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Attachment 1 |
SWG Report to Council - Year to 30 June 2016 |
Seaview Working Group 12 Month Report
to 30th June 2016
Contents:
Objective 1: Develop Database of businesses in Seaview/Gracefield
· Develop Database
· Networking Events
· Monthly Newsletter
· Christmas Flyer
Objective 2: Lift the Profile of the Seaview/Gracefield area
· STEMM festival
· Other events
· Develop website to profile the area and attract businesses
· SWG in the media
Objective 3: Maintain and Strengthen Governance/Operational capability
· Maintain a core group of businesses on Governance team
· Coordinators role
· Broadening representation in the membership base and growing the Governance Group
· Make submissions to Council on matters affecting the Seaview/Gracefield business community
· Issues working on for the Business Community
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Objective 1: Develop Database of Businesses in Seaview/Gracefield |
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Current Initiatives and Progress Develop Database |
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Networking Events – minimum of 6 networking events
Monthly Newsletters
Christmas Flyer
Longer Term Priorities |
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Over the next 12 months the group will make a push to increase the numbers attending the networking events and continue to hold street meetings. |
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Objective 2: Lift the Profile of the Seaview/Gracefield area |
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Current Initiatives and Progress
STEMM festival event |
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Other events involved in 30 June 2015 SWG put on a Recycled bus tour for the Small Town Conference hosted by the Jackson Street Programme in April. Those that attended the tour gave very positive feedback however the numbers were lower than we were expecting at four. The businesses that provided tours were Metal Art, Flight Plastics and Waste Management with a display and presentation from Denise Anglesey on ECO fashion over morning tea.
30 June 2016 There have been no extra events that SWG has been involved in over the last twelve months.
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Develop website to profile the area and attract businesses
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SWG in the media |
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Longer Term Priorities The Lightwing sculpture when it is installed will be an opportunity for SWG to be in the media perhaps late 2016 or early 2017. |
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Objective 3: Maintain and Strengthen Governance/Operational capability |
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Current Initiatives and Progress
Maintain a core group of businesses on Governance team |
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Coordinators role
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30 June 2015 Claire Allan is still employed by SWG in the role of Co-ordinator working an average of 10 hours per week.
30 June 2016 Claire Allan is still employed by SWG in the role of Co-ordinator working an average of 10 hours per week. |
Broadening representation in the membership base and growing the Governance Group
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30 June 2015 The average number of members attending the committee meetings over the last six months is 6. This is down from the last half which was eight. February – 7 members March – 6 members April – 7 members May – 7 members June – 4 members
30 June 2016 The average number of members attending the committee meetings over the year is 6. This is similar to last year. July AGM – 8 members August – 9 members September – 7 members October – 6 members November – 3 members February – 4 members March – had to be cancelled at the last minute April – 7 members May – 8 members June – 6 members In the June meeting a motion was passed to change the name of the Seaview Working Group to Seaview Business Association. The name change will be formalised later in August. The group believe this name change may allow people to feel more connected with what the group’s aims are. |
Make submissions to Council on matters affecting the Seaview/Gracefield business community
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30 June 2015 SWG made a submission to the GWRC and HCC on their long term plans requesting they consider the need to look at the sea wall along Port Road and the rate that erosion is happening work in this area needs to be made a priority. After presenting at both hearings the HCC have agreed to move the allocated money for this job into the next financial year where a temporary sea wall will be put in place and the GWRC will match the design of this along the section that they are responsible for. A more long term plan for this edge will have to wait until the flood protection work for the Lower Hutt Central city has been finished.
30 June 2016 With regards to the last year’s submission on the Port Road erosion, design work is in progress and work on construction is meant to start by the end of 2016. The work was meant to be finished by now but there have been some hold ups with GWRC declining to do the work they had agreed to do but then coming back on board again. In 2016 SWG made a submission to HCC on the issue of the boy racer visits into the area. The group requested that the council consider a weighted vehicle by-law and a liquor ban to assist Police with moving on the boy –racers. Currently the liquor ban is under public consultation and the local businesses continue to record visits into the area and the problems they cause. With regards to the weighted vehicle by-law the HCC road team’s legal advice is that such a by-law is against the Bill of Rights. The Police don’t agree with this stand and are working on a report around this at the moment. There are several cities around the country that use this weighted vehicle by-law at the moment and to date it hasn’t been contested. |
Issues working on for the Business Community
30 June 2015
The project for a night Security guard in Seaview has resulted in a relationship with Total Harbour City Guards that saw a guard working at night in the area from early March. The number of businesses joining this initiative continues to grow and currently the guard is leaving Seaview for forty minutes a night to cover another job. This means a much shorter response time for break ins in Seaview and keeping an eye for suspicious activity. The group are excited that so far this initiative is working. To date it has been hard to track if there has been a reduction in crime in the area as the
Security information sharing emails that were being sent out by the Local community Constable had to stop for a while until the policy was reviewed. These security emails are due to start back up. To date we still need to work on the signage for this initiative.
