Community Committee Meeting Minutes

23 November 2023

MINUTES OF Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Community Committee Meeting No. CM23-3
HELD IN THE Council Chambers, 1484 Cameron Road, Tauranga
ON Thursday, 23 November 2023 AT 1.30pm

1                 Karakia

Whakatau mai te wairua Whakawātea mai te hinengaro Whakarite mai te tinana Kia ea ai ngā mahi Āe

Settle the spirit Clear the mind Prepare the body To achieve what needs to be achieved. Yes

2                Present

Cr M Murray-Benge (Chairperson), Cr G Dally, Cr T Coxhead, Cr R Crawford, Mayor J Denyer, Cr M Grainger, Cr A Henry, Deputy Mayor J Scrimgeour, Cr D Thwaites, Cr A Wichers, Katikati Community Board Chairperson J Clements, Maketu Community Board Chairperson L Rae, Te Puke Community Board Chairperson K Ellis and Waihī Beach Community Board Chairperson R Goudie.

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Cr A Sole

P Presland (Chairperson, Ōmokoroa Community Board)

3                In Attendance

R Davie (Deputy CEO/ General Manager Community), G Golding (Governance Manager), S Cuers (Strategic Housing Programme Lead), R Leahy (Governance Advisor) and H Wi Repa (Governance Systems Advisor)

others

N Tutt (Priority One)

C Baskin (Priority One)

4               Apologies

Apology

Resolution  CM23-3.1

Moved:         Maketu Community Board Chairperson L Rae

Seconded:   Cr M Grainger

That the apologies for lateness from Cr A Sole and absence from Cr R Joyce be accepted.

Carried

5                Consideration of Late Items

Nil

6                Declarations of Interest

Nil

7                Public Excluded Items

Nil

8                Public Forum

8.1          liz farrel - Incorporated Society Ōmokoroa

Ms Farrel was in attendance to discuss establishing an incorporated society in Ōmokoroa and provided the following comments:

· Ms Farrel disclosed that she was an employee of Western Bay of Plenty Council and owned Lizard News but was in attendance in her capacity as a resident of Ōmokoroa.

· Given the rapid growth in Ōmokoroa, community-led development was necessary.

· The incorporated society would coordinate and promote events, music and arts, encourage economic development and facilitate  outreach for community providers.

· Once established, the incorporated society would apply for funding to hire a coordinator or community connector.

· A submission on this proposal would be made to the Long-Term Plan.

· The group was looking for financial support and advice from Council.

· 1.45pm Te Puke Community Board Chairperson K Ellis withdrew from the meeting.

· Youth engagement was a significant concern for the community. There were limited programmes for teenagers in Ōmokoroa.

· No research had been undertaken on how the incorporate society would be funded in the long term, however, a targeted rate was an option to be investigated.

9                Reports

9.1          Priority One Annual Report 2022/23

The Committee considered a report dated 23 November 2023 from the Community and Strategic Relationship Manager. The report was taken as read.

Mr Tutt and Mr Baskin were in attendance to speak to the Priority One Annual Report 2022/23, with the following comments noted:

· The Western Bay of Plenty District had low unemployment rates compared to the rest of the country.

· Housing and affordability metrics were high due to a low median annual income.

· Infrastructure was a key challenge for the Western Bay economy and a barrier for businesses wanting to grow.

· Priority One was looking to improve workforce outcomes for Māori.

2.07pm Te Puke Community Board Chairperson K Ellis entered the meeting.

· Priority One had been working on the investment migrant programme which looked to attract migrants wanting to invest in local businesses in New Zealand.

· The majority of Ara Rau (Priority One programme) participants stayed in employment, however, there were a portion that struggled to work 40 hour weeks. Working with the right employers and providing adequate training was necessary to prevent people falling back into unemployment.

· Over the next six months, Priority One would focus on gaining attention and investment from Central Government.

· The population growth of Western Bay of Plenty had been consistently underestimated by Statistics NZ. This should be considered when assessing future infrastructure needs.

Resolution  CM23-3.2

Moved:         Cr M Grainger

Seconded:   Cr A Henry

1.        That the Community and Strategic Relationship Manager’s report dated 23 November 2023, titled ‘Priority One Annual Report 2022/23’, be received.

Carried

9.2         Enabling Housing - progress report Q2 2023

The Committee considered a report dated 23 November 2023 from the Strategic Housing Programme Lead, who spoke to the report, with the following comments noted:

· Council established ‘enabling housing’ and a key strategic priority.

· Council was looking to more than double the elderly housing portfolio in Katikati.

· There has been an escalation in the gap between income and housing costs in the District.

3:09pm Cr Coxhead withdrew from the meeting.

Staff responded to pātai from the Committee as per below:

· Appropriate landscaping was an important consideration when building affordable housing.

· The high cost of providing infrastructure to sparsely populated areas meant that rezoning land for residential use did not solve the housing needs. Areas zoned residential needed to be built up before more land was developed.

· Multi-generational housing was not a product seen regularly in new housing developments in the Western Bay of Plenty.

· Reducing financial contributions for social housing had not resulted in a huge uptake in Papakāinga. The majority of Papakāinga developments occurred on Māori land which were not subdivided.

Resolution  CM23-3.3

Moved:         Cr M Murray-Benge

Seconded:   Maketu Community Board Chairperson L Rae

1.        That the Strategic Housing Programme Lead’s report dated 23 November 2023, titled   ‘Enabling Housing – Progress Report Q2 2023’ be received.

Carried

10              Information for Receipt

The Meeting closed at 3.36pm

Confirmed as a true and correct record by Council on 14 December 2023.