2014/2015 Annual Report Table of Contents Message from the Mayor Introduction Your Council - Mayor and Elected Members 5 Community Development Activity Group 85 What is the Annual Report 6 Economic Development Activity 88 Council's Vision, Values and Outcomes 7 Social Development Activity 91 Performance Overview Stormwater Activity Group 94 Highlights from the Thames Community Board Stormwater Activity 96 Area 10 Land Drainage Activity 97 Highlights from the Coromandel/Colville Wastewater Activity Group 99 Community Board Area 12 Wastewater Activity 102 Highlights from the Mercury Bay Community Land Use Activity Group 105 Board Area 13 Land Use Management Activity 107 Highlights from the Tairua/Pauanui Community Board Area 14 LIMS Activity 109 Highlights from the Whangamata Community Natural and Cultural Heritage Activity 111 Board Area 15 Water Supply Activity Group 113 Overview of Our Financial Performance 17 Water Supply Activity 115 Independent Auditor’s Report 23 Solid Waste Activity Group 119 Our services Solid Waste Activity 121 Introduction 29 Financial Statements Community Leadership Activity Group 32 Guide to Financial Statements 126 District Leadership Activity 34 Statement of Compliance 128 Local Advocacy 37 Statement of Comprehensive Revenue and Planning for the Future Activity Group 39 Expense 129 Strategic Planning Activity 41 Statement of Financial Position 130 Land Use Planning Activity 43 Statement of Changes in Equity 131 Hazard Management Activity 45 Statement of Cash Flows 132 Healthy and Safe Communities Activity Funding Impact Statement Group 47 for Whole of Council 133 Emergency Management Activity 50 Notes 1 - Statement of Accounting Policies 134 Building Control Activity 52 Notes 2 to 37 - Notes to Financial the Statements 151 Community Health and Safety Activity 55 Roads and Footpaths Activity Group 57 District Transportation Activity 61 Council Controlled Organisations 203 Council Policies 208 Local Transportation Activity 64 Community Spaces Activity Group 68 Airfields Activity 71 Cemeteries Activity 72 Community Centres and Halls Activity 73 Public Conveniences Activity 75 Harbour Facilities Activity 76 Libraries Activity 78 Parks and Reserves Activity 80 Swimming Pools Activity 83 Thames-Coromandel District Council 2 2014-2015 Annual Report MESSAGE FROM MAYOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE can catch up in the year ahead and we should keep This year, much of the attention of elected members in mind the old adage that Rome wasn't built in a and council staff has been on the successful adoption of the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan. While it day. Learning we have received $1 million of is important to focus on our future, we also can't Lotteries grant funding towards this project was lose sight of what is going on around us, and to great news to end the year on. We continue to contribute to that spirit which makes the strive towards better servicing the needs of our Coromandel unique. We are proud to present our communities and making improvements on the year 2014/2015 Annual Report which sets out our before. successes - for the year and explains where progress has been slower than anticipated. We are In 2014/2015 we spent a total of $14.3 million on proud to be a council which can honestly say we capital works less than our projected spend of $24.4 are doing our best for the residents and ratepayers million. This has been a challenge for a number of of the Thames-Coromandel District. years and as Council we have a real focus on setting realistic goals. As a result, we have a We have had a busy year with progressing our renewed focus ensuring each workstream we anchor projects, in particular the planting of the first undertake is accurately planned and we are trees of our World War I Memorial Forest Project determined to better deliver our projects in coming (Te Wao Whakamaumaharatanga), and ensuring years. the success of our community empowerment model, with Community Boards actively involved in For us as well as our communities the report is a local decision making which has a real impact in timely reminder of the need to continue to look after their communities. This includes spending on local our assets while increasing our on focus economic roads and economic development projects, to development on the Peninsula and promoting involvement in setting the direction for bylaws and ourselves as a premier tourism destination and a policies and influencing the budgets within the Long great place to live and work. Term Plan. In June 2015 we opened the Pauanui Community Hub, now housing the Pauanui Library We look forward to the challenges and opportunities and Information Centre, and throughout 2014/2015 of the coming year and to continuing the we made solid progress on our plans for the conversation with our communities on the future of