Agenda of Community Committee - Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Community Committee

26 November 2024

Community Facilities Network Plan - Action Plan 2022 progress update

File No.: CP2024/17611

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To report progress on implementation of the Community Facilities Network Plan - Action Plan 2022.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Community Facilities Network Plan guides regional level provision, planning and investment in community spaces and services. Its companion Action Plan outlines how the policy will be implemented. It is reviewed every three years and was last adopted in 2022. Actions are prioritised and included in work programmes subject to resource availability. Completed actions are reported to the relevant decision maker.

3. Delivery of the Action Plan is progressing, the main focus being on area-based actions to ensure community spaces are fit for purpose and to plan for growth. They inform planning and investment for community spaces. Seven area-based actions have been completed since 2022. Attachment A provides an analysis of progress.

4. Investment decisions are informed by a rigorous three-phase process based on the Better Business Case Framework^TM: investigation, indicative business case, and detailed business case. Actions in this three-phase process are delivered over several years, developing, testing and refining the case for investment leading to implementation. Put together, the actions provide a complete picture of the investment pipeline for consideration in budget processes.

5. A new addition to previous progress reports is the investment pipeline for large upgrades and new community spaces. There are currently eight community spaces renewal and optimisation projects in the pipeline, as well as 11 growth-related new community spaces to be delivered over the next three decades.

6. The Action Plan is due to be reviewed in 2025. The review will revise priorities and assess new actions largely arising from decisions on investigations and business cases. It will also consider how the Action Plan can best support increased local board decision-making.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Community Committee:

a) whiwhi / receive the report on the Community Facilities Network Plan - Action Plan 2022 progress update.

b) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note the investment pipeline for new and significantly upgraded community spaces.

Horopaki

Context

What is the Community Facilities Network Plan and Action Plan?

7. The Community Facilities Network Plan (the Plan) was approved in 2015 by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee [REG/2015/57].

8. It guides the council’s investment in the following community services:

· arts and culture spaces

· community centres

· library spaces

· pools and leisure spaces

· venues for hire (community or rural halls).

9. The Plan provides direction on the development of new spaces, major upgrades of existing spaces, optimisation, and potential divestment of spaces no longer meeting community needs. It enables different delivery models, for example, through partnerships and third-party ownership or without owning physical assets.

10. The Plan also sets the council’s expectations for regional provision level for community spaces. Local boards are now responsible for decisions on new and existing local community spaces and can deliver above regional provision expectations.

11. The Plan’s companion Action Plan is updated every three years and was last approved in 2022 by the Parks, Arts, Community and Environment Committee [PAC/2022/69]. Progress updates are provided in between the three-year reviews. The Action Plan is available here.

12. Actions can be strategic improvements^{^[1]}, business improvements^{^[2]}, or area-based if identified as a network priority using criteria in the Plan.

13. Area-based actions help understand service investment requirements across Auckland. The drivers for these actions are categorised as follows:

· actions to ensure existing community spaces are fit for purpose

· actions to meet future demand from population growth and changing users’ expectations

· actions to address gaps or duplication in provision and needs for community spaces

· actions that respond to an external catalyst or opportunity for community spaces.

14. Actions are delivered as resources allow. Priorities are given to implementing the Action Plan as follows:

· actions are triggered by one or more drivers (for example, a gap in provision)

· each action is assessed to determine whether it is a “Network Priority” and should proceed through the investigation process

· the investigation process determines the appropriate response for each action

· if capital investment is required to deliver the response, each business case is assessed against a “Funding Priority” criteria.

An agreed process is used to assess potential gaps in provision

15. The council requires a robust process to ensure that its scarce resources are directed to where and when most needed and deliver value for money for Aucklanders.

16. The provision metrics in the Plan guide expectations for regional level provision of community spaces. They identify where gaps in provision exist across the network. This avoids duplication and creates a coordinated and integrated community spaces network for all Aucklanders to access. This also supports the council’s ability to levy development contributions where growth is driving the need for additional community space.

17. The case for investment in new or substantially changed community spaces is tested against three broad phases. These are in line with the New Zealand Treasury’s Better Business Case Framework^TM:

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Staff are delivering the Action Plan as resource allows

18. Delivery of the Action Plan is progressing: 87 actions are completed, 26 actions are underway, 13 actions are programmed to start, and 31 actions not programmed. Attachment A provides more details.

19. Findings from completed actions are reported to the relevant decision-maker(s) and will inform the local board portfolio assessments. Actions related to individual community spaces are delegated to local boards.

20. New actions arising from decisions on completed actions will be considered as part of the next Action Plan review.

The investment pipeline is integral to facility investment decisions

21. Most actions are area-based and inform priorities and decisions for investment in new or upgraded community spaces.

22. As these actions (and subsequent actions) occur over a long period of time with different drivers and priorities, this report compiles the status of all community spaces that arise from the Community Facilities Network Plan and form the community facility investment pipeline.

23. It outlines:

· renewal and / or optimisation-related actions completed since 2022 (Table 1)

· renewal and optimisation projects as a result of investigations and business cases (Table 2)

· growth-related actions completed since 2022 (Table 3)

· new community spaces identified to support growth as a result of investigations and business cases (Table 4).

24. Budget availability is discussed in the financial implications section of this report.

Actions to support renewals and opportunities for optimisation

25. Since 2015, 30 actions have been completed that respond to renewals and opportunities for optimisation. Of those, two have been completed since 2022. This ensures facilities remain fit for purpose.

Table 1: Completed renewal and / or optimisation-related actions since 2022

Name	Date	Action number(s)
Investigations
Investigate options for Franklin and Jubilee pools to make services fit for purpose and respond to the needs of the growing population	2024	144
Indicative Business Cases
Develop an indicative business case for potential expansion or redevelopment of the Central Library to meet future needs	2023	137

Eight community spaces renewal and optimisation are in the pipeline

26. Eight renewal projects for existing community spaces are being progressed through the Action Plan.

Table 2: Community space renewals and optimisation

Name	Action No.	Local Board	Investigation	Indicative business case
Meadowbank community centre optimisation	74	Ōrākei
Ōtara town centre	80	Ōtara- Papatoetoe
Glenfield aquatic and leisure centre improvements	139	Kaipātiki
Albany library replacement	148	Upper Harbour
Seismic remediation and heritage restoration of Leys Institute	136	Waitematā
Birkenhead War Memorial Park upgrade	142	Kaipātiki
Northcote community hub	149	Kaipātiki
Takapuna community hub	152	Devonport- Takapuna

Actions to support growth

27. Providing for growth is a key driver. Since 2015, 35 actions have been completed where Auckland’s population growth is the primary catalyst. Out of those, five have been carried out since 2022.

28. The following actions have been completed since 2022:

Table 3: Completed growth-related actions

Name	Date	Action number(s)
Investigations
Franklin community provision investigation	2023	144, 147, 156
Oranga community provision investigation	2023	154
Māngere community provision investigation	2023	154
Tāmaki community provision investigation	2023	154
Detailed Business Cases
Kumeu-Huapai indoor court facility	2022	140

29. Two of the completed community provision investigations (Franklin and Tāmaki) have identified a potential gap in provision in the future. Actions to progress to indicative business case phase will be considered as part of the next Action Plan review.

30. For investigations where no current or future gap in provision were assessed, staff continue to monitor growth in the area to understand if there will be any future need.

Eleven new community spaces are in the pipeline to support Auckland’s growth

31. The work to date has identified nine additional community spaces to support Auckland’s growth over the next 30 years. The case for investment for each space is at a different level of refinement and testing, as is the anticipated timing for implementation.

32. In addition, two community spaces are planned to support growth in Flat Bush. They are not shown in Table 4 as they were planned before the introduction of the Community Facilities Network Plan 2015. They are included in the Long-term Plan 2024-34.

