Infrastructure Strategy for Amberley Township

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1 Infrastructure Strategy for Amberley Township Part I. Introduction 1.1 The infrastructure strategy for Amberley Township provides a brief outline of how growth in the township will be serviced. The strategy includes; An outline of the Council s policies for planning, allocating and funding infrastructure; and A strategy for each service: water, stormwater, sewerage, roading, cycleways & walkways; and reserves. 1.2 Each strategy outlines: (i) What level of service shall be provided; (ii) What works will be required, when to achieve or maintain this level of service; (iii) How these works will be funded; and (iv) What developers will be required to do and what the Council will do. 1.3 The infrastructure strategy serves as a basic guideline for the Council, developers and the community. It does not replace the Council s Asset Management Plans and should not be used as a substitute for discussions with Council staff in planning subdivisions or developments in Amberley Township. Part 2. Basic Policies for Planning, Allocating & Funding Infrastructure in Amberley Township 2.1 Ownership of Infrastructure As a first preference, all infrastructure and amenities which serve Amberley Township shall be owned and managed by the Council on behalf of the community The Council shall consider allowing subdivision or development which is served by privately owned infrastructure or amenities: - As an interim measure, when capacity in the public infrastructure is unavailable ; or - If the provision of public infrastructure is deemed by the Council as being inefficient or impractical, in a particular case When allowing privately owned infrastructure (as an interim measure or permanently), the Council must be satisfied with the provisions for funding, maintenance and repair of the private system for its anticipated duration, and, if applicable, the arrangements for the development to become served by a public system when one becomes available. In Amberley Township most infrastructure and amenities are owned and managed by the Council on behalf of the community. This arrangement is the Council s preferred option for servicing the township, as it grows. However, there are instances when public investment in such infrastructure may be impractical for several reasons. It may simply be too costly and have to great an impact on rates; the chances of the Council recouping the investment through development over time may be too small to justify the investment; or it may be too costly to maintain the infrastructure for the number of people it serves. 2.2 Growth Planned for at Amberley Where practical, Council will plan works and upgrades to infrastructure capacity incrementally; starting with works to serve the additional units of demand identified in the LTCCP for the period

2 2.2.2 The Council shall monitor the rate at which the township grows and capacity is taken up, to determine when planning for additional capacity should start Where it is impractical or inefficient to plan infrastructure works in incremental steps, the Council shall require infrastructure works or upgrades to serve the entire area which has been zoned for residential or business development. The LTCCP predicts growth of around 457 households (units of demand) for Amberley Township in the 20-year period from However, substantially more land may be requested for rezoning in submissions on the Amberley plan change. Therefore, the Council has to manage the possibility of township growth being higher than predicted over that period and being able to service land which is rezoned for development; while ensuring that the Council does not commit ratepayers funds to investment in infrastructure capacity which is not needed during that period. The Council has decided to manage this situation with a two-pronged approach. Where the infrastructure upgrades allow, they will be undertaken incrementally as growth occurs, starting with the growth projections identified in the Council s LTCCP (457 households). Where incremental upgrades are inappropriate, then the Council will require upgrades to for development, in each case. This policy has funding implications for developers which are covered in section 4, below. 2.3 Allocating Capacity in Infrastructure Capacity in public, reticulated water supply, sewerage and stormwater treatment and disposal systems serving Amberley Township, shall be allocated to any residential or business development at the time that the subdivision or land use consent is approved (whichever is applied for first) Such capacity shall be deemed allocated from the time the subdivision or land use consent is approved; and shall remain allocated unless the consent lapses under section 125 of the RMA, is cancelled under section 126 of the RMA, or is surrendered under section 138 of the RMA The total capacity in any infrastructure which is allocated to any residential or business development shall be limited, until such time as the capacity is paid for All development or financial contributions shall be paid when stipulated on the conditions of consent, and there shall be no bonding of contributions. The district plan rules require the Council to assess whether water supply, sewerage and stormwater treatment and disposal facilities are available to serve the proposed development when the subdivision or land use consent is applied for. Therefore, capacity in this infrastructure needs to be allocated to the development at the time the resource consent is approved. There is a considerable time lag from the consent approval to when development contributions must be paid or the consent lapses under the RMA 1991: eight years for a subdivision consent and five years for a land use consent (unless a longer period is granted). To avoid large amounts of capacity in infrastructure being allocated to developments but costs not recouped, the policy requires developments to occur in stages; with the infrastructure capacity to serve each stage being paid before the next stage is approved. These policies do not stop stages being applied for and approved in quick succession, as long as an contributions are paid. 2.4 Funding Works to infrastructure and Amenities Cost-Bearing Who Pays? The costs of any works to infrastructure or amenities, which are required as a result of the growth of Amberley Township, shall be funded by that growth, irrespective of whether the works provide a benefit to existing residents.

