Agenda of Council meeting - 26 February 2020

Minutes of a meeting of the Tararua District Council held in the Council Chamber, 26 Gordon Street, Dannevirke on Wednesday 29 January 2020 commencing at 1.03pm.

1. Present

Her Worship the Mayor - Mrs T H Collis, Crs E L Peeti-Webber (Deputy Mayor), A K Franklin, S A Hull, C J Isaacson, P A Johns, K A Sutherland, R A Treder and S M Wards.

In Attendance

Mr B King - Chief Executive

Mr R Taylor - Governance Manager

Mr R Suppiah - Chief Financial Officer

Mr C McKay - Finance Manager

Mr M Thomas - Strategy and Policy Adviser

Mrs S Walshe - Senior Financial Accountant

Mr M Maxwell - Economic Development and Communications Manager

Mr D Le Mar - Financial Accountant

Ms A Yonge - Programme and Projects Manager

Mr D Watson - Group Manager Plant and Property

Mr P Wimsett - Manager Strategy and District Development

Mr M Alben - Projects Manager

Mr H Featonby - Alliance Asset Manager

Ms E Roberts - Revenue Manager

Mr C Lunn - Manager Regulatory Services

2. Council Prayer

2.1	The Mayor opened the meeting with the Council Prayer.

3. Apologies

3.1

Nil

4. Public Forum

4.1

Nil

5. Notification of Items Not on the Agenda

5.1

Nil

6. Declarations of Conflicts of Interest in Relation to this Meeting’s Items of Business

6.1

Nil

7. Personal Matters

7.1	Condolences are conveyed to Cr Isaacson on the passing of her brother.
7.2	Congratulations are conveyed to Abby Treder on being selected for the Manawatu under 15 girls cricket team, and having her leadership and ability recognised again in being named as their captain.
7.3	Correspondence has been received from Mary Thurston (New Zealand Embassy Warsaw Ambassador) conveying thanks for the Mayor’s letter and book sent telling the story of the Pahiatua children in English.

8. Confirmation of Minutes

8.1	*That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 11 December 2019 (as circulated) be confirmed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.* Crs Wards/Hull Carried

9. Any Matters Arising from the Minutes not otherwise dealt with in the Agenda

9.1

Nil

10. Community Boards and Community Committees Reports

10.1

Dannevirke Community Board

10.1.1

That the report of the Dannevirke Community Board meeting held on 2 December 2019 (as circulated) be received.

Crs Isaacson/Johns Carried

10.2	Eketahuna Community Board
10.2.1	*That the report of the Eketahuna Community Board meeting held on 9 December 2019 (as circulated) be received.* *Crs Sutherland/Franklin Carried*
10.2.2	Eketahuna Our Town Committee
10.2.2.1	Eketahuna Our Town Committee is congratulated on the new flag trax system they installed in the town centre.

10.3

Woodville Districts' Vision

10.3.1

That the report of the Woodville Districts’ Vision meeting held on 3 December 2019 (as circulated) be received.

Crs Hull/Johns Carried

10.4

Pahiatua On Track

10.4.1

That the report of the Pahiatua On Track meeting held on 4 December 2019 (as circulated) be received.

Crs Franklin/Treder Carried

11. Reports

11.1	Woodville In Focus Incorporated Proposed Sport and Recreation Hub Project
11.1.1	The Strategy and Policy Adviser outlined new information received since his report was circulated which gave further background about the Woodville Recreation Reserve Grounds and tennis courts land history.
11.1.2	Archives Central found a gazette notice from 1877 indicating the land area was originally designated for the purpose of a gravel pit, and this may mean it is a local purpose reserve.
11.1.3	In 1885 the land designation changed through a gazette notice by the New Zealand Governor to an endowment in aid of Town Board funds.
11.1.4	The tennis courts land was owned by Woodville Borough Council, and in 1922 they agreed with a community group to partly fund building the courts.
11.1.5	In 1928 the land was handed over to a tennis club for a considerable rental, and there is no mention of the land ever having been designated as reserve land.
11.1.6	Further research and advice is required to find more information about these matters to clarify the legal position regarding this land, and it reinforces the need to carry out a Reserves Act process relative to considering any future plans for a development of the type proposed by Woodville In Focus Incorporated.
11.1.7	That the report from the Strategy and Policy Adviser dated 22 January 2020 concerning the Woodville In Focus Incorporated proposed Sport and Recreation Hub project at Woodville Recreation Reserve Grounds (as circulated) be received, and *That* Council support Woodville Districts’ Vision in liaison with Woodville In Focus Incorporated undertaking further investigation to progress the concept to develop a Sport and Recreation Hub on the Woodville Recreation Reserve Grounds, noting further information is necessary before a decision can be made on this matter, and *That* with regard to the level of detail required to plan for this project and the long-term needs for future recreational facilities development in the district Woodville Districts’ Vision and Woodville In Focus Incorporated be advised to progress that proposal the following information is required: · An assessment is carried out on the future demand for community recreation land, including consultation and input from the sporting clubs and Woodville Districts’ Vision as the Community Committee recognised by Council to assist in the facilitation of such dialogue in Woodville. · *A business case is prepared that details the costs of development, the funding sources and future maintenance and renewal costs.* · The agreement of Woodville Recreation Trust is obtained on the proposed use of the Woodville Recreation Reserve Grounds that surround the old rugby clubrooms occupied by them as situated on this land. · *Council would need to consider the development of a Reserves Management Plan that follows the provisions of the Reserves Act 1977, and* That Council note the development of a Reserves Management Plan to use the Woodville Recreation Reserve Grounds land as proposed for the location of a Sport and Recreation Hub is not a project currently included in existing works programmes, and any such work should also include all other reserves land in Woodville and the existing tennis courts, and That the project proposed to work jointly with Woodville Districts’ Vision in conjunction with Woodville In Focus Incorporated is best considered through the 2021/2031 Long Term Plan process, and they be asked to make further background information available as outlined above to assist Council to consider their proposal and planning for the future needs in developing recreational facilities within the district. Crs Hull/Sutherland Carried
11.1.8	Cr Johns requested his dissenting vote be noted regarding the decision concerning this item of business.

11.2

Triennial Agreement for the Manawatu-Whanganui Region

11.2.1

That the report from the Governance Manager dated 22 January 2020 concerning the Triennial Agreement for the Manawatu-Whanganui Region (as circulated) be received, and

That the Mayor is authorised to sign this document on the Council’s behalf to confirm its acceptance of the draft Triennial Agreement dated March 2020.

Crs Johns/Wards Carried

11.3

Policy on Elected Members Allowances and the Recovery of Expenses

11.3.1

That the report from the Governance Manager dated 22 January 2020 concerning the policy on elected members allowances and the recovery of expenses (as circulated) be received, and

That the draft policy attached to this report which amends the existing policy to include the option of paying an allowance to a Councillor towards childcare expenses incurred while the member is engaged on local authority business be approved, and

That the basis of this provision is in accordance with the direction provided by the Remuneration Authority as detailed in its gazetted determination for the payment of local government elected members remuneration and allowances, and

That item 8 of the expenses section of the policy be amended to read as follows:

“The Council shall extend to the partners of the Council’s and Community Board’s accredited representatives at the New Zealand Local Government Conference and the Community Boards National Conference an invitation to this event, and the associated costs shall be paid by the Council except for any airfares involved”.

Crs Johns/Hull Carried

11.4

Road Closures Requested Under the Tenth Schedule of the Local Government Act 1974

11.4.1

That the report from the Alliance Asset Manager dated 22 January 2020 concerning a road closures application under the Tenth Schedule of the Local Government Act 1974 (as circulated) be received, and

That pursuant to Section 342 (1) (b) and the Tenth Schedule of the Local Government Act 1974, Council closes the following roads for the purpose of allowing Dannevirke Car Club to hold a motorsport event.

Road name: Pahaheke Road

Date of closure: Saturday 22 February 2020

Period of closure: 9.00am to 5.00pm

Road name: Waituna Road

Date of closure: Saturday 22 February 2020

Period of closure: 9.00am to 5.00pm

Conditions Applied to the Granting of these Road Closures

1. That Tararua Alliance in conjunction with the organiser will assess shortly prior to this event the condition of the roads involved to determine their suitability for this purpose.

2. That if Tararua Alliance identify any road or roads as being in an unsuitable condition arising from this assessment then they have the discretion to request the organiser to withdraw such road from the route of this event.

3. That shortly after the event has been held Tararua Alliance shall carry out a drive over of the roads that were closed for this event to assess their condition.

Advisory Note

That should Council incur any additional maintenance costs as a consequence of the event then those expenses shall be recovered from the event organiser.

Crs Johns/Sutherland Carried

11.5

Road Closure Requested Under the Tenth Schedule of the Local Government Act 1974

11.5.1

That the report from the Alliance Asset Manager dated 22 January 2020 concerning a road closure application under the Tenth Schedule of the Local Government Act 1974 (as circulated) be received, and

That pursuant to Section 342 (1) (b) and the Tenth Schedule of the Local Government Act 1974, Council closes the following road for the purpose of allowing Bush Cycle Tour to hold a cycle sports event.

Road name: Kohinui Road

Date of closure: Saturday 14 March 2020

Period of closure: 9.00am to 2.00pm

Conditions Applied to the Granting of this Road Closure

1. That Tararua Alliance in conjunction with the organiser will assess shortly prior to this event the condition of the road involved to determine its suitability for this purpose.

2. That if Tararua Alliance identify the road as being in an unsuitable condition arising from this assessment then they have the discretion to request the organiser to withdraw the road from the route of this event.

3. That shortly after the event has been held Tararua Alliance shall carry out a drive over of the road that was closed for this event to assess its condition.

Advisory Note

That should Council incur any additional maintenance costs as a consequence of the event then those expenses shall be recovered from the event organiser.

Crs Treder/Peeti-Webber Carried

11.5.2

It is noted the requirement in the road closures application form for applicants to have insurance cover with regard to fundraising community events may need to be reviewed in the future.

11.6	Staff Report
11.6.1	Pahiatua Dissolved Air Flotation Plant
11.6.1.1	The pilot Pahiatua dissolved air flotation plant at the wastewater treatment plant is producing very good results, with a large increase in sludge removal from the system.
11.6.1.2	This is good news in the treatment process, and presently extra tank storage is being set up to accumulate sludge prior to transportation to Dannevirke wastewater treatment plant.
11.6.2	Dannevirke Transfer Station
11.6.2.1	Staff are having ongoing discussions working with Smart Environmental’s Area Manager regarding the untidiness and condition of Dannevirke transfer station, and the need to remedy that situation.
11.6.2.2	Council will need to review through the Long Term Plan process the level of service it provides regarding the type of items it accepts for recycling, particularly some plastics where there is no longer any market and many councils do not accept them for recycling.
11.6.3	Tararua Aquatic Community Trust
11.6.3.1	Congratulations are conveyed to the trustees of the Tararua Aquatic Community Trust on increasing their turnover and achieving a positive operating position, and making improvements to the delivery of services.
11.6.4	Woodville Tree Sculpture
11.6.4.1	It is pleasing to note Tom Dodd (Site Engineer) has started working with the Woodville community to assess options for resurfacing the tree sculpture to ensure it will last well into the future, and thanks are conveyed for the assistance he is providing to determine suitable options to address that matter.
11.6.5	*That the report from the Chief Executive dated 22 January 2020 concerning an update on key projects and items of interest to the Council (as circulated) be received.* Crs Wards/Johns Carried

12. Portfolio Reports

12.1

Tararua Health and Wellbeing Group

12.1.1

Cr Franklin reported the Age on the Go Tararua Expo will be held on 23 April 2020, and funding is being sought to assist cover the costs of around $10,000 to arrange that event.

12.2

Pahiatua Main Street Upgrade Project

12.2.1

Cr Hull reported Pahiatua Main Street upgrade project is progressing, and following the Christmas/New Year break work on-site recommenced on 6 January 2020 and is moving towards stage 3 which is where the majority of the commercial activity occurs.

