Agenda of Ordinary Council Meeting - Thursday, 24 March 2022

UNCONFIRMED Ordinary Council meeting Minutes

8 February 2022

MINUTES

Ordinary Council meeting

Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Order of Business

1 Opening karakia. 3

2 Apologies. 4

3 Public Forum.. 4

3.1 Golf Road Reserve partial reclassification - Submitters Allan Goodhall, Rob Paterson, Margaret Bowditch, Renee McMillan. 4

3.2 Poteriwhi/Parau Farms - Submitters Mary Dillon, Greg Brownless. 6

4 Acceptance of late items. 6

4.1 Annual Plan 2022/23 – Community Grant Fund. 6

5 Confidential business to be transferred into the open. 6

6 Change to the order of business. 6

7 Confirmation of Minutes. 6

7.1 Minutes of the Council meeting held on 15 November 2021. 6

8 Declaration of conflicts of interest 7

9 Deputations, Presentations, Petitions. 7

Nil

10 Recommendations from Other Committees. 7

Nil

11 Business. 7

11.1 Golf Road Reserve - Submissions on Proposed Partial Reclassification. 7

11.2 Poteriwhi (Parau Farms) - Consultation Outcomes. 8

11.3 2023 Annual Plan Issues and Options: Spaces and Places. 9

11.4 Tsunami Sirens. 10

11.5 Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee Terms of Reference. 12

11.6 Traffic & Parking Bylaw update No. 33. 12

11.7 Annual Plan 2022/2023 – Community Grant Fund. 12

12 Discussion of Late Items. 13

13 Public excluded session. 13

13.1 Public Excluded Minutes of the Council meeting held on 15 November 2021. 14

13.2 Exemption to open competition - Te Maunga Upgrade Programme physical Works. 14

13.3 Variation to Contract for Communications Services for Cameron Road Stage 1. 14

13.4 The Sale of Pitau Road village and Hinau Street Village - Disposal Classification. 14

14 Closing karakia. 15

MINUTES OF Tauranga City Council

Ordinary Council meeting

HELD AT THE Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga

ON Tuesday, 8 February 2022 AT 10.30am

PRESENT: Commission Chair Anne Tolley, Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston, Commissioner Stephen Selwood, Commissioner Bill Wasley

IN ATTENDANCE: Marty Grenfell (Chief Executive), Paul Davidson (General Manager: Corporate Services), Barbara Dempsey (General Manager: Regulatory & Compliance), Tony Aitken (Acting General Manager: People & Engagement), Nic Johansson (General Manager: Infrastructure), Christine Jones (General Manager: Strategy & Growth), Gareth Wallis (General Manager: Community Services), Ross Hudson (Team Leader: Planning), Cheryl Steiner (Consultant: Spaces and Places), Andy Mead (Manager: City & Infrastructure Planning), Angela Martin (Contractor), Paul Dunphy (Director of Spaces & Places), Warren Aitken (Team Leader: Environment), Ana Hancock (Senior Project Manager), Mark Armistead (Principal Urban Forester), Paula Naude (Manager: Emergency Management), Brendan Bisley (Director of Transport), Anne Blakeway (Manager: Community Partnerships), Richard Butler (Funding Specialist), Ceilidh Dunphy (Manager: Community Relations), Coral Hair (Manager: Democracy Services), Sarah Drummond (Committee Advisor), Anahera Dinsdale (Committee Advisor)

1 Opening Karakia

Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston opened the meeting with a karakia.

Presentation – stephen burton, 25 years’ service

Commission Chair Anne Tolley, on behalf of the Council, congratulated Stephen Burton on 25 years’ service and thanked him for his long service and valued contribution to the city and the community. Stephen joined Tauranga City Council in 1997 and under his leadership, and thanks to the capability and capacity that he had built up within City Waters over the years, Tauranga was recognised as having one of the best council water services in the country.

Commissioner Tolley stated that Stephen's professionalism, leadership, sector experience and in-depth knowledge of the waters industry were reasons why the Department of Internal Affairs shoulder-tapped him to assist with the planning and implementation of the Three Waters Reforms. Stephen was currently on secondment with the Department of Internal Affairs as their Workstream Lead: Operations; and the Commission was pleased that Stephen, along with his wife Debbie, were able to be present at the meeting.

Nic Johansson (General Manager: Infrastructure) presented Stephen with gifts on behalf of the Council, including a signed paddle and framed map which showed how the network had grown over the past 25 years.

Stephen stated that it had been an amazing journey and seeing the network changes over 25 years graphically presented to him highlighted the billon dollars in assets that had been built to service the country’s fastest growing city. He thanked the colleagues, contractors, consultants and tangata whenua representatives he had worked with over the years.

2 Apologies

Nil

3 Public Forum

3.1 Golf Road Reserve partial reclassification - Submitters Allan Goodhall, Rob Paterson, Margaret Bowditch, Renee McMillan

Allan Goodhall

· Mr Goodhall stated his submission had taken a neutral position on the establishment of the Playcentre as his concerns related to the process .

· Requested that the decision be deferred until a full review of the opportunities and potential other users of the site could be completed. Potential synergies could be made with other users such as a community garden, beach volleyball and others who may have an interest in using the reserve.

· Requested that further investigations also included parking for overnight campers, the rescue centre, and the overflow from the Fairway Lodge.

· Traffic volumes had increased dramatically and the ingress and egress from the reserve was dangerous, particularly turning right onto Oceanbeach Road, and this needed to be considered.

· The delay would provide time to get it right for generations to come. The reserve had been in place since 1952 and the long term leases were in place to 2050.

· Doing this in a piecemeal fashion was not the best way.

Margaret Bowditch

Tabled Item 1.

· Ms Bowditch lived adjacent to the Golf Road Reserve and her concern was that insufficient consideration had been given to the best use of the reserve as a whole following the closure of the bowling club.

· The relocation of the Playcentre appeared to be ad-hoc rather than looking at the site in its entirety, and this appeared to be driven by potential unquantified loss of third-party funding and pressure for alternative use at its existing site.

· Suggested the key new building on the reserve open and its impacts assessed, and determine up front the community demand for the type of recreational space the reserve could provide.

· Once the Playcentre building was there, options would be narrowed.

· The City Plan zoned the Golf Road Reserve as Active Open Space which allowed for buildings potentially five stories high. Ms Bowditch believed this was inappropriate for the site and neighbourhood and was concerned if that type of building could be built in the future.

· The Reserve Management Plan status was Active Reserve which was primarily used for organised sport. This category would have been based on the existence of the bowls and bridge club but that was no longer relevant.

· Consideration should be given to re-designating the Reserve from Active Reserve to Neighbourhood Reserve, which recognised the need for space for casual recreation in increasingly densely populated areas.

· There were too many unanswered questions and Ms Bowditch did not consider the Council had been provided with enough information to make a good decision on the community’s behalf.

· Proposed that the Council did not approve reclassification of 1000 m² of Golf Road Reserve and did not agree with proceeding to the detailed design for the Playcentre building.

· Suggested a more comprehensive analysis of the whole site’s current and future use to reduce the potential of sub optimal outcomes for Omanu and the wider Mt Maunganui communities.

Renee Smith, Rita Tunstin (Life Member) and Emily Bailey (President) on behalf of Mount Maunganui Playcentre

Tabled Item 2.

· Renee Smith spoke on behalf of the Mount Maunganui Playcentre (Playcentre) and introduced Rita Tunstin, a Life Member, and President Emily Bailey.

· The Playcentre asked the Council to accept the staff recommendations to reclassify a 1000 m²portion of Golf Road Reserve and enter into a long term lease with the Playcentre.

· The Playcentre had been told it needed to relocate from Blake Park and had a long-standing commitment that the Council would relocate the Playcentre to an alternative site.

· After 16 years of grappling to find an alternative site, with no viable options, the Golf Road Reserve had become available. In 2021 the Commissioners approved in principle the reclassification of the Reserve to enable their relocation.

· The support of Council and staff during this reclassification process was acknowledged and the members were grateful for their work to progress the project.

· Golf Road Reserve was an ideal location for the Playcentre as it was located in the heart of the Mount Maunganui community and central to their families. The site was currently vacant; flat with existing services; had existing vehicle access and off-street parking; existing community use. Their proposal would be similar in character, scale and intensity and the Management Plan direction was to consider using part of the site for buildings for community organisations.

· The Playcentre would be an appropriate use of the Reserve and, in 17 years, no other reserve in the Mount had ticked these boxes.

· The Playcentre proposed to build an architecturally designed single storey building behind the Surf Live Saving Club that was currently under construction. The building would be small in scale at 169 m² and would be residential in character. The outdoor area would be landscaped and would include an outdoor play space.

· The Playcentre was confident that their design, hours of operation and nature of the activity would integrate well within the surrounding environment and cause minimal impact on the area.

· The Playcentre was keen to establish relationships with neighbours and other park users and had done so at Blake Park.

· They were aware of the matters raised in submissions, and considered the high level of community support showed there was a wide recognition of the importance of Playcentre to the community.

· The feedback from Ngāti Kuku and Ngāi Tūkairangi was acknowledged.

· The unique nature of Playcentre was outlined; it was fully run by their members who volunteered to take on roles and became a community for their families.

· Their centre was popular and thriving, with over 90 families and 120 children attending.

· If the decision was not made today, they felt strongly that the continued operation of their Playcentre was at risk and external funding of $560,000 would be lost as it was time restricted. This would be a huge loss for the community.

· The reclassification would ensure the needs of the Mount Maunganui community would be met by enabling a long-standing early childhood education centre and community asset to continue to operate.

In response to questions

In regard to the number of carparks that would be required, the members had been surveyed to determine how many would take vehicles and require car parks - 65% stated they would likely drive to the new centre and 35% would walk or cycle. This translated into 13-14 carparks per session. The maximum capacity was 30 children at any session and the adult/child ratio was 1:5 but the ratio was typically lower.

A copy of the tabled documents for this item can be viewed on Tauranga City Council’s website in the Minutes Attachments document for this meeting.

3.2 Poteriwhi/Parau Farms - Submitters Mary Dillon, Greg Brownless

· Ms Dillon stated that the Council’s Vital Signs survey indicated that over 70% of respondents wanted to protect greenspaces, waterways, harbours, and beaches and put the environment first. It was within this context that her submission was made.

· All the large reserves in the city were under threat and should be kept for the public to enjoy permanently.

· This was a prime piece of land in Bethlehem and should be kept for the public to enjoy.

· Inevitably housing on the land would privatise the space.

· Parau Farms had a long history, with which Ms Dillon had been involved as a councillor, and her understanding was that the land was sold as the owners believed it would be kept as green space.

· The growth of the city required more recreational space, not just sports fields.

· For the city’s sake Ms Dillon urged the Council to keep the open green space and protect the biodiversity of the site for the wellbeing of the people and the environment.

4 Acceptance of late items

4.1 Annual Plan 2022/23 – Community Grant Fund

Resolution CO1/22/1

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the late tabled report “Annual Plan 2022/23 – Community Grant Fund” be accepted and considered at this meeting, as the report cannot be delayed until a later meeting as the matter is required to be considered in time to be included in the Draft Annual Plan 2022-23 that will go out for public consultation.

