Memorandum
TO: Community Committee
MEETING DATE: 27 September 2023
TITLE: Summary of Community Funding Allocations 01/07/2022 - 30/06/2023
Presented By: Cindy
Nguyen, Community Development Advisor, and Stephanie Velvin, Community
Development Manager
APPROVED BY: Kerry-Lee
Probert, Acting Chief Customer Officer
RECOMMENDATION
TO Community
Committee
1. That the Committee receive the report titled ‘Summary of
Community Funding Allocations from 01/07/2022 - 30/06/2023’ to the
Community Committee on 27 September 2023.
1. ISSUE
1.1 Council wishes to see an annual overview of all community
funding.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 Palmerston North depends on having a capable and
sustainable community and voluntary sector to support a connected, safe and
vibrant community. To this end, the Council funds a wide range of community
groups, organisations and individuals via several contestable
initiative-specific and outcomes-focused grant programmes.
2.2 In May 2021, as a result of the Business
Assurance Review of community grants and events funding, it was determined that
a yearly report on the performance of all grants be presented to the Council
with recommendations for change where applicable.
2.3 This is the third yearly report.
2.4 This report has been prepared by Community
Development, with input from Council’s Events, Marketing, Resource
Recovery, Youth Services, and Strategic Planning teams, as well as Te Pū
Harakeke and Sport Manawatū.
3. DISCUssion
Overview
3.1 This
report will provide information and analysis on the performance of
Council’s community funding programmes delivered in the 2022/2023 financial
year.
3.2 The
funding programmes (also referred to as Grants or Fund) included in this report
are:
a. Strategic
Priority Grants
b. Community-led
Initiatives Fund
c. Community
Development Small Grants Fund
d. Community
Training Fund
e. Creative
Communities Scheme
f. Arts Event
Fund
g. Major Events
Fund
h. Sports Event
Partnership Fund
i. Sponsorship
Funds
j. Natural
and Cultural Heritage Incentive Fund
k. Palmerston North
Youth Council Scholarships and Grants Fund
l. Resource
Recovery Fund
m. Active Communities
Fund
3.3 This
report will provide an overview of each fund for the
2022/2023 financial year, comment on
trends seen over the previous three years of the funding programme where
applicable, and comment on the future of each fund.
3.4 Following the overview by the fund, this report will
provide insight into overall themes across the funding programmes.
Context
3.5 Contestable
community funding is a tool used to support community development, as a
mechanism to devolve resources into the community to support community-led
activity. For the Council, other benefits of grant funding processes include
facilitating interactions between the Council and the community as
opportunities to build relationships, providing the Council with intel via
applications and reporting as to the challenges and opportunities present in
communities, and providing capability-building opportunities for the community
sector. A common challenge of contestable community funding approaches is
oversubscription, or demand outstripping supply, particularly as community and
voluntary sectors grow in size and capability. As the Council cannot afford to
fund all requests, staff draw on guidelines, policy and expertise to prioritise
available funding. Staff also use a range of other tools to support capacity
and capability building in the community and voluntary sector.
3.6 In
2018, Council began moving funding administration to the cloud-based software
SmartyGrants. This saves both Council and grant recipients time and resources,
allowing the Council to focus on getting the best outcomes for the community.
It also ensures staff can easily access application data and preserve
information for the future. There are now 17 active
funding programmes administered on this software. Moving forward, staff are
working with Sport Manawatū to explore bringing their funding on to the
platform.
3.7 The
policy guiding the administration of Council’s funding programmes
was the Support and Funding Policy 2022,
which was endorsed by the Council in April 2022.
3.8 It is noted that this report includes a snapshot only of
the Active Communities Fund, and the Sports Event Partnership Fund, as detailed
information on these funds is reported on separately by Sport
Manawatū.
3.9 It
is noted that residents’ satisfaction (rating ‘satisfied’ or
‘highly satisfied’) with Council funding and support for community
groups, as per the Residents’ Survey 2023, has decreased from 45% in 2022
to 41% in 2023; however, when factoring in that 45% of respondents were
‘neutral’ in 2023, it shows that there was also a decrease in the
percentage of respondents who were ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very
dissatisfied’, reducing from 16% in 2022 to 13% in 2023.
3.10 Therefore,
in the context of the overall drop in satisfaction with Council across the
survey, and taking into consideration informal feedback received from
applicants, which has been positive, staff do not have significant concerns
with the result. Despite this, staff continue to work to improve funding
processes to ensure accessibility; examples of this include the reintroduction
of the Palmerston North Funders Expo, which was held in July 2023 and saw over
200 attendees from the community and 19 funders represented, and the
development of new resources to assist community to navigate our various
funding options.
Information by fund
3.11 Strategic Priority Grants
(SPG)
Purpose: To activate the potential of the community
sector to deliver on the Council’s strategic direction, specifically
Goals 2, 3 and 4, through three-year funding agreements.
The Strategic Priority Grants (SPG)
programme is the Council’s largest funding stream available for the
for-purpose sector. With three-year funding agreements, it provides
organisations with a higher level of certainty in their operations than annual
or project-specific funding. It is also one of the few funding programmes
available for back-office costs, and many SPG recipients rely on this funding
to contribute to staff salaries and overheads.
