Agenda of Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting

UNCONFIRMED Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting Minutes

4 August 2020

MINUTES

Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting

Tuesday, 4 August 2020

Order Of Business

1 Apologies. 3

2 Public Forum.. 3

2.1 Lucy Hill, Amber Harrison and Kura Waller, Youth Advisory Group (YAG) 3

2.2 Kathy Webb and Bruce Banks, Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support - What we have achieved with our annual $25,000 grant 4

2.3 Robin Rimmer - Welcome Bay Estuary. 5

3 Acceptance of Late Items. 5

4 Confidential Business to be Transferred into the Open. 5

5 Change to Order of Business. 5

6 Confirmation of Minutes. 6

6.1 Minutes of the Projects, Services and Operations Committee meeting held on 23 June 2020. 6

7 Declaration of Conflicts of Interest 6

8 Deputations, Presentations, Petitions. 6

9 Business. 7

9.2 Annual Report on Council's Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy. 7

9.1 Executive Report 9

9.3 Ngatai Road Bylaw Amendment 9

9.4 Three Waters Reform Programme update. 10

10 Discussion of Late Items. 10

11 Public Excluded Session. 10

MINUTES OF Tauranga City Council

Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting

HELD AT THE Tauranga City Council, Council Chambers, 91 Willow Street, Tauranga

ON Tuesday, 4 August 2020 AT 9.30am

PRESENT: Cr Kelvin Clout (Chairperson), Cr Jako Abrie (Deputy Chairperson), Cr Larry Baldock, Cr Bill Grainger, Cr Andrew Hollis, Cr Heidi Hughes, Cr Dawn Kiddie, Cr Steve Morris, Cr John Robson, and Cr Tina Salisbury

NON-VOTING Mrs Emily Gudsell

MEMBER:

IN ATTENDANCE: Marty Grenfell (Chief Executive), Paul Davidson (General Manager: Corporate Services), Barbara Dempsey (General Manager: Regulatory & Compliance), Susan Jamieson (General Manager: People & Engagement), Nic Johansson (General Manager: Infrastructure), Christine Jones (General Manager: Strategy & Growth), Gareth Wallis (General Manager: Community Services), Brendan Bisley (Director of Transport), Karen Hay (Team Leader: Cycle Plan Implementation), Warren Aitken (Team Leader: Parks & Environment), Nick Lynch-Watson (Principal Reserves Planner), Robyn Garrett (Team Leader: Committee Support), and Jenny Teeuwen (Committee Advisor)

1 Apologies

Apology

Committee Resolution PR3/20/1

Moved: Cr Kelvin Clout

Seconded: Cr Tina Salisbury

That the apology for absence received from Mayor Tenby Powell be accepted.

Carried

2 Public Forum

2.1 Lucy Hill, Amber Harrison and Kura Waller, Youth Advisory Group (YAG)

Key points

· YAG was a group of 12 young people different backgrounds with the same passion to give a voice to youth and to create an environment in Tauranga where youth felt supported to grow and be successful.

· The YAG “Outvote Boomers” campaign last year was aimed at getting youth to care about voting. It reached over 52,000 young people in Tauranga aged 18 to 35 and increased the Tauranga youth voter turnout by 2%.

· The Vital Uptakes survey (conducted by Acorn Foundation, TECT, BayTrust and Tauranga City Council) included 600 participants aged 14 to 24 and highlighted the following:

- currently 47% of youth did not feel connected to the wider community.

- 26% felt alone often or all the time.

- only 7% of youth currently believed Tauranga reflected a strong sense of culture and heritage.

- validated concerns for youth in Tauranga in terms of opportunities for employment and career development.

- what they would most like to change included traffic/transport and the lack of events and facilities specifically for their age group.

· YAG would love to see the development of a multi-purpose youth hub/centre in Tauranga. It would also like to see more Māori/New Zealand inspired art around the city to create a greater sense of pride and also provide an opportunity for student artists to collaborate on murals.

· YAG was currently working on a Fluro Fest project as part of the National Mental Health Awareness Week to be held at Memorial Park in September; and invited the Mayor and Councillors to visit their stall.

In response to questions

It was suggested that the Youth Advisory Group present to council on a regular basis. It was also suggested that the Mayor and councillors held a whiteboard workshop with the group to discuss how Tauranga City Council (TCC) could better support the youth of Tauranga. Staff would follow up on these suggestions.

The Chairperson thanked Misses Hill, Harrison and Waller for their presentation.

Staff Action

Staff to follow up on the following suggestions from councillors:

· that the Youth Advisory Group present to council on a regular basis;

· that a workshop be held with the Mayor and councillors on how TCC could better support the youth of Tauranga.

2.2 Kathy Webb and Bruce Banks, Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support - What we have achieved with our annual $25,000 grant

A copy of Ms Webb’s presentation for this item can be viewed on Tauranga City Council’s website in the Minutes Attachments document for this committee meeting.

Attachment

1. Presentation - Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support

Key points

· Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support had membership of 15,433 for the 2019/20 year, up from 12,767 for 2018/19.

· Their vision and driving mission was to have safe, supported and connected communities.

· Supporters included the Police, TECT, BayTrust, Lion Foundation and Pub Charities.

· 91% of the membership found Neighbourhood Support useful.

· 60% opened the fortnightly newsletter, compared to an industry standard of 6%.

· Neighbourhood Support was entirely run on volunteers.

· A meeting would be held on 12 August 2020 at Otumoetai Primary with the purpose of establishing more Neighbourhood Support groups in the Otumoetai area.

In response to questions

· Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support was part of Neighbourhood New Zealand but operated independently.

· The organisation would be willing to include TCC communications information with their newsletter.

· The organisation did its own fund raising, receiving around $2,000 per year, but would welcome an increase in TCC funding going forward.

The Chairperson thanked Ms Webb and Mr Banks for their presentation and the work they do in the community.

2.3 Robin Rimmer - Welcome Bay Estuary

A copy of Mr Rimmer’s presentation for this item can be viewed on Tauranga City Council’s website in the Minutes Attachments document for this committee meeting.

Attachment

1 Presentation - Welcome Bay Estuary

Key points

· The impact of TCC’s sewerage scheme upon the western reach of the Welcome Bay estuary was still in evidence today.

· Expansive mangroves and their continual spread swallowed up a considerable amount of rubbish and debris.

· The estuary was now devoid of fish life and had considerably less bird life.

· The Welcome Bay estuary was not in a fit and healthy enough state to have walkways, boardwalks and cycle tracks imposed on its shorelines and shores.

· Mr Rimmer was requesting a moratorium in regards to walkways, boardwalks and cycle tracks being imposed on its shorelines on behalf of the Forrester Drive residents.

The Chairperson thanked Mr Rimmer for his presentation.

3 Acceptance of Late Items

Nil

4 Confidential Business to be Transferred into the Open

Nil

5 Change to Order of Business

Change the Order of Business

Committee Resolution PR3/20/2

Moved: Cr Jako Abrie

Seconded: Cr Dawn Kiddie

Amends the order of business so the item 9.2 – Annual Report on Council’s Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy is taken before item 9.1 – Executive Report.

Carried

6 Confirmation of Minutes

6.1 Minutes of the Projects, Services and Operations Committee meeting held on 23 June 2020

Committee Resolution PR3/20/3

Moved: Cr Steve Morris

Seconded: Cr Tina Salisbury

That the Projects, Services and Operations Committee:

(a) confirms the Open minutes of the Projects, Services and Operations Committee meeting held on 23 June 2020 as a true and correct record.

(b) confirms the Public Excluded minutes of the Projects, Services and Operations Committee meeting held on 23 June 2020 as a true and correct record.

Carried

7 Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

Nil

8 Deputations, Presentations, Petitions

In accordance with Standing Orders 14.7 (c) to make a point of explanation, and 14.7 (d) request the chair to permit the member a special request, the Chairperson granted a request from Cr Larry Baldock to make a personal statement to the Committee.

Key points from Cr Baldock’s statement

· Media had reported that Cr Baldock had stifled debate and had screamed at staff and councillors to “shut up”.

· The ‘stifling debate’ issue had been corrected through the report into the procedures of the 19 May Council meeting.

· The accusations about screaming at staff and telling councillors to “shut up” had been made by one councillor, not six.

· Council’s Chief Executive had confirmed that he was not aware of any accusations from staff about Cr Baldock screaming at staff. He was also not aware of any concerns raised by staff that Cr Baldock had told councillors to “shut up” while he had been chairing Council committee meetings.

· A subsequent media report had been amended to read “had screamed at a consultant two years ago”.

· Cr Baldock maintained that this was not an accurate portrayal of the incident, but it was best ignored as it had been two years ago.

· Cr Baldock thanked the Chairperson for the opportunity to make his statement.

