AGENDA

Supplementary Reports

 

Ordinary Council Meeting

 

Thursday, 28 February 2019

Time:

10.00 am

Location:

Council Chamber

Memorial Avenue

Kaikohe

 

 

Membership:

Mayor John Carter - Chairperson

Cr Tania McInnes

Cr Ann Court

Cr Felicity Foy

Cr Dave Hookway

Cr Colin (Toss) Kitchen

Cr Sally Macauley

Cr Mate Radich

Cr John Vujcich

Cr Kelly Stratford

 

 


Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda

28 February 2019

 

Order Of Business

7          Infrastructure and Asset Management Group. 4

7.3            Housing for the Elderly. 4

11       Chief Executive Officer. 21

11.1          CEO Report to Council: 1 December 2018 - 31 January 2019. 21

10       Public Excluded. 69

10.3          Far North Swimming Pools Service Delivery Review.. 69

10.4          Hokianga Ferry Service Review and Procurement Strategy. 69

 

 


Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda

28 February 2019

 

7            Infrastructure and Asset Management Group

7.3         Housing for the Elderly

File Number:           A2340244

Author:                    Nina Gobie, Team Leader - Facilities Operations

Authoriser:             Andy Finch, General Manager - Infrastructure and Asset Management

 

Purpose of the Report

To provide a status report on the Housing for the Elderly service.

Executive Summary

Council currently manage a portfolio of 147 Housing for the Elderly units across the District. There is ongoing and increasing demand for the units.

Many of the units were built many years ago and either have or will shortly reach the end of their lives. These do not meet modern housing standards.

The current gross replacement cost of the portfolio is $19m excluding land.

Council does not have a current policy that enables good decision making concerning the future of the Housing for the Elderly units.

This report identifies key background information, current practices and general information concerning the Housing for the Elderly service.

Recommendation

That Council receive the report “Housing for the Elderly”.

 

 

Background

Council currently has a total of 147 Housing for the Elderly (HFTE) units spread across twelve locations within the District. There is a ‘standard’ weekly rental for tenants who meet the criteria and a ‘market’ rental for those tenants who do not meet Council’s HFE age criteria but are in need of accommodation. Both rentals are reviewed annually.

The ‘market’ rental is what Northpoint Trust and Hokianga Health are charged. Currently two units at 5 Birch Street, Rawene are tenanted by Hokianga Health Trust, and six units at the same location by the Northpoint Services Trust. These arrangements are managed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which, because of demand for Council units, is currently being reviewed. The weekly ‘market’ rental detail is below:

Location

Type

Weekly rental for a single person

(1 October 2018)

Kaikohe

Bedsit unit

$125

Kerikeri

Bedsit unit

$180

Rawene

Bedsit unit

$128

Kerikeri

One bedroom unit

$220

Ahipara, Awanui, Oxford Street, Puckey Avenue

One bedroom unit

$170

Kawakawa, Rawene, Kohukohu, Horeke, Waima

One bedroom unit

$175

Kaikohe

One bedroom unit

$165

Omapere

One bedroom unit

$220

NB: Couples pay an additional $10 per week

Table 1: Location and Weekly Market Rental Details

The standard weekly rental is:

Location

No of units

Type

Weekly rental for a single person

(1 October 2018)

39 Takahe Road, Ahipara

6

1 bedroom

$114.90

19 State Highway 10, Awanui

12

I bedroom

$114.90

2093 Horeke Road, Horeke

2

1 bedroom

$114.90

40 – 61 Tawanui Road, Kaikohe

2

1 bedroom

$118.00

 

36

bedsit

$109.70

5 and 7 Oxford Street, Kaitaia

26

1 bedroom

$114.90

47 Puckey Avenue, Kaitaia

22

1 bedroom

$114.90

24 Boswell Street, Kawakawa

6

1 bedroom

$114.90

3 Hobson Avenue, Kerikeri

3

bedsit

$109.70

 

4

1 bedroom

$118.00

2 Potter Street, Kohukohu

6

1 bedroom

$114.90

288 State Highway 12, Omapere

3

1 bedroom

$118.00

 

4

2 bedrooms

$118.00

 

2

3 bedrooms

$118.00

5 Birch Street, Rawene

6

1 bedroom

$118.00

 

4

bedsit

$109.70

Waima Valley Road, Waima

3

1 bedroom

$114.90

NB: Couples pay $122.10 per week regardless of the location and unit size.

Table 2: Location and Standard Weekly Rental Details

Assuming a full tenancy across the portfolio the total weekly income to Council is approximately $16,731.80 noting that there will be slight variances as a result of tenancy composition and vacancies.

The waiting list for HFTE units has increased since 2015. Due to this demand, Council is not currently accepting applicants that are under the age of 60 years for HFTE units.  In August and September 2018 the waiting list was reviewed, and applicants removed who were uncontactable, below the age criteria, or have secured alternative accommodation. The current waiting list as of January 2019 stands at 75 and reflects those who are genuinely in need of housing assistance and meet the Council criteria.

Table 3: Waiting List

 

The current gross replacement cost for the entire HFTE portfolio is $21.450m including land.

Location

Year built

Gross Asset  Replacement Cost

Land Value $

Improvement Value $

39 Takahe Road, Ahipara

1988

210,000

842,163

19 State Highway 10, Awanui

1982

70,000

1,928,416

2093 Horeke Road, Horeke

1994

20,000

306,672

40 – 61 Tawanui Road, Kaikohe

1975

70,000

4,119,716

5 and 7 Oxford Street, Kaitaia

1957

385,000

3,613,600

47 Puckey Avenue, Kaitaia

1973

150,000

2,884,722

24 Boswell Street, Kawakawa

1973

52,000

680,280

3 Hobson Avenue, Kerikeri

1946

410,000

883,399

2 Potter Street, Kohukohu

1973

100,000

841,887

288 State Highway 12, Omapere

1973

590,000

1,516,373

5 Birch Street, Rawene

1967

180,000

1,131,647

Waima Valley Road, Waima

1983

16,000

448,653

Table 4: Valuation

The table 4 above details the date of construction for the HFTE portfolio. The design life for each unit is approximately 50 years. Based on this, the majority of the units have already passed or are approaching their original design life and will eventually need replacing. Many of the units are dated and are not of a modern standard in terms of construction and insulation. Assuming the replacement takes place on the current site then forward capital investment of approximately $19m will be needed. A number of renewals projects have been completed over the past few years and further renewal expenditure of $3.85m is included in the 2018-28 LTP. Such works include replacement of window frames, roofing and internal refurbishment of vacant units. With continued renewal and maintenance programmes in place, it is envisaged this should extend the useful life of the units.. A condition assessment program is currently being developed that will assist in the effective management of the HFTE units.

In May 2010, a report went to Council recommending options to address the poor state of repair of pensioner units while approving ongoing negotiations with potential social housing providers. The report outlined a proposal to sell the Mangonui complex and transfer the Russell complex to the Duffus Trust. Financial analysis undertaken at the time identified the sale income received from the proposal would enable the activity to operate at a cost-neutral basis until 2017/2018 providing time to find a more sustainable solution. The following resolution was carried:

At the time, the Community Board Views were:

Western (Kaikohe/Hokianga) Community Board:

"The Board requests that Council retain all pensioner units and use depreciation funding to maintain them. It also requests an annual review of rental charges and an improved management regime."

Northern (Te Hiku) Community Board:

"The Board supports partial divestment of pensioner housing but requests Council to note that it has concerns that Council does not have the skills and money to manage them well, that housing should be available for the elderly rather than social housing, and that there are a number of elderly people in the community on fixed incomes who should not be expected to subsidise pensioner housing for others." 

Eastern Community (Bay of Islands/Whangaroa) Board:

The Board elected not to take a consolidated view as individual views were divergent. Member Annison submitted that "Social housing should not be a function of a council. That portfolio should rest with the Department of Social Welfare."

 

Discussion

There is no definitive Council policy about the management of Housing for the Elderly units and the service  is generally managed as an infrastructure issue..

Housing for the Elderly has historically been partially funded from general rates. Council currently has no replacement strategy.

Council is seeing an increased demand for the units, resulting in the potential cancelation of the MOU’s with Hokianga Health Trust and Northpoint Services Trust.

Other changes include an increase and change of the age profiles, a lifestyle expectation from bedsits to one room units and a higher standard of services and facilities.

