Agenda of Ordinary Council Meeting - Monday, 15 August 2022

UNCONFIRMED Ordinary Council meeting Minutes

25 July 2022

MINUTES

Ordinary Council meeting

Monday, 25 July 2022

Order of Business

1 Opening karakia. 4

2 Apologies. 4

3 Public forum.. 4

4 Acceptance of late items. 5

4.1 Acceptance of late item - Access options to Parau Farms - update. 5

5 Confidential business to be transferred into the open. 5

6 Change to the order of business. 5

7 Confirmation of minutes. 5

7.1 Minutes of the Council meeting held on 27 June 2022. 5

8 Declaration of conflicts of interest 5

9 Deputations, presentations, petitions. 5

Nil

10 Recommendations from other committees. 5

Nil

11 Business. 6

11.1 Te Manawataki o Te Papa - Securing land for future generations and ongoing community use. 6

11.2 Partial Reclassification of Gate Pa Recreation Reserve. 9

11.3 Reclassification of Part of Marine Park. 10

11.4 Smiths Farm.. 11

11.5 Water Restriction / Water Watchers Plan Update. 12

11.6 Three Waters Reform - Council Submission on Water Services Entities Bill #1. 13

11.7 Traffic & Parking Bylaw Amendment 38. 14

11.8 Plan Change 30 (Earthworks) - To make Operative in Full 14

11.9 Update on Te Hononga ki Te Awanui - connecting Memorial Park to the city centre. 15

11.10 Borrowing Programme 2022-2023. 16

11.11 Council Controlled Organisations' Final Statements of Intent for 2022/2023 to 2024/2025. 18

11.12 Bay Venues Limited - Strategic Review Update. 18

12 Discussion of late items. 19

13 Public excluded session. 19

13.1 Public Excluded Minutes of the Council meeting held on 27 June 2022. 20

13.2 Pitau Road Village. 20

13.3 Allocation of proceeds - sale of the elder housing villages. 20

13.4 Appointment of Mana Whenua Board member on Bay Venues Limited. 20

13.5 Marine Precinct Lot Purchase. 21

13.6 Exemption to open competition - Water Pump Supply. 21

13.7 Parking Meters Replacement 21

13.8 Roadside Mowing provision and funding. 21

13.9 Access options to Parau Farms - update. 21

14 Closing karakia. 21

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, 25 July 2022 AT 9.30am

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

IN ATTENDANCE: Marty Grenfell (Chief Executive), Paul Davidson (Chief Financial Officer), Barbara Dempsey (General Manager: Community Services), Nic Johansson (General Manager: Infrastructure), Christine Jones (General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance), Gareth Wallis (General Manager: City Development & Partnerships), Phillip Kai Fong (Team Leader: Strategic Property), Rachael Andrews (Strategic Property Advisor), Gert van Staden (Senior Strategic Advisor), Ross Hudson (Team Leader: Planning), Peter Bahrs (Team Leader: Water Services), Dianne Bussey (Contractor – Three Water Reforms), Cathy Davidson (Manager: Directorate Services), Will Hyde (Senior Transportation Engineer), Janine Speedy (Team Leader: City Planning), Karen Steer (Planner), Malcolm Smith (Senior Project Manager: Civic Development Projects), Mike Naude (Director of Civic Developments), Sheree Covell (Treasury and Financial Compliance Manager), Kathryn Sharplin (Manager: Finance), Anne Blakeway (Manager: Community Partnerships), Coral Hair (Manager: Democracy Services), Robyn Garrett (Team Leader: Committee Support), Sarah Drummond (Committee Advisor), Anahera Dinsdale (Committee Advisor), Janie Storey (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

4.1 Acceptance of late item - Access options to Parau Farms - update

Resolution CO14/22/1

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council

Accepts the following public excluded late item for consideration at the meeting:

· Access options to Parau Farms - update

The above item was not included in the original agenda because it was not available at the time the agenda was issued, and discussion cannot be delayed until the next scheduled meeting because a decision is required in regard to this item.

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 27 June 2022

Resolution CO14/22/2

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 27 June 2022 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 Te Manawataki o Te Papa - Securing land for future generations and ongoing community use

Staff Marty Grenfell, Chief Executive

Gareth Wallis, General Manager: City Development & Partnerships

Phillip Kai Fong, Team Leader Strategic Property

External Puhirake Ihaka, Peri Kohe, Buddy Mikaere and Alan Tate - Otamataha Trust

Dr Alistair Reese, historian and theologian

Key points - Presentation – Dr Alistair Reese

· The city needed a new heart and many were looking forward to city centre transplant.

· Naboth’s vineyard biblical reference - 1 Kings 12 - “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors” was the leading motif for iwi describing what happened to Māori land through history.

· Henry Williams of the Church Missionary Society was invited to sail on a yacht to Tauranga in an attempt to stop Ngāpuhi from carrying out utu. He was invited to set up a mission station, known as The Elms.

· Land was negotiated and two parcels - one 350 acres and a larger 1333 acres - from Gate Pa peninsula to The Strand were transferred from local hapū to the Church Missionary Society.

· The land was accepted as a promise to iwi that the missionaries were here to stay and had no intention of leaving them.

· There was a tide of immigration setting upon the area with a hunger for land - so the land was banked on behalf of Māori.

· There was a difference in the European understanding of what a sale was and an indigenous take of what a sale was - for Māori land exchange was relational not transactional and held in trust.

· The Church Missionary perspective was that the land was for the benefit of the native race and the Church, and never to be sold for the purpose of raising money.

· Mr Brown facilitated the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in Tauranga Moana.

· Governor Gray and the Commissioner agreed to allowing the purchases despite lots of locals being against it. The hunger for land continued and war broke out in Waikato.

· The Crown always had the intention to establish a township and reward the militia with land.

· This caused internal tensions within the Missionary Society as Mr Brown did not support it and the bill was not yet law.

· The Missionary Society yielded in this instance to the pressure of the government and the Crown and 4/5ths of the land was gifted to the Crown and 1/5^th to The Elms Mission station. This way they were not accused of selling the land.

· A letter written at the time stated that their offer was a very liberal one, that they must be very careful as land was held in trust, and to be careful legally how it was negotiated and it should not be taken.

· Built this city on betrayal and the loss of land - I riro whenua atu me hoki whenua mai - It is land that was taken and therefore it is land that needs to be returned.

Mr Kohu spoke to the meeting:

· In September 1987 a group decided enough was enough. When the Council demolished the old town hall this became focus of a grievance by Ngai Tamarāwaho as Lot 45 and surrounding areas were part of their inheritance.

· Apologised for the point in time actions at the protest. Now 35 years later different tools were used to get the attention of the Council, resulting in the current approach.

· Excited that the Commissioners had brought the discussions to this stage, where a meaningful relationship and partnership had developed with which the foundations were laid at Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 which gave credence to proceed in a partnership.

· Council staff also made it possible, coming to the table, looking at the accord as beneficial to both and to be able to look ahead through passage of time.

· Mr Kohu offered a sincere apology for damage done in 1987 and said that he was grateful that he could come to the table and be in common with the intention of the accord.

Mr Mikaere spoke to the meeting:

· Noted the important occasion for all and thanked the Council for the opportunity to address the meeting.

· The land was acquired by Church Missionary Society in 1838 after a close relationship being developed with iwi.

· Some whanau had been named for Archdeacon Brown and his family.

· Iwi felt keenly the abandonment and confiscation of the land, and the Church giving up their holdings that were to be held in trust.

· It caused great sadness in 1884 when Archdeacon Brown died and no one attended his tangi as punishment for those that had participated in the confiscations.

· The land had been held over the years with the belief steadfastly maintained it would go some way towards righting a wrong, and that had been achieved while the community purposes were maintained.

· The land was a hugely generous contribution from the hapū to the city.

Mr Ihaka spoke to the meeting:

· Thanked other speakers for their korero which set the scene from that time when church arrived to now, so all understand fully the history behind why this is happening today.

· The facts had been stated and they were speaking on behalf of all Trustees, some of whom were in attendance at the meeting today.

· The current point of view had finally reached reconciliation and Trustees considered it to be reconciliation of everything that had happened.

· Trustees wanted to move forward in terms of the accord as it had the foundation of everything that the Trust wanted to see happen in the area for mana whenua, tangata whenua, the community at large and the Council for their new home.

· Trustees were greatly appreciative of their new standing in this arrangement in terms of the Trust.

· Acknowledged the early times of Ngai Tamarāwaho carried out what they thought was the right thing to do at the time as they were the kaitiaki caretakers in the land in those troubled times.

· Appreciation given to the Commissioners and Chief Executive for brokering everything that had been happening, and to staff who worked tirelessly to get this to where it was today.

· “Tēnei te mihi aroha ki a koutou, mō tēnei rā, mō tēnei kaupapa, nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa”. Our loving acknowledgements to you all, for this auspicious day, for this initiative, thank you all very much.

Mr Tate spoke to the meeting:

· Noted that there would be a section of community that would not be happy.

· He wanted to speak to those people to tell them to ask their children and grandchildren what they thought of the proposal as it was for their future.

· Commended the Council and staff for their forward thinking which was clearly the right thing to do for Tauranga and its future.

Key points

· The discussions with the Otamataha Trust had resulted in securing the land for public use forever for ongoing community wide use and would go a long way to reconciliating the grievances that had been within the city for the past 180 years.

Commissioners’ comments:

· Dwarfed by magnanimity of tangata whenua for the loss of a huge amount of land and mana and sense of belonging for many generations and acknowledged the importance of this to iwi.

· Appreciation to Dr Alistair Reese and the Trustees for telling their story as it was not known or spoken about, therefore had not ever been acknowledged.

· The steps being taken at this meeting gave a feeling of enormous pride and humility that Council was in the position to be able to take this step.

· Consultation was required with the community before the final decision could be made.

· Confident that knowing the history and understanding it, that most would accept it was the right thing to do as it created exciting opportunities for the city.

· The Trustees had gifted the name of site Te Manawataki o Te Papa - the heartbeat of Te Papa - the heart is the organ that feeds everything and enlivens the body. It acknowledged the role of the story which had given all an understanding of the connection to the land and the responsibility to preserve it.

· It was an elegant solution to the dilemma faced by Archdeacon Brown, the church and people in government positions.

· All were moved by the apology given by Peri Kohu for the actions some 35 years ago, which denoted the passion iwi felt for the land and gave acknowledgement of their history that goes with the land. It was the challenge and loud protest to right the wrongs of the past that got us to the solution and to recognise a way forward.

· Appreciation given to the Otamataha Trust and its members representing the iwi and hapū, for their generosity of spirit in joining with Council in the accord and standing together on a piece of land representing the history going back to the early 1800’s.

· Commissioner Rolleston gave his personal acknowledgement to the speakers reflecting on all that had happened beforehand and for each tupuna for making numerous petitions to the Crown to resolve this. This was an opportunity to restore and bring about restitution. Was a local person coming to understand the deep connection, relationship and history with the site.

· This was an opportunity to restore and put right a long-held grievance - hara raru - still had to step through that process as a community but had more to gain than to lose. Council was acknowledging, restoring and reconciling this particular piece of land as it would still be used for its purpose and remain as land held in trust for the church and the community.

· The story of Tauranga and the importance as part of New Zealand’s history was poorly understood and inadequately told, and this was an opportunity to also right that wrong and note the importance this city had played for both mana whenua and pakeha and all that came in the decades that followed.

In response to questions

· A Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) was necessary due to the issues in relation to the land that underlies Te Manawataki o Te Papa. A CCO allowed TCC to have a true partnership arrangement where the Charitable Trust would be made up of the Council and the Otamataha Trust, both having equal sharing arrangements and giving the opportunity to hold the land for future generations in a way that addressed the legal concerns that had to be dealt with for that land.

· In relation to whether there were other similar arrangements with iwi and hapū throughout the country, it was noted that this agreement was a slight variation to what had been seen with other councils and the Crown. This co-ownership agreement unlocked the key developments that Council wished to undertake on the land and the new partnership arrangement and approach going forward would be beneficial for both the Council and mana whenua and led the way for a strengthened relationship with other iwi going forward.

Resolution CO14/22/3

Moved: Commission Chair Anne Tolley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report ‘Te Manawataki o Te Papa – Securing land for future generations and ongoing community use’;

(b) Agrees to consult on options regarding partnership approaches with Otamataha Trust, in particular the future ownership of the land associated with Site A of the Civic Precinct;

(c) As the preferred option for consultation purposes, approves the co-ownership of the land referred to as ‘Site A’ of the Civic Precinct with Otamataha Trust, through the establishment of a council-controlled organisation (Option One), with the following proposed structure and arrangements:

· Transfer of the land to the council-controlled organisation for a nominal sale price of $1.00 and subject to a perpetual peppercorn ground lease[1] back to Council; and

· Council retains ownership of any improvements on the land and is entitled to develop and construct further improvements on the land;

(d) Notes that, if approved, public consultation on the purpose and principles of creating a council-controlled organisation for Site of the Civic Precinct will commence in late-August 2022

Carried

The Commissioners thanked all for their support, contribution and attendance at the meeting and for sharing their emotion on what this decision meant to them.

The meeting adjourned at 10.40 am

The meeting reconvened at 10.50 am

11.2 Partial Reclassification of Gate Pa Recreation Reserve

Staff Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance

Rachael Andrews, Strategic Property Advisor

Janine Speedy, Team Leader: City Planning

Philp Kai Fong, Team Leader: Strategic Property

Ross Hudson, Team Leader: Planning

Key points

· A proposal for funding was included in the LTP to carry out further work on the partial reclassification of the historic reserve.

· There were historical obligations with Ngai Tamarāwaho and Pukehinahina Charitable Trust to explore the proposal.

· The land was no longer required by the bowling club and there were no other identified purposes from a recreational perspective.

In response to questions

· It was always the intention to work in with the tennis club in relation to the carparking, but nothing could be done until the reclassification and public notification had been completed. If these were successful, staff would look at how the parking would work in relation to each facility.

· The land across the road was contiguous with this site and it made sense to connect them together.

· There was an opportunity from a heritage perspective to align all reserves and to tell the historic story and connect all of the heritage reserves across the city. This was one of a number of projects being developed with the Otamataha Trust and iwi with a focus around cultural and heritage reserves and the relationship with all iwi and their particular rohe.

· In response to a query on the relationship between how Council developed and promoted cultural sites and other significant battle sites like Pukehinahina and the relationship with others around the country, it was acknowledged that cultural and historical network planning across the city needed to be given more attention and to raise its national importance through storytelling, noting the battles local iwi fought in Waikato, Tauranga, and other areas.

· Once the reclassification was approved staff would work with iwi and tell the land war stories in the area and raise the national importance in the storytelling.

Discussion points raised

· It was suggested that Council meet with the Pukehinahina Trust to consider how the story telling and national significance could be accomplished and how to access national funding in order to do so.

· Need to be clear that there was a process that had to be followed and consultation had to occur.

· A meeting with the Trust would be arranged to discuss the future proposal for the site.

Resolution CO14/22/4

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That Council:

(a) Confirms its support, in principle, of the proposal to establish a Cultural and Historic Centre on that part of the Gate Pā Recreation Reserve shown indicatively as “Upper Site A” at Figure 1; and

(b) Approves in principle, subject to public and tangata whenua notification, the reclassification of that part of the Gate Pā Recreation Reserve shown indicatively at Figure 2, from recreation reserve to historic reserve, pursuant to section 24 of the Reserves Act 1977; and

(c) Authorises public and tangata whenua notification of the proposed re-classification, pursuant to section 24 of the Reserves Act 1977;

(d) Subject to the reclassification of “Upper Site A” at Figure 1 (“the reclassification”), authorises staff to commence negotiations with Ngai Tamarāwaho in terms of a proposed lease over “Upper Site A” at Figure 1 for the Cultural and Historic Centre; and

(e) Subject to the reclassification, and subsequent agreement and approval of lease terms between Council and Ngai Tamarāwaho for the Cultural and Historic Centre, it is considered that Council will have met its obligation to investigate options pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding entered into with Ngai Tamarāwaho in 1999 and delivered on the commitment to provide to Ngai Tamarāwaho a place for a Cultural and Historic Centre.