Table 4: Additional growth-related community spaces

Name	Action No.	Investment Priority Area	Investigation	Indicative business case	Detailed business case	Anticipated timing for implementation
Northwest aquatic and leisure centre	155	Northwest				Decade one
Huapai indoor courts	140	Northwest				Decade one
Te Hono (Avondale) multipurpose library/community centre	134	Central West				Decade one
Glen Innes multipurpose library/community centre	154	Kainga Ora Auckland Housing Programme				Decade two
Whau aquatic centre	135	Central West				Decade one
Drury pool and leisure centre	156	South				Decade two
Drury multipurpose library/community centre	156	South				Decade two
Paerata indoor courts	156	South				Decade three
Whenuapai multipurpose library/community centre	155	Northwest				Decade three

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

33. Consideration of climate impact happens at a project level. There are no direct climate impacts arising from this report on the Action Plan.

34. Future detailed business cases will include application of the Community Facilities Sustainable Asset Policy. The regional policy, the first of three phases under the council’s Sustainable Asset Standard, commits council to:

· achieve carbon neutrality in operations for new asset development

· achieve a minimum 5-Star Green Star rating (or equivalent certification) on the development of all new assets with a budget over $10 million

· incorporate decarbonisation principles into guideline documents for renewals and new asset development of all community assets.

35. Investigations and indicative business cases will need to consider how to take positive climate action. Staff will seek to understand the allowances required to meet climate impact targets for development of new spaces or improvement of existing spaces.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

36. Delivery of the Action Plan is predominantly resourced by council’s policy department and is subject to resource availability. Individual actions are delivered with input from other departments and, where relevant, Eke Panuku Development Auckland.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

37. Local boards provided feedback on direction and specific content during the development of the Community Facilities Network Plan and Action Plan prior to adoption in 2015 and 2022. Local board input will be a key part of the next Action Plan review.

38. Prioritisation criteria apply the highest weighting of 15 per cent to local board priority to ensure local board views influence the overall assessment of actions.

39. Progression of area-based actions are reflected in relevant local board work programmes. Local boards provide feedback and input throughout the investigations.

40. Decision-making for service provision and location sits with local boards, within funding parameters set by the Governing Body.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

41. Section 2.2 of the Community Facilities Network Plan outlines how it guides delivery of Māori outcomes including actively engaging and consulting to ensure the planning, development, and operations of community spaces consider Māori needs and aspirations.

42. Engagement with Māori is included as part of area-based action investigations and continues through the planning and delivery of responses.

43. Feedback provided from Māori is specific to the nature of the investigation for which the engagement occurred. This feedback is used to inform the delivery of options and responses.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

44. There is no financial implication arising from this progress update report. Prioritisation of the community facilities investment pipeline is made as part of annual and long-term budgetary processes.

45. Growth-related projects with allocated funding in the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (i.e. decade one) are as follows:

· Te Hono (Whau) multipurpose library/community centre: $40 million

· Flat Bush multipurpose library/community centre: $35 million

· Flat Bush aquatic centre: $48 million

· Whau aquatic centre: $89 million

· Northwest aquatic and leisure centre: $250,000 for detailed business case and $15 million for land acquisition.

46. Current budgets in the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 often reflect the estimated costs used for indicative business case purposes. Long-term Plan individual budget lines and estimated cost at completion often vary, sometimes significantly. This is because budgeted costs in the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 do not reflect inflation. This gap is exacerbated for projects which have been deferred during successive budgetary prioritisation processes.

47. Projects to be delivered in decades two and three are included in the Infrastructure Strategy as part of the Long-term Plan 2024-2034.

48. Renewals and optimisation projects are primarily delivered within existing local boards’ budgets. If a project is partly triggered from or benefitted by growth, a portion of its cost can be recovered through development contributions.

49. The community facilities pipeline informs the draft Development Contributions Policy 2025. Development contributions are a funding tool available to council to recover the growth-related proportion of budgeted projects. The aim is to make sure that the cost of new infrastructure is fairly shared between developers and ratepayers, based on who:

· causes the need for the infrastructure

· benefits from the infrastructure.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

50. There is a risk that progress on the Action Plan may not match local board priorities, as implementation involves taking a network view. Mitigation measures are:

· continue to socialise and reinforce the strategic objectives of the Community Facilities Network Plan to elected members, key staff, and through all deliverables

· consider community service-related content in local board plans for potential inclusion in the next Action Plan

· include discrete projects in the Community Regional Work Programme (former One Local Initiatives) in the Action Plan.

· continue to involve local boards in Action Plan implementation relevant to their area.

51. The gap between the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 budgets and estimated costs at community facilities’ completion presents an implementation risk. Mitigation measures are:

· update future Long-term Plan budgets to reflect inflationary pressure and delivery timing

· manage expectations and rescope projects to reflect existing budgets

· reprioritise the community investment pipeline.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

52. Staff will continue to progress implementation of the Action Plan as resources allow.

53. The Action Plan is reviewed every three years to consider completion of actions, Long-term Plan 2024-2034 implications, new actions and action priorities. Local boards’ views are sought as part of the review. The relevant committee of the Governing Body is responsible for adoption.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Progress Snapshot 2024: Community Facilities Network Plan - Action Plan (2022)

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Cheryl Steiner - Senior Policy Advisor

Authorisers

Carole Canler - Senior Policy Manager

Louise Mason - General Manager Policy

Megan Tyler - Director Policy, Planning and Governance

Community Committee

26 November 2024

Auckland Climate Grant 2024/2025 strategic allocation

File No.: CP2024/15108

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve grant allocations for the 2024/2025 Auckland Climate Grant strategic funding round.

Whakarāpopototanga matua Executive summary

2. The Auckland Climate Grant is a contestable grant designed to support community-led climate action.

3. The Auckland Climate Grant scope and criteria, priority action focus areas and decision-making process were approved by the Environment and Climate Change Committee at its September 2022 meeting (ECC/2022/80.)

4. The purpose of the Auckland Climate Grant is to support projects that:

· reduce greenhouse gas emissions through community-based action

· build community resilience to climate change impacts

· support Māori-led responses to climate change.

5. The total budget available for allocation in the 2024/2025 Auckland Climate Grant funding round is $372,451. This is funded from a combination of the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 climate investment package and general rates.

6. The Auckland Climate Grant is allocated to recipients through one strategic grant round and up to two response grant rounds. The grant programme guidelines, including detailed information on eligibility criteria, are included as Attachment A.

7. A total of 42 applications were received for the 2024/2025 Auckland Climate Grant strategic funding round, requesting a total of $1,647,679.

8. Staff assessed the applications against the fund’s key criteria: alignment with grant purpose, Māori outcomes, unmet need and project reach, collaboration, and likelihood of success.

9. Based on this assessment criteria, staff recommend that 11 applications are supported in this grant round, allocating $260,000 from the Auckland Climate Grant budget. In addition, two of these projects have also been allocated funding from storm response budgets.

10. The 11 applications recommended for approval were assessed by subject matter experts and reflect a range of climate action areas: Māori-led (three), transport (three), energy (two) and food (one). The remaining two applications have multiple outcomes. The funding rationale for all projects is fully detailed in Attachment B.

11. The grants recommended for support through the Auckland Climate Grant range in value from $10,000 to $40,000, with an average value of $23,636.

12. Staff recommend that 31 applications be declined due to the round being oversubscribed, and that these projects having comparatively lower contributions towards significant climate outcomes.

13. The remaining $112,451 from the Auckland Climate Grant budget will be allocated to applications received through the response funding round. Decision-making authority for Auckland Climate Grant response applications sits with the General Manager Environmental Services.

14. The Community Committee could choose not to approve the strategic grant allocation. Staff recommend approving the Auckland Climate Grant allocation based on the public commitment to this current funding round. The grant is highly valued by community groups carrying out climate action activity and is always oversubscribed. A reduction in funding to community organisations would impact delivering on Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan action area C4: Remove barriers and support community initiatives that reduce emissions and build resilience in a fair way.

15. If approved, staff will contact grant applicants to notify them of the outcome in December 2024.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Community Committee:

a) whakaae / approve the grant allocations for the 2024/2025 Auckland Climate Grant Strategic funding round totalling $260,000 as listed below and detailed in Attachment B of the agenda report.

