QLDC Survey: Community Facilities Draft Strategy
Update: Feedback has now closed, 23rd June.
Hard copies of the relevant documents can be picked up from Queenstown Events Centre (QEC), Wānaka Recreation Centre (WRC), QLDC Libraries in Arrowtown, Frankton, Hāwea, Queenstown and Wānaka, as well as Council offices on Gorge Road, Queenstown and Ardmore Street, Wānaka.
Council staff are hosting two public drop-in sessions:
QEC on Tuesday 15 June, 6-7pm
Wanaka Recreation Centre on Thursday 17 June, 6-7pm
If you are unable to pick up a hard copy you can download pdfs of the relevant documents here: QLDC Community Facilities Draft Strategy | Engagement Document (the engagement document explains more about the feedback process and what they are trying to achieve).
We found the downloads of these documents difficult to read on mobile phones, so we have copied and pasted all the information from the documents into a mobile friendly format below. For some of the tables, we had to take screenshots which resulted in a loss of quality.
QLDC invites you to give feedback on the draft strategy using one of the following methods:
Online by clicking on the following link Let’s Talk registering your details and filling out an online survey
By sending an email to letstalk@qldc.govt.nz
Or by attending a drop in session
Queenstown Events Centre – 6.00pm, Tuesday 15 June
Wānaka Recreation Centre – 6.00pm, Thursday 17 June
QLDC suggests that while you read the QLDC Community Facilities Draft Strategy you think about questions like:
Do you think the Community Facilities Strategy provides good recommendations to guide Council now and into the future? See pages 49-51 of the Strategy
What do you think of the provision measures outlined on pages 32-41 of the Strategy?
What do you think about the proposed prioritisation and investment outlined on pages 42-48 of the Strategy?
Do you have any further comments on the Strategy?
Feedback Submissions must be received before midnight on Tuesday 22 June 2021.
Engagement Document
What are we trying to achieve?
Community centres, historic halls, libraries, parks and recreational facilities are where we connect, learn and play, and are vital in maintaining the lifeblood of our communities.
“Connecting people through spaces and places and enabling the wellbeing of generations now and in the future.
He honoka whenua, he oraka takata. Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri a muri ake nei.”
QLDC Community Services
What we know
Before 2020 the district was experiencing the fastest rate of resident and visitor growth in Aotearoa New Zealand. While COVID-19 has created uncertainty about the future, the underlying reasons people want to live in or visit the district remain and our latest projections point to significant growth in both residential population and tourist numbers over the next 30 years.
Naturally this will put increasing pressure on our existing community facilities.
The 2018 Council report Our community spaces showed that community needs were changing rapidly with a quarter of groups having only existed for three years or less, and half saying they would be looking for new facilities within the next five years.
So how will we meet this challenge?
Our community spaces highlighted the need for Council to deliver an efficient and flexible network of facilities that meet current and future community needs and can be delivered in a financially sustainable manner.
Based on this report and other detailed research, the QLDC Community Facilities Strategy has been drafted to provide a framework to guide Council’s future decision making relating to the development of new facilities, upgrades to existing facilities, the potential to transition away from facilities that no longer meet current community needs, and opportunities to partner with other providers across the district.
In a nutshell, the strategy seeks to answer two important questions:
How do we identify what community facilities are needed now and into the future? (addressed in detail in section three of the strategy – provision measures).
How do we prioritise Council investment? (the focus of section four of the strategy – prioritisation and investment).
Factors to guide Council’s provision of community facilities
The strategy outlines a series of provision measures based around FOUR OVERARCHING OBJECTIVES:
1) TEN-MINUTE URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS
Targeted 800m or 20 minute return walk, cycle or local public transport trip from home.
2) FACILITY HIERARCHY
Neighbourhood
Local
Destination
Regional
3) INTEGRATED NETWORK
Non-council facilities and alternative provision via community partnerships, clubs and organisations are taken into consideration.
