Agenda of Community Committee - Wednesday, 13 August 2025

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 21 May 2025, commencing at 09.02am

Members

Present:

Councillor 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:

Councillor Debi Marshall-Lobb.

Apologies:

The Mayor (Grant Smith) on Council business, Councillor William Wood and Billy Meehan on an early departure.

Councillor William Wood left the meeting at 11.27am after consideration of clause 15. He was not present for clauses 16 to 18 inclusive.

Councillor Billy Meehan left the meeting at 11.28am during consideration of clause 16. He was not present for clauses 16 to 18 inclusive.

Councillor Debi Marshall-Lobb left the meeting at 12.12pm during consideration of clause 17. She entered the meeting again at 12.17pm during consideration of clause 18. She was not present for clause 17.

	Karakia Timatanga
	Councillor Lorna Johnson opened the meeting with karakia

9-25

Apologies

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the apologies.

Clause 9-25 above was carried 11 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 and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

10-25

Confirmation of Minutes

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the minutes of the Community Committee meeting of 19 March 2025 Part I Public be confirmed as a true and correct record.

Clause 10-25 above was carried 10 votes to 0, with 1 abstention, 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 and Kaydee Zabelin.

Abstained:

Councillor Debi Marshall-Lobb.

11-25	Recommendation to engage Sector Lead Organisations Memorandum, presented by Ahmed Obaid, Community Development Advisor and Stephanie Velvin, Manager Community Development. Councillor Wood moved a procedural motion to lie 1.b of the recommendation on the table until further consultation with the Pasifika Community.
	Moved William Wood, seconded Orphée Mickalad. The COMMITTEE RESOLVED That 1.b Sector Lead Niuvaka Trust be laid on the table until further consultation with Pasifika Community.
	Clause 11.1-25 above was carried 8 votes to 3, the voting being as follows: For: Councillors Brent Barrett, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin and Debi Marshall-Lobb. Against: Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock and Rachel Bowen.
	Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock. The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS That Council engage the following organisation through Sector Lead Partnership Agreement for the period 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028: a. MASH Trust
	Clause 11.2-25 above was carried 11 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 and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

12-25

Potential locations for a public toilet at Albert St

Memorandum, presented by Bill Carswell, Activities Manager, Property Services.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS

1. That Council proceed with applying for a planning and building consent for the installation of a single pan toilet at the end of Albert Street (option 2 residential pump station).

Clause 12-25 above was carried 10 votes to 1, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Billy Meehan, Orphée Mickalad, William Wood, Kaydee Zabelin and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

Against:

Councillor Karen Naylor.

13-25

Annual Youth Wellbeing Update

Memorandum, presented by Remy Waldteufel-Irvine, Youth Services Team Leader and Stephanie Velvin, Manager Community Development.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Annual Youth Wellbeing Update’ presented to the Community Committee on 21 May 2025.

Clause 13-25 above was carried 11 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 and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

14-25

Community Centres' Delivery Model Review

Memorandum, presented by Stephanie Velvin, Manager Community Development and Amy Viles, Community Development Advisor.

Councillor Mickalad moved an additional motion for a progress report on the actions for improvement.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Community Centres’ Delivery Model Review’ presented to the Community Committee on 21 May 2025.

Moved Orphée Mickalad, seconded Karen Naylor.

2. That the Chief Executive provide a one off progress update report on identified actions for improvement with regard to Community centres.

Clause 14-25 above was carried 11 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 and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

The meeting adjourned at 10.55am

The meeting resumed at 11.12am

15-25

Council Infrastructure accessibility initiatives

Memorandum, presented by Glen O'Connor, Manager Transport and Development and Kathy Dever-Tod, Manager Parks and Reserves.

Councillor Johnson moved an additional motion to receive an ongoing progress report.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Council Infrastructure accessibility initiatives’ presented to the Community Committee on 21 May 2024

2. That the Committee note that officers are currently working with the Disability Reference Group to confirm the scope for the assessment of transport assets.

3. That the Committee receive a regular progress report on Council Infrastructure accessibility initiatives.

Clause 15-25 above was carried 11 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 and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

Councillor William Wood left the meeting at 11.27am.

16-25

Accessibility Charter: actions and resources needed for Council to adopt

Memorandum, presented by Jessica Papple, Marketing Manager and Olivia Wix, Communications Manager.

Councillor Billy Meehan left the meeting at 11.28am.

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the report titled ‘Accessibility Charter – actions and resources needed’, presented to the Community Committee on 21 May 2025.

2. That the Chief Executive prepare a programme for the 2027-2037 Long Term Plan for Elected Members to consider.

Clause 16-25 above was carried 9 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, Kaydee Zabelin and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

17-25

Update on The Ada Street Project

Memorandum, presented by Danu Sefton, Community Development Advisor and Stephanie Velvin, Manager Community Development.

Councillor Debi Marshall-Lobb left the meeting at 12.12pm

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Update on The Ada Street Project’ presented to the Community Committee on 21 May 2025.

Clause 17-25 above was carried 8 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor and Kaydee Zabelin.

18-25

Committee Work Schedule - May 2025

Councillor Debi Marshall-Lobb returned to the meeting at 12.17pm

Moved Lorna Johnson, seconded Patrick Handcock.

The COMMITTEE RESOLVED

1. That the Community Committee receive its Work Schedule dated May 2025.

Clause 18-25 above was carried 9 votes to 0, the voting being as follows:

For:

Councillors Lorna Johnson, Patrick Handcock, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Lew Findlay, Orphée Mickalad, Karen Naylor, Kaydee Zabelin and Debi Marshall-Lobb.

	Karakia Whakamutunga
	Councillor Lorna Johnson closed the meeting with karakia

The meeting finished at 12.22pm.

Confirmed 13 August 2025.

Chair

Memorandum

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 13 August 2025

TITLE: Bunnythorpe Community Plan 2025 - 2028

Presented By: Hilary Webb, Planner

APPROVED BY: David Murphy, General Manager Strategic Planning

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Committee endorse the Bunnythorpe Community Plan 2025 - 2028 to inform future planning and decision-making, including the 2027-37 Long-Term Plan and land-use and infrastructure planning processes associated with Te Utanganui, the Central New Zealand Distribution Hub.

1. ISSUE

1.1. The Bunnythorpe community faces uncertainty and disruption from industrial and infrastructure development north of Palmerston North city in coming decades, including the Manawatū Regional Freight Ring Road, and the ongoing development of Te Utanganui, the Central New Zealand Distribution Hub.

1.2. Community plans are a common tool used by councils to enable and empower community-led engagement with agencies during such large-scale change. Officers have been working with the Bunnythorpe community to develop a community plan that will provide a first-step foundation for engagement with stakeholders in this significant and long-term development.

1.3. The Bunnythorpe Community Plan is jointly owned by Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) and the community as represented by the Greater Bunnythorpe Committee. Stakeholders in the Bunnythorpe Community Plan are Horizons Regional Council, Manawatū District Council, KiwiRail and NZTA Waka Kotahi.

1.4. The community will lead the actions described in this plan, with the aim:

‘to have a closer community in Bunnythorpe’.

1.5. Formal endorsement by Council’s Community Committee will enable the community, tangata whenua, stakeholders, and Council officers to be sure that the Bunnythorpe Community Plan informs future planning and decision-making by the Council.

2. ORIGIN AND DRIVERS OF THE COMMUNITY PLAN PROCESS

2.1. Since Bunnythorpe was integrated into PNCC in a boundary change in 2012, the community has actively sought equivalent levels of service for infrastructure, community assets, and democracy, which included exploring the option of a Community Board. The Local Government Commission’s 2021 determination of Council’s decision not to establish a Community Board included three recommendations, one of which was that Council undertake a village master-planning exercise with the Bunnythorpe community. To give effect to this recommendation, trialling a village plan development process with Bunnythorpe is a new or one-off action in Mahere Hoahoa Tone Urban Design Plan for years 1 and 2 of the Long-Term Plan.

2.2. A master plan is a detailed and comprehensive vision of the physical development in an area. This process can take years, and incur considerable cost, so best value is gained from master planning when the technical aspects of large components, such as infrastructure, are well understood. Similarly, a village plan is a blueprint for the physical works associated with development.

2.3. The current uncertainty around the early stages of future industrial and infrastructure development, and the disruption and distress this uncertainty causes for individuals and the community, meant that it is important to focus on developing community leadership and coherence. A community plan is a proven process for a community to unite and actively engage with Council in infrastructure and planning projects. A community plan can also ensure that the community has a sound foundation for engagement with development planning, before commencing more detailed planning, such as a master plan.

2.4. Community plans are commonly used to encourage and enable community-led development, to enhance collaboration between different groups, and identify the community’s priorities so these can inform planning and decision-making. For an example of another local community plans, refer to Hiwinui Community Plan. Another useful example is Te Puna in Bay of Plenty. Like Bunnythorpe, this rural community is facing growth pressure from a nearby city.

3. What the Bunnythorpe Community Plan can be used for

3.1. This community plan lays out the Bunnythorpe community’s values and aspirations, what makes Bunnythorpe a great place to live, and the things that the community wants to preserve. These are the rural village character, the heritage, strong active community networks, and opportunities such as safe walking and cycling to connect with the landscape and each other. The community plan also describes the challenges and opportunities from development as these are perceived by the community. This statement of values and responses to development can inform engagement with the community in growth planning processes and infrastructure projects.

3.2. The community plan includes 41 actions or projects that the community can lead, with support from Council. These actions are grouped under the following seven themes that reflect the community’s aspirations and priorities for their everyday lives:

· Community

· Safety

· Leadership and self-determination

· Environment

· Heritage

· Recreation

· Infrastructure.

3.3 Some actions are already underway, or starting soon, and the community plan is a useful way to communicate this current work to the wider community. Some actions are ideas (‘future thinking’) that were generated out of the community plan process and can be developed by the community over time into projects.

4. what the Bunnythorpe Community Plan is not

4.1 The community plan is not a list of infrastructure or community development

work that Council will automatically fund or deliver, therefore the community plan does not commit Council to expenditure that is not already included in the Long-Term Plan. The Bunnythorpe Community Plan should not be confused with the Council’s Community or Long-Term Plan.

4.2 The community plan process established that the community wants to be

engaged in growth planning, but the Bunnythorpe Community Plan is not a

substitute for proactive community leadership working with and acting on

behalf of the community to engage with stakeholders in development works.

4.3 While the community plan can usefully inform development work, it is not a

shortcut for stakeholders to skip engaging with the community in development projects.

5. how the bunnythorpe community plan will be IMPLEMENTED

5.1 The Greater Bunnythorpe Committee on behalf of the community will lead the actions described in this plan, with support from Council officers and other agencies.

5.2 The community plan can be used to support funding applications and cases by the community (see Table 1, page 8 of the Community Plan for examples).

5.3 The Bunnythorpe Community Plan will be reviewed in three years, which provides adequate time for new ideas to be developed into active projects by the community.

5.4 In the meantime, the Greater Bunnythorpe Committee and Council officers will jointly review the plan annually to check how actions are progressing and what might be needed to sustain progress.

5.5 Showing success with smaller projects that matter to the community is a means of building the community’s confidence in their leadership, which increases coherence and unity. Through strengthened community leadership from the process of developing and then implementing the community plan, the community is better able to lead collaboration with Council and other stakeholders in development planning and projects.

6. PROCESS OF DEVELOPNG THE BUNNYTHORPE COMMUNITY PLAN

6.1 Since November 2024, officers have worked with the Bunnythorpe community to develop the community plan. This work, shown in the table below, included a survey, a focus group, meetings, workshops, community events, and interaction through a webpage and the Bunnythorpe Community Facebook page.

Community contribution to the Bunnythorpe Community Plan
Stage and tasks	Date/s	Numbers engaged
Green light from Greater Bunnythorpe Committee (GBC)	November 2024	9
Scoping community and plan content with GBC	December 2024	8
Survey	December 2024	74
Verification with GBC	January 2025	7
Focus group	February	12
Community market day	March 2025	50 - 55
Open community meeting	June 2025	26 in-person 13 online
Bunnythorpe Community Facebook page (4 posts)	January to July 2025	21 comments 32 reactions
Webpage	January to July 2025	297 views, 206 active users
Online consultation and submissions (1,371 views, 923 active users)	July 2025	14
Verification with GBC	July 2025	10

6.2 Rangitāne o Manawatū were advised of the Community Plan project through Te Whiri Kōkō in March 2025 and provided feedback on the final draft version. Ngāti Kauwhata were regularly updated on the project.

6.3 The project team met regularly with KiwiRail, Horizons Regional Council, Waka Kotahi NZTA via the PINITI management group, and Manawatū District Council. All stakeholders provided minimal feedback on the final draft version in the recognition that this is the community’s plan.

6.4 The outcome of this work is the Bunnythorpe Community Plan that is recommended to Committee for endorsement.

7. NEXT STEPS

7.1 Upon formal endorsement by this Committee, the Bunnythorpe Community Plan can be used to inform the Indicative Business Case for the Manawatū Regional Freight Ring Road, the Future Development Strategy review that begins in September 2025, KiwiRail’s planning for the Regional Freight Hub, and the continued development of Te Utanganui, the Central New Zealand Distribution Hub.