Carried

11.3 Reclassification of Part of Marine Park

Staff Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance

Gert van Staden, Senior Strategic Advisor

Curtis Bones, Manager: Strategic Property and Commercial Facilitation

Key points

· The reclassification would allow for the establishment of a marine and educational facility.

· At the public hearing last month, 300 submissions were received, with 66% supporting the proposal.

· Once objections had been considered and had been adequately addressed, the reclassification could proceed.

In response to questions

· A report would be provided in early August regarding the long-term concerns including the increased use of boats, car parking; and the increase in traffic and train movements and the intersection with the rail on Keith Allen Drive; and how these issues would be addressed.

· The University were forecasting 50 FTE’s and would also require parking for researchers. The process document would include applications on how they intended to share parking and if there was capacity for this.

Discussion points raised

· A new resolution (e) was noted.

Resolution CO14/22/5

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commission Chair Anne Tolley

That the Council:

(a) Confirms the objections and other feedback received on the proposal, as contained in Attachment D, and tangata whenua feedback has been considered.

(b) Confirms the proposed reclassification of a portion of Marine Park, identified by SO plan 530292 and appended to this report as Attachment A, from recreation reserve to local purpose (marine research and education facility) reserve.

(d) Endorses the Chief Executive exercising the delegated authority to appoint a preferred applicant under the Public Bodies Leases Act 1969.

(e) Requests staff report back in respect of the upgrading and provision of new facilities at Sulphur Point including new boat ramps and proposed formalised carparking being reviewed.

Carried

11.4 Smiths Farm

Staff Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance

Ross Hudson, Team Leader: Planning

Key points

· There was further work to be done on active reserves, with the work underway for the plan change to be brought to the August Council meeting.

· If the Council reconfirmed the area was for housing, it would initiate a plan change enabling a housing development on the developable portions of the site under the Special Housing Area legislation.

· An update of the supply and demand for sports field across the district had been undertaken and there would only be a need in that area for 2-3 fields . Sufficient land was available at Pōteriwhi as a fall-back option within that area.

Resolution CO14/22/6

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Reconfirms that the Council’s owned land at Smiths Farm:

(i) is surplus to requirements as Active Reserve; and

(ii) can be used for housing purposes.

(b) Approves staff progressing rezoning the land at Smiths Farm for housing as part of the upcoming plan change to implement the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021.

Carried

The meeting adjourned at 11.18 am

The meeting reconvened at 11.35 am

11.5 Water Restriction / Water Watchers Plan Update

Staff Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

Peter Bahrs, Team Leader: Water Services

Key points

· Approvals were sought for water restrictions across city into the future due to the requirement last summer.

· While there was currently a lot of rain and some run off happening, the aquifers were still at an uncomfortable level and it would take time for the water to get into underground aquifers.

· The roll out for water watchers was planned for November - in the past this had been successful and benefits accrued from them.

· Some lessons had been learned, improvements and refinements made, and these would be integrated into the water strategy plan.

· While there was the prospect of Waiāri coming online at the end of year, water was a precious resource and still posed challenges for the city going forward.

· The reconsenting processes for the Tautau and Waiorohi water takes were due in 2026, therefore it was important to note how Council managed the resource sustainably and constructively into the future.

· The Waiāri Kaitiaki Advisory Group was still seeing flow reductions and doing work in the background. There needed to be a fallback position if these flows did not recover.

· A report would be provided to Council in October indicating refinements on how to manage the integrated plan and bringing in Waiāri as water source for future.

In response to questions

· Staff were carrying out predictive modelling to gain an understanding of the data on the water aquifers. Currently 12-18 months was predicted for recharge.

· A report would be provided on how to manage the pricing and role of water going forward now and into the future.

Discussion points raised

· There was a need to continually communicate to the community the need to manage water usage, even with Waiāri adding to the supply at the end of year.

· There was also a need to work regionally on more secure water supplies.

Resolution CO14/22/7

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives this report on the water restriction management over the past 7 months.

(b) Approves:

(i) The water restriction / management plan to remain in place (under bylaw)

(ii) The preparation of a medium to long term water management strategy

Carried

11.6 Three Waters Reform - Council Submission on Water Services Entities Bill #1

Staff Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

External Dianne Bussey, Contractor – Three Water Reforms

Key points

· The combined submission following feedback from the community was submitted on Friday 22 July 2022 and had been placed on the TCC website.

· A number of pieces of information had been provided by the public outside of the survey questions which had been incorporated in the submission. These mostly related to discontent with the Three Waters reform overall.

· The next piece of legislation was expected in the next quarter and was likely to cover the transition and powers of the new entity.

In response to questions

· It was noted that Council wished to speak to its submission. As there were over 10,000 submitters wanting to speak the hearings would probably run over several weeks.

· It was noted that there had been a recent announcement that Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) was considering abandoning support for three waters and going for two waters. However, this was not announced or discussed at the recent LGNZ Conference.

· Concern was raised that a paragraph in the preamble of the submission had been removed which explained in part the rationale of the shares based on metropolitan assets, with the only reference to it being well into the paper with no context or detail provided for the change. Staff responded noting that it was included in clause 16, but would follow that up. It was also noted that as this was one of the issues of most concern to ratepayers it would form a point to be made when presenting the oral submission.

Discussion points raised

· Appreciation was given for the work done to prepare the submission within the tight timeframes and for making sure it happened.

Resolution CO14/22/8

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Notes the submission made to Government in relation to the Water Services Entities Bill as tabled at the meeting.

Carried

11.7 Traffic & Parking Bylaw Amendment 38

Staff Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

Resolution CO14/22/9

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

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, relating to minor changes for general safety or amenity purposes, to become effective from 26 July 2022.

Carried

11.8 Plan Change 30 (Earthworks) - To make Operative in Full

Staff Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance

Janine Speedy, Team Leader: City Planning

Karen Steer, Planner

Key points

· This was a procedural matter from a decision made by the Hearings Committee. No appeals had been received.

Discussion points raised

· Acknowledgement to staff for the work on the setting of guidelines.

Resolution CO14/22/10

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report Plan Change 30 (Earthworks) – To make Operative in Full.

(b) Pursuant to Clause 17(1) of Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991, approves Plan Change 30 (Earthworks) (Attachment A) and authorises the Commission Chair and Chief Executive to affix the seal of Council on the Plan Change 30 documents.

(c) Pursuant to Clause 20 of Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991, notifies that the approved Plan Change 30 shall become operative on 12 August 2022.

(d) Endorses the non-statutory sediment and erosion control guideline (Appendix B of this report).

Carried

11.9 Update on Te Hononga ki Te Awanui - connecting Memorial Park to the city centre

Staff Gareth Wallis, General Manager: City Development & Partnerships

Malcolm Smith, Senior Project Manager: Civic Redevelopment Projects

Mike Naude, Director: Civic Developments

External Rebecca Ryder - Boffa Miskell

Key points

· Outlined the work to date from The Strand to the Harbourside restaurant, including the installation of the culvert through to Tunks Reserve that would take place over three days early in the new year.

· The second section outlined the project objectives for the overall project and Stage 3 which was the link from Tunks Reserve to Memorial Park.

In response to questions

· In response to a query regarding there being no mention of people in the objective for public enjoyment of the water’s edge and harbour, it was noted that the priority function was all forms of recreation along the area and links to the water. Staff noted that they would refocus the objective from transportation into recreational priorities.

· The ordering of the timber would be done once the final detail had been agreed. Staff were currently calculating the volumes and contingency at present, along with graphics of what the boardwalk would look like. Prices would then be sought, with the expectation that it would be completed by November 2023.

· A wide range of stakeholders had been consulted including mana whenua, harbour residents, immediate adjacent landowners affected by riparian rights, Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) regarding access to spill team and emergency response team, Kiwi Rail, harbour and reserve user groups and water-based groups. It was requested that Envirohub and sustainability enhancement groups be added to the list.

· It was noted that staff had met with BOPRC staff and had received a copy of their intended plans for the area; however, no consent had been lodged at this stage as they were still in a holding pattern.

Discussion points raised

· While the project was strong on process, it did not seem to be strong on the reasons why the upgrade was being done. It was requested that the objectives included that the project was about the enabling of the harbour and the park to the city.

Resolution CO14/22/11

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the ‘Update on Te Hononga ki Te Awanui – connecting Memorial Park to the city centre’ report.

(b) Endorses the project objectives for Te Hononga ki Te Awanui – connecting Memorial Park to the city centre., addition of objective to include public enjoyment of the water’s edge and harbour

Carried

11.10 Borrowing Programme 2022-2023

Staff Paul Davidson, Chief Financial Officer

Sheree Covell, Treasury and Financial Compliance Manager

Kathryn Sharplin, Manager: Finance

Resolution CO14/22/12

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report – “Borrowing Programme 2022-23”.

(b) Approves the Borrowing Resolution for the 2022-2023 financial year:

i. The borrowing of $184,000,000 (the “Borrowing”). This Borrowing being made up of:

· $128,000,000 of new loans approved for the financial year 2022-2023

in the Annual Plan 2022-2023;

· $56,000,000 of maturing loans during the financial year 2022-2023;

· That in addition a bank overdraft facility of $100,000 be retained.

ii. The borrowing is to be secured against the rates revenue of Council under the Debenture Trust Deed.

iii. That the Council may also fund the capital expenditure programme and its working capital requirements from its cash reserves and other internal / external sources of funds.

(c) Approves that authority is delegated to the Chief Executive and the Chief Financial Officer, subject to the Local Government Act 2002 and the Treasury Policy, to:

i. determine the details and timing of the Borrowing whether in this financial year or in the future and to raise long or short-term loans, whether by one or more bank facility or other facilities, or by one or more issues of stock, whether by internal funding or external, and whether by wholesale issue or by private placement to habitual investors, to yield a maximum external borrowing identified in (b)(i) above, of $184,000,000 secured under the Debenture Trust Deed as the Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer consider appropriate and in accordance with the Council's Treasury Policy; and

ii. execute all loan and security documentation in relation to the Borrowing on behalf of Council, including any loan and/or credit agreements and stock certificates, investment statement and any other documents which Council may be required to enter into in respect of the borrowing, and to give one or more certificates in respect thereof for the purposes of Section 118 of the Local Government Act in respect of Council's entry into such borrowing security or related documentation.

(d) Approves that authority is delegated to the Chief Financial Officer to borrow internally to manage the funding requirements, subject to availability of internal funding and reassign approved borrowings between activities for approved projects.

(e) Approves that authority is delegated to the Chief Financial Officer to enter into interest rate risk management transactions with institutions.

Carried

11.11 Council Controlled Organisations' Final Statements of Intent for 2022/2023 to 2024/2025

Staff Gareth Wallis, General Manager: City Development & Partnerships

Anne Blakeway, Manager: Community Partnerships

Key points

· These were the final Statements of Intent and staff were satisfied that all comments had been incorporated

Discussion points raised

· Acknowledgement to staff and the CCOs on the huge progress made, making the process much smoother.

Resolution CO14/22/13

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the council-controlled organisations’ Final Statements of Intent 2022/23 to 2024/25 report.

(b) Receives and approves Bay Venues Limited’s final Statement of Intent 2022/23 to 2024/25 (Attachment 1).

(d) Receives and approves Tourism Bay of Plenty’s final Statement of Intent 2022/23 to 2024/25 (Attachment 5).

(e) Notes that Western Bay of Plenty District Council, as joint shareholder, will receive the final Statement of Intent 2022/23 to 2024/25 for Tourism Bay of Plenty at their Council meeting on 11 August 2022.

(f) Receives and approves Bay of Plenty Local Authority Shared Services Statement of Intent 2022/2023 to 2024/25 (Attachment 7).

(g) Receives and approves Local Government Funding Agency Statement of Intent 2022/2023 to 2024/25 (Attachment 8).

Carried

11.12 Bay Venues Limited - Strategic Review Update

Staff Gareth Wallis, General Manager: City Development & Partnerships

Anne Blakeway, Manager: Community Partnerships

Key points

· Six recommendations from the strategic review had been completed and the other four were on track with some work still to be done to finalise these.

In response to questions

· Some of the financial actions would be incorporated into the Annual Plan and some into the Long-term Plan (LTP) if additional funding was required.

· While the developments were initially challenging and slow to start, the group had now landed on the key principles with both parties agreeing on how to move forward.

· The art gallery and Tourism BOP had met last week for a brainstorming session and staff would meet with their CEO’s and boards to offer assistance on what Council could do to support them and apply this in the best way for the CCO. They were aiming for this to be completed by the end of the year, to commence on 1 July 2023 if not sooner.

· Bay Venues was working hard to include the TCC logo in their communications, signage and branding.

· Feedback had been received from all CCO’s that there was no city brand, and while two logos were good it did not sell Tauranga . The CCO’s were keen to have that conversation with the Council as one organisation and it was anticipated that by 1 July 2023 there would be significant movement with the co-branding and city branding discussions.

· The city vision - “together we can” should be used to form part of the Tauranga Moana identity.

Resolution CO14/22/14

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the Bay Venues Limited – Strategic Review Update.

Carried

12 Discussion of late items

Nil

13 Public excluded session

RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Resolution CO14/22/15

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

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 27 June 2022	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)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information 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 - Pitau Road Village	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
13.3 - Allocation of proceeds - sale of the elder housing villages	s6(b) - The making available of the information would be likely to endanger the safety of any person 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
13.4 - Appointment of Mana Whenua Board member on Bay Venues Limited	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)(c)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of any enactment, where the making available of the information would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the same source, and it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied	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
13.5 - Marine Precinct Lot Purchase	s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information	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
13.6 - Exemption to open competition - Water Pump Supply	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
13.7 - Parking Meters Replacement	s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information	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
13.8 - Roadside Mowing provision and funding	s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information	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
13.9 – Access options to Parau Farms - update	s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information	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 Shad Rolleston closed the meeting with a karakia.

Resolutions transferred into the open section of the meeting after discussion

13.3 Allocation of proceeds - sale of the elder housing villages

Resolution CO14/22/17

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

Expected Elder Housing Portfolio Proceeds

(a) Notes that the expected gross proceeds of the Elder Housing Portfolio and Pooles Road properties are circa $38.6 million, with the final amount to be confirmed following the sale of Pitau Road village and Hinau Street village.

(b) Notes, dependent on today’s decisions, that the total committed and actual expenditure from the sale proceeds to-date is $7,882,731, this consists of:

(i) $3 million approved development contribution grants for community and papakāinga housing.

(ii) $3.21 million to relocate the Tauranga Women’s Collective.

(iii) $1.672 million of costs associated with the disposal of the properties.

Tauranga Women’s Collective

(d) Notes that the approved total of $3,210,000, funded from Pooles Road properties sale, to relocate the Tauranga Women’s Collective to alternative premises is an investment in properties that remain in Council ownership and are leased to the Collective at a peppercorn rate.

(e) Notes that the funds received by the Stormwater activity for the transfer of properties are intended to be used to retire stormwater debt.

Future Reinvestment of Sale Proceeds

(f) Adopts the following principles to guide the reinvestment of the remaining proceeds from the sale of the elder housing villages and Pooles Road properties. Funds will be used in such a way as to:

(i) Deliver an increase in public, social, affordable and elder housing for Tauranga.

(ii) Minimise private individual profit.

(iii) Provide opportunity to leverage for additional external funds.

(iv) Ensure funds remain within non-profit entity control (i.e. if reinvestment does return a profit, the resulting profit will be reinvested to deliver further public and/or affordable housing and would not return to Council).

(v) Result in community benefit being retained long term.

(g) Authorises staff to work collaboratively with BayTrust on a co-design model for a proposed Housing Equity Fund, based on a possible Tauranga City Council investment of minimum $20 million, noting that this does not commit Council to investing in the proposed Housing Equity Fund.

(h) Approves the completion of further work investigating the establishment processes, costs, governance, and potential return on investment of setting up an independent entity versus investing alongside others, such as investment into the proposed Housing Equity Fund.

(i) Notes that the decision of the quantum of funds and the nature of the reinvestment will be consulted on via the 2023-2024 Annual Plan process.

Transfer to Open

(j) Approves resolutions (a), (b), (d) to (j) being transferred to open. Recommendation and resolution (c), together with this report and attachments, are to remain as confidential.

Carried

The meeting closed at 2.20 pm.

The minutes of this meeting were confirmed as a true and correct record at the Ordinary Council meeting held on 15 August 2022.

