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Ordinary
Council meeting Agenda
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10
June 2024
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12.8 Executive
Summary Report
File
Number: A15883055
Author: Nic
Johansson, Head of Transport
Barbara Dempsey,
Acting Chief Executive
Paul Davidson, Chief
Financial Officer
Christine Jones,
General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance
Alastair McNeil,
General Manager: Corporate Services
Sarah Omundsen,
General Manager: Regulatory and Compliance
Gareth Wallis,
General Manager: City Development & Partnerships
Authoriser: Barbara
Dempsey, Acting Chief Executive
Purpose of the Report
1. To provide a summary of
key projects and activities carried out during the Commission’s term of
office.
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Recommendations
That the Council:
(a)
Receives the "Executive Summary Report".
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Infrastructure
Transport
2. Over the last three
years, on the back of unprecedented investment commitment and confidence in
decision-making and direction, the Transport team has taken the operations and
delivery portfolio from $82m to $260m. This increase has delivered some great outcomes
for road users, but there have been some growing pains and significant
learnings. These have resulted in a revised team structure and delivery-focused
culture, including significantly increased technical, commercial and delivery
capability to meet future demand. The Urban Form and Transport Initiative has
been translated into a nationally-recognised partnership across the sub-region,
generating an agreed programme of transport projects in the Long-term Plan and
the Regional Land Transport Plan. This prepares us and the city for a future
with more attractive travel options, journey reliability and less trauma.
3. In network operations,
the first three years of the One Team maintenance contract has caught up on a
backlog of work not completed under the previous delivery model. We have
largely eliminated the massive amount of potholing not carried out across the
network within contracted response times, and introduced innovations like
roller compacted concrete pavements, which delivers long pavement life and less
disruption, and trialling asphalt look-alike products over chip seal. The total
maintenance renewal programme has increased from $3.9m in 2020-2021 to a
predicted $14m by the end of the current financial year.
4. In project planning and
delivery, we have generated great community outcomes and future-proofed parts
of the city for growth and intensification through projects like Cameron Road
from Harington St to 17th Ave; Maunganui Road improvements; and Te Okuroa
Drive, the latter allowing 2,400 additional dwellings on top of the 3,300
already completed. Construction of the Pāpāmoa East Interchange is
underway, as are Tauriko West enabling works which will facilitate development
of 2400 new homes.
5. Together with NZTA Waka
Kotahi, we have created a partnership for management and oversight of major
projects like 15th Ave/Turret Road, Cameron Road Stage 2 and
Hewletts/Hull/Totara improvements, with learnings from recent major projects
setting us up for successful delivery. We have also adopted an integrated
approach to minimise disruption during the massive programme of work in the
pipeline, including a funded suite of improvements (the arterial review) to
specifically target traffic flows during construction.
6. In the smaller project
and safety improvements space, we have gone from a standing start to a $30M
programme over the last two years, delivering projects like Bureta/Vale and
Tara/Parton intersection improvements and Wairoa, Totara and Links Ave
improvement projects.
7. We have worked with our
travelling communities, keeping them safer through programmes like Kids Can
Ride, Blindzone workshops, Young Driver workshops, Cycle Skills training for
all ages and Road Safety workshops at all our schools.
8. Through the City Centre
transformation, maintaining access for all transport modes, parking
availability and public transport options will play a key role in city
placemaking, and the needs of people and businesses will continue to be at the
heart of decision-making.
Asset
Services
9. Street Design Tool:
Since February 2022, we have mandated the use of our Tauranga-developed Street
Design Tool, which complements the Infrastructure Development Code (IDC) by
providing an accessible, web-based platform with supporting design diagrams. It
supports 10 design principles that consider all road users and is the primary
guide for anyone involved in creating or modifying streets in Tauranga, whether
for new development or upgrades.
10. IDC Pavement design requirement: In
May 2021, we updated the pavement design and testing requirements in the
Infrastructure Development Code, mainly to prevent premature failures for
high-traffic roads. Since then, industry concerns about the updates were
largely addressed by clarifying national rules and the regulations established
by comparable road corridor authorities. The remaining concerns are being
addressed in collaboration with industry representatives.
11. Slope hazard zone mapping: In
early-October 2023, we sent 11,000 letters to property owners with slope hazard
zones on their properties. The slope hazard zone maps identify different zones
based on slope angle and height (2:1 failure zone, 3:1 regression zone and 4:1
runout zone). This was an update of maps we have had for most properties since
2002. These zones are used in our building consent and planning processes to
ensure we develop our city safely and the property information is included in
LIMs.
12. Updated design rainfall standards:
Infrastructure design, including roads and drainage systems, must account for
the region's unique rainfall patterns to ensure the safety and well-being of
residents. We agreed upon the need for updated design standards following
discussions with representatives from the development sector who were concerned
that this might lead to the potential overdesign of drainage infrastructure.
This consensus was reflected in the City Plan Change 27, which aims to improve
the city's resilience to rainfall-related flooding and other natural
hazards. The updated design rainfall standards will be published in the
Infrastructure Development Code.
Waters
13. Three Waters Collaborative
Operations and Maintenance Contract: In 2021, in collaboration with WBOPDC, we
jointly awarded a 5-year, $85 million operations and maintenance contract to
Downer NZ Ltd. The joint 3 waters contract has a significant focus on
collaboration, people, process and technology. The key drivers were
resilience for the region; standardising processes; capability for our
businesses; skills and qualifications for us and our contractor; ageing
workforce; and staff retention. These have been key concerns for us, as
they are for the whole infrastructure sector. A collaborative
contract provides the platform to address such issues.
14. To date, the contractor has
received and attended to 86,623 planned and reactive requests for work.
Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty District now have aligned service
levels and enhanced service delivery to the sub-region.
15. Waiari – new Water Treatment
Plant: The Waiāri Water Supply Scheme officially opened in March 2023 and
features a state-of-the-art micro-filtration water treatment facility. A
quarter of the water taken from the Waiari stream is earmarked for the Te Puke
area, with 75% contributing to the Tauranga water supply. The plant can
currently produce up to 15 million litres per day and this volume will increase
over time as supporting infrastructure is built and water demand and population
grows. Council has worked with iwi to understand their close relationship with
the Kaituna river and to care for this taonga tuku iho (treasure) for future
generations.
16. Te Maunga Wastewater Treatment
Plant: The Te Maunga wastewater treatment plant is being upgraded to cope with
demand in Tauranga over the next 50-100 years. All new land development
areas in Tauranga will have wastewater flows directed to the Te Maunga
plant.
17. The treatment plant will continue
to produce a high-quality, tertiary treated and disinfected effluent product.
18. Innovation has played a key part in
design and delivery. Worthy of mention is the award-winning,
remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) that was created to avoid human entry into the
submerged ocean outfall pipe to clear debris. This ROV received two
awards at the October 2023 Water NZ Conference, winning the Best Project Award
& Health and Safety Innovation categories.
Sustainability & Waste
19. A transformative journey for our
climate and sustainability work: Our climate efforts surged with Tauranga's
Climate Action Plan; CO2 emissions have been cut by one-third since 2019,
saving $200k annually; leveraged the Climate Action Loan for $500k savings;
BeeCard scheme reduced emissions with 30,000 fewer staff journeys also easing
road congestion; rainwater harvesting projects in schools promoted water
conservation; and the community-facing Rainwater Harvesting System Incentives
Scheme launch on 1 July will foster sustainable water management.
20. Kerbside success: Kerbside service
led to consistent yearly waste diversion improvement (50% to 53% in Y3), with
53,249 tonnes of waste diverted, a significant increase; 8,358 tonnes of food
scraps were turned into compost, supporting local food growth; high community
satisfaction (93%) reflects both positive environmental impact and commitment
to waste reduction efforts.
Community Services
Arts
& Culture
Hands-on Tauranga
21. The past three years have seen a
huge growth in demand for Museum educational services, which bodes well for the
future as the new Museum and the education programme is developed to include school
visits to Te Manawataki o Te Papa.
22. Since February 2022, the Hands-on
Tauranga service to schools has become a greatly valued resource for Tauranga
teachers and their students, with 288 registered teachers from 42 of the 44
primary, intermediate and high schools in Tauranga. Over the last three years,
over 1,200 object bookings have been made by teachers or used as part of the
outreach programme.
Heritage Collection
23. Museum staff continued to focus on
providing communities with access to the Tauranga Heritage Collection. More
than 150 tours of our collection facility have been provided over the past
three years, and public open days are extremely popular. We have also shared
the collection with a wide range of groups and organisations.
24. In August 2021, a project to
digitise the collection, Te Putanga o Ngā Taonga, reached a milestone with
10,000 collection items publicly accessible online – one year ahead of
schedule. As of May 2024, there are more than 17,000 objects online. Each
object is accompanied by high quality photographs which enhance the
collection's reputation and inspire creative collaborations. The database is
used extensively by researchers, historians and students and is shared by the
public on many platforms.
Collection Development
25. A substantial amount of collection
development has taken place over the past three years, including 2,960 new
objects accessioned and 119 objects deaccessioned.
26. Several important acquisitions were
made:
· In
March 2023 Bryn and Isobel Hammond gifted a valuable scrimshaw collection https://view.taurangaheritagecollection.co.nz/objects?query=hammond.
· As
part of the Glimpses project, the Lim family donated a Lion Costume with
important links to the Chinese community in Tauranga https://view.taurangaheritagecollection.co.nz/objects/35171/lion-costume.
· Most
recently, the museum acquired the Dusty Waddell Collection which includes
locally and nationally significant surfboards, skateboards, textiles and
ephemera. This collection is currently being added to our website https://view.taurangaheritagecollection.co.nz/objects?query=waddell.
Access to Collections
27. Access to museum collections for
whanau, hapū and iwi groups is integral to maintaining mana and
whakawhānaungatanga (relationship and connection), helping tangata whenua
to stay connected through taonga that express cultural heritage and promote
understanding, appreciation and shared responsibility.
28. Over the past three years, we have
conducted 47 tours through the taonga collection, responded to 162 enquiries
associated with taonga, and facilitated 16 hui about archaeological protocols
for found objects under the Taonga Tuturu Act.
Displays, Exhibitions
& Storytelling
29. The Museum team continues to find
creative ways to display objects and information around the city. Exhibitions
in the Tauranga Library have focused on Matariki, Moa, Back to School and
Holiday Memories and have included very popular interactive elements such as 3D
printed moa and kiwi eggs. ‘Colossal Squid: Freaky Features!’,
a Te Papa travelling exhibition currently on display, is enhanced with local
information and elements such as a giant squid ruler.
30. In June 2023, an exhibition at
Tauranga Girls’ College celebrating Samoan Language Week was so popular
it will be repeated this year, and a stand at ‘Pasifika in the Bay’
in December 2023 showcased the wider Pasifika collection. Taonga has been
returned to local hapū for temporary exhibition and several loans to have
been made to other institutions, including Waikato Museum, Tauranga Art Gallery
and the Western Bay of Plenty Museum. Storytelling has hit the streets in the
form of pop-up posters commemorating Tauranga servicemen who died in WW1, and
others focusing on iconic Tauranga businesses such as Hartley’s clothing
store and Piccadilly Arcade.
Publications
31. Over the past three years,
published stories about Tauranga and the collection have included From
Tauranga to the Trenches, Western Bay Women, Relics of Gate Pa
Pukehinahina and Te Whakaata i te Matapihi. Two more publications in
the ‘Glimpses’ series were released - Through
Embroiderers’ Eyes was a collaboration with the Tauranga
Embroiderer’s Guild, while Collecting Connections featured a
diverse group of local rangatahi as well as collection items. Other stories
have featured on the Tauranga Historical Society Blog http://taurangahistorical.blogspot.com/,
Our Place Magazine and Tauranga Libraries’ What’s On.
Marketing &
Communications
32. The Museum team has undertaken a
variety of awareness-raising activities, including:
· Taking
part in the podcast: Tauranga’s Renaissance to discuss the plans
to reshape Tauranga’s city centre.
· Breeze
radio station items on Hands-on Tauranga and the Museum project.
· Taking
part in the Te Manawataki o Te Papa onsite stand during Children’s Day in
March. A children’s history hunt was designed for children under the age
of 14 and the museum showcased ‘Hands-on Tauranga’ objects for
families to interact with.
· The
Director of Arts, Culture and Heritage featured in the Autumn 2024 UNO magazine
with an interview about Tauranga Museum.
33. The Museum team has launched the
Friends of Tauranga Museum programme. This free membership programme is
designed to build a diverse community of museum supporters in advance of the
museum opening in 2028 https://letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/projects/tauranga-museum.
500 people joined the Friends of Tauranga Museum programme in the first two
months.
Te Manawataki o Te
Papa – Tauranga Museum
34. The development of the new Tauranga
Museum & Exhibition Centre is a primary focus for the Museum team and will
remain so leading up to its opening in 2028. We are heavily involved in the
design and planning of both the building and the visitor experience.
Volunteering Programme
35. Each year the dedicated team of
museum volunteers tackle a mountain of work that contributes to several key
work areas, including collection care, Hands-on Tauranga, and public access via
the digitalisation project. This amounts to over 1,500 hours of volunteer work
annually.
Community Public Art
36. In February 2022, work began on a
robust Public Art Framework, which was adopted in principle in August 2022 and
launched in April 2023, with the final draft completed in June 2023.
37. The framework replaced the old
Public Art Policy and includes a Master Plan that will map appropriate sites
for public art across the city, a capability-building toolkit, a funding
mechanism, and a Public Art Panel which will make funding recommendations.
