Porirua City's Recovery Plan - Council in partnership with Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders to support local communities and businesses - Porirua ...
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Porirua City’s Recovery Plan Council in partnership with Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders to support local communities and businesses
Ka oho te wairua
Ka matāra te Tinana
He aroha ki te aroha
Ka kā te Rama
When your spirit is awakened
When your body is alert
When love is unconditional
Enlightenment flows
Nā Te Rauparaha
Āku mihi mahana
These words were gifted from Ngāti Toa to
Porirua City Council for this Recovery Plan
2 Porirua City’s Recovery Plan
Our Recovery Plan
This plan belongs to
everyone who lives,
works and plays
in Porirua.
It contains initiatives that will help Porirua City This could mean up to 1500 plus job losses in
recover from the effects of Covid-19. The current the city. Some of Porirua’s large population of young
outbreak in Auckland reminds us that this is an people are likely to find it particularly difficult to
ongoing public health challenge coupled with an get their first job, and some children are becoming
economic challenge. We need to be mindful of increasingly disengaged from school.
the possibility of a second wave of transmission in
Porirua and be better prepared should it occur. Porirua has high levels of inequality, with social
deprivation experienced most acutely in eastern
Porirua City Council has partnered with Ngāti Porirua where up to 20% of households experience
Toa Rangatira and key stakeholders to better overcrowding. A significant proportion of the city’s
understand the city’s social and economic Pacific and Māori populations are at heightened
challenges and opportunities. The plan will continue risk from the impacts of Covid-19 due to underlying
to be updated over time to reflect the views of local medical conditions. Mental illness is expected
people as we navigate through uncertain times. to increase across a range of ages in the city
(including young people and the elderly), resulting
We have learnt a lot about our city’s vulnerabilities from feelings of isolation, financial stress and in
over the last few months as we’ve moved through some cases job losses. With job loss, financial stress
alert levels and we want to ensure we are well and household overcrowding, there will also be
placed to enable safe, healthy, resilient communities additional housing needs.
and a thriving economy. While Government has
provided financial and social safety nets, a lot of Porirua Council, Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders
these will be temporary, so it’s critical that local are committed to supporting local people and
support initiatives are put in place and existing ones businesses, delivering initiatives in this plan and
strengthened. forging a pathway to sustainable social and
economic recovery.
Porirua’s economy is partly insulated, with significant
employment in the public sector, health and “As a Council we are determined to play our part
education sectors, and it continues to experience by responding to the short, medium and long-term
urban development growth. But significant challenges bought into focus by Covid-19 and its
challenges lie ahead with the local economy likely resulting economic impacts.”
to experience a Gross Domestic Product contraction
of -6.2% to March 2021 and unemployment move Anita Baker,
towards 8% over the year to March 2021. Mayor of Porirua
3
Our role in Porirua’s recovery This includes supporting foreign nationals until
national level arrangements are in place, supporting
Council has several roles it can play to support Porirua foodbanks, being co-ordinated with NGOs and
City to recover from the impacts of Covid-19. These are considering if Council buildings/facilities need to be
to be a: used to support communities. It may also include
• partner – working alongside Ngāti Toa, supporting regional isolation and quarantine
businesses, community organisations and planning.
government agencies.
• convenor – bringing welfare, businesses and Purpose of the plan
community organisations together to build a
The Recovery Plan outlines how Porirua City Council
resilient future for the city and empowering their
will work with Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders
leadership vision. This can include facilitating
to assist the City to recover from the impacts of
collaboration opportunities, providing guidance
Covid-19. This includes providing a stable social
and promoting access to Government funding
and wellbeing platform from which communities,
and stimulus opportunities.
iwi and businesses can grow and thrive. It takes a
• advocate – removing barriers to progress and balanced approach across both social and economic
representing the city’s voice with Government and challenges facing the city.
stakeholder organisations to focus resources on
the vulnerable and in areas of most need. Ngāti Toa will play a significant role in the city’s
• provider – of services and facilities, including civil future, with plans for housing development and
defence obligations. strong connections with local iwi. Their aspirations
for their people are the same as the Council’s
Council is also responsible for keeping oversight aspirations for the people in the city (ie improving
of the city to ensure its welfare needs are met overall wellbeing and providing employment
in collaboration with local community-based opportunities).
organisations and central Government agencies.
Council staff working at the Emergency Operations Centre during Covid-19 response.
