ACROSS THE REGION

November 2023

Chair's Message

Tane ki runga, rehua ki raro, no reira tēnā koutou and welcome to the final edition of Across the Region for 2023. I’m sure it feels like the year has flown by for you – it certainly has for us at Horizons.

It’s been a busy year for us beginning with Cyclone Gabrielle in February, and we know there are areas within the region that are still recovering from this. Our river management team has been working hard alongside those affected to undertake repairs and will continue over the summer months, taking advantage of the more favourable conditions.

We were thrilled to learn last month we will receive more than $4.2 million from the Local Government Flood Resilience Co-Investment Fund to build resilience to the impacts of climate change and recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle.  To learn more about this funding and the associated projects, please see the News section at horizons.govt.nz.

In this edition you will find a combination of information helpful for summer and updates on engagement completed or underway. For those already dreaming of long, hot summer days, take note of the pieces about our swim spot monitoring programme, biodiversity gems in the region and jet ski registration if you’re around the Manawatū River area.

In the engagement space, first I’d like to thank those of you who took part in our 2024-34 Long-term Plan pre-engagement in August and September. This feedback is helpful for councillors to keep in mind when making decisions going forward. A summary of the feedback we received will be available at haveyoursay.horizons.govt.nz soon. And don’t forget there will be formal consultation to come early next year for the draft 2024-34 Long-term Plan.

I’d also like to thank those of you who provided feedback on the Regional Services Review for public transport. We appreciate all the contributions we’ve received and look forward to further planning of a public transport network that suits your communities’ needs. Now turning to current engagement, do take a look at the piece inside that relates to freshwater targets – this is your opportunity to influence water quality in the region now and for future generations.

Finally, as this is our last edition for the year, I’d like to wish you and your whānau a happy holiday season. I hope you can get outdoors and enjoy what our region has to offer.

Noho ora mai,

Rachel Keedwell, Chair.

Preparing for your return to local swimspots

Take a deep breath, close your eyes and imagine that you can hear the gentle flow of water, birds chirping in the background, and children laughing. Imagine you can feel the warm summer sun beaming down and the cool water as you relax at your favourite swim spot.

If you are looking forward to a dip in your local swim spot this summer, you are not alone. We are busy preparing for your return to these wonderful sites and would like to remind you of some important information before you visit.

Horizons monitors and collects water samples at approximately 80 sites across the region. These water samples are tested by an independent laboratory and uploaded to lawa.org.nz weekly so you can check if it’s safe to swim before you hop in.

If you’re curious, they’re testing the levels of faecal indicator bacteria such as E.coli or Enterococci and making observations on potentially toxic algae (cyanobacteria) in the water. We do this so you can be aware of organisms that may be present in the water that could lead to conditions such as gastroenteritis, respiratory illness, and ear and skin infections. If your swim spot has a red marker on LAWA, we recommend you don’t swim there to protect you and your whānau from getting sick.

So, you’ve checked lawa.org.nz and have the ‘green light’, but you might be wondering is there anything else you need to do before you get those toes wet?

The answer to that is yes – there are several other things to consider. For example, things may have changed beneath the surface since you last swam at your local swim spot. Please check carefully before you enter for large debris, ensure the water is clear and stay away from cliff faces. Remember to actively supervise children and if you aren’t a confident swimmer please stay out, New Zealand rivers and beaches can be unpredictable and deceptively powerful.

Take another breath, close your eyes and imagine that you can feel the warm sun, hear children laughing and splashing at your swim spot. Now relax knowing you’ve checked your swim spot water quality and are keeping your whānau safe this summer - we might just see you down there, happy swimming!

Biodiversity in the Horizons Region

One of the many roles Horizons plays in our region is protecting biodiversity, which goes hand in hand with biosecurity. To improve indigenous (native) biodiversity our teams must also manage the pest plants and animals in the region.

There are a range of sites across the Horizons Region that our team are actively involved with, often in conjunction with passionate community groups, iwi and landowners. The benefits are not only improved biodiversity, but also protected and enhanced spaces for you and your whānau to explore.

If you’re keen to get outdoors this summer and experience the biodiversity that our region offers, we’ve listed some great locations that are right on your doorstep or not too far afield. Horizons undertakes or supports biodiversity, biosecurity and water quality activities in most of these locations – and we’ve added a few extra for you to discover. While we may not be working directly in these locations, they are still benefiting from plant and animal pest management activities that Horizons manages in the nearby area.