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

CHAIRPERSON

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

15 August 2022

11 Business

11.1 Use of Agrichemicals on Grass Sports Turf Surfaces - Amendment to schedule one to the Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy

File Number: A13460892

Author: Ross Hudson, Team Leader: Planning

Emma Joyce, Open Space and Community Facilities Planner

Authoriser: Barbara Dempsey, General Manager: Community Services

Purpose of the Report

1. To seek approval to add oxadiazon (Oxa-Pro) and pendimethalin (Pendi-Pro) to Schedule One: List of Approved Products (schedule one) appended to the Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy (the policy). Use of these products would be restricted to grass sports turf.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Approves the addition of oxadiazon (Oxa-Pro) and pendimethalin (Pendi-Pro) to Schedule One: List of Approved Products appended to the Use of Toxic Agrichemicals for Vegetation Management Policy, noting that their use is restricted to grass sports turf.

Executive Summary

2. The review of our active reserves network identified a current deficit of over 150 hours per week of useable sports field capacity in our network – equivalent to about nine fields. Supply and demand modelling of current and future use of our sports fields projects this deficit will grow to 260 hours by 2043, with particular demand for winter weeknight training. We can enable significantly higher utilisation of our network if playing surfaces are improved and made more resilient. Key to this is the ability to sow in and maintain ‘warm season grasses’, which are more resilient to higher use than ‘cool season grasses’ and are more drought resistant. This approach to managing our grass sports turf requires the use of agrichemicals not currently approved for use on council-maintained land in Tauranga.

3. The policy purpose recognises that agrichemical use is necessary for “effective vegetation management on Council-maintained land” (clause 1.2). Only products listed at schedule one of the policy may be used on council-maintained land.

4. This report seeks approval to add two agrichemicals – oxadiazon and pendimethalin - to schedule one to ensure improved, fit for purpose playing surfaces and support increased use of the network.

Background

5. The active reserves work programme notes that optimisation of grass sports fields is dependent on being able to undertake appropriate management, including agrichemical use. Increasing capacity in our existing network would have a direct community benefit for current users and would also limit the amount of additional land required for sports fields as the city grows, thus reducing costs to Council and reducing competition for land needed for new housing.

6. Improving the resilience of grass sports turf cover will support an increase in available capacity. By providing for the use of pre-emergent (oxadiazon) to establish new turf areas and a weed control agrichemical (pendimethalin) to maintain the integrity of the turf, we estimate that up to an additional 122 hours (equivalent to 7 fields) of play could be enabled over the next ten years (with the additional requirement for access to bore water in some key circumstances). For example, we would be able to light more fields for mid-week training with the grass turf cover able to sustain this additional use.

Grass types and field management

7. Sowing in and maintaining warm season grasses is reliant on the use of ‘pre-emergent agrichemicals’ – notably oxadiaxon – a herbicide that prevents weed grasses from germinating. Oxadiazon products (Oxa-Pro) support the establishment of a new turf cover with pendimethalin (Pendi-Pro) as turf maintenance tool on established warm season turf cover.

8. Pre-emergent agrichemicals such as the herbicide oxadiazon prevent the seed of weed grasses (such as crow’s foot) from germinating. This allows more play-resilient and drought-resistant warm season grasses (such as kyuku and couch grasses) to be grown into our fields, replacing cool season grasses (such as rye grass) that are less resilient to heavy use.

9. Without the herbicide, weed species thrive in Summer, displacing the desired grasses and then die off in Winter, creating bare ground. Surface quality then deteriorates and additional play on the surfaces damages the field further, making it uneven and harder to regrow better conditions the following Summer.

10. The issue is becoming acute on some of our key fields due to increasingly hot and arid summers and increasing demand and use of the fields.

11. The photos below show the effects of drought and crow’s foot our fields.

Figure 1: Pemberton Park, Greerton during water restrictions (Summer 2021/2022)

A picture showing impact of drought and water restriction on grass sports turf

Figure 2: Blake Park 1, 25 March 2022 (the majority of the green visible is crows foot, the bare patches are where the rye has died off due summer conditions)

A patch of grass showing impact of weeds and drought on turf

12. We want to reverse this cycle of deterioration and then to maintain a more resilient approach.

13. Staff first considered adding pendimethalin to the schedule in 2015 to improve one field at Blake Park. The recommendation at that time was not to add the product to the schedule as it was not required to ensure fit for purpose council-maintained land. In contrast, the current proposal is considerably different in that the request to add both products is necessary to address acute capacity issues across our sportsfield network (not just one sports field) and ensure they are fit for purpose.

14. In addition, mowing of fields (as suggested in the 2015 report) is not an effective method of preventing weed germination.

15. Staff undertook trials of oxadiazon at Blake Park and Oceandowns Reserve to identify if using the product to control weed species would enhance the establishment of warm season grasses. The trial demonstrated that the product behaved as predicted by the manufacturer, in a local context and when used on sports turf fields. The image below from Oceandowns shows how the use of oxadiazon on the left has prevented the establishment of the undesirable grass species. The ground is in much better shape to grow desirable grasses for this sportsfield. The right-hand side shows the control area where oxadiazon has not been applied allowing for the growth of undesirable weed species.

Figure 3: Oceandowns Reserve showing result of oxadiazon use during trial

I Image of Oceandowns Reserve showing bare ground where oxadiazon has been applied and on the right undesirable weed species

Policy framework

16. Seeking to increase the capacity of existing sports fields is consistent with the principle of the Active Reserves Level of Service Policy. Without the use of oxadiazon, we risk not being able to provide the expected level of service for all sports played on grass turfs.

17. The policy governs weed management on council-maintained land. All agrichemicals used on council-maintained land must be included on schedule one^{^[2]}. While the primary objective of the policy is to maintain public health, the policy also includes an objective providing for “effective vegetation management on Council-maintained land” and outlines the matters to be considered before recommending to Council the approval of a new product.

18. Any amendments to schedule one must consider any or all of the following matters;

(a) The toxicity of the agrichemical and the potential for harm to public health (with preference given to lower toxicity agrichemicals)

(b) The potential effects on the wider environment both negative and positive (for example the removal of invasive weeds)

(c) The intended use of the agrichemical (for example, general vegetation management, as a precursor to restoration projects, specific removal of plant pests, etc)

(d) The intended location of that use (for example, close to playgrounds, on sportsfields, in hard-to-get-to gullies, etc)

(e) The way the agrichemical is to be used (for example, spraying, swabbing, drill and-pour, etc)

(f) The effectiveness of the agrichemical, particularly as compared to alternative approaches

(g) The cost of the agrichemical, particularly when compared to alternative approaches.

19. Table one provides an assessment of oxadiazon and pendimethalin against relevant criteria

Criteria		Assessment	Risk Mitigation
(a)	Potential human health effects	Pendimethalin EPA hazard classification notes potential allergic response following skin contact (skin sensitisation) and risks with repeated exposure. Oxadiazon EPA hazard classification notes reproductive toxicity, carcinogen and risks with repeated exposure Both products can be harmful if swallowed and guidance is to avoid direct contact with skin and eyes. Both products are spread in granular form and, as per the manufacturers’ instructions, the product is watered into the soil profile straight after application.	All application of the two products will be undertaken by appropriately trained persons in accordance with approved guidance. Access to the area will be restricted (fenced off) when oxadiazon is in use to avoid public coming into contact with the product or residue. The risk to the public during application is considered low. As is consistent with all fertiliser application, Pendi-Pro is washed into the soil immediately upon application. We will ensure that signage is appropriate to advise people that agrichemicals have been applied, including field closure signs.
(b)	Potential effects on the wider environment	The use of the two products provides for the growth of sports turf grasses while suppressing undesirable species. Both products can be hazardous in aquatic environments, however, they will not be used near water.	The products will not be used near water.
(c)	Intended use	The intended use is to encourage the growth of warm season grasses while suppressing the germination of undesirable grass species.	Access to the area will be restricted during the application and grow-in period (December to April). Restrictions on use and location reduces the likelihood of the public coming into contact with the products.
(d)	Intended location	The use would be restricted to grass sports turf.
(e)	Application method	Both products are granular (not liquid spray application). Only one application of oxadiazon is anticipated so there will not be bioaccumulation.
(f)	Effectiveness of the agrichemical	Earlier trials at Blake Park and Ocean Downs Reserve have shown the product works as predicted. Alternative methods such as glyphosate can be used as a “knock back”. However, spot spraying of weeds is labour intensive and kills everything in contact with the spray, including the preferred sports turf species (i.e. couch grasses).	Not applicable

The use of pre-emergent agrichemicals by other councils

20. Pre-emergent agrichemicals are commonly used by local authorities on active reserves as part of good grass turf management practices. Recreational Services who deliver maintenance contracts for 13 local authorities note that pre-emergents are used where required to deliver agreed level of service.

21. Tauranga is unique in requiring governance approval to use new agrichemicals, in publishing a list of approved agrichemicals, and requiring specific comment from an advisory forum. For example, Auckland’s management follows industry best practice, using the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute’s guidance to use pre-emergents. No wider community input is sought into agrichemical use.

22. Staff at Hamilton City Council advised that they are supported to use appropriate agrichemicals and methodologies needed to maintain sportsfields.

23. In general, councils with similar policies on agrichemical use note a general desire to limit their use, but also an understanding that the use of agrichemicals is necessary to undertake weed management.

24. The use of oxadiazon is supported by New Zealand Cricket in their ‘Turfgrass Disease Management Strategies” document. While not commenting on specific agrichemicals, Sport New Zealand’s guidance document for sportsfield development recognises that spraying is accepted practice and that “[r]emoval of undesirable grasses and other weed species throughout the year is a major part of successful turf grass management”.

Feedback from the Toxic Agrichemicals Advisory Forum

25. The Toxic Agrichemicals Advisory Forum (TAAF), citing potential human health effects, advises that neither product should be added to schedule one. In particular, they are concerned that the product residue may get on the skin of young children running barefoot. Their feedback is appended at attachment 1.

26. Staff have been working with TAAF since at least 2018 to address their concerns about oxadiazon. This included involving TAAF in the 2018 trial of the product. Their feedback is consistent with staff advice that the product supports the growth of new turf grasses.

Strategic / Statutory Context

27. The policy governs the use of agrichemicals in Tauranga. As noted above, the recommendations in this report are consistent with the objective of providing for “effective vegetation on Council-maintained land”.

28. Only those agrichemicals listed at schedule one are approved for use on council-maintained land in Tauranga. Council approval is required to add any new agrichemicals to the list where staff and TAAF are in disagreement.

29. Seeking to increase the capacity of existing sports fields is consistent with the principle of the Active Reserves Level of Service Policy. Without the use of oxadiazon, we risk not being able to provide the expected level of service for all sports played on grass turfs.

30. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for approving all hazardous substances for use in New Zealand. This includes issuing safety and safe use guidance. The EPA has approved both products for use in New Zealand.

Options Analysis

31. Council could choose to add oxadiazon and pendimethalin to schedule 1, or not. The advantages and disadvantages of each option are outlined in the table below.

Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	Approve the use of oxadiazon and pendimethalin on grass sports turfs (recommended)	· Provides for anticipated increased use of grass sports turf · Better management of existing active reserves reduces future requirement to purchase more land for sportsfields (at significant cost) · Maintain agreed level of service · Acknowledges the likelihood of drier summers in the future impacting on turf quality · Consistent with recommended practice for grass sports turf management.	· Additional agrichemical use in Tauranga
2	Do not approve the use of oxadiazon and pendimethalin on grass sports turfs	· No additional agrichemical use in Tauranga	· Inability to meet demand and agreed level of service for sports turf without purchasing additional land · Potential for ongoing degradation of sports turf · Management practices not cognisant of potential climate change impacts (ie. likelihood of droughts) · Increased costs associated with increased mowing requirements and additional water use · Inconsistent with management practices recommended by sports bodies and Sports Turf Institute · Staff will be required to use less effective control methods

Option

Advantages

Disadvantages

Approve the use of oxadiazon and pendimethalin on grass sports turfs

(recommended)

· Provides for anticipated increased use of grass sports turf

· Better management of existing active reserves reduces future requirement to purchase more land for sportsfields (at significant cost)

· Maintain agreed level of service

· Acknowledges the likelihood of drier summers in the future impacting on turf quality

· Consistent with recommended practice for grass sports turf management.

· Additional agrichemical use in Tauranga

Do not approve the use of oxadiazon and pendimethalin on grass sports turfs

· No additional agrichemical use in Tauranga

· Inability to meet demand and agreed level of service for sports turf without purchasing additional land

· Potential for ongoing degradation of sports turf

· Management practices not cognisant of potential climate change impacts (ie. likelihood of droughts)

· Increased costs associated with increased mowing requirements and additional water use

· Inconsistent with management practices recommended by sports bodies and Sports Turf Institute

· Staff will be required to use less effective control methods

Financial Considerations

32. As noted above, providing for the use of a pre-emergent allows for increased use of our sports fields. If not approved, we would need to increase our sports field capacity potentially through the purchase of additional land.

Legal Implications / Risks

33. There are no legal implications arising from the recommendations.

34. As with all agrichemicals, there are potential safety risks to using the two products. However, the EPA issues guidance for the safer use of all agrichemicals approved for use in New Zealand.

Consultation / Engagement

35. As noted above, staff sought feedback from TAAF on the proposed additions to schedule one. TAAF have been engaged in discussions about oxadiazon use since at least 2018.

36. Council has been engaging with users of active reserves on a range of matters to support planning for future active reserve needs. Users have raised the issue of turf quality and resilience. Staff have advised that current restrictions on our ability to use agrichemical impacts our ability to provide expected turf quality.

37. As noted above, staff spoke with other councils and a contractor in understanding management practices used elsewhere. As far as we are aware, Tauranga is unique in requiring governance approval for new agrichemical use.

Significance

38. 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.

39. 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 decision.

40. In accordance with the considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered that the decision is of low significance. However, it is noted that the issue of agrichemical use may be of high significance to many Tauranga residents.

ENGAGEMENT

41. Taking into consideration the above assessment, that the decision is of low significance, officers are of the opinion that no further engagement is required prior to Council making a decision.

Next Steps

42. Should Council approve the recommendation, an amended schedule will be added to the website.

43. Staff will commence using these products this Summer at three active reserves (Morland Fox, Waipuna Park and Links Avenue).

Attachments

1. Advice from Toxic Agrichemical Advisory Forum on proposed addition of oxadiazon and pendimethalin - A13686758 ⇩

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

15 August 2022

11.2 Executive Report

File Number: A13644063

Author: Nic Johansson, General Manager: Infrastructure

Barbara Dempsey, General Manager: Community Services

Paul Davidson, General Manager: Chief Financial Officer

Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance

Alastair McNeil, General Manager: Corporate Services

Steve Pearce, Acting General Manager: Regulatory and Compliance

Gareth Wallis, General Manager: City Development & Partnerships

Authoriser: Marty Grenfell, Chief Executive

Purpose of the Report

1. To provide updates on key projects and activities.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Receives the Executive Report.

Infrastructure Group

Accessible Streets for the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula

2. The business case option analysis has commenced for the Accessible Streets for the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula project. Accessible Streets aims to deliver improvements on primary routes that will provide people who live, learn, work, and play on the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula with better travel choices and enable them to connect to schools and the city centre. This will include:

· 12km of new cycleways designed for all ages and abilities

· Safer and more-convenient road crossings at key intersections

· Better access to public transport through improved pedestrian crossings

· Improvements to bus stops and bus shelters

· Creating neighbourhood streets in some key locations by providing traffic calming installations to minimise excessive speed and improve safety

· Improved bus journey or travel times at key locations

These improvements will enable more people to safely and confidently walk, bike or bus and reduce the number of vehicles on our roads.

3. Over the past five years, we have asked people how they wish to move around the city and their community. Tauranga is one of the most car-reliant cities in New Zealand, but people living in Tauranga and on the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula have told us they would choose to cycle to places such as the shops, parks, or work if they felt safer on the roads.

4. In 2020, people living in Brookfield, Judea, Bellevue, Ōtūmoetai and Matua told us as part of the Whakahou Taketake Vital Update survey that they valued being close to parks/cycleways/walkways/reserves and wanted better road infrastructure, less congestion and improved cycleways.

