Agenda of Extraordinary Meeting of the Community Committee

Community Committee

11 February 2025

Operational Homelessness Response Update

File No.: CP2025/00713

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide the Community Committee with an update on the regional homelessness work programme delivered by the Community Impact Unit, Community Wellbeing.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. In August 2017, Auckland Council resolved to contribute to improving, ending, and preventing homelessness in Auckland with the vision that homelessness be ‘rare, brief and non-recurring’ (resolution ENV2017/118). The council also agreed to develop a strategic leadership plan for a regional, cross-sectoral approach and to strengthen established levers.

3. In 2020, the Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee endorsed Kia Whai Kāinga Tātou Katoa (resolution PAC/2020/33), Auckland’s regional cross-sectoral homelessness plan, a monitoring and reporting framework, and approved the Auckland Council Implementation Plan.

4. The council plays a regional, and in some cases local, role in the homelessness sector, addressing homelessness through policy, advocacy, economic and social development activities, strategic partnerships, investments, and initiatives. Auckland Council works closely with the stakeholders operating in the homelessness area to create connections, efficiency, and jointly create and influence systems change. The council is also a conduit to receive notifications and creates referrals to the most appropriate service provider on a case-by-case basis.

5. The council’s homelessness response is closely supported internally with the work done through the Community Compliance & Safety Team, specifically the officer who holds the role of Regional Compliance Officer – Homelessness.

6. The homelessness sector through social service providers delivers front line responses. The council works with community housing providers and stakeholders to facilitate regional pilots, trials, and evaluations.

7. The Long-term Plan 2024-2034, adopted on 27 June 2024, embedded funding for homelessness activities, continuing this commitment for a further three years.

8. This report provides the Community Committee with a six-monthly regional homelessness work programme update from July 2024.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Community Committee:

a) whiwhi / receive the regional homelessness bi-annual update report (July 2024 to December 2024) detailing the council’s efforts in response to homelessness in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Horopaki

Context

9. The council uses Statistics New Zealand’s definition of homelessness: living situations where people are without shelter, in temporary accommodation, or living in uninhabitable housing and have no other options to acquire safe and secure housing.

10. Homelessness is a local, regional, and national issue. The government recently estimated that homelessness is affecting over 112,000 people.

11. Table 1 shows data from the latest 2023 census which indicates the scale of housing need nationally.

Table 1: Severely housing deprived people by homelessness category, estimated count (2023 census)

NZ definition of homelessness category	2018 count	2023 count
Without shelter (includes those sleeping rough and living in improvised and mobile dwellings)	3624	4965
Temporary accommodation (includes night shelters, camping grounds, boarding houses, marae)¹	7950	13,796
Sharing someone else’s private dwelling (temporary resident in a severely crowded private dwelling)	27,426	24,768
Uninhabitable housing (housing that lacks one or more basic amenities)	60,462	68,967
Total severely housing deprived	99,462	112,496

1. Temporary accommodation includes Women’s refuge data and estimates for children living in non-private dwellings.

12. In August 2017, the council resolved to contribute to improving, ending, and preventing homelessness in Auckland with the vision that homelessness be ‘rare, brief and non-recurring’ (resolution ENV2017/118). The council also agreed to develop a strategic leadership plan for the regional, cross-sectoral approach and to strengthen established levers.

13. In 2020, the Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee endorsed Kia Whai Kāinga Tātou Katoa (resolution PAC/2020/33), Auckland’s regional cross-sectoral homelessness plan, a monitoring and reporting framework, and approved the council’s Implementation Plan.

14. The Mayoral Proposal for the Long-term Plan (LTP) 2021-2031 included homelessness support funding of $500,000 per annum in the first three years of the plan to provide certainty and ability to plan.

15. Funding to support homelessness initiatives of $500,000 per annum is maintained in the 2024-2034 LTP budget, adopted at the 27 June 2024 Governing Body meeting. This fund is administered through the Community Impact Unit. The current allocations for this investment are summarised in Table 3.

16. Table 2 shows the data derived directly from the Social Housing register. Those on the register have been assessed as having circumstances that qualify them for housing to be provided by a social housing agency or through Kāinga Ora.

17. It is worth noting the rapidly declining numbers of those residing in emergency housing. This decline is a direct result of the government target to reduce emergency housing by 75 per cent. In January 2024 in Tāmaki Makaurau there were 735 people / households in emergency housing, and by November this had dropped to 60. Māori over-representation remains consistent.

