Minutes of Ordinary Council meeting

UNCONFIRMED Ordinary Council meeting minutes

10 June 2024

MINUTES OF Tauranga City Council

Ordinary Council meeting

HELD AT THE Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers,

Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga

ON Monday, 10 June 2024 AT 9.30am

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

IN ATTENDANCE: Barbara Dempsey (Acting Chief Executive), Kathryn Sharplin (Acting Chief Financial Officer), Nic Johansson (Head of Transport), Christine Jones (General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance), Alastair McNeill (General Manager: Corporate Services), Sarah Omundsen (General Manager: Regulatory and Compliance), Gareth Wallis (General Manager: City Development & Partnerships), Ross Hudson (Manager: Strategic Planning and Partnerships, Spaces and Places), Emma Stewart (Team Leader: Lease & Property Management), Neil Mason (Programme Director: Major Projects), Derek McFadden (Senior Project Manager), Shawn Geard (City Centre Infrastructure Lead), Karen Hay (Acting Manager: Safety and Sustainability), Reece Wilkinson (Parking Strategy Manager), Emily McLean (Programme Lead: City Development), Carl Lucca (Team Leader: Urban Communities), Jeremy Boase (Manager: Strategy & Corporate Planning), Annabel Bayes (Strategic Advisor to the Mayor and Chief Executive), Cashy Ball (Strategic Advisor), Coral Hair (Manager: Democracy & Governance Services), Anahera Dinsdale (Acting Team Leader: Governance Services), Caroline Irvine (Governance Advisor), Aimee Aranas (Governance Advisor).

EXTERNAL: Tauranga Marina Society – Eric Tait (Chair), Ray Findlay (Deputy Chair), Greg Prescott ( Manager)

1 Opening karakia

Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston opened the meeting with a karakia.

2 Apologies

Nil

3 Public forum

Nil

4 Chairperson’s report

4.1 30 Years Service - Maree King

Commission Chair Tolley congratulated Mrs King on her 30 years of service, acknowledging her in- depth institutional knowledge and understanding of the community.

5 Acceptance of late items

Acceptance of late items

Resolution CO13/24/1

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

Accepts the following late item for consideration at the meeting:

• 27 May 2024 Council Minutes – Adoption of SmartGrowth Strategy

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

Carried

6 Confidential business to be transferred into the open

Nil

7 Change to the order of business

Change to the Order of Business

Resolution CO13/24/2

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the order of business be amended so that item 12.7 be addressed before item 12.6.

Carried

8 Confirmation of minutes

8.1 Minutes of the Council meeting held on 13 May 2024

Resolution CO13/24/3

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 13 May 2024 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Carried

8.2 Minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 May 2024

Resolution CO13/24/4

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 May 2024 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Carried

8.3 Minutes of the Council meeting held on 27 May 2024

Resolution CO13/24/5

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 27 May 2024 be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Carried

9 Declaration of conflicts of interest

Nil

10 Deputations, presentations, petitions

10.1 Petition – Mr Bevan Hamilton - Boat Ramp Fee

· The petition to remove boat ramp fee came about after Mr Bevan read the article about it in the SunLive newspaper.

· Concern was expressed by Mr Bevan regarding the cost to go fishing to feed a family. The boat ramp and boat wash fee were quite costly for many people and families.

· Commission Chair Tolley thanked Mr Hamilton and advised the petition would be referred to the relevant staff and a report would be presented to the incoming Council. It was noted there was a consultation process and the fee was included in Council’s 2024/34 Long Term Plan (LTP).

Motion

Resolution CO13/24/6

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the petition from Mr Bevan Harrington regarding the boat ramp charges be received and referred to staff for their report to the incoming Council.

Carried

11 Recommendations from other committees

11.1 Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee - Terms of Reference

Staff Coral Hair, Manager: Democracy & Governance Services

Anahera Dinsdale, Acting Team Leader: Governance Services

Key points

· A correction was made to resolution number in the report to reflect the minutes of the meeting.

· It was noted that Tauranga City Council (TCC) and Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) had worked in parallel with each other prior to the creation of the Transport Joint Committee.

In response to questions

· A Governance group would be set up for the Transport System Plan.

· The Group currently reported to SmartGrowth and Governance reported to the Chief Executive. Moving forward, this would give delegation to the group.

· It was noted that informal discussions took place with Western Bay Of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC).

Discussion points raised

· Staff worked consistently with BOPRC to align the various work streams.

