ACROSS THE REGION

May 2023

Chair's Message

Tēnā koutou and welcome to the second edition of Across the Region for 2023. It’s hard to believe that the first half of the year has nearly gone already, although it’s fair to say that it feels like a lot has happened in that time already.

For some of you, Cyclone Gabrielle was a thing that happened months ago, but for some communities in the Tararua and Manawatū districts the effects are still very real as people grapple with the aftermath of a very damaging event. Our staff have been hard at work visiting properties and repairing damage to our flood protection schemes to ensure all our infrastructure is fit for purpose as we move into winter.

Horizons Councillors and staff alike have also been busy preparing for the upcoming months with major updates to our public transport network, the Good Wood campaign, the regional Joint Climate Action Plan, and our Annual Plan to name a few.

Our public transport work has been buzzing recently, with the exciting announcement of the first fully electric bus fleet in the country in Palmerston North which is set to launch in February 2024. Then there was the recent announcement from central government of the upgrade to the inter-regional Capital Connection train service which will include a fleet of brand-new hybrid-electric trains and increased service frequency. Plus in Whanganui, Te Ngaru The Tide, our new bus route launched in February has been highly successful. We are thrilled with these outcomes which clearly support our goal of lowering emissions from transport.  

In this edition you will find information and updates regarding the upcoming Annual Plan, Connect Regional Transport branding, freshwater engagement and the Joint Climate Action Plan.

Finally, I want to thank our communities for your feedback we received from last edition’s communications survey. We have taken this on board for all our communications activities.

Noho ora mai,

Rachel Keedwell, Chair.

2023-24 Annual Plan to be adopted

Every year Horizons Regional Councillors set the budget for what the council needs to do its business for the upcoming year. This year it is via the Annual Plan process which Councillors are aiming to adopt later this month.

Council chose not to consult on the 2023-24 Annual Plan as there are no significant changes from the activities outlined in Year 3 of the 2021-31 Long-term Plan (LTP) which was consulted on with our communities. However, there are some slight budget adjustments including an additional $300,000 towards insurance costs, particularly for our flood protection assets in response to recent weather events, a $280,000 increase to fuel costs as a result of rising inflation, and an increase of $200,000 to the cost of the planned Palmerston North public transport network improvements as Council decided to introduce a full electric vehicle fleet for the service.

To allow for these adjustments we have refined some of our other work programmes, particularly in our river management capital work programmes. All other Council activities remain as planned for the next 12 months, with a continued focus on our priority areas of freshwater, biodiversity, climate change, and making our data and information accessible to our communities.

Based on the revised work programmes planned, an additional $3.7 million in rates revenue is needed this coming financial year. This equates to an 6.6% total rate increase across the region, which is in line with what was planned in the LTP. It’s important to keep in mind that this rate impact will differ from district to district due to factors such as changes to property values and specific rating inputs such as river schemes, biodiversity, and public transport. Council are aware that any rate increase is not ideal and have worked hard to ensure any total rates increase did not exceed what was already forecasted.

The final Annual Plan, with the details of Council’s key work programmes for the year, will be made publicly available on the Horizons’ website here, and at Council’s service centres within the next few weeks. In the meantime, anyone wanting to check what their next rates invoice will look like can use the rates search tool available on our website here.

Joint Climate Action Plan released

The effects of climate change are being felt across Aotearoa New Zealand and our region – so what can we do about it? The Manawatū-Whanganui Climate Action Joint Committee recently announced their inaugural Joint Climate Action Plan. The plan is about understanding how we will respond to climate change in the Manawatū-Whanganui region and work together to reduce potential harm. This committee is made up of tangata whenua representatives and the elected leaders of all councils in the region, including Horizons.

The plan contains recommendations to councils including considering climate change impacts into planning processes, agreeing on areas where councils can work together and talking to communities about potential impacts of climate change in the region. This means each council is recommended to develop their own plans, which will address details more specific to their own communities and areas. The plan also identifies some key actions we can all take to reduce the impacts of climate change – click the button below to read the full plan in English or te reo Māori on our website.

Survey acknowledgement

Thank you for your responses to last edition’s survey, which asked about whether the way we share information was helpful to you. We received plenty of valuable responses and comments from the community, and we have done our best to implement this feedback into this quarters’ edition of Across the Region. You might notice we’ve increased accessibility by making font sizes larger, and increased contrast to make text easier to read. We always welcome feedback, so should you have some for us, flick us an email at communications@horizons.govt.nz to let us know your thoughts.

Water allocation engagement

Whanganui FMU visions - open to Whanganui and Ruapehu residents

While community engagement on long-term visions for freshwater has been undertaken in other parts of the region, for the Whanganui Freshwater Management Unit (FMU) we have sought to coordinate this engagement with the development of the whole of river strategy Te Heke Ngahuru provided for by Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017. We are now getting underway with the Whanganui catchment engagement and seeking your long-term visions for freshwater.