Table 2: Summary comparison of the Auckland homelessness statistics between April 2018 and at end of November 2024

Areas	Figures as at April 2018	Figures as at end of November 2024
Auckland households in emergency housing	221, representing 23 per cent of the national figure	60 (down from 885 Nov 2023) – representing 9 per cent of the national figure
Individuals on the public housing wait list in Auckland	3417 (48 per cent of whom are Māori), representing 42 per cent of the national figure	6820 (47 per cent of whom are Māori) – representing 32 per cent of the national figure
Auckland households in transitional housing	901 - representing 42 per cent of the national figure.	2799 – representing 44 per cent of the national figure
New applicants in October to the social housing register	Nil data	1857
Applicants on the social housing register nationally	8108	20,834
Applicants on the transfer register	1819	4707

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Council and sector roles and responsibilities

The role of the homelessness sector

18. The homelessness sector comprises a broad range of agencies who together form the collective focus of addressing and supporting unsheltered rough sleepers. It includes key central government departments, notably the ministry of housing and urban development and the ministry of social development.

19. Social services providers with contracted outreach capabilities form the core response working alongside the council and volunteer organisations such as Māori Wardens and Community groups. The Tāmaki Makaurau Collaborative to End Homelessness is the connection forum for these groups who meet regularly.

20. The homelessness sector leads primary interventions, which includes outreach services to rough sleepers, the provision of social housing and wrap around social services.

21. Several registered community housing providers have trained and qualified social workers and peer support workers to be able to respond to and engage with homeless people.

22. These providers are contracted though central government funding agreements to provide outreach support and seek pathways to housing for the homeless. Providers may have access to their own housing. These housing contracts are capped, and most providers are at or exceeding those caps. The demand is greater than the capacity they have.

23. In extreme cases, a secondary outreach provider or the Māori Wardens may be asked to attend to achieve engagement with an individual or group.

24. Rough sleepers need to accept offers of assistance before any housing can be accessed. Building rapport and trust is key to intervention.

25. In addition to responding to notifications, there are several social services providers who operate outreach teams. They perform welfare checks and assistance to the degree that assistance is accepted.

26. Government target settings have seen an impact, reflected in this report’s numbers, on the ability for homeless tangata to access emergency housing.

27. Physical and mental health issues, along with addictions, are presenting in most cases of rough sleeping and their needs can be incredibly complex.

28. Rough sleepers with complex mental health issues could result in outreach practitioners engaging mental health services to seek an intervention. The assessment threshold is high.

Auckland Council’s role in homelessness

29. Auckland Council uses a sector partnering and relationship approach to enable a cross-council and cross-sectoral response to homelessness to:

a) promote and support effective collaboration within the homelessness sector

b) enable effective sector led initiatives to prevent and address homelessness

c) provide funding support where gaps occur that could have an impact on addressing the needs of the homeless

d) provide support through strategic grants and support for pilot initiatives and trials

e) promote innovation and continuous improvement in practice through research, evaluation, and monitoring

f) raise awareness, build empathy, and encourage local responses to local issues

g) be an enabling council seeking to advance the cross-council homelessness action plan

h) develop resources for council staff to support their engagement with people experiencing homelessness.

30. The council’s contact centre representatives triage incoming notifications by phone for the relevant department to manage, for instances such as homeless, camping and bylaw breaches.

31. The Compliance team and Regional Partnerships Lead – Homelessness, work together to achieve early interventions through outreach providers to work towards the goals outlined in Kia Whai Kāinga Tātou Katoa.

32. Inclusive services in libraries, arts facilities and community centres focus on reducing barriers for communities who are experiencing complex needs including homelessness, while accessing the council’s services, and ensuring that staff are equipped to link people with the support that they need.

33. The Central Hub Safe Spaces Pilot Project prototypes and tests improvements of current processes to address the complex needs and behaviours of communities, including people experiencing homelessness, who visit council spaces like the Central Hub.

34. Responses to long-term rough sleepers include but are not limited to:

a) referrals and coordinating follow ups with outreach providers – increasing and ongoing

b) communication updates

c) ongoing attendance to email enquiries and routing referrals to the best placed outreach provider based on location, capability, and capacity

d) notifying the Public Health Mental Crisis team in extreme cases

e) liaising with senior managers of the lead social services providers to escalate extreme cases and to provide suggestions and alternate approaches

f) ongoing support and advice to compliance officers and council staff particularly those who focus on compliance with homeless tāngata

g) supporting and providing minor operational funding for three World Homelessness Day activations throughout Tāmaki Makaurau.

