agenda of ordinary te puna kōrero - 2 july 2020 › documents › 3810 › report... ·...

ORDINARY TE PUNA KŌRERO MEETING AGENDA 2 JULY 2020

Item 6.1 Page 9

6 REPORTS

6.1 SIGNS BYLAW 2020 - HEARING AND DELIBERATIONS

Author: Sui Moe, Policy Advisor Kaitohutohu Kaupapahere

Authoriser: Nicola Etheridge, General Manager Policy Planning and Regulatory Services Pouwhakahaere

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to:

• Provide Te Puna Kōrero Committee with background information to support hearings held on 2 July for the Signs Bylaw, and

• Present the Committee with a summary of the written submissions for deliberation arising from consultation, and

• Seek the Committee’s agreement to recommend to Council the adoption of the proposed Signs Bylaw 2020.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That Te Puna Kōrero:

1. Receive the report.

2. Receive and consider the written and oral submission on the proposed Signs Bylaw.

3. Agree to recommend that the Council adopt the proposed Signs Bylaw and that once the proposed District Plan becomes operative that the Signs Bylaw be revoked, and that signs then be controlled under the District Plan.

Reports contain recommendations only. Refer to the meeting minutes for the final decision.

BACKGROUND

Consultation and Hearings

1. In 1991 Council adopted a consolidated bylaw known as the Porirua City Council General Bylaw 1991 (General Bylaw). Parts of the General Bylaw have become outdated and irrelevant or are better managed through other means such as the District Plan. The General Bylaw is being reviewed part by part and replaced with stand-alone bylaws; Part 15 – Signs is a case in point. The proposed bylaw will be known as the Signs Bylaw 2020 and provides an enforceable means of managing and regulating signage activity in Porirua. (Attachment 1)

2. On 5 March 2020, Council agreed to formally consult on the Signs Bylaw 2020 using the required Special Consultative Procedure set out in sections 83 and 86 of the Local Government Act 2002.

3. The initial consultation period was from 9 March to 5 April 2020. However, because of the Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown, consultation on the bylaw was placed on hold and only resumed when the Covid-19 alert level dropped to level 2. Consultation was then restarted for a further 2 weeks, from 25 May to 7 June 2020.1

1Porirua City Council Website – Consultation on Signs Bylaw restarted: https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/getting-involved/public-consultation/porirua-city-council-general-bylaw-1991-part-15-signs/


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4. The Statement of Proposal and draft bylaw were made available online, at the Council’s Administration Building and all Council libraries. (Attachment 2)

5. Throughout the consultation periods of 9 March to 5 April 2020 and 25 May to 7 June 2020, we received a total of two submissions, with one submitter requesting to speak. (Attachment 3).

6. At the hearing the oral speaker will have 10 minutes to present their views and can choose how best to use their time. For example, a submitter might use five minutes for speaking and five minutes for questions from elected members, or 10 minutes to present and no questions. Supporting documents can be tabled during hearings.

7. Elected members can ask questions of submitters for clarification or to encourage them to expand on particular submission points. During the hearing there will be no discussion of the issues by elected representatives or officers or deliberations on the consultation material.

8. Deliberation on the Signs Bylaw will take place immediately after the hearing.

9. The decisions made by Te Puna Kōrero Committee will be recommended to the Council at its meeting of 15 July. The Signs Bylaw must be reviewed and adopted by 30 June 2021 as amended by Schedule 15 of the Covid-19 Response (Further Management Measure) Legislation Act 2020.

10. The purpose and scope of the bylaw can be found in the March 5 Te Puna Kōrero Committee paper.

DISCUSSION AND OPTIONS

Options

11. Two options were consulted on. Option 1 was to remain with the status quo and have the management of signs continue under three different mechanisms the Signs Bylaw, the District Plan and the Reserves Management Plan. Having the control of signs under the bylaw would mean adopting a new stand-alone Signs Bylaw.

12. Option 2 involves adopting the proposed Signs Bylaw as a stand-alone bylaw until such time as the proposed District Plan becomes operational (which could be at least 2 years away). This option will allow officers to manage signs more efficiently in private and public places, on roads and intersections and enable us to be consistent in dealing with public queries about signage.

Recommended Option

13. Our advice is adopt option 2, as this would allow officers to ensure consistency and efficiency and better regulate the use of signage so that it is safe, doesn’t cause a nuisance, and is in keeping with visual standards for the city.

Responses Received

14. A total of two submissions were received on the Signs Bylaw. One from Graeme Ebbett on behalf of the Titahi Bay Residents Association Inc and the other from Sala Nimorota. The written submissions are included in this report (see Attachment 3).

Submissions Analysis

15. Below is a summary of the submission themes followed by officer analysis and response.

Support for Option 1

16. Both submitters supported option 1 in the Statement of Proposal which is to continue with the status quo and have the management of signs under three different mechanisms, the Signs Bylaw, the District Plan and the Reserves Management Plan.


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Support for a new stand-alone Signs Bylaw

17. Both submitters also support the control of signs through a new stand-alone updated Signs Bylaw. In addition, the Titahi Bay Residents Association submits that having a stand-alone, updated bylaw would be “specific and within scope” to deal with its objections rather than the operative District Plan.

Objections

18. In its submission the Titahi Bay Residents Association objects to any changes to the bylaw that would allow Council officer discretion in the enforcement of rules governing election signs. The submission states that this is to ensure that officers are completely removed from any possibility of influence on the election resulting from administrative disfunction, interference, or corruption.

19. The Titahi Bay Residents Association also oppose any changes that would remove controls over election signs on private property, officer discretion overriding definitive rules, and any ambiguity in the wording of the bylaw that may be open to officer interpretation.

Suggested Amendments to the Proposed Signs Bylaw

20. The Titahi Bay Residents Association also suggest amendments to the proposed bylaw, most of which relate to election signage. The suggested amendments include:

• Signs should not be placed within 50 metres from any road or street intersection and they must be placed at a greater distance if visibility for pedestrians or drivers is obscured and relocation is deemed necessary by a Police traffic officer rather than a Council authorised officer.

• That exemptions from bylaw requirements via a Council permit should not apply to election signs.

• The removal of the sign restriction of 3 metres squared from the definition of election sign but reference to it should be made in clause 12.4 of the bylaw – that any election signage displayed in a public place must not be more than 3 metres squared in size.

• That the bylaw should apply to signs on public or private property.

Analysis and Officer Response

21. In the matter of whether only a “Police traffic officer” should have discretion as to whether signs cause an obstruction of visibility for pedestrians or drivers, we note that under land transport legislation, for example the Land Transport Act 1998, the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 and the Traffic Control Devices rule, the Police and authorised officers delegated by a Road Controlling Authority (which includes a local authority), are legally allowed to remove or relocate non-compliant or unsafe signage. In the case of our authorised officers, they exercise this power and use discretion in the interest of road safety and the efficient use of a road.

22. Furthermore, the Titahi Bay Residents Association submits that exemptions from bylaw requirements through a Council permit should not apply to election signs. However, to do this will mean that the bylaw’s permitting process will be rendered ‘not fit for purpose’ because the permitting process applies to all signs not just to a particular type of signage. In addition, the permitting process in the bylaw allows Council officers to place conditions on an exemption, and a permit will only be approved if Council is satisfied that it will not significantly diminish the purpose of the bylaw.

It is important to note that when we review a bylaw, we are required to ensure that the bylaw is fit for purpose, is consistent with the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990 and rights such as the right to freedom of expression, that it does not affect iwi customary rights and is only used where regulatory intervention can be justified. The bylaw is not an instrument for the enablement of “administrative disfunction, interference, or corruption”.


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23. In terms of the specific 3 metres squared size for election signs, this is set by the Electoral Act 1993 and the Electoral (Advertisements of a Specified Kind) Regulations 20052. The inclusion of this size in our bylaw is to ensure that the bylaw aligns with electoral and land transport legislation for roadside safety. In any event, we do not envisage any problems with having this size requirement in both the definition of election sign and clause 12.4 of the bylaw.

24. Also, one of the main purposes of the Signs Bylaw is ensuring that the erection of signs does not affect traffic or road safety. Therefore, the distance rule of 50m from an intersection applies to all signs on public and private property. This rule is also reflected in the Proposed District Plan.

25. In respect to the submitters support for option 1 and the continuation of the management of signs under a stand-alone Signs Bylaw, our response is that we will continue to have a stand-alone bylaw for at least 2 – 3 years as this is how long it is anticipated the Proposed District Plan will take to become operative.

26. Lastly, we would like to thank both submitters for their feedback on our proposed Signs Bylaw.

Conclusion

27. This report recommends the Committee agree to recommend to Council option 2. That is, adopt a new stand-alone Signs Bylaw, and once the Proposed District Plan becomes operative, the Signs Bylaw be revoked and that signs will then be controlled under the District Plan. This option will allow us to better manage signs in private and public places, on roads and intersections and allows us to be consistent and efficient in dealing with public queries about signage.

28. We also recommend that overall, the suggested amendments to the Signs Bylaw by the Titahi Bay Residents Association be rejected. Most of the suggested amendments are either already covered by the bylaw or we have a legal authority to regulate and control signage under other relevant transport legislation and rules. However, as discussed in paragraph 23, we do not envisage any problems with having the 3 metres squared size requirement referenced in both the definition of election sign as well as clause 12.4 of the Signs Bylaw.

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2The Electoral (Advertisements of a Specified Kind) Regulations 2005 applies: to election signs displayed in a public place or on private property that do not exceed 3m2 but are more than 1.5m2 in size. The Traffic Control Devices Manual Part 3 Advertising Signs


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SUPPORTING INFORMATION

CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC DIRECTION

The issues in this paper contribute to the strategic priorities of:

• A growing, prosperous and regionally connected city; and

• A great village and city experience. By regulating and managing signage activity in Porirua City to ensure traffic, road and pedestrian safety, to minimise nuisance and obstructions, and ensure that the visual amenity of Porirua City is not negatively impacted.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Cost

This is a budgeted cost as part of business as usual.

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

155 Determination whether bylaw made under this Act is appropriate

(1) A local authority must, before commencing the process for making a bylaw, determine whether a bylaw is the most appropriate way of addressing the perceived problem.

(2) If a local authority has determined that a bylaw is the most appropriate way of addressing the perceived problem, it must, before making the bylaw, determine whether the proposed bylaw—

(a)is the most appropriate form of bylaw; and

(b)gives rise to any implications under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

(3) No bylaw may be made which is inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, notwithstanding section 4 of that Act.

Signs rules are in accordance with:

• the Land Transport Act 1998,

• Land Transport Rule Traffic Control Devices 2004,

• Electoral Act 1993.

FOUR WELL-BEINGS

The Signs Bylaw contributes to all four well-beings of social, economic, environment and cultural by regulating and managing signage activity in Porirua City to ensure traffic, road and pedestrian safety, to minimise nuisance and obstructions, and ensure that the visual amenity of Porirua City is not negatively impacted.

TREATY CONSIDERATIONS

Ngāti Toa Runanga will be notified about the bylaw review and invited to contribute pre-consultation, or to the public consultation.

There are no Treaty implications identified in relation to the issues in this report. The Signs Bylaw 2020 does not affect iwi customary rights. The Council is committed to protecting fundamental rights and freedoms such as the right to freedom of expression.


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SIGNIFICANCE

The issues in this report involve the following aspects of the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy: Council’s strategic direction; community interest, and affected individuals and groups.

ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

We have engaged internal council groups e.g. Monitoring and Compliance, Planning Team (District Plan), Resource Consents team, City Growth (including Events team), Transport and Parks & Reserves. We have already engaged with a number of real estate agents on our signs bylaw as they have a high interest in the Signs Bylaw.

PROPOSED NEXT STEPS

Seek agreement of Council to adopt the Signs Bylaw until the Proposed District Plan signs rules become operative.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Proposed Signs Bylaw ⇩

2. Statement of Proposal - Signs Bylaw ⇩ 3. Submissions ⇩

ORDINARY TE PUNA KŌRERO ATTACHMENTS 2 JULY 2020

Item 6.1 - Attachment 1 Page 15

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SIGNS BYLAW 2020

PART 1 INTRODUCTION

1. TITLE This bylaw is the Porirua City Council Signs Bylaw 2020.

2. COMMENCEMENT

This bylaw comes into force on 15 July 2020 3. PURPOSE 3.1 The purpose of this Bylaw is to ensure that any signs on any public place are erected and

maintained in such a manner that they do not present a hazard or danger to the public, enhances visual amenity and regulates the type and location of advertising signs on parks and reserves or other public places.

4. DEFINITIONS 4.1 For the purposes of this bylaw the following definitions shall apply unless the context otherwise

requires:

Act means the Local Government Act 2002.

Approval means Council permission to carry out an activity. May require a permit and may be subject to conditions.

Authorised Officer means an officer or person authorised in writing by the Chief Executive and holding a valid warrant to undertake and enforce the provisions of this bylaw.

Berm and Grass verge means any grassed area on a road separated from the roadway by channelling or kerbing but does not include a grassed area immediately adjoining the roadway.

Bylaw means the Porirua City Council Signs Bylaw 2020.

Community Organisation means any local group, church, sports club, social club, marae committee, environmental groups, school and charitable trusts or similar group.

Community Sign means any temporary sign displayed for the purposes of promoting any forthcoming event, community organisation and providing community information.

Chief Executive means the person employed by Council as the Chief Executive of the Council for the time being.

Council means the Porirua City Council or any person delegated or authorised to act on its behalf.

Directional Real Estate Sign means signage providing direction to a building or land that is available to the public for inspection for the purpose of sale, lease or auction.

District Plan means the operative Porirua City District Plan.

Election Sign means a temporary sign not more than three metres squared in size that promotes the election of a candidate or party for local or central government in accordance with the Electoral Act 1993 and the Electoral (Advertisement of a specified Kind) Regulations 2005. Encroachment means any public place where a person other than Council is using or occupying an area for private benefit (exclusive or otherwise).

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Event means an organised temporary activity that brings people together for the primary purpose of participating in a community, cultural, commemorative, recreational, sport, art, educational, or entertainment experience and includes an organised gathering, outdoor market, political meeting, parade, protest, festival, filming, concert, celebration, or sporting event of a significant scale.

Fingerboard means a sign that directs users to public amenities and facilities of a general interest. Not for advertising a business or commercial enterprise.

Free Standing Signage means a self-supporting sign that is fixed on or into the ground and that is not attached to a wall, building, fence, structure or street furniture and which does not exceed four (4) metres in height. Excludes a sandwich board or flag. Without limiting this definition, an illustrative free standing sign is shown in Schedule 2 of this bylaw.

Flag means a portable sign intended for the purposes of advertising or to attract attention which is made from fabric, textile or cloth, such as a teardrop flag or flag banner.

Footpath means a path or way principally designed for, and used by, pedestrians; and includes a footbridge.

Good Condition means a sign that is in such condition that it does not become unsafe or detract from the visual amenity of the area. The sign must be structurally sound and not create a risk to public health or safety.

Ground Level means the actual surface level of the finished ground immediately below a sign. Intersection has the meaning set out in 1.6 Interpretation, Part 1 (Preliminary Provisions) of the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004: (a) in relation to 2 or more intersecting or meeting roadways, means that area contained within

the prolongation or connection of the lateral boundary lines of each roadway; but (b) if 2 roadways are separated only by a traffic island or by a median less than 10 m wide, the

roadways must be regarded as 1 roadway. Example:

Land means any separately owned or occupied portion of land but does not include any public place. Month means calendar month. Name Sign means a sign the sole purpose of which is to indicate the name of the business carried out on land or premises and which does

not contain any proprietary advertising. Non-compliant Signage means a sign that does not meet the requirements of this bylaw.

Official Sign means signage provided or approved by the Council that gives information or direction to the public and includes the following:

a. education and public awareness and safety signage; b. signage relating to a place of historic or environmental significance; c. public transport signage; d. signage required by legislation; e. signage that provides safety or security information.

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Permit means a written approval from Council with or without prescribed conditions and charges (and includes resource and building consents).

Person includes an individual, a corporation, a body corporate, and an unincorporated body.

Property means any parcel of land and/or building capable of being transferred, sold, rented, leased, or otherwise disposed of separately from any other parcel of land and/or building(s).

Portable Signage means any temporary sign that can be readily moved and includes a sandwich board, flag, banner, placard, screen frame and any similar device.

Public Place means any place that, at any material time, is owned, managed, maintained or controlled by the council or a council-controlled organisation and is open to or is being used by the public, whether free or on payment of a charge.

Real Estate Sign means publicly visible signage that is advertising for sale, lease, rent or auction the whole or part of land or premises.

Reserve means any land which is vested in or under the control of the Council and which is set aside for public enjoyment as a reserve, park, garden or greenspace area.

Reserves Management Plan means the Porirua City Council plan to administer land it manages under the Reserves Act 1977.

Road has the meaning assigned to that term under section 2(1) of the Land Transport Act 1998 and its amendments.

