Agenda of Planning and Strategy Committee

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Planning and Strategy Committee MEETING

5 June 2019

Order of Business

NOTE: The Planning and Strategy Committee meeting coincides with the ordinary meeting of the Community Development Committee. The Committees will conduct business in the following order:

- Community Development Committee

- Planning and Strategy Committee

1. Apologies

2. Notification of Additional Items

Pursuant to Sections 46A(7) and 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, to receive the Chairperson’s explanation that specified item(s), which do not appear on the Agenda of this meeting and/or the meeting to be held with the public excluded, will be discussed.

Any additions in accordance with Section 46A(7) must be approved by resolution with an explanation as to why they cannot be delayed until a future meeting.

Any additions in accordance with Section 46A(7A) may be received or referred to a subsequent meeting for further discussion. No resolution, decision or recommendation can be made in respect of a minor item.

3. Declarations of Interest (if any)

Members are reminded of their duty to give a general notice of any interest of items to be considered on this agenda and the need to declare these interests.

4. Public Comment

To receive comments from members of the public on matters specified on this Agenda or, if time permits, on other Committee matters.

(NOTE: If the Committee wishes to consider or discuss any issue raised that is not specified on the Agenda, other than to receive the comment made or refer it to the Chief Executive, then a resolution will need to be made in accordance with clause 2 above.)

5. Submissions - Draft Wastewater Bylaw 2019 Page 7

6. Draft Wastewater Bylaw 2019 - Summary of Submissions Page 31

Memorandum, dated 17 May 2019 presented by the Strategy & Policy Manager, Julie Macdonald.

7. Confirmation of Minutes Page 35

“That the minutes of the Planning and Strategy Committee meeting of 6 May 2019 Part I Public be confirmed as a true and correct record.”

8. Prioritising Pedestrian Safety in the Network Page 43

Memorandum, dated 21 May 2019 presented by the Transport & Infrastructure Manager, Robert van Bentum.

9. Palmerston North Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment Report - May 2019 Page 77

Memorandum, dated 15 April 2019 presented by the City Planning Manager, David Murphy.

Note Elected Members have previously been supplied with the attachment to this item.

10. Draft Venues Policy for consultation Page 81

Memorandum, dated 8 April 2019 presented by the Strategy & Policy Manager, Julie Macdonald.

11. Update on Interdisciplinary Group on Signs Page 95

Memorandum, dated 14 May 2019 presented by the Strategy & Policy Manager, Julie Macdonald.

12. Smokefree Outdoor Areas Policy Review Page 99

Memorandum, dated 16 May 2019 presented by the Strategy & Policy Manager, Julie Macdonald.

13. Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019 - Deliberations on Submissions Page 101

Memorandum, dated 15 May 2019 presented by the Parks and Reserves Manager, Kathy Dever-Tod.

14. International Relations Policy Page 147

Memorandum, dated 17 May 2019 presented by the International Relations Manager, Toni Grace.

15. Committee Work Schedule Page 157

16. Exclusion of Public

To be moved:

“That the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting listed in the table below.

The general subject 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(1) 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(1) for passing this resolution

This resolution is made in reliance on Section 48(1)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and the particular interest or interests protected by Section 6 or Section 7 of that Act which would be prejudiced by the holding of the whole or the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting in public as stated in the above table.

Also that the persons listed below be permitted to remain after the public has been excluded for the reasons stated.

Chief Executive (Heather Shotter), Chief Financial Officer (Grant Elliott), Chief Infrastructure Officer (Tom Williams), General Manager – Strategy and Planning (Sheryl Bryant), General Manager - Community (Debbie Duncan), Chief Customer and Operating Officer (Chris Dyhrberg), General Manager - Marketing and Communications (Sacha Haskell), Sandra King (Executive Officer) because of their knowledge and ability to provide the meeting with advice on matters both from an organisation-wide context (being members of the Council’s Executive Leadership Team) and also from their specific role within the Council.

Legal Counsel (John Annabell), because of his knowledge and ability to provide the meeting with legal and procedural advice.

Committee Administrators (Penny Odell, Rachel Corser, Natalya Kushnirenko and Courtney Kibby), because of their knowledge and ability to provide the meeting with procedural advice and record the proceedings of the meeting.

[Add Council Officers], because of their knowledge and ability to assist the meeting in speaking to their report and answering questions, noting that such officer will be present at the meeting only for the item that relate to their respective report.

[Add Third Parties], because of their knowledge and ability to assist the meeting in speaking to their report/s [or other matters as specified] and answering questions, noting that such person/s will be present at the meeting only for the items that relate to their respective report/s [or matters as specified].

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: Draft Wastewater Bylaw 2019 - Summary of Submissions

DATE: 17 May 2019

Presented By: Julie Macdonald, Strategy and Policy Manager, Strategy & Planning

APPROVED BY: Sheryl Bryant, General Manager - Strategy & Planning

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Planning and Strategy Committee

1. That the summary of submissions on the draft Wastewater Bylaw 2019 be received.

1. ISSUE

The Council is consulting on the draft Wastewater Bylaw 2019. Four submissions were received, and all submitters have indicated that they wish to speak to Council about their submissions.

This memorandum provides a brief summary to the points raised by submitters. The submissions are attached in full to the Committee Order Paper.

2. BACKGROUND

The Council approved the draft Wastewater Bylaw 2019 in April 2019 for public consultation. The scope of proposed changes was largely driven by changes arising from the adoption of the Pressure Sewer Systems Policy in December 2018. Additional improvements identified since the Bylaw was initially adopted in 2017 were also included.

Consultation started on 13 April and closed at 4pm on 20 May 2019. Four submissions were received by the close of the submission period. All submitters have indicated that they wish to speak to Council.

3. Summary of submissions

The first submitter has raised concerns about the impacts of making pressure sewer systems mandatory for wastewater connections in the Northeast Industrial Extension Area. In particular, the submitter believes there is a lack of clarity in the Pressure Sewer Design Standards, the Engineering Standards for Land Development, and the District Plan, about the limits of water usage (and by extension, wastewater discharged) within the zone. The submitter is concerned that the current design standards could require developers to install and maintain underground storage tanks for up to 24 hours total discharge, which would impose a significant cost on the developer. Further, the submitter identifies ongoing maintenance costs for these storage systems, which could impact the economic viability of land development in this area.

The second submitter suggests that the Wastewater Service Area Map in the draft Bylaw should show not just the proposed service area, but also include rural residential areas with consent approval granted by Council, so that the Service Area includes the total consented areas, not just the physically connected area.

The third submitter has expressed support for clause 5.4 of the draft Bylaw, which permits connections for properties in the rural-residential overlay, where a subdivision consent has been given on the basis of receiving access to the public wastewater system. However, the submitter is opposed to clause 9. The submitter argues that clause 9 makes it mandatory for properties within the Pressure Sewer Service Area to connect to the public Pressure Sewer System. The submitter notes that they have an agreement with the landowner at 146 Richardsons Line – PMB Landco Ltd – to utilise the existing wastewater main. The submitter suggests including in the draft Bylaw a specific exemption for the property at 146 Richardson Line, to recognise this alternative arrangement. The submitter also supports concerns raised by the first submitter, relating to the impacts of making pressure sewer systems mandatory for wastewater connections in the Northeast Industrial Extension Area.

The fourth submitter supports the identification of the Proposed Wastewater Services Areas, including the City West growth area, and servicing growth areas through Pressure Sewer Systems. The submitter does raise concerns that there is sufficient capacity in the pressure sewer infrastructure to support the needs of the City West growth area, and wants to ensure that there is direct engagement with affected parties to ensure that the staging of development is properly managed.

