Here’s a summary of progress to date on our major projects, signaled last year in our Long-Term Plan 2018-2028:

District-wide rating for community centres, halls and reserves: The new rate introduced in 2018/19 is helping the Council to increase support for local facilities including a centralised booking system, more consistent charging, streamlined processes for maintenance and renewal, and improved systems and processes for budgeting, employment and health and safety matters.

Water quality improvements: As signaled in the LTP, the Council has completed a comprehensive risk assessment of water supplies across the district, to identify the community supplies most at risk of possible contamination.

Improvements completed to date include a new water supply bore at Southbridge, treatment upgrades at Lake Coleridge, Malvern Hills-Hartleys Rd, Hororata Rural water supply, the connection of Johnson Road and Edendale water supplies to West Melton, and storage upgrades at Dunsandel and Upper Selwyn Huts.

Design work is under way for treatment plant upgrades for the following schemes: Leeston, Lincoln, Tai Tapu, Te Pirita, Springston, Springfield, Kirwee, Acheron, Darfield, Claremont, Castle Hill, Arthur’s Pass, Sheffield, Waddington, Raven Drive, Rakaia Huts, and Malvern Hills-Dalethorpe. These works will span over two financial years.

Changes to community grants: The new Selwyn Community Fund was launched in 2018 and just under $40,000 has been allocated to community groups in the first funding round.

New community centres: Initial consultation is under way with the Leeston community on the township’s proposed new community centre and planning will start soon on new facilities for Prebbleton and Hororata.

Rolleston Council offices and parking: A new park-and-ride Metro bus facility next to the Council offices in Rolleston is nearly finished. It will provide 79 public car spaces as well as extra capacity for Council staff and visitors. Work will start soon on the planned extension to the building which will include a new centralised customer services area, and reconfiguration of existing office spaces to ease pressure on staff accommodation. The project will also include seismic performance enhancements for civil defence purposes.

Walking and Cycling Strategy: The first stage of the new Doyleston to Leeston Cycleway will be completed in the current year. Over the next two years work will continue to construct six kilometres of missing or additional township footpaths, identified in this strategy’s action plan as part of an ongoing programme.