Resolution CO13/24/7

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee - Terms of Reference".

(b) Approves the recommendations from Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee regarding the revised Term of Reference as set out in Attachment 1 and refers to the incoming Council for their endorsement.

Carried

Resolution CO13/24/8

Moved: Commission Chair Anne Tolley

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(c) Endorses a trial of opening Hairini street slip lane to general traffic between 7pm to 6am 7 days per week subject to the Tangata Whenua Committee passing a proposal to that effect on 12 June 2024. Done under the Land Transport Rule Street Layout 2023 as a pilot to inform the long term solution.

(d) Continuously monitors road safety aspects during the trial and a reassessment reported to Council in December 2024. This pilot can in be in place for a maximum of two years.

Carried

12 Business

12.1 Tauranga Marina Society Report

Staff Barbara Dempsey, General Manager: Community Services

Ross Hudson, Manager: Strategic Planning and Partnerships, Spaces and Places

Emma Stewart, Team Leader: Lease & Property Management

External Eric Tait (Chairperson) , Ray Findlay (Deputy Chairperson)

Key points

· Tauranga Marina was built and funded by its members. Mr Tait clarified that the land owned by the Council was given to them from the Marina Society.

· The installation of the new berths would take up 50ht of water.

· The Resource Consent was until 2052 and was held with Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

· The Tauranga Marina Society had worked with the Harbour Board, which was now Tauranga City Council (TCC) who they had a good working relationship with.

· The Marina had a management plan that needed updating.

· Four lots of land for carparking was owned by TCC and not the Marina.

· The presenters thanked the Commissioners for their support.

In response to questions

· All berth updates would be completed by late 2026.

· Piers D and E were being manufactured in France and would be shipped in November 2024.

· A large number of D and E fees had been paid which helped with the cost of deposits for piers and steel piles.

· Mr Tait had been elected as Chair for Tauranga Marina Society in 2017/2018.

· Surrounding contractors had been pushed out as far as The Lakes which incurred costs for travel.

Discussion points raised

· Commission Chair Tolley thanked Tauranga Marina Society for the report and the work done at the Marina.

· It was encouraging that Council and the Marina Society maintained a good and transparent relationship.

Resolution CO13/24/9

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Tauranga Marina Society Report" and the attached – Audited Financial Statements for the period 01 July 2022 to 30 June 2023; Tauranga Marina Society report to Council for the meeting dated 10 June 2024; Chairmans Report 2023; Shore wise Condition Report.

Carried

12.2 Hairini Bridge Strengthening

Staff Neil Mason, Programme Director: Major Projects

Jason Spencer, Transport Programme Manager, Major Projects

Derek McFadden, Senior Project Manager

Key points

· The report was taken as read.

· The Hairini Bridge Strengthening Program Business Case was co-funded by the New Zealand Transport Association (NZTA) and looked at the positive benefits of strengthening the bridge.

· Corrosion mitigation of the bridge would extend the life of it by an additional 20 to 30 years and cost around $1.6m. The structural positioning of the bridge was fine however, during the bridge’s lifetime there was a 33% chance of a 1 in 100 year earthquake event.

· If the corridor was not strengthened, it was predicted that an outage would last around 90 days.

· Strengthening the bridge would provide protection for the corridor for a one in 100 year earthquake event.

· It was noted that the Causeway also needed to be upgraded but was not priority at this stage.

· Staff proposed to undertake an analysis as the next steps.

· NZTA had funded the research around the project and staff were expecting NZTA to also co-fund the project at around $20m.

· Staff were seeking Council’s endorsement which would ultimately lead to a further business case.

In response to questions

· The limitations of the current and future transport model did not include when the bridge would need replacing from a demand perspective, for instance, the construction of a four-lane-bridge. Therefore, further detailed modelling would need to be conducted to produce a timeline.

· It was considered necessary and sensible to spend more time on researching ‘Bar Modelling’ because it would be inappropriate to finance a project that could be deemed redundant in 20 years’ time.

· The ‘Wider Network Seismic Resilience’ study was in the early planning stage. It was difficult to confirm a timeframe as it also involved the Maungatapu and State Highway bridge. This would take several months, however, as the planning stage continued, staff believed that a clearer timeframe would be available within the next four to six weeks. This plan would need to be done in collaboration with the resilience team and what they were planning to do.

Resolution CO13/24/10

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Hairini Bridge Strengthening".