Applicant	Project title	Funding recommendation
Grey Lynn 2030 Transition Community Trust	Electrify Community	$30,000
YMCA North Incorporated	Camp Adair Emissions Reduction: Replace Gas with Wood Pellet Boiler	$40,000
Tahuna Paa Marae Trust	Tahuna Paa Marae Water Infrastructure	$25,000
Whenua Warrior Charitable Trust	The Kumara Collective	$10,000
Time to Thrive to Stay Alive Charitable Trust	Sustainable Mobility Programme	$30,000
Socially Good Adventures Ltd (T/A Got To Get Out)	Got To Get a Bike: Ride it Keep it	$40,000
Gardens4Health under the umbrella of Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa	Gardens4Health	$10,000
Etu Rakau under the umbrella of the Many Streams of our Community Trust / I Am Mangere	Māngere Enviro Hub Mara	$15,000
Wednesday Challenge HQ Ltd.	The Wednesday Challenge Schools Programme	$30,000
Tāmaki College	Tāmaki College Climate Resilience and Community Innovation Hub	$15,000
Youth Climate Collective Limited	The Climate Action Conference 2025	$15,000
Total		$260,000

Horopaki

Context

Grant programme background and funding priorities

16. The Auckland Climate Grant was first established in 2021 with budget allocated to a climate grant programme through the 10-year Recovery Budget 2021-2031. The grant is designed to support delivery of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan. Funding was continued in the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP).

17. The Auckland Climate Grant scope and criteria, priority action focus areas, decision-making were approved by the Environment and Climate Change Committee at its September 2022 meeting (ECC/2022/80).

18. The purpose of the Auckland Climate Grant is to support projects that:

· reduce greenhouse gas emissions through community-based action.

· build community resilience to climate change impacts.

· support Māori-led responses to climate change.

19. Projects supported through the Auckland Climate Grant may address a wide range of the priorities included in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan. The priority focus for the 2024/2025 funding rounds are energy, transport, food, and Māori-led projects.

20. Strategic grants ($15,000 - $50,000) will support programmes and activities aligning with one or more priority activity areas (transport, food, energy or Māori-led) with tangible or clearly quantifiable emissions reduction and/or resilience outcomes. The grant programme guidelines including detailed information on eligibility criteria are included as Attachment A.

Grant programme budget and funding available for 2024/2025

21. In the 2024/2025 financial year, the Auckland Climate Grant budget available for allocation is $263,306. This is funded from the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 climate investment package. In addition, $109,145 from the Regional Environment and Natural Heritage (RENH) general rates funded budget is available for allocation through the Auckland Climate Grant due to the separation of sustainable living projects out of the RENH grant programme and inclusion in the Auckland Climate Grant.

22. The total Auckland Climate Grant budget for 2024/2025 is $372,451, for allocation across two response rounds and one strategic grant round.

Timing and promotion of funding rounds

23. The Auckland Climate Grant programme has one annual strategic funding round and two response funding rounds. In 2024/2025, the strategic grant round and response round one both opened to applications on 19 August 2024 and closed on 23 September 2024. Applications were assessed by subject matter experts in September and October 2024.

24. The grant was promoted through Auckland Council’s website and social media sites, the Infrastructure and Environmental Services mana whenua forum, staff networks and emails to community climate action stakeholders and partners.

25. Three online community workshop presentations were held during August 2024. The workshops provided a forum for applicants to seek support with the application process and request advice from council staff.

Prior funding round outcomes

26. For the financial year 2023/2024 Strategic Grant funding round, $225,000 was distributed across eight groups. The number for Aucklanders engaged and total emissions reduced will be reported following the receipt of final accountability reports in February 2025.

27. For the financial year 2022/2023 Strategic Grant funding round, $352,877 was distributed across 21 groups, reaching an estimated 9300 Aucklanders, and saving an estimated 1270 tonnes of carbon dioxide - the equivalent of taking 850 petrol cars off the road for a year, and delivering an estimated 16,300 volunteer hours.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

28. A total of 42 applications, requesting $1,647,679 were received to the Auckland Climate Grant strategic grant round.

29. All applications were assessed and scored against the Auckland Climate Grant assessment criteria in Table One.

Table One: Auckland Climate Grant assessment criteria

Assessment criteria	Assessment weighting
Alignment with grant purpose	40
Māori outcomes	20
Unmet need and project reach	20
Collaboration	10
Likelihood of success	10

30. A broad range of applications were received and scored individually by subject matter experts according to set criteria and then ranked. Following this independent assessment, the assessment team met to moderate scores and recommend grant allocations. Along with assessment scores other factors considered when setting funding recommendations are:

· Geographic distribution

· Distribution across grant priority areas (transport, food, energy, Māori-led)

· Support for applications from traditionally under-served communities

· Co-funding and funding available for projects from other sources

31. Of the 42 applications received, 11 applications are recommended for funding either in part or in full.

32. The applications from Whenua Warrior and Gardens4Health were identified as having a strong alignment with outcomes supported through both the Auckland Climate Grant and council’s storm response budget. These projects are co-funded by both budgets, with each allocated $10,000 from the Auckland Climate Grant and $25,000 from storm response budgets.

33. Two applications, Waiheke Resources Trust Solar Waiheke Sustainability Centre and Motu Community Nursery Ltd sustainable water infrastructure project, were identified as having strong alignment outcomes supported through storm response budgets. These projects are not recommended to be funded from the Auckland Climate Grant. Funding may be allocated from the storm response budget.

34. Information on all applications is provided in Attachment B. The geographic and priority area distribution of applications and funding recommendations is summarised in tables two and three below.

35. It is noted that no applications to the strategic funding round were received from west Auckland, although no specific barriers to application were identified. A number of projects in west Auckland were supported through 2023/2024 funding rounds and these projects are still underway.

Table Two: Geographic distribution of Auckland Climate Grant strategic applications and funding recommendations

Geographic distribution	No. of applications received	Funding requested	No. projects recommended for supported	Funding recommended
North	2	$55,509	0	$0
Central	12	$523,134.84	2	$45,000
West	0	$0	0	$0
South	10	$38,9449.63	4	$110,000
Regional	18	$679,603.19	5	$105,000
Total	42	$1,647,696.66	11	$260,000

Table Three: Activity area distribution of Auckland Climate Grant strategic applications and funding recommendations

Activity area	No. of applications received	Funding requested	No. projects recommended for supported	Funding recommended
Transport	10	$387,502.5	3	$100,000
Food	10	$391,611.63	1	$10,000
Energy	6	$253,638	2	$70,000
Māori-led	5	$199,907.69	3	$50,000
Multiple areas	11	$415,036.84	2	$30,000
Total	42	1,647696.66	11	$260,000

36. Reporting metrics for the Auckland Climate Grant include the number of Aucklanders undertaking low carbon actions and carbon emissions saved by Auckland households or individuals. Grant recipients will report on these metrics by preparing grant accountability reports, which they will submit to council staff in January 2026.

37. Auckland Climate Grant recipient accountability reports will be reviewed by council staff subject matter experts and the reporting metrics will be included in the Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland Climate Plan Progress Snapshot 2026 report that will go to the Community Committee in September 2026.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

38. The Auckland Climate Grants will support projects that lead to community climate change action to reduce carbon emissions and increase community resilience to climate impacts. The provision of grants through the Auckland Climate Grant programme contributes towards Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan action area C4: Remove barriers and support community initiatives that reduce emissions and build resilience in a fair way.

39. Individual projects supported through the Auckland Climate Grant programme may respond to a range of action areas within Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan including:

· Action area T3: Increase access to bicycles, micro-mobility devices and the safe, connected and dedicated infrastructure that supports their use.

· Action area C1: Work together to strengthen the resilience of our communities, people and places.

· Action area F4: Increase supply and demand for local, seasonal and low carbon food

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

40. The Auckland Climate Grant may potentially impact work within the Waste Solutions department, departments in the Community directorate, and other programmes supporting community resilience to climate impacts. Views on applications were sought from subject matter experts and senior staff during the assessment of strategic grant applications.