9 Business

9.2 Annual Report on Council's Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy

Staff Nick Lynch-Watson, Principal Reserves Planner

Warren Aitken, Team Leader: Parks & Environment

External Cath de Monchy, TAAF

Bill Myhill, Chairperson TAAF

Lisa Denmead, TAAF

Rob Ranger, Wildlands

Lance Salt, Wildlands

A copy of Ms de Monchy’s presentation for this item can be viewed on Tauranga City Council’s website in the Minutes Attachments document for this committee meeting.

Attachment

1 Presentation - Toxic Agrichemical Awareness Forum (TAAF) Annual Report

Key points

Toxic Agrichemical Awareness Forum (TAAF) presentation

· TAAF had been unable to monitor patterns of agrichemical use as monthly summaries had ceased due to data entry issues.

· A research project delivered by Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in 2019 showed a slight decline in agrichemical application volume over the last 10 years, however there was no indication that the use of agrichemicals was reducing.

· No applications for new projects had been received in 2020. One request to amend the conditions of use of an existing product had been received.

· TAAF would like to see the Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy reviewed in 2021.

· Inadequate signage on reserves to indicate status (sprayed/spray-free) and the variable quality of contractor signage was an ongoing problem.

· Soil testing at Blake Park indicated that Oxadiazon, a pre-emergent suppressant, dispersed quickly but also had high lateral movement (20-25m).

· Toi Ohomai currently had two research projects underway:

- Citizen Science project - in collaboration with TAAF and several schools, to explore the efficacy of acetic acid for weed control in hard landscaped areas.

- Discovery project - in partnership with TCC, to initiate a study into the agrichemical policy and procedures of other councils in New Zealand. A graduate student would be hosted by TCC to undertake the research.

Staff

· TCC continued to work with TAAF to promote public health and the health of the environment.

· Staff were currently working with the Digital Services team to fix significant errors with the agrichemical use logging and reporting system.

· Metsulfuron methyl (Escort) had been identified as a key component for the effective management of vegetation across the city but was currently approved in the Policy for limited use only. Approval to extend the scope of its use was sought.

· TCC would continue to work with contractors to improve signage.

· The Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy was scheduled to be reviewed in 2021.

In response to questions

· There were many alternatives to synthetic chemicals. Pine oil as a natural product was effective.

· TAAF were not funded by TCC.

· TCC had canvassed several other councils regarding their policies looking for best practice, and also anything being developed that TCC could use.

· Signage had been included in the KPI measurements for Open Spaces contracts.

· TCC was compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

· Quality audits were undertaken with contractors. Failure to meet KPIs could result in contract roll-over options being removed. Copies of the audits would be made available to councillors.

· Metsulfuron methyl was currently approved in the Policy for limited use only. An amendment was being sought to broaden the scope of weed species to include the harder to kill species that metsulfuron had been identified as being effective on. The aim was to reduce the use of glyphosate.

· It was requested that the report requested through Recommendation (e) include results of non-chemical weed killer trials that had been undertaken over the last 5 years.

Staff Action

Provide copies of Open Spaces contractor audits to the Mayor and Councillors.

At 10.55am, the meeting adjourned.

At 11.10am, the meeting resumed.

Committee Resolution PR3/20/4

Moved: Cr John Robson

Seconded: Cr Heidi Hughes

That the Projects, Services and Operations Committee:

(a) Receives this Report – Annual Report on Council’s Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy.

(b) Approves the amendment to Schedule 1 of this Policy to enable the agrichemical Escort (metsulfuron-methyl) to be available for use on a wider variety of specified weed species.

(c) Approves the urgent review and upgrade of Council’s agrichemical reporting system and investigate options for a review of the policy in 2021/22.

(d) Requests staff prepare a report on issues and options (including working with Toi Ohomai) for funding the work of the Toxic Agrichemical Awareness Forum (TAAF), to feed in to the LTP process.

(e) Requests staff prepare a report responding to all the recommendations contained in the TAAF report, to be presented at the next Projects, Services and Operations Committee meeting.

Carried

9.1 Executive Report

Staff Marty Grenfell, Chief Executive

Paul Davidson, General Manager: Corporate Services

Barbara Dempsey, General Manager: Regulatory & Compliance

Susan Jamieson, General Manager: People & Engagement

Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy & Growth

Gareth Wallis, General Manager: Community Services

The report was taken as read.

In response to questions

· Ngatai Road cycleway - letters/brochures had been placed on vehicles that had been parking on the cycleway. Some parking had persisted, however, those vehicles had now been moved and the cycleway was clear. An average of 84 people were now using the cycleway per day, up from 49 previously. Feedback was favourable and positive.

· Hearings for bus shelter objections would be delayed until more evidence could be obtained. Data from the Bee Card which was now operational, would assist with this. The placement of bus shelters was mainly determined by public requests that were then investigated for suitability.

· Arataki Park free camper – Bylaws staff and support agencies had been working closely with the person who had established a campsite in the park and the person had now left the reserve and had been successfully housed elsewhere.

· Quarantine requirements for any vessels coming to Tauranga for refit work would be worked through with the appropriate authorities.

· The successful launch of the strategic finance system (SAP) project was noted by councillors.

Committee Resolution PR3/20/5

Moved: Cr Larry Baldock

Seconded: Cr John Robson

That the Projects, Services and Operations Committee receives the Executive Report.

Carried

9.3 Ngatai Road Bylaw Amendment

Staff Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

Brendan Bisley, Director of Transport

Karen Hay, Team Leader: Cycle Plan Implementation

The report was taken as read.

Committee Resolution PR3/20/6

Moved: Cr Heidi Hughes

Seconded: Cr Jako Abrie

That the Projects, Services and Operations Committee recommends to the Council at its 11 August 2020 meeting to adopt the resolutions as set out in Attachment A, that are made under the bylaw: Traffic and Parking Bylaw 2012.

Carried

9.4 Three Waters Reform Programme update

Staff Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

The report was taken as read.

Committee Resolution PR3/20/7

Moved: Cr Jako Abrie

Seconded: Cr Larry Baldock

That the Projects, Services and Operations Committee receives Three Waters Reform Programme update report.

Carried

10 Discussion of Late Items

Nil

11 Public Excluded Session

Nil

The meeting closed at 11.53am.

The minutes of this meeting were confirmed at the Projects, Services and Operations Committee meeting held on 15 September 2020.

...................................................

CHAIRPERSON

Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting Agenda

15 September 2020

9 Business

9.1 Executive Report

File Number: A11752583

Author: Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy & Growth

Susan Jamieson, General Manager: People & Engagement

Barbara Dempsey, General Manager: Regulatory & Compliance

Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

Paul Davidson, General Manager: Corporate Services

Gareth Wallis, General Manager: Community Services

Ross Boreham, Manager: Stakeholder Engagement

Authoriser: Marty Grenfell, Chief Executive

Purpose of the Report

1. This report is to provide an update and summary of key areas within Council.

Recommendations

That the Projects, Services and Operations Committee receives the September Executive Report.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Board Business Case Decisions

2. The UFTI and Te Papa business cases were considered by the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Board in late-August. We are pleased to advise that the Board endorsed the strategic direction and approach for both business cases. We understand that the Board was very positive about the approach taken and the programme that the partners have developed.

waiāri project update

3. The contract for the Waiāri Water Treatment Plant (WTP) construction was awarded to Fulton Hogan Ltd on 31 August. This is the last physical works contract to be let for the Waiāri Project and, with an award value of $42.8m, is the largest by value contract ever let by Tauranga City Council.

4. A comprehensive risk and opportunities review for the Waiāri programme was undertaken in August. The review included contract specific sessions attended by the contractor and designers, along with TCC staff; we were also able to include the preferred supplier for the WTP contract, which had not been let at that point.

5. The updated risk profile for each contract was used to provide inputs into simulation modelling software to reforecast the P50 and P95 values. The simulation software models the probability and impact of both risk and opportunity in a project’s cost forecast. The P50 value indicates that there is a 50% chance the project cost will fall below this amount. Meanwhile, the P95 value indicates a higher level of confidence that most projects would be delivered for less than this amount, with only one-in-20 projects delivered at a higher cost.

6. The P50 value for the Waiāri project has increased from $177,747,000 to $184,229,012, which includes an assessed contingency of $10,841,500. The P95 has reduced from previous $196,792,700 to $189,501,688. The difference between P50 and P95 is the Risk Funding Allowance. The P95 reduction is due to several risks being removed and/or their associated worst-case outputs in terms of cost being reduced as well as the award value of the WTP contract being known. The key drivers of the change in the P50 value are the costs of the COVID Level 4 lockdown ($1.07M), challenges being experienced on the Intake Works contract which may lead to additional costs and the award value of the WTP contract being greater than the P50 value for that contract.