35. In addition to the work programme, there are several larger bodies of work currently being undertaken:

a) Developing data collection avenues for providers, the wider sector and the council to enable data informed decisions. This multi stakeholder initiative is currently being worked through.

b) A place-based initiative that will see a social services provider dedicate a social worker based in a library and hub location. The social worker will be supported by two dedicated outreach workers to engage with and assist in engaging with those who find themselves homeless. Funding has been provided through the City Centre Targeted Rate. Employment commencement through the social services provider is due early 2025.

c) Diversifying funding options through collaborating with central government funders and philanthropic funders to create longer term options for the social services sector.

d) Staff have worked with Eke Panuku to establish a space to enhance the wellbeing of rough sleepers in the central city and are now looking at future alternatives as the existing site is slated for redevelopment.

e) Collaborating with other councils nationally to share approaches, insights and policy when working with homelessness and associated issues.

f) Distributing a funding guide for the social services sector in preparation for applications to be invited for next financial year’s funding round.

g) Convening and providing secretariat support to the Tāmaki Makaurau Collaborative to End Homelessness (TMC2EH), formerly the Rough Sleepers Steering Group. The collaborative provides leadership, advocacy, and oversight to develop strategies, policies, and collaboration to support rough sleepers and others in transient or vulnerable accommodation. Involvement spans local government, sector peak bodies who represent their members such as Auckland Community Housing Providers Network, Auckland Transitional Housing Providers Network, Manaaki Rangatahi, Community Housing Aotearoa. Key sector NGOs, and key central government agencies including housing, corrections, and health.

h) Key priority areas workshopped at TMC2EH and working groups established.

Auckland Council’s homelessness response financial year 2023/2024 investments

36. Table 3 provides a summary of the council’s 2023/2024 financial year homelessness investment, the funding agreements of which are still active and providers being engaged with monitoring progress.

Table 3: Summary of the council’s 2023/2024 homelessness investments

Source	Organisation	Amount	Purpose
Homelessness response fund	Orange Sky	$40,000	· Expansion of laundry and shower services in Tāmaki Makaurau, both static and mobile. A pod has been located in Manurewa.
	Front Door Rangatahi Initiative	$40,000	· Rangatahi initiative on Karangahape Road through Kickbackmakechange with support from Mana Services.
	Lifewise Trust	$80,000	· A pilot programme to train and employ lived experience kaimahi in a triage capacity, to work in the early intervention space with the housing vulnerable.
	Salvation Army	$50,000	· Outreach and wellbeing services specific to West Auckland.
	Link People	$40,000	· A South Auckland pilot of mobile health outreach service in conjunction with a GP clinic to the homeless and housing vulnerable tangata.
Homelessness response fund	Auckland Transitional Housing Providers Network	$30,000	· Coordination of collective work streams of the Auckland Transitional Housing Providers Network.
	Auckland City Mission	$200,000	· Assertive and responsive outreach services in Tāmaki.
	Kāhui Tū Kaha	$100,000	· A regional pilot targeting boarding houses and lodges that have been identified as sources of recurring homelessness.
	Tāmaki Ki Te Tonga Māori Wardens	$50,000	· Tactical outreach and wellbeing pilot, including day-time storage of possessions.
Total		$630,000

Auckland Council’s homelessness response financial year 2024/2025 investments year to date

37. Table 4 provides a summary of the council’s financial year 2024/2025 homelessness investments in this financial year with several more in the pipeline yet to be allocated

Table 4: Summary of the council’s financial year 2024/2025 homelessness investment year to 15 January 2025