(b) Endorses the following decision making process (see details in NEXT STEPS section):

(i) Independent peer review of the work done to date.

(ii) Engage with NZTA on technical and funding matters.

(iii) Explore whether a Hairini Bridge strengthening decision should be made in isolation from a network wide seismic resilience study.

(iv) Prepare an Emergency Management Plan for the Hairini Bridge and Causeway with specific focus on emergency response, recovery and repair following a damaging earthquake.

(v) Further investigations of the seismic performance and ground improvement options for Hairini Causeway.

(vi) Develop a stand-alone business case for Hairini Bridge strengthening for submission to Council for decision to proceed to Pre-implementation and Implementation.

(vii) The above studies that relate specifically to the Hairini Bridge be funded solely from the resilience budget allocated for the Fifteenth Avenue to Welcome Bay corridor unless co-funding can be secured from NZTA. The network wide study and studies that relate to other bridges on the network would need to be funded from other sources.

Carried

12.3 Speed Management Plan

Staff Nic Johansson, Head of Transport

Shawn Geard, City Centre Transport Advisor

Karen Hay, Acting Manager: Safety and Sustainability

Key points

· This report was a follow-up from the Council meeting held on 20 May 2024.

· Staff had considered the comments from this meeting and more detail had been added to the plan.

· The speed management plan had now prioritised all schools and studies were done to assess key entrances to schools.

In response to questions

· The traffic flow around school zones should not be greatly affected because a reduction of 10km/h only had been applied.

· Research had shown that there was an occurrence of red light running during key times. The installation of electronic speed display boards should reinforce speed limits to drivers and alter their driving habits outside of schools.

Discussion points raised

· As noted in the report, paragraph 21, it was concerning that Te Manawa o Papamoa School’s pedestrian crossing was experiencing issues with drivers not stopping for pedestrians.

· The lack of monitoring and enforcement from Police posed an issue to the effectiveness of the reduced speed limits outside of schools. The Commissioners had previously raised the lack of monitoring and enforcement with local and regional Police commanders but had not experienced any changes during their term.

· It was noted that raised pedestrian crossings had proven to slow traffic and if used strategically, could be extremely useful for slowing down drivers.

Resolution CO13/24/11

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Speed Management Plan".

(b) Approves the area of the city centre currently covered by a 30km/h temporary speed limit (between McLean Street and Second Avenue) be included as a permanent 30km/h zone,

(c) Approves the following schools for variable 40km/h speed zones. These would apply for half an hour before school starts and twenty minutes after school ends.

(i) Arataki School

(ii) Mount Maunganui College

(iii) Omanu School

(iv) Papamoa College

(v) Tauranga Primary School

(vi) Tauranga Waldorf School

(vii) Tahatai Coast School

(viii) Tauranga Girls' College

(ix) Gate Pa School

(x) Greerton Village School

(xi) Ōtūmoetai College

(xii) Ōtūmoetai Intermediate

(xiii) Mt Maunganui Intermediate

(xiv) Te Akau ki Papamoa Primary School

(xv) Tauranga Boys' College

(xvi) Merivale School

(xvii) Mount Maunganui Primary School

(xviii) Te Manawa ō Pāpāmoa School

(xix) Bellevue School (Tauranga)

(xx) Tauranga Adventist School

(xxi) Te Kura o Matapihi

(d) Approves the introduction of speed limits be delivered in the order outlined in resolution c) such that the high risk priority schools are delivered first, with the timing for the roll-out of delivery being contingent of funding availability,

(e) Based on feedback from marae the following locations are adopted as permanent 40km/h zones as shown in the attachment;

(i) Waimapu Marae – Waimapu Pa Road extending from the marae, 200m east,

(ii) Waikari Marae, Hungahungatoroa Marae – Waikari Road, Hungahungatoroa Road, Matapihi Road between Waikari Road and Hungahungatoroa Road.

(f) The proposed changes to speed limits on Domain Road, Tara Road, Te Puke Highway, and Parton Road are deferred until such time future development changes the current road environment. This would be decided by a future Council.

(g) Delegate the Chief Executive to perform the road controlling authority responsibilities in relation to confirming and implementing the speed management plan documented within this report, as set out in the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022, including the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits Amendment 2023.

Carried

12.4 Parking Building Rate Change

Staff Nic Johansson, Head of Transport

Reece Wilkinson, Parking Strategy Manager

Shawn Geard, City Centre Transport Advisor

Key points

· Changes to the Parking Building rates had been in response to demand.