Road Frontage means the extent of a property boundary adjoining a road.

Road Reserve has the meaning assigned to it by the Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices.

Roadside Advertising has the meaning assigned to it by the Traffic Control Manual Part 3 Advertising. It includes advertising that is located within the road boundaries, located on private property near a road, permanent or fixed in nature, temporary or movable in nature, vehicle-mounted advertising or other advertising on vehicles.

Sandwich Board means a two-sided sign that is self-supporting, portable and temporary.

Sign and Signage means an advertisement, message or notice conveyed using any visual medium, which advertises a product, business, service, or event or acts to inform or warn any person, and includes: murals, banners, flags, posters, balloons, blimps, sandwich boards, projections of lights or electronic display boards, placards, hoardings or other similar devices (including parked vehicles or trailers where such vehicle or trailer is parked specifically for the purpose of advertising).

Sky Sign means a business sign erected above or placed on a building's roof. Without limiting this definition, an illustrative sky sign is shown in Schedule 2 of this bylaw.

Street furniture means any structure installed by or with the approval of the Council in a public place and includes lampposts, poles, public art, rubbish bins, containers for plants or flowers, mailboxes, seating, parking meters, public toilets and bus shelters.

Temporary Sign means any sign displayed on a public place for a period of no longer than 4 consecutive months in a 12 month period and includes: (a) a parliamentary or local authority election, or candidates for any such election; or (b) construction or development works on a building site or demolition site; or (c) an auction or the intention to sell or lease any land or premises; or

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(d) any exhibition or entertainment event. Total Face Area means the sum of the area of all exposed faces of any sign exclusive of its frame or support. Traffic Sign means a device erected by, or at the direction of, a road controlling authority used on a road for the purpose of traffic control; and includes any: (a) sign, signal, or notice; (b) traffic calming device; (c) marking or road surface treatment. Transom Sign means a business sign which protrudes perpendicular to the wall of any building. Without limiting this definition, an illustrative transom sign is shown in Schedule 2 of this bylaw. Under-Veranda Sign means a business sign which is attached to the underside of any veranda of a building. Without limiting this definition, an illustrative under-veranda sign is shown in Schedule 2 of this bylaw. Variable Message Sign (VMS) means a traffic sign that is electronic in which the message can be changed in form, shape, layout and colour. Not to be used for advertising a business or commercial enterprise.

Vehicle has the meaning assigned to that term under section 2(1) of the Land Transport Act 1998 and its amendments and includes a trailer.

Wayfinding sign means:

• Directional – signage that tells you which way to go. An example of this is a fingerpost sign that points an arrow in a certain direction

• Confirmational – signage that confirms that you are on the right path or have arrived somewhere, for example, a sign in an airport that says “Gate 20 – 5 minutes walk”.

• Informational – Signage such as flight information displays (FIDs) is another form of wayfinding signage in that they help to guide you through the provision of information.

Window Sign means any sign displayed in or painted, printed, written, carved, inscribed, endorsed or otherwise fixed to or upon, or projected onto or upon any window of any land or premises.

5. APPLICATION 5.1 This Bylaw is made under the Local Government Act 2002 and in conjunction with the New

Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Traffic Control Devices Manual. Relevant Acts that should be read in conjunction with this Bylaw include but are not limited to:

• The Local Government Act 2002;

• The Resource Management Act 1991

• Reserves Act 1977;

• Land Transport Act 1998 and the Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 Part 3 Advertising Signs;

• the Government Roading Powers Act 1989;

• the Electoral Act 1993; and includes

• any amendment to any Act, Rule or Regulation or any Act, Rule or Regulation passed in substitution for it.

5.2 This Bylaw applies to signs displayed on any public place, including, but not limited to signs on:

a. Council owned property; b. Footpaths; c. Public roads in the Porirua district

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Note: Before putting up signs you will need to check the District Plan and the Reserves Management Plan as there will be rules and conditions that will apply.

5.3 This Bylaw does not apply to:

a. Signs displayed on private property. The District Plan controls the size and standards relating to the amenity values of neighbouring properties and other requirements for signs displayed on or attached to private property, including sky signs, wall mounted signs, window signs and veranda signs;

b. Signs permitted under the District Plan and/or lawfully displayed pursuant to any resource consent;

c. Any Official Sign; d. Signage displayed in any Council reserve controlled through the Porirua City Council

Reserves Management Plan. https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/city-planning-and-reporting/reserves-management/reserves-management-plan-policies/

PART 2 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

6. REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SIGNS 6.1 No person shall display any sign on a public place unless that sign is a community sign, real

estate sign, portable sign, fingerboard or election sign and where those signs meet the requirements of this Bylaw.

6.2 A person may be exempt from the Bylaw requirements where Council approval has been granted by permit.

6.3 A person must not display any sign on any public place that advertises a business or commercial enterprise (excludes sandwich boards and flags).

6.4 A person must not display any signage on or connected to a vehicle that is parked on a road or a public place, if the principal function of the vehicle is to display advertising material. This does not apply to a real estate flag or banner displayed for an open home or onsite auction.

6.5 Any sign displayed on a public place must be in good condition. 6.6 All signage must comply with the Code of Ethics and any relevant Code of Practice issued by the

New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority. 6.7 A person must not display any publicly visible signage that is:

a) discriminatory or advocates discrimination based on one or more of the prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act 1993;

b) objectionable within the meaning of the Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act 1993;

c) contravenes expected standards relating to the amenity values of neighbouring properties and other requirements for signs displayed on or attached to private property as per District Plan rules;

d) incites or counsels any person to commit any offence; e) is defamatory.

6.8 No advertising sign or device, whether temporary or permanent, should be located on or above

a footpath or berm closer than 500mm to the kerb face or the edge of the vehicle carriageway. 6.9 All signage must comply with the Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004.

https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/city-planning-and-reporting/reserves-management/reserves-management-plan-policies/

https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/city-planning-and-reporting/reserves-management/reserves-management-plan-policies/

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7. Construction and Maintenance 7.1 Every sign on a public place must in the opinion of the council or an authorised officer:

a) Be constructed in a good workmanlike manner; and b) At all times:

i) Be maintained in good repair; and ii) Be clearly legible; and iii) Be in a safe condition; and iv) Comply with the requirements of the Building Act 2004 (or any subsequent corresponding enactment), including withstanding wind and seismic loads; and v) Comply with any relevant provisions of the District Plan.

8. COMMUNITY SIGN REQUIREMENTS 8.1 Community signs are permitted for the purposes of promoting any forthcoming event,

community organisation and providing community information without advertising for other goods or services. Community signage must: a. be placed on the approved sites only (Schedule 1). Only one sign per site per event or

activity; b. be free standing and not attached to any tree, lamppost, fence, street furniture, building or

similar structure; c. Not exceed 3 metres in total height above ground level and not exceed a surface area of 6

square metres; d. not be erected more than four weeks prior to the event and must be removed no later than

three days after the event. e. be safe, robust and comply with New Zealand standards - NZS4203:1984, Part 4 – Wind

loads. f. be single faced i.e., one display face per sign. "V" and other multi-faced signs are prohibited. g. Signs exceeding the size and construction restrictions will require a building consent and

resource consent. In the case of a building consent, schedule 1, section 25 of the Building Act 2004 provides an exemption to building work in connection with a sign (whether free-standing or attached to a structure) if: (a) no face of the sign exceeds 6 square metres in surface area; and (b) the top of the sign does not exceed 3 metres in height above the supporting ground level.

8.2 Signs cannot be placed or displayed: a. Within 50 metres in or around an intersection on the Porirua City local road network (unless

inspection from an authorised officer deems that there is no obstruction or distraction with having the sign there).

b. On any State Highway. c. On any City park or reserve. d. On any footpath, berm or other public place in such a manner as to create a hazard or

danger to the public or obstruct pedestrians or vehicular traffic. 8.3 All community signs must comply with section 6.7 9 EVENTS 9.1 Event sponsors should not use more than 25% of the total sign face area for advertising. 9.2 This section must be read in conjunction with section 9 of the Public Places Bylaw 2018. 10 REAL ESTATE SIGNS 10.1 Real estate signs are permitted for the purpose of advertising for sale, lease, rent or auction

the whole or part of land or premises. Any real estate sign must: a. be displayed on the property to which it relates. b. be free standing or attached to the wall or fence of the property to which it relates. Not on

the berm in front of the property.

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c. be removed within 30 days of the ‘sold’ or ‘leased’ notification being placed on the sign. d. not exceed a height of two metres above ground level. e. not exceed a surface area of two square metres (e.g. up to 1.4 metres in height and 1.4

metres in width). f. not be placed in a manner so as to create a hazard or obstruction for members of the public.

g. Not have more than one (1) temporary sign on any land or premises (being a sign advertising that land or premises for sale, auction or lease) for each real estate agency involved in the sale, auction or leasing of that land or premises.

10.2 Where a property does not have direct road frontage real estate signage may be displayed as close as practical outside the property to which it relates.

10.3 Directional real estate signage is to be put out and removed on same day of the auction or open

home. 10.4 Real estate flags or banners may be displayed on a stationary vehicle during the time of an open

home or onsite auction, so long as neither the flag or banner nor any supporting structure protrudes from the side of the vehicle.

10.5 All real estate signs must comply with section 6.7.

11 PORTABLE SIGNS 11.1 A person may display one (1) portable sign on the footpath outside a business for the purpose

of advertising the services and products of that business. Portable signage must: a. be displayed up against the front of the business premises; b. be placed so as not to cause an obstruction for pedestrians and other road users; c. be removed from the footpath by the close business each day; d. must be secured in place by weighted base, wall bracket or similar device. A-frame sandwich

boards must be locked into position for safety reasons. 11.2 Where a sandwich board is used it must not exceed 0.9 metres in height and 0.6 metres in

width. 11.3 Where a flag is used it must not exceed 2.2 metres in height and 0.7 metres in width. 11.4 All portable signs must comply with section 6.7 12 ELECTION SIGNAGE 12.1 Election signage is regulated by the Electoral Act 1993 and Electoral (Advertisements of a Specified Kind) Regulations 2005. 12.2 The general requirements of this Bylaw apply to any election signage not regulated by the

Electoral Act 1993 and Electoral (Advertisements of a Specified Kind) Regulations 2005. 12.3 Election signage can only be displayed during the period beginning 9 weeks before polling day

and ending with the close of the day before polling day. 12.4 Any election signage displayed on a public place must be on the approved sites only (Schedule

1) and must be free standing (Schedule 2). Only one sign per candidate and/or party is permitted at each site.

12.5 Signs advertising a candidate standing for local election to a ward position may only be

displayed within the boundaries of that ward.

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12.6 Signs must not be placed 50 metres from any road or street intersection and must be placed at a greater distance if visibility for pedestrians or drivers is obscured unless inspection from an authorised officer deems that there is no obstruction or distraction with having the sign there.

12.7 All election signs must comply with the Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 Part 3

Advertising Signs. 12.8 All election signs must comply with section 6.7 13 FINGERBOARDS 13.1 Any fingerboard must meet the requirements set out in the NZTA Traffic Control Devices

Manual Part 2: Direction, service and general guide signs. 13.2 Fingerboards must not be used for the purpose of advertising a business or commercial

enterprise. 13.3 All fingerboard signs must comply with section 6.7. 14 SMOKEFREE SIGNAGE 14.1 Public places and spaces are smokefree in accordance with smokefree signs and the Smokefree

Outdoor Public Places Policy. 15 Electronic, Illuminated, Signs 15.1 No person shall erect or permit to be erected or maintained on any building or public place any

illuminated notices, coloured lights, signs, or signals fronting on, or adjacent to any road, intersection or any pedestrian crossing, which may be confused with the lights displayed for traffic control signals, whether for vehicles or pedestrians or both.

PART 3 COMPLIANCE 16 PERMITS 16.1 Permits are not required for signs that comply with section 8 and section 10 of this Bylaw.

However, all other signs are required to be permitted. 16.2 Permits are required where a person seeks an exemption to this Bylaw. A person may apply in

writing to the Council for an exemption to the requirements of this bylaw and the Council may approve the exemption with any conditions it considers appropriate. An application for an exemption permit will only be approved if the Council is satisfied that it will not significantly diminish the purpose of this bylaw.

17. ENCROACHMENTS 17.1 Any property owner may be authorised by the Council to occupy a public place controlled by

the Council (‘an encroachment’). The Council may issue an encroachment licence to the applicant in accordance with any relevant Council policy. Encroachment licences are subject to fees and charges.

17.2 Any subsequent encroacher must complete a new encroachment licence with the Council in

order to continue the occupation of the encroachment area.

Note: A permit may require approval from several different Council groups and may be subject to an encroachment licence.

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18 ENFORCEMENT 18.1 Where non-compliant signage is found, the Council may use its powers under the Local

Government Act 2002 to enforce this bylaw. 18.2 Enforcement includes the removal or alteration of non-compliant signage by an Authorised

Council Officer. 18.3 Costs incurred as a result of enforcement may be recovered from the person responsible for the non-compliant signage. 19 Fees and Charges

http://theintranet.poriruacity.govt.nz/InternalSI/CustomerServicesGuide/Pages/Building & consents/Building---general.asp

20 TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS 20.1 Any approval, consent, permit, exemption, permission or other form of approval made under

Part 15 (Signs) of the Porirua City Council General Bylaw 1991 continues in force but: a. expires on the date specified in that approval; or b. if no expiry date is specified, expires 12 months from commencement of this Bylaw; and c. may be renewed by application made and considered in accordance with this Bylaw.

20.2 Any signs approved under Part 15 (Signs) of the Porirua City Council General Bylaw 1991 are to

be removed at the expiry of any approval, consent, permit, exemption, permission or other form of approval if they are not compliant with this Bylaw.

20.3 Any signs without any record of approval, consent, permit, exemption, permission or other Form of approval made under Part 15 (Signs) of the Porirua City Council General Bylaw 1991 must be removed within 6 months of commencement of this Bylaw. 20.4 Any existing signs found not to be in good condition must be removed within three months of commencement of this Bylaw.

http://theintranet.poriruacity.govt.nz/InternalSI/CustomerServicesGuide/Pages/Building%20&%20consents/Building---general.asp

http://theintranet.poriruacity.govt.nz/InternalSI/CustomerServicesGuide/Pages/Building%20&%20consents/Building---general.asp

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SCHEDULE 1

APPROVED PUBLIC SIGN SITES

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SCHEDULE 2

Statement of Proposal

Proposed Signs Bylaw

2020

For consultation:

Monday 9 March – Sunday 5 April 2020.

We’d like to hear your thoughts on Signs in Porirua

Introduction We’re reviewing our General Bylaw 1991 Part 15 (Signs) and intend to replace it with a new

stand-alone bylaw. This document explains the proposed changes and how you can give us

feedback.

You can find a copy of the proposed Signs Bylaw 2020 on our website

www.poriruacity.govt.nz. Hard copies are also available from our reception at our Customer

Services Centre at 16 Cobham Court or from any of our libraries.

Background In 1991 Council adopted a consolidated bylaw known as the Porirua City Council General

Bylaw 1991 (General Bylaw). We realised over time that parts of the General Bylaw have

become outdated and irrelevant or are better managed through other means such as the

District Plan. The General Bylaw is being reviewed part by part and replaced with stand-

alone bylaws, Part 15 – Signs is a case in point. The proposed bylaw will be known as the

Signs Bylaw 2020 and provides an enforceable means of managing and regulating signage

activity in Porirua.

The Local Government Act 2002 (LGA 02) allows us to set controls on how signs are used

and displayed so that they do not impact on safety, don’t cause a nuisance and don’t have a

negative impact on the visual amenity of Porirua City. We can use our powers under the

LGA 02 to achieve this. Public Places includes Council owned property, roads, footpaths

and reserves and parks.

Council officers have reviewed Part 15 of the General Bylaw. The proposed bylaw will be

known as the Signs Bylaw 2020.

The new stand-alone bylaw for signs as outlined in this statement of proposal has been

changed to ensure that it:

• is up to date

• is easier to manage

• is customer focused

• is fit for purpose

• meets legal requirements

• follows best practice and

• aligns with current council policies, plans and strategies.

RATIONALE FOR THE PROPOSED SIGNS BYLAW 2020 Signs are a great way to provide information and promote activities and events to our

community. The Council supports such advertising where it does not compromise public

safety, amenity and the environment. The purpose of a Signs Bylaw is to protect the public,

our assets, and how Porirua City looks (visual amenity), while promoting Porirua as “a

growing, prosperous and regionally connected city”.1

When reviewing Part 15 of the General Bylaw it was decided that a bylaw would still be used

to manage signs. We are now proposing a new stand-alone Signs Bylaw 2020.

