Well before the Council has finished repairing the worst of the damage from the terrible weather we experienced earlier this year, El Nino is bearing down on us, promising hot, dry conditions.
So we’re likely to go from floods to wildfires. And unfortunately, we can’t exclude the possibility of being hit again by the end of a tropical cyclone during the summer heat.
For now, it’s that potential heat that’s gaining attention. I know our farmers have been preparing for El Nino and the rest of us should do likewise.
In this issue of the Star you’ll find information about the emergency water tanks you can get for a very reasonable price from the Council office in Kitchener Street. But that’s not the only prep we need.
Most of our urban households now have water meters and annual water allocations of 250,000 litres before they pay by volume used. Thus monitoring and understanding your typical water use to help identify unusual consumption can help avoid unnecessary charges.
So check for leaks now and start focusing on water conservation – you know the routine: short showers, full loads of washing, no dripping taps. Simple actions can add up.
The weather extremes we’re experiencing will be our future and meteorologists warn it will get worse. As well as major personal impacts on affected residents, more frequent weather catastrophes will significantly determine what the Council can actually do with our small ratepayer base.
Now, with a rates cap looming in a couple of years’ time, all councils are discussing how they might make difficult choices around spending decisions, when the benefits to the greatest numbers will have to be paramount.
But enough gloom – it’s not all bad news! At the Council we’re trying to become more efficient but also provide more effective services.
Our libraries are very popular and in good news for users, we’ve installed new self-service kiosks. They make it quick and easy for library-goers to take out books, search the library catalogue, browse new items, reserve books and view library updates.
This not only helps users but frees up library staff to help with more complex enquiries and deliver services, so it’s win-win.
The Council is now starting to work through what will go in the next Long Term Plan – due next year. We’ve had some great ideas from the Martinborough Access Reference Group (MARG) – ably chaired by Conor Kershaw. They looked at ways of making it easier to get round the town and also improve use of the Square.
The MARG was a “toe in the water” for the Council in terms of citizen involvement and I want to thank all the members for the time they put in over a short period.
Finally, South Wairarapa’s food producers keep getting noticed. Earlier this year, local pasta produced by Monty and Jess from Monty & Sons was the Supreme Champion at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards. And recently Troy and Claire and the team at Tora Collective took out the Gold Quality Food Mark in Primary Sector Award at the 2026 New Zealand Food Awards.
Congratulations to all on joining the ranks of some of the world’s best wine produced right here. This “F & B” sector is a large part of what makes our place such a sensational place to live and visit.