· Overnight rates had been changed from $6.50 to no charge to align with on-street-parking.

· Other changes to the building included new lighting and upgrading the CCTV to help with safety concerns. Staff were making the necessary changes to help make the building more inviting.

· It was noted that parking buildings had less Police callout’s compared to open air car parks.

In response to questions

· Staff were aware of how the public perceived parking buildings and were initiating a six month program of ‘perception changing activities’. It was hoped that these activities would increase the knowledge of how much parking was available in the city centre as well as encouraging the public to use these buildings.

Discussion points raised

· The Commissioners thanked staff for their work.

Resolution CO13/24/12

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Parking Building Rate Change".

(b) Adjusts the rates in the parking buildings to be free after 5pm during the week.

Carried

12.5 Tauranga City Centre Public Realm Design Guidelines - Revised Amendments

Staff Gareth Wallis, General Manager: City Development & Partnerships

Emily McLean, Programme Lead: City Development

Key points

· The report sought endorsement of its outlined proposed amendments to the design guidelines and delegation to the Chief Executive for final sign off.

Discussion points raised

· It was noted that some of the seating had already started to pop-up around the city.

· The new report and updated list had captured the essence of what the Commissioners were wanting to see in the new city centre.

Resolution CO13/24/13

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Tauranga City Centre Public Realm Design Guidelines - revised amendments ".

(b) Endorses the “Tauranga City Centre Public Realm Design Guidelines” with the proposed amendments listed within this report.

(c) Delegates the final sign off of the “Tauranga City Centre Public Realm Design Guidelines” once amendments have been made to the Chief Executive.

Carried

12.7 Pōteriwhi Recreation and Housing Concept Plan Update

Staff Carl Lucca, Team Leader: Urban Communities

Carlo Ellis, Manager: Maori Strategic Engagement

Andrew Mead, Manger: City Planning and Growth

Key points

· A brief overview of the report was given by staff.

· The report confirmed opportunities to progress engagement with Ngati Kahu on behalf of mana whenua.

· The report and mapping were divided into Activity Areas, which included the proposed pa protection site and cultural protection areas. This also included timeframes for each Activity Area.

· Staff had put forward an application for the project to be included in the ‘Fast Track Approvals’ bill. If successful, staff would identify a development partner and apply for consent around mid-2025. All delivery timeframes revolved around consenting processes.

· Recreation and housing planning were underway and movement was expected late 2026/mid 2027.

· This was an opportunity to recognise Tangata Whenua and the importance of the area to mana whenua. It was about seeking opportunities for affordable housing for mana whenua.

· Next steps included continued engagement with mana whenua and awaiting the outcomes of the Fast Track Approval bills process. If approval was not received, a plan change would be introduced.

In response to questions

· The primary difference between Smiths Farm and the Pōteriwhi land development was that the costs of development and infrastructure was included in the LTP for Smiths Farm, whereas these costs were not included in the 2024/2034 LTP for Pōteriwhi. Therefore, the overall costs of Pōteriwhi would exceed the sale of the site.

· Council was taking responsibility for onsite and offsite developments, such as the upgrade of the wastewater network, so that the fully serviced site could be sold to its maximum value.

Discussion points raised

· It was noted that this project was quite lengthy with the involvement of the Hapu, primarily because it had been through an Environment Court process.

· The Commissioners acknowledged that the changes proposed would have consequences to mana whenua. Commissioner Tolley thanked the hapu for their contributions towards resolving the issues.

· It was important that a Cultural Impact Study was a part of this entire process. It had reached a good place which met the needs of the city and protected the significance of the land to mana whenua.

· All growth areas required additional investment beyond the LTP. Balance sheet flexibility might be enabled by the removal of Three Waters for the LTP. This would be an option for the incoming council.

· A recommendation had been added to confirm that the development of the sports ground should fall under the usual Spaces and Places budget when funds became available.

Resolution CO13/24/14

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Pōteriwhi Recreation and Housing Concept Plan Update".

(b) Confirms the Activity Areas, including proposed next steps and timeframes, as outlined in the concept plan for further investigation and detailed planning.

(i) Identification and protection of the Pōteriwhi Pā site and how it may be recognised and managed in the future.

(ii) Provision of cultural passive reserves within the subject site, recognising the relationship Ngāti Kahu has with the whenua (land).