41. The Auckland Climate Grant’s support of community-led transport initiatives may have an impact on Auckland Transport. Views on transport applications were sought from Auckland Transport during the assessment of strategic applications.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

Local impact

42. Equitable geographical distribution of grant allocations across different local board areas was considered among other factors by the moderation panel.

Local board views

43. The Community Grants Policy provides for local boards to operate their own local grants programmes. Local boards may choose to fund local climate action projects and activities, some of which may complement the grants provided at regional level, or vice versa. An applicant’s funding track record, including a review of all previous local board grants they have received, is considered as part of the Auckland Climate Grant assessment process.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

44. The Auckland Climate Grant programme aims to respond to Auckland Council’s commitments through Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau, including supporting projects that contribute to Māori environmental outcomes and improve Māori wellbeing. This is achieved through providing grants to organisations delivering positive outcomes for Māori. In the assessment of Māori outcomes, higher ratings were also given to submissions that are led by Māori.

45. Under the Auckland Climate Grant, Māori-led projects include those that;

· provide activities or opportunities for Māori individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi or other Māori communities to lead: a response to climate impacts or; the building of community resilience to climate impacts or; a contribution to reducing climate emissions; and

· have a foundation in Te Ao Māori philosophy and principles and apply Māori language; and

· the applicant groups or project leaders are predominantly Māori.

46. Five applications were received to the Auckland Climate Grant strategic round that met these criteria.

47. Māori outcomes were assessed for all applications to evaluate the extent to which the project empowered Māori to respond to climate change and how Te Ao Māori has been integrated into the project methodology and goals.

48. Of the applications which were recommended for support, the projects with greatest contributions towards Māori outcomes are detailed in Table Four below.

Table Four: Projects with significant contributions to Māori outcomes

Applicant	Project title	Māori outcomes assessment
Tahuna Paa Marae Trust	Tahuna Paa Marae Water Infrastructure	The applicant is Mana Whenua and Tahuna Paa Marae is the oldest marae in Tāmaki Makaurau. The water infrastructure project will enhance the marae's capacity to serve as a dependable community hub and civil emergency site in the face of climate-induced disruptions. This project contributes strongly to Māori outcomes including marae development, te reo Māori, Māori identity and culture and kaitiakitanga. This project aligns with the Aukland Climate Grant focus on building resilience to climate impacts through supporting the installation of rainwater tanks as part of a multi-stage marae infrastructure project.
Whenua Warrior	The Kumara Collective	The applicant is a Māori led charitable trust. Kumara is a culturally significant crop to Māori and the applicant has the knowledge, expertise and matauranga to deliver this project. This project contributes to Māori outcomes including Māori Business, Tourism and Employment, Te Reo Māori, Māori Identity and Culture, Whānau and Tamariki Wellbeing, Realising Rangatahi Potential and Kaitiakitanga. This project aligns with the Auckland Climate Grant focus on building resilience to climate impacts through supporting schools and communities to increase local food security through increased knowledge of kumara growing, harvesting and storage techniques
Etu Rakau	Māngere Enviro Hub Mara	The applicant is a Māori led community group that has partnered with I Am Māngere and Māngere Development to create a mara at the Māngere Enviro Hui. Etu Rakau have collaborative relationships with Māngere College, Kainga Ora, Ta Rata Stream Team and other community organisations. This project contributes to Māori outcomes including Te Reo Māori, Māori Identity and Culture, Whānau and Tamariki Wellbeing, Realising Rangatahi Potential and Kaitiakitanga. This project aligns with Auckland Climate Grant resilience outcomes supporting communities to build food security

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

49. The total amount available for allocation in the 2024/2025 Auckland Climate Grant funding rounds is $372,451. This is funded through the Auckland Climate Grant budget ($263,306) and from the RENH general rates funded budget ($109,145) due to the separation of sustainable living projects out of the RENH grant programme.

50. Attachment B details the amounts recommended for funding from both the grant programme budget and the additional targeted rate funding.

51. The remaining $112,451 from the Auckland Climate Grant budget will be allocated to applications received through the response funding round. Decision-making authority for Auckland Climate Grant response applications sits with the General Manager Environmental Services.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

52. A risk assessment has identified three risks associated with the grant allocation process which are all considered to be at low risk of occurring and low impact. These are listed below along with the mitigations:

Table Five: Risks and mitigations

Risk	Risk assessment	Considerations and mitigations
Perceived inequity in grant allocation	Low	Applicants may query the grant allocation process and feel it has been inconsistent or unfair. This risk is mitigated through the thorough and transparent evaluation and assessment process, carried out in accordance with the grant framework.
Projects unable to be completed due to unforeseen circumstances	Low	This risk is mitigated through the application assessment which has included consideration of alternative delivery options where required. In the event of project disruption, council staff will work with grant recipients to agree alternative delivery plans or extended project timeframes.
Grant applicants do not use grant funds appropriately to fulfil the conditions of their grant or deliver the outcomes desired by the council	Low	This risk is mitigated through the initial assessment, which included evaluation of the capacity of applicants and their track record, and requirements for detailed reporting on outcomes of all applications. Grant recipients are required to account for use of allocated funds and the council can request the return of any funds not used in line with the approved grant purpose.

53. Staff will maintain regular contact with grant recipients during project implementation to follow up on progress and make sure any risks of individual projects are properly addressed.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

54. Next steps for projects supported through the Auckland Climate Grant are outlined in the infographic below.

Auckland Climate Grant next steps

55. At the end of the grant term recipients will be required to complete an accountability report on what has been achieved through their projects. Accountability reports provide detailed information about different aspects of the project, including receipts to show expenditure, photos and videos and are reviewed by subject matter experts against prespecified metrics.

56. Unsuccessful applicants will be issued with a decline letter as soon as practicable. These applicants will also be offered the opportunity to work with council staff on applications for future funding rounds or other opportunities for funding.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Auckland Climate Grant guidlines 2024/2025
b ⇨	Auckland Climate Grant 2024/2025 strategic application summary

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Fran Hayton - Low Carbon Specialist

Authorisers

Sam Hill - General Manager Environmental Services

Rachel Kelleher - Director Community

Community Committee

26 November 2024

Adoption of the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework 2026-2028

File No.: CP2024/17125

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek adoption of the new Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework 2026-2028.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Long-term Plan 2024-2034 gave direction for changes to the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund 2026-2028.

3. To give effect to the changes, staff have developed a new Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework 2026-2028 (Framework) with input from mana whenua, Aktive and sector stakeholders.

4. The new framework introduces a targeted (non-contestable) funding avenue for priority projects to better facilitate their completion. The targeted funding avenue will run alongside the contestable funding process.

5. The draft Framework was workshopped with the Community Committee on 9 October 2024. Feedback received from the committee has been incorporated into the final version of the framework.

6. The revised draft Framework is now presented to the Community Committee for adoption. To ensure strategic alignment with the sector and value for money council investment, some minor changes to the Framework may need to be made, prior to funding decisions being made by the Community Committee, to reflect feedback gathered through stakeholder engagement. The General Manager of Community Wellbeing is recommended to be delegated to approve these minor changes.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Community Committee:

a) whai / adopt the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework 2026-2028.

b) tautapa / delegate authority, through the Chief Executive, to the General Manager Community Wellbeing to make minor amendments to the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework 2026-2028, as may be required prior to each funding round.

Horopaki

Context

Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment

7. The Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund (SRFIF) is a regional grant established in 2019 to improve the provision of sport and recreation facilities. The fund also enables increased community participation in sport and active recreation in Auckland.

8. The purpose of the SRFIF is to:

· address sport and recreation infrastructure shortfalls

· respond to changing participation preferences

· deliver value for money by leveraging third-party investment

· get more Aucklander’s more active more often.

9. Non-council owned facilities are crucial to Auckland’s sport and recreation facility network. They contribute to meeting the evolving need for communities to use facilities to get active.

10. By investing in non-council owned facilities, the council can mitigate the burden on ratepayer funding for the provision and operation of sports facilities. It also empowers sport and recreation organisations to deliver services from their own facilities that are responsive and adaptive to community need.

11. Non-council owned facility developments can be realised through the council developing partnerships and providing grants that support projects being delivered by community and sport and recreation organisations.

