CLAW (Community Legal Advice Whanganui) invites you to a free seminar about the District Plan and Resource Management Act.

Come along and learn how the Act works and what you can do to ensure your view is included in the District Plan.

Speakers include the Council's senior resource management planner Shane McGhie and Rob Goldsbury who will provide a legal perspective.

The two-hour seminar will be held at CLAW's seminar room in Victoria Court at 5.30pm on Wednesday, December 17. Registrations are essential as space is limited - phone CLAW on 348 8288.

Community organisations are advised that applications for Council funding (Community Contracts) for the 2004/2005 financial year (1 July-30 June) are now being called.

'Community Contracts' is the Council's funding scheme to community organisations, within the Wanganui District, which offer a service with positive benefits and outcomes to the community, in line with Council activities.

They must be applied for on a specific application form which is available, along with Explanation Notes and an Information Pamphlet, at the District Council Office, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

Information Seminar

A seminar will be held to assist organisations that wish to apply for a Community Contract. The seminar will explain the general outline of the scheme, provide details of the guidelines and criteria to be applied, and answer queries concerning the scheme. Application forms will be available at the seminar.

Seminar: Wednesday, 21 January 2004 at 7.00pm
Venue: Committee Room 2, District Council Offices, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui

Further information is available from:

Keith Smith
Community Liaison Officer
Telephone: 349 0001, extension 8062
Fax: 349 0523

Applications close at 4.00pm Monday, 9 February 2004

We wish to advise new home builders of the steps that the Council is taking to ensure that new home owners are protected and that their homes will remain weathertight.

• Additional inspections are being carried out at key times in the building process to ensure that flashings, cladding drainage systems and ventilation systems are installed correctly.
• Because care is being taken by Council Building Inspectors a building consent previously issued for a new home will be able to be "signed off" and a Code Compliance Certificate issued, even if it is for a mono-lithically clad dwelling built without a wall cavity ventilation system.
• From 1 January 2004 new building consent applications for mono-lithically clad buildings will need to have cavity ventilation. Plans without cavity ventilation will not be accepted.
• Meanwhile the Building Consent team continues to process record numbers of consent applications and we apologise for unavoidable delays due to the volume of the work. This year we will process double the value of work compared with last year.

Bob Davies
Environmental Services Manager

Sale of two granny flats for removal by way of tender

The Wanganui District Council invites expressions of interest for the sale and removal of two granny flats. One is located on the corner of Maria Place and Drews Avenue, and the other is at the Council Parks yard at 109 Harrison Street, Wanganui.

These compact self-contained units have a floor area of approximately 40 square metres, which consists of one bedroom, an open plan kitchen area, dining, lounge and bathroom.

Construction materials consist of timber floors, plastic PVC weatherboard cladding, metal roofing, metal joinery and plastic PVC spouting.

To register an interest or for an inspection, contact Andrew Bannan, Property Officer at the Wanganui District Council, PO Box 637, Wanganui; telephone (06) 349 0543 extn 8217, fax (06) 349 0505 or email Andrew Bannan.

Registrations of interest should be submitted by 4pm Tuesday, 23 December 2003.

The Wanganui District Council has industrial space available for lease at 305-307 Heads Road.

The building consists of two larger workshop areas with a combined area of approximately 207 square metres, one smaller workshop with an area of approximately 47 square metres and an office area of approximately 85 square metres.

To arrange an inspection or for further information please contact Dougall McIntyre, Property Officer at Parks and Property Management Services, telephone (06) 349 0542, fax (06) 349 0505, or email Dougall McIntyre.

The Council is currently considering the introduction of Central City Building Design Guidelines to assist both developers and Council officers in identifying what new buildings built in the central city should look like.

The aim of the guidelines is "to offer principles around which development can occur without stifling innovation or creativity".

The guidelines would be introduced through a change to the District Plan. This change would include a requirement that alterations or additions to facades or demolition of buildings in the 'display frontage streets' (as pictured) would require resource consent from the Council. Provided the Design Guidelines were followed in the plans for the replacement building then the resource consent would be granted. The resource consent would not be publicly notified.

The Draft Guidelines include five principles:

• Contain public space (the street).
• Appropriate building heights to reflect the pattern and rhythm of development.
• Appropriate building design to reflect the character and amenity of the streetscape.
• Appropriate use of material and colour.
• Intensify pedestrian activity.

Comments are currently being sought on the Draft Central City Building Design Guidelines and accompanying Proposed District Plan Change. Copies of the draft guidelines and proposed District Plan changes are available from the Council's Customer Services Desk or at the Wanganui District Library. You can also ask for a copy to be sent to you by phoning the Customer Services Desk at the Council on 349 0001.

Comments would be appreciated by 19 December 2003 so that we can consider your views. If the Council proceeds with the introduction of Central City Building Design Guidelines public notification will be in February 2004 inviting submissions. Further submissions will then be invited and hearings will probably be held around June 2004.

Are you a regular user of central city roads?

The latest Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) report into road safety issues in the Wanganui District identifies an unacceptably high percentage of intersection crashes in the area. To reduce this, the Wanganui District Council, along with Opus International Consultants, is currently developing an Urban Safety Management Strategy. Stage 1 of this is consultation with the public and we would like to hear your opinion!

Do you consider various intersections in the central city dangerous when you are walking, cycling or driving? Would you like to see improvements? If so, please take the time to answer the questions below and return the information to Opus International Consultants, PO Box 654, Wanganui; fax: (06) 348 4601 by 19 December 2003. Email comments to Emily Hodgkinson.

Important: This study is specifically on intersections in the central city. Restrict comments to the area highlighted in this map (88KB). Any information on intersections outside this area will not be recorded (other areas of the city will be considered in future studies).