(iii) Working with mana whenua to further recognise their relationship with the whenua, including:

(1) Appropriately locating activities over the site to protect cultural values of the Wairoa Awa (River)

(2) Protecting the ecological areas in the low wetland areas (ecological reserve retirement from grazing), thereby enabling possible restoration of wetlands adding to environmental protection for the Wairoa Awa (with associated agreement on management)

(3) Developing ‘story telling’ over the site, integrated into the design of open space and walkways, recognising the history of the site and surrounding area.

(iv) Recognising mana whenua aspirations for affordable housing and working with them to investigate opportunities for affordable living outcomes as part of wider strategic housing outcomes.

(v) Potential to be more involved in concept plan development, and subsequently the more detailed design steps for various components.

(d) Notes that Council will continue to seek engagement with tangata whenua on processes and workstreams throughout the project.

(e) Notes that the resolutions of this meeting are made in addition and further to those made at the Council meeting on 29 April 2024.

(f) Attachment 1 can be transferred into the open when all parties to the MoU have agreed to release the information, and the site is not subject to further negotiations.

(g) Confirms that the development of Sports Grounds was the responsibility of Spaces and Places as their funds allow.

Carried

12.6 Te Manawataki o Te Papa Financial Strategy Report - Supplementary Paper

Staff Kathryn Sharplin, Acting Chief Finance Officer

Key points

· This supplementary report noted a correction to the same report presented to Council on 20 May 2024, as set out in point 9 of the report, ‘Financial Considerations’.

· A recommendation had been added that noted when additional net proceeds became available, they would be apportioned to Te Manawataki o Te Papa.

Resolution CO13/24/15

Moved: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Te Manawataki o Te Papa Financial Strategy Report - Supplementary Paper".

(b) Notes the corrections to the report headed “Te Manawataki o Te Papa Financial Strategy Including Infrastructure Funding and Financing Levy” presented to Council on 20 May 2024.

(c ) Notes that the available net proceeds would be apportioned to Te Manawataki o Te Papa.

Carried

12.8 Executive Summary Report

Staff Barbara Dempsey, Acting Chief Executive

Nic Johansson, Head of Transport

Kathryn Sharplin, Acting 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

Power Point Presentation

Infrastructure

Key points

Transport Highlights:

· Transport Highlights included focusing on the future of transport for Tauranga and the reduction of trauma for future generations.

· The growth of the delivery and operations portfolio to $260m reflected positively on the network.

· Staff had received noticeably less complaints about the quality of work, for example, asphalt cracking.

· Staff had put in a lot of time and effort getting the projects to a starting point.

· Staff acknowledged their interaction with Local Government and the on-going collaborative efforts provided by other services, including NZTA, to TCC.

· Transport was seen as an ‘enabler’ and many instances/projects were placemaking and increasing the value of the city.

Waters Highlights:

· The Waiāri Kaitiaki Advisory Group had been a great investment to Tauranga.

· The use of remote operated vehicles had been a great use of resources which had saved TCC a large amount of money.

· Te Maunga Treatment Plant upgrades had added decades of extra life to wastewater management facilities. There had been extensive efforts with innovation and rain water use.

· Staff were complimented on their hard work and the use of innovation to mitigate runoff from entering the estuary, ocean and other waterways.

Sustainability and Waste:

· There had been a reduction in greenhouse gases for Tauranga City as a result of actions taken by Council such as capturing carbon and creating carbon sinks.

· There was a Sustainability Plan in place which was supported by an action plan.

· Kerbside collection was smashing targets with huge reduction to landfill waste.

Discussion points raised

· Compliments were given to the transport team.

· Credit was given to previous Councils for their investment in Three Waters.

· The work of staff involved with the kerbside collection was commended. It was important for individuals to take responsibility for what is being taken to landfill.

· The work taken to increase Tauranga city’s tree canopy with the free native tree give away was impressive.

· It was reiterated that the work done by the Transport Team to pursue the west to east transport corridor was an essential contribution to the city.

· It was noted there were risks involved with innovation and that it was up to the new Council to weigh the risks against the rewards.

Community Services

Key points

· The report reflected on the many projects currently being implemented by the Community Services Team.

· Wider community funding was needed to support the stages of all the projects.

· Common themes were that staff worked alongside the community on projects.

· The City Operations team were to be commended for having pride in what their city looked like and how the community responded to their.