38. The funding mechanism takes the
form of a percentage for art fund, which starts at 0.25% of Council’s
vertical capital works in FY2024-25, growing to 1% over the next three years.
Tauranga is currently the only council with such a rigorous framework
supporting public art.
39. Some of the Public Art projects
completed in the past three years are Midnight Sun by Sara Hughes, Kōwhai
Grove by Bobbie Gray, Into Tauranga Moana by Sam Allen, Kotahitanga
by Kelcy Taratoa, Brave New World by Nicol Sanders O’Shea, as well
as a series of works by Whare Thompson at Tunks Reserve and along Cameron Road.
Library
& Community Hubs and Contact Centre
Introduction
40. Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City
Libraries and Customer Services were two separate activities in January 2021.
That year saw Covid restrictions, more movement to digital channels and changes
in the city centre. Tauranga Public Library celebrated 150 years in April
2021. By 2024, a new structure combined the Library, Community Hub,
customer services and the 24/7 Contact Centre into one activity.
Investment in vibrant
community spaces and services to support great neighbourhoods
41. He Puna Manawa Library & Service
Centre opened in April 2022. This space provides exhibitions, a café,
meeting rooms, a children’s activity area and local history research
centre, and is a popular destination in the city centre. The archives and rare
books collection was made publicly available from Newton Street in a
purpose-built climate-controlled room.
42. The new Library Community Hub is
now in the build phase. It will have an innovation space, sensory room,
community event space, state-of-the-art archive and archive reading room, as
well as Toi Māori and community art displays.
43. Council face-to-face customer
services were offered first at Pāpāmoa Library, then at Greerton
Library and the Mount Hub. Increasing interactions at these neighbourhood
locations means a move to a “one-stop-shop” provision of library
and council services is in transition and expected to be completed at all
library community hubs by the end of 2024.
Supporting Council
Projects & Planning
44. The Mount Hub was opened in May
2023 and has provided a space for the Mount Maunganui community to visit, learn
and provide feedback on a large programme of projects. The Hub also provides a
space for project teams and council staff to meet, plan and use for related
engagement and consultation. The learnings gained from the Mount Hub Project
will be integrated into our new Library / Community Hub service delivery model.
45. In August 2022, The Association of
Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) ranked Tauranga City Council
third out of 80 councils nationwide in their annual customer experience
benchmarking report. Our Contact Centre was recognised by ALGIM in December
2023, placing us within the top 10 for Best Customer Experience nationally.
46. External contracts for after-hours
call management were renewed for Western Bay, Taupo, and Bay of Plenty Regional
Council.
Investment In
Automation, Self-Service, & Technology
47. A video conference booth was
installed at He Puna Manawa to assist customers wanting face-to-face meetings
with council staff.
48. Self-service kiosks were introduced
for council payments and book issues. The project team engaged with
accessibility representatives to ensure the kiosks meet as many users’
needs as possible. Lifters have been added to enable it to change height at the
press of a button and the text colour on-screen can be changed to assist with
vision or sensory needs.
49. New digital services were added for
streaming movies, music, audiobooks, e-magazines and e-books.
50. There has been a steady decline in
in-person transactions as more online tools are developed. To support this
investment, our in-person service delivery processes have evolved to educate
our community on how to use self-service and online options for payments,
inquiries and applications. Our library / community hub service delivery model
remains inclusive and available to those who do not have digital access.
Community-led
initiatives have increased inclusivity and the sharing of experiences, culture
and networks through the library community hubs
51. Participation in events and visitor
experiences increased as life returned to normal in 2023. Many authors and
speakers gave free public talks in libraries, including New Zealander of the
Year, Professor Rangi Matamua, Dr Ngahuia Murphy and Pā Ropata QSM.
52. These are some of the events and
organisations partnered with from 2021-2024:
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Diversity Awareness
Month
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Spring Fest
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Matariki Tauranga Moana
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U3A
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Salvation Army
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Age Concern
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Alzheimers Tauranga
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BOP Pride
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You be You
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Trans Pride Picnic
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Toi Tauranga Art
Gallery
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Society of Genealogists
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Heart Foundation
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Diabetes New Zealand
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Children’s Day
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Fungi Fest
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Mahuri Māori
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NZ Music Month
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Multi-Cultural Tauranga
Festival
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Pasifika Navigators of
Tomorrow
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Tauranga Moana Pride
Picnic
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Women and Words Poetry
Day
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Chinese Friendship
Society
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Statistics New Zealand
Census 2023
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Employ NZ
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STEMFest BOP
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53. The Pike Ake Cadet programme for
unemployed youth initiative is demonstrably making a positive impact on
individuals and their whanau. The programme's first graduation took place in
November 2023, with three participants successfully completing the 12-month
programme and securing permanent jobs. Notably, two of these graduates joined
the Contact Centre team. We are currently training two more cadets.
Public Programmes
Celebrated Science, Technology, Natural Environment, History & Culture
54. From 20-27 June, Tauranga City
Libraries hosted Tūhura Otago Museum’s travelling exhibition
Tūhura Tuarangi: Aotearoa in Space. Thousands of visitors from schools and
families enjoyed the weeklong interactive exhibit. Currently the Te Papa giant
squid travelling exhibition is proving very popular.
55. The tukutuku collection crafted by
the Matua branch of the Māori Women’s Welfare League in 1993 is on
display in He Puna Manawa.
56. Libraries accepted the donation of
the archive of renowned author, the late Sherryl Jordon. The archive includes
first editions of Ms Jordon’s work, folios of illustrations, and other
assorted papers.
57. Nearly 80,000 historical records,
including letters, photographs, art works, and diaries were digitised and made
downloadable from Pae Korokī during this period. Engagement
continues to increase with the new Pae Korokī Facebook page.
Emergency Management
58. The Emergency Management (EM) team
has seen significant growth and change in the past three years, growing from a
small team of two full-time staff and 30 trained support staff to a dedicated
staff of six emergency management professionals and over 100 trained emergency
operations centre staff.
59. We have made significant
improvement in the emergency preparedness space with increased and ongoing
community engagement and education. The hazard scape in Tauranga is still one
of the most concentrated in the country, with earthquakes, local source
tsunami, coastal inundation and flooding, plus the Mount Industrial Zone and
the ever-growing expansion of Pāpāmoa and Pāpāmoa East
ensuring that there is still work to be done.
60. Community readiness is one of the
key factors in a successful emergency response and working closely with the
Community Development team, we have been able to roll-out several initiatives,
such as the Community Response team in Otumoetai, regular connection with the
Tauranga Multicultural Group and our ongoing collaboration wih the city’s
retirement village and educational networks.
61. We have also had great success in
supporting marae preparedness across the city, by rolling out the Kia
Takatū project to have five marae in a position where they can open their
doors to the community during an emergency. We will look to grow this project
in the coming years to integrate a larger geographical spread of marae across
the city.
62. We’ve also dipped our toes
into the world of emerging technologies with the creation of a virtual reality
(VR) education tool. The earthquake and tsunami experience has been
well-received in the community since its introduction in December 2023.
Increased engagement levels have been evident since the team has been utilising
the VR experience at various community engagement opportunities. This
technology has been shared with councils around the country.
63. In the past three years, our
Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been activated twice - for Cyclone
Gabrielle (February 2023) and on 9 May 2023 for a heavy rainfall event.
64. High-pressure moments that the EM
team and the EOC support staff have responded to include the tsunami threat in
May 2021, the Auckland Anniversary Weekend weather event that saw major
landslips in Maungatapu and Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. Although the most
severe impacts from these events were felt elsewhere, the EM team and EOC
support staff were able to provide significant support locally and around the
country through deployment into other areas.
Community
Development
65. Investments were made in
Tauranga’s community sector through six partnership agreements, 114
community grants, 129 match fund grants and five community housing grants.
66. More than 6,000 responses were
received to the 2023 Whakahou Taketake Vital Update survey, which was expanded
to include a Child Wellbeing study of five- to-12 year-olds. The priority
community reports, suburban reports and dashboards provide insights into
community views on aspirations for the city, housing and standards of living,
social wellbeing, safety and mental health.
67. The Community Development team
supported Tauranga’s first-ever homelessness point-in-time count in 2023.
We heard the stories of 308 participants, providing new insights into the current
crisis.
68. The team partnered with Te
Kāhui Tika Tangata (Human Rights Commission), Ngāi Te Rangi and
Ngāti Ranginui to pilot Whakamana Hapori in Tauranga. This is a
community-based programme that upskills participants in human rights, Te Tiriti
o Waitangi and community development.
69. The Tauranga Service Guide for
older persons was developed in collaboration with Age Concern. Its purpose is
to help individuals connect with essential services in our city.
70. As part of the Welcoming Programme,
new kiwis receiving their citizenship in Tauranga received a voucher for a
native plant and an invitation to the Welcoming Planting Day at Gordon
Carmichael Reserve in Bethlehem.
71. A celebration of the International
Day of Disabled Persons was delivered on 3 December at Hopukiore (Mount Drury)
Reserve, showcasing Tauranga’s vibrant disability community at a free,
fun-filled, family-friendly day in partnership with Parafed BOP, CCS Disability
Action and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
72. The team co-developed Spring Fest
to celebrate the International Day of Older PersonsThis saw over 60 free events
take place across the city, from social get-togethers and cooking lessons to
sports games, film clubs and fitness sessions. Over 3,700 people visited the
Spring Fest website.
73. Our ‘Youth
Development Framework’ has been finalised and published. This
document supersedes the 2016 Youth Engagement Plan and 2019-2021 Youth Action
Plan and aligns to the ‘Tauranga Mataraunui – Inclusive City
Strategy’ and the Ministry for Youth Development’s ‘Youth
Plan’.
74. The team supported the
establishment of the Global Ambassadors pilot programme in the region,
alongside Education Tauranga. This supports the inclusive leadership element of
the Welcoming Communities plan. The intent is to grow and inspire a group of
globally diverse young leaders through certified training and mentoring.
75. On 24 June 2021, the Kāinga
Tupu Taskforce launched “When the Dominoes Start to Fall” – a
book which explores the Tauranga’s complex homelessness issues and the
stories behind them. The book has been supported from planning to publishing by
18 community providers.
76. The inaugural Board Intern
programme for our council-controlled organisations was successfully launched in
2022. The interns bring diversity and new perspectives to the respective
boards, while also building governance capability and developing a pipeline of
talent for the future.
77. In collaboration with Good
Neighbour, Tauranga Foodbank, Age Concern Tauranga, and Here2HelpU, Council is
supporting the community-led Super Support initiative for older people.
Increasing food and rental costs mean many seniors struggle to afford
nutritious meals and this pilot programme delivered 362 precooked meals and
basic pantry supplies to 161 households. Its aim is to transition to a
permanent service with additional wraparound support.
78. Through the Community Grants fund,
we were able to support the restoration and refurbishment of the Takitimu waka,
ensuring its longevity and retaining the wealth of knowledge associated with
waka. Te Runanga o Ngati Ranginui showcased the relaunched waka with a
community event at Sulphur Point in March 2023.
79. In collaboration with Tauranga
Special School, Tauranga Disability Special Interest Group and Changing Places
NZ, Council has built an accessible changing facility at Hopukiore (Mount
Drury) Reserve. This facility, equipped with a height-adjustable sink, toilet,
adult changing table, shower, and hoist, aims to enhance accessibility for the
disability community. This initiative aligns with Tauranga's Long Term
Plan goal of being an inclusive city where everyone can fully participate.
80. The Community Funding policy was
completed in late-2023 and creates a framework to deliver council funding in a
fair and equitable way.
81. In May 2024, a local woman’s
dream came true when she got to experience the view from the top of Mauao. She
won a radio competition through The Breeze Tauranga, to reach the summit with
the help of the Trailrider and the All Blacks Sevens.
82. Council supported the Bay of Plenty
Ethnic Women’s Hui on 4 May. Shama, an ethnic women's trust from
Hamilton, facilitated the hui in collaboration with Multicultural Tauranga and
Tautoko Mai. This was the first gathering of its nature in the Bay of Plenty
region.
83. Council is applying for
re-accreditation from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) as an Established Welcoming Community.
84. As part of the welcoming
communities programme, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District
Council are participating in the welcoming week, Te Wiki o Manaaki, which is an
annual campaign to showcase and celebrate how communities across NZ are
striving to be more welcoming places for all. This year, Welcoming Week will be
celebrated from 6-15 September.
85. The recently appointed
‘Tauranga Youth Space Strategic Working Group’ had its first
workshop at the Arataki Community Centre on 30 April. Seven of the eight
appointed members came together for a workshop focused on
whakawhānaungatanga (building relationships). The group’s purpose is
to drive a community-led approach to improve awareness, accessibility, and
quality of youth spaces and services across Tauranga Moana.
86. Community Development’s
Strategic Advisor for Youth Development supported the first two business
breakfasts for the Priority One Instep Young Leaders programme. The first was
hosted by the New Zealand Defence Force, and the second was hosted by Aurecon,
allowing student leaders to delve into and generate ideas on how to solve
topical issues in Tauranga city.
Venues
& Events
Event Evaluations & Benefits
87. Over the past three years, events
that council has been involved in have generated a net benefit of over $18.5
million for our city, contributing to our social, cultural, and economic
prosperity. The Event Development team conducts robust evaluations, ensuring
major and legacy events deliver substantial economic and social benefits. Event
evaluation highlights include economic benefits such as over $4.1 million in
visitor spending at the BLACKCAPS vs England test in 2023, while The Classic
basketball tournament generated over 14,000 visitor nights.