Budget
2022/2023: $1,444,096
Allocation process: Once
every three years, a staff panel assesses SPG applications received via
SmartyGrants according to the criteria and principles in the funding policy.
Due to demand and the relative complexity of the applications, the allocation
process involves multiple steps, including initial individual staff assessments,
a small group assessment and ranking stage, and a full panel moderation
stage.
2022/2023
Year: This was the first year of the
2022/2025 three-year contract period. Funding has been allocated to 43 groups,
7 of which are new to this fund.
Graph 1
below shows the allocation of total funds by Goal for SPGs in this contract
period compared to the previous period. It is noted that most groups’
work can be attributed to more than one Goal, however, the Goal to which they
most align has been selected for the purpose of this analysis. This round there has been
an increase in the number of groups funded who are providing services aligned
with Goal 3, with 35 groups primarily contributing towards Connected and Safe
priorities, representing 81% of the total funds.
Creative & Exciting, Goal 2, and Eco-city, Goal 4 have
four groups each contributing, representing 9% of the total funds each. This
distribution is expected as Goals 2 and 4 tend to have more alternative funding
avenues, there are fewer not-for-profit groups operating in the city in the
Goal 2 and 4 areas, and fewer applications were received towards these
Goals.
Graph 1
Performance
data submitted by SPG recipients showed
that there were over 450,000 client interactions (recipients
of a service, visitors to a facility, workshop and event attendees, etc.)
across all groups this year. Collectively, 4,816 ‘services’ were
delivered, including programmes, events, projects, workshops, engagement hui,
and more. These figures demonstrate the significant impact and role the SPG
recipient organisations, and their facilities and services, have on the
day-to-day lives of the community.
There were also 1,528 volunteers
reported as supporting the activities delivered by the groups during the year,
demonstrating a significant level of civic engagement and community
connectivity underpinned by these groups.
91% of
all clients were highly satisfied or satisfied with the programme or service
they received or participated in.
In terms of outcomes achieved, the
data shows that 95% of clients reported an increased sense of community
connection, 92% of clients reported an increase of confidence and/or that they
had gained new skills, knowledge and experience, and 96% of clients reported
that they had received information and advice to meet their needs (note not all
organisations have all outcomes measured, outcomes are measured as relevant to
the services delivered).
Sector
Leads: All seven Sector Lead groups
completed annual reports to their respective Committees in early 2023, and they
continue to meet, together with staff, regularly. The success of the Sector
Leads trial will be reported on separately to this Committee in November
2023.
Future
of the fund: As resolved in the previous
annual funding report, staff are currently preparing a proposal for a revised
Strategic Priority Grants structure, for consideration in the Long-Term Plan
2024-2034 process.
3.12 Community-led Initiatives Fund
Purpose: To
provide communities with the resources to deliver their own small-scale
community-led initiatives, including events and projects, that will primarily
benefit Palmerston North communities of identity, place, or interest.
This fund is to support initiatives
provided by the community for the community. Open year-round, it gives Council
flexibility to support community-led initiatives as they emerge.
Budget 2022/23: $164,233
Allocation process: Applications are received via SmartyGrants, and assessed by a
panel of two officers, including a first full assessment and a second peer
review assessment.
2022/2023
Year: The Community-Led Initiatives Fund
saw 36 applications, compared to last year’s 17, and was 93% allocated, a
41% increase on last year which was 52% allocated.
The Best
Care Whakapai Hauora received the largest grant of $15,000 for the
‘Flip’ project - a community-based initiative which aims to promote
positive experiences within the Awapuni Community for rangatahi by delivering a
variety of weekly activities, from sports, cooking, gardening, creative arts
and community-driven events. The Welcoming Schools Programme and the Palmy Drag
Fest also received larger grants, $13,500 and $10,800 respectively, to support
their initiatives in support of migrant and former refugee communities, and
rainbow communities. $500 was the smallest grant allocated to support River
Stop Awapuni to hold their annual event ‘Tales, Tea and Music’,
bringing the diverse Awapuni community together to celebrate their local
history.
Another
$5,000 was allocated for community groups that led the Movie Nights series
through the summer holiday period, attended by hundreds of whānau across
the city.
This
year, it was pleasing to see a continuation of the diversity of applications
seen in previous years (Graph 2). The amount requested from this fund was over
$210,000, nearly double compared to last financial year (Graph 3). There was
also a significant increase in the total attendance to the initiatives, at
34,345 compared to 13,060 last financial year (Graph 4).
Graph
2
Graph 3
Graph 4
In
2022/23, a new module within SmartyGrants, called the outcomes engine, was
successfully applied in the Community-led Initiatives application form and
acquittal report to assist in the evaluation of outcome achievement.
To date,
14 successful recipients have completed their funded initiatives and the
acquittal reporting. The reports show the initiatives increased whānau and
community connectedness, city vibrancy, and provided opportunities for people
to share and celebrate their culture. There was a total of 15,481 attendees and
646 volunteers involved in the initiatives, and 95% of attendees were satisfied
with the initiative they participated in.
Future
of the fund: Staff will continue to work
with community groups to develop new initiatives for funding and encourage a
diversity of applications.