4) PLANNED PROVISION
QLDC takes the lead in terms of proactive future community facility provision planning. Reducing ad hoc development and improving community facility outcomes.
Summary of key findings
You can also find a series of recommendations on page 51 of the strategy.
Community facilities are important contributors to the wellbeing and quality of life of our diverse communities
Many facilities serve multiple purposes and different sectors such as arts, sport, events, social services.
Facilities need to be viewed and developed as part of district wide network; partnerships and collaborations are essential.
QLDC should be proactive in policy and regional planning to reduce the negative impacts of ad hoc residential and facility development.
Open spaces need to be protected from competing pressures and rapid regional growth.
A review of QLDC’s development contributions policy is recommended to separate community facilities land from reserves land contributions.
It is recommended that visitor usage is factored into budget apportionment for relevant community facilities to recognise the additional demand and provision requirement.
QLDC Community Facilities Draft Strategy
Introduction - Whakataki
“Connecting people through spaces and places and enabling the wellbeing of generations now and in the future. He honoka whenua, he oraka takata Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri a muri ake nei.”
Our community spaces are often at the core of what makes our local towns and communities so special. They are where we connect, learn and play, and are vital in maintaining the lifeblood of our communities. Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is committed to delivering high quality services which satisfy the needs and expectations of our communities. This includes developing and managing community facilities, and also facilitating investment in new community infrastructure.
-DR. THUNES CLOETE General Manager Community Services Queenstown Lakes District Council
Executive Summary - Kōrero whakarāpopoto whakamutuka
Overview
This strategy is a strategic framework to guide decision making in relation to community facility (see definition page 13) planning and provision, and community wellbeing. It sits under the Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan, Queenstown Lakes District Plan, relevant Queenstown Lakes District Council master plans and the 2021-2031 Ten Year Plan. It also aligns with the QLDC Climate Action Plan and Council’s participation in Welcoming Communities - Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori.
Historically, facility development within the Queenstown Lakes District has been ad hoc and community led in response to localised needs. The existing facilities, and the organic development process which has worked in the past, can no longer keep up with the rate of growth in recent years within the Queenstown Lakes District.
Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the district was experiencing the fastest rate of resident and visitor growth in Aotearoa New Zealand. While the pandemic has created uncertainty about the future, the underlying reasons people want to live in or visit the district remain. As such, increasing pressure will be placed on the Council’s existing community facilities. Forward planning, proactive policy and agreed approaches to community facility provision, planning and prioritisation are essential to protecting, maintaining and improving the current and future quality of life and liveability of our local communities. Our vision is welcoming spaces.
This strategy seeks to answer two important community facility questions:
How do we identify what community facilities are needed now and into the future?
How do we prioritise Council investment?
Key Findings
Community facility provision is an important contributor to wellbeing and quality of life. As such it needs be viewed as equally important to housing, infrastructure and transport. Ours is a district of diverse communities with differing needs and this has to be considered in the development of our facilities.
Many facilities within the district will serve multiple purposes and community sectors (arts, sport, events, social services). Strategic alignment and capacity to achieve cross-sector / departmental funding is important for QLDC.
Facilities need to be viewed and developed as part of a district-wide network. Partnership and collaboration are essential (between user groups and iwi, between Council and community entities and at a regional level between councils).
QLDC should take a proactive approach to policy and regional planning to ensure community facilities form an integrated network and to reduce the negative impacts of ad hoc residential and facility developments. The development of the Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan is a key part of this work.
The provision of open space needs to be protected and not compromised (or eroded) because of other competing pressures and rapid regional growth. The quantity and quality of new allocated open space should be appropriate to meet future community needs and provide quality experiences. Policy updates may be needed to ensure this, and the QLDC Parks and Reserves team needs to be adequately resourced to maintain new and existing provisions.
It is recommended that QLDC’s development contributions policy should be reviewed to ensure land required for community facility provision is calculated separately from reserves land contributions.