Integration of Te Ao
Māori
88. The Tauranga Events Action and
Investment Plan (TEAIP) aligns with Council’s commitment to te ao
Māori, emphasising manaakitanga. The Venue and Events team has worked with
tangata whenua in a variety of ways to deliver on our aspiration to be the best
host city in Aotearoa. This successful ongoing partnership started in 2023
between Te Pou Takawaenga, the Venues and Events team and mana whenua and has
seen local kapa haka groups welcome 12 groups of national and international
visitors to the region, including the BLACKCAPS and England cricket teams, the
GWA Wingfoiling World Cup competitors, the Netherlands Women's football team,
international participants for Zespri AIMS Games 2023 and Futures Volleyball
tournament 2024. Baycourt has incorporated te ao Māori into its
operations, including bilingual signage and cultural competency training for
staff.
The Historic Village Strategy
Development - 2020
89. In 2020, The Historic Village
management team worked with stakeholders and the community to develop a new
10-year strategy. Three years on, the strategy is implemented, with several
initiatives delivering positive outcomes for our community:
· Tenancy
zoning and programming are now integral to daily operations, with leasing rates
incorporated into the user fees and charges process through annual and
long-term-plan processes;
· A
new Village Master Plan, developed in consultation with mana whenua and
including an accessibility audit report and historic buildings report, is
complete and set to guide grounds development for the next decade;
· A
robust capex and renewals prioritisation plan ensures the maintenance of all
Village buildings and sustained high service levels;
· A
well-established sales and marketing plan has led to increased venue bookings
and increased foot and digital traffic. The Village Facebook page now reaches
over 400,000 people annually.
The Historic Village
Events & Visitor Numbers
90. COVID-19’s impacts saw event
numbers and visitor counts at the Village decline. However, in 2024, the
Village hosted a full programme of nine festivals for the first time since
2020, contributing to an increase in visitor numbers from 196,667 in 2022FY to
240,000 this year.
Launch of the Tauranga
Western Bay Community Event Fund - July 2022
91. The Tauranga Western Bay Community
Event Fund (TWBCEF) was launched in July 2022, in response to industry
feedback. In partnership with key funding bodies, Tauranga City Council,
Western Bay of Plenty District Council, TECT, BayTrust, and the Acorn
Foundation; the TWBCEF established a $900,000 contestable fund. A simplified
application process has facilitated easier access to funding for community
events across the region, with 74 events supported in 2022/23 and 79 events in
2023/24.
NZ Major Events
– ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 & FIFA Women’s World
Cup 2023
92. Council was a host city for the
Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
93. Tauranga had the honour of hosting
the opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at Bay Oval, along
with six pool matches. As a key host city, we organised impactful activations
to boost Tauranga’s exposure nationally and internationally. Despite
COVID-19 restrictions, the Venue and Events team swiftly adapted the host city
programme for seamless tournament delivery.
94. Tauranga was the Team Base Camp for
the Netherlands team during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July 2023.
Working closely with Bay Oval, the Dutch Embassy, Te Pou Takawaenga and city
partners, Council provided opportunities for our community to support the Netherlands
as their second home team.
Event Facilitation
95. Our community and visitors have
hundreds of opportunities annually to engage with different types of activities
and events in our spaces and places across the city, enabled through
Council’s event approval process and the event funding framework. In
2021/2022, 462 events were held, rising to 517 in 2022/2023, with a further
increase to nearly 600 events for 2023/2024. Despite challenges such as the
extreme weather conditions experienced during the 2022/2023 summer, the Event
Facilitation team has consistently received overwhelmingly positive feedback
from event organisers.
Event Industry
Capability
96. The Venues and Events team also
works to enhance the event industry’s capacity and capability.
Initiatives include Baycourt's 'Teen Techs' programme, which bridges the
entertainment technology skills gap for secondary students. Additionally,
industry workshops are delivered on a regular basis, creating valuable
professional development opportunities and building capability in the local
events sector.
Baycourt Events
97. In 2021/2022, Baycourt hosted 68
events, with 48% venue utilisation achieved. Following the relaxation of
COVID-19 restrictions in 2022/2023, Baycourt delivering 137 events, with venue
utilisation increasing significantly to 79%. In 2023/2024, Baycourt is on-track
to accomplish similar results, with 90 events delivered by the end of quarter
three and 90% venue utilisation during that period.
Launch of The Cargo
Shed – May 2023
98. In May 2023, The Cargo Shed opened
as a new event venue, managed by the Baycourt Community & Arts Centre team.
Its rustic architecture and waterfront setting meant it quickly gained interest
for business meetings, dinners, cocktail functions and weddings, with over 102
events booked, confirmed or delivered over this first year, averaging 24%
utilisation which is high for a new venue with minimal marketing. Feedback from
hirers has been overwhelmingly positive, leading to repeat and new business.
Baycourt's 40th
Birthday – April 2023
99. Baycourt celebrated its 40th anniversary
in April 2023 with various events, including a sold-out Gala Concert, a unique
stakeholder dining experience, and free whānau day. Positive feedback
lifted Baycourt’s profile in the community and emphasised its integral
role in Tauranga’s arts, culture, and creative sectors. The anniversary
promotions significantly increased website traffic, social media followers and
email subscribers.
Zespri AIMS Games
100. Council is a key funder and partner of Zespri
AIMS Games, which brings over 24,000 visitors to the region every September,
providing a net benefit of over $3 million for our city. As part of the Zespri
AIMS Games leverage programme, the Venue and Events team introduced the AIMS
Games Gives Back sustainability initiative in 2022, aimed at encouraging
visiting athletes to ‘give back’ through beach clean-ups.
Children's Day –
2023 and 2024
101. As part of the City Centre Events and
Activation Programme trial, the team hosted the inaugural Children’s Day
event on the Tauranga Waterfront in 2023. A collaborative effort involving
multiple teams across Council, the event’s success was evidenced through
a large turnout and strong community support. In 2024, despite heavy rain,
Children’s Day drew thousands to various event zones across the city
centre.
Spaces
& Places
102. The new Major (HD90) cremator was installed
and commissioned at the crematorium in early-2021 and was commissioned for its
first cremation 28 April 2021. Since the installation, the cremator has
undertaken more than 3,000 cremations.
103. The Leasing and Property Management team
supported the divestment of Council’s Elder Housing portfolio, managing
all tenant relationships to ensure safe and smooth transitions to new
accommodation.
104. The new Kulim Park playground was blessed and
opened prior to Christmas 2022. The playground features a toddler playground,
flying fox, swings, slides and accessible play equipment, while the park has a
new parking layout and shared pathway. Feedback from families about the new
facilities has been very positive. In response to public feedback, a 3x3
basketball court was added back into the project scope, replacing the old
court.
105. The Lakes Capital Improvement Programme has
seen improvements made to reserves in the area, including:
· Orangapani
Reserve upgrade - a new modular pump track was installed at Orangapani Reserve.
The largest of its kind in Aotearoa, the pump track has become very popular
with the community, young and old, skaters and non-skaters. The pump track was
part of a larger reserve upgrade that also included the installation of a 3x3
basketball court, barbeques, new seating areas and shade;
· Matatu
Reserve – installation of new barbecue with canopy, picnic tables and
shade sails over the play equipment;
· Pakanga
Reserve – installation of new upgraded pathway, picnic tables, barbecue,
shade and drinking fountains.
· Matepu
Reserve – installation of two accessible picnic tables, upgrades to the
playground, additional shade sails and drinking fountains;
· Awataha
Reserve, Koikoi Reserve, Pikimai Reserve, Caslani Reserve – installation
of picnic tables, playground upgrades, drinking fountains and shade sails.
106. The Digital Kiosk on Wharf Street was opened
with a blessing on 9 August 2022. The kiosk tells the stories of Te Papa,
starting with the arrival of Māori through to the present day, and
provides context to the statement ‘Te rau o te patu’, which has
been etched into the pavement at either end of the street and refers to the
surrendering of arms that occurred in the vicinity and the subsequent
confiscations of Māori land.
107. Work on the Pāpāmoa Shared Path
commenced in May 2023, creating a connection from the Pāpāmoa Domain
to Taylors Reserve and formalising key access points along this coastal
reserve. Sections of inground timber boardwalk were installed under existing
pohutukawa trees. The 3km shared pathway, which opened to the public in
September, links Pāpāmoa Domain to the Parton Road beach accessway.
Community feedback has been positive, and the path is well-utilised. Raised
pedestrian crossing tables were also installed to help users to safely cross
Domain Road.
108. The construction of the Gordon Spratt
Skatepark was completed. Accessible for all roller codes, this facility was
designed in collaboration with experienced local skaters and the Acid Skatepark
crew, who also constructed the skatepark. The original skatepark was expanded
by around 50% to around 900sq/m and now includes a range of quarter pipe and
street style features such as a manual pad, a street hip, a euro gap, A-frame
ramp, stairs, ledges and rails. Other Reserve upgrades included a new toilet
block and seating, a pathway in and around the skate park, more rubbish bins,
bike racks and shade sails.
109. Te Rere Omanawa: Plans to improve public
access to Ōmanawa Falls started in 2008 with the development of a reserve
management plan and funding was made available in 2018 to commence work on a
public access route. A Governance Group including Tauranga City Council, local
hapū Ngāti Hangarau, and Tourism Bay of Plenty was formed in 2019 and
a final public access route was confirmed in 2021. Construction began in 2022,
which included installing over 480 rock bolts and soil nails across cliff faces
throughout the site. More than 750 stairs have been added to ensure safe
access. Te Rere Omanawa was officially opened to the public in early-December
2023, with an onsite blessing. This project also features three lookout platforms
with panoramic views, information panels detailing cultural significance and
the history of the Ōmanawa Falls Power Station, a carved gateway, an
immersive forest walkway linking the car park and lookouts, and two ecological
walking loops branching from the main track.
110. Active Reserve Masterplans: An integrated set
of plans was developed with stakeholders for Tauranga’s three key sports
and events precincts – Tauranga Domain, Blake Park, and Baypark –
with the vision of maximising community value as the city grows. Subsequently,
the plans have entered implementation phases, with the relocation of Tauranga
Netball Centre to Baypark expected to create a national-level quality facility
serving local netball, while also providing for future growth.
111. Sports field programme: An integrated
programme was developed for the upgrade of the city’s sports field
network, to enhance usability and provide a better experience. Key projects
included the development of the city’s first artificial football pitch at
Links Avenue Reserve and the development and realignment of new fields and
facilities at Gordon Spratt Reserve.
112. Merivale and Gate Pā Community Centres:
Co-designed with community representatives, these new Community Centres will
provide significantly enhanced facilities for residents. Co-investment by
charitable funding partners has allowed design and build processes to be
initiated.
113. Gordon Carmichael Reserve Walkway connections:
Two new walkway and cycleway connections were created at Gordon Carmichael
Reserve, with a bridge and boardwalk installed to create a new connection from
Eden Crescent. A second footpath was created from Carmichael Road to join with
the cycleway network in Bethlehem.
114. Welcome Bay Amenity Improvement project: This project
was undertaken in response to a submission to the Long-term Plan from residents
in Welcome Bay and saw upgrades delivered across a number of reserves,
including Keam Reserve, Waipuna Park, Oteki Park and Johnson Reserve. Upgrades
have included a 3x3 basketball court, playground improvements, new seating,
drinking fountains, boardwalks and footpath connections.
115. In March 2023, the revamped playground at Te
Papa Tākaro o Tongaparaoa / Ila Park was opened to the public. The upgrade
included a double flying fox, basketball court, tube slide, swings, climbing
timber frame, a learn-to-ride cycle path and an area dedicated to younger
children with smaller swings plus a slide, tunnel and see-saw. A new toilet
block and 3x3 basketball court was also installed at the reserve. The
playground features many bespoke cultural elements thanks to collaboration with
Ngāi Te Ahi, Ngāti He and Ngāti Ruahine.
116. Keam Reserve Playground: Design and community
consultation began in November 2022, to address community requests for more
play equipment, seating and shade. The project team utilised the existing swing
set and added play equipment which is suitable for both younger and older
children. Additional upgrades included safety surfacing, an accessible path
around the reserve, with play elements for children on bikes and scooters, and
shade areas. Construction started in mid-June 2023 and was completed by the end
of July.
117. Dune planting: For more than two decades,
native planting along the dunes has formed part of our mahi and commitment to
safeguarding our coastal reserves. This critical initiative is a continuous,
meticulously planned effort that continues to evolve over time. We are
fortunate to have help from CoastCare to maintain these reserves, their work
spanning the entire Bay of Plenty region. As part of our commitment, we
allocate a budget of $300,000 a year towards coastal restoration initiatives
across our coastal reserves. This work also involves pest and invasive species
control, and ensuring a healthy tree canopy to maintain ecological balance.
25,000 plants have been planted in our dunes over the winter season - 15,000 in
Pāpāmoa alone.
118. Planting season: Over the 2023 season, our
Natural Environment team helped to facilitate the planting of 237,000 plants
and 1,800 trees. Additionally, 1,400 trees have been planted throughout the
city by our City Urban Forest team.
119. Action & Investment Plans: Four new plans
were developed to guide investment in: Reserves & Open Spaces; Biodiversity
& Nature; Community Centres; and Play, Active Recreation & Sport. These
informed Long-term Plan investments to help us create better and more diverse
places for nature, play, community and culture.
120. Tutarawānanga-Yatton park (Destination
Park) gardens rejuvenation: Work completed at the park featured a blend of
cottage/native gardens and tree arboretum, a new sealed walkway, and upgraded
BBQ and shade areas. The pathway under the trees at the eastern end of the
reserve has a new asphalt layer and provides new connections to the track
leading to the Waimapu Estuary walkway. A new accessible concrete path connects
the main driveway to the barbecue, toilet and play area. The main driveway and
parking area has also been resurfaced and includes two disabled parking bays
and a raised entrance crossing. A new sign has also been installed to reflect
the dual naming of the park.
