RUAPEHU MOUNTAIN CLUBS ASSOCIATION (INC.)
Address: 6 Harvest Court,
PARAPARAUMU
Secretary Treasurer: John Rockell
Phone 04 902 4415
Fax 04 902 4413
E-mail:
7 March 2002
To Member Clubs Newsletter 28 The Sewerage Scheme At the time of RMCA’s AGM in October 2001 DoC was in the process of applying for Resource Consents (required under the Resource Management Act) for the activities associated with the Sewerage scheme which could have an effect on the environment. Clubs and RMCA, as affected parties, were invited to make submissions to the local regional authority, the Wanganui-Manawatu Regional Council which operates as horizons.mw. RMCA invited clubs to advise it of their support or objection to the applications, or to send them directly to horizons.mw. Subsequently RMCA sent its submission to horizons.mw in November. The whole of this submission was sent to all RMCA clubs as an appendix to Newsletter 27 at the end of November. Briefly, RMCA gave its strong support for the cost-effective disposal of effluent generated at Whakapapa and Iwikau villages and on the skifield. But attention was also drawn to a number of concerns including: • Lodge bed numbers and skier numbers used in calculating design effluent flows and the apportionment of costs. • Overestimation of effluent volumes generated by lodge occupants • The need for treatment to be appropriate for the special environment but not so high as to be unaffordable • The proposed decommissioning and removal of septic tanks • Necessary assurance that operational needs of the new system will not compromise operation of lodges or skifield • Necessary assurance that RAL facilities not included in the scheme will be connected without delay • That the rights of club lodges not included within the scheme should be continued. Like the submission from RMCA, most of those received by horizons.mw supported the applications but raised some problems which needed solving. A “pre-hearing” meeting of those who had made submissions and who wished to be heard was convened by Horizons.mw on 7 December. This meeting was called in the hope that all problems could be resolved so that a costly formal hearing would not be needed.
The Pre-hearing Meeting This meeting was attended by representatives of DoC, horizons.mw, Beca Carter…and submitters including RMCA, Hutt Valley Tramping Club, Tararua Tramping Club, Alpine Sports Club, Manawatu Tramping and Skiing Club and four other organisations. Your Secretary has produced notes 1of the meeting and these will be e-mailed to clubs for which e-mail addresses are held. DoC also prepared a table setting out the substantial issues which emerged from the meeting and action which would be taken to allay the concerns. Again the full table will be made available by e-mail. A summary of some points made by DoC include: • To match scheme design to rain water supplies DoC will develop a Management Plan policy to ensure that extra potable water is not reticulated to huts • Despite some concern that UV disinfection of treated effluent would be an unnecessary extra cost DoC will continue the treatment with the goal of returning water quality of Wairere Stream to contact recreation standard • Apportionment of the cost of the scheme will be set out in a draft proposal for feedback to DoC • Perceived problems associated with pumping effluent uphill from some lodges will be looked at and possible alternative downhill pipe routes will be considered • The risk of blockage and loss of service to lodges will be re-assessed with a view to giving better certainty of service • DoC still proposes to require the removal of redundant structures [septic tanks and outfield piping] except on a case by case basis for conversion to fire fighting water storage. Cost Apportionment Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd (Beca) has produced for DoC a draft report2 on the proposed Apportionment of Scheme Costs and this report has been distributed by DoC with a request for feedback. In the report the apportionment of costs “above Whakapapa” is based on a purported agreement between RAL and RMCA that RAL would pay 45% and Ski huts would pay 55% of the costs. In fact RMCA correspondence reveals no such agreement although there had been discussion along the lines that if club lodges provide accommodation for 1600 people at Iwikau and RAL peak skier day number is 10,000 then the cost split could be about even. At present, club lodges are licenced only for a maximum of 1402 overnighters. RMCA also believe that cost apportionment should be based on annual flows rather than only on ski season flows. A calculation on this basis will recognise the significant Whakapapa Village flows and very low Iwikau flows during summer. There is clearly a need for further negotiation and this issue is being addressed by RMCA. E-mail addresses Already in this Newsletter some additional information has been offered by e-mail.
