Back of the Agenda – November 22-26

The Nelson City Council covered a wide gamut of issues over four meetings this week – from climate change and carbon credits to confusion about council’s Covid-19 compliance.

Much of the decision-making at Civic House was held over from previous meetings a week ago, forcing a community and recreation workshop scheduled for Tuesday to be postponed. A joint shareholders’ committee meeting with the Tasman District Council was cancelled.

In their place, the council resumed its debate about its Climate Action Plan, which was passed, along with a resolution to get all eligible council forestry registered for carbon trading.

Following that an extraordinary meeting was held, to discuss a notice of motion put forward by Councillor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens.

The proposal asked council to endorse the Aotearoa Collective for Public Transport Equity’s Free Fares Campaign, which was calling on the Government to provide free public transport for Community Service Card holders, tertiary students and under-25s.

A week earlier, spokesman for the collective Mika Hervel had raised the issue in the public forum of a council meeting.

On Tuesday the vote was tied and subsequently not passed.

Councillors O’Neill-Stevens, Sanson, Lawrey, Courtney, and Fulton voted in favour, with councillors McGurk, Brand, Skinner, Bowater and Mayor Rachel Reese voting against.

O’Neill-Stevens said the proposal was bold – ‘‘but it’s the kind of action we desperately need’’.

He said similar measures had been very successful in Europe, and would provide an equitable platform for people who needed it most.

Mayor Reese said while the proposal was pitched to council as being ‘‘risk-free’’, that would not necessarily be the case.

She said any free fares offer from the Government needed to be guaranteed by a long-term contract.

‘‘When you create that system and somebody turns it off two or three years down the track, guess who gets asked to pick up the cost?

‘‘It’s local government, ratepayers – it just moves across because there is nothing for free.’’

Outside of council meetings, a decision was made for outdoor dining, street stall and concession holders to have their rent relief from the council extended until the end of March next year.

The cost of the relief extension to the council is estimated at about $16,000, and is covered by Covid-19 relief budgets.

Reese said in a statement that Nelson’s ‘‘vibrant cafe´ and dining scene’’ had had a ‘‘difficult couple of years’’, and the rent relief was meant to be a gesture to help small businesses thrive.

President of the Nelson branch of Hospitality New Zealand Ian Williams thanked the council on behalf of local hospitality providers.

‘‘Every little bit helps at this stage.’’

The extension applies automatically to the 13 licence holders which applied for rent relief over the March to December period this year.

Those who have not already applied can apply now to cover the entire 13-month period, but must provide the council the last three years of turnover, verified by an accountant, showing revenue downturns.

Back of the Agenda is a weekly roundup of the goings-on at the Nelson City Council.