7. The approach to budgeting for the Waiāri project has been to adopt the P50 value. The project budgets will be updated through the LTP to reflect the revised P50 value.

kerbside collection

8. Council met on 25 August 2020 to discuss the recommendations from staff around the proposed rates-funded kerbside waste collections, management of the transfer stations, litter, public place bins, and illegal dumping.

9. We are currently continuing commercial negotiations and will supply an update to Council and the public once these are complete.

Lime scooter update

10. Final negotiations with Lime are now complete, with no substantial differences to the recommended trial conditions presented in the March 17 Urban Form and Transport Development Committee report. For the usage fees, a structure was agreed upon which will be a first of its kind in New Zealand and will require Lime to pay fees based on the number of rides taken, as opposed to the number of scooters deployed. This model is the favoured approach by both staff and Lime as it reflects the impacts of shared e-scooters more appropriately and is a better mechanism for creative approaches to incentivise behaviour in the future.

11. A report seeking formal approval to commence the trial will come to Council. Given the recent Covid-19 resurgence and change in alert levels, Lime is now recommending a launch date around the last weekend in October. We are currently working with Lime on a communications approach and will be ready to execute it, pending Council’s decision.

12. Overall, the e-scooter landscape and ridership patterns have changed since the Covid lockdowns and the return to Alert Level 1. The number of trips taken at Alert Level 1 is down about 30% compared to the same time last year. It’s still too early to understand if this is a product of a lack of international tourists or indicates a change in behaviour of New Zealanders. Additionally, Lime has completed its acquisition of Jump and is now operating a combination of Jump scooters, Jump e-bikes, and Lime scooters in Wellington and Auckland. However, for Tauranga, Lime is still expecting to operate only Lime scooters for the foreseeable future.

totara street update

13. There have been over 225 submissions on the proposed option for improving the safety of cyclists on Totara Street.

14. The feedback is being worked through with the design team to ensure we have a robust design, which will come to Council for approval in October. Some submissions received are against the proposed option; these cite the potential impacts on traffic congestion, business and on Port Operations. Our modelling is being checked and peer-reviewed again to ensure its reliability, so we can verify the impact of the cycleway on traffic flows.

15. The team have been meeting with the Port to discuss the project and its impacts on traffic flow and congestion and discuss any concerns.

16. To mitigate the existing risk to cyclists on Totara Street, the footpath can be ridden on now and temporary signage and markings will provide guidance for cyclists who use the footpath.

cycle plan update

17. Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) has been undertaken for all possible routes within the Bellevue/Brookfield and Otumoetai area, as well as the Mount/Arataki and Papamoa North Area. Initial Stakeholder workshops have been held to seek input into the route selections process.

18. Waka Kotahi has spent time with us to work through the detail of the route selection process and visit the two areas.

19. The MCA comprises the following elements:

(a) Enabling people to bike in accordance with national guidance, including Safety, Directness, Coherence and Crime Prevention through design

(b) Community impacts, including effects on local business, residents, cultural values and potential impacts on the operation of the network

20. The proposed cycle routes are being integrated within the Transport System Plan (TSP) to consider conflicts with other modes along routes. These will be reported as part of the TSP options for consideration by Council.

21. The cultural impacts are to be assessed in collaboration with local hapu, and a briefing workshop will be held with Councillors to provide an overview of the proposed routes.

22. The cycle plan team will commence engagement this financial year with the communities that will have a cycleway through their area. They will seek to finalise preferred routes and options so construction could commence in FY 21/22, if funding can be confirmed with Waka Kotahi and as part of the LTP process.

23. If sufficient funds were available, the Bellevue/Brookfield and Otumoetai area could be built as a single project so there is a complete separated cycleway loop connecting up to the Cameron Road project.

outfall pipeline landward SECTION upgrade

24. The current condition of the landward section of the outfall pipeline at Te Maunga restricts Council’s ability to fully-utilise the outfall system at consented levels, putting pressure on the system to contain peak wet weather events.

25. To address this risk and to begin futureproofing the outfall system, a project has commenced to replace this section of pipeline.

26. An access agreement and new easement has been negotiated with the relevant landowners and an earthworks consent has been granted to authorise the excavation of a pipeline trench.

27. We are continuing to work with the landowner’s representative to finalise the construction management plan, with good progress being made. Alongside this, staff are continuing to discuss the project with mana whenua (Ngā Pōtiki) and TCC ward Councillors. Senior officials have met with Ngā Pōtiki earlier this month, prior to commencing any engagement with the surrounding community. Ngā Pōtiki are satisfied that they are being kept fully informed of project progress.

Corporate Services

Legal & Commercial Update

28. The Legal and Commercial teams (Legal, Risk and Procurement) continue to manage regular day-to-day issues as these arise (i.e. managing specific risks, providing legal and procurement advice etc.). Matters of note from a governance perspective are as follows.

Risk Services (Including Business Continuity)

29. Realignment of the planned business continuity programme is underway following the COVID-19 first wave. Pandemic plan updates are also being carried out, and an Incident Response and Management Plan is in development. The Internal Audit plan has been revised to allow for COVID-related disruption and work has commenced, with part 1 of the review of controls in place to protect the organisation from fraud and related behaviour. Work also continues (with the policy team) on a review of all policies associated with risk, and preparation of an awareness regime utilising our online tool (expected to be rolled out in early-2021).

30. The internal audit programme previously presented to the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee showed that the review of business continuity would occur prior to the review of fraud and related behaviour. Given the ongoing need to focus on response to changing COVID alert levels, together with a policy review planned for fraud and related policies, the order of these internal audits has been reversed.

Procurement

31. Procurement is completing an issues and options paper, assisted by the Policy team, for the Executive, in relation to updating the Procurement Policy. An issues and options paper has also been prepared to update the Fleet policy, to reflect several key changes, including the fact vehicles are predominantly leased not owned by TCC, fringe benefit tax implications and new safety technology such as GPS tracking.

Legal Matters

32. Legal matters are reported separately, but of note is the current work being undertaken in respect of significant projects such as the Kerbside Waste Procurement, the Waiari Water Treatment Plant and the Elizabeth Street streetscape.

33. Work is underway to address the introduction of the Privacy Act 2020, which comes into force on 1 December this year. The Privacy Compliance Project is a joint Legal and Digital Services Project to help the organisation prepare for the new legislation.

Elder Housing Villages

34. Tenancy inspections, electrical inspections, condition assessments and garden maintenance are being completed this month.

35. Level 2 COVID restrictions are to maintain distance and reduce contractor contact with tenants where possible.

36. We currently have 10 vacant units across 9 Villages. Vacant units are being held while decisions regarding divestment are finalised. The tenant waitlist has closed, and tenant applications have been returned to applicants as a result of this process. Recruitment is underway for Tenancy Support during this project.

37. In mid-July, a tenant reversed a car into an accommodation unit, causing substantial damage but no injuries. An insurance claim is being processed through TCC insurers and construction repairs are due to be completed by the end of September. Temporary accommodation is in place for the tenant.

Property Management / Facilities Update

38. Final Rent Abatements for Community Groups have been completed. One new retrospective Commercial rent request has recently been received for April-June 2020, with all others received to-date completed. Additional support beyond June is directed through the Annual Plan submission process.

39. Eight Strand Licence to Occupy holders have re-signed agreements. Others are being followed-up and arrears are being reviewed. A wider review of LTOs across the city is planned leading into the LTP.

Building Maintenance

40. A number of key building maintenance and development activities are currently underway including

41. 171 Chadwick Road roof construction. This is a replacement to an end of life roof and will allow continued tenancy of this building.

42. The Beachside Holiday Park kitchen/dining area tender has been evaluated. This project allows and expansion and upgrade of the kitchen and dining room area to be completed prior to the upcoming summer holiday season.

Airport

43. The Airport saw a resurgence of passenger volumes following the countries move to level 1 covid alert level with a large amount of the domestic schedule reinstated. However movement back to level 3 in Auckland and level 2 elsewhere has seen schedule volumes fall once again with a corresponding decrease in passenger numbers. Ongoing level 2.5/2 restrictions will continue to impact on flight schedules. Details of volumes is as follows:

· July saw passenger volumes back to 70% of pre-COVID levels, with that number falling to approximately 50% in August.

· General aviation traffic is at 50% of the pre-COVID level.

44. The upcoming runway overlay project is out for tender. This project covers the renewal of the main runway and will extend the life for a further 10 plus years

Marine Precinct

45. Our ongoing push to secure bookings for Vessel Works is providing results and we are securing both return customers and new customers who are keen to try our facility. For the first time, we are receiving bookings 12 months in advance. The COVID-19 restrictions in Auckland have delayed several bookings as the vessels and crew could not come to Tauranga, but effective communication has meant we have retained all of these clients.