In addition to Operating Expenditure, Level of Service (LOS) Improvements and Growth, it is recommended that ‘Visitor Usage’ is added to budget apportionment for relevant community facilities to recognise the additional demand and provision requirement.
The Community Facilities Strategy is broken into four sections.
SECTION 1: VISION AND CONTEXT
Facilities need to be viewed as a network and be affordable for both council and facility users.
SECTION 2: STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT AND PRINCIPLES
Community Facility Development Principles are based on best practice. These should be applied to all renewals and new facilities.
SECTION 3: PROVISION MEASURES
Provision Measures are an indicative benchmark. Current QLDC policy and relevant strategies should be referred to in the first instance.
SECTION 4: PRIORITISATION AND INVESTMENT
Prioritisation and Investment Principles provide an objective framework to ensure robust assessment and effective investment.
Section 1: Facilities need to be viewed as a network and be affordable for both council and facility users.
Vision and Context - Hoaketanga
Vision Beyond 2050
Looking beyond the year 2050, the community vision – A Unique Place. An Inspiring Future | He Wāhi Tūhāhā. He Āmua Whakaohooho – presents eight key themes for how we want to live, work and play in our district in the future. This series of defining principles (or vision statements) is intended to be carried into the future and is brought to life through additional outcomes that define what we hope for, to hear, or experience in day-to-day life in Queenstown Lakes.
** THRIVING PEOPLE | WHAKAPUĀWAI HAPORI
EMBRACING THE MĀORI WORLD | WHAKATINANA I TE AO MĀORI
** OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL | HE ŌHAKA TAURIKURA
BREATHTAKING CREATIVITY | WHAKAOHOOHO AUAHATAKA
DEAFENING DAWN CHORUS | WARAKI
ZERO CARBON COMMUNITIES | PARAKORE HAPORI
DISASTER DEFYING RESILIENCE | HE HAPORI AUMANGEA
** PRIDE IN SHARING OUR PLACES | KIA NOHO TAHI TĀTOU KĀTOA
** THE THEMES THAT RELATE MOST CLOSELY TO COMMUNITY FACILITIES
QLDC COMMUNITY FACILITIES STRATEGY VISION STATEMENT
“A network of fit-for-purpose, affordable community facilities that connect and support resilient, healthy and vibrant communities.”
QLDC COMMUNITY OUTCOMES
“The district’s parks, libraries, recreational and other community facilities and services are highly valued by the community. The district’s natural and built environment is high quality and makes the district a place of choice to live, work and visit.”
Core Focus
This strategy seeks to help inform two important community facility questions:
How do we identify what community facilities are needed now and into the future?
How do we prioritise Council investment?
Community Facilities Strategy Scope
STRATEGIC INTENT
It is envisaged that this Community Facilities Strategy will be used to:
A. Support bigger picture spatial planning and future facility provision allowances.
B. Enable Council to update development contributions policies with improved guidelines and clearer expectations for property developers regarding community facility objectives.
C. Provide a basic structure for future identification of areas in need of additional consideration in terms of facility provision gaps, duplication, rationalisation and/or investment.
D. Provide a preliminary lens for helping to maximise the effectiveness of existing facilities and community benefit from limited resources (avoiding duplication).
E. Provide initial high-level measures to help ensure long-term community facility planning and provision will meet the needs of changing populations.
F. Community facility provision is not solely a council role and community facilities are not limited to council-owned facilities.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
i. While a certain level of detail is necessary, the measures specified are high level and do not commit Council to any level of community facility provision which may be unaffordable or unachievable, but will provide a preliminary high-level indication of community needs.
ii. It is envisaged that these guidelines will be ‘living’ rather than ‘prescriptive’ and will need reviewing periodically to ensure effectiveness (the first formal review period is recommended for 12 months after adoption and then every three years)
SCOPE OF THIS STRATEGY
Out of scope While a large number of strategies and reports have been considered, in order to inform the development of this overarching framework, individual community facility projects have not been assessed in detail or prioritised as a part of the scope of this report / activity. For the purposes of this strategy cemeteries and crematoria amenities have not been included within community facilities, plus private commercial facilities not fully accessible to the public. While open spaces, playgrounds, parks and reserves are referenced, specific measures remain within the Parks and Open Spaces Strategy.
