News and Notices
Community news and notices
Callaghan Innovation C-Prize
C-Prize is a competition run by Callaghan Innovation that seeks to push the boundaries of what’s possible through technology.
This year they are looking for teams with world-leading innovative solutions to environmental problems.
C-Prize 2019 teams will compete for exciting cash prize packages, access to expert R&D and business advice, and significant international market exposure (more to be announced soon).
For more information please go to the website or see the attachment at the end of this section.
Rent Arrears Assistance from Ministry of Social Development
A new Rent Arrears Assistance payment is now available from the Ministry of Social Development.
MSD already helps many people with rent arrears, but some people in need haven’t been eligible to get this support.
The new Rent Arrears Assistance payment may be able to help some people who don’t qualify for other MSD rent arrears support, and risk losing their home because of overdue rent. People don’t have to be getting a benefit or living in public housing to get Rent Arrears Assistance. It’s a one-off, income-tested payment which needs to be paid back.
In summary, it’s for people who:
- need to pay overdue rent
- may lose their tenancy because of the unpaid rent
- are unable to get other MSD support to pay rent arrears
- will be able to carry on their tenancy and keep paying the rent themselves once their arrears are paid
- have signed the tenancy agreement or have a tenancy order under the Family Violence Act
- meet income and asset limits
- meet residency criteria.
When a person or family suffers a temporary financial setback and gets into difficulty with unpaid rent, we don’t want it to escalate into eviction, emergency housing or homelessness. We want people to come to us if overdue rent has put their tenancy at risk and they have no other way to pay it.
If you or your organisation are working with people in this situation, they can contact us on 0800 559 009 to see if they can get support.
The Work and Income website has more information about Rent Arrears Assistance, who qualifies and how to apply.
www.workandincome.govt.nz/rentarrears
For more information please see the fact sheet at the end of this section.
George Street Preliminary Geotechnical Work to Commence
Preliminary geotechnical work will begin on 4 November for up to three weeks on George Street (between Moray Place and Albany Street) including some side streets.
The DCC will be working with Isaac Construction to gather information about the street’s infrastructure as part of the Central City Plan project.
The work will be completed in two stages, the first starts 4 November and will be completed in one night.
The second stage of work will take place from 10 – 15 November which includes drilling and resurfacing. Some on-street parking along George Street will be closed while this work is being done.
During the day, George Street will run as normal with two lanes of traffic, one running in each direction. During the night (6pm – 7pm), George Street will be reduced to one lane in the area for drilling work. Traffic will be managed using a stop/go manual traffic control system.
Principal Urban Designer Kathryn Ward says, “The investigation work is a preliminary step towards creating a retail quarter that is vibrant, safe and attractive for the city’s residents and visitors.”
“The drilling we’re about to do will give us important information before we start upgrading George Street, helping to fulfil our vision of creating a vibrant and distinctive central city and boosting Dunedin’s economy. While this upgrade is not due to start until April 2021, the preparation work we are about to undertake is essential so that the second part of the project can be streamlined and be as least disruptive to the public as possible.”
All work is subject to favourable weather and on-site construction conditions.
For more information about the Central City Plan visit dunedin.govt.nz/centralcityplan.
Rating Valuations for Dunedin Properties
The latest rating valuations for Dunedin properties will be arriving in letter boxes next week.
In the Dunedin City Council area, there has been an overall 30.4% increase in capital value and a 49.1% rise in land value over the past three years. Residential properties account for about two thirds of the overall capital value.
DCC General Manager Finance and Commercial Dave Tombs says the data shows the capital value of Dunedin homes has gone up by 39.1% on average. This means an average house in Dunedin is now worth $477,000.
Commercial property is showing an overall increase of 20%, while the industrial sector has risen 24.2% compared with 2016 levels.
Every three years the DCC’s valuation service provider, Quotable Value, revalues properties within the DCC area for rating purposes. Generally, movements in rating values reflect movements in market values.
