gdc 2013/14 annual plan summary

DRAFT 2013/14 ANNUAL PLAN SUMMARY

Putting our plans into action

2 GISBORNE DISTRICT COUNCIL DRAFT 2013/14 ANNUAL PLAN SUMMARY

The big picture

Te kaupapa nunui rei

The year ahead will be one of action for Council. You will see progress on the major community projects you told us you want, while we keep our eye firmly on maintaining the district’s roads, pipes and essential infrastructure. We will continue to look for better ways to deliver what you expect of Council and to keep costs down.

Growing a vibrant GisborneConstruction will start on the War Memorial Theatre (page 8) and the Cenotaph this year. Our popular cycle and walkways (page 6) will be extended and as part of the Navigations project, a trial walkway will be built on top of the middle harbour wall (page 8).

We are working on concept plans for an extended library (page 9) that will be made available this year. Planning for a redeveloped Olympic pool will start in 2014. All these community facilities are near the end of their usable life and need to be updated to serve a modern community.

We believe that together these projects will grow a vibrant Gisborne that attracts people to us. They will build pride in those of us who live here and be assets for our young people who will inherit this place. Plan Build

Plan Build

Plan Build

BuildPlan

HB Williams Memorial Library ($3.04m)

Gisborne Olympic Pool ($30.19m)

Tairawhiti Navigations and Inner Harbour ($12.55m)

Cycle and Walkways - including Kaiti to Wainui ($5.1m)

War Memorial Theatre ($7.5m)

Earthquake Strengthening / Re-build of Council O�ces ($1.3m)

Major Projects over the next 5 years

This is a good time to get started on these projects. Low interest rates and lower than projected debt (page 4) makes them as affordable as ever. Still they will not happen without the support of other organisations to help fund them. In most cases your rates will pay for about a third of the cost of each project.

Council will refit our Fitzherbert Street offices over the next year. Parts of the complex do not meet the new earthquake building standards and the work-spaces are no longer fit for purpose. We can not gamble with our customers’ and staff safety. We will ensure our buildings are safe, welcoming for customers, and energy efficient to provide long-term savings.

GISBORNE DISTRICT COUNCIL DRAFT 2013/14 ANNUAL PLAN SUMMARY 32 GISBORNE DISTRICT COUNCIL DRAFT 2013/14 ANNUAL PLAN SUMMARY

Keeping rates downCouncil is working hard to keep rate increases to a minimum. In the next year we plan to collect 2.5% more in rates, not 5% as originally forecast. Low debt, working with other organisations to help fund our community projects and making changes to how we as an organisation work for you, will make this possible. We have a very complex rating system and we will be reviewing this. We want to make your rates easier to understand, easier to manage and avoid the large swings – increases and decreases – some properties unexpectedly face when small changes are made to our rating policy. We are starting with changes to three rates that we want your feedback on this month (page 5).

Council Elections2013 is an election year. Vote for who you want to represent your views around the Council table on Saturday 12 October. The Local Government Commission decided late last year to change the makeup of Council from the next election onwards so that the number of people that each Councillor represents is more evenly spread. The changes include:

• reducing the number of Councillors from 14 to 13

• reducing the number of rural wards and rural Councillors from six to four

• increasing the number of Councillors in the city ward by one to nine.

Tell us what you thinkFor more information on the draft Annual Plan come to one of the many community update meetings being held during March or view the full document online. Tell us what you think at the meetings, by using the enclosed submission form or by submitting online at www.gdc.govt.nz.

Kia ora

Mayor Meng Foon and Chief Executive Judy Campbell


Money mattersNgā āhuatanga pūtea

Council needs $50.3m from rates in the next year to pay for its work programme. This is $1.2m less than we forecast in our 2012-2022 Ten Year Plan (TYP). We need less rates income than predicted thanks to $4m less debt and the associated savings in interest. Less depreciation, and reprioritising costs and projects have also helped.

About 57% of Council income is from rates. We know that for many, paying their rates bill is a struggle. We are committed to keeping any rates increases to a minimum.

1,382 (6%)

16,901 (76%)

2,657 (12%)

871 (4%) 387 (2%)0

2,000

6,000

10,000

14,000

18,000

Rates Decrease-$466 to $0 per wk

No. o

f Pro

pert

ies

$0.01-$2 per wk

$2.01-$5 per wk

$5.01-$15 per wk

>$15 per wk Rates Increase

Check out our rates comparison

tool at www.gdc.govt.nz/

rates-comparison-tool

to see how the proposed

increase affects your property.