 

Services Provided

·                The day to day tenancy management process including applications, interviews, signing up, managing rents and bond payments is carried out by the Tenancy Officer who is part of the Community and Customer Services Group.

·                Asset repairs, maintenance, ground maintenance and unit inspections are undertaken by a Technical Officer who is part of the District Facilities team in Infrastructure and Asset Management.

 

Tenancy Management Process

 

Application

•     A completed application form, as received is initially assessed against a specific criteria as set out in the attached document ‘Housing for the Elderly – Policies and Information’.

•     Applicants will be notified if they meet the criteria and are added to the waiting list for a unit.

•     When a vacancy occurs in a preferred area, applicant(s) on the waiting list are invited to attend an interview – those who have been on the list the longest will be considered first.

 

Tenancy

•     After an interview, the most appropriate applicant will be selected taking into account interview outcome and criteria eligibility.

•     Applicants are invited to make an appointment to inspect the unit.

•     If a tenancy is agreed, a Tenancy Agreement and a joint inspection of the unit is completed.

•     An occupancy commencement date is agreed and the Tenancy Agreement and a Bond Lodgement form is signed by both parties.

•     Once the agreement is signed, the bond and two weeks rent in advance must be paid before moving in. Bond is lodged with Bond Services.

•     Tenant collects key from nearest Service Centre on agreed move in date.

 

Rent

•     Tenants pay weekly or fortnightly rent payments. Council invoice fortnightly.

•     Debt management report is produced fortnightly, highlighting any outstanding rent due.

•     Any outstanding rent is followed up and a debt repayment plan is agreed with the tenant.

•     If debt repayment is not agreed or followed, a decision by council may be made to proceed to Tenancy Tribunal.

•     Annual rent increase is notified to all tenants 60 days prior to increase.

Property Inspections

•     HFE CSO and / or Technical Officer arranges and carries out 6 monthly unit inspections

Any faults are noted and RFS created for work required

10 day remedy notice sent to tenants not complying with tenancy agreement

If faults listed in remedy notice not addressed, a decision by council may be made to proceed to Tenancy Tribunal.

Tenant Queries

•     Tenants can contact Council and lodge a RFS for tenancy or repair/maintenance matters.

 

Termination of Tenancy by Tenant

•     A tenant is required to give 3 weeks written notice of their intention to terminate tenancy.

•     This must be in writing and include details of the tenant’s future address and other relevant details so that any bond refunds can be repaid after a final inspection of the unit or if any other follow up communication is required.

•     If a tenant is required to leave their unit without providing the full three weeks’ notice due to ill health or death, the three weeks’ notice period may be reduced at the discretion of Housing for the Elderly staff. Any reduction of notice period that impacts on rent payments will be calculated after the unit has been vacated and the final inspection has been made. If a tenant is being permanently relocated to a hospital or rest home, written proof of this must be provided for a waiver of the notice period to be granted.

 

Repairs and Maintenance Requests

•     A tenant can contact Council and lodge a RFS which is acted upon dependent upon the health and safety risk associated with the issue.

                                                          

Discussion and Next Steps

HFTE the elderly is a well-used service for which there is significant demand. However, the units themselves are reaching the end of their useful lives and renewal costs will steadily increase. Housing for the Elderly is a strategic asset in relation to the Significance and Engagement Policy and any decision to dispose of these assets would require consultation either through an Annual Plan/LTP process or a separate SCP process.

Council may wish to consider whether:

·    It chooses to remain a provider of Housing for the Elderly units

·    It chooses to transfer the units to an alternative social housing provider

·    It continues to provide units which are sub-standard in modern terms

·    It looks to replace the existing stock of units either

1.   At their current location

2.   At a centralised location in the District

It should also be noted that many of the tenants in HFTE units may wish to remain in their current locations as they are close to their marae and whanau, while others are close to friends and key services.


 

Financial Implications and Budgetary Provision

The following table identifies the repairs and maintenance expenditure at each location:

Location

14/15

Actual

15/16

Actual

16/17

Actual

17/18

Actual

18/19

YTD

Ahipara

11,721.39

6,647.10

6,532.07

8,650.91

3,978.53

Awanui

10,512.46

5,136.71

23,857.14

8,920.89

8,745.42

Horeke

13,214.72

18,497.17

14,429.84

8,075.07

6,047.01

Kaikohe

38,924.69

25,593.87

38,368.08

24,351.35

14,811.00

Kaitaia

34,919.39

52,200.38

32,851.33

25,755.52

19,008.48

Kawakawa

10,352.30

3,264.15

3,747.83

4,818.92

4,267.49

Kerikeri

7,778.39

7,126.25

4,991.08

4,525.64

8,430.83

Kohukohu

6,421.79

6,498.97

15,782.52

6,066.66

2,518.70

Opononi

11,815.84

8,014.81

17,717.65

13,363.21

4,218.61

Rawene

10,197.95

10,096.81

8,355.82

84,283.51

6,667.98

Waima

9,202.85

3,368.25

2,345.83

3,329.42

1,740.90

TOTAL

165,064.70

148,880.44

165,779.19

192,141.10

80,434.95

Table 5: Repairs and maintenance expenditure

 

The following table identifies the renewal expenditure per location:

Location

14/15

Actual

15/16

Actual

16/17

Actual

17/18

Actual

18/19

YTD

Ahipara

25,658.76

(1,424.77)

20,266.57

6,020.00

0.00

Awanui

17,022.36

222,681.68

5,253.21

1,238.90

410.42

Horeke

1,251.87

0.00

3,833.33

8,959.57

0.00

Kaikohe

82,933.25

7,005.27

41,905.85

9,578.77

23,699.80

Kaitaia

32,641.37

31,298.36

411,053.81

63,711.77

143,541.16

Kawakawa

4,773.42

0.00

7,248.62

16,712.83

1,320.24

Kerikeri

79,835.87

433.00

205,855.97

63,667.72

628.15

Kohukohu

8,081.49

7,380.03

3,833.33

90,483.51

2,050.61

Opononi

8,755.12

4,140.00

37,860.02

80,345.18

6,997.20

Rawene

11,180.15

14,427.48

0.00

25,063.67

17,211.42

Waima

5,384.30

5,564.40

4,398.67

14,678.04

895.86

TOTAL

277,517.96

291,505.45

741,509.37

380,459.96

196,754.86

Table 6: Renewal expenditure per location

In additional, the rental income received is as follows:

Location

14/15

Actual

15/16

Actual

16/17

Actual

17/18

Actual

18/19

YTD

Ahipara

(33,146.27)

(34,441.20)

(34,670.40)

(33,732.55)

(20,860.67)

Awanui

(67,441.71)

(68,913.60)

(66,598.99)

(65,853.23)

(36,217.97)

Horeke

(11,746.60)

(11,849.60)

(9,773.97)

(12,309.74)

(6,792.86)

Kaikohe

(196,037.07)

(201,647.07)

(205,494.71)

(211,543.89)

(114,444.56)

Kaitaia

(271,706.90)

(268,693.57)

(284,125.06)

(284,231.12)

(153,458.81)

Kawakawa

(32,170.84)

(31,301.60)

(32,860.18)

(33,730.24)

(19,742.61)

Kerikeri

(31,994.82)

(38,668.40)

(40,306.40)

(38,653.38)

(22,004.96)

Kohukohu

(28,972.56)

(30,091.80)

(31,941.00)

(33,758.71)

(19,164.49)

Opononi

(51,833.40)

(51,621.80)

(51,912.78)

(55,575.49)

(30,556.31)

Rawene

(58,052.92)

(55,314.57)

(60,714.80)

(56,698.24)

(32,332.80)

Waima

(15,966.27)

(17,228.40)

(17,372.40)

(17,959.97)

(9,680.65)

TOTAL

(799,069.36)

(809,771.61)

(835,770.69)

(844,046.56)

(465,256.69)

Table 7: Rental income per location

 

 

Attachments

1.       Council guide for applicants - A2359787  

 


Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda

28 February 2019

 

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Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda

28 February 2019

 

11          Chief Executive Officer

11.1       CEO Report to Council: 1 December 2018 - 31 January 2019

File Number:           A2359462

Author:                    Kaela Allison, Systems & Project Accountant

Authoriser:             Jaime Dyhrberg, Executive Officer

 

Purpose of the Report

The purpose of the report is to present the CEO Report to Council: 1 December 2018 - 31 January 2019 for Council’s consideration.

