Agenda of Community Committee - Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Report

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 28 August 2024

TITLE: New Public Toilet - End of Albert Street

PRESENTED BY: Bryce Hosking, Group Manager - Property and Resource Recovery

APPROVED BY: Chris Dyhrberg, General Manager Infrastructure

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That Council proceed with the construction of a new single-pan toilet at the end of Albert Street within the road reserve (Option 1).

Summary of options analysis for

Problem or Opportunity	To meet public demand for a toilet option at the Albert Street River entrance, a single pan public toilet is proposed for the end of Albert Street within the road reserve. The residents at the end of Albert Street strongly oppose a toilet being built in this location as it will be visible from their respective properties. Whilst determining public toilet locations is within officer’s delegated authority, given the strong opposition, officers wanted to bring a report to the Community Committee for a decision as to whether to proceed with the proposed toilet, before lodging for consent.
OPTION 1:	That Council proceed with the construction of a new single-pan public toilet at the end of Albert Street within the road reserve
Community Views	· Given the increasing popularity of the Albert Street entrance to the river pathway, a toilet in this location is anticipated to be positively received by the wider public. · The residents at the end of Albert Street strongly oppose a new public toilet being built in the proposed location as it will be visible from their respective properties.
Benefits	· There are many benefits of providing access to public toilets across the city including achieving health, economic development, and tourism outcomes. The provision of toilets is essential for people exercising and walking dogs in public spaces and in this case along the river pathway. · Building a new toilet in the road reserve area at the end of Albert Street will help meet the current and future demands of the users of the pathway. · The preferred location of the toilet is very likely to achieve a resource consent. It is also preferred from an asset management point of view as it can be easily accessed maintenance perspective and is less likely to incur after hours damage due to its visibility. Also, being on the city side of the stop bank means it is unlikely to be damaged during a flood event. · There has been a focus on the aesthetics of the toilet and its surrounds to ensure it is as visually appealing as possible, similar in style to the toilets at He Ara Kotahi. · The toilet is being constructed off-site and transported to the installation site, which will minimise disruption to the neighbouring residents. The design and build nature of the toilet also ensures best value for money for ratepayers.
Risks	· There is a reputational risk that Council may be criticised for proceeding with the toilet in a location where the residents at the end of the street can see the toilet despite their opposition. This risk can be slightly mitigated through minimising the visual impacts of the toilet through the design; however, it cannot be completed mitigated. · There is a strategic risk that the toilets may increase the likelihood of freedom camping at the end of Albert Street. This risk can be mitigated through the toilets being locked each night and not opened again until the morning by our cleaners, which will be a deterrent as the facilities will not be available afterhours. Furthermore, should freedom camping still occur, a further mitigation could be to consider making it a ‘no camping’ area. · There is a safety risk that the toilets may attract antisocial behaviour in the area. Whilst this is a risk, officers have not seen any increase in antisocial behaviour as a direct cause to building toilets along the pathway in any other locations. This risk can be mitigated through adequate lighting and visibility, overnight security checks, and directly working with the police to address specific incidents. · There is a health and safety risk that the toilets may not be fit for purpose and visually detract from the area. This risk is mitigated through robust maintenance, cleaning, and renewal plans, along with the focus on the design to meet modern standards and accessibility needs.
Financial	· New public toilets are delivered through the capital new Programme 161 (City-wide – New Public Toilets). · The total project cost for the Albert Street toilet is $282K, which includes all consenting, connections, and a 25% project contingency. This is within the current budget provision for the programme in year 1.
OPTION 2:	That Council does not proceed with the construction of a new public toilet at the end of Albert Street
Community Views	· The residents at the end of Albert Street will view this positively and consider it listening to their concerns. · General users of the river pathway may view this negatively as it does not meet for their needs.
Benefits	· Given their opposition to the toilet, the residents at the end of Albert Street will consider their concerns have been listened to. · There are no other benefits identified with this option.
Risks	· There is a strategic risk that Council will not be following its strategic direction to build public toilets in the areas of need leading to not achieving goals and objectives. This risk cannot be mitigated through this option. · There is a reputational risk that Council may be criticised by the wider public for not responding to the increased use of the entrance to the river pathway from Albert Street by constructing supporting infrastructure. This risk cannot be mitigated. · There is a health and safety risk that not providing a toilet may create undesirable behaviour due to an absence of access to a public toilet leading to unsanitary conditions and public health risks. This risk is somewhat mitigated by there being other toilets in the wider area along the river pathway.
Financial	· Budget permitting, the allocated funding through Programme 161 will be redirected to bring forward building a new public toilet in another location. The exact cost of the toilet will be determined by the size of the toilet block and location of the toilet in respect to services.
OPTION 3:	That Council re-explores the construction location options to find a viable alternative location
Community Views	· The residents at the end of Albert Street will view this positively and consider it listening to their concerns. · Depending on whether a suitable alternative location is found, this may not meet the needs of the river pathway users.
Benefits	· Given their opposition to the toilet, the residents at the end of Albert Street may still consider their concerns have been listened to. · There are no other benefits identified with this option as other location options have already been explored.
Risks	· There is a reputational risk that Council may be criticised for delaying the decision unnecessarily given other location options have already been considered and either discarded or not progressed for various reasons, and it is likely that the location in Option 1 of this report would eventually be progressed anyway. This risk cannot be mitigated. · There is a health and safety risk that not providing a toilet may create undesirable behaviour in the meantime due to an absence of access to a public toilet leading to unsanitary conditions and public health risks. This risk is somewhat mitigated by there being other toilets in the wider area along the river pathway. · There is a compliance risk that at least two of the alternative location options will not achieve a resource consent, and even if they do, the conditions of the consent would be unpalatable. This risk cannot be mitigated. · There is a financial risk that there will be an increase in both the initial capital and the ongoing costs for the project depending on the location chosen including, but not limited to, extended service connections being required, increased maintenance or even land lease costs in the golf Club land option. This risk is mitigated through the 25% project contingency. · Depending on the final location, there is a strategic risk that the toilets may increase the likelihood of freedom camping at the end of Albert Street. This risk can be mitigated through the toilets being locked each night and not opened again until the morning by our cleaners which will be a deterrent as the facilities will not be available afterhours. Furthermore, should freedom camping still occur, a further mitigation could be to consider making it a ‘no camping’ area. · There is a safety risk that the toilets may attract antisocial behaviour in the area. Whilst this is a risk, Officers have not seen any increase in antisocial behaviour as a direct cause to building toilets along the pathway in any other locations. This risk can be mitigated through adequate lighting and visibility, overnight security checks, and directly working with the police to address specific incidents. · There is a health and safety risk that the toilets may not be fit for purpose and visually detract from the area. This risk is mitigated through robust maintenance, cleaning, and renewal plans, along with the focus on the design to meet modern standards and accessibility needs.
Financial	· There is adequate budget provision in Programme 161 for a toilet in the Albert Street location even if the scope were to increase. That said, depending on the increase in project cost, this may result in other public toilet work needing to be deferred to stay within budget parameters. · The exact cost of a toilet in an alternative location will be determined by the size of the toilet block and the location of the toilet in respect to services.

Rationale for the recommendations

1. Overview of the problem or opportunity

1.1 To meet public demand for a toilet option at the Albert Street River entrance, a single pan public toilet is proposed for the end of Albert Street within the road reserve.

1.2 In November 2023, the residents at the end of Albert Street expressed strong opposition to a toilet being constructed in the area in a location that would be visible from their respective properties. Officers met the residents on-site to discuss the proposal and to understand their concerns on 28 November 2023.

1.3 Several actions were agreed to in the meeting including, but not limited to, providing more information on the proposal, exploring alternative locations, and providing feedback on their specific concerns.

1.4 Whilst these actions were completed by officers, the residents have made clear they are still strongly opposed to a public toilet being built in the proposed location.

1.5 Whilst determining public toilet locations is within officer’s delegated authority, given the strong opposition, officers wanted to bring a report to the Community Committee for a decision as to whether to proceed with the proposed toilet, before lodging for consent.

2. Background and previous council decisions

Manawatu River Use

2.1 In 2023, officers monitored the coming and going from each river entrance to understand their usage. The process counted people for a period of one hour. This was repeated at different times of the day (between 9am and 5pm) at each site; and was done three times for each site. We then took the average of the three counts at each entrance over that one-hour period.

2.2 The graph below shows the average of the counts. Albert Street came in second overall on the average at 50 people per hour. If you assume there is an average of 6 useable hours per day (obviously different between summer and winter), this determines there is circa 110,000 people per year using the river pathway past the Albert Street entrance (50 ppl x 6 hrs x 7 days x 52 weeks). Responding to this use is a key driver behind the location choice for a new toilet.

A graph of a number of people

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End of Albert Street Location

2.3 In 2016, a five-year work programme for public toilets was presented to Council to inform the 2017 Recreation and Community Facilities Asset Management Plan. This included the end of Albert Street as a proposed location.

2.4 The 2023 Asset Management Plan has now been revised and used to inform Programme 161 (City-wide – New Public Toilets) in the 2024/34 Long Term Plan.

2.5 The locations for the new toilets was supported through information from our Parks and Reserves Division.

2.6 The desirability of the end of Albert Street as a location is promoted by the below graphic which shows the new location in between two existing facilities 500m in either direction (the purple circles). The Albert Street location is circled in red.

A map of a city

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2.7 The location at the end of Albert Street is also seen as desirable because it is:

· A popular start-finish for walkers.