Source	Organisation	Amount	Purpose
Homelessness response fund	Grace Foundation	$75,000	· Funding to train lived experience facilitators to deliver courses focussed towards ex-prisoners / gang members / addictions & other drugs and trauma recovery
	Front Door Rangatahi Hub	$7990	· Sourcing and implementation of software customised for rangatahi clients and accurate data capture
	Massey Community Trust	$50,000	· Development and packaging of ‘Safety Net’ an alternate rangatahi emergency housing model for replication
	Visionwest	$80,000	· Extension of outreach and wellbeing services specific to North/West Auckland
	Community Groups Feeding the Homeless	$40,000	· Co-ordinator for the various community groups undertaking street feed initiatives and allied events and coordinating kai recovery
Homelessness response fund	Tāmaki Ki Te Tonga Māori wardens	$8,385.00	· To complete works to activate Manaaki Tangata (well-being space)
	Manaaki Rangatahi – Peak body	$13,000	· Creation of a website which will allow coordinated access to be added in the future
	Housing Call to Action - Waitakere City Workers Educational Association Incorporation T/A West Auck Enterprise Skill & Training	$22,000	· Creation of three community resource guides specific to North/West, Central /East and South. Additional digital conversion capability to follow, inside another project
Total		$296,375 59.28 per cent of 2024/2025 budget

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

38. Adverse climate events can have rapid and serious consequences for those who are homeless. Loss of habitable dwellings has a localised knock-on effect for rental availability.

39. Climate change, particularly prolonged periods of dryness, also pose challenges through increased fire risks in areas inhabited by the homeless.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

40. Homelessness responses intersect with multiple council departments and CCOs. Close working relationships with council’s Compliance unit regionally is a key link to the success of early interventions, as well as Policy, Ngā Matarae, Community Wellbeing at large, Parks and Community Facilities, and Waste Solutions.

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

Local impacts and local board views

41. Homelessness and its inherent transience sees unsheltered and those living in cars affect all areas and all local boards. Most local boards support grants in the range of $1000 - $5,000 for local organisations who provide allied support to the homeless, such as kai initiatives. Larger investments have generally not been made by local boards to date, with the exception of Waitematā Local Board who have been supportive of several more significant initiatives.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

42. Māori are disproportionately over-represented in all areas of housing deprivation, from rough sleeping to short term accommodation through to social housing and social housing wait lists. The efforts of the social housing sector in conjunction with council are vital to give Māori opportunity and access to suitable accommodation and support services. All providers house based on need and their occupancy reflects a higher need amongst Māori.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

43. Funding to support homelessness initiatives of $500,000 per annum is maintained in the 2024-2034 LTP budget, adopted at the 27 June 2024 Governing Body meeting. This fund is administered through the Community Impact Unit.

44. The current allocations for this investment are summarised in Table 3. The sum total of the available budgeted funding was exceeded in the financial year 2023/2024 as an operational budget and a unit budget were also part utilised to try and meet funding demands.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

45. Auckland Council staff will continue to advance the homelessness work programme and including bi-annual updates to the Community Committee.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Ron Suyker – Regional Partnerships Lead (Homelessness)

Authorisers

Dickie Humphries – Head of Community Impact

Rachel Kelleher - Director Community

Community Committee

11 February 2025

Allocation of targeted funding through the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund for financial year 2025/2026

File No.: CP2025/00209

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To allocate funding through the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund’s targeted process for financial year 2025/2026.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund (SRFIF) is a regional grant that supports the development of non-council owned sport and recreation facilities.

3. The Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework FY2026 – FY2028 was adopted in November 2024 [CCCCC/2024/10]. This framework introduced a targeted non-contestable funding process for the SRFIF, alongside the existing contestable process.

4. There is $23,869,965 available in the 2025/2026 financial year budget for both the targeted process and contestable process.

5. In a workshop on 26 November 2024, the Community Committee supported the proposed direction to invite six organisations delivering high priority projects to submit updated project information for consideration to become targeted projects through SRFIF.

6. All six candidates submitted the requested project information between 29 November and
20 December 2024.

7. The targeted process applications and projects were assessed by Auckland Council’s Sport and Recreation team and an Independent Review Panel made up of sector experts.

8. All six projects were recommended for targeted grant allocations totalling $14,348,920.

9. The remaining budget of $9,521,045 will be available for the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund’s contestable process. Applications for the contestable process will open on 18 February 2025, with funding allocation scheduled for 29 July 2025.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Community Committee:

a) whakaae / approve the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund’s targeted process grant allocations for the 2025/2026 financial year, as follows:

