News in brief

Collaboration sought on housing

Nelson City Council is seeking to work with its Tasman neighbour, iwi, community housing providers, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to establish a place-based housing partnership for Nelson Tasman. The partnership hopes to address the historic undersupply of social housing in the region – Kāinga Ora has an average of one home per 76 people nationally but only one home per 150 in Nelson Tasman. Placed-based partnerships provide a way for the Government and local parties to decide how working together can address the unique housing and urban challenges of their communities.

City centre infrastructure projects brought forward

More than $4.2 million worth of infrastructure projects have been brought forward by Nelson City Council. The works relate to the water ring main upgrade for Halifax and Collingwood Sts, as well as Bridge St between Collingwood and Queens Gardens, and a flood gate installation on the inner-city stormwater outlet pipe at the Halifax St bridge over Saltwater Creek to provide some protection to the inner city from very high tides. The works have been brought forward from as far as 2027 to minimise disruption to the city with other future projects, while making use of the more competitive contractor pricing expected in the current economic climate.

Nelson explores going-it-alone

The Government’s three water reform requires councils to develop plans on how they will sustainably deliver water services. Last week, Nelson City Council confirmed that it would consult on keeping the status quo for its water services which leaves the council solely responsible for three waters, instead of creating its own water services organisation, or joining forces with other councils like what had been mandated under the previous Labour Government’s policy. The status quo is expected to be cheaper for Nelson ratepayers than a Nelson Tasman, or a Top of the South water organisation, but more expensive than under Labour’s original Three Waters proposal which combined the Top of the South with Wellington and the East Coast.