Community Plan Committee
Report of a meeting held in the Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, 30 Laings Road,
Lower Hutt on
Tuesday 12 February 2019 commencing at 9.30am
PRESENT: Mayor WR Wallace (Chair) (until 10.28am)
Cr G Barratt Cr C Barry (from 9.36am)
Deputy Mayor D Bassett (from 9.31am) Cr L Bridson
Cr J Briggs Cr MJ Cousins
Cr S Edwards Cr T Lewis
Cr M Lulich Cr G McDonald
Cr C Milne Cr L Sutton (from 9.33am)
APOLOGIES: Apologies were received for lateness from Deputy Mayor Bassett and Crs Barry and Sutton.
IN ATTENDANCE: Mr T Stallinger, Chief Executive
Mr L Allott, Chief Information Officer (part meeting)
Ms K Kelly, General Manager, City Transformation (part meeting)
Mr B Kibblewhite, General Manager, Corporate Services
Mr M Reid, General Manager, City and Community Services (part meeting)
Mr B Hodgins, Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services (part meeting)
Mr P Benseman, Acting Chief Financial Officer
Mr M Mercer, Divisional Manager, Community Hubs (part meeting)
Ms M Laban, Divisional Manager, Community Projects and Relationships (part meeting)
Ms L Dalby, Senior Communications Advisor (part meeting)
Mr J Pritchard, Principal Research and Policy Advisor (part meeting)
Ms K Stannard, Divisional Manager, Democratic Services
Ms D Male, Committee Advisor
PUBLIC BUSINESS
1. APOLOGIES
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Resolved: (Mayor Wallace/Cr McDonald) Minute No. CPC 19101 “That the apologies received from Deputy Mayor Bassett and Crs Barry and Sutton for lateness be accepted.” |
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
Deputy Mayor Bassett joined the meeting at 9.31am.
Cr Sutton joined the meeting at 9.33am.
Cr Barry joined the meeting at 9.36am.
Comments are recorded under the item to which they relate.
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3. PRESENTATION BY THE MAYOR (18/1994) The Chair delivered his presentation. He said Council was on year two of three of the Long Term Plan (LTP), with a mix of ambitious projects to enchance the City. He said that budget assumptions were based on keeping the rates the lowest in the region with a number of significant cost pressures across the City, the region and nationally. He added that members and officers would work collectively to deliver on the exciting and ambitious LTP. |
4. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS
Members noted the conflicts of interest from Deputy Mayor Bassett in relation to Urban Plus Limited, from Cr Cousins in relation to Hutt City Communities Facilities Trust and from Cr Milne in relation to Seaview Marina Limited and Hutt Valley Tennis.
5. Recommendations to Council – at the conclusion of the Community Plan Committee meeting
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i) |
Supporting Lower Hutt's Indigenous Biodiversity (19/88) |
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Speaking under public comment Mr D Innes and Ms P Innes expressed their view that Council should copy what Wellington had achieved with Zealandia and Whanganui with Bushey Park, to fence protected areas to extinguish pests and reintroduce birds. They said that 26k hectres of public land was not looked after, with wild goats, pigs and deer, where the natural vegetation had changes and gaps in the canopy cover had developed. They added that it had been successfully argued in 2002 in the Environment Court, the then called SNRs, were counter productive on private land. They believed that it would be ideal to fence the Mohaka Wetlands area and another area on the coast for marine bird breeding. In response to questions from members, Mr Innes confirmed support for the additional funding, with more effective control on wild deer. He believed the 26k hectres of land was made up of public land and was owned jointly between Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Department of Conservation with 5k in private ownership. The Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services confirmed for members that 19k hectres was public land and 8k hectres was private land. In response to a question from a member, Mrs Innes said that landowners required help with pest control and that there needed to be a pest plan to eradicate the wild goats, pigs and deer and barberry plants. |
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Speaking under public comment Ms D Clark highlighted the importance of Council circulating information to all landowners in the City not just the landowners affected. She elaborated on the costs of pest traps. She added there should be a commitment to being pest free. In response to a question from a member, Ms Clark suggested that an exchange scheme be run to hire traps, with the payment of a deposit. |
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Speaking under public comment, Mr M Young said that the funding requested was for $265k for the coming year, where last year it was $245k in addition to the statutory requirement funding. He expressed concern wiuth losing the money from the budget along with the protection, with only an additional $20k a year request. Mayor Wallace commented that the $265k was a new request for money. He added that a Council decision identified issues for officers to review and address, with work underway in relation to this. |
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The Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services elaborated on the report. In response to a question from a member, the Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services advised that a key issue was the regional plan, for a long term benefit, with consideration on landowners wanting to put on a covenant to protect their land. Mayor Wallace left the meeting at 10.28am and Deputy Mayor Bassett assumed the chair. In response to questions from members, the Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services advised that Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) had a pest control plan which covered a wide area and related to wild pigs, goats and deer. He also advised that Council’s plan concentrated on plant pests. He said that Council managed 200 hectres of land and 8k hectres had been identified as private land. He added that Council’s plan was to be reviewed as part of Council’s Environmental Strategy. |
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Cr Cousins commented that a submission to GWRC’s as part of its Annual Plan process should be consided, in relation to pests and specifically deers.
