The Central Otago District Council (CODC) will meet on Tuesday to consider proposals worth millions of dollars from its communities.
Central Otago’s four community boards met last week to consider record community feedback.
Their recommendations have now been passed to the council to consider at its hearings and as part of its deliberations.
The boards met to consider submissions on matters relating to their respective wards in the 2021-31 long-term plan.
The Cromwell Community Board heard more than 60 submitters on May 18, and reconvened the following evening to deliberate.
The board’s recommendation relating to the Cromwell Masterplan arts, culture and heritage precinct projects was to proceed with its preferred option for the hall/events centre and museum as set out in the consultation document and noted the size of the centre could change after further planning and detailed design work were done.
The work would also explore options for construction, operation and ownership of the facility.
The board also recommended funding for the town centre projects progress but, in response to feedback, recommended the library and service centre building should not be demolished, and that further urban design work be undertaken.
Cromwell Community Board chairwoman Anna Harrison said the board listened to feedback but did not want to halt the town centre project completely.
‘‘The reality of the hybrid model is that action will be seen on the arts, culture and heritage precinct first.’’
The board also recommended an increase in Cromwell Museum funding and an investigation into installing a toilet at the Cromwell Bike Park.
The Vincent Community Board met on May 19 to consider two consultation document items relating to its ward.
It resolved to recommend its preferred option for both — to support the Alexandra Riverside Park Development with a $650,000 fully loan-funded investment between years one and three and a $1million loan/reserve fund/general reserve contribution to the Omakau Community Hub.
Other recommendations included investigating the future extension of the junior playground at Pioneer Park and co-ordinating discussion on a way forward on the proposed multi-use turf and facilities at Molyneux Park.
Both Cromwell and Vincent’s community boards agreed on a recommendation to amend fees at the pools in both towns to be $30/hour for lane hire for private swim schools and a concession card charging $1 for pool entry for swim school students.
The Maniototo and Teviot Valley community boards met on May 20.
The Teviot Valley Community Board recommended to proceed with the preferred option for the Roxburgh Community Pool — to make a one-off financial contribution of up to $500,000 towards construction, by way of a 50/50 rate-funded loan and use of reserves.
The Maniototo Community Board recommended the council consider the importance of the bridge strategy and to engage with the community prior to any action being undertaken.
Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan praised the number of submissions.
‘‘It has been great to see such a huge number of submissions come in to this LTP, giving us one of the most, if not the most engaged community in the country.’’
The CODC will meet on June 1 and June 2 to hear further submitters, consider the recommendations of the community boards and all 852 written submissions before signing off the projects that will go into the final long-term plan. Following a final audit, the plan is set to be adopted on June 30.