12.3

Events and Meetings

12.3.1

The Mayor and Councillors reported on the following official events and meetings they had attended:

Cr Peeti-Webber Deputy Mayor	· Meeting with Labour Party ministers at Brackenridge in Martinborough (also attended by the Mayor)
Cr Sutherland	· Forestry portfolio meeting (also attended by the Mayor and Cr Johns)
Cr Treder	· Meeting with Alfredton School principal and Eketahuna Community Board chairperson · Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatu Tararua Highway walk (also attended by the Mayor and Cr Hull) · Tararua College powhiri to welcome new students and families (also attended by the Mayor)
Cr Johns	· Meeting with Economic Development and Communications Manager and club captains regarding the inaugural Tararua golf open tournament
Cr Wards	· Akitio Beach Community and Ratepayers Association Annual General Meeting (also attended by the Mayor) · Pongaroa Rural Water Supply Incorporated meeting · Meeting with staff regarding Strategy and Policy Committee arrangements
Cr Isaacson	· New Zealand Show jumping Championships at Dannevirke A and P showgrounds (also attended by the Mayor)

13. Mayoral Matters

13.1	Land of Ranges
13.1.1	The Mayor acknowledged the gift from Arapera Paewai and Cherry Peeti of the following whakatauki for Council’s use: “Let the winds of the Ruahine and Tararua give you strength and may the waters of the Manawatu nourish you, for we are pounamu of Te Tapere nui o Whatonga”.
13.1.2	These are powerful words and ones it is hoped people can draw strength from, and recognise the significance of Te Apiti - the Manawatu Gorge, its history and spirit as a special place that lies between the district’s maunga the Ruahine and Tararua ranges.
13.1.3	The Mayor spoke on 2020 as a significant year for the district with the start of the new Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatu Tararua Highway, and the district’s identity being recognised in that name.
13.1.4	The Mayor conveyed her thoughts on 2020 being a year of growth throughout the district for its population and businesses, and this leading into the health and prosperity of the people and their communities and the creation of strength in unity.

14. Items Not on the Agenda

14.1

Nil

There being no further business the Mayor thanked those present for their attendance and contributions, and declared the meeting closed at 2.55pm.

____________________________

Mayor

Dannevirke Community Board

Minutes of a meeting of the Dannevirke Community Board held in the Council Chamber, 26 Gordon Street, Dannevirke on Monday 3 February 2020 commencing at 1.00pm.

1. Present

Board Members P F Walshe (Chairperson), T J Hynes (Deputy Chairperson), W R Macdonald, K P Spooner-Taylor and Cr E L Peeti-Webber (Council appointed Community Board member).

In Attendance

Mrs T Collis - Her Worship the Mayor

Mr R Taylor - Governance Manager

Mrs N McPeak - Senior Planning Officer (for item 3.1)

Mr R Palmer - Team Leader Building Services (for item 3.1)

Representative of Dannevirke and District Returned and Services Association for item of business 11.2

2. Apologies

2.1

Nil

3. Public Forum

3.1	Derelict Houses and Vehicles
3.1.1	The Senior Planning Officer outlined the provisions included in the District Plan relating to derelict houses and vehicles, and the approach being taken through follow up actions on previous complaints received regarding such sites.
3.1.2	The Team Leader Building Services spoke on the powers provided in Section 124 of the Building Act 2004 that enables Council to take action in respect of dangerous and insanitary buildings.

4. Personal Matters

4.1

Nil

5. Notification of Items Not on the Agenda

5.1

It is agreed the following late items of correspondence be received at today’s meeting to enable them to be considered in a timely manner:

· Dannevirke and District Returned and Services Association regarding a request to fund the cost of the traffic management plan for the 2020 Anzac Day Dannevirke civic service parade

· Tararua District Council Land Information Officer regarding a new road name for the privately owned accessway at 38 Laws Road, Dannevirke

5.2

The following matter is notified as an item of general business not on the agenda for discussion at today’s meeting:

· Dannevirke St John Health Shuttle service

6. Confirmation of Minutes

6.1	That the minutes of the Dannevirke Community Board meeting held on 2 December 2019 (as circulated) be confirmed as a true and accurate record of the meeting. Hynes/Macdonald Carried

7. Matters Arising from the Minutes

7.1	Digital Sign Installed on the Dannevirke Town Hall (Item 10.7)
7.1.1	The digital sign installed on the Dannevirke Town Hall is working well, with some minor adjustment required to look at the colours used.
7.1.2	The memorandum of understanding between the Board and Dannevirke Information Centre for managing the digital sign has been signed.
7.2	Community Walkway (Item 10.10)
7.2.1	The contractor has not yet commenced work on the project to extend the community walkway down Cole Street.
7.2.2	The next project proposed to be progressed is to tidy up and enhance the lookout site on Tipapakuku Road, with a plan to be developed on how this work may occur and to determine possible options to fund the associated costs.

8. Tararua District Council Report

8.1

That the reports of the Tararua District Council meetings held on 11 December 2019 (as circulated) and 29 January 2020 (as tabled) be received.

Spooner-Taylor/Macdonald

Carried

8.2

Water Restrictions

8.2.1

Due to the very hot and dry summer being experienced a district-wide hosing ban is now in place, and the need to conserve water is emphasised to ensure Council’s community drinking water supplies remain resilient and the water takes from rivers in low flow are within permitted consent levels.

9. Reports

9.1	Dannevirke Community Board General Assistance Grants Scheme
9.1.1	*That the report from the Governance Manager dated 27 January 2020 concerning Dannevirke Community Board General Assistance Grants Scheme (as circulated) be received, and* *That applications be invited for funding from Dannevirke Community Board’s 2019-2020 General Assistance Grants Scheme, and* *That the closing date for applications be Friday 6 March 2020 at 5.00pm.* Macdonald/Hynes Carried
9.1.2	It is noted replacement Christmas lights will be required in the next financial year, and this matter shall be considered by the Board from its 2020-21 budget.
9.1.3	The Mayor suggested an alternative option to purchasing Christmas lights could be installing a flag trax system (which was recently done in Eketahuna), and decorating the town with festive flags or banners.

10. Reports from Board Representatives Appointed to Organisations and Assigned Responsibilities

10.1	Tararua Community Youth Services
10.1.1	Board Member Hynes reported Tararua Community Services is in the process of signing two contracts for funding to deliver services and programmes working with young people in the district to develop and empower them through learning and assisting to realise their potential.
10.2	Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce
10.2.1	Board Member Hynes reported Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce Mitre 10 Dannevirke Christmas parade was successful, but the number of float entries were down from the previous year’s event.
10.2.2	An end of year function for Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce members was held at Mangatainoka, and an after five’s meetings schedule is being prepared for 2020.
10.2.3	A concern expressed by Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce is the increasing cost of the traffic management plan for Dannevirke Christmas parade road closures, noting that expenditure is funded by a grant from the Board.
10.3	Dannevirke Information Centre
10.3.1	Board Member Macdonald reported Dannevirke Information Centre is considering an appointment to fill the vacant position of part-time assistant to provide back up for the Dannevirke Information Centre Manager.
10.4	Dannevirke and District A and P Association
10.4.1	Board Member Macdonald reported Dannevirke and District A and P Association held its annual show from 31 January to 2 February 2020, and this was a very successful event.

11. Correspondence

11.1

That the correspondence as listed be received.

(a) Dannevirke and District Returned and Services Association

30 January 2020

Re: Traffic management plan for 2020 Anzac Day Dannevirke civic service parade

(b) Tararua District Council Land Information Officer 27 January 2020

Re: New road name for 38 Laws Road, Dannevirke

Hynes/Macdonald Carried

11.2

Dannevirke and District Returned and Services Association

11.2.1

Dannevirke and District Returned and Services Association President Roly Ellis attended the meeting for this item of business, and he spoke on the request that the Board fund the cost of the traffic management plan to march between Knox Church and the cenotaph for the 2020 Anzac Day Dannevirke civic service parade.

11.2.2

That the Board agree to cover the cost of the traffic management plan for this year’s Anzac Day Dannevirke civic service parade based on the quote received from Traffic Management New Zealand of $1,811 (plus GST), and

That this funding be provided from the Board’s discretionary funds through a grant of up to $1,200 made available for that purpose, with the balance offset by the proceeds generated from the Anzac Day community concert arranged by the Board, and

That the Board request Dannevirke and District Returned and Services Association to consider alternative options in the next twelve months for future Anzac Day Dannevirke civic service parade marshalling arrangements, such as for example assembling at the Scout Hall near George Street and marching to the cenotaph from there (which could be done without the need for the road to be used), and

That Dannevirke and District Returned and Services Association is invited to further discuss this matter with the Board prior to determining these arrangements for next year’s Anzac Day Dannevirke civic service parade.

Hynes/Macdonald Carried

11.3	Tararua District Council Land Information Officer
11.3.1	Council is intending to convert the privately owned accessway at 38 Laws Road, Dannevirke to a named road and re-allocate the addresses.
11.3.2	This is being undertaken as currently it does meet the Australian/New Zealand Rural and Urban Address Standard, and therefore a change is required.
11.3.3	While it is a privately owned road and the owners (with the guidance of Council) will decide the final road name this matter is open to suggestions.
11.3.4	At this stage Council suggest the proposed new road name is Schmidt Lane as in 2007 Mr Schmidt was the applicant who lodged the subdivision consent to create this rural - residential eleven lot development.
11.3.5	This proposal is open to submissions which can be forwarded to Council’s Land Information Officer up until 12 February 2020.

12.	Anzac Day Community Concert
12.1	Board Member Macdonald will report at the next meeting with details of the proposed programme and arrangements for this year’s Anzac Day community concert.

13.

New Ideas from Board Members

13.1

The following new ideas are noted for further consideration by the Board:

· Electric barbecue for Dannevirke Lower Domain (this could be a joint project in conjunction with service clubs)

· Community area for decorated Christmas trees (as an alternative attraction to the Fantasy Cave which is in recess while they establish their new building)

· Dannevirke biathlon event

14. Chairman’s Remarks

14.1

Nil

15. Items Not on the Agenda

15.1	Dannevirke St John Health Shuttle Service
15.1.1	The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Board Chairperson will be attending a combined meeting with St John and Dannevirke Health Shuttle volunteers to discuss proposed changes to future arrangements for the way bookings are received to use this service.

There being no further business the Chairperson thanked those present for their attendance and contributions, and declared the meeting closed at 2.30pm.

____________________________

Chairperson

Eketahuna Community Board

Minutes of a meeting of the Eketahuna Community Board held in the Eketahuna War Memorial Hall, corner of Jones Street and State Highway 2, Eketahuna on Monday 10 February 2020 commencing at 10.00am.

1. Present

Board Members C C Death (Chairperson), S C McGhie (Deputy Chairperson), T M Carew, D F Clifton and Cr R A Treder (Council appointed Community Board member).

In Attendance

Mr R Taylor - Governance Manager

Mr P Wimsett - Manager Strategy and District Development (for item 10)

2. Apologies

2.1

Nil

3. Personal Matters

3.1	The Board has been invited to consider arranging a community event on 15 March 2020 in the town centre to observe a moment of silence to remember those who tragically lost their lives on that day last year in the Christchurch mass shootings mosque terrorist attack.

4. Notification of Items Not on the Agenda

4.1	The following matters are notified as items of general business not on the agenda for discussion at today’s meeting: · Anzac Mounted Troopers Anzac Day event and afternoon tea at Nireaha · Eketahuna recycling facility

5. Confirmation of Minutes

5.1	*That the minutes of the Eketahuna Community Board meeting held on 9 December 2019 (as circulated) be confirmed as a true and accurate record of the meeting.* Carew/Treder Carried

6. Matters Arising from the Minutes

6.1	Abandoned/Derelict Vehicles (Item 11)
6.1.1	It is pleasing to note an abandoned/derelict vehicle situated in Eketahuna has been removed.
6.2	Local Community Groups Liaison Representatives (Item 7.2)
6.2.1	Board members will visit Alfredton School on 30 March 2020 at 3.30pm to liaise with residents from that community.
6.2.2	Representatives from the Tiraumea community and the Mayor will also be present, and the Alliance Maintenance Supervisor has been invited to attend.
6.3	Connecting with the Community (Item 10)
6.3.1	The confirmed arrangements where residents can talk to board members on issues and matters of concern are as follows: • Lazy Graze Café - 1 March 2020 from 12noon to 1.00pm • Addiction Café - 12 March 2020 from 5.30 to 6.30pm
6.3.2	Board Member Clifton conveyed her apology for non-attendance at the community forum on 1 March 2020 due to another commitment on that day.