7.2 In the longer term, the Bunnythorpe Community Plan may inform other work such as the PNCC Long-Term and Annual Budget, PNCC Asset Management Plans, and master planning for Te Utanganui Plan Changes A – C and Private Plan Changes.

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 objectives?		No
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to: Whāinga 1: He tāone auaha, he tāone tiputipu Goal 1: An innovative and growing city Whāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru Goal 3: A connected and safe community
The recommendations contribute to this plan: 1. Mahere hoahoa tāone 1. Urban Design Plan The objective is: Trial a village plan development process with the Bunnythorpe Community (new or one-off action for years 1 & 2)
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being	The Community Plan will provide a formal document, received and adopted by Committee, that can usefully inform ongoing development in the north-eastern part of the city. The Bunnythorpe Community Plan provides a clear statement of the community’s aspirations to development stakeholders and tangata whenua; and the community has a framework for systematically working together to achieve their aspirations. The recommendations contribute to the outcome (Whāinga Goal 1) of a city that fosters pride and supports the aspirations of people and communities. The recommendations contribute to most of the outcomes for Whāinga Goal 3, and specifically to the opportunities for community-led contribution to the design of our city

Attachments

Bunnythorpe Community Plan 2025-28 ⇩

Memorandum

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 13 August 2025

TITLE: Social Housing Update - Work Programme 1: Delivery Model for Property

Presented By: Glenn Bunny, Manager Property

APPROVED BY: Glen O'Connor, Acting General Manager Infrastructure

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Community Committee receive the Memorandum titled ‘Social Housing Update’ presented on 13 August 2025.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 This memorandum seeks to update the Committee on progress to date on the strategic review into the operation of Council’s social housing portfolio, and outline next steps and associated timeframes, including the status of the Summerhays Street redevelopment.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 A memorandum titled ‘Social Housing and property review work programme’ was submitted to the Community Committee meeting on 4 December 2024.

In accordance of with that memorandum Council resolved:

That Council endorse the proposed broad terms of reference for an investigation of social housing delivery models (Workstream A)^{^[1]}, as described in memorandum titled ‘Social housing and property review work programme’ presented to the Community Committee on 4 December 2024 and its Attachment 1;

and in relation to the Summerhays Street redevelopment;

That Council confirm its intention to await the outcome of an investigation of social housing delivery models (Workstream A) prior to considering the reports dated 1 May 2024 ‘Summerhays Street Redevelopment – Partnership Models’ and ‘Summerhays Street Redevelopment –Expressions of Interest Feedback’.

3. social housing portfolio summary

3.1 The portfolio currently consists of 444 units across 19 complexes. The units are a mix of 1, 2- and 3-bedroom dwellings and range in age between 2 and 55 years old.

3.2 Council officers conduct annual condition assessments for all units. Condition assessment scores are generally ‘good’ to ‘very good’, although the units are largely out-dated and do not reflect modern day best practice with regards to configuration and fit out. The portfolio is 100% compliant with Healthy Homes Standards. Condition assessments play a critical role in planning and prioritising maintenance. They also inform decisions about significant repair and renewal work, which are undertaken as required.

3.3 As tenants vacate, units are subject to refurbishment as needed, including renewal and redecorating. This approach ensures that vacated units are brought up to an acceptable standard prior to re-letting.

3.4 An annual maintenance schedule is in place that addresses exterior cleaning ground maintenance and building compliance requirements.

3.5 Council officers carry out tenant inspections on a 6-monthly basis. These inspections help monitor the condition of the units during occupancy and address tenant related issues proactively.

3.6 There is currently 493 people on the wait list for Council provided social housing, including both urgent (homeless or pending homeless) and non-urgent applicants. The total number of applicants at any given time is consistently around 500.

3.7 Occupancy rates across the portfolio sit at 94% to 97%. The period where the units are being refurbished between change in tenancies is the main contributing factor to the occupancy rate being less than 100%.

3.8 Turnover rates per annum across the portfolio are year on year around 13%.

3.9 Satisfaction scores through tenant surveying in 2025 was 96%.

Social Housing Framework

3.10 Council’s key documents underpinning the Social Housing Framework are the ‘Mahere Whare Housing Plan 2024-34’ and the ’Social Housing Guidelines’.

3.11 These two documents outline Council’s intended direction for the organisation in providing social housing, and signal to other providers and developers the intended direction for the increased provision of social housing.

3.12 The Mahere Whare Housing Plan identifies initiatives such as rezoning and permissibility changes to increase densities, repurposing existing Council properties for housing, provision of enabling infrastructure, regulatory and incentive measures, partnership programmes with providers.

3.13 The Social Housing Guidelines give effect to the Mahere Whare Housing Plan and address more operational aspects of the Portfolio. This includes the purpose for the provision of social housing, rental settings, and applicable eligibility criteria.

Arrangement with MASH Trust

3.14 Council currently leases 34 units to the MASH Trust within the Cardrona Close, Persson Place and Wood Street complexes. This arrangement began in 2003 and has been maintained through rolling three-year Lease Agreement.

3.15 The current agreement ceased on 1 July 2025 and has not yet been renewed, as both parties continue to negotiate new terms in response to changes to the Trust’s funding. Both parties have agreed to continue working together whilst a new agreement is established.

3.16 Tenant inspections are carried out by MASH staff on a 3-monthly basis, while annual condition assessments are conducted by Council officers. All maintenance costs associated with these properties are met by Council. Council’s tenancy officers have no responsibility or relationship with tenants occupying the properties leased from Council by MASH.

4. Financial summary of current model

4.1 The financial result of the portfolio for the 2023-24 Financial year was a net loss of $1.77m as detailed in Table 1 below.

	2023/24	2024/25
Expenses	$5.01M	$5.90M
Revenue	$3.25M	$3.38M
Result	-$1.77M	-$2.52M

Table 1: 2023-24 Net Operating Result

4.2 Financial modelling based on the existing operations extrapolated out to the 2031-32 financial year projects an increasing gap between operating expenses and revenue. The operating shortfall is forecast to reach $3.75M.

4.3 The current operating deficit has impacted the funding ratios stated in the Annual Report. The targeted funding split for the 2023-24 FY was intended to be 0-19% ratepayer funding and 80-100% tenancy funding. The actual funding split is 35% ratepayers and 65% tenants. Under current forecast trends, this departure from targeted funding ratios increases.

4.4 The Revenue and Financing Policy^{^[2]} sets a ratepayer contribution of 0-19%, the LTP budget projects that ratepayer funding will exceed 50% by year 5 significantly departing from the policy target.

5. social hOUSING REVIEW TO DATE

5.1 The strategic review on the social housing portfolio will identify all potential actions and initiatives that can be examined to improve all aspects of the operation of the portfolio, including financial sustainability. The review of these initiatives will then be considered with regards to future state operational models, and ultimately a recommendation for a preferred operating model.

Scope of the Review

5.2 The review to date has:

· Investigated current operational and financial aspects of the existing model

· Considered the Social Housing Framework consisting of the Mahere Whare Housing Plan and Social Housing Guidelines with a view to what changes could be made to enable continued improvements

· Reviewed work undertaken to date and reports generated since 2015

· Identified improvement initiatives and levers across the portfolio

· Analysed best practice and innovative models in New Zealand

· Explored different ownership and operational structures including Trusts, Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) and Community Housing Providers (CHPs)

· Investigated various public and private partnership opportunities

Best Practice Principles

5.3 Based on the "Better Practice Guide for Community Housing in New Zealand"^{^[3]}, published by Community Housing Aotearoa the peak body for New Zealand’s community housing sector, several key themes emerge for achieving financial sustainability while maintaining high-quality service delivery in social housing.

5.4 Robust financial management systems are critical to ensure probity and operational viability. Clear financial policies and procedures, budget development and cashflow projections, strategies for increasing revenue and reinvesting proceeds are all integral.

5.5 Effective strategic asset management is crucial to provide fit for purpose assets for long term quality service delivery. Planned and reactive asset maintenance and renewal programmes coupled with strategic investment logic including acquiring and developing new stock is required.

5.6 In order to drive true financial performance diversified funding and partnerships play a role in successful models. Leveraging government funding and subsidies, private sector partnerships, equity investment and philanthropic contributions can all play a critical role in successful operations by diversifying and there de-risking funding.

5.7 A strong focus on tenant well-being and community development is imperative. Applying a tenant-centric approach that encourages participation, complete with support services and a sense of community, ensure a strong tenant community with quality living and positive outcomes.

5.8 To give effect to these best practice aspects of social or community housing provision, Council has several levers that can be examined that in isolation or in combination can be used for strategic and operational improvement.

Lever or Initiative	Commentary
Review of Social Housing Framework	May enable more favourable conditions for provision of housing units, partnerships, diversified funding, and rental settings, and enable more innovative products along the housing continuum.
Internal Operational Efficiencies	Identify opportunities within Council operations for improvements to all aspects of social housing provision.
Rationalise and Re-invest	Undertake a review of the complexes to investigate opportunities to unlock capital from the portfolio to re-invest to greater effect through improved or modernised units, higher densities and yields. May also accelerate the development of Summerhays Street and other sites.
Partnerships	Strategic partnerships with housing providers, private developers, and government agencies may accelerate housing outcomes and alleviate the burden on ratepayers.
Diversified Funding	Identify alternate funding solutions to increase working capital or subsidise operational expenses, including private equity and Government grants and subsidies.
Tax benefits and subsidies	Investigate the financial advantages of alternate business structures including Trusts and a CCO’.
Altered Mix of Rental Product	Investigate diversifying the mix of rental products offered within the social housing stock to provide broader housing options that align with community need along the housing continuum.
Developer Incentives	Consideration for encouraging private sector involvement in delivering social and affordable housing.

Table 2: Potential Improvement Levers

5.9 Any combination of the levers and initiatives in the table above could result in a significant strategic and operational shift as a result of these potential improvements. In determining the initiatives that Council wish to endorse, an improved version of the current operating model could eventuate, or alternatively a new operating model may emerge as a result.

Market engagement

5.10 In order to confirm whether a partnership model could be a viable option, conversations have been held at a high level on a commercial in confidence basis with a small number of operating Trust’s and registered Community Housing Providers. All parties approached expressed interest in a partnership model, noting the conversation was without prejudice and held with the intent of information gathering rather than to discuss an actual opportunity.

5.11 This positive market sounding in addition to the positive response Council received to the Expression of Interest process for the Summerhays Street Redevelopment allows partnership models to be included for consideration or in part in the broader review.

5.12 The engagement above was for the specific purpose of finding out whether there is interest in a partnership. For clarity, this does not constitute full consultation. Appropriate consultation will be undertaken in association with the continued review and any subsequent change. As the review progresses further engagement with additional operators, Government and neighbouring councils, and importantly Rangitāne.

6. Summerhays street redevelopment

6.1 In relation the proposed Summerhays Street redevelopment, it is recommended that the development remain on hold pending the confirmation of a preferred operating model. This sequencing is important to avoid compounding the net financial loss of the existing model, and to ensure the development maximises positive outcomes.

6.2 If Council wanted to advance the development, it is difficult at this stage to suggest a model that could be implemented on a ‘no regrets’ basis. A possible avenue could be to consider products other than traditional social housing on the housing continuum. Options such as affordable market rentals, market rentals, or a more innovative product like build to own on long term ground leases could contribute valuable supply into the housing market. While these alternatives may not directly increase affordable housing stock, additional housing on the continuum would be provided - potentially result in reduced demand for social housing.

The Housing Continuum

6.3 Council is already active in certain aspects across the continuum. Homelessness is being addressed through the Housing Insecurity Pilot Programme, and Council is contributing to market housing supply through the Tamakuku Terrace development.

6.4 If Summerhays is to proceed before the strategic review is complete, the associated budget would need to be bought forward into this financial year, as it was deferred to 2026-27 financial year pending the outcome of the strategic review.

7. next steps

7.1 There is a significant amount of work to advance the investigation and assessment of future social housing operating models. This includes further examination of the individual ‘levers’ available to Council as identified in Table 2, and how these initiatives may be implemented in combination to provide the most impactful strategic and operational impact.

7.2 Work to date confirms that Council has opportunities for improvement and innovation in the portfolio. Continued work will focus on financial performance, improving service levels, growth and improvement in the asset base, innovation and increased options of housing and products offered, and operational structures.

7.3 As a result, it is intended that a preferred operating model will be identified and can be assessed against a comprehensive baseline model so any changes and positive and negative consequences can be best understood prior to any decisions being implemented.

7.4 Engagement with Government, existing operators, iwi, investors and developers, neighbouring Councils and other stakeholders will also be an important aspect of continuing work. This will ensure that the review is broad and thorough and appropriately influenced by other experts and operators in the industry.

7.5 It is envisaged that some specialist input may be required to assess legal or accounting aspects of particular models. This engagement will be covered within existing budgets.

7.6 A subsequent report containing this additional information and any recommendation for change is intended to be complete by May 2026.

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 objectives?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute toWhāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru Goal 3: A connected and safe community Whāinga 4: He tāone toitū, he tāone manawaroa Goal 4: A sustainable and resilient city
The recommendations contribute to this plan: 15. Mahere whare 15. Housing Plan The objective is: Investigate models of delivery for Councils social housing Develop a community housing partnership programme Support social housing provides through a community housing partnership.
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being	Providing access to healthy affordable housing as a response to city housing needs. Providing social housing and support community-led social housing initiatives.

