Council Annual Plan Hearings MINUTES
Unconfirmed minutes of an ordinary meeting of the Council Annual Plan Hearings held in the Edinburgh Room, Municipal Chambers, The Octagon, Dunedin on Wednesday 4 May 2016, commencing at 9.00 am and Thursday 5 May 2016 commencing at 9.00 am.
PRESENT
Chairperson Mayor Dave Cull Deputy Chairperson Cr Chris Staynes Members Cr David Benson-Pope Cr John Bezett Cr Hilary Calvert Cr Doug Hall Cr Aaron Hawkins Cr Mike Lord Cr Jinty MacTavish Cr Andrew Noone Cr Neville Peat Cr Richard Thomson Cr Lee Vandervis Cr Andrew Whiley Cr Kate Wilson
IN ATTENDANCE Sue Bidrose (Chief Executive Officer), Grant McKenzie (Group Chief Financial Officer), Simon Pickford (General Manager Services and Development), Ruth Stokes (General Manager Infrastructure and Networks), Sandy Graham (Group Manager Corporate Services), Nicola Pinfold (Group Manager Community and Planning), Jane Nevill (Corporate Planner), Carolyn Allan (Senior Management Accountant), Wai Piggott (Financial Analyst) and Bridget Brown (Sign Language Interpreter)
Governance Support Officers Lynne Adamson, Andrea Barker, Wendy Collard, Arlene Goss, Pam Jordan and Jennifer Lapham
1 WELCOME FROM THE MAYOR
The Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting, explained the process for the hearing and introduced Bridget Brown, NZ Sign Language Interpreter, who would provide interpretation when appropriate.
2 APOLOGIES
There was an apology (for lateness) from Councillor Lee Vandervis.
Moved (Mayor Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council:
Accepts the apology from Cr Vandervis.
Motion carried
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3 CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA
Moved (Mayor Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council:
Confirms the agenda with the following additions or alterations: a) Item 8 (Consideration of Late Submissions – Addendum) to be taken with Item 5 (Consideration of Late Submissions) and the submission circulated the previous evening.
Motion carried (AP/2016/001)
Moved (Mayor Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council:
Confirms the following addition to the agenda: b) an addition of the resolution regarding Suspension of Standing Orders, to allow for more efficient conduct of the meeting.
Motion carried (AP/2016/002)
4 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members were reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arose between their role as an elected representative and any private or other external interest they might have.
4A SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS
Moved (Mayor Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council:
a) Suspends the requirement for Councillors to stand while speaking for the duration of the meeting.
b) Suspends Standing Order 3.7.17 to allow Councillors to use electronic devices during the meeting.
Motion carried (AP/2016/003)
PART A REPORTS
5 CONSIDERATION OF LATE SUBMISSIONS
A report from Civic advised that submissions to the 2016/2017 Annual Plan closed on Wednesday 20 April 2016 at 5.00 pm. Six submissions had been received since the closing date.
Moved (Mayor Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council:
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a) Accepts the late submissions from Angela Ross, Bruce Halligan, Kerin Smith, Craig Werner, Murray Turner and Leona Carroll.
Motion carried (AP/2016/004)
8 CONSIDERATION OF LATE SUBMISSIONS - ADDENDUM
An additional report from Civic advised that a further late submission had been received since the agenda was distributed from the Digital Community Trust.
Moved (Mayor Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council:
a) Accepts the late submission from the Digital Community Trust.
Motion carried (AP/2016/005)
The Mayor invited the Group Chief Financial Officer (Grant McKenzie) to provide comments in relation to the status of the current financial year and the impact on the financial performance. Mr McKenzie provided a brief update and advised that additional information would be provided in the reports presented to Council in the deliberations process.
Cr Lee Vandervis entered the meeting at 9.17 am.
6 DRAFT 2016 - 2017 ANNUAL PLAN SUBMISSIONS
Hearing of Submissions
Consideration was given to submissions received on the 2016/17 Draft Annual Plan. The following submitters were heard by the Committee:
Bill Feather, Mosgiel Taieri Community Board and Sarah Nitis
Mr Feather and Ms Nitis spoke to the submission on behalf of the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board and emphasised the need for increased investment to enhance Mosgiel's existing infrastructure.
Ms Nitis spoke on the Economic Development strategy and the positive impact of economic growth and emphasised the need to support and provide additional funding to economic development. She commented that expenditure in Council strategies would benefit the city with the encouragement of new visitors and residents.
Mr Feather asked for the consideration of a community board elected member training plan, inclusive of funding, to be put in place for the new triennium.