7. Tararua District Council Report

7.1	*That the reports of the Tararua District Council meetings held on 11 December 2019 and 29 January 2020 (as circulated) be received.* McGhie/Clifton Carried

8. Reports

8.1

Eketahuna Community Board General Assistance Grants Scheme

8.1.1

That the report from the Governance Manager dated 28 January 2020 concerning Eketahuna Community Board General Assistance Grants Scheme (as circulated) be received, and

That applications be invited for funding from Eketahuna Community Board’s 2019-2020 General Assistance Grants Scheme, and

That the closing date for applications be Thursday 9 April 2020 at 4.30pm.

Clifton/McGhie Carried

9. Reports from Board Representatives Appointed to Organisations and

Assigned Responsibilities

9.1	Tararua District Road Safety Group
9.1.1	The Deputy Chairperson reported on the Tararua District Road Safety Group meeting held in Dannevirke on 5 February 2020, including reference to the following matters: · Monitoring of Route 52 road safety is being undertaken by Tararua Alliance. · A variable speed board is available for use throughout the district that Tararua Alliance can circulate to known areas of town urban boundaries where vehicle speed is a risk. · It is proposed the variable speed board could be located on Alfredton Road at a future time, particularly when the number of vehicles on this road increase during the rugby season. · A video was played regarding Government’s Road to Zero New Zealand Road Safety Strategy 2020-2030. · Providing a kea crossing for Eketahuna School is progressing. · Further information is being sought regarding the concern previously raised in relation to road signage and traffic diverting from State Highway 2 through Nireaha, and residents are encountering large trucks without lead vehicles in the centre of these country roads. · The option of bringing a driver simulator for student driver licence training in the district is being investigated. · Accident statistics for the district were presented.
9.2	Eketahuna Swimming Pool
9.2.1	Board Member Clifton reported the upgraded Eketahuna Swimming Pool facility is being well used and enjoyed in the hot summer weather that is occurring.
9.3	Cliff Walk
9.3.1	Board Member Carew reported a project to provide steps at Cliff Walk is being considered to be undertaken through a person doing community service work.

10.	Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Eketahuna
10.1	The Manager Strategy and District Development explained the considerations given to selecting a site in the town centre to situate an electric vehicle charging station.
10.2	The site needs to be located near to the power supply source, and is safe and suitable for parking while the vehicle is being charged.
10.3	The Manager Strategy and District Development is working with ChargeNet NZ to progress installing an electric vehicle charging station in Eketahuna.
10.4	Possible locations being considered are behind Council’s Eketahuna Service Centre/Library building, or in the vicinity of Tararua Autos.
10.5	The Board support an electric vehicle charging station being available in Eketahuna, and its preferred site remains in the vicinity of Tararua Autos.
10.6	The disadvantages of the site behind Council’s Eketahuna Service Centre/Library building are its close proximity to the recycling facility and a power pole, which would both need relocating.
10.7	The Board request the Manager Strategy and District Development to continue working with ChargeNet NZ to look at the viability of both site options, and to keep it informed of any intentions regarding proposals under consideration.
10.8	The Manger Strategy and District Development informed the Board the CCTV security cameras monitoring system has been replaced in the town centre, and options are being considered to improve the cameras night capacity.

11. Correspondence

11.1

That the correspondence as listed be received.

a) Loreen and Kerry Cunningham

Re: Eketahuna Camping Ground November and December reports

b) Eketahuna Our Town Incorporated

Re: 11 December 2019 Committee meeting minutes and reports

Treder/Clifton Carried

11.2

Loreen and Kerry Cunningham

11.2.1

The Board commend Eketahuna Camping Ground managers Loreen and Kerry Cunningham on producing the Eketahuna walk pamphlets that outline six walks and how to get there.

12.	Alf Rowden Humanitarian Award
12.1	The Board will advertise in the community newsletter nominations are open for the Alf Rowden Humanitarian Award (which recognises exceptional voluntary service or work in the Eketahuna community).
12.2	Anyone intending to nominate an individual can place this in writing setting out details of the person’s service, and include any letters of support from the relevant organisations or groups involved.
12.3	Nominations addressed to the Eketahuna Community Board Chairperson are to be left at the Eketahuna Service Centre/Library, and close on 31 March 2020.
12.4	The Governance Manager will collate them for forwarding to the Board for consideration at the April meeting as a public excluded item of business.

13.	Anzac Day
13.1	Memorial crosses are to be made in honour and remembrance of eighty-three people from Eketahuna community that died in the First World War.
13.2	Board Member Clifton will approach Pauline and Robin Wilson who have indicated they may consider undertaking traffic management plan arrangements for Anzac Day in Eketahuna at no cost.
13.3	The Board’s preference is the Eketahuna civic service Anzac Day parade march route continue to be held in Main Street (State Highway 2), but as an alternative other local roads could be used for that purpose.
13.4	The Board will cover from its discretionary funds the application fee for any road closures required for this event.

14. Chairperson’s Remarks

14.1

Nil

15. Items Not on the Agenda

15.1	Anzac Mounted Troopers Anzac Day Event and Afternoon Tea at Nireaha
15.1.1	The Anzac Mounted Troopers are coming to Eketahuna in acknowledgement of the contribution and service of the Eketahuna Mounted Rifles, and will join with the community on Anzac Day. They are led by Terry Kingi, and are primarily based in Canterbury and work closely with the Seventh Light Horse Gundagai Troop from Australia.
15.1.2	For this year’s Anzac Day commemorations in Eketahuna six mounted troopers (in full replica kit) and six horses will be travelling to Eketahuna, including two riders representing the Australian Light Horse Troop to reflect the true spirit of the Anzacs.
15.1.3	The troopers will be joined with six local mounted riders also in period uniform, and in total a troop of twelve is expected.
15.1.4	The troop will be present as a guard of honour at the Eketahuna Community Centre Anzac Day service at 10.00am, followed by the march to the Eketahuna War Memorial Hall for the wreath laying ceremony.
15.1.5	The twelve mounted troopers will leave around 12noon to ride out in formation to the Anzac Memorial Bridge at Kaiparoro bearing Australian and New Zealand flags, and shall provide a guard of honour at the 2.00pm commemorations.
15.1.6	The troopers will have a certified traffic management plan in place with pilot vehicles at the front and rear, and this event is not an open ride.
15.1.7	There will be a fundraising campaign under the umbrella of the Eketahuna/Mellemskov Museum to offset and support travel, food, accommodation and expenses for the fifteen to twenty guests involved.
15.1.8	Eketahuna/Mellemskov Museum will be exhibiting local mounted rifles memorabilia in the Eketahuna War Memorial Hall to coincide with proceedings on the day.
15.1.9	An Anzac Mounted Troopers afternoon tea will be held at Nireaha Hall, and Terry Kingi who leads the troopers will talk about the work he does with equine therapy and sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder.
15.1.10	Widespread invitations will be extended to the afternoon tea event, and any proceeds or donations received could go to the Eketahuna/Mellemskov Museum or to Terry Kingi’s group to support their work around the country.
15.2	Eketahuna Recycling Facility
15.2.1	Board Member Clifton shall contact a resident who expressed concern about the condition and untidiness of the Eketahuna recycling facility, and in response to the matters raised will advise them as follows: · CCTV security cameras monitor this area in terms of fly tipping and illicit dumping. · Where the culprit can be identified an infringement notice will be issued, and the cost of any clean-up is recovered from them. · Behaviour causing such situations is not tolerated by Council, and reports where this occurs are followed up by staff. · Residents with concerns regarding fly tipping and illicit dumping should contact Council and submit a service request outlining the details.

There being no further business the Chairperson thanked those present for their attendance and contributions, and declared the meeting closed at 12.05pm.

____________________________

Chairperson

Report

Date	:	19 February 2020
To	:	Mayor and Councillors Tararua District Council
From	:	Sarah Walshe Senior Financial Accountant
Subject	:	Six Months Performance for the period ending 31 December 2019
Item No	:	11.1

Contents

Executive Summary

1. Reason for Report

2. Background

3. Dashboard

Detailed Report

4. Operating Results and Variances

5. Summary of Service Performance Results

6. Capital Expenditure Report

7. Debtors Report

8. Treasury Report

9. Self-Funded Activities report

a. Forestry

b. Pensioner Housing

10. Compliance Exception Report

11. Recommendation

1. Reason for the Report

For the Council to :

· Receive and comment on Council’s Performance Report for the 6 months ending 31 December 2019.

· Provide indication of year end result.

· Update and where required, seek variations for capital expenditure projects for 2019/20.

2. Background

This report is the first six months of the 2019/20 financial year Performance Report which covers the period 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2019.

The structure and content of this report is consistent with the other quarterly reports. The purpose is to inform Council of the financial and non-financial performance, indicate expected year end results and seek variations identified for capital expenditure projects.

3. Dashboard

4. Operating Results and Variances

	2018/19 Actual 000’s	2019/20 Actual 000’s	2019/20 Budget 000’s	Variance 000’s
Revenue	18,623	20,094	18,754	1,340
Operating Expenditure	20,024	21,719	20,544	(1,174)
Operating Surplus/(Deficit)	(1,401)	(1,625)	(1,790)	166
Other Gains/(Losses)	-	-	-	-
Total Comprehensive Revenue & Expense	(1,401)	(1,625)	(1,790)	166

4.1 Overall Results

Council has achieved a favourable operating variance of $166,000 for the 6 months ending 31 December 2019. A deficit of $1.79 million was budgeted, but a deficit of $1.62 was achieved.

The following activities are the main contributors for the favourable variance:

· The emergency reinstatement funding from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) remains to be one of the main drivers of the favourable variance. As seen in the activity variance below, it accounts for $1,061,000 of the revenue received and an unfavourable variance in expenditure of $1,001,000.

· Commercial Investments – Harvesting of roadside stands $524,000 unfavourable offset by proceeds received of $186,000 favourable. Forestry is a self-funding activity and does not have a rates impact.

· Health & Safety – increase in building revenue exceeding budget as a result of the increased number of building consents issued by Council $52,000.

· Water Supplies – Ministry of Health grant received upon the completion of the Pongaroa Water Treatment Plant $451,000 offset by the increase in extraordinary maintenance costs incurred $76,000 as a result of the water issues the district is currently experiencing.