3.13 Community
Development Small Grants Fund
Purpose: To provide funding for essential
administration expenses to enable local not-for-profit community groups to
operate.
Groups may apply for grants of up to $5,000 to cover costs related to audit or
financial review, communication, energy, insurance, volunteer expenses, rent or
stationery. Organisations seeking funding must contribute to either Goal 2, 3
or 4.
Budget
2022/2023: $220,934 (including
$10,000 for Te Pū Harakeke’s administration costs)
Allocation
process: Grants are allocated through a
contestable process once a year, administered by Te Pū Harakeke (formerly
Palmerston North Community Services Council). Te Pū Harakeke
appoints a community panel to meet with applicants and make allocation
decisions.
This
year, in alignment with the Support and Funding Policy 2022, the Allocation
Committee placed a greater emphasis on the support priority ‘[groups
which] have a need for administrative funding’. This meant some groups
who had received grants in the past but had very large operating budgets or had
very large reserves were deprioritised, ensuring that the funds went to the
groups that needed it most.
2022/2023
Year: 65 applications were received
in total, and 53 of these were successful in receiving an allocation of
funding. Of the 53 approved applications, the average amount requested was
$4,338 and the average amount allocated was $3,885. Of the 53 approved
applications, 20 were also Strategic Priority Grants 2022-25
recipients.
Feedback
from recipients via accountability reports showed that 92% ‘strongly
agreed’ or ‘agreed’ that the application and assessment
process was efficient, and that they were better able to meet their essential
administration expenses for operation as a result of receiving the grant.
Future
of the fund: The contract for the
administration of Small Grants has been incorporated in the Sector Lead
partnership agreement with Te Pū Harakeke for 2022/2025. That contract
requires that administration of the fund is undertaken in alignment with the
Support and Funding Policy 2022.
3.14 Community
Training Fund
Purpose: This fund supports
Sector Lead groups to provide affordable training opportunities for staff,
volunteers and board members of community groups to build capacity and
capability in the arts, environment and social sectors.
Budget 2022/2023: $18,476.00.
Allocation process: Funding
is available throughout the financial year or until funds run out. Sector Lead
groups use SmartyGrants to apply for funding prior to offering training to
community groups. Applications are assessed by Council
officers.
2022/2023 Year: 14 training
workshops were delivered, at a total cost of $15,242. 325 people attended the
trainings throughout the year. The following table shows the range of training
workshops delivered:
|
TITLE
|
DESCRIPTION OF OUTCOMES
|
Number of
attendees
|
|
De-escalation
|
Staff were able to
respond to hostile or tense situations calmly and effectively diffuse the
situation. Staff, especially at reception, felt confident that they have the necessary
skills should situations arise, which will make them feel safer in the
workplace.
|
14
|
|
Managing Volunteers
|
Organisations have
better personnel management skills, leading to increased capacity and better
outcomes in their area of work.
|
20
|
|
Intro to Understanding Sexual Violence
|
Organisations better
understand sexual violence within a sector that focuses on well-being. Staff
and volunteers recognise the signs and know how to process them both as an
individual and a professional.
|
5
|
|
Mana Tangata – Working with People
|
People in the
community sector have strong, practical people skills, which will lead to
better discussions, negotiations, and collaboration.
|
19
|
|
Developing a Positive Volunteer Culture
|
A better volunteering
culture, leading to a higher number of volunteers, retention rates, and
retained knowledge in the sector.
|
11
|
|
Managing Volunteers #2
|
Organisations have
better personnel management skills, leading to increased capacity and better
outcomes in their area of work.
|
22
|
|
Strategic Thinking and Planning
|
Organisations will
have a clearer sense of direction and be more efficient in delivering their
goals.
|
6
|
|
Effective Narratives to Create Change
|
Increased confidence
and ability in using effective narrative for talking about big issues
- Participants feel
empowered to start developing ideas and tools for better communication and
have ideas for different narratives and stories for their
organisation
- Participants begin
to understand the importance of how narratives and stories can help change
mindsets
- Community cohesion;
people will feel connected and powered by the training and interactions with
each other
|
50
|
|
Incorporated Societies Act
|
Increased legal
knowledge to handle organisational and compliance issues. The community
sector will be equipped to better support their organisations.
|
70
|
|
Positive Psychology for Leadership
|
Better leadership
that will support the mental health of staff, as well as improved
outputs.
|
11
|
|
Sexual Violence in Rainbow Communities
|
Raise awareness among
existing family and sexual violence services to improve their safety and
appropriateness when working with members of the rainbow community.
|
16
|
|
Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Environmental Sector
|
A collective and coherent
organisational understanding of the principles of Te Tiriti o
Waitangi.
Improved confidence
around working with Tangata Whenua
Improved
relationships with our current iwi and hapu partner organisations.
|
35
|
|
Grant Writing and Fundraising
|
Groups have a greater
understanding of what funders are looking for in grant applications and can
write clear and effective applications, which leads to a higher success rate
in their applications.
|
16
|
|
Governance 101 & 102
|
Part One
Committee members
have the skills to run effective meetings.
Committee members
understand how to manage conflict.
Committee members
have a stronger understanding of the roles of board members.