Carried

5 Confidential business to be transferred into the open

Nil

6 Change to the order of business

Nil

7 Confirmation of Minutes

7.1 Minutes of the Council meeting held on 15 November 2021

Resolution CO1/22/2

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 15 November 2021 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Carried

8 Declaration of conflicts of interest

Nil

9 Deputations, Presentations, Petitions

Nil

10 Recommendations from Other Committees

Nil

11 Business

11.1 Golf Road Reserve - Submissions on Proposed Partial Reclassification

Staff Ross Hudson, Team Leader: Planning

External Cheryl Steiner, Consultant (Spaces and Places)

In response to questions

· Future uses of the bowling club building were being explored; however, the building was not in good condition. There had been some interest expressed in using the building and the sustainability of its use would be part of the considerations.

· There was a process to undertake regarding the alternative uses of the site.

· Carparking was the biggest issue raised by those who strongly disagreed with the proposal. Beca had been engaged to undertake an assessment of the Reserve’s on-site parking requirements, access, and traffic impacts generated by the planned and potential land use on the balance of the site. Having this work completed now, rather than waiting until the use of the balance land was determined, would provide advice for on-site design regarding access and parking with the Playcentre and assist with future decision making.

· The Playcentre demand for carparking was most likely to be less than the impacts from activities already on the site. The Beca report would be available within two weeks.

· The timing of the Playcentre activity was complementary to other uses on the site.

· The reserve was classified as an “Active Reserve” under the Reserve Management Plan and the Playcentre use was consistent with the management statements that described the uses under this classification. It was the underlying classification, in the Reserves Act, that was not consistent and did not fit the education facility use.

· The use of the carpark by other users, such as the Fairway Lodge and neighbours, was not formalised, and the carpark was not actively managed. The wider parking strategy would in the future look to have a parking management plan for this area.

Discussion points raised

· The Playcentre was considered a valuable community facility and would provide a complementary use of the reserve.

· The Playcentre had been trying for 17 years to find an alternative site and deserved to be given certainty.

Resolution CO1/22/3

Moved: Commission Chair Anne Tolley

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(a) Receives the Golf Road Reserve – Submissions on Proposed Partial Reclassification report and attachments.

(b) Approves the partial reclassification of 1000m² of Golf Road Reserve from recreation reserve to local purpose (community building) reserve pursuant to section 24 of the Reserves Act 1977 and acknowledges that as a matter of process, a further Council resolution is required to confirm this upon completion of the survey plan.

(c) Approves for the Mount Maunganui Playcentre to be located at Golf Road Reserve, and to commence detailed design and lease negotiations.

(d) Requests staff to advance plans for the future use of the remainder of the Golf Road Reserve within three months.

Carried

11.2 Poteriwhi (Parau Farms) - Consultation Outcomes

Staff Andy Mead, Manager: City & Infrastructure Planning

Carlo Ellis, Manager: Strategic Māori Engagement

External Angela Martin, Contractor

Tabled Item 3 – Submission, Rob Paterson.

Key points

· It was recommended that the late submission from Rob Paterson, tabled at the meeting, be accepted.

· The submissions received generally opposed the proposal for Pōteriwhi (Parau Farms) to be used for housing development. Common themes had been identified and responded to in the report.

· Further input from mana whenua was recommended prior to a decision on the proposal being made by Council.

In response to questions

· The land shaded in yellow on page 45 of the agenda was low-lying and flood plain land close to the Wairoa River that was unsuitable for housing development and was not considered for disposal. It had potential to be developed as sports fields, as Bethlehem College had developed sports fields on a similar type of land. Currently it was considered passive reserve and available for stormwater management. The freshwater management reforms also needed to be factored into any development of this land.

· While the potential for sports fields on this land was part of the story, it was not the key aspect of the consultation and may not be fully understood in the community.

Discussion points raised

· Submitters’ concerns were valid and did need to be addressed, including transportation access, what the land would look like, and how the proposal would provide for green spaces and reserves.

· Submitters had argued that incremental decisions made without understanding the overall strategy for green space across the City, and within Bethlehem, was not the best approach.

· It was agreed that a greater strategic approach to projects was required, as these impacted on current and future generations.

· Accelerating the Reserves Strategy development would assist with the decision-making process around housing development to meet the critical demand for housing in Tauranga.

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

Resolution CO1/22/4

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(a) Receives the submissions lodged during the consultation period 15 November to 15 December 2021 on the proposal to sell Pōteriwhi (Parau Farms).

(b) Agrees to receive the late submission from Sport Bay of Plenty, lodged on 22 December 2021 and the late submission from Rob Paterson, received on 8 February 2022.

(c) Notes a further report will be brought to Council seeking a decision on whether the land should be disposed of for housing development once mana whenua feedback and input has been received.

Carried

11.3 2023 Annual Plan Issues and Options: Spaces and Places

Staff Paul Dunphy, Director of Spaces & Places

Warren Aitken, Team Leader: Environment

Ana Hancock, Senior Project Manager

Mark Armistead, Principal Urban Forester

In response to questions

· Certainty around the amount of external funding for the Omanawa Falls project was subject to gaining a resource consent. The amount of external funding would be known by the time Council’s annual plan was adopted. The full amount of the project was requested to be included in the annual plan at this stage, but would be refined prior to the annual plan being adopted.

· The mulching applied to any area that was actively mowed, which included parks and reserves and streets such as Cameron Road and Maunganui Road.

· The contractors’ delays in the Farmers project at Elizabeth Street were impacting on the Council’s cost and timeframes. Staff were negotiating with the contractors, and Farmers was also in conversation with the contractors. This involved going through the numbers in detail with quantity surveyors.

· A contingency of 12.5% was calculated on the cost to complete the work. Staff were waiting to hear from Farmers when they anticipated finishing so that Council could begin working in the space they were currently occupying.

Discussion points raised

· Keen to explore how Council could externally fund ongoing operational costs of the Omanawa Falls platforms as well as capital expenditure.

· Delighted to see the increase in the level of service with the mulching around trees.

· The contractors’ delays in the Farmers project were costing the ratepayers, which did not seem fair, and was causing further disruption to traffic.

Resolution CO1/22/5

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report ‘2023 Annual Plan Issues and Options – Spaces and Places’.

Issue 1: Omanawa Falls

(b) Approves underwriting an additional $2.72 million over what is budgeted to fund the full scope of the project.

(c) Notes that officers are in the process of seeking funding from potential partners, including the potential for revenue from tourism operations, which if successful will reduce the rates impact.

Carried

Resolution CO1/22/6

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

Issue 2: Destination skate park

(d) Increases the project budget by $1.38m, to a total of $2.05m, to facilitate the desired outcome of delivering a destination skatepark in 2023.

Carried

Resolution CO1/22/7

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Issue 3: Mulching around trees

(e) Increases the operational budget by $175,000 in FY 2023, and $140,000 per annum from FY 2024 onwards, to support a higher level of service for tree mulching.

Carried

Resolution CO1/22/8

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Issue 4: Elizabeth Street Streetscape Upgrade

(f) Approves increasing the project budget by $575,000 to ensure there is adequate contingency for the delayed programme.

(g) Defers $174,847 to Streetscape budget from FY 2022 to FY 2023.

Carried

11.4 Tsunami Sirens

Staff Paula Naude, Manager: Emergency Management

Barbara Dempsey, General Manager: Regulatory and Compliance

Key points

· A targeted tsunami awareness project was delivered over the December/January period. It sought to educate the community on its own role in preparing for, responding to, and surviving a tsunami.

· The messaging was well received and there was good saturation. A further report was due which would formalise the feedback from the tsunami ambassadors.

· It was concerning that some people thought the Council had sirens in place.

· The Emergency Management team would continue to educate the public and raise public awareness with regards to tsunami preparedness; this would form part of its business as usual.

· Consultation on tsunami sirens would form part of the annual plan.

In response to questions

· A national tsunami working group was looking to provide consistent messaging throughout the country and was modelling base evacuation routes e.g. single blue line. However, until that was up and running, the current yellow, orange and red maps for tsunami zones were still relevant.

· Further work was needed around the safe zones and signage for tsunami evacuation routes, especially in Papamoa East where there had been significant further development since the signage was installed.

· The community working group, established in October 2021, would continue as it had helped identify vulnerable communities.

· It was recommended that consultation with the community on all issues around tsunami sirens formed part of the Annual Plan.

· The over-reliance on tsunami sirens could result in significantly higher fatalities. The most devastating tsunami would be the one closest to New Zealand that could take between 50-60 minutes to arrive after the initial quake. It could take 40-75 minutes to issue an evacuation order. In this scenario the earthquake was still the most reliable warning sign for people to self-evacuate.

· Lessons from the Japan tsunami showed survival rates were higher among communities that self-evacuated rather than those who waited for an official warning to be issued.

· Earthquakes that may not be felt, but could result in a tsunami, would be generated from much further away and this would provide enough time for GNS to issue a warning and for evacuation to occur through the usual channels.

· Emergency mobile alerting (EMA) was a method for government agencies to warn at risk communities of events that threatened people and property. This also triggered the Red Cross hazard app which could still be activated when there was no mobile coverage. These were supported by a range of other alerting systems including radio, TV, social media etc.

· If sirens were introduced, these would be activated at the same time as the EMA.

· Emergency Management Bay of Plenty was initiating a two-year tsunami readiness programme and Emergency Management Tauranga City Council would be collaborating on that project.

Discussion points raised

· Consultation with the community on all issues around tsunami sirens would be undertaken as part of the Annual Plan consultation.

· The community working group was acknowledged and thanked for their work.

Resolution CO1/22/9

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report – Tsunami Sirens.

(b) Supports Emergency Management Tauranga City Council continuing to educate the public and raise public awareness with regards to tsunami preparedness.

Carried

11.5 Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee Terms of Reference

Staff Brendan Bisley, Director of Transport

Resolution CO1/22/10

Moved: Commission Chair Anne Tolley

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report “Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee Terms of Reference”.

(b) Confirms that the Joint Committee established in December 2021 by Tauranga City Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (to set the strategic and operational direction for an integrated public transport system for Tauranga City) be named the Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee.

(c) Adopts the Terms of Reference for the Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee in Attachment 1 and delegates the role and powers to, and sets the quorum for, the Joint Committee as specified therein.

(d) Confirms the appointment of Commission Chair Anne Tolley as the Chairperson and Councillor Andrew von Dadelszen as the Deputy Chairperson of the Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee.

(e) Notes that these appointments for Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, along with the associated administrative support, will be rotated between the two partner councils on an annual basis, starting with Tauranga City Council in 2022.

Carried

11.6 Traffic & Parking Bylaw update No. 33

Staff Brendan Bisley, Director of Transport

The Commissioners thanked Brendan for his presentation to the Links Avenue community on the trial results.

Resolution CO1/22/11

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the Traffic and Parking Bylaw 2012 Amendments Report.

(b) Adopts the proposed amendments to the Traffic and Parking Bylaw 2012 Attachment as per Appendix B, effective from 9 February 2022.

Carried

11.7 Annual Plan 2022/2023 – Community Grant Fund

Staff Gareth Wallis, General Manager: Community Services

Anne Blakeway, Manager: Community Partnerships

Richard Butler, Funding Specialist

Key points

· The Long-Term Plan set up a budget of $1.81 million per annum for community grants and partnership agreements. Over one third of this budget ($596,000 in 2022-23) was already committed to two established and significant arts and culture partnership agreements (the Incubator and the Elms). This meant that the total amount of funding available and contestable for new partnership arrangements and community grants was approximately $1.2 million.