121. The Elizabeth Street streetscape upgrade
project was opened to the public with a blessing prior to Easter 2024. This
project prioritises pedestrians and fosters a slow-speed environment, while
contributing to the creation of a 'green necklace' of connected walkways,
aligning with Tauranga's focus on creating a people-centric city centre. The
response from the public and business owners has been extremely positive.
122. Marine Parade Coastal Pathway:
· Playground
- the play area opposite Te Ngaio Reserve was completed and opened for use just
before Christmas. One distinctive feature of the new play area is a driftwood
log transported from further along the beach, which was then installed as a
unique climbing feature. Planting along the edge of the play area further
enhanced its natural integration into the dunes. A new pedestrian crossing was
installed to provide a safer road crossing.
· The
Marine Parade Pathway - the 3km walkway has seen the activation of the entire
coastal fringe from Mount Drury along Ocean Beach Road, with the coast now
easier to access for a wide range of community members. The pathway is a
continuation of the existing Main Beach boardwalk (built in 1999) and utilises
a mix of timber and concrete surfaces. Also installed were barbecues, bike stands,
rubbish and recycling stations, picnic tables and other seating. Revegetation
and dune restoration work along the pathway will continue over the next few
years.
123. The 3000sq.m-plus Destination Skatepark opened
on 29 May 2024 caters for all ages and abilities and contributes to the broader
physical, mental and social wellbeing of the community. The skatepark has been
designed in 'zones', with zones one and two providing facilities for more
experienced skaters and zones three and four specifically designed for
developing basic and intermediate roller skills. Standout features of the wider
skatepark include a large flow bowl, a surf/skate ditch, competition style
stairs, and a street skate area. Key features of the beginner to intermediate
skate area include a learner's skinny ledge, a learner's rail, a small quarter
pipe, a large flat concrete pad and many other street-skate obstacles.
124. The realignment of the Kopurererua Valley
stream to its original course is a significant achievement. Restoration efforts
began in early-2022, with the completion of the southern stream realignment
following in early-2023 and northern stream alignment completed in April 2024.
This work required the excavation of 14,827m³ of material from the
southern alignment and 9,400m³ from the northern alignment. Additionally,
46,000 plants were planted, 8,000m² of hydroseed was sown, and 990m of new
cycleway track was installed. Two bridges were constructed to facilitate
cycling and walking links and over 1,800 fish, eels, and other aquatic species
were successfully relocated from the old stream to the new one. Furthermore,
14,700m³ of fill material was placed in the old stream alignment and a new
wetland area was created at the southern stream alignment, with 3,200m³ of
material excavated.
125. A new Tree Asset Management application,
Rakau, has been launched to managing the city’s urban forest. This
replaces the previous tree app, which was out-of-date and no longer
fit-for-purpose. The new application gives the team more clarity about the
quality of the city’s tree assets, reducing risk and supporting
decision-making around the development of tree canopy across the city.
126. Gordon Spratt Reserve improvement projects:
· Installation
of athletics throwing circles at Gordon Spratt Reserve – In partnership
with the Pāpāmoa Athletics Club, which has more than 300 members
ranging from 3 to 14 years old, Council co-funded the renewal of two shotput
circles and one discus circle with safety cage. The work was well-received by
the athletic community.
· Alice
Johnson Pavilion – Construction of the new Alice Johnson Oval Pavilion
has started. With a footprint of 265 square metres, the pavilion marks another
exciting milestone for sport and community infrastructure in Pāpāmoa.
Community sports clubs and council representatives gathered on Wednesday 24
April to celebrate the beginning of this important project which acknowledges
the growing demand for sports amenities that meet the diverse needs of the
community.
· Field
realignment – Large scale works to realign and increase field space were
completed in 2024. The works included the installation of new fields, lighting,
drainage and irrigation, which sees the addition of one full-sized field and
cricket wicket. The lighting also enables winter training.
· Netball
facility – A new relocatable netball shelter is nearing completion
(late-May) and features toilets, changing rooms and storage building.
127. The Pyes Pa Connections project created a
cycleway and walkway linking Cheyne Road and Condor Drive through our
stormwater reserves, providing an important recreation resource for the local
community.
128. Historic Village Capital Improvement
Programme: Over the last three years a number of projects have been undertaken
at the Historic Village to improve the buildings within the precinct,
including:
· Complex
2 – a new commercial kitchen, café and events space. The upgrade
will be completed in February 2025;
· Fire
Station – an upgrade of the existing building to create a new carving
studio;
· Mens
Shed upgrade – asbestos cladding has been removed and the building and an
exterior upgrade undertaken;
· Building
64 upgrade (Durham Barracks) – the Durham Barracks underwent an interior
fitout and joined the portfolio of venues offered by the Historic Village;
· Building
62 (Colonel Greers Cottage) - underwent an interior fitout, including new
electrical circuits and lighting. A designated green room workspace features
three workstations, a heat pump, wi-fi, radio charging stations, a wet area for
wet weather gear, and comfortable amenities;
· The
Incubator – an exterior upgrade was undertaken of The Incubator building,
including roofing, gutters, cladding, facia and soffits;
· Schoolhouse
– the Schoolhouse building underwent an interior refit, including a new
interior colour scheme and kitchenette.
129. Gate Pa Pou: A large-scale refurbishment was
undertaken of the eight pou at Gate Pa, along with the Whareroa (entrance way),
the upper deck, repairs to the flagpole and fencing. This work involved
extensive hapu and the community engagement was completed for the 160th
anniversary of the Battle of Gate Pa.
Mount Beachside
Holiday Park:
130. As part of the park’s sustainability
focus, the grid-connected solar electricity system was expanded and is expected
to provide an output of 17,754kWh per year.
131. Two more family cabins were set up on sites P1
& P2. Both cabins offer stunning ocean views. The addition of five new
ensuite cabins has also enhancied the accommodation options available.
132. The Park retained its 4-star plus rating and
achieved the Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award, recognising it as one of
the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. The park also
experienced a successful summer season, with visitor numbers up 8.5% (1,914) on
the previous year. Over December/January, the park hosted more than 24,000
visitors.
Mauao
133. The Mauao Placemaking project, including
wayfinding and interpretation installations, shares the ecological and cultural
history of Mauao and fosters a more profound connection for those who visit the
maunga. Restoration initiatives have advanced the vision of restoring the
original ecological setting of the maunga, while ensuring that it remains
available for public use. Powerful community engagement and co-design with mana
whenua and diverse stakeholders have been central to this success. Work
included:
· Removing
the trig at the summit of Mauao, to make way for a cultural compass symbolising
the eradication of alienation from the land. The te kapehu (compass), with its
pounamu touchstone at the centre, invites participation in protecting Te
Manawataki o Mauao (heartbeat and rhythm), preserving the mauri of Mauao. The
placement of stones under the compass, sourced from connections between
Raiatea, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and Mauao, symbolises a global touchpoint
through shared heritage.
· Awaiti
viewing platform – An elevated deck structure was completed before
Christmas, providing a vista over Te Awaiti, the small stretch of sheltered
water between Mauao and a large ocean side rock formation which lent itself to
the short-term anchoring of waka. The seating on the deck provides a rest point
for base track users. The Port of Tauranga contributed funding to the platform
construction.
· Lower
Summit (northern landing) – The lower summit signifies the area of Mai i
Ngā Kuri a Whārei Ki Tihirau – the coastline between Bowentown
and East Cape. The name denotes the coastline’s significance and
encapsulates all Iwi that affiliate to Mauao. The curved seating is designed to
orientate Mauao and its viewers to this wider context.
· Waipatukakahu
– This revitalisation and beautification project restores the mauri (life
force) of the stream and includes interpretation signage highlighting the
story, and the use of rocks from other areas of Mauao to formalise and protect
the stream. A seat has been installed as a rest stop for base track walkers.
· Hukitawatawa
(amphitheatre by water tank) - This area has been shaped to create amphitheatre
seating for larger groups. Work included widening multiple sets of steps,
installing drainage, track edging, handrail/barriers on the steep stairs, and
applying a new aggregate surface.
134. Non-native tree removal – Pine and
macrocarpa on sensitive archaeological sites showed significant signs of
deterioration and were removed via Blackhawk helicopter by some of New
Zealand's most experienced arborists. This was a first for helicopter tree
removal in a highly urbanised environment and meant that the culturally
significant and susceptible karaka trees which were growing under the pine and
macrocarpa were preserved. 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.
135. Waipatukakahu puna/stream restoration –
work was completed to re-establish this historical site to its traditional
cultural purpose. The area directly around the Puna has been planted with
native grasses and Tī kōuka trees. The wider area has been replanted with
different types of harakeke unique to this area.
136. Skink mokomoko translocation – to
protect and enhance the native fauna on Mauao, and in partnership with another
Council/Waka Kotahi project, we translocated mokomoko from a roading project
onto Mauao, part of the work being undertaken to return Mauao to its original
ecological state.
137. The work on Mauao has received numerous
accolades, including 2024 Recreation Aotearoa Healthy Park of the Year
(nominee) and 2023 Outstanding Project (merit).
City
Operations
138. City Operations provides an in-house
maintenance team of 64 staff (growing to 108 in July), which maintains
Council’s Mount Manganui / Pāpāmoa gardens, mows our parks and
reserves, and looks after playgrounds and structures. It also maintains natural
vegetation and walkways throughout Tauranga.
139. In 2022, the Tauranga Walkways contract was
brought in-house, followed in 2023 by the Mount / Pāpāmoa Reserves
contract and the Tauranga-wide Natural Vegetation contract. In 2024, the
Tauranga Reserves contract and the Facilities Maintenance contract are being
brought in-house.
140. As other relevant contracts approach their
expiration, an assessment will be made as to whether the work involved is
consistent with the City Operations Strategic plan and can be undertaken
in-house.
People & Culture
141. Our focus has been on recruiting people who
have the right attitude and common sense, enjoy serving the community, love
working outdoors, are fit and healthy and seek the work/life balance of a
40-hour week. This has created a culture where our team members take real pride
in what they do, evidenced in the improved service outcomes being achieved.
142. Implementation of a Monthly Toolbox Talk and
BBQ has ensured that our entire team stays connected. This allows us to
celebrate our wins together, encourages continued high performance through our
employee of the month awards, and provides an opportunity to focus on relevant
topics via guest speakers and our own subject matter experts.
143. In March 2024, the City Operations team
participated in the MyTeamPulse Engagement survey for the first time. The
participation rate was 93%, which is very high. The results have highlighted
areas of our operation to focus on, such as creating greater belonging and
providing more clarity on our specifications.
144. In December 2023, the team won a Council Te
Waka Taumata Award for making Tauranga better. This recognised the great work
of our field staff and the improved outcomes being seen by our community.
Compliments,
complaints reduction in streams
145. Numerous compliments have been been received
about the city operations operators this year.
One
example that goes to the heart of what the team is trying to achieve is as
follows:
"Kia
Ora, last week I was at the Parewaitai Reserve park with my family. When we arrived
there was a crew already set up mowing the lawns and doing the edging etc at
the park. The members of the crew were so considerate and friendly,
making sure we felt welcome and trying to keep the grass away from us while we
played. One of the men even came over and sparked conversation and then gave us
a card for the council website, telling us to check out the local works and
happenings. It was an extremely pleasant and friendly interaction and you
should be very proud of your employees for representing the TGA council so
wonderfully! What a great face for our city!”
Learning &
Development
146. A competency training
framework has been created for all City Operations staff, which involves
a skill gap analysis to identify training and development needs.
NZQA-accredited courses which provide the required industry standards and the
qualifications are then provided. This has included spill training, manual
handling, first aid, fire extinguisher use, Growsafe (agrichemicals), chainsaw
use, light utility vehicle and 4WD training, traffic management and more.
147. In addition, the entire team completed health
and safety specific training on risk management.
148. In December 2023, 34 staff graduate with a NZ
Certificate in Primary Industry Operational Skills, a government-funded,
on-the-job training training course with a total value of $175k.
149. Several team members are currently undertaking
Trade Apprenticeships in Level 3 Horticulture Amenities and Level 4 Landscape
Construction. We have upskilled two of our supervisors to act as the assessors
for these courses.
150. Three team leaders are participating in
inhouse leadership development training, Te Kura Whanake, and 13 of our people
leaders are participating in an emerging leader course, Te Huranga Tai.
Health, Safety &
Environment (HSE)
151. City Operations has developed a health and
safety system focused on field workers. This required us to establish the
following key tasks:
· Creation
of Tauranga City Council’s first operational HSE plan integrating all the
relevant health and safety requirements in one guide with a complete HSE risk
register;
· Job
start hazard assessment forms and procedures created;
· Creation
of a competency training framework for all City Operations
staff;
· Implementation
of an HSE auditing programme for all of our leaders to ensure HSE
compliance;
· Creating HSE
reporting dashboards in the Damstra system.
152. The two new operation depots were set-up
to be HSE and chemical hazard compliant.
153. An incident and injury response
framework was established to ensure we actively manage all injuries and
coordinate our investigations.
Field Mobile solution
154. City Operations joined forces with th Digital
Services team to create a new app to manage work planning.
155. The app is accessed on mobile phones at the
start of the day and tells staff where they're needed, all of the jobs that
they need to complete and how to get to the job site. We take before and after
photos which are used to update the asset management system.
156. While on the job, if operators spot
maintenance issues, they can instantly log a job in the app.