Executive Summary

The CEO Report to Council is a summary of Council activities, presenting an overview across all activities that Council undertakes.  We have placed emphasis on relevant issues and pressures Council is experiencing whilst meeting its objectives to the community.

Recommendation

That Council receive the report CEO Report to Council: 1 December 2018 - 31 January 2019.

 

 

1) Background

The CEO Report to Council is attached and covers a detailed overview of progress against Council’s activities.  His Worship the Mayor and Councillors’ feedback is welcomed.

2) Financial Implications and Budgetary Provision

There are no financial implications or budgetary provision needed as a result of this workshop.

Attachments

1.       CEO Report to Council_1 December 2018 - 31 January 2019 - A2359458  

 


Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda

28 February 2019

 

FNDC Horizontal Logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chief Executive Officer’s Report To Council

Period: 1 December 2018 – 31 January 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Work Plan Areas:

CEO Office

Strategy

Governance

Corporate

Operations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Welcome to this CEO report, which provides an overview on the Council’s activities for the period

1 December 2018 – 31 January 2019.

 


 

Welcome to the latest summary report of Council activities

In this report we are aiming to present an overview across all activities that Council undertakes. As such we have placed emphasis on the relevant issues and pressures Council is experiencing whilst meeting its objectives to the community.

It is our desire that this report is easily understood by Elected Members and ratepayers alike, feedback is welcome as it allows us to improve.

 

Introduction from Shaun Clarke, Chief Executive

 

This report covers the two months which include the Christmas and New Year break. Despite that, the continuation of business is notable. Enquiries across the counter are naturally down for the period, but visitor/I-site numbers are up, and some measures including building consent applications show a very high level of activity over the break (January application rates were up 88% on the four year average).  We expect all numbers to steady in the next report as we settle into a more regular routine.

A couple of highlights for the period include the signing of the Relationship Agreement with local iwi, and the very successfully managed Blues/Chiefs preseason game in Kaikohe.

After 18 months of negotiations and six versions of the document, the Relationship Agreement was signed by three of the four Northland councils and seven of the nine recognised iwi authorities of Te Kahu o Taonui at Waitangi on 31 January 2019.  It is notable that Whangarei District Council support was lost by the slimmest of margins, and that at least one of the two unsigned iwi is likely to reconsider in the near future.  Late signings are welcomed.  In the meantime, the unanimous support of the Far North District Council in this initiative was noted by many, showing a leaderful commitment to a region-wide governance-to-governance relationship going forward.  Effort is now directed to consolidating the 10 party alliance and applying it in meaningful projects and applications to government.

The Blues/Chiefs preseason rugby game, and associated training and other public activities at the end of January through to 2 February 2019, marked the culmination of over six months of negotiation and preparations.  The event was only made possible by the Far North District Council underwrite of the event, and by the extraordinary efforts of the Kaikohe community in hosting this event locally.  Several elected members and staff were involved in that joint effort with the Northland Rugby Union.  The event was sold out on the day, well covered in the media, and sets a strong foundation for any conversation which elected members might choose to lead on a repeat of some description in future years. 

From an operational point of view (and amongst the many lines of change afoot for our Council) the key priorities remain: building consent volumes management, achievement of capital expenditure targets, and customer experience improvement.  There is little comfort for us that we share these challenges with the great majority of councils in New Zealand.  For us, each of these issues has a significant project around it, and these projects start with providing better data and measures on exactly what the baseline performance is and how performance improves with the changes we introduce. In brief, and of significance:

•      the seven-month building consents process reform project went live just before this reporting period and is expected to deliver improved measures as the many changes (including digital application templates, outsourcing to external providers and inspection removals) start to take effect.  Another meeting with several key building companies was held during the period to hear concerns and explain improvements;

•      The capital expenditure failures of the past decade are now better understood with the focus now going into to pre-planning for work in out-years and detailed scheduling of works by month for monitoring.  In the meantime, as an improvement on the past, discretion on what capital works will not be achieved has been passed to elected members in workshops over the period;

•      The Customer Experience programme has now established reliable data from customer feedback on what levels of satisfaction exist across thirteen key services of our council, and at which steps in each of the relevant processes there is strong or weak performance.  Training of customer service culture is running and staff changes will soon see key talent moved to the Customer Experience effort.

There are, of course, other challenges.  The Central Government decision making process around waters management is watched with interest by all of Northland’s councils on account of the significant ramifications we would see should any form of waters amalgamation occur.  And the improvement to our roading in the Far North remains high on the watchlist as we settle the new contracts in and – as of December – a new workforce structure which combines the staffs of all four councils into one coherent organisation under the Northland Transport Alliance and its new manager.

Other major themes for the period include strategy, CouncilMark, and the PGF. The drafting of a 13-point strategy for our Council is largely complete for the Council to consider (starting with Governance and Strategic Relationships Committee at end of March); the reorganisation of many of our programmes around the CouncilMark focus is well underway – in order that we might use that vehicle to assist our priorities and ultimately be re-judged in a benchmarked system across the local government sector; and the opportunities around the Provincial Growth Fund remain significant and labour-intensive.

This reporting period sees staff rested and reset for what should be a year of significant change and productivity, and in which we will additionally support all aspects of the election cycle.

 


 

CEO Office

People and Capability

eLearning

Access to high quality learning for all staff took a significant leap forward with the launch in December of the Percipio eLearning platform. Providing 24/7 access to personal and professional improvement, this resource supports planned growth in skill development and capabilities across the organisation.

 

Te Ataarangi Te Reo Maori

Forty staff have enrolled to attend the third series of the Te Ataarangi Te Reo Maori programme.

The language is interwoven with tikanga Māori developing an understanding of Māori culture and building confidence to use and speak Te Reo Māori in an everyday setting. Staff contribute their own time to the programme which is proven to add value to the customer service capabilities of all participants.

 

Northern Transportation Alliance

The structure of the NTA was finalised in December and appointments to two key positions made –Manager Strategy and Planning and Manager Capital Works and Procurement. Recruitment to all other NTA positions commenced in January with implementation of the new structure on track to go live in March.

 

Staff Engagement and Development

Onboarding of new staff continues to improve using the upgraded onboarding tools.

Talent mapping and succession planning has commenced across all groups with a new competency framework being agreed to in principle. Implementation planned for May with the current focus on the launch plan and the development of user guides and training.

 


 

Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Summary of Activities

·    Our final Mental Health sessions for Managers were completed in December with positive feedback and several champions nominating to assist with the staff sessions that commenced this month

·    Tips and support for managing Christmas stress were communicated to staff

·    Employee Assistance Programme Policy and Weather Event Guidelines were released

·    Participation in Aotearoa Bike as an active wellbeing initiative was promoted

 

PeopleSafe Stories


 

PeopleSafe Stories Told 2018/2019 – 12 months to date

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Staffing, Salaries and Training

Current Staffing Levels

Actual Head Count
at 31 January 2019

Actual Full Time Equivalent (FTE) at 31 January 2019

2018-19 Annual Plan Establishment (FTE)

351

337.47

356

Salaries and Training 2018-2019

Financial Performance

as at 31 January 2019

YTD Actual

YTD Budget

YTD

Actual vs Budget

Annual Budget

Salary Costs

15,047,505

15,922,179

874,673

27,595,979

Training Costs

312,343

495,018

182,675

836,758

Training as a % of Salaries

(Sector average is 4%)

2.1%

3.1%

 

3.0%

Vacancies

As at 31 January 2019 FNDC held the following vacancies:

Department

Number of Open Vacancies (FTE)

CEO/Communications/People & Capabilities

1

Corporate Services

10

District Services

9

Infrastructure & Asset Management

4

Strategic Planning & Policy

2

TOTAL * includes fixed term

26


 

Communications

Media releases

The communications team issued media releases publicising:

·    Water restrictions for water supplies in Kaikohe and the South Hokianga

·    A Council sponsored Super Rugby match at Kaikohe’s Lindvart Park

·    A fund for youth projects

·    New dog management rules for the Far North

·    A joint management agreement for Lindvart Park in Kaikohe

·    The awarding of a contract to build a new water treatment plant for Omanaia

·    New toilet facilities at top tourist destinations across the district

·    A new bylaw controlling liquor in public places

·    Higher satisfaction levels in the 2017/18 resident opinion survey

·    A draft reserve management plan for Kerikeri Domain

·    The discontinuation of some plastic recycling services

·    A review of contracts to operate the Hokianga ferry and public swimming pools

·    A new recycling and rubbish station at Waipapa

·    Low water levels at a bore that supplies Kaikohe residents and businesses

The communications team fielded 19 media enquiries. Topics included animal and wastewater management, vandalism of pohutukawa trees at Opito Bay and plastic recycling.