As part of the review process we also considered whether there are other ways to achieve

the same outcome. To that end, we considered the use of a combination of a Signs Bylaw

and the District Plan to manage signage in Porirua City. For example, until the proposed the

1 This is one of four strategic priorities for Council outlined in our Long Term Plan 2018-2038.

http://www.poriruacity.govt.nz/

http://www.poriruacity.govt.nz/

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District Plan signs rules become operative, that signs would be controlled through the new

stand-alone Signs Bylaw 2020.

PROPOSED CHANGES

The Signs Bylaw 2020 has been developed according to best practice guidelines. 2

The following table provides a broad summary of signage issues which we have identified

are best addressed through the bylaw. The changes enable the Council to regulate

behaviour and maintain an open for business city. The main changes are described below:

Change Reason

Part 15 has been removed from the

General Bylaw and made into a stand-

alone Signs Bylaw.

Separating the bylaw from a consolidated bylaw will

bring it into alignment with recently reviewed bylaws. It

will ensure the bylaw is customer focused, succinct and

easy to read.

New definitions have been added while

others have been reviewed or updated.

Some existing definitions have been updated and new

definitions have been added such as “Temporary Sign”

and “Roadside Advertising” to accommodate election

advertising located within road boundaries and located

on private property near a road or intersection.

We have also amended the definition of “free standing

signage” by reducing the height limit from 6m to 4m.

Updated and expanded provisions for

permits, encroachments and exemptions.

To provide greater clarity on activities requiring

permits/encroachments and clarity on exemptions.

The bylaw has been updated by adding signs as a

permitted activity in public places provided it complies

with bylaw requirements.

Clarity over rules and how the bylaw is

applied

There was some ambiguity in current rules, making it difficult to comply and enforce. Simple rules make compliance easier to achieve. For example:

• Clarity over the types of signs allowed on a public place

• Clarity over sign size

• Clarity over how long real estate signs can remain once a property is sold

• Clarity on where and how the bylaw is applied. This will allow for more effective management of signs

2 Traffic Control Devices Manual Part 3.

4

Added new provision for smokefree public

places and for signs.

We are expanding our Smokefree Outdoor Public Places policy to discourage smoking in public places.

The inclusion of signage is to ensure Council has

control over signage erected or placed in public places.

It is to be read in conjunction with the Sign Bylaw.

Transitional provisions. Enables existing permissions to continue where there

have been no issues. Avoiding unnecessary disruption

to our customers.

Have Your Say The Council would like to hear your views on the proposed Signs Bylaw 2020.

KEY DATES

When What

9 March 2020 Submissions open

5 April 2020 Submissions close.

All submissions are due to the Council by 5pm 5 April 2020.

23 April 2020 Hearing and Deliberations (where submitters present to the Te Puna

Kōrero Committee and the Te Puna Kōrero Committee deliberates and

agree to changes (if any)).

13 May 2020 Signs Bylaw 2020 adopted by Council

MAKING A SUBMISSION There are a few ways you can have your say:

• The easiest way to have your say is to submit through our submissions portal Consult24

Link on our website poriuracity.govt.nz.

• You can also download the Statement of Proposal (SOP) submission form.

• Email us at [email protected] with “Signs Bylaw 2020” in the subject line.

• Deliver it in person to our front counter in the Council Administration Building (16 Cobham

Court) or at any of our city libraries.

• By post to: Porirua City Council, PO Box 50 218, Porirua City 5240, Attention: “Signs

Bylaw 2020”.

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Please include your name and contact details and let us know if you would like to attend a

hearing to speak in support of your submission (so that we can allocate you a speaking

time).

The hearing will be held on 23 April 2020.

YOUR PRIVACY

All submissions are public information. This supports our drive to be as transparent as

possible, but, if there are any personal details you don’t want made public, please let us

know.

WANT TO KNOW MORE

If you have any questions, or would like a little more information, please email Sui Moe at

[email protected] or call on 04 2371412. Alternatively, you can email

[email protected] or write to Porirua City Council, PO Box 50218, Porirua,

5240.

http://daisy.pcc.local/otcsdav/nodes/5993153/mailto%3Asui.moe%40poriruacity.govt.nz

http://daisy.pcc.local/otcsdav/nodes/5993153/mailto%3Asui.moe%40poriruacity.govt.nz

mailto:[email protected]

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SUBMISSION FORM We’d love your feedback on the Signs Bylaw 2020 to assist Council in its decision-making

Privacy

All submissions are public information. This supports our drive to be as transparent as

possible, but, if there are any personal details you don’t want made public, please let us

know.

Your details

We’d like to know a little more about you

First name Last name

Organisation

Physical address

Suburb

Email

Age (please circle) 15 or under 16-25 26-35 36-50 51-65 66 or over

Ethnicity

Gender (please

circle) M F Non-binary Prefer not to say

Presenting your submission in person

Would you like to come and talk to the Council about your submission?

Yes No

If yes, please provide a phone number so we can get in touch (to allocate a speaking time

for you):

Your feedback

You can leave your feedback on the proposal here or complete the ‘your details’ section

above and attach your feedback.

Options

Two options are provided below for the review of the Signs Bylaw 2020. Having no bylaw is

not a viable option for Council and nor is allowing people to place signs, where, when and

how they choose.

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Questions about the Signs Bylaw 2020

1. Do you agree with option 1?

Option 1- Status Quo

Continue with the status quo and have the management of signs under three different

mechanisms: Signs Bylaw, District Plan and the Reserves Management Plan.

The control of signs under a bylaw will mean adopting the new, stand-alone, updated

Signs Bylaw 2020 with changes. For example, clarity over rules such as signage

size, type, and where and how the bylaw is applied.

Yes No Partially

Comments

2. Do you agree with option 2?

Option 2

That signs are controlled through a new stand-alone Signs Bylaw 2020 until the

proposed District Plan becomes operational (which could be at least two years

away).

This means that in the short term, all signs (except signs on Council reserves and

parks) would be managed under the proposed Signs Bylaw 2020. Then when the

proposed District Plan signs rules become operational, the Signs Bylaw will be

revoked.

This will allow us to easily manage signs in private and public places, on roads and intersections and lets us be consistent and efficient in dealing with public queries about signage.

This is the preferred option as it aims to manage and regulate the use of signage so that it’s safe, doesn’t cause a nuisance, and keeps Porirua looking good.

Yes No Partially

Comments

From: Titahi Bay Residents Assn <[email protected]>

Date: 5 April 2020

To: [email protected]

Subject: Signs Bylaw 2020

The Chief ExecutivePorirua City Council

Please acknowledge receipt of this submission.

Titahi Bay Residents Association Incorporated (TBRA)37 Terrace Rd, Titahi Bay, Porirua 5022.

Graeme Ebbett: Contact, [email protected], Ph 236 8574, Mob 021 499 736

We wish to appear before the committee to speak to our submission.Preferred time 1 pm onwards.

Attached:1. PDF copy of our submission2. In support, our submission currently before the Government Justice Committee Inquiry into the 2019

Local, Liquor Licensing and Energy Trust Elections.

Yours faithfully

Graeme EbbettChairmanTitahi Bay Residents Assn Incc/- 37 Terrace Rd, Titahi Bay, Porirua 5022.Ph 236 8574, Mob 021 499 736

****************************************

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Proposal to amend the Porirua City Council General Bylaw 1991 - Part 15 Signs

Submission

We object to any proposed changes which have the effect of allowing council-officer discretion to play any part in the enforcement of rules governing election signs.

This is to ensure that officers are completely removed from any possibility of influence on the election as a result of administrative disfunction/interference/corruption.

Foremost in our opposition is the:• Removal of controls over election signage on private property,• Addition of officer discretion overriding definitive rules,• Ambiguity in wording which may be open to officer interpretation.

Options, Signs Bylaw 2020

We support option 1

To continue with the status quo and have management of signs under the three different Signs Bylaw, District Plan and the Reserves Management Plan.

The control of signs under a new bylaw with amendments to satisfy our objection would be more specific within its scope than the Operative District Plan.It would be complimentary to the plan but not a replacement for the scope of it (at any stage of transition).

Amendments

(Some examples towards fulfilling our objection, strike out/underlines highlighted in red).

4. DEFINITIONS

Election Sign means a temporary sign not more than three metres squared in size that promotes

the election of a candidate or party for local or central government in accordance with the

Electoral Act 1993 and the Electoral (Advertisement of a specified Kind) Regulations 2005.

5. APPLICATION

5.3 This Bylaw does not apply to: a. Signs on private property.

6. REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SIGNS

6.2 A person may be exempt from the Bylaw requirements where Council approval has been granted

by permit. This does not apply to election signs.

12. ELECTION SIGNAGE

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12.4 Any election signage displayed on a public place must not be more than three metres squared in

size, be on the approved sites only (schedule 1) and must be free standing (schedule 2). Only

one sign per candidate and/or party is permitted at each site.

12.6 Signs on public or private property must not be placed within 50 metres from any road or street

intersection. and They must be placed at a greater distance if visibility for pedestrians or drivers is

obscured and relocation is deemed necessary by a Police traffic officer. unless inspection from an

authorised officer deems that there is no obstruction or distraction with having the sign there.

16 PERMITS

16.2 Permits are required where a person seeks an exemption to this Bylaw. A person may apply in

writing to the Council for an exemption to the requirements of this bylaw and the Council may

approve the exemption with any conditions it considers appropriate. An application for an

exemption permit will only be approved if the Council is satisfied that it will not significantly diminish

the purpose of this bylaw. This does not apply to election signage.

****************************************

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1

Sui Moe

From: Titahi Bay Residents Assn <[email protected]>Sent: Sunday, 5 April 2020 4:13 PMTo: SubmissionsSubject: [EXTERNAL] Signs Bylaw 2020Attachments: TBRA PCC signbylaw subm 4-20.pdf; Inquiry TBRA summiss cpy 2-20.pdf

The Chief Executive Porirua City Council Please acknowledge receipt of this submission. Titahi Bay Residents Association Incorporated (TBRA) 37 Terrace Rd, Titahi Bay, Porirua 5022. Graeme Ebbett: Contact, [email protected], Ph 236 8574, Mob 021 499 736 We wish to appear before the committee to speak to our submission. Preferred time 1 pm onwards. Attached: 1. PDF copy of our submission 2. In support, our submission currently before the Government Justice Committee Inquiry into the 2019 Local, Liquor Licensing and Energy Trust Elections. Yours faithfully Graeme Ebbett Chairman Titahi Bay Residents Assn Inc c/- 37 Terrace Rd, Titahi Bay, Porirua 5022. Ph 236 8574, Mob 021 499 736

Submission of Titahi Bay Residents Association Incorporated

Matters of the 2019 Local Election

1. Introduction

We were incorporated in 1995 and have approximately 50 members.One of our main aims is to encourage interest in local affairs in Titahi Bay and promote a greater level of control of local government in our community of Porirua City.

With the support of our membership we have taken an active interest in our local body politics and led a number of campaigns to resolve issues which have been initiated by mandates from public meetings.

The Electoral Commission describes New Zealand as a democratic country with free and fair elections. That is vitally dependant on key conditions of the Electoral Act 1993, the Local Electoral Act 2001, and rigourous enforcement of their protection clauses.It seems there is a complete lack of ability and commitment of both the Electoral Commission and the Police to do that.

Provisions allowing progressive voting over a period of weeks (by post or electronic medium) must be protected by effective conditions preventing unfair interference with the vote during that time.

Unfortunately, for decades, we have experienced exploitation of loopholes, regular interference with, and corruption of, the election process by secret, preselected individuals, invariably centred around the office of the City Council chief executive.It is part of a calculated campaign to get a group of candidates elected to form a controlling majority on the Porirua City Council (PCC).

2. Alleged Election Disfunction/Interference/Corruption - Examples

1. Loss of a Free and Fair Election when those working the election scheme from within the council, evidently used council resources of officer time and goodwill with the media etc.And neighbourhood election meetings organised or chaired by council officers.

2. Progressive Voting over a period of weeks allowed the voter response to be manipulated by them with a carefully planned marketing programme of mass social media during the voting period.

3. Revelations of Mass Gmail Account Hacks and Fake News via social media became huge new risks.

4. Breach of the 3 Month Media Neutral Period with good-news media releases of council projects etc, under the watch of the chief executive, favoured the preferred candidates and gave them an advantage.

5. Illegal Electronic Electoral Roll Access and mass personalised mail-outs evidently were

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provided secretly to the preselected candidates.

6. Alleged False/Failed Declarations of Donations occurred which did not, at least include the value of the access gained to the electronic electoral roll.(Legitimate access to the electronic electoral roll via the Electoral Commission would have cost $497.80 which was over the $300 threshold specified in s103A Local Electoral Act 2001).

7. The STV Voting System was Manipulated in the 2019 local election with widespread voter instructions issued unashamedly throughout the election campaign in the media, in the mass personalised letters, on billboards and in the official voter instruction-booklet which accompanied the postal voting papers.Voters were instructed to vote for two named Mayoral candidates No1 and No2 in opposition to the sitting Mayor.At the first iteration votes for the No1 candidate were insufficient, but at the final iteration votes carried over from the No2 candidate combined to beat him by a small margin (about 6%).

8. Chief Executive Officer Interference was evidently instrumental, finally, in the defeat of the Mayor.At the height of the election campaign, immediately prior to the commencement of the 3 week postal vote, the Council CEO demanded from the Mayor an examination of his motor vehicle petrol account, despite his contract providing full private use of the vehicle.Reportedly she required records of 3 petrol fill-ups of his car and created a deadline within the 3 week peak of his campaign.In non-receipt on the day, she emailed “confidentially” an alert to city councillors quoting her approaches to the Audit Office, Serious Fraud Office and Police.Recipients of that email included 5 competing Mayoral candidates.Predictably, it went viral on social media, and virtually destroyed the reputation of the Mayor.Subsequently an independent financial audit exonerated him.His opposition No1 candidate won the election and then has, as the new Mayor, immediately overseen the renewal of the contract of her CEO for another 2 years.

9. Complaints to the PCC Chief Electoral Officer in the 2016 election fell on deaf ears.

10. Complaints to the Electoral Commission of a false declaration and illegal access to the electronic electoral roll resulted in a coverup and no further action.(Official information reveals conflicting information sent to the complainant and the complainee).

11. Complaints to the Police in 2016 and 2019 of alleged illegal electoral roll access and false donation declarations have received, firstly, a denial of any offence, and now, so far, no response to a further complaint.(Original complaints in 2016 forwarded by the office of the Minister to the Commissioner received no response).

12. Postal Voting suffered the loss of the daily mail service and a large loss of post boxes.

13. Legal Advice to us from top NZ experts, is that the electoral law is outdated, inconsistent

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and unworkable in key areas.

14. Voter TurnoutOver the years Local Election postal voting and progressive processing has been introduced to improve voter turnout. But the turnout in the last 4 Local Elections in Porirua has remained extremely poor compared with the General Election 1 day Poll turnout.

Local Election Postal Vote Year General Election Poll Year39.06% 201036,65% 201337.96% 2016 70.00% 201740.13% 2019

The small 2.16% increase in 2019 is more likely to have been due to the popularity of the surprise new mayor elected in 2016, than anything done by the Electoral Commission or local council.

3. Our Conclusions

1. The Local Election system is broken.

2. Electors have become disempowered by public excluded business and the election

process is so complicated and corrupted that voters have given up. That is the main

reason for poor voter turnout.

3. The local electoral law is a mess.

4. With scanners and computers there is now no need for progressive processing of votes.

5. Postal service coverage and frequency is now inadequate for reliable postal voting.

We need to...

4. - Get back to the basics of a free & fair election, and a secret vote without interference.

5. - Simplify the voting.

6. - Better secure the system from interference and corruption and reduce the opportunity.

7. - Provide a better system of monitoring and enforcement.

- (Without enforcement there is no deterrent).

8. - Require immediate accountability.

4. Our Resultant Recommendation is that:

1. The Local Electoral Act 2001 be rewritten for integration and consistency with the Electoral Act 1993.And that the rewrite be to resolve all the matters and close the loopholes highlighted in our submission.

2. The Electoral Commission be upgraded, empowered and fully resourced to be the sole administrator of the resultant electoral law, its monitoring and enforcement.(With Police back-up powers of arrest etc)

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3. Postal voting, early voting and progressive processing be abolished in favour of single-day polling, manually at secure booths.(With the normal special vote exceptions of voters overseas, incapacitated etc).

4. On-line electronic voting on the polling day be added as an option once a secure system is established.

5. The voting system be First-Past-The-Post (FPP) for all local elections under the Electoral Commission.

6. There be an Electoral Commission code of practice for all election candidates throughout the country.And it have a penalty clause of immediate disqualification on presentation of evidence of a serious breach.[A serious breach being defined as such things as...

discovery of a criminal conviction carrying a potential penalty of imprisonment, making a false declaration,instructing electors to vote for certain named candidates (not on a registered party ticket)].

7. There be an Electoral Commission code of practice for all chief executives throughout the country at election time.And it have a penalty clause of immediate, suspension from duties on presentation of evidence of a breach.[Any reinstatement to be at the discretion of the Electoral Commission following investigation after the election].