· This had created frustration among community organisations that funding was not effectively available.

· To meet the demand for community grants and new partnerships, it was recommended that an additional budget of $596,000 in 2022-23 be added to the Community Grant Fund.

In response to questions

· The previous funding for partnerships had been on a fixed term basis, and the money in the previous Long-Term Plan had finished and had not been rolled over into the community grant fund.

Discussion points raised

· Preferred to have longer term relationships with organisations that helped the Council drive the issues and outcomes that the Council was seeking.

· Needed to develop parameters around what strategic partnerships were and how they were to be funded.

· Requested a further report on the approach to identifying and funding strategic partnerships and separating this from a community grants process.

Resolution CO1/22/12

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report “Annual Plan 2022/2023 – Community Grant Fund.

Carried

12 Discussion of Late Items

Considered as part of business at Item 11.7.

13 Public excluded session

RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Resolution CO1/22/13

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting.

The general subject matter of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

General subject of each matter to be considered	Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter	Ground(s) under section 48 for the passing of this resolution
13.1 - Public Excluded Minutes of the Council meeting held on 15 November 2021	s7(2)(a) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(g) - The withholding of the information is necessary to maintain legal professional privilege s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7
13.2 - Exemption to open competition - Te Maunga Upgrade Programme physical Works	s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7
13.3 - Variation to Contract for Communications Services for Cameron Road Stage 1	s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7
13.4 - The Sale of Pitau Road village and Hinau Street Village - Disposal Classification	s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7

Carried

14 Closing Karakia

Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston closed the meeting with a karakia.

The meeting closed at 1:55 pm.

The minutes of this meeting were confirmed as a true and correct record at the Ordinary Council meeting held on 24 March 2022.

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

CHAIRPERSON

UNCONFIRMED Ordinary Council meeting Minutes

21 February 2022

MINUTES

Ordinary Council meeting

Monday, 21 February 2022

Order of Business

1 Opening karakia. 3

2 Apologies. 3

3 Public Forum.. 3

4 Acceptance of late items. 3

5 Confidential business to be transferred into the open. 3

6 Change to the order of business. 4

7 Confirmation of Minutes. 4

Nil

8 Declaration of conflicts of interest 4

9 Deputations, Presentations, Petitions. 4

Nil

10 Recommendations from Other Committees. 4

Nil

11 Business. 4

11.1 Draft Annual Plan 2022/2023. 4

11.2 2022/2023 - Draft User Fees and Charges. 5

11.3 Proposed 2022/23 Development Contributions Policy. 6

11.4 Annual Plan - Rating Policy Proposals. 7

11.5 Long-term Plan Amendment Update. 8

11.6 Civic Precinct Options for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment Consultation. 10

12 Discussion of Late Items. 11

13 Public excluded session. 11

13.1 TCC's Infrastructure Funding and Financing proposals - TSP and Tauriko West 12

14 Closing karakia. 12

MINUTES OF Tauranga City Council

Ordinary Council meeting

HELD AT THE Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga

ON Monday, 21 February 2022 AT 10am

PRESENT: Commission Chair Anne Tolley, Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston, Commissioner Stephen Selwood, Commissioner Bill Wasley

IN ATTENDANCE: Marty Grenfell (Chief Executive), Tony Aitken (Acting General Manager: People & Engagement), Paul Davidson (General Manager: Corporate Services), Barbara Dempsey (General Manager: Regulatory & Compliance), Nic Johansson (General Manager: Infrastructure), Christine Jones (General Manager: Strategy & Growth), Gareth Wallis (General Manager: Community Services), Jeremy Boase (Manager: Strategy and Corporate Planning), Andrew Mead (Manager: City and Infrastructure Planning), Alastair McNeil (Manager: Legal and Commercial), Ceilidh Dunphy (Community Relations Manager), Tracey Hughes (Financial Insights & Reporting Manager), Kathryn Sharplin (Manager: Finance), Ben Corbett (Team Leader: Growth Funding), Ana Blackwood (Development Contributions Policy Analyst), Malcolm Gibb (Project Manager – Rating Review), Jim Taylor (Transactional Services Manager), Frazer Smith (Manager: Strategic Finance & Growth), Mike Naude (Programme Manager - Civic Redevelopment Projects), Coral Hair (Manager: Democracy Services), Robyn Garrett (Team Leader: Committee Support), Sarah Drummond (Committee Advisor), Anahera Dinsdale (Committee Advisor)

1 Opening Karakia

Commissioner Shad Rolleston opened the meeting with a karakia.

2 Apologies

Nil

3 Public Forum

Nil

4 Acceptance of late items

Nil

5 Confidential business to be transferred into the open

Nil

6 Change to the order of business

The transfer of the Infrastructure Funding and Financing proposals paper from the open to public excluded agenda for the meeting was noted, with the paper to be considered in public excluded session for the reason of ongoing commercial negotiations with Crown partners. The paper would be included in the open session of the next Council meeting.

7 Confirmation of Minutes

Nil

8 Declaration of conflicts of interest

Nil

9 Deputations, Presentations, Petitions

Nil

10 Recommendations from Other Committees

Nil

11 Business

11.1 Draft Annual Plan 2022/2023

Staff Kathryn Sharplin, Manager: Finance

Key points

· The draft budget was previously presented in December. There was a 13% overall rates rise proposed; the 12% rise indicated in the Long-term Plan was based on a 2.9% inflation assumption.

· Subsequent decisions made on items to include in the budget had been taken into account; the deliverability of capital projects had been reviewed and any re-costing required considered.

· Noted the reduced capital programme delivery figure for 2022/23.

In response to questions

· The 76/24 split between the residential and commercial sectors was retained; however, that split would not necessarily be retained for ever. This should be clearly signalled to the commercial sector.

· Very few charges were taking into account the current rate of inflation therefore costs were moving into rates. Water rates had allowed for an increase above the rate of inflation but were still below other metro water charges. If charges did not keep up with inflation, then a gap was created which a future council would need to address with a big jump in fees. Important to keep an overall balance so that fees and charges did not require a top up from general rates.

· $55m had been moved into the subsequent financial year for capital delivery. The difficulty of forecasting the cash flow for land purchases was noted; it was treated almost like a holding fund which was adjusted as necessary between financial years.

· External funding would be sought for Omanawa Falls development with the budget adjusted as funding was achieved.

Resolution CO3/22/1

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report ‘Draft Annual Plan 2022/2023’.

Carried

Report recommendations (b) – (d) were left to lie until the end of meeting to allow the inclusion of any changes made to budget figures during the meeting. The following resolutions were put after consideration of the other meeting business:

Resolution CO3/22/2

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(b) Approves the 2022/23 capital programme of $304 million.

(c) Approves the high-level financials in this report as the baseline for the draft 2022/23 Annual Plan with an overall rate increase of 13% after growth, subject to confirmation of user fees including volumetric water charges.

(d) Resolutions (b) and (c) be reflected in a draft Annual Plan Consultation Document for approval by Council on 24 March 2022.

Carried

11.2 2022/2023 - Draft User Fees and Charges

Staff Kathryn Sharplin, Manager: Finance

Key points

· The rising rate of inflation would put pressure on the cost of activities. The large activities that had most impact had been closely considered with proposed significant fee increases for the airport and car parking activities.

· Factoring in a higher inflation rate assumption e.g. 5% could be considered.

In response to questions

· The marginal increases of Beachside Holiday Park fees were noted; some charges such as the peak time charge for cabins seemed relatively low. Fees would be reconsidered and reported back at a subsequent meeting.

· Building inspections were charged out on a 0.75 hourly rate as the average inspection took 45 minutes.

· An across-the-board review of proposed fees and charges in terms of the current rate of inflation was suggested. Likely only a modest impact on revenue but noted the principle of fees keeping pace with inflation.

· Noted that Tauranga City Council water rates were significantly less than those charged in other cities; given the city’s need for water restrictions, a progressive increase in water charges was suggested. Options of rainwater/stormwater collection could be considered but the bottleneck had generally been with provision of treated water back to the city rather than collection of water; however, with the recent decline in source streams, a wider review of water demand and supply was being undertaken jointly with Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Water provision needed to be considered in terms of sustainability as well as from an engineering perspective.

Resolution CO3/22/3

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report, 2022/2023 - Draft User Fees and Charges.

(b) Leaves the approval of the draft user fees and charges (as set out in Attachment 1) for inclusion in the supporting information for consultation on the 2022/23 Annual Plan to lie until the subsequent Council meeting on 28 March 2022.

Carried

11.3 Proposed 2022/23 Development Contributions Policy

Staff Andrew Mead, Manager: City and Infrastructure Planning

Ana Blackwood, Development Contributions Policy Analyst

Key points

· The report outlined proposed changes to the Development Contributions Policy; the policy would come back to Council in March for adoption for consultation.

· There were minor changes to local development contributions and more significant changes to citywide development contributions, due to development contributions now being able to be collected for several types of community facility infrastructure.

· A 15% increase in citywide development contributions was proposed; this was significant but slightly less than had been signalled to the development and building sectors.

In response to questions

· The policy aimed to provide equity regarding who paid for what in the city, and to ensure that growth paid for growth as much as possible.

· Risks around the rising cost of projects was being mitigated with increased risk and contingency allowances in the capital project costing model; only foregone costs could not be recovered, as soon as updated project costs were received then development contributions could also be updated. Staff were confident that the project management structure and framework being established was as robust and disciplined as possible; while not a safeguard as such against increased costs it provided a good framework for analysis and review. Any material changes would come back to Council, particularly around cost increases.

· West Bethlehem development contributions were subsidised to provide certainty to the market and to ensure development was enabled; development contributions were a significant barrier for multi-owned Māori land.

· Clarification was provided around Council’s ability to collect development contributions on reserves developed due to intensification and upgrading amenity such as trees and green spaces.

· National averages were taken into account when levels of service figures were determined for development of community facilities. Growth should only pay for a portion of growth – the need to be very clear on the apportionment and calculations of level of service to ensure integrity and transparency in collection of appropriate development contributions was noted.

· Clear and comprehensive communication was required with developers, builders and home buyers. A monthly newsletter was sent out by council’s planning team to planners and developers which they were encouraged to share with prospective customers. There had been direct communication with some building companies; social media had also been utilised to try to bring possible costs to the attention of people considering building.

· The Annual Plan consultation document would include a section on future changes to the policy.

Discussion points raised

· The commissioners noted the thoroughness and readability of the report.

Resolution CO3/22/4

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives this report; and

(b) Approves the proposed changes to the operative Development Contributions Policy and incorporate changes into the Draft 2022/23 Development Contribution Policy for public consultation.

Carried

11.4 Annual Plan - Rating Policy Proposals

Staff Paul Davidson, General Manager: Corporate Services

Malcolm Gibb, Project Manager – Rating Review

Jim Taylor, Transactional Services Manager

Kathryn Sharplin, Manager: Finance

External Fraser Colegrave, Insight Economics

Tabled Document 1.

Key points

· An increase in commercial rates would be phased in over a two-year period. This was based on the analysis of transportation costs undertaken by Insight Economics, and would bring the rates allocation into line with the 50/50 benefit split of transportation between the commercial and residential sectors.

