Council consultation down at the pub

Greenfield Tavern landlady Karen Mills says she is looking forward to hosting a Clutha District Council community plan outreach session at the Clydevale pub later this month. PHOTO: RICHARD DAVISON

A southern council is hoping for a fermentation of ideas when it heads for the pub this month.

The Clutha District Council begins its latest round of community plan consultation with a session at Clinton’s Crossroads hotel on Friday afternoon, before heading to Tuapeka and Clydevale later in the month.

Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said he was looking forward to interacting with ratepayers to hear their ideas for enhancing their patch, following the success of earlier Our Place council consultation programmes.

"Community plans are important as they help create a place where people want to live and work.

"We’ve already seen Our Place plans bringing projects to fruition in other parts of the district, including the [Balclutha] Naish Park Playground upgrade and the Kaitangata housing project."

The sessions were about identifying community initiatives and helping drive them in partnership with residents.

"The projects undertaken as a result of Our Place plans are a combination of work by council and community-led projects, and that’s hugely important in their success."

Our Place projects for Balclutha, Milton, Waihola, Catlins, Lawrence-Tuapeka and West Otago were already under way, Mr Cadogan said.

Ratepayers in the two latest areas received consultation documents recently.

Suggestions highlighted for consideration include improving meeting points such as halls and parks; recreational facilities such as cycleways and river access; encouraging inward migration through improvements to transport infrastructure and housing options.

Greenfield Tavern landlady Karen Mills, whose Clydevale pub hosts the last of this month’s sessions on February 24, said locals were keen to have their say.

"We host quite a few community events. It’s all about giving people an opportunity to voice their ideas.

"Farmers and the rural community have been under the hammer a bit during the past couple of years, with Covid and regulations, so it’s good the council is coming out to hear people.

"It’s just another way to do a health-check on the community."