8. To assist the Electoral Commission with its “broad” interpretation, section 114(2) of the Electoral Act 1993 be reworded to make it clear that a person acting for a registered political party may obtain the electronic electoral roll for the purposes of that registered political party,ora candidate may obtain the electronic electoral roll for their own election purposes solely, not for the purpose of election of any other candidate.

5. Report of the Justice Committee - Inquiry into the 2017 General & 2016 Local Elections

Subject to our submitted, updated/upgraded 2019 Local Election recommendations above, we support the following recommendations of the committee...

(And as amended by strikeouts and additions in red).

2017 General Election

Use of social media 2. We recommend that the Government ask the Electoral Commission, in its report on the 2020 General

Election, specifically to address the issue of astroturfing and ways that New Zealand can deal with it.

Election advertising 3. We recommend that the Government introduce legislation to expand section 221A of the Electoral Act

to require electoral advertisements in all mediums to state the names and addresses of their promoters.

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Advertising on election day 4. We recommend that the Government introduce an amendment to the Electoral Act to require scrutineers

to wear a label, provided by the Electoral Commission, saying that they are a scrutineer, but to also allow scrutineers to wear a rosette to identify their party, for clarity for voters.

5. We recommend that the Government introduce an amendment to section 197(2A) of the Electoral Act to make the election day advertising rules the same for web-based news media companies as for traditional news media companies.

Proof of citizenship 6. We recommend that the Government introduce an amendment to the Electoral Act to require

candidates in general elections to provide satisfactory evidence of New Zealand citizenship if required by the Electoral Commission.

Availability of roll to parties7. We recommend that the Government enable all registered political parties to access electronic master

rolls during an election period for an electoral purpose.

Researchers’ access to voting information8. We recommend that the Government enable researchers to access electronic master rolls after elections

for the purposes of improving information about why people vote and improving participation.

Enforcement of election laws13. We recommend that the Government give the Electoral Commission investigatory, enforcement, and

sanction powers commensurate with our proposed changes. We recommend providing the Electoral Commission with powers to: • investigate electoral offences• obtain documents and other evidence • impose fines • impose other remedies for minor breaches of electoral law. Major breaches of electoral law would remain with the Police (As referred by the Electoral Commission referral).

2016 Local Elections

Centralising the running of local and general elections15. We recommend that the Government consider giving responsibility for running all aspects of local

elections to the Electoral Commission.

16. As part of centralising the management of local elections, we recommend that the Government consider encouraging or requiring the same voting system to be used in all local elections.

DHB elections 17. We recommend that the Government ensure that, where practicable, DHB boundaries align with local

authority boundaries.

Voting method 18. We recommend that the Government investigate what is the best voting method (or combination of

methods), adopt FPP as an enduring solution for increasing turnout at local elections.

19. We recommend that the Government consider the need to regulate for security protections when vote collection boxes are put in public areas.

21. We recommend that the Government require the administrator of local elections to ensure that local election information is provided in accessible formats.

22. We recommend that the Government develop a funding support model, similar to that proposed in the Election Access Fund Bill, for local elections.

23. We recommend that the Government align local election overseas voting processes with general election overseas voting processes.

23. We recommend that the Government align local election overseas voting processes with general election overseas voting processes.

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Improving information about voting and elections 24. We recommend that the Government, as part of expanding the Electoral Commission’s role in local

elections, make the Electoral Commission responsible for leading and co-ordinating triennial, nation-wide campaigns to encourage and support people standing for and voting in local elections.

Improving information about local election issues 25. We recommend that the Government strengthen legislation so that, when a local election candidate

wishes to state on their candidate nomination form that they represent a non-registered political organisation or group, the election administrator may require the candidate to produce evidence that the organisation or group exists, and must reject any claimed affiliation unless there is clear evidence to show that the organisation or group exists.

Advertising and campaigning26. We recommend that the Government align local election advertising rules with general election

advertising rules, including the following:• include online electoral advertising in section 113 of the Local Electoral Act 2001• align the definition of electoral advertising in the Local Electoral Act with that in the Electoral Act so

that it covers all advertising that attempts to persuade people to vote or not to vote in a particular way • ensure that spending limits in section 111 of the Local Electoral Act are indexed to change annually

in line with inflation• introduce regulation of third party promoters in local elections for spending, registration, and

declarations, based on similar principles to the framework in the Electoral Act• align provisions requiring candidates to report political donations that they have received for an

election (section 112A of the Local Electoral Act and section 209 of the Electoral Act), so as to align the timeframes and format of donations and campaign expenditure

• align local and general election provisions on anonymous, overseas, and corporate donations (see our recommendations in Chapter 3). Disclosure regimes should be consistent.

Disclosure regimes should be consistent27. We recommend that the Government introduce requirements in legislation for elected members of local

authorities to disclose financial and certain other interests that align with the requirements that apply to members of Parliament.

Local election timeframes28. We recommend that the Government shift the local election polling day to avoid the school holidays.

Updating local election processes29. We recommend that the government introduce amendments to allow the electronic receipt of nomination

forms and candidate statements and appropriate deadlines for them, consistent with our overall theme of wanting alignment between general and local elections.

30. We recommend that the Government introduce amendments to the Local Electoral Act to require candidates to provide satisfactory evidence of New Zealand citizenship if required by the local electoral officer and ensure that this requirement aligns with the Electoral Act.

31. We recommend that the Government make enrolment on the ratepayer electoral roll continuous, unless a ratepayer no longer wishes to remain enrolled or ceases to be eligible.

Probity in the 2016 local elections34. Consistent with our broader recommendations for alignment with general elections and a greater role for

the Electoral Commission, we recommend that the Government introduce amendments to the Local Electoral Act to provide better mechanisms for the investigation and resolution of complaints related to the conduct of local elections.

Hacking 38. We recommend that the Government encourage all candidates and parties in general and local

elections to seek help to protect their online security.

39. We recommend that the Government adequately fund appropriate agencies to provide specialist advice and support against targeted cyber attacks that cannot be avoided by best practice online.

40. We recommend that the Government retain manual or paper-based voting systems in local and general elections for the foreseeable future because of security concerns.

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41. We recommend that the Government consider amendments to existing legislation to incorporate an offence, similar to that in section 482 of the Canada Elections Act 2000, that would prohibit hacking into computer systems owned by Parliament, local authorities, the Electoral Commission, election service providers, election officers, political parties, candidates, or members of Parliament with the aim of intending to affect the results of an election.

42. We recommend that the Government ensure that a contingency system is in place in case of a security breach of relevant computer systems that compromises the integrity of a local or general election.

Disinformation 43. We recommend that the Government consider the applicability of implementing recommendations

relating to foreign interference via social media content from the UK House of Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on Disinformation and ‘fake news’ and the Australian Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters’ Report on the conduct of the 2016 federal election and matters related thereto. We recommend that the Government also consider the applicability to local government of the UK and Australian recommendations.

Foreign interference via election advertising44. We recommend that the Government follow the Australian Government in prohibiting foreigners from

advertising in social media to influence a New Zealand election outcome and that it provide appropriate constraints and legal obligations on social media platforms so that this can be enforced.

45. We recommend that the Government introduce amendments to the Electoral Act to require political party secretaries to be New Zealand residents.

46. We recommend that the Government introduce legislation to allow only persons or entities based in New Zealand to sponsor and promote electoral advertisements.

47. We recommend that the Government introduce legislation creating an offence for overseas persons placing election advertisements as well as organisations selling advertising space to knowingly accept impermissible foreign-funded election advertising.

Foreign donations 48. We recommend that the Government examine how to prevent transmission through loopholes, for

example, shell companies or trusts. We recommend that these issues be further explored and that the Government consult with political parties about how best to approach the problem.

49. We recommend that the Government consider one over-arching anti-collusion mechanism, including penalties, to replace those in the Electoral Act.

50. We recommend that the Government: • make it unlawful for third parties to use funds from a foreign entity for electoral activities

• require registered third parties to declare where they get their donations from.

*******************************************************

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Analysis of Submissions for the Signs Bylaw

1. Graeme Ebbett on behalf of the Titahi Bay Residents Association Inc

Objection

Object to any proposed changes which would allow Council officer discretion in the enforcement of rules governing election signs. This is to ensure that officers are completely removed from any possibility of influence on the election resulting from administrative disfunction, interference, or corruption.

Oppose:

• The removal of controls over election signs on private property; • Officer discretion overriding definitive rules; • Any ambiguity in the wording of the bylaw that may be open to officer interpretation.

Options Supports Option 1 - to continue with the status quo and have the management of signs under three different mechanisms, the Signs Bylaw, the District Plan and the Reserves Management Plan.

• Supports the control of signs under a new bylaw with amendments to satisfy objections. • The Bylaw would be more specific within its scope than the Operative District Plan. • The bylaw should be complimentary to the district plan but not a replacement for the scope

of it (at any stage of transition). Suggested Amendments to the Proposed Signs Bylaw Some examples towards fulfilling objections, strike out/underlines highlighted in red. 4. DEFINITIONS Election Sign means a temporary sign not more than three metres squared in size that promotes the election of a candidate or party for local or central government in accordance with the Electoral Act 1993 and the Electoral (Advertisement of a specified Kind) Regulations 2005. 5. APPLICATION 5.3 This Bylaw does not apply to: a. Signs on private property. 6. REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SIGNS 6.2 A person may be exempt from the Bylaw requirements where Council approval has been granted by permit. This does not apply to election signs. 12. ELECTION SIGNAGE 12.4 Any election signage displayed on a public place must not be more than three metres squared in size, be on the approved sites only (schedule 1) and must be free standing (schedule 2). Only one sign per candidate and/or party is permitted at each site. 12.6 Signs on public or private property must not be placed within 50 metres from any road or street intersection. and They must be placed at a greater distance if visibility for pedestrians or drivers is obscured and relocation is deemed necessary by a Police traffic officer. unless inspection from an authorised officer deems that there is no obstruction or distraction with having the sign there.

16 PERMITS 16.2 Permits are required where a person seeks an exemption to this Bylaw. A person may apply in writing to the Council for an exemption to the requirements of this bylaw and the Council may approve the exemption with any conditions it considers appropriate. An application for an exemption permit will only be approved if the Council is satisfied that it will not significantly diminish the purpose of this bylaw. This does not apply to election signage.

2. Sala Nimarota

Posted a completed Signs Consultation Submission Form.

Options:

• Ms Nimarota supports Option 1 - to continue with the status quo and have the management of signs under three different mechanisms, the Signs Bylaw, the District Plan and the Reserves Management Plan.

• Ms Nimarota prefers that the control of signs be carried out under a new stand-alone updated Signs Bylaw 2020 with changes, such as clarifying the rules over the size, type and where and how the bylaw is applied.

Te Puna Korero Committee Meeting on Thursday 2nd July 2020

To hear submissions received on proposed PCC's - "Signs Bylaw"

Time slots & details of the submitter who has indicated they wish to speak to their submission

Submitter Nos.

Time Slot for Hearings Page Number (of

Hearings documents)

Submitter's Details Date on which

submission was received

1 8.30 am 11

Graeme Ebbett, Chairman and on behalf of the Titahi Bay Residents Association

05/04/2020

2 Did not wish to speak 2 Sala Nimarota 29/05/2020

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Draft 18 June 2020

Porirua City’s

DRAFT COVID-19 Recovery Plan

Council in partnership with Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders to support local communities and businesses

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Ka oho te wairua

Ka matāra te Tinana He aroha ki te aroha

Ka kā te Rama

When your sprit 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 Council for this Recovery Plan.

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Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 4

1. Background ................................................................................................................................................ 6

2. Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

3. Objectives .................................................................................................................................................. 7

4. Principles ................................................................................................................................................... 7

5. Ngāti Toa and Stakeholder Engagement .................................................................................................... 7

6. Recovery Framework ................................................................................................................................. 8

Four Focus Areas ....................................................................................................................................... 8

The Recovery Journey ............................................................................................................................... 8

Progress against the Framework ................................................................................................................ 9

7. Impacts of COVID-19 ............................................................................................................................... 10

Global ...................................................................................................................................................... 10

National .................................................................................................................................................... 11

Porirua City .............................................................................................................................................. 14

8. Recovery Initiatives .................................................................................................................................. 24

Attachments .................................................................................................................................................... 26

Attachment 1: Government Interventions .................................................................................................. 27

Attachment 2: New Zealand COVID-19 Forecast ...................................................................................... 30

Attachment 3: Porirua City Overview ........................................................................................................ 31

Attachment 4: Porirua COVID-19 Infometrics Forecast ............................................................................. 34

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Executive Summary

This plan belongs to those who live, work and play in Porirua. It contains initiatives that will help Porirua City recover from the effects of COVID-19. As it has morphed from a health pandemic to an economic recession, we should be mindful of the possibility of a second wave of transmission and be prepared should it occur. Porirua Council has partnered with Ngāti Toa Rangatira and key stakeholders to better understand the city’s social and economic challenges and opportunities. The plan will be updated over time to reflect the views of local people as we navigate through these uncertain times. We have learnt a lot about our city’s vulnerabilities over the last few months as we moved down through alert levels and we want to ensure we are well placed to enable safe, healthy, resilient communities and a thriving economy. While Government has provided financial and social safety nets, a lot of these will be temporary so it’s critical that local support initiatives are put in place and existing ones strengthened. Porirua’s economy is partly insulated with employment in the public sector, health and education sectors and it continues to experience urban development growth but significant challenges are ahead. The local economy is likely to experience a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contraction of -6.2% to March 2021 and unemployment is expected to move towards 8% over the year to March 2021. This could mean 1,500 plus job losses in the city. Some of the city’s large population of young people are likely to find it particularly difficult to get their first job, and some children are becoming increasingly disengaged from school. Porirua has high levels of inequality, with social deprivation experienced most acutely in Eastern Porirua where up to 20% of households experience overcrowding. A significant proportion of the city’s Pacific and Maori populations are at heightened risk from the impacts of COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions. Mental illness is expected to increase across a range of ages in the city (including youth and elderly), resulting from feelings of isolation, financial stress and in some cases job losses. With job loss, financial stress and current overcrowding in some cases, there will also be additional pressure on housing needs. Porirua City Council, Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders are committed to supporting local people and businesses and delivering initiatives in this plan and forging a pathway to sustainable social and economic recovery.

“As a Council we are determined to play our part by responding to the short, medium and long-term challenges bought into focus by COVID-19 and its resulting economic impacts.”

Mayor, Anita Baker

5

Draft 18 June 2020

6

Draft 18 June 2020

1. Background On 25 March 2020, New Zealand declared a state of national emergency, swiftly followed by entering alert level 3, then alert level 4 lock-down to contain the spread of COVID-19, a deadly, highly contagious virus with no vaccine that has spread to all corners of the world. Five weeks at alert level 4 (lock-down) meant mass home quarantine, testing, contact tracing and reporting of cases, quarantine at the borders, personal protection equipment supplied for essential services and the provision of Government support packages for business, health and welfare. On 28 April 2020, New Zealand moved from alert level 4 to 3 and on 14 May we moved to alert level 2 (with schools opening on 18 May). On 13 May, New Zealand moved from a National State of Emergency to a National Transition for Recovery. This allowed the use of transition powers under the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Act to be used by Recovery Managers. On 9 June the country moved to alert level 1, removing almost all restrictions apart from those at the border. We are now moving from response to the recovery phase where some response activities will continue to run concurrently with recovery activities.

In the event and response phases, Council’s EOC ensured immediate welfare needs of the community were met. They worked closely with the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office (WREMO) and from the 3 April to 21 May 2020, helped a total of 1055 households by responding to food, medical, accommodation requests and providing referrals to other agencies (eg. Salvation Army). Of the 1034 households assisted regionally through the national Āwhina database (either directly or indirectly through referrals), Porirua’s EOC assisted 531 or 51% of calls. The EOC has now been deactivated. Early Treasury forecasts suggest the recovery phase could take 2 years and Infometrics predict it could take longer, up to 5 years to recover. It is likely the truth is somewhere between the two, however, the severity of the expected GDP contraction and resulting unemployment is consistent, and business and communities will feel this impact. COVID-19 will be with us for some time, either until a vaccine is discovered, or until we know we can effectively contain and manage outbreaks and ultimately eliminate the virus within our borders.

2. Purpose This plan outlines how Porirua City Council will work with Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders to assist the City to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. This includes providing a stable social and wellbeing platform from which communities, iwi and businesses can grow and thrive. It takes a balanced approach across both social and economic challenges facing the city and is intended to:

• reflect the impacts of COVID-19 and needs of local communities, iwi and businesses

• deliver (or facilitate delivery of) recovery initiatives to build resilience in the city in an inclusive and connected way across the city’s diverse population

• comply with CDEM responsibilities, especially from a welfare perspective

• reduce future exposure to the impacts of COVID-19 and its associated risks which includes remaining vigilant, anticipating and preparing for possible future outbreaks.