Attachments

Nil

Memorandum

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 13 August 2025

TITLE: Update on Housing Insecurity Pilot Programme

Presented By: Martin Brady, Community Development Advisor and Danu Sefton, Community Development Advisor

APPROVED BY: Danelle Whakatihi, General Manager Customer & Community

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Update on Housing Insecurity Pilot Programme’ presented to the Community Committee on 13 August 2025.

1. ISSUE

1.1 This report provides an update on the first year of implementation of the three-year pilot programme designed to respond to homelessness in Palmerston North.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 Housing insecurity, or homelessness, remains an issue affecting individuals and whānau across Palmerston North. The causes of housing insecurity are complex and interrelated, ranging from housing cost and availability, to mental health challenges, family breakdowns, and systemic inequities.

2.2 The negative wellbeing impacts of housing insecurity for individuals and whānau are well documented; the affects also extend beyond individuals, with those experiencing housing insecurity less able to contribute to positive social, cultural and economic activity within the community, and extra pressure placed on health and social services. Visible homelessness also negatively affects perceptions of safety in public spaces and can impact business activity.

2.3 In recent years, following community submissions to the 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan, Council has been working to establish a response to homelessness in our community. Previous reports relevant to this work were presented to this Committee in March 2022, March 2023 and November 2023.

2.4 The November 2023 report sought direction from elected members on the future role of the Council in responding to the issue of homelessness. As a result, the Committee resolved:

‘That the Committee refer to the 2024-2034 draft Long-Term Plan [to] pilot highest priority systems-change interventions to respond to housing insecurity plus a $30,000 flexi-fund for urgent intervention’.

2.5 In May 2024, Long-term Plan deliberations confirmed the direction and resourcing for the Housing Insecurity Pilot programme, as reflected in Council’s Mahere Whare Housing Plan for 2024-2034.

2.6 The programme is underpinned by a collective impact approach, with a cross-sector group, the Palmerston North Housing Insecurity Response Collective (PNHIRC), instrumental in the development of the three programmes and providing overarching support and knowledge for the implementation. The PNHIRC currently includes Housing Advice Centre, MASH Trust, Te Tihi o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance, Manawatū Tenants Union, Kāinga Ora, Ministry of Social Development and Rangitāne o Manawatū.

2.7 The programme implementation includes three interconnected workstreams:

· Outreach programme - to engage and work alongside individuals without shelter, with a focus on those who are chronically homeless. The role of the outreach officer is to develop relationships with individuals and support them to navigate barriers they are having to housing, including liaising with social services and other supports.

· Flexi-fund – a quick response fund designed to act as a safety net for those experiencing issues in maintaining their tenancy, and to support the removal of barriers to individuals entering housing.

· Housing First – to develop a Housing First Model that fits the needs of Palmerston North, including the development of an operating model and implementation plan (year 1) and implementation (years 2 and 3).

3. CONTEXT

3.1 As noted above, the drivers of homelessness are complex, with local experiences in large part a result of historical systems and government policy settings.

3.2 As at June 2025, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) advised it has 399 applicants on their waiting list for social housing. There are 4 whānau in emergency housing. Recent changes in government policy settings appear to be influencing increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness locally, based on information from housing and social service providers.

3.3 While the exact number of people currently sleeping rough in our community remains unknown, the introduction of a dedicated Outreach officer in recent months has enabled a clearer understanding of the current situation. It is estimated that at least 15 individuals are sleeping rough within the city centre, with a further 20 people visibly sleeping rough in other areas of the city. Note these figures do not account for those residing in vehicles, garages, or other uninhabitable and unsafe spaces.

3.4 While this context is challenging, and numbers remain higher than anyone would like to see, as detailed below there has been a significant amount of positive activity within the Housing Insecurity Pilot Programme thus far, meaning that the present situation locally is better than what it would have been had the programme not proceeded, and, further, the city is better positioned than it could have otherwise been to respond moving forward.

4. implementation UPDATE

4.1 The first year of the pilot programme has involved the establishment of the three workstreams, in partnership with the PNHIRC.

4.2 Across August to October 2024, Council staff worked through a procurement process to identify the partners to oversee the respective workstreams. The contracts were awarded from November 2024 to the following organisations:

· Manawatū Tenants’ Union – Flexi Fund

· MASH Trust – Outreach programme

· Te Tihi o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance – Housing First

4.3 From January to June 2025, these lead organisations, with the support of Council and the wider PNHIRC, have drawn on experiences and learnings from other organisations within New Zealand and internationally, and commenced activity within each workstream.

4.4 Flexi Fund

4.4.1 This initiative aims to provide timely, responsive financial support to tenants experiencing urgent or unforeseen barriers to sustaining their housing.

4.4.2 The initial focus of the Flexi fund has centred around the development of operational guidelines, followed by the marketing of the fund’s availability to service providers and the community.

4.4.3 The uptake of the fund in the first six months has been slower than predicted. Rather than lack of need, this appears to be due to limited awareness to date of the fund by service providers and tenants, initial limitations of the fund’s scope, and some unwillingness from individuals to engage with the fund.

4.4.4 Despite these initial challenges, the fund has been accessed by some in need, with Manawatū Tenants Union working closely with the Outreach Officer to connect to individuals to the fund. Areas of support have included obtaining acceptable identification, such as a driver’s licence, which is needed to open a bank account and therefore obtain housing.

4.4.5 Moving forward, the PNHIRC will continue to evolve this fund to meet community needs as they emerge, while remaining within the intended purpose. Focus will also remain on growing awareness amongst service providers and other referral pathways.

4.5 Outreach programme

4.5.1 The Outreach programme, led by the MASH Trust, has been operating since late March 2025 and the outcomes so far have exceeded expectations.

4.5.2 One Outreach Officer has been employed, based out of the LUCK venue in Berryman’s Lane. Across this period, they have engaged with over 75 people experiencing housing insecurity right across the city, including Ashhurst. Of those, 66 have been housed, including in private rentals, social housing and emergency housing, both within Palmerston North and the wider region.

4.5.3 Additionally, the Outreach Officer has supported five individuals to retain their property, in conjunction with the MTU, as they were at risk of eviction.

4.5.4 Progress in the Outreach space has occurred faster than anticipated and can be attributed to strong collaboration amongst service and housing providers.

4.5.5 Moving forward, MASH Trust will work with the PNHIRC to continue this successful outreach work, and focus on developing processes, strengthening information gathering and identifying opportunities to advocate for systems change.

4.6 Housing First

4.6.1 The objective of the Housing First workstream is to devise the Housing First Model for Palmerston North, including development of a model and plan in year one (phase 1), and implementation in years two and three (phase 2).

4.6.2 Housing First is an international model which has been operating for several years around the world, as well as in other cities within New Zealand. It is a best practice, evidence-based model for addressing chronic homelessness. More information about Housing First can be found in the previous reports to this Committee linked at 2.3 above.

4.6.3 This year, Te Tihi has completed Phase 1 of the Housing First workstream with the development of a model suited for Palmerston North city and an implementation plan for the model.

4.6.4 The model itself is grounded in local realities, relationships, and aspirations of Palmerston North whānau. Te Tihi’s approach to the implementation phase is underpinned by the principles of Housing First, drawing on a Whānau Ora lens, and collective impact as the framework for delivery.

4.6.5 The implementation plan outlines the pathway required to bring Housing First to fruition in Palmerston North over the next two years.

4.6.6 Te Tihi will continue to work with the PNHIRC, as well as a strong network of wider relationships in the housing and social service sector, to drive the implementation plan forward.

5. CONCLUSION

5.1 This report has provided an update on the first year of implementation of the Housing Insecurity pilot programme.

5.2 The three-year pilot has started well, with the Outreach programme, in particular, providing immediate impact in improving housing insecurity for a number of whānau.

5.3 Progress of the Flexi Fund has been slower to start but with growing awareness and adaptation to meet community needs, it is expected that uptake and therefore impact will increase in the coming year.

5.4 The Housing First workstream is on track, with the development of a local Housing First model complete, and the implementation plan now underway; this work is well positioned to provide a transformational service with long-term benefits.

5.5 Whilst this remains a complex, challenging area of work, the early success within the workstreams, together with the continued commitment of the locally-led collective sitting in behind the programme, suggests that this pilot is positioning Palmerston North well for success in meeting the needs of our community.

5.6 Council officers will provide elected members a further implementation update in 12 months’ time.

6. 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 objectives?		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 this plan: 15. Mahere whare 15. Housing Plan The objective is: Provide social housing and support community-led housing initiatives
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being	Housing is fundamental to social, cultural and economic wellbeing.

Attachments

Nil

Memorandum

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 13 August 2025

TITLE: Summary of Community Funding Allocations 01/07/2024 - 30/06/2025

Presented By: Stephanie Velvin, Manager Community Development

APPROVED BY: Danelle Whakatihi, General Manager Customer & Community

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Committee receive the memorandum titled ‘Summary of Community Funding Allocations 01/07/2024 – 30/06/2025’ presented on 13 August 2025.

1. ISSUE

1.1 Council wishes to see an annual overview of all community funding.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 Palmerston North depends on having a capable and sustainable community and voluntary sector to support a connected, safe and exciting community, The community sector is also a critical contributor to the advancement of our city’s sustainability, while well supported arts, sports and events sectors are a vital part of our growing economy.

2.2 To this end, the Council funds a wide range of community groups, organisations, businesses and individuals via several contestable initiative-specific and outcomes-focused grant programmes.

2.3 This report will provide information and analysis on the performance of Council’s community funding programmes delivered in the 2024/2025 financial year.

2.4 The funding programmes (also referred to as Grants or Fund) included in this report are:

a. Strategic Priority Grants

b. Community-led Initiatives Fund

c. Community Development Small Grants Fund

d. Community Training Fund

e. Creative Communities Scheme

f. Arts Event Fund

g. Major Events Fund

h. Sports Event Partnership Fund

i. Sponsorship Fund

j. Natural and Cultural Heritage Incentive Fund

k. Palmerston North Youth Council Scholarships and Grants Fund

l. Resource Recovery Fund

m. Active Communities Fund

2.5 This report will provide an overview of each fund for the 2024/2025 financial year, comment on trends seen over the previous three years of the funding programme where applicable, and comment on the future of each fund.

2.6 Following the overview by the fund, this report will provide insight into overall themes across the funding programmes. 

2.7 This report has been prepared by Community Development, with input from Council’s Events, Marketing, Resource Recovery, and Strategic Planning teams, as well as Te Pū Harakeke and Sport Manawatū.

2.8 Note as this report is being presented earlier than usual in the year, some of the data is less complete than previous years, as events have not yet occurred or accountability reporting has not yet been completed.

3. Context

3.1 Grant funding is a tool used to support community and economic development, as a mechanism to devolve resources into the community to support community-led activity. For the Council, other benefits of grant funding processes include:

· facilitating interactions between the Council and the community as opportunities to build relationships

· providing the Council with information via applications and reporting as to the challenges and opportunities present in communities

· providing capability-building opportunities for the community sector

· providing cost-effective ways to meet community needs, and strong return on investment, with community groups often better placed to leverage volunteer resource, access additional funding sources, and create sustained outcomes based on local connections and capability.

3.2 A common challenge of contestable funding is oversubscription, particularly as community and voluntary sectors grow in size and capability. As depicted in Graph 1 below, 2024/2025 saw another increase in demand for funding, with $6,477,471 requested across the year, a nearly 5% increase on 2023/2024.

Graph 1

3.3 As Council cannot afford to fund all requests within the budgets allocated, staff draw on guidelines, policy and expertise to prioritise available funding. Staff also use a range of other tools to support capacity and capability building in the community, including the provision of governance support, project advice, training, networking support, and coordination activities. For example, each year Council works alongside the Department of Internal Affairs and Eastern & Central Community Trust to organise the annual Funding Expo; this year’s event attracted around 400 people to connect with 16 funders who are looking to invest in our city.

3.4 The policy guiding the administration of Council’s funding programmes is the Support and Funding Policy, which was endorsed by the Council in April 2022.  An administrative update was undertaken on this policy early in 2024/2025, to align the policy wording with the updated wording within the Oranga Papaioea City Strategy for 2024-2034. A review of this policy is planned for the 2025-2026 year.

4. ANNUAL UPDATE

4.1 Strategic Priority Grants

Purpose: To activate the potential of the community sector to deliver on the Council’s strategic direction, specifically Goals 2, 3 and 4, through three-year funding agreements.   

The Strategic Priority Grants (SPG) programme is the Council’s largest funding stream available for the for-purpose sector. With three-year funding agreements, it provides organisations with a higher level of certainty in their operations than annual or project-specific funding. It is also one of the few funding programmes available for back-office costs, and many SPG recipients rely on this funding to contribute to staff salaries and overheads.  

Budget 2024/2025: $1,661,703

Allocation process: Once every three years, a staff panel assesses SPG applications against the criteria and priorities set out in the funding policy. Due to demand and the relative complexity of the applications, the allocation process involves multiple steps, including initial individual staff assessments, ranking, and a full panel moderation stage.  