4. NEXT STEPS

Officers will prepare a report for the Planning and Strategy Committee with advice on the written and oral submissions received. It is expected that this report will be presented to the August Committee meeting, with officer recommendations in response to the issues raised by submitters and any recommended changes to the draft Bylaw for adoption.

5. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide? If Yes quote relevant clause(s) from Delegations Manual 169		Yes
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		No
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No

The recommendations contribute to Goal 4: An Eco City
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the Eco City Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in the Three Waters Plan The action is: Adopt a pressure sewer policy for the City, supported by revisions to the Wastewater Bylaw (by end of 2018/2019)
Contribution to strategic direction	The development of a pressure sewer policy was identified as part of the Three Waters Plan, along with consequent changes to the Wastewater Bylaw to support the implementation of that policy. Conducting consultation on the draft Bylaw and Administration Manual will contribute to the completion of this action in the identified timeframe.

Attachments

Nil

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Palmerston North City Council

Minutes of the Planning and Strategy Committee Meeting Part I Public, held in the Council Chamber, First Floor, Civic Administration Building, 32 The Square, Palmerston North on 06 May 2019, commencing at 9.02am

Members

Present:

Councillor Duncan McCann (in the Chair), The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

Non Members:

Councillors Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM and Leonie Hapeta.

Apologies:

Councillors Adrian Broad (early departure) and Gabrielle Bundy-Cooke.

Councillor Adrian Broad was not present when the meeting resumed at 11.11am. He entered the meeting at 11.59am during consideration of clause 30. He was not present for clauses 28 to 29 inclusive.

The Mayor (Grant Smith) left the meeting at 12.26pm during consideration of clause 31. He was not present for clauses 31 to 34 inclusive.

Councillor Tangi Utikere was not present when the meeting resumed at 2.31pm. He was not present for clauses 33 to 34 inclusive.

21-19

Apologies

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Vaughan Dennison.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the apologies.

Clause 21-19 above was carried 14 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

22-19

Late Item

Moved Rachel Bowen, seconded Karen Naylor.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the late item regarding the status of the City’s masterplans be received.

Clause 22-19 above was carried 14 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

23-19

Public Comment

Public Comment was received from Mr Murray Guy regarding pressure sewer systems and the link to Kingsdale Park.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Rachel Bowen.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the public comment be received for information.

Clause 23-19 above was carried 14 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

24-19	Petition - Dogwood Way, Milson Mr Ron Rowe presented a petition regarding Dogwood Way in Milson. The goal of the petition was to narrow the width of the street. There was increasing use of the street and parking on both sides created visibility issues. Removing width off of the berms rather than parking restrictions was believed to be the solution to the issues. Elected Members requested a report in consultation with residents, outlining possible solutions to the issues raised in the petition.
	Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Brent Barrett. The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 1. That the Planning and Strategy Committee receive the petition for information.
	Moved Susan Baty, seconded Duncan McCann. 2. That the Chief Executive be instructed to provide a report to the Planning and Strategy Committee on solutions with residents on the issues identified in the Dogwood Way petition.
	Clause 24-19 above was carried 14 votes to 0, the voting being as follows: For: The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

25-19

Confirmation of Minutes

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Rachel Bowen.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the minutes of the Planning and Strategy Committee meeting of 1 April 2019 Part I Public be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Clause 25-19 above was carried 13 votes to 0, with 1 abstention, the voting being as follows:

For:

The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

Abstained:

Councillor Leonie Hapeta.

26-19

Cost Benefit Assessment of Council Ownership of On-Property Pressure Sewer Equipment

Memorandum, dated 11 February 2019 presented by the Transport & Infrastructure Manager, Robert van Bentum.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Lorna Johnson.

The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS

1. That Council endorses the current pressure sewer policy adopted by Council at its December 2018 meeting, which provides for Council ownership of on property pressure sewer assets only where there is a significant wider community benefit.

2. That, in the context of the pressure sewer policy, Council accepts that wider community benefit be interpreted as only where there is a significant cost benefit to Council associated with deferred or avoided capital investment in network infrastructure.

Clause 26-19 above was carried 13 votes to 1, the voting being as follows:

For:

Against:

Councillor Leonie Hapeta.

27-19	Emissions Management and Reduction Plan Memorandum, dated 15 March 2019 presented by the City Planning Manager, David Murphy. Elected Members requested an annual report be presented on the Emissions Reduction and Management Plan.
	Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Brent Barrett. The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 1. That the Palmerston North City Council’s Emissions Management and Reduction Plan (2018/2019) is received. 2. That the preliminary results of the 2016/17 and 2017/18 Emissions Inventory as detailed in the “Emissions Management and Reduction Plan” report dated 15 March 2019 are noted.
	Moved Brent Barrett, seconded Susan Baty. 3. That the Chief Executive be instructed to report annually on the Council’s Emissions Reduction and Management Plan.
	Clause 27-19 above was carried 14 votes to 0, the voting being as follows: For: The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

The meeting adjourned at 10.54am

The meeting resumed at 11.11am

When the meeting resumed Councillor Adrian Broad was not present.

28-19	Housing Steering Group: Terms of Reference Memorandum, dated 9 April 2019 presented by the City Planning Manager, David Murphy.
	Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Vaughan Dennison. The COMMITTEE RESOLVED 1. That the memorandum dated 20 February 2019 and titled “Housing Steering Group: Scope of the Terms of Reference” be uplifted from the table.
	Clause 28.1 above was carried 13 votes to 0, the voting being as follows: For: The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.
	Moved Susan Baty, seconded Tangi Utikere. The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 2. That the information contained in the memorandum dated 20 February 2019 and titled “Housing Steering Group: Scope of the Terms of Reference” as attached to the memorandum dated 9 April 2019 and titled “Housing Steering Group: Terms of Reference” be received. 3. That a Housing Steering Group is formed. 4. That the Housing Steering Group Terms of Reference attached to the memorandum dated 9 April 2019 and titled “Housing Steering Group: Terms of Reference” be adopted.
	Clauses 28.2 to 28.4 inclusive above were carried 13 votes to 0, the voting being as follows: For: The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

29-19

Palmerston North Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment Report - May 2019

Memorandum, dated 15 April 2019 presented by the City Planning Manager, David Murphy.

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Rachel Bowen.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the memorandum titled `Palmerston North Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment Report – May 2019’ dated 15 April 2019 be referred to the Planning and Strategy Committee meeting on 5 June 2019.

Clause 29-19 above was carried 13 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

30-19

Draft Urban Cycleways Masterplan

Memorandum, dated 17 April 2019 presented by the City Planning Manager, David Murphy.

Councillor Adrian Broad entered the meeting at 11.59am

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Brent Barrett.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Draft Urban Cycleways Masterplan is approved for consultation.

2. That the Chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee and the Deputy Mayor be authorised to make minor amendments to the Draft Urban Cycleways Masterplan.

Clause 30-19 above was carried 13 votes to 0, with 1 abstention, the voting being as follows:

For:

The Mayor (Grant Smith) and Councillors Duncan McCann, Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

Abstained:

Councillor Leonie Hapeta.

31-19

Proposed amendment to the Dog Control Policy 2018 - approval for consultation (following trial allowing dogs on-leash in the CBD)

Report, dated 16 April 2019 presented by the Strategy and Policy Manager, Julie Macdonald.

The Mayor (Grant Smith) left the meeting at 12.26pm

Moved Karen Naylor, seconded Brent Barrett.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Statement of Proposal (proposed amendment to the Dog Control Policy 2018), contained as attachment 1 to the report, be approved for consultation using the Special Consultative Procedure in accordance with S10 of the Dog Control Act 1996 and S83 of the Local Government Act 2002.

2. That the Chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee and Deputy Mayor be authorised to make minor amendments to the Statement of Proposal prior to publication.

Clause 31-19 above was carried 13 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.

