Agenda of Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee Meeting

Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee Meeting Agenda

8 August 2024

9 Pūrongo | Reports

9.1 Implementation of the Housing Strategy and Proposal for a Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund

Kaituhi | Author: Yvonna Chrzanowska, Contractor Strategy and Growth

Kaiwhakamana | Authoriser: Kris Pervan, Group Manager Strategy & Growth

Te pūtake | Purpose

1 This report

1.1 provides an update on the implementation of the Kāpiti Coast District Council Housing Strategy and an overview of housing programme initiatives that are funded by Better Off Funding, including a proposed Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund and

1.2 seeks approval to proceed with the implementation of Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund and delegate the allocation of the fund to the Social Sustainability Subcommittee.

He whakarāpopoto | EXecutive summary

2 The 2022 Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) identified challenges across the housing continuum, including low numbers of public and social housing, and inadequate supply of one- and two-bedroom housing to meet the forecasted growth for Kāpiti, of 32,000 people over the next 30 years.

3 The Kāpiti Coast District Council Housing Strategy (2022) is one of Council’s operation strategies developed in response to the HNA findings. The strategy identifies seven overarching key focus areas and associated actions to achieve improved housing outcomes. It sets out Council’s role and what we plan to do to in the short, medium and long term.

4 This report updates Council on the progress made since the adoption of the strategy, particularly in establishing and growing productive partnerships as a foundation to deliver housing. Council has identified that housing is a top ten priority, with ongoing activities included in the Council’s work programme via the Long-Term Plan (LTP 2024-34).

5 The wider central government context indicates a strong focus on housing and addressing the current housing crisis. This signals opportunities for delivering locally led community, affordable and social housing initiatives.

6 Better off funding has been allocated to six housing initiatives that align with the actions identified in the Housing Strategy. This includes a proposal to run a contestable seed fund to provide a catalyst for the growth of local innovations and productive partnerships in community and affordable housing provision.

Te tuku haepapa | Delegation

7 The Strategy Operations and Finance Committee can consider this matter under section B.1. of the Governance Structure and delegations 2022-2025.

Taunakitanga | RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Strategy Operations and Finance Committee:

A. Note that on 1 August 2024 the Social Sustainability Subcommittee considered and acknowledged the good work progressed to date:

A.1 In implementing the Kāpiti Coast District Council Housing Strategy, and ongoing need to continue efforts to support efforts to bring more affordable, and social, housing to this District.

A.2 On developing the proposal for a one-off contestable Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund, supported by Better Off Funding and its contribution to the delivery of actions identified in the Housing Strategy.

B. Approve the establishment of the Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund and proposed intent and objectives of the Community and Affordable Housing Seed fund (as outlined in paragraph 26 of this paper).

C. Note that the Government has released intentions to seek applications for funding for a new $1 billion housing incentives fund (“Build-for-Growth fund”), and that the Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund will ensure the housing sector in Kapiti can begin preparation on opportunities which could apply for this funding.

D. Agree to delegate the financial authority for the fund to the Social Sustainability Subcommittee, including final decision making and award allocation of the fund.

E. Agree to appoint the nominated representative of the Social Sustainability Subcommittee, Cr Martin Halliday, to the Independent Assessment Panel for the Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund

Tūāpapa | Background

8 In May 2022, Council adopted the Kāpiti Coast District Council Housing Strategy (2022). The Strategy outlined the range of challenges and opportunities that the district faces, including the current and projected housing need in the community and the lack of diverse housing options including affordable and social housing. The five key objectives of the Strategy are:

9 The Strategy acknowledges that housing is a complex issue and is not the sole responsibility of one organisation or sector. As illustrated in the diagram below, Council is continuing to strengthen its various roles to deliver and support better housing outcomes for Kāpiti. This includes identifying and leveraging opportunities to:

· Facilitate an increase in housing stock and responding to government policy to support a broader range of housing typologies across the housing continuum.

· Advocate to central government to create awareness and visibility of our housing need and encourage action

· Explore the strategic use of council land and assets, and other future development opportunities, including partnerships with external providers to progress housing opportunities.

A diagram of a diagram

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10 The Strategy identifies a need for “effective partnerships across sectors, and between organisations delivering housing solutions”. Several work streams are already underway that respond to this focus and include the work undertaken to establish the Kāpiti Coast Affordable Housing Trust (KCAHT) and the review of Council’s Older Persons’ Housing portfolio.

Wider context and opportunities

11 Central government has signalled strong focus on housing and addressing the current housing crisis. This will include a new $1 billion fund to incentivise affordable and social housing across the country (the “Build-for-Growth fund”). It will be critical that our community is ready to engage in this process, and to put forward options that can progress in the short term.

12 Kāpiti Council has been asked to work with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on the approach that will be set and released by Ministers. This is a new and important step by central government to improve how local and central government are working together.