3 2.4.2 The costs of any works required to infrastructure or amenities to address existing problems shall be borne by the community, through rates The Council retains its discretion to consider ratepayer contributions to specific items, in accordance with its LTCCP and Annual Plan. Funding Tools Development contributions levied under the LGA 2002 is the Council s first preferred mechanism to fund works to infrastructure and amenities required to serve the growth of Amberley Township; where it is affordable and the time period to recoup costs is acceptable Any funding of works to infrastructure or amenities using development contributions shall be calculated over the projected units of demand, as set out in LTCCP Financial contributions levied under the RMA shall be used to fund works to infrastructure and amenities where: (i) The Council requires developers to fund the capital costs of the works upfront; or (ii) The units of demand being catered for by the works are greater than the growth projections contained in the LTCCP Where developers are required to fund the capital cost of works to infrastructure or amenities upfront, and the capacity provided may be used by other developers, the Council shall consider facilitating a cost-sharing regime between developers, where Council deems it practical to do so. Generally, the Council will fund the capital costs of works to infrastructure and amenities which are necessary to serve the level of growth anticipated in the LTCCP for (with costs recouped through development contributions). Works which are required to serve population growth over and above this amount, or where the capital costs of infrastructure or amenities are deemed unaffordable for the Council to fund, shall be funded by developers through financial contributions. Where other developers can use or benefit from works to infrastructure or amenities, the Council will consider facilitating a cost-sharing regime between developers.

4 Sewerage Strategy for Amberley Township Introduction This strategy identifies the long term planning required for Amberley to continue to have an effective sewerage system and how this system will be funded and paid for. Objectives 8. To ensure that Amberley Township is serviced with a public reticulated sewage treatment and disposal system. 9. To ensure that an implementation plan and timetable for works required is incorporated into Council s Long Term Strategic Planning. Strategic Principles The following strategic principles have been developed to support the integrated planning of Amberley s Sewerage Network. 18. That the Amberley Township Sewerage Network is viewed as one integrated system. 19. That all land within the existing urban area will be serviced by a reticulated sewerage system. 20. That upgrades to the existing public reticulated sewerage system are the most efficient and effective means to provide this service, (rather than privately funded and operated sewerage networks). 21. That developers will install and pay for all sewage reticulation works within their subdivision including the cost to connect to the main trunk line to the satisfaction of Council. (Once the subdivision is complete the sewage reticulation network will vest in Council). 22. That upgrades to the existing sewage reticulation and disposal network are planned and implemented by Council. 23. That Council plans additional in its sewerage system based on the 20 year timeframe of the LTCCP, with that timeframe adjusted to take account of growth of Amberley Township which may vary from that anticipated. Pond Upgrades Carried out by Council The Amberley sewage oxidation ponds service Amberley, Amberley Beach, Leithfield and Leithfield Beach Townships. The oxidation ponds are currently nearing capacity and upgrades are planned for 2007/08 financial year, with a total cost of $581,000, effectively doubling the capacity of the oxidation ponds from the current capacity of 1400 to 2800 connections. However it is not possible to engineer a pond upgrade of a smaller size, since a large surface area is required for the oxidation pond to operate efficiently. Once this upgrade has been completed the sewerage ponds will be more than capable of dealing with the additional growth anticipated for Amberley and Leithfield townships in the LTCCP. The cost for this work will be met by new developments that connect to the Amberley / Leithfield sewerage network.

