If you're planning to visit the Alexander Heritage and Research Library at Labour Weekend, please note the change of opening hours for next Saturday only.

On Saturday, October 20, the Alexander Library will be open from 10.00am to 1.00pm.

It's Global Handwashing Day on Monday, October 15, and our Environmental Health team wants to remind everyone of the benefits of washing their hands, particularly when dealing with food and beverages.

Hands are the principal carriers of disease-causing germs. Washing hands with soap after using the toilet or cleaning a child, and before handling food, can reduce rates of illness and transfer of germs.

Council's pensioner units are for older people with limited means who are able to live independently. We have 16 separate complexes in various parts of the city.

The weekly rental is $94.00 for one person and $106.00 per week for couples. These self-contained units include carpets and drapes. The rental includes ground maintenance. Application forms are available at the Property Office, Wanganui District Council, 101 Guyton Street, or on request.

For further information contact Carly Barton, Wanganui District Council Property Group, phone (06) 349 0001, email Carly Barton.

Some plumbing fittings have the potential to allow minute traces of metals to accumulate in water standing in the fittings for several hours.

Although the health risk is small, the Ministry of Health recommends that you flush a mugful of water from your drinking-water tap each morning before use to remove any metals that may have dissolved from the plumbing fittings.

We are recommending this simple precaution for all households, including those on public and private water supplies.

Director-General of Health

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Sarjeant Gallery Incorporated will be held at the Sarjeant Gallery, Queens Park, Wanganui, at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 16 October 2012.

Ian McGowan
President

Te Mahi Taha Toi Me Te Mahi Whakangahau Mo Tenei Wahi

Mo Nga Ropu Kei Te Pirangi Moni Awhinatia Mo Te Mahi Taha Toi Me Te Mahi Whakangahau

Funding is available for local community based arts activities from the Creative Communities Scheme (CCS). The Scheme aims to increase participation in the arts at a local level, and increase the range and diversity of arts available to communities.

Applications are called for from arts and cultural groups, organisations and individuals, for projects based in the Wanganui District Council area.

Application forms and guidelines are available from:

Wanganui District Council, 101 Guyton Street
Wanganui Community Arts Centre, 19 Taupo Quay
Davis Central City Library, Queens Park
Gonville Café Library, 44 Abbot Street, Gonville
Sarjeant Gallery, Queens Park
Royal Wanganui Opera House, 69 St Hill Street
or online at www.wanganui.govt.nz.

There will be a free Creative Communities funding workshop held on Monday, 5 November 2012, from 1.00pm to 2.00pm in Committee Room 2, Municipal Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

Applicants are invited to attend a workshop.

For further information contact Debbie Kapohe, Arts Facilitator, Wanganui District Council, email Debbie Kapohe, phone (06) 349 0001 ext 8415.

Applications close at 5.00pm on Friday, 23 November 2012. Results announced Monday, 10 December 2012.

Contract 1524
Commercial Dive Services - Water and Wastewater

Wanganui District Council provides water and wastewater services to approximately 40,000 people in the Wanganui District. To deliver an efficient service, Council owns a number of service-related assets (e.g. wastewater treatment plants, potable water reservoirs, an ocean outfall and stormwater storage facilities). Keeping the assets in serviceable condition requires specialist high quality workmanship.

Council is pleased to announce that a new contract, Contract 1524 Commercial Dive Services - Water and Wastewater, is being let for scheduled maintenance on its water and wastewater assets.

Council appreciates that a significant amount of time and effort goes into tendering, and has adopted a two phased tendering process to optimise tenderers' efforts towards successful tendering.

As part of the first phase, Council invites suitably qualified diving contractors to express their interest in tendering by providing proof of their relevant experience, local content, track record, technical skills, resources, management skills and Health and Safety management as part of phase 1 of the tendering process. All information pertaining to phase 1 will need to be lodged by noon on 12 October 2012. Based on these attributes, tenderers achieving consistently high standards in these attributes will be shortlisted and invited to tender during the second phase.

Further information on the basis of tender evaluation can be downloaded from www.tenderlink.com

For further queries please contact Kritzo Venter, Projects Engineer, email Kritzo Venter or phone (06) 349 0001.

Council’s current responsibility to identify earthquake-prone buildings in the District is not limited to commercial/industrial buildings but also extends to specific residential-type buildings by statutory definition.
If you own a building that is used wholly or mainly for residential purposes and;

• comprises 2 or more storeys, and
• contains 3 or more household units, and
• was built before 1976

then you  need to obtain an IEP (Initial Evaluation Procedure) on your building before December 2012, from a suitably qualified engineer. If the IEP produces a building score below 33% of the new building code then the building is deemed to be earthquake-prone.

Please note: Often these units are in multiple ownership and it is suggested that owners group together to obtain the required engineering input, or refer the issue to the building’s Body Corporate to administer.

For more information, please visit phone Customer Service on (06) 349 0001.

The Earthquake-Prone Buildings Taskforce has recently sent out letters and an information pamphlet to owners of Category C, potentially Earthquake-Prone Buildings (EPB) in the Central Business District and the Old Town Conservation Overlay Zone.

We are currently sending out letters and pamphlets to the remainder of Category C building owners in Wanganui. Category C buildings are generally commercial/industrial buildings built before 1976.

This will require owners to obtain an Initial Evaluation Procedure (IEP) before December 2012 to establish if your building is earthquake-prone.

You are advised to contact your suitably qualified engineer promptly to book an assessment, as the pressure on this resource is significant.

Owners who have already completed an IEP assessment should send this to Jeff Jamieson, Wanganui District Council, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

Further information on this process is available here.

Ultrafast Fibre Ltd is undertaking ongoing work to build a fibre optic cable network in the Wanganui urban area.

Contractors are reminded they must comply with the National Code of Practice for Utility Operators’ Access to the Transport Corridor. Contractors must take out an ‘Asset Enquiry’ before any work is started in the transport corridor. To date 30km of new fibre cable has been installed in the Wanganui transport corridor.

For further information contact Wanganui District Council, phone 349 0001.