5. The Ōtūmoetai Peninsula is identified as a priority area to deliver safe, convenient, healthy, and environmentally-friendly travel choices due to its expected growth and the high number of trips that can easily be taken by foot, bus, bike or scooter. Schools, community hubs, shops and reserves, as well as the city centre, are all within a reasonable distance for car-free travel. Take me to the future: Ōtūmoetai 2050 undertook extensive engagement with the local community to seek their feedback about how we can accommodate enough homes, suitable ways to get around and community spaces to support the wellbeing of everyone who lives there.

6. Recent feedback on the Take me to the future: Ōtūmoetai 2050 project, which will create a plan for the future of this area, showed that people on the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula would like:

· Neighbourhoods that are well-connected to other neighbourhoods and connect to other centres outside of the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula

· Safer walking and cycling routes

· Improved bus services.

7. Early feedback is being sought on options for identified primary bus and cycle routes. Workshops are underway with mana whenua, schools and other key stakeholders. Invitations have been sent to businesses and more than 5000 directly-affected residents to attend either a webinar or drop-in sessions between 29 July and 8 August.

8. This feedback will inform the multi-criteria analysis option assessment to help select a preferred option. The preferred option will be presented for endorsement by the Commission in September.

9. The extent of the project is outlined in the Figure below:

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Transport - Totara Street

10. The project has progressed well and is within budget on the revised programme. Works to install power to the traffic signals at the Waimarie Street, Triton Avenue and Hull Road intersections, and the crossing on Totara Street just past Kawaka Street, are complete, along with the asphalting of the cycleway up to Rata Street, including road signs and road markings.

11. Works at the Hewletts Road/Totara Street intersection will be completed by the end of August. Construction includes signalising the shared pathway across the existing slip lane, and upgrading the refuge island tying into the existing crossing across Totara Street to provide a fully-signalised crossing for shared path users. These works will take place at night between 8pm and 5am.

12. Opportunities recognised early in the physical works created some substantial budget savings, which meant we could futureproof the signalised intersections for future expansion and still complete the project within the expected budget ($7.4M).

13. Pictured below are: the shared path between Hull and Triton (showing seating in front of Eze Feedz and bike stands in front of Fusion Coffee); and cultural elements pattern on the shared path in front of Hexion.

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14. Wastewater pipeline renewal - Works to reconstruct the wastewater pipeline along Rata Street to Nikau Crescent started in late-July, three weeks ahead of schedule. Lane closures have applied during works to allow space for the construction to take place. Full closure can be expected at the Rata Street/Nikau Crescent intersection and the Rata Street/Totara Street intersection. Relocation of the existing power poles is scheduled to start by the end of September.

15. Extensive community engagement has been undertaken through the project lifecycle, starting in the design phase with consultation with all businesses along Totara Street, paying special attention to the most-impacted retailers between Triton and Hull. Engagement continued with these businesses throughout construction.

16. This was achieved through positive, upfront communication with stakeholders and wider road users, facilitated by maintaining an open and honest exchange of information between the design team, physical works contractor and TCC project manager, all motivated to delivering a quality project.

17. The works on the cycle way and shared paths will be completed by the end of August and the works on the wastewater pipeline on Rata Street are due to be completed by the end of September.

Transport - Travel Safe

18. Travel Safe held another successful Young Driver workshop in the July school holidays. Students on their learners and restricted licenses took the opportunity to upskill in safe driving behaviour, sharing the road with heavy vehicles and cyclists, safe vehicles and WOFs, and had a free driver instructor lesson. It was great to see how wide the reach of this workshop was, with over 55 students from 9 secondary schools and 2 tertiary institutions taking part.

19. Some of the feedback from the students included:

· “Really good in-depth info. I really liked the driving lesson as it pushed my limits safely. The heavy vehicle session was really in-depth and helped to know things like blind spots for safety.“

· “Great course, would recommend it to others.”

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Transport Investment Team

20. Papamoa East Interchange - We have secured $212M of partnered funding for the PEI, which will unlock the Te Tumu and Wairakei developments east of Papamoa, providing massive housing opportunities for the city’s growth.

21. Otumoetai Spatial Plan - We are working with Strategy and Growth to bring together the outcomes of the Otumoetai Spatial Plan and the Area B Walking and Cycling Plan, to ensure that Otumoetai, Bellevue and Pillans Point have the spaces, places and active mode options they need for the future. The Mount/Papamoa area will be next.

22. We have secured funding to undertake business cases to identify future options for the CBD Public Transport Facility and the Te Tumu Urban Growth Area.

23. The business cases for Turret Road/15th Ave and Cameron Road are going well and we have had significant progress in community and iwi engagement in the early stages of these projects.

24. Waka Kotahi and council have begun the business case for the future of Hewletts Road and the role it plays in providing a critical economic route to Tauranga.

25. Options for the future Arataki Bus Facility have been identified, including a facility next to Bayfair. This will be the first of many upgraded and futureproofed public transport facilities that bring together the vision of ‘connected centres’ in UFTI and TSP.

26. Project Budgets:

· Te Tumu Business Case Phase: $500,000 (other phases to follow the business case, budget to be confirmed)

· CBD Public Transport: $3,100,000 (including business case phase and pre-implementation phase).

Waters - Showerhead Exchange

27. People in New Zealand spend an average of eight minutes each day in the shower and traditional style showerheads use between 15 and 20 litres of water per minute. Installing a water-efficient showerhead and cutting total shower time to 5 minutes would not only conserve water, but reduce water and heating bills.

28. We have just launched a showerhead exchange trial which will see up to 150 Tauranga households swap an old, inefficient showerhead for a brand new water-efficient model that uses just nine litres per minute. The goal of the trial is to show how water-efficient showerheads reduce household costs through using less water, and how easy it is for people to make the switch from their old showerheads to a new efficient model.

29. Participants in this trial agree to take part in a short survey which will be emailed approximately two weeks after they collect their new water-efficient showerhead. We are keen to receive feedback on the application process and their shower experience using the new showerhead.

30. In the application form, we ask what the flow rate of their current showerhead is, how long they spend in the shower, and questions about their shower experience. In the post-trial survey, we will ask similar questions. We can then calculate water savings and get feedback on their shower experience with the new showerhead.

31. This trial is an investment in water saving for the city. The water savings that will be made will not only benefit the people taking part in the trial, but the wider city too, and quickly outweigh the cost of the trial.

32. The total cost of the showerheads was $5,625 (including GST) for 150 showerheads. The campaign all up will cost $6000, which includes promotion.

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Waters - Wastewater Network Monitoring

33. Through the LTP process, the Topaz Drive Pump Station was identified as being under-capacity. This assessment utilised the best information available at the time – largely from pump specifications and design drawings. Monitoring of the wastewater network has established that the capacity of the pump station is 15l/s and not 10l/s as indicated by theoretical calculations.

34. The monitoring consists of a drawdown test that costs in the order of $2,000 per test. These tests are carried out at the pump station to measure the performance in situ. These have been carried out on a majority of council wastewater network pump stations, to ensure that the model of the network is ‘real’.

35. The growth forecasts show that a pump station at Topaz Drive of 10l/s will not have the capacity to accommodate the forecast growth. However, a pump station of 15l/s capacity will accommodate the forecast growth. On that basis the need for the upgrade of the pump station in the LTP no longer exists, saving an estimated $250,000.

Te Maunga Landward Outfall Pipeline

36. The pipeline has been laid from the pump station to the connection point near Maranui Street. After successful hydrostratic testing, the pipeline was joined to the existing pipe near Sunrise Reserve. Pending successful pressure tests, the new pipeline is expected to be operational at the end of August. This is a milestone achievement for the project (project budget – $34.5M).

37. During September there will be two 3-day shut-downs on the flow from the pump station to the sea to enable re-lining of the existing pipe portion.

38. The photos below show the installation of a flange adaptor coupling and an aerial view of works at the pump station.

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Clarifier 3 – Early Contractor Involvement

39. The clarifier design is progressing well. A pile trial will commence on site in August 2022 to check constructability of the pile design (project budget - $22M).

Chapel St WWTP

40. Information Sharing with Rotorua District Council Lab - Two of our senior staff took a trip to Rotorua a recently to learn from their fellow Lab staff. This was an excellent opportunity for an information exchange and will stand us in good stead in the future.

Waiāri Water Supply Scheme Nears Completion

41. The final buildings and pipes are starting to take shape on the Waiāri Water Supply intake facility and the plant.

42. Staff were offered the opportunity to tour the intake and plant in July and were very interested to see the progress made and also how detailed the initial planning was, including being able to walk around the plant without wearing earplugs, once operational. Staff also commented about how the size of the facility is impressive close-up.

43. After a tour of the water treatment plant, staff boarded the bus again and travelled around to the Intake facility, to see where the water is sourced from and how it reaches the water treatment plant.

44. Video footage, brief interviews and photos were taken, which will be edited and used in future advertising and a video for the reception area once operational.

45. Pre-commissioning works are about to get underway to check the equipment is ready to go, when the plant is livened late-2022 (project budget – $180M). The pipelines from the intake to the plant and then to the Poplar Lane reservoir were completed earlier this year.

Te Ara o Wairakei Reserve Planting Resumes

46. Planting resumed on the Te Ara O Wairakei waterways in June, with Commissioners planting a titoki tree to get things started. Large pohutukawa trees, puka and kahikatea have been placed at various points along the waterway near Palm Beach Boulevard, after consultation with nearby residents. The new trees will create shade for those using the reserve area. Other pockets of smaller plantings have also been undertaken in the area.

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Asset Management Maturity Assessment

47. An Asset Management Maturity Assessment was recently completed under the guidance of the Asset Management Steering Group. This assessment is performed every 5 to 6 years to track the maturity level of asset management activity and identify and develop improvement actions to ensure continuous improvement in asset management practices and processes. The assessment was performed based on ISO 55000:2018 Asset Management Standard. The current and target ISO scores and maturity levels for each of the asset activities are the following:

Activity	Current Score	Target Score	ISO Target Maturity Level
Transportation	73	85	Optimising - High
3Waters	70	85	Optimising - High

Property	63	80	Optimising - Low
Parks & Reserves	63	80	Optimising - Low
Sustainability & Waste	61	80	Optimising - Low

48. The overall weighted organisation score for the activities is 69 (Competent – High) and the overall weighted organisation wide target is 84 (Optimising – High). The current ISO maturity score of 69 places council at the high end of the Competent maturity level. The competency certification score for an organisation striving to achieve ISO competency is 50, therefore we will be in a good position to obtain certification if we want to obtain that standard. Council asset management practices and processes were also benchmarked against three external organisations - Hamilton City Council, Kainga Ora and Powerco - to identify any best practice or innovative ideas or solutions that may be adopted. A few options were identified for further investigation (e.g. collaboration strategies, prioritisation, and best value frameworks etc.).

49. Key strengths from the results are:

· The strongest asset management practises for TCC are assessed to be in leadership, improvement and performance areas of the ISO assessment

· Leadership from the Executive and the Commissioners has a strong focus on infrastructure and the Tauranga community, and was deemed to be a strength of the organisation

· The well-established asset management Steering Group provides focused oversight for asset management across the activities and tracks improvement projects to achieve the target maturity levels.

50. More than 120 improvement actions and projects were identified to focus on in the next few years, with the aim of achieving target maturity levels. The most important actions are:

· Capability and capacity development through asset management training, clarification of roles and responsibilities and addressing technical resourcing gaps

· Development of a robust prioritisation process for capital investment programmes

· Creation of a separate Strategic Asset Management Plan, in line with ISO principles, to minimise duplication and focus on telling the investment story for each activity

· Assigning accountability for sustainability and climate change across council to people’s roles and expanding the asset management Steering Group objectives to incorporate a more integrated approach to the management and coordination of sustainability, climate change and resilience issues.

Community Services

Community Partnerships

51. Congratulations go to the Tauranga/Western Bay Global Ambassadors (a programme to support diverse young leaders to serve as local role models for diversity, inclusion and cooperation) for making it to the semi-finals of the Impact Awards (Global category). The Award recognises inspiring leadership and action for impact – especially for vulnerable people and communities. A delegation of Global Ambassadors will be attending the awards as part of the Festival for the Future in Wellington. We are a programme partner, alongside Western Bay of Plenty District Council (through the Welcoming Communities programme), Education Tauranga and Enigmatic Global. The programme is also supported by Priority One, Ara Rau, Ministry for Ethnic Communities and Education New Zealand.

52. The Diversity & Culture Advisor presented to Council’s internal engagement network on engaging with diverse communities. Other key speakers on the day included Fungai Mhlanga, Senior Diversity and Engagement Advisor at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, and Aifai Esera, BOP Pacific Business Navigator at Pacific Growth. The sessions provided insights on considerations to support successful engagement, as well as case studies and links to resources and tools to support the organisation.

53. The Kāinga Tupu Advisor, the Bylaws team and the Western Bay of Plenty District Health Board (Health NZ) have partnered to support and establish a Community Outreach Team for Tauranga. This team will predominantly focus its efforts on engaging with the homeless community. Their role will be to identify and respond to any immediate health-focused issues and build relationships with this community to support access to other community services, including pathways to access emergency housing.

54. Kāinga Tupu funded a Seniors Housing Stress Research Project to better understand homelessness and housing stress for our senior community. The first stage of the report is completed and brings together publicly available data and research around seniors’ homelessness and housing stress. The second stage is almost completed and will bring together the narrative of providers in this space, as well as those with lived experience. The final report will be used to build an action plan around how we can effectively support and advocate for this community with regard to homelessness and housing stress.

55. A collaborative project between Council, Accessible Properties (APL), Sport BOP and EmployNZ will launch a free bootcamp trial, with the aim of breaking down barriers to participation in active recreation and improved wellbeing for the Gate Pa community. APL also hosted a Matariki celebration specially for their tenants, and another event for the wider Gate Pa community, at 899 Cameron Road, with more events planned throughout the year.

Emergency Management

56. Tauranga City Council Emergency Management and EMBOP Group have developed and are piloting tsunami resources for coastal schools. Earlier this year, our Emergency Management engaged with the Tauranga coastal primary schools to educate them on tsunami preparedness. Following this meeting, the schools raised the need for more specific planning resources for their senior leadership to follow. As well as the planning resources, there was a need for parents and caregivers to understand the school’s emergency plans and procedures. The planning resources and a ‘trust in your schools plan’ campaign have been created and are being rolled-out to coastal schools in mid-August. Initially, the resources will be piloted with the Tauranga coastal schools and some schools in the Western Bay of Plenty District. Wider implementation of the resources will be based on feedback and uptake from piloting schools.

57. On Saturday 30 July, Commissioner Bill Wasley and members of the Emergency Management Team attended a hui at Mangatawa Marae to acknowledge and commend the Marae’s emergency management trustees for their commitment to supporting our communities when an emergency happens. It was an informal hui with members of the Marae committee and whanau, which also coincided with the delivery of emergency resources provided by council that will support the marae with their Community-led, Emergency Planning and to stand-up as a Community-led Centre during an emergency response.

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Libraries

58. Seven screens have been installed across our library branches which will digitally exhibit our library offerings with a click of a button. With remote access to broadcast digital signage across the various locations in our community, we will be able to better promote the large variety of resources and programmes the libraries have to offer, keeping things fresh, relevant and timely. This has been a joint project with libraries and digital services.

59. Events and programmes have been busy with Matariki, Pride in the Library, school holidays and Winter Warmers (a series of in library events for adults). The schools exchange with Tauranga Art Gallery is also back to full bookings for term 3 at He Puna Manawa. August is Family History Month, with a day of family history discovery with expert genealogy guides.

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Matariki Kite Day, event at Fergusson Park Robot Rotation event at He Puna Manawa

60. Heritage Specialists have been running monthly show-and-tell sessions in He Puna Manawa to promote material in our archives. A highlight was Chelsea Tairi showcasing conservation work on the library tukutuku panels.

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Tukutuku panels at He Puna Manawa

61. The Library Heritage & Research team has been working on the digital preservation and metadata for recently-digitised archives, to make them available to the community online on Pae Korokī. The most recent additions include:

Photographs from the Gifford Cross collection, e.g. Photo gca-12712:

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Papers of Laura Dunnage, 1901-1903 (includes early 20th century photographs from Mōtītī Island), e.g. Ams 483/01/01/98:

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Space and Places

12. A new modular pump track was installed at Orangapani Reserve in The Lakes just before the school holidays. It is the biggest version of this modular pump track currently in Aotearoa and has proved a hit. Feedback received from one local: “This is amazing and thank you so much …. I know a lot of very excited parents and kids looking forward to using Orangapani Reserve in the future!”