1) In which suburb of Wanganui do you live? (Choose closest suburb from list below)

2) Which routes do you commonly use to reach the central city area?

3) Which intersections do you avoid in the central city area? For what reason/s do you avoid them?

4) Any additional comments?

The Wanganui District Council gives notice of its requirement for a designation for a public work.

The site to which the requirement applies is as follows:
A number of road frontage properties on Mosston Road, between Buxton Road and Tayforth Road. The designation will involve the following properties 170, 174, 178, 182, 203, 207, 211 and 213 Mosston Road.

The nature of the proposed work is:
To place a Road Widening designation on a number of properties with frontage to Mosston Road between Buxton Road and Tayforth Road as identified above. The Road Widening designation proposed will allow for Mosston Road to be widened to provide for two 3.7 metre traffic lanes, a 3.0 metre flush median, 1.5 metre shoulders on both sides of Mosston Road adequate to provide for safe cyclist use and 3 metre berms adequate to provide for drainage channels, utility services, and safe access to properties. It is intended that the work will occur within a 5-8 year period from the date of this notice.

The effects that the public work will have on the environment, and the ways in which any adverse effects will be mitigated, are:

Landowners: The inclusion of the Road Widening designation will affect the landowners involved to varying degrees. The landowners on the north west side of Mosston Road will be affected to a far greater degree than those on the south east side, because of the width of the designation. The area will retain its rural/residential amenities subject to the proposed measures to mitigate the short-term construction effects.

Noise: Noise effects will span the entire length of the time of construction of the project. It is proposed that the noise effects generated during this 2 to 4 month construction phase will be mitigated by restricting the construction hours to 7:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday and 7:30 to 6:00pm on Saturday. No work will be undertaken on Sundays or Public Holidays. Certain exceptions are outlined in the Notice of Requirement.

Any noise emitted from the site shall comply with the limits in NZS 6803: 1999 "Acoustics - Construction Noise".

Property Access: The proposal has potential to affect residents' existing vehicle crossings. The specific aspects considered relevant are separation distances between individual access points and intersections and sight distances from access points.

The reconstruction of the road will require a number of the existing vehicle crossings to be reconstructed. The new vehicle crossings will more closely comply with the standards required by the District Plan. In terms of property access, the new and existing vehicle crossings will have improved sight distances.

Traffic management mechanisms will be required to be implemented by the successful contractor during the construction period to ensure the effects on traffic flow will be minimised to safe and effective standards.

The contractor will be required to maintain a certain level of access for those people residing on Mosston Road. Residents will be notified of the possible delays and probable restrictions so they can be prepared.

Visual Effects: The most prominent visual effects will take place during construction. The roadside vegetation will be completely removed and disposed of off site at an appropriate location. Once Road Widening work is complete, re-vegetation of the verge will take place using appropriate techniques and plantings. Re-instatement of the site will be to a level that is equal to, or an improvement on, that which existed prior to work commencing.

Drainage: The contractor will be required to maintain drainage channels during the entire construction process. There may be an increase in the level of run-off during construction and silt run-off. This increase is not expected to be of significance when related to the overall drainage system of the area. This will only occur during the construction phase. Siltation will be stopped once the re-vegetation of the verge and any other areas of exposed soil takes place.

Effects on Amenity: The amenity of the area will not be significantly changed. It is stated in the Notice of Requirement that there may be a decrease in noise and vibration levels due to the improvement in the road surface.

Alternative sites, routes and methods that have been considered to the following extent:
A total of five alignment alternatives were investigated. Each option looked at slight variations that sought to identify the best road alignment, curve radius and sight distances while seeking to reduce the impact on affected properties. Of the five options proposed, option four was chosen over all other options due to the potential impact on properties, costs of infrastructure relocation and obtaining the required sight distances and road alignment. All options are outlined in the Notice of Requirement.

The public work and designation are reasonably necessary for achieving the objectives of the territorial authority because:
It is considered that designating that which is proposed is the appropriate technique to widen the road and to communicate this proposed activity to the wider community while providing a degree of certainty and flexibility in terms of long term management.

The designation is required as the Roading Authority for the Wanganui District, the Wanganui District Council, is charged with providing a safe and efficient roading network, while mitigating any adverse effects the work may have on the environment.

The proposal supports and promotes the objectives and polices as outlined in the Proposed Wanganui District Plan as it will provide for a safe and efficient road:

• In a timely, logical, affordable and cost effective manner;
• At a time that is appropriate to the level of development and the need for the improvement to the road;
• In a manner that will have minimal effects on the natural, cultural and amenity values of the immediate locality.

The following consultation has been undertaken with parties that are likely to be affected:
All the affected landowners have been consulted over an 18-month period leading up to the submission of the Notice of Requirement. The details of consultation are contained within the Notice of Requirement.

The Notice of Requirement may be inspected at the Wanganui District Council offices during normal office hours. Please contact Campbell Larking, phone (06) 349 0001 ext 8007 if you have any questions about the requirement.

Any person may make a submission on the requirement. You may do so by sending a written submission to the Chief Executive Officer, Wanganui District Council, PO Box 637, Wanganui. The submission must be in Form 21. Copies of this form are available from the Wanganui District Council Administration Building (Customer Services).

Submissions close on Friday, 19 December 2003, at 4pm.

To those people who are considering consentable building projects during the Christmas break - please ensure that you submit your application for Building Consent well in advance to ensure that it is processed in adequate time for you.

Council building inspectors will be available through the total holiday period (except for statutory days and weekends).

Jeff Jamieson
Team Leader Building Services

Helping to make environmental compliance easier!