Modellers Pond replacement project moves to next stage

Construction of the “swiftly” moving $3.75m Tāhunanui Modellers Pond replacement project could start next financial year.

Nelson City Council voted unanimously to move to the next stage of detailed design at a sports and recreation committee meeting on Thursday.

This vote included approving bringing forward $170,000 of funding to complete the next phase, which would cover the resource consents, stormwater sampling, hazardous activities testing and the detailed design.

“We’ve moved swiftly with the project. We’re ahead of where we expected to be, which is fantastic, and we’d like to move to the next stage,” manager of capital projects Lois Plum told councillors.

The project will see the pond being filled in and replaced with a community recreation area. This will include picnic areas, benches, water fountains and barbeques as well as a native wetland fringe along the foreshore.

Councillors voted to progress with the plan back in June after more than two decades of the pond being plagued with weeds and algae.

Lois said that discussions with stakeholders and local businesses have been positive.

“We have been having conversations with the Modellers Society and they are quite excited about being able to extend their train tracks.”

She said that parks and facilities asset manager Andrew Petheram had been around local businesses, including Natureland, and they have been obtaining “quite a lot” of feedback through Shape Nelson.

Lois said they will also be taking water park elements into consideration through the detailed design due to requests from the public.

Interpretive panels and artwork are also “on the radar”.

Lois says the plan is to now complete the design component and lodge resource consents.

“Once the draft Long Term Plan goes through the full process and there’s an agreement for the funding, we will move into construction in the new financial year and we expect to be able to complete the work during that financial year.”

Councillor Mel Courtney said he was “lost for words”.

“I think this is a very important point we’ve reached after 20 years …. now we are moving swiftly with this, it has been a very complex issue.”

Councillor Brian McGurk said it was “important to maintain the momentum of the project”.

“I urge everyone to support it.”