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ReCOMMENDED: (Deputy Mayor Bassett/Cr Barratt) Minute No. CPC 19102 “That the Committee recommends that Council: (i) notes that Council owns and manages approximately 2,000 hectares of bush reserve land with ecological value, most of which has protection via Reserves Act classifications; (ii) notes that Council currently allocates within the Parks budget a total of $415,000 annually to support indigenous biodiversity on these reserves; and (iii) agrees to include an indicative ongoing annual provision in its 2019/20 draft annual plan of $265,000 to support indigenous biodiversity on identified private property.” |
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Resolved: (Cr Cousins/Cr Edwards) Minute No. CPC 19103 “That the Committee: (i) asks officers to prepare suitable comments to include in Council’s submission to the Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Annual Plan on its Regional Pest Management Strategy to be signed by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor; and (ii) asks officers to send the submission to Councillors for their information.” |
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ii) |
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Speaking under public comment, Ms V Horrocks, Chair representing the Eastbourne Community Board (ECB) questioned the reasons why the Eastern Bays shared path had been reassessed. She said that ambitious projects with technical and bureaucratic processes were likely to go overcost. She hoped that the resource consent would be lodged in March. She added that is was not just a nice project to have, but there were safety issues to address. Speaking under public comment Mr D Wiltshire said that the shared path had been a vision of Council for more than two decades. He added that a resident survey undertaken late in 2016 favoured completion of the project. He believed that a beach replenishment project should be considered as part of the proposal. He added that an enhancement project would have a significant community, regional and national benefit. He concluded that to not proceed would signal a significant vote of no confidence in Council, not just from Eastbourne, but the whole Hutt Valley. |
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In response to a question from a member, Mr Wiltshire said that each bay had been consulted on the project, with ECB involved and the community’s views had been taken on board by the working group. In response to a question from a member, Ms Horrocks advised that she thought the most dangerous areas to be addressed first would be Windy Point, between Days Bay and Eastbourne, Lowry and York Bays. She added that the whole project was required as issues could arise from areas being completed in part. She noted that the subsidy was based on the whole project. |
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Speaking under public comment Mr M Young expressed support for reassessing the shared paths and cycleways. He added that bulk water supply was a cost pressure which should have already been part of the draft budget. He questioned if the Whaitua process would consider water consumption in the Hutt Valley. In response to a question from a member, Mr Young said that the cycleway in parts of the Eastern Bays would just stop and when cycling into the 70km/h roadway it felt quite dangerous. |
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Deputy Mayor Bassett left the meeting at 11.04am and Cr Cousins assumed the chair. The General Manager, Corporate Services elaborated on the report. Deputy Mayor Bassett rejoined the meeting at 11.07am and assumed the chair. In response to a question from a member, the General Manager, Corporate Services advised that officers were working with contractors in relation to the living wage. He noted that the matter would be reported to the next Finance and Performance Committee prior to consideration by this Committee. In response to a question from a member, the Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services advised that a report on the bulk water supply would be presented to the next Finance and Performance Committee. In response to a question from a member, the General Manager, Corporate Services advised that the potential cost increase for the Beltway and Eastern Bays shared pathway projects had been included within the draft budget. He noted that other costs associated with the Mobility Hub had not yet been determined. The meeting adjourned at 11.23am and resumed at 11.42am. In response to questions from members, the General Manager, Corporate Services advised that rates rise was illustrated with example properties, although residential and commercial properties were not treated in the same way in relation to rates. In response to a question from a member, the Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services advised that Wellington Water Ltd (WWL) had a communication strategy for the region in relation to water usage. He further expanded on water consumption across the region. In response to a question from a member, the General Manager, City and Community Services advised that worked continued on the Eastern Bays shared pathway project and a workshop would be organised within the next three months. He added that funding was sought for the whole project from the New Zealand Transport Agency. |
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Members asked officers to report back on paying the Living Wage to contractors through the appropriate committee with proposed recommendations to the Community Plan Committee meeting to be held on 5 June 2019. Members noted that officers were working with Wellington Water Ltd to organise a workshop on the resilience programme for water.