 

Other publicity

The following information products were produced:

·    A four-page, colour newsletter about road maintenance that was sent to 26,000 properties with second quarter rates bills

·    Videos promoting the Infrastructure Fund and Youth Fund

·    One issue of Great People, a fortnightly newsletter that celebrates Council staff and their achievements

 

Support to the Mayor

The communications team supported the Mayor in the writing of two newspaper columns about the Council’s achievements in 2018 and road and water safety during the summer holidays.


 

Strategy

Planning

Annual Plan

Staff workshops with Elected Members were held on 6 December 2018 and 25 January 2019 on the revised capital programme.

Operating expenditure implications arising from these workshops will be presented to Elected Members in workshops in February and March 2019.

Work continues on the finalisation of fees and charges for the 2019 / 20 financial year.

 

Pre-election Report

A project brief has been prepared for the Chief Executive’s pre-election report and is in the stages of being confirmed and finalised. A Society of Local Government Managers webinar on this took place on the 13 February 2019.

 

Strategy Development, Bylaws and Policies

District Strategy

At the 13 December 2018 Council meeting, a work plan for the District Strategy was approved for the final strategy to be submitted to the Council for adoption in August 2020.

Detailed planning is now underway for engaging with strategic partners and the wider community on the development of the strategy.

A workshop with Councillors is scheduled in May 2019 to consider the District priorities that should be included in the strategy in preparation for the engagement with strategic partners.

 

Bylaws and Policies   

On 13 December 2018 the Council adopted the following:

·    A new Dog Management Policy and Bylaw that came into effect on 4 February 2019.

·    A new Alcohol Control Bylaw that came into effect on 19 December 2018.

·    Amendments to the Camping in Public Places Policy that came into effect immediately, in time for the peak visitor season.


 

District Planning

District Plan Review

The two month consultation on the draft district plan policy framework closed on 17 December 2018.  Community and stakeholder feedback is currently being collated and analysed. Key messages and trends observed from the two month consultation were presented to the District Plan Elected Member Reference Group at a workshop on 14 February 2019.

 

Indigenous Biodiversity Identification and Mapping Project

Northland territorial authorities entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to collaboratively identify vegetation considered to be ‘Significant Natural Areas’. This is a requirement of the Regional Policy Statement for Northland.

The outputs of this project will be used to inform the Indigenous Biodiversity section of the new District Plan.

Work to identify and map Northlands indigenous biodiversity and assess significant natural areas has commenced with the first stage focussed on identification and draft mapping scheduled for completion in the financial year.

The first meeting of the advisory panel to inform the project took place in February 2019.

A separate process to create awareness with the district plan tangata whenua reference group is also scheduled for February 2019.

A press release to inform the public will occur after these targeted stakeholder engagements.

 

Private Plan Change 22 – Inlet Estate Limited (PPC22)

Council approved the private plan change at the 25 October 2018 Council meeting. The Council decisions were publicly notified on 14 November 2018.

No appeals have been received by the Environment Court against the plan change within the 30 day statutory timeframe. Whilst the provisions of PPC22 are now deemed operative Council approval is required to complete the Schedule 1 statutory process under the Resource Management Act. This includes specifying an operative date for the plan change and informing the public of its operative status.

 


 

Kerikeri Domain

The draft Kerikeri Domain Reserve Management Plan was notified for consultation on 17 December 2018. The consultation period closes on 15 March 2019.  There have been two public consultation events at the Domain on 23 January and 20 February 2019.

Officers joined with Elected Members to explain the draft plan to community members and users of the Domain and support those wishing to make submissions.

Hearings are scheduled to take place in April 2019.

 

Economic Development

Minister Jones made PGF announcements over the 2019 Waitangi Day period. $21 milion is being invested nationally to improve digital connectivity, by connecting marae to fast internet and establishing Regional Digital Hubs to provide people and businesses with access to digital services.  One of the first Marae to be connected will be Oromahoe.

Work has begun on the Māori Battalion Museum at the Waitangi Treat Grounds. This was a Provincial Growth Fund project.

Minister Jones attended the ground blessing ceremony at the Te Hononga Kawakawa project on 1 February 2019.

The Council hosted the Te Tai Tokerau Northland Economic Action Plan (TTNEAP) Working Group in Kaikohe Chambers on 24 January 2019.  The Working Group took the opportunity to undertake site visits to projects that are in the TTNEAP.

 

Whanaungatanga Kī Taurangi

Following this inaugural meeting their respective Chief Executives via the Iwi and Local Government Agency Chief Executive’s Forum, were tasked with developing an agreement which has led to “Whanaungatanga Kī Taurangi” being co-signed on Thursday 31 January 2019 at Waitangi. 

The agreement formalises a collaborative relationship between Councils and Iwi Authorities, enabling them to progress a shared vision for Northland.  The agreement will give Councils and Iwi Authorities a better understanding of each other’s perspectives and provide opportunities for joint ventures that deliver mutual benefits.  It will also make it easier for Northland to speak with one voice on strategic issues, giving the region more influence in central government decision-making

The agreement does not replace the statutory powers and strategic plans of Councils or agreements between Councils and Iwi/Hapū.  The agreement is about better collaboration between Iwi Authorities and Councils on strategic issues. It represents the start of a long and comprehensive conversation which has unlimited potential.

Northland|Forward Together

The Provincial Growth Fund, Four Waters, Digital Enablement and Regional Economic Development are the four key priorities for Northland|Forward Together.

Projects

Lead Council

Status

Developments/Actions

Regional ICT programme

FNDC

In progress, new ToR being established

ICT Managers next meet on 11 February 2019. 

Priority to the Northern Transport Alliance ICT requirements

Other opportunities for alignment discussed:

·      GIS partnership with FNDC/NRC to be reviewed in the new year

·      ICT policy sharing and establishment of collaboration workspace

Provision of GIS services to KDC

NRC

In progress and new target

KDC internal viewer environment is implemented.

MOU between NRC & KDC signed.

Yet to go live.

LIDAR capture for Northland

NRC

In progress. June 2019 target will be challenging

Completed capture of Awanui catchment.

RPS restarted with Mainland Air 15 December 2018 and as at 15 January 2019 had completed 15% of Northland coverage.

RPS contract completion date set June 2019.

Four Waters

WDC

In progress and on target (subject to national enquiries)

10 sub projects:
8 projects in progress and on track
2 projects in progress and off track

Limited provision for resources made in 2018-28 LTPs and a preference to await further direction nationally before committing further resources.

4WAGN Group presented preliminary paper regarding future service delivery options. 

Clear direction from Councils to progress. 

Funding of approx. $100K to bring in external resources to complete options analysis/business case report. 

This is unbudgeted; DIA will inform if funding is available by July 2019.

Digital Enablement Plan

Northland Inc.

In progress and on-target

The Digital Enablement Plan is being refreshed: eight projects in four work streams. Looking to make application to PGF for more than $5M:

·      Create the Northland Digital Office to support engagement

·      Support last mile connectivity activity

·      Develop and deliver Business hubs

Will continue to update Digital Infrastructure Map to guide deployment and provide evidence of need. 

Investigating whether the online broadband survey run by FNDC over the last two summers can be rolled out regionally. 

Provincial Growth Fund

WDC

In progress and on-target

Waitangi weekend announcements require reflection.

·      $100M Development of Maori Land in the regions

·      $20.39M Investment in roading infrastructure in Kaipara topped up with $6.8M from the National Land transport Fund

·      $60M for regional employment hubs

·      $20M for digital connectivity in rural areas and marae

The Far North remains focussed on roading improvements (productivity), Whangarei on Twin Coast and City attractions and Kaipara are engaging with MBIE on their applications. 

NTA are working on cycling trails. 

The Regional Council continues to pursue water storage, forestry and flood protection applications, and is leading the coordination with NZTA on their programme for the Twin Coast Discovery work.