Event Response Recovery New Normal

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3. Objectives Objectives of this plan are to:

• achieve the following outcomes: - businesses adapt to change and we return to a thriving local economy - safe, healthy and resilient communities with access to support services, education and employment

opportunities

- NGOs are supported by their communities

• understand the short and potential long-term impacts of COVID-19

• deliver (or facilitate delivery of) recovery initiatives to minimise the impacts of COVID-19

• build resilience and reduce exposure to the impacts of COVID-19 in the city and to do so in an inclusive and connected way across our diverse population.

4. Principles The principles guiding this plan are to:

• be community-led and uphold Te Tiriti O Waitangi

• be transparent about what can be deliver

• be open to new ‘normal’ opportunities and not constrained by the past

• focus on those hardest hit and most vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19

• collaborate with partners, stakeholders, central government and other local government agencies

• to view COVID-19 as an opportunity to make the city better than before by being open to innovative solutions

and meeting future needs across social, economic, natural and built environments.

5. Ngāti Toa and Stakeholder Engagement Recovery will require a partnership effort. Council, Ngāti Toa, agencies and key stakeholders mostly spent time in isolation looking after their patch, but in recovery we will need to re-establish networks and partner on projects to smooth the recovery journey for Porirua. In our conversations with Ngāti Toa they have identified the equalising effect of COVID-19 on people, making everyone similar in our vulnerabilities and anxieties. This helped bridge gaps in our community to ensure people were looked after and they would like to keep the spirit of caring for people near you, alive. They recognise the challenges that business closures, downsizing and high unemployment bring and expressed a desire to support or partner on projects that stimulate employment and opportunities for people and can support businesses to navigate tough times. Other engagement that Council has started includes: From a welfare perspective:

• maintained a welfare support role during the recovery transition period

• approached and is engaging with 15 different social sector agencies in the form of a survey to understand people’s needs and the sector’s ability to meet those needs

• begun planning a Youth Wellbeing Workshop with central Government agencies and youth workers to look at how to increase future employment opportunities for youth

• begun planning a cross-sector workshop on careers education and youth employment given potential disengagement in secondary schools and recent changes in the employment market

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• met with the agency representatives of the Tumai Hauora Alliance.

From a business perspective:

• engaged regularly with the Chamber of Commerce and WellingtonNZ

• progressed development of an Employment and Skills Plan with stakeholder participation

• collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce to survey business on COVID-19 impacts. We will continue to work with Ngāti Toa and stakeholders to understand which parts of the city need assistance and what sort of assistance is needed, if there are any gaps/opportunities in central government support or stimulus packages and how Council can change delivery of its services (or partner with other organisations) to minimise the impact of COVID-19.

6. Recovery Framework The recovery framework (page 5) identifies:

• who is impacted by COVID-19

• what impacts they are (or could) experience

• whether their experiences could be mitigated/supported by central government packages/stimulus

• how Council, its partners and stakeholders can soften the blow through a set of recovery initiatives

• what outcomes will be achieved.

Four Focus Areas There are four main focus areas or groups affected by COVID-19 in Porirua City and each has a corresponding set of recovery initiatives:

The people focus area includes housing, education, employment and personal health. Children and youth is a

subset of “people” as it is a Council strategic priority given the city’s higher than average youth demographic.

The “business” focus covers the economic impacts of the COVID-19 restrictions and subsequent risks of business

downsizing and closures.

The “non-government” focus includes agencies that were providing welfare services during the lockdown and

sports groups, clubs and other community groups that are faced with challenges which will impact the services

they provide in our community.

The Recovery Journey The CDEM Act 2002 defines recovery as: “the coordinated efforts and processes used to bring about the

immediate, medium and long-term holistic regeneration and enhancement of a community following an

emergency.” The graph below shows how recovery is an iterative learning process over time.

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The recovery journey is rarely linear and can be interrupted by additional shocks that reset where a community

and its businesses were on the continuum, for example, a second wave of COVID-19.

Recovery will be prolonged beyond the health impacts due to the economic and community disruption of strict

border controls, increasing unemployment and business failures. How this will evolve is uncertain and our

guidance at this stage are economic forecasts, emerging data, the views of business and communities and their

experiences.

Progress against the Framework Reviewing the plan The COVID-19 framework will be reviewed six monthly to ensure alignment between our recovery activities and

the unfolding economic, health and social circumstances. This will provide insight into how the city is coping with

the impacts of COVID-19 and an opportunity to adjust the framework to reflect stakeholder feedback.

Other triggers for reviewing the plan will include:

• if there is a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and an increase in alert levels

• opportunities for alignment with the Regional Recovery Plan

• if significant changes in Council’s levels of service are necessary

• if Council/Government partnership/expectations or associated legislation change significantly

• if there is another type of shock that happens during the timeframe of alert levels (ie. large earthquake).

The Recovery Plan has interdependencies and linkages with other Council plans and strategies (eg. the Annual

Plan, Long-term Plan and Growth Strategy) of which some are still unfolding. Where there are opportunities,

through implementation of recovery initiatives to minimise the impacts of climate change, this will be encouraged.

Performance measures It is difficult to pinpoint when recovery will be complete and what criteria will determine our future normal. Our

approach is to use evidence to monitor and assess our situation with key stakeholders when the plan is reviewed.

When there is general agreement that Porirua has achieved a satisfactory recovery, we expect that residual

projects will be integrated with business as usual activities or streams of work closed down if there is no longer a

need for that support.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management will monitor cases and other trends across regions. It

is still possible that alert levels could move up or down on either a national or regional basis. If a second wave of

the pandemic looks like it’s going to occur, Porirua needs to be well prepared from both a welfare and economic

perspective taking lessons learnt from wave one.

Detailed below are the types of data we look to record and assess. Not all of the measures are in direct Council,

Ngāti Toa or stakeholders’ control, but they provide some indication of progress against outcomes. Regular

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reporting against the Recovery Plan will be available on the Porirua City Council website. Some measures will

demonstrate improvements early on and others will take a longer time to achieve (ie. reducing unemployment).

7. Impacts of COVID-19

Global The global impact of COVID-19 has been (and continues to be) significant. Global forecasters are taking lessons from the Great Depression, which had a deeper impact over a longer timeframe, and the Global Financial Crisis. The OECD’s Economic Outlook states that “the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the most severe recession in nearly a century and is causing enormous damage to people’s health, jobs and wellbeing.” We are seeing the following international trends:

• a slowing of the number of cases and deaths in most countries

• reversed globalisation and a stronger interest in nationalisation

• rapid increases in unemployment and poverty

• increased border controls impacting international tourism, air travel and hospitality, and disruption to migration, imports and exports

• rising tensions in international relations

Outcome sought

Focus

Areas (who is

impacted)

Measure & Trend

Businesses adapt to

change and we return to a thriving local economy

Business

• Porirua GDP growth is positive

• The number of pedestrians (foot traffic) in business areas is the same or above levels at March 2020

• The number of residential and non-residential building consents is the same or above levels at March 2020

• The value of electronic card transactions is the same or above levels at the same time last year

• The number of vacant business and commercial properties is the same or above levels at March 2020

Safe, healthy and

resilient communities

with access to support

services, education and

employment

opportunities

•

People

• The number of COVID-19 cases (active, recovered, deaths, cases in hospital, community transmission) is zero

• The median number of wait days for elective surgery is the same or above levels at March 2020

• The number of emergency department visits per month is the same or above levels at March 2020

• The number of emergency food parcels delivered related to COVID-19 is zero

• The number on the unemployment benefit is below 5%

• The number on Jobseeker support is the same or below levels at March 2020

• The number on the accommodation supplement benefit is the same or above levels at March 2020

• The number attending Porirua Council community facilities (arena, pool, museum, library) is the same or above levels at the same time last year

• The number of police incidents is the same or above levels at March 2020

Children and

youth

• The proportion of people aged 15–24 years who are not employed or engaged in education or training (known as the NEET rate) is the same or above levels at March 2020

• The number attending schools is the same or above levels at the same time last year

• The number attending/enrolled in tertiary education and industry training is the same or above levels at the same time last year

• Calls to Youthline is the same or above levels at March 2020

• The number of youth unemployed is the same or above levels at March 2020

NGOs are supported by

their communities NGOs and groups

• NGO’s are reimbursed all invoices for support provided for COVID-19 related welfare services

• The number of operative sports clubs and groups is the same or above levels at March 2020

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• the virus spreading from developed to developing countries (ie. South America and Africa). Countries are now in a race to find, manufacture and distribute a vaccine (which could take 1 to 2 years), and to position their economies for recovery. The OECD Economic Outlook identifies two future scenarios:

• Single hit scenario where we avoid a second outbreak and global GDP almost regains its pre-crisis level by end 2021. Global economic activity falls 6% in 2020 and OECD unemployment climbs to 9.2% from 5.4% in 2019. Living standards fall less sharply than with a second wave but five years of income growth is lost across the economy by 202.

• Double hit scenario with a second wave of COVID-19 in most economies before the end of 2020, leading to global GDP being well short of pre-crisis levels by the end 2021. A return to more lockdowns would reduce world economic output by 7.6% this year, before climbing back 2.8% in 2021. The OECD unemployment rate nearly doubles to 10% with little recovery in jobs by 2021.

National Economy

New Zealand’s small size and geographical isolation has meant that physical lockdown was relatively easy to achieve, reducing the cases of COVID-19, but we will feel the fiscal and economic effects of increased debt for years to come.

Central Government has responded to the COVID-19 shock with a range of support and stimulus packages (Attachment 1). On 28 April 2020, the Minister of Finance said "New Zealand's low Government debt compared to the rest of the world puts us in a strong position to invest in the economy to create jobs and lift incomes as we recover from the impact of COVID-19…we are continuing to build our recovery plan in areas like infrastructure investment, manufacturing, regional opportunities, and the digital economy to cushion the blow of COVID-19, create jobs and boost incomes. “The increase in Crown spending below signals it will be several years until we are in a true recovery position.

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Budget 2020 allocated $50 billion over four years to fortify and rebuild the economy, with a large investment into the wage subsidy to keep people in jobs. The subsidy has subsequently been extended. Borrowing cash will see the Government's net debt increase to over half the size of GDP in 2023 and 2024. There could be resulting changes in our standard of living as Government considers how to pay back debt over time (eg. changes in taxes to create additional revenue).

While Government has been supportive, ideally local economies would be more resilient to such shocks and less dependent on centrally driven Government funding, instead harnessing local skill sets and sectors to create more resilient and sustainable economies.

The Reserve Bank is assessing the banking system’s resilience to a more sustained and severe economic downturn than in scenarios considered in the May 2020 Monetary Policy Statement and those being forecast by the Treasury. While banks have sufficient capital to withstand a substantial downturn, the most severe scenarios could result in banks failing to meet their minimum capital requirements without significant mitigating actions and capital injections from shareholders.

Infometric’s forecasts a 13% contraction in the New Zealand economy between the December 2019 and June 2020 quarters, with most of the decline occurring in the June quarter due to the lock-down. Economically, New Zealand is entering a sharp and potentially prolonged recession. After a -8% contraction in the economy during the March 2021 year, Infometrics expect year-end growth to turn positive again by the end of 2021. GDP growth could peak at 5.9%pa in 2023. Over the three years to June 2025, they predict economic growth to average 4.8%pa. Many business failures are inevitable and it will take time for the surplus labour and capital resulting from this downturn to be retained and redeployed to other businesses.

It is possible New Zealand’s position within global value chains will be affected by a greater move to self-reliance and trade barriers in some markets, but this will depend on the level of change in global trading that occurs. The New Zealand economy relies on China, Australia, the USA and Europe for much of its commodity-based trade

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and services-based exports (tourism and education). We are yet to see a Trans-Tasman travel bubble with Australia. Migration Among New Zealand citizens, migrant arrivals and migrant departures are provisionally estimated at 44,800 and 33,700, respectively, for the year ended April 2020. As a result, net migration of New Zealand citizens for the year ended April 2020 is provisionally estimated at 11,100. This is a reversal of the long-standing historical pattern where more New Zealanders depart than arrive. With New Zealanders returning from overseas, international travel being less attractive and foreign nationals unable to return home from New Zealand due to border restrictions in their countries, we can expect population statistics to be disrupted. It is also possible that increased unemployment could result in families shifting cities and towns within New Zealand. Unemployment and welfare The unemployment rate peaked at 11.2% in 1991 and more recently unemployment reached 6.5% during the Global Financial Crisis. The Budget 2020 graph below shows it peaking at between 9% and 10%, which equates to roughly an additional 150,000 more people out of work. Infometrics believe this could be conservative and is more likely to result in 250,000 out of work.1 According to Infometrics, the unemployment peak is estimated to occur from September 2020 and possibly through to September 2021.

Some economists estimate that unemployment will increase from 4% in the December 2019 quarter to somewhere between 10% - 15% (NZIER and Westpac economists) and 15% –30% in line with The Great Depression (Sense Partners economists). The economic scenarios released by the Treasury on 13 April suggested unemployment could range from 13% to nearly 26% depending on the scenario (Riches & Gardiner, 2020). New Zealand is predicted to go through a historic insolvency period over the next few months as businesses close their doors. We are seeing around 30% of manufacturing businesses impacted with increasing numbers of redundancies likely (ie. James Hardie and New Zealand Steel) and effects on the construction sector are being felt (ie. Fletcher Construction redundancies). Deterioration in mental health amongst some is expected to increase. The Ministry of Health has published the Psychosocial and Mental Wellbeing Recovery Plan-Kia Kaha Kia Maia Kia Ora Aotearoa, which signals its intent to work closer with local government to minimise the impacts of mental health. www.health.govt.nz/publication/COVID-19-psychosocial-and-mental-wellbeingrecovery-plan

In the first month of lockdown 33,000 more people went on a benefit - bringing the total number of people on all benefits to 335,000. At 17 April 2020 there were just under 175,000 people on Jobseeker Support.

1 The Ministry of Social Development is preparing for an extra 300,000 benefit applications.

http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/covid-19-psychosocial-and-mental-wellbeingrecovery-plan

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The Ministry of Social Development hired 330 more staff in recent weeks and redeployed other staff to the front line as well as improving online access to services. New applications for benefits are being processed within 5 working days for 83% of those who apply. For hardship grants, 73% were processed within 2 working days.

The Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) includes establishing Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) and Regional Skills Leadership Groups (RSLGs) in regions that will provide advice about skill needs, challenges, and opportunities in regions. Members of these groups will comprise regional industry leaders and employers, economic development agencies, worker representatives, iwi and government representatives. These groups are likely to provide a significant opportunity to support and inform coordinated regional/local responses to labour market needs in the COVID-19 recovery.

Attachment 2 provides a New Zealand forecast of the economic and labour impacts of COVID-19. Other impacts on New Zealand

• reduced tourism, accommodation, retail and hospitality financial viability

• disrupted supply chains especially in manufacturing and construction

• reduced cross-border mobility could constrain the supply of workers, both skilled and unskilled

• reduced foreign student fees for the tertiary sector

• different domestic travel patterns for public transport with people working from home

• increased need to work with iwi corporations and rūnanga at the heart of social assistance and welfare

• rapidly mobilising housing and infrastructure for economic stimulus and employment opportunities

• legislative changes such as the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 to prevent and limit the risk or spread of COVID-19, as well as mitigating or remedying the actual (or potential) adverse effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Porirua City This section explores who we are in Porirua City and impacts of COVID-19. People (incl. children and youth) Population The 2018 population for Porirua City is 56,559, with a population density of 3.24 persons per hectare2. Forecast ID predicted Porirua City’s population to grow (pre-COVID-19) to 85,149 by 2043 which is a 44% increase. Housing affordability, increased unemployment and an aging population moving into retirement may cause movement of people to/from Porirua to other parts of New Zealand so it is possible this forecasted growth could be disrupted as a result of COVID-19. Between 2013 and 20183, the territorial authority with the highest net migration to the Porirua City (+1,497) was from Wellington City, whilst the highest net loss (-585) was to Kapiti

2 Census data 3 Census data

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0012/latest/LMS344134.html

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Coast District. In 2018, the age group with the highest net migration to Porirua City was persons aged 25 to 34 years. Between 2013 and 2018 14% of the population arrived in Porirua from another part of New Zealand and 4% came to Porirua from overseas. Given people experience of COVID-19 overseas, we may see a further influx of expatriates at alert level 1. Porirua’s population is diverse with large Pacific and Māori communities as well as a growing Asian population. Compared to the Wellington Region in 2018, Porirua had significantly more Pacific people (Porirua: 26%, Wellington: 14.3%) and Māori (Porirua: 22%, Wellington: 8.4%). Porirua has a large youth population (people 25 years and under make up nearly 40% of the city's population). Youth are vulnerable as opportunities to enter and stay in the workforce become more difficult. There could be opportunities in areas such as subsidised work schemes, Government Apprenticeship Schemes and with an increased focus on training. People over 65 years of age (super annuitants) total 6,573 and make up 12% of the population. People over 70 years of age total 4,182 and make up 7% of Porirua’s population. This age group (as well as those with underlying medical conditions) are particularly vulnerable to the physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19. Mental health is emerging as the number one need facing elderly, particularly those who live by themselves and don’t know how to access support. Porirua’s older population is growing fast and is expected to increase by 1,700 people in the next 5 years. This is a section of the population we could learn more about to ensure their needs are supported. Attachment 3 has more detail about Porirua’s demographics. Emergency support The EOC provided assistance to the government by taking welfare calls for assistance, making weekly calls to priority communities, arranging accommodation and delivering food parcels and other emergency equipment to households. This service continued during the beginning of the transitional recovery phase and has now been deactivated.

