Mayor Taylor’s first 100 days in office

It has been well over 100 days since the country’s newly-elected mayors rolled up their sleeves and started working on their campaign promises. Chris Valli caught up with Mayor Nadine Taylor to reflect on her transition as the region’s new mayor.

The summer holiday came at a good time for Mayor Taylor.

Mayor Taylor says she feels refreshed after the break and is looking forward to the year ahead. A year where Marlburians, especially those living in the Sounds want solutions to more than just access to roading.

The break she says gave her the ideal time to host her own family for Christmas and quality time in the garden.

“I always find you don’t have to go too far away if you live here in Marlborough,” she says. “It was nice to have some home time; the build up to the holidays was frantic with settling things in for the new councillors. I certainly did quite a bit of reading too; there were a lot of reports I had to catch up on.”

Mayor Taylor says the transition to the mayoralty has provided the opportunity to focus on the leadership and says it has felt like a natural progression.

“I had given this role a great deal of thought and was very keen to bring a new council through and take on this leadership and a new direction for Marlborough.”

For someone who campaigned on experience she is excited by ‘the balance’ of the 2023 personnel on council with fresh faces and the ‘odd wise head’.

The new direction includes a younger line-up of councillors which she admits is ‘very exciting’. Throw into the mix a ‘couple of younger ones under the age of 40’ she believes it brings a new energy, perspective and vision.

She admits systematic changes such as the Three Waters reform takes away ‘one third of the council’s function’ and says areas like the RM (resource management) reform where environmental planning has been delivered within council will now be delivered slightly ‘outside of council’.

“It’s something Marlborough has certainly pushed back on in the RM reform space. It’s incredibly important we keep our planning autonomy. The original proposal was that we might amalgamate with Nelson and Tasman with planning….that would not have worked at all for Marlborough,” she says.

“It could be clearer on the recommendation that Marlborough should stand-alone, which is the Government recommendation going to the select committee. Council had lobbied for our planning function not to be amalgamated with Nelson/ Tasman, which the Government had previously indicated might be the case,” she says.

So what is the number one priority moving forward?

“There are many responsibilities. The first priority is Sounds recovery road work. We need that work as soon as possible and Stantec (Nel- son based engineering consultancy) understands that,” she says. “There has to be comprehensive consultation with the local community.”

Mayor Taylor says Marlborough has certainly pushed back on the RM reform space. "It’s incredibly important we keep our planning autonomy. The original proposal was that we might amalgamate with Nelson and Tasman with planning…. that would not have worked at all for Marlborough,” she says.

The council is holding six community meetings in the Marlborough Sounds for input into the Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study. The study will look into four areas in the sounds, French Pass, Pelorus, Kenepuru and Port Underwood.

Mayor Taylor says input from the community was an important part of the study – which aimed to support the case for funding safe, resilient and affordable long-term access solutions in storm affected areas of the Sounds.

“I’m confident the three Sounds councillors are very much across this work also and are working closely with their communities. Their (residents) voice is crucial moving forward.

“It’s more than just a roading issue. It’s about a community and the way they live out there.”

Mayor Taylor says she hopes 2023 will provide solutions for Marlburians after a tough few years from flooding to the pandemic to the cost of living crisis.

Blenheim’s new $20 million library and art gallery is set to open in May, just in time to offer Marlburians another great incentive to experience a complex with among other features, multi-purpose education rooms, landscaped grounds and a cafe.

Council economic, community and support services manager Dean Heiford says the new complex would be a cornerstone feature of Blenheim’s CBD and a hub for the whole Marlborough community once it opens. Mayor Taylor agrees.

“I’m excited by the potential of the new library and art gallery. Revitalising that (Taylor) river precinct was always the long term strategy. It’s going to be wonderful for Blenheim.”

Sun The Sounds transport access meetings

A series of meetings is being held this week to gather information from Marlborough Sounds residents, ratepayers and businesses to inform the Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study.

The study aims to provide as much longterm access certainty in and out of the Sounds for people as possible. The study is required to inform Council decision-making and access funding from the Government via Waka Kotahi.

The meetings are:

Wednesday 1 February 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Rai Valley, Millers Rest; 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Havelock Town Hall.

Thursday 2 February 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Picton, Port Marlborough Pavilion.

Friday 3 February 9:00 am – 11:00 am The Portage Hotel, Kenepuru Sounds. Friday 3 February 2:00pm – 4:00 pm Waitaria Bay Hall.

Marlborough Heritage Day

Unique heritage will be on display including woodwork and blacksmithing at the Marlborough Heritage Day on Waitangi Day. A wide range of activities are on offer from a Victorian classroom experience at 11am to a vintage vehicle display at Patchett’s Green and steam engines.

Brayshaw Park. Monday, February 6, 10am - 4pm.$5 Adults, Children free.

Spring Creek Crash

Two people were injured following a crash on State Highway 1 in Marlborough on Sunday afternoon.

Police responded to the single-vehicle crash near the Wairau River Bridge on SH1, Spring Creek, about 4.05pm.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand responded to the incident with two fire trucks from Rarangi station and two from Blenheim, and a spokesperson said no-one was trapped inside the vehicle.