Minutes of Petone Community Board

2 12 April 2021

HUTT CITY COUNCIL

Poari Hapori o Pito-one | Petone Community Board

Minutes of a meeting held in the Petone Library, 7 Britannia Street, Petone on

Monday 12 April 2021 commencing at 6.30pm

PRESENT: Ms P Hanna (Chair) Mr M Fisher (Deputy Chair)

Mr M Henderson Mr M Roberts

Mr A Voutratzis (from 6.40pm) Ms K Yung

Deputy Mayor T Lewis

APOLOGIES: Mr Voutratzis (for lateness)

IN ATTENDANCE: Cr D Hislop
Ms H Oram, Director Environment and Sustainability

Ms A Blackshaw, Director Neighbourhoods and Communities

Mr C Agate, Traffic Planning and Engineering Manager (Acting)

Ms J Randall, Democracy Advisor

PUBLIC BUSINESS

1. APOLOGIES

Resolved: (Ms Hanna/Deputy Mayor Lewis) Minute No. PCB 21201

That the apology for lateness received from Mr Voutratzis be accepted.

HE MIHI

Aio ke te Aorangi

Aroha ki te Aorangi

Koa ki te Aorangi

Pono ki te Aorangi

Peace to the universe

Love to the universe

Joy to the universe

Truth to the universe

Na Rangimarie Rose Pere

PRECEDENCE OF BUSINESS

In accordance with Standing Order 10.4, the Chair gave precedence to item 5e). The item is recorded in the order in which it was listed on the Order Paper.

MINOR MATTER NOT ON THE AGENDA

Resolved: (Ms Hanna/Deputy Mayor Lewis) Minute No. PCB 21202

“That in terms of Standing Order 10.13 the Board agrees that a minor matter not on the Order Paper relating to presentations from:

Ms M Stronarch-Marsh, a representative of Keep Hutt Valley Beautiful and a recipient of community engagement funding; and Ms Vicki Hollywell, a representative of the Wellington Tenths Trust, which were not included on the Order Paper, be discussed at this meeting.”

3. PUBLIC COMMENT

Comments are recorded under the item to which they relate.

4.	Mayor's Address The Chair noted Mayor Barry’s apology and read the Mayoral Statement, attached as pages 7-8 to the minutes.

5. Presentations

Presentation by a representative of the Wellington Tenths Trust a) Ms Vicki Hollywell, Operations Manager, representing Wellington Tenths Trust (the Trust), elaborated on the background to the Trust’s establishment. She explained the Trust provided dividends to members as well as cultural education, hospitality, involvement in environmental protection and social services. She highlighted that as mana whenua, the Trust was Council’s partner. She made the following points: - Te Tatau o te Pō Mārae would like to remove commercial properties and create a community around its marae to house and assist their people. - Water should not be available for commercial allocation. - Tūpuna (ancestors) of the Trust’s hapū had made significant contributions to the Petone community, including the Petone Settlers Museum, but these contributions had not been recognised. - Petone beach needed to be cared for with more planting. - The Trust would appreciate a pontoon at Petone Wharf and on the Hutt River for waka (canoes). - Mātauranga Māori should be interwoven in all Council engagement. Cr van Lier from Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) advised that GWRC’s submission to Central Government’s Resource Management Act consultation had requested that local authorities be able to allocate water based on the four wellbeings.
b) Presentation by a representative of Keep Hutt Valley Beautiful Ms Michelle Stronarch-Marsh, representing Keep Hutt Valley Beautiful (the Group), thanked members for providing support through the Community Engagement Fund. She advised the Group had purchased litter grabbers and had ordered litter tubs but the shipment had been delayed. She said the Group’s plan was to encourage schools and other organisations to take responsibility for organising rubbish pick-ups. She added the Group had been collaborating with schools and childcare centres and providing them with litter grabbers.
c) Presentation on Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Long Term Plan Cr van Lier from Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) provided a verbal update on GWRC’s proposed Long Term Plan (LTP). He advised the consultation focussed on three key proposals: electrifying the public transport fleet, reforesting the regional parks and funding a regional committee to support the Regional Growth Framework, economic development and recovery. He elaborated on the options and outlined the benefits and impacts for Lower Hutt. Local proposals included re-foresting parks in the region, upgrading Waterloo Station, the water treatment plant and bus stop infrastructure. He added the empowerment of mana whenua partners was a strong feature of the proposed LTP.
d) Presentation by Local Councillor from Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) Cr van Lier reported GWRC had allocated $40,000 towards the proposed Wainuiomata Eco-Sanctuary. He noted that GWRC was waiting for the Department of Conservation to make a decision on the eco-sanctuary’s feasibility. He advised the new RiverLink riparian strips were to be planted in natives. He explained that a proposal to charge for Park n’ Ride vehicle parking was part of a wider strategy to connect people to transport. He added the proposal would not be implemented if it resulted in more vehicles on the road.
e)	Presentation on Council's Long Term Plan 2021-2031 Deputy Mayor Tui Lewis provided a verbal update and presentation on the key messages and priorities of Council’s proposed Long Term Plan (LTP). She explained the proposed LTP focussed on major challenges including the impacts of COVID-19, aging infrastructure, population growth, housing and climate change whilst maintaining financial sustainability.
f)	Presentation by Jackson Street Programme Ms Karen Arraj-Fisher, Administrator for the Jackson Street Programme (JSP), provided a verbal update. She advised that approval from the building owner had been given for a mural on the wall of the Victoria Tavern with an application for a second mural recently submitted to the Creative Communities Fund. She said a free holiday programme was in place for the upcoming school holidays, along with activities focussed on the Jackson Street area for families. She added an events calendar would be available to promote other community happenings. She highlighted that JSP would be writing submissions on Council’s proposed District Plan changes, Heritage Policy and Transport Policy. She expressed concern that the changes to rubbish and recycling would cause problems on Jackson Street due to the number of apartments on the street frontage. The Director Neighbourhoods and Communities advised Council officers were assisting residents to find solutions where there were addresses with storage and access issues. She said a Council officer would contact JSP to discuss the issue.

