poor internet access.

The new Remote Users Scheme (RUS)is focused on increasing the availability of broadband connectivity in rural and remote New Zealand.

Through the RUS, eligible households and communities in the most remote areas - where broadband is not currently available and there is only access to voice calling and text services - will be able to apply for support.

The first phase of RUS aims to provide a broadband internet service to an area by extending existing networks. Those still without coverage after this has been done, may be eligible to receive a one-off grant of up to $2,000 towards set up and installation costs of a suitable broadband solution.

To be eligible for the RUS, applicants should:

1. Have a principal residence in a rural or remote area. This could include:

• Owner occupied dwellings

• Multiple principal residences on a single property

• Occupied tenanted dwellings

• Farmhouses occupied by share farmers (usually under a “right to reside” arrangement)

• Occupied dwellings on Māori land.

2. Not be capable of receiving a commercial broadband service or have a poor service. This will include both existing and planned coverage (if any) in the area.

How do I apply for RUS?

If you have access to internet at work, school, library or other place, you can fill in the form directly on the website.

Go to the form on the Crown Infrastructure Partners website

At a later stage you will need to provide:

• Proof of address

• Proof of principal residence

• Declaration of no or poor service availability where you live (which CIP will verify)

Go to more information on the RUS on the Crown Infrastructure Partners website

Marlborough Sounds Community Barges

With the recent funding announcement from Waka Kotahi, Council can confirm the barge and water taxi subsidies will continue through to June 2024.

A review has been completed of the barge subsidies process and the following changes will take affect from 1 August 23 to help ensure funds are used effectively:

Community Barge

Service will now run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
The charge for a ‘vehicle size’ load rate will increase from $100+gst to $150+gst
Users who never had road access will continue to be charged the usual rates

Full Barge Loads

A discount of 30% will apply to commercial loads such as building materials – loads which are not able to travel on the roads due to weight/length restrictions

On Farm Supplies

If using the community barge the $150 +GST per ‘vehicle size’ rate will be applied
If using a full barge a 50% discount will be applied (no change)

Stock barges

No changes to the current level of MDC subsidy has been made, a reminder that users will continue to organise these barge requirements directly with the Johnson’s office

Any information relating to changes to the water taxi subsidies will be shared in the final recovery newsletter on Friday 14 July 2023.

Investigative drilling on Queen Charlotte Drive.

Roading update

In the last fortnight, culvert replacement works have been completed on Kenepuru and Moetapu Bay Roads.

Hydroseeding and winter maintenance works have also been completed at various locations along Kenepuru Road.

Investigative drilling has now been completed at three separate locations on Queen Charlotte Drive, to retrieve core samples of material in order to understand the geology of the ground.

Drainage improvements have been carried out around a slip on Kenepuru Road this week and debris has been cleared off a slip face on Moetapu Bay Road.

Crews have also completed installing scour protection on a retaining wall along Kenepuru Road, 4km past the Onahau Road turnoff this week.

Metalling is being undertaken on the unsealed sections of road in the French Pass area along with clearing of water channels and flushing of culverts.

From Monday 3 to Friday 7 July, anchoring pins are to be installed on an underslip on Duncan Bay Road under a daytime construction closure. These works are planned to resume from Monday 17 July.

On Wednesday 5 July, repairs on the bailey bridge on Waihopai Valley Road will be completed under a road closure between 9.00 am to 1.00 pm.

Information

To check the status of any local road in Marlborough visit Marlborough District Council’s CDEM Map and click on the road for more information.

To contact the Marlborough Roads Recovery Team phone 0800 213 213 between 8.00 am - 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday or email recovery@marlboroughroads.com.