4 Porirua City’s Recovery Plan
Talking with the community • Financial stability
• A serious spike in youth unemployment and
about recovery possible long-term economic and wellbeing
During July and August, we’ve had conversations impacts of long-term benefit dependence
with the community about recovery planning, and
conducted a community survey looking at what We’ve also had feedback from the community
people were thinking and feeling, as well as their regarding impacts on mental health and wellbeing.
ideas for Council’s role in recovery. Support, resources and collaborative long-term
thinking were noted as being key to addressing
So far, we’ve had input from over 30 different these issues. Most of these issues aren’t new but the
community groups and more than 500 responses to pandemic has put additional strain and pressure on
our community survey. Clear and consistent themes the community’s ability to cope.
have emerged regarding Council’s role in recovery,
and what the priorities should be for community In addition to our conversations with community
organisations. organisations, we’ve also been talking to our
business community through the Porirua Chamber
Feedback from the community has called for Council to: of Commerce. They’ve told us that they strongly
• Demonstrate strong leadership in the response and support the Love Local campaign, and Council’s
recovery phases of the pandemic, and to strengthen role in advocating and promoting our local
our roles as a co-ordinator, advocate and facilitator. businesses. People have been reporting that they
like the flexibility to work from home and noted the
• Provide clear and ongoing communication with
underlying nervousness in the business community
community organisations that strengthens
about what will happen to unemployment and
coordination between central and local responses.
consumers purchasing power once the wage subsidy
• Support long-term, community led recovery solutions. and other business support initiatives are removed.
In terms of the social impacts of the pandemic, the What we’ve learnt so far is a starting point.
community has expressed particular concern about With Ngāti Toa, the Council will continue to work
four issues: alongside communities, be agile in our approach,
• Emergency housing that is safe and appropriate and respond to emerging issues in partnership with
for families and for young people the community.
• Food security
5
A Recovery Our plan is designed so that we can be responsive
as we learn more about the health and economic
Framework consequence of the Covid-19 Pandemic. It helps
to ensure that we are agile, while also remaining
for Porirua focused on our objectives for Porirua. An overview of
our Recovery Framework is provided below.
Principles
How are we approaching
recovery in our city?
Our areas of focus
Who is being impacted by
Covid-19?
Objectives
What are we focused on
achieving for them?
Measuring
our progress
What are our indicators to
measure our progress?
Recovery initiatives
What actions are we taking to
recover?
6 Porirua City’s Recovery Plan
Principles
How are we approaching recovery in our city?
Six key principles are guiding our approach to recovering
from Covid-19:
1 2 3
Community-led Open to Transparent about what
and in partnership new ‘normal’ can be delivered, and
with Ngāti Toa opportunities and who will deliver it
not constrained by
the past
4 5 6
Focus on those Ongoing View Covid-19 as an
most impacted collaboration opportunity to make the
and most with partners, city better than before -
vulnerable to the stakeholders, embracing innovation to
effects of Covid-19 central and other meet future needs and
local government focus on both short and
agencies long-term outcomes
7
Our Areas of Focus
Who is being impacted by Covid-19 in Porirua?
1. Our communities
Across the city
What impacts are or could be experienced?
• Increased overcrowding and homelessness
• Increased unemployment (esp. among Māori, Pacific, youth)
• Unable to pay bills and risk of repossession of household items
• Access restrictions for retirement villages
• Domestic violence (possible under-reporting)
• More working from home
• Potential decrease in house values
• Tenant/landlord relationships under pressure
• Mental health impacts (social distancing and financial stress)
• Community groups coping with high demand for welfare services
• Sports and other clubs experiencing loss of revenue from grants
and membership subscriptions
Who is being impacted most?
People with underlying medical conditions, those over the age
of 70, pregnant women, those already on benefits and those in
low skilled jobs or who have lost jobs. Welfare and membership
organisations.
Children and Young People
What impacts are or could be experienced
by children and young people?
• Education/training disruption – early childhood education,
schools, tertiary, apprenticeships
• Unemployment for youth – difficulty finding a job
• Drawn into crime and nuisance activity
• Mental health impacts
Which groups of children and young people
are being impacted most?
• New graduates, school leavers, those not in education,
employment or training especially Māori & Pacific young people.
8 Porirua City’s Recovery Plan
2. Our economy
What impacts are or could be experienced?
