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Notice is hereby given that a Meeting of the Tuatapere Community Board will be held on:

 

Date:                      

Time:

Venue:

 

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

6pm

Waiau Town & Country Club, King Street, Tuatapere

 

Tuatapere Community Board Agenda

 

OPEN

 

 

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

Chairperson

Justin Lewis

 

Deputy Chairperson

Ann Horrell

 

Members

Stephen Crack

 

 

George Harpur

 

 

David Norman

 

 

Jo Sanford

 

 

Margaret Thomas

 

 

IN ATTENDANCE

 

Community Engineer

Leighton Hare

 

Committee Advisor

Alyson Hamilton

 

 

 

 

Contact Telephone: 0800 732 732

Postal Address: PO Box 903, Invercargill 9840

Email: emailsdc@southlanddc.govt.nz

Website: www.southlanddc.govt.nz

 

Full agendas are available on Council’s Website

www.southlanddc.govt.nz

 

 

 


Terms of Reference for Community Boards

 

This Community Board is a statutory body with delegated responsibility from Southland District Council. The board members are elected to represent their community and advocate on behalf of their community.

 

It can make decisions on:

 

·                     Tenders for leases of land and buildings within its area up to $10,000. For tenders above that value, the board can make a recommendation to either the Group Manager Services and Assets or Council’s Activities Performance Audit Committee.

·                     Managing local halls and cemeteries

·                     Managing reserves, plantings, drainage, footpaths, street lighting, camping grounds, wharves, jetties, lakeshores and slipways, litter control

·                     Stewart Island – governance of the Stewart Island Electrical Supply Authority

·                     Te Anau – management of the Te Anau Airport Manapouri

 

It can make recommendations to Council on:

 

·                     Estimates, traffic management, roading, recreation, elderly persons’ housing, noxious plants control, pest destruction control, temporary road closures, local civil defence, local welfare, waste management, economic development, resource consent applications which are referred to the board for feedback, toilets and local assets.

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ITEM                                                                                                                                   PAGE

Procedural

1          Apologies                                                                                                                        4

2          Leave of absence                                                                                                           4

3          Conflict of Interest                                                                                                         4

4          Public Forum                                                                                                                  4

5          Extraordinary/Urgent Items                                                                                          4

6          Confirmation of Minutes                                                                                               4

Reports

7.1       Action Sheet                                                                                                                 11

7.2       Works and Finance Report to Tuatapere Community Board for the period ended 29 February 2016                                                                                                               13

7.3       Venture Southland report re distribution of the pool rate                                      21

7.4       Venture Southland report re demographic information for Waiau Area School catchment                                                                                                                                       45  

UPDATES

8.1       Chairman's Report

The Chairman, Member Lewis, to report on matters with which he has been involved since the Board’s last meeting.

 

8.2       Areas of Responsibilities

The following is a list of portfolios held by each Member; Members are only required to provide updates for the portfolios listed in bold.

 

· Member Crack

Works, Parks & Reserves, Hall, Pool redevelopment

· Member Norman

Tuatapere Domain, Rural Activities, Waiau River Liaison

· Member Horrell

Promotion & Communication, Playground, Youth Activities, Hall

· Member Thomas

Hall, Youth Activities, Promotion & Communication, Parks & Reserves

· Member Sanford

Borland Lodge, Community Housing, Youth Activities

· Member Lewis

Pool redevelopment, Works, Parks & Reserves, Amenities Trust

· Cr Harpur

Amenities Trust, Pool redevelopment

 

8.3       Councillor's Report

Councillor Harpur to report on matters with which he has been involved since the Board’s last meeting.

 1         Apologies

At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.

 

2          Leave of absence

 

At the close of the agenda no requests for leave of absence had been received.

 

3          Conflict of Interest

 

Committee Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.

 

4          Public Forum

Notification to speak is required by 5pm at least two days before the meeting. Further information is available on www.southlanddc.govt.nz or phoning 0800 732 732.

 

5          Extraordinary/Urgent Items

To consider, and if thought fit, to pass a resolution to permit the committee to consider any further items which do not appear on the Agenda of this meeting and/or the meeting to be held with the public excluded.

Such resolution is required to be made pursuant to Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, and the Chairperson must advise:

(i)            the reason why the item was not on the Agenda, and

(ii)        the reason why the discussion of this item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.

Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting,-

(a)       that item may be discussed at that meeting if-

(i)         that item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and

(ii)        the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but

(b)       no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.”

 

6          Confirmation of Minutes

6.1         Meeting minutes of Tuatapere Community Board, 01 March 2016


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Tuatapere Community Board

 

OPEN MINUTES

 

 

 

Minutes of a meeting of Tuatapere Community Board held in the Waiau Hotel, 47 Main Road,  Tuatapere on Tuesday, 1 March 2016 at 6pm.

 

present

 

Chairperson

Justin Lewis

 

Deputy Chairperson

Anne Horrell

 

Members

Stephen Crack

 

 

George Harpur

 

 

David Norman

 

 

Jo Sanford

 

 

Margaret Thomas

 

 

IN ATTENDANCE

 

Community Engineer

Leighton Hare

 

Committee Advisor

Kelly Tagg

 

 


1          Apologies

 

There were no apologies.

 

2          Leave of absence

 

No requests for leave of absence were received.

 

3          Conflict of Interest

 

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

 

4          Public Forum

There were no members of the public seeking speaking rights in the Public Forum section of the meeting.

 

5          Extraordinary/Urgent Items

 

Moved Member Lewis, seconded Member Sanford and resolved that the Tuatapere Community Board consider the following item as a matter of urgent business in order that a decision can be made before the next ordinary meeting, subject to Section 46A of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987

Item:  Waiau Area School – Possible transition to primary school

 

6          Confirmation of Minutes

 

Resolution

Moved Member Norman, seconded Member Crack 

Confirms the minutes of Tuatapere Community Board meeting held on 2 February 2016.

 

 

Reports

 

 

7.1

Action Sheet

Record No:         R/16/2/2540

 

The Action Sheet from the Board’s previous meetings was circulated for Members’ information.  Items arising the from Action Sheet included the following;

 

Garden Sheds at Community Housing Complex

 

The meeting was informed that quotes for the purchase of two garden sheds for the community housing complex have been received.  The meeting agreed to accept the quote for $748.35 plus GST.  Councillor Harpur advised he will build the sheds with assistance from the Corrections Department work scheme crew.

 

 

 

Resolution

Moved Member Sanford, seconded Member Thomas 

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Action Sheet” dated 22 February 2016.

b)         Determines that this matter or decision be recognised as not significant in terms of Section 76 of the Local Government Act 2002.

c)         Determines that it has complied with the decision-making provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 to the extent necessary in relation to this decision; and in accordance with Section 79 of the Act determines that it does not require further information, further assessment of options or further analysis of costs and benefits or advantages and disadvantages prior to making a decision on this matter.

 

 

7.2

Works and Finance Report to Tuatapere Community Board for the period ended 31 January 2016

Record No:         R/16/2/1621

 

The Works and Finance Report to the Tuatapere Community Board for the period ended 31 January 2016, was tabled.

 

The Board was advised as follows;

 

1        Routine maintenance works have been carried out as required.

2        Council’s Taskforce cut grass and sprayed out most of the area along the State           Highway (“Gray’s Mile”); some spraying could not be completed due to adverse           weather conditions.

3        The routine noxious/weed control along the Clifden Highway was completed           during the first week of February.

4        A large tree which fell at the end of Birch Street, half of which was on the road           and the other half across private property has been removed by SouthRoads.  A number of trees along the river in this area are beginning to          “show their age” and may, for safety reasons, have to be removed.  A number of        trees along the river in the Sneyd Street area are also being monitored.

5        Trees on Elder Drive – The Department of Conservation (DoC) was contacted           by the Community Engineer and asked to progress the request by Member           Norman for removal of trees posing a safety risk.  The meeting was advised that           two trees have been removed to date.  The Community Engineer was requested           to inform DoC that the Board would like to meet with a representative to discuss           this matter further as they are concerned for the public’s safety.

 

 

Resolution

Moved Member Thomas, seconded Member Horrell 

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Works and Finance Report to Tuatapere Community Board for the period ended 31 January 2016” dated 15 February 2016.

 

 

7.3

Vacancy - Borland Lodge Adventure & Education Trust

Record No:         R/16/2/2225

 

Communication from the Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust advising there is a vacancy on the Trust for a representative of the Tuatapere Community Board, was tabled.

