Ngā Ringaringa Waewae

The Hands and Feet of Community and Hapū at Place

A proposal presented to David Langford, CE, Whanganui District Council, September 2022.

Background

Te Pūwaha is a transformative approach to delivery of an infrastructural project, along with community. Te Pūwaha is celebrated as the first true community lead project to be embarked on in line with the Te Awa Tupua legislation. The community led components of the project are well recorded in the project documentation agreed to by the project partners. The project documentation, and subsequent consenting documents outline all partners project commitments. All partners should take particular care to undertake governance as well as operational work compliant with Te Awa Tupua legislation.

Te Pūwaha project operates under a relational model which depicts that the Te Pūwaha project and the relationships between the partners, which will operate under an abundance model (He Ara Tuku Rau). He Ara Tuku Rau is based on Tupua te Kawa and ensures this project creates abundance mai i te kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa, for the environment, the Awa, and the communities of Te Awa Tupua. He Ara Tuku Rau is the device developed by hapu to operationalise the legal commitment and achieve the intent of Te Awa Tupua.

A critical task of a community led approach is to ensure that there is ability and capacity for organisational culture, systems, and leadership to appropriately uphold Tupua te Kawa.

A Concept Plan for the North Moles

Mouri Ora, Mouri Awa, Mouri Tangata are aspirational targets that recognise that behavioural change, reconfigured planning procedures, and a pathway towards abundance will result in ecological and water quality outcomes for our awa over time. All parties in Te Pūwaha have committed to the ongoing abundance of Te Awa Tupua that will go beyond the lifespan of this current project.

Te Pūwaha has a complex set of relationships determined by varying funding agreements and formal documentation of undertakings. All parties are working in partnership to realise the objectives of Te Pūwaha. This includes developing a comprehensive co-design process to allow the wider community to have input into the project. Partners are responsible for aligning their respective organisations to provide for these outcomes.

The North Mole Project is an excellent example of this, and the culture that we have been building through and beyond that project extends into all activities within Whanganui District Council’s consent application. While Horizons created the community engagement activities to enable their consent, there is an ongoing need for all partners to continue to work with the established group and towards their aspirations. Community stakeholders have made a major commitment to Te Pūwaha, specifically the works led by Horizons towards the community aspirations as set out in the concept plan they commissioned.

The concept plan has been developed alongside the Castlecliff community and the hard work completed by Progress Castlecliff between 2017 and 2021. Specifically the transformational process led by Progress Castlecliff at Rangiora Street (stage 1 of the rejuvenation process and consultation regarding Morgan Street) supported by Council; from the initial consultation, to solidifying of aspirations, through fund raising, to partnerships with commercial business and schools, reporting back to officers and elected members, detailed engineering design, budgeting and construction of significant road works, all media liaison and promotion, ongoing consultation etc

This voluntary commitment from the community is not without risk, and acknowledgement for the ongoing involvement of key community leaders in delivering outcomes which recognise Te Awa Tupua as the heart of decision-making is required

It is noted that the already funded Coastal Action Plan (also being conducted in compliance with He Ara Tuku Rau) relies on progression of the community aspirations at the north mole and is significantly ham strung until there is progress- as advised by the Council’s expert Jim Dahm it is pointless rehabilitating the dune environment at Southern Castlecliff unless this is done in conjunction with a fit for purpose carpark and amenities to prevent vehicle access to the fragile dunes. It had been envisaged that CAP work would begin in earnest late 2023, for which plants need to be ordered now. The CAP team need certainty around delivery of the community aspirations at the north mole.

At present there is no vehicle to deliver the identified community aspirations, particularly by a “true community lead process”.

The function of Ngā Ringaringa Waewae is to co-ordinate Councils to align operations and therefore secure efficient delivery of aspirations, particularly where there are opportunities to resource aspects of the concept plan. NRW would also raise funds through a range of applications for and with Te Mata Pūau/Progress Castlecliff in partnership with Te Pūwaha to assist with delivery of aspirations.

Structure/Support

Progress Castlecliff and Te Mata Pūau are seeking support to deliver the action phase of the concept plan developed by Cr Patrick’s public consultation at the North Mole, Morgan Street and Riverbank (new carpark, access, amenity, cycleway etc. - importantly this work is required before stage 1 dune planting as proposed by the Coastal Action Plan can begin proposed for mid 2023)1

The Partners withinTe Mata Pūau are committed to aligning their organisation to provide for these outcomes. This alignment and necessary organisational changes will ensure the project’s success in line with Te Awa Tupua and Tupua te Kawa. This is an opportunity to uphold this commitment in a way that fulfils the community led elements of the project. The support being sought is to provide the systematic planning procedures across currently

1 This work has been fully conceptualised, including with 3D scale digital models, some funding is available through existing WDC budgets, HRC will vote on contributing during their annual plan process in 2023, it is likely NRW would seek a similar contribution to the work from WDC as part of the 2023 annual plan, and further funding would be sought from 4 Regions Trust, the TIF and other providers. Estimates of overall costs to achieve community aspirations have been previously estimated (HRC and WDC jointly) annexed to this proposal. Next steps would be detailed engineering plans, detailed quotes from Alliance/Downer, finalisation of funding, and programming of actual construction in consultation with CAP team.