2024/2025 Year: This was the third year of the 2022-2025 three-year contract period. In the first year, funding was allocated to 43 groups. As noted last year, one funding recipient, Manawatu Reuniting Refugee Families Trust (MRRFT) ceased operation in 2023, so there were 42 funded groups who continued their SPG contracts into this final year, including the seven sector leads.

Performance data submitted by SPG recipients this year continues to demonstrate the significant impact the SPG recipient organisations, and their facilities and services, have on the day-to-day lives of our community. Note data is only available for the June – December 2024 period at the time of writing.   

In this period, there were over 60,000 individuals who participated in the services offered by the SPG groups, and over 3000 ‘services’ delivered, including programmes, events, projects, workshops, engagement hui, and more. This level of delivery is in alignment with the high output seen in 2023/2024. There were also 1121 volunteers reported as supporting the activities delivered by the groups during this period, an increase on both years prior, demonstrating the significant and growing level of civic engagement and community connectivity underpinned by these groups, and reinforcing the value of Council’s investment.

Reports show 94% of all clients of services funded are highly satisfied or satisfied with the programme or service they received or participated in, demonstrating the continued high calibre of activity occurring in the sector.  

In terms of outcomes achieved, the data shows that 91% of clients reported an increased sense of community connection, while 97% of clients reported an increase of confidence and/or that they had gained new skills, knowledge and experience (note not all organisations have all outcomes measured, outcomes are measured as relevant to the services delivered).  

Future of the fund: Alongside continued monitoring and support for the existing 42 contract holders, this year staff also advertised, assessed and allocated contracts for the new SPG period 2025-2028. 72 applications were received, requesting over $4.8 million per year; the available funding of $1.8 million per year was allocated across 39 successful applicant groups, including three first-time recipients. The 39 recipients for 2025-2028 include 8 Sector Lead groups, with six continuing and two new. This was a challenging assessment round, with the financial pressures being faced by many groups, driven by central government funding changes together with rising demand for many services, clear through the process. Further, as highlighted in previous reports, the current scope of this funding programme is very broad, incorporating 17 outcomes within Council’s Goals 2, 3 and 4 as support priorities; this means social, arts and environmental groups are competing for the same dollar, adding another layer of complexity for assessors.

Despite these challenges, the available funding was allocated in alignment with the intent, criteria and priorities of the fund, and the 39 recipient groups are set to deliver valuable, sustainable outcomes for our city over the next three years. Further, evaluation has shown that the process was well received by applicants, with a recent survey finding that 80% of applicants considered the communication of outcomes from staff to be excellent or good, 90% rating their experience developing the funding agreement as excellent or good, and 80% of applicants were highly satisfied or satisfied with the SPG process overall (and a further 10.3% as neutral)^{^[4]}. The survey also identified opportunities for process improvement, such as simplifying some parts of the application form and increasing communication frequency in between submission and decision, which will be considered in developing the process in future.

4.2 Community-led Initiatives Fund

Purpose: To provide communities with the resources to deliver their own small-scale community-led initiatives, including events and projects, that will primarily benefit Palmerston North communities of identity, place, or interest.

This fund is to support initiatives provided by the community for the community. Open year-round, it gives Council flexibility to support community-led initiatives as they emerge.

Budget 2024/25: $180,000

Allocation process: Applications are assessed by a panel of two officers, including a first full assessment and a second peer review assessment. 

2024/2025 Year: The Community-Led Initiatives Fund saw 47 applications submitted, with 33 successful in receiving funding. Examples include the Pasifika Night Market project, by Papaioea Pasifika Community Trust, which received a grant of $11,280, $10,000 of support for a Ngā Toi Harakeke project, and $9,500 granted to Snapback Gym for their Rangatahi Toa programme. A wide range of cultural, neighbourhood and educational events were also supported throughout the year.

Over $370,000 was requested across the 47 proposals this year, another significant increase on the previous year, in line with trends across the previous four years, as shown in Graph 2 below.

17 projects and events have submitted acquittal reporting to date, which show over 11,600 people were engaged in these initiatives. Further, the reports indicate that nearly 450 volunteers were involved in the initiatives, showing that this funding helps to leverage the potential within our community to take ownership of outcomes, and enhance civic engagement.

This fund continues to see a good diversity in the type of applications received, as demonstrated by Graph 3 below. This is reflective of the work of staff to ensure funding is accessible for all in our community.

Graph 2

Graph 3

Future of the fund: Staff will continue to work with community groups to develop new initiatives for funding and encourage a diversity of applications.  

4.3 Community Development Small Grants Fund

Purpose:  To provide funding for essential administration expenses to enable local not-for-profit community groups to operate.  Groups may apply for grants of up to $5,000 to cover costs related to audit or financial review, communication, energy, insurance, volunteer expenses, rent or stationery. Organisations seeking funding must contribute to either Goal 2, 3 or 4.  

Budget 2024/2025:  $235,000 (excluding $10,000 for Te Pū Harakeke’s administration costs)  

Allocation process: Grants are allocated through a contestable process once a year, administered by Te Pū Harakeke. Te Pū Harakeke appoints a community panel to meet with applicants and make allocation decisions.  

To maintain consistent alignment with the Support and Funding Policy 2022, the Allocation Committee continued place an emphasis on the support priority “groups which have a need for administrative funding” again in this funding period. This meant some groups who had received grants in the past but had very large operating budgets or had very large reserves were deprioritised, ensuring that the funds went to the groups that needed it most.

2024/2025 Year:  70 applications were received in total, and 52 of these were successful in receiving an allocation of funding. Of the 52 approved applications, the average amount requested was $4,679 and the average amount allocated was $4,423. Of the 52 approved applications, 19 were also Strategic Priority Grants 2022-25 recipients.

Feedback from recipients via accountability reports from last year show that 94% ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ that the application and assessment process was efficient, and that they were better able to meet their essential administration expenses for operation as a result of receiving the grant.

Future of the fund: The contract for the administration of Small Grants has been incorporated in the Sector Lead partnership agreement with Te Pū Harakeke for 2025-2028. That contract requires that administration of the fund is undertaken in alignment with the Support and Funding Policy 2022; the contract may be amended in line with the Policy review, if required.  

4.4 Community Training Fund   

Purpose: This fund supports the provision of affordable training opportunities for staff, volunteers and board members of community groups to build capacity and capability in the arts, environment and social sectors. 

Budget 2024/2025: $20,300

Allocation process: Funding is available throughout the financial year or until funds run out. Sector Lead groups can use Smarty Grants to apply for funding prior to offering training to community groups. Applications are assessed by Council officers.    

2024/2025 Year: 12 training workshops were delivered, at a total cost of $17,837. There were total of 238 attendees throughout the year. The following table shows the range of training workshops delivered: 

Training	Description	Attendees
Volunteer Training Series: Recruitment & Management	Increase of capacity and capability through volunteers – identifying and developing volunteer roles, then working through how to recruit the right people to the roles. Discussing positives and pit falls of volunteer recruitment.	9
Te Tiriti o Waitangi Training	Raising levels of cultural sensitivities for participants which has directly influenced their working relationships.	21
Sustainable Funding	Sustainable funding for community groups. Delivering new ways and approaches for organisations to plan for funding.	45
Inclusion Workshop	Individuals from Te AweAwe whanau, disability, youth, older persons, former prisoner, rainbow, and multi-cultural community will openly share their views and be available to answer any questions from the floor about what organisations can genuinely do to break down barriers for them accessing your services.	23
Sustainable Development Goals	The SDGs are the first global framework to provide a holistic approach to sustainability that integrates society, nature and the economy in a global effort to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to experience wellbeing and justice.	12
Strong relationships between the Board and Manager	Focus on the relationship between staff and the board i.e. the difference between governance and operations. The aim is to attract different pockets of our community sector, including boards that don't realise they have governance issues.	8
Dealing with the Hard Stuff	The workshop is tailored to address real-life challenges that participants are experiencing. Be prepared to realise you are not alone, find your approach comfortable addressing less-than-desirable behaviour/actions/comments in your team, and look at strategies to avoid them happening in the future.	7
Inclusion 101, 102	The workshop draws from the experiences of panellists from different communities, such as people with disabilities, mana whenua, rainbow, immigrants, former refugees, and the elderly.	27
How Not-For-Profits can save time and achieve more in 2025	Sharing useful tools to get the most out of your day. This includes free online resources, tips on choosing the right software, and deeper tips on finding a productive workflow that works for you.	9
Community Sector Finance	Helping organisations learn key financial skills. These include budgeting, PAYE, GST, using Xero, reading financial documents and more.	52
Community Communication	Connecting organisations with wider community, and better promotion for more funding.	9
First Aid Training	First aid training covering NZQA unit standards 6401 and 6402.	6

Future of the fund: The fund will continue to support community groups to access opportunities to build their capacity and capability. The community sector is always seeking to learn new and innovative ways to help do their work. Sector Lead organisations will continue to be encouraged to use the Community Training Fund to support the organisations in their sector.

4.5 Creative Communities Scheme

Purpose: This grants programme is a partnership between Creative New Zealand and the Council. The fund supports local arts projects that create opportunities for the local community to engage with and participate in arts activities. While Creative New Zealand set the priorities for this fund, the local allocation panel has the option to also consider the priorities outlined in the Council’s Creative and Liveable Strategy (to achieve Goal 2: A creative and exciting city) and the Connected Community Strategy (to achieve Goal 3: A connected and safe community).  

Budget 2024/2025: The total fund pool for 2024/25 was $114,400 made up of a $37,800 Council contribution, $68,220 from Creative NZ, and $8380 carried forward from 2023/2024.

Allocation process: This process is determined by the Creative Communities guidelines set by Creative NZ. A panel is made up of community representatives and two Elected Members, with two funding rounds per year (allocation decisions in September and March of each year).  

2024/2025 Year:  A total of 67 applications were received across the two rounds, with 42 projects funded. The total allocated amount for the Creative Communities Scheme was $110,763.70.

The average grant awarded this year for the Creative Communities Scheme was approximately $2,637 per application. The unspent amount will be carried over to the 2025-2026 financial year.  

Grants ranged from $462 to support a children’s workshop on papermaking using native plants, to $6,109 for The KaRs Christmas Show, by Hokozoo Productions, a showcase at the Globe Theatre in April 2025 featuring the KaRs latest album of Christmas waiata and Class carols reimagined.

Three -year trend: This year saw the highest number of applications received to this fund in the last five years, with a 42% increase on 2023/2024, which can be seen reflected in the significant increase in the total amount requested from the fund in 2024/2025, as per Graph 4 below. This can be attributed to an increased focus on promotion of this fund to new audiences throughout this year, in combination with the overall funding landscape.

In a recent presentation from Creative New Zealand, it was advised that the success rate for individual artists applying for funding from Creative New Zealand is currently seven percent of the total applications, with a twenty percent success rate for art organisations. By comparison, 72 percent (42 of 58 applications assessed) of applicants for Council’s Creative Communities Scheme funding were successful in the 2024-25 year. This demonstrates a good level of accessibility within our fund, and reflects the work of staff in walking alongside applicants to ensure the applications they are putting forward are of a high quality.

Future of the fund: The Creative Communities Scheme remains a popular and effective funding stream to support small-scale art initiatives and local artists to grow.

Graph 4

4.6 Arts Event Fund 

Purpose: To invest in events that contribute to the Council’s vision for the City, in particular, Goal Two: A creative and exciting city. This fund recognises the opportunities that arise from hosting significant art events in Palmerston North, both in terms of economic growth and in developing the city as a culturally rich city where people have the opportunity to express their creativity and cultural identity. To be considered for funding the event must:   

· Have the arts as a central focus.   

· Be of significant regional, national or international importance.   

· Be accessible to the community.   

· Positively profile the city of Palmerston North; and   

· Provide an economic benefit for Palmerston North.  

Budget 2024/2025: $52,500 

Allocation process: The Arts Event Fund is open all year until allocated. Applications are assessed by a panel of two officers, including a first full assessment and a second peer review assessment. 

2024/2025 Year: Of the nine applications to the fund, six were successful, two were declined, and one withdrawn. A total of $89,709 was requested over the eight applications assessed. The successful projects included: 

· PNDA 25th Annual Dance Festival (Palmerston North Dance Association) - supported with $12,208 to host their seven-day multi-genre dance championships at the Regent Theatre. This year’s event attracted 1500 young performers and their families from Auckland, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Wellington and the top of the South Island. Nineteen dance schools participated in the troupe events, including contemporary dance and hip-hop, the most popular competitions for the audience. Tribute was also paid to former Patron, the late Sir Jon Trimmer, and newly appointed Patron Deirdre Tarrant was welcomed.

· Manawatū Jazz & Blues Festival 2024 (Manawatū Jazz Club) - granted $15,000 to support delivery of the 55th annual Jazz and Blues Festival in Palmerston North, comprising public concerts at the Globe Theatre, workshops and 'Cafe Scene' artists. The Manawatū Jazz Club is yet to submit their final report, but informally advised that the total audience for the festival (not including the Jazz Cafe venues) was 1200.

· Burleskiwi International Festival of Aotearoa (Burleskiwi Limited) - a new biennial festival featuring local, national and international burlesque dancers received $10,063.98 for their workshops and performances held at the Globe Theatre in May 2025. More than 500 people attended the event as competitors and attendees, with the 12 international performers from Canada, USA and Australia declaring it was the best festival they had attended and that they will encourage their communities to apply for the 2027 event.