Within scope The following page outlines the definition of community facilities utilised, the rational for this and the six main categories of focus.
What do we mean by ‘community facilities’?
For the purposes of this strategy the term ‘community facilities’ has been aligned with the definition of ‘community infrastructure’ provided within The Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Act 2019, with the additional inclusion of similar non-council-owned assets.
DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES INCLUDES:
1. Community infrastructure (as defined by LGA 2019):
“(a) means land, or development assets on land, owned or controlled by the territorial authority for the purpose of providing public amenities; and (b) includes land that the territorial authority will acquire for that purpose.” - The Local Government (Community Well-Being) Amendment Act 2019
2. Plus, other similar private and community controlled assets, which are publicly accessible and used for similar purposes.
RATIONALE FOR THIS APPROACH:
Land is essential: Land within the QLDC area is in high demand and at a premium. It is an essential prerequisite to any community facility development and it is vital that land retention and acquisition is a core component of future provision planning.
Community facility provision is not solely a council role: An integrated network approach which engages community groups and builds collaborative partnerships is essential to optimise overall outcomes, minimise duplication and maximise community benefit from investment. For this reason, planning also needs to take into consideration non-council facilities and assets. For example, Wanaka Community Hub Trust or Happiness House.
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT PROVISION NOTE:
Consideration of central government provision of community facilities is essential in network and facility provision planning, such as halls and gymnasiums provided via schools. However, for the purposes of this strategy, central government provision has been excluded from measure, except where specifically noted.
Main Community Facility Categories:
VENUES
Community centres, halls, meeting spaces and venues for hire (including arts and culture facilities, museums and performance spaces).
SPORT AND RECREATION
Indoor courts and recreation facilities.
AQUATIC FACILITIES
Pools and water sport facilities, plus council-owned boat ramps and jetties.
LIBRARIES
Permanent and mobile library facilities.
*PLAY
Playgrounds, pocket parks and play spaces and associated toilet amenities.
*OPEN SPACES
Sports fields, parks, outdoor courts, public green spaces and associated toilet amenities.
*Play and Open Spaces are noted, as land is a prerequisite to any community facility, however are primarily covered within the Parks and Open Spaces Strategy.
Context
This strategy sits under the Queenstown Lakes Spatial Plan, Queenstown Lakes District Plan, relevant Queenstown Lakes District Council master plans and the 2021-2031 Ten Year Plan. It also aligns with the QLDC Climate Action Plan and Council’s participation in Welcoming Communities - Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori. It is a strategic framework to guide decision making in relation to community facility planning and provision. The strategy will inform a community facility action plan, acquisition plan, future development contribution policy, plus relevant operational and management plans.
In the past, community facility development has been adhoc and largely community led, in response to localised needs. With increasing rates of growth and large subdivisions, community facilities and the associated planning processes have not kept pace.
NEED FOR A COMMUNITY FACILITIES STRATEGY
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Queenstown Lakes District was growing rapidly. Residential population was projected to almost double in the 30 years to 2048. Over the same period, visitor numbers were projected to increase by approximately 50%.
The combined effect will be significant pressure on existing community facilities and a need to proactively plan future provision of social infrastructure, in order to protect, maintain and improve the current and future quality of life and liveability of our local communities.
While ample evidence exists of community demand and current needs, it is essential to balance Council responsiveness to community needs with a districtwide strategic approach to facility provision. This avoids ad hoc development and enables:
> Effective future provision of facilities and forward planning for population growth.
> A clear approach to facility hierarchy and identification of district-level priorities to meet community needs.
> Exploration of collaborative funding models and alternative community facility provision models.