Part Two
Committee members
have a better understanding of their relationship with the
manager.
Committee members
have a better understanding of how they can add value to the
organisation.
Committee members
understand risk and risk management.
|
30
|
3.15 Creative Communities Scheme (CCS)
Purpose:
This grants programme is a partnership between Creative New Zealand and the
Council. The fund supports local arts projects that create opportunities for
the local community to engage with and participate in arts activities. While
Creative New Zealand set the priorities for this fund, the local allocation
panel has the option to also consider the priorities outlined in the
Council’s Creative and Liveable Strategy (to achieve Goal 2: A creative
and exciting city) and the Connected Community Strategy (to achieve Goal 3: A
connected and safe community).
Budget
2022/2023: The total fund pool for 2022/23
was $115,616, made up of a $34,506 Council contribution, $68,220 from Creative
NZ, $11,478 carried forward from 2021/2022 and $1,412 returned due to cancelled
projects in the previous financial years.
Allocation process: This
process is determined by the Creative Communities guidelines. A panel made up
of community representatives and Councillors makes allocation decisions twice a
year.
2022/2023
Year: A total of 42 applications were received across the two
rounds, with 35 projects funded. The total allocated amount was $108,186, and
the average grant awarded was around $3,000 per application. The unspent amount
will be carried over to the 2023-2024 financial year.
Grants
ranged from $600 to support creative therapy beading workshops in Palmerston
North for people experiencing illness, trauma or loss, to $9,210 for a project
called ‘Swimming Lessons’, by Rachel Lenart, which includes the
development process and community presentation of a new play by Lizzie
Tollemache about the joy and fear in facing neurodivergence and
trauma.
Three-year
trend: As demonstrated in Graph 5 below,
there was an increase in literature and theatre performance projects this year,
and multi-artforms and visual arts continue to grow, while there was a decrease
in music projects. There was also an increase in the number of
applications from Māori and Pasifika applicants, in alignment with
Creative NZ’s support priorities (Graph 6). Note some group applications
included people of multiple ethnicities.
As shown
in Graph 7, the amount allocated continues to be roughly half of the amount
requested from applicants. The number of applications received, 42, is consistent
with last year, but fewer than the previous year, which suggests that the
sector is still recovering from the impacts of Covid-19. It is noted that the
gap between the amount requested and the amount allocated is reducing,
suggesting the applications are becoming more realistic, and indicating more
substantial projects are starting to move to larger funds like the Arts Event
Fund and Creative Arts Grants. The Creative Communities Committee is still able
to refer applicants directly to these funds where appropriate.
Future of the fund: The Creative Communities Scheme remains
a popular and effective funding stream to support small-scale art initiatives
and local artists to grow.
Graph
5
Graph
6
Graph
7
3.16 Arts
Event Fund
Purpose: To invest in events that contribute to the
Council’s vision for the City, in particular, Goal Two: A creative and
exciting city. The council recognises the opportunities that arise from hosting
significant art events in Palmerston North, both in terms of economic growth and
in developing the city as a culturally rich city where people have the
opportunity to express their creativity and cultural identity. To be considered
for funding the event must:
· Have
the arts as a central focus.
· Be
of significant regional, national or international importance.
· Be
accessible to the community.
· Positively
profile the city of Palmerston North; and
· Provide
an economic benefit for Palmerston North.
Budget
2022/2023: $50,000
Allocation
process: The Arts Event Fund is
open all year until allocated. Applications are received via SmartyGrants, and
assessed by a panel of two officers, including a first full assessment and a
second peer review assessment.
2022/2023
Year: Of the ten applications to
the fund, six were successful, one was declined, one was withdrawn and
recommended to apply to another fund, and two were asked to apply again in the
2023-2024 financial year as the fund was fully allocated. A total of $116,608
was requested over the eight applications assessed. The successful projects
included:
Moana Jr. (Manawatū
Youth Theatre Charitable Trust) was supported with $16,000 towards their major
production of the Disney musical Moana Jr at the Regent Theatre. Palmerston
North’s largest youth musical to date, the show celebrated Māori and
Pasifika art and culture.
Pasifika Fusion 2024
(Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata EFKS Palmerston North Inc.) will celebrate the
twentieth anniversary of the secondary school competition that enables students
to explore and identify with their Pacific heritage and culture. The grant of
$13,000 is to support the move to the Central Energy Trust Arena, with the
organisers also seeking support from Creative New Zealand’s Pasifika
Festivals fund.
NZ Blues, Roots & Groove
Festival 2023 (Aotearoa Jazz Education and Performance Charitable Trading
Trust) was granted $10,000 to support the national four-day event celebrating
blues, roots and groove music, to be held in the first week of September each
year.
PNDA 23rd Annual Dance Festival
(Palmerston North Dance Association) was supported with $7,225 to host their
seven-day multi-genre dance championships at the Regent Theatre. The
competition attracts young dancers with their families from Taranaki, Hawkes
Bay, Wellington and the top of the South Island.
Growth (Manawatū
Theatre Society Inc.) a play in support of Testicular Cancer Awareness month
was supported with $3,000 and involved cast and crew from Palmerston North and
the wider Manawatū.