No.	Recipient	Funding up to:	Previous grant(s)	Purpose
i)	Auckland Hockey Association Incorporated Lloyd Elsmore Park Hockey Stadium - Turf 2 renewal and LED Floodlight upgrade	$215,000	$350,000 (FY25)	To complete renewal of turfs and floodlights.
ii)	Highbrook Regional Watersport Centre Trust Highbrook Watersports Centre Clubhouse building	$2,200,000	$3,450,000 (FY25)	For construction of a watersports facility: an additional $2,200,000 to achieve a total contribution of up to $5,300,000 or 60 per cent of total project costs, whichever is less.
iii)	Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia Limited acting on behalf of Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Sports, Recreation and Hauora Centre	$600,000	$150,000 (FY25)	A. Funding up to $600,000 or 33 per cent of design and consent costs, whichever is less.
iii)		$5,000,000:		B. Conditional upon the parties (Auckland Council and Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1) agreeing to design of the facility, funding up to $5,000,000 towards construction of a second indoor court.
iv)	Pakuranga United Rugby Club Incorporated Howick Pakuranga Community Sports Centre Facility Expansion	$5,571,061	$2,673,939 (FY25)	For construction of additional indoor courts: an additional $5,571,061 to achieve a total contribution of up to $8,245,000 or 60 per cent of total project costs, whichever is less.
v)	Waka Pacific Trust Wero Climb	$250,000	$250,000 (FY24)	For lighting of the climbing frame and the provision of shade for participants.
vi)	West Auckland Riding for the Disabled Association Incorporated Covered Riding Facility	$512,859	$1,280,000 (FY23)	For the cost of access and landscaping works required to be compliant with Resource Consent, Building Consent, and safety requirements.
Total:		$14,348,920

b) tautapa / delegate authority through the Chief Executive to the General Manager Community Wellbeing to prepare and execute funding agreements for the above grant recipients.

c) whakaae / approve the remaining budget of $9,521,045 be used in the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund’s contestable process for financial year 2025/2026.

Horopaki

Context

10. The Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund (SRFIF) is a regional grant established in 2019. The fund is intended to improve the provision of non-council owned facilities and increase community participation in sport and active recreation in Auckland.

11. 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 Aucklanders more active, more often.

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 allocated more than
$57 million to 79 projects, the total cumulative value of which exceeds $182 million.

13. The budget allocated to the SRFIF is $150 million over 10 years of the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP). An additional $35 million of funding is made available over three years (financial years 2025/2026 to 2027/2028), bringing the total funding to $185 million. These budgets are expected to be phased as follows:

14. The Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework FY2026 – FY2028 (the Framework, Attachment A) was developed to outline the introduction of a non-contestable aspect of the fund. The funds are allocated through a targeted process.

15. The Framework was adopted by the Community Committee on 26 November 2024 (CCCCC/2024/10).

16. Decision-making for allocation of the SRFIF sits with the Community Committee.

Inviting projects to the targeted process

17. The Framework outlines three pathways for identifying projects to be included in the targeted process:

· Entry Pathway 1: Previous SRFIF projects.

· Entry Pathway 2: Projects identified by council that have not previously applied to the SRFIF and are engaged in partnerships of significance.

· Entry Pathway 3: Proactively developed community partnership projects.

18. Timeframes between the adoption of the Framework in November 2024 and the funding allocation decision in February 2025 are tight. Therefore, only ongoing projects that were previous recipients of SRFIF were able to be considered in this round.

19. During financial years 2025/2026 and 2026/2027, staff will work to identify and develop projects for Entry Pathways 2 and 3. The draft approach for this work will be presented to a Community Committee workshop in April 2025.

20. All existing SRFIF recipients, and all projects identified in the Tāmaki Makaurau Sport and Recreation Facility Priority Plan (TMSRFPP), were considered for the targeted process.

21. Twenty of 22 projects in TMSRFPP, Category A have already received support through SRFIF.

22. The six candidates were selected based on:

· their alignment to SRFIF’s priority criteria

· their progress through the project lifecycle

· current SRFIF funding available relative to the next necessary steps.

23. Providing targeted funding to these projects now will make a critical difference to each project. It will enable the organisations to maximise outcomes, focus on additional fundraising efforts and confirm the scope of their projects.

24. As directed by the Framework, all six projects were assessed on their strategic alignment, including specific reference in the TMSRFPP:

Organisation	Project	TMSRFPP Ranking
Auckland Hockey Association Incorporated	Lloyd Elsmore Park Hockey Stadium - Turf 2 renewal and LED Floodlight upgrade	7th (Category A)
Highbrook Regional Watersports Centre Trust	Highbrook Watersports Centre Clubhouse building	13th (Category A)
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia Limited (acting on behalf of Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1)	Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Sports, Recreation and Hauora Centre	1st (Category B)
Pakuranga United Rugby Club Incorporated	Howick Pakuranga Community Sports Centre Facility Expansion	19th (Category A)
Waka Pacific Trust	Wero Climb	4th (Category A)
West Auckland Riding for the Disabled Association	Covered Riding Facility	3rd (Category A)

25. In a workshop on 26 November 2024, the Community Committee supported the proposed direction to invite the organisations delivering these six high priority projects to submit updated information for consideration to become targeted projects through SRFIF.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

26. The Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund’s targeted process will allocate funding from the 2025/2026 financial year budget.

