The Gore District Council is made up of 11 Councillors and a Mayor. The Mayor is elected district-wide. Here you can find out how to contact your councillor and the Code of Conduct they work by.
This is where you will find information about how the Council works, our meetings and agendas, and the management team.
Here you will find out all about our youth council, its meetings and what it does during the year.
A good chinwag has always been at the heart of community. We recognise this and seek to revive the art of conversation with the introduction of a new community digital newsletter, ChinWag. It will replace our monthly Noticeboard page and the Hokonui Herald.
Road conditions, tenders and all the latest public notices can be found here
Find out about your rates, rates rebates and payment options as well as search our properties database.
This is where you can find information about:
Here you will find information about drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and trade waste. There are also details about Gore's main water supply Cooper's Wells.
You will find information about such things as special licences, manager's certificates, fees & charges and district licensing committees here.
You will find information about keeping animals in urban areas, dog control, being a responsible dog owner and dog registration obligations here
You will find information about getting a building consent, accessing building forms, fence and boundary rules, LIM reports and Restricted Building Work here
You will information here about the District's six cemeteries and burial costs.
You will find information here about the District Plan, resource consents and air quality.
Here you will find information about trees, long grass and overhanging foliage, and noise control.
Here you will find information about road conditions, road safety and our footpaths.
This is where you can find information about:
In this section you will find information about our award winning public gardens, sports grounds, playgrounds, walkways and cycleways, and all things outdoors.
You will information here about the District's six cemeteries and burial costs.
With a thriving arts and heritage department, these pages have details about our key attractions in Gore, Mataura and Mandeville.
You will find information here on our library services, catalogue and regular features at Gore and Mataura.
A full list of our facilities and their opening hours is available here.
The Gore District is known as the events capital of the south. Here you will find out why.
Here you will find information about community organisations available for support or guidance, as well as places to eat, stay and see if you are a visitor.
A good chinwag has always been at the heart of community. We recognise this and seek to revive the art of conversation with the introduction of a new community digital newsletter, ChinWag. It will replace our monthly Noticeboard page and the Hokonui Herald.
The Council likes to make things easy for our customers and promotes direct debit payments for rates. Here you will find information about this and other payment options we have for our many services.
Whether it's our cemeteries database, properties in the District, library catalogue or events calendar, you will find the link here.
In the Gore District, the foresight of our founding fathers has left us well endowed with trees of historical significance. Our climate means trees and shrubs flourish, sometimes too well. This can create a hazard or nuisance for motorists and pedestrians.
The Gore District Plan lists a number of significant trees. Such trees may not be felled or significantly altered without the Council's approval.
Significant Trees Schedule [PDF, 635 KB]
Minor maintenance and trimming of significant trees using hand-held tools is allowed, as long as the integrity of the tree is not compromised. It is the responsibility of the land owner to check whether trees on their land are protected.
We provides free advice on the appropriate maintenance and trimming of protected trees. Please contact our Parks and Recreation Manager Ian Soper, phone 03 209 0330 or email isoper@goredc.govt.nz.
The owner of a tree is responsible for that tree and may be liable for damage it may cause. This could include leaves or roots blocking drainage on other properties and damage caused to boundary fences.
If a tree is overhanging a property boundary, the adjoining neighbour may trim the branches back to the boundary. This also applies to tree roots.
Any costs are to be paid by the person undertaking the work. If action taken by a neighbour affects the health of the tree, the owner may seek compensation through the courts.
It should be noted that any fruit on a tree belongs to the owner, regardless of whether that part of the tree is on their land or not.
If trees are blocking views or causing shading, and the tree owner and affected party can't reach agreement, the Court has the power to order removal or trimming of any tree.
Any decision will be based on
If the Court orders trimming or removal of the tree then the work is carried out at cost to the neighbour. If the tree is protected the Council's approval is also required.
A neighbour does not have a right to:
If trees are blown over during a storm, and damage a neighbour's property, this is deemed an "act of God".
If a tree on public land is creating a problem then you should contact the body concerned:
If there is a complaint about trees that are the responsibility of the Council, we will take action to avoid any hazard. In other cases, a decision on whether any tree should be trimmed or removed, and who should pay, is made on a case-by-case basis.
Please contact us to discuss any concerns you may have about trees we look after.
Please keep any trees, shrubs and plants on your boundary clear of the road or footpath.
Overgrowth from trees, low shrubs, vines and hedges should be kept 2m away from any road or footpath.
We will ask a landower to undertaken any maintenance work if trees and/or shrubs on private land create a nuisance or a potential danger to the public, such as
If no action is taken, the Council can undertake the required work and recover the cost from the landowner.
Long Grass and Overhanging Foliage Bylaw [PDF, 265 KB]
Trees close to power lines can disrupt power and result in fires. The Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003 set out separation distances of trees from power lines. The greater the voltage in the power lines, the greater the separation distance required. Further information can be obtained from electricity transmission companies, PowerNet and Transpower.
Generally, the electricity network company will trim trees near power lines on the first occasion at their cost. Any further work is at the land owner's expense.
A dispute about trees between neighbours is a civil matter. Unless the tree is on land under the control of the Council, or listed as being protected in its district plan, the Council cannot and will not get involved.
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