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62. A 3x3 basketball court, barbecue area and seating will also be added at this reserve in August, with other amenity improvements around The Lakes scheduled over the coming months.

63. A pop-up park was installed on the site of 90 Devonport Road, to activate the site until construction work is due to commence. The work involved the creation of a football pitch, table tennis table, seating and planting.

64. On Mauao, 18 large exotic trees were removed from sensitive archaeological terraces using a heavy lift helicopter. During this operation, 171 lifts were completed with a total combined weight of 286 tonnes removed. As part of the ongoing restoration of Mauao, 6,600 native plants have been planted this season. The latest phase of the Mauao Placemaking project was completed in July, with upgraded wayfinding signage installed in key locations.

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65. The planting events this winter have been very successful to-date, with a great turn-out of volunteers. The ongoing support of our volunteers is very much appreciated - they make an important contribution to our community reserves.

(a) Gordon Carmichael Reserve - 22 students from Mount Maunganui College spent four hours in the reserves planting 1,250 wetland plants. A Planting Day for new citizens is programmed for October.

(b) Sydenham Botanical Park - 17 June was Arbor Day and the Natural Environment Team celebrated with the 10 volunteers planting 300 new plants and enjoying a BBQ!

(c) Waioraka Care Group - Supported by Welcome Bay School, neighbourhood volunteers and BOPRC spent six hours planting 2000 wetland plants as part of a wetland restoration at Waioraka Reserve.

(d) Kopurererua Valley - Tauranga Rotary Centennial Trust, with about 40 volunteers, planted 1,700 plants as the wetland development of valley continues. Within the capital development works of the Kopurererua River realignment, a further 33,000 plants will be planted as stage one winter works are completed.

(e) The continued restoration for back dunes along the coastal reserve has seen 10,000 plants planted over the last two months. Total numbers of plants in the ground to-date - 55,000.

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66. Five new en-suite cabins installed at the holiday park are a great addition and have proven popular over the winter months, with occupancy at 74%. We have also commenced our renewal programme with kerb and channelling/roading and levelling of sites at the park. These sites should be available for Labour Weekend.

Venues and Events

67. Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Baycourt has recently re-launched its Tauranga Teen Techs training programme, a professional development programme designed to support young and emerging theatre technicians. The programme was launched to address the shortage of skilled theatre technicians in Tauranga and across the industry, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The programme is unique to Tauranga and has been widely-applauded across the industry for investing in and developing the skills of rangatahi.

68. The building that was destroyed by fire at the Historic Village has now been cleared, and the site is being turned to lawn. The insurance claim is being worked through and the team is considering future options for the site. The tenant who was displaced by the fire, Rainbow Youth, is currently operating from another space in The Village while we find a more permanent location.

69. Zespri AIMS Games takes place 3 – 9 September this year, after two years of postponements. Sponsored by Tauranga City Council’s Legacy Event Fund, this homegrown event is one of the largest sporting tournaments in Australasia, with 11,000 young athletes registered to attend. In 2019, over 20,000 visitors attended the games and spent $6.2 million in the city.

70. As part of Zespri AIMS Games leverage programme, the Events team has launched a new initiative designed to encourage visiting athletes to ‘give back’ to the Tauranga community. Two beach clean-ups will take place on 6 and 7 September, encouraging kaitiakitanga – the protection of the local environment. Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council are also sponsoring free bus travel for Zespri AIMS Games athletes, to encourage uptake in low-emission transport and relieve pressure on local roads throughout the games.

71. On 1 July, the new Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund was launched. This fund is a partnership with Western Bay of Plenty District Council, TECT, BayTrust, and the Acorn Foundation. The fund is a total contestable fund of $700,000, with $600,000 of this for events within Tauranga City Council boundaries and $100,000 for events held in the Western Bay of Plenty District. The fund supports the industry by streamlining the applications process - only one application needs to be made to access funding from multiple providers.

Customer Services

72. The Contact Centre received notification from ALGIM that it ranked third out of 80 councils around the country in their annual national customer experience benchmarking report. Given the challenges of COVID and a high staff turnover, this is great achievement for the team.

73. 24. The Contact Centre faced unprecedented staff turnover (70%) in the first six months of this calendar year. Following review and in-depth changes to recruitment practices and shift structures, staffing levels are now largely back to normal.

Chief Financial Officer

Tauranga Airport

74. Air New Zealand continues to grow capacity back to pre-COVID levels, with strong international and domestic bookings. Over the fourth quarter of the 2022 financial year, Air New Zealand operated 2574 flights with a total of 119,592 passengers travelling, which was 91% of pre-COVID capacity.

75. Three times the normal staff sick leave absences contributed to a much larger than normal number of flight cancellations in June, which when combined with very bad weather turned into the perfect operational storm and culminated in 130 flights being cancelled across the Air New Zealand network on the last day of the June school holidays.

76. Work is continuing to develop a staged plan for further at-grade public and rental car parking. This will require the relocation of the Airport’s Fire Station, power and lighting centre and an area of general aviation taxi way. This plan will be presented to Council over the next month.

Vessel Works – Marine Precinct

77. We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of lifts in the last month. Hardstand occupancy, therefore, also increased. We are continuing to market, both nationally and, with the marine border opening, internationally.

78. The first of the two derelict vessels at the marine precinct is expected to be removed from the water in the week commencing 8 August (weather and schedule-dependent) and demolition will follow. In addition, due to outstanding debts, we have seized and offered one of the long-term vessels for sale. Unfortunately, there were no offers, so we are investigating alternative solutions for the vessel.

Strategy, Growth and Governance

Strategy & Corporate Planning

Strategic Framework Refresh

79. The vision for the city has been adopted and consultation is underway on the new draft Environment Strategy Tauranga Taurikura, the new draft Inclusive City Strategy Tauranga Mataraunui, and the broader Our Direction – Tauranga 2050 strategic summary document. Attention is now fully-focused on the development of a number of Action & Investment Plans that will turn the high-level strategic ambitions into on-the-ground action.

80. The suite of Action & Investment Plans includes some that involve a review and a refresh of existing plans, and some that are new. Some are a long way through their development process and some have yet to start. Most are council-specific documents, but some are joint approaches with other councils or agencies. Some will be known as an Action & Investment Plan, while others, particularly those that have been in development for a while or which are a joint approach, may be differently described. Each Action & Investment Plan is being managed as its own project, with the involvement of internal and external stakeholders and planned broader consultation, as appropriate to the circumstances. An introductory session has been held with Te Rangapū Mana Whenua o Tauranga Moana outlining the work programme and inviting their involvement as they consider appropriate. All projects are intended to be completed in time for the development of the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan budget preparation process in the second quarter of 2023/24.

81. The following Action & Investment Plans have been under development for some time and have been recently completed or are scheduled for imminent completion.

Primary Community Outcome	Action & Investment Plan
Inclusive City	Events Action & Investment Plan	Adopted 20 June.
Environment	Waste Management & Minimisation Plan	Consultation complete, hearings held 1 August, deliberations scheduled 15 August (Strategy, Finance & Risk Committee).
Well-planned City	City Centre Action & Investment Plan	On agenda for adoption at 15 August Council meeting.
	Community Centres Action & Investment Plan	Scheduled for adoption on 12 September (Strategy, Finance & Risk Committee)
	Otumoetai Spatial Plan	Scheduled for adoption by Council on 3 October
Move around easily	BoP Regional Public Transport Plan (joint)	To be adopted by BoP Regional Council on 22 September

82. Key Action & Investment Plans that are under review or under development include the following.

Primary Community Outcome	Action & Investment Plan
Inclusive city	Accessible Tauranga Action & Investment Plan	Includes a review of, and incorporation of key content from, the Age-Friendly Strategy (2013) and the Disability Strategy (2013).
	Safe Communities Action & Investment Plan	Includes a review of, and incorporation of key content from, City Safety Action Plan (2018) and the Tauranga/Western BoP Safe Communities Plan (both joint plans).
	Toi Moana Arts & Culture Strategy (joint)	Review and update with partners.
Environment	Climate Action & Investment Plan	New. Will cover both climate mitigation and climate adaptation. City-wide and council-specific foci.
Environment	Nature & Diversity Action & Investment Plan	Includes a review of, and incorporation of key content from, the Vegetation Management Strategy – Growing Tauranga Green (2006).
Well-planned city	Our Public Places Strategic Plan	Provides the over-arching principles and goals for a number of related Action & Investment Plans. Draws on and refreshes high-level work from the Open Space Strategy (2012), the Aquatic Network Strategy (2012), the Our Community Places Strategy (2008) and the Sport & Active Living Strategy (2006).
	Active Living and Plan Action & Investment Plan	Will include relevant content from the four strategies listed under the Our Public Places Strategic Plan item above.
	Neighbourhood Reserves Action & Investment Plan

83. Action & Investment Plans that are already in place, are current and are not considered to require amendment at this time include: the Welcoming Communities Western BoP Plan (joint); Kāinga Tupu – Western BoP Homelessness Strategy (joint); Historic Village Strategic Plan 2020; the Kaituna Action Plan 2019-2029 – Te Tini A Tuna (joint); Te Papa Peninsula Spatial Plan 2020; Western Bay Transport System Plan 2021 (joint); Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2031 (joint); Tauranga Parking Strategy 2021; Visitor Economy Strategy 2018-2028 (joint); and the Tauranga Airport Masterplan 2030. There are a number of other contributing documents that form the full strategic framework, but have not been listed here in the interests of brevity.

Democracy Services

84. Wairarapa MP Kieran McAnulty became Associate Minister of Local Government after the Cabinet reshuffle on 13 June 2022. He is also Minister for Emergency Management, Minister of Racing, and Associate Minister of Transport, in addition to his roles as Deputy Leader of the House and Chief Government Whip.

85. The Local Electoral (Advertising) Amendment Bill came into force on 1 July and amends the Local Electoral Act 2001, to address concerns around candidate safety by loosening the requirement that candidates include their residential or business address on electoral advertising. This enables other contact options to be displayed, such as an email address, post office box, phone number or link to an internet site, if contact details are available on that site. The law change comes in time for the local government elections. Nominations opened on 15 July.

86. The Electoral (Māori Option) Legislation Government Bill will allow Māori voters to switch between the Māori and general electoral rolls at any time (with some exceptions) and as many times as they wish. The Bill is before the Justice Select Committee and will not be reported back until November 2022. Submissions closed on 30 July 2022. The Ministry of Justice undertook targeted engagement on the Māori Electoral Option in mid-2021 and the Council made a submission at that stage. Issues with the timing and frequency of the Māori Electoral Option have been repeatedly raised in reports by the Justice Select Committee and the Electoral Commission.

87. The Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill is a Private Members Bill in the name of Golriz Ghahraman that would lower the voting age to 16, make the Māori Electoral option continuous and allow prisoners to vote. Details about consultation will be known if and when the Bill gets a first reading.

88. The Local Government Electoral Legislation Bill was introduced to Parliament by the Minister of Local Government on 27 July. This is an omnibus Bill to improve local government election processes. This Bill gives effect to the second stage of legislative change relating to Māori representation. The Bill amends the Local Electoral Act 2001 and changes the process councils follow every six years to determine their representation arrangements, making consideration of specific Māori representation the first step of this process. The Bill also provides that binding polls cannot be held on any matters considered by councils in their representation reviews. The Bill also proposes:

(a) Updating the processes for when an election result is tied. This Bill introduces a mandatory recount when election results are tied and allows changes to the sequence of council meetings after recounts. The Bill also introduces an alternative to a coin toss if an election is still tied after a judicial recount. In that case, a candidate may withdraw from the contest if they do not want the final result to be decided by lot.

(b) Enabling all candidates to submit electronic nominations, with the consent of the electoral officer.

(d) Simplifying the process for unitary authorities to adjust local board boundaries.

Te Pou Takawaenga

Kaitiaki Partnerships

89. In keeping with the partnership approach to successful projects such as He Puna Manawa, Te Manawataki o Te Papa and Omanawa, other partnerships have been developed with mana whenua in areas of Tauranga City that have challenges that need to be addressed.

90. For example, while the major discussions regarding Whareroa continue with surrounding industries, we have worked on resolving some of the issues faced by the local marae community, including vagrant activity on Council reserves, overstaying in freedom camping areas, littering and pollution, as well as other undesirable activities.

91. Rather than taking an enforcement or punitive approach, we have implemented a kaitiaki programme that supports the Whareroa Marae Chairman to actively work with people using the area, to encourage positive use through discussion and a friendly presence. The results have seen a cleaner, safer and more compliant area that is enhanced by the application of kaitiakitanga (stewardship).

Corporate Services

Community Relations

92. Our Media Impact Score (MIS) rose to 2.0 at the end of June. This is above the local government average of 1.8. Recreation, events and city centre developments have all received positive reporting, which has contributed to a higher score than that seen in recent months.

93. The Community Relations team has helped establish a new community panel which is working on a permanent solution to improve safety on Links Avenue. This kind of approach hasn’t been used by TCC before on a transport project of this kind. We’re looking forward to seeing what a community-led approach can achieve, both for this project and then potentially others going forward.

94. The council-wide focus on communications and engagement has seen the team support an increasing number of diverse and exciting projects, from behavioural change campaigns encouraging water conservation to engaging on spatial plans, transport design and parks and recreation.

95. The city vision was endorsed by council and centres around the environment, vibrancy and inclusivity. The Community Relations team is looking forward to working with city partners to bring this to life.

Risk and Procurement

96. The Procurement Team has engaged an external consultant to conduct a fleet optimisation programme, so that we can work towards reducing our carbon footprint in the fleet space. The study will take approximately four months to complete. This programme will inform our procurement and management of leased fleet vehicles and will be implemented over the next few years, as our lease vehicles leases expire.

Digital Services

97. The new digital signing process is progressing well, with several areas being part of the initial proof of concept and it being rolled-out further in a staged approach. This is a great initiative and will also assist with our sustainability goals around printing.

98. Our Enterprise Information Manager was awarded the ALGIM Information Management Professional of the Year Award. This award recognises the significant efforts they have made not only to Tauranga City Council, but to other councils around New Zealand.

99. We have been invited to work with Tauranga Girls College, Libraries and other organisations around Tauranga to put together a “Women in Tech” day on 18 August. This is a great opportunity for us to encourage our rangatahi, and particularly wahine, into careers in technology.

100. Our shared data model design work with Auckland City, Christchurch, Gold Coast and Brisbane has achieved a shared customer data model, which can be shared across our councils in future. This is an opportunity for the basis of a data model for Local Government Reform.

101. We are also working on multiple shared platform opportunities with other councils. These include leveraging our SAP Finance solution for other councils, incorporating our Core HR platform, which is currently under development. In addition, we have been in discussions about leveraging our online learning solution as a basis for a national solution for all councils.

102. In July, the team came together for two critical activities. Firstly our ‘Big Room Planning’ activity, where all of our delivery and support teams outline their priorities, activities and needs for the coming delivery window. This allows our teams to understand what work is being delivered across the team and helps map out dependencies and potential clashes, allowing us to better manage the change impact on the wider business. The second was a half-day with all of our teams offsite at the Historic Village. At this session, each of the 14 teams in Digital Services presented on who they are, what they do, and what their priorities are. As a department with such diverse teams, and so many staff changes, activities like this are critical to maintaining an effective team.

103. The Procurement and Digital teams have been working closely together to support the organisation increase maturity around procurement. A key initiative in this work has been the SAP contracts register. The register provides a means to register our key contracts greater than $50K and/or 1 year. The register supports contract managers to manage the contract and associated spend while also providing consolidated visibility of the organisation’s contracts and value.

104. The replacement of our legacy Core HR Platform kicked off this month. While this is in the early stages, deploying this new platform will be critical to allowing our people leaders and HR team to more effectively lead and support our people. It will provide access to insights that allow us to better plan and deliver the people needs of the organisation.

Human Resources

105. Staff Turnover is calculated on a 12-month rolling basis. The employment market is very challenging at the moment, so it is positive that our turnover is remaining steady. Our aspirational staff turnover range is 10-12%.