· It is close to the adventure area which is well patronised; and

· Parking is available during the day.

3. Description and anaylysis of options

3.1 Several potential locations were explored and subsequently able to be discarded as appropriate or viable options, with a preferred construction location now determined by officers.

3.2 Given the opposition of the residents, Council now need to consider whether to proceed or not.

Construction Locations

3.3 Officers explored several locations for the proposed toilet to be built:

· Adding to the existing private toilets within the Manawatu Golf Club

· End of Albert Street within the road reserve at the foot of the stop bank

· On top of the stop bank

· On the river side of the stop bank

· Within Waterloo park, avoiding erecting a new toilet at the end of Albert Street altogether.

3.4 The below aerial shows these locations in more detail with the arrow showing the preferred location:

Aerial view of a golf course

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3.5 Resource consenting and asset management considerations were used to determine a preferred location. The following is a summary of the assessment of the options in the aerial above.

· The preferred location shown with the arrow is located within the road reserve and is very likely to achieve a resource consent. It is also preferred from an asset management point of view as it can be easily accessed maintenance perspective and is less likely to incur after hours damage due to its visibility. Also being on the city side of the stop bank means it is unlikely to be damaged during a flood event.

· The option located on top of the stop bank will not get a resource consent, meaning it was discarded.

· The option on the riverside of the stop bank could be technically possible, although unlikely to be consented, from a resource consent perspective. Additionally, as it is on the riverside, there is an unacceptable risk of flood damage should the river levels rise in a weather event, and has an increased risk of afterhours damage and antisocial behaviour occurring as it is not immediately visible being on the other side of the stop bank. This option was subsequently not progressed further.

· The option to come to an arrangement and expand and alter the existing facility within the golf club land was explored. The option required Council investing heavily into a building it did not own and required a lot of work to create a connection to the road whilst maintaining the security to the golf club. This option also required terms to be reached with the golf club around a lease adding to Council’s on-going operational costs. This option was subsequently not progressed further.

3.6 Officers also explored the nearby Waterloo Park as this was requested in the on-site meeting with the residents as an alternative. There are already public toilets within Waterloo Park, although admittedly set back some distance from the pathway, making them unobvious to the users of the river pathway. Officers believe more toilets within the park would over-prescribe the need of toilets at both the Park and at that entrance to the river pathway, and would not achieve the desired outcomes around providing facilities consistently along the pathway, especially given the distance between toilets as shown in the graphic in 2.6.

Design

3.7 The toilet will be a turn-key building constructed off site and transported to the location for installation. The project will include:

· Design, consent, construction, transportation and install of a single block of accessible public toilet.

· A concrete pad and landscaping to make the location suitable for construction.

· Water, sewer, and power connections.

3.8 Please refer to Appendix 1 for a visual concept of the toilet when it is in place.

Financial

3.9 There are two main suppliers for turn-key public toilets in the region. Costs were obtained by both suppliers and the construction cost of the preferred supplier for this project was $215K.

3.10 A breakdown of the total project cost is as follows:

Item	Cost (excl. GST)
Construction and Installation	$165K
Design, Consenting, and Connections	$50K
Total Construction Costs	$215K
Project Management Costs	$26K
Contingency (25%)	$41K
Total Project Cost	$282K

4. Conclusion

4.1 To meet public demand for a toilet option at the Albert Street River entrance, a single pan public toilet is proposed for the end of Albert Street within the road reserve as it will be visible from their respective properties.

4.2 Whilst officers have sought to alleviate the residents’ concerns, there remains strong opposition to the toilet being constructed in a location where it can be seen from their houses.

4.3 Given this strong opposition, officers wanted to bring a report to the Committee for a decision as to whether to proceed with the proposed toilet, before lodging for consent.

5. Next actions

5.1 If Council decide to proceed with the toilet in the preferred location, designs will be advanced and lodged for consent before eventual construction towards the end of 2024.

6. Outline of community engagement process

6.1 Initial contact was received from the group of residents at the end of Albert Street on 15 November 2023. An on-site meeting was then held between the residents and officers on 28 November to hear the concerns in more detail.

6.2 A response to the questions and concerns was provided on 21 December 2023 which provided the residents with most of the information contained within this report. The action from this correspondence was for officers to work the different location options and report back to the residents. This occurred on 10 April 2024, along with providing the concept designs in Appendix 1 of this report.

6.3 Subsequently the project was deferred to allow this report to be brought to the Community Committee for a decision.

7. 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: Whāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru Goal 3: A connected and safe community
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of the objective in: 7. Mahere tautāwhi hapori 7. Community Support Plan The objective is: Provide gender-neutral and accessible public toilets throughout the city.
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being.	Constructing new public toilets at the end of Albert Street will ensure there are clean, accessible and gender-neutral public toilets provided throughout the city. New toilets are developed in the most popular locations to meet demand of the public.

Attachments

Albert Street Toilet Visual Concept ⇩

Report

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 28 August 2024

TITLE: Approval to consult on the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection).

PRESENTED BY: Lili Kato Policy Analyst

APPROVED BY: David Murphy, General Manager Strategic Planning

RECOMMENDATION TO COMMUNITY COMMITTEE

1. That the Committee approve the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection) for consultation.

Summary of options analysis for the draft health promotion policy (healthy beverages, smoke-free and vape-free, and sun protection).

Problem or Opportunity	The Sun Protection Policy is due for review. As part of the review staff looked at the possibility of combining the Sun Protection Policy with the Healthy Beverages Policy and the Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas Policy. All three policies seek to promote the health of the community by encouraging behaviour change in settings that Council has influence or control over, for example Council-controlled public places or facilities. The policy review offers an opportunity to combine the approach.
OPTION 1:	Approve the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection), for consultation.
Community Views	Wider community views are yet to be sought but engagement with Council partner Rangitāne o Manawatū and stakeholders including Cancer Society, Te Tihi, and Te Whatu Ora have been incorporated in the draft Policy.
Benefits	Another step towards completing the policy review in line with the policy framework requirements. Improvements to the Policy are proposed and the community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on these.
Risks	None identified.
Financial	None identified.
OPTION 2:	Don’t approve the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection), for consultation.
Community Views	Wider community views are yet to be sought but engagement with Council partner Rangitāne o Manawatū and stakeholders including Cancer Society, Te Tihi, and Te Whatu Ora have been incorporated in the draft Policy.
Benefits	None identified.
Risks	Lost opportunity to improve the current policies. The Sun Protection Policy has yet to undergo a review since it was adopted in 2010. This is also the case for the Healthy Beverages Policy which was adopted in 2017. The Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas Policy had its last review in 2020 and is due for another one.
Financial	None identified.

Rationale for the recommendations

1. Overview of the problem or opportunity

1.1 The Sun Protection Policy is due for review. It was first adopted in 2010 and this is the first review of the Policy. Staff also took the opportunity to review the Healthy Beverages (adopted in 2017) and the Auahi Kore Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas (first adopted in 2013) Policies. The Healthy Beverages Policy has yet to be reviewed since it was adopted and the Auahi Kore Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas Policy was last reviewed in 2020 and is due for review.

1.2 All three current policies seek to promote the health of the community by encouraging behaviour change in settings where the Council has influence or control, such as in Council-controlled public places, facilities, and events.

1.3 All three current policies contribute to improving health issues that are prevalent within the community. These include:

· Melanoma and skin cancers caused by sun exposure.

· Premature and preventable death and morbidity from tobacco smoking.

· Diabetes, unwanted weight gain, and tooth decay in children, from a high sugar diet.

1.4 The ‘social determinants of health’ weave a complex web around individuals and communities, therefore better health outcomes are a complex system-wide concern that requires systemic, multi-level solutions that are not limited to the health sector^{^[1]}. Council has no formal role in health service delivery; however it does have an important role in creating and encouraging conditions that help build healthy communities.

1.5 Council owns and/or administers land and facilities that are available for public use and enjoyment. Council is also an event provider in the City, and therefore, it has direct control on how these places and events are managed in a way that reflects community values and expectations.

1.6 Staff propose to combine the Sun Protection, Healthy Beverages and Smoke-free and Vape-free Policies together because of their similarities in policy objectives, outcomes, and guidelines.

1.7 Elected members participated in a workshop to discuss the three policies in March 2024.

2. Background and previous council decisions

2.1 The following is an outline of the purpose, year of adoption and review of Council’s health promotion policies:

Name of policy	Purpose	Year of initial adoption	Year/s reviewed
Auahi Kore Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas	To encourage residents and visitors to Palmerston North to be smoke-free and vape-free in public spaces.	2013	2015 2020
Healthy Beverages	To encourage healthy beverage choices to contribute to improved health and model good health behaviours for the wider community.	2017	None
Sun Protection	To contribute to a reduction in the incidence of skin cancer by improving shade and other sun protection measures throughout the City.	2010	None

2.2 The Oranga Papaioea City Strategy, recently adopted as part of the Long-Term Plan 2024-34, provides the strategic direction for this Policy.

This proposed Policy will contribute in particular to these community wellbeing goals and outcomes:

Whāinga 2: He tāone whakaihiihi, tapatapahi ana

Goal 2: A creative and exciting city;

We want our communities to have:

o a vibrant city that connects people, and where creativity is built into our cityscape; and

o access to exciting well-managed events and activities throughout the city and our neighbourhoods.

Whāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru

Goal 3: A connected and safe community

We want our communities to have:

o access to services and facilities that are inclusive and appropriate for their needs;

o the support they want to live healthy lives; and

o access to safe and accessible community places.

2.3 The purpose statement in the following plans are most relevant to this Policy review:

Arts plan

Urban design plan

Community safety and health plan

Community support plan

To achieve our purpose we will:

1. Provide, fund and support city and community events.

To achieve our purpose we will:

1. Maintain and promote a well-connected and well-designed urban environment.

2. Provide and promote connected sustainable, accessible, safe, interesting, and playful public spaces.

To achieve our purpose we will:

1. Promote community health.

2. Co-ordinate and support community safety and harm reduction initiatives.

To achieve our purpose we will:

1. Provide and support community centres, Youth Space and Hancock Community House.

Auahi Kore Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas Policy

2.4 This policy takes an educative non-punitive approach to raising awareness about the harm of smoking and vaping. Council uses signs as the main mechanism to raise awareness of the smoke-free and vape-free environment. In 2020 the Policy was widened to include vape-free which meant that the outdoor areas Council designated as smoke-free became vape-free also.

2.5 Awareness is also raised through an annual campaign which is led by the smoke-free and vape-free reference group and timed around World Smoke-free Day on 31 May. Social media platforms are used to remind the community about the commitment to a smoke-free and vape-free environment. The annual campaigns are well received, and most of the engagement is positive. However, Council also receives feedback from the public that there are people who continue to smoke and vape at parks, playgrounds, and other outdoor public places.

2.6 Tobacco smoking is the most significant cause of premature and preventable death and morbidity in Aotearoa NZ. It is the key driver of inequities in health outcomes for Māori and Pacific people^{^[2]}.

2.7 The latest prevalence data in the New Zealand Health Survey 2022/2023 shows that daily smoking rates is continuing to track downwards. The percentage of daily adult smokers (age 15 years and older) is 6.8%, down from 8.6% in the 2021/2022 year. There has been a decline over time in daily smoking for all ethnic groups, however inequities remain. Smoking rates among Māori are higher than rates in other ethnicities as shown in Figure 1 below. Daily smoking rates for Māori adults in 2022/2023 are 17.1%, down from 21.3% in 2021/2022^{^[3]}.

Figure 1: Trends in daily smoking prevalence by ethnicity from the New Zealand Health Survey 2022/23^{^[4]}

2.8 Table 1 below shows census data from 2006 to 2018 for Palmerston North, indicating the percentage of those who reported being regular smokers by ethnicity. Māori and Pacific Peoples continue to have the highest percentage of regular smokers in the city^{^[5]}.

Table 1: Regular smokers, by ethnic group, for people in Palmerston North City, 2006-2018 Censuses^{^[6]}

2.9 The latest prevalence data in the New Zealand Health Survey 2022/2023 shows that more New Zealanders than ever are vaping. The increase in recent years was particularly marked among younger age groups, Māori and Pacific peoples, and people living in the most deprived neighbourhoods. The percentage of daily adult (age 15 years and older) vapers is 9.7%, up from 8.4% in 2021/2022. Daily vaping prevalence among 15-17 year olds almost doubled between 2021/2022 and 2022/23 from 8.3% to 15.4%.

2.10 The increase in daily vaping has been much greater among Māori and Pacific people as shown in Figure 2^{^[7]}.

Figure 2: Trends in daily vaping by ethnicity from the New Zealand Health Survey 2022/23^{^[8]}

2.11 In May this year Council, in collaboration with Te Whatu Ora, Cancer Society and Whaiora Trust, ran a vaping awareness programme targeting youth. It was held at Youth Space and was well attended by young people. At this event feedback about youth vaping was sought from youth. Participating youth were asked “why do you think vaping is appealing to some young people?”. Most of the responses was in relation to peer pressure and trying to fit in and “be cool”. Others said the different flavours/ taste/ and the effect the vape had on the individual, for example “head spins”. Several young people also said it gives relief and helps with stress, and “to get through stuff that nobody knows about”. Others said it was because young people think it is not harmful or better than cigarettes.

2.12 When asked what they thought the Council could do to support young people in becoming vape-free, many identified educational methods, such as talking with youth about what vapes contain and the effects they have on the body. One person suggested cracking down on dairies that sell to underage kids, while another recommended that youth should be required to show identification (we assume this meant when purchasing vapes). A couple of respondents mentioned that counselling should be provided and that safe spaces, like Youth Space, should be available. Some suggested a complete ban on vapes, while others suggested alternative methods to help quit, such as offering lollies or Hā Habit tools (a breathing device). One person was convinced that the Council could not do anything, while another believed that any solution should be youth-centred and led, for example, through the Youth Council. Another person thought the focus should be on the vaper’s choice, not on Council intervention.

2.13 Staff also sought feedback from the Smoke-free and Vape-free reference group members (Cancer Society and Te Whatu Ora) about their thoughts of combining Council’s Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas Policy with the Healthy Beverages Policy and Sun Protection Policy. Both organisations expressed support for this and felt it was a natural fit.

Healthy Beverage Policy

2.14 This Policy sets controls by restricting the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), where possible, in some Council controlled facilities and events. The Policy promotes alternatives to SSBs which include water, 100% fruit juice, unsweetened milk, artificially sweetened carbonated drinks; and zero sugar carbonated drinks.

2.15 The implementation of this Policy has been heavily reliant on its socialisation throughout the organisation. The Policy considers instances where Council’s control in facilities or events has been limited by terms of a current contract. In those instances, the Policy provides a voluntary option, with a view to gradually phasing out the sale of SSBs across Council facilities and events.

2.16 Since the Policy has been in place the Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre, and Civil Administration Building have phased out the sale of SSBs and replaced them with the Policy’s recommended beverages. Staff have reported that they do receive some negative feedback from the public, about not having the choice to purchase SSBs particularly at the Central Energy Trust Arena. Some people also question the restriction on SSBs when alcohol and other items with maybe a higher level of sugar are available for purchase.

2.17 In terms of implementing the Policy at Council funded events and functions, the Policy takes a lenient approach requiring “reasonable steps to prevent the sale of SSBs”. This perhaps has contributed to less consistency in implementation particularly for those events that are delivered by third parties who have received funding from Council. Staff have requested that the definition of ‘events’ needs further clarification and have pointed out that the current definition cover a broad range of events, many of which Council has no direct control over.

2.18 Staff also sought feedback from Council Controlled Organisations (CCO) including Globe Theatre, Te Manawa and The Regent Theatre. The Regent Theatre was the only CCO to respond and was supportive of the Healthy Beverages Policy, and the possibility of combining Council’s health policies. They could see the Regent progressing towards phasing out SSBs as they have full control of the drinks that are sold at the Regent. However, they did want some time to consider the full impact as the proceeds from sales currently go towards the maintenance of the building.

2.19 Currently there are no educational or awareness activities by Council to raise awareness of the Policy and its objectives. There are no resources allocated to this activity at present.

2.20 On average, people in Aotearoa consume 37 teaspoons of sugar per day in food they eat and in what they drink. Toi Te Ora – Public Health advise adults should consume no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day, and children no more than 3 to 4 teaspoons per day^{^[9]}.

2.21 A 2019 study by Auckland University found that compared to sugar in solid food, sugar in drinks carries a greater risk of causing harmful metabolic changes that lead to chronic illnesses such as obesity diabetes. This is due to concentration with which sugar is metabolised when consumed in liquid rather than solid form^{^[10]}.

2.22 Figure 3 is taken from the New Zealand Health Status Report 2023, it shows the oral health status for year 8 children by district in 2021. The Midcentral district (which includes Palmerston North) had the highest mean of children with decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT) in the central region. Midcentral also had the second highest mean for DMFT compared to all other districts nationally^{^[11]}.

Figure 3: Oral health status, year 8 by district, 2021^{^[12]}

Sun Protection Policy

2.23 The current Policy seeks to influence key functions and roles held by Council to increase the provision of shade and other sun protection measures within the city. This is mainly through Council’s function as a consent authority and provider of parks, recreational facilities, and events.

2.24 Like the Healthy Beverages Policy, the Sun Protection Policy has been heavily reliant on being consistently socialised throughout the organisation. The Policy has been more embedded in the delivery of parks and reserves compared to its influence in the District Plan and planning processes. Which means the potential for Council to extend its reach in terms of influence to those designing and implementing the built environment beyond Council has been limited. Council has been intentional about increasing shade in parks and reserves and has provided resourcing for a tree planting programme and providing shade structures. The shade audit which the implementing staff complete every three years or so helps to inform the forward planning for tree planting.

2.25 Staff report that it has been difficult to provide consistent sun protection measures for events as the delivery of these measures at events has not been properly considered in resourcing. They have also found that it is difficult to implement the policy guideline to plan community events to occur outside the hours of 11am – 4pm.

2.26 Staff also report that the adequacy of shade is often highlighted by the community when new community facilities are finished and open for public enjoyment. Some comments on Council’s social media platforms have been included below:

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2.27 Over exposure to UV rays can increase a person’s likelihood of developing melanoma or other skin cancers^{^[13]}.

2.28 In Aotearoa New Zealand 47% of cancer deaths are caused by lung, colorectal, breast, prostate cancer and melanoma. Under the New Zealand Cancer registry, the most commonly registered cancers were breast, prostate, colorectal, melanoma and lung as shown in the table below (which was published in the New Zealand Health Status Report 2023.