46. We are in the final stages of implementing revised fees and charges for the facility. We have been consulting with a stakeholder working group to ensure these are appropriate, fit-for-purpose and supported by the marine community.

47. We have established a Health and Safety Working Group comprised of representatives of users of the facility and the TCC H&S team. A strategy for Health and Safety at Vessel Works has been developed and endorsed by the working group.

48. Super Yacht Coatings’ shed in the precinct is progressing well and is expected to open around the middle of November.

49. Bridge wharf finger replacements have been completed and have been well-received by the majority of users. These fingers are far safer for people to access vessels on Bridge Wharf.

Strategic Finance Programme

50. The new SAP system for procurement and finance has now be operating successfully for almost two months. This level of change is always difficult, but it has been a positive journey, with teams embracing the new system and better ways of doing things.

51. This has been a significant change for the organization, especially when you consider this accompanied closing the end-of-year financials, delivering an annual report, supporting the annual plan and starting the Long-term Plan process. An amazing effort by the project team and the wider organisation.

52. The Strategic Finance Programme is not quite finished, however, as the project team works through the delivery of the accompanying Invoice management solution, which is expected to go live in October.

Community Engagement - Qualtrics

53. As one of the first insights and technology steps in our organisational journey to improve community engagement, we have delivered the Innovating Streets engagement programme through the SAP Qualtrics solution.

54. SAP Qualtrics is a powerful engagement and analysis tool which can turn the data and feedback received from the community into actionable insights, using artificial intelligence, sentiment analysis, and statistical tests.  It can also overlay operational data with this experience to gain deeper insights on the effects of operational changes on our community.  This will lead to better input into decision-making.

55. As we continue to expand the footprint of the Qualtrics solution across the organisation and community touch points, it will provide us rich insights into what people really think and feel, plus the ability to directly connect that to the things that we do as an organisation, such as projects and service level changes.

SAP Regulatory Implementation

56. The Digital and Regulatory Teams are in the early stages of our first SAP Regulatory Implementation, based on SAP’s service cloud solution. This initial piece of work will be used to create the foundations from which future regulatory and customer service solutions are delivered, ultimately replacing the legacy Ozone solution.

57. Specifically, this proof of concept will provide an end-to-end solution, including field services for Hairdresser registrations, renewals and inspection processes. It is scheduled for completion by early in the new year.

58. The same solution is currently used by Auckland City and Christchurch City Councils to manage their workflows for requests for service. There is good engagement across the three councils to learn from each other.

Lifecycle/Security

59. Digital Services has worked with Microsoft to bring BVL into TCC’s All-of-Government agreement. This change will give BVL access to the much lower all-of-government pricing.

60. The first lifecycle programme of work business case for the year has now been approved. This now moves into the delivery phase for FY21 Q1/Q2. A further business case will be created for the delivery of lifecycle work in Q3/Q4. Moving forward, this will be a continuous workstream, ensuring our systems are effectively managed in a proactive manner.

61. The first of a series of security business cases has been approved, with the LastPass enterprise password manager solution now in delivery. Preliminary setup and configuration has already been completed. User and team rollouts will be completed over the next four to six weeks, providing a way to manage and maintain secure password practices for everyone.

62. Cyber activity targeting NZ Organisations - information on this is included as confidential Attachment A to this report.

Finance Systems

63. We have been working through SAP post go-live processes, identifying system and reporting issues and options. With data now in the system, we are focusing on developing effective reporting, both within SAP itself, which has a modern dashboard look and feel, and within our data warehouse BI environment. It is expected to take time to bed-in new reporting and dashboard opportunities.

64. To meet our planning requirements for the long-term plan, we are rebuilding our existing IBIS corporate planning model to reflect the new SAP system and general ledger. This rebuild is currently in the test phase, along with the interactive tool to enable the business to load and update projects and programmes of work. We are aiming to roll-out training in IBIS and commence budget-loading by mid-September.

65. The Long-term Plan processes have commenced with the finance team meeting with managers through the business to understand issues and risks and future projects, in preparation for loading the first cut of budgets later in September.

66. Our credit rating agency Standard and Poors is undertaking its annual review via Zoom this week.

67. The first rates instalment for 2020-21 has been completed with the due date of 31 August. Late payment penalties are scheduled for 9 September, to allow staff time to proactively contact businesses and residents to see if additional assistance or time to pay is required. There has not been a noticeable difference in the number of people requesting payment plans or expressing concerns at this stage. After 9 September, information will be available on comparative rates collection and this will be presented as part of the FARC financial report on 22 September.

68. There has been a noticeable increase in customers concerned about the higher first quarter water bill. This is due to a combination of higher consumption during lockdown and council’s conservative (low) estimate in the previous quarter during lockdown, where actual readings could not take place. Staff have advised customers to contact them if they require payment arrangements as a result of this issue.

Regulatory and Compliance

Environmental Regulation

Animal Services

69. Dog registration this year has progressed well with 12,730 of the 14,172 known dogs now registered. Animal Service Officers will now undertake site visits where there is a known unregistered dog to confirm whether the dog is still present.

70. While microchipping is a legal requirement, people can get confused about their obligations to register their dog and microchip it. To educate and encourage the community, we have started ‘Microchip Mondays’, where owners can bring their dog to the pound to be scanned for a microchip, and if there isn’t one, they can have on inserted then and there for $22. Microchips are a great tool, which us to help identify the dog owner and quickly reunite them with their dog.

71. A temporary dog prohibited area has been introduced from the beach foreshore from Moturiki (Leisure Island) to the rocky outcrop heading towards Papamoa (this area is known as Shark Alley) from 1 August to 31 January, at which time it reverts to an on-leash area. This change was required to protect vulnerable wildlife in this area during this period.

Regulation Monitoring

72. We have been working hard to manage the effects of the free parking trial, resulting in a lot of discussions with drivers to explain the new system. We have received multiple reports of people abusing the 2 hours free parking provision. Officers have been conducting multiple chalk rounds, but vehicles are being moved every 2 hours and chalk marks rubbed off the wheels of offending vehicles.

73. A Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) system is on order and is expected to be up and running by late-September. This system is mounted to a vehicle and as the vehicle drives by, the LPR device records licence plates and GPS locations to identify vehicles overstaying the P120 and also moving around within the P120 zone. This will also provide raw data on general occupancy levels and parking trends.

74. The Government has announced a further $8 million is being made available to continue to help encourage responsible camping around NZ. We have applied for funding to cover education and enforcement of the Freedom camping bylaw, increase servicing and clean-ups of freedom camping hotspots and public facilities, and a strategic communication campaign targeting those planning on freedom camping in Tauranga this summer. Successful applications will be announced mid-September.

Environmental Health and Licensing

75. Alcohol licensing application numbers are back to normal.

76. We are exploring new opportunities with remote food business verifications. MPI guidelines have determined that under certain COVID-19 level restrictions, audits must be conducted remotely, via Skype. These are working well for the team, for the most part, but there is still a bit of work to be done in the background to ensure the technology side runs smoothly.

77. Noise complaints have been steady, with similar numbers of Excessive Noise Directions notices and abatement notices being served compared with previous months.

78. Council has received an increase in reports regarding the number of houses that have been affected by methamphetamine. The Environmental Health and Building Teams are working together to review our processes when responding to these complaints.

Building Services

79. A special focus audit was conducted by IANZ between 11 and 14 August. The audit went well, with only very minor issues identified. It was pleasing to note that the Auditors acknowledged the hard work put into improving Policies and Systems. The next audit is due in September 2021.

80. The Inspection Team has been working very hard to reduce the wait time for inspections. With two new recruits now able to commence inspections and the additional Inspectors we seconded from Auckland Council, we have been able to reduce the wait time. Unfortunately, the Auckland Inspectors were not able to travel during the AL3 lockdown, which resulted in a slight increase in wait times. They resumed inspections from Monday 31 August.

81. Regulation 17(5) of the Building (Accreditation of Building Consent Authorities) Regulations 2006 requires the Building Control Authority to prepare an annual report. The regulations set out the information that should be included in this report.

Attached to this report is a copy of the Building Consent Authority Management Report

Community services update

Baycourt

82. The resurgence of COVID-19 has impacted the Baycourt programme with Alert level 2 (AL2) leading to the postponement or cancellation of several events. The restrictions of gatherings to 100 people means that many events are not economically viable and the lack of clarity on how long NZ may remain at AL2 has meant several event promoters have had to take a risk-averse approach, and have cancelled events that were due to take place in October and November. This has included national touring shows such as Tu Meke Tui, Friends the Musical and The Howard Morrison Jnr Quartet. Many of our national arts promoters and organisations are based in Auckland, which has led to further complications in that touring shows have not been able to move outside of the region.

