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Otago Daily Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Claim reform benefits being undermined
A "concerted" misinformation campaign around new water reforms is taking the blame for Waitaki residents not believing the benefits of creating a multi-district water company to run things, the mayor says. As part of the government's Local Water Done Well reforms local authorities need to change the way drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services are delivered. In Waitaki, three options are being considered for the future management of water services: in-house; a council-controlled organisation (CCO) wholly owned by the Waitaki District Council; and a joint CCO co-owned with three other councils. Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said he was concerned about how many submissions might have been affected by the dissemination of wrong information. "It has been very unfortunate that there has been a concerted attempt to provide incorrect information and assumptions to the wider public which have not only misrepresented the actual facts, but they have also contradicted the base facts of the case," Mayor Kircher said in a council report. "It has clearly skewed the results and fed into people's natural concerns about change. "These implications raised by submitters' concerns will need to be considered and they will. "At the end of the day, we must do the best we can for our ratepayers and whether that means retaining water services or giving them up, it is my expectation that every councillor and I will do our best to deliver the best decision for long-term quality and affordability over the next 50 years or more." The council's preferred choice would have Waitaki establish a CCO with the Gore, Central Otago and Clutha District Councils in a proposal called Southern Water Done Well (SWDW). Mr Kircher said economic consultancy Infometrics was employed to "better inform" both councillors and the public about each option, the company's chief economist, Brad Olsen, concluding the SWDW proposal offered "a compelling solution" to the problem. However, mayoral candidate David Wilson said residents had given a clear "keep our waters local" message to the council. "It is insulting to imply that the submitters didn't know what they were talking about. Many of the most knowledgeable and wise people in the district responded. "The message of the people was clear." Just over 300 submissions were received, just half the amount council received during its recent submission period on the district plan. The clear winner in the popularity stakes was the in-house option, which is favoured as the first choice of 54% of submitters. The stand-alone option was favoured by 21% of submitters, the council's preferred SWDW option was favoured by 15% of submitters and 10% favoured the South Canterbury option involving a combined CCO with the Waimate, Timaru and Mackenzie councils. This was included in consultation documents even though none of those councils included Waitaki in their own consultations. Overall, "75% of submitters said they opposed collaboration between councils, with the strongest concern registered as losing local control (83%), followed by lack of transparency (64%), increased costs (60%) and 16% of submitters concerned about changes to water quality", the council 's report said. The Waitaki District Council has conducted deliberations on the proposal over the past two days, advisers from Morrison Low attending yesterday. A final decision will be made at a council meeting on July 8. The water services delivery plan must be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs by September 3.
Otago Daily Times
17-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Govt chips in $3m for cleanup
The junction of Awamoa Rd and the closed Beach Rd 3km south of Oamaru. PHOTO: ODT FILES Waitaki district ratepayers have now had the burden of a multimillion-dollar environmental cleanup reduced by a total of $8 million, after the government stepped in to provide another big funding boost. This week, the Waitaki District Council announced the government has provided $3m in grant funding to support the now completed Project Reclaim. The project removed 67,000 tonnes of fly-tipped and oceanside landfill waste from three sites along the east Otago coastline in 2024, safely securing it 8km inland at a purpose-designed landfill cell near Palmerston. At the time, the council did not qualify for the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund and was not considered for the additional grant funding provided in February 2024 for projects yet to take place. However, a council media statement says "strong advocacy" from Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher to Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and the Ministry for the Environment resulted in Cabinet approval for the new $3m grant. "We have taken decisive action to remedy past mistakes, led the way in preventing an environmental disaster, and ensured we got the best value for the ratepayer by advocating for both this grant, and the waste levy and emission trading scheme waivers." Combined with the approved waivers of the waste levy ($4m) and emissions trading scheme ($1.4m), earlier this year, the overall cost of the project has fallen from $18m to less than $10m. Project Reclaim was an environmental cleanup of historic dump and illegal fly-tipping sites. The resulting holes left from digging up the road to extract 19,000 tonnes of old refuse left the erosion-prone road unusable, and it has been closed since November last year.