32-19	Rural School Bus Safety Report, dated 14 March 2019 presented by the Transport & Infrastructure Manager, Robert van Bentum. Elected Members sought clarification around what the district plan enabled in regards to conversations with developers for getting children to school safely. A recommendation was made for budget referral to the Annual Budget consideration process.
	Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Rachel Bowen. The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 1. That Council receive the report titled “Rural School Bus Safety” dated 14 March 2019. 2. That Council confirm Option 2 comprising improvement and enhancement of current practice and focussing on implementing low cost interventions within current budget limits, as the appropriate approach for ensuring safety issues on school bus routes are addressed, subject to Annual Budget consideration process in regard to recommendation 4.
	Moved Rachel Bowen, seconded Tangi Utikere. 3. That the Chief Executive be instructed to provide a report on the ability of the District Plan to require developers to consider at the planning stage how children might get to school from a new development; and to enable safe connection to the active and public transport network (including the MoE School bus service in the definition of public transport) once the development is complete. Such a report is also to identify steps that can be taken to progress this issue if the District Plan currently lacks the ability to provide for such action.
	Clauses 32.1 to 32.3 inclusive above were carried 13 votes to 0, the voting being as follows: For: Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor, Bruno Petrenas and Tangi Utikere.
	Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Rachel Bowen. 4. That $50,000 for staff time and non-engineering related infrastructure investment be referred to the annual budget consideration process.
	Clause 32.4 above was carried 11 votes to 2, the voting being as follows: For: Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor and Tangi Utikere. Against: Councillors Leonie Hapeta and Bruno Petrenas.

The meeting adjourned at 1.22pm

The meeting resumed at 2.31pm

When the meeting resumed Councillor Tangi Utikere was not present.

33-19

Late Item - City's Masterplans

Elected Members requested a report on the status of the City’s Masterplans to provide clarity at the beginning of the next triennium of Council.

Moved Rachel Bowen, seconded Karen Naylor.

The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS

1. That the Chief Executive be instructed to provide a report on the status of the City’s Masterplans (currently Arena Masterplan, Streets for People/Central City Masterplan, Reserves Masterplans, with the Civic & Cultural Masterplan and Urban Cycle Network Masterplan in progress) in each triennium, to the Planning and Strategy Committee by September 2019.

Clause 33-19 above was carried 11 votes to 1, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor and Bruno Petrenas.

Against:

Councillor Leonie Hapeta.

34-19

Committee Work Schedule

Moved Duncan McCann, seconded Rachel Bowen.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Planning and Strategy Committee receive its Work Schedule dated May 2019.

Clause 34-19 above was carried 12 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Brent Barrett, Susan Baty, Rachel Bowen, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay QSM, Leonie Hapeta, Jim Jefferies, Lorna Johnson, Duncan McCann, Karen Naylor and Bruno Petrenas.

The meeting finished at 2.41pm

Confirmed 5 June 2019

Chairperson

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: Prioritising Pedestrian Safety in the Network

DATE: 21 May 2019

Presented By: Robert van Bentum, Transport & Infrastructure Manager, Infrastructure

APPROVED BY: Tom Williams, Chief Infrastructure Officer

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Council

1. That Council receive the memorandum titled `Prioritising Pedestrian Safety in the Network’ dated 21 May 2019.

2. That Council endorses Officers’ proposed action list as identified in Table 1 of the memorandum titled `Prioritising Pedestrian Safety in the Network’ dated 21 May 2019 to improve safety outcomes for pedestrians through enhancement of existing approaches and programmes implemented within existing approved budgets.

1. ISSUE

1.1 Council has a long-standing commitment to improving safety for pedestrians in the roading network, with a focus on reducing serious injury risks. Council has signalled its desire to create a strong culture of walking and cycling in the city under the “Creative and Liveable City Strategy.” Under this strategy the “Active and Public Transport Plan” states that Council’s goal is to see more people walking, cycling and using public transport around Palmerston North. The “Plan” also acknowledges that for this to happen Council will need to ensure road design, way-finding and planning is undertaken in a way which considers the space and safety needs of cyclists and pedestrians.

1.2 Council has previously requested and received regular reporting from Officers on pedestrian safety issues across the city. These reports have highlighted specific safety issues and identified actions being taken by to address the worst trouble spots. The focus has been largely on engineering treatments with these funded from Programme 279 – Minor Road Safety Works.

1.3 Council has recognised that this approach is not adequate to deliver the step change in safety required for pedestrians across the network. Instead it was acknowledged that a “Whole of Network” approach is required particularly as the outcomes for pedestrian are interdependent with mode and network prioritisation for the entire network. To help inform this process, Council requested Officers undertake a Pedestrian Needs Assessment as the first stage in developing a more holistic approach to addressing pedestrian safety issues.

1.4 Officers commissioned an external consultant to complete a Pedestrian Needs Assessment. This report provides a summary of the initial findings and outlines a suggested framework for prioritising pedestrian needs within the wider context of appropriately prioritising safety across the entire transport network.

1.5 This report summarises the findings of the report and some of the recommendations. The report also describes several other initiatives which Council are undertaking which are intended to support safety improvements across the network. Finally, the report outlines a selection of actions proposed by Council Officers for implementation to address pedestrian safety issues in combination with balancing other safety and network challenges.

2. Needs Assessment

2.1 The needs assessment completed by Beca Ltd. included the following key elements:

· an analysis of the pedestrian related fatal and serious pedestrian crashes across the last 10 years (2006-2017)

· an assessment of the local strategic context and how that relates to the national strategic context

· identification of a key list of priorities for improving pedestrian safety

· development of an action plan to address the priorities across the areas of engineering, strategic planning and education initiatives

· a rough order estimate of costs and a comparison with crash savings

2.2 Fatal and Serious Crash Analysis

2.3 The analysis of fatal and serious pedestrian crashes confirms that in respect of crashes per capita, Palmerston North rates of 5.3 per 10,000 population (over 10 years) are lower than the national average and at the lower end of the range when compared with other roading authorities of comparable size.

2.4 The analysis indicates:

· In the last 10 years there 3 fatal and 43 serious injury crashes out of 219 crashes

· Almost all crash locations are urban

· Approximately 75% of the fatal and serious crashes were not at intersections

· Of the minor crashes many were at intersections

2.5 The three pedestrian fatalities included in the report are:

· 2007 - A child pedestrian was killed in Waldegrave Street following being struck by a slow-moving vehicle while the driver was distracted.

· 2014 – Ferguson Street outside intermediate Normal. An elderly driver failed to see a female pedestrian on the marked pedestrian crossing;

· 2017 – On Broadway, a male pedestrian stepped into the path of a vehicle from the median

2.6 There were two other fatalities:

· 2015 - pedestrian fatality on Napier Road near Roberts Line. Excluded because it occurred on a state highway.

· 2018 – Grey Street, an elderly pedestrian using the footpath was struck by a vehicle which reversed down a driveway

2.7 A heat map indicating the distribution and frequency is included below as Figure 1.

Figure 1. Palmerston North Pedestrian Crash (Minor Injury and Above) Heat Map (2007-2017)

2.8 Strategic Context

2.9 The assessment confirms a close alignment between Council’s recently adopted strategies and goals and the New Zealand National Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) which sets out four strategic priorities (safety, access, environment and value for money). The GPS specifically mentions pedestrian and cycle improvements as part of the safety objective as well as the access objective of “enabling transport choice and access.”

2.10 Council’s “Active and Public Transport Plan” is intended to give effect to Council’s goal of “A creative and exciting city”. One of the plan’s objectives is to provide “safe, resilient and reliable travel routes, conditions and interconnected intermodal transportation that provide and prioritise access for active and public transport users”. The specific action identified to achieve this purpose is “Identify and implement a package of pedestrian and cyclist safety measures across the network to address identified safety concerns.” The Pedestrian Needs Assessment is part of this action response.

