Latest news with #WillDoughty
RNZ News
5 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Kaikōura considers new rules for cats
Kaikōura District Council will draft a new animal control bylaw with a section for cats. File photo Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon A new bylaw is being proposed to protect Kaikōura's native birds and improve the wellbeing of cats. With the Kaikōura District Council's dog control bylaw due to be reviewed, the council has decided to draft a new animal control bylaw with a section for cats. The decision follows calls from local conservationists to help protect banded dotterels / pohowera, which nests along the Kaikōura coastline. The birds come under threat from predators, including stray and feral cats, during nesting season. Alongside the new bylaw, the council will partner with the SPCA to promote subsidised desexing and microchipping of cats. Council chief executive Will Doughty said the new bylaw will be developed over the next 18 months and will be subject to consultation. "We've looked at what's been done in other councils and we found this is now becoming a lot more mainstream. "There are benefits from a cat health perspective and it's good from a wider environmental perspective, so it goes beyond just the protecting the birds. "But the big thing is in the education." A dotterel in full flight. Photo: Ailsa McGilvary-Howard The council is working with Environment Canterbury and the Department of Conservation to look at restrictions on nesting sites. The dotterel nesting season runs from September to December, with the birds under threat from dogs, vehicles and human activity, as well as cats. Doughty said the subsidised desexing and microchipping programme will receive ratepayer funding from the council's environmental projects fund. Kaikōura couple Ailsa McGilvary-Howard and Ted Howard made an appeal to a council workshop in March to help protect the dotterels. While the dotterel can be found on braided rivers and coastlines in other parts of the South Island, Kaikōura is like "a whirlpool" which sucks birds in because there appears to be plenty of resources, McGilvary-Howard said. The beach areas with the most dotterel nesting sites are at South Bay between the Coastguard and The Caves, and further north between the West End shopping area and the New World supermarket. McGilvary-Howard has been monitoring dotterel nests on the Kaikōura coastline voluntarily for more than a decade and completed a self-funded banded dotterel study in 2016. A banded dotterel mother and chick. Photo: Ailsa McGilvary-Howard Howard monitors the northern section, and said around 150 eggs were laid this season, with around 40 hatching, but just one chick survived. A further four chicks survived at South Bay, but more adult birds were lost to predator attacks. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Bailey bridge considered for flood-prone Canterbury stream
A Bailey bridge is one option being considered to give Clarence Valley residents more reliable road access. Developed during World War 2, Bailey bridges are commonly used as temporary structures or for emergency situations. Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said a range of options are being considered, following the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi's (NZTA) decision last month not to extend a sunset clause on funding for a replacement bridge on the Waiau Toa Clarence River, north of Kaikōura. Doughty said the council has previously considered a Biley bridge as a temporary solution, but the cost blew out to $2m when it became clear steel abutments would be needed. ''The stream has changed, so we will relook at that. The elected members are keen to see what is the best bang for buck.'' The Glen Alton bridge was destroyed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016. The NZTA board approved emergency works funding of $12.6m from the National Land Transport Programme in 2019 to replace the bridge - a 95 percent subsidy. But the project has been beset by delays, leading to NZTA's funding being withdrawn and leaving landowners high and dry. The council has left the local share of $500,000 in the 2025/26 annual plan budget. Doughty said property owners have not given up on the goal of a replacement bridge over the Waiau Toa Clarence River. The cost of the building a new bridge is now estimated to cost $16.5m and the council would need to acquire land for an access road and a resource consent from Environment Canterbury. The previous road access was taken out by the earthquake. ''The indications are a consent might only be valid for five years, so we would need to look at what is the likelihood of getting the funding within that timeframe,'' Doughty said. The Clarence Valley is home to several properties, including forestry blocks, large hill country properties and Department of Conservation land. For now access in and out is via Waipapa Road, Wharekiri Stream and a paper road through several properties. But the Wharekiri Stream is prone to flooding in heavy rain events and can be impassable for up to two weeks. Access is by four-wheel-drive only. Doughty said the cost of installing a Bailey bridge on the Wharekiri Stream would depend on the size of the bridge and how long it was needed for. Bailey bridges were typically hired, rather than being a permanent structure, and could cost upwards of $30,000 a year for a single span bridge. It was unclear how any solution would be paid for or whether property owners would be asked to contribute. ''No conversations have been had with landowners about contributing,'' Doughty said. ''It is too early to say, but we've got to look at all options. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
08-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
World War II Type Bridge Considered For Clarence Valley
A bailey bridge is one option being considered to give Clarence Valley residents more reliable road access. Developed during World War II, bailey bridges are commonly used as temporary structures or for emergency situations. Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said a range of options are being considered, following Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's (NZTA) decision last month not to extend a sunset clause on funding for a replacement bridge on the Waiau Toa Clarence River, north of Kaikōura. Mr Doughty said the council has previously considered a bailey bridge as a temporary solution, but the cost blew out to $2m when it became clear steel abutments would be needed. ''The stream has changed, so we will relook at that. The elected members are keen to see what is the best bang for buck.'' The Glen Alton bridge was destroyed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016. The NZTA board approved emergency works funding of $12.6m from the National Land Transport Programme in 2019 to replace the bridge - a 95 percent subsidy. But the project has been beset by delays, leading to NZTA's funding being withdrawn and leaving landowners high and dry. The council has left the local share of $500,000 in the 2025/26 annual plan budget. Mr Doughty said property owners have not given up on the goal of a replacement bridge over the Waiau Toa Clarence River. The cost of the building a new bridge is now estimated to cost $16.5m and the council would need to acquire land for an access road and a resource consent from Environment Canterbury. The previous road access was taken out by the earthquake. ''The indications are a consent might only be valid for five years, so we would need to look at what is the likelihood of getting the funding within that timeframe,'' Mr Doughty said. The Clarence Valley is home to several properties, including forestry blocks, large hill country properties and Department of Conservation land. For now access in and out is via Waipapa Road, Wharekiri Stream and a paper road through several properties. But the Wharekiri Stream is prone to flooding in heavy rain events and can be impassable for up to two weeks. Access is by four-wheel-drive only. Mr Doughty said the cost of installing a bailey bridge on the Wharekiri Stream would depend on the size of the bridge and how long it was needed for. Bailey bridges were typically hired, rather than being a permanent structure, and could cost upwards of $30,000 a year for a single span bridge. It was unclear how any solution would be paid for or whether property owners would be asked to contribute. ''No conversations have been had with landowners about contributing,'' Mr Doughty said. ''It is too early to say, but we've got to look at all options.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Scoop
Spend Now To Reduce Flood Risk
Spending money now will save Kaikōura from facing the full effects of a damaging future flood, says Kaikōura District Council boss Will Doughty. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake in November 2016 dislodged a significant amount of gravel, which left the town vulnerable in a major flood, he said. Environment Canterbury (ECan) has been reviewing its gravel management strategy on rivers throughout the region, with submissions closing last month. While it was difficult to estimate how much money needed to be spent now, Mr Doughty said an event similar to a Kowhai River flood in 1993, which devastated the town, would have a significant long-term economic impact. Implementing a gravel management strategy to extract excess material would help maintain the natural flow of the river and reduce the likelihood of blockages or sediment build up. ''The wandering nature of the Kowhai River and the dynamic nature of the system is a key challenge when attempting to determine the response of the river to flood events,'' he said. ''The likely damage to the town would depend on the severity and duration of the flood event, but vulnerable infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and public services could be impacted, leading to both immediate repair costs and long term economic impacts.'' ECan rivers manager David Aires said tens of thousands of cubic metres of gravel were removed from the Kowhai River to assist with reconstruction work following the earthquake. Local contractors and Environment Canterbury's river engineers have removed a further 25,000 cubic metres in the last eight years. ECan manages 18km of stopbanks along the Kowhai River, which are designed for a one-in-20-year flood event. This is equivalent to around 250 to 270 cumecs of water flowing at a rate of one cubic metre per second. Mr Aires said the Kaikōura flood protection scheme is being reviewed. ''Over the next six months we will be measuring riverbed levels so we can determine where further gravel extraction might be required in the Kowhai River as we work through the scheme review.'' Reducing flood risk in rivers has been a major focus for ECan and other regional and unitary councils, which led to the report ''Before the Deluge''. The report was presented to the Government in late 2022, warning of the risks and costs of a major storm or flood event. The Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, which struck in January 2023, are estimated to have resulted in between NZ$9 billion to $14.5 billion in damage. ECan set aside $25m a year over the next 10 years in last year's 2024/34 Long Term Plan and called on the Government to contribute $38m. Last year the Government announced $9.5m funding towards three projects, including upgrades to critical and aged flood management infrastructure across the region to make it more resilient to the changing climate. ECan also spent $22.6m in repair work following the May 2021 heavy rainfall event, which caused widespread flooding and prompted a region-wide state of emergency. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Otago Daily Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Councils press on with water plan
The Kaikōura District Council held its deliberations on Wednesday, after receiving just 14 submissions, with nine backing the joint CCO proposal and four preferring to go it alone. The Hurunui District Council will meet on Tuesday, May 13, to deliberate after receiving 53 submissions, with 25 in support of forming a joint CCO with Kaikōura and 23 favouring an in-house water services business unit. Councils need to submit water services delivery plans for review by September 3 under the Government's Local Water Done Well reform programme. The legislation aims to address the country's water infrastructure challenges and replaced the previous Government's Three Waters Reform. Kaikōura Deputy Mayor Julie Howden said the response was ''pretty disappointing'', but she was impressed with the quality of the submissions. The council's chief executive, Will Doughty, said the shares will be allocated based on the net assets of each council, but it still needs to be worked through. ''We need to ensure there is a fair and equitable allocation.'' While a final decision will be made at the May 28 council meeting, Mr Doughty said the council is still progressing towards a joint CCO with Hurunui. Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said despite the low turnout, the submissions have given the councillors plenty to think about. ''A lot of people have said they have a high level of trust in the council and the council has invested heavily in our three waters services in recent years. ''We have worked through an incredibly complex process and we will deliver a proposal to the Department of Internal Affairs before the September 3 deadline.'' The Hurunui district has small population of around 13,000 over a large geographical area, while Kaikōura has a population of 4200. Both councils have invested heavily in their three waters infrastructure since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in November 2016. Under the new legislation, a joint CCO can borrow up to 500% of council revenue, instead of the usual borrowing limit of 280%. • LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