· The commercial ratepayer group spanned a wide variety of business interests; however, there was not significant enough variation within the commercial category to justify splitting up the rate more than simply between residential and commercial. Noted the need to adjust the balance between commercial and residential to reflect percentage generation of daily and peak hour trips.

In response to questions

· The increase in commercial rates tried to obtain equity between who paid for what benefits in the community and had been signalled strongly to the commercial/business sector during the previous year’s Long-Term Plan consultation. Transport was a key driver of costs.

· Trip data used was from the latest publicly available New Zealand dataset.

· Assessment was based on primary trips with diverted trips discounted. Noted that retail trips were often done as part of a trip somewhere else e.g. en route to work and, in that situation, had not generated any additional trips.

· Future changes should also be signalled/discussed in the Annual Plan consultation document.

· Supported the phasing proposal and emphasised the need to be cognisant of the impact of business. There was a need to redress the balance as quickly as possible while recognising the current challenging business environment.

Resolution CO3/22/5

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report Annual Plan – Rating Policy Proposals; and

(i) Approves the recommendation that Option 2 be included in the 2022/23 Draft Annual Plan to initiate the change for the commercial and industrial sector to contribute a higher share of the rate funding for the transportation activity

(ii) Approves the recommendation that Option 2 takes full effect by 2023/24 so the commercial and industrial general rate differential moves to 1.9 in 2022/23 and then to 2.13 in 2023/24 and for the transportation targeted rate differential to move to 3.33 in 2022/23 and then 5 in 2023/24.

(iii) Acknowledges staff will continue to look at further options for the appropriate rating of the commercial and industrial sectors.

Carried

11.5 Long-term Plan Amendment Update

Staff Kathryn Sharplin, Manager: Finance

Key points

· This was an umbrella report that provided a wider context for the Long-term Plan Amendment (LTPA), and related primarily to relevant financial information: reduction of the capital programme in 2022/23; civic precinct decisions; possible impacts of the Infrastructure Funding and Financing work; additional grant funding; asset realisation and the Waka Kotahi subsidy. Draft detailed financials would be reported to Council at the 28 February Council meeting.

In response to questions

· The LTPA covered several significant changes to what was consulted on and included in the previous year’s Long-term Plan.

· The proposed rebuild of the civic centre was significant and would provide a focus and heart for the city while recognising the history of the site; however, the proposal was different to what had been consulted on and needed to be put back to the public for consideration.

· The LTPA would signal to the community that Council was having discussions on alternative funding possibilities such as Crown funding, and was also considering selling some council assets e.g. marine precinct, car parking buildings.

· Three Waters reform was included, based on an assumption of ownership of those assets remaining with TCC.

· Cameron Rd costs had increased significantly, with no commitment of Crown funding at this stage. Noted that the benefits of the outcome did not change based on source of funding. The broader benefits to the community of the Cameron Rd works should be considered; in particular, the intensification of Te Papa and the increased growth in Tauriko with the associated vehicle use of SH29. There was a need to convert people out of cars into viable public transportation.

Resolution CO3/22/6

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report.

(b) Agrees that the Long-term Plan Amendment preferred option for consultation will include:

(i) The LTPA preferred option for the Civic Precinct (Te Manawataki O Te Papa)

(ii) Additional financial options to be finalised in the Council meeting of 28^th February including a potential Infrastructure Funding and Financing (IFF) levy for the Transport System Plan (TSP) and Tauriko West

(iii) Further work to support sale of the Marine Precinct and Elizabeth Street and Spring Street Carparks, noting that no adjustment has been made to budgets pending further analysis and decisions around user fees.

(iv) Grant funding levels as proposed for the Civic Precinct report on this agenda, with additional risk analysis around lower grant funding levels completed

(v) NZTA funding assumed at full subsidy for core IFF projects but with some risk analysis around wider TSP programme

(vi) Include as a reduction in debt the proposed government grant to councils for better off funding of $48m proposed as part of three waters reform

(vii) The assumption remains within the LTPA that council will retain ownership of three waters infrastructure assets

(viii) A review of capital programme delivery timeframes and significant known cost changes.

Carried

11.6 Civic Precinct Options for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment Consultation

Staff Marty Grenfell, Chief Executive

Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy and Growth

Gareth Wallis, General Manager: Community Services

Paul Davidson, General Manager: Corporate Services

Mike Naude, Programme Manager - Civic Redevelopment Projects

Key points

· The civic precinct development was a $303m project and was the largest programme of capital work that Tauranga would see for city amenities for some time.

· The draft masterplan for the precinct had been adopted by the Commissioners. Further information was provided on funding, financing, delivery and timing of development of the whole civic precinct.

· The background to the development of a city centre strategy was outlined. A museum was a key part of the initial strategy; this strategy had been reflected in ongoing strategic initiatives both sub-regionally and for the city. The civic precinct was a key part of inner-city revitalisation and would create a centre point for the city.

· Tauranga was in community amenity catch-up mode following a history of under-investment. Outlined the function, ideals and purposes of the separate key components on Site A – a civic whare, library and community hub, museum and exhibition centre, an upgraded and modernised Baycourt, civic plaza spaces including upgrading Masonic Park. Site B, which contained a performing arts centre and a hotel/conference facility, would be privately developed. Site C comprised the waterfront area with a new wharf, an upgraded playground and links with other parts of the city e.g. Memorial Park. Highlighted the importance of the three sites linking and supporting each other in terms of functionality and development.

· The report recommended a single stage phased project, with the bulk of the project delivered within six years, starting with the library and community hub. The expertise of the design and delivery teams would be retained if framed as one phased project, project delivery would be faster and costs and site services would be rationalised.

· The project allowed for $150m of TCC debt; other funding was expected from government sources, asset realisation and application of three waters funding. Impact on rates was a 0.7% rates increase.

In response to questions

· If external funding was not forthcoming the scope and delivery of the project could be reviewed and reset as necessary. There would be checkpoints along the way which would be a stop or go assessment for each component of the precinct.

· Using a single stage phased project delivery framework would attract developers and contractors that would not necessarily be interested on a project by project basis. Development of the civic precinct would provide wider economic stimulus for the city e.g. attraction of conferences.

· Need to have conversations with the community about the ongoing operational costs as well as the capital costs.

Discussion points raised

· Determination to give the city the heart it deserves and needs, was an enormous opportunity for the city of Tauranga.

Resolution CO3/22/7

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report ‘Civic Precinct Options for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment Consultation’.

(b) Agrees to consult on the following options regarding the future of the civic precinct, via the Long-Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment consultation process.

· Option One: Te Manawataki O Te Papa (Civic Precinct) Masterplan (Refreshed 2021) at an estimated capital cost of $303.4 million.

· Option Two: Civic precinct projects and services currently included in the LTP 2021-31 (modified status quo option with updated costings) at an estimated capital cost of $126.8 million.

(c) Approves Option One ‘Te Manawataki O Te Papa (Civic Precinct) Masterplan (Refreshed 2021)’ as the preferred option for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment consultation.

(d) Approves $600,000 of Te Manawataki O Te Papa operational costs in 2022/2023, to be loan funded over five years, including costs relating to the completion of business cases.

(e) Notes that, while future external funding is uncertain, it is Council’s intention that no more than 50% of the financing for the preferred Option 1 project is via ratepayer-funded loan.

(f) Notes that staff will report back with a full cost refresh prior to the deliberations on the Long-Term Plan Amendment following the consultation process.

Carried

12 Discussion of Late Items

Nil

13 Public excluded session

RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Resolution CO3/22/8

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting, with the exception of Sean Wynne, Crown Infrastructure Partners.

General subject of each matter to be considered	Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter	Ground(s) under section 48 for the passing of this resolution
13.1 - TCC's Infrastructure Funding and Financing proposals - TSP and Tauriko West	s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7

Carried

14 Closing Karakia

Commissioner Rolleston closed the meeting with a karakia.

The meeting closed at 1pm.

The minutes of this meeting were confirmed as a true and correct record at the Ordinary Council meeting held on 24 March 2022.

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

CHAIRPERSON

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

24 March 2022

11 Business

11.1 Adoption of consultation document and supporting material - Long-term Plan Amendment and Annual Plan 2022/23

File Number: A13289794

Author: Josh Logan, Team Leader: Corporate Planning

Kathryn Sharplin, Manager: Finance

Authoriser: Paul Davidson, General Manager: Corporate Services

Purpose of the Report

1. To present the consultation document for the proposed amendment to the Long-term Plan 2021-2031 and the draft Annual Plan 2022/23 for adoption.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report.

(b) Approves the consultation document for the proposed amendment to the Long-term Plan 2021-2031 and draft Annual Plan 2022/23 (Attachment 1).

(c) Adopts the proposed amendment to the Long-term Plan 2021-2031(Attachment 2) to be consulted on through the Long-term Plan Amendment consultation document.

(d) Adopts the draft Annual Plan 2022/23 supporting financial information (Attachment 3).

(e) Adopts the proposed amendments to the fees and charges schedule and the Statement of Proposal for the draft 2022/23 user fees and charges as the basis for public consultation (Attachments 4 and 5).

(f) Receives the audit opinion on the consultation document for the proposed Long-term Plan Amendment, pursuant to s93D (4) of the Local Government Act 2002.

(g) Adopts the audited consultation document for public consultation for the proposed Long-term Plan Amendment, using the special consultative procedure pursuant to s93 and s93A of the Local Government Act 2002.

(h) Authorises the Chief Executive to make minor amendments to the documentation to ensure accuracy and correct minor drafting errors.

Executive Summary

2. Council has previously agreed to consult through a Long-term Plan Amendment (LTPA) on additional investment around the Civic Precinct with the objective of being a city which is proud of itself and its heritage and has a vibrant heart.

3. The second consultation item for the LTPA is to look at alternative funding and financing arrangements due to Council’s balance sheet constraints, while also ensuring groups within the community pay their fair share.

4. The Infrastructure Funding and Financing arrangements are for investment at Tauriko West new growth area, and on specific transportation projects. These alternative arrangements are under the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act 2020 (IFF).

5. The consultation document is presented for adoption as Attachment 1.

6. Further supporting documentation is included as Attachment 2 including:

(a) Changes from the LTP document,

(b) Further explanation of the IFF proposals.

7. Council has previously adopted the draft annual plan budget, user fees and charges schedule, and proposed changes to rating structure to increase the commercial differential.

8. The specific consultation items for the annual plan relate to the ongoing work to ensure different types of ratepayers pay their fair share. As a result, there are proposed changes to the rating structure to increase the commercial differential. A second consultation item is included to not install Tsunami sirens.

9. Further information is provided as supporting documentation in Attachment 3 including:

(a) draft annual plan budgets

(b) further information on changes to the rating structure.

10. User fees schedule and statement of proposal are attached as Attachments 4 and 5.

11. In addition to this report a further report, Adoption of the Draft 2022/23 Development Contributions Policy, presented at this meeting contains the Draft Development Contributions Policy as well as the Statement of Proposal for the Development Contributions Policy which will require adoption in order to progress to public consultation.

Background

12. On 6 December 2021, Council considered two reports on the Civic Precinct Masterplan and the key issues and proposed approach to the Annual Plan 2022/23. As part of the Civic Precinct Masterplan report council approved the preparation of a Long-term Plan Amendment alongside the annual plan.

