Thursday, September 06, 2007
Good morning everyone – it’s a pleasure to be in Petone.
Thank you for the invitation and opportunity to speak to you today.
Being mayor of this wonderful city is indeed an honour and privilege. As I enter the final year of my first term, I wonder how it has gone by so fast.
This is an incredibly exciting time for Hutt City. I think it’s important to talk about how far our city has come in the past three years. Here are a few of the things that all of us, as a community, have accomplished so far:
· Rate rises below inflation and the lowest of any city council in New Zealand.
· A rates reduction of 10% relative to other councils around the country. In 2004 our rates were 8% above the national average - this year they are 2% below.
· A massive increase in capital expenditure – storm water, flood protection, addressing the roading maintenance backlog.
· Opening The New Dowse on time with little increased costs.
· Signing up to the Wellington Regional Strategy.
· Construction starting on the Dowse-Petone upgrade project.
· A cleaner city, following a crackdown on graffiti and increased funding to reduce litter.
· The local economy continues to grow strongly, creating more jobs.
· Commitment to a number of substantial future projects including cleaning up the Waiwhetu Stream, Walter Nash Stadium extension, upgrading all the public toilets in the city and a large provision for the Cross Valley Link.
As mayor, I did not accomplish those things by myself, but only with a lot of hard work and commitment by councillors, our council staff, and many, many business people and residents.
Today I want to talk about two things. First, some of the great things in the works for the coming few years that will help our city become an even better place to live and work. Second, I want to focus specifically on Petone and what’s happening here.
After that, I want to give you an opportunity to ask questions and I will do my best to answer them.
The next three years is about making Hutt City the best run city in New Zealand – a city that works socially, environmentally, and economically – a sustainable city in all dimensions.
It means keeping rates down. Rates rises hurt people on low and fixed incomes, and those struggling to meet their mortgage repayments as interest rates start to bite.
It means having a plan to reduce debt so that the city has the flexibility to invest on big ticket items in future years. There is a place for borrowing, but do you know that the City spends $5m per annum on debt interest? Imagine what we could do with this money instead.
It means continuing to engage with the communities of the city to find the best means of representation and relationships. The Community Consultation Workshop and the meetings with parts of the city without a community board have been very successful.
It means initiating a partnership with Housing New Zealand so that the city's 4,000 state houses go through a process of renewal and improvement, thereby creating a better environment for tenants and therefore better social outcomes.
It means continuing to work with the Ministry for the Environment and the Greater Wellington Regional Council so that the Waiwhetu Stream is cleaned up and work on flood protection can begin.
It means maintaining the excellent relationships Hutt City and developed with the other councils in the region and their leaders and officers and with members of parliament. We have a particularly good relationship with Upper Hutt City, our neighbour to the north.
An important part of that relationship is the Wellington Regional Strategy, and we will be working hard to ensure Hutt City is a main beneficiary from unlocking the region’s economic potential.
It means revising the District Plan. A priority over the next three years will be a thorough review of the plan with a focus on the interface between commercial and residential zones, assisting the city’s development and ensuring heritage protection and much better urban design.
It means “hot wiring” the city with the introduction of fibre optic cabling and broadband in the City. Smartlinx3 will be our partner in the rollout. Recently awarded $2.1 million from the Government’s Broadband Challenge Fund and with a matching capital injection from shareholders - $4.2 in all, the company is also well placed to install a fibre optic broadband network in the city. Jackson St has an important part to play in that, which I will talk about shortly.
And, of course, it means Council continuing to provide the myriad of other services ratepayers expect from us, such as keeping the city safe and free from graffiti, maintaining and improving community facilities such as parks, playgrounds, libraries and public toilets, and providing opportunities for our young people.
This is not an exhaustive list by any means; we have a lot of other things planned or that are happening now. Petone is a good example of that.
Jackson Street has an exciting future with its eclectic mix of shops, cafes and restaurants already making it a popular shopping destination. It is undergoing a lot of work at the moment replacing water, stormwater and sewer pipes. I want to acknowledge and thank you, the retailers, for your patience and understanding. I realise it is an inconvenience, but the work is necessary. I’m pleased to tell you that Council is planning an extensive advertising campaign around Christmas to bring shoppers back to Jackson Street.
Events like the Jackson Street Fiesta have been great for Petone, and shows what can happen when Council and retailers work together. It’s wonderful that retailers have embraced the Fiesta and helped create a buzz that’s made it one of the “must do” activities for people in the city and across the region. I encourage you to give us feedback on how to improve the event and also ideas on others things that can be done to bring people to Petone.
Recently I attended the sod turning for Terry Serepisos’ IBM building. New developments like this one are good for the city and good for Petone by creating jobs and business for nearby retailers. Apartments and hotels - which I have been working hard to attract to the city - bring huge economic and social benefits. We are having talks with two hoteliers, who are doing feasibility studies on Petone sites,
However, all this must be balanced by the protection of heritage buildings in Petone and the retention of Jackson Street’s special character. This will be achieved by changes to the District Plan, the recent appointment of an urban designer at Council and a new emphasis on protecting heritage buildings, including for the first time identifying heritage buildings and sites in the city and listing them in a Heritage inventory. A trust to help fund them will also be established.
The importance of heritage and the retention of character came through loud and clear in public feedback on the Council’s Vision Statement for Petone. I have been heartened by the response, much of what will be incorporated in the final Vision Statement, of which will help shape the fore-mentioned revision of the District Plan and future Community Plans.
As I said before, the Council has plans to “hot wire” the city. It is currently planning the installation of a public space WiFi hotspot running the length of the commercial area of Jackson Street - from the railway station down to the intersection with Cuba Street. Whilst other cities such as Auckland are currently talking about WiFi hotspots in the next month or so we will be live and operational in Jackson Street.
This will enable people sitting outdoors whilst having a coffee or parked in their cars to access the internet, their emails and Council services on their laptops or other WiFi capable devices. Jackson Street businesses will benefit from this planned investment with greater access to true broadband services at cheaper rates.
The future of McKenzie Pool has been of debate for some months. From the feedback the Council has received, it’s clear the pool is a highly valued community asset. Therefore, the Council is to establish a community and council working group to assess the identified three options, which are: one, rebuild on the current site; two, rebuild on a site at the Petone Rec; or three, rebuild on the WelTec carpark site. The working group will establish a criteria for assessment based on community, financial, economic, social and environmental criteria. I hope that whatever the final decision, it will satisfy all parties and meet the needs of Petone residents for many years to come.
The Council’s decision, for the first time ever, to budget for the Cross Valley Link is a significant one for Petone. Taking traffic off the Esplanade will allow this piece of coastline rich in history and with wonderful views across Wellington Harbour to realise its full potential. It must take priority over the Grenada link which, if built further down the track, must not threaten Korokoro Stream.
I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Jackson Street Programme and its achievements over a decade adding to the character and economy of Petone. The Council values the relationship it has with the Jackson Street Programme and looks forward to working with it to make Jackson Street the best that it can be.
On that note, thank you once again for inviting me to speak with you. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.