funded outputs within Councils, identify where there is opportunity to part fund, and finally lead fund raising where there is budget shortfall and opportunity. The high level priorities are:

• Community vision for North Mole,

• River bank, and coastal rehabilitation planting of the dune system and natural

  environment;

• incorporating public amenity, and an experiential immersion (through spatial design,

  art etc) in Tupua Te Kawa and Te Awa Tupua;

• hard structures (carparks, toilets, cycleway etc) and associated planting;

  It is proposed that the role will be directed by Te Mata Puau and guided by the community (through PCC) in partnership with Whanganui District Council. Some of the key performance indicators will include:

• Building the understanding, and maintaining the conversation between Whanganui District Council and hapu;

• Maintaining a register of key strategic projects within the North Mole Concept Plan and commitments of the parties to one and other;

• Facilitating major projects with support from hapu, community and Council;

• Co-ordinating hapu and community views into public spaces, submissions,

  strategies, and council reporting;

• On-going reports to inform Project Partners and Te Pūwaha Governance Group

  Agenda

• Hapu and Community informed directions for the LTP, annual plan and key planning

  frameworks of Whanganui District Council

  A Co-operative Model

  Ngā Ringaringa Waewae is the proposed name for a cooperative model made up of Te Mata Puau, Progress Castlecliff and Project Partners at its core, but also involvement from Whanganui Boardriders, Local Artists and project partners as required for efficient and timely delivery of aspirations.

  The funding model would be resourced by Project Partners and administered and operated through PCC Inc, a registered charity with accountant, subject to annual audit with a long history of quality financial reporting and delivery of projects utilising grants from both Horizon Regional Council and Whanganui District Council and other charitable funders.

  Nga Ringaringa Waewae would be supported by Horizon Regional Council and Whanganui District Council officers through monthly “support and advice” meetings held with key staff and teams relating to infrastructure, property, policy staff as well as HRC staff2. These

  2 During the rejuvenation project similar meetings (Known as GSD or “Getting Stuff Done” meetings) were held and essential to achievement of outcomes. Attended by infrastructure (Rui Leitao initially then Brent Holmes), Planning (Jonathan Barrett, then Hamish Lampp), Property (Rowan MacGregor then Leighton Toy), parks (Wendy Bainbridge) with administrative support from Leayne Hurua, more recently Kellie Brougham, Rosemary Fletcher and Dougal Ross (HRC) have been involved in similar meetings. The meetings have also been attended by Jamie Waugh, Jenny Duncan and representatives of Downer/Alliance (Graeme Dyhrberg and Brendan Walker)

meetings function is to ensure maximum efficiency and avoidance of unforeseen issues in delivery.

Actions
Initial deliverables would be

1. A)  Delivery of community aspirations as developed by Cr Patrick’s public consultation at the North Mole, Morgan Street and Riverbank (new carpark, access, amenity, cycleway etc- importantly this work is required before stage 1 dune planting as proposed by the Coastal Action Plan can begin proposed for mid 2023)3

2. B)  Facilitation of a wider “consolidated vision” for Te Kaihau o Kupe in compliance with He Ara Tuku Rau (Horizons have agreed to fund this and source funding and ensure delivery of initial community aspirations at the North Mole\ River bank).

Further Actions

The consolidated vision would provide the blue print for work beyond the initial community aspirations identified.

Request for WDC funding

TMP and PCC jointly request a commitment from WDC to fund the initial costs of setting up and developing NRW.

The request is for an OPEX investment of $120K plus GST PA.

This would allow non funded members of Ngā Ringaringa Waewae cooperative to dedicate significant time to the cooperative and it is envisaged significant progress would be made to achieving core outcomes.

The funding would also be used to pay individuals with specific skills to assist and leverage wider funding- for example a dedicated PM during the delivery faze, someone experienced in using Miro PM software at the planning stage, a dedicated fund raiser if necessary, experienced and effective coms contractors etc. It is noted that many individuals with a high level of skill would be available for a project such as this at a lower cost, when contracted by a community organisation as opposed to WDC.

Funding applications would include funds for payment of NRW members and facilitating the on going mahi.

Reporting

NRW would report direct to the CE as, when and in whatever form required.

3 This work has been fully conceptualised, including with 3D scale digital models, some funding is available through existing WDC budgets, HRC will vote on contributing during their annual plan process in 2023, it is likely NRW would seek a similar contribution to the work from WDC as part of the 2023 annual plan, and further funding would be sought from 4 Regions Trust, the TIF and other providers. Estimates of overall costs to achieve community aspirations have been previously estimated (HRC and WDC jointly) annexed to this proposal. Next steps would be detailed engineering plans, detailed quotes from Alliance/Downer, finalisation of funding, and programming of actual construction in consultation with CAP team