Manawatū Art Expo
(Feilding and District Art Society Inc.) was granted $6,100 to support the
Society to make the event free for the community to access. This annual
cash-and-carry art exhibition features the work of artists from around New
Zealand. Artist fees and a visitor entry fee generate profit to support the
activities of the Society. Note this application was approved by the assessors
on the condition that the Society make the event free for the community to
access, as their budget indicated that the event would be making a significant
profit and did not require grant funding for the event to proceed; the Society
decided not to make the event free for the community to access and did not take
up the grant.
Three-year
trend: The size of this fund has not
increased over the last three years, though there has been a notable increase
in the amounts being requested, as the costs of producing events has increased,
particularly post-Covid (see Graph 8). The level of support able to be
offered from the Arts Event Fund is therefore decreasing in terms of proportion
of budget.
Future
of the fund: In 2023/2024, staff will
continue to maximise the available funds to support the arts community,
including supporting larger events to pathway into the Major Events Fund and
the Creative New Zealand large grants where appropriate. Staff will propose an
increase to the Arts Event Fund for consideration in the Long-Term Plan
2024-2034, and the Fund will also be in the scope of the review of Events
funding alongside the Major Events Fund.
Graph 8
3.17 Major Events Fund
Purpose: To support the attraction,
development and growth of events in Palmerston North. The objective of the
Major Events Fund is to support Event Producers to deliver world-class events
that drive sustainable growth in domestic visitation and promote Palmerston
North’s unique identity to a wider audience. A specific focus on events
that increase visitor nights, increase tourism spending and economic activity
is targeted.
Budget 2022/2023:
$206,000
Allocation process: A
cross-section assessment panel consisting of two council officers and a CEDA
representative receives applications throughout the financial year until funds
are fully allocated. Multi-year funding can be approved by the panel if this
will assist in event growth and economic benefit.
2022/2023 Year: All grant
recipients received funds as part of multi-year agreements and no additional
events received funding this year. The full allocation of funds was again
utilised and as the fund was allocated before the start of the year, therefore
no new applications were accepted. However, several expressions of interest
were received showing a desire to bring more major events to the
city.
2022/23 Funding Allocations
|
Gravel and Tar Cycling
Classic
|
Greasy Chain Trust
|
$30,000 + $15,000
wraparound (for 2023, the NZ Cycling Criterium)
|
Year 3 of 3
|
|
Ford Ranger Rural Games
|
NZ Rural Games Trust
|
$60,000 + $20,000
in-kind
|
Year 2 of 3
|
|
Manawatu Jazz and Blues
Festival
|
Manawatu Jazz Club
|
$35,000
|
Year 3 of 3
|
|
Armageddon Expo
|
Beyond Reality
|
$30,000
|
Year 2 of 3
|
|
NZ Young Performer
Awards
|
PACANZ
|
$15,000
|
Year 3 of 3
|
Please note; all grant recipients
were awarded multiyear funding agreements prior to the adoption of the current
Support and Funding Policy.
Three-year trend: This fund
has been oversubscribed year on year. Many applicants do not meet the specific
criteria set out in the Support and Funding Policy to drive additional
visitation to Palmerston North and these event organisers need help to increase
visitation to the city with specific marketing guidance.
Future of the fund: Staff
will maintain a targeted focus on economic benefits and events that help
promote the city to a national audience and drive visitation to the city.
Improved standardised reporting and reporting metrics would enable a clear and
consistent approach for all funding requests which could be extended to other
funding sources within council. To this end, staff will propose a review of
event funding for consideration in the Long-Term Plan 2024-2034 process.
3.18 Sports
Event Partnership Fund (via Sport Manawatū)
Purpose: To support
operational costs for sports events hosted in Palmerston North that have an
economic benefit and enhance community connectedness and health.
Budget 2022/2023: $265,000
(plus $55,000 funds retained from 2021/2023 as a carryover due to Covid-19
related cancellations).
Allocation Process: This
fund is fully administered by Sport Manawatū with a cross-sector
assessment panel which includes Sport Manawatū staff, a council officer
and a CEDA representative.
2022/2023 Year: This fund
has proven a great asset to the city given that it continues to support
community events, raises the profile of the city by hosting national-level
events in world-class facilities, and activates the local economy in ways that only
sporting events can.
42 events received grant funding
and provided an additional $13,615,686 of
economic benefit to the city based on economic impact modelling from applicant
information, representing a 4,000% return on investment to the
city.
Future of the fund: The
retention aspect of the fund is under threat from other cities with similar
funds and new facilities purposefully built to attract the events Palmerston
North currently hosts. To retain these events, Sport Manawatū recommend
that the city present a united front where all stakeholders can offer a
combined value proposition to event organisers.
3.19 Sponsorship
Fund
Purpose: To associate the
Council with initiatives (including activities, projects or events) which
improve the city’s reputation and national presence.
The fund priorities are to invest
in initiatives that;
· contribute to
outcomes to achieve goal one of the Council's strategic direction
· is
innovative, delivering something new or addressing an issue that affects the
people of Palmerston North in line with the Council’s strategic
goals
· is of
significant regional or national importance
· positively
profiles the city of Palmerston North
· provides a
quantifiable economic benefit (e.g., activities, projects or events that
attract 200+ visitors to the city who stay at least one night).
