After a 12-year break, I returned to the the Lawrence/ Tuapeka Community Board, and have got up to speed with local governance again. It almost seems I have not been away. At our recent meeting there were a few items discussed that I think the community will appreciate having a clearer insight into.
Heritage Buildings — pre-1900: Current policy is that you do not need a permit or consent to demolish any building that is under three stories high. Before you undertake a demolition of a building that fits this brief, please contact the council, through our service centre, to confirm this is the case. There is one exception to this rule and that is if your building was built before 1900. If your building was built before 1900 you must contact Heritage New Zealand to get its approval and sign-off. It will likely take photos, do an archaeological survey and possibly recommend some fittings be saved, especially if fit for reuse. All information can be found on Heritage NZ’s website.
Our heritage buildings are one of the major contributors to the charm and streetscape of our township, so please remember to contact Heritage NZ for advice when deciding your building’s future.
Dog lovers: Man’s best friends, who are great companions, are becoming more and more prominent in our community. They all need exercise and enjoy getting out and about with their owners, exploring the various walking tracks and sites our ward has to offer. We now have more and more dog-friendly cafes, camping grounds and motels popping up in our district and township, to cater for this popularity.
Please remember to keep your dogs on a leash where the signage asks you to, and carry plastic bags to collect your pet’s ‘‘number 2s’’ and dispose them in a rubbish bin. This will keep our public areas clean and dog poo-free. There is nothing worse than stepping in a deposit when exploring an area, simply because someone has been too lazy to do the right thing.
On a positive note, there are murmurings of an investigation into the viability of a community dog park to be situated in the Lawrence township. Watch this space!
Domain:The ‘‘Domain Boys’’ and their helpers have been doing an excellent job, working on long overdue maintenance in the domain, next to Steep St. There has been a new stone wall built and a picnic table situated in the area, and I recommend a visit to the area, to take in the views and great work these gentlemen have done to date. Well worth the visit.
Century Farms: Recently the community hosted Century Farmers from all over New Zealand, who came to Lawrence to celebrate their families’ 100-year-plus commitment to their land, to be recognised for this, and to remember and share their stories over the generations. There is an extremely hard-working committee that brings all this together, which is no mean feat. Because of these people this is a very successful event that is firmly entrenched on our social calendar. Well done team.
Lawrence-Tuapeka Community Board member Roger Cotton