Initial EOC reports identified that Iwi/Māori and Pacific people were concerned about financial assistance post COVID-19 and that migrant families are concerned with delays in projects and employment as they are still sending money home to their families but not able to provide for themselves. The EOC has provided insight into our communities and the issues they face, for example in terms of psychosocial needs there has been a continuous trend throughout the region of mental health services being accessed by first time users. The dominant themes seen are still the same being relationship problems, anxiety and stress levels increasing within families. It is anticipated that COVID-19 could bring with it increased family violence (reported or not), depression, and anxiety as people face loss of income, changing living arrangements and isolation. During alert levels 4, 3 and 2, the city had 21 family harm crimes and 433 family non-crime calls to Police. There were also 63 violence and assault calls during this time to Police. In both cases more calls came from Waitangirua then Central Porirua.

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In Porirua the number of young people aged 18-24 years who report feeling stressed always or most of the time (in 2019) had increased four-fold between 2010 and 2018, from 10% to 43%. It is possible further increases have occurred since COVID-19. There is an opportunity for Council and key stakeholders to be better coordinated in how to distribute Government support if there is a second wave of COVID-19. It needs to be clear who is offering what and who is coordinating parcel deliveries and emergency accommodation placements. Social deprivation Porirua has the highest inequality of any New Zealand territorial authority, where 35% of the population is ranked in the most affluent 10% of New Zealanders and 28% of Porirua residents are amongst the most deprived 10% of New Zealanders (ie. high-levels of deprivation are found in Waitangirua, Titahi Bay, Elsdon, Cannons Creek, Ranui and Porirua Central). Cannons Creek North has very low levels of home ownership (23.3%), high unemployment (13.89%) and some of the worst household overcrowding in New Zealand.4 By contrast, Papakowhai South paints a vastly different picture with average household income of $138,591, low unemployment, strong levels of home ownership, good housing quality and high educational attainment. High deprivation communities are more likely to be low income rely on benefits for household income, live in rental accommodation (private or state) and have less access to the internet or to a car. Porirua’s high deprivation communities tend to have larger households, be more youthful and have higher proportions of Māori and Pacific people. It is likely their welfare needs will increase through a period of high unemployment. Council is working alongside communities to understand their needs (ie. the needs of children and young people and with Pacific Community Leaders to develop a Pacific Strategy including a focus on home ownership and skills development). The rapid descent into recession will make it even harder for those already in difficult situations to get out of them and cope long term. While having access to food, accommodation and welfare needs during lockdown may have temporarily reduced tensions in families their situation could deteriorate over time. Unemployment and welfare support For the year ended March 2020, unemployment in Porirua was 4.6% against a national average of 4.1%5. Porirua’s unemployment is forecast to be 7.8% for the year ended March 2021 against a national unemployment forecast of 9%6 for the year ended March 2021. Employment prospects are forecast by Infometrics to improve from 2023. BERL forecast unemployment in Porirua to peak at 2,247 in 2021 and slowly improving thereafter. More than 1,500 jobs could be lost, in both low-skilled and highly skilled jobs and Māori households are forecast to be hit hard, with employment declining for lower-skilled workers. People with English as a second language and young people are two groups expected to be impacted by the increased competition for employment.

4 Dot Loves Data May 2020 5 Infometrics March 2020 Quarterly Monitor 6 Informetrics – COVID-19 Early Estimates for Porirua City (April 2020)

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Past recessions indicate that particular groups of people are more likely to lose their jobs. They are groups with the highest level of unemployment already and broadly include young people (aged under 25 years), Māori and Pacific workers and women. People in part time work or casual on-call work are also more vulnerable to employment contractions. Infometrics forecast the largest GDP declines within Porirua in retail and wholesale trade (-$23m), construction (-$17.7m) and professional, scientific and technical services (-$17.5m). The bulk of job losses are forecasted to be in low skilled roles relating to retail and wholesale trade (-397 jobs), accommodation and food services (-306 jobs) and construction (-287 jobs). Overall Māori employment in the Porirua City is forecasted for a 7.3% decline (against the national Māori decline of 9.5%), with the main concentration of job losses in low skilled roles relating to retail and wholesale trade (-22 jobs), accommodation and food services (-20 jobs) and in construction (-19 jobs). Working age Jobseeker Support recipients in Porirua City in the year to March 2020 increased by 5.4% compared with the previous year. Growth was lower relative to New Zealand, where the number of Jobseeker Support recipients increased by 11.7%. An average of 2,082 people were receiving a Jobseeker Support benefit in Porirua City in the 12 months ended March 2020. This compares with an average of 1,967 since the start of the series in 2010. At September 2019 young people constituted 17% of all working age beneficiaries in Porirua (15.5% nationally). The total number of beneficiaries in Porirua at September 2019 was 4,401 which has been relatively static over the last five years. At the end of April 2020, Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) had 5,815 working age clients from Porirua WINZ have signalled that some job seekers have never been unemployed and others just want to get back into work now. From mid-March 2020 to 13 May 2020 they had 533 people sign up on Jobseeker Support in Porirua. In the year to March 2020, Porirua Jobseeker Support increases (5.4%) were less than those in the Wellington region (5.6%) and New Zealand (11.7%). Results from February to April 2020 are in the graph below. Between February and April 2020 there were also 167 additional recipients for the accommodation supplement.

In 2013, 53% of those that lived in Porirua, worked outside of Porirua, 37% work within the city and 11% were unknown, so most appear to work outside of the City which means job losses in other parts of Wellington will affect our residents. WINZ are moving to having a more dedicated focus on employment by setting up 35 virtual employment centres nationally. Regionally there will be centres in Porirua, Wellington and Lower Hutt. WINZ are also promoting a Rapid Return to Work Service (ie. CV writing, assessing their transferrable skills, helping them navigate the job market and connecting them with current vacancies) which is a new phone service for clients who have been made redundant because of COVID-19. To further support jobs, Keep New Zealand Working has been created to let employers list jobs on the platform for people to sign up and apply directly.

Compounding risk factors Those people living in communities with high levels of social deprivation (some parts of Porirua City), working in sectors of increasing unemployment (especially in retail/wholesale, construction, accommodation and food services) and experiencing mental health issues are particularly at risk from the impacts of COVID-19. This

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combined with a high youth population and increasing reliance on Government benefits and support mean that a strong focus on welfare and employment are areas of priority for the City. The job market is changing rapidly. Those with low or no qualifications, low skilled jobs (and in some cases high skilled jobs) are either losing jobs or finding it even harder to get a job. Porirua unemployment is likely to increase to around 7.8%.

Health Porirua presents a high risk of local COVID-19 transmission due to high usage of public transport, household overcrowding, high numbers of residents working in health services and sizable Maori and Pacific populations. Capital Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) statistics indicate that there are significant heath inequities for Maori and Pacific populations. Maori (within the CCDHB location) have a 3.6 times higher rate of mortality from respiratory disease, 3 times higher rate of heart failure admission and are 2 times more likely to have lung cancer and be admitted to hospital for mental disorder than non-Maori. Pacific (within the CCDHB location) are twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease rate than non-Maori, 27% less likely to quit smoking and 74% higher rate for amenable mortality7 than non-Maori. Residents from Porirua are more likely to be admitted to hospital from the Emergency Department than residents from other localities for the CCDHB. While there is a large youth population in the City, there remains a risk of serious impacts from COVID-19, particularly for those with underlying medical conditions. Respiratory illnesses are common across a wide range of ages and affect 0-4 year olds more than other age groups and in particular children from Eastern Porirua.

At the time of the 2018 Census, Māori and Pacific people were more likely than other ethnic groups to have damp homes, with 35.3% of Māori and 37.3% of Pacific people living in damp houses, compared with just 22.3% for New Zealand overall. The presence of mould in the home has been linked to serious health conditions, such as asthma, respiratory infections, and rheumatic fever. There is potential for an increase in mental illnesses resulting from prolonged isolation, social distancing, financial stress and in some cases job losses. During alert levels 4, 3 and 2, Police recorded 146 calls for service relating to mental health. In 2020, stress levels and feelings of isolation were increasing in children and young people higher than other age groups. A third of Porirua youth who accessed mental health services live in the same household as an adult who also accessed mental health services. A limited number of health and addiction related services in Porirua provide mental health services where no referral is required. In most cases a referral from a doctor or nurse is necessary to access mental health services.

Health Risk Factors Maori and Pacific people, especially those living in Eastern Porirua already suffer disproportionately from respiratory conditions, so if COVID-19 moved to community transmission it could have a significant impact along with complications from a range of other medical conditions prevalent amongst the population.

7 Amenable mortality is defined as premature deaths that could potentially be avoided given effective and timely care. That is, deaths from

diseases for which effective health interventions exist that might prevent death before an arbitrary upper age limit (usually 75). Ministry of

Health.

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Mental illness needs are likely to increase.

Education In 2018, Porirua had more people with no qualifications and more people with post school qualifications (excluding university) than those living in the wider Wellington Region. Porirua people were less likely to have a higher degree or bachelor’s degree than those living in the Wellington Region and 2020 enrolments in tertiary education were trending down. This will be further impacted by COVID-19 where school learning may have fallen behind and could have been further hampered by a lack of access to digital technology for access to remote education provision. Some agencies report8 that young people have dropped out of education to take up jobs for families where the adults have been made redundant. Prior to COVID-19 school attendance rates were deteriorating with persistent ethnic disparities. Porirua transient rates are higher than national rates, with Māori rates being more than three times higher than for European students. Schools are signaling that they need more social workers and counsellors available for students in schools. Another suggestion has been to increase tutors and mentors available to help re-engage secondary school students, and to provide them with additional support to study and gain their qualifications. Many are giving up already and see the year as being wasted. There is still a lot of concern in the community about a second wave, people are keeping their kids home from school, and are choosing online options for classes. Attendance below 90% is considered to be problematic and is the measure used across all schools. Attendance levels across all ethnic groups have declined since 2013. This problem is more prevalent in low decile schools. The NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) rate measures the proportion of people aged 15–24 years who are not employed or engaged in education or training. In 2019, Porirua’s youth had a higher NEET rate (16.2%) than youth in the rest of New Zealand (12.1%). This rate could now be further exacerbated as a result of COVID-19. COVID-19 monthly reports from MSD show 21% increase in those aged 18-24 years receiving the Jobseeker Support in March 2020 compared with 12 months earlier.

Budget 2020 provides a number of education and training funding increases to support more people gaining qualifications. Porirua needs to be positioned well through strong co-ordination and leadership to build a common employment and skills understanding and story across local business and education stakeholders.

Education and training will be key With Porirua’s large youth population and their likelihood of being affected by COVID-19 (ie. tighter labour market, difficulty getting into employment from education and businesses struggling financially), providing education, employment pathways and work experience opportunities locally that dovetail with local employment prospects will be an important feature of recovery for business and people.

8 Council conducted social sector survey for Tumai Alliance meeting June 2020

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Housing Some communities in Porirua have the highest levels of overcrowding in New Zealand. Overcrowding is most acute in Eastern Porirua (up to 20% of households). Porirua City has one of the largest average household sizes at 2.9 people per household. A new trend identified by the EOC is increasing household sizes for some Pacific families as their family members are unable to travel back home overseas so are moving between family homes for support. There is a risk that increased unemployment could lead to additional instances of overcrowding and homelessness, as families look to reduce their housing costs further. In 2018, more people living in Porirua rented social housing and had mortgages than those in the Wellington Region. The Wellington Region had more people in private rentals and with full house ownership than in Porirua. The numbers occupying private rental accommodation at 22% are also less than the New Zealand average with Porirua residents tending to own their own home or be in public housing. A lack of affordable housing can push families to live in houses with extended family or share with other families which in turn pushes usual household size higher. A preference in some communities to live in multi-generational and extended family households can also significantly influence household size. The 20-year Eastern Porirua Regeneration project by Kāinga Ora will refurbish/replace 2000 existing state houses, add an additional 300 state houses and build 1500 additional affordable market homes 2000 additional market homes.7 In the meantime, house affordability remains a serious issue. The average current house value in Porirua City was up 9.7% in March 2020 compared with a year earlier. For the year March 2019 to March 2020 growth outperformed relative to New Zealand, where prices increased by 5.9%. The average current house value was $659,536 in Porirua City over the March 2020 year, compared with $714,174 in New Zealand. This could change if house prices drop (Infometrics predict an 11% drop from COVID-19) and supply increases. House sales in Porirua City in the year to March 2020 decreased by 13.8% compared with the previous year and compared to the rest of New Zealand, where sales increased by 2.0%. It is expected that there will be an ongoing requirement for cities to have a better understanding of housing needs and availability of temporary accommodation in situations like COVID-19, to ensure emergency housing can be called upon when needed.9 Porirua Council may need to review its emergency housing needs for the city to address fallout from COVID-19 that could result in increased brought sleeping and homelessness. Existing overcrowding in some homes, loss of jobs and financial stresses of COVID-19 and the potential influx of expatriates returning from overseas could put increased pressure on housing. At 31 March 2020, there was a waiting list of 304 applicants on the Housing Register to live in Porirua (an increase of 27 from the previous year). Where emergency housing is being provided, it must have wraparound social support with transition processes in place when emergency housing ends. Without social support emergency accommodation can become new ‘harm centres’ with group drug, alcohol and other issues emerging at the facility.

Emergency and social housing There is a likelihood that the need for social housing will increase as unemployment increases and if there is migration into Porirua from other parts of New Zealand, as people see the area as more affordable to live in. Porirua is not well serviced with emergency housing and this is an area that would improve our resilience in another crisis.

Business Porirua’s largest business sectors are the public sector, construction (top five jobs are builder, carpenter, electrician, painter and labourer), healthcare and social assistance (top five jobs are personal care assistant, nurse, community worker, aged care/disabled carer), scientific, technical services, education and training and the retail sector.

9 Emergency Housing – Amount of EH SNG is the total value of grants issued in the quarter ending 31 March 2020.

https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/q1HoCwV1lnILvKVHXAOCM?domain=stats.govt.nz

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The majority of Porirua’s largest sectors should not be adversely affected by COVID-19 apart from some parts of retail, possibly construction and some manufacturing. Other sectors like health and education will benefit from increased sources of funding and Government support to meet new demand resulting from COVID-19. Porirua also has low levels of employment in tourism and hospitality. Porirua City has around 4,320 active businesses with the vast majority (66.6%, or 2,877) being sole traders with no employees. This is a slightly lower proportion than the New Zealand average (68.2%). In addition, Porirua’s proportion of larger firms is slightly higher than the national average, suggesting that more large firms tend to locate in Porirua. This is likely due to its proximity to Wellington City. Gross Domestic Product Gross Domestic Product (GDP) looks at performance of the economy and is New Zealand’s official measure of economic growth. Infometrics Quarterly Economic Monitor Report to March 2020 only captures the very initial effects of COVID-19. It is not for at least another six months to December 2020 that we will start to see the full impact of the virus on our economy. The report states that growth in the Porirua economy remained robust in the March 2020 quarter with Infometrics’ provisional GDP estimate for Porirua City rising 2.2% in the March 2020 year, down from a recent high of 4.8% in the March 2018 year. Infometrics forecast the Porirua economy to contract by -6.2% over the year to March 2021 (compared with -8% nationally) and earnings across the Porirua economy are expected to decline by $88m. On the other hand, investment in infrastructure (ie. Transmission Gully Motorway), shovel ready projects (if partly funded by Government) and residential housing developments (ie. Plimmerton Farms, Kenepuru Landing and Eastern Porirua) will help boost our local economy. This is despite Infometrics predicting a 36% drop in local building. Nationally, residential building is expected to decline at least through to 2024.

Consumer spending Coming out of lockdown, Porirua’s total spend at 18 May 2020 was up 14.6% compared with the same time in 2019. Local Porirua spend has also increased because more people are working from home rather than travelling to Wellington city for work. Growth in electronic card spending in Porirua on retail purchases remained strong at 4.7% in the March 2020 year albeit down from recent highs but declines rapidly thereafter as illustrated in the graphs below.

