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Awards and Funds

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:34:51 +1200

Council administers the following grants schemes and awards:

Creative Communities New Zealand Grants Scheme

Community Services Awards

Mainpower Hurunui Natural Environment Fund

Secondary Education School Achievers

SPARC Rural travel fund

Hurunui Heritage Fund

Dates for 2012

Creative Communities NZ

Applications	Meeting dates (Creative Communities New Zealand Assessment Committee )
Open Monday 30 January Close Friday 17 February	Tuesday 28 February at 2pm.
Open Monday 30 July Close Friday 31 August	Tuesday 11 September at 2pm.

SPARC Rural Travel Fund

Applications	Meeting date (SPARC Rural Travel Fund Assessment Committee)
Open Monday 27 February Close Friday 23 March	Wednesday 11 April at 2pm.

Community Service Awards

Nominations	Meeting date	Ceremony
Close Friday 4 May	Recommendations made to Council Meeting Thursday 31 May.	Council meeting Thursday 28 June.

Secondary School Achievers Awards

Nominations	Meeting dates	Ceremony
Open Friday 14 September Close Friday 12 October	Judges meet Tuesday 30 October at 2pm.
	Judges' recommendations made to Council Thursday 29 November.	Thursday 20 December Council meeting.

Mainpower Hurunui Natural Environment Fund and Hurunui Heritage Fund

Applications	Judges' Recommendations	Ceremony
Open Monday March 5th Close Friday 6^th April	To be received by Administrator by Friday 4 May. Recommendation made to Council meeting Thursday 31 May.	Council meeting Thursday 28 June.

Creative Communities New Zealand Grants Scheme

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:19:25 +1300

The Creative Communities Scheme is a partnership between Creative New Zealand (the national arts
development agency) and local councils in New Zealand. Each council takes responsibility for delivering the scheme in its area. Local decision-making is the key to the scheme: applications are considered by assessment committees with knowledge and experience of the arts in their area.

Purpose of the scheme

The Creative Communities Scheme supports and encourages local communities to create and present diverse opportunities for accessing and participating in arts activities within their specific geographical area, as well as for defined communities of interest. Under the scheme, “the arts” is defined as “all forms of creative and interpretative expression”.

Who can apply?

An application can be from an individual or from a group. Individual applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. If you’ve previously received funding under the Creative Communities Scheme, either as an individual or as a member of a group, you must have completed a project report for the earlier project before any further applications from you will be considered.

2012 dates

Sparc Rural travel fund

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:50:41 +1300

2012 dates

SPARC Rural Travel Fund - Application Form

SPARC Rural Travel Fund - Guidelines

Mainpower Hurunui Natural Environment Fund

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:49:23 +1300

The purpose of the fund is to encourage and assist with voluntary work that benefits the natural environment. The focus is on work that improves, benefits, enhances, restores or reinstates indigenous natural resources – in particular, land, vegetation, wetlands or bird habitat.

The fund is open only to residents and ratepayers of the Hurunui District – individuals or groups – for work relating to either private or public land.

It is a contestable fund, in which there is $10,000.00. Of that sum, $7,000 is earmarked for projects that are protecting existing areas, and $3,000 for projects creating new areas. The Hurunui District Council thanks MainPower New Zealand Ltd for its generous support.

Applications will be assessed by decision makers who are wholly independent of Council.

The fund is not available:

For work that there is a legal obligation to do;
To compensate for work already done. It is intended to assist with the cost of future work;
For the entire cost of a project. It will complement the applicant’s contributions;
For beautification projects, or to support those driven primarily for financial gain; or
To past recipients of the fund.

The application must be a signed original of the application form. The form can be handwritten, or it can be downloaded from here and typed. We encourage applicants to attach any supporting documents, such as plans, diagrams, maps, photos. But please limit this to no more than about 15 pages.

Mainpower Natural Environment Fund - Applicaton form

2012 dates

Applications without any supporting documents will still be considered, but applicants may be asked for more information.