106. The Remuneration project is nearly complete, with all job descriptions now refreshed and all roles at Council having had their job sizing re-evaluated, to ensure accuracy. The final stage is implementing the outcomes via the annual salary review, which is well underway and due for completion on 31 August. The project aims to ensure that Council is competitive in the labour market and can continue to attract and retain great staff. Remaining competitive in the labour market is a growing challenge for us due to inflation and the current tight labour market in New Zealand. Failure to stay competitive will make it harder to attract and retain talented people, which in turn will negatively affect the ability to deliver Council services and the Long-term Plan.

107. Currently we have two Collective Employment Agreements that expired this year. We are currently in negotiations with the Public Service Association and delegates to renew both collective agreements.

Health & Safety

108. The Health, Safety & Wellbeing team has had a slight structure change in reporting line and is now part of the wider Human Resources team. The team is nearing full strength following a period of reduced staffing levels due to staff turnover.

109. Elections will be held soon for the staff Health & Safety representatives and the team will be using this opportunity to increase engagement by staff across the council.

110. A new Drug & Alcohol policy is at draft stage and the team will be working with staff over the coming months to finalise and implement the policy.

Regulatory and Compliance

Environmental Regulation

Regulation Monitoring

111. Compliance on the Links Avenue Bus Lane has improved by approximately 75% since enforcement commenced in April. Over 18,000 infringements have been issued since the bus lane became operational on 28 March.

112. The Parking team continues to recruit for Parking Officers and we’re currently in the process of implementing a second licence plate recognition (LPR) system. This system will assist staff with efficiencies in parking compliance and enforcement as council implements it’s revised Parking Management Plan.

113. Our bylaws officers have been working closely with Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand’s Community Outreach Team, as they engage with our homeless community. Building on the relationships our officers have fostered over recent years, the hope is that this new team can hit the ground running.

Environmental Health

114. The Environmental Health Team is now fully resourced with a new Team Leader and an Environmental Health Trainee having recently joined the team.

115. The team has been working with the Sustainability and Waste team to look for ways to collaborate, share information and work smarter as they deal with many of our food and health licensed businesses.

Alcohol Licensing

116. Last month, the team held a very successful club licensee forum. There was a lot of positive interaction between the licensees and inspectors, with many questions answered and clarification provided by the inspectors as to what we expect when we visit licensed premises. Feedback following the event has been positive and more forums are anticipated throughout the year.

117. We held three Alcohol licensing hearings last month, with further hearings pencilled in for this month. A majority of these hearings feature public objections, which shows that members of the public are taking a keen interest in what businesses are doing within their areas in regards to possible alcohol harm.

Selection and appointment of District Licensing Committee

118. District Licensing Committees (DLCs) are established under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 to consider and decide all applications for alcohol licences and managers’ certificates. They are an independent inquisitorial and impartial body administered by the council, but cannot be subjected to influence from the council (or any third party). Each council must establish and maintain a list of DLC members.

119. The 5-year appointment of the Tauranga City Council’s current four District Licensing Commissioners expires on 22 December and at least one of those on the current list has indicated that they will not be seeking reappointment. Whilst it is possible to reappoint DLCs, there is currently a lack of community representation in the DLC and given it has been five years since the role was last advertised, we believe it appropriate to openly advertise these roles again.

120. As such, we have commenced a recruitment process, led by the Manager: Environmental Regulation, with support from Democracy Services staff, with a view to having the DLC selected, appointed and trained by early-2023.

121. An assessment of the make-up of the DLC (including the number of commissioners and members) will be made during the selection process, but the aim is to have a larger pool of members than at present, representing a broader cross-section of the Tauranga community.

122. Members would not be appointed as chairpersons, but we believe could offer significant and valued community input and comment into hearings and the decision-making process fpr alcohol licences and manager’s certificates.

123. For this reason, the advertising for positions for commissioner(s) and member(s) will seek expressions of interest using the following guidelines.

Stakeholder	Planned Engagement	Reason
Relevant industry groups and community organisations	Expressions of Interest information will be supplied to parties such as DHB, Police, legal and other community organisations and individuals who may be aware of suitably qualified and interested persons	Targeting specific groups and the general public will encourage a greater response from potential applicants
Tangata Whenua and with Māori	Information will be provided to Tangata Whenua through the Takawaenga Māori Unit	To encourage Māori participation in the expressions of Interest application process
General Public	Public advertisements requesting Expressions of Interest will be undertaken through Comms and the TCC website

Animal Services

124. Of the known 15,420 dogs in Tauranga City, 12,717 had been registered for the 2022/23 year by 3 August. This is 10% up on last year. All dog registrations expired on 30 June, but owners have until 31 July to register at the standard rate of $97.00. If they don’t, a penalty is applied and the fee increases to $145.00. We have recently sent text reminders to the owners of unregistered dogs and this has created a surge in renewals. We can offer an extension of time to pay for registration if owners are struggling financially. Upon acceptance of a written request, we will give the owner and extra month or two to pay at the $97.00 rate, as long as they apply before 31 July.

125. Tauranga Animal Services Facebook page is now live and is administered by the Regulatory Communications function. In the short time this page has been live, we have reached 34,421 people, with over 900 likes to date. Interestingly, 86.6% of our followers are female. The page will be used to build a greater understanding/awareness about the Animal Services team, what we do, and the value that we deliver; and to inform and educate dog owners about their responsibilities.

126. Has anyone lost a goat? Not only do we re-home unclaimed dogs, but we get a range of other animals including sheep, pigs and goats. This month’s special is Dixie, a very friendly goat, who quite likes her new house at the Pound.

Building Services

127. We received 298 building consent and amendment applications in June. This is greater than the average for the last three years (~250). This particularly reflects an increased volume received in the last week of June, lodged to avoid the 1 July development contribution increase. We received 200 in July, however, which effectively evens out the volumes across June and July.

128. We granted 283 consents and amendments in June and 261 in July. This continues a trend of higher than ‘normal’ volumes. This is due to the significant effort that has been put in to reduce the backlog of consents by the processing team and their contractors. Consents are now being allocated to a processor within the first week of lodgement.

129. As a result of this increased effort, compliance with statutory timeframes has continued to increase, with 56% of consents and amendments being issued in 20 working days in June and 63% in July.

130. To help put this is in perspective, on average, consents in July were issued in 22 statutory days and 80% of consents were issued within 31 statutory days. Further, the median elapsed days (which counts all the working days between lodgement and granting regardless of “on hold” status) for July was 35 days, but 80% of consents were issued within 110 days. This shows that a large number of consents are on hold for RFIs for extended periods of time.

131. Inspection wait-times for standard 45-minute inspections have generally remained at 1-2 days. The wait time for final inspections (which take approximately three hours) has dropped slightly since the last report, to a max of 2 – 4 weeks (higher complexity has longer waiting time).

Environmental Planning

Environmental Monitoring

132. The number of reported incidents remained high in June, with 29 incidents. The team resolved 31 incidents, including 10 that were deemed Unconfirmed/Unsubstantiated', and 9 which resulted in voluntary compliance.

133. A total of 106 individual resource consents were monitored in June. This is a positive trend, showing how the team is managing to dedicate more time to monitoring consent conditions, which will hopefully reduce incidents in the long-term. The addition of an extra Environmental Monitoring Officer has had a positive impact on this trend.

134. Noise incidents were well down in June, with 13 incidents reported. Construction noise was the biggest issue in June, with seven of the 13 incidents reported relating to construction. The team has been busy assessing building consents for Sanctuary Point, to ensure the future dwellings have appropriate noise mitigation to avoid reverse sensitivity. There have also been some noise incidents resulting from roading and industrial sites affecting residential sites, which the team has been monitoring.

135. The team has done a great job undertaking sediment and erosion (S&E) control training this month. This includes sessions with Classic Builders, Generation Homes and Signature homes, three of Tauranga's biggest residential building companies. There has been good participation and feedback from these training sessions and the team is already beginning to see some improvement on sites. There is still plenty of work to be done in this area, and a strong monitoring presence will be needed to ensure standards are met and maintained across the board. This is particularly important as the winter weather has brought about more sediment and erosion incidents and resource consent issues.

136. While the number of building consents reviewed has remained relatively low, in comparison to periods through last year, there has been an increase from March through to May, which remained relatively consistent in June. There is expected to be an increase in the number of building consents reviewed as a result of the development contribution increase coming into effect in July. Following a dip in April, the number of applications received has started increasing. These are still relatively low in comparison to the same period last year.

137. The Planning team is preparing for the notification of Plan Change 33 on 20 August, along with the changes introduced through the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act. The team will be sharing insights with consultants in the Q2 Consultants Forum on 10 August.

138. The team has also been very busy working on a new IT platform for the resource consents process. The next step of the process is a pilot where a number of resource consents will be run through the new system.

35. The last three months have been particularly busy for the Development Contribution Advisors, with 493 building consents (equating to approx. $5.5 million in Citywide/Local DCs) and 158 resource consents assessed. This will increase as the development contribution increase in July will result in an influx of building consents.

City Development and Partnerships

City Partnerships

139. A high-level assessment of funding options for the Te Manawataki o Te Papa Civic Precinct and other community projects has been drafted and will be used to support ongoing discussions with various external funding agencies. In addition, staff are well-advanced with Council’s application for the Three Waters Better Off Funding package, due for submission prior to 30 September 2022.

140. Governance to Governance sessions have been held with the Commissioners and the Boards of Tauranga Art Gallery and Bay Venues, with an additional meeting planned with the Tourism Bay of Plenty Board in August.

141. On 25 July, Council approved the appointment of Dr Wayne Beilby as a mana whenua representative to the Board of Bay Venues, for a period of three years, effective immediately.

142. A meeting with the Mainstreet organisations (Mount Business Association, Greerton Village, Papamoa Unlimited and Downtown Tauranga) was held at Council offices to discuss six-monthly reporting and funding agreements, and provide an opportunity to share ideas and innovations. Discussions are also being held around the targeted rate levy and zoning of the Mainstreet areas, to ensure they continue to be fit-for-purpose.

143. The four Mainstreets have submitted their final annual plans for 2022/23 and all have complied with the requirements in Council’s letter of expectation, including setting KPIs and alignment with Council’s Long-term Plan. Annual plans show a range of activities and promotions across their respective areas and, for the most part, the Mainstreets are achieving a lot with the budgets they have. We will continue to work with them on improving the quality of information submitted, developing strategic plans and developing a greater level of transparency in proposed budgets.

Civic Development

144. Demolition of 91 Willow Street is progressing well and is ahead of schedule. The historic stained-glass windows have been successfully removed and stored for potential future use.

145. At the Council meeting on 25 July, Commissioners agreed to consult with the community on partnership options to reconnect mana whenua with the land where the new civic precinct will be built. Commissioners approved the preferred option for consultation purposes, which would see co-ownership of the land referred to as ‘Site A’ of the civic precinct with Otamataha Trust, through the establishment of a council-controlled organisation charitable trust.

Strand North

146. Removal of the carpark and landscaping is scheduled to commence when the new Dive Crescent car park opens in March/April 2023. With the current condition of the adjacent seawall, there is a plan to undertake renewal work constructing a “liveable seawall”, which will encourage habitation by shallow water sea creatures and organisms.

Strand South Stage 1 – KiwiRail underpass and boardwalk

147. The underpass planning is well underway and on schedule, with the detailed design of the underpass culvert and wingwalls commenced. An experienced contractor, who is a KiwiRail preferred supplier, has been engaged for the project.

148. The concept design for the boardwalk replacement has been completed and the decking timber quantified to place advance orders and ensure material availability for construction in mid-2023. Completion is expected by October 2023.

Tunks Reserve/Elizabeth Street East

149. The detailed design is expected towards the end of August and will then progress to the tender stage, with construction commencing at the end of 2022.

Dive Crescent Carpark

150. Detailed design is expected to commence in mid-August, facilitating the tender process in early-October. Ideally, construction will commence before the end of 2022, with completion expected March/April 2023.

151. Improvements to the Fixation Coffee site and adjacent area bordering the basketball court have been successfully discussed with the tenant. The Property team will include the improvements as a condition of the new lease about to be issued.

Cargo Shed

152. The seismic strengthening staged works are now complete, with practical completion achieved at the end of July. A code of compliance inspection was scheduled for the strengthening works sign-off in the first week of August.

153. The next stage is the interior fitout works (e.g. ablutions, kitchen, storage etc.). Relevant plans and specifications have been lodged for building consent and sent to contractors for pricing.

154. We anticipate we will have a preferred supplier by the end of August, with a targeted completion at the end of October.

Communications and Engagement

155. Ongoing communications and engagement is focused on raising the profile and keeping our staff, community and stakeholders updated and engaged in the key projects that are underway or are soon to begin in the city centre. We are using a variety of communications channels to achieve this, such as stakeholder newsletters, social media, walking tours, media releases, website and digital content and, when appropriate, kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) engagement.

156. We are working alongside Willis Bond on communications and engagement requirements for the construction of 90 Devonport Road, which is due to begin later this year, with a sod turning tentatively planned for 3 November 2022.

157. Overarching key messaging for the city centre transformation is in development, to align with messaging and outcomes that will be included in the soon-to-be-launched City Centre Action and Investment Plan. This messaging will be reinforced across all city-project related communications, to help reinforce our ‘why’ and to ensure our messaging is consistent.

158. Planning for community consultation on the proposed co-ownership of the civic precinct land with Otamataha Trust is underway, with a two-week consultation period due to start towards the end of August.

CBD Activation

159. Planning is well-advanced for an expansive programme of CBD activation over the coming months. Our Venues and Events team held an initial workshop with relevant internal staff and a second workshop was held with key external delivery partners to brainstorm ideas to fill gaps and develop new ideas to activate the CBD.

160. A calendar of planned activity will be developed in August, which will then be used as the basis for marketing a more vibrant, engaging and exciting CBD offering to the public over the coming months.

Attachments

Nil

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

15 August 2022

11.3 City Centre Action and Investment Plan

File Number: A13188611

Author: Carl Lucca, Team Leader: Urban Communities

Robyn Scrimshaw, Urban Planner: Urban Communities

Gregory Bassam, Principal Strategic Transport Planner

Authoriser: Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance

Purpose of the Report

1. This report presents the City Centre Action and Investment Plan for adoption.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Receives the ‘City Centre Action and Investment Plan’ report.

(b) Adopts the City Centre Action and Investment Plan (Attachment A) to guide rejuvenation and investment prioritisation in the city centre.

(d) Rescinds the City Centre Strategy (2012) and the City Centre Spatial Framework (2017) with those documents being superseded by the City Centre Action and Investment Plan.

Executive Summary

1. This report provides an overview of the City Centre Action and Investment Plan (hereafter referred to as ‘the Plan’), with a focus on the context and preparation process. The full Plan is attached as Attachment A.

2. The Plan covers the area from Otamataha and the Elms at the head of Te Papa peninsula, through to Third Avenue. It includes the city centre commercial area and adjoining waterfront area to the east, the mixed-use residential area to the north, and the Wharepai and Tauranga Domains to the west.

3. The purpose of the Plan is to reaffirm Council’s vision for the city centre – ‘Te Rapunga Ora ki Te Papa – a great place to live, work, learn and play’.

4. The Plan reflects Councils ongoing commitment to ensure the city centre is the thriving social and economic hub of the Western Bay of Plenty. It outlines the key actions we will take with our partners over the next 10 years to achieve the vision and continue revitalising the city centre, as the heart of our community and the sub-region.

5. The actions in the Plan are focused on six strategic outcomes for the city centre, related to people, movement and accessibility, land use, our connection with the water, identity and culture, and the natural environment. These outcomes will support a growing resident and student population, as well as attracting locals and visitors to spend more time in the city centre.

6. Partnership with mana whenua, and targeted engagement with other partners and key stakeholders, has enabled the refresh of the previous work and the development of the Plan to reflect current aspirations and opportunities. The Plan acknowledges the significant opportunities in the city centre currently being realised by both public and private investment, and builds on these by identifying supporting actions and prioritisation of investment in the short, medium, and longer-term.