What will I pay?Most ratepayers can expect a small rates increase in the next year. Council is proposing to collect an extra 2.5% in rates. How much the rates on your property will increase (or decrease) varies depending on where you live, the value of your property and what services you receive.

Estimated 2013/14 Rates Increase per week

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

2011/12Actual

2012/13TYP

2013/14TYP

2013/14Proposed

44

46

48

50

52

Total Rates $M Total Rates % Increase

3.5%4.4%

5.0%

2.5%

47 49 52 50

Total Rates $M % Increase

Forecast Rates % Increase

Estimated 2013/14 Rates Increase

$10m

$20m

$30m

$40m

2011/12Actual

2012/13Budgeted

2013/14Forecast TYP

2013/14Annual Plan

Capital Expenditure ($m) Council Debt ($m)

17

31

22

36

29

40

35 36

Rates on about 75% of properties will increase by less than $2 per week. Rates on nearly 1,400 properties will decrease and rates on nearly 400, mostly larger, properties will increase by more than $15 per week.

Capital Expenditure vs Debt 2012 - 2014


Community Planning and Services - $11m (14%)

Environmental Policy and Services - $9m (11%)

Governance and Support Services - $10m (12%)

Commercial Operations - $4m (5%)

- Animal Control- Civil Defence and Emergency Management- Environmental Policy- Conservation and Biosecurity- Regulatory Services- Building and Resource Consents

- Community Planning and Development- Libraries, Pool and Theatres- Parks and Open Spaces

- Land Transport and Parking- Flood Protection- Solid Waste- Water Supply, Stormwater and Wastewater

Infrastructure Services - $45m (58%)

58%$45m

12%$10m

11%$9m

14%$11m

5%$4m

What do my rates pay for?We will spend the largest chunk of rates income on essential infrastructure - roads, water, stormwater, wastewater, flood protection, community facilities, parks and open spaces. These are the essential services that we all rely on to keep our district running. Council has nearly $1.9 billion invested in fixed assets.

We also want to start building our community projects sooner and so we are proposing to bring forward $6m in spending on projects into the 2013/14 budget.

Simplifying your ratesIn trying to be fair to all ratepayers Council has applied a ‘user pays’ philosophy: those that use or benefit from a service should be rated for it. This has led to a lot of targeted rates. It is a very complex rating system. We will be reviewing the whole rating system in the next year with a focus on avoiding large swings in rates, making them simpler and easier to understand and reducing processing costs.

Proposed rates changesLast year changes to three targeted rates (pest and plants, rural fires and soil conservation) caused some large and unexpected increases and decreases for ratepayers on the edge of the city and in some rural areas. We have now reviewed how we rate for these services and are proposing some changes to rebalance some of the large swings. More details are available on our website www.gdc.govt.nz/annual-plan-2013-14. These changes are an amendment to the 2012 – 2022 Ten Year Plan and your feedback on them is welcomed.

How will the money be spent?


Keeping you safe and connected

On your bikeGisborne’s cycle and walkways are growing. Customhouse Street to Waikanae is finished and getting lots of use. A boardwalk along the dunes to Midway Surf Club is likely to be started this year. Consent for the Awapuni walkway, running along Waikanae Creek through Alfred Cox Park, has been lodged and work will begin this year. Plans for extending the Taruheru walkway are also being developed and Council aims to seek Resource Consent early in 2014.

Te haumaru me te hononga i a koe

Changes to liquor licensingYou can have your say on where liquor can be bought in our region in the next year. We will work with Police, licensing inspectors and Medical Officers of Health to develop a draft local alcohol policy for you to provide feedback on. A local alcohol policy will allow communities to limit the location, density and conditions of liquor licenses. This follows the recent changes by Government to alcohol legislation. Council will also be reviewing liquor license application fees and costs in line with the new regulations.

CYCLE AND WALKWAYS

•Waikanae Beach – From

Customhouse Street to Midway

Surf Club ($330k)

•Awapuni – From Grey Street

through Alfred Cox Park to Stanley

Road ($814k)

•Along the Taruheru River –

From Bright Street to Campion

Road ($3.03m)


Improving our transport networkOur roads continue to be one of the largest expenses for ratepayers due to our large district and small population. Council will spend $12.7m this year, working hard to maintain the existing network to meet your business and travel needs. We are also looking at how we manage road usage and our public transport services. Look out for the launch of new bus routes throughout the city this year, and one or two new bus stops for the new routes. A study of heavy vehicle traffic around the city will also be done to look at the effects on roads, the environment and communities. Recommendations are due this year.

