Following a long meeting discussing the cost of the project and potential effects of climate change on its location, councillors voted 11-2 in favour of the proposal, with councillors Pete Rainey and Rachel Sanson voting against it. If fully approved, the $44m library would replace the current Elma Turner Library further down the river on Halifax St, and is expected to have a useful operational life of 100+ years. The new library would consist of a two-storey building with a floor area of approximately 3250m², and would have a “5-star Green star rating – utilising sustainable materials and designed for passive heating/cooling and reduced energy costs.
Council would also be encouraging suppliers to support their employees to gain further skills and certification. Deputy Mayor Judene Edgar said the approach towards the living wage policy was about using a carrot rather than a stick. “We don’t want to lock people out who instantly can t afford the living wage, there’s a lot of not-for-profits and small businesses who will take time to adjust, what we want to do to is encourage them to work towards the living wage.” Councillor Matt Lawrey said the policy was “one of the best things to come out of council this term”.
A report from staff to the forestry subcommittee earlier in December, while acknowledging there would be environmental benefits from retiring the pines, said the cost of converting existing forestry to other species could cost between $15m and $20m (with ongoing maintenance costs between $118,000-$295,000 per year). Councillor Rachel Sanson unsuccessfully put forward an amendment for the Long Term Plan to include “questions seeking the community s view on the future of council’s commercial forestry holdings”. Sanson said the plan was “seriously lacking”, and if approved could have long-lasting effects on the region, as large sections of forest were coming up for harvest.
Martin De Ruyter/The-Nelson-Mail
Mayor Rachel Reese said the system for setting councillors’ pay was “very wicked” after council restructures meant a re-allotment of pay including a “substantial” cut for “super-chair” Brian McGurk.
A reshuffling of Nelson councillors’ pay to reflect a council re-structure has led to a “bitterly disappointing” pay cut for the council’s “super-chair” Brian McGurk and a pay rise for the deputy mayor. Councillors assign their own remuneration from an annual funding pool of $603,300 set by the Remuneration Authority. That funding does not include the mayoral remuneration, which is set by the authority at $144,500 per year.
The decision was passed by the Nelson City Council by eight votes to four, at a meeting of the community and recreation committee on Thursday. While the initial proposal recommended the extension be subject to Natureland presenting a business case at the end of 2021, this was amended to say the council’s decision to extend the lease “does not indicate a commitment to future funding support by Council for the enhancement of Natureland”. Natureland Trust chairman Stephen Standley said the trust’s preference was for the lease to be granted without encumbrance, as it would allow them to begin fundraising as soon as they had completed their business case.