2.11 Identification of Key Priorities and Action Plan

2.12 The assessment has identified an initial list of priorities to improve safety which include:

· Engineering recommendations

o Develop a plan of inspections for existing network facilities, with the potential for themed audits

o Review and audit crossing facilities along corridors with an identified prevalence of crashes or crash risk

o Review driveway standards in the District Plan

o Complete the work of reviewing pedestrian safety at traffic signals

o Further investigation of mid-block crossing facilities

· Strategic planning recommendations

o Design for liveability by promoting pedestrian safety, access and convenience through the District Plan

o Connectivity review for pedestrians

o Neighbourhood accessibility plans

· Education/travel behaviour change recommendations

o School and workplace travel plans

o ‘Share the road’ campaigns

2.13 While the draft needs assessment has identified a broad range of priorities, many of these are not new and are already part of Council’s current approach to design and safety improvement work. The action plan includes a summary of actions completed to date and some suggested further actions. Many of the proposed actions relate more to effective maintenance, asset data capture and on-going reviews rather than any specific remediation works.

2.14 Officers have reviewed the draft action list and identified and consolidated similar or overlapping actions to develop a revised action list, see Table 1, which Officers consider could be advanced. For each of the actions, the specific implementation mechanism is summarised with any linkages to existing initiatives and programmes of work identified.

Table 1 Revised Action Plan Proposed for Council Adoption

Action Area	Recommended Action	Proposed Implementation Mechanism
Engineering Solutions	Inspections and audits of existing facilities	Undertake annual safety inspection and audit of key pedestrian facilities (crossings, signals, roundabouts) to confirm condition and best practice design compliance. Update asset data and condition information in the process – annually – March each year.
	Traffic signal timings and protection for pedestrians	Complete review of traffic signal timings and red arrow protection for all traffic signals – December 2019
	Review priorities for pedestrian safety interventions annually using latest crash data and service requests.	Review annually the pedestrian safety interventions included in Programme 279 and re-prioritise the interventions based on updated crash data and service request data – February each year.
	Review current provision of pedestrian crossing facilities on Ruahine, Rangitikei Street, Featherston Street and the “Ring Road’.	Consider pedestrian facilities as part of the development of typical road typographies through “Roads and Streets Framework” and particularly on major arterial routes – Sept 2019 (report back to Council).
	Review driveway and off-street parking standards and requirements to better prioritise pedestrian safety	Initiate work on clarifying most appropriate mechanism for controlling accessway design beyond amendments to the Engineering Standards – October 2019.
	Review pedestrian safety at roundabouts	Review pedestrian safety at new and existing roundabouts and identify key design changes for new work. Input findings into the “Roads and Streets Framework”. Scope and cost roundabout improvements and include in Programme 279 – February 2020.
Strategic Planning Recommendations	Support design for liveability which promotes pedestrian safety, access and convenience.	Develop engineering requirements, supported by District Plan changes where required, to ensure new subdivisions provide for integrated pedestrian and active transport solutions – on-going.
Strategic Planning Recommendations	Ensure pedestrian connectivity and key links in high pedestrian use areas are identified and included in planning and engineering solutions e.g. CBD / Neighbourhoods / Hospital / Massey Food HQ	Include specific case studies within the “Roads and Streets Framework” programme which address key pedestrian rich places – August 2019. Consider pedestrian and active transport needs as part of the “Speed Limits Bylaw Review” currently underway – June 2020
Education / Travel behaviour change	Continue to support school and work place travel plans	Consider school communities / hubs in the specific case studies within the “Roads and Streets Framework” to provide infrastructure to achieve step change – August 2019. Engage with school bus travel providers to consider how to expand use and uptake as well as safety outcomes – on-going.

3. Whole of network approach

3.1 Many of the actions recommended in the draft Pedestrian Needs Assessment – Action Plan propose isolated assessments and reviews which consider pedestrian linkage and connectivity in isolation from other modes. Officers have recognised that the integrated nature of the transport network and the interdependencies between the different user groups and transport modes requires a holistic approach to resolve the inevitable conflicts between these groups and modes.

3.2 While it is not possible to resolve all modes conflicts, a systematic approach to prioritising routes and networks for different modes can assist with this. An integrated network plan which seeks to minimise points of conflict and develops different levels of service for different parts of the network can reduce the number of conflicts and directly contribute to improved safety for multiple user groups.

3.3 An approach already well understood in the planning space is the concept of highlighting ‘place’. By identifying the importance of a ‘place’ and the key user groups and movement requirements in that place, a holistic approach to identifying transport mode priorities can be determined. For example, if pedestrian and active transport users are to be prioritised in the CBD, then the strategies and levers to achieve safe outcomes for these users can be readily identified. For a ‘people centred’ space some of the measures which might be employed include:

· Engineered approaches on each road into the CBD to slow traffic – raised thresholds and narrow lanes

· Altered traffic signal priorities

· Slow speed zone for the entire area

· Additional space for pavements / cycling and shared space at the expense of parking

3.4 It is this holistic integrated network approach which is being advanced and scoped in more detail through a collaborative approach with a range of internal and external stakeholders as part of the “Roads and Streets Framework”. The draft output from this process will be shared with Council in August to gauge support for developing this further with a view to consulting more widely with users and the wider community. If endorsed the framework would be used to guide programme priorities and development within the wider Transport Activity.

4. proposed approach

4.1 The Pedestrian Needs Assessment completed by Beca Ltd. has confirmed that while pedestrian fatal and serious injury rates in Palmerston North are below national averages, there are opportunities to improve safety outcomes for pedestrians particularly for crossings of some main arterial roads beyond the main traffic signal controlled intersections. As with any transport safety issue improving safety outcomes requires an integrated approach with other transport modes but also action of a range of measures across engineering, planning and behaviour change.

4.2 The assessment has highlighted the monitoring work already being undertaken and progress made by Council particularly in reviewing traffic signal timing, installing arrows for turning conflicts, asset data capture and installation of new pedestrian facilities. In addition, planning and design for pedestrians is being prioritised in the CBD area through the City Centre Streetscape and Cuba Street upgrades.

4.3 The draft action plan has proposed nearly 40 actions many of which are a continuation of current work programmes. The plan suggests several rolling annual reviews to ensure existing assets are fit for purpose and intervention strategies are re-prioritised to take account of the latest crash data. Many suggested actions revolve around completing further pedestrian focussed assessments of key arterial roads, roundabouts and traffic signals. While helpful Officers consider this disjointed approach to be problematic in that it does not address the conflicts between transport modes which result in the pedestrian safety issues.

4.4 Officers have reviewed the action list and identified a short list of 11 actions which will be implemented either as new tasks or through extending and adapting the current scope and approach of existing programmes of work. The nine key actions comprise:

1. Undertake an annual safety inspection and audit of key pedestrian facilities (crossings, signals, roundabouts) to confirm condition and best practice design compliance and update asset data and condition information in the process – Annually by March each year.

2. Complete a review of traffic signal timings and red arrow protection for all traffic signals to identify any outstanding mitigation – December 2019

3. Review annually the pedestrian safety interventions included in Programme 279 and re-prioritise the interventions based on updated crash data and service request information – February each year.

4. Consider pedestrian facilities as part of the development of typical road typographies through “Roads and Streets Framework” and particularly on major arterial routes – September 2019 (report back to Council).

5. Initiate work on clarifying the necessary planning amendments required to improve control over accessway design beyond amendments to the Engineering Standards – October 2019.

6. Review pedestrian safety at new and existing roundabouts and identify key design changes to be adopted for the next project – Monrad / Pencarrow. Input findings into the “Roads and Streets Framework.” Scope and cost any identified roundabout improvements and include in Programme 279 – February 2020.

