At the close of
the agenda no apologies had been received.
2 Leave
of absence
At the close of
the agenda no requests for leave of absence had been received.
3 Conflict
of Interest
Members are reminded
of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict
arises between their role as a CDA member and any private or other external
interest they might have. It is also considered best practice for those members
in the Executive Team attending the meeting to also signal any conflicts that
they may have with an item before the CDA.
4 Public Forum
Notification to
speak is required by 5pm at least two days before the meeting. Further
information is available on www.southlanddc.govt.nz
or phoning 0800 732 732.
5 Extraordinary/Urgent
Items
To consider, and if
thought fit, to pass a resolution to permit the CDA to consider any further items which do not appear on the Agenda of
this meeting and/or the meeting to be held with the public excluded.
Such resolution is
required to be made pursuant to Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official
Information and Meetings Act 1987, and the Chairperson must advise:
(i) The
reason why the item was not on the Agenda, and
(ii) The reason why the
discussion of this item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.
Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings
Act 1987 (as amended) states:
“Where an item
is not on the agenda for a meeting,-
(a) That item
may be discussed at that meeting if-
(i) That item is a minor
matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and
(ii) the presiding member
explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the
public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but
(b) no resolution,
decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer
that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further
discussion.”
6 Confirmation
of Minutes
6.1 Minutes
of Browns Community Development Area Subcommittee held on 05 March 2015 to be
confirmed.
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Browns Community
Development Area Subcommittee
02 July 2015
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Works and Finance Report to Browns Community Development
Area Subcommittee for the period ended 31 May 2015
Record No: R/15/6/9976
Author: Josh Webb, Area Engineer
Approved by: Ian Marshall, GM - Services and Assets
☐
Decision ☐ Recommendation ☒ Information
Area Engineer’s
Report
1 A
meeting was held between AB Lime, local residents and myself with regard to the
overland flow from the hill to the north of the village causing inundation to
the downstream residential properties. At the meeting, the solution was
agreed to construct an interceptor open channel to catch the water along the
residential property boundaries and grade it to fall to two sumps at the east
and west ends of the channel. This will settle out any clay and silt
particles for delivery down new PVC 150 mm pipes connecting to Council
sumps. This site has been monitored and to date capacity has not been
significantly compromised; I will continue to monitor the site.
2 The
poplar trees planted for shelter to the community hall have been topped by
Bruce Dickens.
3 The
new heritage sign was officially opened at the end of May, officiated by
Mayor Gary Tong, Cr Patterson, and a number of CDA members were also
present. A general tidy of the area was well received by the
community.
4 The
street sweeper has been through the town in May and sucked out all sumps, as
well as sweeping all kerbs.
Water and Waste
Engineer’s Report
5 The
monthly operations reports from Downer are provided to the Board secretary as
they are published. They include data on Downer’s district-wide
operations activities which are presented on a town-by-town basis.
6 For
the year to date there has been no unplanned expenditure exceeding the
$5,000 threshold.
Financial
Considerations
7 We are 92% of the way through the financial year and 241%
spent. A total of $10,200 has been spent on the community centre upgrades
and as approved by the CDA Subcommittee will be funded from the Community
Centre reserve with current balance of $15,000. $9,400 was expended
on beautification in the town with new gardens and plants, mowing and existing
garden maintenance. There is another $1,500 associated with mulching the
new plots - this will be funded from the general reserve with a current balance
of $56,000. Within streetworks $2,500 has been spent on the signs, installation
and associated area maintenance, there is funding that has been uplifted and
absorbed into the CDA’s account previous to this activity being
completed.
Reserves
8 Please find the reserves report attached.
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Recommendation
That the Browns Community
Development Area Subcommittee:
a) Receives
the report titled “Works and Finance Report to Browns Community
Development Area Subcommittee for the period ended 31 May 2015” dated 02
July 2015.
b) Determines
that this matter or decision be recognised as not significant in terms of
Section 76 of the Local Government Act 2002.
c) Determines
that it has complied with the decision-making provisions of the Local
Government Act 2002 to the extent necessary in relation to this decision; and
in accordance with Section 79 of the Act determines that it does not require
further information, further assessment of options or further analysis of
costs and benefits or advantages and disadvantages prior to making a decision
on this matter.
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Attachments
a Browns,
Financial Reports, 31 May 2015 View
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Browns
Community Development Area Subcommittee
02 July 2015
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Freedom
Camping
Record No: R/15/6/9805
Author: Michael
Sarfaiti, Environmental Health Manager
Approved by: Bruce
Halligan, GM - Environment and Community
☐
Decision ☐ Recommendation ☐ Information
Purpose
1 To
give the Subcommittee an opportunity to discuss freedom camping in preparation
for an upcoming freedom camping review.
Executive
Summary
2 It
is expected that Council will be carrying out preliminary consultation before
drafting a new Freedom Camping Bylaw 2015, by public survey.
The Subcommittee is invited to discuss freedom camping in light of this
survey.
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Recommendation
That the Browns
Community Development Area Subcommittee:
a) Receives
the report titled “Freedom Camping” dated 5 June 2015.
b) Determines
that this matter or decision be recognised as not significant
in terms of Section 76 of the Local Government Act 2002.
c) Determines
that it has complied with the decision-making provisions of the Local
Government Act 2002 to the extent necessary in relation to this decision; and
in accordance with Section 79 of the Act determines that it does not require
further information, further assessment of options or further analysis of
costs and benefits or advantages and disadvantages prior to making a decision
on this matter.
d) Discusses
the draft freedom camping public survey.
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Content
Background
3 The
Southland District Council will be carrying out preliminary consultation before
drafting a new Freedom Camping Bylaw 2015. A draft bylaw may be
considered by Council on 5 August 2015, and if approved after a formal
consultation process, would be in force in time at the start of summer.