At the time of the revaluation, there were 56,027 rateable properties. The revaluation figures show the total rateable value of those properties is $33.5 billion, with the land value now at $15.1 billion.
In terms of Dunedin houses, the biggest capital value movements by suburb were Pine Hill and lower Mornington/Caversham (up 54% on average), Brockville (up 52.3%) and Corstorphine (up 50.7%).
Individual rating revaluations may vary from the overall average for the suburb. Visit www.dunedin.govt.nz/rates or www.qv.co.nz for individual property details. Property owners and occupiers can object to the revised valuations by writing to Quotable Value by 18 December.
QV Registered Valuer Tim Gibson says, “Residential dominates the landscape within Dunedin city, representing 83.9% of properties within the city. Growth has been strong particularly over the last two years, with the strongest demand and growth noted within the entry level for residential property.
“Lifestyle has followed the residential demand with strong growth. The capital value of the average lifestyle property has increased by 31.1% to $747,000, with a corresponding average land value rise of 40.4%.
“In comparison, the rural market has been subdued, with the average dairy property increasing by 2.1% and pastoral up by 7.6%.
“Commercial property is showing an overall increase of 20%, while the industrial sector has increased 24.2% relative to 2016 capital value levels. Land values have increased overall by 29% for commercial and 49.5% for industrial.
Mr Gibson says rating valuations are a snapshot in time. Any changes in the market since 1 July this year won’t be included in the new rating valuations.
Mr Tombs says that, subject to any objections, the new rating valuations will be used for rating for the 2020/21 year. That means rates bills won’t be affected until 1 July 2020. Changes in rating value do not automatically mean your rates will go up or down.
Council rating valuations are one of the factors which determine how much you pay in rates. The total rates revenue that the DCC requires is set each year through the annual plan process. This total is then shared out across ratepayers using a combination of factors, including the value of your property.
Call for public artwork for Octagon
The Dunedin City Council is looking to commission a new piece of public art to be located in the Octagon and is seeking submissions from artists and designers.
This is the first step in a public art programme that hopes to establish over 10-15 years a collection of public artworks that reflect five themes that were drawn from public consultation in 2017 - Whakapapa, Light and Sound, Pushing Boundaries, Encounters, and Embedded in Nature.
In the development of their concept, artists will be asked to draw on at least one of these creative themes and to consider the site’s cultural and historical narratives. They are welcome to consider the use of non-traditional materials, such as light or projections, and are asked to think about the work’s suitability for easy relocation if the Octagon is upgraded in the future.
Artists will have until 5.00 pm, 1 December to submit their applications. On 20 December a shortlist of up to three artists will be selected by a panel comprising representatives from mana whenua, the arts community and DCC staff. The shortlisted artists will be offered an opportunity to develop a more detailed creative vision.
The public will have an opportunity to give feedback from the shortlisted concepts before a final selection is made by the panel. The successful artist will be paid a fee of $65,000 (+ GST).
Dunedin Public Libraries Relationship Advisor Council Initiatives Lisa Wilkie says the last public artwork was Julia Morison’s Oubouros, commissioned in 2013 for 150th anniversary of the Botanic Garden.
“Done well, public art can help redefine places and spaces within a city, how they are experienced and how people interact with them. It helps support the development of community.”
More information, including how to make a submission, can be made at dunedin.govt.nz/creative-opportunities.
Installation of 3000K LEDs will begin in the outer suburbs of Dunedin in December.
Residents will be notified well in advance before any work is going to be carried out. A minimum of two weeks’ notice will be given.
The work will be staged starting from the outer suburbs such as the Taieri and moving in towards the city centre.
Maintenance work to replace faulty high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights are currently underway to ensure public safety on the road is kept.
The LEDs being installed for the city are certified through the International Dark-Sky Association Fixture Seal of Approval in recognition of it being a dark sky friendly product.