2006 recipient: F & J Wilding, Looking westwards up Ploughman's Creek, Hawkswood Range beyond

The decision makers assessing the applications are likely to request to see the sites. No Council employees will accompany them onto private property without the prior approval of the landowner.

The Council hereby undertakes to all applicants that information concerning private property supplied in the application, or obtained when assessing it, will be used by the Council for no purpose other than for assessing the application, or for the publicity purposes referred to below.

By lodging the application, the applicant agrees that if funds are given to the applicant, the amount received and the applicant’s name and photo may be publicised, and used for publicity purposes.

Applications will be assessed during April. It is intended to distribute the funds at a function in May.

The money granted is to be spent by the successful applicant within two years of the grant. The recipient will be required to complete a signed “accountability form” when the funds have been spent, confirming that they have been spent in the way set out in the application.

Assessment Criteria

The degree to which the work improves, benefits, enhances, restores or reinstates indigenous natural resources – in particular, land, vegetation, wetlands or bird habitat.
The indigenous natural values of the area to which the work relates, including such things as representativeness, distinctiveness, rarity, and long term sustainability.
The long term benefits or the work funded, including how it will be maintained.
The degree of current risk to the natural values being restored, enhanced, protected or maintained.
The efficiency, economics and feasibility of the project.
If part of a long term project, evidence of the applicant’s commitment to it.
The likely ecological outcomes.
The degree of ongoing protection for the work funded – for example, if new planting, that it is protected from stock.

For further information see Mainpower Sponsorship Pages

Secondary School Achievers Fund

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:42:27 +1300

Applications open for the 2012 Hurunui District Council Secondary School Achievers Fund on Friday 14 September.

Funding is available to any Hurunui Secondary School pupil who’s family resides within the district.

Past recipients have used the funds for boarding fees, scholarship travel expenses, purchases of text books or electronic equipment.

If you think you are eligible your application should be submitted on the appropriate form by 5pm 12 October 2012.

Application forms are also available from The Hurunui District Council Office, Service Centres and Libraries throughout the district.

For further details contact Maree Hare 03 314 0111

Unfortunatley late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

2010 School Achievement Awards recipients

Hurunui Heritage Fund

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:36:33 +1300

The purpose of the fund is to encourage and assist with voluntary work that protects, enhances, explains or restores significant heritage values of the District.

The fund is open only to residents and ratepayers of the Hurunui District – individuals or groups – for work relating to either private or public land.
It is a contestable fund, in which there is $5,000.00. That sum will be distributed among the successful applicants.
Applications will be assessed by decision makers who are wholly independent of the Council.
The fund is not available:
a. For work that there is a legal obligation to do;
b. To compensate for work already done. It is intended to assist with the cost of future work;
c. For the entire cost of a project. It will complement the applicant’s contributions;
d. To support projects driven primarily for financial gain; or
e. To past recipients of the fund.
The application must be a signed original of this application form. The form can be handwritten, or it can be downloaded from here and typed.
We encourage applicants to attach any supporting documents, such as plans, diagrams, maps, photos. But please limit this to no more than about 15 pages.
Applications without any supporting documents will still be considered, but applicants may be asked for more information.
The decision makers assessing the applications are likely to request to see the sites. No Council employees will accompany them onto private property without the prior approval of the landowner.
The Council hereby undertakes to all applicants that information concerning private property supplied in the application, or obtained when assessing it, will be used by the Council for no purpose other than for assessing the application, or for the publicity purposes referred to below.
By lodging the application, the applicant agrees that if funds are given to the applicant, the amount received and the applicant’s name and photo may be publicised, and used for publicity purposes.
Applications will be assessed during April.
The money granted is to be spent by the successful applicant within one year of the grant. The recipient will be required to complete a signed “accountability form” when the funds have been spent, confirming that they have been spent in the way set out in the application.

Assessment Criteria

The degree to which the work protects, explains, enhances or restores significant heritage values of the District.
The historical significance to the District of the subject of the application.
Where relevant, the degree of current risk to the heritage values being explained, restored or benefited.
The long term benefits or the work funded, including how it will be maintained.
The efficiency, economics and feasibility of the project.
If part of a long term project, evidence of the applicant’s commitment to it.
The likely educational or social outcomes.
The degree of ongoing protection for the work funded.
The degree to which the public will have access to, or benefit from, the project funded.