• Prolonged drop in revenue/cashflow and threat to
business viability
• Disrupted supply chains
• Pressure to move online
• Customer uncertainty and changes in demand
• Staff redundancies
• Less able to rely on immigration skill sets
• Additional costs to comply with Alert Level requirements
(3 S’s at Level 2)
• More staff working from home
• Commercial tenant/landlord relationships under pressure
Who is being impacted most?
• Hospitality
• Retail
• Accommodation
• Tourism
• Residential construction
9
Objectives Agreeing our recovery objectives for
Porirua enables us to consider where we
need to focus our initiatives to provide
What are we focused assistance and support.
on achieving? Our Recovery Plan is focused on making
Porirua a city where:
1 2 3
Businesses are Safe, healthy Non-
able adapt to and resilient governmental
change and communities organisations
we return to a have access (sports clubs
thriving local to support and community
economy. services, groups) are
education and supported
employment by their
opportunities, communities,
including our and can in turn
city’s young support the
people. community.
10 Porirua City’s Recovery Plan4 5 6
We understand Our diverse We deliver
the short and population is (or facilitate
potential long- connected, delivery of)
term impacts of and we build recovery
Covid-19. resilience initiatives to
and reduce minimise the
exposure to impacts of
the impacts of Covid-19.
Covid-19 in an
inclusive way.
11Progress against
the framework
What are our indicators
to measure our progress?
We’re going to track the city’s progress toward It is difficult to pinpoint when recovery will be
recovery using a kete of measures. We will also complete and what criteria will determine our future
review the framework every three months, to ensure normal. Our approach is to use evidence to monitor
it is a living document and remains focused on things and assess our situation, with our partners and
that can make a difference for Porirua’s people, stakeholders.
communities and businesses. This will be available
and updated on our website, on a dedicated When there is general agreement that Porirua has
recovery page. Further information and links to this achieved a satisfactory recovery, we expect that
will be shared widely across our communication residual projects will be integrated with business as
platforms. usual activities or streams of work closed down if
there is no longer a need for that support.
Other things that might trigger us to review the
plan include: If a second wave of the pandemic looks like it’s going
to occur, Porirua needs to be well prepared from
• Significant increases in Covid-19 cases and
both a welfare and economic perspective, taking
changes to alert levels, as we have recently
lessons learnt from the first wave.
experienced
• Opportunities to align with the Regional The kete of measures that we will look to record and
Recovery Plan assess are outlined below. Not all of the measures
• Significant changes in Council’s levels of service are in direct Council, Ngāti Toa or stakeholders’
• If Council/Government partnerships or control, but together they provide some indication
expectations or legislation change significantly of progress against our objectives. We will report
our progress quarterly on the Porirua City Council
• If there is another type of shock during the
website. Some measures will demonstrate
recovery period (eg large earthquake).
improvements early on and others will take a longer
time to achieve (eg reducing unemployment).
12 Porirua City’s Recovery PlanObjective Kete of Measures & Trends
1. Our economy • Porirua GDP growth is positive
Porirua’s economy • The number of pedestrians (foot traffic) in business areas is the same or above levels at
and local March 2020
businesses adapt • The number of residential and non-residential building consents is the same or above levels
to change, and we at March 2020
return to a thriving
• The value of electronic card transactions is the same or above levels at the same time
local economy
last year
• The number of vacant business and commercial properties is the same or above levels at
March 2020
• Number of local business engagement initiatives co-ordinated by Council focused on
recovery, and the reach of these initiatives
• The number of people on the unemployment benefit is below 5%
• The number on Jobseeker support is the same or below levels at March 2020
2. Our Communities General community
Porirua has • The number of Covid-19 cases in Porirua (active, recovered, deaths, cases in hospital,
safe, healthy community transmission) is zero
and resilient • The median number of wait days for elective surgery is the same or above levels at
communities March 2020
• The number of emergency department visits per month is the same or below levels at
March 2020
• The number of emergency food parcels delivered related to Covid-19 is zero
• The number of people on the unemployment benefit is below 5%
• The number of people on the accommodation supplement benefit is the same or below
levels at March 2020
• The number attending Council community facilities (Arena, pool, museum, library) is the
same or above levels at the same time last year
Children and Young People
• Wellbeing indicators in the annual Porirua City Children and Young People Status Report
https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/city-planning-and-reporting/our-strategic-priorities/
children-and-young-people/
Community organisations
• The number of operative sports clubs and groups is the same or above levels at March 2020
• The number of local community organisations, including schools and sports clubs, that
receive COVID19 related Government funding
• The number of community organisation engagement initiatives co-ordinated by Council
focused on recovery, and the reach
Some aspects of our Recovery Plan will also provide Strategy). Where there are opportunities, through
context (and vice versa) for other Council plans and implementation of recovery initiatives to minimise
strategies as the impacts of Covid-19 unfold (eg the the impacts of climate change, this will also be
Annual Plan, Long-term Plan and Porirua Growth encouraged.