What We Know
Groups Seeking Facilities 2019-24
Below are extracts from ‘Our Community Spaces - A report on community facilities groups and services’ showing groups currently seeking new facilities, in one to two years and three to five time periods, as of December 2018 (excludes any new entities).
As the Queenstown Lakes District population continues to grow, increasing pressure will be placed on the Council’s existing community facilities. This increasing demand necessitates that the Council deliver an efficient and flexible network of facilities that meet current and future community needs and can be delivered in a financially sustainable manner.
Vision and Objectives
QLDC Community Facilities Strategy Vision Statement
“A network of fit for purpose, affordable* community facilities that connect and support resilient, healthy and vibrant communities” - *Affordable is defined as affordable for both council provision and for community use.
QLDC COMMUNITY FACILITY OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this strategy is to outline agreed approaches to community facility provision, planning and prioritisation which will protect, maintain and improve the current, and future, quality of life and liveability of our local communities. The following points summarise the main roles of QLDC:
RESEARCHER / PLANNER
Integrate and coordinate planning across all community facilities by listening to local groups and stakeholders. This will help achieve better overall outcomes and community wellbeing.
PROVIDER / OWNER
Maintain, improve and optimise existing QLDC community facilities in collaboration with local groups and stakeholders.
PARTNER / ENABLER
Leverage and support community and iwi partnerships. Including land and/or facility leases, funding and service provision arrangements.
FACILITY DEVELOPER
Develop fit-for-purpose, affordable and connected community facilities which meet identifiable current and future community needs. Taking into account the wider network of facilities and Community Facility Strategy Principles.
ADVOCATE / GUARDIAN
Advocating for the importance of community facilities and adequate provision. Protection and aquisition of suitable land for future provision.
REGULATOR
Provide robust guidelines to ensure suitable provision.
WELLBEING
Community facilities are central to wellbeing. They bring connection, cohesion and colour to our lives and neighbourhoods.
Section 2: Community facility development principles are based on best practice. These should be applied to all renewals and new facilities.
Strategic alignment and principles - Te horopaki o te rautaki and mātāpono
The central focus of this strategy is to outline agreed approaches to community facility provision, planning and prioritisation which will PROTECT, MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE the current and future quality of life and liveability of our local communities.
Section 3: Provision measures are an indicative benchmark. Current QLDC policy and relevant strategies should be referred to in the first instance.
(This section is covered in pages 32-41 and the online survey asks - What do you think of the provision measures outlined below?)
Provision measures - Aratohu
Overarching Objectives
TEN-MINUTE URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS
Targeted 800m or 20‐minute return walk, cycle or local public transport trip from home.
FACILITY HIERARCHY
Neighbourhood
Local
Destination
Regional
INTEGRATED NETWORK
Non-council facilities and alternative provision via community partnerships, clubs and organisations are taken into consideration.
PLANNED PROVISION QLDC
takes the lead in terms of proactive future community facility provision planning. Reducing ad hoc development and improving community facility outcomes.
Quantifiable Measures
Overarching Provision Objectives
Community Facility Provision Objectives
1: TEN-MINUTE URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS
The Ten-Minute Neighbourhood planning principle can be summarised as: ‘the ability to meet most everyday (non‐work) needs locally, primarily within a 20‐minute return walk, cycle or local public transport trip of home’. NOTE: Due to regional topography and a dispersed population base this objective will not always be achievable for QLDC. However, the measure is included as international best practice for liveable cities and an aspirational target to be applied, where possible, in planning future urban spaces.
2. FACILITY HIERARCHY
Facilities will be classified by their intended catchment area and role within the wider network, including:
NOTE: Some regional-level facilities may be located outside of the QLDC geographic area, in partnership or collaboration with other local authorities.