Budget 2022/2023:
$52,000
Allocation process:
Applications are received via SmartyGrants, and assessed by a panel of
officers, including a first full assessment, and a second and third peer review
assessment.
This fund opens at the start of the
financial year and remains open until it is fully allocated. A maximum of
$10,000 is available per application. Staff have discretion to award up to 50%
of the total funding to an eligible proposal.
2022/2023 Year: 16
applications were received, 6 of which were successful in receiving funding.
Across these 6 successful applications, the whole $52,000 fund was allocated.
The fund was fully allocated within six months of the financial
year.
Future of the fund: This
fund will continue to be used to support initiatives that profile Palmerston
North. Council will use this fund as an incentive in attracting conference,
business and city events.
3.20 Natural and Cultural Heritage Incentive Fund (NCHIF)
Purpose: To fund the
protection, promotion and strengthening of heritage buildings or other objects
listed in the District Plan and the trimming and maintenance of notable trees.
The NCHIF has four categories:
a) Strengthening
Palmy History: to support owners of earthquake-prone heritage buildings and
street character buildings that require strengthening with the costs of
feasibility studies, working drawings and structural works;
b) Protecting
Palmy History: to support owners looking after our most significant heritage
buildings and sites, with funding for conservation, maintenance, repair, and
restoration of scheduled heritage buildings and sites;
c) Promoting
Palmy History: to support community-led heritage education, research or
promotion projects; and
d) Notable
Palmy Trees: to support notable tree owners with the costs of minor maintenance
and trimming.
Given the requirements of the
Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016, the priority for this
fund is earthquake-strengthening listed heritage buildings.
Budget 2022/2023: $196,253
to support funding categories a-d above.
Allocation process: For fund
categories a-c, applications are assessed by one officer and peer-reviewed by
another officer. All applications are assessed against several criteria set out
in the Heritage Funding Guidelines.
2022/2023 Year: See Graph 9
below. Key insights include:
· There was one
application for Promoting Palmy Heritage, consistent with the low uptake in
previous years.
· Applications
for Strengthening Palmy Heritage were relatively low and of lower value than
previous years.
· Applications
for Protecting Palmy Heritage have been steadily increasing over the past three
years. The increase in declined and withdrawn applications reflects the Natural
and Cultural Heritage Fund being oversubscribed for the year, which we expect
to put pressure on subsequent years as these applications resubmit.
· Funding for
notable trees remains consistent with historical trends.
Graph 9
Three-year trend: The
key Annual Plan Performance Measure is an “Increase in investment in
earthquake-prone heritage buildings.” Three-year trends in Graph 9 below
show that support for maintenance and repairs on heritage buildings and notable
tree maintenance is consistent with the three-year average. Investment in earthquake-prone
buildings is less than in previous years. This is likely due to the small
number and smaller average value of applications compared to previous
years.
Graph
10
3.21 Palmerston North Youth Council Scholarships and Grants Fund
Purpose: To celebrate the
contribution made by young people in our city through active participation and
leadership in their given field. Inspire young people to take up growth
opportunities and enable access to these opportunities. Administrating the fund
also provides a development opportunity for the Youth Council who learn about
financial transparency and sound decision-making. Funding categories include
sports, arts, academic excellence, and community contribution. Applicants must
be aged 12-24.
Budget 2022/2023: $6,800
Allocation process: Once a
year, allocation decisions are made by a scholarships committee, which consists
of 5 to 7 Youth Councillors (who represent a range of schools, ages, and
interests) plus a council officer who oversees the process and supports the
young people to make transparent and sound decisions.
The amount awarded to successful
applications is variable based on the amount requested but is typically between
$500 (minimum) and $1,150 (maximum) per applicant. The assessment process
includes an initial application review, an interview with shortlisted
applicants and a moderation session.
2022/2023 Year: Due to staffing
limitations throughout the year, both the Youth Council and the funding round
itself were unable to be delivered.
Future of the fund: Recruitment has taken
place to increase staff capacity, and it is expected that the Youth Council and
the administration of this fund will recommence in 2023/2024.
3.22 Resource Recovery Fund
Purpose: To support local small
businesses and not-for-profit entities to recover resources that would
otherwise be destined for the landfill. The key support priorities for this
fund are waste diversion, education programmes, community events, trials and
pilot programmes, and research and development. The establishment of the fund
was driven by an action in Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation
Plan (WMMP); therefore, it is important funding is given to projects that
complement the WMMP.
Budget 2022/2023: $40,000
Allocation process:
Applications are received once a year. Applications are assessed by two council
officers, an assessor and a peer reviewer.
2022/2023 Year: The Resource
Recovery Fund is in its second year. The full $40,000 was allocated. Four projects were funded
from eight applications received requesting a total of $106,413. The successful
projects were:
· Repair Cafe
(Environment Network Manawatū), $7,700 was awarded to ENM as ongoing support
in the second year of their successful Repair Café.
· Increasing
city-based recycling opportunities (Environment Network Manawatū), $2,687
allowed four teracycle boxes to be installed at ENM’s Cuba St office for
collection of storage media (CD’s, USB sticks etc), empty blister packs,
beauty product packaging, nametags and lanyards.