1 Consents Meeting 011207.doc 2 Sewerage Cost apportionment and plant expansion RUAAO-5157 2 Undoubtedly, as the Sewerage Scheme “hots up” there will be more details which can be offered to clubs and e-mail allows this to be done quickly. It also enables receiving clubs to forward the information by e-mail to Committee members and others known to be interested, and also to print it for their membership if that is wished. However, at present we have e-mail addresses for just 35 clubs. We currently have: Alpine Sports Club Aorangi Ski Club Arlberg Ski Club Auckland Tramping Club Boomerang Ski Club Graduates Ski Club Havelock Ski Club Hawkes Bay Ski Club Hutt Valley Tramping Club Iwikau Ski Club Levin Waiopehu Tramping Club Manawatu Tramping &SC Massey Alpine Club Matamata Ski Club NZ Alpine Club (Auckland) Pinnacle Ski Club Puketoi Mountain Club Ruapehu Ski Club Scout Association Skyline Ski Club Snowline Ski Club Summit Skiers Tahurangi Ski Club Takapuna Ski Club Tararua Tramping Club Taumarunui High School Tauranga Ski Club Tauwira Ski Club Te Horonuku Ski Club Tokoroa Ski Club Waitomo Ski Club Wanganui Ski & Snowboard Club Whakapapa Mountain Club Wellington Tramping & Mountaineering Club YMCA
You will note that few clubs have their own unique address. Most rely on a member (often the Secretary or President) to act as their e-mail box. If your club has no address shown I can not e-mail anything to you. Send me an address I can use to send mail to the club. Include your club name, e-mail address to use, e-mail owner’s name and position in club. If an address in the above table is wrong send me a correction. Let me know if the e-mail address to be used is changed. Election of Executive Council The two yearly election of Council is due again this year. The election will be for a President and six Councillors who together with the Immediate Past President will manage and control the affairs of the association. Currently, because of the resignation of one Councillor to go overseas, there are only 5 Councillors. The President, having served for one full term, is, if nominated, eligible for one more term of two years. All present Councillors are eligible for a further term. In May the Secretary will invite nominations. The coming years will undoubtedly be of great importance to all the clubs using Ruapehu. If you want have some influence in the activities of RMCA give some thought to the people you think could make a useful contribution. Tongariro National Park Management Plan Review DoC is beginning the review of the Management Plan with a series of public meetings and workshops after which it will prepare a draft plan for further consultation. You probably already have a copy of the existing plan. If not then you can obtain one from DoC. If you want to alert DoC to issues before the first draft is prepared you should do so before 19 April. A schedule of public meetings has been arranged by Doc Ohakune Town Hall 7.3Opm 11 March 2002 Taupo Senior Citizens 7. 3Opm 12 March 2002 Turangi Local Authority Meeting – Department of Conservation, 1O.30am 20 March 2002 Wellington – Venue to be advised 7.3Opm 21 March 2002 Turangi – Department of Conservation 7.30pm 26 March 2002 Taumarunui – Ruapehu District Council 7. 3Opm 27 March 2002 Turangi Recreation Management/Concessionaires/ Ski Area Management/Club/Accommodation/ Village Management Workshop – DoC, 10.00am 28 March 2002 Auckland – Venue to be advised 7. 3Opm 4 April 2002 Note:Full meeting details will be published in the local newspapers for the meeting venue one week prior to the meeting being held. John Rockell Secretary Treasurer.
RUAPEHU MOUNTAIN CLUBS ASSOCIATION (INC.) Address: 6 Harvest Court, PARAPARAUMU Secretary Treasurer: John Rockell Phone 04 902 4415 Fax 04 902 4413 E-mail: 3 September 2001 To Member Clubs and Councillors Newsletter 24 Enclosures With this letter are enclosed: 1. Agenda for the Annual General Meeting to be held on 6 October. 2. The President’s report fro the year to 31 May 2001. 3. The audited accounts (Income and Expenditure and Balance Sheet) for the financial year. 4. Delegate notification form, which you must complete and return to ensure your club’s right to vote. Sewerage Scheme It has not been easy to get a lot of information for clubs on what has been the most important item for negotiation since lodge site licences. A major problem for DoC has been the selection of a Service Provider to construct and operate the scheme. The most likely provider appears to be Ruapehu District Council but the process is still not completed. The President, Bill Chrystall attended a Community Services Meeting on Saturday 1 September and made some notes. This Newsletter was held so you could get the latest news available which I have extracted from Bill’s note. 1. The estimated 1996 cost of $3.7m plus the indexed increases since then had become an estimated $4.4m by early this year. As a result of the Value Management Workshop the current figure, while not yet available, is thought to have been reduced to about $4.0m. 2. It is believed that virtually all the digging above the Top o’ the Bruce will be able to be done using a walking digger. 3. The AEE (Assessment of Environmental Effect) is supposed to be available within 2 weeks (mid September). 4. The DoC proposed timeline proposal is to file the Consent Application with Horizons (Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Council) about 15 September, have the hearing in November and the consent granted in February, then the Tender process can commence in February with construction to start May 2002. To me, this is very tight! 5. However all this is dependant on agreement being reached between DoC and R.D.C. on the service provider question and this is not guaranteed! Negotiations on this aspect are still taking place. 6. Proposed funding for the scheme will give 3 Options: (a) Totally Capital Payment (b) Totally Debt Funded (Annual Payments) (c) 50% of each. It is not likely that there will be any other options.
The Sewerage Scheme will be a major item at the AGM and we have arranged for Warren Furner of DoC to come to the AGM to give delegates up to date information. He will be prepared to answer questions but will then leave our meeting so we can discuss our options to achieve the best result for RMCA. It will also give an opportunity to delegates to work out any further questioning of DoC staff (and RDC?) in the 6:00 p.m. meeting to follow on after the AGM. Loop Road DoC thinking is that logically, this redevelopment should be done at the same time as the sewerage scheme. Estimated cost is $750,000 of which RAL (and Clubs I guess) will have to pay 25% of $187,500. No possible percentage breakdown has been talked about yet. Refuse – Landfill Rating Ruapehu District Council has invoiced clubs for a landfill charge. You will recall from Newsletter 23 that clubs were advised that it is Council’s view that clubs pay for their refuse collection by way of the Community Services Levy set by and paid to DoC. DoC pays RDC for dumping the refuse at their landfill site. Clubs were advised not to pay the Landfill charge to Ruapehu District Council. DoC staff believe RDC is double dipping. RMCA will approach RDC re Double-dipping over charges. Subscriptions It is now just over 3 months since the beginning of the RMCA financial year on 1 June and I can now report that all except 3 clubs have paid their annual subscription. I would like to thank clubs for paying promptly. It has been a great help to me and I trust the 3 remaining clubs will now pay their subscriptions. See you at the AGM John Rockell Secretary Treasurer.