2012 dates

Hurunui Heritage Fund Applicaton form - 2011

Community Services Awards

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:13:20 +1300

Nominations

Nominations will be sought annually at mid-year by advertising.

2012 dates

Advertising takes place in March/April, with applications closing in April. The awards will be presented during a Council meeting following:

A maximum of one award is promoted from each council ward per year.
Joint awards, e.g., Husband and wife are acceptable.
Ward Committees, the Community Board and Councillors to select nominees from their area and the Councillor(s) to approach the highest ranking nominee and seek their approval to accept the award.
Full Council approve the final nominees.

The Nomination form is updated each year, and can be downloaded here or call into your nearest Service Centre to receive a form.

Confidentiality

Nominations to remain confidential until selection by the Councillors and recipients have agreed to accept their awards.

Eligibility

A long period of exceptional service by resident of the district.
Community service for which there has been no direct financial reward.

Community Service Awards - Nomination Form

Send completed forms to:

Maree Hare
Council Secretary
Hurunui District Council
P O Box 13
AMBERLEY

Community Award Schemes

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:04:28 +1200

Biodiversity

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:07:41 +1200

What is Biodiversity?

The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy provides the following definition:
Biological diversity, or “biodiversity” for short, describes the variety of all biological life – plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms - the genes they contain and the ecosystems on land or in water where they live.

New Zealand’s Biodiversity

New Zealand's biodiversity is the inspiration for our national icons, the kiwi, silver fern and koru. No other country can claim these icons as theirs. These iconic species along with a large portion of our biodiversity are unique, or endemic, to New Zealand, which makes them special to New Zealand and to global biodiversity. These endemic species have a high conservation value because of their uniqueness and because they cannot be conserved in nature anywhere else in the world.

It also means if they are lost here, they are lost to the world. In New Zealand, about 90% of insects, 80% of trees, ferns and flowering plants, 25% of bird species, all 60 reptile species, four remaining frogs and two species of bat, are found nowhere else on earth. As a result New Zealand has been identified as one of 25 global biodiversity hotspots. However, there is cause for concern. On a national basis over 1000 plant, animal and fungi species are considered to be threatened.

There are many ways to protect indigenous biodiversity and support systems in place. To discuss how you can protect biodiversity contact Hurunui's Biodiversity Field Advisor on 03 3140059 or neville.parminter@hurunui.govt.nz

Information resources

Hurunui Biodiversity Strategy 2008

A vision for Hurunui that sees our unique natural values being maintained and enhanced by Council, landowners and other parties working together in partnership, voluntarily and cooperatively.

Greening Waipara
A research-driven project stemming from initiatives by Lincoln University, local wine growers, the Hurunui District Council and Landcare Research to calculate the dollar-value of the services provided for free by nature in the arable, pastoral and horticultural sectors.

QEII National Trust
Helps private landowners in New Zealand to protect significant natural and cultural features on their land through open space covenants in perpetuity.

Canterbury Biodiversity
A 'one-stop shop' for information related to biodiversity in Canterbury.

New Zealand Biodiversity
National biodiversity information.

Trees for Canterbury
A well-established community organisation created to meet the Green Effect Trust’s objectives to Employ, Educate and Regenerate.

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
Was established in 2003 with the vision that 'no indigenous species of plant will become extinct nor be placed at risk of extinction as a result of human action or indifference, and that the rich, diverse and unique plant life of New Zealand will be recognised, cherished and restored'.

The Green Toolbox
A free Windows-based software package to help users choose and evaluate plants for a variety of land management applications.

FORMAK
The Forest Monitoring and Assessment Kit.

Dune Restoration Trust of NZ

Carbon Credits
Carbon credits from forest regeneration projects.

Get Trained
DOC is offering training courses to the public to encourage community participation in conservation. The department is sharing its skills and expertise to ensure consistent and high standards of conservation are maintained across New Zealand.