Regional Economic Development

FNDC

In progress

Building on the Regional Economic Development Study by Martin Jenkins the CEs have been tasked by the Mayoral Forum to propose a regional delivery model with consideration of governance and funding. 

Following a CEOs workshop on 23.01.19, three potential business model concepts are to be progressed with a recommendation on a preferred concept model, funding and benefits delivered to Mayors July/August 2019. 

A Project Plan, including socialisation/ communications plan is scheduled  to be approved by CEOs 11.02.19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Wellbeing

Ministry of Youth Development

The Ministry of Youth Development funded Far North Youth Council - Innovation Fund is underway and the youth councillors are actively promoting the contestable fund for projects led by youth for youth.

Recruitment for the 2019 Far North Youth Council vacancies is underway and our staff will be at the 16 February A & P Show at Broadwood.

Broadwood Community Development Plan

The Broadwood Community Development Plan was socialised with the wider community at the Broadwood A&P Show.

Kerikeri Bicentenary

Council were unsuccessful in an application for funding from Ministry of Culture and Heritage through the Department of Internal Affairs for a coordinator for the Kerikeri Bicentenary (on behalf of the Kororipo Heritage Park Management Group).

Council also applied for funding for the Dark Skies project which will be announced in March 2019. Both of these are in the Tuia 250 Encounter project plan.

Kai Ora Contestable Fund

The Kai Ora Contestable Fund is now open and we are assisting prospective Far North applicants with developing their applications and business plans.

The fund has been in place since 2015 with only the Far North District Council and Te Tai Tokerau Primary Health Organisation as funders. 

In 2019, the fund has grown and is now a partnership between Te Tai Tokerau Primary Health Organisation, The Far North District Council, Whangārei District Council, Northland District Health Board, Te Puni Kōkiri, Northland Inc., Kaipara District Council and Manaia Health PHO. 

Council contribution is $20,000, but with increased funding partners, the percentage of funds targeted to the Far North is now $52,500.  Council’s funding is focused on the economic value of healthy food production and growing small projects to be social enterprises businesses.

Responsible Dog Owner Programme

Planning for the Responsible Dog Owner programme which is an adjunct to the Nga Kuri Auau campaign is underway.


 

Sport Northland

Governance Board

Sport Northland has coordinated the Appointment Panel for the appointing of a Governance Board (to replace the current committee) for the Te Hiku Sports Hub.

Preseason Rugby Game

Sport Northland has provided advice, support and coordination for the Blues vs Chiefs pre-season rugby game held in Kaikohe on 2 February 2019.

Energize Programme

Sport Northland’s Energizers (five staff) have had planning meetings with their schools Board of Trustees, Principals and teachers to create and sustain active and healthy environments. Fifty five schools in the Far North are involved with Energize Programme.

 


 

Corporate

Governance

The third workshop with LGNZ Equip facilitators Dr Steven Finlay and Pamela Peters was held on 7 February 2019.

The series of workshops are designed to build members’ strengths and performance as governors and district leaders.

 

Audit & Risk

Risk

The members of the Audit, Risk, and Finance Committee completed a risk workshop in November last year. The identified risks will be scored and prioritised and presented back to the Committee in April this year. The Committee will then confirm the risks so that treatment plans can be developed.

 

Internal Audit

The recommendations from the Contract Management Audit are being implemented, including the development of a Contract Management Manual and a Contracts Register.

 


 

Information Services and Technology

Property File Digitisation Project

The project is now 39% complete and is progressing well. A total of 20,021 out of 51,104 property files have been scanned to date. The planned project completion date is August 2020, but is currently running slightly ahead of schedule.

 

Back-up Solution Project

Due to an increase of Council’s data storage our existing back-up system is no longer fit for purpose. After an open market tender process a recommended supplier and solution has been identified. The planned project completion date is the end of March 2019.

 

Northland Transport Alliance Link

The FNDC - Whangarei NTA link is scheduled to be completed on 8 February 2019. This will allow our roading team to work as if they are in one of our remote offices.

 

 

Program Delivery & Business Intelligence

Work continues on the Business Intelligence Pilot Programme.  Key outputs are a Capital Programme Dashboard, SLT Dashboard, Council Financial Reporting and CEO KPIs. The Capital Programme Dashboard is nearing completion.

 

Building Consents Process Renovation

We are working on the third tranche of the Building Consents Process Renovation. This tranche will focus on the delivery of key technology, system and reporting initiatives to support the ongoing process improvement initiatives.


Operational Financial Performance

As at 31 January 2019

Please note: The Total Annual Forecast result of $40.40M is up to January and will change due to the capital reforecasting exercise that occurred in the February month.

 

 


LGOIMA Monthly Statistics

Data as of 31 January 2019

Latest statistics for official information requests processed by the organisation appear below.

Month

# Requests

/ Month

# Requests

responded

to < 20 days

# Requests

responded

to within permitted time extension

# Requests

not

responded to within time

Ombudsmen Investigations

 (if any)

Jan-18

13

11

0

2

0

Feb-18

7

7

 

0

0

Mar-18

23

22

 

1

0

1

Apr-18

17

15

 

2

0

May-18

15

15

 

0

0

Jun-18

25

25

 

0

0

Jul-18

33

24

4

5

0

Aug-18

16

15

1

0

2

Sep-18

14

14

 

0

0

Oct-18

12

12

 

0

1

Nov-18

21

19

2

0

0

Dec-18

21

13 (7 open)

 

1

0

Jan-19

9

(9 open)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Operations

Customer Service

Customer Experience Programme

Closed RFS – Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI)

The CSI scores in this report are for December.  January figures will be available at the end of February, one month after the last RFS questionnaire has been sent out.   

·    The CSI for the 4-month period ending 31 December is 80.8

·    87.5% - the overall satisfaction when making a request to Council

·    93% - level of satisfaction for requests made via the After Hours provider

·    96% - the overall satisfaction with visits to Libraries

·    100% - the overall satisfaction with visits to i-SITEs and Service Centres

 

 

The focus of the programme over the next few months will be on:

·      broadening the application of the customer experience principles that have underpinned improvements made to-date across the council and its alliance partners

·      ensuring the continuity of the programme through appointment of a Customer Experience Lead (May 2019)

·      reviewing and improving our approach to managing escalations and complaints

 


 

Customer Service Statistics

These are for the December 2018 – January 2019 period, measured against same period in previous year:

 

Contact Centre / Service Centres

·    18.3% decrease in the financial counter stats for service centres (1260 down from 1543)

·    8.9% decrease in calls to the Contact Centre (14,374 down from 15,781)

·    37.1% increase in property file requests (747 up from 545)

·    10.2% decrease in the number of Ask.Us emails (1555 down from 1732)

 

Libraries

·    7.8% decrease in total checkout numbers (63,685 down from 69,079)

·    36.2% increase in Ebook and Audiobook downloads (3723 up from 2733)

 

i-SITEs

·    2.9% increase in visitor numbers (99,827 up from 97,042)

·    4.2% decrease in retail revenue ($40,618 down from $42,397)

·    The Bay of Islands i-SITE (Paihia) is consistently the top sales agent for Fullers Great sights and Explore Group


 

Regulatory Services

Compliance and Contract Management

A total of 1,116 RFSs were received during December and January, with 87% responded to within target response times (against the annual target of 90%).

 

Animal Management

The temporary dog shelter in Okaihau is now fully operational with capability to hold 30 dogs.

Our collaborative approach with the SPCA has been reaffirmed as we continue to build the relationship and make operational improvements to our temporary facility at Horeke

The working agreement established with the Bay of Islands Animal Rescue continues to see dogs being rehomed from the Horeke Shelter.

 

Environmental Health

Five premises were transitioned to the Food Act 2014 regime during December and January.

To date we have transitioned 88% of the 440 food businesses across the District.

 

Building Compliance

A total of 51 swimming pools were inspected during December and January.

Of the 755 pools on Council’s register:

·    685 (91%) are compliant

·    24 (3%) are due for inspection

·    46 (6%) are non-compliant

There were 31 commercial premises inspections during December and January with 8 (25%) buildings assessed as non-compliant.
Resource Consents Management

Overview

·    2.5% increase in resource consent applications (41) compared to the four year average (40)

·    471 consent applications have been received year to date, in line with the 2018 / 2019 forecast of 800 applications for the financial year.