· 2025 Rose City Dancesport Championships (Shirley Wall Dance Academy) - granted $5000 for the ballroom & Latin American dance competition to be held over the weekend of 15-16 August 2025. Organisers expect 650 dancers and their families will attend from around New Zealand. Since its inception in 1994, the event has built a great reputation with dancers and supporters for a high-quality event and entertaining spectacle, accessible to dancers of all ages & levels.

· Heart of the Highlands Concert Tour (New Zealand Academy of Highland & National Dancing Incorporated) - received $2500 to support elite level Highland dancers to perform for the first time in the North Island. The performance also provides the opportunity for local dance students to join the elite dancers for a workshop and the main performance on stage. This event is scheduled for 28-31 August 2025.

· Puanga Exhibition 2025 (Rangitāne o Manawatū Settlement Trust) - received $7700 to support the largest exhibition of Rangitāne o Manawatu art and artists in the country. The exhibition scheduled for 19 June to 20 July 2025 is a unique opportunity for Rangitāne members and the general public in Manawatū to experience, engage with and even purchase Toi Rangitāne.

Three-year trend: Funding for the arts remains under pressure with Creative New Zealand’s reduction in funding, and their change in focus away from event-based funding. This has contributed to organisers of local art events seeking higher levels of support from the Arts Event Fund.

Future of the fund: In 2025/2026, officers will continue to maximise the available funds to support the arts community, including supporting larger events to pathway into the Major Events Fund and the Creative New Zealand large grants where appropriate. Officers will work with event organisers on economic impact reports for each event to demonstrate the return on investment. Early applications to the fund for 2025/2026 indicate that this fund will be under further pressure this year; officers are considering avenues to rebalance arts funding to ensure the levels of support provided continue to meet the needs of applicants and the intent of the fund.

4.7 Major Events Fund

Purpose: To support the attraction, development and growth of events in Palmerston North. The objective of the Major Events Fund is to support Event Producers to deliver world-class events that drive sustainable growth in domestic visitation and promote Palmerston North’s unique identity to a wider audience. A specific focus on events that increase visitor nights, increase tourism spending and economic activity is targeted.  

Budget 2024/2025: $181,000, a drop of $75,000 from last year’s report to align with the current Long-Term Plan.

Allocation process: A cross-section assessment panel consisting of two council officers and a CEDA representative receives and approves applications throughout the financial year via Smarty Grants until funds are fully allocated. Multi-year funding can be approved by the panel if this will assist in event growth and economic benefit. 

2024-2025 Year: Several new multi-year deals were reached with event producers. This gives recipients funding security to plan for development and growth.

2024/25 Funding Allocations:

Manawatū Art Trail	Square Edge Community Arts	$20,000 (year 1 of 3)
Armageddon Expo	Beyond Reality	$15,000 (year 1 of 3)
NZ Young Performer Awards	PACANZ	$24,000 (year 1 of 3)
Palmy Drag Fest	Palmy Drag Ltd	$30,000 (year 1 of 3)
Kiwibots VEX National Championships	NZ Robotics Charitable Trust	$15,000 (year 1 of 3)
Central District Field Days	Stuff Events	$30,000 (year 1 of 3)

Note NZ Rural Games also receives non-contestable funding of $75,000 cash and $25,000 in kind support and is not included the allocations of the Major Events Fund.

There were an additional three unsuccessful applications to the fund. Assessors found a number of these applicants either did not match aims and criteria of the fund or did not assist in the aspirations of a fully rounded and dispersed calendar of events for the city.

Three-year trend: Many applicants do not meet the specific criteria set out in the Support and Funding Policy to drive additional visitation to Palmerston North. These event organisers need help to increase visitation to the city with specific marketing guidance and support to demonstrate economic impact through robust data collection and analysis. This has been an area of focus in recent years, and while total standardising has not yet happened, Council does have a good tool ready to roll out wider moving forward.

A strengthened retention strategy is delivering positive results and event producer surveying is showing they are feeling more valued by the city. New organisers and events are beginning to emerge within the major event sector within the city which is a promising sign that the aims of the fund will continue to be delivered through increased economic activity and city vibrancy.

Future of the fund: Staff will maintain a targeted focus on economic benefits and events that help promote the city to a national audience and drive visitation to the city. The loss of a number of post-Covid funding streams from Central Government is a concern as organisers will be looking to all grant funders including Council to fill in the gaps created by this reduction.

Improved standardised reporting and reporting metrics will enable a clear and consistent approach for all funding requests, which could be extended to other funding sources within council.

4.8 Sports Event Partnership Fund

Purpose: To support operational costs for sports events hosted in Palmerston North that have an economic benefit and enhance community connectedness and health.

Budget 2024/2025: $324,156 (plus $16,531 funds retained from 2023/2024 as a carryover due to last minute event cancellations). Note that this budget amount includes a ring-fenced amount of 10% of the total funding budget and is referred to as the Community Sport and Recreation Fund. The establishment of this sub-fund was in response to ensuring there were funds to meet community-focussed participation sport and recreation events aligning with the fund’s support priorities.

Allocation Process: This fund is fully administered by Sport Manawatū with a cross-sector assessment panel which includes Sport Manawatū staff, a council officer and a CEDA representative.

2024/2025 Year: This fund continues to support community events, raise the profile of the city by hosting national-level events in world-class facilities, and activate the local economy through accommodation and hospitality spend.

Twenty-two events received grant funding totalling $340,687 providing an estimated $10,389,448 of economic benefit to the city (based on economic impact modelling using applicant information), the return on investment being about thirty times the total of grant funding provided.

Last year, it was anticipated that there may be growing competition for events traditionally hosted in Palmerston North from other cities offering similar funding coupled with new, purpose-built venues. This forecast proved accurate with some event organisers taking these factors into negotiations, aware of alternative venues actively seeking event hosting rights.

In response, the assessment panel intentionally reduced the number of events supported through the fund to prioritise those that offer the highest economic return to the city. This approach allowed us to retain strategically important events while staying within the funding envelope.

Future of the fund: Sport Manawatū note the need for a unified city approach to strengthen our value proposition for hosting sports events. While engagement with the hospitality sector has so far been limited (aside from working with Massey University), building relationships with stakeholders who have influence in this area is essential. They continue working with Council, CEDA, and other partners to offer a more complete and compelling experience to event participants, which in turn can support event retention and long-term event growth.

4.9 Sponsorship Fund 

Purpose: The Sponsorship Fund is designed to support initiatives that contribute to the economic, cultural, social, and sporting vibrancy of the city and wider region. Funding is provided to events and projects that align with Council’s objectives of fostering community engagement, celebrating diversity, supporting business and industry development, and showcasing the city as a destination.

The fund priorities are to invest in initiatives that;  

· contribute to outcomes to achieve goal one of the Council's strategic direction 

· is innovative, delivering something new or addressing an issue that affects the people of Palmerston North in line with the Council’s strategic goals 

· is of significant regional or national importance 

· positively profiles the city of Palmerston North 

· provides a quantifiable economic benefit (e.g., activities, projects or events that attract more than 200 visitors to the city who stay at least one night). 

Budget 2024/2025: $66,000 

Allocation process: Applications are received via SmartyGrants, and assessed by a panel of officers, including a first full assessment and a second peer review assessment.  

This fund opens at the start of the financial year and remains open until it is fully allocated. A maximum of $10,000 is available per application. Staff have discretion to award up to 50% of the total funding to an eligible proposal. 

2024/2025 Year:  The Sponsorship Fund received funding requests totalling $127,155. The full $66,000 budget was allocated to support 15 initiatives that aligned with Council’s strategic priorities. These funded initiatives are summarised below. Overall, the fund has supported a diverse range of initiatives, delivering clear benefits to the city and region through increased visitation, enhanced community engagement, and support for key sectors of the local economy and community. These have included:

Conferences and Industry Development

Council supported a series of conferences and professional events that attracted visitors to the city, enhanced the region’s reputation as a centre for expertise, and supported key sectors:

· 17th International Hydrocolloids Conference (Riddet Institute) – $5,000. An academic conference in food science, drawing international delegates.

· NZIFST Annual Conference – 60th Anniversary (NZIFST) – $5,000. A milestone conference for the food science and technology industry.

· Kaumātua Oranga Annual Conference (Bestcare Whakapai Hauora) – $3,000. A wellbeing-focused conference for Māori elders (kaumātua).

· ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards (Wellington Chamber of Commerce) – $10,000. An awards event recognising regional exporters and promoting business excellence.

· Manawatū Innovation Showcase (The Factory) – $3,000. An event showcasing regional innovation and entrepreneurship.

· Manawatū Business Awards (Manawatū Chamber of Commerce) - $10,000.00. Event designed to recognise, promote and celebrate business success in the Palmerston North City and Region.

Business & Community Activation

The Fund supported initiatives that activated public spaces, supported local businesses, and encouraged community connection:

· Plate of Origin – (Manawatū Chamber of Commerce) – $5,000. A culinary event showcasing the region’s food diversity.

· Gorge Quarter Community Party (Gorge Quarter) – $2,000. A neighbourhood event to strengthen community connections (the Gorge Quarter Community Party, was rescheduled to November 2025, with Council approval to retain the funding for the revised date.)

· Palmy BID Mid-Winter Christmas Window Promotion (Palmerston Business Improvement District) – $1,000. A CBD promotion encouraging retail activity during the winter period.

Sport and Recreation

Sporting events funded through the Sponsorship Fund contributed to the city’s recreational offerings, supported participation, and attracted visitors:

· Manawatū Rugby Union Partnership (Manawatū Rugby Union) – $10,000. Ongoing support for regional rugby programmes.

· City of Palmerston North Festival of Racing (Race Incorporated) – $3,500. A thoroughbred racing event attracting participants and spectators.

· Manawatū Festival of Racing (Manawatū Harness Racing Club) – $3,000. A harness racing event with regional significance.

· BFC-Pro Series – Palmerston North (Barbwire Fight Club) – $2,000. A professional combat sports event held locally.

· KAPN All New Zealand Community Badminton Tournament (Kerala Association of Palmerston North) – $2,000. A multicultural badminton tournament engaging the community.

· Mayor’s Cup 25 (NZ Central Southern Muslim Youth & Sports Association) – $1,500 A multicultural football tournament promoting diversity and inclusion.

Graph 5

Of the 15 initiatives funded, five have submitted post-event reports. These initiatives engaged over 1,500 participants and delivered measurable economic benefits. Below are key highlights, financial contributions, and alignment with strategic priorities:

· 17th International Hydrocolloids Conference: 203 delegates from 20 countries; $150k–$200k in economic activity. Strengthened Palmerston North’s reputation as a global agri-food science hub and showcased local innovation.

· Plate of Origin: 20 venues, 982 public votes, doubled media reach. Elevated the city’s culinary profile, aligning with the regional food strategy and demonstrating creativity and vibrancy.

· Manawatū Festival of Racing: Premier race day, increased attendance, national TV exposure. Promoted the city as an exciting destination for sport and entertainment, engaging local families and visitors.

· KAPN Badminton Tournament: 35 regional teams, fostering youth participation, overnight stays, and hospitality spend. Fostered community well-being and active lifestyles.

· Manawatū Innovation Showcase: Attracted 177 attendees and featured nine local innovators. It achieved a net promoter score of 68, with 90% of delivery costs spent locally. The event positioned Palmerston North as a leading national innovation hub, drawing investor interest and fostering regional collaboration.

Future of the fund: This fund will continue to be used to support initiatives that profile Palmerston North. Council will use this fund as an incentive in attracting conference, business and city initiatives.   

4.10 Natural and Cultural Heritage Incentive Fund (NCHIF)

Purpose: To fund the protection, promotion and strengthening of heritage buildings or other objects listed in the District Plan and the trimming and maintenance of notable trees. The NCHIF has four categories: 

a. Strengthening Palmy History: to support owners of earthquake-prone heritage buildings and street character buildings that require strengthening with the costs of feasibility studies, working drawings and structural works; 

b. Protecting Palmy History: to support owners looking after our most significant heritage buildings and sites, with funding for conservation, maintenance, repair, and restoration of scheduled heritage buildings and sites;  

c. Promoting Palmy History: to support community-led heritage education, research or promotion projects; and  

d. Notable Palmy Trees: to support notable tree owners with the costs of minor maintenance and trimming.  

Given the requirements of the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016, the priority for this fund is earthquake-strengthening listed heritage buildings.  

Budget 2024/2025: $125,000 to support funding categories a-d above.  

Allocation process: For fund categories a-c, applications are assessed by one officer and peer-reviewed by another officer. All applications are assessed against several criteria set out in the Heritage Funding Guidelines.  

2024/2025 Year: See Graph 6 below. Key insights include: 

· Applications for Strengthening Palmy Heritage were relatively low however were of higher value than previous years.

· Applications for Protecting and Promoting Palmy Heritage have been consistent with previous years.

· Funding for notable trees remains consistent with historical trends 

· Five funding applications/enquiries were deferred to the 2025/26 financial year due to insufficient funds.