12. Grants made through the SRFIF deliver value for money by leveraging external investment into these non-council facilities. Between 2019 and 2024 the SRFIF has allocated more than $57 million across 79 projects. The 79 projects have a total value which exceeds
$182 million. The SRFIF’s $57 million investment will therefore attract a further $125 million in third-party investment.

13. The SRFIF was established through the 10-Year Budget 2018-2028. The initial funding round of $5 million was allocated in financial year 2019/2020 on a non-contestable basis.

14. Since 2020, the SRFIF has been administered as a 100 per cent contestable grant. There is one minor exception: a $300,000 non-contestable top-up to expand a sports field project from three to four sports parks. The SRFIF allocation decisions are listed below:

Date	Financial Year	Committee	Resolution number	Value	Purpose
15 October 2020	FY21	Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee	PAC/2020/56	$9,933,940	SRFIF grants Auckland Council Sportsfields
11 November 2021	FY22	Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee	PAC/2021/59	$300,000	Auckland Council Sportsfield top-up
22 September 2022	FY23	Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee	PAC/2022/84	$15,368,800 (FY22 and FY23 combined)	SRFIF grants FIFA venues Auckland Council Hardcourts
07 September 2023	FY24	Planning, Environment and Parks Committee	PEPCC/2023/125	$13,040,000	SRFIF grants
15 August 2024	FY25	Planning, Environment and Parks Committee	PEPCC/2024/82	$13,636,178	SRFIF grants

15. The Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP) allocated a budget of $185 million, comprised of

· $150 million over 10 years; and,

· an additional $35 million over financial years 2025/2026 to 2027/2028.

Changes to SRFIF through the Long-term Plan 2024-2034

16. The initial Mayoral Proposal for the LTP was released on 1 December 2023. It outlined the Mayor’s vision and Governing Body priorities for the LTP, including changes to the SRFIF.

17. In June 2024, the Governing Body approved the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 [GB/2024/86] which gave direction on changes to SRFIF including:

· increase in the Sports and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund $35 million over three years to address the deficit in indoor sports facilities in Auckland

· Spend more strategically to achieve the necessary infrastructure improvements

· Avoid spreading funding too thinly

· Leverage additional sources of funding, prioritise key areas and facilitate aggregation.

18. In response to the LTP direction, a review of the SRFIF delivery model identified a need for a new framework to guide the SRFIF delivery through financial years 2025/2026 to 2027/2028.

19. A new SRFIF framework was developed by staff, with input from mana whenua, Aktive and sector stakeholders.

20. In a workshop on 9 October 2024, the Community Committee gave direction on the draft SRFIF framework, including that the focus on indoor sports should not be exclusive. This feedback has been incorporated into the revised draft Framework.

21. The Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework 2026-2028 is provided as Attachment A to this report.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Contestable funding model

22. Since its inception, the SRFIF has been administered as a 100 per cent contestable grant. There have however been two minor exceptions: the initial funding round in 2019 being non-contestable, and a 2021 top-up to expand a sports field project from three to four sports parks.

23. The contestable approach to grant funding is inherently reactive – the funder can only work with the applications it receives.

24. Construction projects are complex, costly and time-consuming. The SRFIF grants to construction projects often involve significant sums. To manage risk to Auckland Council’s investment it is necessary to set a high threshold for success. Many SRFIF applicants report that the application requirements are onerous.

25. The SRFIF grant delivery process has resulted in Auckland Council being forced to react to projects with sufficiently high capability organisations behind them. The distribution of investment has favoured well-progressed projects from comparatively well-resourced areas. Communities of greatest need have had fewer existing projects, fewer applications, and fewer high-quality applications.

26. Feedback from elected members in prior funding rounds has questioned the distribution of SRFIF investment in business meetings, seeking to understand why communities of greatest need are not seeing significant SRFIF investment. The changes to the SRFIF delivery model look to address distribution and prioritisation of the fund.

Changes to SRFIF delivery model

27. The new Framework (Attachment A) presents a SRFIF delivery model that responds to the LTP direction.

28. The new Framework identifies key changes to the SRFIF delivery model:

· an additional $35 million from the LTP across financial years 2025/2026 to 2027/2028 to address the deficit in sports facilities in Auckland

· introduction of a targeted (non-contestable) funding element to SRFIF using up 70 per cent of the available funding

· continuation of a contestable funding process using the balance of available funding

· community engagement to identify facility network shortfalls in priority areas, to maximise community outcomes and develop strategic community partnerships

· prioritise partnerships with existing and future non-council facilities in the network (e.g. Ministry of Education and schools) to share facilities with the community

· use of the Tāmaki Makaurau Sport and Recreation Facility Priority Plan to help inform decisions on where capital investment will be placed.

29. Benefits of a targeted (non-contestable) funding model include:

· Strategic focus: Funding can be proactively aligned with broader strategic goals, such as improving access to sports in communities of need or promoting diversity.

· Support for smaller organisations: It enables equitable support for smaller or less-established sports bodies, promoting growth across diverse sports.

· Addressing inequity: Ensuring emerging sports and or marginalised communities receive or have access to funding.

· Stability and Long-term Planning: It provides financial certainty for projects, enabling sports organisations to plan for long-term development, and attract third-party funders.

· Efficiency: reduced administrative overheads associated with competitive funding process, allowing organisations to focus more on core activities.

Options

30. Options for the Community Committee are:

· Option 1: adopt the Framework

· Option 2: do not adopt Framework.

31. Option 1 is recommended - that the Community Committee adopt the Framework, and delegate authority to the General Manager Community Wellbeing to make minor edits as may be required prior to each funding round.

32. Risks associated with not adopting the Framework are covered in the risk and mitigation section of this report.

Sector engagement

33. Aktive, as a strategic regional leader, has been supporting council by leading engagement sessions on the draft Framework with stakeholders and Regional Sports Organisations (RSOs) across Tāmaki Makaurau.

34. Council has also undertaken direct engagement with RSOs and other key partners to inform the final draft Framework.

35. Given the concurrent timelines for report development and sector engagement, final feedback from the sector will be tabled at the Community Committee meeting.

36. While general sector support for the Framework is anticipated, some minor amendments to the Framework to reflect any specific key themes may be required as a result of stakeholder feedback. It is recommended that the General Manager Community Wellbeing be delegated responsibility to make any minor amendments, and report these back to the committee via memo at a later date.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

37. The Framework includes a new section on climate change and sustainability.

38. The advisory group for development of the Framework included staff from the Chief Sustainability Office, Environmental Services, and Community and Social Policy.

39. Staff from the Chief Sustainability Office have previously contributed questions to the SRFIF application form to improve assessment of environmental impacts of potential projects.

40. Contestable and targeted (non-contestable) funding processes will assess projects and applications against climate and sustainability criteria.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

Community Grants Policy 2014

41. Administration of applicable Auckland Council grants is guided by the Community Grants Policy 2014 (Policy).

42. The Policy defines contestable grants, discretionary grants and out-of-scope grants.

43. Key attributes of contestable grants are:

· applications are invited during scheduled funding rounds, with publicly advertised opening and closing dates

· any eligible organisation has an equal opportunity to be considered for a grant

· clearly defined processes will be applied to all applications, and

· final allocation decisions are made in a public forum.

44. The Policy identifies certain grants as out-of-scope including:

· Large, one-off grants towards the purchase, development or maintenance of key regional infrastructure (e.g. the Waterfront Theatre building, Holy Trinity Cathedral).

· Facility partnerships (for the capital development of community facilities in partnership with external organisations).

45. At the time, the term ‘facility partnership’ referred to grants of the same nature as the SRFIF – large one-off grants to community organisation for construction of community facilities. Later, the term was formally defined with the adoption of the Facility Partnership Policy 2018 to mean a relationship more involved, ongoing and dynamic than simply grantor – grantee.

46. The SRFIF has been administered as a contestable grant, but the Policy allows flexibility for a targeted (non-contestable) funding approach. This funding approach pertains to SRFIF grants to capital development of key regional infrastructure, or community facilities in partnership with external organisations.