5 Reticulation Upgrades Required Carried Out By Council Pipe Upgrade 1 Main Trunk Line south of Amberley Beach Road (Pink Line) A pipe upgrade is planned in the financial year to increase the main trunk sewer line size from 250mm 375mm at a cost of $209,000. This pipe upgrade extends in a southeasterly direction from Amberley Beach Road to the point where the sewer line makes a more easterly turn, shown in pink on the attached map. This upgrade will increase the capacity of the main trunk sewer line to cater for the additional growth. This work will be funded by way of development contributions charged on all new lots that connect to the Amberley reticulation network. Pipe Upgrade 2 Duplicate the North South Line between Courage and Amberley Beach Road (Red Line) This line is required to service the growth of subdivision in the proposed northwest residential area and the northeast residential area. The estimated cost for the construction of this line is approximately $150 per metre provided it is installed before much further development of the largely greenfields land to the east of State Highway One. Therefore the total cost of this 1,360m link will be approximately $204,000. Unless this work is carried out additional development in the northern part of Amberley, both east and the west sides of Carters Road will be constrained due to a lack of capacity in the sewer line. It is suggested that this work is undertaken in the 2009/10 financial year, to coincide with development in the northwest of the town and the continuing development in the Courage / Osborne Road area. This work will be funded by way of development contributions charged on all new lots that Connect to the Amberley reticulation network. Pipe Upgrade 3 Develop a Line running down the Eastern Urban Boundary (Blue Line) It is proposed to construct an additional line on the eastern side of the township to provide a more efficient link between the Courage and Osborne Road area, the potential residential areas on the eastern side of Carters Road and the main line to the sewage oxidation ponds. This link would extend 1,860m, at a cost of around $150 per metre, resulting in a total cost of $279,000. The Courage and Osborne Road area is currently subject to a relatively high level of subdivision pressure. However if more greenfields sites become available further south it is possible that the subdivision pressure in this area will ease. Therefore it is suggested that at this point the development of a new sewer line down the eastern boundary of the township is scheduled to be developed in the 2017/18 financial year. This work will be funded by way of development contributions charged on all new lots that Connect to the Amberley reticulation network. A summary of all growth related upgrade work for Amberley sewerage scheme is shown in the table below. The costs are estimates based on 2008 dollar values and do not include adjustments for land acquisition, for debt servicing costs of GST. For the actual costs of development contributions required per lot for these works and the timing of them, readers are referred to the Council s LTCCP. Work Description Funding Timing Cost Sewerage The Newcombs Road Sewerage Development 2007/08 $581,000 Oxidation Ponds Ponds need to be upgraded Contributions Pipe Main Trunk Line south of Amberley Development 2012/13 $209,000 Upgrade 1 Pipe Upgrade 2 Pipe Upgrade 3 Beach Road Duplicate the north south line between Courage Road and Amberley Beach Road Develop a line running down the eastern urban boundary Contributions Development Contributions Development Contributions 2009/10 $204, /18 $279,000

6 Amberley Sewer Reticulation Network No Window Planned Sewer Line Upgrades Upgrade Three Upgrade One Upgrade Two Existing Sewer Lines Line LINZ Parcel data supplied under Licence from Critchlow Associates Ltd. Disclaimer Note The information displayed on the map has been taken from Hurunui District Council's databases and maps. It is made available in good faith but its accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. If the information is relied on in support of a resource consent it should be verified independently. December 2007