4 The
reason for the early review of Council’s Camping Control Bylaw 2012 is to
resolve serious concerns with the Waikawa freedom camping site, and to
standardise with the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association model bylaw.
5 Freedom
camping means camping in public places, as opposed to camping in a camping
ground.
6 Freedom
camping is defined in the Freedom Camping Act 2011 as follows:
“In this Act, freedom
camp means
to camp (other than at a camping ground) within 200 m of a motor vehicle
accessible area or the mean low-water springs line of any sea or harbour, or on
or within 200 m of a formed road or a Great Walks Track, using one or more of
the following:
(a) a
tent or other temporary structure:
(b) a
caravan:
(c) a car,
campervan, house-truck, or other motor vehicle.”
7 Therefore,
back country freedom camping cannot be regulated under Council’s camping
control bylaw. The kiwi (and local) tradition of taking a tent to a
remote area is not regulated under freedom camping bylaws.
8 Councils
can have different rules for self-contained camping (eg a motor caravan that
has its own toilet, shower, and waste water storage) and non-self-contained
camping (eg a tent, car).
9 Council
can regulate freedom camping on Council controlled land by making a
bylaw. The Department of Conservation manages freedom camping on
Conservation land.
10 Currently
in the Southland District, freedom camping is generally permitted except in
sensitive areas (townships), and also has designated camping sites as follows:
11 Camping
is currently permitted on Council controlled land in Browns (from the
Camping Control Bylaw 2012).
Issues
Concerns from Southern Rural Fire (SRF)
12 SRF
has completed a survey that indicates that about half of freedom campers light
open fires. SRF believes that tourists may not be aware of fire rules,
and during a fire ban there is a clear risk that a camping fire has serious
implications for emergency service resources and potential loss of natural
resources to an area.
13 SRF
supports the limitation of freedom camping to designated sites that can be
controlled by signage and safe fire facilities on-site.
Waikawa
14 There
is evidence to suggest that the use of the Waikawa Domain for
non-self-contained camping should be discontinued (rubbish, effluent disposal
problems, associated costs). The freedom camping problem is expected to
worsen in Waikawa.
Non-self-contained
camping
15 There
are a number of councils that prohibit non-self-contained camping, locally
including Clutha and Queenstown. Other examples are Hastings, Kapiti,
Thames Coromandel, Tararua, and Tasman. As described in the
‘Background’ above, SDC’s current Camping Bylaw is very
permissive in comparison.
Release
of a model bylaw
16 In
November 2013, the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) prepared a
Model Freedom Camping Bylaw in consultation with Local Government New Zealand
(LGNZ), Department of Conservation and Department of Internal Affairs, and is
available for download from the LGNZ website. Council’s lawyer has
advised that the model bylaw is well written, and the proposed review process
would be a good opportunity to standardise Council’s Camping Bylaw.
This would provide a foundation for progressing motorhome friendly status of
those towns that wish to have it in due course.
Draft
public SDC freedom camping survey
17 The
draft public survey is in Attachment A. At the time of the
Subcommittee’s meeting, this survey will be live. The meeting of the
Subcommittee is an opportunity to discuss freedom camping and to complete the
survey.
Staff
comments
18 The
Subcommittee may consider the following:
· Make
a decision whether a designated site for freedom camping should be established
in or near the town. These sites can have their problems (refer Waikawa
above) but also may attract visitors. A toilet would be a prerequisite, but not
necessarily rubbish facilities. A discussion on cost-benefit is in
‘Costs and Funding’ below.
· To
incorporate any amendments into the proposed draft Freedom Camping Bylaw 2015,
these areas would need to be finalised by around the first week of July.
Factors to Consider
Legal
and Statutory Requirements
19 There
are no legal considerations.
Community
Views
20 Feedback
is currently being sought from some Community Boards and Community Development
Area Subcommittees. A public survey is proposed. A draft bylaw
would go through the special consultative process.
Costs
and Funding
21 Decisions
to restrict freedom camping in our district have a range of economic impacts,
including:
· Costs
to ratepayers to maintain facilities and pay for rubbish collection.
· Reduction
in demand for the services of local accommodation providers.
· As
well as owners of commercial accommodation sites, others in the local community
can benefit. Commercial accommodation sites employ local people, pay
local rates, and buy goods and services locally. This creates a flow on
effect into the broader business community in the local area through the
purchase of supplies and services.
· Concerns
that users of free camping areas contribute far less to the local community
than users of commercial caravan parks. Such users may come with supplies
purchased in other areas and may not contribute to the local economy at all.
· Conversely,
there is an argument that although commercial accommodation providers may
benefit from additional restrictions to freedom camping, communities may
benefit from the camper expenditure.
22 As
well as the economic costs, social impacts should also be considered.
Social impacts include the limited use of reserves and facilities for locals as
a result of fouling and other camping related activities.
Policy
Implications
23 There
are no policy implications.
Analysis
Options Considered
24 The
options are whether or not to complete the survey.
Analysis of Options
Option 1 - To complete a survey (note - do not use
the draft in Attachment A as it may not be the same as the live version)
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Advantages
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Disadvantages
|
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· It
would be helpful for the Council to know the views of the Subcommittee with
respect to these matters.
· An
opportune time to have a say on local freedom camping issues.
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· None
identified.
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Option 2 - To not complete a survey
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Advantages
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Disadvantages
|
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· Inverse
of the above.
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· Inverse
of the above.
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Assessment of Significance
25 This
issue is not significant in accordance with Council’s Significance and
Engagement Policy.
Recommended Option
26 Option
1 is recommended.
Next Steps
27 If
the Subcommittee accepts the recommendation of this report, then this issue can
be progressed by staff.
Attachments
a Draft
Public Survey View