 

The Board was advised that this vacancy was created due to the resignation of Member Sanford.  The meeting noted that the Board is entitled to a representative on the Trust and that Member Thomas has advised she would be interested in taking up this role.

 

 

Resolution

Moved Member Lewis, seconded Member Horrell 

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Vacancy - Borland Lodge Adventure & Education Trust” dated 19 February 2016.

 

b)         Appoints Member Margaret Thomas as the Board’s representative on the Borland Lodge Adventure & Education Trust.

 

    

Updates

 

8.1

Areas of Responsibilities

 

Members provided updates on their respective portfolios as follows;

  • Member Horrell advised she has written to Ms Diana Zadravec from Venture Southland expressing appreciation on behalf of the Board for her work on the Tuatapere swimming pool upgrade.
  • Member Thomas tabled a draft maintenance plan for the Tuatapere RSA Hall which included painting and cleaning varnished areas of the Hall; the Community Engineer to forward the prioritised list to the Property Officer to arrange quotes.
  • Member Thomas also advised the meeting of the high number of freedom campers staying overnight at the Clifden Bridge.
  • Member Thomas queried if a “tree of significance” register exists within Council to prevent the felling of special trees in the Township; the Community Engineer and Member Horrell to find out more information and report back to the Board.

 

8.2

Chairman's Report

 

The Chairman, Member Lewis, had no matters to report on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.3

Councillor's Report

 

Councillor Harpur reported on matters from the District Council table which included the following;

  • The temporary water pipe on the historic Clifden Bridge has still not been replaced as agreement is yet to be received from Historic New Zealand
  • Attendance at Community Futures Forum in Otautau

 

 

Consideration of Extraordinary/Urgent Business

 

9.1

Waiau Area School – Possible transition to primary school

 

The meeting was informed that Waiau Area School currently has a document out for consultation concerning the possible transition of Waiau Area School to a primary only school; a public meeting is being held on 2 March 2016 and Members were encouraged to attend.

 

 

7.12pm                                               CONFIRMED AS A TRUE AND CORRECT RECORD AT A MEETING OF THE Tuatapere Community Board HELD ON 1 MARCH 2016.

 

 

 

DATE:...................................................................

 

 

 

CHAIRPERSON:...................................................

 

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

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Action Sheet

Record No:        R/16/4/4799

Author:                 Alyson Hamilton, Committee Advisor/Customer Support Partner

Approved by:       Alyson Hamilton, Committee Advisor/Customer Support Partner

 

  Decision                             Recommendation                        Information

 

  

 

1        The Action Sheet from the Board’s last meeting is circulated for Members’ information.

 

 

Recommendation

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Action Sheet” dated 4 April 2016.

 

b)         Determines that this matter or decision be recognised as not significant in terms of Section 76 of the Local Government Act 2002.

 

c)         Determines that it has complied with the decision-making provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 to the extent necessary in relation to this decision; and in accordance with Section 79 of the Act determines that it does not require further information, further assessment of options or further analysis of costs and benefits or advantages and disadvantages prior to making a decision on this matter.

 

 

Attachments

a         Tuatapere Community Board - InfoCouncil Action Sheet - 12 April 2016 View    

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 

 

Tuatapere Community Board Action Sheet - Excluding Public Excluded

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open Action Items

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author

Due Date

Subject

Notes

Graeme Hall

12/04/2016

Tuatapere Hall painting queries and garden sheds at Community Housing Complex.

·      The paint on the doors and windows of the RSA Hall & Library has blistered following the external re-painting; Board Members enquired if this work is to be remedied.

 

Contact has been made with the painter who will rectify when next in the Area.  The Property Officer has also contacted Member Thomas to discuss what is required for the internal painting project; the Property Officer requires this information before inviting contractors to quote.  The remaining funds from the exterior painting project have been carried forward

 

·      Members also enquired as to progress on the installation of new garden sheds for the community housing complex.  Preliminary costs have come in at $700/shed plus assembly.  Further work required in order to progress this project

 

The Property Officer contacted Member Sanford who advised Councillor Harpur is interested in assembling the sheds in order to reduce costs.

 

·      Cr Harpur to build the sheds with the assistance of the work force crew.

Diana Zadravec

12/04/2016

Action Sheet

The Board requests that staff provide relevant reports on the distribution of the Pool Rate for the Board's next meeting.

Refer item 7.3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently Closed Action Items

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author

Completion Date

Subject

Notes

Kelly Tagg

04/04/2016

Vacancy - Borland Lodge Adventure & Education Trust

Action completed by: Kelly Tagg

The Borland Lodge Adventure & Education Trust has been advised that Member Thomas has been appointed as the Board's representative on the Trust.

 

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

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Works and Finance Report to Tuatapere Community Board for the period ended 29 February 2016

Record No:        R/16/3/3684

Author:                 Leighton Hare, Community Engineer

Approved by:       Ian Marshall, GM - Services and Assets

 

  Decision                             Recommendation                        Information

 

  

 

Area Engineer’s Report

1       Routine maintenance works have continued to be carried out as required.

2       Contact has been made with the appropriate person at DOC for a site meeting on Elder Drive on Community Engineer’s return from annual leave.  After April.

3       The sign for the entrance at Greenheart reserve is being progressed.

Area Engineer’s Financial Comments

Code

Cost Centre

Comment

28000

Admin

CB member salary.  Not managed by Engineer.

28002

Operating

In line with YTD.

28007

Streetworks

Routine contractor costs eg litter bins.  $1,939 below YTD.  YTD no unforeseen maintenance required.  Full Year budget amount $5K.

28028

Beautification

In line with YTD.

28032

Parks & Reserves

Below YTD budget.  May be required for removal of trees along river frontage Sneyd Street area.  Situation/trees are  being monitored.

28040

Waiau River Collection

Dollar variance small.  Percentage large and misleading - increase from budget of $289 to actual $349 - one-off for the year.

28048

Tuatapere Pool rate

$16,000 paid out - one-off large amount.

28050

Hall

Property Department.  Budget set for 2015/2016 year however works/project brought forward to 2015/2016 year.

28013

Stormwater

Close enough YTD.

28007

Street Works Capital Project

SouthRoads will be completing the outstanding footpath replacement works.  Work will be completed under budget.

Comment:  Except for Capital works budget comments same as previous month. Overall budget is tracking as expected.

Water and Waste Engineer’s Report

4        The monthly operations reports from Downer are provided to the Board secretary as they are published.  They include data on Downer’s district-wide operations activities which is presented on a town-by-town basis. 

5       For the year to date, there has been no unplanned expenditure exceeding the $5,000 threshold.

Financial Considerations

Development and Financial Contributions

6        The table below outlines the balances of Development and Financial Contributions for your community to date.  Spending of these funds is considered by Council staff when projects are in the planning stage.  Once identified as a potential funding source for a project, confirmation from the Group Manager Services and Assets is sought before undertaking the project to ensure that the relevant policy and legislative requirements are met.

 

Roading Contributions

$12,600

Sewerage Contributions

$10,547

Water Contributions

$5,578

Te Waewae Bay Contributions

$32,854

 

Recommendation

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Works and Finance Report to Tuatapere Community Board for the period ended 29 February 2016” dated 24 March 2016.

 

Attachments

a         Tuatapere Project List and Financial Reports, 29 February 2016 View    

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 

Project List

 

The table below shows all of the projects that are currently planned for Tuatapere in 2015/2016.  Items in Bold and Italics are carried over from previous financial years.

 

Activity

Project Name

Type

Year

Budget

Status

Officer’s Comment

Community Centres

Interior repaint

MAINT PLAN

2015/2016

$20,000

Not started

No progress on this at present.

Water Supply

Water meter on Scout Den bore

LOS

2015/2016

$7,000

Investigation

Work quoted.

Water Supply

Chlorine metering

REN

2015/2016

$14,187

Investigation

Work quoted.

Water Supply

Telemetry

REN

2015/2016

$7,302

Investigation

Work quoted.

Roading and Transport

Footpath upgrade

REN

2013/2014

 $50,000

Construction

Construction being carried out, Contractor is doing the work in between other projects, in conjunction with concrete kerb (702.s).

Roading and Transport

Concrete kerbs

LOS

2013/2014

 $10,000

Construction

Construction being carried out, Contractor is doing the work in between other projects. in conjunction with concrete kerb (701.s).

 

                                                                                                                                   

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

                                                                                                                              


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

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Venture Southland report re distribution of the pool rate

Record No:        R/16/3/4369

Author:                 Diana Zadravec, Community Development Planner

Approved by:       Rex Capil, Group Manager, Community and Futures

 

  Decision                             Recommendation                        Information

 

  

Background

1        The Tuatapere Community Board requested that staff provide relevant previous reports on the distribution of the pool rate collected in the Board’s area.