Members noted that officers would be reporting on water consumption to the next Finance and Performance Committee.
Members noted that officers would be reporting back on the Eastern Bays cycleway/shared path to the next Community Plan Committee meeting. |
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Resolved:(Cr Bridson/Cr McDonald) Minute No. CPC 19104 “That the Committee agrees that if the cycleway programme of work needs to be reassessed in the future that officers undertake consultation including the Walkway Cycle Advisory Group at that time.”
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Cr Milne left the meeting at 12.33pm. The Chief Information Officer and the General Manager, City and Community Services elaborated on the Petone Centre.
Cr Milne rejoined the meeting at 12.34pm.
In response to questions from members, the Chief Information Officer advised that options for the Petone Centre were as follows: · replacement of the current Petone library building, including building apartments above the community centre; · replacement of the current Petone library building with the addition of a master plan for the surrounding area; · repair and upgrade of the current Petone library building; · repair of the current Petone library building; or · explore the option of building a completely new building. Members noted that officers were working with Urban Plus Ltd regarding options for the Petone Centre. Members also noted that officers would be reporting back to the Community Plan Committee meeting on 5 June 2019.
In response to a question from a member, the General Manager, Corporate Services advised that the project would not breach Council’s Significance Policy. Members discussed information provided by Hutt Valley Tennis Inc. |
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Resolved: (Deputy Mayor Bassett/Cr Sutton) Minute No. CPC 19105 “That the Committee: (i) asks officers to undertake further research on the Hutt Valley Tennis Inc proposal; and (ii) reports back to the City Development Committee with proposed recommendations to the Community Plan Committee at its meeting to be held on 5 June 2019.” |
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Cr Sutton left the meeting at 1.03pm. The Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services elaborated on the options for Days Bay Wharf. In response to questions from members, the Strategic Advisor, City and Community Services advised that the refurbishment works could potentially be deferred for three to five years, as works were completed on cycles on four to five years. He added that there was a risk that costs and tenders increasing over that period. Cr Sutton rejoined the meeting at 1.20pm. Members discussed the options, project budget contingency and community expectation of the works to the commercially utilised wharf. The meeting was adjourned at 1.27pm and resumed at 2.03pm. |
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RECOMMENDED:(Deputy Mayor Bassett/Cr Cousins)Minute No. CPC 19106 “That the Committee recommends that Council: (i) accepts the lowest tender for the Days Bay Wharf reburbishment as is and asks officers to work hard keeping the project within budget; and (ii) establishes a project working group to oversee the Days Bay Wharf reburbishment with the membership being the Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee (Chair) and one Harbour Ward Councillor.” |
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Cr Milne requested that his dissenting vote be recorded against the above matter. |
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The Acting Chief Financial Officer displayed the net debt forecast including the $500k for wharves and $265k for biodiversity The General Manager, Corporate Services elaborated the the net debt forecast. |
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RECOMMENDED: (Deputy Mayor Bassett/Cr Cousins) Minute No. CPC 19107 “That the Committee recommends that Council: (i) adopts the draft budgets attached as Appendices 1 to 4 to the report; (ii) agrees to increase rates by an average of 1.8% in 2019/20; (iii) notes the potential cost pressures currently not included in the draft budget, as outlined in the report (paragraphs 28 to 30 inclusive and paragraphs 44 to 67 inclusive ); (iv) agrees to the changes to the draft budgets including the amendments agreed at the meeting; and (v) notes the further requests for officers to report back to the Community Plan Committee meeting to be held on 5 June 2019.” |
6. QUESTIONS
There were no questions.
There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 2.18pm.
D Bassett
ACTING CHAIR
CONFIRMED as a true and correct record
Dated this 26th day of March 2019