Gerard Collings, Waikouaiti Coast Community Board
Mr Collings spoke to the submission on behalf of the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board. He advised that the Board was supportive of funding towards the investigation of coastal erosion however was concerned that the proposed allocated funding of $75,000 may be inadequate and sought assurance that the budget would not be constrained.
Mr Collings commented that the Board would like Council to actively ensure there were adequate facilities provided to support freedom camping and cited the problems incurred at the Warrington Domain. He advised that whilst the Board appreciated the installation of temporary port-a-loos for the season, they would like a more permanent year-round solution.
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Barry Williams, Strath Taieri Community Board
Mr Williams spoke on behalf of the Strath Taieri Community Board's submission and in particular, the deterioration of the maintenance of gravel roads and requested that Council maintain the level of service it provided.
Mr Williams suggested that Council could extract gravel from the Taieri River which would both save money and reduce the flooding risk.
Mr Williams requested that the funding provided for the Middlemarch swimming pool be increased from $10,000 to $20,000 per annum.
Scott Weatherall, Saddle Hill Community Board
Mr Weatherall spoke on behalf of the submission from the Saddle Hill Community Board and raised concerns about coastal erosion and freedom camping. He requested that options for additional sites for freedom camping in the area be investigated to alleviate the pressure on the toilets at Ocean View. Mr Weatherall identified the Brighton Surf Club as a possible alternative site but advised that there would need to be consultation with residents and staff prior to the agreement of the site.
Mr Weatherall advised that the Board was concerned with coastal erosion in the area and commented that some roads in the Board area were under threat of falling into the ocean.
Mayor Dave Cull left the meeting at 9.56 am and Cr Staynes took the Chair.
Mr Weatherall spoke of the frustration with the length of time taken by the Environment Court to reach a decision on the quarrying of Saddle Hill.
Mayor Dave Cull returned to the meeting at 9.58 am and resumed the Chair.
Mr Weatherall spoke of road safety concerns in the area and in particular the Allanton/Scroggs Hill Road – Scroggs Hill Road intersection where cars regularly left the road. He commented that the Board was concerned with the proposed increase in fees for the landfill and advised that it would result in an increase in roadside dumping.
Cr Hilary Calvert left the meeting at 10.04 am and returned at 10.08 am.
Paul Pope and Edna Stevenson, Otago Peninsula Community Board
Mr Pope and Ms Stevenson highlighted concerns raised in the submission from the Otago Peninsula Community Board.
Mr Pope and Ms Stevenson commented on the Portobello/Harington Point Road Safety Improvement – Accelerated Programme. They commented that the Te Rauone Beach Rock Breakwater and Sand Nourishment Project was a priority for the Board and requested that Council carry forward the $50,000 funding for a breakwater at Te Rauone beach.
Mr Pope spoke of road safety issues and commented on the Board's support for the Dark Skies Project and the need to include parking spaces for viewing the night sky which should be considered in conjunction with the road safety improvements.
Mr Pope and Ms Stevenson commented on the need for toilets to be installed on the Otago Peninsula, and in particular at Sandfly Bay. They requested that more emphasis be given to the requests in the Community Plans.
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Steve Walker, Chalmers Community Board
Mr Walker spoke on behalf of the Chalmers Community Board and reiterated the points raised in its submission. In addition Mr Walker commented that he would like to see Council raise the awareness with residents that despite the questions being asked for the draft Annual Plan, they were able to submit on anything of interest.
Mr Walker commented that the Board felt that the state of fencing and general look of the SH88 corridor should be addressed urgently. Cruise ship passengers increased annually and this was a very poor first impression of Dunedin in terms of marketing in the city.
Cr Mike Lord left the meeting at 10.37 am and returned at 10.39 am.
Mr Walker spoke of the need to complete the shared pathway using the footpath next to SH 88. He noted that a more affordable solution was requested however the Board would not like to see the project corrupted for the sake of early completion.
Donna Peacock
Donna Peacock was representing herself and her husband. She circulated and read from a document called "Submission DCC Annual Plan 2016/17 Interview D Peacock". In conclusion, she called for a sustainable world and would like to move immediately towards sustainability supported by new technology and initiatives.
Cr Vandervis left the meeting at 10.50 am.
Ngai Tahu Maori Law Centre
Desiree Williams, solicitor at Ngai Tahu Maori Law Centre, spoke. She asked Council to adopt a policy with regards to rates remission on Maori freehold land. The lack of policy was hindering development of the land and creating hardship. She said they were not seeking a blanket remission across all Maori freehold land, but in particular cases. She introduced Mr and Mrs Ellison who were connected with the Karitane rūnaka and were owners of several blocks. They had requested rates remission and learned there was no mechanism to do this.
The Chief Executive was asked for an interim report on this issue.
Cr Vandervis returned to the meeting at 11.19 am.