Presentation on Climate Change Co-design Project

The Director Environment and Sustainability provided a verbal update on the project. She explained Council was using a co-design approach to help the city adapt to climate change impacts and a transition to Carbon Zero by working with communities to design solutions. She said the lead group had been drawn from the community to engage with their communities and further inform the plan. She highlighted that a framework for a Council-wide carbon reduction plan was expected by the end of June 2021 and a city-wide carbon reduction plan would be complete by the end of 2021.

6. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS

There were no conflict of interest declarations.

7. Minutes

Resolved: (Ms Hanna/Mr Henderson) Minute No. PCB 21203

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Petone Community Board held on Monday, 15 February 2021, be confirmed as a true and correct record.”

8.	Submission to Greater Wellington Regional Council on the draft Regional Land Transport Plan and draft Regional Public Transport Plan (21/456) Memorandum dated 19 March 2021 by the Senior Democracy Advisor
	Speaking under public comment, Ms Merran Bakker expressed support for the Board’s submission. She believed that better connectivity for active travel was also needed with safe shared paths. She expressed concern there was a risk of poor quality housing blocks being developed in Petone, some located at a distance from public transport. She expressed further concern that wider consultation was not required for large developments that had a significant impact on neighbours. She asked for urban planning that considered good design, historic character and transport infrastructure. The Director Environment and Sustainability explained the limitations of consultation under the Resource Management Act. She invited Ms Bakker to attend one of the District Plan drop-in sessions in Petone to speak with Council officers about her concerns. Cr van Lier (GWRC) advised GWRC was investigating future options such as ride-shares and self-driving shuttles for streets not close to public transport.
	Resolved: (Ms Hanna/Mr Henderson) Minute No. PCB 21204 “That the Board: (1) notes that a submission in respect of Greater Wellington Regional Council’s draft Regional Land Transport Plan and draft Regional Public Transport Plan requires the Board’s retrospective endorsement; and (2) endorses its submission attached as Appendix 1 to the memorandum.”
9.	Committee Advisor's Report (21/461) Report No. PCB2021/2/30 by the Senior Democracy Advisor
	In response to a question from a member, the Chair agreed to investigate when the trial of ‘Big Bins’ on Petone Foreshore would be completed.
	Resolved: (Ms Hanna/Mr Roberts) Minute No. PCB 21205 “That the Board notes and receives the report.”
10.	Chairperson's Report (21/462) Report No. PCB2021/2/40 by the Chair, Petone Community Board
	Speaking under public comment, Mr Nigel Frater expressed concern that the pace and nature of development in Petone was impacting the heritage features and character of the area. He requested there be more protection in place. He noted Petone had been identified as being at particular risk from sea level rise and earthquakes. Deputy Mayor Lewis advised that there was an opportunity to provide feedback on the review of Council’s District Plan. She recommended he attend drop-in sessions at the Petone Library on 14 or 16 April 2021 and speak with Council’s officers about his concerns. The Chair elaborated on the report and made the following corrections and additions: Point b) There had been one appeal to the Environment Court on the proposed Eastern Bay Shared Path. Point c) The correct closing date for submissions on Council’s proposed Long Term Plan was 6 May 2021. Point j) Kāinga Ora’s Stakeholder Manager would be able to provide updates on the tower blocks at the east end of Jackson Street not Council’s Communications Manager. The Director Neighbourhoods and Communities advised that one member of the Community Projects and Relationships team had carried out a piece of engagement work with Moera residents to better understand the voice of the community around future investment in the town centre and other projects. She noted this was an early indication of the way Council was looking to re-set the way it engaged and worked with communities. She noted a Community Co-ordinator provided a central point of knowledge and co-ordination. She added Council officers would provide an update for the Board at its next meeting on 28 June 2021. In response to a question from a member, the Director Neighbourhoods and Communities agreed to consider how these roles could best align with the work of Community Boards to harness collective impact on the ground.
	Resolved: (Ms Hanna/Mr Henderson) Minute No. PCB 21206 “That the Board notes and receives the report.”
11.	Verbal update from Mr Voutratzis - Reference Group for the Jackson Street Project The Chair requested the item lie on the table until the Board’s next meeting on 28 June 2021 when more information from the New Zealand Transport Authority would be available.
	Resolved: (Ms Hanna/Mr Voutratzis) Minute No. PCB 21207 “That the matter lie on the table until the Board’s next meeting on 28 June 2021 when more information will be available.”