We have a draft vision that we believe are a good starting point for the Whanganui FMU, which starts in the Ruapehu district and finishes on the Whanganui coast. Through a survey at freshwater.horizons.govt.nz we’d like to know if communities in the FMU agree with those statements, and whether anything is missing or needs changing. Find the survey here or click the button below.

As visions must be based on an understanding of the history and environmental pressures on the FMU, so there is also a story map tool online to help understand what pressures the Whanganui FMU is facing. Please share your thoughts with us via the survey by 9 July. We will be engaging directly with iwi and hapū on their visions for the FMU.

Water allocation in all districts

Water is precious, a taonga or treasure, that needs to be managed carefully. Water is the source of life and we need to ensure there is enough in our waterbodies to protect the health of freshwater ecosystems. Water is also in high demand for many uses including human drinking water, hydroelectricity generation, and food production to name a few. As the regional council we have to ensure that water takes are managed carefully, using a framework to help determine how water is allocated via consents to all these different and often competing demands. 

In June, Horizons is proposing some changes to our existing water allocation framework. This is part of our Oranga Wai | Our Freshwater Future programme to implement central government’s freshwater reforms and will result in a revised One Plan. We will be running a public education campaign on our social media channels from 12 June until 23 July to help people understand how water allocation works and how they can provide feedback on the framework. Feedback will be gathered via our freshwater website, Oranga Wai.

We have recently completed an evaluation of our water allocation framework and believe that it is generally effective, except in some water management subzones which remain over-allocated (as at June 2021). Central government reforms will require some changes to the framework, we will be engaging directly with stakeholders regarding possible framework changes that are of relevance to them.

Previous engagement

We have already sought feedback on long-term visions for freshwater, what freshwater values are important, as well as where people enjoy freshwater recreation and what waterbodies are considered to be outstanding for the habitats they provide, their natural character, natural form or recreational experience. Previous engagement with tangata whenua, stakeholders and the wider community has helped develop objectives to inform our proposed changes to the One Plan.  A draft of Council’s early thinking is available on our freshwater website, Oranga Wai.  Please feel free to get in touch via the online form if you have any feedback on these objectives.  There you can also find information about freshwater in the Horizons Region and register for an e-newsletter so you can stay up to date on what’s happening in this space. 

Regional Public Transport Review underway soon

We want to hear from you regarding connectivity of our public transport in the region.

The Horizons region is vast, with people dotted across many diverse communities – cities, villages and everything in between. People make connections between those communities to work, access key services such as healthcare, and spend time with each other.

Right now, many people, including children, disabled people and senior citizens, find it hard to make those connections due to the lack of transport options. This can lead to economic, health, environmental and social issues, all because it is too difficult to get around.

The Regional Services Review is your chance to tell us how public transport can better connect communities. Options could include more bus services between towns or on-demand shuttles to help people from villages to larger centres. The review will help us learn what service people want and why they would use them. Learning these things will help us make it easier for everyone to get around, giving us all the chance to enjoy the things we find most important.   

The Regional Services Review is coming soon. More information, including how to make your voice heard, will be available on our social media channels, website or by calling 0508 800 800, closer to the review launching.

Connect social media launch

Horizons have been transitioning our public transport to a new brand – Connect. This makes our public transport network more visible and discernible from the Horizons brand. The Connect brand is identifiable by the signature colourful social media branding, timetables and bus graphics. You might have even noticed our beautiful The Tide buses rocking the new Connect branding over in Whanganui!

Next month we are launching dedicated social media channels for Connect so you don’t need to look through Horizons’ accounts to see public transport updates – instead you’ll be able to visit the new dedicated pages on Instagram and Facebook. Keep an eye out for these new pages and make sure you give them a follow for public transport updates and other handy information.

Find the Connect pages on Facebook at Connect Regional Transport and on Instagram at @connectregionaltransport when they launch.

Te Ngaru The Tide 

In collaboration with Whanganui District Council, in February Horizons launched a new bus route in Whanganui - Te Ngaru The Tide. The route runs at regular 20 minute intervals between Castlecliff and Aramoho, covering key areas such as the hospital, city centre and upper Victoria Ave shops.

The Tide operates every 20 minutes from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 3pm Satuday, with an hourly Friday night service from 7pm to 11pm.  

Bee cards are the easiest way to catch The Tide, and are available to purchase direct on the bus from your driver with $10 cash, online at beecard.co.nz, through our freephone number at 0508 800 800, and in person at our Horizons Whanganui office at 181 Guyton Street. Cards can also be topped up easily at any of the above locations.

You can still pay with cash on buses too – correct change is preferred to make it easier for drivers to get you moving fast.