Marketview data

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In April 2020, Infometrics produced the “Economic impact of COVID-19 on Porirua City Report”. It indicates that the level 4 lock-down brought much of the Porirua economy to a standstill. Consumer spending in the City declined by around 53% in the space of 2 weeks, traffic flows dwindled, and only around 47% of the workforce was able to operate at Level 4. They estimated that at Level 3, this would rise to 73%. Accommodation spend is down 83.9%, petrol stations down 35%, cafes and restaurants are down 39.8%, but supermarket spend was up 30.7%.10 The reduction in discretionary spending will be deeper than the Global Financial Crisis.

In the year to March 2020 total tourism expenditure in Porirua City increased by 5.8%, equating to $105m with $33m international and $73m domestic. This was higher than increases in Wellington (1.9%) and across New Zealand (1.4%). The fact that it was largely domestic spending provides some insulation. There have been declines in car and commercial registrations and house sales in the June 2020 quarter but an increase in contracts and building consents. Residential consents grew 75% in the March 2020 year on the back of two very strong June 2019 and March 2020 quarters, and non-residential consents, while falling 41% in the March 2020 year, have been very strong for three of the past four quarters. Assuming these consents translate into building work, this should help support the local construction industry through the downturn. Business challenges Over recent months Porirua businesses have had to consider contactless delivery, whether they need an online presence, whether they can afford to lease their premises and whether they can remain financially viable. Some local businesses are teaming up to find innovative ways to operate (eg. vegetable boxes at Tuk Thai with Thai sauces). Some businesses chose to help others throughout lockdown (eg. Whittaker’s Chocolate set up a Lockdown Legends Gift Registry to recognise valuable work of essential services sending out approximately 350 parcels). Business challenges identified by the Porirua Chamber of Commerce included significantly reduced turnover,

decreased productivity and increased costs (eg. supermarket staff on doors). They also said businesses were

most concerned about whether the market and customers would return, a highly uncertain environment for making

decisions in, the fear that turnover won’t recover and that there could be further impacts on businesses and staff

when the wage subsidy extension ceases. They are also balancing the cost of holding on to staff when you could

let them go.

Other challenges for local businesses included reorganising businesses to meet alert level 2 requirements (ie. seated, separated, single server), supply chain disruption where materials are sourced from overseas, limited delivery infrastructure compared to the wider Wellington Region for services such as Delivery Easy and Uber Eats and reduced spending power (especially on discretionary items) given some will have lost jobs or be more cautious with their spending. Businesses have been conscious of staff wellbeing, balancing increases in demand and workload during lockdown, as well as caring for their own families (including balancing school work for children in alert levels 4 and 3).

10 Source: Dot Loves Data

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On a positive note, the Porirua Chamber of Commerce said there had been unexpected benefits of COVID-19 including the opportunity to test working from home, not commuting, rotating staff and moving services online (ie. click and collect). With more people working from home (that would normally be commuting to Wellington) there is potential to capture new customers in the community. People working from home is better for local businesses and it would be good to incentivise people to stay local to do their work. To recover, businesses need to build confidence and optimism both internally and with customers but some

businesses should be given more attention than others such as those in aaccommodation, bars, cafes, restaurants

(dependent on how click/collect and distancing goes). To assist in recovery the Porirua Chamber of Commerce

would like to see programs for job seekers, training for the unemployed, a change in people’s attitudes to mix with

others, build confidence to re-engage socially. Porirua Council, Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders will work with the

Chamber of Commerce to provide services and support the business community, with the Business Information

and Support Hub being the first joint recovery initiative.

Infometrics forecasts for Porirua are in Attachment 4.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Porirua Businesses Porirua’s economy will have approximately 1500 job losses and an economic contraction of 6.2% over the year to March 2021. Not everyone that lives in Porirua also works in Porirua, so job losses in Wellington could affect those living in Porirua. The majority of Porirua businesses are in sectors that should be insulated from the impacts of COVID-19 other than contractions in spending due to general uncertainty and new unemployment. Porirua is in a growth phase with significant investment in residential development planned and, in some cases, partly funded by Government, which provides some certainty.

Non-Government organisations (NGOs) Porirua currently has 70 groups with a permanent outdoor presence (ie. sports fields, outdoor courts, outdoor recreation, open spaces). Social distancing requirements could lead to financial impacts (ie. ground fees, venue hire, reserve lease fees, rates, water charges when they cannot charge club fees). Sport participation had been in decline generally and the COVID-19 response could compound this. In Porirua, the number of young people aged 18-24 years who report doing physical exercise at least five times per week has decreased from just over half in 2010 to just over one-fifth in 2018. Welfare providers such as St Anne’s, Salvation Army and Wesley Community Action Group are continuing to provide food packages and supporting their community. The Ministry of Pacific People advise that local Pacific families are receiving help where required through church networks and the Whanau Ora Pacific providers. Māori families are continuing to receive support through Te Roopu Awhina, with medical issues being managed through Ora Toa and Maraeroa Marae Health Clinic. Takapuwhahia Marae staff have been running facebook and zoom sessions to help keep iwi informed and connected. Iwi have had a separate support hub for all iwi members contacting the Awhina line. Funding and financing for NGOs A number of organisations have dipped into reserves to cover unanticipated costs to support their clients and families during lockdown. Some of this is recoverable through the CDEM reimbursement process but some will just have to be absorbed. A number of organisations/charities rely on gaming funds for operational costs. This funding source is currently under review. Through Government COVID-19 packages there are a number of additional funding streams that NGOs can access (eg. The Ministry of Social Development, Oranga Tamariki) and other major Government funders of social services have developed a shared set of commitments to NGOs including no ‘clawbacks’ on funding provided this financial year, to 30 June 2020 – as well as commitments to give as much certainty as possible on future funding.

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It is expected that access to volunteers could be more limited in the future, particularly as many are over 65 and vulnerable to COVID-19. The COVID-19 National Crisis Management Centre is actively partnering with Volunteering New Zealand and its regional network of Volunteer Centres to co-ordinate volunteers with organisations in need during this time. A number of new initiatives are also being planned to expand the pool of available volunteers. Any new funding sources and access to volunteers need to be sustainable and available for long enough periods of time to properly address challenges.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Porirua NGOs Welfare NGOs and charities have carried a heavy load. Their financial sustainability and reliance on volunteer support will be key to survival. Access to government support is available in some cases but those relying on gambling and gaming machine sources of funding could see changes in their funding models in the future. Porirua sport clubs were not able to operate under higher alert levels and generate revenue, yet they have had the same expenses (ie. ground fees, venue hire, reserve lease fees etc). This has placed some clubs under financial strain.

8. Recovery Initiatives Councils role Council has several roles to support the City through the impacts of COVID-19. These are to be a:

• provider – of services and facilities, including civil defence obligations

• partner – working alongside Ngāti Toa, business, community organisations and government agencies

• advocate – removing barriers to progress and representing the City’s voice with Government and stakeholder organisations to focus resources on the vulnerable and in areas of most need

• convenor – bringing welfare, business and community groups together to build a resilient future for the City and empowering their leadership vision. This can also include facilitating collaboration opportunities and providing guidance and promoting access to Government funding and stimulus opportunities.

Council is also responsible for keeping oversight of the City to ensure its welfare needs are met in collaboration with local community-based organisations and Central Government agencies. This includes supporting foreign nationals until national level arrangements are in place, supporting foodbanks, being coordinated with NGO’s and considering if council buildings/facilities need to be used to support communities. It may also include supporting regional isolation and quarantine planning. What has Council done so far?

Initiative

Description Funding

Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) welfare response

Provide immediate response for welfare and other forms of assistance

particularly during Alert Levels 4 and 3 including:

• Awhina helpline for food deliveries and emergency accommodation

• Worked with CCDHB to support people with additional needs, connect them with services and support

• Providing public information through web, radio, social media

• Maintained essential services such as three waters, waste collection, transport

• Made the Arena available for welfare or hospital needs

• Put in place partnerships with Wesley Community Action and Student Volunteer Army to deliver food and services.

Existing budgets & cost recovery from National

Emergency Management Centre where appropriate

Commercial rates deferral

Commercial ratepayers can defer paying all or a proportion of 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.

Existing budget

Rates hardship scheme Residents facing financial hardship will be given up to six months more to pay their rates. They can arrange a payment plan and a penalty for late

payment will not be charged.

Up to $40k reallocated

budget

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Rates review Council decided to keep rates at 4.98% and to increase borrowing to cover

the gap.

Increased borrowing to

cover operational shortfall

Love Local Campaign Encourage residents to love local business and spend locally as we move

to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and beyond. Existing budget

Rent relief to tenants Council provided a rental holiday for its property tenants which included

leased carparks.

$140-200k lost revenue in 2020 funded through

reallocated budget

What is Council planning to do? *Signals initiatives in partnership with Ngāti Toa.

Initiative

Description Funding

Business

Business Information and

Support Hub*

A help centre for local businesses linking them to grants, education

programmes, advice and information. Existing budget

Workforce Forum* Establish a Workforce Forum with business, education, NGO and government partners to support collaboration and the delivery of the Porirua

Employment and Skills Plan.

Existing budget

City promotions A series of campaigns and promotions to promote sport and recreation, activate the economy, attract business and visitors and promote health and

safety messages.

$50k reallocated budget

Shovel ready projects

Porirua Council has applied for Government funding to bring forward the

building infrastructure to boost local employment opportunities. We are yet to hear which projects successful and what proportion Government are will fund.

TBD pending

Government decisions on stimulus projects

Discounting alcohol license fees

To assist the hospitality sector, Council is to consider discounting Alcohol License Fees by 3 months.

$8.5k lost revenue funded from existing budget

People

Events programme

Events, recreation and sports will be an important part of Porirua’s wellbeing

and economic recovery. We are developing a “getting back to normal” summer events and recreation programme.

Existing budget

Free access to pools As part of our summer events and recreation programme we will include free access to residents for one month during the Christmas/New Year holiday period.

Up to $100k lost

revenue would need to be funded from existing budget

Job creation - waste diversion*

To reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and grow jobs we are investigating a waste diversion facility with Kāinga Ora which will

deconstruct houses from the Eastern Porirua regeneration and sell the recycled timber and stock.


Job creation - riparian planting*

We can improve the quality of the harbour by riparian planting all of the

streams and catchments in Porirua over 20 years. We are developing a business case where jobs can be created using governments subsidised work scheme.


Emergency welfare

Even though the civil defence status has 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.

Existing budget

Children and Youth

Skills hub*

Council is sponsoring a skills and employment hub project being led by

Kāinga Ora which will link employment opportunities out of the Eastern Porirua regeneration with local job seekers in infrastructure and construction and other opportunities.

Existing budget

Education/employment pathways*

As a result of Budget 2020 and the scale of investment into tertiary education and vocational programmes we are expecting Council to have a role in developing and supporting pathway programmes from education into

internships and employment.

TBD

Graduate consenting programme

Develop a graduate programme for young people in the consenting team of Council

Existing budget

Non-Government Organisation

Staying in touch with community groups

Maintain close relationships during the recovery transition to ensure we

know what their changing needs are. For example, Council will be bringing together Pacific groups (churches, pacific service providers and leaders in the community) to hear their issues and challenges.

Existing budget

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Chief Executive (CE) Forum -

Coordination and leadership*

Where required Council will ensure that there are forums and information

sharing mechanisms between key personnel and agencies. Existing budget

Fees relief for groups using the parks and recreation

estate

Council to provide 70 different parks and recreation groups (incl. Scouts and

sports clubs) with fees relief who are financially affected by the lockdown.

$190k lost revenue funded through

reallocations

The funding of recovery is a mix of reprioritising existing resources or new budget. The vast majority are funded from within existing budgets and some are funded through reallocating budgets. Funding is currently unknown for the education/pathways project and for shovel ready projects.

Attachments

• Attachment 1 - Government Interventions

• Attachment 2 – New Zealand COVID-19 Forecast

• Attachment 3 – Porirua City Overview

• Attachment 4 – Porirua COVID-19 Infometric Forecast.

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Draft 18 June 2020

Attachment 1: Government Interventions

On 17 March 2020, Government announced a $12.1 billion COVID-19 Economic Response Package to protect health and wellbeing. It was expanded to include:

• An estimated $9-12b in wage subsidies so affected businesses can keep their staff employed, through support received directly from the Government.

• An initial $500m boost for health, because the best medicine for the economy is getting the virus under control.

• $126m in COVID-19 leave and self-isolation support for people who are unable to work because they’re sick, self-isolating, or caring for dependants. Since being announced, this has been rolled into the Wage Subsidy Scheme.

• A $2.8b income support package for our most vulnerable, including a permanent $25-per-week benefit increase and doubling the Winter Energy Payment for 2020.

• A $100m redeployment package, to keep more New Zealanders in work.

• $2.8b in business tax changes to reduce cashflow pressure, including a provisional tax threshold lift, the reinstatement of building depreciation, and writing off interest on the late payment of tax.

• An initial $600m package to support the aviation sector and protect New Zealand’s supply chains.

• A $6.25b Business Finance Guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized businesses, to protect jobs and support the economy.

• A $27m package for social sector services and community groups so they can continue to provide essential support to communities.

• A leave scheme for essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance, to ensure they will continue to receive income.

• Further support for small and medium-sized businesses, including a $3.1 billion tax loss carry-back scheme, changes to the tax loss continuity rules and further business consultancy support

• Greater flexibility for affected businesses to meet their tax obligations.

• Small business cash flow scheme extension to 24 July 2020 - The scheme will provide assistance of up to $100,000 to firms employing 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees.

Other Government interventions include:

• The Government, Reserve Bank and retail banks have agreed on a six-month mortgage principal and interest payment deferral for affected individuals and SMEs.

• To protect renters during this difficult time, we’ve frozen all rent increases for six months, prohibited no-cause terminations for an initial period of three months, and evictions cannot occur for unpaid rent for up to 60 days.

• Measures to support commercial tenants and landlords

• Income relief payment - if you lose your job (including self-employment) from 1 March 2020 to 30 October 2020 due to COVID-19, you may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of payments, to help with living costs after a sudden job loss, and to allow time to find other work.

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In addition, Budget 2020 included the following:

• $50 billion to establish the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. Of the $50 billion, $20.2 billion is so far unallocated. The fund builds on the $12.1 billion package already in play. Work is underway to progress further initiatives and packages through the fund to provide additional support to those who have been most affected by COVID-19. This includes boosting job creation through support for infrastructure, conservation, employment schemes and skills training. It also focuses on vulnerable populations across New Zealand and industries and sectors that have lost their funding base as a result of COVID-19, such as arts, sport, racing and domestic tourism. It includes:

- The 12-week wage subsidy scheme - set to expire in June - will be extended (costing up to $3.2billion) by another eight weeks for the worst-hit businesses. From 10 June 2020 businesses need to prove revenue has halved over the previous 30 days compared to the year before will be eligible. The payment remains at $585 per fulltime worker and will be paid to employers in a lump sum.

- A $150m short-term loan scheme will also be rolled out to incentivise businesses to continue research and development programmes which might otherwise be shut down.

- NZ Trade and Enterprise is set for a $216 million boost to increase the number of exporters it can support. - An injection of $400 million will fund a domestic tourism campaign and support businesses to plan their next steps. - A separate $1.1 billion package has been set up with the aim of creating almost 11,000 jobs in the environment sector from pest control to wetland

restoration.

• Funding for a large-scale house building programme (6000 public and 2000 transitional houses)

• $3.9 billion to ensure all DHBs continue to meet the needs of their populations

• $1.6 billion training and apprenticeship package

• $1.1 billion capital invested in improving transport across New Zealand

• $414.2 million for the Early Learning Sector, including funding subsidies, pay increases for educators, additional support for home-based educators and investment in playcentre sustainability

• $246.1 million investment in community services, including a significant funding boost for family violence service providers

• Major expansion of the school lunch programme from 8000 now to serve 200,000 next winter

• 9000 more warmer homes insulation initiative

• Māori Apprenticeship fund.

This list is not comprehensive but provides an indication of where funding is likely to go.

Local Government Response Unit

The Department of Internal Affairs has convened and is hosting a COVID-19 Local Government Response Unit. The Unit was established in recognition of the critical role that local government plays in ensuring the wellbeing and safety of local communities throughout New Zealand.

It is providing support to enable councils to continue to function effectively during the pandemic and possibly through to recovery.

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Caring for Communities

The Civil Defence National Emergency Management Agency is establishing a regional ‘Caring for Communities’ operating model that recalibrates the welfare approach at both national and regional/local levels. It is designed to improve understanding of needs across the country, improve national coordination of actions and outcomes, enable coordination of national resources with CDEM Groups and facilitate the move to social recovery.