· Making composting
fun (English Language Partners), $15,000 went towards working with new migrants
to encourage home composting and provide education to support this.
· Paper towel
recycling and upcycling (Precycle NZ Limited), $15,000 will allow the
establishment of a pilot scheme with the aim of recycling paper towels into
building products.
Future of the fund: The RRF
is funded by Waste Levy funding allocated to the Council by the Ministry for
the Environment (MfE). The current LTP includes the budget (Programme 1909) to
continue offering this fund for the next ten years.
Although there were fewer
applications this round, the fund’s oversubscription increased. There is
potential to review the way this fund is allocated in the upcoming Long-Term
Plan process.
3.23 Active
Communities Fund (administered via Sport Manawatū)
Purpose: To remove financial
barriers to enable Palmerston North residents to be more active, more
often.
Budget
2022/2023: $10,000
per year, plus $2,320 unspent funds carried over from previous financial
years.
Allocation
process: Residents apply to the fund via
an application form, which is assessed by a panel composed of Sport Manawatū,
Replay Sport, Best Care Whakapai Hauora and two other advisors (community
members).
2022/2023
Year: There were 29 applications on behalf
of 51 people during the year. 27 applications were approved, benefiting 47
residents. The average amount allocated was $397 per application or $228 per
beneficiary. Figures do not include GST.
Sport
Manawatū advise that the impact this fund produces is difficult to describe in
words. It is noted that the fund is on the Sport Manawatū website, which
is the only promotion it gets from Sport Manawatū; however, it keeps
gaining popularity via word of mouth from current and past beneficiaries. This
is the only mechanism of promotion Sport Manawatū can afford given the
size of the fund (if it was advertised through other channels, then it would
likely not last throughout the year and it may not have the same reach and
impact).
4. Summary
4.1 Council has a good range of fund types, catering for a wide variety
of community needs and aspirations, at different levels. This report has
demonstrated the significant role grant funding plays in the city, with over
two point eight million dollars allocated annually to support communities to
achieve their wellbeing aspirations.
4.2 2022/2023 has seen strong demand for funding across the board, with
most funds being oversubscribed. Improved data practices across the
Community-Led Initiatives Fund and the Strategic Priority Grants are beginning
to provide better insights into the impacts and outcomes of the investments in
these areas.
4.3 Event funding has been identified as an area of opportunity to
improve processes and outcomes.
5. Next steps
5.1 Officers will continue to work to ensure Council’s funds are
accessible as possible to the community, including facilitating the Palmerston
North Funding Expo in collaboration with other funders, reviewing application
forms and developing information resources for the community.
5.2 Improvements and reviews for several individual funding programmes
will be proposed by officers through the Long-Term Plan 2024-2034 process.
5.3 The
next annual report for the 2023-2024 financial year will be provided in the
third quarter of 2024.
6. Compliance and administration
|
Does the
Committee have delegated authority to decide?
If Yes quote
relevant clause(s) from Delegations Manual
|
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 3: A Connected and Safe Community
|
|
The
recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions
in Connected Communities
The action is:
Administer grants in line with the community funding policy.
Note due to the
range of funds included this report relates to outcomes and actions under
multiple plans across Goals 2, 3 and 4.
|
|
Contribution to
strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural
well-being
|
Providing
funding to community helps Council deliver its strategic objectives in a
range of areas and provides critical support to the local for-purpose sector.
|
|
|
|
Attachments
NIL
Memorandum
TO: Community
Committee
MEETING DATE: 27
September 2023
TITLE: Draft
Gambling Venue Policies - Deliberations Report
Presented
By: Stacey
Solomon, Policy Analyst
APPROVED BY: David
Murphy, Chief Planning Officer
RECOMMENDATIONS TO
COUNCIL
1. That
Council adopt the Class 4 Gambling Venue Policy 2023, (Attachment 2).
2. That
Council adopt the TAB Venue Policy 2023, (Attachment 3).
1. ISSUE
The Palmerston North City
Council (the Council) has consulted with the community on its draft gambling
venue policies. Submitters wanting to speak to their submissions were heard by
the Community Committee at its regular meeting in August 2023.
This memorandum provides advice
for the deliberations of the Committee in response to submissions received on
the proposal (Attachment 1).
This memorandum recommends the
draft Class 4 Gambling Venue Policy 2023 and the TAB Venue Policy 2023 be
adopted (attachments 2 and 3 respectively).
2. BACKGROUND
Through the Gambling Act 2003
and the Racing Industry Act 2020, the Council is required to have policies for
whether and how venue consents for class 4 gambling venues and TAB venues are
issued. These polices are required to be reviewed every three years. This is
the fifth review of these policies.
The Council has two gambling
policies:
1. The Class 4 Gambling
Venue Policy, which relates to pokies (gaming machines) in pubs and
clubs.
2. The Racing Board Venue
Policy, which is used to decide whether the Council will give consent to any
new TAB venues in the city.
Class 4 Gambling Venues Policy
Class 4 gambling is any activity that involves
the use of an electronic gambling machine (also known as a pokie) outside of a
casino. A class 4 gambling venue is a place where gambling machines are
located.
