Marlborough District Council has published its annual report for the 2017/18 financial year.

Mayor John Leggett says it was a year of rebuilding, repairs and reinstatement as Marlborough comes out from under the shadow of the November 2016 earthquake.

“The high priority recovery work is all but complete. We’ve focussed on infrastructure, some of it new, but much of it essential repairs to quake-damaged roads, stormwater and sewerage systems, and the reinforcement or replacement of community facilities.”

The Mayor said the Council had also kept its overall infrastructure programme on track.

“One of the year’s highlights was the opening of Picton’s new state-of-the-art library and service centre - Waitohi Whare Mātauranga - a wonderful new asset for the town, serving residents and visitors alike.”

“Our sensible financial management has been reaffirmed by rating agency Standard and Poor’s which confirmed our long-term credit rating as AA Stable. Overall, it has been a calm and focussed year, an approach which I believe is serving our community well.”

Chief Executive Mark Wheeler said it had been satisfying to see the strong performance by Council over the last 12 months.

“Good progress has been made on the recovery work, which has been diverse, ranging from strengthening the Stadium 2000 building, scoping the damage to Blenheim’s sewer network, where repairs are now underway, and efforts by our rivers’ engineers to restore the flow of the Ōpaoa River. A new 60 metre section of stop bank was built on the Taylor River.”

The wider infrastructure programme delivered a record $60m of capital expenditure investment.

• $14.69m spent on roads and footpaths, including 72.7km of chip sealing and 3.6km of new urban cycleways

• $1.66m spent on emergency road repairs as a result of the earthquake and cyclones Gita and Fahey

• The region benefitted from a rollout of LED street lighting

• $7.53m was spent on water supply, including the new Seddon water treatment plant

• Sewerage upgrades totalled $16.73m

• An upgraded foreshore playground and new truck park opened in Picton

• The Quays riverside park in Blenheim opened

• Softball infrastructure and beach volleyball courts were completed at Lansdowne Park

• Earthquake repairs were made to the A&P Park Pavilion, Athletic Park Pavilion, and the Seddon and Ward war memorials.

Council also invested more in environmental science, including the innovative multi-beam survey of Totaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound and the Tory Channel sea floor, a joint initiative with Land Information New Zealand and NIWA. The project is a long term investment in navigation safety and environmental management, and will help inform future economic development options.

Council has continued its sector-leading digital strategy. Digitising the resource consent process has progressed this year, enabling online resource consent applications and processing.

For further information go to www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/long-term-and-annual-plans-policies-and-reports/annual-report/2017-18-annual-report

ENDS

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