Proposal for a Contestable Housing Seed Fund

13 Information about the proposed fund was presented at a briefing to Council on 25 July 2024, and in a report to the Social Sustainability Subcommittee on 1 August 2024.

He kōrerorero | Discussion

Housing Strategy Implementation Update

14 Good progress has been made in implementing the Housing Strategy, particularly in establishing and growing productive partnerships with iwi, central government, the private sector, community housing providers and the community. These partnerships provide a foundation for ongoing work to enable delivery of improved housing outcomes into the future.

15 The delivery of improved housing outcomes for Kāpiti relies on many actions across various focus areas across Council and with external providers. A high-level summary of the progress made on the Housing Strategy to date, along with the detailed wording from section 5.1 Focus Areas and housing actions (from pp. 28-29 of the Housing Strategy) is attached to this report (Refer attachment 1).

16 The delivery of improved housing outcomes for Kāpiti relies on many actions across various focus areas across Council and with external providers. Highlights include:

· Work to establish the Kāpiti Affordable Housing Trust, and appointment of a Council Trustee, and Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti (TWOK) Trustee appointee.

· The completion of the review of Older Persons’ Housing

· Establishment of a Place-based steering group

· Development facilitation service in place

· Papakāinga provisions included in the District Plan

17 Actions to fulfil the Housing Strategy outcomes have been integrated into various work programmes across Council. The LTP 2024-34 contains a housing focus (Priority B and F) and outlines continued work towards:

· increasing the opportunities for provision of affordable housing and improved social housing through partnerships, and

· implementing a good growth strategy that balances housing needs and the environment through appropriate district planning.

Better Off Funding Housing Initiatives

18 In order to support the continued delivery of the Housing Strategy Work Programme, but reduce pressure on rate payers, Council approved the allocation of $500,000 of Better Off Funding on 22 September 2022 to the Housing Work Programme.

19 This paper provides a report-back on how this funding has been allocated, including across the following six projects:

Project	Description
a. Rapid Rehousing:	Support continuation of advocacy service working with homeless people in the community, while central government funding is sought.
b. Typology project:	Encourage and support different typologies via the development of user-friendly guides for property owners considering additional dwellings for their site.
c. Housing Needs data consolidation	Ensure Council and partners have ongoing access to current and accurate housing information and for the proposed HNA update.
d. Contestable Fund:	Seed funding to support the progress of local community and affordable housing projects.
e. Inclusionary Zoning	Increasing understanding and awareness of Inclusionary Zoning, identifying need and unintended consequences.
f. Support Papakāinga Housing projects	Work with Iwi to identify and address barriers to delivery of Papakāinga housing.

20 The above projects are currently at different stages of implementation and will contribute to delivering actions identified in the Housing Strategy.

Proposal for a Contestable Housing Seed Fund

21 A focus area of the Housing Strategy is to promote the growth of affordable and community housing provision, with a targeted action to “actively work with Community Housing Providers and iwi to explore development opportunities in Kāpiti.”

22 The proposed Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund aims to increase capacity of community organisations and social enterprises to deliver community and affordable housing solutions.

23 The Kāpiti Coast Housing Needs Assessment 2022 identified a strong need for improved access to social and affordable housing in the district. There is currently a low level of activity in the local social sector related to housing provision. As such, support is needed to ensure that the district’s goals for increased options for housing are met, and local innovations and partnerships are fostered.

24 The Government has clearly identified non-government housing providers as their preferred partners for community and affordable housing provision and has also signalled its support for locally led community projects.

25 Because many local organisations and service providers in Kāpiti are at the beginning or early stages of community and affordable housing provision, the Council has an opportunity to support them to build capacity and progress initiatives.

26 The proposed seed fund is one way to act as a catalyst to encourage groups to explore local innovations and partnerships and meet the broader outcomes of the Housing Strategy. It will support groups to develop initiatives that allow them to understand and prepare for how they can deliver local affordable or community housing solutions. This fund will also support initiatives for affordable rentals and progressive home ownership schemes.

27 The broader outcomes of the fund are to create a pipeline of community and affordable housing supply initiatives by growing local innovations and productive partnerships that contribute to:

· increased community and affordable housing options and/or providers, or

· improved long term sustainable and cost-effective housing outcomes for the Kapiti district

· reduced housing stress and increased security of tenure which aids the improved economic and social wellbeing of our communities.

28 Successful applicants will have an opportunity to build capacity and capability, and to understand how to deliver cost effective and sustainable community or affordable housing options. It will also enable them to develop initiatives or grow potential partnerships which may lead to “shovel-ready” projects.

29 There is also potential for successful initiatives to partner with the Kāpiti Coast Affordable Housing Trust or established Community Housing Providers to access additional funding to deliver housing options.

Proposed approach

30 The fund will be based on a robust process but aim to minimise unnecessary bureaucratic steps, so that it is easy for people to engage and progress opportunities together. It will include:

30.1 Supporting good fund management practice and assessment process that is proportionate to the size and scope of the funding available.