Guiding Auckland Council plans

47. The SRFIF and the Framework are guided by The Auckland Plan 2050, Auckland Sport and Recreation Strategic Action Plan 2017, and the Increasing Aucklanders Participation in Sport: Investment Plan 2019-2039. These documents will be used for the 2025/2026 financial year funding round.

48. A new policy to guide Auckland Council’s sport and recreation investment is currently in draft phase. The Manaaki Tāmaki Makaurau: Auckland Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy is scheduled for adoption by the Governing Body in June 2025. The adopted strategy will replace existing strategic documents.

49. Starting in financial year 2026/2027, the SRFIF will transition to the Tāmaki Makaurau: Auckland Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy as the new guiding document for investment.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

50. The draft Framework was presented to all local board members on 8 November 2024 in an Annual Plan 2025-2026 Briefing. Feedback from elected members at the briefing was positive and there were no objections.

51. The SRFIF investments will continue to be informed by local board plans and relevant sport and active recreation facility plans, including Tāmaki Makaurau Sport and Recreation Facility Priority Plan.

52. Staff can work with local boards to identify potential future projects for contestable and targeted (non-contestable) funding processes.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

53. Development of the Framework was discussed with the Community and Resilience and Infrastructure Interim Mana Whenua Forum on 17 September 2024, and feedback received at the hui was incorporated into the draft Framework.

54. The draft Framework was circulated to that forum on Thursday, 17 October 2024.

55. The Framework includes a section on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and how the SRFIF can respond to council’s obligations as a treaty partner.

56. The Framework’s ‘Entry Pathway 2’ specifically mentions potential partnerships with marae.

57. Contestable and targeted (non-contestable) processes will assess projects and applications against Māori outcomes criteria.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

58. The SRFIF budget allocations for financial years 2025/2026 to 2027/2028 are as follows:

	FY26 ($m)	FY27($m)	FY28($m)
SRFIF	$13.8	$14.1	$14.3
Additional $35m	$10.0	$10.0	$15.0
Total per year	$23.8	$24.1	$29.3

59. The Framework stipulates that targeted (non-contestable) funding will be allocated first. Thereafter the balance of the annual budget available will be utilised for the contestable process.

60. The Framework aims to commit approximately 70 per cent of annual budget to the targeted (non-contestable) process. Year on year the precise percentage split between targeted and contestable processes will vary according to the projects being considered.

61. SRFIF investment in alignment with LTP direction is used to leverage third party funding, and we want to ensure that best projects are supported at the right time, in the right amount, so they can be delivered in an efficient manner. To achieve this we propose to develop a pipeline of targeted projects that can be matched against current and future SRFIF budget allocations

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga
Risks and mitigations

62. If the Framework is adopted, there is some risk that:

· certain groups may be unhappy that the targeted (non-contestable) process reduces the amount of funding they can apply for. These are likely to be proponents of projects with lower alignment to the funding criteria (relative to other applicants). This risk is mitigated by maintaining the contestable process, and the additional $35 million across financial years 2025/2026 to 2027/2028.

· adding a new targeted (non-contestable) funding pathway and additional funding will create additional workload that will impact staff if not addressed. This risk could be mitigated by managing staffing levels to meet the workload.

63. If the Framework is not adopted, there is some risk that:

· council will not be able to establish a targeted (non-contestable) SRFIF funding process to give effect to LTP direction until a process is adopted

· timelines for the contestable SRFIF funding round will be affected

· benefits of a targeted (non-contestable) funding process (outlined in paragraph 30) above will not realised

· key projects will have to seek funding through the onerous contestable application process, and will not enjoy security/confidence of council support. This in turn will add delays to projects and undermine the ability to attract third party funders.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

64. A workshop with the Community Committee is planned for 26 November, to seek direction on the shortlist of projects to be considered for funding from the targeted process.

65. The shortlisted projects will provide updated information that will be assessed, and funding recommendations made to the Community Committee, for a decision at a business meeting on 11 February 2025.

66. The contestable process of the SRFIF is expected to open on 18 February 2025.

67. Funding recommendations for the contestable process will be presented to the Community Committee for allocation in July/August 2025.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework FY2026 - FY2028

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Nick Harris - Sport & Recreation Lead Team Leader

Authorisers

Kenneth Aiolupotea - General Manager Community Wellbeing

Rachel Kelleher - Director Community

Community Committee

26 November 2024

Open Report: Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund 2024-2025 allocation

File No.: CP2024/17140

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek approval of the allocation of grant recommendations for the medium and large applications to the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund 2024/2025 funding round.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund is a contestable grant scheme established as a key initiative of Auckland Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2012 (RDO/2013/7) and continued into the Waste Minimisation and Management Plan 2024 (waste plan 2024).

3. The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024 (PEPCC/2024/111) was adopted in October 2024 prior to commencement of the 2024/2025 funding round.

4. The fund supports initiatives that will help achieve the vision, targets and strategic objectives of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018, including waste minimisation and the diversion of waste from landfill in Auckland. The 2024 waste plan will continue in this direction.

5. In 2024/2025 the fund has $673,571 available for allocation. This is funded from the waste disposal levy allocated to Auckland Council (currently set at $60 per tonne for municipal waste).

6. The 2024/2025 funding round has a total of $673,571 available to distribute as follows.

· Small grants $5000 and under: $115,041, with decision-making delegated to the General Manager Waste Solutions

· Medium and large grants $5001 and over: $558,530, with decision-making allocated to the Governing Body through the Community Committee.

7. The Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund focuses on seed-funding new waste minimisation activities. Funding is allocated across four key outcome areas:

· resource recovery initiatives and facilities

· commercial waste

· organic waste

· community action and behaviour change.

8. The additional funds available over the $500,000 allocation is due to a carry-over of the previous year allocation that was not allocated.

9. This year, the grant programme received 84 applications, requesting over $2.3 million in total. Sixteen were for small grants, and 68 for medium and large grants.

10. All applications were checked for eligibility before being assessed and scored by a panel of council staff with expertise in waste minimisation and innovation. Five applications were ineligible due to misalignment with the fund criteria and objectives, one from the small grant category and 4 from the medium-large category.

11. Assessments were undertaken across the four outcome areas and in line with the funding criteria, including strategic alignment, Māori outcomes, potential for waste minimisation, community participation, value for money, and quality of the proposal (see WMIF fund guidelines).

12. Staff recommend that 19 of the medium and large grant applications are supported with funds from the 2024/2025 Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund budget for a total value of $557,839.

13. The recommended projects will deliver on at least one of the four key outcome areas of the fund.

14. The recommendations for the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund 2024/2025 funding round will be presented for decision-making in the confidential section of this meeting.

15. To improve Māori outcomes achieved by the fund, there is a separate Māori outcomes assessment criterion with a 10 per cent weighting and a target of 15 per cent of the fund to be awarded to projects which deliver specific Māori outcomes by Māori for Māori. Specific activities support effective participation and applications from mana whenua and mataawaka organisations.

16. If the recommendations are approved, applicants will be notified of funding decisions in December 2024. All projects are to be undertaken within the calendar year 2025. Applicants are required to report back to the Waste Solutions department at the end of their project, submitting an accountability report.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendations

That the Community Committee:

a) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note the information contained in this report on allocation of funds to medium and large (over $5,001) grant applications for the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund 2024/2025 funding round.

b) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that allocations for the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund 2024/2025 funding round will be presented for decision-making in the confidential section of this meeting.

Horopaki

Context

The Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund supports waste minimisation initiatives

17. The Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (waste fund) was established as part of Auckland Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2012 (Resolution RDO/2013/7) and continues in the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018 and 2024. The fund supports initiatives that will help achieve the vision, targets and strategic objectives of the waste plan, including waste minimisation and the diversion of waste from landfill in Auckland. Wholly funded by the waste disposal levy the waste fund is primarily intended to provide seed-funding to encourage and enable innovative reuse and recovery as well as generate economic opportunities.