Discussion on this issue included whether mechanisms like the QEII covenant could be used where rates were not charged on the land. Concerns about the abuse of process would require more detailed submissions. There was a need to approach QV to see if the value of the land could be reduced. There was a block of land in the Taieri area that had been given relief. It was now producing honey and paying rates.
The meeting adjourned at 11.40 am and reconvened at 11.56 am.
The Chief Executive Officer explained the purpose of having a deaf interpreter at the meeting.
Sarah Anderson, Regent Theatre
Sarah Anderson spoke regarding the need for discounted hire for community groups and charities. She proposed allowing the theatre to access a fund so it did not have to continue to carry the financial loss of providing the theatre to these groups.
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Laura Black, Methodist Mission
Laura Black circulated and read from a document titled "Oral Submission" on the letterhead of the Methodist Mission. She confirmed, in answer to a question that she would be available for Councillors or staff to talk to her about how to address some of their issues.
Rachel Elder
Rachel Elder circulated a document called "Unemployment and Health". She also held up cards with the main points of her presentation.
She spoke about the top priority of Council being economic growth and development. She proposed that there was a huge opportunity for Dunedin in exponential tourism growth. The unemployment situation was untenable and the city needed to grow.
In answer to a question she said the Energy Plan was a social good, but was outside of economic development.
Richard Roberts, Dunedin Airport
Mr Roberts commended city leaders for the current good steps taken, including the appointment of a new destination marketing role. He commented on work done in recent years and considered that destination was everything and the relationships with partners was crucial. There was a need to continue on the back of investments already made. Extra funding was absolutely crucial and there was a need to seek to bring the city together further. The Airport aimed to provide frequency and capacity outside the region and was highly engaged with airlines. He urged the Council to support Destination Dunedin and give them the resources they required.
Cr Hall left the meeting at 12.48 pm and returned at 12.51 pm.
Jenny Longstaff, Otago Art Society Inc
Cr Wilson left the meeting at 12.55 pm.
Jenny Longstaff was the current president of the Otago Art Society and thanked the Council for their funding. 140,000 people came through the doors in the last year. The Society knew how to have a major impact on a creative community. It was pleased the Council wanted to put money into the Ara Toi Strategy. The Society also considered that the Council needed to look after the railway station more as it was looking a bit grubby and there was a huge traffic problem in front of the station.
Adjournment of meeting
Moved (Chairperson Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council:
Adjourns the meeting until 1.30 pm.
Motion carried (AP/2016/006)
The meeting adjourned from 1.03 pm to 1.34 pm.
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Rob Thomson, Dunedin Collaboration Against Family Violence
Mr Thomson said family violence groups were not working together, with little collaborative activity. There was nothing to show that grant funds had benefited the city. There would always be more applications for grants and support and the Council needed to be clever about how it spent that money.
Chris Ford DPA (Disabled Persons Assembly) Dunedin
A sign language interpreter was present to sign this part of the hearing.
Mr Ford spoke about the work of the Disabled Persons Assembly. They would like to incorporate a disability perspective within key policies and had recently discussed issues such as the proposal to upgrade street lighting to LED and the central city upgrade.
They congratulated the Council on the proposal to spend money on the City of Literature and would like to see historical documents and literature fully accessible to all people, including those who were blind or had communication difficulties. It was a human right to be able to participate in all facets of life, including civic activity.
Ann Barsby, Dunedin Gasworks Museum Trust
A document titled "Dunedin Gasworks Museum Trust – Annual Plan Submission" was circulated. The Trust asked for the continuation of an annual allocation for maintenance of $50,000, and an operational budget of $50,000 per annum to establish a part-time position for management, administration and marketing.
It was suggested that they apply for a Council grant.
Ann Barsby, Southern Heritage Trust
Ann Barsby circulated a document titled "Annual Plan Submission Southern Heritage Trust". Dunedin was New Zealand's heritage capital and she considered that more capital should be made from it. She applauded the Council's team for what they were doing for heritage in Dunedin and this was encouraging. They supported money being put back into the Heritage Fund and would like to continue to resource the classification of buildings and streetscapes for protection in the future.
Scott Willis, Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust
Mr Willis said the Trust was focusing on the energy plan and food resilience as showcase issues that showed why Dunedin was a great place to live and work. He would like the energy plan to have a stronger place, but it would be good if resourced adequately. The Trust agreed with all the suggestions under the heading "supporting the community".
Copies of maps were circulated. They showed what sea level rise would look like at Blueskin Bay. Mr Willis would like a waiver for a building consent fee to build a retreat, due for completion in 2018. He would also like a waiver of additional fees for a wind farm development. The wind farm would reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions. They would like the environment strategy to contain the goal of carbon zero by 2020. Any additional money that appeared in the Annual Plan process needed to go on climate spending.