2        In 2012, a report (R/12/12/22449) was put up to the Tuatapere Community Board recommending the establishment of a pool rate for the Tuatapere Community Baths (Pool) from 2013/14. This report was part of establishing the feasibility of the proposed $350,000 redevelopment of this facility. This report concluded that an annual contribution of $8,000 from the Board would be required to make the Tuatapere Pool sustainable following the redevelopment, which was a condition for commencing the fundraising for this project.

3        The Board adopted a pool rate across its area, deciding it wished to assist with the operational costs of all three pools in the area: the Tuatapere Community Pool, the Blackmount Community Swimming Pool and the Hauroko Valley School Pool. The process of how the pool groups would access this funding and the criteria for how it would be distributed had not been established at the time.

4        The pool rate has been included in the Long Term Plan. In 2015/16 the pool rate was applied to 796 units at $12.83 excl GST per unit, totalling $10,216 excl GST. Some reserves are held due to the funding not having been uplifted in full.

5        Tuatapere Pool applied for $8,000 in 2013/14 and 2014/15 which was granted; the other pools did not apply.

6        A report was put up to the Board on 15 August 2015 (R/15/6/9994) analysing the operations, use and needs of the three pools, and making recommendations about the distribution of the rate with the aim to make it more transparent to the public. The report recommended a percentage split of the 2014/15 pool rate and a review of this approach in future years because two of the pools were undergoing major changes at the time. The Board did not adopt the percentage-based approach and asked for a report providing more information about the Hauroko Valley School Pool.

7        A further report providing this information as well as an updated comparison on the operational budgets for all three pools was put to the Board on 15 December 2015 (R/15/12/21617). This report did not make any recommendations.

8        At the meeting on 2 February 2016 the Board requested that staff provide relevant previous reports on the distribution of the pool rate for the Board’s next meeting in March. Due to the involvement of several Board members with the redevelopment of the Tuatapere Pool the decision was made that this would be delayed until the redevelopment was completed and the Board members ceased to be involved in this project. The redevelopment project has now been completed.

9        A summary of key findings is provided and the reports and their supporting information are attached in chronological order.

 

Report

10      Previous reports to the Board (attached) provided in depth description of each of the pools and their operational arrangements, services, use and challenges. For clarity the estimated operating budgets are reproduced in the below table.

11      Table 1: Estimated operating budgets for Tuatapere, Blackmount and Hauroko Valley School Pools

 

Income

Tuatapere

Blackmount

Hauroko

Pool hire/coaching

10,760.00

6,500.00

0

Key/ticket sales

4,700.00

2,500.00

0

Donations/grants

3,000.00

3,000.00

0

Fundraising

2,000.00

0

0

Donations in kind

0

3,900.00

0

Interest Received

70.00

2,000.00

0

Other income

1,500.00

1,600.00

9,000.00

Total income

22,030.00

19,500.00

9,000.00

 

 

 

 

Expenditure

Heating/power/gas

16,500.00

6,300.00

6,500.00

Chemicals

900.00

1,000.00

1,500.00

Supervision

5,500.00

0

0

Fundraising costs

400.00

0

0

Coaching cost

0

4,500.00

0

Cleaning

0

1,500.00

 

Promotion

300.00

0

 

Maintenance

1,800.00

2,500.00

 

Sundry

200.00

200.00

 

Accounting/review fees

500.00

1,250.00

1,000.00

Insurance

1,850.00

1,650.00

 

Compliance

(fire alarm, water inspections)

600.00

0

 

Rates

1,700.00

1,600.00

 

Total expenditure

30,250.00

20,500.00

9,000.00

Operational shortfall

-8,220.00

-1000.00

0.00

Previous level of funding from

Tuatapere Community Board

8,000.00

Not applied

Not applied

Profit/(Loss)

-220.00

 

 

Level of funding that would allow the pool committee to build up a modest surplus

9,000.00

1,500.00

Funding not recommended until public can use the pool

 

12      The Board previously discussed that it would like to see requests for funding for the coming year prior to the rates estimates for that year. This is considered to be helpful to both the Board and the pool committees in their planning.

13      Previous reports prepared for this (and other community boards who consider pool rates) raised the following key points:

·    Community pools are in many cases the most significant community asset in any community fortunate enough to have them, and this is certainly true for Tuatapere, Hauroko and Blackmount. Realistically they are irreplaceable, as the cost of building a new 25m pool would exceed $2 million. Very few other recreational assets involve the same level of investment to maintain and operate.

·    Tuatapere, Hauroko and Blackmount pools differ significantly in the facilities they offer, the communities they service, the number and type of users, the services they provide (keys, public sessions, school use) and how much they charge their users. As a result their expenses and ability to cover them also differs significantly.

·    Blackmount and Tuatapere Pool are run by volunteers; Hauroko Valley School Pool is largely managed by the school.

·    The Tuatapere Community Board pool rate was established to assist those pools that are open for community use. At the present time Hauroko Valley School Pool is only used by the school although in the past keys were offered to the public.

·    The pool rate has been established to assist with operational costs that pool committees cannot apply for from other funders. Examples of such costs are power, fuel, supervisor’s wages, rates, insurance etc.

·    Previous reports (to this and other Boards) have recommended a (more or less) fixed amount to be available to each pool rather than creating a situation whereby the pool committees have to compete for the same pool of money and don’t know how much they may expect from year to year.

·    Having certainty about the level of funding they may expect from the Board is important for the pool committees as it enables them to plan ahead (e.g. apply for funding for a replacement pump from another funder ahead of the pump actually breaking down in the middle of the season).

·    Experience in other areas shows that having certainty about funding leads to better management and maintenance, higher pool use and more motivated volunteers, resulting in more sustainable facilities.

·    Those pool committees that are able to build small surpluses each year, are able to build contingency funds to be used for unforseen expenses and as seed funding for bigger funding applications and capital works projects.

·    Other community boards that collect rates for pools tend to distribute the rate collected in full each year. This ensures consistency and certainty as Board members, Council staff and pool committee members change over time.

·    Other community boards do not use an application process but do request the pool committees to present a report and budget for the next year.

14      For funding distribution and accountability purposes a form could be sent out by Council staff to each of the pool committees ahead of the estimates meeting, to ensure that all pool committees report in a comparable manner. Consideration has to be given to the fact that these are volunteer groups that may have meetings monthly or even further apart during the off season. Venture Southland staff can prepare a form for this purpose for the Board’s consideration if it is desired.

15      Blackmount Community Swimming Pool did not previously apply. The current pool rate reserves would make a retrospective payment for 2014/15 to this pool possible.

 

 

Recommendation

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Venture Southland report re distribution of the pool rate” dated 4 April 2016.

b)         Confirms the process to allocate the pool rate considering the needs and preferences of individual pools as outlined within this report.

c)         Informs the pools on the agreed process moving forward, eligibility criteria, timeframes and other relevant information.

 

 

Attachments

a         Venture Southland report to Tuatapere Community Board re rating for the Tuatapere Community Baths 4 December 2012 View

b         Report to Tuatapere Community Board - 18 August 2015 - Distribution of the pool rate View

c         Background about the three pools in the Tuatapere Community Board area View

d         Considerations behind the criteria for the distribution of the Tuatapere Community Board pool rate View

e         Report to Tuatapere Community Board - 15 December 2015 - Venture Southland report about operations of the Hauroko Valley School Pool and comparison of operating budgets of pools in the Tuatapere area View

f          Comparison of rating for pools in Southland District View    

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 

 

REPORT TO TUATAPERE COMMUNITY BOARD

 

Meeting Date:            4 DECEMBER 2012

 

Subject:                      RATING FOR TUATAPERE COMMUNITY BATHS

 

File No.:                      910/230/11/1

 

Report by Diana Zadravec dated 3 December 2012.

 

1.         SUMMARY OF REPORT

 

The Tuatapere Community Board received a memorandum about the Tuatapere Community Baths in November 2012. This memorandum provided a detailed update about the issues and the work being undertaken on securing a pool facility for Tuatapere. The memorandum highlighted the opportunity for the Board to support the ongoing viability of this facility with an annual contribution through rates. This report provides more information, provides examples from elsewhere in Southland, and makes recommendations in this matter.