13. In the second report on the annual plan, in addition to agreeing on the approach and timeline Council, also resolved to:

· Agree to redirect $1.1m debt retirement proposed for stormwater debt in 2023 to instead retire $1.1m of debt associated with existing unfunded liabilities

· Note that in future Annual Plan processes the portion of stormwater debt retirement above $1.3m per annum proposed in subsequent years of the LTP could be diverted to retire debt associated with unfunded liabilities until that debt is extinguished.

· Note that the review of aspects of the rating structure agreed as part of the 2021-31 Long-term Plan deliberations is continuing with a view to implementing changes to the current rating approach in the 2022/23 year.

· Note that there is increased supply and cost pressures since the 2021-31 Long-term Plan was adopted that will be factored into the upcoming Annual Plan.

14. On 13 December 2021, Council considered the indicative draft budget for the Annual Plan 2022/23. Council endorsed, in principle, the Annual Plan draft budget for capital and operations as summarised in the attachment to the report.

15. In addition, Council

· Confirmed the funding mix for general rates, stormwater, resilience and community targeted rates between the commercial/industrial sector and the residential sector will at least be maintained at 76%/24% once the property revaluation process on capital values is completed for the 2022/23 financial year

· Endorsed the principle that the benefits provided by the transport activity be further considered in February 2022, to more fairly allocate rate revenue funding between the commercial/industrial sector and residential sector, for inclusion in the draft 2022/23 draft Annual Plan.

· Consult with the community during the 2022/23 Annual Plan process on how best to transition to a higher differential for the commercial/industrial sector to align with benefits received from council investment to ensure the rate funding mix is better balanced across all its activities.

16. On 8 February 2022, Council was presented with issues and options papers on matters relating to budget decisions for the annual plan. Decisions considered through these were amendments to budgets for capital projects for the Spaces and Places activity and also a decision was made to consult on the Tsunami Sirens project.

17. On 21 February 2022, Council was presented with reports on the following items:

· Draft Annual Plan 2022/2023

· 2022/2023 - Draft User Fees and Charges

· Annual Plan - Rating Policy Proposals

· Long-term Plan Amendment Update

· Civic Precinct Options for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment Consultation

18. In relation to the Annual Plan for 2022/23, along with receiving the report Council resolved the following:

(b) Approves the 2022/23 capital programme of $304 million.

(d) Resolutions (b) and (c) be reflected in a draft Annual Plan Consultation Document for approval by Council on 24 March 2022.

19. The 2022/2023 - Draft User Fees and Charges report was left to lie on the table and asked that further work be undertaken to consider a higher rate of inflation (as 2.9% had been used as per what was in the Long-term Plan) and also ensure that those using the services paid their fair share. This work was to be reported back at the next meeting on 28 February 2022.

20. A report on rating policy proposals was then considered and through this Council resolved to:

(iii) Acknowledges staff will continue to look at further options for the appropriate rating of the commercial and industrial sectors.

21. The Long-term Plan amendment update agreed that the Long-term Plan Amendment preferred option for consultation will include:

(i) The LTPA preferred option for the Civic Precinct (Te Manawataki O Te Papa)

(iv) Grant funding levels as proposed for the Civic Precinct report on this agenda, with additional risk analysis around lower grant funding levels completed

(v) NZTA funding assumed at full subsidy for core IFF projects but with some risk analysis around wider TSP programme

(vi) Include as a reduction in debt the proposed government grant to councils for better off funding of $48m proposed as part of three waters reform

(vii) The assumption remains within the LTPA that council will retain ownership of three waters infrastructure assets

(viii) A review of capital programme delivery timeframes and significant known cost changes.

22. Finally, the Civic Precinct Options for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment Consultation were considered, and Council resolved to:

(a) Receive the report ‘Civic Precinct Options for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment Consultation’.

(b) Agree to consult on the following options regarding the future of the civic precinct, via the Long-Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment consultation process.

· Option One: Te Manawataki O Te Papa (Civic Precinct) Masterplan (Refreshed 2021) at an estimated capital cost of $303.4 million.

· Option Two: Civic precinct projects and services currently included in the LTP 2021-31 (modified status quo option with updated costings) at an estimated capital cost of $126.8 million.

(c) Approve Option One ‘Te Manawataki O Te Papa (Civic Precinct) Masterplan (Refreshed 2021)’ as the preferred option for Long Term Plan 2021-31 Amendment consultation.

(d) Approve $600,000 of Te Manawataki O Te Papa operational costs in 2022/2023, to be loan funded over five years, including costs relating to the completion of business cases.

(e) Note that, while future external funding is uncertain, it is Council’s intention that no more than 50% of the financing for the preferred Option 1 project is via ratepayer-funded loan.

(f) Note that staff will report back with a full cost refresh prior to the deliberations on the Long-Term Plan Amendment following the consultation process.

23. On 28 February 2022, the final reports prior to the preparation of the consultation material were considered. Included were:

· Long-term Plan Amendment Financials

· 2022/2023 - Draft User Fees and Charges

24. The first report on the Long-term Plan Amendment Financials considered the effect on Council financials and the financial strategy of the proposed 2021-31 Long-term Plan Amendment for the Civic Precinct and Infrastructure Funding and Financing initiatives. Through this Council:

(i) Agreed to the proposed updates to the draft financials for the proposed 2021-31 Long-term Plan Amendment,

(ii) Agreed to include the proposed Crown Infrastructure Partners Levies within the Long-term Plan amendment with offset adjustments to transportation targeted rates applying from 2025,

25. The updated user fees and charges report was considered again with a higher rate of inflation (5.9%) applied. Council approved the user fees for consultation and also agreed to include in the annual plan an overall rates increase, including water volumetric charging of 13.7%. Noting that excluding water volumetric charging the overall rates increase is 13%.

26. The Long-term Plan Amendment and draft Annual Plan 2022/23 have been produced in line with the above resolutions. In addition further debt retirement has been able to be reduced across other activities as well as transportation as a result of improved balance sheet capacity across early years of the LTPA. This improvement has been enabled by a combination of a rephased capital programme, additional subsidies and grant revenue and IFF off balance sheet arrangements.

27. A consultation document has been produced accordingly which aims to consult with the community regarding Council’s preferred approach for Civic Precinct Master Plan, Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act proposals, proposed changes to the commercial differential (within the general rate and transport targeted rate), Tsunami sirens project and the proposed budget for 2022/23.

28. Finally, noting that the above recommendations for 2022/23 have resulted in a median residential rate increase of 9.2% and median commercial rate increase of 24%. Also included in the changes are the changes in the commercial general rate differential to from 1:1.6 to 1:1.9 and the transportation targeted rate differential move from 1:1.6 to 1:3.33 in 2022/23.

Fees and Charges

29. Council was presented with draft user fees and charges in the 28 February 2022 meeting, which were approved for consultation alongside the Long-term Plan Amendment and Annual Plan.

30. However, in final review, a number of slight wording amendments and some price corrections have been made in the document for the following activities:

· Animal Services

o Dog registration - fees have been removed as these are to be set by Council resolution, in a process separate to the Annual Plan.

o Microchip fees - new standard fee introduced for all microchipping, regardless of whether dog is impounded or not.

· Building Services

o Certificate of Acceptance (COA) site inspection

(i) for clarification wording amended to:

Inspection time will be charged in 45min blocks, and will include travel time, time onsite and time spent completing associated inspection documentation.

(ii) Certificate of Acceptance (COA) Residential – proposed fee reduced from $207 to $201

o Onsite minor variation (Residential) – proposed fee reduced from $207 to $201

· Sustainability & Waste

o Additional 140L bin for rubbish collection service - proposed fee increased from $100 to $140

o Garden waste service – four weekly 240L bin - proposed fee increased from $65 to $70

Strategic / Statutory Context

31. This report forms part of the requirements under the Local Government Act 2002 in preparing an annual plan and Long-term Plan Amendment for consultation.

Options Analysis

32. This report brings together for the purposes of consultation prior decisions of Council, so no options are presented as part of this report

Financial Considerations

33. The annual plan and LTPA set out the financial implications for the Council of the proposals in the consultation document. Further information is provided in supporting documentation which is referenced in the consultation document.

34. Overall, under the LTPA proposals, individually and in combination, Council would remain financially sustainable with debt to revenue ratios maintained within limits and with headroom for unforeseen risks.

35. Under the LTPA rates would be higher than the LTP to support the additional facilities provided as part of the Civic Precinct.

36. However, overall total ratepayer payments (including rates and IFF levy) could be reduced from the LTP levels by amending the debt retirement levels that were set in the LTP.

37. The reason the rates funded debt retirement could be reduced in the next ten years is a combination of lower debt and higher revenue in the LTPA reflecting:

(a) a rephasing of capital delivery to later years,

(b) the higher external grant revenue assumed for the Civic precinct,

(c) higher revenue assumed from NZTA as the 51% share of higher costs of roading projects at Tauriko West and Cameron Road,

(d) an additional $260m of funds provided to TCC during the 8-year period to 2031 to fund the costs of IFF-funded capital projects. This brings TCC debt levels down while, under the IFF repayment profile, most of the debt repayment occurs outside the ten years of the LTP. To some extent rates could be brought down using targeted rates instead of IFF by apportioning more of the debt retirement outside the ten years than had been planned in the LTP. However, this would reduce Council’s debt headroom compared with the IFF option.

Legal Implications / Risks

38. The Local Government Act 2002 sets the requirements for preparation of the Long-term Plan Amendment and the annual plan.

Significance

39. The Local Government Act 2002 requires an assessment of the significance of matters, issues, proposals and decisions in this report against Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. Council acknowledges that in some instances a matter, issue, proposal or decision may have a high degree of importance to individuals, groups, or agencies affected by the report.

40. In making this assessment, consideration has been given to the likely impact, and likely consequences for:

(a) the current and future social, economic, environmental, or cultural well-being of the district or region

(b) any persons who are likely to be particularly affected by, or interested in, the issue, proposal, decision, or matter.

41. In accordance with the considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered that the consultation document for the Long-term Plan Amendment and Annual Plan is of high significance as it has high financial consequences, large consequences for the city and is of high public interest.

ENGAGEMENT

42. Taking into consideration the above assessment, that the Long-term Plan Amendment and Annual Plan are of high significance, the consultation document will go out for public consultation using the special consultative procedure under the LGA. This will be for a period of one month, from 25 March to 26 April 2022.

43. Consultation on the Statement of Proposals for User Fees and Charges, and for the Development Contributions Policy will be held concurrently with the Long-term Plan Amendment and Annual Plan. A formal submission process and hearings will be held in May 2022.

Next Steps

44. The consultation document and supporting documents will be published on 25 March 2022.

Attachments

1. Attachment 1 - Consultation Document - A13309162 ⇩

2. Attachment 2 - LTPA Supporting Information - A13309163 ⇩

3. Attachment 3 - Annual Plan Supporting Information - A13309164 ⇩

4. Attachment 4 - Draft 2022/23 User Fees and Charges - A13275633 ⇩

5. Attachment 5 - Statement of Proposal - Draft 2022/23 User Fees and Charges - A13290789 ⇩

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

24 March 2022

11.3 Active Reserves - actions to increase capacity

File Number: A13231321

Author: Ross Hudson, Team Leader: Planning

Authoriser: Gareth Wallis, General Manager: Community Services

Please note that this report contains confidential attachments.