12. QUESTIONS

There were no questions.

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 8.27pm.

P Hanna

CHAIR

CONFIRMED as a true and correct record

Dated this 28th day of June 2021

Mayoral Address to Community Boards - April 2021

Kia ora,

I hope you all enjoyed a well-deserved break Easter break earlier this month.

Since the last community board meeting, Council has released our draft ten year plan for public consultation, so our community is able to have their say on what is being planned for the decade ahead.

A significant part of our 10 year plan is about addressing our city’s growth. We know that this has, and continues to place, an enormous amount of pressure on our ageing infrastructure. We simply cannot afford to underinvest in critical three water and transport infrastructure, and that is why we are proposing to front up to this challenge and make a significant investment.

The proposed plan is about getting the basics right. By investing in our core infrastructure, like water pipes, transport connects, and the rebuild of Naenae Pool, we can make sure that we are building the foundations for our future to ensure all of our people are able to thrive.

As part of the 10 year plan consultation, we have significantly ramped up our engagement efforts. During the consultation period (up until 6 May 2021) we will host face to face meetings, community meetings, pop-in sessions at popular areas in the Hutt, online virtual public meetings, and a range of social media engagement.

This is one of the boldest and most ambitious plans in our city’s history, so we must make sure our communities are engaged with what we’re proposing. With that comes the responsibility on all of us to get the message out loud and clear.

Outside of our 10 year plan, there has been a range of other things happening at Council and across our city. Very briefly, these include:

● Starting consultation on upgrading Wainuiomata’s streetscape, to properly capitalise on the Mall redevelopment there

● Resource consent being granted for the Eastern Bays Shared Pathway, allowing us to continue to progress this important project for our city

● We’ve kicked off the development of our city’s integrated transport strategy, which is about getting a plan together to ensure all parts of our transport network are working well together

● Supporting New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccination roll-out by supporting the Hutt Valley DHB to administer vaccinations at the Walter Nash Centre

On a personal note, I also want to comment that it was a real honour to be at last week’s citizenship ceremony to welcome new residents to the best city in New Zealand. This was the first citizenship ceremony we have held in Lower Hutt in over a year, due to COVID-19 and associated gathering restrictions.

We have one of the most diverse cities in Aotearoa, and our new citizens will only further add to the diversity and vibrancy of our community. It was a privilege to welcome everyone and I know that the people of Lower Hutt will join me in celebrating this significant milestone in their lives.

As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to discuss any of the work that Council is doing, or major issues in my city. My priority is to engage with all of our people and all of our communities, and I am always available to chat. Please contact me by email: Campbell.Barry@huttcity.govt.nz, or via my social media channels.

Naku noa, na

Campbell Barry

Mayor of Lower Hutt