 

Public funders do not provide funding for operational cost of pools and other recreational facilities. Public funders instead expect that communities will pay for the facilities they want to have. It is becoming increasingly more common for Southland communities to contribute to their swimming pools through rates. Rating can be considered a more equitable form of 'fundraising' for key community facilities, as opposed to fundraising for these being an onus of a small part of population only. Local examples include Te Anau, Manapouri, Riverton, Otautau and Takitimu Pool (Tuatapere and Blackmount are the only two full size pools that are not rated for in Western Southland). This situation has arisen due to decreasing volunteerism, increasing compliance cost and greater expectation of consumers. This means that facilities, while still important to the community, may not be able to generate enough income to fully cover costs. This however does not mean the public facility is not supported - just that it may need to be supported differently.

 

As part of the redevelopment project currently being considered for the Tuatapere Community Baths, a feasibility study will have to be undertaken by an independent party to establish the future sustainability of a pool facility in Tuatapere. How the
on-going cost of the pool will be covered will be a key question in this feasibility study (to be undertaken early in 2013), and also in any public funding applications for the redevelopment pool. If the Tuatapere community as a whole will not be able to demonstrate how the on-going cost will be covered, the recommendation of the study would most likely be against the retention of the pool. In this case the pool project would not have access to public funding either.  

The use of the pool has fallen in the past year, partly because of the late opening and keys not being available, but at least partly also due to the uncertainty around the future of the facility. It is therefore hard to estimate the operating budget of the pool. The estimated budget for 2012/13 has been taken as the baseline for the estimate of the Board’s possible contribution in 2013/14.

 

If approved, the level of contribution can be reviewed annually on the presentation of the Society’s Annual Accounts and a proposed budget.

 

 

Signature

X3eTY-56D5810

 

 

 

Author

 

Executive Staff


2.         RECOMMENDATION

 

            (a)        THAT THE TUATAPERE COMMUNITY BOARD RECEIVES THE RATING FOR TUATAPERE COMMUNITY BATHS REPORT.

            (b)        THAT THE TUATAPERE COMMUNITY BOARD AGREES TO RATE ANNUALLY TO HELP FUND OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TUATAPERE COMMUNITY BATHS.

            (c)        THAT THIS RATE IS $8,000 (PLUS GST) IN 2013/14.

            (d)        THAT THIS CONTRIBUTION IS REVIEWED AT THE ESTIMATES MEETING IN 2013, SUBJECT TO A REPORT AND PROPOSED BUDGET HAVING BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE TUATAPERE COMMUNITY BATHS SOCIETY.

 

3.         REPORT

 

The ability of the Tuatapere Community Baths Society to fund the ongoing seasonal operation of the Tuatapere Baths may be critical for the continued community access to the pool. It is considered that a contribution of the Tuatapere Community Board via rates may be necessary to ensure this is possible in the future. The estimated pool budget for 2012/13 has been taken as the baseline for the estimate of the Board’s possible contribution in 2013/14 and beyond.

 

While there is a significant variation in income and expenditure between years, both the income and expenditure for the last financial year can be considered atypical. The annual accounts of the Tuatapere Community Baths Society for the financial year ending 30 June 2012 show that the total annual income was $14,238.46. This included a grant of $2,000 towards the cost of the development of a concept design for a new facility. The Waiau Area School contributed $5,418.24 by paying half the cost of power and half the cost of chemicals. Fundraising resulted in $4,931.50 of income. (Please note that fundraising for the redevelopment project is not included in this figure; these funds of about $30,000 are held by the Tuatapere District Lions Club on behalf of the Tuatapere Pool Redevelopment Group.) The late opening and special conditions required due to the structural issues at the pool ie no key sales resulted in a reduced income, although this was offset by significant fundraising efforts of the Society.

 

An analysis of the five years prior to last season (2007 – 2011) shows that income ranged from $7282 (in 2010) to $36,112 (in 2008, but including a $22,468 grants towards equipment). When large grants toward equipment are excluded from this calculation, the average income for this period was $11,539. Income in the 2011/12 season is therefore average to slightly above average, partly due to the intensive fundraising the Pool Committee undertook during the year. Considering the somewhat late opening and the ongoing uncertainty, the income for 2012/13 is estimated at $14,000 (excluding grants).

 

Expenses for the same financial year were $17,290.94. The largest cost was power, at $9612.24, which represents 56% of last year’s expenses. The expenditure is lower due to a shorter operating season. Another reason why the expenditure should be considered lower than normal is the fact that only minimal repairs and maintenance have been undertaken while the future of the pool was unclear. In the five years prior to last season, expenses ranged from $11,086 (in 2010) to $31,138 (in 2008), averaging $24,692.60. Even during these years, the level of repairs and maintenance was possibly less than what ideally should have been undertaken.

The biggest concern around future operating cost is the reliance on heat pumps to heat the pool water. While heat pumps are efficient, clean and do not require much maintenance, they are becoming increasingly more expensive to run. Electricity tariffs have risen by an average of around 30 percent in the past five years and this trend shows no slowing down. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows retail electricity prices rose 3.7 percent last year, well ahead of the overall CPI increase of 1%. Considering the above and assuming that only minimal repairs and maintenance would be undertaken until a way forward can be determined, the expenditure 2012/13 is estimated at $22,000. 

 

The estimated shortfall of $8,000 is expected to be mainly due to the reduced ticket and key sales, and could be partly offset by the pledge by the Waiau Area School to contribute up to $10,000 for the 2012/13 season (however this includes half the power and chemical costs for the year, totalling about $5,800). However, a clear message has been given by the School that this level of contribution will not be available in the future.

 

The School’s good will gesture to show support for retaining the pool needs to be recognised but it is likely not sustainable. The Ministry of Education does not invest in pools over 10 years old. The School gets a modest contribution from the Ministry towards the operation of the pool, with the rest having to come from the School’s bulk funding or through fundraising, both at the expense of some other school activity such as school camps.

 

The estimated shortfall of $8,000 per annum could therefore be taken as an estimate of the level of funding that may be required in 2013/14 from the Community Board to ensure the continuous operation of the pool under the current circumstances.

 

In comparison, the Te Anau Community Board has been contributing around $20,000 through rates towards the operation of their pool since 2009. In this way the Te Anau community covers $113.64 or 49.6% of the direct pool operating costs of $229.01 per day. The use of pool is shared between the school and the community on an approximately 50:50 basis.

 

This contribution is proposed to be increased this year to offset inflation (proposed $15 + GST per dwelling). The Te Anau Community Board will also consider a request for a one off capital contribution at their estimates on 5 December 2012. The Riverton Community Board contributes on a similar level. The rate is different in different communities but is usually collected in the same area as the community centre rate (although boundaries can be different and this is up to the Board to decide).

 

It is important to recognise that smaller communities may necessarily have to contribute more per dwelling than bigger communities, in order to retain facilities on a similar level.

 

A guaranteed annual contribution from their local Community Board can remove some of the pressure on members of the pool committee to have to make ends meet, enabling them to concentrate on their main task of operating and maintain a pool facility. It has to be recognised that volunteer pool committees everywhere provide a community service that would cost significantly more if operated professionally (by Council). Examples from Southland communities where rating for pools has been in place for some time shows that pools are generally better operated, more regular maintenance is being done, and the pool committees have the ability to build up some funds that help them leveraging further public funding, as well as provide contingency funding in case of unexpected breakdowns. In some cases it has also became easier for the pool committees to recruit new members. 

 

Currently the Tuatapere Community Board - through rates - supports and contributes to other local recreational amenities, including the community centre and recreation reserves and playing areas.  The swimming pool is another example of a recreational amenity which up until now has had no need for local rate support but this is now a consideration.

 

The Tuatapere community as a whole has to be able to show how the ongoing cost will be covered in the future, for the feasibility of retaining a pool facility in Tuatapere to be demonstrated. If this cannot be achieved, there will be no point in investing in development of any pool facility, whether existing or new. Ongoing funding is not the only consideration in this respect; an equally important question is also does the Tuatapere community have the will to keep the pool going, and are there people with the required skills that are prepared to dedicate time and effort to managing the pool. This will have to be established through consultation with the community. However, unless a financial base can be provided, the community may not have the opportunity to address other issues.