The challenges faced by the Resource Consent department are being met through the use of consultant planners, who currently hold 22 resource consent applications. The consultant planners are used to process the more complex applications.

 

 


 

Building Consents Management

·    87.7% increase in the number of building consent applications received in January (107) compared with the four-year average (57).

·    53% of building consents were issued within the legislative time frame of 20 working days

·    23 days - the average number of working days for the issue of consents in January

Large commercial buildings under construction in the region are the Kerikeri Retirement Village, Salvation Army Church in Kaitaia, Kerikeri Airport and commercial shops/offices corner Kerikeri road and Hobson Ave.  The Bay of Island and the Rawene Hospitals builds have now been completed.

Building consultants continue to provide support with the workload in both the assessment of building consent applications and the carrying out of building inspections.

 


Infrastructure and Asset Management

Northland Transport Alliance (North – Fulton Hogan)

Maintenance activities completed in January:

Routine    

·    325 sealed potholes repaired

·    595 unsealed potholes repaired

·    288 km of unsealed roads graded

·    154 m2 of temporary pavement repairs

Drainage  

·    385 m of water table cleaned or restored

·    Culverts drainage inspections 56% of total completed

Spraying and Mowing        

·    1200km of cyclic vegetation spraying

·    68 km of berm mowing

The arm tractor has been trimming the vegetation envelope mainly in the Kaitaia area this month, and the berm mower has been in the Karikari peninsula.

 

Ordered works completed in January:

·    Temporary failures and edge break repairs ongoing as identified through inspections

·    Maintenance metaling on various roads

 

Reseals

Seal extensions have begun on Okahu Road, Fairburn Road and Pawarenga Road.

 

Rehabilitations

Bridge replacement (large culverts) for Tipatipa and Oruaiti are underway

Emergency Slip repairs in Motuti and Paponga are underway

 


 

Northland Transport Alliance (South – Broadspectrum)

Total work items completed during the month included:

·    535 routine find and fix issues

·    766 cyclic or part of annual rounds

·    946 programmed works

·    4 callouts or emergency response works

 

Maintenance activities completed in January:

Routine    

·    131 sealed potholes repaired

·    764 unsealed potholes repaired

·    257 km of unsealed roads graded

Drainage  

·    462 m of water table cleaned or restored

·    1 Culverts Flushed

·    37 Culvert Marker Pegs replaced (damaged or missing)

·    94 Culvert ends cleared

 

Ordered works completed in January:

·    711m3 of aggregate was spread this month on the network as corner build ups to cover the exposed subbase.

·    18.7km of unsealed road was wet, graded and rolled prior to the Christmas period on identified roads with increased traffic.

·    176 cesspit sumps were cleaned in Kaikohe.

·    Sealing of two rehabilitation projects was completed prior to Christmas     

 

 


 

Rehabilitations


Waimatenui/Mataraua Rd rehabilitation stage 2 was sealed at the end of December and the pavement marking reinstated.

Callaghan’s Rd rehabilitation was also sealed and pavement marking completed (above)

 

 


 

Capital Works

Ngapipito and Pipiwai Road Sealing

Project Progress

Design work underway

 

Hupara Road Seal Extension

Project Progress

Physical works commenced on the Hupara Rd Seal Extension project in January.


The first kilometre was overlayed and stabilised and preparation for seal in progress.

Post stabilisation compaction on Hupara Rd

3-Waters Alliance

Kaitaia Wastewater Treatment Plant Desludge

Approval has been received for a partial desludge of Kaitaia Wastewater Treatment Plant #1 pond with a total cost of about $1.65M. It is planned that this work will begin in March 2019.

There remains a pressing need to desludge the remaining ponds at Kaitaia, as well as ponds at Rawene, Kawakawa and Kaikohe within the next 12 to 18 months

 

Drinking Water Standards Report

The ‘Report on Compliance with the Drinking-water Standards.’ was received from the Drinking Water Assessor for Northland District Health Board, showing full compliance with the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards.

 

Fire Hydrant Flows

Approximately 313 out of 1201 fire hydrants have flows below the desired levels specified in the NZ Fire Service firefighting water supplies code of practice.

As water mains are progressively upgraded, the new mains are sized to provide the designed fire flows relative to the zoning of the land.

The management of fire risk for new buildings is taken into account when the building consent is issued and where necessary the developer installs the appropriate mitigation relative to the actual fire flows and risks in that location.

With regards to firefighting, it is important for the Fire Service to know how much water is available from each location. To enable this, the local Fire Brigades undertake their own hydrant testing.

In addition, plans of the Council reticulation and results of Council’s network modelled fire flows are shared with the Fire Service.

 

Water Restrictions

Water restrictions have been put in place for Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and Hokianga.

Kaikohe and Hokianga were introduced at level 3, while Kaitaia and Kerikeri are at level 2. However, it is likely these two schemes will also move to level 3 shortly.

The reason for the restrictions in the four schemes relates to a high water usage rather than stream flow. For the moment, stream flow is still reasonable, but NIWA are predicting below average rainfall for February.

 


 

Operational Performance snap-shot for Jan-2019

We are safe

31

 Days since last Lost Time Injury

We comply

100

 % compliance with Drinking Water Standards

 

We provide a superior service

90

 % customer satisfaction

95

 % RFS attendance to urgent jobs [target 95%]

24

 Overdue RFSs [target <30]

We look after our assets

100

 % preventative maintenance attainment [target >80%]

 


 

3-Waters – Capital Works

Kawakawa Water Treatment Plant – Structural Repairs

Targets

Contract Awarded – February 2019

Completion – June 2019

Project Progress

Project will deliver structural strengthening to earthquake standards.

 

Mawson Ave Water Reticulation

Targets

Contract Awarded – April 2019

Completion – August 2019

Project Progress

Indicative design completed.

 

Paihia Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade

Targets

Programmed completion November 2019 (confirmed on contract award)

Project Progress

The tender process has formally closed.

Negotiations have commenced with preferred supplier for a solution to upgrade the Wastewater Treatment Plant to achieve compliance as per resource consent conditions.

 

Omanaia Water Treatment Plant

Targets

Installation of new pipelines including pipeline bridges will commence in February 2019

Programmed completion date (commissioning) August 2019

Project Progress

Site works commenced mid-January 2019

Access Roads, earthworks for the Treatment Plant and ponds are 80% complete with completion mid-February 2019

Kerikeri Wastewater Treatment Plant

Reticulation Construction Contract (United Civil Construction Ltd)

Project Progress

Practical Completion for Reticulation and the transfer main Separable Portions 1 and 2 of this Contract was granted in December 2018

Separable Portion 3 (final connections for households in Kerikeri) waits commissioning of the WWTP.

 

Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction Contract (Broadspectrum Ltd)

Targets

Construction of the new treatment plant will commence in February 2019

Programmed completion date (commissioning) is September 2019

Project Progress

The contract for the WWTP and associated works was awarded to Broadspectrum Ltd (BSL) on 26 April 2018.

20181212_093556

The new access track and earthworks to the treatment plant site are complete.

 

Kerikeri Wastewater Treatment Plant excavation and ring road


 

Civil Defence Emergency Management

National   

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet assisted by Te Puni Kōkori, has been asked to engage with iwi and CDEM Groups to explore how best to involve iwi in the governance of Civil Defence and to better recognise the role of the marae in a response capacity.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management is progressing with the development of an Office365 solution to replace the Emergency Management Information System (EMIS). A Project Reference Group is being established as part of the build. The project is expected to be completed by July 2019.

 

Regional

Work is planned over the summer to stabilise the stop banks behind the Te Ahu centre as part of Northland Regional Council's work programme to upgrade the Awanui River Flood Management Scheme to help protect urban Kaitaia from river flooding. The stop bank upgrades behind Te Ahu are scheduled to be completed by March weather permitting.

 

As part of the “Emergency Management System Reform” the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency management have initiated a “New Zealand Fly in Team” concept to respond emergencies.  This team is assembled from experts through the country and respond to regional events as directed and the need identified.

 

Local

A one day Emergency Operations Centre training course followed by an exercise is planned to be run for FNDC staff in Kaikohe in March. This is part of the Northland CDEM Groups structured training programme.