7. The future envisioned by the Plan is exciting and will create a more dynamic and enjoyable city centre for everyone, but change can be disruptive. Existing businesses, especially retailers and hospitality businesses that depend on visitors to the city centre, will be supported as change occurs, including appropriate actions to attract people to the city centre and support vibrancy during that time.

8. The Plan signals to the community the current committed funding, and the future investment and partnerships required to facilitate success and revitalisation of the city centre. Appendix A includes a comprehensive table of all the actions and programmes of work proposed to deliver on the vision and outcomes, as well as the precinct-based outcomes described in previous sections of this plan. The table includes more specificity in relation to the components of the actions, timing, location, and who we will partner with to deliver on the actions.

Background

9. SmartGrowth’s Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI, 2020) identifies a ‘connected centres’ approach for the sub-region. This growth strategy anticipates that the Te Papa peninsula will see the most significant transformation in the sub-region over the next 30 years, with the city centre at its heart. A critical part of the UFTI programme is supporting a revitalised city centre that supports residential living, tertiary education and office space.

10. The Te Papa Spatial Plan (2020) also identifies the strategic role the city centre has to play in the commercial, cultural and civic heart of the sub-region, and the required immediate focus on city centre regeneration. Included in the implementation of the spatial plan is an action to complete a city centre strategy review.

11. The City Centre Action and Investment Plan acknowledges and builds on the direction provided by the broader strategic framework. The City Centre Strategy (2012) and the City Centre Spatial Framework (2017) have also been considered, and aspects of the work not yet delivered have been interrogated and included if relevant.

12. The Plan has been jointly developed by Council and consultants Stantec, and has included the following expertise:

(a) Urban design, public realm and place making

(b) Transport planning, transportation and land use integration

(d) Infrastructure planning, including stormwater

(e) Communications and engagement

(f) Other specialised technical inputs, as required.

13. Partnership with mana whenua and targeted engagement with other partners and key stakeholders, such as Priority One, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Tourism Bay of Plenty, Kainga Ora, University of Waikato and Downtown Tauranga, has also been integral to the preparation of the Plan.

Strategic / Statutory Context

14. The Tauranga City Council Strategic Framework provides a framework of strategies and action plans to support the implementation of the vision for Tauranga, and associated Long-term Plan community outcomes.

15. The Plan sits under the ‘Tauranga Tātaitia rā – we are a well-planned city’ community outcome and weaves through aspects of sustainability, te ao Māori, and how we contribute to the region.

16. The Plan supports and implements the Te Papa Peninsula Spatial Plan and associated actions. There are links to other action and investment plans adopted and currently under development, such as the Events Action and Investment Plan, and the Nature and Biodiversity Action and Investment Plan.

17. Plan Change 33 that will implement the National Policy Statement – Urban Development has been influenced by the strategic outcomes developed for the city centre. The alignment of the rule framework and the Plan will support the outcomes sought in the Plan.

18. The City Centre Action and Investment Plan will replace the previous City Centre Strategy (2012) and the City Centre Spatial Framework (2017) and become the guiding document for the city centre.

19. Priority One is a key partner in the delivery of economic and broader revitalisation outcomes for the city centre and has recently released the CBD Blueprint – showcasing the major developments that are committed for the city centre within the next eight years. The Blueprint has been a key consideration in the development of the Plan and future proposed investment.

preparation of the City Centre Action and Investment Plan

20. The project purpose included a comprehensive consideration of the existing previous work completed for the city centre, in light of the current situation and developments underway.

21. The preparation of the Plan needed to bring together a programme to support and realise the instrumental transformation taking place. The purpose was to consider land use, movement, public realm, commercial opportunities, civic facilities, and inform future project programmes of work and best practice planning to assist the city centre in reaching is full potential.

22. The resulting Plan has created a roadmap for the next 10 years for the city centre, setting the path for the longer term. The Plan is designed for all audiences, from stakeholders and investors to the wider community, to engage with the material and be informed on the action and investment, current and future.

Partnership and engagement

23. The Plan has been developed in partnership with mana whenua. A series of wānanga and hui have been held with representatives from Ngāi Tamarāwaho and Ngāti Tapu to discuss the cultural narrative that surrounds the city centre – the area historically described by mana whenua as ‘Te Papa’. This process has resulted in the four pou, or guiding pillars that have been established and included in the Plan to recognise this cultural significance through future growth.

24. Consideration of the previous work undertaken to develop the 2012 and 2017 strategies for the city centre identified key partners to have targeted consultation and engagement with. Consideration was also given to other important strategic work being undertaken by key stakeholders and partners, such as the University of Waikato and Priority One.

25. The decision to undertake targeted engagement with city partners, stakeholders and investors was made at the commencement of the project, acknowledging there had been significant previous community engagement completed through the development of the 2017 spatial framework and the Te Papa Peninsula Spatial Plan 2020 work, as well as feedback through the 2021 Long-term Plan process. The feedback gained through these processes was reviewed and assisted to inform the Plan preparation.

26. Partner and stakeholder engagement included a series of topic based workshops designed to acknowledge previous work, and to consider the current city centre opportunities and challenges. The workshops held were on movement and place, land use, public realm, and events and the waterfront area.

27. There were also separate general stakeholder workshops to engage a wider range of feedback on material as it was developed for the Plan. They provided a different lens and a check and balance from a different audience.

Document structure and content

28. The structure and content of the document is outlined below:

(a) Context – the ‘why’ and interaction between the Plan and other strategic, physical and cultural contexts.

(b) The city centre vision – Te Rapunga Ora ki Te Papa – A great place to live, work, learn and play.

(c) The city centre four pou, or guiding pillars, defined by our mana whenua partners. Each of these mātāpono has enabled and sustained life, and inspired positive growth in Te Papa since the area was first settled by mana whenua. They are designed to guide future growth in Te Papa.

(i) Te Papa Houkura – A wellspring of well-being

(ii) Te Papa Manawa Whenua – A place of prosperity

(iii) Te Papa Kainga o Te Iwi – The home of the people

(iv) Te Papa o Ngā Waka – The landing place for many.

(d) The six strategic outcomes are the goals we will seek to achieve as our city centre grows over the short-, medium- and the long-term. Each outcome links directly to the four pou and is supported by key directions and city centre-wide actions that will help achieve it.

(i) A city centre for people, a great place to live, work, learn and play, that prioritises people at its heart.

(ii) An accessible city centre, that supports walking, cycling, micro-mobility and public transport for all ages and abilities.

(iii) A waterfront city centre, where high-quality, vibrant spaces connect people with the moana.

(iv) A city centre with identity and culture, that represents our culture and heritage, and enhances our sense of place.

(v) An engaging city centre, that is vibrant and inclusive, with exciting things to do for people of all ages, stages and abilities.

(vi) A city centre in nature, that embraces its natural environment, integrating with waterways and open space.

(e) The eight city centre precincts establish a sense of identity based on existing and propose land uses, significant developments, and the character of the public areas. Each precinct is supported by place-specific actions that will assist in achieving the vision and strategic outcomes for the city centre.

(i) Cultural and Historical Precinct

(ii) Justice Precinct

(iii) Waterfront and Taumata Kahawai Precinct

(iv) Sports and Events Precinct

(v) Te Manawataki o Te Papa – Civic Precinct

(vi) Retail and Commercial Precinct

(vii) Knowledge Precinct

(viii) Mixed-Use Precinct.

(f) The precincts also align and interact with Priority One’s Blueprint document for the city centre that shows ~$1.5b of private investment planned over the next 10 years. This is alongside Council’s investment and that of the central government (e.g. the proposed Tauranga Court redevelopment).

(g) Movement and Access Framework is for an accessible city centre that supports walking, cycling, micro-mobility and public transport for all ages and abilities. The city centre, as the single biggest journey destination in the Western Bay of Plenty, has a key role to play.

(i) The framework was developed through a series of separate hui with technical stakeholders, Council and the consultant team. The process considered other key interacting projects such as the Tauranga Parking Strategy and Public Transport Business case underway.

(ii) Key movement, access and place integration with a focus on inclusive access was an agreed focus of the framework. To shift how people move around and access the city centre.

(iii) The framework includes a map that demonstrates how prioritisation of walking, cycling and micro-mobility will occur.

(iv) There is a secondary map that considers public transport, driving and parking access. The two maps are to be read together to provide direction on movement and access for the city centre.

29. Implementation of the Plan will require contributions from a wide range of partners, organisations and individuals. Some actions have funding and others will be considered as part of other funding processes, such as the Council’s Long-term Plan process. There will also be ongoing consultation and engagement required with mana whenua and the community on project specific basis.

30. The table of actions and programmes of work is appended to the Plan. The table draws together the citywide, precinct- and movement-related actions that we will deliver to achieve the vision for the city centre. It also includes detail on specific components of the actions, timing, location, and who we will partner with to deliver on them.

Financial Considerations

31. The associated table of actions and programmes of work included in the Plan has proposed timeframes and indicative costs. The programme of work includes actions that are funded through the current Long-term Plan, as well as projects where funding is to be confirmed. If there is no committed funding, indicative cost ranges are provided for the actions.

32. Further investigation of project costs and refinement of timing of the action plan will occur in conjunction with the partner lead agencies and internal business activities, as part of the preparation of the 2024 Long-term Plan. Consideration will be given to other city-wide priority areas through this process.

Legal Implications / Risks

33. The implementation of the Plan relies on stakeholders, city partners and the community to support the transformation of the city centre through execution of the projects, delivered by Council, Central Government and/or the private investment sector. Ensuring we all work together is key to the ongoing success and revitalisation of the city centre.

34. Legal implications and risks of individual projects will be identified through the detailed project planning phases, and as the programme of work in the Plan is implemented.

35. Managing the city centre through this change and acknowledging the risks has been a consideration of the development of the Plan. The City Development and Partnerships Team will be taking a lead in monitoring projects and their execution.

Significance

36. 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.

37. 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 decision;

38. In accordance with the considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered that the decision is of low significance. The project team acknowledge the issue of the future of the city centre is of high significance, however, the decision proposed in this report is of medium significance due to the project being a refresh of previous strategic work and the significant engagement and input into those past workstreams.

39. Taking into consideration the above assessment, that the decision is of medium significance, that considerable engagement has occurred and been incorporated through the development of the Plan, and that further consultation will occur through future Annual Plan and LTP processes, officers are of the opinion that no further engagement is required prior to Council making a decision.

Next Steps

40. Ongoing implementation of the Plan’s actions will be coordinated and monitored by the City Development and Partnerships Team, in delivery partnership with other council teams, partners and key stakeholders.

41. Implementation of many of the Plan’s actions have already commenced, or will commence shortly, and will be supported by the adoption of the Plan. These include the implementation of proposed waterfront upgrades, the current work on Te Manawataki o Te Papa Civic Precinct, and changes to the way we move and access the city through the change.

42. Partnerships with mana whenua and the community, including local community organisations, businesses, landowners and developers within the city centre, will be essential to achieving the vision for the city centre. We will continue to engage with our partners and the community on the actions as they are planned, initiated and delivered.

43. Where actions do not have funding allocated, these will be considered through the 2024 – 2034 Long-term Plan planning process, including opportunity for relevant community feedback.

Attachments

1. City Centre Action and Investment Plan - Hi-Res Final for release August 2022 - A13759776 ⇩

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

15 August 2022

11.4 Withdrawal of Proposed Plan Change 26 - Housing Choice and part of Plan Change 27 - Flooding from Intense Rainfall

File Number: A13527608

Author: Janine Speedy, Team Leader: City Planning

Authoriser: Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance

Purpose of the Report

1. To seek Council’s authorisation to withdraw proposed Plan Change 26 – Housing Choice (PPC26) and part of proposed Plan Change 27 – Flooding from Intense Rainfall (PPC27), in accordance with the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Resolves to withdraw Proposed Plan Change 26 – Housing Choice in accordance with Clause 8D of Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991.

(b) Notes that the reasons for withdrawal of Proposed Plan Change 26 are:

(i) The Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act (Amendment Act) enacted on 20 December 2021 directs tier 1 councils, including Tauranga City Council, to publicly notify an Intensification Planning Instrument (IPI) by 20 August 2022 that applies medium density residential standards (MDRS) across all relevant residential zones and gives effect to Policy 3 of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD).

(ii) The scope of the changes required by the Amendment Act are different and wider reaching geographically than Proposed Plan Change 26.

(iii) Proposed Plan Change 33 – Enabling Housing Supply, which implements the requirements of the Amendment Act, is recommended for adoption for public notification, and will supersede the purpose of Proposed Plan Change 26.

(c) Authorises the General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance to give public notice of withdrawal of Proposed Plan Change 26 – Housing Choice, and the reasons for the withdrawal, in accordance with Clause 8D of Schedule 1 to the Resource Management Act 1991

(d) Resolves to withdraw the following parts of Proposed Plan Change 27 – Flooding from Intense Rainfall in accordance with Clause 8D of Schedule 1 to the Resource Management Act 1991:

(i) 14B.3.7(b) Site Coverage – Suburban Residential Zone and additional Note

(ii) 14B.3.8(b) Site Coverage – Large Lot Residential Zone and additional Note

(iii) 14B.6(a)(x) and (b)(vii) Restricted Discretionary Activity Rules

(iv) 14B.6.1.9 Site Coverage

(v) 14D.4.2.9(d) Site Coverage

(vi) 14D.4.2.14(w) Restricted Discretionary Activities – Matters of Discretion and Conditions

(e) Notes that the reason for withdrawal of the parts of Proposed Plan Change 27 – Flooding from Intense Rainfall listed above are:

(i) Proposed Plan Change 33 requires significant changes to the structure and content of Chapter 14 – Residential Zones in the City Plan, which consequentially affects the impervious surface area rules included in Proposed Plan Change 27.

(ii) Proposed Plan Change 33 will include equivalent impervious surface area rules.

(iii) Withdrawal of the impervious surface area rules will not affect or vary any other part of Proposed Plan Change 27.

(f) Authorises the General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance to give public notice of withdrawal of the parts of Plan Change 27 – Flooding from Intense Rainfall listed in (d) above, and the reasons for the part withdrawal, in accordance with Clause 8D of Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991.

Executive Summary

2. PPC26 and PPC27 were both notified on 16 November 2020. The purpose of the PPC26 was to enable greater housing choice and residential density in the Suburban Residential and City Living zones and PPC27 was to reduce the risk of flooding from intense rainfall.

3. Under the Schedule 1 RMA process, PPC26 had proceeded to the point where the submissions and further submissions had been lodged and a hearing had been scheduled for early February 2022. PPC27 was also progressing under Schedule 1 of the RMA, and the decisions were notified in April 2022 and three appeals to the Environment Court were received.

4. Subsequent to the notification of PPC26, The Resource Management (Enabling Housing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (Amendment Bill) was released on 19 October 2021.

5. At its 15 November 2021 meeting, the Council put PPC26 on hold until the Amendment Bill was passed.

6. On 20 December 2021, the Amendment Act passed into law. The Amendment Act directs Council to progress a plan change with significant changes to urban residential zones, and requires Council to implement the Intensification Planning Instrument (IPI) to give effect to the intensification provisions in the NPS-UD and implement the MDRS.

7. Through the preparation of the plan change to implement the IPI there are significant changes to the residential chapter which consequentially affects the impervious surface rules included in PPC27

8. Withdrawal of PPC26 and part of PPC27 will enable the requirements of the Amendment Act to be enacted through PPC33, which incorporates relevant work from PPC26 and the impervious surface rule form PPC27, providing for the best planning outcome.

Background

9. The existing rule frameworks within the Tauranga City Plan (City Plan) for the Suburban Residential, Commercial and City Living zones are inconsistent with emerging land use strategies and are not achieving desired built form outcomes for existing urban and suburban areas, nor sufficiently providing for the city’s ongoing high rate of population growth. The purpose of PPC26 was to enable greater housing choice and residential density in the Suburban Residential and City Living zones by:

(a) Partially addressing residential development capacity constraints and contributing towards achieving the targets for housing development capacity as set on in the City Plan and the Regional Policy Statement (RPS);

(b) Enabling a variety of housing choice across the city;

(c) Reducing pressure on urban expansion and associated infrastructure investment requirements by enabling more intensification of existing urban areas;

(d) Creating quality built form outcomes;

(e) Delivering on a more compact city as outlined in the Proposed SmartGrowth Future Development Strategy 2018 (FDS) and the Urban From & Transport Initiative connected centres programme; and

(f) Giving effect to higher order documents; in particular, the NPS-UD and the RPS.