 

X3eTY-56D5810

 

Diana Zadravec

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNER

VENTURE SOUTHLAND

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 

Distribution of the pool rate

Record No:        R/15/6/9994

Author:                 Diana Zadravec, Community Development Planner

Approved by:       Rex Capil, Group Manager, Policy and Community

 

  Decision                             Recommendation                        Information

 

  

 


Summary

1        In 2013/14, the Tuatapere Community Board adopted a pool rate across its area to assist with the operational costs of the three pools in the area: the Tuatapere Community Baths, the Blackmount Community Swimming Pool and the Hauroko Valley School Pool. The process of how the pool groups would access this funding and the criteria for how it would be distributed have not been established at the time. This report recommends to the Board how to distribute the pool rate collected in 2014/15 and sets out proposed criteria for the distribution of the rate.

2        While there is no doubt that local communities value each of these facilities, the report recommends that the criteria for distribution of the funds should be objective, based around the number and type of users, the level of services and quality of facilities, and the future viability of the facilities. Ad hoc distribution of these funds is not recommended.

3        The report recommends that this split of the pool rate be reviewed for the 2015/16 year because the ownership of the pools in Blackmount and Tuatapere is changing from the Ministry of Education to community. As a result some of the operational cost such as rates, insurance, power, chemicals etc will change.

4        The attachments to the report provide background about each of the facilities and describe the thinking behind the criteria for the distribution of the pool rate.

Report

5        In December 2012 Venture Southland prepared a report to the Tuatapere Community Board recommending a rate of $8000 + GST be collected annually to assist with the operational costs of the Tuatapere Community Baths. Venture Southland had worked with the Tuatapere Pool Redevelopment stakeholder group and identified this level of funding as required from the Board to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the facility. Certainty around operational income streams was a prerequisite for the decision by the stakeholders to retain the pool for the community and undertake the $336,000 redevelopment project of this facility.

6        The Board was supportive of the rate for the Tuatapere Community Baths but decided to go a step further and introduce a uniform pool rate across its area and on application divide the funds between the three pools in the area: the Tuatapere Community Baths, the Blackmount Community Swimming Pool and the Hauroko Valley School Pool. However, the process of how the pool groups would access this funding and the criteria for how it would be distributed have not been established at the time. The Tuatapere Community Baths committee submitted a report and request for $8000 + GST in May 2014; no other requests were made.

7        At present the Tuatapere Community Board is the only body that has an arrangement in place to collect one pool rate to be distributed between three pools, which makes a comparison with other areas difficult. Most other Boards collect one rate per pool, usually for a community owned pool (e.g. pools in Manapouri, Riverton, Ohai) or a pool on education land that is associated with a secondary school and used by both the school and the community (e.g. pools in Te Anau, Winton). The only pool on education land associated with a primary school for which a rate is collected is understood to be in Edendale.

8        This report recommends to the Board how to distribute the pool rate collected in 2014/15. There is no doubt that the local communities value each of these facilities however the criteria for distribution of the funds should be more objective, based around the number and type of users, the level of services and quality of facilities, and the future viability of the facilities. Ad hoc distribution of these funds is not recommended as it does not take into consideration the regional significance of the facilities, and it does not give the pool managing groups the ability to budget and plan ahead, which was the rationale behind establishing the rate.

9        In preparing the recommendations of how the pool rate may be split, the following questions were considered:

 

·    What area/urban centre/number of people does the facility serve?

·    Who are the users and how much do they use the facility?

·    What services does the facility offer?

·    Is the facility sustainable - how much effort did the managing group and/or the local community put in investigating and ensuring ongoing sustainability?

·    What would be the consequences if the facility could not continue to operate? Do realistic alternative facilities exist?

·    What are the social-economic circumstances?

·    What opportunities do the managing group and/or community have to raise funding from other sources?

·    How much are users charged to use the pool (keys, entry fees, hire charges) and how do these charges compare to other pools?

 

10      Considering the rationale for the rate establishment and the above criteria, the following percentage-based split of the pool rate is recommended for the funds collected in 2014/15 ($10,263.74 + GST):

 

Facility

% of rate

Amount 2013/14 (rounded)

Tuatapere Community Baths

          80%

          $ 8,200

Blackmount Community Swimming Pool

          12.5%

          $ 1,280

Hauroko Valley School Pool

            7.5%

          $    783

Total

          100%

        $10,263

 

11      The distribution of the pool rate should be on application by each group with the above amounts the recommended maximum portions of the rate for each pool. Should any of these facilities make a request that is somewhat above the recommended amounts, the Board has the ability this year to cover the difference from the reserves collected but not distributed in 2013/14, which amount to $2,370.25.

12      It is recommended that this split is reviewed for the 2014/15 financial year and beyond as there have been significant changes in operations and ownership of the pools in Tuatapere and Blackmount. Until this year, both these pools were formally owned by the Ministry of Education even though the respective communities largely raised the funds for their establishment. Following the Blackmount School closure in July 2014, the Blackmount pool has been disposed of by the Ministry and is currently owned by Southland District Council on behalf of the Blackmount community.

The stakeholders in the Tuatapere pool decided that community ownership was preferred to ensure future community access and the protection of investment by the community and public funders. Consequently the Waiau Area School made the recommendation to the Ministry to dispose of the pool and land underneath it. The disposal process is well underway and the pool will be owned by the community (i.e. the Tuatapere Community Baths Society) in the future.

13      For both pools, the changed ownership brings significant variations in operational cost such as rates, insurance, power, chemicals etc. which have previously been absorbed by or shared with the respective schools. An estimate of these changes has been attempted although the full effect will not be known after at least one year of operating under the new ownership arrangement. In addition, the Blackmount pool faces some loss of income from the school closure, and the Tuatapere pool will have increased cost for insurance and fire alarm compliance because of the higher standard and value of the pool following the impending upgrade. The situation remains unchanged for the Hauroko Valley School pool; this pool continues to be owned by the Ministry of Education.

14      It is recommended that the Board requests that the pool groups provide some information when asking for a portion of the rate. This should at a minimum include information about their last year’s performance (financials, user numbers), a budget for the coming year, user charges and any identified issues and/or plans for the future. If the Board adopts the recommendations of this report, Venture Southland would work on preparing a simple form to assist the groups in supplying this information in a way that is comparable.

15      In each financial year, the best time for the requests to be considered from both the pool groups’ and the Board’s perspective may be prior to the beginning of the pool season e.g. September rather than at the end of the financial year in June. Having their requests considered and at least approved prior to the season would give the groups the certainty about their budget for the season. The Board would have the ability to judge the need for support and if necessary, make adjustments to the pool rate for the coming financial year through the estimates process.

16      It is also recommended that the pool rate is reviewed as part of the 2016/17 estimates process to account for the (possibly) changed operational costs of the pools as a result of changes in ownership.

 


 

Recommendation

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Distribution of the pool rate” dated 11 August 2015.

b)         Determines that this matter or decision be recognised not significant in terms of Section 76 of the Local Government Act 2002.

c)         Determines that it has complied with the decision-making provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 to the extent necessary in relation to this decision; and in accordance with Section 79 of the Act determines that it does not require further information, further assessment of options or further analysis of costs and benefits or advantages and disadvantages prior to making a decision on this matter.

d)         Adopts a percentage-based split of the Tuatapere Community Board pool rate for 2014/15 between the Tuatapere Community Baths (80%), the Blackmount Community Swimming Pool (12.5%) and the Hauroko Valley School Pool (7.5%).

e)         Resolves to review the split of the Tuatapere Community Board pool rate for the 2015/16 year and beyond.

 


Attachments

a         Background about the three pools in the Tuatapere Community Board area 

b         Considerations behind the criteria for the distribution of the Tuatapere Community Board pool rate     


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 

Background to the three pools in the Tuatapere Community Board area

 

Tuatapere Community Baths

The Tuatapere Community Baths (Pool) was built on the grounds of the Waiau Area School in 1978. The construction funds and labour were largely provided by the community. The facility has a main 25m, four-lane, full-depth pool and a 6.5m by 3m learners’ pool. The pool requires a significant upgrade to resolve structural, design and compliance issues. Following four years of planning and fundraising, the funds for this work ($336,000 + GST) have been raised by the community in full. The tenders for this work have been issued and the upgrade will be undertaken this winter and has been designed to extend the useable life of the facility by at least 20 years.

 

The pool is managed by the Tuatapere Community Baths Society Inc. the pool operates for approximately 6 months of the year. The key users are the Waiau Area School (roll 118, Year 1 – 13, decile 3) for their learn-to-swim programme and physical education, the Waiau Swim Club, families purchasing keys and tickets, and the general public. The Baths Society provides a supervised public session every day. Other users such as Plunket, the fire brigade etc use pool occasionally. The annual use is about 7000 swims per year and users come from the Tuatapere township as well as the rural surrounds.