Otago Daily Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Council shows support of new bus route
Oamaru commuters wanting to catch a bus to Dunedin will have to wait at least three more years, under draft regional transport plans but politicians here want funding for even more transport services. The Waitaki District Council has shown its support of the introduction of a 112km direct bus connection between Oamaru and Dunedin and a connecting service to the town's North End in a submission to Otago Regional Council's draft Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) 2025-35. "WDC has strongly advocated to ORC for public transport opportunities in the Waitaki district," Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said. While the council continued to support the ongoing Total Mobility programme that provides opportunities for door-to-door public transport for disabled people in Oamaru and the regional bus service between Dunedin and Palmerston, the submission laid out aspirations for improved connectivity for Oamaru residents. "One example relevant in the Waitaki district is providing public transport options to access hospital services in Dunedin," Mr Kircher said. "WDC supports the implementation of daily services between Oamaru and Dunedin via Palmerston." While a key proposal in ORC's draft RPTP is to "investigate" an Oamaru-Dunedin service, the WDC submission asks for much more. The council submission also pushes for the implementation of a "fixed urban connecter service" between Weston and Oamaru via South Hill, as well as "on-demand" service between Oamaru North and the town's city centre. The submission suggested the regional transport plan "proactively engage with communities and organisations, including iwi, to foster trust and ensure public transport projects meet local demand and align with community priorities". It also suggests that a connected and integrated network needs to deliver "a reliable and convenient" transport system that "supports local economies and enhances community resilience" in a manner that represents value for money. Despite not having any direct public transport services operating in the town, Oamaru residents are already charged a $5.45 public transport rate by ORC to support regional planning and potential future services. The inclusion of the Oamaru to Dunedin proposal responds to community interest expressed during the Long-Term Plan 2024-34 consultation, where over 400 submissions region-wide highlighted demand for public transport trials, including in Oamaru. However, an on-demand bus service within Oamaru itself is not planned. The wording of ORC's draft plan also means the introduction of a direct service is still years away, as it is listed as a "medium to long-term initiative" (3–10 years away) due to funding constraints and the need for further planning. The draft plan also proposed raising passenger fares by 50c to $2.50 as well as the introduction of fare zones, where the council could charge more for longer trips (for example, the 50km Palmerston-to-Dunedin route), which could potentially affect Oamaru residents if the Oamaru-Dunedin service is implemented. ORC Moeraki constituency representative councillor Kevin Malcolm said the council was aware of the need. "Council is committed to finding a real option to provide a public transport service between Oamaru and Dunedin but talk needs to stop and we need action." Public consultation on the draft RPTP was undertaken from March 24 to May 2. A total of 549 submissions were received and 32 submitters presented to the regional council Hearings Panel, which heard three days of public submissions from May 13. The recommendations of the Hearings Panel will be presented to the regional council for approval at its monthly meeting, later this month.
Otago Daily Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
WDC after more public transport in region
Oamaru commuters wanting to catch a bus to Dunedin will have to wait at least three more years under draft regional transport plans but the region's politicians want funding for even more transport services. The Waitaki District Council has shown its support of the introduction of a 112km direct bus connection between Oamaru and Dunedin and a connecting service to the town's North End in a submission to Otago Regional Council's draft Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) 2025–2035. "WDC has strongly advocated to ORC for public transport opportunities in the Waitaki district," Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said. While the council continued to support the ongoing Total Mobility programme that provides opportunities for door-to-door public transport for disabled people in Oamaru and the regional bus service between Dunedin and Palmerston, the submission laid out aspirations for improved connectivity for Oamaru residents. "One example relevant in the Waitaki district is providing public transport options to access hospital services in Dunedin," Mr Kircher said. "WDC supports the implementation of daily services between Oamaru and Dunedin via Palmerston." While a key proposal in ORC's draft RPTP is to "investigate" an Oamaru-Dunedin service, the WDC submission asks for much more. The council submission also pushes for the implementation of a "fixed urban connecter service" between Weston and Oamaru via South Hill, as well as an "on-demand" service between Oamaru North and the town's city centre. The submission suggested the regional transport plan "proactively engage with communities and organisations, including iwi, to foster trust and ensure public transport projects meet local demand and align with community priorities". Oamaru residents are already charged a $5.45 public transport rate by the ORC to support regional planning and potential future services. The inclusion of the Oamaru to Dunedin proposal responds to community interest expressed during the Long-Term Plan 2024–34 consultation in which over 400 submissions region-wide highlighted demand for public transport trials, including in Oamaru.
Otago Daily Times
24-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
After-hours healthcare services to be improved
People in need of health services in Oamaru will find it easier to be assessed out-of-hours after a funding boost. As part of a number of key Budget 2025 initiatives announced by the government, Oamaru has been marked for improved after-hour services starting next year. Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher welcomed the news Oamaru would have its after-hours services improved. "The after-hours emergency department has always been a critical service provided by Oamaru Hospital, so it is great to see that Health NZ is making further improvements to support our wider Waitaki community. "A significant proportion of our population will benefit and, in a time when government funding is under huge pressure, it's awesome to hear that this service will be improved." Health NZ Te Whatu Ora acting funding and investment director Jason Power said the services would be tailored for local need and workforce availability. "This is about putting patients first — whether they live in a small rural town or a large city. "The government has announced significant investment to maintain existing urgent and after-hours care services and to deliver new and improved services where they are needed. "Health New Zealand will now work with providers and the workforce to ensure that these services can be delivered," he said. "This is a complex work programme and implementation will occur over the next two years. Our primary care teams will work with the sector and other key agencies such as ACC on key next steps. "We're modernising how care is delivered so patients can access urgent help more easily and reliably. That means flexible care teams, better use of digital tools and investing in the workforce to ensure services remain sustainable and available when people need them most." Health Minister Simeon Brown said the moves were about ensuring that people can get timely, quality care when they need it. "This investment means South Islanders will have faster access to care, with shorter trips and more treatment available locally — especially outside of normal hours — while reducing pressure on emergency departments." As part of the funding package a new after-hours service will be trialled in Twizel. "Budget 2025 is investing $164million over four years to strengthen urgent and after-hours care nationwide, meaning 98% of Kiwis will be able to access these services within one hour's drive of their home," Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey said. The funding includes targeted support for more than 70 rural and remote communities, including after-hours support, 24/7 on-call in-person clinical support and improved access to diagnostics and medicines.
