Inaction over litter making Motueka untidy

March 14th, 2012
[by David Armstrong]

Litter and rubbish figured largely in yesterday's monthly meeting of the Motueka Community Board, with issues including street rubbish, upgrading litter bins and clearing recycling bins being raised at several times.

Before chairman David Ogilvie got to present his monthly report which included some litter concerns, residents Brent and Jody Maru spoke at the preceding public forum about their surprise at seeing the general lack of tidiness and amount of litter around the town streets. They had recently moved to live within the town and Brent said they had not realised until then how untidy the streets looked.

David Ogilvie left the meeting briefly to bring in from his car three plastic bags of drink cans and other rubbish he had picked up that day along Tudor and Wilkinson streets, just as an example. Cliff Satherley said the town needs a public campaign aimed at encouraging everyone to make an effort, but acknowledged that it was easy to say that but harder to make it actually happen.

Jody told the board that the newly elected Tasman Youth Council (Motueka branch) is intending to look at a litter campaign themselves.

Later in the meeting proper, David's report recommended that the board use an unspent contingency budget of $1545 to pay for a part-time contractor for up to 10 weeks to use the litter cart, currently in storage, to clean up around the town and along State Highway 60 up to Kaiteriteri. The board thought it was worth firstly seeing if a Corrections Department work gang could do the work.

The board will also ask the Tasman District Council to replace five High Street wood-slatted rubbish bins with standard metal ones, and to install five new bins at Video Ezy, European Bakery, Hotel Motueka, Elevation Cafe and along Whakarewa Street.

Guthrie Bowron clock restoration:  In answer to a question about the status of this project, Councillor Barry Dowler said the clock is in storage and working properly, and they were presently talking with engineers about ways of safely fixing it to the building.

Discretionary grant:  The board approved the request for $500 from its discretionary fund to help the Motueka High School senior mixed touch team travel to Christchurch to play in the South Island tournament, at which they have a record of competing successfully.

Security cameras:  Having received a quotation for another portable security camera, the board voted to lease one using money from its Small Projects fund. The camera will be located at places recommended by Police, supplementing the existing, successful camera.

Motueka West and Central Development Plan:  Barry reported that, after some busy consultation on these plans last year, the plan is now on hold awaiting input from iwi and leaseholders.

Financial surplus:  For the second year in a row, the board expects to have a surplus of at least $20,000 by the end of the financial year on June 30th. They will look to use $10,000 of it to reduce targeted rates for Motueka ratepayers and to hold over the rest for use next year.

Comment by Harald Laarakker:
[Posted 14 April 2013]

I haven't followed much of this story and process. I understood that there used to be a lovely group of special hardworking young people on the Cart. Why are they being passed?

Also..... Most of the rubbish I see on the roads come from the MacD and KFC! Let them chip in the most. Maybe all packaging from companies should be liable for their rubbish that ends up on the streets and in the sea! Tackle the origin of the problem not the result of it!!!!!

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