 

The urban Tuatapere population has a relatively low socio-economic status (school decile 3) and faces moderate isolation challenges. The closest comparable pools are in Blackmount (42km) and Riverton 48km). These facilities cannot be considered realistic alternatives for the community to use, and particularly not for the Waiau Area School. The Head of Physical Education estimated it would cost the school $12,610 to give their students only ten 45 minute swimming opportunities at the Riverton Pool. In addition each student would also lose 28 hours learning time.

 

The redevelopment project was driven by a stakeholders’ group made up of representatives of the Society and key community pool users as well as the Tuatapere Community Board, Tuatapere Amenities Fund and the Lions Club. 

 

As part of this project, the stakeholders decided to obtain ownership of the pool from the Ministry of Education to protect future community access to the pool and the investment made by the community and public funders. This process is now well underway. Due to the upgrades and the change of ownership the Society will face additional operating cost including rates, insurance, gas and monthly fire alarm inspections in 2015/16 and beyond. These additional costs amount to approximately $4,300 per annum and are unavoidable. Heating (electricity) and supervision are two main ongoing expenses. The total operating expenses per annum (excluding depreciation) are around $30,000. A feasibility study prepared by Venture Southland in November 2013 identified the long-term commitment by the Tuatapere Community Board to support the pool was crucial for the sustainability of this facility, and the redevelopment project was undertaken on this basis.

 

The Tuatapere Pool can be considered the key pool facility within the Tuatapere Community Board’s area because of its user base (area school, swim club, urban and rural population), versatility (full length, deep and shallow pools, public sessions, disabled access, suitable for physiotherapy) and the forthcoming upgrade that will future proof the pool for 20 years or more.

 

Blackmount Community Pool

The Blackmount Community Pool was built in 2001 and is one of the most modern community pool facilities in Southland. While associated with the local school, the contribution from the community and public funders was about 75% of the $392,000 construction cost.  The pool is 20m long and full-depth. It is generally in good condition although resurfacing of the pool tank will be necessary in the near future due to failed materials. The Blackmount Community Pool Society Inc is planning for this work; funding is expected to be raised from public funders and a contribution from the Society’s contingency fund.

 

The pool operates for approximately 6 months of the year on a key basis only; there are no public sessions. It serves predominately the local community although for many years the Pool Society has organised a very popular summer swimming programme that is attended by children from as far as Te Anau. Schools staying at Borland Lodge also use the pool occasionally. Pool use records are not available.

 

The Blackmount community has a high socio-economic status but faces significant challenges due to isolation and small population base. The closest comparable pools are in Tuatapere (42km) and Te Anau (59km); these facilities cannot be considered realistic alternatives for the community to use. 

 

The total operating expenses per annum (excluding depreciation) are around $13,500 and the facility is essentially self-funding. This is largely a result of the Pool Society’s invested funds that generate interest to supplement operational costs. The local community considers this model crucial for sustainability as the local ratepayer base is so small. The modern design of the pool including solar water heating also means that the heating costs are low, and there are no supervision costs as there are no public sessions.

 

The Blackmount School closed in July 2014 and the land and buildings (including the pool) were acquired by Southland District Council through the Public Works Act in April 2015, with community ownership intended in the future. The feasibility study commissioned by Venture Southland in 2014 as part of the disposal of the former Blackmount School has concluded that the Blackmount Pool can operate sustainably under community ownership even as the financial contribution from the school/Ministry of Education ceases ($2,400 pa).

 

Hauroko Valley School pool

Limited information is available about this pool located at and managed by the Hauroko Valley School (Year 0 – 6, roll 58, decile 7). The pool is a typical primary school pool 16m long and 6 wide. The building has been reroofed within the past five years; the condition and lifespan of the facility is otherwise not known.

 

The pool operates for approximately 6 months of the year. The key users are the Hauroko Valley School and local key holders; there are no supervised public sessions. It serves predominately the local community although some families buy a key for the Tuatapere pool. Pool use records are not available. The pool is adequate for the school’s needs (introduction to swimming and water confidence building) although it offers limited opportunities for learning and recreation of older students and adults.

 

The Hauroko community has a relatively high socio-economic status and face some isolation challenges. The Tuatapere Pool (12km) could be considered an alternative facility should the Hauroko Valley School pool not be available anymore (it has both a shallow and deep pool).

 

The operations are funded by the school, key sales and pool hire. The total operating expenses per annum are not known. It is understood that the facility owner, the Ministry of Education through the school covers a significant part of the operating cost including rates, insurance and electricity. Prompted by the breakdown of the heat pump, the school considered consulting the local community about the future of the pool in 2013. The heat pump was replaced through insurance by the Ministry of Education in 2014 and the consultation did not take place.

 

It is considered that the existence and need for the Hauroko Valley School pool is largely facilitated by its association with the local primary school.

 

 

Prepared in June 2015 by Diana Zadravec, Community Development Planner, Venture Southland


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 

Considerations behind the criteria for the distribution of the Tuatapere Community Board pool rate

 

·    What area/urban centre/number of people does the facility serve?

The number of pools in Southland is a reflection of times when rural populations were larger, facilities cost less to run and the Ministry of Education policies mandated and funded pools at every school. If new pools in Southland would be planned today there would likely be only a handful and they would be located in main population centres, as pools are the most expensive recreational facilities to build and run.

That is not to say that pools attached to small schools or communities are not important, especially if such communities are isolated or have few or no alternative facilities in the area.

 

·    Who are the users and how much do they use the facility?

Each pool facility is important for the local community but greater number and range of users of a facility would suggest a higher value of the pool for the local community as well as the wider area.

Usage numbers have to be presented in a comparable way; the roll of a school or number of keys sold is not a reliable measure of usage. The hours that a pool has been used by a school or the number of actual swims by keyholders are better measures for both funding and pool water management purposes.

 

·    What services does the facility offer?

Community pools tend to be operated on a key system with some pools offering supervised public sessions (in the Tuatapere Community Board area only the Tuatapere pool offers public sessions). These are considered important as pools are often one of only few activities/facilities that older children and teenagers in rural settings can access without their parents, which is important for their social life and development. Public sessions also offer opportunities for swimming to those youth whose parents don’t purchase pool keys, as well as other casual users. Public sessions require supervision which increases liabilities and costs.

Other considerations may involve whether or not the facility is suitable for both the very young and older children, swimming training and competitions, recreation of adults, the disabled and those with mobility issues, other uses such as physiotherapy etc.

 

·    Is the facility sustainable - how much effort did the managing group and/or the local community put in investigating and ensuring ongoing sustainability?

Identifying how sustainable a facility is in the long term is a complex exercise that requires a 20 year view. Thinking this way is sometimes avoided by communities because it may yield undesired conclusions. Some of the considerations are: What is the user base, how is it changing, and are the users’ needs met? Can the true ongoing cost be met within the community? Are there enough volunteers with the necessary skills to run the facility? What is the lifespan of building and plant and are upgrades necessary? What options/alternatives do exist?

The cost or running a pool is not directly proportional to the pool’s size or number of users; certain costs cannot be avoided or reduced regardless of the size of the pool. Type of heating and whether supervised sessions are offered has a strong bearing on the cost. How well the pool is maintained also influences overall costs – operating community facilities on the ‘smell of an oily rag’ by one population cohort and letting them deteriorate can burden a later cohort with the need for bigger and more costly upgrades.

The projected changes in population numbers and age distribution are an important consideration e.g. Southland communities are aging faster than New Zealand’s average. This can result in changing user needs, less volunteers with necessary skills for operations and fundraising, more paid roles, and the need for different funding models.

 

·    What would be the consequences if the facility could not continue to operate? Do realistic alternative facilities exist?

The consequences depend on the number and type of users that would be affected and their ability to access suitable alternative facilities. Of the three pools in the Tuatapere Community Board area, a realistic alternative is considered to exist only for Hauroko which is within a 10-minute drive of the Tuatapere pool.

 

·    What are the socio-economic circumstances?

Socio-economic circumstances tend to be worse in small townships than in rural areas e.g. township households tend to earn less than their rural counterparts. For instance, median household income for urban Tuatapere ($42,000) is $16,900 lower than the median household income in the surrounding, predominantly farming Te Waewae area ($58,900) (Census 2013). Skills necessary to manage complex facilities such as swimming pools also vary amongst communities and can correlate to education levels.

 

The Ministry of Education uses decile rating on the basis of five Census household indicators to indicate the extent to which a school draws students from low-socio economic communities (decile 1 is worst, decile 10 is best). For instance, Waiau Area School is decile 3; Hauroko Valley School is decile 7; Blackmount School was decile 10.