Depots
157. We have two Depots, at Owens Place for our Mount
Maunganui-based teams and the newly constructed depot at 303
Matakokiri Drive in Tauriko.
158. City Operations has set three core improvement
goals:
· Hit
the Spec - Get to every site, focus on maintenance first, continuously improve,
get better every day;
· Be
Awesome - we want to be industry-leading
o We
want to have great people!
o We
want to train, develop, and look after our people
o We
want to have fun!
· Take
Ownership - staff care about their work and their community. We empower our
team to identify and fix issues. We own our mistakes and we celebrate our
wins.
Chief Financial Officer
Finance
159. Council has developed a Long-term Plan financial
strategy that has increased revenue and pursued financing options that enable
Council to borrow more to enable necessary infrastructure investment. Key
features include:
(a) Increasing the rating differential for commercial
and industrial ratepayers and introducing a new Industrial rating
category. These initiatives better differentiate rates contribution to
reflect those who benefit and are better able to pay;
(b) Better balance sheet management by developing a
programme to divest lower value assets in favour of new assets that provide
greater community value;
(c) A transport Infrastructure Funding and Financing
(IFF) agreement for key transport projects, which enables Council to finance
these off balance sheet, thereby maintaining borrowing capacity for other
projects. To date, we have drawn down $59.7m of the total approved of
$177m. The levy on ratepayers to repay this financing commences on 1 July
2024;
(d) Negotiating a second IFF financing arrangement
for Te Manawataki o Te Papa investment, which has been submitted to Government
and is awaiting decision. While this financing is paid for by ratepayers
through a levy, it is over a 30-year timeframe, enabling future ratepayers to
contribute to the assets they will benefit from;
(e) Involvement in national-level discussions on the
potential to increase councils’ borrowing capacity to support new
infrastructure requirements, including waters CCO options;
(f) Gaining approval for green loans and
climate action loans through the Local Government Funding Agency. These
loans provide a small reduction in borrowing costs and also support initiatives
to reduce emissions and enhance our environment;
(g) Using targeted rates to address funding
shortfalls in development contributions, while still retaining an emphasis on
“growth paying for growth”;
(h) Negotiating and enhancing our processes and
agreements for funding from NZTA and Crown Infrastructure Partners.
160. We have also enhanced our processes for
budgeting, expenditure and forecasting, to ensure strong financial control is
maintained in a tight economic environment.
Tauranga Airport
Passenger Volume
161. Passenger volumes have continued to grow and
by the end of this year, we expect the number passengers passing through the
Airport will have doubled, compared to 2014.
Airport Lighting
162. The Airport has been upgrading lighting
components to state-of-the-art, variable high intensity runway edge lighting,
approach lighting and runway end strobe lighting. The upgrade enhances
visibility for aircraft performing daytime operations in poor weather.
This investment will reduce missed approaches, subsequent diversions and public
inconvenience. Sunshine Coast Airport saw a 90% reduction in missed approaches
when it installed the same system. The system goes live in early-July.
Airport Carpark
Development
163. The Terminal Precinct expansion provides an
additional 330 public car parks, a fit-for-purpose Fire Station and three extra
aircraft stands.
Strategic & Commercial Property
Asset
Realisation Reserve (ARR) Approach
166.
On 24 July 2023, the Council decided to:
(a) Establish
the ARR: Manage properties initially acquired from non-Strategic Acquisitions
Fund sources that are no longer needed or are available for disposal
(b) Hold
Sale Proceeds - Retain proceeds from property and asset sales
(c) Fund
Capital Projects - Use ARR to fund projects, decided by Council resolution
(d) Manage
Debt - Do not repay debt associated with assets unless decided by a further
Council resolution
(e) Manage
Properties - Properties listed in Attachment 1 will be managed through ARR,
with sales or potential sales authorised
(f) Initial
Funding - Use ARR for the Te Manawataki o Te Papa project initially.
Not
a Decision to Sell: Inclusion in ARR does not mean immediate sale but
recognises a property is not required for operational purposes or is available
for strategic disposal.
Annual
Review: An annual review of property holdings will be conducted, managing
non-operational properties through ARR.
Case-by-Case
Assessment: Potential sales will be assessed individually, adhering to
legislative and policy requirements.
Project
Objectives of the Asset Realisation Reserve
(a) Financial:
Generate targeted revenue.
(b) Efficiency:
Streamline processes and optimise resource use.
(c) Compliance:
Adhere to policies and legal requirements.
(d) Stakeholders:
Engage effectively with stakeholders.
(e) Market
Optimisation: Achieve the best sale prices.
(f) Holding
Income: Maximise income from properties pending sale.
(g) Risk
Management: Mitigate potential risks.
(h) Transparency:
Maintain transparency with stakeholders.
(i) Sustainability:
Consider long-term sustainability impacts.
167. The ARR approach enables strategic management
of Council properties, supporting key projects and future planning while
providing financial flexibility. The project plan includes careful evaluation,
stakeholder engagement, compliance with policies, and strategic market analysis
to achieve the best outcomes.
Strategic Acquisitions – 483 Cameron Road
168. The Council's acquisition of the property at
483 Cameron Road offers significant strategic advantages. Key benefits
include:
(a) Prime
Location and Accessibility: Situated on a prominent corner with three road
frontages, the property provides excellent accessibility and visibility,
enhancing its suitability for community use and integration into the city's
transport network.
(b) Immediate
Utility and Cost Savings: The property allows for the development of an indoor
sports facility, eliminating the need to rebuild the QE2 Centre at Memorial
Park. This retrofitting opportunity not only expedites the project timeline but
also reduces construction risks and costs, delivering substantial savings to
Council and ratepayers.
(c) Flexibility
and Futureproofing: With its commercial zoning and high car park ratio, the
property offers multiple alternative use options. This flexibility ensures that
the Council can adapt the property to meet future needs or resell it if
necessary, providing a reversible and strategic investment.
(d) Enhanced
Community Outcomes: By advancing the Memorial Recreation Hub Project, the
property supports the Council's commitment to delivering community-centric
facilities. This aligns with the Council’s strategic goals of providing
well-planned city infrastructure and supporting business and education.
(e) Environmental
and Economic Impact: The property's location on the Cameron Road transport
spine encourages alternative transport choices, potentially reducing congestion
and the city’s carbon footprint. Additionally, the acquisition underpins
land value and offers a commercially viable asset with the potential for rental
income increases.
(f) Operational
Efficiency: The property includes significant parking amenities, which can be
managed separately to optimise usage and revenue. This ownership structure
ensures efficient land use and supports the Council’s broader strategic
initiatives.
169. In summary, the purchase of 483 Cameron Road
enables Tauranga City Council to strategically manage its resources, deliver on
key projects, and support future city planning and community needs, all while
providing financial and operational flexibility.
Te Manawataki o Te
Papa – Council Partnership
170. Te Manawataki o Te Papa is a transformative
redevelopment of Tauranga’s Civic Precinct, which will reinvigorate the
city centre and make it the cultural, historic, economic and social centrepiece
of New Zealand’s fastest growing city.
171. The land underlying the Civic Precinct has been
the subject of disputed ownership since it was acquired by the Crown from the
Church Missionary Society in the 1860s, in breach of the understanding mana
whenua had when the land was first sold. Tauranga City Council, in
collaboration with iwi and hapū, sought and implemented a joint ownership
solution which has restored the mana of the whenua to its original owners.
172. This project saw Tauranga City Council win the
2023 Te Tohu Waka Hourua – The Buddle Findlay Award for Maori-Council
Partnerships with its ‘Joint Land Ownership – the Right thing to
Do’ Project at the 2023 Taituara Local Government Excellence Awards.
Strategic Disposals
& Public Private Partnerships – Marine Precinct
173. Tauranga City Council approved the sale of the
Marine Precinct at Sulphur Point and the Vessel Works business to Sam Rofe or
his nominee, aligning with its long-term economic and marine industry
development vision.
174. The sale supports creating a marine service
facility for all operators, focusing on superyacht maintenance and refits. This
transition addresses the Marine Precinct’s operating losses and aligns
with Tauranga's strategic goals, ensuring sustainable growth and allowing the
Council to allocate resources to other projects.
175. The Marine Precinct is crucial for Tauranga's
maritime activities. Upgrades to key wharf infrastructure are essential,
including Bridge Wharf, Fishermans Wharf, and a new Marine Precinct Offloading
Wharf. The Council has allocated $38 million to these projects, to ensure that infrastructure
meets future demands. This infrastructure will be delivered by the Marine
Precinct developer, in partnership with Council.
Strategy, Growth &
Governance
City
Planning & Growth
Advocacy
& Partnership
176. Advocacy, collaboration and partnership with
partners and stakeholders is required to effectively manage the city’s
growth. This occurs in a range of ways, often through the local
SmartGrowth Partnership. Key highlights in recent years are:
(a) Effective engagement with central government to achieve
improved understanding of the urban growth challenges and potential solutions
for the city, with some changes to government policy being implemented as a
result. These include changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater
Management to provide a consenting pathway for urban development.
(b) Effectively advocating for a future-proofed NZTA
plan for long-term improvements to SH29 at Tauriko, to support current and
future growth opportunities and inter-regional transport demands, with the new
government adopting this project as a Road of National Significance.
(c) Ensuring the updated SmartGrowth Strategy
(including the Future Development Strategy) is focused on the need to provide
sufficient development capacity, in particular more development sooner in the
strategic Western Corridor area (both residential and industrial).
Housing
Supply & Development Capacity
177. The city’s acute housing challenges in
respect of supply and affordability have been a focus over the last few years,
as well as associated challenges with providing sufficient business land.
The city’s jurisdictional boundaries are heavily constrained, requiring
agreement with the neighbouring Western Bay of Plenty District Council in
respect of future residential and industrial areas. Highlights over the
last few years include:
(b) Development of spatial plans
to support existing communities and future development in Te Papa, Otumoetai
and the Mount / Arataki.
(c) Making decisions on Plan
Change 33 to enable medium and high-density intensification across the city,
which is expected to deliver 18,000 homes over the next 30 years.
(d) Notifying plan changes for
Tauriko West (4,000 homes) and Upper Ohauiti (400-500 homes) as well as a plan
change for over 100ha of additional industrial land as an extension to the
Tauriko Business Estate.
(e) Progressing urban development
outcomes, including affordable housing, on council owned land at Smiths Farm
and Parau Farm, Bethlehem; and surplus land around the Pāpāmoa East
Interchange in Pāpāmoa East.
(f) Unlocking external
funding and off-balance sheet financing to enable infrastructure investment to
support growth projects like the Pāpāmoa East Interchange, Cameron
Road stage 2 and the Tauriko West enabling works.
Addressing
Pressing Resource Management Issues
178. The City’s resource management issues
extend beyond just managing growth and include matters such as managing the
effects of natural hazards and climate change and addressing existing effects
of land use activities on other uses. There has been a focus on following
two key resource management issues over the last few years:
(g) Determining a pathway to
address the impacts of emitting industry in the Mount Maunganui industrial
area, with a focus on developing more appropriate planning provisions through a
proposed plan change 38.
(h) Ensuring critical natural
hazard and resilience planning matters are addressed (e.g. through Plan Change
27 Flooding from Intense Rainfall).
The
Future
179. While significant progress has been made on
key City Planning & Growth issues, it is well-recognised that further
sustained efforts are required to fully address the growth management
challenges the city and sub-region faces, especially in respect of the funding
and financing associated with the infrastructure required to support planned
growth.
Strategy
& Corporate Planning
Our Direction
180. Recognising that Council’s documented
strategic direction was dated, incomplete and in places inconsistent, work
commenced in 202 on a comprehensive refresh.
181. In June 2022, informed by over 10,000
contributions from community members about their aspirations, priorities and
challenges, Council adopted the vision for Tauranga. This comprises three
main pillars:
· the
environment – prioritising nature;
· community
and inclusivity – lifting each other up; and
· vibrancy
– fuelling possibility.
182. In December 2022, Council adopted the
framework for its strategic direction under the heading ‘Our
Direction’, a single document that links the vision for Tauranga,
Council’s own adopted community outcomes (what it wants to achieve), its approaches
(how it will work to achieve them), and its strategies and action and
implementation plans to make this happen.
183. In August 2023, Council adopted two new
strategies (Tauranga Matauranui – Inclusive City Strategy, and Tauranga
Taurikura – Environment Strategy) and nine new action and investment
plans (including Tauranga’s first Climate Plan) to complete the framework
at that time. We will continue to update and refresh the contents of the
Our Direction framework, including the recent adoption of the Urban Design action
and investment plan, for example, but for the first time in many years, Council
has a complete and coherent documented strategic direction.
Long-term
Planning
184. In July 2021, Council adopted the 2021-31
Long-term Plan, including an unprecedented capital investment programme.
This plan, the first adopted by the Commission, marked a significant step
forward for Tauranga and aimed to progressively address underinvestment the
city’s infrastructure needs and inadequate and ageing community
facilities.
185. In June 2022, Council amended the 2021-31
Long-term Plan to incorporate the refreshed civic centre masterplan, Te
Manawataki o Te Papa, and commit to a $300 million investment in developing the
city centre.
186. In April 2024, Council adopted the 2024-34
Long-term Plan which continues to build upon the foundation laid in the
previous plan, emphasising delivery and the completion of projects, as well as
continuing an emphasis on ensuring that everyone contributes their fair share
to ensure the financial burden is not unreasonably placed on general
ratepayers.
187. Across those three planning processes, more
than 5,000 formal submissions were received and countless more residents and
ratepayers were involved in other engagement opportunities.