 

Event Monitoring

A National Warning Advisory message as a result of a large Pacific earthquake (No Tsunami Threat to New Zealand) was received on 5 December 2018 at 1718hrs.

A National Warning System test message was received and responded to as per SOPs on 29 January 2019 at 1000hrs.

 

 


 

District Facilities

Kaitiaki Rangers – Karikari Peninsula, Kaitaia

The Kaitiaki Rangers programme has been established with TIF funding and is a collaborative partnership involving FNDC, NRC, DOC, MBIE and Ngati Kahu.

Eight Kaitiaki Rangers have been engaged representing the local hapu and are patrolling the Karikari Peninsula educating locals, visitors and freedom campers about the need for responsible camping and also about the importance of the environment.

This is a trial with a mid-season progress report required to MBIE by the middle of February 2019.

 

Ahipara Landfill

The Ahipara landfill was closed on 12 December 2018, capping has been completed.

Top soil and finishing work will proceed in autumn.

 

Plastic Recycling

Reducing the range of plastics recycled at Council and facilities have been generally well accepted and understood. However uncertainty in the recycling markets continues and is being monitored.

 

Opononi Greenwaste Trial

On average a total of 3m3 per month of greenwaste has been received for the first four months of the trial. The trial is scheduled to end on 31 May following which a review will be undertaken.

 

Town Maintenance

Footpath cleaning is underway in Kaitaia.

 

Housing for the Elderly

Of the 147 Council owned units, six are undergoing refurbishment and/or minor work while the other two are ready for occupancy.

 

Freedom / Responsible Camping

Following a number of requests, ‘No camping or parking overnight’ signage has been installed at the entrance to the Te Hiku Sports Hub, the entrance of the Awanui Park car park, Pukenui and Spinnaker Point.


Parks / Reserves

Roadside Mowing

There has been minimal grass growth due to the weather conditions. However this has not deterred the rapid growth of various weed species. Council has been requested by the Fire Service to suspend road side mowing activities.

 

Portaloos

Peak season sees an increase in visitors and demands on our services especially public toilets with a number of portaloos installed at locations where it is known the area has a proven high demand such as Rawhiti, Matauwhi Bay, Russell, Monument Hill, Kaikohe and Horeke.

 

Lindvart Park – Rugby Game Preparation

Additional work was carried out on the playing surface and surrounding area of Lindvart Park, Kaikohe in preparation of the Blues / Chiefs preseason rugby game Saturday 2 February 2019.

 

Alpine Toilet

The temporary Alpine toilet installed at Ramp Road, Whatuwhiwhi in partnership with DOC and NRC has been a great success with a high amount of use.

The servicing of a temporary Alpine toilet was completed at the end of January in Rawhiti.

 

Moreton Bay Fig Trees

Significant maintenance was completed in January on the two historic Moreton Bay Fig trees located in Russell and Rawene.

 

Kerikeri Redwoods

An assessment of the condition of the Kerikeri Redwoods is being prepared.

 

Pohutukawa Poisoning – Opito Bay

 A new product called Biohumik-K is being considered as an option to reverse the effects of poison affecting the four Opito Bay Pohutukawa trees.

 


 

Events

Preparation work including rubbish removal, providing portaloos, temporary fencing around the waka area and watering the road from Bledisloe Domain to Waitangi grounds has been completed to support the Millennium Cup Race, Russell, 2019 Waitangi Day celebrations, and the Blues / Chiefs preseason rugby game.

 

Building Warrant of Fitness – BWOF

A number of Council buildings have had their annual Building Warrant of Fitness inspections including community Hhalls, offices, and sports club buildings. A number of the buildings inspected need follow up work as a result of being issued defect notices.

 

Leases / Agreements

A draft lease has been passed onto the Russell Sports Club for review.

The Sportsville Agreement concerning Lindvart Park, Kaikohe was signed in December.

The Focus Paihia Custodian Agreement was signed in January.

 

Swimming Pools

Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Kaikohe Swimming Pools have been open during the recent hot weather. The attendance figures for the pools to the end of December 2018 are as follows:

 

Oct-18

Nov-18

Dec-18

Schools

9

48

674

Events

0

652

546

Lane hire

0

308

447

Spectators

107

430

924

Supers (Gold cards)

10

45

148

Under 5's

45

168

491

Concessions

221

749

2150

Entries

271

681

2311

TOTAL

663

3081

7691

 

 


 

District Facilities – Capital Works

Playground Softfall

Targets

Award contract – January 2019

Completion – March 2019

Progress

It has been identified that playground softfall is required at ten playground locations around the District.

 

Jaycee Park

Targets

Award contract – January 2019

Completion – March 2019

Progress

The playground extension and junior play equipment installation will commence 25 February 2019. The playground will be closed during this work for approximately 3 weeks. Signage, public notices and media release has been organised.

 

Maromaku Domain – Netball Courts renewal project

Targets

Award contract -May 2019

Completion due to delayed start November 2019

Project Progress

Detail design currently being is being progressed. It is anticipated that tenders will be issued during February.

 


 

Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF)

Targets

Concept design and engagement – January 2019

Completion – November 2019

Project Progress:

There are five new toilets funded from the TIF:

Waitangi Mountain Bike Park

·    Completed prior to Christmas

Haruru Falls

·    The final location within the carpark is to be agreed with the Waitangi Trust Board

·    Meetings with Waitangi Trust Board and Iwi being organised following Waitangi Day celebrations

Waitangi Boat Ramp

·    The final location around the boat ramp to be determined and agreed with the Waitangi Trust Board.

·    Meetings with Waitangi Trust Board and Iwi being organised following Waitangi Day celebrations

Opononi

·    The final location within the village green and i-Site carpark area to be agreed with Far North Holdings

·    Meetings with Iwi and community groups to be held during February and March

Mitimiti

·    Meeting to be held with Matihetihe Marae committee being organised in February to discuss and agree the final look of this facility

Kaimaumau Toilet Upgrade

Targets

Detailed design and engagement – January 2019

Award contract May 2019

Completion – November 2019

Project Progress:

Procurement plan and Request for Quote  scheduled for February 2019


Ohaeawai Public Toilets

Targets

Award contract December 2018

Completion – May 2019

Project Progress

The Contract to refurbish and address disability access of existing toilets has been awarded. The Contractor will start in March 2019 with predicted completion by mid May 2019.

 

Lions Building Kaikohe

Targets:

Multiple Contracts were awarded in October 2018

Completion – February 2019

Project Progress

The building has had existing roof completely removed, new roof trusses installed, and the corrugated iron and ceiling reinstated. The new LED lighting will be installed in early February.

 

Oruru Hall Structural Repairs

Targets:

Award Structural Repairs Contract March 2019

Structural Repair Design in process

Completion – May 2019

Project Progress

Consultation with Oruru & Inland Valleys Association Inc. is on-going. Agreement being reached on scale of project and extent of structural repairs. Structural Repair Design in process.

 


 

Horeke Hall

Targets:

Award Contract (Stage 2), Early February 2019 (2 prices received)

Completion – April 2019

Project Progress

Renewal project to be completed in two stages. Stage 2 includes replacing large portions of exterior cladding, replacing window and door joinery, interior flooring and new kitchen.

Re-piling of Hall (Stage 1) was completed late 2018.

Request for Quote  issued in December 2018 for remaining works, prices being assessed in January and contract awarded early February 2019.

 

Herekino Hall

Targets:

Contract Awarded – January 2019

Completion – April 2019

Project Progress

Renewals fund project specific to address disability access to our halls District wide.

Herekino Hall was identified in our accessibility survey as requiring disability toilets, an access ramp, and car parking.

 

Kohukohu Hall

Targets

Contract Awarded – January 2019

Completion – May 2019

Project Progress

Renewals project to complete extensive repairs to roof and ceiling, replace rotten back wall, sub floor drainage and full upgrade of aged lighting systems to LED lighting based of lighting engineers plan

 


 

Awanui Housing for the Elderly

Targets

Contract Awarded – January 2019

Completion – May 2019

Project Progress

Fulton Hogan engaged to complete reseal of driveways and carparks at our Pensioner Complex in Awanui.

 

 

Solid Waste - Capital Works

Kaitaia Transfer Station – New Weighbridge

Targets

Contract Awarded – January 2019

Completion – May 2019

Project Progress

Work scheduled to commence after Waitangi Day Celebrations

 


 

Infrastructure Planning

Requests to Connect to Water and Wastewater Services

Sixteen requests to connect to Council water and wastewater services were received in December 2018 and January 2019.

