Mount Maunganui's base track is half way to being completely resurfaced by the Tauranga City Council.

The track is about three kilometres long and council's parks project manager Jake Crockford says 1400 lineal metres have had fresh gravel laid.
Jake says this is part of ongoing maintenance at the Mount, which is much needed owing to the track's heavy use, but this creates problems as closing the track for repairs interferes with the lives of many people. To counter this, Jake says council aims to have all work completed by Labour Day and then nothing again until February next year to minimise disruption during the summer months.

Planned city works for this week: (information provided by Tauranga City Council)

Water Supply:
* The annual mains flushing programme is progressing well and is programmed to be through to the CBD by end of the week. Over the next 2 weeks, flushing will be carried out in Tauriko, Bethlehem, Judea, Brookfield, Bellevue, Otumoetai, and Pillans Point working towards Matua. Check your local newspaper or Council's website to check affected areas.
* A number of programmed water shut downs will be happening this week in the following areas: Tamworth Place, Hinerua Street, Landscape Road, Hillstone Avenue, Panorama Drive; Burrows Street; Sunvale Place. Affected customers will be advised by letter drop.
* Pillans Watermain Upgrade (TC47/08) - Work is 90% complete. Pipe laying is completed. Connecting up pipe work is happening in Maxwells Road and Ngatai Road.
* Work to install additional water connection supplies in Maungatapu is well underway with directional drilling of the water main begun in the Hammond to Hinerua Street area and work is on track for completion by mid September.
* Fire hydrant marking and servicing continues in the Otumoetai area and throughout the city over the coming year.
* Council contactors City Care Ltd are continuing work to install new water mains in Mansfield Street.
* Work on the Darraghs Road water main upgrade is currently on hold while work planning information is finalised.
* The new water supply link outside 30 Ohauiti Road is on track to be completed in early September.
* Work on the Ohauiti High Level water supply reservoir is progressing, with the water main installation now underway. The construction of this new reservoir includes installation of over 1.1 km of new water main and will service the Ohauiti area. It's expected to be completed by January 2010.

Drainage:
* There have been NO sewer blockages reported this week.
* Stormwater pollution reports: Last week, the Pollution Prevention Team were called out to a food waste discharge from an industrial site to the Maleme Street drain. Most of the discharge was able to be removed by vacuum truck. The team are working with the site to ensure no further discharges occur.
* Also last week, a second incident involved a site on Maleme Street with a spill of juice concentrate - quick action by the company meant no product reached the stormwater system. The spill was contained and cleaned up.
* This week, the Pollution Prevention Team an incident in Second Ave that involved the discharge of paint sanding wastewater to the stormwater system. The company had an internal site drain being used for paint waste water that was also discovered to be incorrectly connected to stormwater. The contaminated material in the catchpits and stormwater lines was mostly removed and the Pollution team will be working with the site to sort out an appropriate trade waste connection for paint waste water.
* Spills of the types above can cause serious damage to streams and waterways and kill fish - stormwater is not treated and flows directly into the environment.
* Two sites will be baited with rat poison and then monitored over the next couple of weeks following separate reports of rats being seen - one in the stormwater drainage area behind Bureta Road along the Otumoetai Golf course drain site, and another report from Ngatai Road in an area close to a sewer manhole.
* Work has started to restore the stormwater ponds off Orion Way and Oteki Park Drive. Drain valves have been fitted for future maintenance control and they also scheduled to be desludged before we allow them to be reinstated.
* Following recent rain, various stormwater ponds and other outlet structures are being inspected and debris removed.
* During work at the Marsh Street/ Chapel Street site, Fletcher Construction reported an unlogged stormwater pipeline had been discovered. TCC contractors City Care Ltd will CCTV inspect this pipeline to see where it goes and determine its condition, pipe type and size to update council records.
* The pollution trap in the Omanu golf course site has been scheduled for cleaning to remove silt following the recent Roading upgrade work in the area.

Waiari Water Supply Project:
* Resource consents for the construction and operation of a new water intake and treatment plant to serve the Papamoa urban growth area have been granted. The consent appeals period will close at the end of this week.

Bulk Water Meter Installation:
* Downer EDI Works has installed nine of the ten new meters. Six new meters are now operational and sending back information on SCADA. Completion is on track for September 2009.

Inflow Reduction Project:
* Gully Trap inspections began this week in the following streets: Bahamas Key; 52 - 92 Beachwater Drive; Florida Key; 92 - 202 Gravatt Road; Havana Key; Malibu Key; Monaco Key; Monte Carlo Key; Monterey Key; 1 - 15 Oriental Parade; 1 - 35 & 89 - 142 Palm Beach Boulevard; 462 - 504 Papamoa Beach Road; 35 - 86 Percy Road; Piha Close; St Heliers Place; 1 - 25 Santa Barbara Drive; 1 - 43 Santa Monica Drive; Santorini Key; 2 Seychelles Drive; Sorrento Key; Stella Place. Affected property owners have been notified by letter.

Parks and Leisure
* Work has started on the resurfacing of the Ohauiti vehicle maintenance access track from McFeteridge Lane.
* Mauao: Due to weather the spraying work on the bluffs above the Oruahine track hasn't been able to go ahead. Weather permitting, the Oruahine track may be closed at times this week.
* Mauao kowhai are in flower and lambs are appearing all over the slopes of Mauao.

Libraries
* Work to refurbish Greerton Library began this week. The basic refurbishment will upgrade library facilities by creating approximately 70 square metres of extra floor space, providing room for 2000 more books and four new customer computers. The work is expected to take about eight weeks to complete.

Transportation
* Cameron Road: Routine maintenance and reconstruction work on Cameron Road between Pooles Road and Maleme Street gets underway this week. There will be a 30km speed restriction through the site so please expect delays. The project is expected to take about 14 weeks to complete.
* Takitimu Drive: Routine maintenance and reconstruction of the next section of Takitimu Drive between the Elizabeth Street Roundabout and the Waihi Road off ramp is due to start on 14 September. Lane changes will be in place so that traffic can continue to use the road while the work is being done. Contractors will be working 24 hours. The project is likely to take about eight weeks to complete, depending on weather. A 30km speed limit will be in place so please expect delays, particularly at peak times.
* Helicopter Inspections of Power Lines: Transpower will be conducting helicopter inspections of power lines between Hairini/Maungatapu and Te Maunga between 7– 9 September, weather permitting. Where the lines are alongside roads, traffic management will be in place and motorists are advised to take care not to be distracted by the low flying helicopter.
* Footpath Programme: The annual footpath construction programme is due to start this week. About 4km of new footpaths will be built between now and Christmas in various parts of the city. Most of the work is being done off road.
* Elizabeth Street: Work to replace a retaining wall on the footpath by St Mary's Catholic Church is almost complete. Please take care if you are using the footpath in the area around where the work is being done.