Labour summit a ‘good first step’
The need for more accommodation, pastoral care and collaboration were the key talking points at a labour summit held to address the issues of the expanding Marlborough wine industry.
The summit, organised by Wine Marlborough, was held at the Scenic Hotel Marlborough on Wednesday afternoon.
Chaired by Marlborough Research Centre chief executive Gerald Hope, the event included presentations on the economy of the wine industry and the role of the Marlborough District Council in meeting accommodation needs.
Hope said the discussion was urgent and planning needed to start to make sure the region did not miss out on the economic benefits provided by the expansion of the industry.
As a result of the summit, a working group would be formed to address the issues and report back to the relevant stakeholders in six weeks.
Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens said the summit was a good first step.
‘‘I think it’s important that we all own these problems, and that we’re all part of the solution, because this is a big opportunity for Marlborough,’’ he said.
During his presentation, council chief executive Mark Wheeler said the role of the council was to zone land, provide infrastructure and make regulatory processes as simple as possible for developers.
‘‘We’ll provide the land and the infrastructure for you to hook into, but after that it’s really over to the developers to make it happen,’’ he said.
There was enough residentialzoned land to accommodate 1680 houses around Blenheim, and the council was working with developers who had plans to construct worker accommodation that would add another 800 beds, he said.
Wheeler said a common critique levelled at the council was the cost of developer contributions, however it was necessary to recoup costs so the burden did not fall on ratepayers.
However, Hope said some concessions could be made in the interest of attracting more workers, who would then form a broader ratepayer base.
Others also raised concerns about the cost of developer contributions, with Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith saying there should be more flexible options instead of developers paying upfront.
Costs could be staggered over a period of time, as developers started to see returns on their investment, he said.
There were already constraints on accommodation and the number of builders available to undertake work, so it was important steps were taken as soon as possible, he said.
‘‘Everybody in Marlborough will pay the price if we don’t get this right, because housing costs and rental prices will go up if we don’t get ahead of this problem.’’
The labour summit also touched on the difficulty of attracting skilled workers, particularly New Zealand workers to work in the wine industry.
Kaikoura Labour candidate Janette Walker said this came down to the fact the wine industry did not provide enough hours to New Zealand workers.
Recognised Seasonal Employer workers were guaranteed a minimum of 30 hours a week, but this and the standard of pastoral care was not extended to New Zealand workers, she said.
Walker said if this was the case there would be a higher retention rate of New Zealand workers, and it was the responsibility of the wine industry to provide future accommodation.
‘‘They can’t just say we’re going to put in more grapes, they have to plan how they’re going to accommodate the workers as well.’’
Water meters
A decision on whether to introduce water meters in Havelock will go out to a public consultation. The Marlborough District Council’s assets and services committee heard on Tuesday that water meters would cut water consumption and pinpoint leaks in the township’s ageing water pipes. Havelock residents last year pushed the council to look for an alternative water source instead of introducing costly water meters. A public meeting is expected to be held within five weeks.
New nominee
Former Redwoodtown School principal Gary Hildyard is the latest nominee to run for the Marlborough District Council. Hildyard will run in the Blenheim ward. Hildyard joins fellow Blenheim nominees Brian Dawson and Jenny Andrews. David Oddie and Trevor Hook have submitted nominations for the Marlborough Sounds ward. Council elections will be held in October.
Compliments and complaints
The Nelson Marlborough District Health Board received 29 compliments in June and 26 complaints.The highest number of monthly complaints occurred in May, when the health board fielded 55 complaints. The lowest amount of negative feedback was recorded in January this year, with a tally of 16 complaints.
School musical
Marlborough Boys’ College and Marlborough Girls’ College are staging the musical Hairspray from August 3 to August 6 at the ASB Theatre in Blenheim. Tickets are $30 for adults with concessions for children, seniors and students. Bookings can be made through the theatre or via Ticket Direct.