7. Develop engineering design requirements, supported by District Plan changes where required, to ensure new subdivisions provide for integrated pedestrian and active transport solutions – on-going.

8. Develop specific case studies within the “Roads and Streets Framework” programme which detail treatment solutions for key high pedestrian places e.g. CBD, neighbourhoods, Hospital, Broadway Ave – September 2019.

9. Consider where speed limits can contribute to solutions as part of the “Roads and Streets Framework” and include in the second stage of the “Speed Limits Bylaw Review” currently underway – June 2020

10. Consider school communities / hubs in the specific case studies within the “Roads and Streets Framework” to identify infrastructure and priority networks to achieve a step change in the adoption of School and Work Place Travel Plans – September 2019.

11. Engage with school bus travel providers to consider how to expand use and uptake as well as safety outcomes for school bus users – on-going.

4.5 Staff have identified the actions above as those that can be implemented within existing resources and contribute in an integrated way to improved problem identification, prioritisation and development of solutions which address conflicts for all transport modes.

5. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide?		Yes
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		No
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to Goal 2: A Creative and Exciting City
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the Creative and Liveable Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in the Active and Public Transport Plan The action is: Undertake remedial work in areas with high crash or safety concerns, taking into consideration context-sensitive design (based on road function, adjacent land use and user routes). Identify and implement pedestrian and cycle focussed improvements to intersection and road crossings. Upgrade on a prioritised basis, pedestrian routes, connections and road crossings.
Contribution to strategic direction	The proposed action list will improve and strengthen the safety outcomes achieved with existing programmes of work. The actions include targeted reviews and assessments to identify specific engineering enhancements to reduce risks to pedestrians. The action list includes a range of actions which acknowledge that enduring improvements in pedestrian safety can only be achieved with integrated initiatives that address the conflicts and needs of all transport modes. This work will be materially advanced through case study development of road typologies and treatment solutions for typica ‘roads and streets’ in Palmerston North as part of the collaborative development of a “Roads and Streets Framework”.

Attachments

Pedestrian Needs Assessment Report ⇩

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: Palmerston North Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment Report - May 2019

DATE: 15 April 2019

Presented By: David Murphy, City Planning Manager, Strategy & Planning

APPROVED BY: Sheryl Bryant, General Manager - Strategy & Planning

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO COUNCIL

1. That the Palmerston North Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment Report – May 2019 is received to inform future decision making, in particular changes to the Palmerston North City District Plan and the 2021 Long Term Plan Process.

2. That the rationale sitting behind the ratings differential being applied to the first five hectares of residentially zoned land and the remaining balance is reviewed. The review should consider how the Ratings Policy can best support the release of residential zone land for development.

3. That a targeted review of the District Plan is undertaken that investigates the options to further refine the approach to managing retail and office activities across the Inner, Outer and Fringe Business Zones.

4. That the rationale sitting behind the ratings differential being applied to Inner and Outer Business Zone property by its Ratings Policy is reviewed. The review should consider how the Policy can best support the social and commercial outcomes being sought for the Inner and Outer Business Zones.

5. That the purpose of the Leased Parking Policy is reviewed so that it considers how best the Policy can support the social and commercial outcomes being sought for the Inner Business Zone.

1. ISSUE

1.1 The Council is required to produce a Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment (the Capacity Assessment) under policy PB1 of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016 (NPS – UDC).

1.2 The Capacity Assessment is a technical research report that will inform future strategy and policy decisions made by the Council. For example, the preparation of a Future Development Strategy under the NPS - UDC, future changes to the Palmerston North City District Plan, and the 2021 Long Term Plan process.

1.3 This report was first placed on the agenda for the May 2019 Planning and Policy Committee. Since the report was first prepared, amendments have been made to the recommendations of the Committee report to ensure Council is only be asked to approve recommendations from the Capacity Assessment that are not already covered by the City Development Strategy or the Housing and Future Development Plan, or are operational in nature.

1.4 Recommendations 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 3.9 and 3.13 of the Capacity Assessment are already covered by the City Development Strategy or the Housing and Future Development Plan. Recommendations 3.5 and 3.12 are operational in nature. Council is only being asked to formally approve recommendations 3.2, 3.8, 3.10 and 3.11, in addition to receiving the Capacity Assessment to inform future decision making. Recommendations 3.1 – 3.13 are detailed at page 15 of the Capacity Assessment.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1. The Capacity Assessment has been prepared to meet the Council’s requirements under the NPS - UDC. It requires that local authorities with urban area resident populations of over 30,000 people shall, on at least a three-yearly basis, carry out a housing and business development capacity assessment that:

a. Estimates the demand for dwellings, including the demand for different types of dwellings, locations and price points, and the supply of development capacity to meet that demand, in the short, medium and long-terms; and

b. Estimates the demand for the different types and locations of business land and floor area for businesses, and the supply of development capacity to meet that demand, in the short, medium and long-terms; and

c. Assesses interactions between housing and business activities, and their impacts on each other.

2.2 Palmerston North is currently classified as a medium-growth urban area by the NPS - UDC because its resident population is projected to grow by 9.5% between 2013 to 2023 according to the most recent Statistics New Zealand medium urban area population projections. The 2017 population and household projections prepared by Sense Partners suggest the city will grow by 12.2% between 2013 to 2023, which would classify it as a high growth urban area.

3. OVERVIEW

3.1 The Capacity Assessment identifies a significant increase in annual housing supply in Palmerston North as well as growth in housing demand, and discusses some of the factors contributing to the increase in housing demand in the city. Major capital investment projects in the city and wider region means that housing demand is likely to remain strong over the next 10 to 15 years.

3.2 Housing affordability in Palmerston North remains favourable compared with most New Zealand high and medium growth urban areas, but affordability is declining, with strong growth in house prices over the past four years. Analysis for the report shows that increased land values have contributed 70% of the increase in the average capital value of houses in the city between 1994 and 2018.

3.3 Progress the Council is making to increase the supply of infrastructure serviced land for housing development, and changes to the Residential Zone section of the District Plan, should assist the Council to reduce land ownership concentration in the city and rural-urban land value differentials. However, action is needed to address the increase in demand for rental housing in the city, which is seen in the rapid growth in the waiting list for social housing.

3.4 The Capacity Assessment also outlines ongoing growth in demand for commercial and industrial land in the city and the actions the Council has undertaken to monitor the level of demand for land. There has also been action to increase the supply of infrastructure serviced land for growth in commercial and industrial developments in the city. The first comprehensive review of vacancy rates in the commercial and industrial zones has been a timely input to the assessment, identifying nil or low vacancy rates in some zones, but ongoing high vacancy levels in lower grade buildings, particularly in the Inner Business Zone.

3.5 The Capacity Assessment supports the directions and actions included in the City Development Strategy and Housing and Future Development Plan. The Capacity Assessment recommends prioritising the delivering of these directions and actions.

3.6 The Capacity Assessment provides part of the evidence base required to deliver the changes necessary to the District Plan to give effect to the City Development Strategy and Housing and Future Development Plan. It will also provide a useful evidence base for the 2021 Long Term Plan process, including the 2021 Infrastructure Strategy, Asset Management Plans and Development Contributions Policy.

4. NEXT STEPS

4.1 Recommendations for actions by the Council are identified in the Recommendation section of the Capacity Assessment on pages 14 and 15.

4.2 As noted in the recommendations of this memorandum, the Capacity Assessment and associated recommendations will be used to inform future decision making, in particular changes to the District Plan and 2021 Long Term Plan process.

4.3 The Capacity Assessment will also be a useful reference document to inform the work of the Housing Steering Group. It is suggested that the Housing Steering Group receive a briefing on the contents of the Capacity Assessment at its first meeting.

5. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide?		No
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		No
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to Goal 1: An Innovative and Growing City
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the City Development Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in the Housing and Future Development Plan The action is: Implement the NPS on Urban Development Capacity, including Housing and Business Needs Assessments, monitoring affordability indicators and a new detailed Future Development Strategy.
Contribution to strategic direction	The Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment required under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity has been useful for informing the work which needs to be done by Council to implement the City Development Strategy and the Housing and future Development Plan. It will also inform future changes to the District Plan and the zoning changes needed to accommodate growth in the city.

Attachments

Palmerston North Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment - May 2019 (attached separately. Note Elected Members have previously been supplied with a copy of this).

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: Draft Venues Policy for consultation

DATE: 8 April 2019

Presented By: Julie Macdonald, Strategy & Policy Manager, Strategy & Planning

APPROVED BY: Sheryl Bryant, General Manager - Strategy & Planning

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Planning and Strategy Committee

1. That the Draft Venues Policy (attachment 1 of the memorandum titled `Draft Venues Policy for consultation’ dated 8 April 2019) is approved for consultation.

2. That the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee be given delegated authority to approve minor amendments to the Draft Venues Policy prior to consultation.

1. ISSUE

In October 2018 the Council resolved that: “[t]he Chief Executive develop a PNCC Venues Policy which includes hireage and allowable uses of PNCC venues”. This resolution followed multiple deputations from people objecting to the Council hosting the New Zealand Defence, Industry and National Security Forum at Central Energy Trust Arena.

This memo outlines the current process for determining the use of Council-owned and controlled venues, and recommends the Draft Venues Policy (attachment one) be approved for public consultation.

2. BACKGROUND

The development of this policy began with consideration of the wide range of Council-owned or controlled venues which could potentially be within its scope. Councillors have noted that, while staff and elected members may understand the various legal or structural differences between the various venues, the wider community may expect a more consistent approach. As currently drafted, a distinction is made between venues under more direct influence of the Council (for example the Conference and Function Centre) and those whose operation is managed by other entities.

Current operational guidance for Palmerston North venues

The following section describes the various considerations currently made in decisions about the use of Council-owned and controlled venues.

a) Council-owned and operated commercial venues (Conference and Function Centre, and Central Energy Trust Arena)

The strategic purpose of the Central Energy Trust Arena is aligned with Goal 2: Creative and exciting city. The Active Community Plan states that “Central Energy Trust Arena is the city’s main multi-purpose hub for sport and recreation and serves as the region’s premier sporting and events hub”.

The strategic purpose of the Conference and Function Centre is aligned with Goal 1: Innovative and growing city. The Economic Development Plan states that the “Conference and Function Centre provides facilities for large business events”.

In practice, there are no formal policies applied to the application for bookings other than the usual operational considerations (such as health and safety, and potential for damage).

b) Council-owned and operated venues (the Central Library, Youth Space, community libraries and bookable space at Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery)

Council’s provision of community venues is aligned to Goal 3: Connected and safe community. The library spaces are available to groups to ‘help serve the community's needs for educational, informational, community-building and cultural enrichment’. The current operational practice excludes events and activities that are for commercial, personal, political party, or religious purposes. These guidelines were developed by the libraries to take into account the extent to which the use of library spaces can be overheard by the library-using public.

c) Venues operated by the cultural Council Controlled Organisations (Te Manawa, the Regent Theatre, the Globe Theatre, and Caccia Birch)

Council’s support for the cultural CCOs is aligned to Goal 2: Creative and exciting city. Every year the Council develops a letter of expectation which forms the basis for the statement of intent agreed between the Council and each CCO. There are currently no specific Council requirements incorporated into any of these agreements that would preclude any booking being made at any of the CCOs.

d) Community-operated venues on Council land (community centres, The Stomach, Hancock Community House, Square Edge, and community-owned buildings on Council land)

Council’s support for community centres is aligned to Goal 3: Connected and safe community. An agreement has been developed with all Council-owned community centres, which includes a statement of purpose: “[t]o provide space for local communities to connect with each other and engage in a range of recreational, social, cultural and educational activities which help address the needs of the community”.

Council has lease agreements and/or management agreements with operators of community-owned venues on Council land, such as The Stomach, Hancock Community House, and Square Edge. There is currently no other specific Council policy guidance for the use of these venues or for community-owned buildings on Council land (such as clubrooms).

Other policy guidance

As part of the Treasury Policy 2017 the Council adopted guidelines for ethical investment:

The Council seeks to invest in an ethical manner which it defines as meaning that it will invest in entities that engage in activities that demonstrate a positive approach to the environment, society and governance. The Council will not invest where there are significant legal or ethical concerns, and will specifically exclude investment in the following areas:

• the manufacturing or development of controversial weapons

• the manufacturing of tobacco

• the production of fossil fuels

• generating revenue from the operation of casino gambling.

Venue Management Association (VMA) and Events and Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) were asked to provide advice about industry best practice or examples of venues policies akin to the one proposed by the Council. Neither of these organisations could provide comprehensive guidance about policy-making in this area. Similarly, inquiries to other New Zealand local authorities suggests that venues policies of the nature proposed by Councillors are not common.

It seems reasonable to conclude that most venues operating on a purely commercial model do not have policies with ethical or strategic components that may limit their use. Venues which are guided by other strategic objectives, such as those in public or community ownership, may be more inclined to make case by case decisions (as was the case with the Auckland decision not to allow the Bruce Mason Centre to be used by the Canadian speakers in 2018). It may well be that much of the guidance in place for such venues has been informally developed and agreed (for example, the Palmerston North City Council operating guidelines for the use of the Central Library). Changing social norms may well lead to other public or community entities also beginning to explore the development of policies which guide the use of their venues. At this stage, however, Palmerston North seems to be at the forefront of this emerging issue.

3. Discussion

Scope of the draft policy

The Council resolution did not provide any guidance about the direction of the policy to be developed, however a further workshop with Councillors did provide an opportunity for discussion about the scope and direction of the policy. Staff are also mindful that a policy was called for following the controversial decision to host the Defence, Industry and National Security Forum, and this context was considered in the development of the draft. The policy proposes a series of guidelines (1-5, below) to be applied to venues which are both Council-owned and operated. A subset of these guidelines (1-2, below) is proposed to apply to other venues within the scope of the policy.

Content of the draft policy

This section describes the rationale for the inclusion of each aspect of the guidance proposed by the draft policy. The explanations in this section of the report should be read in conjunction with the draft policy (attachment 1):

1. “Bookings will not be accepted where a main purpose of an activity or event is to promote:

a. controversial weapons

b. tobacco

c. fossil fuels

d. casino gambling”

Rationale: These four activities have already been identified by the Council as being detrimental to community well-being in its decision-making about investment.

2. “Bookings will not be accepted where a main purpose of an activity or event is in direct opposition to the freedom from discrimination guaranteed by the Bill of Rights Act 1990, as defined under the Human Rights Act, 1993.”

Rationale: The protections offered under the Bill of Rights Act 1990 include freedom of discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief, colour, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, and age, political opinion, employment status, family status, and sexual orientation. The explicit strategic direction of the Council is to promote inclusion and community connection, and therefore the proposal is for this policy to reinforce the freedoms identified under the Act. It should be noted that this guideline would in in no way impact on the ability of any group to use a venue covered by this policy unless an express purpose of its activity was to limit or marginalise some part of the community protected under the Bill of Rights Act.

3. “Bookings will not be accepted where a main purpose of an activity or event is religious worship, party political advocacy (for example, of a single political party), or the promotion of misinformation AND the event or activity would able to be overheard by members of general public (for example, in the Central Library’s Event Central).”