Property
Acquisitions & Disposals Policy
188. In October 2021, Council adopted the property
acquisitions and disposals policy following the review of three existing
policies. This made it easier for people to understand why a property is
being bought or sold by council, and easier for council staff to apply a single
consistent process. It also introduced, after many years of discussions,
the opportunity for mana whenua to purchase council property through a right of
first refusal at market value – which is assessed by independent registered
valuers – before it is offered for sale through an open market
process. The policy was the first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand and
is considered another positive step towards recognising the significant role
that mana whenua have in building, protecting and celebrating Tauranga, its
environment and its people.
Democracy
Services & Governance Services
Representation
Review
189. The Commission reviewed the city’s
representation arrangements in 2021. The Local Government Commission
determination was released on 7 April 2022, after hearing appeals and
objections, and upheld Council’s Final Proposal for a mayor and nine
councillors (eight single member general wards and the Māori ward, Te Awanui). With
the Minister of Local Government reappointing the Commissioners for a new term
running from 26 April 2022 to July 2024, there was no election held in 2022 and
the arrangements take effect for the 20 July election.
Elections
2024
190. In their terms of reference, the Commissioners
were required by the Minister of Local Government ‘to work with the
Council to encourage quality candidates to stand for election’. The
Commissioners defined the attributes that they believe reflect a quality
candidate and, while recognising that one person will not necessarily have all
these attributes, they see the mayor and councillors collectively holding these
attributes to ensure a high performing council.
191. To help prepare people interested in standing
as elected members, a candidate information evening was held on 19 February
2024, with approximately 120 people attending. The Commissioners invited potential candidates to book into
one of their regular clinics for a 20-minute discussion about standing in the
upcoming council election, with clinics being held on 20 March, 24 April and 8
May.
192. Nominations opened on 26 April 2024 and closed
at 12 noon on 24 May, with 86 nominations received.
193. The election campaign to inspire people to
stand for office has been completed. A variety of strategies will be used
in the next phase of the campaign to attract a wide range of voters, including
our harder-to-reach communities, encouraging them to enrol and, most
importantly, to vote. We’ll use social media, media, short videos, and
targeted advertising throughout the campaign.
LGOIMA
Practice & Compliance Report
194. On 3 February 2021 the Chief Ombudsman, Peter
Boshier, published his latest
four reports into Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act
1987 (LGOIMA) practice and compliance at local authorities. We were one of the
four councils reviewed. In his review, the Ombudsman recognised that Tauranga
City Council takes a proactive approach to its LGOIMA responsibilities and
practices.
Strategic
Māori Engagement
195. Te Manawataki o Te Papa partnership: The
Commissioners have supported the Executive in establishing partnership
documentation leading to the joint land ownership being finalised in May 2024.
196. Papakāinga Development Contributions
grants were established in 2021, setting aside a meaningful fund to remove
barriers to Māori landowners developing housing solutions on Māori
land.
197. Te Pāhou was returned to Ngāi te Ahi
and Ngāti Hē in 2024, reconnecting hapū with traditional burial
grounds that had been alienated by transport solutions for the wider community.
198. Te Rere o Omanawa was developed as a
partnership with Ngāti Hangarau in 2019, in a response to health and
safety risks at Omanawa Falls. The results see significant cultural and safety
enhancements, with ongoing partnership arrangements including Māori
Kaitiaki Rangers to guide activities and Kaitiaki Services to give positive
cultural input and improve visitor activities and safety. Its effectiveness
sees this initiative confirmed as a finalist in this year’s Taituara
Awards, to be decided in June 2024.
199. Whareroa Futureproofing: Commissioners agreed
in principle to return Ōmanu land to Whareroa Marae to provide the
hapū with options as ongoing impacts continue to build in the form of
industrial pollution, sea level rise inundation, and flooding.
Corporate Services
Legal,
Risk & Procurement
Legal
200. Since 2021, the Commission has overseen a
dramatic reduction in the number of disputed matters we are managing.
While the volume of community investment and project work has exponentially
increased, it has not led to an increase in legal disputes. In fact,
proportionally the number of material disputes has reduced. This is directly
correlated to a maturing of corporate governance where, for example a Board for
TMOTP was put in place to ensure better discipline. This has in turn
allowed skilled commercial and legal staff to resolve several legacy disputes
and matters from prior Council terms and spend time anticipating and supporting
those teams with high-risk challenges.
Risk & Assurance
201. During the Commission’s tenure, Council
has navigated an ever-changing risk profile – for example:
· Supply
Chain Disruptions: Post COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and natural
disasters have highlighted vulnerabilities in global supply chains, leading to
delays, increased costs and the need for more resilient supply chain
strategies.
· Economic
Uncertainty: Global economic instability, inflation and fluctuating interest
rates have created financial risks for enterprises, impacting investment,
pricing and consumer demand.
· Climate
Change and Environmental Risks: The increasing frequency and severity of
climate-related events such as floods pose operational, financial and
reputational such as those manifested during the Auckland Anniversary floods.
· Health
and Safety Risks: New risks as services and workforces change within council -
requiring robust health and safety measures to protect employees and maintain
operations.
· Reputational
Risk: Increased public scrutiny of Council behaviour, social responsibility,
and ethical practices.
202. While these risks are understood and have
manifested themselves during the Commission’s tenure, the work we have
undertaken will mean that elected members will be in an informed position to
take appropriate measures, as risks continue to evolve.
Procurement
203. With annual contracts (and spend) now more
than $300M a year, procurement processes have never been so important in
ensuring value for money for the community. The Procurement team has been
able to manage this pipeline through Commission-approved investments in policy
and systems changes.
Performance,
Monitoring & Assurance
204. During the Commission’s tenure there has
been a notable creation and maturing of Business Intelligence, allowing the
data and analytics function to broaden and council to become a technical leader
amongst NZ councils. This has included embracing performance measures to
show our accountability to council and our community.
205. A world-class 3D model of the city has been
developed and is ready for deployment.
206. The CPAD team has rolled-out a number of
processes, guidelines and reporting processes to assist delivery teams and
provide organisational and governance awareness of the progress and status of
the capital programme.
207. Over the past two years, the team has also
facilitated project manager training for over 75 staff and supported staff to
gain professional accreditation in project management.
People,
Performance & Culture, Health & Safety
Job Description
Project
208. In 2021, it was agreed that we should develop
and implement a remuneration strategy including the provision of tools and
information that enhance transparency. As part of this project, we moved from
SP5 job evaluation methodology to SP10 - enabling more precise grading of roles
and more accurate comparisons against the market. This allowed us to provide
rewards that support the attraction, engagement, and retention of a
workforce capable of delivering to council’s Strategic Plan. HR (now
People, Performance and Culture - PPC) engaged with people leaders from across
the organisation to update job descriptions and prepare evaluations and grade
over 600 roles. 2022’s Remuneration Review included training and
education sessions for all teams in the organisation, explaining how roles are
graded and pay is decided.
SuccessFactors
209. The implementation of the SAP SuccessFactors
as our new Human Resources Information System (HRIS) is well in-train. This may
replace CHRIS in the future, as well as Snaphire and numerous bespoke and
spreadsheet-based solutions. CHRIS has been in place with minimal upgrades for
nearly three decades. SuccessFactors will help us save time, improve accuracy
and visibility of data, and provide insights into people and careers.
Learning &
Development Programme
210. Prior to 2021, internal organisation-wide
learning was non-existent. The Learning & Development team, supported by
the wider PPC team and external providers as required, now offers a highly
sought-after suite of regular training, with many courses booked-out months in
advance. This suite is designed to enhance both personal and professional
growth and cover a range of topics including leadership, communication and
presentation skills, productivity and resilience.
211. Council recently won the Learning and
Development Capability (Large Organisation) category at the HRNZ awards for the
implementation of the leadership change programme (with support from Institute
for Strategic Leadership, which provides the My Team Pulse survey and Wired-Up
tools).
Technology/Digital
Services
212. We have invested in the following
technological advancements under the Commission’s tenure:
· Improved
Resident Engagement: Online support for residents, answering queries,
processing service requests and providing information on services, thereby
improving responsiveness and satisfaction. Includes LTP Consultation
technology – Consult24.
· Public
Safety: Providing infrastructure for services such as TTOC can help in
analysing crime patterns and deploying law enforcement resources more
effectively.
· Smart
City Development: This includes smart lighting, environmental monitoring (air
quality, noise levels), and smart parking solutions, which have improved the
efficiency and sustainability of urban environments.
· Efficient
Resource Management: Climate Modelling is helping us understand and respond to
climate change impacts more effectively. This has informed policies and
initiatives aimed at sustainability and resilience.
· Pilot
Programmes and Collaborations: Pilot programmes are being used to test
technologies in specific areas like waste collection.
· Training
and Development: Investing in training to understand and manage these
technologies is crucial. This includes upskilling in data analysis,
cybersecurity and the operation of new tech tools.
· Security
Maturity Programme: The security maturity programme, and in particular the GRC
(Governance Risk and Compliance) area has made significant headway - this has
seen over 100 artifacts covering policies, processes and practices being
defined and implemented into the way we work as an organisation.
· Pay
Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCIDSS) Compliance.
· Moving
to the cloud: Decommissioning datacentres, realising a cost saving and reducing
the load on support teams.
· Modernising
the council’s platforms and processes to support the effective delivery
of services to our community.
· The
advent of City Operations has also led to a logistics and planning solution to
ensure that new standards of civic pride are sustained.
213. Throughout the financial year digital services
has continued to deliver support to the business for the introduction of new
systems and processes to improve operations. The costs of these services
have been included in forecasts throughout the year. As discussed in the March
quarterly report to Strategy Finance and Risk Committee more digital project
expenditure has been undertaken than budgeted in order to meet the requirements
of the business.
214. These projects include the introduction of SAP
Success Factors delivering people and productivity tools, development of
systems to exit Ozone which is councils previous out-dated enterprise system as
well as supporting new businesses such as bringing in house city operations
services.
215. Many of these new and upgraded systems though
not fully budgeted at the beginning of the year have been delivered in a way to
ensure the benefits to the organisation and community are maximised.
Whilst these costs have exceeded digital project budgets, they have been
managed by offsetting reductions in digital operating costs, depreciation and
within Council’s overall budgets to minimise any direct impact on
ratepayers and ensure that the efficiency of any changes are realised into the
future.
216. In addition, the costs of delivering digital
services are moving from a capital-based model to an operating model as the
digital sector transforms to software as a service. This has challenged
Council’s traditional funding model where rates and user fees fund
operating costs whilst debt is used to fund capital costs.
Community
Relations
Media
217. The Media Impact Score has been consistently
higher than the national local government average (1.8) over the last 12
months, with a 2.4 average. Over the last three years, TCC media coverage has
been consistently more positive, as a result of:
· Governance
stability and unity
· Proactive
storytelling covering the huge increase in capital projects and city
improvements
· Reactive
responses to media enquiries which offer balance and rationale to complex
council decisions.
Social Media
218. Our social media approach and content has
changed over the last three years from mostly operational posts (e.g. dog
registrations and adoptions) to showing the variety of mahi taking place across
the council at a time of significant growth. We have focused on more engaging
formats, like video, and in future, will pursue more simple polls to help gauge
community sentiment and foster city pride. We have also recently launched an Instagram
page and will continue to explore digital channels as the traditional media
landscape changes.
Engagement
219. We have moved to a place-based system where
our senior advisors have engagement oversight of all the projects in a
geographical area, so that we’re better able to bundle engagement
arrangements and speak with one council voice. This is most evident in the
Mount and the city centre, given the number of council projects underway in
those areas. Last year we launched a digital engagement platform and our
surveys are now reaching larger audiences. We have focused on being as
transparent as possible with our engagement and communication approaches,
whether we are simply informing or whether there is opportunity for community
involvement/design, which has been especially important with so many projects
in the delivery phase.
Campaigns & Design
220. We have built an in-house team to create and
execute large scale campaigns to help communicate and engage with our
communities. A few years ago, we relied on external creative agencies for big
campaigns, achieving mixed results. Having this resource in-house means we can
better tailor our messages and create content that will better resonate with
our communities.
Regulatory & Compliance
Key account
management
221. We initiated our Key Account Management
service in March 2022, in response to feedback from large developers and
significant projects across the city. The Account management service supports
applicants in navigating our regulatory processes by providing a single point
of contact, agreed levels of communication through the project lifecycle,
collaboration across the Council and allowing strong relationships to be
developed. The account managers support staff by providing timely input,
freeing them up to focus on their core technical work.
222. Initially, the service was offered to several
projects in a proof-of-concept phase. By April 2023, in response to demand, we
expanded the team and implemented cost recovery for the service provided. We
are receiving excellent feedback from customers, including land developers,
medium-density residential builders, large-scale vertical project developers,
and our internal capital project teams. The range of customers continues to
grow through positive recommendations from existing customers and service
promotion through our website and industry newsletters.
LIM
and property files
223. Our LIM (Land Information Memorandum) and
Property files team has a history of delivering quality work in a timely
manner, enabling our community to make well-informed decisions on property
purchases. Historically, timeliness exceeded 90%, until the current year when
we have faced some significant challenges. Note that the 2023/2024 figures do
not yet include work undertaken for May and June 2024. We expect the average
timeliness at year-end to be approximately 83%.
224. We receive excellent feedback about the
service our team provides and continue to have a very high net promoter score
of 55 (a score above 0 is good, above 20 is great and above 50 is amazing).
225. Our recent focus has been to ensure we are
well set-up for the future, with a team dedicated to LIM and Property files, a
focus on training and a complete review of the information we provide in LIMs.