27. There is $23,869,965 available in the current funding round.

28. As outlined in the framework, the intent is to allocate approximately 70 per cent of the available budget per year to the targeted process. The remaining funds are to be designated for the contestable process.

29. Applications for the targeted process opened on 29 November 2024 and closed on
20 December 2024.

30. All six invited organisations submitted an update on their projects, with a total of over
$25.4 million of funding requested.

31. All targeted process projects are previous SRFIF recipients that were assessed during their initial SRFIF application. These projects were assessed based on criteria published in the SRFIF guidelines:

· Communities of greatest need

· Benefit to Māori

· Inactive communities

· Participation

· Partnerships

· Type of infrastructure

· Catchment of infrastructure

· Stage of project (e.g. construction)

· Environmentally sustainable project

· Strategic alignment

· Financial leverage

· Scale of project

· Amount of operating subsidy required

· Overall achievability of the project

32. In January 2025, all applications/projects were assessed by Sport and Recreation staff based on:

· justification to target

· capability/achievability

· project status

· funding status.

33. Preliminary recommendations were developed according to the following principles:

· aim to pay no more than 60 per cent of total project costs

· invest in a basic level of facility provision suitable for community sport

· focus on next necessary works in each project

· focus on time-critical support appropriate for each project.

34. Preliminary allocation recommendations were presented to an expert panel, independent of council’s Sport and Recreation team. The Independent Review Panel (IRP) members listed below were selected for their knowledge and experience in the sport and recreation sector:

Mark Bowater	Spaces and Places Consultant, Sport New Zealand
Neil Coventry	Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand Football Foundation
Sharon Rimmer	Senior Partnership Specialist, Group Strategy, Transformation and Partnerships, Auckland Council
Simon Tattersfield	Active Environments Manager, Aktive

35. Feedback from the IRP was incorporated into the final recommendations presented in this report.

36. The total amount of targeted funding recommended is $14,348,920 (60 per cent of the 2025/2026 financial year budget). This means that there will be $9,521,045 (40 per cent) available for the contestable process.

37. Summary packs that include project description, recommendation details, participation impact, and catchment of facility, can be found in Attachment B.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

38. The framework takes direction from Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan. The plan is council’s roadmap to a zero-emissions, resilient and healthier region that is better connected to our environment and able to thrive in the face of ongoing change and disruption.

39. The SRFIF seeks to respond to the challenges outlined in the Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri, particularly under the Built Environment, Natural Environment, Transport and Communities and Coast Priorities.

40. Climate impact is a key priority outcome criteria that all six projects were assessed against in their initial SRFIF application.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

41. Council departments that are impacted, or have provided input to the SRFIF targeted process, are shown below:

Department	Input
Finance	Consulted on matters relating to budgets, cashflows and taxation.
Parks and Community Facilities	Coordinated with Leasing relating to leasing concerns and landowner approvals.
Transformation and Partnerships	Membership of the IRP included the Senior Partnership Specialist, Group Strategy, Transformation and Partnerships to analyse each project through a partnerships lens.
Ngā Mātārae	Ngā Mātārae will be consulted to support the facilitation of strategic relationships and Māori participation in decision-making, regarding the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Sports, Recreation and Hauora Centre.

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

Local impacts and local board views

42. During the previous SRFIF contestable rounds, local boards were provided with a list of applications and invited to express concerns or objections if any arose. No concerns were raised.

43. In the absence of concerns raised, where the landowner is a local board, the local board’s support was inferred from evidence of previous local board decisions directly relevant to the project, including:

· landowner approvals

· lease or agreements to lease

· identification in a local board sport and active recreation facilities plan

· project identified in a local park management plan or park master plan

· previous grants provided by the local board.

44. Five of the six targeted projects already have confirmed landowner approval. Only the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Sports, Recreation and Hauora Centre is not yet at landowner approval stage.

45. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have a close relationship with Ōrākei Local Board. A multi-sport centre at the Ōrākei Domain (potential partnerships with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei) was identified in the Ōrākei Sport and Active Recreation Facility Plan 2020.

46. The West Auckland Riding for the Disabled site upgrades have been identified as a high-priority in the Henderson-Massey Local Board Sport and Active Recreation Facilities Plan 2023. The Henderson-Massey Local Board has shown ongoing support for the project with various decisions and grants over a number of years.

47. The Waka Pacific Trust project (Wero Climb) was identified in the Manurewa Sport and Active Recreation Facilities Pan 2022.

48. The draft Howick Sport and Active Recreation Facilities Plan Refresh 2024 (scheduled to be adopted in March 2025), identifies Highbrook Watersports Centre, Lloyd Elsmore Park Hockey Stadium, and Howick Pakuranga Community Sports Centre as high priority projects.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

49. Staff have engaged with mana whenua through the Mana Whenua Forum regarding the fund and draft framework.

50. The framework outlines Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and why this matters. It also outlines how the fund will resource the support for mana whenua to develop and manage kaupapa Māori facilities. This resource is being developed and further engagement with mana whenua on this support will occur in 2025.

51. During previous SRFIF funding rounds, all applicants have been assessed against the ‘benefit to Māori’ criteria. Generic community benefit that may also be enjoyed by Māori is considered low-alignment, whereas a by Māori, for Māori project is considered strongly aligned. Note that all SRFIF recipients must provide long-term community access as a requirement of the grant.

52. The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Sports, Recreation and Hauora Centre is a project by Māori, for Māori. It has been a 40-year aspiration to develop a hauora centre to meet the multi-generational needs of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. The facility will provide Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and the wider community with a versatile, inclusive space for connection, recreation, and celebration. This will ensure that the project reflects the iwi’s vision and values while remaining viable and impactful.

53. Staff are conscious that the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Sports, Recreation and Hauora Centre project will involve a relationship between Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia Limited / Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 and Auckland Council that sits within a broader relationship between mana whenua and council as Te Tiriti o Waitangi partners. The hauora centre project is an opportunity to honour Tiriti obligations by collaborating for the mutual benefit of mana whenua and the wider community.

54. All SRFIF projects (except like-for-like renewals) include mana whenua engagement during the development lifecycle, most notably before seeking a lease from a local board.

55. Notable Māori outcomes arising from the targeted projects include a new waka-ama facility on the south-eastern banks of the Tāmaki River. The Highbrook Regional Watersports Centre Trust has consciously evolved to include waka ama and canoe-sports to expand the benefits delivered by the facility beyond rowing alone. The trust enjoys a positive working relationship with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, including a trust board member nominated by the iwi. The trust is actively developing relationships with local schools and stakeholders to ensure systems are in place for local young people to access the activities as soon as they come online.

56. The Waka Pacific Trust – Wero Climb project has worked in consultation with Tainui iwi representatives to incorporate Māori storytelling into the design of the adventure climbing experience. The intent is that participants will learn the stories and challenges that were overcame, and in turn accept the challenge in completing the course.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

57. The SRFIF is a regional budget allocated through the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (10-year Budget).

58. There is a total of $23,869,965 available in the current funding round for financial year 2025/2026. This is made up of a combination of the SRFIF core budget of $13,869,965 and year one of the additional $35 million ($10,000,000).

59. The SRFIF is currently budgeted as follows for the next three years:

	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

60. The framework stipulates that the targeted process funding will be allocated first. Thereafter the balance of the annual budget available will be utilised for the contestable process.

61. With $14,348,920 recommended to be allocated in the targeted process, there will be $9,521,045 available for the contestable process, scheduled for allocation on 29 July 2025.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

62. Staff identified risks with the process, assessment, and recommendations. The themes and the proposed mitigation steps are highlighted in the table below:

