Reserve next in Albury spruce-up?

Albury residents have requested a section of council land be turned into a public reserve, a report to be tabled at today’s Mackenzie District Council meeting says.

In a submission to council on September 13, 19 residents signed a request for a strip of land on the corner of State Highway 8 and Butterworth Lane be ‘‘given back to the township people’’.

The report by council community facilities and services officer Charlotte Borrell, estimates that the removing of fencing, preparation of land and initial mowing and weeding would cost $15,000 with an ongoing annual maintenance cost of $8500.

At the first meeting of the new council, councillors will decide whether to do nothing, investigate further and proceed as unbudgeted expenditure or consider the section in the District Plan township review.

The report notes several considerations including the need for consultation with NZ Transport Agency and how access and parking will be managed; the need for safety fencing on the state highway edge of the plot; the current use of the land for grazing; and the lengthy process of changing the land status which would require consents and public notification.

‘‘It would be considerable cost to council to establish it as a reserve under the Reserves Act,’’ Borrell says.

‘‘It’s future use would be more appropriately dealt with as part of the District Plan township review. ‘‘

The request for a public reserve in Albury comes after a public meeting in May, organised by residents, was held with mayor Graham Smith at which all parties agreed work was needed to ‘‘beautify’’ the township.

Two weeks after the meeting, Albury’s dilapidated post box was replaced and in June, Smith said engineers were scheduled to clear and replant overgrown areas.