Land and Environment Planning Tool Kit
Beef + Lamb New Zealand's Land and Environmental Planning Tool Kit guides you through a step-by-step process to document the land and environmental issues on your farm and what to do to address them. Farmers can complete the Level 1 or introductory LEP in less than 20 minutes.

Celebrating excellence

Balance Farm Environment Awards

Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand
The association of environmental practitioners.

Contestable funds

Mainpower Hurunui Natural Environment Fund

Other funding sources

Water and Sewerage Services

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:48:26 +1200

Waipara Township - 08 February 2012

Please note due to a major water leak on the Waipara Township Scheme, Hurunui District Council wish to advise to conserve water until the water leak can be fixed Thursday 09 February

Swimming Pool Fill

Please note due to the high water demands over the months of November - February swimming pool fill requests are subject to water availability.

Water

There are currently 13 Council owned water schemes in the District
Extracting water from 24 different sources.

The schemes are overseen by Water Committees with delegated responsibilities for the planning and development of their schemes.

Current Boil Water Notice

January 2012 Rural Water Supplies
A reminder that it is an offence to tamper with the restricting device that controls the flow of scheme water to your tank.

In accordance with our Fees and Charges a first offence incurs a penalty of $600.00. A penalty of $1200.00 applies to a second offence.

Your tampering negatively impacts on the supply to others.

On-demand water is supplied to:

8 of the Urban Communities in the District from 7 high pressure schemes consisting of 9 water intakes and 60 km of pipe.

Other small Urban Communities:

Leithfield
Cheviot
Gore Bay
Rotherham
Greta Valley
Amberley Beach
Motunau Beach

These Communities are supplied via tanks from restricted rural supplies. All Rural Communities in the District are serviced by Council operated restricted-flow water supplies providing water to consumers as “units” of water supplied into individual tanks. One unit is 1800 litres supplied over 24 hours, except for Balmoral and Amuri Plains, where a unit is 1000 litres per day. The Hurunui and Cheviot Rural Water Schemes cover four separate supplies within each of their areas. The Ashley Scheme also has four distinct sources and includes part of the Waimakariri District within its boundaries.

All townships with on-demand supplies, except Leithfield Beach have metered connections and charges are made on actual water consumption. The metres are read in March each year and ratepayers are advised of their annual consumption and costs in their first quarterly rate demand each year.

Having consumers represented at the local level in Water Committees is considered to be one of the main strengths of the current organisation and there is no intention to diminish the impact and contribution of these Committees. However, with rural water rates ranging from $71 a unit to $610, and on-demand schemes ranging from $80 per property to $184, there is the need to consider if there is a benefit in funding all schemes by a District-wide rate to improve economies of scale.

The Council intends to retain the ownership of all public water supply assets on behalf of the Communities that these facilities serve. Asset management, basic design work, contract documentation, tendering, record keeping, operation and routine repair and maintenance is carried out by the Council's staff.

Most of the network reticulation is in good repair and operating under a policy of renewal when necessary, reticulation should remain serviceable indefinitely. Pumps, controls, telemetry (data sent back to the Council office by radio) and water treatment devices are repaired as the need arises and are replaced as the benefits of repair are outweighed by replacement – usually every 12 – 20 years. Reservoirs, weirs, bores, and ponds are maintained on an ongoing basis. Ages of on-demand water networks is quite recent, with the earliest networks dating to 1955 (Amberley).

Frequently asked questions re water

Sewerage

This activity provides for the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage from urban areas of the District in seven separate schemes comprising 14 sewer pump stations and 65 km of pipe works. (Amberley and Districts, Cheviot, Greta Valley, Motunau Beach, Hanmer Springs, Hawarden and Waikari).
Each scheme is self funding with revenue obtained by uniform annual charge on each rateable assessment having access to the respective scheme.

Stormwater Drainage

Stormwater drainage schemes which were set up by the Regional Council as rating areas, are administered by the Council on behalf of ratepayers in specific areas. In some other areas, where Ward Committees have accepted responsibility for maintaining drains, funding is by separate rate.