83. Local events and community events are currently faring better with greater flexibility to change dates, or to rearrange plans at less cost than some of the bigger touring shows. Baycourt is currently working with the Tauranga Arts Festival on a smaller version of the Escape writers and ideas festival that was originally programmed for June, which staff hope will now take place in October. Local dance schools have also been able to continue their programmes, albeit to a lesser extent and with limited audiences of under 100 people. The Baycourt box office has remained open to the public throughout level AL2 however, all food and beverage services for events have been suspended.

84. Programme events that have been able to go ahead in this reporting period included a performance in the X-Space by the New Zealand String Quartet, dance showcases from the Gillian Moore Dance School and Dance NZ Made as well as a Chamber of Commerce Business After 5 event where Baycourt hosted over 100 people from local businesses promoting opportunities for business to connect with the performing arts in Tauranga.

City Events

85. On 7 August 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board made the decision to postpone the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021. The tournament will now be hosted by New Zealand in February and March 2022, a year later than originally planned. The decision followed an extensive contingency planning exercise, which has taken into consideration the health, cricket and commercial impact of COVID-19 around the world. City Events staff are coordinating with the ICC, Bay Oval and relevant stakeholders to work through the details and impacts of the postponement.

86. The ongoing effects of COVID-19 have also recently resulted in the cancellation of the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships, scheduled to be held at Trustpower Baypark in April 2021. Having already been postponed by a year due to New Zealand’s initial AL4 lockdown, Gymnastics New Zealand has made the difficult decision to withdraw from hosting this international tournament due to the logistical and financial challenges presented by the current border restrictions and quarantine conditions.

87. The Event Funding Framework (EFF) reopened for a month on 31 July 2020 following a $200k funding reduction through the recent adoption of the revised Annual Plan. A total of 44 funding applications have been received for the Community and Event Support Funds during this funding cycle, requesting a total of $394k from an available budget of $218k (NB: an additional $55k has been proactively set aside for any eligible short-lead events that may occur in Q3/Q4 this year). City Events staff are currently considering the applications with decisions due to applicants by mid-September 2020.

88. On 1 September 2020, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment released the list of recipients of the $10M Domestic Events Fund. The Fund received over 400 applications from across the country with 200 of those receiving funding. A total of six Tauranga-based events were successful; National Jazz Festival, Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival, STEM Initiative, The Mount Swim (previously named Sand to Surf), Bay Dreams and Tough Guy and Gal (Tauranga edition). Please note that specific funding amounts have not been made public.

89. A $50M Regional Events Fund was established by the government in August 2020. Criteria information and deployment timeframes for the fund have not yet been released however, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said the fund would “help drive domestic tourism and give kiwis another reason to get out and explore Aotearoa”. City Events staff will encourage our local industry to engage in this process, if applicable, when the fund criteria are released.

90. As indicated above, a number of events have been postponed or cancelled due to the recent resurgence of COVID-19 and the related restrictions on mass-gatherings. City Events staff will continue to support event organisers through the rescheduling process and managing the risks with event planning in the current environment.

Community Development

91. An issues and options paper regarding a proposed community wellness bulk-funding framework will be presented to the Policy Committee meeting on 20 October 2020, following a workshop with elected members on 14 October 2020.

92. A series of workshops with tenant representatives to progress a review of Council’s Historic Village Strategy have now been completed. Elected members are invited to the Village for a site visit and input into the review on 7 October 2020, with a follow-up draft strategy session planned for 29 October 2020.

93. Applications have been submitted to the Lotteries Environment and Heritage Fund for the Libraries digitisation project ($157,452) and Omanawa Falls accessibility, safety and cultural centre ($611,520).

94. A review of the Community Development Match Fund has commenced and will be completed prior to the launch of the next round of the fund in November 2020.

95. The next Project Tauranga city partners function has been scheduled for 1 October 2020, where the executive will present on topics including the City Vision work and the Long-term Plan.

96. The beach access mat has been moved adjacent to 136 Marine Parade (Cutters Cove access) with a further roll-out of the matting planned for late-spring at Pilot Bay and Main Beach, and at Papamoa Domain later in summer. This aligns with the locality of the first accessible picnic table, and the increase and positioning of mobility car parks.

97. Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s joint reaccreditation to remain an International Safe Community will take place on 9 September 2020 with Mayor Powell and Mayor Webber signing the application on behalf of the city and sub-region at an official ceremony. Members of the Safer Communities Strategic Group will be present, alongside official representatives from Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand (SCFNZ).

98. The Family Harm ‘Ripple Effect’ Conference will now take place online, allowing the opportunity for further reach and engagement of attendees. The conference will launch on 12 October 2020 and will be available for viewing until 16 October 2020. This is a collaborative project between the Community Development Team, NZ Police and Family Violence Prevention Advocates.

99. Welcoming Communities has been supporting New Zealand Red Cross since 1 July 2020 in the delivery of the Visitor Care Manaaki Manuhiri programme, to support people on temporary visas experiencing serious hardship due to COVID-19. As at 1 September 2020, New Zealand Red Cross had received 873 applications from ‘foreign nationals’ currently residing in the Bay of Plenty, who do not have funds to meet their basic needs.

100. Staff have been providing strategic advice and support to Priority One in the establishment phase of Ara Rau – a job and skills hub servicing the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region, creating a central point of coordination for our future workforce. Ara Rau helps employers understand and plan for their upcoming workforce skills needs, and matches suitable or trainable New Zealanders with local jobs or pathways to employment. Located behind the current Priority One building, the hub will employ two staff who will commence their roles on 14 September 2020.

Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs)

101. Staff have received the first draft of the independent strategic review of Bay Venues Limited (BVL) with issues and options coming to Council for discussion via an Executive briefing in mid-October 2020, in time to inform the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.

102. The CCOs will present their Annual Reports to the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee on 22 September 2020.

103. An informal ‘Governance to Governance’ meeting with all CCO boards, CEs and TCC’s elected members and executive team is planned for 22 October 2020.

Emergency Management

104. COVID-19 resurgence planning remains focused on partnership strengthening with community groups and organisations that provide care for our communities, especially during AL3 and AL4 periods. Alongside Community Development and the Takawaenga teams, support is focusing on three workstreams; 1. providing consolidated information to increase shared awareness; 2. empowering groups to be able to continue to operate under AL3 constraints, so they can prepare in advance; and 3. enabling groups through connecting them to funding sources provided by central government and philanthropic entities. A basic business case has been provided by the Foodbank that identifies probable additional costs to sustain similar demand experienced during March-June 2020, if we returned to AL3 or AL4. This will be utilised to frame an Emergency Relief Fund option for consideration.

105. The Voice Over Siren Network Project Registration of Interest evaluation has been reviewed to consider the implications of ongoing border restrictions. Two companies have been identified to proceed to the next stage of proposal development. Planning reviews have identified that resource consent applications for each identified siren site will be necessary to enable the project to proceed. A City Plan change process is to be considered for future siren expansion. Earthquake and tsunami-related public awareness activities are being initiated as part of annual Council involvement within the upcoming national ShakeOut earthquake drill (15 October 2020), national Emergency Mobile Alerting and regional warning system tests (late-November 2020), and the national tsunami hikoi week (March 2021).

106. Tonkin and Taylor has been commissioned to support Council to review existing evacuation zones by integrating recent land information data, updated tsunami inundation models, the updated national tsunami alerting and warning approach (only issuing tsunami warning if there is threat of land inundation beyond the high tide mark), current census demographic data, and Council’s decision to install voice over sirens as an in-fill alerting tool. The review of the zones is to improve public understanding and provide greater clarity during an emergency evacuation.

107. Council has had an increase in public enquiries for resilience support over this period from Early Childhood Education Centres, ratepayer groups and aged care residential communities. Staff expect these enquiries to increase as people adapt to the ongoing stress of COVID-19 constraints and our increase in resilience activities through the Public Awareness and Education Plan that focus on readiness. Ongoing discussions are being had with New Zealand Red Cross and Neighbourhood Support, to initiate a partnered approach to community resilience development. This is modelled on a similar approach being championed through the COVID-19 community wellbeing website, to improve community resilience, connect communities and increase their emergency readiness.

Libraries

108. Libraries continue to provide programmes and services at AL2 with additional controls in place, including staff wearing masks. A key learning is that when there is concern about a possible change in alert levels, the community are stocking up at the libraries in preparation. On Friday 14 August 2020 for example, 9,998 items were issued from all of our libraries where a normal busy day would see around 6,000 items being issued.