Discussion points raised

· Museum development over next 4 years included the work the Museum Team were doing on connecting the community with the taonga and historic pieces they had and the importance of these to Tauranga.

Chief Financial Officer

Key points

· The Airport had doubled its patronage compared to 2014. The facilities had been improved through upgrading the lighting and the terminal expansion.

· Council had improved on its investment direction and priority and had also contributed in green borrowing through the Local Government Funding Agency.

· There was a focus on financial management to remain prudent and sustainable.

· To enhance the economic return in the city through the Marine Precinct, there was a focus on wharf development, private investment through divestment and maintaining Council connection with local industry.

Discussion points raised

· It was acknowledged that the majority of the costs lay unfairly with the ratepayer. This raised questions as to the fairness of the system and where the bulk of costs should lie.

· It was up to Council to use assets wisely, realising their huge value and then have them turned over to make better use for the community.

Strategy, Growth & Governance

Key points

· Prior to the Commission commencing, Council did not have a direction. Te Kupenga was then developed which included five Community outcomes, three approaches and the 40 action and investment plans that sat as part of the Direction.

· The Urban Development and Urban Housing with Plan Change 33 was the main piece of work. The Plan delivered intensification which was critical and gave effect to the Te Papa and Ōtūmoetai spatial plans.

· Effort and advocacy was given to Central Government about the National Policy Statement for fresh water. Key and substantive changes in the policy area had a direct impact on the Tauriko plan change.

· There were key milestones with tangata whenua relationships that included vital processing matters that were important to them and the wider community.

Discussion points raised

· The Manager: Strategy & Corporate Planning was acknowledged for his work on the Action and Investment Plans. It was great to see the connection between the various plans and the development and implementation of them coinciding and working together.

· Appreciation was given to the Democracy and Governance Team for their work.

At 11.55am the meeting adjourned.

Corporate Services

Key points

· The Commissioners would leave a legacy in terms of the organisational culture.

· A Media Impact Score communicated the level of confidence that people had in their organisation. It was revealed that the Media Impact Score of the Commissioners was higher at 2.4 compared to other Councils at 1.8 across the country.

· Council could now show data on how outcomes were measured to show accountability to the community.

Discussion points raised

· Council as an organisation had grown over the last few years and was in a very good position in terms of confidence and size.

· The organisation was in a better place because of the work done to engage with the community and with staff.

Regulatory & Compliance

Key points

· In response to the Commissioners requests, staff had realised the expected levels of service and had increased timeliness in terms of resource consents and other consents.

· TCC’s Dog Pound upgrade was bought to staff’s attention at the start of the Commissioners tenure and had been upgraded to be fit-for-purpose for both the animals and staff.

· Links Avenue was to be highlighted given the change of behaviour through enforcement. It could now be used in a way that suited the local school and the local community.

Discussion points raised

· Building and resource consent work included staff listening to and addressing issues in terms of applications.

· Regulatory and enforcement rules were getting tougher. There was a lack of patience and respect from the community which made it difficult for the staff. However, there had been a significant improvement since the Commissioners had started.

· It was recognised that this was a difficult space to work in.

· The team were keeping a watch on freedom campers.

City Development & Partnerships

Key points

· The genuine partnerships created with Mana Whenua on the shared ownership of TMOTP land was to be highlighted. It started with reconciling the historical land grievance with Mana Whenua.

· The Skatepark was developed and co-funded with the community which had enabled Council to accurately deliver a project that would deliver some much needed civic and community amenities that had been severely underinvested in for the last several decades.

· The Commissioners were complimented for normalising investment in the city. The residents of Tauranga deserved to have places, spaces and infrastructure that enable them to enjoy the city to its fullest extent.

Discussion points raised

· The City Centre Team, partners, and all the businesses investing in city centre were commended for their work.

Resolution CO13/24/16

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the "Executive Summary Report".

Carried

12.9 City / Regional Deals update

Staff Barbara Dempsey, Acting Chief Executive

Christine Jones, General Manager: Strategy, Growth & Governance

Paul Davidson, Chief Financial Officer

Annabel Bayes, Strategic Advisor to the Mayor and Chief Executive

External Todd Muller, Chair: Priority One

Key points

· The Commissioners were thanked for all their work.

· Work was being done on alignment with investment, funding, financing pathways as well as policies and alignment with the urban reform.

· Work was being carried out in support of the Commissioners and the new coalition Government to position Tauranga as a priority for critical investment.