Rationale: The draft policy proposes that instead of limiting more ‘sensitive’ activities overall, that they are instead only limited when they occur in more public venues under the direct control of the Council. This would mean some changes to the informal guidelines currently in place. This proposal provides a balance between Council’s role in providing meetings spaces to support community activities, and its responsibility to ensure all community members have the opportunity to feel welcome in Council venues.

4. “Bookings may not be accepted where an activity or event may have a significant negative impact on the reputation of Palmerston North or Palmerston North City Council, to the extent that this impact would outweigh the other benefits of the activity or event.”

Rationale: The intention of the policy is to promote the strategic goals of the Council. The draft policy proposes that there will be some discretion to take the reputation of the city into account when decisions are made. Unlike guidelines 1-3, some evaluation of risk will be required in the application of this guideline.

5. “Advice from Council’s strategic partners, including Rangitāne o Manawatū and MidCentral Health DHB, may be requested to inform decisions.”

Rationale: Through the adoption of its strategic framework the Council has affirmed the value it places on the roles and knowledge of its partners. The draft policy proposes that these partners may be consulted to assist in decision-making to ensure that the intent of the policy is met.

Conclusion

The proposed policy aims to provide guidance for decision-making which strikes a balance between affirming some core values in Council’s strategic direction, and the pragmatic need to enable the provision of a wide variety of community venues. It will be this balance which is tested during the consultation process, and which will be addressed in the further report back to Council following that consultation.

4. Development of the draft policy

The draft policy has been developed following a Councillor workshop and informal discussions with, VMA, EVANZ, and Rangitāne o Manawatū. All the Council CCOs and community centre management organisations have been provided with an earlier draft of the policy, and informed of the upcoming opportunity to be consulted.

5. NEXT STEPS

If the draft policy is approved for consultation, then staff will consult with the community on the draft and there will be an opportunity for Councillors to hear submissions. Information about any potential operational implications will also be reported when the draft policy, with any amendments, is recommended for adoption.

It is anticipated that there will be five broad groups of external stakeholders who may wish to contribute to consultation on the draft policy:

1) Venues whose agreements with Council will be guided by the Policy

2) Rangitāne o Manawatū and other strategic partners of Council

3) Potential users of Council venues

4) Interest and advocacy groups

5) The wider Palmerston North community

A variety of methods and materials will be used to invite feedback and engagement on the draft policy, including:

· posters for venues

· an online interactive map

· attendance at meetings (e.g. with community centres and CCOs)

· direct mail

· various social media tools

· attendance at events

6. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide? If Yes quote relevant clause(s) from Delegations Manual 168.4		Yes
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		No
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to Goal 5: A Driven and Enabling Council
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the Driven and Enabling Council Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in Not Applicable
Contribution to strategic direction	By contributing to the operation of Council venues, and venues where Council has an influence, the policy will contribute to all of Council’s goals, and will be an enactment of the Council’s principle of Governorship (Goal 5: Driven and Enabling Council).

Attachments

Draft Venues Policy ⇩

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: Update on Interdisciplinary Group on Signs

DATE: 14 May 2019

Presented By: Julie Macdonald, Strategy & Policy Manager, Strategy & Planning

APPROVED BY: Sheryl Bryant, General Manager - Strategy & Planning

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Planning and Strategy Committee

1. That the memorandum titled `Update on Interdisciplinary Group on Signs’ dated 14 May 2019 is received.

1. ISSUE

The outcome of the Signs Review was reported to the Strategy and Planning Committee in November 2018. The purpose of this report is to provide the update requested by the Committee on the implmentation of the review.

2. discussion

The Executive Leadership Team has agreed to the formation of an interdisciplinary group to undertake the activities recommended in the Signs Review Report, which are (in summary):

1. to develop an overall framework for the appearance and placement of the information signs for Council facilities that includes:

a. the Council’s internal policies for the use of te reo on signs;

b. all elements of the strategic direction agreed by the Council in decision-making;

c. mechanisms to ensure that decisions about signs for major projects are integrated with wider city considerations.

2. identify the services and facilities that warrant significant traffic signage treatment with reference to NZTA criteria and local knowledge; and uses this list to inform future decisions about new signs and renewals.

The group is convened by the Strategy and Policy Manager, and its membership is representative of the Customer, Strategy and Planning, Marketing and Communication, and Infrastructure Units.

The group has met to determined priorities for action, and has begun to:

- develop a process map for all sign inquiries and requirements, including traffic signs for services and facilities, and information signs on Council property (including regulatory signs)

- identify gaps in these processes and develop systems to fill these

- develop an agreed list of significant services and facilities (to inform decision-making under NZTA guidelines)

3. NEXT STEPS

The terms of reference of the interdisciplinary group are for the recommendations of the review to be implemented by the end of 2019, and it is anticipated that the work will be completed in this timeframe. Any further matters requiring decisions by the Council will be reported back through this Committee as appropriate.

4. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide?		Yes
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		No
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to Goal 1: An Innovative and Growing City
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the Economic Development Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in the Economic Development Plan The action is: Complete a review of city signs (by December 2018).
Contribution to strategic direction	The recommendations agreed by the Executive Leadership Team as an outcome of the Signs Review will contribute to a positive city image.

Attachments

Nil

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: Smokefree Outdoor Areas Policy Review

DATE: 16 May 2019

Presented By: Julie Macdonald, Strategy and Policy Manager, Strategy & Planning

APPROVED BY: Sheryl Bryant, General Manager - Strategy & Planning

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO PLANNING AND STRATEGY COMMITTEE

1. That the review of the Smokefree Outdoor Areas Policy be put on hold until the amendments to the Smoke-free Environment Regulations 2017 are adopted at the end of the 2019 year.

2. That officers report back to the Planning and Strategy Committee in December 2019 about the next stage of the Smokefree Outdoor Areas Policy review.

1. BACKGROUND

The Council agreed to review the Smoke Free Outdoor Areas Policy in 2018/2019 as one of the actions under in the Healthy Community Plan. This review has begun, in conjunction with the Smoke Free Reference Group.

During the review of the policy it was determined that new amendments to the Smoke-Free Environments Regulations 2017 will be introduced by the Government by the end of 2019. The amendments are intended to resolve issues around vaping.

Given that the review of the policy has identified vaping as an important issue to be addressed during consultation, the reference group has suggested putting the review on hold until amended regulations are adopted. This delay to the planned review will not result in any significant issues.

Vaping is currently not addressed in the regulations. Making changes to the policy now, therefore may mean further changes are required once amendments to the regulations are complete. While this course of action is still open to Council, it will be a duplication of resources and it could be confusing to undertake public engagement on the same matter twice within a short period of time. Officers are aware that there may be a risk in waiting for the amendments to the regulations to be adopted, in that the timeframe is not certain. Staff will continue to monitor the situation and, if it becomes clear that the amendments to the regulations will take significantly longer than six months, then staff will report back to Council for a further decision.

2. NEXT STEPS

If Councillors agree to the recommendation, officers will put the review of the Smokefree Outdoor Areas Policy on hold until the amendments for the Smoke Free Environments Regulations are adopted at the end of the year.

Officers will report back to Council in December on the way forward with the review, once the timeframe for the amendments to the regulations is known.

3. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide?		Yes
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		Yes
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to Goal 3: A Connected and Safe Community
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the Connected Community Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in the Healthy Community Plan The action is: Review the Smokefree Outdoor Areas Policy (by end of 2018/2019).
Contribution to strategic direction	Council recognises that while it has no formal role in health service delivery, it has an important role in building healthy communities, creating the conditions for people to make healthy choices and working with partner to promote health and well-being by developing evidence based policy that promotes healthy lifestyles.

Attachments

Nil

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019 - Deliberations on Submissions

DATE: 15 May 2019

Presented By: Kathy Dever-Tod, Parks & Reserves Manager, Infrastructure

APPROVED BY: Tom Williams, Chief Infrastructure Officer

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Council

1. That the Council adopts the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019.

2. That delegated authority is given to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee for the approval of minor amendments to the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019 prior to publication.