Table 2: Most common causes of cancer registrations by ethnicity, five years 2016-2020 and five-year net survival rates for 2013/14 registrations^{^[14]}

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Workshop with Elected Members

2.29 On 27 March 2024 a workshop with elected members was held to seek their feedback on Council’s health policies, particularly in regard to combining all three policies into one.

2.30 Following the workshop, officers’ understanding was that there was general support for each of the health promotion policies; however, there was a variance in views regarding the extent and focus of the Council's role in contributing to health promotion objectives. For example, some elected members believed that education is key to helping the community make informed choices, while others thought this was not the Council's role. Opinions differed on finding the right balance in terms of the Council's leverage. Some felt that removing options (e.g., not selling sugary soft drinks in Council facilities) was an appropriate use of the Council's leverage, while others believed that restricting options (e.g., limiting the sale of sugary soft drinks at events) was outside the Council's mandate. They strongly felt that the Council should not dictate choices but rather allow people to decide for themselves.

2.31 Feedback was also sought regarding combining all three health promotion policies. Views on this were divided, some were supportive of having a combined policy as a package, others thought that a combined policy may open the debate on other things that could or should be included.

2.32 Elected members views, and the views of those we engaged with, were taken into account when drafting the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection).

2.33 This report and options analysis provides an opportunity for elected members to formally consider the policy issues in each of these areas.

3. Description of options

3.1 The primary purpose of this report is to present the Committee with a draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection), and to seek approval to publicly consult on this draft. The options are approving the draft Policy for public consultation, or not to approve the draft for public consultation.

4. Analysis of options

Option 1: Approve the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection) (recommended).

4.1 Option 1 is the next step in this policy review process. It will give the public the opportunity to provide feedback on the suggested changes to the Policy which are outlined as follows:

One combined Health Promotion Policy:

4.2 We propose that the Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas and Sun Protection Policies be combined into one policy titled the Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection). The proposed Policy retains the same elements of each current policy. The advantages of combining these policies are as follows:

o Provides a neat package that describes all the elements of Council’s approach to health promotion.

o More consistent oversight across all three health promotion areas, in terms of implementation. There will be fewer opportunity for policies to get lost or overlooked amongst implementation areas and staff changes.

o More opportunity for consistent review of the Policy to ensure responsiveness to community needs and expectations.

Definition of events:

4.3 There has been some confusion in the past in terms of which events the current policies apply to. The proposed Policy attempts to bring more clarity by using terms that are familiar to the operational staff and targeting those events that are intended to be captured by the proposed Policy. ‘Council delivered community events’, are those events that are directly delivered by Council for the community. This means that Council has direct control over the delivery from planning to implementation.

Smoke-free and Vape-free signs in te reo Māori:

4.4 The proposed Policy makes it compulsory for smoke-free and vape-free signage to be in Te Reo Māori and English. This currently happens in practice, and the proposed Policy will be updated to reflect this practice.

Requirement for sun block stations at events:

4.5 The proposed Policy makes it a requirement for sun block stations to be available at Council delivered community events, scheduled between September to April (daylight saving months). This currently happens at some Council delivered community events, but the provision is not consistent due to a lack of resourcing. Given that the definition of events has been tightened in the proposed Policy this gives staff greater clarity and the ability to plan resourcing to meet this requirement.

Extend list of Council facilities where SSB is not to be sold:

4.6 The current Healthy Beverages Policy mostly encourages voluntary compliance in stopping the sale of SSBs at some Council facilities. This was in recognition of the existing contracts Council had in place at the time of adoption. However, the intention to phase out the sale of SSBs is clear in the current Policy and will be actioned when contracts come up for review. Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre and the Civil Administration Building have all ceased the sale of SSBs and have replaced these with the recommended beverages in the Policy. Therefore, we propose to extend the list of Council facilities where SSBs will not be sold to include the following:

· Bus terminals and bus stops

· Caccia Birch

· Central Energy Trust Arena

· Civic Administration Building

· Council Customer Service Centre

· I-Site Palmerston North

· Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre

· Wildbase Recovery Centre

· Youth Space

Most of these facilities do not have SSBs for sale, and therefore there will be very little operational impact in implementing this Policy. I-Site currently sells SSBs along with some of the recommended beverages in the Healthy Beverages Policy. Staff report that of all the drinks they supply SSBs sell the most, however because their supply stock is small the impact on removing them will be minimal.

4.7 The proposed Policy continues voluntary compliance in selling SSBs for the following facilities – Aquatic centres (Freyberg, Lido, Splashhurt), Globe Theatre, Regent Theatre, Te Manawa Te Papaioea Palmerston North and Council’s permanent depot sites and recycling centres. This is due to existing contracts and arrangements that prevent these facilities from restricting the sale of SSBs at this time. The proposed Policy does make it clear that when contracts come up for renewal that restricting the sale of SSBs is considered in contract negotiations.

Requirement for free drinking water

4.8 One of the objectives of the Healthy Beverages Policy is to make water the preferred beverage of choice at public places and events. Providing free drinking water is another step toward achieving this objective. The proposed Policy requires the installation of drinking fountains in suitable public spaces, as well as the provision of free, accessible, and safe drinking water in Council facilities. There is currently an operational programme to install water fountains in some parks, playgrounds, and sports fields, so this requirement aligns with what is already being practiced. Many of the public facilities listed in the proposed Policy already provide free, accessible, and safe drinking water. Therefore the impact on operations should be minimal.

Health promotion reference group

4.9 There is currently a Smoke-free and Vape-free Reference Group established under the Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoors Areas Policy. The proposed Policy seeks to extend this to a Health Promotion Reference Group, to incorporate the focus on healthy beverages and sun protection. Currently the organisations (outside of Council) that are part of the smoke-free and vape-free reference group have wider health promotion interests than just Smoke-free and Vape-free, and therefore a widening of the mandate will be welcomed by members (as they indicated in our engagement with them).

Awareness campaigns

4.10 The proposed Policy introduces a requirement to raise public awareness of the Policy. This is something that is currently done regularly with the Smoke-free and Vape-free Outdoor Areas Policy, which has been made possible because $5,000 per year is allocated towards achieving the objectives of the Policy. The Healthy Beverages Policy and Sun Protection Policy, on the other hand, does not enjoy the same kind of exposure because there is no resourcing dedicated to this. Therefore, we propose that raising awareness of the Policy is a requirement to bring some consistency and awareness to all of Council’s health promotion focus areas. In terms of operational impact, there may need to be future consideration of resourcing for this element of the proposed Policy.

Option 2: Don’t approve the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection, for consultation.

4.11 Choosing this option will mean that work on this policy review will come to an end. The existing policies will continue to be in effect. The proposed improvements to these policies will be lost and the community will not have the chance to provide feedback on them. This option is not recommended.

5. Conclusion

5.1 We recommend approving the draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection, for consultation (option 1). This will allow the process of reviewing the Policy to proceed and be adopted by February 2025. Formal consultation will provide the opportunity to receive submissions on the proposal.

6. Next actions

6.1 If Council approves the draft Policy for public consultation, then the consultation material will be finalised for publication and the consultation process will begin.

6.2 A consultation plan will be developed and implemented providing opportunities for feedback on the proposal.

6.3 The proposed consultation period will run from a month over September and October 2024. The hearing of submissions is planned for December 2024. A final report, with staff advice on the issues raised by submitters and recommendations on proposed changes to the draft Policy, will be presented to Committee in February 2025.

7. Outline of community engagement process

7.1 Initial engagement has been carried out with the Council’s partner Rangitāne o Manawatū and the following external stakeholders:

· Cancer Society

· Te Tihi

· Te Whatu Ora

· The Regent Theatre

7.2 Consultation will seek to engage the following stakeholders:

· Community Organisations

· Event organisers

· Representative bodies for health and nutrition

· Users of public spaces and facilities

7.3 Consultation will consist of the following means:

· Workshops

· One to one interview

· Drop in sessions

· Survey

· Social media collateral

· Website collateral

· Print media notices

· Network newsletter notices

8. 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: Whāinga 2: He tāone whakaihiihi, tapatapahi ana Goal 2: A creative and exciting cityWhāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru Goal 3: A connected and safe community
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of objectives in: 1. Mahere hoahoa tāone 1. Urban Design Plan - Apply urban design best practice to all city planning and development - Provide best-practice urban design guidance to resource consent applicants, developers and designers - Urban design plan objectives are included and planned for in all city development Provide and facilitate a co-ordinated calendar of accessible and sustainably managed city and community events
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being	The recommendation will contribute to the public providing feedback on how well Council has been promoting Auahi Kore Smokefree and Vapefree City. It will also contribute to increasing sun protection at events and public spaces. Lastly it will contribute to widening the mandate to work with public health partners to promote community health initiatives and programmes.

Attachments

Draft Health Promotion Policy (Healthy Beverages, Smoke-free and Vape-free, and Sun Protection). ⇩

Palmerston North City Council

Minutes of the Community Committee Meeting Part I Public, held in the Council Chamber, First Floor, Civic Administration Building, 32 The Square, Palmerston North on 20 March 2024, commencing at 9.02am

Members

Present:

Councillors Lorna Johnson (in the Chair), and Councillors Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood and Kaydee Zabelin.

Non Members:

Councillors Vaughan Dennison, Roly Fitzgerald and Leonie Hapeta.

Apologies:

The Mayor (Grant Smith) (on Council business), Councillors Rachel Bowen and Patrick Handcock (early departure on Council business).