Graph 6

Three-year trend:  The key Annual Plan Performance Measure is an “Increase in investment in earthquake-prone heritage buildings.” Three-year trends in Graph 7 below show that:

· Support for maintenance and repairs on heritage buildings has dipped below the 5-year peak in 2021/22

· Notable tree maintenance is consistent with the three-year average

· Investment in earthquake-prone buildings is higher than in previous years. This is due to strategic development opportunities in the city centre.

· Promoting Palmy Heritage received a couple of larger-value applications compared to previous years.

· An emerging trend of applicants for earthquake strengthening and repair work are failing to deliver work within the funding period, placing pressure on subsequent financial years for reapplications. Officers will monitor and define clearer funding conditions to ensure unmet funding allocations don’t disadvantage other prospective applicants.

Graph 7

Future of the fund: We forecast heritage funding applications next year to include:

· one heritage interpretation project,

· a feasibility study for an earthquake-prone heritage building,

· repair work on a listed cottage, and seismic assessments for three earthquake-prone buildings that were not delivered in time last financial year.

These projects will place up to $75,000 of pressure (100%) on the Earthquake-Prone Heritage Building Fund and up to $20,000 of pressure (40%) on the Natural and Cultural Heritage Incentive Fund.

4.11 Palmerston North Youth Council Scholarships Fund

Purpose:  To celebrate contributions made by young people in our city through active participation and leadership in their given field, to inspire young people to take up growth opportunities and enable access to these opportunities.

Administering the fund also provides a development opportunity for the Youth Council who learn about financial transparency and sound decision-making. Funding categories include sports, arts, academic excellence, and community contribution. Applicants must be aged 12-24 and live, work or learn within Palmerston North City.  

Budget 2024/2025:  $8,500

Allocation process: Once a year, allocation decisions are made by a scholarships committee, which consists of 4 to 7 Youth Councillors (who represent a range of schools, ages, and interests). A Council officer oversees the process and supports young people to make transparent and sound decisions.  The amount awarded to successful applications is typically between $250 (minimum) and $1,150 (maximum).

2024/2025 Year:  Applications were open for three weeks, with 29 applications submitted and a total of $61,855.20 requested. There were 11 successful applications, across arts, sports, community and academic aspirations. A total of $21,080.20 was requested by the successful applicants and the total fund of $8,500 was allocated. $1900 was awarded to academic endeavours, $2,650 to young people pursuing artistic endeavours, $250 towards community endeavours and $2,800 towards sports aspirations.

These included support for young people in Palmerston North to represent New Zealand and perform on a world stage in a range of disciplines such as:

· Competing in the World Junior Squash Championships in Egypt;

· Participating in the European Youth Orienteering Championships in the Czech Republic,

· Representing New Zealand in Speed Skating at the Asian Games in South Korea;

· Qualifying for the International U13 Boys Softball team at the New South Wales State Championships in Australia; and

· Participating in the world Hip Hop Championships in Arizona, USA.

The fund also supported young people to equitably access and participate in opportunities presented to them, for example:

· attending the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs national conference;

· attending regional and national competitions in VEX robotics;

· attending National Youth Orchestra opportunities and events;

· and representing the Manawatu region in U16 Girls Basketball, and other regional and local sporting opportunities.

Future of the fund:  This fund will continue to be used to celebrate and support the aspirations of young people of our city.

4.12 Palmerston North Youth Council Initiatives Fund

Purpose: To support youth-led community initiatives, including a project, activity, or event, that contribute to:

· increasing the number of young people, aged 12-24 years, to positively engage in sports, the arts, community endeavours or academia; and

· achieving Goals 2, 3 and/or 4 of Palmerston North City Council’s strategic direction

Administrating this fund also provides a development opportunity for the Youth Council who learn about financial transparency and sound decision-making.

Funding categories include sports, arts, academic excellence, and community contribution. Applicants must be aged 12-24 and live, work or learn within Palmerston North City.  

Budget 2024/2025:  $8,500

Allocation process: Once a year, allocation decisions are made by a scholarships committee, which consists of 4 to 7 Youth Councillors (who represent a range of schools, ages, and interests). A council officer oversees the process and supports the young people to make transparent and sound decisions.  The amount awarded to successful applications is between $500 and $2,000.

2024/2025 Year:  Applications were open for three weeks, with 3 applications totalling $6000 submitted. There was one eligible application, which was awarded a total of $2000 to contribute toward a youth-led community sporting initiative.

This successful initiative is a youth-led community sporting event called Play for Change, supported by Best Care Whakapai Hauora. The event will bring together Māori and Pasifika young people and is focussed on removing barriers to accessibility to promote physical activity, community bonding and positive youth engagement.

Future of the fund:  This fund will continue to be used to celebrate and support the aspirations of young people of our city. The coming year will include a greater focus on marketing, outreach and building a greater awareness of the fund.

4.13 Resource Recovery Fund

Purpose: To support initiatives that reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Local small businesses and not-for profits are invited to apply for projects that align with the fund’s key support priorities: waste diversion, education programs, community events, trials and pilot programs and research and development. The fund is supported by goals in the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024, and successful applications align with this guiding document.

Budget 2024/2025:  $40,000

Allocation process: The resource recovery fund is open for one month a year. Applications are assessed by two council officers, an assessor and a peer reviewer. 

2024/2025 Year: The fourth round of the resource recovery fund saw a total of $28,290.40 allocated from a requested $80,990.40. Three out of the seven applicants were successful:

· Precycle - received $9,000 to support a further trial of the events dishwashing trailer. Commissioned by Council, the trailer is intended to provide a resource at events where reusable cutlery and crockery can be washed, removing the need for single use items. Precycle, who already support events by providing staff to assist people with sorting their waste, have piloted the trailer and will undertake further trials to determine operational and environmental feasibility.

· Butterfly Compassion Society - awarded $7,790 to support their winter wellness programme. This group supports vulnerable members of the community by supplying donated clothing and blankets upon request. As well as diverting textiles from landfill, items are also upcycled to make things such as draft stoppers and sensory toys, while non usable fabric is sold as rags.

· Organic Packaging Supplies - a local business who make egg trays from recycled paper, received $11,500 from the resource recovery fund to enable them to install additional equipment in their process line which will remove impurities and contamination, making the operation more efficient.

Officers note that despite a similar level of marketing, including a media release, key stakeholder newsletters, radio interviews, newspaper advertising, as well as social media, applications which meet the criteria of the fund were fewer this year than in previous years.

Future of the fund: Goal 2.1 of the 2024 Waste Management and Minimisation Plan specifies provision of the Resource Recovery Fund. This is funded through Councils allocation of the Ministry for the Environments waste levy. A focus moving forward will be increasing accessibility and understanding of the fund, with a range of approaches being considered, including extending the fund opening period, hosting drop-in information sessions, adjusting the time of year that the fund is open, and involving a wider range of partners to support promotion, such as CEDA and the Chamber of Commerce.

4.14 Active Communities Fund

Purpose: To remove financial barriers to enable Palmerston North residents to be more active, more often.

Budget 2024/2025: $11,742 per year, plus $1,908 unspent funds carried over from previous financial years.

Allocation process: Adminstered via Sport Manawatū. Residents apply to the fund via an application form, which is assessed by a panel composed of Sport Manawatū, Replay Sport, Best Care Whakapai Hauora and an independent panel member from the community.

2024/2025 Year: 44 applications were received to the Active Communities Fund, of which 28 were approved. In total, 37 Palmerston North residents were supported, with $13,172 distributed to help reduce financial barriers to participation in sport and active recreation.

This year, Sport Manawatū strengthened their collaboration with both the Green Prescription (GRx) team and the Lido Aquatic Centre team to enhance support for families facing barriers to participation. The GRx team works directly with whānau experiencing significant financial hardship and poor health outcomes linked to physical inactivity. While GRx does not have the resources to financially support access to sport or recreation, the Active Communities Fund has been able to bridge this gap. The GRx team has played a vital role in guiding families through the application process, and maintaining engagement throughout the year. In addition, the Lido team has contributed by offering community rates to Active Communities Fund recipients, helping reduce the cost of access and enabling more consistent participation by families.

These partnerships have significantly extended the reach and impact of the fund, ensuring support reaches those who need it most. More importantly, they have empowered families to take meaningful steps toward improved health, increased confidence, and sustained involvement in active recreation.

One challenge this year has been some negative feedback received regarding individuals or families unable to access financial support through the Fund to participate in regional or national representative sport. Each year, Sport Manawatū receives more than 30 enquiries of this nature. The Active Communities Fund is not intended to cover representative-level costs, and currently, there are limited local funding sources dedicated to this purpose. Youth Council Scholarships can support young people striving for excellence in sport, however that fund is also under pressure.

Due to the purpose of the Active Communities Fund, to support inactive people rather than those already engaged in sport or physical activity, athletes and their whānau are left to rely on personal fundraising, sponsorships, or family contributions. For those experiencing financial hardship, this can create a significant barrier to ongoing participation and advancement in sport at higher levels.

Future of the fund: The Active Communities Fund will continue to be administered via Sport Manawatū in 2025/2026. Sport Manawatū will contribute to the upcoming review of the Support and Funding Policy, where challenges raised above regarding the scope can be considered.

5. Summary

5.1 Council has a good range of fund types, catering for a wide variety of community needs and aspirations, at different levels. This report has demonstrated the significant role grant funding plays in the city, with over $3 million dollars allocated annually to support communities to achieve their aspirations.

5.2 An increasingly constrained funding environment has continued to drive up numbers and amounts being requested from Council’s funding. While this demonstrates the challenges being faced by organisations and individuals seeking funding, and creates some additional load and complexity for staff in their assessment decisions, the increase in engagement in Council’s funding programmes also provides a positive indication of the accessibility and relevance of the grant schemes on offer, and is reflective of the vast amount of work put in by staff from across the organisation in ensuring these investments, and therefore outcomes, are maximised within our community.

5.3 This is further reflected in the evaluation which has occurred across funding programmes, which continues to demonstrate a high level of user satisfaction with our practices and processes.

5.4 While there are opportunities for improvement identified within some programmes which will be considered within the upcoming Support and Funding Policy review, overall, Council’s funding remains an effective way to meet the needs within our community.

6. Next steps

6.1 Officers will continue to work to ensure all funding programmes remain as accessible, effective and impactful as possible. Any changes from the upcoming Support and Funding Policy review will be implemented as required.

6.2 The next annual report for the 2025/2026 financial year will be provided in the third quarter of 2026.

7. 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 objectives?		Yes
Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans?		No
The recommendations contribute to: Whāinga 1: He tāone auaha, he tāone tiputipu Goal 1: An innovative and growing city Whāinga 2: He tāone whakaihiihi, tapatapahi ana Goal 2: A creative and exciting city Whāinga 3: He hapori tūhonohono, he hapori haumaru Goal 3: A connected and safe community Whāinga 4: He tāone toitū, he tāone manawaroa Goal 4: A sustainable and resilient city
The recommendations contribute to this plan: 2. Mahere whakawhanake ohaoha 2. Economic Development Plan The objective is: Attract and support major events and activities 4. Mahere taonga tuku iho 4. Heritage Plan The objective is: Promote, protect, celebrate, and share knowledge of local history 5. Mahere toi 5. Arts Plan The objective is: Support community arts initiatives and organisations; Provide, fund, and support city and community events 6. Mahere rēhia 6. Recreation and Play Plan The objective is: Support and fund for-purpose organisations and community partners, and Provide and promote opportunities for play 7. Mahere tautāwhi hapori 7. Community Support Plan The objective is: Support for-purpose organisations and communities of interest, and deliver programmes to promote community wellbeing 9. Mahere haumaru hapori, hauora hapori 9. Community Safety and Health Plan The objective is: Co-ordinate and support community safety and harm reduction initiatives 10. Mahere āhuarangi hurihuri, toitūtanga 10. Climate Change and Sustainability Plan The objective is: Encourage and promote sustainable best-practices in Council activities and the wider community 11. Mahere mō te kanorau koiora me Te Awa o Manawatū 11. Biodiversity and the Manawatū River Plan The objective is: Support and fund for-purpose organisations and local communities working to help achieve nature conservation outcomes 12. Mahere taumanu para 12. Resource Recovery Plan The objective is: Provide support for-purpose organisations and local communities to recover, reuse, repurpose or regenerate products 15. Mahere whare 15. Housing Plan The objective is: Provide social housing and support community-led housing initiatives
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being	Providing funding to community helps Council deliver its strategic objectives in a broad range of areas.

Attachments

Nil

Memorandum

TO: Community Committee

MEETING DATE: 13 August 2025

TITLE: City Library Annual Report 2024-2025

Presented By: Linda Moore, Manager City, Library and Shannon Simpson Business and Technical Support

APPROVED BY: Danelle Whakatihi, General Manager Customer & Community

RECOMMENDATION TO Community Committee

1. That the Committee receive the report titled ‘City Library Annual Report 2024-2025’ (Attachment 1) presented to the Community Committee on 13 August 2025.

1. ISSUE

1.1 At the Community Committee on 24 May 2023, the Committee resolved a notice of motion:

“That the Community Committee receive its work schedule dated May 2023 including an annual report on Library Services”

1.2 The attached report titled “City Library Annual Report 2024-2025” details the wide range of library services and programmes provided by the City Library and gives examples of the positive impacts these services have for Palmerston North.

1.3 This memorandum highlights key elements from the annual report and provides an update from Property on library facilities.