 

However, isolation can be a big issue (time and cost) for rural populations as they need to travel for many services.

 

·    What opportunities does the managing group and/or community have to raise funding from other sources?

Opportunities for other funding relate to population numbers, the nature and socio-economic circumstances of communities, other projects needing funding, as well as the value a community puts on its facilities. Larger populations allow for better economy of scale. However, small towns servicing rural areas can have big pressures on funds and the volunteers fundraising, as non-profit facilities and services tend to be concentrated in towns and all require fundraising.

Eligibility for funding from public funders (such as the Community Trust of Southland, Lottery grants, Council funding, Meridian Community Fund) tends to be spread evenly across the Tuatapere Community Board area with the exception of the Tuatapere Amenities Fund that considers only projects benefiting the Tuatapere urban area population. Pub Charity - which has a venue in Tuatapere - is less likely to consider applications from Blackmount but will consider Hauroko based projects.

The design of the pool determines whether donations in kind can be an option (possible in case of diesel heating in Blackmount but not in Tuatapere and Hauroko which have heat pumps).

While the Ministry of Education provides minimal funding specifically for pools the association with a school can be beneficial especially where the school manages the pool such as in Hauroko. For instance, a school may be able to absorb rates, insurance and power costs for the pool in its overall cost, or the caretaker may be able to undertake minor repairs.

Fundraising efforts and success significantly depend on the motivation and the value a community places on a certain project. However, other fundraising initiatives happening at the same time in the area, either for the pool or another project, can influence the motivation and capability for operational funding to be raised within a community. At present (or very recently), significant fundraising for redevelopment and purchase of pools has been undertaken in Tuatapere and Blackmount communities.

How much are users charged to use the pool (keys, entry fees, hire charges) and how do these charges compare to other pools?

Charges for users (keys, pool hire hourly rate, school contribution) differ amongst pools and this is sometimes reflected in apparent user numbers (e.g. sold keys). While there are differences in quality of facilities and affordability is important, it would be unfair to subsidise a “cheap” pool to a greater degree than a pool that charges its users more realistic prices.

 

 

Prepared in June 2015 by

Diana Zadravec, Community Development Planner, Venture Southland


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 

Venture Southland report about operations of the Hauroko Valley School Pool and comparison of operating budgets of pools in the Tuatapere area

Record No:        R/15/12/21617

Author:                 Diana Zadravec, Community Development Planner

Approved by:       Rex Capil, Group Manager, Policy and Community

 

  Decision                             Recommendation                        Information

 

  

 


1        Venture Southland prepared a report for the Tuatapere Community Board in August 2015 with considerations and recommendations about possible distribution criteria for the pool rate that is being collected for the three pools in the Board’s area – Tuatapere, Blackmount and Hauroko Valley School Pools. The Board asked for further information, especially the operating cost for Hauroko Valley School Pool and how this pool is used.

2        The difficulty with the Hauroko Valley School Pool is that the cost of running this facility is incorporated into the school’s general operational budget.  In preparation of this report, Venture Southland staff undertook a desktop review of available information, met with Rosanne Allen, the Chair of the Hauroko Board of Trustees (BOT), and consulted Gavin McKenzie, the School Property Advisor for the Ministry of Education. Nevertheless, the budget for Hauroko cannot be as detailed as for the other two pools, for which much more detailed records are kept by the respective incorporated societies.

 

Hauroko Valley School Pool – use, operations and budget

3        Hauroko Valley School is a Year 0 – 6, decile 7 school with a current roll of 65 students. The roll has increased dramatically in the past few years (e.g. the roll was 48 in 2013). The 2013 census showed a 5.7% population increase from 2006 in the Te Wae Wae area unit. However, Mrs Allen attributed the significant increase in the school’s roll mainly to farm succession; couples with young children are taking over the management of local farms.

4        The Hauroko School Pool is a typical primary school pool 16m long and 6m wide and less than 1m deep. It is used in Term 4 and Term 1 by the school. Mrs Allen said that teachers are encouraged to use the pool with their classes once a week. Hauroko School also benefits from the low-cost, 10-day Swim Safe programme delivered to all schools by Sport Southland with funding from the Government and local funders (the same programme is delivered also in Tuatapere).

5        Due to staffing issues the pool has not been available to the community via a key system for a few years, although this has been available in the past (family keys cost $25 - $30 per season). The fact the pool has not been operating during the summer holidays may account for the relatively high cost of chemicals (higher than at the larger Tuatapere and Blackmount Pools), and may also result in somewhat inefficient use of energy (the pool is left to cool down at the end of Term 4 and then heated up again in Term 1). While the pool has not been operating at the time of the meeting with Mrs Allen on 16 November 2015 and keys would not be offered this year, Mrs Allen said this will be considered for the future.

6        Mrs Allen was able to estimate only the direct cost of running the pool, such as electricity and cost of chemicals, as other costs are incorporated in the overheads of operating the school (such as rates, insurance, compliance, infrastructure maintenance etc). The pool is heated by a (new) heat pump and the cost is estimated at $6,500 per season, and chemicals estimated at $1,500 per season. An allowance of $1,000 was made for other expenses to give an estimated operating budget of $9,000 per year.

7        Gavin McKenzie, the School Property Advisor for the Ministry of Education, advised that every school receives funding in their general operating grant to provide swimming instruction as part of their curriculum requirements, although this funding is not specifically tagged for the operation of a pool (e.g. a school without a pool would use this funding to transport students to another pool and pay entry fees). Like every other school with a pool, Hauroko Valley School has to allocate the required funding from its general operating grant. Currently the school does not have any income from other users; in those years that keys were sold this contributed about $750. The school does not undertake community fundraising for the operation of the pool.

8        As suggested by member Sanford, the question was put to Mrs Allen what level of support would be helpful from the Board. Mrs Allen did not name a specific amount but said “as much as possible” would be appreciated.

9        Every school also receives a maintenance payment for its swimming pool facilities. Hauroko Valley School receives $15,787.60 over a 10 year period (at current criteria). This relieves the pressure on the school to have to find funds for on-going maintenance, which is something Tuatapere and Blackmount Pool groups have to do. Mrs Allen said that when more significant work has been undertaken on the pool in the past, the community did fundraise for it. The pool building was reclad within the past 5 years and the heat pump replaced in 2014 so no major capital expenditure is expected to be necessary in the next few years.

10      In the past few years staffing has been a significant issue for the school and the highest priority for the BOT. Mrs Allen is positive that these issues have now been resolved and the BOT will have the opportunity to focus on other matters, including the operation and the future of the pool. Mrs Allen said that at present there is a high number of pre-school children in the community which will enter and attend Hauroko School over the next few years. The Hauroko Valley School Pool would mainly service the needs of these families with pre-schoolers. One of the considerations for the future of the Pool could be whether there will be a continued need for a small pool as these children grow up and require deeper facilities to learn to swim.

11      Public use is understood to be the criteria for the Board to consider assisting with pool operating cost, and as keys are not being offered this criteria is not met at present. However, the Board may reconsider the level of the pool rate in anticipation of this being the case in the future.

 

Comparison of operational budgets for the three pools

12      To make the information about the three pools more comparable, their operating budgets have been presented in one table (Table 1). The main income and expense elements have been grouped, and the budgets for Tuatapere and Blackmount Pools have been updated with most recent available information (please refer to the sections at the end of this report).

13      It should be noted that a “break even” point should not be the benchmark for the level of support that may be considered by the Board. Pool Committees have to act as any prudent facility owner and anticipate that things may go wrong. While the Hauroko Valley School may have some flexibility within its overall budget, the community-operated Tuatapere and Blackmount Pool Committees have to be able to generate some surplus each year to build up contingency funds. Such funds will be used in case of an unexpected plant breakdown for instance, and to be able to leverage public funding for bigger, planned expenses. Expecting these groups to only just break-even will inevitably result in lack of planning and maintenance not being undertaken in time and the degradation of facilities over time.