18. Half of the total revenue generated from the waste disposal levy (currently set at $60 per tonne for Class 1 landfills and $10-$30 per tonne for the other classes) is allocated to territorial authorities on a population basis. This money must be spent on promoting or achieving waste minimisation as set out in local authorities’ Waste Management and Minimisation plans. Auckland Council has allocated some of the waste disposal levy funding to support this contestable grant fund.

19. The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018 (waste plan 2018) sets out the purpose of the waste fund, which is summarised as follows:

· promote or achieve waste minimisation

· reduce waste to landfill in accordance with the objectives of the plan

· foster new ideas and encourage community participation in reducing waste to landfill.

20. The fund aims to target priority waste streams, reduce harm to the environment and improve efficiency of resource use by supporting new initiatives which complement and enhance existing programmes or address gaps.

Funding is allocated through four outcome areas

21. Funding is allocated through four outcome areas targeted through the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Outcome areas targeted through the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund

Outcome area	Background
Resource recovery initiatives and facilities	Development of a regional resource recovery network is a priority for Auckland’s long-term aim to achieve zero waste by 2040. The network will provide infrastructure that supports maximum resource recovery, as well as providing local business and employment opportunities. A specific focus is the development of community and business operated resource recovery facilities.
Commercial waste	Supporting business waste minimisation is a key initiative of the waste plan 2018. The long-term target of this plan is to reduce total waste to landfill by 30 per cent by 2027. As commercial waste (waste not controlled by the council) makes up 83 per cent of all waste sent to landfill in Auckland, supporting business waste minimisation is a priority. The council is seeking ways to encourage development of innovative solutions for commercial waste, particularly construction and demolition waste (such as concrete, timber, plasterboard, and insulation materials).
Organic waste	Organic waste (food waste and green waste) makes up about 50 per cent (by weight) of domestic waste sent to landfill. Reducing organic waste is a priority for achieving Auckland’s zero waste goal. Auckland Council have introduced a kerbside collection of food scraps for households in urban areas. Initiatives that complement this service or enable local composting are eligible for funding. Projects could look at reducing domestic and commercial green waste to landfill like community gardens, through composting or mulching, or innovative ways to process organic waste.
Community action and behaviour change	Fostering new ideas and encouraging community participation in reducing waste to landfill is a key direction of the waste plan 2018 and continued in the Waste Management and Minimisation 2024 (waste plan 2024), and a priority in the lead up to introducing fortnightly collections for refuse across the region once the food scraps collection has been introduced. Building community capacity for waste minimisation will be important in ensuring all Aucklanders have access to the information, education and support they need to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill. The aim is to create enduring change in community behaviour and attitudes towards waste.

Grant programme budget and funding available for 2024/2025

22. The waste fund has an annual budget of $500,000, with $450,000 allocated to medium and large projects and $50,000 allocated to small grants in a single funding round.

23. If funds are not fully allocated in one year, they are carried forward into the next funding round. Unspent allocations can also be returned to the budget if no longer required by the grant recipient.

24. In the 2023/2024 funding round, unallocated or returned funding from previous financial years totalling $173,571 was carried forward and added to the budget for this funding round. $65,041 is for the small grant category and $108,530 is for the medium-large grant category.

25. The total amount of funding available for distribution for the 2024/2025 funding round is $115,041 for small grants and $558,530 for medium and large grants, see Table 2.

Table 2. Sub-categories for allocating waste fund grant funding

Category	Grant range	Application period each financial year	Funding available 2024/2025
Small projects	From $1,000 - $5,000	August	$115,041
Medium projects	From $5001 - $25,000	August	$558,530
Large projects	From $25,001 - $50,000	August	$558,530

26. The waste fund has a minimum threshold of $1,000, and a maximum threshold of $50,000. Applications requesting funding of more than $50,000 in a single year are considered on merit at the discretion of subject matter experts and council staff.

27. Decision-making for recommendations of up to $5,000 is delegated to the General Manager Waste Solutions, with decision making for recommendations of over $5,001 allocated to the Governing Body.

Applicants are required to match 50 per cent of the funding

28. A minimum 50 per cent contribution towards the projects is required from applicants. This can be achieved through additional funding from their own or other resources, or time-in-kind.

29. Private investment and funding from other providers are encouraged and considered favourably by the assessment team.

Timing and promotion of the grant programme

30. The 2024/2025 funding round was promoted via several avenues, including:

· local boards

· internal council networks including the Waste Solutions, Sustainability Initiatives, Community Empowerment Unit and grants teams

· Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund contact database

· media releases to newspapers, including articles in OurAuckland

· Facebook adverts

· digital screens in Auckland Council service centres, libraries and buildings.

31. In addition to the standard promotion listed above, in April and July 2024, a total of five online workshop presentations were held where applicants could be supported through the application process and request advice from council staff.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Grant applications were assessed using a three-stage process

32. Applications were assessed through a three-stage process.

33. All funding applications were assessed for eligibility against the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund guidelines.

34. Feedback was requested from subject matter experts and council staff on all eligible funding applications. The Māori outcomes specialist assessed and scored the relevant applications against the Māori outcomes criteria. Their assessments and scores were taken through to the panel meetings but were not further modified by the panel. The Māori outcomes scores were given a 10 per cent weighting and contributed directly to the overall weighted score of each application.

35. Applications were then assessed by a panel comprised of council subject matter experts, who scored each application against the assessment criteria, focusing on the:

· project’s strategic alignment with the waste plan 2018

· potential for waste minimisation

· community participation and/or benefit

· value for investment

· quality of proposal.

36. The initial scores were moderated by panel members before the panel agreed upon final funding recommendations regarding medium and large grants for the Community Committee’s consideration and regarding small grants for consideration of the General Manager Waste Solutions.

37. Six applications of the medium and large grant category received the same score (66). Due to insufficient funds to distribute across all of the projects with the same score, they were then prioritised according to the highest scores in the assessment criteria for Waste Minimisation and Māori Outcomes.

The grant programme received 84 applications across all four priority outcome areas

38. The grant programme received 84 applications, requesting over $2.3 million in total. Sixteen applications were for small grants, and 68 applications requested medium and large grants. Five applications were ineligible due to misalignment with the fund criteria and objectives (one from the small grant category and four of the medium-large grant categories).

39. Applications were received from a range of organisation types with the majority received from businesses and charitable organisations as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Applications received by organisation type

40. Applications were spread across all four priority outcome areas (resource recovery initiatives and facilities, commercial waste, organic waste, and community action and behaviour change). Applications generally aimed to deliver on more than one of the four outcome areas. Refer to Figure 2 below for applications received by outcome areas.

Figure 2. Applications received by outcome area

41. Applications focused on projects that influenced community action and behaviour change and reducing commercial waste.

42. Following a review of the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund in 2021 the fund has priority waste streams that are updated annually prior to grant round opening. This focuses applications to align with priority waste streams identified by Ministry for the Environment under the national Waste Minimisation Fund.

43. The priority waste streams for the 2024/2025 round were construction and demolition waste, textile waste and organic waste. Applications were spread across the priority waste streams for the medium and large grants, as follows:

· construction and demolition waste: 11 applications received and five recommended

· organic waste: 24 applications received, and 13 recommended

· textile waste: 9 applications received, and one recommended.

44. Grant requests ranged from $1,000 to $50,000 in value, with an average of $36,649 being requested.

Recommendations and rationale for allocating funding

45. The funding recommendations included in the confidential report on this agenda have been developed in line with the fund guidelines, priorities and agreed funding principles.

Medium and large grant category

46. In the confidential report on this agenda staff recommend that 19 applications from the medium and large grant category, totaling $557,839 are supported from the fund’s medium and large grants category budget.

47. A total of $168,836 is recommended for applications submitted by five Māori organisations. This equates to 25 per cent of the total available funds for the 2024/2025 funding round.

48. Applications which are recommended for funding scored highly against the assessment criteria, as well as showing:

· capability of the applicant to deliver the project outcomes

· budget feasibility, including applicant investment and funding requested

· demonstration of financial and operational project sustainability

· ability to scale or replicate the project

· use of best practice methods

· project continuance and benefit should partial funding be granted.

49. Forty-nine of the medium and large applications received are recommended to be declined for the following reasons:

· low contribution towards funding outcomes

· not significantly meeting funding criteria

· budget limitations.

