Back of the Agenda: Early highlights from the LTP hearings

Three full days of public submissions made for plenty of suggestions and criticisms from the public about the Nelson City Council’s plans, so this week’s column looks at some highlights.

On the first day of the hearings on Tuesday, there was a broad range of speakers and topics brought to the table. While some submitters used their five or 10 minutes of speaking time to focus on a single issue, others took aim at a wide range of topics.

Pierre Gargulio talked about the need for Nelson to up its contributions to the Waimea Dam project, the Nelson Gymsports Collective put forward a proposal for a shared gym complex at Saxton Stadium, and Richard Martin from the Nelson Rowing Club and Tim Babbage from the Sea Sports

Alliance expressed their support for the proposed new Sea Sports complex.

Climate change was an issue for several submitters, a theme that would continue throughout the week, with the common refrain being that the council’s ‘‘climate emergency’’ declaration was not being matched by action.

Alastair Cotterill covered no fewer than eight action points in five minutes – from rates to the library to Ta¯hunanui Beach and the proposed science and technology hub.

Former Nelson mayoral candidate Richard Osmaston said that if an effort wasn’t made to abandon the monetary system to tackle issues such as climate change, resources and inequality, humanity was doomed.

Councillor Pete Rainey said it was ‘‘great to hear a submission that draws together our LTP and the end of civilisation – it’s an interesting parallel’’.

Submitter Roslyn Taylor covered several topics, including contributions to the Waimea Dam project, which she objected to because she believed orchardists who would benefit from the water ‘‘refuse to learn about retentive farming’’.

‘‘That soil is dead. They keep pouring water into that dead soil.’’

On the topic of the library, submitter Marianne van Wanrooy suggested that the council draw more people into the CBD by taking over 75 Bridge St and putting a new library development in the existing building.

Daniel Jackson asked the council to consider scrapping library late fees, which he said disproportionately affected people and families with low incomes. He said other places that had scrapped late fees had found there was no significant reduction in returns in general.

‘‘Essentially, it’s an investment in people, in families and in the future, and well worth it.’’

Several submitters, including the Nelson Residents Association and Lewis Solomon, spoke out against the proposed merger of the port and airport companies into one holding company, describing it as, among other things, a way to ‘‘offload some of the debt from both councils’’.

The last day, on Thursday, was a bit of a mixed bag, largely dominated by more Save the Maitai submitters.

Last but certainly not least, Emma Saunders and her son asked for better playgrounds around town. ‘‘All the central city playgrounds in particular are all very PC – they’re all very low to the ground, not very adventurous.’’