File photo: John Robertson
Work is under way around the Waitomo district to fix up some things that communities have been asking the council to attend to for years. We are funding much of this by using monies granted to us from central government or its agencies.
In Te Kūiti, the council is upgrading old and adding new walking tracks along the Mangaokewa stream. Many people walk along the river in summer, but in winter the banks of the river are too wet for walking.
The new track remedies this issue, and the walkway will form part of the Te Araroa Trail.
Once matters relating to the governance and care of the Mangaokewa Reserve at the Viaduct are sorted out, a track of this standard could run out to this special place from Te Kūiti.
New tracks are also being established in Brook Park. Ngāti Rora and the Brook Park Committee are assisting. Thank you.
In Piopio, the Cosmopolitan Club car park will be sealed. The area will become a public car park by way of a lease, in many ways formalising what already is happening. This will enable visitors and locals to park without negotiating through potholes.
In Maniaiti/Benneydale, the car park outside the hall will be sealed and there will be improvements made for parking on State Highway 30 near the toilets.
And in Mōkau, we have built new toilets and are preparing to add further parking for trucks on both sides of SH3.
Central Government funding comes to our council from several sources.
NZTA/Waka Kotahi is our largest funder for work on our local roads.
We receive a subsidy of 75% for most work done.
At times, new sources of funds become available to councils.
Two years ago, then prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced a $2 billion package of funding for local government that she called Better Off Funding.
This was split, $500 million in the first tranche and $1.5 billion in a second. It was a sweetener package following the Government’s decision to strip councils of their water assets.
The first $500 million has been approved for payment to councils. Waitomo’s share is just over $3 million. We are spending this now on some of the projects mentioned above.
Disappointingly, in a reversal of Ms Ardern’s commitment, the Labour Government has taken the second tranche off the table.
This reduces our options for funding such additional discretionary projects.