Thames Indoor Sports Facility, including the our district and how we as an organisation can meet granting of resource consent for this project. The their needs and expectations. partnerships we have with our communities are fundamental to the successes we have as Council. We also extended our network of sealed roads by 14 kilometres to a total 471 kilometres through dust sealing, traction sealing and acquisition of existing sealed roads. A number of district-wide stormwater renewals were completed, and we made significant progress in connecting Ohuka Park in Mercury Bay to the district water supply. It is important to acknowledge the hard work of our infrastructure teams and Council's infrastructure committee here - upgrades, renewals and maintenance of these assets is seldom exciting though they make up our biggest budget lines and are the bread and butter of our operations. This was an important year for our proposed District Plan project, with staff, commissioners and elected members undertaking a huge amount of work around reviewing submissions and facilitating eleven public hearings. We look forward to advancing the District Plan review in 2015/2016. We also had some setbacks. A number of our infrastructure projects ran over time and have not fully delivered what we intended. Progress has been slower than we would have liked on our Great Walks project, however we are confident that we Thames-Coromandel District Council 3 2014-2015 Annual Report Introduction Performance Overview Photography by David T Ruddock INTRODUCTION Your Council - Mayor and Elected Members His Worship the Mayor Glenn Leach JP PO Box 296, Whitianga 027 498 5122 [email protected] Deputy Mayor Murray McLean JP Peter French 182 Buffalo Beach Road, 07 868 6649 Whitianga 3510 027 681 8783 07 866 4158 [email protected] 027 457 0855 THAMES WARD [email protected] MERCURY BAY WARD Coromandel- Colville Ward Mercury Tony Brljevich Bay Ward Tony Fox 75 Kauri Grove, Coromandel 3506 07 866 4836 07 866 7731 027 497 0705 021 126 4202 [email protected] [email protected] MERCURY BAY WARD COROMANDEL-COLVILLE WARD Thames Ward South Eastern Ward Diane Connors Jan Bartley 07 868 9292 PO Box 166, Whangamata 3643 [email protected] 07 865 8832 THAMES WARD [email protected] SOUTH EASTERN WARD Sandra Goudie Jack Wells 027 431 2442 116 Hampton Road, [email protected] Whangamata 3620 THAMES WARD [email protected] SOUTH EASTERN WARD Thames-Coromandel District Council 5 2014-2015 Annual Report INTRODUCTION What is the Annual Report In June 2012 the Council adopted its 2012-2022 Ten Year Plan and has subsequently prepared an Annual Plan for the 2014-2015 year. This Annual Report explains how we’ve delivered on the 2014-2015 Annual Plan. For every activity we explain what we did compared to what we said we’d do, what it cost and how we performed against budget: • to ensure consistent decisions and actions are made across our business • to provide some transparency of decision-making processes to the public • to be efficient in the way we work – one well thought-out decision in the form of a policy can be applied to many cases, and staff working within the business have a framework to help them get on with the job • to meet legal requirements. A list of our foremost documents and policies are noted here. These are all available from the Council offices located in Thames, Coromandel, Whitianga and Whangamata and are available on our website at www.tcdc.govt.nz. Key Corporate Documents Coromandel Blueprint: Framework for our Future The Coromandel Peninsula: Blueprint Framework for our Future was developed in partnership with the Waikato Regional Council, Department of Conservation and Hauraki Whaanui. This document provides a plan and helps to set a direction for the Coromandel over the next 30 years for where, what and how people can do things in and on the land and waters of the Coromandel Peninsula. Community Board Plans The Community Board Plans are documents that ensure that communities, through your elected members, have an increased role in determining what happens in your local area. They have provided a structured approach for Community Board input into the development of the 2014/2015 Annual Plan. The Community Board Plans also give effect to the new community governance approach and new Community Board delegations. Ten Year Plan and Annual Plan The Ten Year Plan and Annual Plan are the main strategic planning documents for Council. The Ten Year Plan sets out the activities and services that we intend to provide for a period covering a minimum of ten years, how much they cost and what revenue Council is receiving. This allows us to take a long-term view of our responsibilities while enabling us to adjust for changing financial factors and keep budgets up-to-date. We are required by legislation to develop a Ten Year Plan which must be revised every three years.