Horowhenua

• Manawatū Estuary
• Lake Papaitonga

Manawatū

• Tōtara Reserve Regional Park
• Te Āpiti – Manawatū Gorge
• Ruahine Dress Circle

Rangitīkei

• Whitecliffs boulders
• Mangaweka Scenic Reserve

Ruapehu

• Tongariro National Park
• Whakapapa River at Ōwhango

Tararua

• Waihī Falls, Weber
• Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, Mount Bruce

Whanganui

• Bushy Park Tarapuruhi
• Castlecliff Beach

Regional Services Review

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Regional Services Review, our region-wide engagement to see how we can connect the dots between towns, cities, districts and regions. The feedback you gave in August and September will help us to create better public transport journeys, so you can make connections across and beyond the region.

The Regional Services Review was one of our most successful public transport engagements yet, with more than 800 responses from people living both inside and outside of the Horizons Region. We heard from people of all ages, both through our online survey and our physical feedback form. We also had a great time engaging with you in person, be it on the street of your town, at small events or large public gatherings like weekend markets.

The review also coincided with us launching our Connect – Horizons Regional Transport social media channels. That’s where we featured videos of your representatives on the Passenger Transport Committee (PTC) talking about the transport challenges and opportunities in your districts – as well as the odd public transport-themed meme. Look for ‘connectregionaltransport’ on Instagram and Facebook to keep updated with public transport in the Horizons Region.

Whanganui

Whanganui, a common theme in your feedback was the need for more services connecting you south to other main centres like Wellington. Given the success of Te Ngaru The Tide, which has grown in nine months to be one of the most popular public transport routes in the region, it comes as no surprise there was a massive desire in your district for new services.

Tararua

As there are currently no public transport services in Tararua, this engagement was especially important for finding out what options you want to get around without having to rely on a private car. It was common to see healthcare and shopping put forward as the key reasons why you need to travel between places.

Horowhenua

Horowhenua, your feedback showed you mostly want services to larger centres both to the north (Palmerston North) and south (Wellington).  However, those of you living in coastal communities also let us know of your need for more options to get across the district.

Ruapehu

Ruapehu, it was great to hear what options you wanted. Given how close you are to the Waikato Region, but the links you also have to the likes of Whanganui and Rangitīkei, your feedback will be valuable for any extra services in your district. It was also great to see your PTC representative Rabbit Nottage out and about getting people to have their say.

Manawatū-Rangitīkei

Manawatū-Rangitīkei, your feedback showed you wanted options to get to larger centres nearby – Whanganui, Palmerston North and Feilding showed up time and time again. It was also common to see healthcare and shopping put forward as the reasons why you need to travel to these places.

A key question we asked was how much you were willing to invest in better public transport services. Funding usually comes from three areas: tickets, rates and central government. The overwhelming majority of people said they wanted more investment in public transport to get more and better services.

We are currently going through the feedback we collected, which we will use alongside other data we’ve already got to create a report for the PTC to consider as they plan future public transport initiatives in the Horizons Region. We’ll also publish the report on the Regional Services Review page in the Buses & Transport section of our website.

Connect Social Channels

Earlier this year we launched our Connect social channels, these are channels are where you can find public transport updates and other handy information. 

If you haven't already, click the icons below to link through to our Facebook and Instagram channels.

Have your say about the future of freshwater in the Horizons Region

Our rivers are home to thriving communities of tūna and other native fish; the awa (rivers and streams) are the best places to splash about over summer; and our rivers make hearts swell with pride across the Horizons Region. These are some of our communities' visions for wai māori (freshwater) where they live. 

When it launched its Essential Freshwater package in 2020, central government challenged local authorities and their communities to make the country’s visions a reality “within a generation”.

Since this package was announced, Horizons has been on a Oranga Wai | Our Freshwater Future journey alongside local iwi, hapū, primary industry, non-governmental organisations and communities. We have already sought your feedback on visions and values for freshwater in the Horizons Region, as well as primary contact sites, outstanding water bodies and water allocation – we are now at the next step of the broader Oranga Wai process.

In this step, we have identified target states (measurable outcomes) for the freshwater characteristics of our region’s awa, indicating how much our water quality must improve to see the environmental outcomes you told us you want. We can get some of the way to meeting these targets by changing our influence on the awa.

 After considering your feedback on the region’s target water quality states, we will include rules (resource use limits) and non-regulatory actions within the One Plan to help achieve the target states. 

What we want from you

From 1 November until 13 December, we are asking communities for feedback on the targets we have set via an online survey at freshwater.horizons.govt.nz. The feedback provided will inform part of new freshwater policy that will be included in a revised One Plan – the document that sets the rules for use of natural resources in the region.

The specific areas we want you to share your thoughts on are:

• Our approach to setting water quality targets across the region
• If we should revisit the visions and environmental outcomes for each freshwater management unit now we know how much change it will take to achieve them
• What you think is a reasonable timeframe to meet the targets
• If you support the actions we've suggested to improve water quality and if there are any other actions which we should consider
• If you have thoughts to share around impacts these targets may have on communities
• And if there’s anything else related to water quality targets you think we need to know.

