32 | REGIONAL Clutha District Council - Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool Your trusted business in civil contracting and earth-moving services. With extensive expertise and a dedicated team, we take pride in delivering high-quality solutions tailored to both rural and urban requirements. Civil Contracting | Earth-Moving | Forestry & Farm Services Andrew haulage 2011 ltd, Glasgow Street, Balclutha, Otago, 9230 027 430 7959 admin@andrewhaulage.co.nz www.andrewhaulage.co.nz Fostering community connection Council infrastructure and delivery group manager, Donna McArthur, says combining the library and pool into one development made sense for the rural town. T T from page 30 “We will be providing the community with a new complex that will serve their needs for the long term.” “We will be providing the community with a new complex that will serve their needs for the long term. It will provide a way for the community to connect, both using [the] library and its services and the pool.” Designed with accessibility and flexibility in mind, the aquatic centre will include the six-lane pool, spa, dedicated toddler pool complete with water toys, accessible changing facilities and a wheelchair ramp into the main pool. The adjoining library will feature modern offices and a community meeting room available for hire, while separate entrances and acoustic design between the two facilities will allow both spaces to operate independently without compromising user experience. Donna says while much of the council’s infrastructure investment focuses on essential services, such as roads, water and streetscapes, this project offers something quite different. “To create something purpose-built for Milton is rather special,” she says. Like many construction projects across New Zealand, the development has not been immune to global economic pressures. Rising freight and fuel costs, driven by events in the Middle East, prompted the council to procure key overseas materials early, helping minimise potential impacts on the project’s timeline and budget. The Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool is just one of several major infrastructure investments being delivered across the district. The council recently completed the multi-million-dollar Balmoral Tuapeka Rural Water Scheme that provides a more reliable and compliant water supply to service a wide rural area and the townships of Waitahuna and Lawrence. For Clutha District Mayor, Jason (Jock) Martin, projects like these reflect a district that is continuing to invest in its future. The Clutha District’s economy is driven by agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, including the internationally recognised Catlins, while continued business investment is creating new opportunities across the region. “We are engaging with a number of local businesses and we have identified potential growth of 160 job profiles,” the Mayor says. He noted Silver Fern Farms’ recent announcement of a more than $100 million investment in new freezing, cold storage and automation facilities at its Finegand site as another win for the district. While housing remains an ongoing challenge with a growing workforce, Mayor Martin says the district has every reason to be optimistic. “Clutha District has a lot to offer and many things to feel positive about for the future.”
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