Councillor Vaughan Dennison left the meeting at 9.05am during consideration of clause 1. He entered the meeting again at 10.17am when it resumed. He was not present when the meeting resumed at 1.00pm. He entered the meeting again at 2.07pm during consideration of clause 12. He was not present for clauses 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11.

Councillors Rachel Bowen, Patrick Handcock and Roly Fitzgerald left the meeting at 10.53am during consideration of clause 5. They were not present for clauses 5 to 12 inclusive.

Councillor Leonie Hapeta left the meeting at 11.33am during consideration of clause 7. She was not present for clauses 7 to 12 inclusive.

	Karakia Timatanga
	Councillor Lorna Johnson opened the meeting with karakia.

1-24

Apologies

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Karen Naylor.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the apologies.

Clause 1-24 above was carried 13 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin, Vaughan Dennison, Roly Fitzgerald and Leonie Hapeta.

Councillor Vaughan Dennison left the meeting at 9.05am.

2-24

Presentation: Youthline

Shane Casey, CEO Youthline Central North Island Inc. spoke about the organisation and operational coverage including funding opportunities, major challenges and impacts they are making with youth. He tabled further information that was presented to Elected Members (PowerPoint), as appended to these Minutes, and made the following additional comments:

· To seek further corporate sponsorship they are required to gain permission from their principle sponsor first.

· The issues the youth are dealing with can be traumatic hence they need to deal with these sensitively when communicating the work they do with stakeholders and the public.

· Currently working with outside education providers in order to get placement for students in the Manawatū.

· There are no resources to spare for them to strategize across the sector and work on how to overcome their challenges.

· Encourages the work around Youth Development Strategy from other stakeholders to keep moving.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Brent Barrett.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Community Committee receive the presentation for information.

Clause 2-24 above was carried 12 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin, Roly Fitzgerald and Leonie Hapeta.

3-24

Presentation: Launch Youth Nu'u

Davis Sione, Vision Holder for Launch Youth Nu’u spoke about the story behind the initiative, its operational model, challenges and outcomes. He tabled further information that was presented to Elected Members (PowerPoint), as appended to these Minutes, and made the following additional comments:

· They are partnering with City Mission and utilising them as a mentor.

· They have been successful in supporting young people in getting qualifications or working towards a trade.

· They would like to further establish a partnership with Council.

Officers note they have supported and will continue to support this initiative with information and advice.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded William Wood.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Community Committee receive the presentation for information.

Clause 3-24 above was carried 12 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin, Roly Fitzgerald and Leonie Hapeta.

The meeting adjourned at 10.00am.

The meeting resumed at 10.17am.

Councillor Vaughan Dennison was present when the meeting resumed.

4-24	Annual Sector Lead Report: Housing Advice Centre Memorandum, presented by Ahmed Obaid, Community Development Advisor and Housing Advice Centres’ Peter Grey, Committee Chair, Lynne Clough, Service Coordinator and Susan Baty, Committee Member. They tabled further information that was presented to Elected Members (PowerPoint and updated statistical information), as appended to these Minutes. Elected Members sought an additional recommendation to refer the request for increased funding to the Long-Term Plan deliberations and effectively treat this as a submission. It was also noted the amount suggested is not fixed.
	Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Brent Barrett. The COMMITTEE RESOLVED 1. That the Committee receive the Annual Sector Lead Report 2023 (Attachments 1-3) submitted by Housing Advice Centre.
	The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 2. That Council refer the increase Housing Advice Centre’s Sector Lead grant funding by $21,131 to the Long-Term Plan 2024-2034 deliberations for the 2024/25 financial year, and adjusted for inflation in future years.
	Clause 4-24 above was carried 13 votes to 0, the voting being as follows: For: Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin, Vaughan Dennison, Roly Fitzgerald and Leonie Hapeta.

5-24

Annual Sector Lead Report: Te Pū Harakeke - Community Collective Manawatū

Memorandum, presented by Ahmed Obaid, Community Development Advisor and Te Pū Harakekes’ Tim Kendrew, Manager and Kim Penny, Chair.

Councillor Leonie Hapeta requested Council provide to the tenants of Handcock House an annual report on the property’s maintenance programme. Officers have agreed to include this in their process moving forward.

Councillors Pat Handcock, Roly Fitzgerald and Rachel Bowen left the meeting at 10.53am.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Kaydee Zabelin.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the Annual Sector Lead Report 2023 (Attachment 1 - 3) submitted by Te Pū Harakeke – Community Collective Manawatū.

Clause 5-24 above was carried 10 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin, Vaughan Dennison and Leonie Hapeta.

6-24

Annual Sector Lead Report: Manawatū Multicultural Council

Memorandum, presented by Ahmed Obaid, Community Development Advisor and The Manawatū Multicultural Councils’ Kanchana Seneviratne, Service Manager, and Yuanindya Inggita, Events & Programme Coordinator.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Brent Barrett.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the Annual Sector Lead Report 2023 (attachments 1-3) submitted by the Manawatū Multicultural Council.

Clause 6-24 above was carried 10 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin, Vaughan Dennison and Leonie Hapeta.

7-24

Annual Sector Lead Report: Te Tihi o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance

Memorandum, presented by Amy Viles, Community Development Advisor and Te Tihi o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliances’ Materoa Mar, Upoko Whakarae, (Chief Executive), Pikihuia Hillman, Pou Herenga (Project Development), and Mahalia Polson, Kaiwhakamarohi, (Project Support). They tabled further information that was presented to Elected Members (PowerPoint), as appended to these Minutes.

Councillor Leonie Hapeta left the meeting at 11.33am.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Vaughan Dennison.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the Annual Sector Lead Report 2023 (Attachments 1-3) submitted by Te Tihi o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance.

Clause 7-24 above was carried 9 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin and Vaughan Dennison.

8-24

Confirmation of Minutes

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Karen Naylor.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the minutes of the Community Committee meeting of 22 November 2023 Part I Public be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Clause 8-24 above was carried 9 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin and Vaughan Dennison.

The meeting adjourned at 11.52am.

The meeting resumed at 1.00pm.

Councillor Vaughan Dennison was not present when the meeting resumed.

9-24

Welcoming Communities Annual Update

Memorandum, presented by Somayyeh Ghaffari, Community Development Advisor and Amy Viles, Acting Community Development Manager.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Brent Barrett.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Welcoming Communities Annual Update’ presented to the Community Committee on 20 March 2024.

Clause 9-24 above was carried 8 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood and Kaydee Zabelin.

10-24

Community Housing Partnership Fund Update

Memorandum, presented by Julie Macdonald, Strategy and Policy Manager.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Karen Naylor.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Community Housing Partnership Fund Update’ presented to the Community Committee on 20 March 2024.

Clause 10-24 above was carried 8 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood and Kaydee Zabelin.

11-24	Accessibility Review - Council-owned Buildings Memorandum, presented by Bryce Hosking, Group Manager - Property and Resource Recovery. Officers noted this review is part of a wider piece of work. The broader infrastructure work will commence 2025 and officers confirmed they will engage with the Disability Reference Group on this, in line with the recommendation from 2022. Elected Members made an additional resolution to monitor progress on the implementation of the entire piece of work.
	Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Karen Naylor. The COMMITTEE RESOLVED 1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Accessibility Review – Council-owned Buildings’ presented to the Community Committee on 20 March 2024.
	Moved Brent Barrett, seconded Karen Naylor. 2. That the Committee receive an annual update report on the accessibility programme implementation.
	Clause 11-24 above was carried 8 votes to 0, the voting being as follows: For: Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood and Kaydee Zabelin.

12-24

Committee Work Schedule - March 2024

Councillor Vaughan Dennison entered the meeting again at 2.07pm.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Kaydee Zabelin.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Community Committee receive its Work Schedule dated March 2024.

Clause 12-24 above was carried 9 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin and Vaughan Dennison.

	Karakia Whakamutunga
	Councillor Lorna Johnson closed the meeting with karakia.

The meeting finished at 2.09pm

Confirmed 12 June 2024

Chair

Memorandum

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 28 August 2024

TITLE: Papaioea Place Social Housing Redevelopment - Close-out Report

Presented By: Bill Carswell, Activities Manager - Property Services, and Bryce Hosking, Group Manager - Property and Resource Recovery

APPROVED BY: Chris Dyhrberg, General Manager Infrastructure Services / Deputy CEO

Cameron McKay, General Manager Corporate Services/CFO

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Community Committee receive the report titled ‘Papaioea Place Social Housing Redevelopment – Close-out Report’ presented on 28 August 2024.

1. ISSUE

1.1 The final stage of the Papaioea Place Social Housing Redevelopment project was completed in December 2023.

1.2 As part of the project completion process, officers have completed a project close-out and lessons-learned process. This memorandum provides a summary of this process and findings for the entire project.

2. close-out review summary

Project Overview

2.1 Redevelopment started with the decommissioning of the
pre-existing 48 individual social houses which were converted into 85 new semi-detached units and including 4 fully accessible units completed during 3 separate stages. All units have been certified with Lifemark 4-Star (for typical units) and 5-Star (for totally accessible units) ratings.

2.2 The project was delivered in 3 stages:

· Stage 1 – June 2017 to March 2019

· Stage 2 – August 2019 to October 2021

· Stage 3 – November 2021 to December 2023

2.3 Stage 1 began with the development of concept and layout plans and included the delivery of 50 typical units.

2.4 Stage 2 delivered 28 typical units and went through the full lockdown period for Covid-19 in 2020 and the challenge of nationwide resource shortages.