13Recovery Initiatives
What actions are we taking
to help Porirua recover?
What has Council done so far?
Initiative Description Funding
Emergency Provide immediate response for welfare and other forms of Existing budgets & cost
Operations assistance particularly during Alert Levels 4 and 3 including: recovery from National
Centre (EOC) Emergency Management
welfare response • Providing the Awhina helpline for food deliveries and
Centre where appropriate
emergency accommodation (Porirua received 55% of the
welfare requests for the region)
• Onsite support from local Regional Public Health liaisons
(CCDHB) to support people with additional, complex and
ongoing needs and help connect them with appropriate
support
• Providing public information through web, radio, social media
• Maintaining essential services such as three waters, waste
collection, transport
• Making the Arena available for welfare or hospital needs
• Putting in place partnerships with Salvation Army, St Anne’s
Pantry and CAB to deliver food, services and welfare checks.
Commercial Commercial ratepayers can defer paying all or a proportion of Existing budget
rates deferral their 2020/21 commercial property rates and then pay them
back over the following three years. Council felt this would make
it easier for landlords to be lenient on commercial tenants.
Rates hardship Residents facing financial hardship will be given up to six Up to $40k reallocated
scheme months more to pay their rates. They can arrange a payment budget
plan and a penalty for late payment will not be charged.
Rates review Council decided to keep rates at 4.98% and to increase Increased borrowing to
borrowing to cover the gap. cover operational shortfall
14 Porirua City’s Recovery PlanInitiative Description Funding
Love Local Encourage residents to love local business and spend locally as Existing budget
Campaign we move to Covid-19 Alert Level 3 and beyond.
Rent relief Council provided a rental holiday for its property tenants which $140-200k lost revenue
to tenants included leased carparks. in 2020 funded through
reallocated budget
Emergency Council facilitated and co-ordinated a workshop with 20 local
Welfare Hui community organisations to discuss emerging issues and discuss
a plan for changing alert levels.
Porirua Youth Co-ordination of youth-facing organisations, who meet every six Existing budget
Wellbeing weeks, to reduce sector fragmentation, share information and
Network discuss emerging trends.
Status Report Council adopted the Status Report Trends in the Wellbeing Existing budget
Trends in the of Children and Young People 2020 in August. This contains
Wellbeing of pre-pandemic data that will be used as a baseline to compare
Children and impacts of Covid-19 in years to come.
Young People
2020
Funding for Council facilitated reimbursement of Covid-19 related claims to Cost recovery from
local agencies local service providers. National Emergency
Management Centre
Pacific Council facilitated a workshop with the Porirua Pacific Service Existing budget
engagement Network to discuss Covid-19 impacts and recovery. Part two of
the workshop will be hosted in October. It also provided funding
support for key groups.
15What will Council do with partners?
Initiative Description Funding Delivery
Partner(s)
Our economy - Support for businesses
Business A help centre for local businesses linking them to grants, Existing budget Ngāti Toa,
Information and education programmes, advice and information. WellingtonNZ
Support Hub
Workforce Establish a Workforce Forum with business, education, Existing budget Ngāti Toa,
Forum NGO and Government partners to support collaboration WellingtonNZ,
and the delivery of the Porirua Employment and Partners
Skills Plan. Porirua,
Chamber of
Commerce,
MSD, MoE,
Whitireia, key
businesses
City promotions A series of campaigns and promotions to promote sport $50k reallocated
and recreation, activate the economy, attract business budget
and visitors and promote health and safety messages.
Shovel ready The Council has applied for Government funding to TBD pending Crown
projects bring forward the building of infrastructure to boost local Government Infrastructure
employment opportunities. decisions on Partners
stimulus projects
Discounting To assist the hospitality sector, Council is to consider $8.5k lost revenue
alcohol license discounting Alcohol License Fees by three months. funded from
fees existing budget
Job creation - To reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and $50k reallocated Ngāti Toa,
waste diversion grow jobs we are investigating a waste diversion facility budget Kāinga Ora,
with Kāinga Ora which will deconstruct houses from the Whitireia, MfE,
Eastern Porirua regeneration and sell the recycled timber MSD
and stock.