This will ensure the recipients of a LIM receive current, accurate, relevant
and easily understandable information. Commencing this work now means that
there will be a seamless transition to potential regulatory changes expected in
2025.
Environmental
Regulation
Alcohol Licensing
226. Since 2021, a minimal number of venues have
closed (mainly due to Covid-related issues), but overall, the number of clubs
and off-licences has remained steady, while on-licences have increased by 18%
(from 212 to 251).
227. At the end of 2022, District Licensing
Committee contracts came up for renewal and the opportunity was taken to
appoint a Committee which is more representative of the community, and with
better flexibility in running hearings when required. Four Commissioners/Chairs
were appointed, along with four additional members who are available to support
the Commissioners.
228. The new Local Alcohol Policy will take effect
shortly, with changes aimed to reduce alcohol harm including:
· No
new bottle stores in areas where the deprivation index is 9 or 10
· A
change to the closing time for on-licensed premises in the city centre to 2am,
instead of the current 3am closing time
· a
range of discretionary conditions that can be applied to off-licensed premises.
229. Now that the Policy has been finalised, we are
looking at the setting of appropriate licensing fees and charges. Alcohol
licensing fees are set by legislation and have not increased since 2013. The
legislation does allow for local bylaws to be set that address any shortcomings
in the current alcohol fees and a number of councils across New Zealand are
implementing this option. An Alcohol Licensing Fees Bylaw will be
drafted to this end and provided for incoming Council consideration.
Environmental Health
230. The Environmental Health team is a Recognised
Verification Agency approved by the Ministry for Primary Industries to verify
Food Control Plan businesses and National Programme businesses. Our Agency
status was approved for a further three years in 2022.
231. 957 food business are currently registered
with Tauranga City Council, although there are actually more food businesses
than this operating, as some are registered with the Ministry for Primary
Industries (e.g. restaurant chains such as McDonalds and KFC, several
supermarkets, and custom Food Control Plan businesses such as Bidfood, Gilmours
and Bake Shack). All are checked for compliance and the number has remained
relatively stable over the last three years.
232. The team operates under an externally-audited
Quality Management System developed and approved by the Ministry for Primary
Industries in 2019. The operation and implementation of our System is
externally verified by surveillance audit every year, with a full audit taking
place every three years. Compliance requires continual training, calibration,
internal auditing, record keeping, and improving systems and processes each
year. The most recent surveillance audit was successfully completed in April
2024 and the IANZ auditor was very complimentary about the team’s
commitment to continuous improvement.
233. The team also registers and inspects a number
of other city premises, such as hairdressers (165), campgrounds (10), Funeral
Directors/Mortuaries (8) and waste management (4).
Animal Services
234. There has been a steady increase in the number
of known dogs in the city, growing from 15,153 in 2021 to 15,822 now.
Registration is a focus for the team and remains steady at 96% of all known
dogs. Dog registration fees have not risen proportionately with cost increases
over the last few years, with fees rising by only $8 since 2019. The new fees
for this coming year have been adjusted in accordance with cost increases and
set at $125. We will be working hard to communicate these changes and encourage
compliance.
235. There has also been a steady increase in the
calls for services that we receive and respond to, growing from 4,270 in 2021
to a projected 5,241 this year. Most of these relate to roaming and barking
dogs.
236. The Commission approved the budget for the
much-needed upgrade of the pound facility, which is currently underway. The
most important work focuses on three stages: an extension of the
reception/public facing area (staff health and safety); an exercise area for
long-stay and aggressive animals; and a renovation to existing storage areas to
provide a new ‘vet/nurse and storage area’. This work is
progressing well and we expect to have stage 2 completed by late-July, with
stage 3 to follow once some demolition work has been done.
237. There have been 12 summary court prosecutions
since the Commission was established, with the most significant in terms of
public interest being that of Chopper, a Rottweiler dog that attacked a local
veterinarian, causing significant arm injuries and personal trauma.
238. This case was significant in respect of the
point of law that was upheld, and also for the unprecedented attention it
gained across New Zealand and other countries through social media. The victim
and our Animal Services staff required support throughout this time due to the
volume and type of commentary directed at them, and it also highlighted the
emotional toll (on both sides) that such incidents can cause.
239. The Tauranga Animal Services Facebook page
went live on the social media platform on 1 July 2022. Since its creation, the
goal continues to be ‘the go-to place for information for dog owners in
Tauranga’. This is another way to reach the dog-owning community and
provide relevant messaging.
240. Initial expectations were conservative -
however we outgrew those expectations very quickly, gaining 1,954 followers in
the first four months, 2,283 in the first six months, and 2,851 in the first 12
months. We are now well on-track to be reaching over 3,500 people within two
years of the page being established.
Bylaw Compliance &
Enforcement
241. On 29 March 2022, the Links Avenue bus lane
came into operation. Over a 2-week period, 8,451 warning notices were issued to
the owners of offending vehicles. On 11 April 2022, ‘live’
enforcement commenced. In the first four weeks of enforcement, an average of
2,700 infringement notices were issued per week. A peak of 994 infringements
were issued in one day. As expected, infringement numbers dropped significantly
after the first three months and significant safety and traffic improvements
have been achieved.
242. During the same period, 6,155 infringements
have been issued for illegal use of the Hairini bus lane and 5,668 for the
Hewletts Road bus lane.
243. In December 2022, paid parking was
re-introduced in the City Centre. This followed two years of free
time-restricted parking, which was introduced as a post-COVID incentive. For
the first three months, an educational approach was taken before infringements
were issued. Infringements remain relatively high, after a peak when the paid
parking was first re-introduced.
244. License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology has
been in use in Tauranga since late-2020, initially to enforce time restrictions
in the city centre. From December 2022, it has also been used to enforce paid
parking, along with time restrictions across the city. This technology has
become ubiquitous nationally and internationally in recent years and provides a
highly-effective method to encourage good compliance levels. The system
utilises high-resolution cameras and automatic licence plate recognition to
identify vehicles without parking payments, and vehicles which have remained
parked in the same GPS location for longer than permitted.
245. Sadly, in the past 12 months, there has been a
significant increase in incidents of aggression towards our Parking Officers,
including threatening/intimidating behaviour and assaults. This has resulted in
us rethinking how we conduct parking enforcement. This has centred mostly
around the continuing use of technology to issue infringements that can be
served by post, thereby reducing interactions with offending drivers.
246. In the future, monitoring and enforcement of
paid parking at boat ramps and the enforcement of the Cameron Road bus
lane/clearway, once it is fully operational, will be a focus.
247. On 7 June 2023 the Self-contained Motor
Vehicles Legislation Act became law, making freedom camping in a
non-self-contained vehicle illegal unless allowed by a local bylaw, as well as
strengthening standards, changing infringement fees and exempting people
experiencing homelessness from the Act. For Tauranga City Council, the
main change was an adjustment in our infringement fees, which increased to
reflect this law change. Freedom camping was already permitted only in
self-contained vehicles in Tauranga and there was therefore no impact on our
bylaw.
248. Our approach to managing homelessness was also
unchanged, as we were following direction from Central Government prior to the
law change in that the Freedom Camping Act was not a tool for managing
homelessness. We continued to connect individuals experiencing homelessness
with appropriate support services.
249. Between January 2021 and the law change, 2,971
infringements were issued for breaches of the bylaw. Since 7 July 2023, 1,316
infringements have been issued. Infringement levels have continued to increase
and this trend could be attributed to a general growth in this activity
post-COVID. A decrease in complaints this financial year could suggest that
while compliance levels have not improved, the nature and location of offending
has shifted away from some locations that affect residents.
250. In collaboration with Whareroa Marae, a
Kaitiaki role was established to act as ‘guardian’ over Whareroa
Reserve. The specific purpose of the Kaitiaki is to exercise kaitiakitanga,
provide a Kaitiaki presence in a positive manne, and protect and restore the
mauri of Whareroa through the application of Matauranga. This has had a
significant and positive impact on the area since its inception in December
2021. Anecdotally, reports of antisocial behavior have decreased and compliance
with local bylaws has improved.
Environmental
Planning
251. Over the past four years, Council’s
Environmental Planning function has processed, issued decisions on and monitored
a number of significant resource consent applications for activities which will
significantly shape Tauranga into the future.
252. Since 2021, Council has received over 2000
applications for resource consents and other associated RMA approvals. Although
there was a slight dip in the number of applications received during mid-late
2023, numbers have since recovered to similar levels experienced through 2021
and 2022.
253. With Tauranga City growth continuing, we are
continuing to process applications relating to significant proposals for
housing, infrastructure, and community activities.
254. In addition to processing and monitoring
consents and the various functions supporting those processes, Council has
continued to provide a high level of responsiveness to calls from the public in
relation to compliance with city plan rules and/or resource consents. Calls
have decreased somewhat from 6500 noise complaints and 400 RMA incidents in
2021, to 4500 noise complaints and 200 RMA incidents this year.
255. A steady uplift in applications through
2020-2021 proved particularly challenging to manage as, like many councils
across the country, Tauranga City faced difficulties recruiting qualified
planners in a tight market. Although the market remains difficult, efforts to
develop and retain staff, including the introduction of a graduate programme,
have helped to ensure we are better-equipped to process consents.
256. More recently, significant effort has also
been invested in process improvement, with a focus on improving the timeliness
and efficiency of decision-making. To date, this has seen significant
improvements, with timeframe compliance currently tracking close to 90%,
compared to a low of 60% in 2022.
257. In addition to process improvements, 2023/24
has seen the introduction of a new system for processing and managing resource
consent applications, replacing Ozone. In addition to improving processing,
this has resulted in major improvements for reporting and transparency, to
supporting better administration of the function. Further enhancements will
continue and are expected to deliver ongoing improvements for applicants, while
delivering greater efficiencies for processing staff.
258. Following the successful integration of the
planning function, work has commenced on developing similar capabilities for
the monitoring and compliance function, to provide better management of
complaint response, consent monitoring and enforcement, while also linking
those activities with resource consents to provide a more connected experience.
It is expected that roll-out for resource consent monitoring will start at the
beginning of 2024/25, alongside the implementation of process improvements
targeting the monitoring function.
Building
Services
Building Consents
259. Over the past four years, the throughput of
our Building Consent processing teams has been significant, with over 10,000
building consents granted. Following a lull in 2020 caused by COVID-19, the
2021 calendar year saw a record for the volume of building consent applications
received. As a result, the volumes granted in 2020/21 and 2021/22 were
significantly higher than in previous years. However, this has since dropped as
result of a contraction in the housing market. This financial year, we are
on-track to grant just over 2,000 consents, approximately two-thirds of the
volume processed in 2020/21 and 2021/22.
260. This same pattern is evident in the number of
new dwellings consented – a high of 1,302 consented in 2020/21 dropping
to a forecasted 581 for the current financial year. This amounts to a total of
3,902 new houses that have been consented.
261. The value of the consented building over this
same period is significant, with over $3.6 billion of building work consented.
The value of works hasn’t shown the same level of decline as the volume
of consents, however, and the forecast total value for the current financial
year is higher than last year, despite being 15% down by volume. This is in
part due to a shift in the type of consented works, away from more simple and
cheaper developments to larger and more complex developments.
262. In particular, there has been a notable shift
over the past four years in the consented housing types. We have seen a
significant decrease in simple standalone, single-storey houses and an increase
in the more complex 2/3-storey townhouses. The total value of building works is
also driven in part by a small number of very large commercial projects,
including the new Winstone Wallboards factory in Tauriko and the projects in
our city centre - 38 Elizabeth and the Elizabeth Towers, Northern Quarter, 2
Devonport Road, 90 Devonport Road and Te Manawataki o Te Papa, all of which
have been processed in-house by our commercial processors.
263. Another notable shift in the past four years
is in the inspection wait time. In 2020, the average inspection wait time
consistently exceeded 20 working days, and as a result, caused significant
industry frustration. In comparison, the average wait time has consistently
been less than a week since late-2021 and more recently, has often been less
than 24 hours.
264. The volume of building inspections has
reflected the reduction in consent volumes, albeit with a slight delay. This
current financial year, we are on-track to complete nearly 18,000 inspections,
compared with 25,809 in 2020/21. With nearly 90,000 inspections in the past
four financial years, our building inspections team is certainly one of our
biggest customer-facing areas.
Recruitment & Retention
265. Resourcing has always been a challenge for
Tauranga City Council’s Building Consent Authority (BCA) and for all BCAs
nationwide. In mid-2021, we commenced a new programme of taking on trainee
Building Control Officers (BCOs), committing to providing approximately 12
months of training before they were able process or inspect building consents
unsupervised. In the 24 months that followed, we employed 18 trainee BCOs, with
some achieving competency within nine months and with only a couple leaving the
organisation.
266. To improve the retention of our existing BCOs,
we implemented a competency-based remuneration structure in mid-2021. We have
seen an increase in more complex work over the past four years, and as such,
having BCOs with higher competency is key to the delivery of this work. This
approach has significantly reduced attrition.
Accreditation &
Quality Management
267. The BCA is regularly audited by external
auditor IANZ (International Accreditation NZ), on behalf of MBIE. Prior to
2021, there had been a particular focus on Tauranga by IANZ and MBIE and
frequent audits had identified a high number of non-compliances which had to be
rectified to maintain accreditation under the Building Regulations. At times,
we had been unable to clear the non-compliances within the required timeframes,
resulting in monthly monitoring by IANZ. Our 2021 assessment saw Tauranga drop
from a high-risk to a low-risk BCA and our audit frequency extend to two years,
for the first time in a number of years. Our 2023 assessment saw the number of
non-compliances drop even further, from 16 in 2021 to only 8 in 2023. This
reflects a significant improvement in our Quality Management System and our
team’s adherence to it.