1.4 The report is attached as Attachment 1

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 The City Library is made up of the Central Library; the four community libraries in Awapuni, Ashhurst, Highbury (Te Pātikitiki) and Roslyn; the Mobile Library and Blueprint.

2.2 The historic and significant milestone of providing library services to the city for 150 years will be reached in 2026-27.

2.3 The City Library will celebrate 30 years of being in the Central Library building in May 2026. The original C M Ross building will be 100 years old in 2027/28.

The City Library has played a vital role in neighbourhoods for many years. Significant milestones for each of these locations will be reached in both 2027 and 2028. In 2027 the Mobile Library will celebrate 60 years of service and the Awapuni Library will celebrate 40 years of providing library services to the Awapuni community. In 2028 the Roslyn Library will celebrate 75 years of providing library services to the Roslyn community; the Ashhurst Library will celebrate 35 years of providing library services to the Ashhurst community; and the Te Pātikitiki Library will celebrate 20 years of providing library services to the Highbury community.

3. DELIVERing on Council’s goals

3.1 Council has four strategic goals for achieving the city vision: Small city benefits, big city ambitions. The work of the City Library sits primarily under Whāinga Goal Three: He hapori tuhonohono, he hapori haumaru A connected and safe community and Whāinga Goal Two: He tāone whakaihiihi, tapatapahi ana A creative and exciting city.

3.2 It is important to note that City Library activities and services also deliver to aspects of plans under Goal 1 and Goal 4.

4. THE CITY LIBRARY PLAN

4.1 The City Library plan states, “we want our libraries to provide opportunities for connection and learning. To achieve this purpose we will provide collections, services and programmes through all City Library locations and collect and protect community stories through the city archives”

4.2 The City Library kaupapa Te Ara Whānui o Te Ao translates as inspiring people to explore the pathways of the world. We deliver on the City Library Plan through our kaupapa and the six pouwhenua, or pillars, below:

READ: Literacy for all, reading for pleasure

CONNECT: People are connected with knowledge, ideas and each other

CREATE: Creative learning, learning for life

REMEMBER: Valuing the past to inform the future

PROSPER: Supporting the aspirations of the community

RESILIENCE: Sustainable and resilient

4.3 Our goal is to ensure that the City Library makes a difference community-wide under each of these six pou (see Appendix One of the attached report for details).

4.4 The City Library delivers a wide range of services and lifelong learning programmes under each of the pou.

5. CONNECT: People are connected to knowledge, ideas and each other.

5.1 We achieve this through providing library collections, programmes, and services that reflect community needs and interests, feature community voices, and create meaningful experiences. Examples of this include:

5.2 Play: We actively contribute to the delivery of the Recreation and Play Mahere Rēhia Plan through the Pop Up Open Play kits, Sensory Play kits, the Library Walls Alive project, the Play Libraries project, the George St Reef community art project and the Puanga Passport to Play digital edition.

5.3 Outreach Connections: We continually review how services and programmes can be more inclusive, tailored to suit specific needs and taken to where people are. Initiatives have included those for adult literacy including digital literacy; and a wide range of programmes for the neurodiverse, rainbow, health and disability sectors of the community.

5.4 We have shared reading programmes at the Central Library, Brightwater Home, Willard Home, the Marion Kennedy Centre, Cook St Nursing Care Centre, Arohanui Hospice and Aroha Lifecare.

5.5 We established a new initiative for the region by starting a library service for patients in the Star 2 Ward of Palmerston North Hospital. Initially library staff and volunteers provided a fortnightly reading service to help support recovery and combat social isolation. Recently, this has expanded to providing a variety of other resources and content.

5.6 The Mobile Library now visits Te Au rere a te Tonga, the Youth Justice facility near Kelvin Grove on a regular basis to deliver library services to rangatahi who may otherwise not have access to library resources, content and programmes.

5.7 Home Service: This year 114 people were supported to receive long-term deliveries of library materials through Home Service. For those who prefer or can only listen to books, the demand for Victor Readers and audiobooks remained high. We recently purchased three new Victor Readers and currently have seventeen out on loan within our community.

5.8 Club Sandwich: Club Sandwich is a platform for clubs to describe who they are and what they do and an easy way for people to discover clubs and join 24/7. This year we improved usability, navigation, reporting and accessibility. We also migrated the site to a web platform to make Club Sandwich more agile, flexible and responsive. This comes with the added benefit of enabling cost-effective, iterative improvements over time.

5.9 Te Reo Māori: The City Library supports te Reo Māori me ōna tikanga – the language and its cultural practices, in a variety of ways. This support includes Kōrero kawhe, the Manu hāpai waiata group, Te pūtake (a fortnighly delivery of te reo Māori books to kura) and programmes throughout Mahuru Māori - Te Wiki o te Reo. This year we also streamed Te Matatini live at the Central Library.

5.10 Language Weeks: The City Library celebrates and acknowledges many language weeks, connecting our diverse community with library programmes and the community languages collection. People are invited to share their culture through exhibitions, displays, talks and panel discussions.

5.11 Language Expo: Now in its second year, the Language Expo is a partnership with the Manawatū Multicultural Council. Groups involved in the expo this year were from the following communities: Chinese, Spanish, Māori, Japanese, Sanskrit, Ukrainian, Bahasa Indonesia, Portuguese, Farsi/Persian, Euskera (Basque), Filipino, Irish and French.

5.12 Community festivals, commemorations and exhibitions: The City Library supports and/or participates in many festivals and commemorations, displays and art exhibitions. Some examples include Pasifika Fusion, Lunar New Year, the How2 Art Exhibition “The world I want to live in” and “Native by Nature: Mana driven visionz for a Niu world view” by artist Tilomai So'otaga Jennifer Tonumaipe'a Farrell-Taylor.

6. PROSPER: Supporting the aspirations of the community

6.1 We achieve this by supporting individuals to grow their skills, often through partnerships that contribute to collective impact while helping to grow a strong and sustainable voluntary and community sector. Examples of these partnerships include:

6.2 Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa: Off the Page: Now in its 21st year, The Off the Page series brings the very best local, national, and internationally published writers, scientists, economists, poets, journalists, and thinkers together with audiences to explore ideas, share stories and have conversations. The programme includes discussion panels, readings, and creative writing workshops.

6.3 Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa: Latin America and Spain Film Festival (LASFF): Now in its 23rd year, LASFF is a long-standing collaboration with the Latin American and Spanish Embassies, Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa’s School of Humanities and the City Library. Throughout the years, LASFF has showcased films with diverse themes, with the aim of helping the New Zealand audience understand and get closer to Latin American and Spanish cultures. Each of the eight participating embassies - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Spain - present a film from their respective countries. We have enjoyed a special relationship with several embassies (Cuba, Brazil and Argentina) over the years, with visits by the Ambassadors for the screening of their featured films.

6.4 Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa: Children’s University: This partnership provides exciting opportunities for young ākonga to explore learning experiences outside of the classroom. As a Learning Destination, a variety of pathways are available at library locations and include STEM-based programmes including Lib Lab and coding; self-guided sewing and 3D design/print activities at Blueprint; and Manawatū Heritage activity sheets.

6.5 Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School (PNINS) and the Manawatū Multicultural Council (MMC): Celebrating 25 years in 2025, First Voice is a celebration of writing by PNINS students from non-English speaking backgrounds.

6.6 This is our second year partnering with Digital Futures Aotearoa to hold RAD (Recycle-A-Device) workshops and a RAD club – the only one of its kind in the Manawatū. RAD is a charitable initiative that works to address key digital gaps in an innovative holistic programme that gives back to the community. In the past sixteen months over 95 laptops have been refurbished and more than 60 rangatahi have been taught tech skills and about the benefits of diverting devices from landfills and reducing eWaste. Unfortunately, a nationwide shortage of laptops suitable for refurbishment means that demand far exceeds supply. We are working with Digital Futures Aotearoa and Environment Network Manawatū to increase the availability of suitable laptops and have contacted large employers in the Manawatū to see if we can source a more consistent stream of used devices to be diverted to RAD.

6.7 Manawatū People’s Radio (MPR): The City Library enjoys a wonderful relationship with MPR and over the past twelve months they have brought their equipment to the library to a multitude of library programmes, recording them for both broadcast and archiving. This means that the recordings are of excellent quality for any future listening or research and are being archived on both MPR’s website and Manawatū Heritage. The team at MPR are always looking for new ways to collaborate, and they have really expanded our outreach and capability to produce community-centred programmes

7. READ: Literacy for all, reading for pleasure

7.1 We achieve this through providing library collections, programmes and services (including outreach services) that support children, young people and their families in learning and educational success, career readiness and in life. Examples of this include:

7.2 Library Collections: We curate multi-format collections that support the recreational and learning needs of the many readers of all ages and stages who use the City Library. There are a range of formats in our collections to suit a variety of reading styles and needs including standard or large print, CD or MP3, eBooks and audiobooks on the Libby and Borrow Box apps and books in a wide range of languages including Te Reo Māori.

These collections will increasingly become digital. More of our spending has moved to purchasing access to online subscriptions and databases, eBooks, streaming media and downloadable content. We offer a wide variety of streaming services, apps and eResources that are available 24/7.

7.3 He Taonga te Pūmahara Memory Matters collection: We connected with Alzheimers New Zealand to work towards completing the Dementia Friendly Recognition Programme. The entire team has completed Dementia Friend training and new team members will complete this training within three months of starting work at the City Library.

Our dementia friendly collection, He Taonga te Pūmahara Memory Matters, is for people with dementia and memory loss, as well as their whānau and care partners. Currently in New Zealand there are 70,000 people with a diagnosis of dementia. This number is expected to increase to 170,000 by 2050.

Memory Matters was developed in consultation with groups across New Zealand, as well as local organisations like Alzheimer’s Society Manawatū and the Marion Kennedy Centre. We now hold more than 250 items in this collection. Along with books, the collection includes games, puzzles, jigsaws, activity boards, tactile fidget widgets and some simple music players – preloaded with hundreds of songs and themed to suit the listener e.g. classical, popular hits through the decades, and NZ music.

7.4 The Romantasy collection: This year, we introduced a new Romantasy feature collection - an exciting addition reflecting both current literary trends and evolving reader interests. For those unfamiliar with the term, romantasy refers to books that blend fantasy and romance in equal measure, featuring richly imagined worlds alongside compelling emotional narratives. The genre has seen a dramatic rise in popularity, particularly among young adult and new adult readers - driven by social media platforms like BookTok, and a consistent presence on many bestseller lists. Adding a romantasy collection helps us to remain a relevant and dynamic part of the reading community. It reflects our ongoing commitment to offering diverse, engaging, and contemporary materials that inspire a lifelong love of reading across all age groups.

7.5 Children’s Reading Programmes: Our children’s reading programmes responded to changing whānau and individual reader needs. We provide multiple ways to participate. Tamariki can complete the programme via in-person (kanohi ki te kanohi) book chats in English or languages other than English (including NZ Sign Language) and/or through online activities on our Beanstack reading platform. The immersive Te Ao Māori approach of our Te Reo Māori programme incorporates Te Ao Māori with waiata, kōrero, whanaungatanga, and pānui pukapuka i roto i te reo Māori. This year our children’s reading programmes enabled 1776 children to participate in reading and literacy programmes.

8. CREATE: Creative learning, learning for life

8.1 We achieve this by being a primary point of social access to information, lifelong learning, and creative expression through the innovative use of technology and digital resources. Examples of this include:

8.2 Technology rich learning: We deliver technology rich learning, providing access to a wide range of digital resources and tools for our community. Programmes and activities are designed to support skill development in Science, Technology, Art, Maths, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (STEAM-IE). Examples include LibLab; ITS Digital Sessions; and Hangouts at the Whare – at the North Street Housing Centre.

8.3 Virtual Reality (VR): We deliver regular VR sessions with Big Brothers Big Sisters Manawatū. We have also taken the VR kits to IPU, UCOL, Highbury Whānau Centre, schools and retirement villages, using the opportunity to discuss technology, digital services and library programming.

8.4 Life Experiences with Virtual Reality (VR): This year we built on our partnerships with the Marion Kennedy Centre and Arohanui Hospice in a novel way, using Virtual Reality (VR). VR is starting to be used around the world in health settings for education, pain management, and therapy. Together we are using VR to enhance quality of life by providing one-of-a-kind experiences for those living with dementia mate wareware or in end-of-life care.

8.5 Blueprint: Technology continues to drive many new business and work opportunities and Blueprint offers access to tools, resources, and support for the community to invent, prototype, and bring their ideas to life. Examples of projects in Blueprint this year include clothing upcycled for the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti; decorative scotia moulding for a house restoration; bird coasters for a school fundraiser; flexible 3D printed horseshoe prototypes for a farrier; nectar feeders for native birds and a display stand for dog skeletons at the Massey Vet school.

9. REMEMBER: Valuing the past to inform the future

9.1 We achieve this through connecting the community with mana whenua and the bicultural foundations of the city; diverse local culture; history through heritage and archival collections (both physical and digital); and local history and heritage programmes.

9.2 Archival and Heritage collections: The collections held in the Ian Matheson City Archive (IMCA) are a significant part of both our local heritage and the national documentary heritage of New Zealand. These collections have an important place alongside the natural, built and cultural heritage which reflects our Palmerston North identity.