14      Table 1: Estimated operating budgets for Tuatapere, Blackmount and Hauroko Valley School Pools

 

Income

Tuatapere

Blackmount

Hauroko

Pool hire/coaching

10,760.00

6,500.00

0

Key/ticket sales

4,700.00

2,500.00

0

Donations/grants

3,000.00

3,000.00

0

Fundraising

2,000.00

0

0

Donations in kind

0

3,900.00

0

Interest Received

70.00

2,000.00

0

Other income

1,500.00

1,600.00

9,000.00

Total income

22,030.00

19,500.00

9,000.00

 

 

 

 

Expenditure

Heating/power/gas

16,500.00

6,300.00

6,500.00

Chemicals

900.00

1,000.00

1,500.00

Supervision

5,500.00

0

0

Fundraising costs

400.00

0

0

Coaching cost

0

4,500.00

0

Cleaning

0

1,500.00

 

Promotion

300.00

0

 

Maintenance

1,800.00

2,500.00

 

Sundry

200.00

200.00

 

Accounting/review fees

500.00

1,250.00

1,000.00

Insurance

1,850.00

1,650.00

 

Compliance

(fire alarm, water inspections)

600.00

0

 

Rates

1,700.00

1,600.00

 

Total expenditure

30,250.00

20,500.00

9,000.00

Operational shortfall

-8,220.00

-1000.00

0.00

Previous level of funding from

Tuatapere Community Board

8,000.00

 

 

Profit/(Loss)

-220.00

 

 

 

15      The three pools differ significantly in who owns and operates them, the type and condition of facilities and plant, the area and number of people they serve, the services they offer, income they generate from users, their long-term sustainability, and the socio-economic circumstances of the communities they serve. These issues have been examined in detail in the August report (R/15/6/9994). Tuatapere and Blackmount Pools are also experiencing significant operational changes due to the redevelopment in Tuatapere, and the pool ownership change in both cases. This will have effects on their operational budgets, and while some effects have been anticipated in the enclosed budgets they cannot be confidently foreseen at this stage. A review of the pool rate is therefore recommended in a year’s time.

16      The review of the operational budgets of the three pools in the Board’s area confirms the findings of the Yardstick benchmarking programme undertaken for pools across New Zealand in 2005 and 2006; heating and public session supervision (where offered) are the highest costs, and pools cannot operate on user income alone and require support from rating or other sources.

17      Pools heated with solar water systems have considerably lower operating expenses and this can assist significantly with their long-term sustainability. Blackmount Pool has solar water heating with diesel backup and the cost of heating and lighting is only about 40% of the cost at the comparably-sized Tuatapere Pool. An opportunity exists for Tuatapere and Hauroko Valley School Pools, which are heated with air-to-water heat pumps, to reduce heating cost with solar water heating. Both these pools have been included in a pool heating assessment programme commissioned by Venture Southland; potential for wood energy will also be explored as an alternative. These assessments are free to the pool groups and are due to start shortly; the Board will be informed of the outcomes.

18      For the Board’s information, the rating arrangements and levels of rates for other pools in the Southland District area are also attached. When reading this table it should be noted that pool rates are for one pool each in all but this Board’s area.

 

Blackmount Community Pool – updated budget

19      Venture Southland staff requested an updated operational budget from the Blackmount Community Pool Society for the purpose of this report and discussed it with Mike O’Brien, the Treasurer of the Blackmount Community Pool Society.

20      The pool operates approximately 6 months of the year on a key basis only; there are no public sessions. It serves predominately the local community although for many years the Pool Society has organised a very popular summer swimming programme that is attended by children from as far as Te Anau. Schools staying at Borland Lodge also use the pool occasionally.

21      Mr O’Brien provided an estimated operational budget of $15,900 per year. Due to solar water heating the cost of heating is relatively low, and as there are no public sessions there are no supervision costs. However, the Pool Society pays a cleaner and relatively high fees for accounting. The ongoing maintenance costs are also considered to be quite high. The provided budget did not include about 2000 litres of diesel worth about $3,000 that is currently donated each year by local farmers. As donated diesel is a hidden cost that nevertheless has to be covered, it was subsequently included on both income and expenditure side to make the comparison with other two pools meaningful.

22      With the closure of the school, the Pool Society will lose $800 of operational income for the hire of the school. The school also used to pass on its funding for pool maintenance which was about $1,800 per year. This lost income will result in the Pool Society going from making a small profit to having a deficit of about $800 per year. Mr O’Brien said while this deficit could be covered by additional donations of diesel, support from the Board on this level would be appreciated by the Pool Society, especially as the pool has been essentially otherwise self-funding. The Pool Society does have significant savings (not shown in Table 1), however these have been used as investment to generate some of the income through interest. Part of these savings may have to be applied to the resurfacing of the pool which will come at a significant cost. An expectation that these savings should be used before any assistance from the Board would be unfair to the Pool Society which raised these savings within the community.

23      As in Tuatapere, once the Blackmount Community Pool Society becomes the owner of the pool it will be liable for rates. As these have been included in the Tuatapere Pool budget, they have been also estimated and added to the Blackmount budget ($1,600). With above changes incorporated the operating budget is estimated at $20,500. The resulting larger deficit could be covered by a higher donation of diesel as Mr O’Brien suggested (e.g. $3,900 now included in the Income), and a contribution from the Board.

 

Tuatapere Community Baths (Pool) – updated budget

24      At the time of this report, the major redevelopment of the Tuatapere Community pool is nearing completion, with the official opening ceremony scheduled for 20 December 2015. The delay was mainly due to the requirement for a resource consent. This was not considered necessary until the survey undertaken as part of the subdivision revealed that the pool was built over the property boundary. As a result of the delays the pool will be open for 15 weeks, just over half of the normal season. The Baths Society advised that this will likely result in significantly lower user income although the expenses will remain largely the same as previously identified, with some savings in electricity, chemicals and supervision costs.

25      To be comparable with the other two pools, the operational budget has been reviewed and is based on a normal operating period of about 27 weeks. A budget for purchase of equipment was removed was as this is specific to the current year. Some amounts (such as electricity cost) were adjusted once the actual figures for 2014/15 became available.

26      The total operating budget is estimated at $30,250. By far the largest cost is heating with a heat pump, at an estimated $16,000 per year. The Society has been implementing measures to save electricity cost for some years (e.g. purchasing a better pool cover, checking that the pool cover has been replaced by keyholders etc). Further savings through operational measures are unlikely to be possible with the current plant. The second largest expense is supervision of public sessions, which is consistent with other pools in the region that offer public sessions. Insurance and compliance costs have increased as a result of the upgrade of the pool. Non-discounted rates are now included.

27       The Tuatapere Community Baths Society applied for $9,000 towards the operating cost from the Tuatapere Community Board and $8,000 was granted for 2015/16. This makes for a small deficit each year.

 


 

Recommendation

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Venture Southland report about operations of the Hauroko Valley School Pool and comparison of operating budgets of pools in the Tuatapere area” dated 7 December 2015.

 

 

 


Attachments

a         Comparison of rating for pools in Southland District     


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016

sdclogo

 

Venture Southland report re demographic information for Waiau Area School catchment

Record No:        R/16/3/4445

Author:                 Diana Zadravec, Community Development Planner

Approved by:       Rex Capil, Group Manager, Community and Futures

 

  Decision                             Recommendation                        Information

 

  

 

Report

1        The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Waiau Area School (WAS) has been considering an application for change of class to primary for WAS. The BOT held a public meeting on 2 March 2016; several Tuatapere Community Board members attended this meeting.

2        At this meeting the public raised concerns about the lack of information about the effects the proposed change of class would have on the community at large, and Venture Southland staff were asked if it could provide information. Subsequently staff made an offer to the BOT to assist with information and possibly an assessment of effects.

3        The BOT advisor Leeanne de Vries requested Waiau Valley demographics on 15 March and these were provided in a brief on 22 March, together with some relevant findings from work that has been undertaken by Venture Southland and other organisations in the past 2 years as part of the Southland Labour Market Assessment, Southland Youth Futures and the Southland Regional Development Strategy. The brief provided to BOT is attached for the Board’s information. The same information has been provided also to two other parties that requested it, namely the Hauroko Valley School BOT and the New Zealand Educational Institute.

4        It is thought by many that a change of class will have a significant effect on the Tuatapere and wider Waiau community.  While it is acknowledged that the Ministry of Education is also investigating the potential impacts of this change, Venture Southland’s offer of assistance remains open to the BOT. This could include working on the development of initiatives to retain senior students at WAS by engaging with businesses and offering more and better career paths locally.

5        The decision whether to make an application for change of class, and whether to make this application by 1 April 2016, is a decision for the BOT.

 

 

Recommendation

That the Tuatapere Community Board:

a)         Receives the report titled “Venture Southland report re demographic information for Waiau Area School catchment” dated 4 April 2016.

 

 

 

Attachments

a         Brief demographics for Waiau Area School catchment, analysis and forecast  - March 2016 View    

 


Tuatapere Community Board

12 April 2016