Strath Taieri Community Board
MINUTES
Minutes of an ordinary meeting of the Strath Taieri Community Board held in the Strath Taieri Community Centre, Middlemarch on Wednesday 26 November 2025, commencing at 2.03 pm
PRESENT
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Chairperson |
Terina Geddes |
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Deputy Chairperson |
Ken Bain
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Members |
Donna Hall via zoom audio visual link |
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Quentin MacLeod |
Bruce Thomas |
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Robin Thomas |
Cr Brent Weatherall |
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IN ATTENDANCE |
Dr Anna Johnson (Group Manager City Development), Simon Whitton (Acting Team Leader River Management - Otago Regional Council) and Dr Jean-Luc Payan (Manager Natural Hazards - Otago Regional Council) |
Governance Support Officer Lynne Adamson
1.1 Sheila Ramsay
Sheila Ramsay spoke on the impact a severe weather event would have on the Middlemarch waste water treatment plant and commented that there was no emergency generator in place as back up. She requested information on a resilience plan for the waste water treatment plan and availability of emergency water supplies.
Ms Ramsay advised on the cost to have an emergency water tanker service the area and the impact a potential delay on its arrival would have.
Ms Ramsay would like a permanent emergency water tank to be installed possibly on public land by the railway station. She commented that the water could be used to service the community gardens and public toilets and spoke of the benefits which included the provision of drinking water and access to water for FENZ.
Mrs Ramsay responded to questions.
1.2 Dawn Coburn
Dawn Coburn reiterated her presentation to the 7 August 2025 Strath Taieri Community Board meeting where she had spoke on her concerns regarding a letter that she had received from the Dunedin City Council advising her that she was required to separate her stormwater and wastewater connection. She provided a background on why and how the stormwater was piped into the wastewater and noted that her property was not the only one in the township where the stormwater went into the wastewater system.
Mrs Coburn commented on the solutions and the costs associated with these. She responded to questions.
The Chair invited the Group Manager City Development (Dr Anna Johnson) to respond. Dr Johnson explained the process and requested that Mrs Coburn and other residents in the same situation, write to Council outlining a formal recollection of the history of the scheme. This would enable Council to have written information to formally respond to.
Dr Johnson assured Mrs Coburn that the work had been suspended until resident’s had been spoken to and an agreement reached.
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Ken Bain): That the Board:
Confirms the agenda without addition or alteration.
Motion carried (STCB/2025/088) |
Members were reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arose between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.
Members provided updates to their Interest Register.
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Bruce Thomas): That the Board:
a) Amends the Elected Members' Interest Register; and b) Confirms the proposed management plan for Elected Members' Interests. Motion carried (STCB/2025/089) |
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Ken Bain): That the Board:
a) Confirms the minutes of the Strath Taieri Community Board meeting held on 04 November 2025 as a correct record. Motion carried (STCB/2025/090) |
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The Board considered the date of the next West Harbour Community Board meeting, which was proposed to be held on Wednesday, 18 February 2026 and agreed on a commencement time of 3.00 pm. It was noted that a meeting schedule for the remainder of 2026 would be presented to the meeting being held on 18 February 2026 for the Board’s confirmation. |
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Quentin MacLeod): That the Board:
a) Confirms that its meeting week would be held on 18 February 2026 commencing at 3.00 pm. b) Notes that the meeting schedule for the remainder of 2026 will be considered by the Board at the 18 February 2026 meeting. Motion carried (STCB/2025/092) |
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The Strath Taieri Community Plan was provided for discussion and updated if required. It was agreed that the Board will hold a workshop on the Community Plan with a view to ensure it aligned with the Dunedin City Council strategic visions. This would be reported back to the next meeting. |
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Cr Brent Weatherall): That the Board:
a) Notes the Strath Taieri Community Board Community Plan. Motion carried (STCB/2025/093) |
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The Board gave consideration to the allocation of the portfolios to appropriate Board Members. These included Township beautification; Water management (including flooding); Community Information and Publicity (including the Board’s Facebook page); Infrastructure; Community resilience/emergency management and the Otago Rail Trust; Liaison across groups and Council consultations. It was agreed that the allocation would be deferred to the next meeting to allow members to hold a strategy session to discuss the portfolios and put forward areas of interest. |
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Donna Hall): That the Board:
a) Defers the allocation of Board Members to community groups Motion carried (STCB/2025/094) |
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A report from Civic provided an update on activities relevant to the Board area which included the project fund, grass cutting, spraying, culvert maintenance and dust suppression. A community noticeboard was discussed. Cr Weatherall advised that he was a Council representative on Keep Dunedin Beautiful and would provide updates to the Board.