109. Some members of the public have made operating our libraries during AL2 more challenging than it would ideally be. A resistence to contact tracing and maintaining appropriate physical distancing has meant staff have needed to spend a lot of time working to maintain a safe environment for people to use and experience the libraries.

110. September is planned to be a busy month for the programmes team with Mahuru Māori (Māori Language Month), the Library Law Series and Chinese Language Week.

111. Construction of the replacement mobile library is progressing well with the chassis having now arrived at Kiwi Bus in Tauriko.

112. The current state of the central Library building continues to prove challenging, with several building leaks identified during August. Remedial repairs have been undertaken.

Spaces & Places

113. Staff are working closely with project partners Ngāti Hangarau to consider a range of options for access to Omanawa Falls. The options are in the early stages of investigation and development but once they are narrowed down, staff will be in a position to work through the design and confirm construction dates. Safety, historical and cultural considerations, and the environmental significance of the site play a large part in the ongoing discussions.

114. In line with Council’s Disability Strategy, in its submission to the LTP 2018-28 Tauranga Special School requested a changing facility, including a changing bed, for people unable to use the current accessible public toilets. Council staff have been working with the school and a number of advisory groups to design a facility that is fit-for-purpose and enables users to gain greater independence and freedom to visit the area. The outcome of that feedback is that we are proposing to build a facility at Mount Drury Reserve (Hopukiore), near the corner of Grace Avenue and Maunganui Road. This site offers a central location with ease of access to the playground, Mount Mainstreet, Pilot Bay, Mount Main Beach, the beach accessibility mat and accessible car parks.

Proposed location: just behind the current public toilets, to the side of the playground.

115. The building is planned to be 5.5m long x 3m wide x 2.8m high, with a slight incline to the door, a pathway and suitable coastal planting. For safety, access to the facility will only be provided to those who need it and it will not be open to the general public. The cost is expected to be approximately $230,000, plus ground works and relevant consents.

116. Staff and contractors are preparing for the ‘spring flush’ where the change in weather and temperature brings along a fantastic flush of new growth across the city. The teams will be working hard to keep the city looking pristine during this busy period of change.

Urban Spaces

117. The Wharf Street upgrade continues to progress well. Concrete preparation and pouring works are underway with the project still on track for an early-summer completion.

118. The ‘Innovating Streets at the Mount’ project is currently undertaking public engagement with over 450 submissions received to date. Feedback closed on 7 September 2020. The RFP for Design and Transport Engineering services received four tender with Isthmus Group Limited to be awarded the contract. The first community design group meeting is programmed for late-September 2020.

119. Design of the Elizabeth Street upgrade is progressing well and is on-track. The developed design stage has recently been completed with the updated plans now available on the project webpage. Detailed design is due to be completed by early-November 2020. The team has been speaking to businesses and residents ahead of construction of the underground services.

PEOPLE AND ENGAGEMENT

Te Pou Takawaenga

120. Ara Rau Tangata Maori Land Aspirations Conference: The fourth instalment of this forum was held at Waikato University Tauranga Campus, with 93 representatives. Ara Rau Tangata is a multi-agency collaboration designed to develop conversations around Maori land development into practical, community-led initiatives. The collaboration involves Tauranga City Council, Maori Land Court, Te Puni Kokiri, WBOPDC, Boffa Miskell, BOPRC, He Mauri Ohooho and Opus, with support from other iwi/hapu entities, agencies and land trusts. You can access the programme here: https://www.facebook.com/ararautangata. Topics included:

· Te Manukura (UFTI Iwi Spatial Planning);

· SmartGrowth Joint Agency Group for Papakainga;

· Papakainga presentations: Ngapeke Papakainga at Welcome Bay, Reweti and Te Pere Whanau Papakainga at Hairini, Te Poonotiini Papakainga at Kaitimako and Ngati Kahu Te Pura Papakainga at Wairoa;

· Kainga Tipu (TCC Homelessness Taskforce);

· Agency Panel session including MHUD, Kainga Ora, MSD, Te Puni Kokiri and Te Matapihi; and

· Banking Panel session – ANZ, ASB and Westpac.

121. Tauranga Moana Principles: Over the past two years we have been socialising the successful Te Aranga Design Principles. We started with a workshop to understand the foundation principles, before co-ordinating a series of workshops with Te Rangapu Mana Whenua o Tauranga Moana to adapt the framework to Tauranga Moana. The resulting framework was accepted as an appropriate model to apply to projects across TCC. We have utilised this model with mana whenua in specific project areas, to facilitate clear direction and feedback on TCC projects such as the Te Papa Spatial Plan (Ngai Tamarawaho, Ngati Tapu, Ngai Tamarawaho, Ngati He, Ngai te Ahi, Ngai Tukairangi and Ngati Ruahine), and Omanawa Falls (Ngati Hangarau). Feedback from staff and hapu has been positive.

Customer Services

122. The Service Centre expanded operations to include three library locations in the community during the August rates period, with over a thousand customers utilising this service. New hardware and system modifications have been developed that now enable the team to be more agile and essentially ‘pop up” anywhere in the city, to provide enquiry or payment services.

123. During September, we will begin sending letters to customers who make payments by cheque and advise them of upcoming bank changes to phase cheques out in July 2021. Guidance on alternative modes of payment will be provided.

124. The Contact Centre will commence a contract to manage the Bay of Plenty Regional Council afterhours calls from the 31st August 2020. This will include Bay of Plenty bus calls for Tauranga, Rotorua and East Cape regions.

Engagement

125. We'll be supporting several community engagement workstreams, which includes LTP support, preparing issues and options for the Significance and Engagement Policy review and inviting membership into the Arataki reference group and confirming the group’s governing structure.

126. We've had the first round of consultation for the Innovating Streets project and we'll work with the project team to summarise the findings over the next period. We'll advise on the establishment of the community design group and help prepare for the next round of public consultation.

Ombudsman’s Audit

127. The draft report (called the provisional opinion) from the Office of the Ombudsman’s audit of the Council’s Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) processes was expected at the end of August 2020. At the time of writing this report, the provisional opinion had not been received.

128. The provisional opinion will be available for the Chief Executive to provide management comments in response to recommendations. The Ombudsman’s Office will consider those comments before publishing a final report, which is tabled in Parliament. It is expected that the report will set-out a series of recommendations and the in-house working party will pick these up and progress them.

Māori Ward and STV

129. The Council resolved to establish a Māori ward on 25 August 2020. A public notice has been in the newspapers and on Council’s website, advising the public of the right to demand a poll to countermand the Council decision. The demand must be in writing, signed by at least five percent of electors enrolled as eligible to vote at the previous triennial election of the Tauranga City Council, and be provided to the Council by 22 February 2020. A further public notice in relation to Single Transferable Vote (STV), advising the public of their right to demand a poll to change back to a First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system, will be published in newspapers on 12 September 2020.

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) AGM

130. Congratulations to Stuart Crosby (Councillor, BOP Regional Council), who was elected President, and Hamish McDouall (Mayor, Whanganui District Council), who was elected Vice President of LGNZ at the AGM on 21 August 2020. All remits were passed, except the ‘Annual regional balance of transfers’ remit. The proposed amendment to the rule for a reduction in the consecutive terms of the President from three to two was withdrawn.

Flexible Ways of Working (FWoW)

131. The Flexible Ways of Working (FWOW) policy has been well received by staff with up to 40% or more people working from home on any given day. This is similar to other organisations and global trends. This presents us with an opportunity to review TCC’s way of working within the office to best optimise and utilise our accommodation/footprint requirements. A small team is investigating and advancing a decant of Willow Street buildings A&C including the Customer Service Centre, Chambers, Elected Members, Mayor & CE offices and staff and excluding all Library services. This investigation will inform a preferred way forward over the coming weeks and we will update you on this project during October.

Salaried Collective Employment Agreement (CEA)

132. The Salaried Collective Employment Agreement (CEA) expired on 30 June 2020 and we expect to shortly begin negotiations with the PSA (Public Service Association) to agree a new CEA. 16% of our employees are PSA members and are covered by the terms and conditions of this CEA.

Attachments

1. Cyber Activity targeting NZ Organisations - A11804213 - Public Excluded

2. Building Consent Authority Management report 2020 - A11805196 ⇩

Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting Agenda

15 September 2020

Building Consent Authority Management report

July 2020

Purpose of the report

The purpose of the report is to comply with Regulation 17(5) of the Building (Accreditation of Building Consent Authorities) Regulations 2006, which requires building consent authorities to have a system in place to review its quality assurance systems and to make appropriate changes.

For the year 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 the numbers of Building Consents granted reduced marginally from the previous year

For the 2019/20 year 2255 consents were granted as follows:

This compared with 2384 for the 2018/19 year.

It is interesting to note however that in July 2020 265 consents were granted which is the greatest number of consents processed for any month during 2020 and 2019.

