Annual Report caps off a busy 2022

A year of overcoming challenges, smart decisions and wins make up Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s 2021/22 Annual Report.

At the final meeting of the year Councillors adopted the 2021/22 Annual Report – a highlight reel of Council’s mahi out in the community alongside a snapshot of how we’re tracking financially.

Council CEO John Holyoake says Council has achieved several big wins for the District while grappling with the national, and international, economic climate.

A key theme was Council leveraging Government funding to improve key infrastructure assets.

This includes securing $38 million from the Kāinga Ora-led Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to upgrade the State Highway 2 / Ōmokoroa Road intersection. In addition to an allocation of $3.42 million from Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) funding to improve and upgrade wastewater and water infrastructure to and for marae and papakāinga housing.

This CIP funding enabled 15 Marae to either upgrade their Onsite Effluent Wastewater Treatment (OSET) system or to connect to Council’s wastewater network – minimising environmental effects, ensuring sanitary conditions and investing in infrastructure that’ll support marae into the future.

Council also secured $5.34m from the Government through its entitlement under the Three Waters Reform ‘Better Off’ funding. The funding will be divided into two lots - $4.46m for the redevelopment of Council’s existing elder housing portfolio in Katikati and the remaining $880,000 to install the appropriate infrastructure to allow for papakāinga housing (housing on Māori land).

“This Annual Report demonstrates that we are shaping connected and vibrant communities and working hard to keep our District thriving for future generations,” explains John.

“As a Council we face these same economic challenges, navigating the pressure on our operations and finances to make smart decisions for our people.”

Council’s ability to balance these pressures are highlighted by maintaining an AA credit rating for the fourth consecutive year with global credit ratings agency, Standard and Poor’s.

Maintaining this strong credit rating is important as we face future challenges from global economic uncertainty, and closer to home, increasing interest rates and the cost of supplies, or general living.

In the last 12 months we have celebrated many achievements. Some highlights we’re incredibly proud of are:

• Introducing livestreaming to all Council and committee meetings, via our YouTube channel, to enable greater public participation.
• Resealing 57km of road through our summer reseal programme. Seal extensions completed have included Williams Road, Mountain Road and Valley View Road.
• Our Kerbside Collective service having a phenomenal first year with Western Bay residents stopping 3300 tonnes of material from going to landfill – 1376 tonnes of glass, 575 tonnes of food waste and 1349 tonnes of mixed recycling.
• Awarding 36 community groups and organisations funding through our annual $140k Community Matching Fund for community and environmental projects that make a positive difference in our District. As well as $74k awarded to five community groups upgrading community facilities not on public land.
• The Te Puke Library and Service Centre taking over the provision of the Automobile Association (AA) service for the town. Doing so allows people to continue to purchase their vehicle registration, road user charges, plates as well as all other vehicle licensing services and avoid unnecessary travel.

Looking ahead to 2023, it is shaping up to be a big year of mahi for us as we continue our Your Place Tō wāhi (District Plan Review) kōrero, plus a few other key planning projects.

Together we can outline what the community want to achieve in the long-term and establish a pathway for Council to make this a reality, says John.

“At certain times along with way we will be keen to get your thoughts, and so I encourage you to take part, as the feedback you share with us throughout the process will help set our priorities as we embark on a new journey to plan for change and growth.

“We will be also paying close attention to the 2023 general election and potential impact on the local government operating environment. We will be ready to adapt quickly while being pragmatic, prudent and inclusive in taking the Western Bay forward.”

Council is required to prepare and adopt an annual report and financial summary within six months of the end of the last financial year. The Annual Report compares Council’s actual performance for the year against what it forecasted in its Long Term Plan and Annual Plan.

For the full Annual Report visit: www.westernbay.govt.nz/annual-report