2.5 The final Stage 3 delivered 3 typical units, 4 accessible units, a community lounge, car parking spaces, professional landscaping, road paving, etc.

Planning and Project Objectives

2.6 The tenants of the original units often complained of draughts, cold conditions, and high-power costs. Moisture levels generated mould regularly and occupants were often unwell. High ongoing maintenance costs led to Council recognising the need for other options to remedy the situation.

2.7 After eliminating the overall maintenance approach (not cost-effective and did not guarantee long-term benefits) and the renewal option (limited benefits provided from the upgrading work), the Council decided to decommission the properties and redevelop them, which could ensure a better outcome in terms of investment and deliver healthy homes.

2.8 The 3 main goals established at the start of the project were:

· Healthy Living Environments – providing standards to provide a healthy living environment and reduce household running costs.

· Lifemark 4-star and 5-star ratings – ensuring the design achieved accessibility, mobility, and future-proofing for the targeted age group for residents.

· Sustainable Design – double glazing, house orientation, landscaping and plantings, eaves, highly efficient lighting, shallow and smaller rib raft foundations, a building shape to optimise materials required and sustainable materials.

· Best Practice – provide a best practice development which enhances resident’s quality of life.

2.9 Rangitāne blessed the work site at a commencement ceremony in June 2017 and again at the completion in December 2023. Blessings were bestowed on all the individual units by Rangitāne and the name of “Whakaruruhau” was gifted for the community lounge. This translates to a place of peaceful shelter.

Benefits Realisation

2.10 In the early stage of this redevelopment, different approaches were considered to improve/enhance the current asset conditions and a benefit analysis has been conducted to identify the most beneficial way to deliver this project. This was focused on the aspect of managing an asset, its long-run costs, and how it would be beneficial to the end users, the community and the public. Based on the above considerations, redevelopment of the whole site was then finalised.

2.11 The redevelopment has achieved the best asset values, based on the asset management principles as outlined below.

· The life expectancy of the old units was coming to a near end (few years left). The life expectancy of these new units is over 50 years.

· Because of the new assets, reliability will be ensured, and risks can be kept low (with a proper maintenance strategy) and the maintenance cost can be reduced significantly.

· By incorporating sustainable design such as double glazing, insulation, highly efficient heating, and other appliances, the running costs are expected to be much lower and affordable for residents.

· The recent construction ensures we are fully compliant with the latest regulatory and environmental requirements. The units meet Healthy Homes standards and have achieved Lifemark certification 4-Star and 5-Star.

· The residents enjoy the sense of community created and appreciate the work put into the unit’s design with the lounge and with the shared spaces. This has been reported through various news reports and magazines. The project has also been fully recognised by Central Government and has attained a national reputation for providing quality housing.

2.12 Council offered a systematic approach to managing this asset so it can last longer and be more sustainable, as outlined below.

· Upon completion of the construction phase of our social housing units at Papaioea Place. Project completion documents were prepared, including as–built plans.

· This information was loaded into our asset information system - SPM with all assets being assigned a condition of 1 as they are brand new.

· The first condition inspections of the social housing units within the complex have been scheduled for two years, in line with our condition assessment schedule. Future inspections will be times based on the last condition date.

· Over the life of the social housing units, components will require replacement due as they age, or their condition deteriorates over time. For reactive maintenance, the component will be disposed of in SPM and the new assets will be loaded into SPM keeping our data current.

· For proactive maintenance, condition data will be used to schedule works such as washdowns, painting, gutter clearance, and change of smoke alarms. The data will further be used to inform renewal programmes. With quantity data and unit cost within SPM informing works required and indicative costings. As works are completed, asset records were updated to reflect work undertaken. This information informs both Operational and Capital renewal budgets to ensure funding is available in the right year to undertake work. Information gathered will further inform decision-making as poor-performing components can be identified and alternative options considered.

· The new social housing units have a life expectancy of 50 years or more. Proper lifecycle management will ensure that our social housing units can be homes to residents during their tenure and deliver the agreed level of service.

Delivery Programme

2.13 The project was delivered in 3 stages:

· Stage 1 – June 2017 to March 2019

· Stage 2 – August 2019 to October 2021

· Stage 3 – November 2021 to December 2023

2.14 Aside from Stage 2, which was impacted slightly by disruption from Covid-19, the project was successfully delivered within the financial years the respective stages were planned for.

Health and Safety

2.15 The health and safety performance of the contractor was exemplary, with just three ‘near misses’ and one minor incident which did not result in injury registered throughout the entire life of the project.

Change Control

2.16 The scope change and variation process were well managed, with all scope issues arising throughout the project assessed and worked through. All variations were accommodated through the project contingency and managed and sequenced in a way to limit any delays to the project delivery.

Risk Management

2.17 Risks were closely managed throughout the project to ensure risks were mitigated where possible and the consequences and impacts minimised.

2.18 Some of the key risks throughout the project include, but were not limited to, the following.

· Health and safety – site safety, safety of residents whilst sharing access to the overall site, especially during stage 2, Covid-19 impacts/delays presented a key risk for the project. These were mitigated through a Site-Specific Safety Plan and Covid-19 Impact Plan.

· Programme – construction conditions had a considerable effect with deliverables due to infections/isolating with consultants, contractor’s workforce, material delays and labour shortages. This was mitigated through early contractor engagement for stages 2 and 3, and long lead-in times being factored into the delivery programme.

· Environmental – as large amounts of the project were delivered through winter; weather impacts created a high risk for delays. Strong construction management focusing on getting the units watertight as soon as practicably possible was a key mitigation.

· People – with the development being delivered in stages, this meant residents were moving into the new units whilst construction moved to the next stage. This presented several risks around safety and security, but also in terms of disruption and access. Risks were mitigated through a robust communications plan, which included regular updates, with residents and neighbours, including detailing hours and days of work.

· Financial – the risk of not being able to stay within budget parameters throughout a 6-year, multi-stage project was a challenge, especially due to the disruption and inflationary impacts. This was managed through early contractor engagement and the fixing of costs of materials, allowing the contractor to secure items with long lead-in times.

· Contractual – Council entered a design and build contract for the contract. There is a risk that Council does not secure the best price for the project as this contract type transfers much of the design risk to the contractor, which they then priced into the contract. The positive trade off is that a design and build contract can provide more price certainty and mitigates risks associated with design.

Contractor and Consultant Performance

2.19 With the assistance of WT Partnership (project management and cost management), Council were successfully able to deliver this redevelopment project in 2023. Risk management, change control, cost management, and stakeholder management were all features.

2.20 The contractor’s performance was also excellent with health and safety, quality, and waste management plans implemented throughout the construction. The responsiveness and communication also contributed to the successful delivery.

2.21 This was evidenced through the direct award to Latitude Homes for each of the 3 stages of project because of their continued excellent performance.

Financial

2.22 A financial overview for the total project is outlined in the table below.

Stage	Budget (incl. GST)	Actuals (incl. GST)
Stage 1	$8,710K	$8,347K
Stage 2	$5,803K	$5,916K
Stage 3	$4,240K	$3,949K
Total	$18,754K	$18,212K

2.23 Please note:

· In addition to the above, there was $82K incurred over the period of 2009-2012 for the initial scoping/feasibility work that predated the budgets and spend above. Pleasingly, even factoring this work in, the project was still delivered within the overall budget.

· Stage 2 was delivered within budget. The design and consent work for stage 3 was brought forward into stage 2 to enable the contractor to move seamlessly into stage 3 construction, hence the slight overspend in stage 2, but larger underspend in stage 3.

2.24 Additionally, it is worth noting that stage 2 of the project was also a recipient of Central Government Shovel-Ready Programme Funding of $4.6M which funded the construction portion of the stage 2 project.

3. conclusion

3.1 The whole redevelopment took 6 years to complete in 3 stages, beginning in 2017. Council has recognised the development achievements through happy residents and a large amount of positive feedback.

3.2 Early in the planning stage, Council looked to improve our assets by turning the old, low-standard housing into high-capacity, high-quality, and high-value units. The “value” is not only from an investment or asset perspective, but also about the value of the people Council have. While residents of the units may be older or have mobility challenges, quality of life was a real focus.

This project turned 48 existing Council units into 85 new units. Council made the investment decision based on a few criteria such as, best use of land, to provide quality homes, fit for aged group residents, low maintenance and operation cost, durable and long-lasting. Other considerations were also accounted for such as, normal regular maintenance, renewal but keeping the quantities of units, and redeveloping the whole site and increasing the number of units.

3.3 Council found that the redevelopment will provide the best outcome in terms of cost (at that current stage, in the long term, and the future) and end-user satisfaction and reputation when the project is complete.

3.4 Council provided compassionate housing solutions tailored to the needs of the city’s aged group residents. Council investigated their needs and stepped in their shoes to think of their concerns as an aged resident. Council took it seriously and considered what it would be like for them living there.

3.5 The units set a high standard for rental accommodations, featuring front and back doors in each unit for improved ventilation, skylights in the middle of the hallway to conserve energy, and superior insulation and good moisture control for comfort and cost savings.

3.6 Recognising the challenges of declining mobility, Council have designed our facilities to fit for requirements of the target residents by earning Lifemark certification and guaranteeing accessibility and safety. Accessible housing minimises trip hazards while preserving privacy and community connections through amenities. Council have allowed private gardening areas in each unit so residents can enjoy as much independence as they individually prefer. Outside these colourful houses, communal spaces landscaped with seats, pergolas with benches, and the community lounge, offer opportunities for socializing and participating in the community.