10. PPC26 was notified on 16 November 2020. 189 submissions and 17 further submissions were lodged on PPC26.

11. Following the enactment of the Amendment Act, staff worked through the legislation to understand the requirements and implications.

12. The key reasons for withdrawing PPC26 are as follows:

(a) The geographic extent of where the MDRS must be applied is much wider than what was proposed in PPC26.

(b) Policy 3(a) in the NPS-UD requires changes to the rule framework within the City Centre Zone which was not considered in PPC26.

(c) Changes to Policy 3(d) in the NPS-UD require significant changes to enable height and density around commercial centres which was not considered in PPC26.

(d) Parts of PPC26 will be replaced by the MDRS such as the proposed duplex rules.

(e) Enables the relevant parts of PPC26, including implementing the Te Papa Spatial Plan outcomes to be incorporated and re-notified through PPC33.

13. Given the factors above, it is considered that the best planning approach to address the issues is to withdraw PPC26 in its entirety and utilise relevant work from PPC26 within PPC33.

14. Withdrawal of PPC26 in full would allow PPC33 to address the changed planning environment that has been created by the Amendment Act acknowledging that Council can only publicly notify one IPI.

Plan Change 27 – Flooding from Intense Rainfall

15. PPC27 was notified at the same time as PPC26. PPC27 had a hearing in late 2021 and decisions were notified on 11 April 2022. This plan change is subject to three Environment Court Appeals. As set out above PPC33 proposes significant changes to the residential chapter (Chapter 14) within the City Plan, including deleting zones and proposes two new zones to be created being the Medium Density Residential and High Density Residential zones which consequentially affects the impervious surface rules included in PPC27.

16. The provisions proposed to be withdrawn through Clause 8D of Schedule 1 are those amendments to Chapter 14 introduced by PPC27, being:

(i) 14B.3.7(b) Site Coverage – Suburban Residential Zone and additional Note

(ii) 14B.3.8(b) Site Coverage – Large Lot Residential Zone and additional Note

(iii) 14B.6(a)(x) and (b)(vii) Restricted Discretionary Activity Rules

(iv) 14B.6.1.9 Site Coverage

(v) 14D.4.2.9(d) Site Coverage

(vi) 14D.4.2.14(w) Restricted Discretionary Activities – Matters of Discretion and Conditions

17. Proposed Plan Change 33 will include equivalent impervious surface area rules. Withdrawal of impervious surface area rules will not affect or vary any other part of PPC27. Therefore, the Environment Court appeals are able to proceed as they relate to distinct areas and opposition to the plan change in its entirety.

18. Clause 8D of Schedule 1 of the RMA enables a Council to withdraw part, or all, of a proposed plan change before it is approved in accordance with the Schedule 1 process.

Strategic / Statutory Context

19. The relevant outcomes are implementing the requirements of the Amendment Act and enabling sufficient supply and variety of residential development to meet market demand overtime, which is a key part of the overall city growth objectives to address current housing shortages.

20. In its current form, PPC26 does not meet the requirements of the Amendment Act.

Options Analysis

21. Option 1 – proceed with PPC26 and progress with a variation to the plan change.

Advantages

Disadvantages

- No advantages have been identified.

- The Amendment Act requirements are beyond the scope of what was notified in PPC26 as set out in paragraph 9 above.

- PPC26 would need to be re-notified and therefore the consenting pathway is the same if a new plan change was progressed.

- Inefficient use of resources.

22. Option 2 – withdraw PPC26 in full under clause 8D of Schedule 1 of the RMA.

Advantages

Disadvantages

- Can progress with notification of PPC33 which implements all the requirements of the Amendment Act.

- Relevant parts of PPC26 can be carried forward and included in the IPI.

- Efficient use of resources to progress one plan change.

- No disadvantages have been identified.

23. Advice received is that there is no option for the impervious surface rule to be retained given the significant changes proposed to the residential chapter to implement the Amendment Act.

Financial Considerations

24. Withdrawing PPC26 and part of PPC27 would ensure the existing opex budget is efficiently used to progress PPC33.

Legal Implications / Risks

25. The RMA provides for a plan change to be withdrawn in part of in full pursuant to Clause 8D of Schedule 1 of the RMA. Clause 8D of Schedule 1 allows this to occur at any time before the Environment Court hearing commences.

26. The reasons for PPC26 to be withdrawn and for the impervious surface rule to be withdrawn from PPC27 are set out above.

Consultation / Engagement

27. The community and, in particular, affected parties such as developers, tāngata whenua and the submitters to PPC26 and submitters on the impervious surface rule on PPC27 will have the opportunity to participate in PPC33.

28. Correspondence will be sent to all submitters to PPC26 and PPC27 notifying that the plan changes have been withdrawn in full and in part and notification of PPC33. Where possible, submissions received through PPC26 have been considered in the preparation of PPC33.

Significance

29. 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.

30. 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 decision.

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

ENGAGEMENT

32. Taking into consideration the above assessment, that the decision is of low significance, officers are of the opinion that no further engagement is required prior to Council making a decision, noting that further engagement and consultation will occur as part of PPC33.

Next Steps

33. Under the recommendations above, the General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance can proceed with notifying the withdrawal of PPC26 and the withdrawal of the impervious surface rules in Chapter 14 from PPC27 in accordance with Clause 8D of Schedule 1 of the RMA.

34. This involves a formal public notice with reasons, as well as including a copy of the public notice within an explanatory letter to the submitters to PPC26 and PPC27 informing them of Council’s decision.

Attachments

Nil

Ordinary Council meeting Agenda

15 August 2022

11.5 Adoption of Plan Change 33 - Enabling Housing Supply for Notification

File Number: A13578152

Author: Janine Speedy, Team Leader: City Planning

Authoriser: Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance

Purpose of the Report

1. The purpose of this report is to seek adoption of proposed Plan Change 33 – Enabling Housing Supply (PPC33) for the purpose of public notification.

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a) Adopts Plan Change 33 – Enabling Housing Supply for public notification, to implement the Intensification Planning Instrument required under the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021.

(b) Authorises the General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance to arrange the public notification process in accordance with the provisions of section 95(2) of Part 6 of Schedule 1 to the Resource Management Act 1991.

(c) Delegates authority to the General Manager: Strategy, Growth and Governance to approve any minor and technical changes to the Proposed Text Amendments contained in Attachment 2 and Proposed Map Amendments contained in Attachment 3, as required prior to public notification.

(d) Endorses the non-statutory urban design guide (Residential Outcomes Framework) included as Appendix 9 to the section 32 report in Attachment 1 to this report for consultation.

Executive Summary

2. In accordance with direction received from the Strategy, Finance and Risk Committee (28 March 2022) staff have progressed PPC33 to the operative Tauranga City Plan to implement the Intensification Planning Instrument (IPI) as set out it in the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (Amendment Act) and enable greater housing choice and residential density in existing urban areas.

3. PPC33 has now progressed to the point of public notification to implement the IPI. The adoption of PPC33 by Council for public notification for submissions under Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991 is sought.

4. The three attachments to this report are publicly available on the Tauranga City Council at: www.tauranga.govt.nz/pc33-key-documents

Background

5. An IPI is defined in section 80E of the Amendment Act as a change to a district plan or a variation to a proposed plan that must incorporate the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) and give effect to Policy 3 in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD). The IPI may also include related provisions (including objectives, policies, rules, standards and zones) that support or are consequential on the MDRS and NPS-UD policies. Council must only notify one IPI, when the MDRS is first incorporated into the City Plan which is proposed through PPC33.

6. At the Strategy, Finance and Risk Committee meeting on 28 March 2022, it was decided to proceed with the development of a plan change to implement the Amendment Act by:

(i) Applying the Medium Density Residential Standards to residential zones (currently identified as Suburban Residential, Wairakei Residential, City Living and High-Density Residential zones) with an appropriate rule framework; and

(ii) Giving effect to Policy 3 in the NPS-UD to maximise heights in the City Centre Zone, enable at least 6 storeys within a walkable catchment of the city centre and enable residential building height and density appropriate to local, neighbourhood and town centres.

7. At the Strategy, Finance and Risk Committee Meeting on 16 May 2022, the principles for the application of Policy 3(c) and Policy 3(d) in the NPS-UD were endorsed to enable height and density within and adjacent to identified commercial centres.

8. In accordance with the direction received from the Strategy, Finance and Risk Committee meetings, staff have completed the preparation of PPC33 along with the accompanying Section 32 evaluation report as required under the RMA.

9. The Section 32 evaluation report is a detailed assessment required by the RMA to establish whether the proposed plan change content is the most appropriate course of action. The Section 32 evaluation report is included as Attachment 1. It is noted that Attachment 1 is provide in a separate document to this agenda.

10. Proposed Plan Change 33 covers the following key aspects:

(a) Incorporate current Suburban Residential, Wairakei Residential and Large Lot zones into new Medium Density Residential Zone consistent with the National Planning Standards to:

i) Enable the MDRS as a permitted activity;

ii) Enable four or more dwellings as a restricted discretionary.

(b) Rezone Te Papa Peninsula and areas around commercial centres identified to meet Policy 3 in the NPS-UD to High Density Residential Zone and combine with the current High Density Residential Zone consistent with the National Planning Standards to:

i) Enable the MDRS as a permitted activity;

ii) Introduce height maps to enable greater height adjacent to identified commercial centres to give effect to Policy 3(c) and 3(d) in the NPS-UD;

iii) Enable four or more storeys as a restricted discretionary activity, non-notified.

i) Introduce on-site amenity and urban design provisions for residential activities;

ii) Introduce height maps to enable greater height in identified commercial centres to give effect to Policy 3(c) and 3(d) in the NPS-UD.

(d) City Centre Zone provisions are amended to:

i) Introduce on-site amenity and urban design provisions for residential activities;

ii) Enable greater development capacity to give effect to Policy 3(a) in the NPS-UD.

(e) Urban design:

(i) Introduce a non-statutory urban design guide known as the Residential Outcomes Framework (ROF);

(ii) Reflect key aspects of the ROF in the objectives, policies and assessment criteria of the City Plan;

(iii) Apply urban design requirements to developments of four or more dwellings and residential activities in the Commercial Zone.

(f) Supporting amendments to:

i) Chapter 3 - Definitions

ii) Chapter 12 – Subdivision

iii) Chapter 4 – Transportation, Noise, Permitted Intrusions

(g) Rezone Smiths Farm from Rural Residential to Medium Density Residential Zone.

11. The proposed text amendments are included as Attachment 2 and proposed map amendments included as Attachment 3.

12. Through the preparation of proposed Plan Change 26 - Housing Choice (PPC26), it was proposed to introduce a new non-statutory urban design guide known as the Residential Outcomes Framework. Through engagement on PPC26, the Residential Outcome Framework was well received. Changes have been made to reflect the changes required through the Amendment Act. The key aspects of this guide have been pulled through into the objectives, policies and assessment criteria in PPC33. This will apply to developments for four or more dwellings and residential activities in the Commercial Zone. This approach will support good built form outcomes and ensure that higher density residential development achieves high quality on-site and off-site amenity. Staff recommend that this document will be endorsed after public consultation, when adoption of the plan change is sought as amendments may be appropriate subject to the outcomes of the PPC33 submissions, and hearings process. The draft Residential Outcomes Framework is attached as Appendix 9 to the section 32 report included as Attachment 1.

13. The Intensification Streamlined Planning Process (ISPP) sets out a pathway for plan changes to implement the MDRS, Policy 3 of the NPS-UD and other supporting or consequential changes. Council must use the ISPP to incorporate the MDRS and NPS-UD intensification policies in the City Plan. The ISPP is based on the Streamlined Planning Process (SPP) under the RMA.

14. There are steps in Part 1, Schedule 1 of the RMA that apply to an ISPP. Council must enable the public to submit on the IPI and prepare a summary of submissions for further submissions and then hold a hearing into submission on the IPI.

15. Pursuant to s80L of the RMA, the Minister for the Environment directs Council to notify decisions on the independent hearings panel recommendations in accordance with clause 102 of the RMA by 20 November 2023.

Strategic / Statutory Context

16. The provision of a good supply and variety of housing to meet market demand over time is a key part of the overall city growth objectives. Proposed Plan Change 33 partially addresses residential development capacity constraints and contributes towards achieving the targets for housing development capacity as set out in the City Plan.

17. Proposed Plan Change 33 enables a more compact city, particularly within and round identified commercial centres and aligns with the Tauranga Urban Strategy and Urban Form and Transport Initiative connected centres approach.

18. Intensification of existing urban areas and enabling increased heights within and around identified commercial centres also gives effect to Policy 3 in the NPS-UD.

Options Analysis

19. Option 1: Adopt the Plan Change as per the attachments to this report. Proceeding with PPC33 will implement the Amendment Act within the required timeframes and provide for greater housing choice and residential density in existing urban areas.

20. Option 2: to retain the status quo. There is sufficient information to indicate that housing capacity and affordability continues to be a significant issue in Tauranga City. Status quo will continue to provide a complex consenting approach for more intensive housing development and its related resource consent and application costs, risks and uncertainties. Retaining the status quo will also not meet the requirements of the RMA Amendment Act and the NPS-UD.

21. The options to progress PPC33 to implement the Amendment Act are further discussed in the section 32 evaluation report included as Attachment 1. Staff recommend proceeding with Option 1.

Financial Considerations

22. There are no financial considerations associated with this report. The cost associated with the preparation of PPC33 is within existing LTP budgets.

Legal Implications / Risks

23. Proposed Plan Change 33 has been prepared to meet the legislative requirements under Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991.

24. The Amendment Act sets out what must be included, can be included and cannot be included within the IPI. The IPI must be notified by 20 August 2022.

25. A legal review has been undertaken of key components of PPC33 including the section 32 evaluation report and proposed text amendments to ensure these documents meet the legislative requirements of the RMA Amendment Act.

Consultation / Engagement

26. The timeframes leading to notification and the volume of work that has been required before 20 August 2022, means that the approach to engagement has been heavily focussed on informing stakeholders and the community about the proposed changes, and for most, directing them to the upcoming public notification process as the best opportunity to provide feedback through via submissions. However, feedback has been sought prior to notification from some stakeholders that have a higher degree of interest in the proposed changes and with tangata whenua.

27. Feedback, including formal submissions, on PC26 has been incorporated where considered appropriate into PC33.

28. Proposed Plan Change 33 is required under Schedule 1 of the RMA to be publicly notified for submissions and further submissions. This is in addition to the engagement process that has already been undertaken as part of the development of the plan change and associated projects such as the Te Papa and Ōtūmoetai Spatial Plans and City Centre Action Plan.

Significance

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

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

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

3. (c) the capacity of the local authority to perform its role, and the financial and other costs of doing so.

31. In accordance with the considerations above, criteria and thresholds in the policy, it is considered that the decision is of high significance.

ENGAGEMENT

32. Taking into consideration the above assessment, that the decision is of high significance, officers are of the opinion that pre-notification engagement has been undertaken to meet the requirements of the RMA.

33. Public notification of PPC33 will include letters to all ratepayers affected by the plan change, a public notice and information through social media channels and the website. This will include details on how to make a submission on the plan change.

34. Central government are also providing a ‘friend of the submitter’ function who can provide technical assistance on how to make a submission.

Next Steps

35. The finalised PPC33 and the accompanying section 32 report will be publicly notified in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 1 of the RMA.

36. Following the submission and further submission process, PPC33 is required to proceed to a hearing and recommendation process.

37. Council will either accept or reject the recommendations of the hearings panel by 20 November 2023.

Attachments

1. Attachments to Council Report: Adoption of Plan Change 33 (Enabling Housing Supply) for Notification - A13678918 ⇩

[2] The policy does not apply to land that Council does not maintain such as Bay Oval.


AGENDA Ordinary Council meeting Monday, 15 August 2022
I hereby give notice that an Ordinary Meeting of Council will be held on:
Date:	Monday, 15 August 2022
Time:	9.30am
Location:	Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers Regional House 1 Elizabeth Street Tauranga
Please note that this meeting will be livestreamed and the recording will be publicly available on Tauranga City Council's website: www.tauranga.govt.nz.
Marty Grenfell Chief Executive

Chairperson	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.