Acting Group Manager Nick Sargent says “A wireless central management signalling system is included in the LED design to better measure electricity usage and receive regular updates on the performance of the LEDs to improve energy efficiency”.
HPS lights are no longer being used as the components are in short supply.
The LED lights will improve public and road safety by providing better visibility for vehicles and pedestrians.
The project is a joint initiative between the DCC and New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), with 85% of funding coming from NZTA.
The full installation across the city is approximately $15 million which includes street light pole renewals and is expected to be completed in mid-2021.
For more information about the LED streetlight project and the schedule please visit dunedin.govt.nz/ledlights.
Lottery Community Round Two Open
Lottery Community grants are available for not-for-profit organisations with a community or social service focus for ongoing operating costs or projects which help improve the quality of people’s lives in their communities.
Check the priorities for your local committee through the website.
For more information, please phone 0800 824 824.
Peninsula Connection work continues
The next stage of the Peninsula Connection work has started on Portobello Road at Turnbulls Bay between Moerangi and Bacon Streets.
This work is scheduled to take four months with completion expected in March 2020. Traffic has been reduced to one lane for the duration of the project and temporary traffic lights are in place to manage traffic queues. 160m of a new retaining wall will be constructed as well as the road being improved and widened. Access to side road and resident driveways will be maintained while this work is being done.
The work on the Vauxhall to Macandrew Bay section is progressing as planned and is expected to be completed by June 2020.
The section from Bacon Street to Portobello was completed in May this year and the section between Company Bay and Broad Bay is planned to start in November 2020 and be finished by the end of 2021.
The DCC acknowledges that this work will cause extra delays and thanks the public for their patience.
Group Manager Transport (Acting) Nick Sargent says “DCC staff are working hard to co-ordinate the work to minimise the disruptions as much as possible. We’re grateful to the public for their co-operation while this work is being done.”
The Peninsula Connection is a safety improvement project to widen and, in places, raise the road, build a new rock seawall and create a shared path.
Planning for Housing in Dunedin Survey
The DCC are running a survey on ‘Planning for housing in Dunedin’ which has gone live for consultation on the DCC website from 10am Monday 14 October.
The survey asks questions on where people think intensification and greenfield residential development should occur in Dunedin, along with other questions relating to enabling housing development. Two options are available to provide feedback, being a traditional survey form and a Social Pinpoint interactive map.
The consultation is intended to inform changes to the 2GP to enable housing development, and for future housing plans and strategies. It will run until 3 November.
Legal Education Otago
Community Law Otago offers free legal education talks as part of our legal education initiative. Our talks are tailored to meet the requirements of your group, ensuring interest and relevancy. Some of the topics we offer range from consumer law, employment, tenancy and police powers. We can talk about almost any legal topic that relates to your community group for the length of time your community group is available for. This year alone we have given 71 talks to over 5000 individuals with 38 volunteers so have the resources to cater for all groups.
Should you wish to receive a Legal Education talk from Community Law Otago, please note that our programme is fully booked for the rest of the year but will be starting back up in early March next year.
If you are interested in having our legal education volunteers to come along to speak to your community group email legaledu@dclc.org.nz
DHB Vaping Seminar
The DHB’s smokefree team are hosting two one-day Vaping Seminars in November, in Invercargill and Dunedin. The team believes it is timely to engage with the community to share the current evidence on vaping to stop smoking. The Vaping Seminar series are for primary and secondary healthcare professionals, allied health staff and community partners who support the smokefree kaupapa.
It is free to attend the seminar but registration is required. The registration form can be found here: https://www.southernhealth.nz/getting-help-you-need/becoming-smokefree/vaping-help-you-stop-smoking/vaping-seminar.
An engaging and interesting day is planned. If you scroll down to the bottom of the web page you can check out the programme set for the day. A reminder about the seminar will be sent out to you closer to the date.
Any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Debby Newton (debby.newton@southerndhb.govt.nz) or Megan Barrett (megan.barrett@southerndhb.govt.nz).