Note this list is not exhaustive and explained in more detail in sections 4.2 and 4.3 below

4.2 Operating Revenue

Activity	Variance	Favourable/ Unfavourable	Explanation
Cemeteries	($8,000)	O	Unfavourable variance relates to a lower number of interments compared to budget which has been offset by an increase in plot sales compared to budget of $6k.
Community Buildings	$30,000	P	Favourable variance relates to lease charges to FENZ for the use of Council buildings.
Housing	$32,000	P	We continue to see the favourable variance in housing with a 100% occupancy rate of Council owned flats. Council prepared the 2019/2020 budget based on a 90% occupancy rate. Expect there to be a favourable variance at year end.
Parks & Reserve	($41,000)	O	Unfavourable variance is a result of Domain Board revenue budgeted for that has not yet been processed as at 31 December ($65k). This has been offset by the $26k of funding received from Ministry of Business and Innovation for the Responsible Camping Funding Agreement in the first quarter.
Commercial Investments	$186,000	P	Favourable variance relates to the sale of roadside trees that had not been budgeted for. Forestry is a self-funding activity.
District Promotions & Development	$58,000	P	Favourable variance relates to unbudgeted funding we have received from the Provincial Growth Fund ($20k Alternative Land Use, $15k Tourism & Cycle/Walkway, and $20k Economic & Development project support). As well as minor increases in sales compared to budget at the i-site. Expect there to be a favourable variance in this area at year end.
Health & Safety	$52,000	P	Favourable variance is made up of building revenue exceeding budget by $63k. Council is seeing an influx of new house builds currently which are a major contributor to this variance. As at 31 December 184 consents were issued, with a further 57 that were on hold due to requests for information. This is offset by ($11k) from environmental health and liquor licencing where there is a cyclical nature in these activities. Expect there to be a favourable variance at year end.
District Planning	$15,000	P	Favourable variance is a result of an increase in subdivision income over budget for the quarter of $15k. Council is experiencing a huge volume of enquires in this area as well as the increased number in consents being processed. Council has processed 45 consents as at 31 December 2019 compared to 39 consents processed for the same period for the 2018/19 year and 27 consents processed for the same period for the 2017/18 year. Expect there to be a favourable variance in this area at year end.
Roading	$1,061,000	P	Favourable variance mainly relates to higher than expected NZTA subsidy with Council’s claim for emergency works for the period ending 30 June 2019 being accepted in October 2019. Also expenditure typically increases in the summer months when the reseal programme starts which leads to increased revenue as it is subsidised
Footpaths	($100,000)	O	Unfavourable variance is a result of lower than expected NZTA subsidy with works on footpath maintenance looking to begin in the remaining 6 months of the year.
Solid Waste	$43,000	P	Favourable variance is a result of a combination of higher than budgeted dumping fees ($38k) as a result of the increased fees and charges implemented 1 July 2019 (tonnage has remained relatively consistent with the same period last year). Also Council has received higher than budgeted trade waste levy received ($8k) which has been offset by slightly less than budgeted glass recycling revenue ($2k). Glass is only sent to Auckland when a truck and trailer are full to minimise transport costs.
Water supplies	$451,000	P	Favourable variance is made up of a $393k grant Council received from Ministry of Health for Pongaroa Water Treatment Plant, Council had budgeted for this in the 2016/2017 year. The remaining favourable variance is made up of an increase in revenue from metered water (a combination of the reduction of the cubic metre charge from 100 to 80 cubic metres, and an increase in the per cubic metre charge over the 80 cubes there has been a slight increase in water consumption for the period compared to the same period in the previous year) and revenue received from water restrictor installations not budgeted for. Expect there to be a favourable variance in this area at year end.
Support Activities	$81,000	P	Favourable variance is an increase in rates penalties applied compared to budget for the period. For budgeting purposes penalties are difficult to get the phasing and value correct as these vary year on year and quarter to quarter.

4.3 Operating Expenditure

Activity	Variance	Favourable/ Unfavourable	Explanation
Community Support	$15,000	P	Favourable variance relates to the timing of when Council grants are paid throughout the financial year compared to budget. These funding requests come in at various times making the budget phasing difficult to get correct.
Representation	$17,000	P	Favourable variance relates to the timing of when the increase in elected member’s remuneration pool was applied post-election. Expect this to be on budget at year end.
Cemeteries	$6,000	P	Favourable variance relates to savings in reactive extraordinary maintenance ($13k), offset by an increase in contract costs higher than budgeted.
Community Buildings	($63,000)	O	Unfavourable variance relates to building maintenance that has been carried out earlier than anticipated due to contractor availability. Also $34k spend that was not budgeted for was required for asbestos testing and removal that needed to take place. Council is anticipating there to be an unfavourable variance at year end.
Housing	($11,000)	O	The unfavourable variance relates to maintenance that has been carried out, Council is expecting this to be on budget come year end. Housing is a self-funding activity.
Libraries	($15,000)	O	Unfavourable variance is a result of higher operational costs. It is expected to improve over the remainder of the year.
Parks & Reserves	$78,000	P	As with the revenue side, the majority of this favourable variance ($65k) relates to domain board expenditure that has been budgeted for but not yet processed. The remainder of the variance relates to multiple ups and downs across maintenance areas with an overall favourable variance of $20k compared to budget which is reactive in nature. These favourable variances are offset by higher than budgeted insurance costs incurred.
Public Conveniences	($16,000)	O	Unfavourable variance relates to an increase in cleaning costs, as a result of an increase in CRM’s lodged and unbudgeted extraordinary maintenance carried out ($13k). Also with the funding Council received from the Ministry of Business & Innovation from the Responsible Camping Fund, Council has provided the Norsewood War Memorial Community Centre with a cleaning grant.
Swimming Pools	($37,000)	O	Unfavourable variance is made up of a combination of an increase in management fee paid to TACT and a one off payment from the depreciation reserve to TACT to enable the replacement of a pump. These are offset by timing of management fees Council pays to the remaining pool committees throughout the year, and lower than budgeted maintenance and electricity costs at 31 December 2019.
Commercial Investments	($524,000)	O	Unfavourable variance relates to costs incurred in the removal of roadside trees. Forestry is a self-funding activity.
District Promotions & Development	($10,000)	O	Unfavourable variance relates to an increase in consultant costs as a result of the Provincial Growth Funding Council received for economic development projects. This is to enable Council to utilise the PGF fund with completion of applications and project development. Expect there to be an unfavourable variance for this at year end.
Animal Control	($23,000)	O	Unfavourable variance relates to legal fees incurred in obtaining legal advice on various prosecutions ($15k), additional PPE gear required for Health & Safety purposes and the timing in which Council incurs dog registration printing and postage costs.
District Planning	$13,000	P	Favourable variance continues to be a result of savings in staff costs with having only an extra half FTE in this area with a full FTE being budgeted for. These savings are partially offset by the increase in external consultant fees to date with the engagement of a consultant primarily with the focus work on the Manawatu Gorge project to allow staff to process the rapidly increasing number of consents in this area and enquiries they are receiving.
Roading	($1,001,000)	O	Unfavourable variance is a result of higher emergency works that Council is continuing to experience. Emergency reinstatement costs incurred to date of $392k more than budgeted. Council is expecting the level of emergency works to continue for the next quarter while the backlog of work for the September 2018 and June 2019 events are completed. The remaining variance is due to roading expenditure work increasing in the summer months with the reseal programme starting. Expect there to be an unfavourable variance at year end.
Footpaths	$117,000	P	With the focus of works having taken place in the emergency reinstatement, Council is currently behind their operational spend in footpath maintenance. It is expected this will be carried out through the remainder of the year.
Solid Waste Management	$20,000	P	Favourable variance is made up of budgeted extraordinary maintenance ($9k) not spent at 31 December, these maintenance costs are reactive and will be spent as needed. There is also minor savings in contract costs of $8k and the remaining favourable variance is made up of minor ups and downs within the activity.
Stormwater Drainage	$24,000	P	Favourable variance is made up of stormwater drains maintenance that has been budgeted for but not yet completed, we anticipate this to be completed by year end.
Wastewater	$29,000	P	Favourable variance is made up of savings in salary costs due to the recruitment for the budgeted wastewater treatment operator being deferred. Initially Council were waiting for the resource consent to be approved before going ahead with the recruitment process, however now the priority has changed and the budgeted FTE will be moved to water supplies. Savings in regional council monitoring fees currently showing due to timing of Horizons invoices, and extraordinary maintenance being under due to its reactive nature. These favourable variances are being offset by an increase in contract treatment with the success of the desludging plant in Pahiatua, insurance premiums being more than budgeted, and an increase in telemetry costs.
Water Supplies	($76,000)	O	Unfavourable variance is a result of significantly higher extraordinary maintenance incurred as a result of water issues the district is experiencing. We are anticipating there to be an unfavourable variance at year end.
Support Activities	($161,000)	O	Unfavourable variance mainly relates to an in increase in software licences required with additional staffing levels, and an increase in staff costs with the additional IT support required and an increase in insurance costs with higher premiums driven by past events making New Zealand a high risk country. We are expecting there to be an unfavourable variance at year end.

5. Summary of Service Performance Results

Council use a range of service performance measures to monitor the service levels delivered to customers. Table 2 below highlights the performance for the first quarter:

	2019/20 measures			% (out of 112 measures)	Last Year Results
Category	Council	Survey	Mandatory	% (out of 112 measures)	Last Year Results
Achieved / On Target	26	15	32	65%	78%
Needs Improvement	3	8	-	10%	-
Not achieved	6	-	5	10%	19%
Measured at Year end (including baseline year measures)	14	-	3	15%	3%

Table 2: Service Performance Measures Results

Excluding baseline measures and those measured later in the year, Council are on track to achieve 77% of its performance measures compared to 78% achieved last year.

5.1 Community Survey

Council continue to undertake the community survey, with a planned total of 452 residents surveyed each year. The frequency of the survey has been reduced from quarterly last year, to three times this year, being October, February, and May. The February wave survey results have been included as part of this report.

The objectives of the survey are:

· To provide a robust measure of satisfaction with Council’s performance in relation to services.

· To determine performance drivers and assist Council to identify the best opportunities to further improve satisfaction, including satisfaction among defined groups within the district

· To assess changes in satisfaction over time and measure progress towards the Long Term Plan objectives.

5.1.1 Of the 23 survey measures 8 need improvement. The key ones are:

· Only 45% are satisfied with rural roads, and 75% with urban roads against a combined target of 75%.

o 145 out of 300 people are unsatisfied with rural roads, of these 107 were also unsatisfied with urban roads out of a total of 118 unsatisfied with urban roads.

o 107 out of 300 respondents commented that roads were the single most important issue facing Council. Climate events continue to be a significant challenge for the roading network, along with increased heavy vehicle movements on rural roads.

o Council continues to advocate and submit for external funding to upgrade Route 52, a critical road for both heavy traffic operators, residents and tourism traffic. The condition and safety aspects of this road is poor and is a major cause to dissatisfaction.

· Satisfaction with recycling collection services has declined from 82% in the first quarter to 79%. Only 19% have indicated they use the kerbside recycling service, with 76% using the recycling drop-off service at the transfer station. Management are undertaking a waste audit to identify options to increase resident recycling and identify education opportunities.

· Stormwater satisfaction is 66%. However, 45 of the 79 respondents unsatisfied live outside of the serviced stormwater network area.

· Satisfaction of the front line service centre staff (69%), and afterhours call centre (62%) is lower than the target of 85%. However, there was only 57 and 13 responses respectively. Our service centre staff were ranked in the top 10 out of all councils in NZ by an ALGIM mystery shopping test in November 2018.

5.1.2 Council’s reputation performance has increased significantly from the first survey (72% to 82%), with vision and leadership increasing from 74% to 85%.

5.1.3 Council and Mandatory Performance Measures

Council uses a range of measures and targets to inform how we are performing against agreed service levels. These measures range from complaints in the Customer Request Management (CRM) system, to physical inspection of assets. These measures are categorised as Council and Mandatory Performance measures. The Department of Internal Affairs mandates 40 mandatory measures with Council setting the targets to be achieved. Council measures are agreed during each Long Term Plan.

The following highlights the critical mandatory and Council measures requiring improvement:

· The water issues experienced in Woodville (December), and subsequently in Dannevirke (February) has resulted in 31 complaints regarding the continuity of supply exceeding the target of 24. A number of leaks in Woodville were identified and fixed, and the prolonged dry weather has reduced the amount of water Council can source from the rivers resulting in water restrictions.

· We are investing in IoT devices for extraordinary users and additional flowmeters to be able to actively monitor usage and better identify water loss. This data collection is also necessary for the upcoming water bylaw review.

· Council will not comply with Part 5 (protozoal compliance) of the NZ Drinking Water Standards this year. Council aims for all plants to have 24 hour monitoring in place by the end of the financial year with the completion of the Pahiatua Treatment Plant, however 12 months of data is required to be available for assessment once UV disinfection was installed. Therefore, plants that were commissioned in the previous 12 months also will not comply.