Norcombe Barker, Dunedin Host
Cr Whiley withdrew from the meeting for this item.
Mr Barker said Dunedin Host supported Gigatown and extra funding for marketing. Mr Barker spoke about workshops and events in partnership with Enterprise Dunedin.
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Dunedin Host was excited about the appointment of a new Destination Manager. They would get the maximum value out of funding.
Mr Barker was asked whether Council or tourist operators were responsible for the experience once tourists get here and he considered that everyone was responsible.
Cr Whiley returned to the meeting.
Norcombe Barker, Larnach Castle Ltd
Mr Barker gave his support to marketing and events priorities in his role with Larnach Castle.
Colin Weatherall
Mr Weatherall circulated an email with the main points of his submission. This included a request to improve the safety of a footpath on Brighton Road. He did not want landfill fees put up because this would create more litter. He would like rural road sealing of three kilometres per year.
Mr Weatherall was asked if he is aware that the increase in landfill charges is due to compliance costs from central government. He indicated he was, but noted that polluters would not care about the reason, they would just dump the rubbish.
Mayor Dave Cull left the meeting at 2.53 pm and Deputy Mayor Chris Staynes took the Chair.
Chloe Geoghegan, Blue Oyster Arts Trust
Chloe Geoghegan outlined the activities of the Arts Trust. She was thanked for her presentation.
Cr Andrew Noone left the meeting at 3.00 pm.
Brian Dixon
Mr Dixon supported the Energy Plan. There was a need for Council to take ownership and responsibility for initiatives. This includes a commitment from local businesses. He would like consistency with principles across the energy, environment and development strategies across the city. Council was in a good position to study what to do with traffic through the Octagon. It should also not be ignoring recycling and a lot more could be done. The public was uninformed about what the recycling rules were and public recycling efforts relied on acts of faith.
Sophie Carty, WellSouth Primary Health Network
Sophie Carty represented the WellSouth Primary Health Network. She commended the Council for its initiative on food resilience but would like to see it extended to longer than a year. She tabled the Christchurch City Council Food Resilience Policy for information. She would like families in low socioeconomic groups to be targeted. Ms Carty supported the cycleway as it provided health benefits. She passed around a document called "Active Cities". She also raised the Smokefree 2025 goal and commended the work done in Smokefree parks and playgrounds and would like this extended to Council facilities, events and outdoor dining.
Richard Egan, St Clair Action Group
Mr Egan gave a Power Point presentation titled "St Clair Action Group Oral Submission". It outlined the situation at St Clair and the three aims of the Action Group, which were to improve existing access to the beach, creating new access, and retain sand. He called for the creation of an integrated plan for Ocean Beach.
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Penelope Scott, Smokefree Otago
Penelope Scott handed out a folder containing information in support of her submission. She suggested that the Council should canvass the views of the community on the idea of Smokefree outdoor dining spaces. She said diners were more likely to go to dining places that were Smokefree. Smokefree Otago would welcome a DCC staff representative on their group.
Cr Andrew Noone returned to the meeting at 3.43 pm.
Cr Mike Lord left the meeting at 3.44 pm.
The meeting adjourned from 3.45pm to 4.00 pm.
Cr Lee Vandervis left the meeting during the adjournment.
Cr Mike Lord returned to the meeting at 4.00 pm.
Gabrielle Pankhurst, SCAN
Ms Pankhurst advised that seniors were concerned about climate change. Given concerns regarding the government's neglect of climate change, they were keen to ensure that there were local actions. The group was happy about the motions passed by the Council at the end of 2015. The greatest danger faced locally was sea level rise and there was a need to encourage dialogue.
Crs Kate Wilson and John Bezett returned to the meeting following the adjournment at 4.03 pm.
Ms Pankhurst commented on adaptation issues eg sea level rise. She considered that charging points for electric cars were a good starting point and considered that the Otago Regional Council should be encouraged to look at electric buses. There was a need to start encouraging institutions to start transitioning to wood rather than coal burners. Tree planting was another way of dealing with carbon emissions. The Council could think about what it was purchasing and what the emissions were. The group was also concerned about the Taieri Plain and growing of vegetables and the need to encourage market gardening. One of the difficulties with climate change was that people did not want to talk about it. It seemed far away but changes were happening incrementally. Dunedin may be able to use it as a marketing edge if it did something about climate change and market itself as a sustainable city.
Cr Andrew Whiley returned to the meeting following the adjournment at 4.12 pm.