3.7 Beyond meeting basic needs, Council have strived to enhance residents' quality of life. Vibrant, colourful homes and public planting areas promote joy and relaxation, with ample outdoor spaces for recreation and social gatherings, especially during holidays. Venues of larger capacity like a pergola and community lounge enable a nicer and centralised gathering place for the community to enjoy.

3.8 Council’s commitment to inclusivity ensures that mobility challenges do not limit residents' experiences. Internally, our homes feature barrier-free layouts that are fully accessible everywhere including kitchen benches, with switches and storage placed conveniently for accessibility. Externally, designated parking for each accessible unit and some other disability parking available for the public, and wheelchair-friendly amenities like overhung planters and a fully accessible community lounge promote independence and comfort.

3.9 The Papaioea Place Redevelopment project can be considered a success, delivering an innovative medium density housing development in the city. Future housing developments led by Council can reflect elements of Papaioea Place. However, it is worth acknowledging that they may not follow the same layout and design, instead seeking to deliver housing solutions through exploring different layouts and typologies.

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: Whāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru Goal 3: A connected and safe community
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of objective/objectives in: 7. Mahere tautāwhi hapori 7. Community Support Plan The objective is: Upgrade the Papaioea housing complex.
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being	· Increase Council’s social housing to help meet the demand for this type of housing and reduce the housing waiting list. · Improve the housing condition of the complex by replacing the old units; and · Provide a complex that delivers on the Social Housing Plan.

Attachments

Nil

Memorandum

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 28 August 2024

TITLE: Te Whare Kouru - New Animal Shelter - Close-Out Report

Presented By: Bill Carswell, Activities Manager - Property Services, and Bryce Hosking, Manager - Property and Resource Recovery

APPROVED BY: Chris Dyhrberg, General Manager Infrastructure

Cameron McKay, General Manager Corporate Services

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Community Committee receive the report titled ‘Te Whare Kouru – New Animal Shelter – Close-Out Report’ presented on 28 August 2024.

1. ISSUE

1.1 The construction of the new animal shelter facility is now complete.

1.2 As part of the project completion process, Officers have completed a project close-out and lessons learned process. This memorandum provides a summary of this process and findings for the project.

2. close-out review summary

Project Overview

2.1 The project involved the design and construction of a new Animal Shelter at the end of Totara Road, Palmerston North. Council required a new facility to comply with the Health and Safety and Animal Welfare requirements, and the facility will replace the existing non-compliant dog holding facility next to the new building.

2.2 Physical construction of the facility was achieved 23 May 2024, Code of Compliance issued in July 2024, and Practical Completion achieved on 1 August 2024.

2.3 The project scope included construction and provision of utilities services for:

· An administration blocks – This space is consisting of a reception area, meeting room, staff office, kitchen, changing room and ablution facilities.

· Isolation and quarantine kennels – Consisting of 8 kennels across 3 rooms, assessment room, kitchen, general storeroom, chemical store, and dog wash area.

· Dangerous dog kennels – Consisting of 11 kennels specifically designed for dogs deemed dangerous, exercise areas, kitchen/food store and a laundry.

· Two general kennel blocks – Consisting of 13 kennels designed for housing general dogs, exercise areas, small dog housing and puppy housing, birthing room, and storeroom.

· Carparking, landscaping and exterior spaces associated with the new building.

2.4 Separate contractors were engaged directly by Council to carry out security, data infrastructure and radio infrastructure scope.

Planning and Project Objectives

2.5 On the 1 October 2018, a new Code of Welfare amendment, “Temporary Housing for Companion Animals”, came into effect. A review and condition grade of Council’s existing facility found that in its current state, it did not meet the obligations of the new Code. It was deemed that the current facility would require significant renewal works to gain compliance with the new Code.

2.6 In February 2020, four options were presented to Council:

1. Refurbishment of existing facility – undertake substantial refurbishment works to meet code requirements.

2. Build a new facility – build a new purpose-built facility on Council-owned land next to the existing facility.

3. Share facility with another Council – relocate to a shared facility with another Council; and

4. Outsource service to a private supplier – a private organisation to run the facility on Council’s behalf from a private facility.

2.7 Council approved the option to build a new facility.

2.8 The main objectives established for the animal shelter project were:

· Code of Welfare for the Temporary Housing of Companion Animals – construct a facility which complies with the new Code requirements.

· Capacity Planning and Future Proof – design a facility that has capacity for the current number of dogs, capacity for immediate and short term growth and surge capacity in kennel numbers should it be required, but also provide an expansion provision so the facility could easily be expanded in the future when the city needs it.

· Health and Hygiene Standards – create a new facility that will provide dedicated, fit-for-purpose spaces, located in such a way that isolation and spread of disease and can be effectively managed by staff.

· Support Adoption and Rehoming Goals – provide a facility that supports council’s adoption goals through physical engagement and education spaces for the public seeking to adopt an animal.

· Staff and Animal Welfare – provide a facility that minimises the safety and security risk for council’s staff operating from the facility as well as the animal’s housed within it.

2.9 Rangitāne blessed the work site at a commencement ceremony in November 2022 with a Mauri stone laid on the site. A blessing was then bestowed on the facility upon completion and the name of “Te Whare Kouru” was gifted for the facility.

Benefits Realisation

2.10 The new animal shelter directly delivers on the objectives set out early in the project as detailed below.

· The new facility meets the new Code requirements for the Code of Welfare for the Temporary Housing of Companion Animals. Alongside meeting facility management requirements, the facility addresses:

o Isolation management.

o Management of contagious diseases including drainage and surfacing.

o Provides for animal behavioural needs.

o Safety for assessment and admittance.

o Temperature and lighting control.

· Future growth was considered for both the kennels and staff facilities i.e. office space. Given the layout of the facility, there was no feasible way to provide an expansion provision for the staff facilities, so space had to be allowed for the staffing numbers to increase from 5 to 10 staff in the design.

· The kennel capacity provides options for future expansion and allowed for a whole block to essentially be deferred into the future. There is a slight increase in kennel numbers from the old facility, allowing for surge capacity and immediate growth.

· The facility includes an enrichment area which provides a space that supports engagement when seeking to rehome animals. Attachment 1 provides a floor plan of the new facility.

2.11 Additionally, focus was given to managing an asset, its long-run costs, and how it would be beneficial to the end users, the community, and the public. The asset management principles used are outlined below.

· The life expectancy of the old shelter was coming to a near end. The life expectancy of the new facility is over 50 years.

· Because of the new assets, reliability will be ensured, and risks can be kept low (with a proper maintenance strategy) and the maintenance cost can be reduced significantly.

· By incorporating sustainable design such as double glazing, insulation, highly efficient heating, and other appliances, the running costs are expected to be as minimal as possible.

· The recent construction ensures we are fully compliant with the latest regulatory and environmental requirements.

2.12 Council offered a systematic approach to managing this asset so it can last longer and be more sustainable, as outlined below.

· Project completion documents are prepared, including as–built plans.

· This information is loaded into our asset information system – SPM with all assets being assigned a condition of 1 as they are brand new.

· The first condition inspection of the facility has been scheduled for two years, in line with our condition assessment schedule. Future inspections will be times based on the last condition date.

· Over the life of the facility, components will require replacement due as they age, or their condition deteriorates over time. For reactive maintenance, the component will be disposed of in SPM and the new assets will be loaded into SPM keeping our data current.

· The new facility will have a life expectancy of 50 years or more. Proper lifecycle management will ensure that our facility will remain fit for purpose and deliver the agreed level of service.

Delivery Programme

2.13 Two developed design options were presented to Council in 2021: A base build design and another with the addition of an educational space. Council approved the first option to design and construct the base build only.

2.14 A detailed design was subsequently prepared, and a competitive tender process was undertaken for the construction of the new facility. Through the tender process, it was identified that the available budget was insufficient to complete the project.

2.15 In June 2022, a request was put forward to Council to increase the budget and to award the construction contract to Lee Builders. These requests were approved by Council.

2.16 For the construction phase, the anticipated start date of the construction was 16 June 2022 with completion on or around 15 June 2023, or circa a 12-month construction programme. However, the actual start date was revised to 7 November 2022 due to contractor availability.

2.17 Two extension of time (EOT) delays have occurred during the project:

· EOT No.1 – This delay was due to soft ground conditions, Mauri stone relocation, structural steel shop drawings and inclement weather. This EOT was approved and formally extended the programme completion date to 14 February 2024.

· EOT No.2 – This delay was due to operational changes to the kennel gates, and onset galvanising delays because of missing the originally scheduled window. The gate installs were completed on 17 May 2024.

2.18 Physical construction of the facility was achieved 23 May 2024, Code of Compliance issued in July 2024, and Practical Completion achieved on 1 August 2024.

Health and Safety

2.19 The health and safety performance of the contractor was good, with frequent fortnightly Health and Safety inspections undertaken by a third party from Lee Builders and clearly demonstrated diligence on near miss reporting to mitigate any serious incidents, loss time injuries and/or serious injury.

2.20 21 incident reports were received over the duration of the project. 12 of these were near misses, and 1 incident, where a telco cable was hit, and 8 minor incidents that were treated with first aid on site.

Change Control/ Lessons Learnt

2.21 The scope change and variation process were well managed, with all scope issues arising throughout the project assessed and worked through utilising the contract mechanisms.