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During discussion Donna Hall left the meeting at 3.22 pm.
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Cr Brent Weatherall): That the Board:
a) Notes the Governance Support Officer’s Report. Motion carried (STCB/2025/095) |
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The Chairperson (Terina Geddes) provided a verbal update on matters of interest since the last meeting which included frustration at the state of mowing grass around the district noting that she had spoken to staff on the matter. The protocol for correspondence to staff was also discussed and it was noted that all correspondence was required to go through the Chair as the Board contact with Council. Ms Geddes advised that the final seat from the Memorial Gardens had been repaired at the Taieri Bloke Shed and sought approval for the $400 cost for the two seats to be reinstalled at the Memorial Gardens. |
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Bruce Thomas): That the Board:
a) Notes the Chairperson’s report. b) Approves funding of up to $400.00 towards the repair and reinstallation of the seats for the Memorial Gardens. Motion carried (STCB/2025/096) |
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Councillor Brent Weatherall welcomed everyone to the new triennium both returning and new members. He commented that this was his first community board post and he looked forward to getting to know the members, the community and the area. He provided an update on items of interest which included the election, six new Councillors; the Inaugural meeting, Councillor Induction Programme and items of interest being discussed a the next Council meeting. |
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Moved (Terina Geddes/Quentin MacLeod): That the Board:
a) Notes the Council Activities Update Motion carried (STCB/2025/097) |
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The following items were notified for consideration by the Chair: Wastewater Treatment Plant Resilience In the event of an extended power outage, how long would it take before the wastewater treatment plan becomes an environmental concern? How long after losing power is it likely that sewage would begin to back up in the pipe network Once power is restored, how long does it generally take for the system to clear any backlog?
Emergency Power Supply Was there a generator currently installed at the wastewater treatment plant, or is one readily available for emergency use? What generator capacity would be required to operate the plant effectively during a power outage? Would the generator need to run continuously, or could it be operated intermittently (for example, to help mitigate noise concerns)? What emergency resilience plan does the DCC have in place for Middlemarch with regard to wastewater services, and how can the community be assured that this plan is effective?
Safe Drinking Water Supply Middlemarch households are individually responsible for supplying and maintain their own drinking water. Follow a major disaster (e.g. an event similar to the Christchurch earthquake or Cyclone Gabrielle) residents who draw and store their own water supplies but then bury their waste may face a heightened risk of contamination affecting both their own and neighbouring water sources. Proposed solution – it has been suggested that Middlemarch install two large community water tanks to provide a secure and reliable source of potable water during an extended emergency. To ensure the stored water remained fresh, it was proposed that these tanks be located at a public facility with regular water usage – such as the community hall or railway station, allowing for consistent circulation. Funding and Responsibility – If the tanks were installed, would the Council be able to fund their installation and would the Council assume responsibility for their ongoing maintenance, monitoring and operational costs? It is also assumed that these tanks, if installed, have solar pumps for gaining access to the water. Drain and ditch in Hyde - Mr McLeod requested an update on the state of the drain and ditch in Hyde which needed clearing. He advised he would send additional information to be forwarded to staff. |
The meeting concluded at 3.55 pm.
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CHAIRPERSON