Thematic risks in process, assessment, and recommendations

Type	Risk – pre mitigation	Mitigation
Reputational	Moderate risk – Staff members or review panel members may have an actual or perceived conflict of interest that unduly influences the funding recommendations.	· All assessors and review panellists were asked to declare any conflict of interest before the assessment process, to ensure objectivity, integrity and transparency. · There were no conflicts of interest that influenced or interfered with recommending organisations for funding.
Operational	Moderate risk – The assessment process and funding recommendations are unfair.	· Staff ensure the assessment process is fair, transparent and rigorous by adhering to a robust process that uses criteria published in advance (Framework) and is aligned to Increasing Aucklanders’ Participation in Sport: Investment Plan 2019-2039.
	Moderate risk – Administration and assessment of applications may not be impartial, resulting in unfair funding allocations.	· The assessment process is strengthened and regulated by having an Independent Review Panel that brings an objective view. The IRP were all from outside of the council’s Sport and Recreation team to prevent any conflict with the administration of the grant.
	Moderate risk – Expectation that groups invited to the targeted process will be allocated what they requested.	· To ensure the SRFIF achieves value for money (as identified in the LTP), staff apply a principles-based assessment, alongside published assessment criteria: fund only what is needed, require third party investment funding leverage.
Financial and deliverables	Moderate risk – Recommended organisations are unable to fulfil commitments made in their applications.	· The funding agreements allow council to withhold any payments if the terms and conditions are not met.
	Moderate risk – Less funding will now be available in the contestable process.	· The framework outlined that an estimated 70 per cent of the overall budget will go towards the targeted process, with the remaining 30 per cent going to the contestable process. · The rounds allocation recommendation of $14,433,920 makes up 60 per cent of the budget, meaning 40 per cent ($9,436,045) will be available for the contestable process.
	Moderate risk – Council will lose funding leverage if total project cost is decreased.	· All funding allocations are worded as “up to” the total funding amount. This means that this is the maximum amount of funds that will be paid out, but council has the right to withhold funding if there a substantial change in the project scope of cost. · Many of the recommendations include ‘or a per cent of total project cost, whatever is less’. This is done to ensure that any decrease in total project cost, will also mean council’s contribution decreases. This is to ensure that council maintains the intended funding leverage when the allocation is made.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

63. Following a resolution by the Community Committee to allocate funding through the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund’s targeted process for financial year 2025/2026, staff will:

· Notify all applicants about the funding allocation decisions made by the Community Committee.

· Prepare and execute funding agreements for each successful grant recipient.

64. The remaining budget of $9,521,045 will be available for the 2025 Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund’s contestable process.

65. The contestable process applications will open on 18 February 2025 and close on 18 March 2025.

66. Funding allocations for the 2025/2026 financial year contestable process will be made on
29 July 2025 by the Community Committee.

67. The draft approach for identifying and developing projects for Entry Pathways 2 and 3 will be presented to the Community Committee in an April 2025 workshop.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework FY 2026 – FY 2028
b ⇨	SRFIF Targeted Process 2025 - Project Summaries

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Shaun Watkins - Grant Portfolio Lead

Nick Harris - Sport & Recreation Lead Team Leader

Authorisers

Kenneth Aiolupotea - General Manager Community Wellbeing

Rachel Kelleher - Director Community

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

Resolution Number	Item	Status
CCCCC/2024/14	Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund 2024-2025 allocation	Grant recipients notified of the application outcome in December 2024 – Awaiting signed funding agreements from successful grant recipients of the 2024 funding round. Due 31 January 2025.
CCCCC/2024/8	Community Facilities Network Plan – Action Plan 2022 progress update	Report provided for information only – no decisions made.
CCCCC/2024/11	Auckland Climate Grant 2024/2025 strategic allocation	All applicants to the Auckland Climate Grant Strategic funding round have been notified of funding decisions. Funding agreements have been entered into with successful applicants. Successful applicants have 12 months to complete delivery of their project and meet grant accountability requirements.
CCCCC/2024/10	Adoption of the Sport and Recreation Facilities Investment Fund Framework 2026-2028	The first SRFIF targeted funding process has commenced, working towards an allocation decision on 11 February 2025. · On 26 November 2024 the Committee gave direction to invite six candidates for consideration as targeted projects. · The six candidates submitted further information by the 20 December 2024 deadline. · Council’s Sport and Recreation team has assessed the six projects and presented funding recommendations to an independent review panel. · On 17 January 2025 the independent review panel provided feedback on the six projects and respective funding allocations. Staff are now incorporating the panel’s feedback into the draft report.

Date	Subject
31/01/2025	Regional Historic Heritage Grant Programme allocations for 2024/2025 financial year

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Forward Work Programme - Community Committee
b ⇨	Information Memo - Regional Historic Heritage Grant Programme allocations for 2024/2025 financial year
c ⇨	Information Memo Attachment: Regional Historic Heritage Grants guidelines
d ⇨	Information Memo Attachment: Application Summary

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