Randal Scott
Mr Scott addressed the way Council used community grants. He felt they could be used to create employment for unemployed or underemployed people and considered that there were jobs that could be done more effectively by people rather than machines eg sweeping up gravel, weeding. There was a need to find solutions for our most vulnerable people. Mr Scott also suggested an ethical employment policy.
Darrel Robinson
Mr Robinson was of the view that the Council did not seem to have the ability to be nimble in areas outside the Annual Plan process eg Gigatown, City of Literature, Arts and Culture Strategy, which seemed to lose impetus. He also asked how property purchases would be handled if they happened quickly.
Mr Robinson also referred to flooding in Mosgiel the previous June and tabled photos in the vicinity of his home. The water had risen another 300mm after the photos were taken. The total damage in his area was around $1.5 million and six houses were inundated. The fix was simple; a secondary flow path. The road level obstructed the
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secondary flow path and needed to be lower.
Mayor Dave Cull returned to the meeting at 4.35 pm and resumed the Chair.
Hamish Saxton
Mr Saxton was pleased that wi-fi was going to be sped up at the Central Library. He considered that staff there did an amazing job. He considered that having workspace in the library as a starter was a good thing.
Mr Saxton was disappointed that most parking pay and display meters were unable to take credit cards. He suggested that the Octagon market could be improved.
He supported the Council's efforts regarding regulating freedom campers in vehicles with no facilities but appreciated that this was not an easy issue to solve.
In regard to sister city relationships he felt that some of the contents of agreements could be rather hollow. If the Council was not promoting travel to sister cities to residents these matters should not be included.
Meg Davidson, City Rise Up
Ms Davidson tabled a submission with photos illustrating problems with rubbish in the City Rise/North Dunedin area. She considered that there was a need to review contracts and that there was a problem with rubbish dumping. Recycling bins were left out all week and some bins had been stolen.
She also considered that trained Council staff and additional hours were needed to deal with party flats.
Ms Davidson commented on photos of rubbish where sweet sweepers had not been around. Rubbish was always dumped in certain areas. Bins also obstructed the footpath. More funding was needed to maintain standards in the City Rise and North End.
Cr Richard Thomson left the meeting at 4.57 pm and returned at 5.00 pm.
Geoff Patton, Mayfair Theatre Charitable Trust
Mr Patton thanked the Council for the on-going grant. His organisation appreciated it as it was important to groups such as theirs. They could only employ a manager on a year-by-year basis and the theatre was reliant on that position as volunteers could not do that work. The Council's grant basically kept the theatre open. He thanked the Council for the work of the Community Arts Advisors and was grateful they were looking after groups such as theirs.
Sophie Barker
Ms Barker agreed to increasing the Council's marketing spend and considered there was a need to link to a visitor plan. There was a need to cover promise and delivery.
She supported the Environmental Strategy and links to the Visitor Plan. She also supported funding the Events Plan and the need to support off-season visitors.
Cr Kate Wilson left the meeting at 5.11 pm.
Nick Orbell, South Dunedin Business Association
Mr Orbell and his colleagues from the Association thanked the Council for its initiatives and for the support of Council staff in areas such as events. There had been good communications over parking. The revitalisation project in South Dunedin continued to be commented on in the community as something positive. The Association had maintained that South Dunedin was not like the rest of Dunedin. The impact of the
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2015 flooding event on an under-resourced community had been significant.
The group was asking the Council to make a commitment to the library and community centre which was still only in an exploratory consultative phase. He noted that the Connected Community goal talked about communities being linked effectively. South Dunedin had one of the lowest car ownership rates in New Zealand and there may be mobility issues.
There had been a promise made that the library facility would be developed as part of amalgamation and it was not hard for South Dunedin people to feel neglected.
Cr Kate Wilson returned to the meeting at 5.20 pm.
The suggestion was made that the Council needed to communicate more and to engage with the people of South Dunedin who were feeling neglected as there were still numbers of people displaced.
Cr Neville Peat left the meeting at 5.29 pm.
Heike Cebulla
Ms Cebulla considered that the Council had a responsibility to educate citizens regarding growing fruit and vegetables, buying locally etc. Also information needed to be supplied in schools so they could educate families. More money needed to be allocated towards resilience and energy planning. She asked people to be proactive in climate change. The Council had a duty to be proactive and there might need to be an acceptance that part of South Dunedin may revert to swamp.
There was also a need to look at greener transport options such as electric bikes and buses for short trips. People needed to be encouraged to use alternative transport for shorter trips, however they may find it too dangerous to bike. Ms Cebulla considered that the Council should not be afraid to invest now. She supported NZTA in the cycle ways on one way streets. Andersons Bay Road was a concern for cyclists in that it was dangerous, and cyclists were pushed to the side by cars.