Keeping things flowingThe old stormwater pipes in Whataupoko and Tokomaru Bay are next on the list to be upgraded.

The Kaiti wastewater network is deteriorating and needs upgrading. Planning has started on a system that will cope better during storms.

In the next year we will assess waste-water, stormwater and water supply services in the townships throughout the district to make sure they meet sanitary standards.

• Upgrading wastewater pump stations in Gisborne and Te Karaka ($274k)

• Repairing water supply mains to and from Waingake Treatment Plant ($177k)

• Building a stock effluent facility at Sale Yard Road with NZTA• Fixing the wooden retaining walls along the Taruheru and

Turanganui River ($499k)• Changing our plans to better manage development in tsunami risk areas

• Upgrading rural fire service radios ($52k)• Upgrading city footpaths ($258k)

What else is Council doing?


Improving our community facilitiesTe whakapae ake i ngā whakaurunga hāpori

War Memorial Theatre upgrade to beginA fantastic effort by the War Memorial Theatre Gisborne Trust has seen over $4m raised to redevelop the theatre. Resource consent has been granted and building will start later this year. The auditorium will be enlarged to seat approximately 540 people. The stage, backstage, kitchen and foyer will be upgraded to provide a modern facility we can all be proud of.

Estimated Cost: $7.50mCouncil contribution: $2.15m External funding: $5.35m

Navigations ProjectTairāwhiti has a unique heritage based around Māori and European navigational stories, contact and settlement. The Tairāwhiti Navigations project is about unlocking our tourism and economic potential, celebrating our rich culture and ensuring the inner harbour area is attractive and vibrant. A heritage trail through Gisborne’s inner harbour, Titirangi Reserve and other key sites will be developed over the next seven years. The first piece of construction, starting soon, is a 30 metre trial walkway to be built on top of the middle harbour wall. A study on the parking limitations in the harbour area has started.

Estimated Cost: $12.55mCouncil contribution: $4.02mExternal funding: $8.53m


Where we playCouncil will plant more trees at Kaiti Beach, on Makorori Headland and Titirangi Reserve (Kaiti Hill). We will extend the Rere Rockslide car park, and replace seating and tables in the Botanical Gardens in the next year. These parks all have reserve management plans that were developed with our communities so these are improvements you asked for. As part of developing an active recreation strategy for the district we’ll work with local sports codes to improve the management of the 30 plus sports grounds throughout the district.

• Install shade sails at the Olympic Pool playground

($15k)

• Install the Hawaiki Turanga sculpture alongside

the Turanganui Walkway ($30k)

• Planting, controlling weeds and developing

parking on Kopututea beach front land (in

consultation with Trustees) ($10k)

• Upgrade playground equipment across the district

($100k)

• Progress Township Plan priorities, including a

main street upgrade for Tolaga Bay

New freedom camping sitesCouncil is reviewing how we manage freedom camping following the passing of the Freedom Camping Act. Council is keen to continue the practice of freedom camping in the District, which has been popular with residents and visitors. We are proposing to continue summer camping in existing permitted areas with the possible introduction of some new sites including at Motu and Rere. The Freedom Camping Act allows overnight freedom camping on most Council land unless this is restricted in a new bylaw. The Act allows Council to restrict this type of camping to protect certain areas, to protect the health and safety of visitors and control adverse effects. More information is available on our website www.gdc.govt.nz. Let us know what you think.

Library extendedLibrary users can look forward to a bigger library with better disabled access and space for public meetings and quiet study. Generous bequests totalling $1.63m have already been received. Concept plans for the redevelopment will be available later this year.

Estimated Cost: $3.04m Council contribution: $1.41mExternal funding: $1.63m



Petroleum explorationThere is a lot of interest in both the potential benefits and the possible environmental effects of any petroleum exploration activities (especially hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”) in the district. Council’s role in petroleum exploration is avoiding or managing environmental effects, not deciding overall whether mining should be allowed in the district. Our commitment is to run a fair and open process when applications for resource consent are received. All applications and decisions are available on our website.Consents have been issued for a well-pad in the Kanakanaia area, and applications for drilling about 3km deep are being processed. No application for hydraulic fracturing has been received. Changes to Council’s RMA plans will be considered once the review of the Crown Minerals Act and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report on hydraulic fracturing have been completed.