The average days of processing consents for 2019/20 were as follows:

Code Compliance Certificate

For the 2019/20 year, 2485 CCC’s were approved.

CCC’s were issued within the timeframes (20 working days) as follows:

During October/November 2019 the achievement rate reduced as a result of historical CCC’s being processed.

The number of CC’s approved in April 2020 reduced as a result of final inspections unable to be processed as a result of Level 4 lockdown during the pandemic.

Inspection time

Inspection waiting times during the year have fluctuated but have been of concern for the BCA.

Recruitment in the first 6 months of the year was difficult with several recruitment processes resulting in no appointments being made.

We have however recently been able to recruit additional inspectors and have been fortunate in entering into a secondment agreement with Auckland Council to second qualified inspectors to assist.

We have trialled virtual inspections for the straight forward inspections and these will be rolled out late August to assist with waiting times.

Restructure

A minor restructure was proposed which would incorporate a Development Engineering team within the BCA to make a more consistent approach for our stakeholders, this was scheduled to become effective from 13 July 2020.

Staff

Although culture is difficult to measure a great deal of effort has been focussed on developing a strong team culture.

Several staff stepped out of their day jobs to put in 100 % effort to get the BCA into an acceptable place for the IANZ audit.

An independent review was undertaken to review the structure to determine whether it was the most appropriate in view of varying demands placed on staff in particular those in supervisory and senior positions, the consultants interviewed the Supervisors and Team Leaders and reported that the BCA had a very dedicated and committed team who wanted to do a great job. Work is still underway to progress the recommendations contained in the review.

The team were delighted to receive two awards at the Council annual awards ceremony in December 2019 Te Waka Taumata o Tauranga.

The awards were for collaboration across Council and the Community and the Supreme Award for Leadership Collaboration and Resilience.

This was a great achievement for the entire team.

QMS Manual and QA Policies and Procedures

The manual has had an extensive review.

Regulation 10 is the next phase of updating as policies and processes are reviewed and training requirements are identified.

As part of this the supervision policy and procedure will be reviewed to ensure a clear process and guidelines are available for staff to use.

Training

Contractors are used to ensure that competency assessments are kept up to date and that all relevant staff have the necessary competencies to enable them to carry out their duties in a competent manner.

Contractors

Contractors are currently used to provide Building Inspections and processing work to enable the demand in workloads to be maintained at an acceptable level and for the BCA to be able to meet statutory timeframes.

Stakeholder Engagement

A regular monthly newsletter called “Tauranga Toolbox” is sent out to the industry and strong encouragement is given to all those involved in signing up to the newsletter so that the BCA can communicate on all relevant changes to the code, the Building Act or to update processes.

It is a great communication tool for the industry and the BCA has received many compliments regarding content and the fact that there is a willingness to engage.

During the year we have;

Attended Master Builders regular meetings

Regular meetings with Certified Builders

Organised several training sessions

Undertook regular surveys

Audits

During September 2019 the IANZ Audit of the BCA processes and policies took place. It is important to note that the audit took twice as long as normal and there were twice as many people involved from IANZ and MBIE. The BCA maintained its accreditation with several General Non-Compliances being recorded which required to be addressed.

The BCA has a special focus audit from IANZ commencing 11 August 2020 and it is expected to be for 3 days. Although it is a special focus audit it is expected that the auditors will follow up on work that has been progressed since their last visit to ensure statutory compliance.

It was pleasing to note that there is no more reporting required to MBIE on the recommended actions following the Bella Vista development.

Since January 2020 37 processing technical audits, 16 inspection technical audits and 8 system audits have been completed.

Technical audits have been completed on staff and contractors of the BCA. An independent auditor was engaged on a part time contract to undertake system and technical audits, this has proven to be very worthwhile

Continuous improvement

The BCA has identified a number of continuous improvement actions during the internal audit process. Key actions are:

· Updating the BCA Quality manual to ensure it is fit for purpose and it reflects how teams operate.

· Improving the supervision process for technical staff to better reflect what should be checked and assessed to better indicate requirements for competency assessment.

· Improving the identification of organisational training needs.

· Creating a project plan to deal with CCC refusal occurring on 24 months and one day.

· Updating consumer information to ensure it is easily accessible.

· Processes around receiving and checking function.

· Processes around Inspection function.

Forward planning

The BCA continually reviews the future needs of the city in terms of the processing and inspections required for building consents. It is anticipated that the demand for Commercial consents will increase with intensification of the city and the reduction in available land for new builds. To meet the demand effort is being made to increase the competency of staff to be able to meet the demand in the future.

Major Developments

The new Farmers Development which is a flagship development for the city is progressing well. Staff from the BCA have had the opportunity to have a site visit.

There are some large commercial developments planned for Tauriko and staff from the BCA have been involved with pre application meetings so that there is an awareness of future demand and an opportunity to build relationships from the commencement of the project.

Conclusion

The year has been very productive with consent numbers remaining constant.

The IANZ audit took a concentrated effort to prepare for and while accreditation was maintained there were some matters to be reviewed. Many policies and procedures have been reviewed and improved along with comprehensive training plans developed for staff.

The BCA has a strong team who are committed to providing excellent service to the community in addition to ensuring that statutory compliance is maintained.

Ray Day
Manager: Building Consent Services

Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting Agenda

15 September 2020

9.2 New Year's Eve 2020 Delivery Options

File Number: A11673316

Author: Jenna Quay, Events Facilitation Manager

Authoriser: Gareth Wallis, General Manager: Community Services

Purpose of the Report

1. To seek direction on what to deliver for Tauranga’s New Year’s Eve (NYE) community celebrations, taking into consideration the reduced budget set through the recently revised 2020/21 Annual Plan.

Recommendations

That the Projects, Services and Operations Committee:

(a) receives the report “New Year’s Eve 2020 Delivery Options” and EITHER;

(b) cancels the New Year’s Eve midnight fireworks displays across the city, including Waimapu Estuary at 9.30pm and midnight; OR

(c) cancels one of the planned community events (i.e. Tauranga CBD, OR Greerton, OR Matua, OR Mount Maunganui, OR Papamoa) to allow New Year’s Eve 2020 community celebrations to be delivered within the $400K available budget.

Executive Summary

2. Due to the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19, and the need for Council to reprioritise spending through the 2020/21 Annual Plan process, staff recommended to Council a temporary postponement of all NYE 2020 activities, a $494K cost savings.

3. Instead, Council made the decision to reduce the NYE 2020 event budget and associated staff costs from $494K to $400K, and directed staff to continue to deliver a NYE 2020 event.

4. Staff were requested to provide options to the Projects, Services and Operations Committee outlining elements of the event that could be removed temporarily for NYE 2020, to support the required budget reduction. Those options are outlined in this report and a decision is required that will allow NYE 2020 community celebrations to be delivered within the $400K available budget.

Background

5. In 2016, Council recognised that significant change was required to the annual public activities on NYE in Mount Maunganui, to ensure a safer environment and deliver on its duty of care for the community.

6. In an effort to reduce or ideally eliminate the escalating and troubling criminal behaviour, and following engagement with key stakeholders such as the NZ Police, St John and the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Council cancelled the NYE 2016 event and instead focused on implementing safety measures and enhanced city operation services on NYE.

7. Since 2017, positive behavioural change has seen the way the city celebrates NYE successfully re-positioned so that there is no longer the significant safety concerns and/or public disorder and criminal behaviour once experienced.

8. Therefore, Council has progressively reduced its spend on safety and enhanced city operation services, repurposing that budget to introduce alcohol-free, family-friendly community events across the city.

9. Each community event involves a fireworks display at 9.30pm and midnight, with the exception of Greerton where a laser light show concludes the community event due to the horses kept on site at Tauranga Racecourse.

10. In addition to the community event sites, an additional fireworks launch site is located in the Waimapu Estuary to enable viewing from residents homes, where possible, for people in the Welcome Bay, Greerton, Merivale and Gate Pa end of the city. The addition of the Waimapu Estuary site ensures a good geographical spread of fireworks launch sites across the city.

11. In 2017, two community events were delivered by Council (CBD and Papamoa), three in 2018 (Matua added), and four community events were delivered in 2019 (Greerton added). For NYE 2020, Council was planning for and had budgeted to incorporate a fifth community event to be delivered in the Mount Maunganui area (the most viable site operationally being Blake Park).

12. Below are estimated attendance numbers at the previous three NYE events, along with the projected forecast attendance for NYE 2020 events.