Steven O'Connor, The Valley Project
Mr O'Connor commented on place based development and how the Valley Project had benefited. He could point to the results in the community over the last five years and tabled a submission.
He noted the buoyant housing market in North East Valley and noted this was all part of the community becoming confident, resilient and looking after each other, and getting better connected. People were investing in businesses, indicating confidence, and the Council had the opportunity to leverage off the learning.
Mr O'Connor supported the employment of a navigator for the Dunedin City Council team. The position needed a degree of independence and autonomy and should sit between the Council and community.
Cr David Benson-Pope left the meeting at 5.56 pm.
David Cooper, Federated Farmers of New Zealand
Mr Cooper commented on the lack of information regarding the sale of surplus land proceeds investment. He support any increase in rates and fees remaining under 3%. Any additional spending should be offset by reductions elsewhere.
In regard to the increased spending in Enterprise Dunedin he noted that the Otago Regional Council was signalling a regional Economic Development Strategy and the Council could park any additional spending until then. In regard to the city marketing increase, there was no increase in the consultation document. If there was no link between the spend and increase in tourist numbers it should not be done.
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Adjournment of meeting
Moved (Chairperson Dave Cull/Cr Hilary Calvert):
That the Council:
Adjourns the meeting until 9.00 am on Thursday, 5 May 2016.
Motion carried (AP/2016/007)
The meeting adjourned from 6.08 pm on Wednesday 4 May 2016 until Thursday 5 May 2016 at 9.00 am.
Crs David Benson-Pope and Neville Peat returned to the meeting at 9.00 am.
Paul Pope, Dunedin Amenities Society
Paul Pope spoke on behalf of the Amenities Society about issues with the Town Belt including the control of pests, management of footpaths, rubbish and tagging. He said there had been a drop in service standards over recent years around public parks and streets. Dunedin needed to lift its game. Tagging was a problem in public areas. There were contractual obligations in Council contracts to ensure these were removed. He would like a greater level of funding and commitment to contractors and to Taskforce Green. The Ocean Beach Domain area was now an urgent issue and a strategy for the next 25 years was needed to deal with it.
It was his understanding that he needed to apply for resource consent to remove tagging from a heritage building. He was not aware of building owners who had not dealt with graffiti due to this.
Paul Smith, Creative Arts Trust
The Trust supported people with mental health issues. They used art to transform people's lives and supported investment in arts and culture. Dunedin had a range of quality cultural institutions. The Council had a role in ensuring that vulnerable communities had access to arts. They were not here to ask for anything specifically but to support other NGOs and communities. They supported events funding and service grants.
Kuini Scott
Ms Scott supported initiatives to promote food resilience such as community gardens. She would like the budget for food resilience increased. This would create gains for the health and wealth of people. Different organisations like the Council, ORC and Department of Conservation did not talk to each other. She would like to support the Navigator role at $90,000 and wanted Council to get on with supporting climate change action.
Philippa Harris, Dunedin Symphony Orchestra
The growing size of the orchestra and the challenging projects meant they would be moving premises. The Orchestra needed to raise $300,000 for the new fit out and they were half way towards raising that money. A sold out concert had been held at the Town Hall a few weeks earlier. They commended the Council for considering funding to the arts sector but organisations like theirs were under increased stress due to many factors including some outside their control.
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Bill Brown, Victoria Road, St Clair Residents' Group
Cr Hall withdrew from the meeting for this item.
Mr Brown showed the Councillors a photo of the beach at Victoria Road with a line drawn to show where he believed the erosion would reach if sand sausages were not installed quickly. He asked for someone to contact him and let him know about where the sand sausages were at the moment and to let him know about progress on this job.
He would like more sand sausages put in to protect the beach. An additional 200 metres was needed. Sand sausages were only ever meant to be a holding scenario. He would like to ask Council to instruct the engineers to immediately get on with the research that $100,000 had been allocated for. He would not like to go into another winter without protection. Time was of the essence.
The Mayor said he could not provide the answer at the meeting but staff would bring him up to speed offline. Some of his suggestions were actively being considered by Council engineers.
Allan Baddock, Transforming Dunedin
Mr Baddock was concerned about whether enough research had gone into spending money outside the region in order to promote Dunedin, as opposed to spending money inside the region. Supporting events was difficult. Council could provide infrastructure and make things easier like road closures and toilets, and help with marketing but also fund equitably. He would like to get some things happening. Every event was a marketing opportunity that told what Dunedin was. It could show who we were and how proud we were.
Cr Andrew Noone left the meeting at 10.18 am.
The concern was the emphasis on bringing new people to Dunedin and bringing events to Dunedin. They would like to see a shift in focus to promote local events.