The new route has proven to be very popular with Whanganui residents, with overall public transport trips in the city increasing by a massive 86 percent. 45 percent of all Whanganui trips are now taken on The Tide. If you haven’t caught The Tide yet, it’s super easy! Grab your Bee card and the handy Transit app (which shows real-time tracking), and you’ll be surfing The Tide in no time.

Also keep an eye out for our soon to be launched Connect (our regional public transport brand) Instagram and Facebook accounts from next month. These pages will be dedicated to public transport information, including for The Tide. In the meantime you can find more information about The Tide on our website here. 

Bus network upgrades coming to Palmerston North and Ashhurst

Getting around in Palmerston North and Ashhurst on buses will soon be even easier with improved services beginning in February 2024 – and it’ll all be on electric buses, making the network the first in the country to be fully electric.

The new network will include major upgrades to the bus stop infrastructure in both Palmerston North and Ashhurst. Horizons and Palmerston North City Council have recently secured $6.9 million of funding from the Transport Choices Package for this.

Palmerston North City Council have started initial assessments of bus stops to support the new network. These assessments will help identify optimal locations for new stops by taking into account surrounding land areas and residences.

For more information and updates as they come, see our website here.

Sign up for our automated river warnings

After the devastating effects of Cyclone Gabrielle, and with winter on its way, now is as good a time as ever to sign up for our automated river warning service if your property is at risk of river flooding. This service provides automated phone calls to help manage flood risk to you, your whānau, stock and your property. When you sign up, you can indicate which locations and river heights you would like to be notified of, and when levels reach your indicated height, the system automatically notifies you via phone call.

Please note that because this is an emergency alert service, it will automatically call you when river levels reach a certain height. This can happen at any time, meaning you could receive a phone call alert in the middle of the night. If you don’t need emergency automatic alerts but you’re still interested in river level information, we also have this available any time via the Environmental Data tool on our website homepage, or by calling Waterline on 0508 4 FLOOD (0508 435 663).

If you are already signed up to the service, you will soon receive a mail out from us asking if your contact details are still current, and to check you are still receiving notifications for the river locations and levels that you need. We accept new sign-ups to the service at any time, just click the button below or visit our website here. For more information about the service and to view river levels, visit our website here.

The system is due to be upgraded soon, including with accurate pronunciation of te reo Māori place names.

Dam safety regulations - coming into effect May 2024

Are you an owner of a dam? If so, you have until May 2024 to prepare for your dam safety responsibilities.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) announced the new regulations in May 2022 to provide a nationally consistent approach to dam safety.

The regulations will help to protect livelihoods while making sure people and the environment around them are safe. If you have a large dam that stores water above ground level, you’ll need to make sure it’s safe. Some dams and ponds can put property, livestock and people at risk if they fail.

Only large dams that meet the classifiable dam thresholds are subject to the regulations. If your dam meets the height and volume of water/fluid described below, it is a classifiable dam:

·       A height of 4 or more metres and stores 20,000m3 or more (8 Olympic-sized swimming pools)

·       A height of 1 or more metres and stores 40,000m3 or more (16 Olympic-sized swimming pools)

Please note that the dam safety regulation size is different to the “large dam” criteria for building consents. The regulations exclude any low-risk structures such as stock drinking ponds, weirs, and small low dams. If your dam is classifiable, there are certain actions you must take to ensure their dams are, and remain, safe. Dam owners with a classifiable dam must assess the potential impact their dam’s failure could have on the community, historical or cultural places, critical or major infrastructure, and the natural environment.

For more information about dam safety and how to comply with the regulations, please visit MBIE’s Building Performance website here.

Culverts and native fish passage

Do you have a culvert on your property? Our native fish team are making the call out to landowners with culverts that may not allow for native fish to pass through. Fish passage is the ability of our native freshwater fish species to navigate up from where our freshwater systems meet the ocean and back down again. We have funding available to help fix any of the below issues, up to 75 percent of the total cost (provided the issue meets certain criteria).

The team are looking for culverts with the following issues:

·       Long culverts with an incline upstream

·       High water velocity (fast flowing)

·       Perched above a stream

·       Shallow water

·       Sharp or vertical drop

·       Turbulent water

If you think you may have a culvert with any of the above issues, get in touch at our 24 hour freephone number 0508 800 800 and ask for our native fish team to see what they can do to help.

Your Councillors

Council Meetings

June 2023

• Regional Transport Committee, 6 June, 11am
• Manawatū River Users' Advisory Group, 7 June, 7pm
• Strategy & Policy Committee, 13 June, 10am
• Regional Council, 27 June, 9:30am
• Audit, Risk & Investment Committee, 27 June, 1pm

August 2023

• Integrated Catchment Committee, 9 August, 9:30am
• Passenger Transport Committee, 15 August, 10am
• Regional Council, 29 August, 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.