Nelson City Council has met with long-term occupants at the Brook Valley Holiday Park to talk through the changes that will be needed to work towards a resource consent for a Relocatable Home Park.

Changes will need to take place to ensure all accommodation is compliant with the Camping Grounds Regulations, Nelson Resource Management Plan, and the Building Act.

Council made the decision to set up a Relocatable Home Park after taking an inventory of accommodation at the campground in July 2020.

In the 2021-31 Long Term Plan, Councillors approved $510,000 of capital expenditure for an improved toilet block and to connect long-term occupants to water and wastewater services.

“Last year’s inventory alerted us to some issues that pose a risk to the health and safety of occupants,” says Group Manager Community Services Andrew White. “The changes that will be implemented are designed to ensure occupants live in safe and healthy accommodation and have access to suitable facilities.”

The main changes that need to occur are:

• Water: Relocatable homes need to be connected to drinking water supply and wastewater drainage. Council will provide servicing hubs to meet the requirements of the Camping Grounds Regulations and the Building Act. Occupants will then be able to connect their home to a servicing hub.
• Woodburners that do not meet requirements set out in the Building Act and the Nelson Air Quality Plan are not lawfully approved for use at the Brook Valley Campground. Council can offer advice and the Ministry of Social Development can offer financial support for anyone that will need to seek an alternative heating source.
• Tents and tepees currently at the campground do not meet the requirements set out in the Camping Grounds Regulations for long-term occupancy. From April 2022, people in a tent or tepee will only be able to stay for a maximum of 50 days. Council is looking at options for people who live in tents or tepees who wish to continue living at the Brook long-term.

Chair of the Strategic Development and Property Subcommittee Gaile Noonan says, “this work is vital to ensure people living at our campsites have safe and healthy accommodation.”

Work to meet these requirements will need to be completed by April 2022, but woodburners will need to be removed or cease to be used straight away.

Structures that cannot meet the level of compliance or are not safe and healthy for occupants will have to be improved or, as a last resort, removed. Council will work alongside a range of other agencies with expertise in assisting people in finding alternative places to live if required.

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