· The regulatory department continues to experience a significant increase in demand by way of enquiries. Both the planning department, and building control team are fielding an increased level of enquiries from people interested in building and subdividing. Of 184 building consents issued, 15 applications took longer than 20 working days, resulting in this measure not being met this year.

· The 50% increase in enquiries and the Manawatu-Tararua Highway project have impacted on the responsiveness of the planning team. As a result these 2 measures are unlikely to be met this year. The additional demand has negated the effect of the extra 0.5 planner resource. Planning consultants used to manage the overflow of work are also experiencing unprecedented demand meaning a limited ability to contract out the excess work.

6. Capital Programme Update

Council has used $12 million of its $29.3 million annual budget for 2019/20, across three reporting statuses:

· Planned/Business as Usual (BAU) projects: These projects are planned to be undertaken over the financial year. These can include multi-year projects. The composition of these can vary from very small works to major projects.

· Reactive programmes and works: These projects have budgets to allow for responsive work to be undertaken throughout the year if required, but an underspend in this area might be due to less or no need rather than lack of progress. Consequently, these projects should be separated when considering completion rates for the work programme.

· Projects with dependencies: These projects are those where the ability for Council to progress is subject to some external or internal factor. This means that most of these are currently on hold or delayed, pending the resolution of these factors. Again then, it is important to note this when considering completion rates.

The above graph highlights the changes in project phases as we progress through the financial year. The graph shows the shift mainly in the Planned/ BAU projects progressing through the stages from not started through to complete. As expected the remaining two categories (Projects with Dependencies/ Reactive programmes and works) have not progressed through the project stages too much.

In Quarter 2 we are seeing in the planned/ BAU category an additional 9 projects have been completed, the majority (48) are under way, with another 10 in the planning phase. This leaves us with seven which are not yet started, at the end of the second quarter highlights good progress overall.

The main highlights in the CAPEX report are:

· Pahiatua Main Street Upgrade: The installation of the new infrastructure is going well and is ahead of schedule. However, we had a delay of the reinstatement of footpaths to allow Chorus to put in their required ducting at the same time as our works are completed. The team are not expecting this to affect the overall project timeline and will catch up moving through the stages. Project team has implemented a process and committed resources to manage applications for external funding

· Pahiatua Water Treatment Plant: Work on the Pahiatua water treatment plant is in construction now, there was a four week delay with the wall panels requiring a redesign to be fabricated. The team are exploring options of how to make up this time during the works as they proceed. There may be a minor variation due to the delay, however, these costs are yet to be quantified.

· Consent Renewals: The Eketahuna and Pahiatua consent process has been under way and will be heading to the Environment Court late February. The costs for these have run over budget and are due largely to legal fees. These costs are necessary so we have the right information and support to ensure the optimal outcome for our consent renewals.

Of the reactive programmes and works, there are 17 projects or cost areas under way, and two which are in the planning stage. This reflects that this area is operating as intended, with budgets available for project work if the need arises.

7. Debtors Report

Council continues to manage the rates debtors by classifying them in to categories based on risk. This allows staff to take a risk-based approach to managing rates debtors.

We use internal resource and also the MWLASS Debt Management Central services (DMC) to manage/collect rates debtors in arrears.

7.1 Arrears Debtors

· We had 1,688 rating units in arrears at 1 July 2019 with 1,467 clearing their arrears at 31 December 2019 leaving 221 with an arrears balance. At 14 February 2020 there are 177 with a remaining arrears balance. Total collected and approved write off from 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2019 was $446,745 with a further $101,934 collected at 14 February 2020.

Debtor Arrears Collected 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2019

Date Collected	No of Debtors	Arrears Levy Owing	Arrears Interest Owing	Total Arrears Owing	Total Arrears Collected
1/07/2019	1,688	$1,058,602	$448,459	$1,507,061
30/09/2019	379	$ 844,893	$407,005	$1,251,898	$255,163
31/12/2019	221	$ 687,720	$372,596	$1,060,316	$191,582
14/02/2020	177	$ 610,091	$348,291	$ 958,382	$101,934
Total Collected & Approved Write Off 1 July 2019 to 14 February 2020					$548,679

Table 1.1

Debtors by $ Value as at 31 December 2019

	No of Rating Units 1/07/19	Arrears & Penalty as at 1/07/19	% of Debt Owed as at 31/12/19	No of Rating Units as at 31/12/2019	Arrears & Penalty as at 31/12/19
-$ 2,000-$ 0				1,467	-$1,091
$ 1-$ 500	1,303	$52,968		59	$9,730
$ 501-$ 1,000	137	$94,518		33	$23,764
$ 1,001-$ 1,500	49	$61,284	14%	22	$27,577
$ 1,501-$ 2,000	48	$86,739		27	$48,769
$ 2,001-$ 2,500	42	$93,097		15	$33,240
$ 2,501-$ 3,000	23	$62,996		4	$11,182
$ 3,001-$ 3,500	19	$62,386		8	$25,906
$ 3,501-$ 4,000	7	$25,743		1	$3,825
$ 4,001-$ 4,500	4	$17,087		4	$16,629
$ 4,501-$ 5,000	3	$14,718	29%	4	$19,296
$ 5,001-$ 7,500	12	$73,055		4	$22,549
$ 7,501-$10,000	4	$33,519		5	$44,064
$10,001-$25,000	6	$97,820		3	$69,173
$25,501-$50,000	3	$96,214		3	$95,514
Sub-total	1,660	$872,144	43%	193	$451,218

Table 1.2

Debtors by $ Value as at 31 December 2019 continued

	No of Rating Units 1/07/19	Arrears & Penalty as at 1/07/19	% of Debt Owed as at 31/12/19	No of Rating Units as at 31/12/2019	Arrears & Penalty as at 31/12/19
Maori Land	6	$34,162	3%	6	$34,162
Abandoned Land	11	$354,021	31%	11	$328,202
Legal Proceedings	11	$246,734	23%	11	$246,734
Sub-Total	28	$634,917	57%	28	$609,098
Total Arrears	1,688	$1,507,061	100%	221	$1,060,316
	Arrears Collected 1 Juy 2019 to 31 December 2019				$446,745

Table 1.3

7.2 How Council Manages the Debtors

We identify the rating units with arrears under the categories set out in table 1.3 above. We issue a friendly reminder after Instalment 1 and notification of the arrears being placed with DMC if still no payment received to clear the rates after Instalment 2. If we have had no response to these two letters after Instalment 3 we place the current instalment amounts with DMC. Although the current rates do not become overdue arrears until 1 July of the following year, DMC issues a letter which does in some cases result in full payment or an agreement plan. Some of the agreements are managed by Council if they approach us prior to us sending the arrears to DMC to manage. Any ratepayers who have still not responded to any letter and has a current mortgage interest on their record of title, DMC will issue a notice of intent to make a formal demand on the mortgage on behalf of Council to both the ratepayer and the mortgagee. Three months after the notification if payment is still not made DMC will make the formal demand to the mortgagee to clear the balance outstanding. Council’s other options are to take legal action through a rating sale or if the ratepayer is unable to be found or known to be deceased and the land not transferred to an executor sold through the abandoned land process.

7.3 Comparison to 2018/2019

At this period last year we had 172 ratepayers with arrears of $320,349 that would have been in the first sub-total of table 1.2. We are always looking at different ways of reaching out to those who are missing paying their rates. A direct debit authority form is issued within the rates notice twice a year with a brochure explaining the benefits of spreading over the year and never missing a payment no matter what is happening at the due date etc. We have 4,507 of the 9,868 rateable rating units (46%) on direct debit currently. We have changed our overdue letter from a lot of words to a more visual letter using flags of where they are in the options available to Council to recover rates. In 2018/2019 we processed 806 Rate Rebates with $451,827 paid by the Department of Internal Affairs. For 2019/2020 we have processed 504 rebates with $283,636 paid to their rates. We will follow up with a letter to remind those who applied last year to get their application to us and enter a reminder in the Bush Telegraph.

7.4 Agreements

Ratepayers who are on agreements have had their payments calculated on current rates, arrears and penalty at the time of the agreement to meet the agreed timeframe. We have now included a percentage to allow for future current rates while the agreement is completed. Any payment received is allocated to the arrears penalty first, then rate arrears and then to current penalty and rates. This does mean that current rates and penalty with payments not allocated in the years of the agreement are then transferred to the arrears balance at the end of each rating year. We continue to apply penalty throughout the agreement period. Those on agreement when completed or if the agreement is going well after 2 years will have their penalty remitted.

7.5 Maori Land

We have 6 rating units that are Maori Freehold titled land that we cannot find the owners or they have advised they are no longer using the land. Council is following the process for Maori Freehold land under Sections 91 to 117 of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002.

7.6 Legal Proceedings

Debt Management Central have been progressing 11 rating units where there is no mortgage on the property so a formal demand cannot be made. These will progress to a rating sale if payment is not made in full. This can take over a year to complete with the processes required in the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 Sections 59 to 76. One of these rating units was paid up to date in December 2019.

7.7 Abandoned Land

Of the 11 Abandoned Land rating units, 6 have no Record of Title applied to the rating unit – these may have been destroyed in the Napier Earthquake of 1931 and not replaced by Land Information NZ. Council will be approaching Land Information NZ to see if they can assist in getting a Record of Title for the land to enable Council to sell the rating unit. We will be working with DMC to get the remaining 5 rating units sold under the Abandoned Land process prescribed in the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002. There are 2 rating units in Eketahuna, and 1 in each Pongaroa and Dannevirke that we will be putting through the full process. One rating unit in Eketahuna went through the process in 2008 however didn’t sell at that time. We will add this one to the tender process.

Our estimated timeline for the abandoned land is:-

Advertise our intention to sell the land 18/03/2020

Check if any payment made 1 month after advert date 23/04/2020

File documents in Court 20/05/2020

Orders made 22/06/2020

Advert of Tender 10/07/2020

Tender Close 6/08/2020

Settlement 28/08/2020

We will get the advertisement placed in the Bush Telegraph and Wairarapa Times Age for Council’s intention to sell the rating units

8. Treasury Report

8.1 Compliance with Investment Policy

Council complies with the Treasury Risk Management Policy, with no non-compliance noted. However, we are at policy minimums for fixed rate borrowing to allow participation in the current low interest environment.

8.2 Current External Debt Position

Council has core debt as at 31 December of $25 million, and short-term borrowing of $4 million, all with the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA). This is against a budgeted external debt position of $27 million.

In the 2^nd quarter (December), Council took out a new short-term borrowing of $3 million for 3 months at an interest rate of 1.46%. This will be converted to long term debt on maturity.

In April 2020, $2million LGFA loan matures. We will explore the option of pre-funding this in March if a risk of increasing credit margins emerges from economic uncertainties resulting from coronavirus.

It is forecast that Council’s debt will exceed the budgeted $27 million by the end of the financial year. There are two main drivers for this;

· The closing balance as at 30 June 2019 was $4 million higher than the budgeted opening balance in the Annual Plan of $21 million.

· Increases in planned budgets in the Annual Plan for 2 key projects (being Pahiatua Water Treatment Plant and Pahiatua Town Centre upgrade totalling $2 million).

External debt is predicted to be $33 million by year end. Although this is significantly higher than planned, it is still lower than Council’s self-imposed limits on borrowing, with Council’s financial strategy having mechanisms to ensure future headroom for borrowing, being significantly lower than Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) borrowing covenants. These will be revisited as part of the 2021 Long Term Plan.

LGFA debt is at varying terms ranging from 5 months to 10 years.

8.3 Cash Flow Management and Liquidity

Cash and cash investments for the six months ending December was $3.9 million, being slightly higher than budget by $0.4 million. The higher cash position was achieved by borrowing $3 million of short term commercial paper in December.

The Official Cash Rate (OCR) remains currently at 1.00%. Although the rate is expected to remain low, previous indicators of further cuts being priced in by the major banks is not looking likely. Although the low interest rates are not positive for investing surplus cash, Council has planned for a significant increase in external debt in the 2018-28 Long Term Plan, with the low OCR supporting lower financing costs for external borrowings.