Community event location	2017 attendance	2018 attendance	2019 attendance	*2020* attendance (projected)
Papamoa	3,000	2,500	3,500	4,000
Tauranga CBD	1,000	1,500	2,500	2,500
Matua	N/A	2,500	2,500	3,000
Greerton	N/A	N/A	1,000	2,000
Mount Maunganui	N/A	N/A	N/A	3,000
TOTAL (approx.)	4,000	6,500	9,500	*14,500*

13. The forecasted high-level costs for the NYE 2020 event are detailed below:

Expense	Amount
Overheads and enhanced city operations	$100,000
Papamoa community event	$75,000
Mount Maunganui community event	$75,000
Tauranga CBD community event*	$62,000
Greerton community event	$61,000
Matua community event	$75,000
Waimapu Estuary fireworks**	$22,000
TOTAL	$470,000

Note: all line items above (excluding “overheads and enhanced city operations and the Greerton event”) include 9.30pm and midnight fireworks.

* traffic management costs associated with the CBD community event are reflected in the overheads and enhanced city operations budget line.

** fireworks costs only – no community event.

14. The overheads and enhanced city operations budget lines are considered fixed costs. These costs include enhanced city operations and support to the NZ Police and public safety on NYE outside of the event sites in Mount Maunganui and the Tauranga CBD (e.g. security, waste management, temporary lighting, fencing etc.), communications and event marketing costs, and staff costs to plan and deliver the events.

15. After fixed costs have been allocated ($100,000) there is a budget of $300,000 remaining to be allocated to other community-focused activities on NYE 2020.

Options Analysis

16. Option 1: Approve the temporary cancellation of midnight fireworks displays across the city, including the Waimapu Estuary site at both 9:30pm and midnight.

Advantages

Disadvantages

· Budget reduction essentially achieved.

· Less environmental impact from fireworks with the removal of one whole launch site, and the removal of the second pyrotechnics launch at midnight.

· The removal of the Waimapu Estuary site would see a large area of the city unable to see the fireworks displays that many other parts of the city get to enjoy.

· Residents would not see organised fireworks at midnight as has been experienced over previous years.

17. Option 2: Approve the temporary cancellation of one community event.

18. There are advantages and disadvantages of cancellation to each different community event, outlined below (alphabetically) for consideration:

CBD (Tauranga) Community Event

Advantages

Disadvantages

· Budget reduction essentially achieved.

· Community disappointment is likely – the consistent attendance and survey feedback show this is a much-loved event.

· CBD hospitality businesses would not benefit from the event.

· The removal of this fireworks site would see a large area of the city unable to see the fireworks displays that many other parts of the city get to enjoy.

Greerton Community Event

Advantages

Disadvantages

· Budget reduction essentially achieved.

· The 2019 inaugural event had lower attendance so less community impact compared to cancelling one of the other more established NYE events.

· This community does not have many event opportunities compared to other parts of the city.

· The Greerton community will not have a local event to celebrate NYE 2020.

· Based on 2019 feedback and planned future marketing strategies, growth in attendance was expected in 2020.

Matua Community Event

Advantages

Disadvantages

· Budget reduction essentially achieved.

· Community disappointment is likely – the consistent attendance and survey feedback show this is a much-loved event for the residents of Matua and surrounding areas.

· The removal of this fireworks site would see a large area of the city unable to see the fireworks displays that many other parts of the city get to enjoy.

Mount Maunganui Community Event

Advantages

Disadvantages

· Budget reduction essentially achieved.

· The event (and fireworks) would be in its inaugural year therefore it does not have an established following and the majority of the community are not yet aware of the planned event.

· Mount Maunganui residents would not see a Council-delivered NYE community event in 2020.

Papamoa Community Event

Advantages

Disadvantages

· Budget reduction essentially achieved.

· Community disappointment is likely – the consistent attendance and survey feedback show this is a much-loved event for the residents of Papamoa and surrounding areas.

· The removal of this fireworks site would see a large area of the city unable to see the fireworks displays that many other parts of the city get to enjoy.

OTHER / FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

19. COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on events across the country. There is a risk that Tauranga’s NYE 2020 event activity will not be able to proceed if the region is in any alert level other than Alert Level 1. Staff will have a cancellation plan that minimises the financial risk to Council however, it is important to note that there will still be some financial loss if the event is cancelled.

20. At some point, Council might want to consider the overall long-term plan for activities on NYE across the city. For example, in regard to fireworks, Christchurch City Council has recently reviewed its NYE fireworks activity and has opted to include them as part of a new-look Matariki community event held in winter each year, rather than have them anchor NYE events.

21. At the time of writing this report, staff had been approached by a sub-committee of the Mount Maunganui Ratepayers, Residents and Retailers Association (MRRR) with a high-level NYE event concept, proposed to be staged on Mount Maunganui Mainstreet, at Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka, Hopukiore (Mount Drury) and also on Mauao.

22. As part of Council’s standard response to any new event idea, a meeting was organised with a wide variety of relevant Council department representatives. The meeting minutes are attached (see Attachment 1).

23. At present, Council staff cannot realistically support (or deliver) an event of this size, scale and nature, in the locations suggested, in particular because:

(a) the approximately four months until NYE 2020 is not a realistic amount of time to organise an event of this size and scale, particularly in the locations suggested, and to engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the overall safety and success of the event;

(b) there are currently no staff or contractors engaged by Council to deliver an event of this complexity or scale;

(c) NZ Police have stated that the event concept received from the MRRR is not yet at the required level of detail for them to partake in the event feasibility process;

(d) staff are not confident an event of this size and scale, in this particular location and on NYE could be delivered within the parameters of the entire current NYE budget of $400K. However, at this point, undertaking detailed budget scoping would prove difficult based on the information that has been presented to Council to date;

(e) there is significant risk that the relevant consents needed for this proposed event would not be able to be obtained in time for the event to proceed; and

(f) there would be risk and potential liability for Council under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

24. As an alternative, staff have offered to incorporate MRRR feedback into planning for the alcohol-free, family-friendly community event that Council is planning to deliver at Blake Park, subject to funding being made available for this NYE 2020 community event.

Strategic / Statutory Context

25. The decision aligns with the responsibilities of the Projects, Services and Operations Committee as per the outcome of recent Annual Plan deliberations.

26. There are no strategic or statutory issues in relation to this matter however, this issue is seen as of medium significance due to the potential public interest, and is a moderate change in the way the activity usually operates.

Financial Considerations

27. As per the adoption of the revised 2020/21 Annual Plan, the opex budget to deliver the NYE 2020 event has been reduced from $494,000 to $400,000 (a reduction of $94,000).

28. After reviewing the NYE 2020 budget, staff have identified approximately $24,000 in savings of the required $94,000. Therefore, a further approximately $70,000 savings is required and both Option 1 and Option 2 essentially achieve this outcome.

Legal Implications / Risks

29. Council has a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 to ensure the health and safety of all event participants, spectators, event staff, contractors, subcontractors, volunteers and any persons legally entitled to be at or in the vicinity of the event site. The options proposed would still provide staff with the confidence to deliver on these requirements.

Consultation / Engagement

30. Council undertakes targeted engagement via a satisfaction survey with event participants at each of the NYE community events. Staff will also liaise with mainstreet organisations in the appropriate areas during the NYE 2020 planning process.

31. This year Council staff will also work with the MRRR subcommittee to incorporate any feedback into planning for the Mount Maunganui NYE community event, subject to funding being made available to support delivery of the event.

Significance

32. Under the Significance and Engagement Policy 2014, the matter of the NYE 2020 event delivery decision is of “medium” significance as it has the potential for public interest and a moderate change in the way the activity operates.

Click here to view the TCC Significance and Engagement Policy

Next Steps

33. Once the decision is made on what to deliver within the available budget, staff will re-commence their planning for the NYE 2020 event.

Attachments

1. New Event Feasibility - New Year's Eve 2020 - Meeting Minutes - 01.09.2020 - A11822963 ⇩


AGENDA Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting Tuesday, 15 September 2020
I hereby give notice that a Projects, Services and Operations Committee Meeting will be held on:
Date:	Tuesday, 15 September 2020
Time:	9.30am
Location:	Tauranga City Council Council Chambers 91 Willow Street Tauranga
Please note that this meeting will be livestreamed and the recording will be publicly available on Tauranga City Council's website: www.tauranga.govt.nz.
Marty Grenfell Chief Executive

Chairperson	Cr Kelvin Clout
Deputy chairperson	Cr Jako Abrie
Members	Mayor Tenby Powell Cr Larry Baldock Cr Bill Grainger Cr Andrew Hollis Cr Heidi Hughes Cr Dawn Kiddie Cr Steve Morris Cr John Robson Cr Tina Salisbury
	Emily Gudsell – Tangata Whenua representative
Quorum	Half of the members physically present, where the number of members (including vacancies) is even; and a majority of the members physically present, where the number of members (including vacancies) is odd
Meeting frequency	Six weekly