Public Excluded Attachment	Reason why Public Excluded
Item 11.3 - Active Reserves - actions to increase capacity - Attachment 2 - Attachment B (confidential) - Active Reserve Options not on Council owned land	s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities.

Purpose of the Report

1. To seek agreement to short-term and longer-term actions to increase capacity in Tauranga’s active reserves network.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Endorses the proposed options in Appendix 1 to increase utilisation and capacity in the active reserves network.

(b) Notes the need for budget reallocations to enable identified short-term improvements, to be agreed through the 2022/23 Annual Plan Deliberations process.

(c) Endorses upgrades to Links Avenue Reserve and Macville Park in Mount Maunganui, to enable the development of a centralised facility for football talent development and a football academy for the city, pending agreements with the football clubs and agreement of budget reallocations through the Annual Plan Deliberations process.

(d) Endorses the provision of artificial turfs as a sustainable and efficient method to meet local community demand for sports fields, in appropriate circumstances, and notes the need to amend the Active Reserve Level of Service Policy in due course to accommodate this.

(e) Attachment 2 can be transferred into the open as and when Council has concluded commercial negotiations.

Executive Summary

2. As the city grows, and as our demographics and sporting interests change, we need to expand and adapt our active reserves network. With increasing pressure on land for housing, we need to maximise the amount of use we can derive from the sports fields we provide, in order to minimise the need for additional land, whilst still seeking to enable accessible, quality and varied recreational opportunities.

3. The Community Facilities Investment Plan 2021 (CFIP) informed budgets for Active Reserves in the Long-term Plan (LTP). Its focus was on the major projects that would be needed to provide for new active reserves as the city grows in areas of identified major deficit. In developing CFIP and through the LTP process, the need for further work to identify and develop options to improve capacity and availability of sports fields within the existing network, was also identified.

4. We have now reviewed our demand projections for active reserves and assessed ways to meet that demand through improvements to the accessibility or number of fields within the network. We have also assessed the feasibility of a number of sites for early actions. Interventions can include flood lights, improvements to grass quality and irrigation, reconfiguration of fields, as well as land acquisition for new fields and different ways of managing demand.

5. We have identified a set of short-term options to increase the utilisation of our existing network, in particular to allow more mid-week evening training at key pinch points. We have also identified a set of longer-term options to increase capacity as the city grows. Some of the short-term options are unbudgeted and we propose to seek additional funding through the Annual Plan Deliberations process for those.

6. As well as looking to provide appropriate local training and match capacity across the network, we also look to work with the clubs and Sport Bay of Plenty to enable better development pathways for talented children and young adults. This can benefit those individuals and can inspire children of all skill levels to participate in sport.

7. With significant growing demand for football at all levels, and interest from the clubs and NZ Football in Tauranga having quality development pathways and opportunities to come together to enable combined senior teams to participate in the Northern League, we are proposing to upgrade Links Avenue Reserve and Macville Park in Mount Maunganui to become our ‘Home of Football’, with high-quality training and match facilities.

8. Key to the success of this opportunity will be quality playing surfaces and we propose providing new artificial turfs for training and a new sand-based grass turf for match-play at Links Avenue. Additionally, changes to the on-site parking provision and the potential relocation of the dog club to a suitable alternative site with improved facilities, will also significantly improve facilities. At Macville Park, we propose resurfacing to provide a sand-based grass or artificial turf, allowing more hours of community use and player development.

9. An appropriate management and governance regime for the facility would also be required to balance the demands of community sport with the development programme. We are currently working with the clubs to scope and create that.

10. The feasibility and costs of this development, and our other short-term actions are still being refined and we propose to bring a proposal with cost estimates for consideration through the 2022/23 Annual Plan Deliberations, along with consideration of the funding approach and opportunities for cost-recovery.

Background

The active reserves network

11. Our active reserve network is a key component of our provision of parks and reserves across the city. They provide essential opportunities for our community to be healthy, to participate and compete, to aspire and be inspired. Our active reserves and our greenspaces as a whole are highly valued by our community whenever we seek their views, and we often receive feedback that reflects that sentiment.

12. Often our reserves have multiple functions – they can be rugby fields but also provide spaces to play, walk a dog or have a picnic, especially at the local neighbourhood scale. We also provide larger active reserves, such as Blake Park or Gordon Spratt Reserve, which have a predominant function as multi-sport hubs.

13. Our approach to the provision of active reserves is articulated in the Active Reserves Level of Service Policy (the Policy). The Policy primarily aims to meet the winter-time demands for grass sports (football, rugby, league) as this is when field capacity is most constrained. We also aim to provide for hardcourt sports such as netball and tennis, and other sport and recreational needs.

14. The Policy sets out principles that the active reserves will aim to be:

(a) Sustainable, in that a level of service (capacity and quality) will be established, as far as practicable, to meet the needs of both current and future sporting codes in Tauranga.

(b) Enabling, in that consideration will be given to how we support the development of successful and sustainable sports clubs that are meeting the needs of the community at a social, training and competition level.

(c) Efficient, in that we will look at opportunities for making the most of what is available in the first instance and ensure that future active reserve development is undertaken to maximise capacity and efficiencies of use.

(d) Cost effective, in that we try to achieve a balance between accessibility, quality, economies of scale, current and future needs and consideration of the wider needs of the city.

(e) Network based, in that over and under supply in any one area could be picked up by the wider network of active reserves, taking into account population distribution.

(f) Accessible, through endeavouring to ensure a reasonable geographic distribution of active reserves across the city.

Supply, demand and options development

15. We commission an analysis of supply and demand on a three-yearly basis to help determine current and projected demand from sports codes. There are a range of factors that determine demand, including population growth and demographic change, participation rates, popularity of codes, and sport development factors. We also survey the clubs and regional sporting organisations in the western Bay of Plenty sub-region to understand their patterns of use and participation base.

16. We have also assessed a set of reserves and other sites across the city for their potential to provide additional sports field capacity, both as grass fields and as artificial turfs. Our attention has focused in the Western part of the city where the need to balance the demand for additional capacity against the need for new land for housing is particularly acute.

17. Appendix A summarises the findings and intervention options from our latest analysis. It identifies short and longer-term options for each community area to improve the useability (increased hours per week) of our existing network, and to increase capacity through, for example, providing new active reserves in our growth corridors. Appendix B (confidential) provides further details on some of the Council and non-council sites in the Western part of the city that we are considering as possible active reserve sites.

18. As we develop options, we consider the scale, distribution and accessibility of our active reserves in the context of our Policy and the Connected Centres approach to development, considering complementary or alternative options across wider macro-catchments, as well as within identified community catchment areas.

19. Our major issue across the city, both now and as the city grows, is access to fields for training, especially for football. Most training takes place on mid-week winter evenings and as such is reliant on decent grass quality (or artificial turf) and flood lights.

20. Across the whole network, there is currently a shortfall of 157 hours of training capacity growing to 261 hours by 2043. For comparison, a new quality grass field with flood lights can provide circa 20 hours of play a week (so about an equivalent of eight new fields).

21. It is important to note that these figures are based on assumptions and represent our most conservative projections of future demand. Sensitivity testing using Stats NZ projections, which project a higher proportion of people in the ‘active population’ bracket, could result in the need for a further eight additional fields by 2043 across the network.

22. Alongside modelled projections, we have also grounded our understanding with input from the clubs and with field-by-field assessments of the types of actions we can reasonably undertake to enhance the capacity of our current network.

23. Our ‘intervention options’ (Appendix A) are specific to each reserve and each field within it. The resulting actions will include a mix of:

(a) flood lighting (e.g. improving current provision or new lights)

(b) turf replacement (e.g. grasses or artificial turfs)

(d) changes to field configurations

(e) relocations of some codes and working with clubs to alter usage patterns

(f) acquiring land and developing new reserves.

24. The sections below summarise our options for each community area. We will begin implementing quick wins from this coming summer, with more complex options being refined in partnership with the clubs over the same period. Appendix A will become a comprehensive, budgeted, action plan.

25. The potential gains from the identified intervention options broadly correlate with the shortfalls in available hours of play, currently and as the city is predicted to grow. Note that our projections are out to 2043 only but, due to structural ageing, demand is expected to have peaked by that point even as the city grows further.

26. There remain a number of uncertainties around the viability of some of the interventions identified, as there are with the extent of future demand. Our focus is on actions that can be taken now and over the next few years, with further iterations of our action planning to be undertaken in due course.

Intervention options by community catchment area

Bethlehem

27. In Bethlehem, we have competing demands for land for housing and active reserves, with Council considering the extent to which land originally acquired for active reserves at Pōteriwhi (Parau Farms) and Smiths Farm should be used for housing. Our most recent assessment recommends that we should still look to provide three sports fields in the Bethlehem area. The feasibility of integrating active and passive reserve provision alongside a significant quantum of housing development at Pōteriwhi (Parau Farms) is being explored as an option, alongside options that consider full use of the site for housing. We would envisage any active reserve within Pōteriwhi functioning as a neighbourhood scale greenspace, providing organised sports opportunities but also operating as a local park. A report seeking further direction on Pōteriwhi will be brought to Council following conclusion of engagement with mana whenua.

28. We have investigated alternative options for provision in the Bethlehem area itself, and in the wider Western part of the city. There are currently no ‘ready-to-go’ alternative sites to Pōteriwhi or Smiths Farm for the provision of three fields within Bethlehem. However, we are exploring the potential of an alternative site on the Te Puna side of the Wairoa River, which is within 2km of Pōteriwhi. This site has the potential to provide sufficient capacity, albeit that it has a mix of ownership, access and site feasibility issues to resolve before we could classify it as a workable alternative. These issues will take some time to resolve but work is underway to do so.

29. Whilst provision of a three field active reserve in Bethlehem remains preferable to meet our service level objectives, we are also exploring options in the Tauriko West area that could meet our field supply requirements. We will need to provide new active reseve capacity to meet the needs of the Western Corridor, so if new provision in Tauriko were to also serve Bethlehem, it would require addional land (again in competition with housing) and would be less accessible from Bethlehem itself.

30. Confidential Appendix B provides some further details in regard to these sites and sites not in Council ownership.

Western Corridor

31. In the Western Corridor, we will require four new fields (or their equivalent) in the next 10-12 years. Options to provide this include:

(a) the potential development of Maarawaewae (Greerton Racecourse) into a health and leisure hub with the Western Corridor being its primary source of active reserve demand;

(b) acquisition of land through a developer agreement with a Tauriko West landowner, ideally as part of a community facilities hub (active reserve, indoor courts, library, community centre, playcentre) which would ideally be located next to a new school in the area as this, along with use of artificial turf, would potentially allow sharing of space and therefore less competition for land for housing;

(d) provision outside the catchment at Council-owned land in Ohauiti.

32. The Maarawaewae option, and/or the Tauriko West options are considered preferable.

33. Confidential Appendix B provides some further details in regard to these sites.

Otūmoetai

34. Fergusson Park is the key active reserve in Otūmoetai, which also draws football and cricket players from a wider catchment (in part due to the deficit of capacity in the Bethlehem area, and in part because it is a large reserve with established clubs). A deficit of circa 40 hours a week training capacity is identified. Lighting, field reconfiguration, irrigation and changes to the grass type are identified as options for immediate and detailed investigation.