2.22 Whilst some scope change resulted in extensions to the programme, the cost aspect of variations was managed within the project construction contingency and sequenced in a way to limit as many delays to the project delivery as possible.

2.23 Designing and building the animal shelter provided valuable lessons in project management, design considerations, and stakeholder engagement.

2.24 One key lesson learnt was the importance of early and continuous involvement of all stakeholders, including animal welfare experts, to ensure the facility meets the specific needs of its inhabitants and end users. While stakeholders and experts were regularly consulted with throughout the design phase, this reduced in frequency through the construction phase, which resulted in several significant changes to design to assist with functionality and safety when it came to the kennel gates in particular. These changes came about later in the project and resulted in delays that perhaps, had mock-ups of the approved design been carried out earlier, the end user would have been able to identify the issues and had them resolved within the previous programme.

Risk Management

2.25 Risks were closely managed throughout the project to ensure risks were mitigated where possible and the consequences and impacts minimised.

2.26 Some of the key risks throughout the project include, but were not limited to, the following:

· Health and safety – site safety, safety of the public who also used the road access and works being carried out at the racecourse adjacent to the site. These were mitigated through a Site-Specific Safety Plan and monitored frequently via reporting and toolbox talks.

· Programme – ground conditions and a very specific design for the kennels impacted the overall programme. Materials with long lead times were identified early in the tender process and a thorough design query process was put in place to ensure that clarifications and changes were captured efficiently to mitigate delays.

· Design – designing an animal shelter facility involves several design risks that need careful consideration. A primary risk was ensuring the health and safety of both animals and staff, which requires proper ventilation, sanitation, and containment systems to prevent the spread of disease.

Another risk was designing for the specific needs of different animal classifications, as inadequate spaces or inappropriate materials can lead to behavioural issues or physical harm. Additionally, the facility must be fully compliant with the Animal Health, Safety and Welfare legislation.

· Environmental – as large amounts of the project were delivered through winter; weather impacts created a high risk for delays. Strong construction management focusing on getting the building closed in as soon as practicably possible was a key mitigation.

Contractor and Consultant Performance

2.27 With the assistance of WT (project management and cost management) and WSP (design services), Council were successfully able to deliver this project in 2024. The use of risk management, value engineering, change control, cost management, stakeholder management and adapting the design to meet end user requirements, while ensure the project remained within the construction budget, were all strong features.

2.28 Lee Builders demonstrated exceptional performance through outstanding collaboration and adaptability. They seamlessly integrated into the project team, fostering open communication and being a positive member in a cooperative environment. Their willingness to listen and incorporate feedback ensured that all stakeholders' needs were met. Moreover, their adaptability was evident in their ability to pivot and respond to unexpected challenges, quickly adjusting plans without compromising on quality. This combination of collaborative spirit and flexibility made them an asset, significantly contributing to the project's success.

Financial

2.29 A financial overview for the total project is outlined in the table below:

Prog. 1552	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	Total
Budget	$79K	$595K	$2,670K	$4,109K	$7,454K
Actuals	$77K	$595K	$2,670K	$4,172K	$7,514K*

2.30 Please note the total actual cost has a slight overspend of circa $60K or close to 1% of the total project cost. This is a forecasted final cost as Officers are still working through the close-out process with the contractor and consultants. Whilst this figure is subject to change, Officers do not anticipate it changing substantially from the above. The final figure can be circulated once confirmed.

2.31 It is worthwhile noting that the construction works delivered through the main construction contract with Lee Builders stayed within the allocated $5,784K construction budget ($5,184K contract plus $600K construction contingency). The forecasted overspend is attributed to other cost areas associated with the project.

3. conclusion

3.1 Despite exceeding the delivery programme, the project was an undeniable success, delivering a state-of-the-art Animal Shelter facility that sets a new standard for dog shelters in New Zealand.

3.2 The emphasis on quality throughout the construction process resulted in a highly functional, safe, and comfortable environment for the animals. The facility's advanced design features, including compliant and safe kennels, modern assessment and care areas, and suitable exercise yards to keep dogs and people safe, reflect a deep commitment to animal welfare. This shelter not only meets current standards, it showcases best practices in design and care.

3.3 The Ministry for Primary Industries has considered the shelter as a benchmark for future projects, inspiring improvements across the country and ensuring a better future for dogs in need, with several other territorial authorities making contact to inform their own respective animal shelter builds.

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: Whāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru Goal 3: A connected and safe community
The recommendations contribute to the achievement of objective/objectives in: 9. Mahere haumaru hapori, hauora hapori 9. Community Safety and Health Plan The objective is: Build a fit-for-purpose animal shelter to replace the dog pound.
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being	· The new animal shelter ensures Council can meet the legislative requirements of the Ministry of Primary Industries code of welfare temporary housing of companion animals. · The number of dogs in the City is continuing to grow with the population growth. The project ensures Council’s facility is future proofed and able to respond to this growth when required. · Helps to facilitate Council-run educational programmes focused on dogs and delivered at various community events and ad hoc outreach programmes.

Attachments

Final Floor Plan ⇩

Committee Work Schedule

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 28 August 2024

TITLE: Committee Work Schedule - August 2024

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Community Committee receive its Work Schedule dated August 2024.

committee work schedule – August 2024

	Estimated Report Date	Subject	General Manager Responsible	Current Position	Date of Instruction & Clause number
	~~12 Jun 2024~~	~~Pasifika Reference Group - Annual Presentation~~	~~Customer & Community~~
	~~12 Jun 2024~~	~~Seniors Reference Group - Annual Presentation~~	~~Customer & Community~~
1	~~12 Jun 2024~~ 23 Oct 2024	Annual Report on Library Services	Customer & Community		24 May 2023 Clause 22-23
2	23 Oct 2024	Disability Reference Group – Annual Presentation	Customer & Community		Invitation to present 4 Nov 2020 Clause 41-20
3	23 Oct 2024	Develop an Age Friendly Plan	Customer & Community / Strategic Planning		31 May 2023 Clause 88.15-23
4	23 Oct 2024	Annual Report - Community Funding Allocation 2023/24	Customer & Community		Rec 1c of the Community Grants & Events Funding Review - May 2021
5	4 Dec 2024	Develop a Community Housing Partnership Plan	Strategic Planning		31 May 2023 Clause 88.9-23
6	Mar 2025	Welcoming Communities Annual Report	Customer & Community		4 Nov 2020 Clause 43-20
7	Mar 2025	Housing Advice Centre – Annual Sector Lead Report	Customer & Community		Terms of Reference
8	Mar 2025	Manawatū Multicultural Centre – Annual Sector Lead Report	Customer & Community		Terms of Reference
9	Mar 2025	Te Pū Harakeke – Annual Sector Lead Report	Customer & Community		Terms of Reference
10	Mar 2025	Te Tihī o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance – Annual Sector Lead Report	Customer & Community		Terms of Reference
11	Mar 2025	Annual update on the implementation of the accessibility programme	Infrastructure		20 Mar 2024 Clause 11.2-24
12	May 2025	Property options in Roslyn to support the delivery of community services	Customer & Community		Council 29 May 2024 Clause 95.G47-24
13	May 2025	Youth Wellbeing and Youth Development – Annual Progress Report	Customer & Community		Council 29 May 2024 Clause 95.2F(1) -24
14	TBC 2025	Actions and resources required to sign up to the Accessibility Charter	Customer & Community		22 Nov 2023 Clause 38-23
15	TBC 2025	Progress report on social housing development at Summerhays St	Strategic Planning / Infrastructure		Council 1 May 2024 Clause 66-24
16	TBC 2025	Options to deliver social housing within the current Revenue and Finance Policy limit	Strategic Planning / Infrastructure		20 March 2024 Clause 10-24
17	2024/2025	Expressions of Interest for a partnership-based approach to providing a natural burial site in PN	Infrastructure		22 Nov 2023 Clause 47 Council 1 Jun 2022 Clause 60-22

[1] Community and Public Health Te Mana Ora. (2024). Health in All Policies approach at Community and Public Health. Community and Public Health Te Mana Ora. https://www.cph.co.nz/your-health/health-in-all-policies/

[3] Nip, J., Edwards, R., Ball, J., Hoek, J., Waa, A. (2023). Smoking Prevalence and Trends: Key Findings in the 2022/23 NZ Health Survey. Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa. https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/smoking-prevalence-and-trends-key-findings-202223-nz-health-survey

[8] Edwards, R., Nip, J., Hoek, J., Waa, A. (2023). Vaping Prevalence and Trends: Key Findings in the 2022/23 NZ Health Survey. Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa. https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/vaping-prevalence-and-trends-key-findings-202223-nz-health-survey

[12] Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand. (2024). Health Status Report 2023. https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/publications/health-status-report/

[13] Environmental Health Intelligence New Zealand Rapu Mātauranga Hauroa mo te Taiao – Aotearoa. (2021). About UV exposure and health. Massey University Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa. https://www.ehinz.ac.nz/indicators/uv-exposure/about-uv-exposure/

[14] Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand. (2024). Health Status Report 2023. https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/publications/health-status-report/

Lorna Johnson (Chair)
Patrick Handcock (Deputy Chair)
Grant Smith (The Mayor)
Brent Barrett	Orphée Mickalad
Rachel Bowen	Karen Naylor
Lew Findlay (QSM)	William Wood
Billy Meehan	Kaydee Zabelin