· The opportunity for a ‘City Deal’ was not just about enabling projects but the opportunity for investment in the Bay of Plenty as a critical part of New Zealand’s growth story over next 5 to 10 years.

· It was important for the incoming council to ensure shoulder to shoulder work with Central Government to acquire investment into the city.

Discussion points raised

· The Commissioners thanked Priority One for taking the lead on the City Deal.

· They paid tribute to Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

· The Prime Minister had visited Tauranga and mentioned that Tauranga should be the ‘first cab off the rank’.

· The suite of projects weren’t new or flash projects, but were all known. .

· Legislative changes were a part of what was being proposed. Changing the Infrastructure Funding and Financing levy was a difficult process with rigid rules.

· Infrastructure projects were already in the Crown’s books. Included were ways in which Government and Council could speed up these processes.

Resolution CO13/24/17

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "City / Regional Deals update".

(b) Endorses staff to continue to work on the development of a City / Regional Deal with key partners and government.

Carried

12.10 Final Report to Minister of Local Government

Staff Barbara Dempsey, Acting Chief Executive

Cashy Ball, Strategic Advisor

Key points

· The Terms of Reference provided by the Commissioners for their tenure were mentioned.

· The opportunities that the Commissioners were able to make during their time as well as how they had navigated the challenges they faced were highlighted.

· The report would be given to the Minister who would then provide it back to the new Council

Discussion points raised

· Staff were thanked for their work and the final report.

· Some issues are beyond Council but the report did show how the Commissioners navigated through challenges that the community faced.

Resolution CO13/24/18

Moved: Commissioner Bill Wasley

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Final Report to Minister of Local Government"; and

(b) Approves the final report to the Minister, as tabled at the meeting.

Carried

12.11 Briefing to Incoming Council

Staff Barbara Dempsey, General Manager: Community Services

Cashy Ball, Strategic Advisor

Discussion points raised

· It was noted there were many different ways to manage growth, protect the environment, provide a good living standard and amenities for the community, and navigate through difficult legislation.

· The incoming Council was wished every success. Tauranga needed to become a great city for the rest of the region.

· The briefing set out the top 5 issues outside of ‘business as usual’ for councils like 3 Waters, transport and housing.

Resolution CO13/24/19

Moved: Commission Chair Anne Tolley

Seconded: Commissioner Bill Wasley

That the Council:

(a) Receives the report "Briefing to Incoming Council"; and

(b) Approves the Briefing to Incoming Council, as tabled at the meeting.

Carried

13 Discussion of late items

The Late Item was discussed as part of Business in the meeting.

Commissioner Bill Wasley:

Commission Chair Anne Tolley was to be acknowledged and thanked for her abled chairmanship over the last three and a half years. She had provided an environnment that made the most of the skills and experiences around the commission table. Admitedly, the Commisisoners did not always agree on everything but were able to work through their differences.

The other Commissioners were to be commended on how they had been able to work together through differences to focus on the problems the city was facing.

Commissioner Wasely wished everyone well after the Commissioners left.

14 Public excluded session

Resolution to exclude the public

Resolution CO13/24/20

Moved: Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston

Seconded: Commissioner Stephen Selwood

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

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

General subject of each matter to be considered	Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter	Ground(s) under section 48 for the passing of this resolution
14.1 - Public Excluded minutes of the Council meeting held on 4 March 2024	s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7
14.2 - Public Excluded minutes of the Council meeting held on 13 May 2024	s7(2)(a) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7
14.3 - Public Excluded minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 May 2024	s7(2)(a) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(b)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information s7(2)(c)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of any enactment, where the making available of the information would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the same source, and it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied s7(2)(c)(ii) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of any enactment, where the making available of the information would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7
14.4 - Chief Executive's Annual Performance Review 2023/24	s7(2)(a) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7
Confidential Attachment 1 - 12.7 - Pōteriwhi Recreation and Housing Concept Plan Update	s7(2)(a) - The withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(i) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)	s48(1)(a) the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7

Carried

15 Closing karakia

Due to the Commissioners needing to leave urgently to attend another meeting, no karakia was given to close this meeting.

The meeting closed at 1:03pm.

As per Standing Orders 28.4 , these minutes are confirmed by the Chairperson and the Chief Executive.

___________________________________ ____________________________

Commission Chair Anne Tolley Date

Chairperson

___________________________________ ____________________________

Marty Grenfell Date

Chief Executive