8.4 Interest Rate Risk Management Strategy

Council continue to focus on managing its interest rate risk position, maintaining a mixture of floating and fixed (by way of swaps) interest debt. Currently, our strategy is to have interest rate fixing at policy minimums to allow active participation in the low interest rates currently on offer. Therefore no fixed rate swap arrangements have been transacted so far this year.

Careful consideration of an appropriate level of protection against potential interest rate increases in the future continues. Swap rates are currently falling and we are working with our treasury advisers on an appropriate strategy to manage the interest rate risk on Council’s increasing debt projected in the 2018-28 Long Term Plan.

We plan to review the Treasury and Risk Management Policy in the current calendar year as part of the Long Term Plan 2021 programme, including the minimum limits on the amount of fixed vs floating debt that can be held.

8.5 Debt Financing Cost

Interest expense is slightly higher than budget, being $16,000 higher than budget. This is due to the higher opening balance on external debt than expected. Council’s effective interest rate was 3.2%, consistent with the budgeted rate of 3.4%.

8.6 Debt Limits

Debts to be managed within the following limits subject to the Council continuing to control and maintain its share of the roading network requirements in the event of civil emergencies:

Item	Borrowing Limit	Actual
Net external debt as a percentage of total revenue	<100%	67%
Net interest on external debt as a percentage of total revenue	<7%	2.02%
Net interest on external debt as a percentage of annual rates income (debt secured under debenture)	<10%	1.73%
Liquidity (External term debt+ committed loan facilities +cash and cash equivalents to existing external debt )	>110%	123%

9. Self-Funded Activities

9.1 Forestry - Summary for the 6 months ending 31 December 2019

The forestry activity has made a deficit of $376,000 for the 6 months ending 31 December 2019. This is mainly due to a shift in focus in this activity. A majority of the costs incurred have been for the removal of roadside trees to increase the safety of our roading network. We are in discussions with NZTA to see if this could be included as a subsidised activity which would see the expenditure offset with a subsidy. Also, with the coronavirus outbreak the price of logs has dropped dramatically, therefore, no commercial logging has taken place. The removal of the roadside trees is currently being funded from Council reserves.

Gross expenditure was $578,000 against a planned budget of $50,000 this was to ensure key arterial routes remain open.

9.2 Pensioner Housing - Summary for the 6 months ending 31 December 2019

The pensioner housing activity is currently operating at a net surplus of $14,000 for the 6 Months ended 31 December 2019. The surplus is driven from having high occupancy rates.

Total revenue was $238,000 against a budget of $206,000. This favourable increase is driven by high occupancy rates, with demand for units significantly higher than the number of units available. It is expected revenue will continue growing and exceeding budget at year end.

Total operating expenses of $224,000 was higher than the year to date budget of $212,000. This is due to the timing of maintenance works carried out in the units, where work is completed as required

The current reserve balance at 31 December 2019 is $1,007,000.

10. Compliance Exception Report

10.1 Financial Prudence Benchmarks

Council is in breach of the rates (increases) affordability benchmark for the 2019/2020 financial year. Council had very little headroom when preparing the planned rates increase and although the planned rates increase was less than the limit, when the rates were struck the growth within our rating database was more than anticipated. This has had the effect of increasing Council’s overall rates revenue.

10.2 Investment Policy

No non-compliance noted.

10.3 Liability Management Policy

No non-compliance noted.

10.4 Accounting Standards

Management is clarifying with Audit New Zealand whether Tararua Aquatic Community Trust is required to be included in Council’s Annual Report on consolidation. This is not considered material and did not affect Council’s audit opinion in the 2019 Annual Report. No non-compliance is noted.

10.5 Rating Remissions Policy

All remissions provided were compliant with policy.

10.6 Specific Policy on Giving Security

Council has not provided any guarantees to date.

10.7 Local Government Act (LGA)

Council received an unmodified audit opinion for the 2018/19 Annual Report and Summary Annual Report, with no issues noted.

11. Recommendation

11.1 That the report from the Senior Financial Accountant dated 19 February 2020 concerning Six Months Performance for the period ending 31 December 2019 (as circulated) be received and the contents are noted.

Attachments

Nil.

Report

Date	:	20 February 2020
To	:	Mayor and Councillors Tararua District Council
From	:	Blair King Chief Executive
Subject	:	Staff Report
Item No	:	11.6

Reason for the Report

This report is to update Councillors on key projects and items of interest over the period from 23 January 2020 to 17 February 2020.

Key Points

Dannevirke Critical water shortage and district wide drought conditions

With river levels dropping across the region in the continued drought like conditions, Horizons have started collating district wide impacts, on a regional basis. This means they will be treating it similar to an emergency event, but at a coordination and information sharing level. Given the other drought issues across the country there is a fair bit of interest at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA-was MCDEM) level so our collective picture can inform them as well.

Dannevirke is the most critical of our supplies, with Pahiatua next most at risk. Whilst the Dannevirke impounded supply of 130,000m3 was aimed at supplementing town for 90 days, we are coming up to 90 days since December 3 2019, ie when our river abstraction limit dropped to 54 litres/second. Compared to a similar 90 day timeframe in 2018-19, we drew down on the impounded supply for about 20 days. Usual usage at this time of year is about 75 litres/second, by cutting flowrates to rural extra-ordinary users, education on total hosing ban, we are still consuming 9-10 litres/second more than the 54 litres/sec we can legally abstract.

We have talked with key business users on what they need to still operate but help us maintain adequate water for public health. This reflects the wider issues that the drought conditions are affecting the ability of farms to carry stock but processing plants need water to be able to double shift and cater for the stock being sent to the works.

The current contingency plan if the Tamaki River is unable to continue at 54 litres / second, would include usage of KiwiRail’s rail tanker system similar to what they did in previous Earthquake events in the South Island. Water would be sourced from Palmerston North and pumped into our mains in a double shift arrangement. That would be nearly 20% of the total daily usage.

Work on the water bylaw to require compliance with separate tanks for resilience and stock water, and possibly fire appliance connections, continues. The Australian Bushfires along with those recently in Northland and Hawke’s Bay, are highlighting risks to properties where such water storage is not available. The current bylaw does have rules on water tanks, but this needs updating to reflect the new Drinking Water Regulator requirements that any drinking water storage from Council mains, be separated from tanks collecting rain water.

Society of Local Government (SOLGM) Managers briefing:

Over 3-4 February 2020, I attended a two day briefing on likely topics and challenges for local government.

The major theme was on individual and staff wellbeing, especially the health and safety risks through having fatigued colleagues persevere under continuous deadlines to meet external commitments. Sir John Kirwan highlighted the national suicide rate and what we as employers need to step up to ensure staff can go home safely.

On the legal front, the Ombudsman noted good practice examples for Official Information Act responses, and where organisations fell short of their requirements. Too often, Judge Peter Boshier’s office require information to be released after it was withheld or redacted without sound legal basis, where the organisation was relying on flawed legal advice, or that the information was “protected”.

The Chief Employment Justice noted a similar theme where organisations failed the good employer test in decisions. Her Honour Christina Inglis talked on decisions where employers had spent significant legal sums defending their actions over what was a minor dispute, rather than using the mechanisms in the Employment Relations Act, and equally what happened where employers could demonstrate reasonableness in their processes.

Simpson Grierson law firm partners discussed the impacts of new and proposed Government Policies or legislation on Councils ability to meet the four wellbeings in a cost-sustainable manner. There was a consensus that “true north” now existed for drinking water, in that all the steps that suppliers need to do, are known. The funding and resourcing those steps, is an area that Councils need to collaborate on to meet. Urban development, protection of indigenous landscapes and values, wastewater and fresh water rules, zero carbon, climate mitigation, were challenges yet to be aligned or their impacts fully understood.

Deloitte’s advised on recent fraud cases that had been investigated, and the prevailing conditions that enabled this. David Seath noted common high risk situations included

- Whether there was an organisational culture of requiring compliance with instructions, rather than enabling questions of why or support for holding off payment until verification obtained;

- No internal control environment showing a separation of invoicing and accounts payable;

- A low frequency of reconciling fixed asset register with insurance and vehicle registration databases, and

- A lack of guidance and leadership on how to openly handle potential conflicts of interest from gifts being offered by suppliers or stakeholders, whilst ensuring an active healthy working relationship.

SOLGM identified 5 transitions occurring

- Transition to low emissions living. Without significant reduction in emission of ‘greenhouse gases’, global warming is expected to exceed 1.5°C.

- Transition to living in a disrupted climate. Many communities in New Zealand are already dealing with the consequences in even the last five years of new temperature and rainfall records, more frequent heatwaves and extreme rainfalls, droughts tornadoes, wildfires and flooding.

- Transition to a low waste society. How we have approached waste historically is no longer going to be feasible. We need not only to recover resources at the end of their use rather than disposing of them, but also to only use resources in the first place in ways that will ensure they don’t generate waste.

- Transition to community interconnectedness. Community interconnectedness and the trust it generates will be crucial for making these five transitions

- Transition to learning-empowered communities. In order to navigate these changes, we will need everyone’s contributions as we learn our way forward together, and to do this everyone needs to be an empowered learner.

Sealing of Documents

The Mayor and Chief Executive signed the following documents under Council’s common seal:

· Agreement with Woodville In Focus Incorporated for operating Woodville swimming pool

· Memorandum of lease with Woodville AFC Incorporated for Hockey Park

· Agreement with Eketahuna Baths Management Committee for operating Eketahuna swimming pool

Audit and Risk Committee

As determined by Council the Audit and Risk Committee is chaired by an external appointee. In the previous term this position was held by Kevin Ross, and he has indicated his availability to continue in this role until an appointment is made for this term.

The Audit and Risk Committee’s first meeting is scheduled to be held on 17 March 2020, and an item of business on that agenda will be a report from the Chief Financial Officer on the intended recruitment process for Audit and Risk Committee Chairperson.

In the meantime until that process is complete Kevin Ross will continue on an interim basis to fulfil the role of Chairperson for the Audit and Risk Committee, with its meetings scheduled to be held on the third Tuesday at 1.00pm in the months of March, June, August and October.

The Alliance

Executive Summary

With the continued dry weather in the District - our delivery team have been tracking well against planned timelines but now have a new challenge. A key component to road construction is water – it’s used to help bind materials together - and unfortunately Horizons restrictions of reduced draw from rivers has meant we have had to limit our usage. In terms of a visible effect this has meant our road sweeper, footpath cleaning and roadside vegetation spraying activities have had to cease until restrictions are eased – townships may look below our usual “level of service” as a consequence. The other effect to the Alliance is a slowing of the construction progress and potentially increased costs where water is brought from further afield than we would normally do.

Our three waters team have been closely working with the output of the leak detection survey work currently underway in Dannevirke to ensure any leaks found are remedied as quickly as possible. We have been suspending business as usual work whenever required to ensure a collaborative approach to minimising water wastage can occur with the wider council water team. We will continue to support council with this as a priority to ensure a positive outcome for the community.

The recruitment drive within the Alliance continues with advertisements out for the Alliance Manager – renamed “Alliance Director”, Asset Manager, Roading Operations Manager and Asset Engineer. We are lucky to have support from further afield in the Downer community so the team are still able to perform all necessary functions. With the LTP and Activity Management Plans key projects to achieve over the next 12 months the local team have begun shoring up external assistance to ensure the timelines are met with a combination of internal Downer help and external consultants.

Planning

The planning team are working hard to prepare for next season as well as complete all requirements for this season. Our Roading Asset Engineer is moving back to Auckland shortly and so has been working to ensure we’re not left in the lurch while looking for his replacement by ensuring our renewals programme for next season is in place before he goes. Achieving this has meant we’ve been able to do plan out the enabling works for those sites already – the earlier these works are done the better outcome we will achieve with the renewal programme.

In conjunction with that preparation work, our road maintenance programme has been planned out almost to the end of the financial year. Once again, the further out we can plan our works the better efficiencies we can achieve and hence more savings from that work can be reinvested back into the network.

