Ōpōtiki to start spending Better Off Funding
Ōpōtiki District Council’s application for central government’s Better Off Funding was approved earlier this month [subs 2 February 2023]. Initial funding is now available and will be used to fund a wide range of community projects over the next five or so years.
Ōpōtiki Mayor, David Moore, said that councillors had discussed the funding at length over recent months and had settled on a list of projects that met Department of Internal Affairs criteria and would yield the most benefit across the Ōpōtiki community.
“The funding is part of the support package from central government to help our communities through the transition to the new water entities. It is available to support community wellbeing, with a focus on climate change and resilience, housing infrastructure and community facilities.
“Ōpōtiki was allocated $4.68m of this funding based on a fairly complicated formula that takes into account population, relative deprivation and land area.
“We needed to find projects that were largely ready to go and already had community backing – that is, they had already gone through a long term plan process, or were part of an existing plan. In practice, that means many of our projects are an extension to something we have always wanted to do, or we have been able to bring the project forward and not fund it through debt.
“We have discussed this list a lot for almost a year, so it is exciting to finally start seeing some action,” Mayor Moore said.
The Department of Internal Affairs has agreed to council’s project list and approved the first ten percent of the funding to be drawn down. This first portion of the funding will be used across several of the different projects.
Ends
Candidate Project | Project Type | Estimate | Better Off Value | Comments | Consultation |
Community Facilities Plan and Implementation | New | TBD | $1,420,000 | Deliver needs assessment, strategic plan, feasibility assessment and part implementation | Activity within the current LTP (pg73) |
Harbour Masterplan | Brought forward | $5,000,000 | $1,000,000 | Deliver components of the Masterplan | Activity within the current LTP (pg75). Masterplan consultation |
Earthquake Strengthening Council Buildings | Expanded Scope | $340,000 | $240,000 | Strengthening and code compliance where required | Activity within the current LTP (pg75) |
Ōpōtiki RRC | Expanded Scope | $360,000 | $150,000 | Improved waste management practices – 2nd weighbridge | Waste Minimisation Plan 2018 |
Mobile Services Van | Expanded Scope | $200,000 | $50,000 | Purchase and fitout mobile services van | Activity within the current LTP (pg75) |
New Playground | Brought forward | $400,000 | $250,000 | New Playground | January 2022 Council meeting |
Enhanced Council Facilities | Expanded Scope | $50,000 | $50,000 | Priority maintenance works over and above BAU | Existing operational activity related to LOS. Pg 74 LTP |
Wellbeing Initiatives | Expanded scope | $300,000 | $300,000 | Allocation of funding to each ward for wellbeing initiatives using the CCB model. | Council website. Community grants - coastal initiatives fund |
Active Community Walking | Expanded Scope | $550,000 | $550,000 | Numerous gaps in the network. Cover Coast and Ōpōtiki township. | Activity within the current LTP (pg114) & AMP |
Camper Dump Sites | New | $20,000 | $20,000 | Investigate and design camper disposal sites for Ōpōtiki and Te Kaha | Reserve Management Plan |
Waihau Bay Masterplan | New | $200,000 | $200,000 | Delivery of elements of the finalised masterplan. | November 2021 Council meeting. Consultation with key stakeholders completed and Masterplan scheduled for Dec 2022 |
Pathways To Work | Expanded Scope | $650,000 | $450,000 | Cover reduction in funding. | 20/20 Vision Economic Development Strategy |