Keep Dunedin Beautiful
The group considered that there was a need to develop a graffiti plan for the city. It was an ongoing problem needing a consistent approach across Council and co- ordination. They encouraged the Council to consider adopting a proactive approach to graffiti, like other councils, giving the Coordinator time to act proactively. Regarding murals, they used local artists and worked in areas that had been badly tagged. They asked for continued funding for murals. People were disappointed not to see the hanging baskets this year.
Michael Coggan, Otago Cricket
The submission was around the replacement of the scoreboard. Mr Coggan anticipated some top international games would be held at the ground in the coming years and the ground wanted to remain competitive and meet the minimum standards. Otago Cricket wanted to benchmark themselves against Hagley Park. Because of work done on the embankment it was hard for them to find the extra money required. Otago Cricket had supported the full cost of the embankment and now needed support for the scoreboard.
The meeting adjourned at 10.50 am and reconvened at 11.12 am.
Cr Andrew Noone returned to the meeting at 11.12am.
Don Anderson
Mr Anderson suggested establishing a Victorian Precinct in central Dunedin incorporating the Railway Station. He also suggested other areas of Dunedin where retail precincts and other areas could be established.
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Juliet Novena Sorrel, Dunedin Midwinter Carnival
Juliet Sorrel did not appear and her husband Paul Smith spoke on her behalf. Mr Smith said the Midwinter Carnival took events to another level. They were looking at setting up a permanent display of lanterns and an art space. They had some starting capital to put the plan into action, but were looking for support to get the plan to the next level. The Annual Plan suggested more money to attract events to Dunedin. This was at the expense of local events. They did not object to new money for events but would encourage the Council to help local events to grow, rather than spend the money on outside events with no local relevance. Free events like the Midwinter Carnival should not have to contribute to the costs of Council marketing campaigns. Each year they were asked to, but this was a non-profit, free event.
Jo Millar, Grey Power Otago
Jo Millar began by reading a submission from another submitter, Diane Cooper, who was unable to attend the hearing. This requested changes to the Rates Remission Policy to allow people in retirement villages to claim the rates rebate.
A change to the Rating Act would require government support. Grey Power had been working to change this law for two years. There were anomalies at the moment and she was not sure about the government position. She said most councils had picked this up and funded it from ratepayer funds. She argued that although it was a cost to Council, she believed the amount of money involved was less than what was being requested by other submitters.
Murray Brass, University of Otago
Mr Brass spoke in support of many of the initiatives being consulted on. Regarding the change of scope for cycleways, he was concerned that the costs would increase but there was no information on what this meant for the project, and whether it would mean a reduction in the size of the project. The cycleway was crucial to the University.
The University was carrying out improvements and would like support from Council to do things like improve street landscaping. They had safety concerns about some streets. They had met with Transportation staff and would be keen that what they did there fit in with the Long Term Plan.
Cr Richard Thomson left the meeting at 12.06 pm.
Cr Kate Wilson left the meeting at 12.06 pm.
Cr Andrew Whiley left the meeting at 12.07 pm.
Cr Richard Thomson returned to the meeting at 12.07 pm.
Further discussion was held on cycle access to the University.
Kyra Xavia, Dunedin Dark Skies Group
Kyra Xavia spoke in support of improving the dark sky in Dunedin. She made suggestions on the type of light bulbs to use in the city and her group was working with Council staff presently on the issue of lighting. She saw this as an opportunity to make a bold start and do something special. She would like Dunedin to be recognised as a dark sky destination.
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Robyn McDonald, Otago Peninsula Trust
Robyn McDonald was unable to attend and Hoani Langsbury spoke on her behalf. The Trust provided for 100,000 visitors a year through the Royal Albatross Centre. They struggled to provide Wifi for work purposes, let alone visitors, and would like assistance through Gigatown or another way. The other infrastructure issue was the provision of water and waste services. They would like assistance to provide better toilet facilities for visitors. They brought in all their water and took out all their sewage. The tourism businesses on the Peninsula brought money to the district. They wanted a good tourism strategy that had input from people throughout the community.
Cara Bradley, Otago Chamber of Commerce
Cr Chris Staynes withdrew from the meeting for this item.
Cara Bradley was not able to attend so Dougal McGowan spoke to her submission. He outlined the Chamber's views as noted in the written submission.
Cr Jinty MacTavish left the meeting at 12.47 pm.
Michael Hesp, Film Otago Southland
Mr Hesp was unable to attend. He sent a video presentation that was forwarded to Councillors by email so they could view it outside the meeting.
Nigel Bryce
Mr Bryce circulated a document called "Submission Summary of Participants to the Dunedin Waterfront Short Course" and read out the key issues from this. These were to enhance the urban design outcomes to support the harbourside area, and to support economic development of the harbourside area and enhanced connectivity. He would like Council to investigate initiatives to reduce or eliminate existing severance between the city and harbourside. There was a need for enhanced urban design to support the harbourside area.