A workshop has been held with the other Downer Road Alliance asset management teams. The primary focus was to discuss the Roading AMPs and how the team could leverage of the wider Downer communities. The team shared a couple of presentations on different methodologies of presenting the AMPs as well as current messages coming from NZTA regarding this work. The Downer support team will be helping with some generic content around methodologies as well as some writing and graphic art support from the Downer Bid team.

Our three waters modelling work continues with the data collection for the Dannevirke model now underway. As the most extensive sewer network in Tararua this will take some time to put it together but as per the other models it will likely give an insight into the capacity and risks on the network. One of the functions of the tool is to be able to simulate blockages in the system and determine how the network would respond – this will be used to prioritise the suggested repairs that are the output from the Trunk Main waste water CCTV condition inspection currently being undertaken.

The design team continues to focus on ensuring it stays ahead of the delivery team. They are almost through the designs required for the Emergency Works permanent repairs and are now working on the Minor Improvement, Seal Extension and Carpark projects that require design work, including but not limited to the list below. These sites are part of an indicative programme of works that are currently in late design phase with hopes that most of this can be completed this financial year, if not early in the next.

· Weber / Speedy Rd Intersection Realignment & Seal Extension	· Waihi Valley / Waihi Falls Rd Intersection Realignment & Seal Extension	· Easton St Widening
· Oxford Rd Widening	· Alfredton Rd Pedestrian Crossing	· Riccarton Rd Carpark
· Priest Rd Widening	· Franklin / R52-0063 Intersection Improvements	· Eketahuna Main St Mobility Carpark Access

Delivery

Roading

Everyone is now back from their Christmas break and refreshed ready for the year ahead. Although the Christmas period was reasonably quiet, a big thanks goes out to the staff that worked through the break keeping on top of general maintenance and allowing others to rest up.

Pre reseal repairs are ongoing in preparation for our reseals programme and are well on track to be completed in mid-February. The drainage and pavement teams will then shift their focus to next year’s pre-reseal repairs and safety faults across the network.

The Renewals programme remains well on track as the Construction and Resealing team work their way through the network. The Construction team continue the work in Weber township which was started prior to the break. The Reseal team have completed the Urban reseals with minimal disruption and are continuing the Rural programme.

Our Emergency works programme is also tracking really well with a number a large projects underway across the network. With great assistance from sub-contractors we are well placed to have all of our emergency works completed before the end of the financial year.

After the Christmas break, the Alliance took possession of a new stabilising mill to complement our refurbished cement spreader and cement storage pod which is now setup in the Oringi depot. The stabilising mill fixes pavement faults by milling cement into the existing pavement to strengthen it. We typically do 20,000m2 (approx.) of these repairs per annum across the network. With the new plant, the team can now store cement at the depot, transfer it to site and spread it on the road all with the cement spreader truck. This saves manhandling of cement bags therefore minimising safety concerns and also allows the team to apply a consistent application rate therefore improving quality and productivity.

Pahiatua Upgrade

Sub – Contractors are back on site after a much needed break, they are progressing down the western side of Main Street with the Sewer install.

The mid-central team are continuing with the water main install from Wakeman Street over to Tui Street along with continuing the install down the main road. Water restrictions have caused some minor delays with being able to pressure test the new installs but the team have overcome this by importing water from Palmerston North to keep the project moving.

We are also starting to see a lot more activity with the above ground works also. Stage 1 and 2 footpaths will very shortly be re-instated following ducting installs for Chorus. This along with Kerb and Channel repairs and chip sealing of the Roads will see stage one nearing completion which will quickly be followed by stage 2.

Water Renewals

Our focus remains over the next 3-4 weeks to complete, test and disinfect the new 300mm trunkmain in Wakeman St - Pahiatua. This will then be connected to the watermains currently being installed within the CBD upgrade project.

During January we replaced 3 x full water laterals, manifolds and two fire Hydrants that were past their service life. We have also installed, new 3water service connections to 5 sections in Woodville and Eketahuna.

General water maintenance has been busy, with any water leak having been easily identified due to the very dry ground. With the water restrictions currently in place it has been our priority to respond to these as quickly as possible.

Wastewater

We have replaced an old poured instuite wastewater manhole in Tiraumea Rd - Pahaitua.

Davies Waste Solutions are contining to CCTV the 12km of larger wastewater pipes around the district. During the CCTV a crictial repair was identified in Allardice St Dannevirke, due to a broken pipe and subesquent tomo. The repair was completed the next day.

Performance

Plant and Property

Executive Summary

Wastewater Discharge consent renewals:

Council’s lawyers Buddle Finlay had a judicial telephone conference call on 17 January 2020 to discuss the next steps in the proceedings, including outstanding issues under appeal and timetabling for other parties' evidence and for a hearing. Following the call, the Court issued the attached minute. The key outcomes of are:

· The Court directed that:

o any party wanting to file evidence on the issues remaining in dispute must do so by 5pm, Friday 14 February 2020

o Expert conferencing on the remaining issues would be held by the end of February 2020 (more on this below)

o TDC is then due to file any rebuttal evidence by 5pm, Friday 13 March 2020

o A hearing would be facilitated as soon as practicable thereafter.

Water:

The District water supplies are under constant monitoring from staff with the rivers and streams being in the lowest flows for some time. This relates then to the Councils Resource consent water take availability being on the lowest flow trigger for extraction for staff to meet the town demands. The river and stream flows are extremely low compared to the same time last year.

We had ceased taking water from the Mangapapa Stream as per our consent conditions since the 23 January 2020, but were asked to reopen to 0.8 litres/second at the request of MPI to Horizons Regional Council for 5 days to mitigate a stock welfare issue. We are fully reliant on the impounded supply with about 1m of water from the reservoir to 19 February. Same time last year the flow in the stream was reasonably similar with the odd day with some rainfall.

The Tamaki River at present is the lowest recorded since 1977, currently flow is at 36 litres/second over our weir, with the equivalent last year being 228 l/sec. Our consent condition for water take was still 54 l/sec the difference being we have being in low flows in the Tamaki River since late Oct early November 2019 so we have been supplementing water from the impounded supply since then. January 2019 the river take met the town demand without reducing the water level in the impounded supply storage for 29 days of the month. December 18 days of the month the same thing.

From 3 December 2019 up to 18 February, we have been constantly supplementing the town demand from the impounded supply and we have used over 90,000 m3 of stored water without the ability to harvest any.

The Manawatu River at the Weber Rd in Dannevirke is at present 1131mm compared to 2206mm same time last year. Over a metre less water flowing down the river. This does have a flow on effect and show how dry the area is at present.

Taumata Arowai - Water Services Regulator Bill

The Government Bill would establish Taumata Arowai – the water services regulator as a new crown agent and provide for its objectives, functions and operating principles. It would also provide for its governance arrangements, including the establishment of a board and Maori Advisory Group.

Taumata Arowai’s general functions are to provide national-level oversight, leadership, communication, and co-ordination in relation to—drinking water safety and regulation, including the management of risks to sources of drinking water; and the environmental performance, management, and regulation of wastewater and stormwater networks; and identify and monitor matters that affect the safety of drinking water, and the environmental performance of wastewater and stormwater networks, including current and emerging contaminants; and develop standards that relate to drinking water composition and develop other regulatory requirements and measures necessary to fulfil its responsibilities

Provide oversight of the information to central and local government in relation to,—the development, operation, and effectiveness of standards, regulations, and other statutory requirements for wastewater and stormwater.

Compliance and monitoring and enforcement of standards, regulations, and other statutory requirements affecting wastewater networks, stormwater networks, wastewater network operators, and stormwater network operators; and monitor and enforce compliance with relevant drinking water legislation and standards, and other regulatory requirements.

Taumata Arowai has responsibility; and facilitate, promote, or support research, education, and training, to support drinking water safety and regulation, the management of risks to sources of drinking water, and the environmental performance, management, and regulation of wastewater and stormwater networks;

Similarly build and maintain the capability of drinking water suppliers to fulfil their regulatory responsibilities; and provide guidance, advice, or information on matters that relate to drinking water safety and regulation, the management of risks to sources of drinking water, and the environmental performance, management, and regulation of wastewater and stormwater networks.

Identify, prepare, and promote national guidelines and good practices that relate to— drinking water; and wastewater networks.

Property

Swimming Pools

All swimming pools have been functioning well with good use.

Camping Grounds

Camping grounds have been busy during the summer months. Dannevirke had 980 people through for the month of January and Eketahuna had 633 for the month of December.

Waihi Falls Track Upgrade

Work commenced on the 3^rd February and is now well underway. The track has been metalled at the bottom with a small clearing. All but two of the main step structures have been put in place. The contractors are now currently back filling these steps as shown in the photos. There are 2 more step structures to be installed in the top part of the track along with a 6 metre long fenced viewing platform. It is hoped that this work will be completed by the end of February.

Parks & Reserves

While the weather has been hot and dry there has been little, if any grass growth around the district. This has given contractors a chance to catch up on other things within the contracts.

Dannevirke Domain Playground Matting

New matting has been installed under the boat playground equipment at the Dannevirke Domain. This also has a rubber shock pad underneath to bring it into compliance with the playground Standards.

Flying Fox – Waterwheel Park, Norsewood

Some time ago, the flying fox at Waterwheel Park collapsed and has been out of commission since. We were very lucky not to have had someone injured when this incident happened.

We have done some investigation on what would be needed to get this apparatus up to specification and certified to avoid any possible prosecution if an incident involving injury arose. This would require a comprehensive inspection and report by a certified structural engineer, any changes to the structure as required by the engineer; correct tensioning of the wire rope, certification and the correct softfall zone underneath the apparatus. These requirements would require a very large amount of expenditure.

After consultation with the Chief Executive, it was decided that due to expense and the Health and Safety risk involved due to the height of this apparatus that this apparatus decommissioned.

Council will look at budgeting in the Long Term Plan for a replacement apparatus of some type.

District Water

Dannevirke Impound Supply

District Wastewater

Pahiatua

The pilot DAF (Dissolved Air Flotation) wastewater plant is having some extremely good results in relation to some of the conditions that are expected from our consent conditions.

Date		Until 24 months following consent commencement	From 24 months following consent commencement	Post UV (leaving plant)
				g/m3
8/01/2020	Suspended Solids	41g/m3	15g/m3	6
	BoD Soluble	23 g/m3	5 g/m3	<1
	BOD5			<6
	Ammoniacal Nitrogen	10 g/m3	10 g/m3	0.12
	DRP	1 g/m3	0.50 g/m3	0.010
	E.coli (cfu/100ml)	600MPN/100ml	260MPN/100ml	<4
	Total Nitrogen			2.43

22/01/2020	Suspended Solids			6
	BoD Soluble			<1
	BoD5			7
	Ammoniacal Nitrogen			0.21
	DRP			0.017
	E.coli (cfu/100ml)			4
	Total Nitrogen			1.81

31/01/2020	Suspended Solids			5
	BoD Soluble			<1
	BoD5			3
	Ammoniacal Nitrogen			0.68
	DRP			0.011
	E.coli (cfu/100ml)			<100
	Total Nitrogen			2.25

Solid Waste

Staff have been working constantly with our contractor at the Dannevirke Transfer station to get on top of the recycling backlog and the general untidiness of the waste pit and surrounding area of the transfer station. They have had operational staff from Rotorua working onsite 3 days a week assisting with getting programs into staff and truck issue as well as transportation of recycling and waste to the CHB landfill.

Economic Development, Communications and District Marketing

Economic Development

Alternative Land Use

Mark, Angela and Malcolm met with consultants from AgFirst and discussed the findings from the final report - “Sustainable Land Use Opportunities for the Tararua District”.

Council also discussed the upcoming presentation at the AgriFood Week where TDC will present a Land Diversification Forum, including providing tools such as a decision tree tool for farmers and investors.

Mark and Angela also met with Professor Peter Kemp of Massey University and Amos Palfreyman of Food HQ to discuss the project and their potential involvement in the Forum.