Wainui Beach Management StrategyThe draft Wainui Beach Management Strategy is almost complete. The Strategy is being developed with the Wainui and Okitu community and will provide a sustainable approach to managing the coastal hazards affecting Wainui Beach. The Key Stakeholder Group are considering all planning options, not just engineering or structural solutions. Look out for the draft management strategy later this year.

Caring for our environmentTe tiaki i te taiao

A NA

TURA

L OIL

SEEP

AT W

AITA

NGI


Managing our freshwater resourcesThe Greater Waipaoa Catchment area will be the first catchment plan developed for the Regional Freshwater Management Plan and will be the focus for 2013/14. Council is looking at how we manage freshwater throughout the district. Waipaoa has been prioritised as it is of significant economic importance to the Gisborne area and is under pressure due to the number of water permits allowing water to be taken for horticultural or other uses. The plan will look at how we manage both the quantity and quality of our freshwater resources.

• Improving environmental monitoring with new telemetry

equipment ($74k)

• Reviewing our Regional Policy Statement that helps us

sustainably manage the region’s natural and physical

resources. We will want your feedback on the issues and

options later this year.

• Looking after our sand dunes ($10k)

• Providing composting workshops for the city and funding

local waste reduction projects (with Government funding)


Environmental logging issuesCouncil will continue to work with the forestry industry to address community concerns about the amount of woody debris coming down our streams. A Forestry Environmental Focus Group, with forestry industry and Council representation, was set up last year to consider the problem and recommend solutions. The focus has been on information sharing and management options, including planting riparian setbacks, temporarily leaving some trees standing and designing debris catching structures to protect waterways. Regional best practice guidelines for forest harvesting will be developed.

1

How to get involved M

e pēhea koe e whai wāhi ki ngā kaupapa nei

SUNDAYM

ONDAYTUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAYFRIDAY

SATURDAY23

45

67

89

1011

1213

1415

1617

1819

2021

2223

2425

2627

2829

30

march 201331

MANUTUKE

Manutuke School - 5.30pmPATUTAHI

Patutahi Hall - 7.30pm

ELGINBreakfast with Councillors

Elgin Shopping Centre 9am

- 12pm

TE ARAROAEast Cape Hunting

& Fishing Clubrooms - 5pm

HICKS BAYHinem

aurea Marae - 5pm

TIKITIKIW

aiapu RSA - 5pmRUATORIA

Uepohatu Marae - 7.30pm

WAIM

ATAW

aimata Com

munity

Hall - 6pm

MURIW

AIMuriwai Marae - 5.30pm

MAKAURI

Makauri School - 7.30pm

EARLY BIRD M

ARKETAlfred Cox Park - 6am

FARMERS M

ARKETArm

y Hall Car Park - 9.30amW

HATATUTUW

hatatutu School - 5.30pmTE KARAKA

Te Karaka Scout Hall - 7.30pm

GISBORNE CITYHB W

illiams Mem

orial Library - 5.30pm

WAINUI

Wainui School - 5.30pm

TINIROTOTiniroto

Comm

unity Hall - 5.30pmW

AERENGA-O-KURIW

aerenga-o-kuri Hall - 7.30pmKAITI

Breakfast with CouncillorsKaiti Mall 9am

- 12pm

WAIPIRO

Iritekura Marae - 5pmTOKOM

ARU BAYThe Haven,

Senior Citizens Hall - 7pm

WHANGARA

Whangara Marae - 5pm

TOLAGA BAYTolaga Bay Fire Station - 7.30pm

MATAW

AIMatawai Fire

Brigade Rooms - 6pm

If you don’t tell us what you think, w

ho will?

Phone 06 867 2049 or 0800 653 800Em

ail [email protected]

ww

w.gdc.govt.nz • w

ww

.facebook.com/G

isborneDC

Come along to a com

munity update m

eeting in your area to hear

from M

ayor Meng Foon, Councillors and sta�.

2013 CENSUS

GOOD FRIDAYSubm

issions close at 4pm on 5th April 2013

gdc 2013/14 annual plan summary

Documents

council elections2013

council table

walkways page

rates easier

rebuild of council oces

month page

election year

extended library page