The Community Archives remain in an offsite facility after discovering a leak in their former storage area in February 2023. This impacts the amount of staff time available for processing collections as workstreams now need to allocate time for record retrieval as requests for their use come through from students, schools, historians and researchers.

Further changes were made to the current archive space in the Central Library to better utilise the space by relaying the collections for better space efficiencies and effectiveness.

9.3 Manawatū Heritage: We continued to increase the capacity of Manawatū Heritage for our collections. Now with 46,200 items online the reach of Manawatū Heritage is growing nationally and internationally.

To support more accurate searching of Manawatū Heritage, we created a new resource type - plans can now be searched for and browsed separately. It is now much easier for visitors to the site to explore 268 digitised plans, which include historic architectural, engineering and land sales plans.

9.4 Back Issues: We have coordinated the ‘Back Issues’ series, a weekly history feature with strong visual images for the Manawatū Standard for the past four years and articles are uploaded to Manawatū Heritage.

9.5 Genealogy: Family history and finding out about our ancestors is a key part of understanding our own migration stories. Making genealogy databases such as Ancestry and MyHistory available in our library spaces, running family history programmes and working with genealogical groups helps us to provide this service.

9.6 Family History Month: In August 2024, we ran the inaugural Family History Month, with the aim of it becoming a fixture in our heritage programmes calendar. Based on the month-long international celebration of Family History, we tailored our programme to Aotearoa New Zealand. In partnership with the Palmerston North Branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG), we held a variety of activities across the Central and community libraries. Activities included: Genealogy help-desk sessions, family history movie screenings, and “Treasures with Tania” with Dr Tania Kopytko (sharing the stories of family keepsakes). There were also presentations on DNA as a genealogical research tool, and researchers shared their personal genealogical research stories.

9.7 Oral Histories: As new migrants come to Palmerston North it is important that their stories are collected and become part of our city’s history. Oral histories are an excellent way of recording these stories and we work with volunteers and other groups to co-ordinate, record and make these stories available.

9.8 Local History Week and Heritage Month: For the third year, Local History Week was held in March and led into Heritage Month. We aim to be family-friendly, with many activities scheduled on weekends and outside of classroom hours. The diverse programme, delivered alongside Rangitāne o Manawatū and heritage sector partners across the city, was both well attended and well received by the community with 94 activities, 3,026 attendees, and 7 displays across 17 partner groups and organisations.

9.9 The Manawatū Guardian collection: The City Library is now kaitiaki of the print copies of every edition of the Manawatū Guardian from July 1972 to December 2024. Many of the newspapers in the volumes are on microfiche but having them in paper format increases their accessibility and browsability for both leisure readers and researchers. The collection allowed us to fill large gaps in our microfilmed editions of the Guardian between 1985 and 2004. These editions were sent away earlier this year to be digitised and will be available to view soon.

9.10 Papers Past: We are collaborating with the National Library of New Zealand to digitise the Manawatū Standard newspaper from 1946 through 1975. The National Library will contribute 30% of costs and digitised fulltext content will be uploaded to the Papers Past website. Currently Manawatū newspapers on Papers Past date from 1877 to 1945, so this is an enormous boost for our community - whether students, genealogists, casual browsers or researchers.

10. RESILIENCE: Sustainable and resilient

10.1 An important characteristic of a resilient community is social connectedness and having the skills and knowledge to be sustainable. We support these skills through a number of initiatives including the Palmy Crop swap, kai resilience and sustainability workshops delivered by Environment Network Manawatū (ENM).

11. Performance Indicators

11.1 The City Library captures a wide range of performance metrics which are compared to the previous year’s data to measure any changes. The majority of indicators are holding steady or show an increase and we have an action plan to address those that are not (see p5 of the City Library Report).

12. Emerging LIbrary trends

12.1 Emerging global library trends relevant to the work of the City Library include:

12.2 An increasingly uncertain world intensifies challenges and complicates the delivery of services as libraries are seen more frequently in a crisis response role providing dry, warm (or cool) spaces, electricity and internet connections for those who are displaced or struggle to have these at home.

12.3 Societies are becoming increasingly more diverse, and at an increasing pace, making delivering universal services and achieving equity more complicated.

12.4 Libraries are increasingly seen as safe spaces for all regardless of age, stage, ability, mobility, ethnicity, education, political or religious views, or life philosophy.

12.5 The digital divide is increasing and getting more serious, even as connectivity improves. Access to current and critical information is more often than not in a digital form available on a digital device. For those without either connectivity or digital device, having access to current and relevant information in a timely manner is extremely challenging and can have significant consequences.

12.6 Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses both opportunities and challenges for public libraries. AI has the potential to make workstreams more responsive and efficient, but it also poses ethical, quality, transparency and copyright challenges for libraries and the wider creative sector. Libraries are seeing increasing amounts of AI generated content in library material marketplaces and Content Development and/or Collection policies are needing to be updated to manage this form of rapidly evolving content.

13. CHALlenges

13.1 We are facing a number of challenges:

13.2 Long-Term Sustainability: Ensuring the City Library has the financial resources to support its current work and to meet the future growth of the city.

13.3 State of facilities: The current state of City Library facilities at two locations is impacting daily operations and services to our public. It is also having an ongoing impact on staff wellbeing.

13.4 Storage issues for physical archives: Proper archival storage is needed for long-term preservation and efficient access and management of the city’s archives. Current archive facilities, conditions, locations and service arrangements do not meet best practice archival standards.

13.5 Retirements, retaining knowledge and training new staff: The City Library is facing a generational shift requiring succession planning as members of a long-serving and highly skilled workforce head into retirement. This year in 2025 we will farewell four long-serving team members with over 100 years of library experience between them. We are working hard to grow and develop our current workforce to gain the experience and skills required to help ease this transition.

13.6 New skill areas: Today’s modern public library requires a range of knowledge and skills - the experience and knowledge of the professional librarian, digital and technology expertise, teaching skills, and knowledge and experience of community engagement. These diverse skills are now joined by leadership and business management skills, logistics expertise and project management experience. New skill areas constantly arise and there is a need for continuous learning and upskilling to ensure we support community access to library services and ongoing innovation.

13.7 Navigating increasing societal change: Our team needs to be people focused and have both the training and soft skills required to navigate an increasingly diverse range of social and societal challenges.

13.8 Digital content divide: The digital divide is increasing for those that do not have access to, or can afford, either Wi-Fi or a device on which to read. For content that is read online and not downloadable, we will need to continue, and potentially increase, our provision of both fast and reliable internet access and Wi-Fi and internet-connected devices in all our library spaces.

14. opportunities

14.1 We are focusing on the following areas of opportunity:

14.2 Workforce Capacity and Development: We are continuing to track emerging trends across the future work of libraries and use that information to determine the training staff need. This includes the recruitment of skilled and experienced people for new workstreams where additional support is required.

14.3 Equitable access and inclusion: We are continuing to ensure that our resourcing model and library services are designed to eliminate barriers to access, providing public and staff opportunities for growth, and developing and supporting equitable access to the collections, programmes and services we offer.

14.4 Digital help sessions: We will be working to increase our digital help session offerings over the next twelve months, increasing both our capacity and capabilities within the team to deliver this service. We are also exploring options for partnerships and self-directed tools that can help job seekers demonstrate their digital learning.

14.5 Data and Metrics: We are continuing to improve our data systems to better collect data and use statistics so we can make informed decisions about what the City Library should or should not do.

14.6 Promotion and marketing: Strategically promoting library resources, programmes and services to increase awareness and use of our libraries; and to support the role and value of the City Library network to our community.

14.7 Improving sustainability and resilience: As a resource sharing public good, libraries have a long history of sustainability. We are continuing our journey of being deliberate and intentional with the impact of our consumption and the role we play in supporting social resiliency.

15. Facilities

15.1 A current overview of the City Library facilities is as below:

15.2 Central Library

15.3 The current renewals and maintenance strategy for the Central Library building has meant that only essential Health and Safety or compliance work has been undertaken on the building between 2013 -2021.

15.4 Since 2021, through the 2021-31 LTP, there was an increase in both the renewals and maintenance budgets for the facility. However, significant assets are at end of life and/or are failing – escalators, lifts (both public and staff) and the building management system (BMS).

15.5 The ambient temperature of the Central Library often exceeds 30 degrees in the summer months, with winter temperatures often below 16 degrees.

15.6 The archive space is under significant on-going pressure with leaks, fluctuating temperature and humidity control, and an end-of-life chiller.

15.7 Whilst not considered a dangerous building, the building was identified as being earthquake prone in 2018. The seismic strengthening solution for the Central Library also provides the opportunity to consider how the building functions, position it for the future, and replace failing assets throughout the building.

15.8 The seismic solution for the Central Library, currently sitting in Years 6 and 7 of the 2024-34 LTP provides an opportunity to maximise space, flexibility, sustainability and efficiency. This may include space provision for other council areas and further physical collections e.g. the Ian Matheson City Archive.

15.9 There is also an opportunity to strengthen the City Library network to meet the future needs and aspirations of our community while rejuvenating neighbourhoods and the city centre.

15.10 Leading into and during this project (Years 4-7) we will need to find temporary homes for the Central Library, Blueprint and the Ian Matheson City Archive. Once direction has been given as to the future of the Central Library building, a detailed plan will be essential to manage logistics, keep our taonga safe and define ways we can continue to provide library services for our community across a number of years as the project is delivered.

15.11 Community Libraries

15.12 This year there were persistent leaks at Te Pātikitiki, which impacted the CCTV cameras, lighting and also damaged walls and ceilings. The level of water ingress also significantly increased humidity levels, with the potential to damage collections. The building has recently been re-roofed, and this new roof, alongside other scheduled building work, will stop water ingress. Looking forwards, we need to closely examine the overall condition of this building before undertaking any planned development of this library.

15.13 The Awapuni Library had temperature, humidity and air quality issues this winter, with temperatures often not rising above 12 degrees. A new heat pump is being installed to resolve this issue and dehumidifiers are being used to lower humidity levels.

16. NEXT STEPS

16.1 That the next annual report on library services delivered by the City Library be provided for information at the end of 2025/2026.

16. 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 objectives?		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 this plan: 8. Mahere Whare Puna Mātauranga 8. City Library Plan The action is: Provide city libraries that connect, curate and provide access to knowledge, ideas and works of the imagination that are primarily focused on meeting the needs of communities with the greatest needs and changing needs of communities. Provide library programmes that support the development of literacy in all forms.
Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being	By providing library facilities, services, activities and programmes that nurtures literacy, lifelong learning and access to knowledge. Fostering vibrant community interactions and enhancing community wellbeing through social connectedness and community cohesion

Attachments

City Library Annual Report 2024-2025 (Attachment 1) ⇩

[2] Policy found on page 276 of the LTP 2024

[4] 39 respondents, including 26% of respondents who were not successful and 74% who were successful in receiving funding for 2025-2028.

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

	Estimated Report Date	Subject	General Manager Responsible	Current Position	Date of Instruction & Clause number
1	~~13 Aug 2025~~	~~Disability Reference Group – Annual Presentation~~	~~Customer & Community~~		Invitation to present 4 Nov 2020 Clause 41-20
2	~~13 Aug 2025~~	~~Pasifika Reference Group – Annual Presentation~~	~~Customer & Community~~		~~Terms of Reference~~
3	~~13 Aug 2025~~	~~Seniors Reference Group – Annual Presentation~~	~~Customer & Community~~		~~Terms of Reference~~
4	~~13 Aug 2025~~	~~Social Housing Update - Work Programme 1: Delivery Model for Property.~~	~~General Manager Infrastructure~~	~~Move to Community Committee Work Schedule~~	~~1 May 2024 Clause 66-24~~
5	~~13 Aug 2025~~	~~Annual report on Library Services~~	~~Customer & Community~~		24 May 2023 Clause 22-23
6	~~13 Aug 2025~~	~~Annual Report Community Funding Allocation 2024/2025~~	~~Customer & Community~~		~~Rec 1c of the Community Grants & Events Funding Review - May 2021~~
7	~~13 Aug 2025~~ 2026	Roslyn Community Hub Feasibility progress	Customer & Community / Infrastructure	Delayed due to late release of data.
8	18 March 2026	Progress report on social housing development at Summerhays St	Strategic Planning / Infrastructure	Social Housing and property review agreed in December 2024	Council 1 May 2024 Clause 66-24
9	18 March 2026	Options to deliver social housing within the current Revenue and Finance Policy limit	Strategic Planning / Infrastructure	Property revenue generation review agreed in December 2024	20 March 2024 Clause 10-24
10	18 March 2026	Welcoming Communities – Annual Report	General Manager Customer & Community		4 November 2020 Clause 43-20
11	18 March 2026	Annual Sector Lead Report: Housing Advice Centre	General Manager Customer & Community		Terms of Reference
12	18 March 2026	Annual Sector Lead Report: Manawatū Multicultural Centre	General Manager Customer & Community		Terms of Reference
13	18 March 2026	Annual Sector Lead Report: Te Pū Harakeke – Community Collective Manawatū	General Manager Customer & Community		Terms of Reference
14	18 March 2026	Annual Sector Lead Report: Te Tihī o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance	General Manager Customer & Community		Terms of Reference