35. A key constraint at Fergusson Park is access to bore water to sow in and maintain better grasses, along with the fact that its high use in summer for cricket constrains options for upgrades in advance of the winter season. Availability and consent for bore water will be explored. The proposed upgrades to Links Avenue Reserve will provide alternative training options for some players.

36. There are existing LTP budgets for improvements to Fergusson Park – sports field enhancements, upgraded facilities, pathway and stormwater groyne improvements – and we will begin a comprehensive site design and undertake any quick wins as soon as possible in 2022.

Te Papa

37. Capacity shortfalls along the Te Papa Peninsula are not acute and are not expected to become so. Provision at Maarawaewae would comfortably meet demand growth. Other options include lighting, irrigation and sowing more resilient grasses at Morland Fox and/or Pemberton parks in Greerton.

Ohauiti – Welcome Bay – Maungatapu

38. Demand is expected to peak in this area in 2031, with an additional 51 hours of training capacity required by that point. Options to provide that capacity over the next few years include lighting, irrigation and new grasses at Te Wati and Waipuna parks.

39. We may also need to use land Council owns in Ohauiti for a new 1.5 field football reserve, depending on how demand plays out over the next few years. The site is in the vicinity of an area of expected additional housing development, and could also provide some sports field capacity, if required, for the Western Corridor. We would propose holding this land while the other actions in the catchment are undertaken. However, budget for its development – currently in 2023/24 and 2024/25 – is to be reallocated to other short-term sports field capacity projects.

Mount – Arataki

40. In the Mount, a small deficit in mid-week rugby training capacity has been identified through the supply and demand modelling. This could be alleviated by providing some extra lights at Arataki Park. Note also though that through the Blake Park Future State process, increasing capacity issues were identified by community rugby users there, especially as a result of increased demand from the Adams Centre for High Performance. Through our options for the development for Blake Park, we will further assess options for increased capacity for community and high-performance use in this area.

41. Aside from this, because Links Avenue Reserve and Macville Park in the Mount are football-focused sports fields, and because they are centrally located and therefore accessible from across the city, we are of the view that they can provide a citywide function in the provision of development pathways for talented footballers. Further details of proposed actions are detailed below.

Papamoa

42. The only sports fields in Papamoa are at Gordon Spratt Reserve, which has a shortfall of over 50 hours training capacity. This correlates with the views expressed by the clubs through the recent Future State co-design process. We have begun detailed and comprehensive investigations of options to increase capacity, including lighting, new grasses (potentially also an artificial turf) and field reconfigurations. As with Fergusson Park, water is the main issue and we are exploring bore water options and consents, and the use of city water supplies to bed in new grasses over the coming summers. Note also that our current Agrichemicals policy constrains our ability to grow in better quality grasses (see below).

43. We have also explored land swap and land acquisition options in the vicinity but these have not come to fruition at this point in time. The proposed upgrades to Links Avenue would also provide alternative training capacity for some players and, as we explore options for the development of Baypark with Bay Venues Limited, there may also be options to provide some sports field capacity there.

Papamoa East (including Wairakei – Te Tumu)

44. Existing demand in Papamoa East is adding to the pressure at Gordon Spratt Reserve. Future demand will be largely driven by growth and it will be essential that we provide additional fields in the Wairakei – Te Tumu area in circa 10 years’ time, or before if the Wairakei – Te Tumu development is enabled sooner. Sufficient land has been identified through the Structure Plan process and we are in early-stage discussions with the Maori land trust that has responsibility for the Kaituna 14 Block, to enable it to be secured for active reserve development in due course.

Artificial turfs

45. We have also recently undertaken an assessment of the potential to make use of artificial turfs across the network. In principle, because we have a significant and growing deficit in mid-week training capacity for football, artificial turfs have the potential to provide a solution that enables more hours of use than grass for the same amount of space.

46. However, they are certainly not a panacea because they compromise field use by other codes and informal recreational users, and because they are constrained by the number of hours that teams are able and willing to play. If they replace existing fields, you can only gain a few additional hours of use and they are expensive to install, and more complex to manage and maintain.

47. Our conclusions as to the circumstances that artificial turfs are suitable are as follows:

(a) where there is a high football training demand, but limited other uses of the space;

(b) where there are potential weekday daytime users, especially schools nearby to maximise the community value that is derived from the investment;

(c) in new growth areas where active reserves can be designed and managed to provide a mix of suitable surfaces for different users from the start; and

(d) where the site is feasible from geotechnical, planning and access perspectives, and its configuration would suit an artificial turf.

48. Our analysis of the suitability and feasibility of artificial turfs across a number of sites has led us to the conclusion that the Links Avenue project described below is an excellent location of the city’s first football artificial turf.

Agrichemicals

49. Optimisation of grass sports fields is dependent on the availability of appropriate management tools and currently Council’s agrichemical use policy does not allow the use of products suitable for managing these types of fields. Council’s use of toxic agrichemicals for vegetation management policy lists approved products. This currently does not include pre-emergent chemicals. This list can be amended by Council, however the Toxic Agrichemical Advisory Forum (TAAF) who assist Council in its determination of acceptable toxic agrichemicals and their circumstances of use have, in the past, opposed use of these.

50. Pre-emergent chemicals are necessary to gain and maintain optimum capacity increases out of resilient ‘warm season’ grasses, which is one of the key recommended actions for investigation in Appendix A. Accordingly it will be necessary to review the use of toxic agrichemicals for vegetation management policy to determine whether the use of these chemicals can be approved.

Links Avenue – Home of Football

51. As well as looking to provide appropriate local training and match capacity across the network, we also look to work with the clubs and Sport Bay of Plenty to enable better development pathways for talented children and young adults. This can benefit those individuals and can inspire children of all skill levels to participate in sport.

52. With significant growing demand for football at all levels, and interest from the clubs and NZ Football in Tauranga having quality development pathways and opportunities to come together to enable combined senior teams to participate in the Northern League, we are proposing to upgrade Links Avenue Reserve and Macville Park in Mount Maunganui to become our ‘Home of Football’, with high quality training and match facilities. The project will provide additional citywide training capacity and development programmes. The proposed project (which is in its design phase) will increase capacity for local and citywide use.

53. Key to the success of this opportunity will be quality playing surfaces and we propose:

(a) providing a new artificial turf for training and a new sand-based grass turf for match-play at Links Avenue, along with new lighting, increased parking provision on the site and the potential relocation of the dog club to a suitable alternative site; and

(b) at Macville Park, resurfacing to provide a sand-based grass turf (or artificial turf), allowing more hours for community use and for player development.

54. We are in the process of attempting to acquire land adjacent to the reserve to enable additional carparking, and the re-purposing of an area currently used for spill-over parking and the dog club to become an additional training field.

55. We are also in discussions with the Transport team to ensure that an upgraded facility can work with the short and longer-term transport changes that are proposed for Links Avenue. The times of use of the facility is expected to be predominantly off-peak and it is considered that site access design can be configured in such a way as to ensure safe passage of people walking, cycling and traveling by bus or car down Links Avenue, and into and out of the facility. We will continue to engage with Transport colleagues and with the community in the vicinity to ensure quality outcomes for all users and residents of Links Ave.

56. An appropriate management and governance regime for the facility would also be required to balance the demands of community sport with the development programme. We are working with the clubs to scope and create that.

57. The feasibility and costs of this development are still being refined and we intend to bring a proposal with cost estimates for a decision on implementation to an upcoming Council meeting, along with consideration of the funding approach and opportunities for cost-recovery.

Strategic / POLICY/ Statutory Context

58. Council’s work in its active reserves is guided the Active Reserves Level of Service Policy and in part by the Reserves Management Plan and the Reserves Act, alongside regular updates of our understanding of the active reserve network’s operational capacity and changing demand from sports clubs and recreational users.

59. It should be noted that the existing Active Reserve Level of Service Policy does not consider a scenario where Council initiates and funds artificial turf to meet community need. Therefore, a decision to provide artificial turf in this circumstance is inconsistent with Council’s policy. It is proposed that the Policy is amended in due course through the planned review of the Sport and Active Living Strategy.

Financial Considerations

60. The 2021 Long-term Plan includes approximately $117m for the development of additional active reserve capacity and the acquisition of land (covering previously identified projects in Bethlehem, Ohauiti, Fergusson Park and Gordon Spratt Reserve, and land acquisition in Tauriko West and Te Tumu). Our updated analysis will lead to recommendations for the reallocation of some of these budgets to the set of actions identified.

61. In 2022/23, we currently have allocated approximately $1.5m for active reserve capacity improvements. In 2023/24, we have allocated approximately $6.1m. We also have $2.9m of development contributions to spend over that period. This is a total of $14.5m over the coming two financial years and is expected to be sufficient for the actions identified to be delivered over that period. Additional budgets are allocated to upgrading facilities on the reserves, such as clubrooms.

Legal Implications / Risks

62. No legal issues or significant risks have been identified in relation to the decisions being sought. However, risks in relation to key potential projects will be assessed prior to further implementation decisions.

Significance

63. The Local Government Act 2002 requires an assessment of the significance of matters, issues, proposals and decisions in this report against Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. Council acknowledges that in some instances a matter, issue, proposal or decision may have a high degree of importance to individuals, groups, or agencies affected by the report.

64. In making this assessment, consideration has been given to the likely impact, and likely consequences for:

(a) the current and future social, economic, environmental, or cultural well-being of the district or region;

(b) any persons who are likely to be particularly affected by, or interested in, the proposals; and

65. In accordance with the considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered that the proposal is of low significance.

ENGAGEMENT

66. Taking into consideration the above assessment, the proposal is currently considered of low significance and we are of the opinion that no further engagement is required prior to Council making a decision. However, further engagement will be required with key stakeholders and local communities on many of the intervention options identified.

Next Steps

67. Next steps will include the following:

(a) Implementation of quick wins in the 2022/23 financial year, with any budget reallocations addressed through the Annual Plan Deliberations process.

(b) Working with the city’s football clubs, other stakeholders and potential co-investors to develop the design and management regime for a Home of Football at Links Avenue Reserve and Macville Park.

(d) Development and implementation of a comprehensive plan for interventions across the active reserves network.

Attachments

1. Attachment A - Sportsfield Intervention Options - A13291085 ⇩

2. Attachment B (confidential) - Active Reserve Options not on Council owned land - A13294490 - Public Excluded

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

24 March 2022

11.4 Blake Park and Gordon Spratt Reserve & Alice Johnson Oval - actions following 'future state' user workshops

File Number: A13266050

Author: Ross Hudson, Team Leader: Planning

Authoriser: Gareth Wallis, General Manager: Community Services

Purpose of the Report

1. To report on the recommendations of the Blake Park and Gordon Spratt ‘Future State’ processes with park users and make proposals for implementation of those recommendations.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Thanks the users of Blake Park and Gordon Spratt Reserve and Alice Johnson Oval for their open-minded engagement in the Future State workshops, and recognises the support of Sport Bay of Plenty in facilitating these sessions in the second half of 2021.

Gordon Spratt Reserve & Alice Johnson Oval

(b) Endorses the recommendations contained in Attachment A – Gordon Spratt and Alice Johnson Reserve Future State Project – and commences the implementation of these.