A Caring for Communities Governance Group identified New Zealand’s most at-risk communities (“priority communities”) and to establish a “Network of Networks” with identified Network Owners to lead the response for a specific priority community. Thirteen communities were identified, clustered into three priority groups:

• people at higher risk of contracting COVID-19

• people requiring continuity of social services

• people who are vulnerable due to language, culture or geographic barrier. Porirua Council will align with and work with Caring for Communities throughout the recovery phase. National and Regional Approach At the national level the NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency) stood up a NCC (National Coordination Centre) to work with CDEM Groups. The Wellington Region CDEM Group has a statutory function to plan and carry out recovery activities (s.17(1)(e) CDEM Act 2002). This includes the facilitation, coordination and monitoring of recovery activities to ensure the recovery is effective and provides the best outcomes for the community. Recovery is led locally through councils and coordinated regionally on matters of shared interest and independencies. Porirua Council is working within this approach.

Draft 18 June 2020

Attachment 2: New Zealand COVID-19 Forecast

Attachment 3: Porirua City Overview

Porirua City Overview - Population

Porirua City Overview – Social

Porirua City Overview – Economic

Attachment 4: Porirua COVID-19 Infometrics Forecast

The Local Government Electoral Option 2008

This guide was prepared for the Department of Internal Affairs, the Society of Local Government Managers Electoral Working Party

and Local Government New Zealand by Dr Janine Hayward

Senior Lecturer/Pukenga Matua Department of Politics/Te Tari Torangapu

University of Otago/Te Whare Wananga o Otago

Acknowledgements In preparing this guide, Dr Hayward acknowledges the input received from Gavin Beattie, Department of Internal Affairs.

Contact details for Dr Hayward are:

PO Box 56/Pouaka Poutapeta 56

Dunedin/Otepoti

Tel/Waea 63 3 479 8666

[email protected]

Introduction The Local Electoral Act 2001 offers the choice between two electoral systems for local government elections: first past the post (FPP) and the single transferable vote (STV). The option was first offered for the 2004 local government elections. As a result of that option, ten city/district councils used STV at the 2004 elections (Kaipara, Papakura, Matamata-Piako, Thames-Coromandel, Kapiti Coast, Porirua, Wellington, Marlborough, Dunedin and the Chatham Islands). After the 2004 election, two councils (Papakura and Matamata-Piako) resolved to change back to FPP. The remaining eight councils used STV at the 2007 elections. Councils now have the option to decide, by 12 September 2008, whether to stay with their current electoral system (either FPP or STV), or whether to change to the alternative system for the 2010 elections. 1 Whether or not a council passes a resolution by 12 September 2008, it must give public notice by 19 September of the right for 5% of electors to demand a poll on the electoral system to be used at the 2010 local elections. This guide has been developed to help councils reach their decision. It is also intended to provide a basis for information to help local communities understand the issues. Communities have an important role to play in the decision. They must be consulted by way of public notice and may be polled on their preferred electoral system or demand a poll themselves. The guide includes:

1. a brief description of the two electoral systems including important differences

2. some commonly identified advantages and disadvantages of each electoral system

3. responses to common concerns and questions councils and the public have raised about each electoral system and the electoral option.

This guide does not intend to influence councils either way in their decision-making. It presents arguments for and against both systems and encourages councils to make an informed choice about the electoral system best suited for their community.

1 This option does not apply for any council that for the 2007 elections had the electoral system determined by way of a poll. The outcome of such a poll applies for two triennial elections i.e. 2007 and 2010.

1. The Choice: First Past the Post (FPP) or the Single Transferable Vote (STV) (a) How do the two electoral systems work?

FPP STV FPP: casting a vote

• You place ticks equal to the number of vacancies next to the candidate(s) you wish to vote for.

• In multi-member wards/ constituencies you cast one vote for each vacancy to be filled, as above.

• In single-member wards/

constituencies you cast one vote. FPP: counting votes

• The candidate(s) with the most votes win(s). Each winning candidate is unlikely to have a majority of votes, just the largest number of votes cast.

STV: casting a vote • You cast one single vote regardless

of the number of vacancies. • You cast this single vote by

consecutively ‘ranking’ your preferred candidates beginning with your most preferred candidate (‘1’) your next preferred candidate (‘2’) and so on.

• In multi-member wards/ constituencies you cast a single vote by ranking as few or as many candidates as you wish, as above.

• In single-member wards/ constituencies you cast a single vote by ranking as few or as many candidates as you wish.

STV: counting votes

• The candidate(s) are elected by reaching the ‘quota’ (the number of votes required to be elected).2

• Vote counting is carried out by computer.3

• First preference votes (‘1s’) are counted. Candidates who reach the quota are ‘elected’. The ‘surplus’ votes for elected candidates are transferred according to voters’ second preferences. Candidates who reach the quota by including second preferences are ‘elected’. This process repeats until the required number of candidates is elected.4

2 The quota is calculated using the total number of valid votes cast and the number of vacancies. 3 The New Zealand method of STV uses the ‘Meek method’ of counting votes. Because this method transfers proportions of votes between candidates, it requires a computer program (the STV calculator). 4 If at any point there are no surpluses left to transfer, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is excluded and the votes redistributed according to voters’ next preferences. For further information on the details of vote counting, see, for example, STV Taskforce, ‘Choosing Electoral Systems in Local Government in New Zealand: A Resource Document’, (May 2002).

FPP STV

FPP: announcing results • FPP results can usually be

announced soon after voting ends.

• Results are announced and published showing the total votes received by each candidate.

• In multi-member constituencies, despite voters casting only a single vote, a voter may influence the election of more than one representative (if their vote can be transferred to other candidates according to voters’ preferences)

STV: announcing results • Because vote counting is multi-part,

it is likely to take longer than for FPP election results.

• Results are announced and published showing elected candidates in the order they reached the quota and unsuccessful candidates in the reverse order they were excluded. All elected candidates will have the same share of the vote.

(b) What are the most important differences between the two electoral systems? To understand the important differences between the two electoral systems it is helpful to think about what happens to ‘wasted votes’ in both cases. A ‘wasted vote’ is a vote that does not help to elect a candidate. This might be because the candidate was very popular (so did not need all the votes received), or was very unpopular (and had no chance of being elected). Let’s imagine that you vote in a local government FPP election to fill two vacancies, with four candidates standing for election. You vote for Candidates A and B. Imagine Candidate A wins by a landslide and Candidate B is the least popular of all the candidates. The vote for the other candidate to be elected is very close between Candidates C and D; in the end Candidate D wins the second vacancy by a very small margin. Candidate D is your least preferred candidate. You might think to yourself, once you see the results, ‘I wish I had known that Candidate A didn’t need my vote to win, and that Candidate B didn’t have a chance of being elected as I would have voted differently. I may have still voted for Candidate A, but would have voted for Candidate C instead of Candidate B.’

Now imagine you vote in the same election using STV. You have a single transferable vote even though there are two positions to fill. Again Candidate A wins by a landslide and Candidate B is the least popular candidate. Candidates C and D are very close on first preference votes and so second and subsequent preferences become important. You cast your vote by ranking the candidates according to your preferences; you rank Candidate A as ‘1’, Candidate B as ‘2’ and Candidate C as ‘3’. You don’t rank candidate D at all because you don’t want that candidate to be elected. Under STV:

• Candidate A is very popular and is elected on first preferences

• Candidate A has votes surplus to the number required to reach the quota and these are transferred according to voters’ second preferences

• the surplus portion of your vote for Candidate A is transferred to your second preference, Candidate B

• both Candidates C and D are very close to the quota at this point and Candidate B is least popular

• Candidate B is excluded and the proportion of your vote for this candidate is transferred to your third preference, Candidate C

• when preferences are counted again Candidate C reaches the quota and is elected. Under STV, unlike the FPP election, your ranking of the candidates made your vote more effective and avoided it being ‘wasted’ on Candidates A (who had a surplus of first preference votes) and B (who was excluded once surplus votes from Candidate A were transferred). In other words, despite Candidates A and B being your most preferred candidates, under STV you were also able to influence the race between Candidates C and D because you showed a preference between them on your voting document.5 These election results reveal an important difference between FPP and STV electoral systems. Think again about your FPP vote. You voted for two candidates to fill two vacancies. If you are part of the largest group of like-minded voters, even if that group is not the majority, you could determine the election of both candidates. Other voters (from perhaps only slightly smaller groups) won’t have gained any representation at all. In the STV election, however, you cast only one single transferable vote, even in multi-member wards/constituencies. That vote is used to greater effect as long as you rank all the candidates you like in order of preference. Because your vote is a single vote that can be transferred in whole or in part according to your wishes, you and other voters will not be over-represented or under-represented. This is why STV, unlike FPP, in multi-member wards or constituencies, is called a proportional representation system. The outcomes potentially better reflect community views. 5 These scenarios oversimplify how the vote count actually works under NZSTV, in order to explain the principle of vote transfers. The STV calculator uses a complex mathematical set of rules to ensure that the appropriate proportions of votes are transferred between candidates.

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each system? No electoral system is perfect. Both FPP and STV have advantages and disadvantages. Overall, the advantages of STV relate to the people who get elected using STV. 6 The system potentially achieves:

• broad proportionality (in multi-member wards/constituencies)

• majority outcomes in single-member elections

• more equitable minority representation

• a reduction in the number of wasted votes. The disadvantages of STV relate to:

• the public being less familiar with the system and possibly finding it harder to understand

• matters of process such as the way votes are cast and counted (for example perceived complexity may discourage some voters)

• the information conveyed in election results. The advantages of FPP, on the other hand, relate to the simplicity of the process including the ways votes are cast, counted and announced. The disadvantages of FPP relate to:

• the results of the election, including the generally ‘less representative’ nature of FPP councils

• the obstacles to minority candidate election

• the number of wasted votes. Deciding which electoral system is best for your community may come down to deciding which is more important: process, or outcome. Unfortunately, neither electoral system can claim to achieve well in both. 6 For further discussion, see Graham Bush, ‘STV and local body elections – a mission probable?' in J. Drage (ed), Empowering Communities? Representation and Participation in New Zealand’s Local Government, pp 45–64 (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2002).

More detailed advantages and disadvantages

FPP STV FPP: casting votes • FPP is a straightforward system of

voting. • FPP is familiar to most people. • ‘Tactical’ voting is possible; votes can

be used with a view to preventing a candidate from winning in certain circumstances.

FPP: counting votes • FPP is a straightforward system for

counting votes. • Votes can be counted in different

locations and then aggregated. • Election results are usually announced

soon after voting ends. FPP: election results • Official results show exactly how

many people voted for which candidates.

• Results are easy to understand. • A ‘block’ of like-minded voters can

determine the election of multiple candidates in multi-member wards/ constituencies, without having a majority of the votes, thereby ‘over-representing’ themselves.

• The overall election results will not be proportional to voters’ wishes, and will not reflect the electoral wishes of the majority of voters, only the largest group of voters who may not be the majority.

STV: casting votes • STV is a less straightforward system of

voting. • There is a need for more information

for people to understand the STV ranking system of candidates.

• It is virtually impossible to cast a ‘tactical’ vote under STV. As a result, voters are encouraged to express their true preferences.

STV: counting votes • STV vote counting requires a computer

program (the STV calculator). • Votes must be aggregated first and then

counted in one location. • Election results will usually take a little

longer to produce. STV: election results • Official results will identify which

candidates have been elected and which have not and in which order. They do not show how many votes candidates got overall, as all successful candidates will have the same proportion of the vote (the quota). This information, at stages of the count, can still be requested.

• Results can be easy to understand if presented appropriately.

• STV moderates ‘block’ voting as each voter casts only one single vote, even in multi-member wards/constituencies.

• The overall election results reflect the

wishes of the majority of voters in proportion to their support for a variety of candidates.

FPP STV • In single-member elections, the winner

is unlikely to have the majority of votes, just the largest group of votes.

• There will be more ‘wasted’ votes (votes that do not contribute to the election of a candidate).

• In single-member wards/constituencies, the winner will have the majority of votes (preferences).

• Every vote is as effective as possible (depending on the number of preferences indicated) meaning there are fewer ‘wasted votes’ and more votes will contribute to the election of a candidate than under FPP.

3. Common Questions and Concerns FPP ain’t broke: so why fix it? For those voters supporting candidates who tend to get elected under FPP, it can appear that there is nothing wrong with this system. But FPP councils do not truly ‘represent’ their community in terms of their composition. STV is a proportional representation voting system that means (if a diversity of candidates stand for election and a diversity of electors vote) the candidates elected will better represent the wishes of a greater number, and a wider diversity of voters. FPP is easy to understand. I can’t trust a complicated system like STV. It is true that FPP is a very easy way to vote, and to count votes. Voting under STV is less straightforward, but as long as a voter knows how to rank their preferred candidates, they will find it easy to vote. A post-election survey has found that most people found it easy to fill in the STV voting document and rank their preferred candidates.7 The way votes are counted is complicated. That is why it requires a computer program (STV calculator). The STV calculator has been independently certified and voters can trust that it only transfers a vote according to voters’ preferences ranked on their voting documents. Nothing (and no person) can influence the transfer of votes set out on voting documents. Won’t voters be put off if the voting system is too complicated? Voter turnout (the number of people voting) in 2004 and 2007 in the STV local body elections was mixed. Some councils’ turnout was higher than the national average, and some lower.8 Turnout for DHB elections (which must use STV) can be seen to be

7 Local Government Commission, ‘Report to the Minister of Local Government on the review of the local Government Act 2002 and the Local Electoral Act 2001: Special topic paper: Representation’ (February 2008), p 14 8 Local Government Commission, ‘Report to the Minister of Local Government on the review of the Local Government Act 2002 and the Local Electoral Act 2001: Special topic paper: Representation’ (February 2008), p 13

influenced by a range of factors including elections being at large for seven vacancies, the number of candidates (and often less well-known than council candidates) and the fact this issue is usually at the end of the voting document). Overall, voter turnout has been on the decline for many years. It is possible that more voters would turn out to local elections in the future if they feel with STV they have a better chance of electing a representative who better represents them than FPP has in the past. Won’t there be more blank and informal votes under STV, which is not good for democracy? Despite voters saying in the Local Government Commission survey that they generally found STV an easy way to vote, some voters did cast an invalid vote in STV elections (including DHB elections). A small proportion of these voters seemed confused by the voting system. But most blank and informal votes are thought to be due to two different voting systems (FPP and STV) appearing on the same voting document and to other factors, rather than being due to the way STV votes are cast.9 STV will not work for our council because of our ward/at large system. Eight of the ten councils using STV in 2004 had wards, one used the at large system, and one had a combination of wards and at large. There is no ‘rule’ about the need or otherwise for wards or constituencies, but STV can be seen to provide the greatest benefit in wards or constituencies of between three and nine candidates. If there are fewer than three candidates, the benefits of the transferable vote in terms of proportionality are not likely to be evident. If there are a very large number of candidates to choose from, voters are likely to find it a more difficult task to rank preferred candidates (though there is no need to rank all candidates). STV hasn’t made any difference to the diversity of representation in STV councils Until a greater variety of people stand for local body election and a wide diversity of electors vote, no representation system will be able to improve the diversity of representatives elected. There has been some change in the gender, ethnicity and age of some members elected by STV in 2004 and 2007 which may be due to STV.10 But it will take some time for a diversity of candidates to see the opportunities of standing in an STV election and more electors to see the potential benefits of voting under a proportional representation system. Two elections in a small number of councils is not enough time to judge the difference STV could make over time.

9 Local Government Commission, ‘Report to the Minister of Local Government on the review of the Local Government Act 2002 and the Local Electoral Act 2001: Special topic paper: Representation’ (February 2008), pp 13–18 10 Local Government Commission, ‘Report to the Minister of Local Government on the review of the Local Government Act 2002 and the Local Electoral Act 2001: Special topic paper: Representation’ (February 2008), pp 18–19

Useful resources Graham Bush, ‘STV and local body elections – a mission probable?' in J. Drage (ed), Empowering Communities? Representation and Participation in New Zealand’s Local Government, pp 45–64 (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2002). Local Government Commission, ‘Report to the Minister of Local Government on the review of the Local Government Act 2002 and the Local Electoral Act 2001: Special topic paper: Representation’ (February 2008) (Note: this paper has now been withdrawn from the Commission’s website but its contents may be found in the Commission’s main report on its review of the above legislation which will be posted on its website in the near future at www.lgc.govt.nz .) Justice and Electoral Committee, ‘Inquiry into the 2004 local authority elections’ reported to Parliament in August 2005. Christine Cheyne and Margie Comrie, ‘Empowerment for Encumbrance? Exercising the STV Options for local Authority Elections in New Zealand, Local Government Studies, Vol. 31, No. 2, 185-204, (April 2005). STV Taskforce (The Department if Internal Affairs, Ministry of Health, SOLGM, Electoral Commission and Local Government New Zealand), ‘Choosing Electoral Systems in Local Government in New Zealand: A Resource Document’, (May 2002). [http://www.dia.govt.nz/Pubforms.nsf/URL/STV.pdf/$file/STV.pdf]

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