Job creation We can improve the quality of the harbour by riparian $50k reallocated Ngāti Toa, MfE,
- riparian planting all of the streams and catchments in Porirua budget DOC, MSD,
planting over 20 years. We are developing a business case where GWRC, WCC,
jobs can be created using governments subsidised work MBIE, rural
scheme. land owners
16 Porirua City’s Recovery PlanInitiative Description Funding Delivery
Partner(s)
Our communities - Support city wide
Events Events, recreation and sports will be an important part Existing budget
programme of Porirua’s wellbeing and economic recovery.
We are developing a “getting back to normal” summer
events and recreation programme.
Free access to As part of our summer events and recreation Up to $100k lost
pools programme, we will include free pool access to residents revenue would
for one month during the Christmas/New Year holiday need to be funded
period. from existing
budget
Collaboration To ensure oversight of emerging health and wellbeing Existing budget RPH, CCDHB,
with Regional trends, Council will continue to build on its partnership local councils
Public Health with RPH and regularly attend and feed into regional
and local cross-agency Psycho-Social co-ordination hui led by
agencies CCDHB.
Emergency Even though the civil defence emergency status has Existing budget
welfare been lifted, all councils will have an ongoing role
supporting Government agencies with emergency
response activities. These activities are monitoring future
Covid-19 outbreaks, supporting local accommodation,
food and welfare needs, and reporting to regional and
national agencies.
Support for children and young people
Skills hub Council is sponsoring a skills and employment hub Existing budget Ngāti Toa,
project being led by Kāinga Ora, which will link Kāinga Ora,
employment opportunities out of the Eastern Porirua MBIE
regeneration with local job seekers in infrastructure and
construction and other opportunities.
Education/ As a result of Budget 2020 and the scale of investment TBD Ngāti Toa
employment into tertiary education and vocational programmes, we
pathways are expecting Council to have a role in developing and
supporting pathway programmes from education into
internships and employment.
Graduate Develop a graduate programme for young people in the Existing budget
consenting consenting team of Council.
programme
Access to Work with YouthQuake to produce a directory of youth Existing budget YouthQuake,
information and services that is accessible to young people and designed CCDHB
support to help in a way that is useful and relevant to them.
grow capacity in
youth sector
17Initiative Description Funding Delivery
Partner(s)
- Support for local community groups and agencies
- Ongoing co-ordination and collaboration
- Building capacity
Cross-Agency Establish a collaborative cross-agency task group to Existing budget Local
task group to address emerging issues around housing, food security community
address key and financial literacy. (Council has already been working organisations,
emerging issues with local police to strengthen perceptions of safety central
within key areas of the city.) Government
agencies
Social Sector Maintain close relationships during the recovery Existing budget Ngāti Toa, local
Chief Executive to ensure we know what their changing needs are, community
Forum including regular forums and information sharing at organisations,
executive level. central
Government
agencies
Improve access Co-ordinate a skills and knowledge-sharing group to Existing budget Central
to grants enable organisations and groups to apply for external Government
and funding funding and grants for Covid-19 recovery initiatives. agencies and
processes local funding
partners
Fees relief Provide fees relief to up to 70 different parks and $190k lost revenue
for parks and recreation groups (incl. Scouts and sports clubs) funded through
recreation financially affected by the lockdown. reallocations
groups
Access to Act as a ‘one source of information’ for Covid-19 issues, Existing budget Central
information and through the Council website, hardcopy information, and Government
support to help regular email updates to key groups. agencies and
grow capacity in local partners
local community Create a local directory of key agencies.
groups Establish key contacts for community groups within
the City Partnerships team – incorporating BAU and
emergency response into long-term outcomes.
The funding of our recovery initiatives involves a through reallocating budgets. Funding is currently
mix of reprioritising existing resources and new unknown for the education/pathways project and
budget. The vast majority of initiatives are funded for shovel-ready projects.
from within existing budgets and some are funded
18 Porirua City’s Recovery PlanIf you have an idea that can help to
contribute to Porirua’s recovery, please
contact the council’s City Partnership
team at recovery@poriruacity.govt.nz
19Published September 2020 Porirua City Council 16 Cobham Court PO Box 50218 Porirua 5240 poriruacity.govt.nz
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