Clutha Mayor Juno Hayes delivered few surprises in his annual state-of-the-district address last night, but he hinted the district faced both challenging and exciting times ahead.
Changes could include the future use of Balclutha's main street, how a dam at Tuapeka Mouth might affect the district and even whether the Tuapeka Mouth punt should be retained.
About 40 businesspeople attended the event.
Much of Mr Hayes' presentation was information readily available in the Clutha District Council's draft long-term plan, but he deviated from that at times to give his views on particular issues.
The roar of 50-tonne trucks may soon be heard driving through Balclutha with the Government relaxing weight restrictions for heavy vehicles, but how Balclutha - a town with a state highway running through its centre and a bypass on either side - would handle the noise and potential road damage was an issue.
The council was also facing a tough decision about the Tuapeka Mouth ferry, which is grounded for repairs.
The bill could be as high as $170,000, and with as few as 10 vehicles using it daily, Mr Hayes said the council would soon have to reconsider spending ratepayer money on the attraction.
While he briefly looked at the advantages and disadvantages of a Tuapeka Mouth dam, Mr Hayes did not give his personal view, except to say any consents process would take "many, many years".
He also examined how climate change might affect the way the council did business and how forecasted rising sea levels might affect coastal townships.
Although calling himself "a bit of a doubter" when it came to the climate change phenomenon, Mr Hayes said it had the potential to cause immense problems for the area.
In particular, he labelled the Clutha River as the district's greatest asset, but also the feature that could cause the greatest risk to the community.