Year to date Council has received 64 applications (compared to 82 in 2017)

 

Waikotihe Trust - Monument Hill Water Supply

The Waikotihe Trust enabled a joint media release between Ngati Whakaeke and the Far North District Council urging Kaikohe residents to conserve water and help prevent the historically significant Waikotihe puna (spring) from drying up.

The joint messaging was well received by the community and local papers took the opportunity to write front page articles on the issues faced by the water supply.

 

Opononi/Omapere Water and Wastewater Community Liaison Group

An all day workshop was held in Opononi on 5 December 2018 to review the current status of the Opononi-Omapere Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Beyond the regular CLG group members, invitations were extended to local experts including Alliance and Asset Management staff.

The meeting was an informative one but unfortunately we were not able to complete the multi-criteria analysis due to time. It is expected that this analysis will be completed remotely via email with the group.

Procurement of a hydrodynamic study of the Hokianga Harbour is underway. The Council wants to understand how the Kohukohu, Rawene, Opononi-Omapere and Kaikohe treated wastewater discharges behave in the harbour. The closed tender closed on 11 February 2019.

 

Sludge Strategy

A planning assessment and consent strategy is being developed by BECA consulting.

Staff undertook site visits to Council-owned quarriesto understand the lay of the land and approximate the capacity of the quarry for rehabilitation (sludge storage volume).


 

Consent Planning

A number of consents essential to the operation of our services and delivery of capital projects have been secured:

Kerikeri WWTP – Resource Consent for alteration to designation.

Kerikeri WWTP – Outline Plan approved.

Pukenui/Houhora Sports Park – Resource consent to upgrade existing sports park including improved hard courts, development of a new football field and parking areas.

Kawakawa WWTP – Resource consent to place sludge onsite.

Omanaia/Rawene WTP – Outline Plan approved.

Opononi/Omapere WTP - Waiotemara Weir modification

 

Transport Planning

The site of the new Waipapa roundabout was blessed by local hapu Ngati Rehia on 9 january 2019. This signifies the next stage in a significant roading improvement project which has benefitted from the Provincial Growth Fund.

Staff are working closely with consultants and NZTA to develop detailed business cases for eight projects arising from the Twin Coast Discovery Highway programme business case.

NZTA would previously have focussed on State Highways alone but have expanded their scope and we are pleased to now be involved in many local road and community initiatives relating to tourism such as Route Improvements along SH11 and SH12 corridors, Rest Areas /Passing Lanes, Cycling Integration, Wayfinding, Township Plans and of course SH10 Waipapa Roundabout and Klinac Lane.

Staff have established a working relationship with Waitangi Treaty Grounds managers to assist with development of Tourism Infrastructure Fund Round 3 applications relating to their projects in Waitangi and to ensure successful implementation of councils TIF Round 2 Projects, toilets at the boat ramp, improvements to the Bay of Islands Yacht Club facilities for our Cruise Ship visitors and toilets at Haruru Falls car park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Infrastructure Compliance

Council currently has 10 Abatement Notices issued by Northland Regional Council:

 

 

Background

Status

Kerikeri Sports Complex

District Facilities

Abatement notice issued December 2016.

 

The consent limit for discharge volume has been breached on a number of occasions for the onsite wastewater treatment and disposal system

Plumbing repairs completed, awaiting December and January monitoring results to ensure issue has been rectified.

 

Abatement notice will stand until continued compliance with consent limit is achieved.

Mangonui Handrail

Roading

Abatement notice issued May 2018.

 

Erection of a safety rail on the Mangonui boardwalk is required to meet consent conditions.

As agreed to by NRC, 80m of handrail installed in September 2018 in area perceived to be greatest risk.

 

Staff to continue working with community working group to reach acceptable solution for remainder of boardwalk.

Taipa Culvert

Roading

Abatement notice issued August 2018.

 

Repairs to a culvert triggered a resident contacting NRC requesting fish passage for the stream. NRC subsequently issued an abatement notice under Draft Regional Plan requirements for reinstatement of fish passage following culvert repairs, regardless of whether fish passage was in place previously.

Northern roading contractor is ready to go with fish ladder installation but currently awaiting NRC’s confirmation that this is an acceptable solution (they are currently investigating fish types in this location).

Kaitaia Recovery Centre

Solid Waste

Abatement notice issued November 2018.

 

Discharge from stormwater run-off out of bins stored at recovery centre may contain contaminants that can then be discharged into waterways.

Solutions are currently being investigated including stormwater interceptor/s and diversion to wastewater system for treatment.

Opononi WWTP

Wastewater

Abatement Notice issued April 2016.

 

Plant is evidencing non-compliance with E.coli median and 90%ile limits.

Following a recent workshop with the Community Liaison Group, a multi-criteria analysis of upgrade options is being undertaken.

 

Meanwhile, a new brush aerator for the aerated lagoon is being installed and desludging work is planned.

Kaitaia Wastewater Network

Wastewater

Abatement notice issued April 2016.

 

Treatment plant is compliant however discharge of untreated wastewater has occurred via network overflows.

Screens have been installed at overflow location and specialists engaged to investigate further solution/s.

Paihia WWTP

Wastewater

Abatement Notice issued October 2016 and Enforcement Order application filed with Environment Court December 2018.

 

Staff are preparing for a pre-hearing conference with the Environment Court on 6 March.

 

Breaches in ammonia limits for the plant are ongoing.

A project to upgrade the plant is underway, as well as separate desludging project.

Russell WWTP

Wastewater

Abatement notice issued March 2017.

 

E.coli limits breached over summer 2017/18 however recent months have all been compliant.

New decants due to be installed in February, staff continuing to monitor levels.

Ahipara WWTP

Wastewater

Abatement notice issued March 2018.

 

Non-compliant volume of leachate being discharged to pond system from Ahipara Landfill.

Pump controller upgraded to more accurately control volume sent to ponds and sensors being installed to obtain better understanding of where leachate coming from (stormwater or groundwater ingression) before solution investigated.

Ahipara WWTP

Wastewater

Abatement notice issued September 2017.

 

Discharge non-compliant with faecal coliform median and 90%ile levels.

Wetlands have been desludged and are being replanted and staff are finalising plans to desludge pond. Installation of disinfection unit also planned.

 


 

Asset Management

Safety Rail Mangonui (Boardwalk Extension, Mangonui – Waterfront Development)

In compliance with the NRC abatement notice the second  quarterly update has been submitted to NRC 30 January 2019 as follows:

·    The community group continue to meet fortnightly to maintain impetus.

·    Surveyors have been appointed and a survey has been undertaken.

·    A designer has been appointed and has developed a fully functional CAD design of the concept.

·    An Engineer has been appointed and is underway with pre-consent design options.

·    A draft high-level concept has been developed for the existing and proposed structures linking the whole development right back to State Highway 10.

·    Consultation is underway with the community and stakeholders.

 

BOI Sports Hub Development, Kerikeri

·    Following a report to the Infrastructure Networks Committee on 31 May 2018 the next steps were to undergo further investigation, due diligence, valuation and negotiation with potential land owners. A needs assessment for Sports Facilities in the Kerikeri area will be carried out to support a recommendation. This will be completed by May.The following will be addressed:

·    Define the Kerikeri catchment area and population for the different sports codes.

·    Review the existing provision of FNDC and Non-FNDC facilities.

·    Undertake Community Consultation.

·    Determine the needs current and future.

·    Develop a proposal.

 

Hundertwasser Development

A report is being prepared outlining the considered options and issues with the existing stormwater and wastewater pipelines at the site of the proposed Hundertwasser Park Centre and a recommendation made on the preferred option.

   


Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda

28 February 2019

 

10          Public Excluded

RESOLUTION TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC

Recommendation

That the public be excluded from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting.

The general subject matter of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

General subject of each matter to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Ground(s) under section 48 for the passing of this resolution

10.3 - Far North Swimming Pools Service Delivery Review

s7(2)(h) - the withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities

s48(1)(a)(i) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7

10.4 - Hokianga Ferry Service Review and Procurement Strategy

s7(2)(h) - the withholding of the information is necessary to enable Council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities

s48(1)(a)(i) - the public conduct of the relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding would exist under section 6 or section 7