News in brief

Māpua Easter Fair

The rain wasn’t enough to dampen spirits at the annual Māpua Easter Fair with a big crowd turning out for the occasion. The big fundraiser for Māpua School and Māpua Playcentre surged forward, while many other event across the region were cancelled. And the rain held off for at least part of the day, giving performers like Redwood Valley’s Alex Beekhois, 10, a chance to show their stuff. Alex performed aerial silks and was just one of many young people who put on displays on Sunday.

Faces missing from Richmond’s history

As part of this year’s regional heritage festival, Tuku25, the Richmond Library is on the hunt to find images of past residents. A 1980s local history project captured oral histories of older residents about their life in Richmond before 1950. While their stories and some of their voices are preserved on Tasman Heritage, the library only has a few photos of those who were interviewed. To strengthen the collection, the library is seeking photos of those interviewed residents, as well as the people, places, or events they discussed in their interviews.

Uptick in borrowed books

Almost 440,000 items were borrowed from Tasman libraries in the July 2024 to February 2025 period, higher than the same period the previous year, and the second-highest total since 2014/15. Though only a sliver of the total books issued, Murchison has seen a 24 per cent growth in issued books since last year. Digital items account for 13 per cent of the total items issued. However, over the same period, the number of new library membership registrations was 1674, a slight decrease on the previous year.

Passing grade for recycling

A total of 402 recycling audits were undertaken in February with 94 per cent passing and just 6 per cent failing due to contamination. The pass rate has increased based on the previous month’s audits. Every failure except for one was for non-recyclable materials being placed in the recycling bins.

Dovedale water challenges

Residents connected to the Dovedale water scheme have been reminded by Tasman District Council that a by-product of chlorine disinfection (Dichloroacetic acid) is regularly found in the water network at concentrations over the maximum acceptable value specified in the Drinking Water Standards, based on the health risk over a lifetime of consumption. However, the Ministry of Health and Water Services Authority both say that the greatest health risk is posed by microbiological contamination and using chlorine to disinfect the water should not be compromised to try reduce the harmful by-product. The situation reinforces the council’s need of finding an alternative source of high quality water for Dovedale.

Boom in construction waste diversion

A Tasman District Council trial that diverts construction and demolition waste at the Richmond Resource Recovery Centre has seen a strong increase in both the number of loads recieved and the volume of material processed during the first quarter of 2025. During that period, diversion has averaged 700 kilograms per day, close to triple the average from the first part of the trial. The increase may be seasonal, but much of the growth is expected to reflect increased uptake of the service. The trial, due to end on 31 March, has been extended to 30 June 2025. However, the increased diversion has increased operating costs, and the council is now reviewing options to reduce or offset the costs. One option could be to establish a reuse shop at the resource recovery centre.

Community housing waitlist remains steady

The waitlist for community housing has remained steady since November, hovering around 140 people. There have been nine tenant movements so far this financial year at Tasman District Council’s community cottages. While updating applicant details in March, 11 people were withdrawn from the waiting list for various reasons, including finding alternative accommodation, moving to assisted living, or passing away. A steady stream of new applicants is expected to increase the waitlist as the colder months begin.

Membership leaps at Motueka Rec Centre gym

Membership at the gym/fitness centre at the Motueka Recreation Centre has grown significantly over the past year, climbing from an average of 350 members up to 650, which is now holding steady. Due to the growing membership, staff are investigating opening another area of the centre for gym use to allow for the growth while not overloading the current gym area. Les Mills classes will begin again next term with the renewal of the Les Mills license. Several repairs and upgrades to gym equipment have also been undertaken, and more equipment is scheduled to arrive soon.

New memorial flagpoles

Two new flagpoles have been installed at the Riwaka Memorial Reserve. They were installed following a request from the Motueka Returned Services Association, and funding was acquired through the Motueka Community Board. The poles will be used during this year’s Anzac Day memorial services.

Plan for Richmond Library repairs

Repair and strengthening work for the Richmond Library will begin on 5 May and is expected to be completed by September. The works will require sections of the library to be cordoned off while the work is taking place. Tasman District Council intends for the library to remain accessible during most of the project, though the Queen Street entrance might have to be shut. While the finer details of the project are still being progressed, it is likely that the library will have to close for a week in June as a significant amount of noisy drilling must occur.

Summer Reading Adventure

The Summer Reading Adventure ran during January and February 2025. The aim of the programme is to encourage children to continue their reading habits over the summer school break. Our goal is to create a fun and inclusive reading programme that encourages children to have fun while reading and learning. The Summer Reading Adventure promoted reading for pleasure, encouraging children to read as many times as they could during the nine weeks. There were interactive activities to do along the way which helped to build the connection between the library and home. Being able to visit the library and talk to a librarian about books they have read can be empowering for a young person. Four Hundred and thirty eight children took part in the programme, their reading logs showed that in total they read 11,049 times making this our most popular reading programme yet.