Cr Andrew Whiley returned to the meeting at 1.01 pm.
Robert Norman Johnston
Mr Johnston circulated a written copy of his presentation. He proposed building a new aquatic centre at the empty Carisbrook site. He had emailed his idea to the Council and Calder Stewart and would like it to be considered. He considered that the Carisbrook site was a wasteland and an aquatic centre would be perfect for the site. Moana Pool was not up to competition standards. He outlined the features he would like to see as part of a new aquatic centre.
Cr Jinty MacTavish returned to the meeting at 1.10 pm.
Chris Wright, Football South
Mr Wright gave a presentation titled "Artificial Turf Proposal – Logan Park". Football South would like Council to support a new artificial turf and lights at a cost of $1 million at Logan Park. They felt this would be a game-changer for the region and the community. They would like Council to support this in principle and would then continue to engage with Council to investigate the feasibility of the project. They would like to accelerate consultation with the community, stakeholders, funders, and other sports.
The meeting adjourned at 1.34 pm and reconvened at 2.00 pm.
Cr John Bezett left the meeting at 1.34 pm.
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Trudy Richards, Trustpower Limited (Via Skype)
Comment was made about to the Council's rating method and Trustpower would like this brought in line with the rest of the district. They believed that Commercial properties were paying too much. They were supportive of the Council undertaking a review of the general rate in time for the next year's Annual Plan.
Simon Noble
Mr Noble commented on a presentation on his submission regarding cycleways. He advised that he would like the Council to undertake smaller improvements and that these should be appropriate to the area. He advised that they were not asking for expensive options but just to ensure the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.
Cr Lee Vandervis entered the meeting at 2.23 pm.
Simon Gallaher, Digital Dunedin
Crs Andrew Whiley and Jinty MacTavish withdrew from the discussion for this speaker.
Mr Gallaher spoke to the submission from Digital Dunedin. He advised that the project was not a short-term one and that they needed to create an environment where everyone worked together. Digital Dunedin was one of the key pieces of infrastructure to make Dunedin a smart city.
In response to a question he advised that 64% of homes had access to fast broadband and of those 24% had connected.
Cr John Bezett returned to the meeting at 2.40 pm.
Cr Lee Vandervis left the meeting at 2.49 pm.
Bob Wyber
Mr Wyber spoke to his submission and in particular cycleways. He would like the Council to engage with the community before any more cycleways were designed and then once developed, further discussion with the community should take place.
He also suggested that the Council should have a master index of all Council's policies and strategies so that people were able to search them easily.
Phil Dowsett, Otago Settlers Association
Mr Dowsett spoke to the submission from the Otago Settlers Association. In response to a question he advised that the Association was against the reintroduction of a door charge as he believed this would have an impact on visitor numbers. He commented that the Museum had charges in other areas to help increase revenue.
Robert Thompson, Spokes Dunedin
Mr Thompson spoke to his submission in relation to cycleways. Mr Thompson questioned what the change in scope meant. He would also like to know what the level of infrastructure was going to be, and tabled a picture of Gordon Street, which was a quiet street but had a high level cycleway developed. He advised that they would like the cycleways developed as per their submission. Mr Thompson advised that cycleways should be developed where they were really needed.
Cr Richard Thompson left the meeting at 3.17 pm.
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Anne Turvey
Mrs Turvey spoke to her submission in relation to a library in South Dunedin. She advised that the library was needed now and referred to funds which may be available from the Carnegie Foundation.
Crs Mike Lord and John Bezett left the meeting at 3.35 pm.
Josh Thomas – Dunedin Fringe Festival
Mr Thomas spoke to the submission from the Dunedin Fringe Festival and gave an overview of the Festival held this year.
Cr John Bezett returned to the meeting at 3.40 pm.
Rachel Minton-Smith and Dan Reddiex-Smith
Ms Minton-Smith spoke to the submission regarding a multi-purpose all weather facility in conjunction with King's High School.
Ms Minton-Smith commented that current facilities to play hockey were well used and had very little capacity for additional use. She also advised that a lot of schools did not have the transport to get to the current facilities at Logan Park.
They advised that the facility would be available to the community, in a similar manner to the school's current facilities. They were seeking $500,000 up front and $10,000 a year for 10 years. The $10,000 would go towards servicing the facility.
Moved (Chairperson Dave Cull/Cr Chris Staynes):
That the Council: a) Notes the submissions received.
Motion carried (AP/2016/008)
The meeting concluded at 4.09 pm.
...... MAYOR
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