Indicative Provision Measures
The following tables provide indicative provision measures by facility type. These have been based on existing QLDC strategies and policy documents. Policy and best practice from other regions of NZ has been used where no clear QLDC provision measure was available, or best practice highlighted improved measures.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Indicative Provision Measures The Indicative Provision Measures included within this strategy should be considered a starting point or a baseline provision requirement for evaluation and assessment of required community facility provision. Specific strategies for relevant facility types (e.g. Open Spaces Strategy), should be taken into consideration when updating policy.
These measures do not commit Council to specified provision levels. However, they provide an essential starting point for gap identification.
Quantitative and Qualitative Measures The Indicative Provision Measures primarily focus on quantitative measures of space and proximity, as these are essential for future provision planning during periods of growth. However, qualitative measures are also important and should at minimum include accessibility, quality, satisfaction and usage levels. These are of greater importance for brownfield, intensification and infill development.
PARKS AND RESERVES PROVISION NOTES:
> There are multiple competing uses for land. At present the quality of land assigned for Parks and Reserves is in some cases substandard and not fit for recreation or community facility purposes (i.e. verges, swales, steep sections and broken tracts of land). This can skew area-based provision measures and add to council reserve maintenance costs.
> Provision of community facilities also requires land. This is most often larger sections of prime flat land and use for this purpose can significantly erode provision levels for parks and reserves. For this reason, it is important that the cost of land for the provision of community facilities and associated car parks is calculated within the community facilities contribution and in addition to any required reserves land contribution.
Section 4: Prioritisation and investment principles provide an objective framework to ensure robust assessment and effective investment.
Prioritisation and investment - Whakaarotau and mahi haumi
(This section is covered in pages 42-48 of the document and the online survey asks - What do you think about the proposed prioritisation and investment outlined in the section below?)
Stages of Investment Summary
Investment Principles for Community Benefit
The response type selected will be dependent on:
The degree of fit-for-purpose that the current facility provides for current and proposed activities.
Ability to improve outcomes, efficiency and/ or facility utilisation and community benefit.
Facility provision gaps and/ or duplication.
Current demand and projected future demand.
Ability to leverage or address a major change from an external catalyst, driver or significant opportunity that is time-specific.
> QLDC will primarily focus investment on strategically placed, integrated facilities.
> Consideration will be given to neighbourhood and regional needs, not just an isolated assessment of current service or facility demand.
> Optimisation, upgrade of existing facilities and potential community partnerships will be considered prior to investment in new facilities.
> Community facility strategy principles will be taken into consideration for all options and decision making processes.
> Demand assessment will include consideration of the potential need for land or building retention as part of the wider facility network requirements.
Potential Responses to Identified Needs and Possible Actions
Recommendations Summary - Kā taunaki whakarāpopoto
(This section is covered in pages 49-51 of the document and the online survey asks - Do you think the Community Facilities Strategy provides good recommendations to guide Council now and into the future?)
KEY THEMES SUMMARY:
Wellbeing: The provision of community facilities needs be viewed as equally important to housing, infrastructure and transport. All of which are essential in protecting, maintaining and enhancing wellbeing and quality of life.
Strategic alignment: Strategic alignment and capacity to achieve cross-sector funding is important for QLDC, as many facilities within the district will serve multiple purposes and community sectors (arts, sport, events, social services).
Partnership: Partnership, collaboration and a network approach to community facility provision is essential. This includes crossboundary collaboration.
Proactive and Council-led: QLDC should lead with proactive policy and district planning, plus regional engagement, to ensure community facilities form an integrated network and reduce the negative impacts of ad hoc residential and facility developments.
Protect open space: The provision of open space needs to be protected and not compromised (or eroded) because of other competing pressures. The quality of new allocated open space should be appropriate to meet future community needs and provide quality experiences. Policy updates may be needed to ensure this.
Financial sustainability: Robust feasibility and business plans are critical for providing evidence of need, ensuring projects are financially sustainable and to attract external funding.
Principles: Community facilities should form an integrated network of best placed, collaborative facilities which are efficiently used, future proofed, sustainable, flexible, affordable, accessible and inclusive.
RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY:
Ensure consideration of Community Facility Provision is given equivalent weighting to other core infrastructure activities in strategy and policy development.
Enable cross-sector / departmental funding for community facilities within the QLDC boundaries.
Facility planning should take a regional network approach. Investment should focus on strategically placed, integrated facilities which serve multiple functions.
Actively seek partnership with neighbouring councils for facilities which will serve the wider Central Otago region. This may include supporting facilities in neighbouring districts and vice versa.
Consider optimisation or upgrade of existing facilities and potential community partnerships prior to investment in new facilities.
GIS heat mapping of population growth and existing facility catchments recommended.
Development of a community facilities action plan, which utilises the investment principles and outlined action prioritisation process is recommended.
Develop an acquisition plan/policy for community facility land and/or buildings.
Land required for community facility provision should be calculated separately from reserves land contributions.
Review of development contributions policy in relation to community facilities is recommended to ensure appropriate land, facilities and/or funding levels are achieved and can be effectively allocated or applied to relevant projects.
QLDC Parks and Reserves team needs to be adequately resourced to maintain new and existing provisions.
In addition to operating expenditure, level of service (LOS) improvements and growth, it is recommended that ‘visitor usage’ is added to budget apportionment for relevant community facilities to recognise the additional demand and provision requirement from high levels of visitor usage of some community facilities. This will enable additional funding to be sought or attributed from relevant sources.
Community Facility Strategy principles, hierarchy and ten-minute urban neighbourhood models should be applied to all renewals and new facilities.
Support knowledge sharing and cost saving opportunities where facility provision or management is community led.
Prior to divestment or investment in community facilities, consideration should be given to neighbourhood and regional needs, not just isolated assessments of current service or facility demand. Demand assessments should include consideration of the potential need for land or building retention as part of the wider facility network requirements.
Of all NZ territorial authorities, the Selwyn District is the closest comparison to QLDC (large geographic area, two main population centres and a higher growth rate than QLDC). Information sharing and collaboration with the Selwyn District Council around community facility provision and growth management strategies is recommended.
Develop baseline wellbeing measures to monitor the value of investing in community facilities and open spaces, including whole-of-life and intergenerational benefits.
The Advisory Group recommendation to disband the existing Wānaka Community Board reflects a current inequity that exists as no other area or community within the district has a community board. This Group believed that the proposed Wānaka-Hāwea Ward could be more effectively represented by having a total of four councillors elected to Council and would reduce potentially unnecessary bureaucracy by having an additional decision or recommendation-making body.
QLDC Chief Executive Mike Theelen acknowledged that the Advisory Board’s recommended changes were a fresh way of looking at representation in the district and required people to think differently.
“In particular there is the proposal to expand the Arrowtown Ward from its immediate village location to encompass a much wider community across the Wakatipu basin and towards the Kawarau, and enables Arrowtown to have much more say in representation.”
“The Group’s findings concluded that the loss of the community board in Wānaka would be offset by the increase in the number of the Upper Clutha-based Councillors around the Council table and improve community representation.
“The package of changes recommended by the Advisory Group reflects an open and comprehensive consideration of how we can best improve community representation at a Council level. We recognise this presents some change but want to share this proposal ahead of the Council meeting to give people plenty of time to think about how they are represented at a district level and how that can make sure all voices are heard on important issues,” said Mr Theelen.
“The recommendation of the Advisory Group will be presented to the Council on 30 June and out for formal community consultation from 5 July until 6 August. Following formal hearings, officers expect to take a final proposal to Council in mid-September. The final outcome will take effect for the October 2022 local elections. I strongly recommend everyone take this time to make sure they are informed about what a representation review is, and consider what this proposal may mean for them. We want people to have this discussion and following Council’s consideration of the recommendations to tell the Council through the formal consultation process how you feel this does or doesn’t fairly represent their local community and the district as a whole.”
Final proposed boundaries are yet to be confirmed subject to further analysis of population data and will be available when the Council report is published on Friday 25 June.