The emergency response communication will be put back on the agenda for late 2015 and the Lightwing project has had a setback due to a lack of funds with the changes to the budget. Further discussions about this project will be had with the businesses in Seaview to gain further support and hopefully get this built in 2016.
The E Tu Trust are also working on a sculpture trail along the Waiwhetu Stream and SWG would like to support this and have proposed a mural on a back wall of the HJ Asmuss building that can be seen from Seaview Road. Work to get this off the ground will continue.
30 June 2016
The night guard is still operating in Seaview although total harbour City Guards has been sold to Allied Security. Allied have been changing some of the businesses procedures and re branding and have indicated some changes to pricing which may put businesses off being part of this. We have spoken with Rosebank Business Association in Auckland about their pricing structure and hope that Allied Security may be able to do something similar.
Emergency response communication – In September 2015 the group sent out a reminder about emergency response planning. A map of the area and where high ground is was sent out so staff can plan evacuation routes. A couple of businesses along Gracefield Road have access up the hill side and these routes where pointed out to the businesses. This coincided with the Shake Out Day which the group also advertised to the businesses and encouraged participation.
Lightwing Sculpture had some hold ups due to the upgrade of the sewerage pipes under the roundabout. However after working with Wellington Water and Hutt City Council the issues have been resolved and progress on this can start again. One fin of the sculpture has been made as a test. It is hopeful that the sculpture could be finished by the end of 2016.
The E Tu Trust are working on the third piece of sculpture for the Waiwhetu sculpture trial. The mural idea for the Asmuss building hasn’t progressed at this stage.
The trial of a rubbish bin by the table on the Waiwhetu Stream edge had no issues so the group requested that the HCC install another rubbish along Port Road. This was done between two picnic tables across the road from the Port Road canteen. Businesses have noted less issues with rubbish in this area after the bin was installed.
Bus stops – discussions were had with Greater Wellington Regional Council about bus stop usage numbers in the area. The group highlighted the Gracefield Road stop near Hutt Park Road corner as one that businesses felt had a high usage rate and staff would welcome a shelter. It was agreed by GWRC that this stop number 8700 would be added to the list and should be installed in October 2016. Unfortunately there was a change of staff at GWRC and this stop was not added to the list. This has been rectified and has since been added to the list for the next financial year to receive a shelter. With the change of staff the issue of the Seaview Road bus stop over the entrance to Seaview Blasting has stalled again. It has been brought back to GWRC attention and we hope progress while start again. In December 2015 GWRC had said that they were contacting the businesses on the street to discuss moving the bus stop to the other side of the road. This issue has been outstanding since April 2013.
Progress has been made with regards to street cameras with a trial of some street cameras been done and the committee planning to work with Hutt Park Road to install street cameras to start with by the end of 2016. These cameras will be monitored 24 hours a day by a security company. It is planned that these cameras will be jointly funded by the businesses and the Seaview Working Group.
A survey of the members was carried out late in 2015 with recommendations coming from the businesses that they would like more businesses to hold networking events to have more information about new businesses coming into the area and showed concern about the Boy racer visits.
Street car parking was also flagged by some businesses as being an issue. The co-ordinator worked with HCC road engineers to install car park markings for both sides of Port Road outside the Port Road canteen and also in parts of Hutt Park Road. This has allowed for more cars being able to park in these areas due to better spacing.
Longer Term Priorities
Improved signage along the cycleway on Port Road is something that the group would like to see budgeted for still. Discussion were had with a number of people in Council about this but no progress has been made at this stage.
To see street cameras throughout Seaview/Gracefield area.