Water Quality Improvements and Chlorination - consultation now closed

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Consultation has concluded

LTP consultation now closed

Consultation has now closed on Selwyn District Council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) Consultation Document, Fast Forward ’28 – thank you to those who provided us with valuable feedback.

We received several hundred formal submissions and online comments on Council’s proposed key projects and activities which we’re planning over the next 10 years. All feedback on our proposals will be considered by the Council as part of its decision-making on the LTP.

Copies of the formal submissions can be viewed on the Council website from Friday 18 May.

What’s next?

Public hearings of submissions on the plan will

LTP consultation now closed

Consultation has now closed on Selwyn District Council’s Long-Term Plan (LTP) Consultation Document, Fast Forward ’28 – thank you to those who provided us with valuable feedback.

We received several hundred formal submissions and online comments on Council’s proposed key projects and activities which we’re planning over the next 10 years. All feedback on our proposals will be considered by the Council as part of its decision-making on the LTP.

Copies of the formal submissions can be viewed on the Council website from Friday 18 May.

What’s next?

Public hearings of submissions on the plan will be held on 23-24 May, and the Council will hold its deliberations on 30-31 May. The Council expects to formally adopt the Plan in late June.

Keep an eye on the Council website for updates: http://www.selwyn.govt.nz/home.


What’s proposed?
The Council is seeking community feedback on whether to introduce chlorination to some community water supplies.

Selwyn District Council is committed to providing our communities with safe drinking water. Across our 30 water supplies we currently use a variety of water treatment methods including secure ground water (to meet current New Zealand Drinking Water Standards), Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, selective abstraction and filtration, and chlorination.

Following the Government’s inquiry into the Havelock North drinking water contamination incident, councils have been urged to ensure the protection of drinking-water sources and effective treatment of supplies for the protection of public health. In response, the Council has accelerated the programme to install UV treatment on secure bores.

Consideration is also being given to chlorination, to provide additional protection. Chlorine provides residual treatment in the water reticulation system which UV does not provide, minimising the impact of any contamination which may enter the distribution system. It is widely used in New Zealand drinking water supplies and is currently used on five supplies in Selwyn, and we are adding chlorination to two further schemes.

The Government’s position on the chlorination of water supplies is not yet known – and chlorination may become mandatory. If it is not made mandatory, a range of options are available to the Council.

The Council is now seeking comment from the community on options for introducing chlorination to community water supplies.

What are the options?

  1. Introduce chlorination for water supplies which would receive the greatest benefit, based on a risk assessment

  2. Introduce chlorination for all Council water supplies

  3. No additional chlorination

How will this be funded?

The cost of water treatment is funded by the district-wide rate paid by all properties on a Council supply. The proposal to introduce limited chlorination, as in option 1, will increase the rate by $10.

Consultation has concluded

  • Fast Forward to 2028 - our growing and changing district

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    Ten years ago there were around 38,000 of us living in Selwyn. Today, the latest estimates put that figure at more than 59,000. Growth is forecast to continue over the next 10 years, with Selwyn’s population expected to approach 80,000 by 2028. Looking further ahead, by 2048 our population is expected to be 105,000.

    This is exciting for our district as we see towns, schools, jobs, clubs and communities flourish – but it also brings challenges. As a Council and a community we will face continued pressure to plan for a fast-approaching future and provide the infrastructure, facilities and services that we need to support the district.

    The impacts of rapid and continuing growth are spread across all aspects of infrastructure including roading, water networks and solid waste management – as well as the demand for community facilities.

    Responding to this pressure will require substantial additional expenditure. Funding this expenditure is the major financial challenge for the Council, and for ratepayers and developers, over the next 10 years.

    Our Long-Term Plan aims to ensure Selwyn continues to lead as a community of choice, where people of all ages and backgrounds can make friends, enjoy open space and contribute to our community. The proposals in the plan represent a balance between completing the projects that our communities need and continue to ask for, and keeping rates affordable.


  • Our continuing programme

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    Following are a few of the key projects already planned over the next 10 years to provide for Selwyn’s continuing population and economic growth.

    Rolleston Town Centre, Library and Community Centre

    Design work for the new Rolleston Town Centre development is now under way. Located on what is currently part of Rolleston Reserve, the town centre will include a new library and community centre, open spaces and playgrounds, a civic gathering space, indoor/outdoor dining, retail and entertainment areas, a cinema complex and pedestrian-friendly streets and spaces. Funding of $22 million has been provided for roading projects, while $19.1 million is budgeted for the first major build –new 2,200m2 library and community centre, scheduled to open in 2019.

    Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 2

    The development of CSM2 requires a number of significant roading projects to provide good access and connections. Key projects over the next 10 years include new roundabouts at Shands/Blakes Roads (2019/20); Springs/Marshs (2020/21); Springs/Hamptons (2021/22); Shands/Hamptons (2021/22); and Shands/Trents (2022/23). Road widening is also planned at Blakes Road, Hamptons Road, and Trents Road.

    Roading improvements

    The next 10 years will see continuing investment in district-wide roading improvements, upgrades and connections as traffic volume grows to match our population increase. The programme includes $15 million a year on maintenance, $400,000 annually on footpath network extensions, plus a total of $8.6 million on seal widening and $5.5 million on seal extensions.

    Lincoln Town Centre

    The Lincoln Town Centre Plan, adopted by the Council in 2016, includes a range of roading projects to ensure the town remains a vibrant, prosperous space. Funding of $18 million for this work is detailed in the Long-Term Plan, to be phased over several years. Initial work to seal West Belt North, and provide parking in William Street, is scheduled for 2018/19. Major works on the eastern end of Gerald Street will commence from 2023/24.

    Health Hub

    The Council has previously consulted on a proposal to establish a Health Hub to provide improved access to health and social services for the growing population of Selwyn. The Health Hub will allow health providers and related services to meet the needs of our district as it grows. The Council will build the facility on land near its headquarters in Rolleston. The concept provides for a 2,000m2 building at a cost of $9 million.