(c) Notes the opportunity for accelerated delivery of a new cricket pavilion at the Alice Johnson Oval, with budget reallocations to be considered through the 2022/23 Annual Plan Deliberations process.

(d) Notes the opportunity for early implementation of lighting projects to increase availability of sports fields, with budget reallocations to be considered through the 2022/23 Annual Plan Deliberations process .

(e) Supports proceeding with site master planning for Gordon Spratt Reserve and Alice Johnson Oval, to identify and implement opportunities to increase capacity and utilisation by the sports clubs.

(f) Completes the business case for a multi-purpose clubroom facilities, and requests that staff report to Council with indicatively priced proposals for key actions in 2022.

Blake Park

(g) Endorses the recommendations contained in Attachment A – Blake Park Future State Options Report – and commences implementation of these.

(h) Proceeds with site master planning at Blake Park and Baypark, including consideration of options for the Mount Maunganui Sports Centre, Tauranga Netball Centre, Mount Maunganui Tennis Club and the High Performance Centre activities that use grass fields space; and requests that staff report to Council with priced proposals for key actions in 2022.

(i) Requests staff to work with Sport Bay of Plenty to establish a Blake Park Management Board, chaired by the General Manager Community Services.

(j) Requests that staff consider strategic options for the role of Council in the provision of facilities for High Performance Sport, and brings these options to Council for consideration in 2022.

Executive Summary

2. As the city grows and changes, pressure on our active reserves network increases, with competing demands from sports clubs, informal recreational users, high-performance teams and events. Along with planned investments in new active reserve capacity in growth corridors, reconfiguration of our current reserves, redistribution of uses across the network, and changes to the management of our strategic multi-sport sites are all required to maximise the use of and community benefit from those spaces.

3. Through the 2021 Long-term Plan (LTP), Council requested staff to undertake engagement workshops with the users of Blake Park and Gordon Spratt Reserve to work out and agree the best future for those key sites, in the context of the Tauranga network as a whole. We realise that the users of these sites, mana whenua, and our partners at Sport Bay of Plenty and Bay Venues Limited are all invested and therefore carried out an open, transparent engagement process to build trust and engender better relationships.

4. Both sites were identified by staff and user groups as in need of change through clarification of priorities, multi-year investment, and master planning of the sites. The outputs and recommendations of those ‘Future State’ engagement workshops are captured in Attachment A – ‘Gordon Spratt Reserve and Alice Johnson Oval Future State Project’; and Attachment B – ‘Blake Park Future State Options Report’.

5. Following those workshops, we continue to engage with the users and are implementing key actions identified. At Gordon Spratt Reserve, the key actions proposed include:

(a) Progressing with urgency the planned cricket pavilion and parking improvements at the Alice Johnson Reserve.

(b) Investigating options to increase field capacity/hours of use at the Reserve, or in the nearby area, particularly for the rapidly growing football demand.

(c) Undertake a detailed business case for the proposed multi-sport clubrooms, building on the initial feasibility work undertaken, to identify a sustainable funding and operational model.

(d) Masterplan the reserve and any supporting fields in the vicinity, including identifying appropriate locations for the pavilion and clubrooms, and suitable configurations and management approaches for the sports fields and hardcourt activities.

6. We propose to report back to Council later in 2022 on progress with the detailed planning and implementation of these actions.

7. In relation to Blake Park, the key actions identified are as follows:

(a) Establish a Management Board to help manage the park in ways that best accommodate the interests of all its stakeholders, clubs and regular users.

(b) Proceed with the relocation of the Mount Playcentre to Golf Road Reserve.

(c) Assess the potential for the relocation of the Tauranga Netball Centre to Baypark, potentially freeing up space for additional grass fields at Blake Park. Also consider options for the relocation or reconfiguration of the tennis courts.

(d) Consider the removal of the Mount Sports Centre, with potential accommodation of current uses as part of the proposed Tatua Reserve Badminton and multi-sport facility, potentially freeing up more space for carparking.

(e) Consider options for the use of the grass fields by the High Performance Centre and give consideration to Council’s strategic approach to high performance sport, and its complementary and competing interests with community sport.

8. Note also that the overflow carpark at the junction of Hull and Maunganui Roads at Blake Park is a shortlisted location for a Destination Skatepark. If this were to proceed it would include the relocation of the current skate facilities from the South-eastern end of the park.

9. We will also investigate the option to accommodate a temporary facility for the Mount Cricket Club. We are currently working with the club to understand the requirements, preferred location, and timeline. Our plan is to bring this to the new Blake Park Management Board, if establishment of the board is agreed.

10. Given the multiple potential actions at Blake Park and the inter-relationship between activities there, and current and potential activities at Baypark, we intend to produce plans for the two parks in tandem (also giving consideration to activities at Tauranga Domain), informed by feasibility assessments of the key actions identified above. We would intend to report back on progress of that planning work later in 2022 to inform future decision-making.

Background

Gordon Spratt Reserve and Alice Johnson Oval

11. Gordon Spratt Reserve and Alice Johnson Oval are currently used by a number of sporting codes for summer and winter training and competition, as well as non-regular sporting uses such as tournaments and holiday programmes, and other non-sporting uses including informal recreation and the local Lions market. The Reserve and Oval form part of Council’s citywide active reserve network.

12. Three co-design workshops were held in the second half of 2021 with regular users of the Reserve to discuss value, challenges, aspirations, and options for the future. It was clear that serving the Papamoa communities’ sport and recreation needs is the priority for these groups. Representatives from mana whenua and 13 different organisations participated in this process.

13. The overarching challenge being experienced by the user groups at Gordon Spratt Reserve and Alice Johnson Oval is the availability of playing surfaces, and supporting infrastructure and facilities on Gordon Spratt and Alice Johnson Oval, to meet demand and changing expectations from current and future club members, as a result of continual growth in Papamoa’s population and club participation numbers.

14. Key challenges that have been identified by user groups through the workshops are:

(a) Shortage of grass field space

(b) Need to future-proof space for code specific surfaces (i.e. tennis, bowls, baseball and netball)

(d) Lack of changing rooms

(e) Lack of storage

(f) Inadequate and insufficient lighting (i.e. tennis, netball, baseball, winter grass codes)

(g) Field quality not meeting expectations

(h) Lack of conveniently located toilets

(i) Car parks and access

(j) User group communications/visibility of booking information.

15. The process identified a number of immediate actions to be undertaken, as well as some longer-term actions, and has created an action plan to work through in order to address the challenges experienced by users of and to future-proof the site. Attachment A provides further details. We have begun implementation planning for the suite of actions identified and seek endorsement of the key actions at this meeting.

16. We have also explored land swap and land acquisition opportunities in the vicinity of the park. The land swap opportunity was not successful. We are still in negotiation on the land acquisition opportunity. Further active reserve capacity will be provided in the Wairakei – Te Tumu catchment, in line with the availability of infrastructure to that growth area. In the meantime, we will be implementing all available measures to enhance capacity at Gordon Spratt Reserve.

Blake Park

17. Blake Park is currently the city wide/regional base for hockey, netball, junior rugby and cricket. International standard sporting facilities provided on the Park include; cricket at Bay Oval, hockey at the Tauranga Hockey Centre, and croquet at the Mount Greens Sports site. The University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance is adjacent to the Park, with users such as the NZ Rugby Sevens teams and Bay of Plenty Steamers making regular use of the Park for training purposes.

18. Four co-design workshops and some additional separate meetings were held in the second half of 2021, with representatives of existing user groups and hapu, to identify and discuss the values, challenges, aspirations, and options for the future of Blake Park. Representatives from 21 different organisations participated in this process.

19. Users of the Park identified a wide range of challenges and issues. These include strategic issues such as the desire of all codes to have space to grow, and the age and condition of many existing buildings. There are also relationship and operational issues including clashes of use, competition between users for access, especially to field space, and ground maintenance and quality issues. In addition to feedback from users, bookings data highlights significant increases in field use from 2013 to 2021 across high performance and community sport (both competition and training).

20. The process found that given the significant pressure that Blake Park is under, there is a clear need for relatively immediate change. Blake Park cannot continue to cater to all of the current users and uses in a way that will be satisfactory to them in terms of either current operation, and/or growth projections/aspirations.

21. Accordingly, a number of actions have been identified that are required to transition the park from the current state to the desired future state. A key challenge is identifying space for codes that require grass fields for training and competition.

22. We will undertake a masterplan for the site including development of options for changes to the use of space on the site, and relocation of some uses off it. We will do this in tandem with the development of options for Baypark, with Bay Venues Limited, as there are likely to be opportunities to maximise the use of Baypark, freeing up space at Blake Park. We will report back these options, with implementation plans later in 2022.

Strategic / Statutory Context

23. Council’s work in its strategic active reserves is guided in part by the Reserves Management Plan and the Reserves Act, alongside regular updates of our understanding of the active reserve network’s operational capacity, and changing demand from sports clubs and recreational users.

Financial Considerations

24. In order to more quickly meet community expectations on the long-standing proposal to provide a new cricket pavilion at Alice Johnson Oval, and in order to proceed with quick wins to improve the hours of use of the sports fields at Gordon Spratt Reserve, we will propose reallocation of existing active reserve budgets through the Annual Plan Deliberations process, pending work underway on a revised project and programme.

Legal Implications / Risks

25. No significant legal implications or risks are currently identified, but as we undertake detailed planning and implementation these will be accounted for.

Consultation / Engagement

26. Extensive engagement was undertaken through the Future State processes. Where significant changes to reserves are identified, we will propose consultation in line with Council’s significance and Engagement Policy, the Tauranga Reserves Management Plan, and the Reserves Act as appropriate.

Significance

27. The Local Government Act 2002 requires an assessment of the significance of matters, issues, proposals and decisions in this report against Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. Council acknowledges that in some instances a matter, issue, proposal or decision may have a high degree of importance to individuals, groups, or agencies affected by the report.

28. In making this assessment, consideration has been given to the likely impact, and likely consequences for:

(a) the current and future social, economic, environmental, or cultural well-being of the district or region;

(b) any persons who are likely to be particularly affected by, or interested in, the proposals; and

29. In accordance with the considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered that the proposal is of low significance.

Next Steps

30. Implementation of key projects that can be delivered over the next 24 months, and in parallel, detailed planning, feasibility and business case work, leading to proposals for delivery of further actions or, if already budgeted, direct implementation.

Attachments

1. Attachment 1 - Gordon Spratt and Blake Park FSA Recommended Action Summary - A13294663 ⇩

2. Attachment 2 - Gordon Spratt Reserve and Alice Johnson Oval - Future State Report - March 2022 - A13091723 ⇩

3. Attachment 3 - Final Blake Park Future State Report - RSL - February 2022 copy - A13294667 ⇩


AGENDA Ordinary Council meeting Thursday, 24 March 2022
I hereby give notice that an Ordinary Meeting of Council will be held on:
Date:	Thursday, 24 March 2022
Time:	10am
Location:	Ground Floor - Meeting Room 1 306 Cameron Road 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	Commission Chair Anne Tolley
Members	Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston Commissioner Stephen Selwood Commissioner Bill Wasley
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	As required

· To ensure the effective and efficient governance of the City

· To enable leadership of the City including advocacy and facilitation on behalf of the community.

· Oversee the work of all committees and subcommittees.

· Exercise all non-delegable and non-delegated functions and powers of the Council.