Right Tree Right Place

We have been successful in an application for funding from Te Uru Rakau (1 Billion Trees Programme) to investigate 10 tree species (excluding Pine) in a local context that include commercial potential/returns, regulatory consents, ability to establish and the impacts on the local ecosystem and community.

Infometrics

Angela and Malcolm attended a workshop help by Infometrics who are scoping a specifically designed service for the Horizons region.

Beef & Lamb NZ

Mark, Angela, Nicole and Peter Wimsett met with Angela McFetridge of Beef & Lamb NZ who are investigating the quantity of farms being sold for forestry.

Business Support

One new business client was assisted with preparation for a lending application to purchase a business.

Events

Dannevirke District A&P Show

This year the A&P “Safety Precinct” included Tararua District Council, and the Tararua Alliance, Horizons Road Safe Central, Tararua Police prevention team, Dannevirke Volunteer Fire Brigade, and RNZA Linton.

With safety messages from every angle, we had it covered. We ran competitions for children and adults, with the aim of the competition to get people to visit each exhibit while answering key safety questions.

Some of the activities to get involved in were the escape my house maze and virtual reality fire simulation, hands on with military weapons and vehicle, a tsunami wave generator, construct an earthquake proof lego house challenge, sit in a bigger yellow digger, our drones on display, try wearing booze goggles, and have a go at fingerprinting.

Also part of the civil defence site we asked people to share their experiences in the Mother’s Day earthquake and there were many stories told (none unfortunately on video which was our aim).

2020 International Woodville New Zealand MX Grand Prix (Woodville Motocross)

The Council continue to provide support for the Woodville MotoX primarily through funding an event professional to support the club. New initiatives this year included participant registrations at the Woodville Sports Centre on the Friday night, EFTPOS availability at the gate, and a number of new sponsors brought on board including Spark and Tui Brewery. Council switched its sponsorship to the mini track for children this year alongside FlyPalmy. The Mayor was provided the opportunity to speak to the crowd prior to the river race starting.

The online campaign was a quiet success gathering 1,800 interested users to the online event. With the campaign totalling $327 total, we have found Facebook marketing to be highly effective in extending reach on the digital platform. A report of the campaign has been sent through to the organisers.

Marketing collateral was also produced for the supplementary event held by Tui Brewery that was handed out at the event.

TARARUA I-SITE REPORT – January 2020

Welcome Packs

There were 36 packs sent out in January, 29 of these were sent to purchasers outside the Tararua District

Inaugural Tararua Golf Open

There have been 25 registrations from NZMCA members. The tournament is to be held 14-15 February at Dannevirke Golf Club. Local prizes have been sought from Tui Brewery, NZ Natural Clothing and Pukaha. Welcome packs have been made up for the Golfers.

Railcar through the Gorge

The i-SITE has been very busy selling tickets for the new Highway walk and then assisting Pahiatua Rail Restoration Group with the sale of tickets for the Railcar trips through the Manawatu Gorge on 22 & 23 February.

Regulatory

Building Services

Quality Management System

Council is a Building Consent Authority (BCA). Regulations require BCAs are accredited and have a system that supports quality and continuous improvement in their management and operation. This includes consenting and inspecting building work and issuing code compliance certificates.

The building team and BCA Quality Manager have started implementing their action plan, to clear all non-compliances by the due date (6 April 2020) to renew Council’s accreditation.

Building Consents

The table below is a comparative summary of building consent statistics, from July to January:

Building Consents	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20
No. of Applications Received	173	192	228
No. of Inspections Requested	592	564	667
No. of Applications Processed	161	222	219
% Processed within Statutory Timeframes	96%	73%	93%
No. of Inspections Performed	905	804	1,040
Total Value of Applications Processed	10,210,814.00	11,719,910.00	15,560,332.00

Animal Control

Public Education and Information

No articles were planned or published in January.

Annual Dog Re-registration

Annual dog re-registration was due on 1 August. Follow up activities by the animal control team have resulted in an additional 20 dogs being registered since the last report to Council.

99 known dogs remain unregistered (1.4%), out of 6,655 dogs. Owners of these dogs can expect to receive a $300 infringement notice for failing to register their dogs.

Compared to the number of unregistered dogs in February 2019 (259), the current results represent a 61% increase in compliance. This is a credit to the animal control team.

Dog Attacks

The following table is a comparative summary of reported dog attacks (people and animals), from July to January:

Location	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20
Ind/Com Nth Ward	0	0	0
Ind/Com Sth Ward	0	0	0
Non Rateable	1	0	0
Rural North Ward	0	4	1
Rural South Ward	1	3	9
Road or No Property Address	1	7	7
Urban North Ward	5	12	8
Urban South Ward	8	7	13
Total Reports	16	33	38

Environmental Health and Licensing

Alcohol Licenses

No licensing applications have required a public hearing. There have been no appeals to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority.

Environmental Health

Environmental Health staff have audited seven Food Control Plans under the Food Act 2014. No premises required annual inspections under the health regulations.

Food Act Review

Following a review by the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Agriculture Minister has decided that councils will retain the exclusive and automatic right to verify (inspect) food businesses that sell food directly to consumers under a food safety plan (Food Control Plan) and operate entirely within the council district.

The review found no indications of major issues with the way councils are performing verifications, which would require changes to the law.

The decision means there will not be any changes to the verification (inspection) service provided to local food businesses.

Illicit Dumping

The following table is a comparative summary of reported illicit dumping, from July to January:

Illicit Dumping	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20
Ind/Com Nth Ward	0	3	14
Ind/Com Sth Ward	1	1	4
Non Rateable	4	2	5
Rural North Ward	7	2	4
Rural South Ward	8	4	2
Road or No Property Address	7	57	59
Urban North Ward	77	3	4
Urban South Ward	3	4	3
Total Reports	107	76	95

Since 1 July 2019, 5.1 tonnes of illicitly dumped rubbish has been collected.

Since 1 July 2019, 6 infringement notices have been issued with a total value of $2,200.00.

Council has requested illicit dumping statistics be provided by locality, rather than ward. This request has been discussed with Council’s IT Alliance. It has been agreed to review implementing this request, following the review and revision of regulatory CRM categories (planned to complete by 30 June 2020).

District Planning

Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway

Council is awaiting the outcome of mediation between the New Zealand Transport Agency and appellants to the notice of requirement for the new state highway designation.

Turitea Wind Farm

Mercury’s Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) is being reviewed for technical compliance by Mike Skelton of Stantec. Mike is waiting for Mercury to clarify some minor items before the CTMP can be accepted.

Resource Consents

The planning team is continuing to receive a significant number of general and site specific enquiries for developing and subdividing properties around the district. This demand is being managed by increased use of consultants.

The following table is a comparative summary of resource consent statistics, from July to January:

Resource Consents	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20
No. of Applications Received	32	39	55
No. of Applications Processed	28	42	50
% Processed within Statutory Timeframes	96%	97%	96%

Strategy and District Development

Street Lighting Assessment

A street light assessment is underway in preparation for our next long term plan and as an assessment of the effectiveness of the LED conversion project. This involves the use of high tech sensors and lasers to assess pole positions, height of fittings, throw of light and lux rating. The information provided is intended to provide guidance into proactive maintenance, renewal and development for compliance with NZ lighting standards. The project was planned for and budgeted for in the current long term plan.

Chorus Fibre Broadband

Council and the Tararua Alliance are planning with Chorus and its partners for the commencement of fibre installation in the four main Tararua towns, with Dannevirke due to commence very soon. Dannevirke, Woodville, Pahiatua and Eketahuna are all due for completion by December 2022. Chorus is to provide more information in the coming month (March 2020). In the meantime, the Pahiatua CBD is now being ducted for Chorus fibre to fit within our Pahiatua main street project, so as to prevent the need for rework in the coming years. We have been grateful for the solution that has been found to achieve this.

Port Vila City Council Visit

We were pleased to be able to host the Town Clerk, Peter Sakita, of Port Vila City Council for three days recently. This took place under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, NZ Aid Programme and their funding made available to Local Government NZ under the Pacific Technical Assistance Programme. Mr Sakita was able to attend a number of governance and management planning meetings, while also reviewing some Council operational sites and technology including software and a drone presentation.

Internet of Things (IoT) – Water Meter Pulse Readers

We have successfully trialled and installed IoT equipment in Woodville to measure and report customer water. This required a “LoRa” (unlicensed band) line-of-sight gateway and sensors in Woodville to measure water use at key water user sites. The sensors measure the meter pulses every minute and provide a secure view to Council of the information water use, and allows for parameters to be set as an alert system. A client view of the information is also possible and will be considered following our pilot of the system, and in accordance with our IoT Strategy. We are now expanding the pilot into other locations in the District and will be testing the accuracy of the system. Some older meters do not support the add-on equipment and will be upgraded, as required. The information will also be very helpful to Council in developing a new Water Bylaw this year.

Programmes and Projects Office

Project updates

The projects team are working steadily on a number of projects, with updates noted below. There will be some change for the team with the departure of Ara Yonge, with Marco Alben taking over the Pahiatua Water Treatment Plant project and other tasks, and Raj Suppiah stepping in to support the team until new arrangements are made.

Tom is predominantly focusing on supporting the Dannevirke Impound Supply at present, with measures being taken there to maximise the water availability through the dry conditions.

Jessi McKenzie is continuing to assist with the Dannevirke Rail Hub project, currently working with Tararua Alliance and selected supplier to investigate forestry and transport implications. Jessi is also continuing to support the Long Term Plan project, which is progressing into the workshop stages and correlating with annual plan process.

She is also continuing to support the section 17A review of Parks and Reserves, which will be entering into the procurement phase later this month. Jessi is also assisting Pahiatua On Track with the Pahiatua Swimming Pool project, which is currently working with Sport Manawatu and Insights to generate a community survey to be utilised this month to gauge the need and facility type required for a new facility to replace the existing pool.

Marco is undertaking a range of projects at present, including Solid Waste, Contract Management, IOT and Business Intelligence.

Solid Waste

The project has started full swing and at this stage we are in the process of acquiring the services of Eunomia Consulting to conduct a waste audit detailing what we receive at our transfer stations and what the general household waste consists of.

We are planning the community engagement which should kick off towards the end of February 2019 and hope to get the participation of the community to ensure that service delivery meets the expected standards. We will conduct waste and recycling education as part of the engagement program.

Contract Management

We are in the development stage of the project and have a test site up and running, we are in the process of configuring the interface and will shortly be testing with one of our offsite contractors. The project team have recently met with SHE Consulting and we were quite impressed with the work they have done to date on the TDC Contract Management system.

IOT (Internet of Things) Water meters

We have recently completed a draft strategy for IOT in the Tararua District and await feedback before finalising. At the same time investigation has begun to determine the feasibility of introducing another 100 such devices into Dannevirke, which once completed will assist in providing the needed data for tracking on our water bylaws.

Business Intelligence

Development of additional new tools on the BI platform has been temporarily put on hold, although configuration on existing tools on the platform continues. This is to allow for team capacity to be freed up to assist with the Authority upgrade project.

Pahiatua Water Treatment Plant

The construction of the plant has continued, with drainage, ducting and preliminary foundation construction complete, and water processing and electrical equipment being constructed offsite. This will allow for speedy installation once the building construction is complete.

The reinforced wall panels took longer to complete than anticipated due to complexities from the revised structural design, but these have now been constructed offsite, and are currently being installed before the foundation is completed. These complexities could cause up to 4 weeks delay, but the team will attempt to catch this up throughout the construction phase.

Once the wall panels are completed, the foundation will also be finalised and the roof can then be constructed. Work will also continue on process equipment construction in Auckland, with a factory acceptance test planned to test the process prior to site installation.

1. Recommendation

1.1 That the report from the Chief Executive dated 20 February 2020 concerning an update on key projects and items of interest to the Council (as circulated) be received.

Attachments

Nil.

Date	:	18 February 2020
To	:	Mayor and Councillors Tararua District Council
From	:	Hamish Featonby Asset Manager
Subject	:	Road Closures Requested Under the Tenth Schedule of the Local Government Act 1974
Item No	:	11.2