3. That the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2012 is revoked upon commencement of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019 on the 15^th July 2019.

1. ISSUE

1.1 The Council has undertaken consultation on the Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019, with 53 submissions received. Many of the submissions indicated either general support for the Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019, or support for specific actions.

1.2 This memo recommends that the Council adopt the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019 as shown in attachment 1.

1.3 In preparation for the current 10 Year Plan, Council adopted five goals to fulfil the vision of small city benefits, big city ambition. The Eco-Strategy was developed to achieve Goal 4: An Eco-City. Several plans, including The Waste Plan were developed to show how the Council will contribute to achieving this goal. The Waste Plan included an action to review the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 The Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019 is proposed to replace the current Plan which was adopted on 17 December 2012. That plan, made under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008, is required to be reviewed every six years.

2.2 The Council approved the Draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019 for public consultation in December 2018, in accordance with the special consultative procedure.

2.3 Public consultation was carried out through January and February 2019, with 53 written submissions received during the consultation period. Oral submissions were heard at the Planning and Strategy Committee Meeting on 1 April 2019.

2.4 Officers provided a summary of submissions memorandum to the Planning and Strategy Committee Meeting on 1 April 2019.

3. analysis of submissions

3.1 Many of the submitters were generally in favour of the draft plan or expressed favour towards specific actions contained within the draft Plan.

3.2 A wide range of matters were raised in the 53 submissions received. These have been collated by Officers in the table attached (Attachment 2). This provides a summary of the issues and themes on which submitters have commented. Officers have provided comments and recommendations, which are included in the table.

3.3 The main key themes from the submissions received were:

· Prioritise working with Rangitāne

· Target needs to state how it will be achieved

· Kerbside Food Waste Collections

· Materials Limit for Residual Waste

· Construction and Demolition Waste

· Target regression from previous plan

· Diversion rate lower than previous plan

· The plan doesn’t focus on reduction

· Plastic Waste

3.4 As a result of the submissions officers recommend the following changes to the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2019:

· Include two new objectives (Objective 8 and 9) under Goal 3 (pg.7) that incorporates and reflects Councils partnership with Rangitāne

· That action E03 (pg.19) be reworded to include Rangitāne representation

· Include a table in section 2.4 (pg.8) that outlines the specific actions that support the target

· Include a new action E06 (pg.19), for an investigation of options to remove food waste from the residual waste stream, which would look at all options including reduction of food waste, home composting and kerbside food waste collection.

· Retain action point C03 (pg. 20) slightly reorganised clarifying that the provision of a kerbside food waste service would be subject to investigation and detailed financial analysis. Push the timeframe for the investigation by 1 year to allow E06 above to be completed.

3.5 To address the comments raised regarding the target and diversions rate, Officers recommend that an explanation be provided in a response to all submitters explaining that the previous reported diversion rate and target calculations included clean fill. Additionally, Cairns Bins were operating a large materials recovery facility during this period. The current diversion rate and target calculations do not include clean fill due to limitations in the current data available.

4. next steps

4.1 If the Council confirms the Committee’s recommendations to adopt the 2019 Waste Management and Minimisation Plan, it will replace the current 2012 plan. The new 2019 Waste Management and Minimisation Plan will be published to the Council’s website, with a physical copy placed in the Customer Service Centre.

4.2 The submitters will be contacted and advised of the outcome of the consultation process and given a copy of the adopted Plan.

4.3 A public notice will be published in the Manawatu Standard and the Guardian advising of the adoption of the new Plan and that it will commence on the 15^th July 2019.

5. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide?		No
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		No
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to Goal 4: An Eco City
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the Eco City Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in the Waste Plan The action is: Review the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan
Contribution to strategic direction	Contributes to the development of future options to assist with the planning and direction for the Waste Activity

Attachments

1.	Waste Management and Minisation Plan 2019 ⇩
2.	Appendix - Deliberations Report - Waste Management and Miimisation Plan ⇩

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL

Memorandum

TO: Planning and Strategy Committee

MEETING DATE: 5 June 2019

TITLE: International Relations Policy

DATE: 17 May 2019

Presented By: Toni Grace, International Relations Manager, Strategy & Planning

APPROVED BY: Sheryl Bryant, General Manager - Strategy & Planning

RECOMMENDATION(S) TO Council

1. That the Council adopts the International Relations Policy.

2. That delegated authority is given to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Planning and Strategy Committee for the approval of minor amendments to the International Relations Policy prior to publication.

1. ISSUE

To be effective, Council’s international relations should be guided by a clear policy scope, principles and best-practice guidelines. The purpose of this policy is to provide such direction for the Council’s international partnerships and civic leadership role.

An international relations policy has the benefit of providing a clearer set of criteria, processes and protocol to inform both internal responses, stakeholder discussions and public enquires. It also supports a consistent approach to international relations, which helps maintain strategic relationships over time.

Council receives occasional enquiries from members of the public and international contacts on the criteria for forming new city partnerships – usually when they have a recommendation or request for new relationships. There is currently no agreed policy or criteria to communicate on these issues.

Other stakeholders in the community (such as education providers) have noted their appreciation of Council’s support with civic welcomes for significant international visitors. An international relations policy will support this continued effort and provide a consistent approach to requests, while directing resources to where they will matter most.

In the absence of an agreed policy, Council’s response to international relations opportunities may be inconsistent over time, which could have implications for the formation or maintenance of strategic relationships, and for stakeholder expectations.

2. BACKGROUND

In March 2013, Council decided to embark on a proactive international relations programme, building on existing city-to-city relations. The international relations office was established in 2016 with a stronger focus on gearing global city partnerships and international relations in support of economic outcomes.

This policy supports the delivery of the International Relations Plan and Economic Development Strategy. The International Relations Plan contains a specific programme to “Establish an International Relations Policy to guide international partner city activity and visitor protocols (by end of 2018/19)” and contains stated actions to “develop criteria to assess and prioritise international city partnerships” and “effectively manage inbound and outbound delegations”.

This policy determines the internal responses and processes to support the delivery of the International Relations Plan, which underwent public consultation through the Long-Term planning process. Therefore, there is no intent to consult publicly on this policy.

3. NEXT STEPS

If adopted by Council, the International Relations Policy will be operationalised by the international relations office and any other relevant parts of Council, in line with the International Relations Plan.

4. Compliance and administration

Does the Committee have delegated authority to decide?		No
Are the decisions significant?		No
If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water?		No
Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan?		No
Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure?		No
Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to Goal 1: An Innovative and Growing City
The recommendations contribute to the outcomes of the Economic Development Strategy
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of actions in the International Relations Plan The actions are: Establish an International Relations Policy to guide international partner city activity and visitor protocols (by end of 2018/19) Develop criteria to assess and prioritise international city partnerships Effectively manage inbound and outbound delegations
Contribution to strategic direction	To make the best use of the city’s talents and resources and allow it to fulfil its potential, Council will strengthen regional, national and international connections to key markets. Council’s goal is to build on the city’s strengths and create new ones to ensure it has the strong, diverse and sustainable economy that is fundamental to Palmerston North’s future.

Attachments

International Relations Policy ⇩

Duncan McCann (Chairperson)
Aleisha Rutherford (Deputy Chairperson)
Grant Smith (The Mayor)
Brent Barrett	Lorna Johnson
Susan Baty	Karen Naylor
Rachel Bowen	Bruno Petrenas
Jim Jefferies	Tangi Utikere

1.	Murray Guy – Kingsdale Park
2.	Rhys Christian – Palmerston North Industrial & Residential Developments Ltd
3.	Paul Thomas – Pioneer City West Ltd & Heritage Estates Ltd