We recognise this is not a simple topic to provide feedback on, so on our website you will find supporting information to help answer the questions in the survey. This includes an explanation on how targets were set, maps showing the different targets and magnitude of change required for each part of the region, and descriptions of the actions suggested to improve water quality. 

Please share your thoughts with us – now is the time for you to influence the health of the region’s wai māori, helping us develop policies that will help to sustain the mauri (life force) of our waterways and their ecosystems and protect the places we treasure for generations.

Jet ski registration

This is a friendly reminder from our Harbourmaster, who must ensure awa users are safe, that jet skis operating on the Manawatū River need to be registered and display their registration sticker.

If you haven't already done this click the link below to register your jet ski. The registration is valid for the use of your jet ski throughout New Zealand.

Please click the link below to view the map which indicates areas that are safe to water ski or jet ski in. This will help keep all our river users safe.

Heads up Palmy and Ashhurst – exciting changes are coming to your bus network!

Ever dreamt of catching a bus whenever you need, from wherever you are to wherever you need to go in the city, while also reducing your carbon emissions? Well dream no further, because from February 2024, it becomes reality.

Connect – Horizons Regional Transport are refreshing the current bus network to bring you a more efficient, more reliable, and more frequent service on a brand-new bus fleet.

In August 2021 we asked the public for their feedback on two design concepts for the new network – the first being services closer to home, with more bus lines and 30 minute frequency, but with routes meandering through the suburbs. The other option was better peak frequency, with less routes but buses running every 15-30 minutes and focused on more direct trips. Based on this feedback, in which the majority voted for the better peak frequency option, our new transformed bus network promises more direct and easier-to-understand routes, plus new bus stops throughout Palmerston North and Ashhurst, so you can change the way you travel around the city.

Expect buses arriving every 15 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes during off-peak hours, with increased service times starting at 6.30am running to 9pm, every single day. Those wishing for more flexible options on weekends will also be excited to hear our Saturday services will increase to 428 daily services versus the current 107, and Sundays will also have 428 daily services versus the 77 we offer now. Catching a bus to your nearest farmer’s market on a Sunday morning has never been easier.

To meet the demand for this new network, the first fully electric bus fleet in the country will also be landing right here in our region. The existing fleet of 25 diesel buses will be replaced by 42 new electric buses – joining the one we have currently - increasing the capacity for patronage on the Palmerston North and Ashhurst services, while also reducing public transport emissions.

Alongside this new network, we are also introducing a new fare system which rewards frequent trips. After every 8 trips in the city, the rest of the week is free – meaning if you catch the bus Monday to Friday for work or school, your Friday trip is free! This new system operates over a Monday-to-Sunday week, and when used in conjunction with your Bee Card will offer you massive savings on your transport fares, compared with the current fare system.

You may have also noticed Palmerston North City Council recently asking for your thoughts on current bus stop infrastructure throughout Palmerston North and Ashhurst. This work is being completed thanks to PNCC and Horizons’ successful bid to Waka Kotahi’s Transport Choices Package, securing $6.9 million in funding to complete the bus stop infrastructure refresh.

The new routes map is available to view now on our website and the timetable will be coming soon.

Keep up to date as we release more information about the new network over the coming months on our Facebook and Instagram pages @connectregionaltransport.

Your Councillors

Council Meetings

November 2023

• Passenger Transport Committee, 14 November, 10am
• Regional Council meeting, 28 November, 9:30am

December 2023

• Climate Action Joint Committee, 4 December, 1:30pm
• Regional Transport Committee, 5 December, 11am
• Manawatū River Users' Advisory Group, 5 December, 7pm
• Regional Council meeting, 13 December, 1pm

February 2023

• Dannevirke A & P Show, Dannevirke Show Grounds, 3 February
• Strategy & Policy Committee, 13 February, 9:30am
• Integrated Catchment Committee, 14 February, 9:30am
• Waimarino A & P Show, Raetihi Show Grounds, 17 February
• Regional Council meeting, 27 February, 9:30am

March 2023

• Climate Action Joint Committee meeting, 4 March, 1:30pm
• Regional Transport Committee meeting, 5 March, 11am
• Rural Games, Te Marae o Hine - The Square, Palmerston North, 8-10 March
• Central Districts Field Days, Manfeild, Feilding, 14-16 March
• Passenger Transport Committee, 19 March, 10am
• Regional Council meeting, 26 March, 9:30am
• Audit, Risk & Investment Committee, 27 March, 9:30am

Strategy & Policy and Regional Council meetings are livestreamed via our Facebook page, with the recordings later available on Vimeo.

Unless otherwise stated meetings are open to the public and will be held at Regional House, 11-15 Victoria Avenue, Palmerston North. Please note all details were correct at the time of print. However, for the most up-to-date dates and times for council meetings please check our website at www.horizons.govt.nz.