Compliance
268. In 2021, we filed charges against Pools Plus
More Limited for constructing a number of pools and, more importantly, pool
fences without the appropriate building consents. They were sentenced in April
2022 and fined $18,750. Following this prosecution, the company sought
retrospective consents for some but not all of their work, on behalf of the
property owners, but then went into voluntary liquidation. We have continued to
work with the affected owners to legalise their pools and minimise the impact
of the company’s offending.
269. Our compliance team has been heavily involved
in dealing with the impacts of landslides across the city, particularly in
having to issue a number of dangerous building notices across the Maungatapu
peninsula in 2022 and 2023.
270. We inspect over 3000 private pools every three
years to ensure pool safety barriers are in place to help keep children safe.
Every commercial building goes through the Building Warrant of Fitness process
annually, and has an on-site audit completed by our staff. These are just a few
of the ways our compliance team directly ensureds that our community is kept
safe from harm.
City Development &
Partnerships
City
Partnerships
271. Specialist fundraising team: a new City
Partnerships team was established in June 2022, which for the first time
included dedicated resources to support external fundraising. Since then, the
team has secured a total of $45,917,776 towards a wide range of citywide
projects and facilities, including $33,385,559 towards projects within the city
centre (see Appendix A).
272. Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT) funding
and long-term strategic relationship: in July 2023, TECT confirmed a
‘Founding Funder’ contribution of $21 million towards the Museum
and Exhibition Gallery as part of the Te Manawataki o Te Papa civic precinct
development. This is the largest amount of funding that TECT has ever
contributed to any project. TECT has indicated that this is the beginning of a
long-term strategic relationship with Council to help fund much-needed
community facilities and amenities.
273. Te Manawataki o Te Papa Limited: the team
supported the establishment of a new council-controlled organisation, Te Manawataki o Te Papa Limited, tasked with governing
the delivery of the civic and waterfront development projects. This included
the appointment of four independent directors with significant skills and
experience in the delivery of large, complex capital projects, and specialist
legal and commercial expertise. The board has operated effectively in governing
the delivery of the programme, while providing everyone, including our funders,
partners and the wider community, with confidence that the projects will be
delivered efficiently and effectively.
274. Te Manawataki o Te Papa Charitable Trust: the
team also supported the establishment and administration of a new
council-controlled organisation, Te Manawataki o Te Papa Charitable Trust,
which owns the land referred to as ‘Site A’ of the civic precinct.
This signified a unique pathway forward in partnership with the Otamataha
Trust, to help reconcile past events and restore mana to hapū and iwi. The
Prime Minister of the time praised the work by all “to find a unique way
to redress past wrongdoings, while establishing a special connection to the
site that will reinvigorate the city centre.”
275. Bay Venues funding review: in May 2023, we
undertook a review of council funding of Bay Venues Limited and its capital
structure to ensure ongoing sustainability. Several recommendations were
approved by Council and have since been implemented.
276. City Partnerships Specialist role: through the
establishment of this role, relationships between council and the four Mainstreet
organisations have improved and there are many more opportunities for
collaboration. Mainstreets are better supported in their important work and
subsequently, they are in a stronger position to deliver better outcomes for
their areas of interest.
277. City Centre Development Incentive Fund
(CCDIF): in April 2023, the scope of this fund was amended to include three
other areas of focus, in addition to incentivising residential development in
the city centre:
· Supporting
short- and medium-term car parking interventions;
· Supporting
a programme of activations and events to increase vibrancy; and
· Providing
short-term support for disrupted businesses in the city centre.
278. City Centre Safety and Engagement Advisor
role: a key success of the CCDIF has been the establishment of an on-the-ground
role as a response to multiple concerns from businesses about safety in the
city centre. There has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the
establishment of this role, which works closely with businesses, social
agencies, the community and NZ Police, and its creation has made a tangible
difference to the feeling of safety and security in the city centre.
Civic Development
279. He Puna Manawa: to make way for the new
civic precinct, the old council buildings at 95 Willow Street were demolished
in the second half of 2022, with an interim library and customer service
centre, He Puna Manawa, opening at 21 Devonport Road earlier the same year. The
development of He Puna Manawa in Goddards Arcade ensured there was continuity
of library service and ongoing activation and vibrancy in our city centre,
while the new Library and Community Hub is constructed at Te Manawataki o Te
Papa.
280. Civic administration building: construction of
council’s new administration building at 90 Devonport Road started in
January 2023 and is due for completion in early-2025, bringing council
administration staff together under one roof for the first time since 2014.
Once complete, the building, owned by Willis Bond and leased by council for
fifteen years, will be the largest mass timber office building in New Zealand
and has set new standards for sustainability in development and construction.
The economic impact of having 800 TCC staff based in the city centre on a daily
basis will be significant, especially when combined with other private sector
development underway within close proximity.
281. Waterfront redevelopment: in September 2022,
Council adopted the Tauranga Moana Waterfront Plan. The suite of works approved
is now well underway and will help reinvigorate our waterfront and improve
connections to Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour. Completed projects to date include:
· Cargo
Shed improvements and seismic strengthening
· Development
of an enlarged, 150-space Dive Crescent car park
· Installation
of a railway underpass to connect the Strand Extension to a new southern
boardwalk
· Redevelopment
of Tunks Reserve and the Elizabeth Street East streetscape.
282. Waterfront projects completed in 2024: an
additional suite of significant waterfront projects will be completed by the
end of 2024, ready for summer use. These include:
· Northern
seawall with specially designed water pods to attract marine life
· Beacon
Wharf and surrounds
· Waterfront
North promenade and boardwalk
· Waterfront
North green/grass event space
· Destination
playground
· Southern boardwalk
connecting Waterfront South to the Strand Extension.
283. Te Manawataki o Te Papa: the refreshed
masterplan for the civic precinct, to be called Te Manawataki o Te Papa (“the
heartbeat of Te Papa”), was adopted by the Commission in December 2021.
Following this, the Commission approved the Te Manawataki o Te Papa Masterplan
as part of the 2021–31 Long-term Plan Amendment. This vibrant new civic
space will include a Library and Community Hub, Museum, Exhibition Gallery and
a Civic Whare (modern town hall/Council chamber), alongside important upgrades
to Baycourt and Tauranga Art Gallery. Site works are well underway for the
Library and Community Hub, which is on-track to be completed by mid-2026. The
Museum, Exhibition Gallery and Civic Whare will be completed by mid-2028.
City
Development
284. City Centre Action and Investment Plan
(CCAIP): the CCAIP was adopted by Council in August 2022, setting the
10-year strategic direction and vision for the city centre: Te Rapunga Ora ki
Te Papa – a great place to live, work, learn and play.
285. Governance framework: the city centre
portfolio governance framework was created in January 2024 to take a
place-based and whole-of-city-centre approach to projects and activities in
this area. A supporting city centre taskforce was also established to ensure
collaboration across capital delivery activities such as asset renewals,
operational activities and commercial developments.
286. Delivery plans: guided by the key objectives
in the CCAIP and feedback from city centre stakeholders, the team has taken a
holistic and area-wide view to prepare cohesive plans for delivery within the
city centre, including:
· An
accessibility audit and accessibility improvements to our city centre streets
and public spaces
· Public
realm design guidelines to provide clear design direction
· A
signage and wayfinding masterplan for a more holistic approach
to navigation, signage and wayfinding across the city centre, including
opportunities for storytelling
· A Playful Streets strategy to enhance
the nature of the city through
‘play-along-the-way’ interventions on key city centre routes
between carparking buildings and the new waterfront playground
· An
amenity lighting plan with a focus on encouraging the use of
carparking buildings
· An
indicative masterplan for a cultural and historical precinct to capture the
work done to date by council and its key partners, including the Elms
and mana whenua, in this part of the city.
287. Enabling movement pilot: together with our
Transport team, the team designed and delivered the city centre enabling
movement pilot in March 2024. The pilot has introduced wider footpaths, greener
spaces, and one-way streets to parts of Harington, Hamilton, Wharf, Spring and
Willow Streets, to help people move around the city centre more easily, and
reduce the need for road closures during construction. The pilot will be in
place for two years and learnings will influence permanent streetscape upgrades
from 2026 onwards.
288. Red Square upgrade: the design for the Red
Square “sanctuary space” has been finalised and includes the
installation of the first work commissioned by the city’s new public art
trust FONT, which has selected Peata Larkin as their first artist. Onsite
construction is underway and the project will be complete by August 2024.
289. Laneway connecting Durham and Grey Streets:
design work is progressing on a new mid-block laneway to support pedestrian
connections between the Grey Street retail precinct, the University of Waikato,
and the future public transport spine on Durham Street. Council purchased 79
Grey Street to enable the link in April 2023 and will be demolishing the
building on the site in June.
290. Community Stadium at Tauranga Domain:
following extensive stakeholder and community engagement, a staged approach to
the construction of a community stadium at Tauranga domain was approved, beginning
in year nine of the 2024–34 Long-term Plan. The stadium is appropriately
scaled for a city of Tauranga’s current size and future projected growth,
and it is designed for multi-purpose use, with a focus on enabling year-round
community use alongside major sporting and performance events. The staged
approach will enable cost-effective delivery while making the most of existing
facilities on Tauranga Domain in the interim.
City
Centre Communication & Engagement
291. Communications and engagement strategy and
plans: the team developed an overarching communications and engagement strategy
to support the narrative around the city centre transformation and the
implementation of projects across the area. Our key goals have been centred around
raising awareness, building trust and confidence, and supporting our funding
aspirations. Project-specific communications and engagement plans have also
been developed and continue to be implemented as the team shares the journey of
our city centre transformation with stakeholders and the wider community.
292. Community consultation and engagement: the
team has supported the project teams with surveys, campaigns, events and
ongoing one-to-one engagement, to get community feedback and input into project
design and decision-making, where appropriate. This includes:
· The
2021-31 Long-term Plan Amendment consultation campaign, It’s Time,
to seek feedback on the redevelopment of the civic precinct in the heart of our
city
· Community
consultation on a proposal to set up a council-controlled organisation to own
and jointly govern the land at Site A of the civic precinct
· Community
consultation on the establishment of a council-controlled organisation to
oversee the successful delivery of Te Manawataki o Te Papa
· A
community survey, with an independent market research company, to gauge initial
community support for the proposed community stadium at Tauranga Domain
· Visiting
local schools in Tauranga to get `expert’ input from children into the
new waterfront playground design
· Targeted
stakeholder engagement sessions for the innovation space and multi-sensory room
in the new Library and Community Hub building.
293. City centre walking tours: staff walking tours
around the city centre have proved so popular that the team has started rolling
them out to our partners and will also offer them to the wider community later
in the year. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with people excited
about the transformation and encouraged to see so much activity and investment,
including private development, in the city centre.
294. Storytelling: the team has worked closely with
local and national media to ensure they have the information and material they
need to tell the story of Tauranga’s city centre transformation.
We’ve also been involved with King Street Media in the creation of a
documentary series to tell the story of the Te Manawataki o Te Papa site from
an historical perspective.
295. Hapū and iwi partners: we continue to
work closely with our hapū and iwi partners, at a governance level as well
as at a cultural advisory and design reference group level for projects
underway. The latter applies right through to the communications collateral
being developed across all of the projects underway and planned for the city
centre.
296. Working with other partners and stakeholders:
the team continues to work closely with partners and stakeholders such as
Priority One, University of Waikato, Tauranga Business Chamber and Downtown
Tauranga, to ensure they have the most up-to-date information and collateral
about the city centre and can share that with their own networks.
297. Marketing campaigns: a range of successful
marketing campaigns have been run to raise awareness and support for the
transformation of the city centre, including our foundation It’s On!
campaign, and a comprehensive Summer/It’s On in our City Centre campaign
to encourage people to visit the city centre. Events such as
‘Children’s Day in the city centre’, held in March 2024,
helped to draw thousands of people into the area and raise awareness of the
projects taking place. This particular event was very well received and
included a ‘kidstruction’ zone where children had the opportunity
to get up close to heavy machinery on the Te Manawataki o Te Papa site.
298. Timelapse cameras: several timelapse cameras
have been set up at key city centre sites so we can capture the historical
transformation taking place over an extended period of time, and share that
progress with our community.
Appendix
A
|
Project
|
Funder
|
Amount
|
|
Te Manawataki o Te Papa
|
DIA ‘Better Off’ Funding
|
$12,100,000
|
|
TECT
|
$21,000,000
|
|
Destination skatepark zones 1
& 2
|
TECT
|
$1,023,000
|
|
|
Lotteries
|
$528,847
|
|
|
NZCT
|
$459,370
|
|
|
Project Tauranga
|
$200,000
|
|
Destination skatepark zones 3
& 4
|
Grassroots Trust
|
$250,000
|
|
|
The Lion Foundation
|
$35,000
|
|
|
NZCT
|
$200,000
|
|
Marine Parade coastal pathway
|
MBIE Tourism Infrastructure Fund
|
$800,000
|
|
Port of Tauranga
|
$162,000
|
|
Mauao viewing platform
|
Port of Tauranga
|
$150,000
|
|
Living Seawall at The Strand
|
Port of Tauranga
|
$385,559
|
|
Tauranga Art Gallery HVAC system
|
Pub Charity Limited
|
$200,000
|
|
Merivale Community Centre
|
TECT
|
$300,000
|
|
|
Lotteries
|
$500,000
|
|
|
BayTrust
|
$300,000
|
|
Crown Infrastructure Partners
|
Flood Resilience Programme
|
$7,324,000
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
$45,917,776
|
Attachments
Nil