Small grant category

50. A total of fifteen applications from the small grant category requesting up to $5,000 were approved for funding, under delegation, totalling $51,996.

51. One application for the small grant category was recommended to be declined due to misalignment with the fund criteria and objectives.

52. More detail on the allocation of funding amounts of the grant funding will be discussed in the confidential section of the 26 November 2024 Community Committee meeting.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

53. One of the key criteria for allocation of funding under the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund is the potential for a project to divert waste from landfill. The diversion of waste from landfill contributes to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through reducing the largest source category for the waste sector – solid waste disposal.

54. Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan sets out a path for the region to achieve its climate goals and respond to our changing climate. The projects recommended for funding will contribute to the following Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri climate plan actions.

· Action B7 – develop and support initiatives to minimise construction and demolition waste.

o Five projects focus on minimising construction and demolition waste. These projects target the reuse and repurposing of construction material as well as creating a better understanding of barriers and opportunities for waste minimisation to develop tools and guidelines that can be applied by the wider construction industry.

o Construction and demolition projects also help drive demand for recovered materials by diverting them from landfill or cleanfill, helping to create a circular economy.

· Action E6 – manage our resources to deliver a zero waste, circular economy.

o Two projects that contribute to a circular economy by encouraging re-use and restoration of products and materials are recommended for funding. By reusing materials, these projects will reduce emissions from waste in landfill and preserve embedded carbon by extending the lifecycle of such materials.

· Action F3 – prevent and reduce waste and maximise the value of surplus food:

o Thirteen projects that rescue food and divert food scraps from landfill are recommended for funding in this grant round. Food scraps and organic materials release methane when they degrade in the anaerobic environment of a landfill. The diversion of these specific materials will further reduce methane emissions.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

55. All applications have had input from a subject matter expert from Sustainable Schools, Waste Solutions and Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience, according to the project outcome areas and scoring guidelines. All applications were also reviewed by a resource consent expert and recommendations were provided to ensure the proposed projects do not require any consents.

56. The grants programme has no identified impacts on council-controlled organisations and therefore their views on applications were not sought.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

57. Thirty-four projects are recommended for Waste Minimisation and Innovation Funding, of which 25 projects will be delivered in specific local board areas and eleven will have a regional focus. The distribution of recommended funding is shown in Figure Three.

Figure 3. Local board areas that recommended projects will occur/impact.

58. The Community Grants Policy 2014 provides for local boards to operate their own local grants programmes. Local boards may choose to fund local waste minimisation projects and activities, some of which may complement the grants provided at regional level, or vice versa.

59. Local boards helped to promote the fund and will be informed of the results of the funding round including successful applications from their areas, following approval of funding recommendations by the Community Committee.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

60. A guiding principle of the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund is to support waste minimisation projects which enable Māori to participate in co-management of resources and support sustainable development of Māori outcomes, leadership, community and partnerships.

61. To improve Māori outcomes achieved by the fund, following a review of the fund in 2021, there is now a separate Māori outcomes assessment criterion with 10 per cent weighting to prioritise waste minimisation projects that enable mana whenua in their role as kaitiaki and mataawaka businesses and organisations with waste minimisation capability.

62. There is a target of 15 per cent of the fund to be awarded to projects which deliver specific Māori outcomes by Māori for Māori and help ensure effective participation and encourage applications from mana whenua and mataawaka organisations.

63. To enable participation in the fund the Waste Solutions department held two capacity-building workshops for Māori organisations prior to the 2024/2025 round of funding and promoted the fund through the Resilience and Infrastructure Mana Whenua Forum.

64. The grant programme received seven applications from Māori organisations in the 2024/2025 funding round. Funding is recommended for five of these applications under the medium and large grant category. The remaining two applications were declined due to misalignment with the fund or insufficient supporting information provided in the application. No applications were received from Māori organisations in the small grants category.

65. Forty-seven other applicants included the following information in their grants:

· working with Māori

· Māori involvement in the design or concept

· including a Māori focus through tikanga (practices), mātauranga (knowledge) or te reo (language)

· participation through a Māori priority group, target group or high representation of Māori staff delivering the project.

66. For the 2024/2025 Waste Minimisation and Innovation Funding round Māori organisations represented 8 per cent of the total number of applications received and 15 per cent of the applications recommended for funding, refer to Figure 4.

Figure 4. Breakdown of Māori applications and those recommended for funding

67. Māori organisations represented 10 per cent of the total value of funds applied for and were awarded 25 per cent of the total funds available (Figure 5). This exceeds our target to award 15 per cent of the total funds available to projects delivering Māori outcomes for Māori by Māori.

Figure 5. Proportion of grant funds recommended for Māori organisations or projects seeking to deliver Māori outcomes by value

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

68. The grant allocation of the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund can be managed through existing budgets provided for by the waste disposal levy.

69. The 2024/2025 budget for medium and large grants is $558,531 which is fully funded by the waste disposal levy.

70. Staff recommend $557,839 of this budget be allocated in the 2024/2025 funding round.

71. There is $63,737 ($63,045 small grants and $691medium and large grants) of unallocated funding from the 2024/2025 budget to be carried forward to the 2025/2026 funding round.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

72. To reduce risks, allocation of grants follows the guidelines and criteria of Auckland Council’s Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund and Community Grants Policy 2014. A thorough assessment process, including fair and transparent decision making, ensures fair allocation of grants.

73. The Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund further mitigates potential risk by using a reimbursement process when awarding large amounts of funding. Recipients receive funding once project works have been undertaken and invoices or receipts have been provided to the council.

74. Upfront funding can be provided; however, an official and detailed request must be made by the grant recipient and is assessed on a case-by-case basis. There is also a requirement for applicants to provide a project accountability report at the end of their term.

75. Staff will maintain regular contact with applicants during the project implementation phase to follow up on progress and make sure any risks are properly addressed.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

76. Following consideration of the funding recommendations and pending approval, applicants will be notified of funding decisions in December 2024.

77. At the end of the grant term, recipients will be required to meet project accountability requirements, detailing how funding has been used and what their project has achieved.

78. Unsuccessful applicants will also be offered a written evaluation on request, and the opportunity to work with council staff for advice on applications for future funding rounds.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Tanya Browne – Waste Planning Advisor

Ben Barton – Waste Planning Manager

Authorisers

Parul Sood - Deputy Director Resilience and Infrastructure

Rachel Kelleher - Director Community

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Forward Work Programme - 2024
b ⇨	Draft Forward Work Programme - 2025
c ⇨	Memo - Hon Louise Upston Cllrs Bartley Hills and Dalton letter 19.09.2024

Resolution Number	Item	Status
CCCCC/2024/1	Regional Event Grants Programme - allocations financial year 2024/2025 round one	Applicants have been notified of round one decisions and processing of funding agreements and grant payments is in progress. Round two is currently open for applications and funding recommendations will be presented to the March 2025 Community Committee meeting.
CCCCC/2024/2	Regional Arts and Culture grants allocation round one 2024/2025	Applicants have been notified of round one decisions and processing of funding agreements and grant payments is in progress. Round two is currently open for applications and funding recommendations will be presented to the March 2025 Community Committee meeting.

[1] Planning and operational changes that will improve the way we work.

[2] Actions to improve our understanding of community facilities, to improve their operations or develop tools.

Chair	Cr Angela Dalton
Deputy Chair	Cr Julie Fairey
Councillors	Cr Josephine Bartley
	Cr Wayne Walker
	Cr Kerrin Leoni
	Cr Alf Filipaina, MNZM
	Cr Richard Hills
	Houkura Member Tony Kake, MNZM
	Houkura Member Billy Brown
Ex-officio	Mayor Wayne Brown
	Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, JP

Date	Subject
19/9/2024	Letter – Hon Louise Upston relating to ongoing funding for food banks and addressing food insecurity

Author	Madeline Holland - Kaitohutohu Mana Whakahaere / Governance Advisor
Authorisers	Sam Sinton - Executive Officer Community

Contestable funding model

Exclusion of the Public: Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987