The Class 4 Gambling Venue Policy does not
apply to any other types of gambling or gambling venues or establishments (such
as pokies located in casinos, Lotto outlets, or online gambling sites).
Furthermore, the Council gives consent for
venues, but licences are issued by Te Tari Whenua the Department of Internal
Affairs (DIA). The DIA will refer to a Council’s Class 4 Gambling Venue
Policy when an application for a gaming machine licence is received. This means
that if a Council has, for example, chosen a sinking lid policy setting for
their district, the DIA will not grant a new class 4 venue licence for that
location. The administration of class 4 venues, and the machines located
in them, also sits with the DIA.
TAB Venue Policy
The TAB Venue Policy applies only to
standalone TAB venues, and does not apply to TAB terminals or kiosks.
In May 2023, the Community
Committee approved the draft gambling venue policies for consultation with the
community, which was subsequently completed in June and July. The Council
received 71 submissions to its proposal and heard nine submitters at the August
2023 hearing.
Information and previous
reports relevant to the recommendations of the Committee are linked here:
· March
2023 Workshop
presentation
· May
2023 Community Committee Report: Approval
for consultation (including Social Impact Assessment)
· August
2023 Community Committee Report: Original
submissions and Summary of Submissions
3. Analysis of submissions
Attachment 1 of this memorandum contains detailed analysis
of the issues raised by submitters.
Comments and arguments made by submitters to the proposed
policies traverse issues directly related to the proposal of the Council, as
well as issues which do not directly relate to the proposal of the Council, but
which are otherwise informed by thoughts and opinions of the submitters on
matters related to gambling.
Recommended changes
Officers recommend the following changes are made, based on
submissions received.
Class 4 Gambling Venues Policy
· That the proposed changes
to clauses 4.1 and 4.2, which remove the cap on gaming machines and introduce a
sinking lid, be adopted as proposed in the consultation document.
· That additional
clarification of what might constitute ‘exceptional circumstances’
in clause 4.3 be included so that it reads:
“For
the purpose of providing clarity, examples of “circumstances beyond the
control of the operator or the lessee of the premises” include, but not
be limited to, the following situations:
o Acquisition
of property under the Public Works Act 1981; or
o The premises are sold or the property lease expires and the
license holder is not able to renew that lease; or
o Natural
disaster”
The reason for the proposed additional wording to clause 4.3
is that submitters were concerned the proposed clause did not provide enough
clarity or assurance about what constitutes an “exceptional
circumstance” or “circumstances beyond the control of the operator
of the lessee of the premises”, or the intention of the Council in
applying this policy setting.
The proposed addition to the wording makes the intention of
the clause clearer.
If the premises occupied (but not owned) by a class 4
licence holder is sold, or if their lease expires and it is not possible for
them to renew that lease, authorised officers may take this into consideration
when assessing an application for relocation.
TAB Venues Policy
· That the TAB
Venues Policy be adopted as proposed in the consultation document.
No other changes are recommended.
4. Options
The
Committee has the following options:
Option
1: recommend that the Class 4 Gambling Venue Policy
and the TAB Venue Policy be adopted by the Council.
In
considering and deliberating on all submissions received, the Committee may
choose to recommend that the Council adopt the gambling venues policies (with
minor amendments). Once adopted, the review will be complete.
This
option is recommended.
Option 2: not recommend that the Class 4 Gambling Venue Policy and/or and
the TAB Venue Policy be adopted by the Council.
In
considering and deliberating on all submissions received, the Committee may
choose not to recommend the gambling venues policies for adoption.
This is the
option which is available to the Committee should it choose to be provided with
additional information for the purposes of deliberation, or if, based on
submissions, the Committee choose to make significant changes to what was
originally proposed and consulted on.
This
option is not recommended.
5. NEXT STEPS
If the Committee recommends
that these policies be adopted, staff will provide copies of the reviewed
policies to the DIA and will develop an implementation and monitoring plan for
the policies.
Assuming there are no
significant changes in legislation, or the policy direction of the Council, the
policies will be reviewed again in 3 years (2026).
6. 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 3: A Connected and Safe Community
|
|
The recommendations contribute
to the achievement of action/actions in Safe Communities Plan
The action is: No specific
action is given. However, the implementation of the Class 4 Gambling
Venues Policy and the Racing Board Policy includes a statutory review of the
policies which is required by legislation.
|
|
Contribution to strategic
direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being
|
A regular review of policies
ensures that they are up-to-date and are contributing to the outcomes that
the Council is working towards. Addressing the availability of gambling
opportunities contributes towards the reduction of problem gambling.
This supports the Council’s strategic priorities for:
· a
healthy community where everyone has access to healthy, safe and affordable
housing and neighbourhoods; and
· to
be a city where people feel safe and are safe.
|
|
|
|
Attachments
|
1.
|
Gambling
Venues Policies - deliberations report ⇩ 
|
|
|
2.
|
Class
4 Gamblng Venue Policy ⇩ 
|
|
|
3.
|
TAB
Venue Policy ⇩
|
|
|
4.
|
Class
4 Gambling Venue Policy (marked-up) ⇩
|
|
|
5.
|
TAB
Venue Policy (marked-up) ⇩
|
|