30.2 Avoiding funding arrangements that create unnecessary competition, or require the recipient to over commit time, and resources out of proportion to the amount of funding they are requesting.

30.3 Having eligibility criteria to assess that organisations have the capacity and capability to deliver and to ensure applicants have credibility and can demonstrate and meet any regulatory or accreditation criteria associated with housing provision.

31 Due to the low number of local organisations that are currently equipped to deliver community housing provision, the Housing team will use various channels to notify groups about the fund and invite participation. Council officers will be able to provide guidance for those applicants that have questions on eligibility, or the outcomes being sought.

Application process

32 A simple application process is proposed: full application plus interview. This will include:

32.1 Full Application Form: Part A. covers eligibility criteria, Part B. Requests details about their proposal and includes questions that align with selection criterion.

NB: Only applicants that meet the eligibility criteria will proceed to the Interview stage.

32.2 Interview: Eligible applicants will be invited to discuss their proposal.

Eligibility criteria

33 Applicants will be required to consider their eligibility to the fund before they complete the application form and can contact the Housing team if in doubt.

34 Eligibility criteria will be included in Part A of the Application Form, with questions about the organisations’ status, as well as specific criteria related to compliance for housing provision. NB: The term “organisation” includes, for example, Trusts or incorporated society, charitable organisation, social enterprise, legal entity, or community housing provider.

35 The following eligibility criteria is proposed:

· Local organisation or entity currently delivering housing or be intending to provide community and/or affordable housing solutions in Kāpiti^{^[1]}.

· An organisation can provide services beyond Kāpiti, for example, an applicant may be a nationally or regionally aligned community housing provider, and Council would consider proposals for initiatives within Kāpiti.

· Demonstrate their credibility, competency and capability related to their main services or activities.

· Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the issues associated with community housing provision.

· Provide information about any accreditation required, and how they comply with relevant legislation in their policies, processes and systems, particularly for managing community and/or affordable rental housing.

Proposal Details

36 The application will seek the following information:

· Proposal Details: including Overview, alignment with outcomes and objectives; aims and goals, approach, delivery, timeline, monitoring and review.

· Site Identification: Information on whether a specific site has been identified for the proposed project; and if the site requirements in relation to the Operative District Plan 2021 have been investigated.

· Benefits: partnership or collaboration opportunities, project impacts and how they will be measured, includes value for money.

· Budget and Funding: Overall budget with expenses identified, and quotes supplied.

· Alignment of the Proposal: with the Housing Strategy, Housing Needs Assessment, the Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund outcomes and objectives, and relevant central government policies and priorities.

Assessment criterion

37 The assessment criteria align with the outcomes sought by the fund. The criteria will assist the assessment Panel with their final selection and grant recommendations.

38 Following discussion at the briefing to Council on 25 July 2024, an additional criterion has been added to the “Value for money” section to understand the potential for funds to be returned for redistribution to other parties at later stage.

39 The following assessment criteria is therefore proposed:

Assessment Criterion	Assessment description	Weighting
1. Alignment with Grant Objectives	How well the project aims align with one or more of the grant objectives	20
2. Project benefits post-funding	How well the project will continue to support better housing outcomes or offer benefits to the Kāpiti Coast District once grant funding has ended.	15
3. Targeted community benefits	How well the project identifies local need and responds with targeted housing provision options (e.g. typology, mixed models, shared equity or future ownership, or designed for specific occupants)	15
4. Project plan and timeline	How the project will be developed, delivered, managed and promoted, and estimated project costs.	15
5. Project team and ability to deliver	Includes assessment of the relevant experience of the individual or group and their ability to deliver the project. Evidence of a sound management structure, and good financial management.	15
6. Measuring success	How success will be measured in relation to project aims and goals.	10
7. Value for money	Assessment of the potential project benefits vs funds requested and for funds to be returned for redistribution at later stage.	10
		100

Independent Assessment Panel

40 It is proposed that a small independent assessment Panel assesses applications (via selection criteria and interview process) and make recommendations on how the grant should be allocated.

41 The Panel will contain members who have experience in working in community housing and how to address or mitigate concerns related to proposals. The Panel will also have an understanding on how realistic a proposal for housing provision is.

42 It is proposed that the Panel will be made up of four members:

· Social Sustainability Subcommittee (1 elected member)

· Iwi partnerships representative (1 member)

· Community and Social Housing representative (1 member)

· KCDC Housing Programme Manager

The proposed timeline for the fund

43 The table below shows the proposed timeline showing contestable fund activities (unshaded) and Council activities (shaded rows):

TIMELINE	Key Milestones
1 August 2024	Social and Sustainability Subcommittee (SSSC) Meeting: Seek endorsement of the proposed fund
8 August 2024	Strategy Operations and Finance Committee Meeting: Seek approval to proceed and to delegate authority to award to SSSC
August 2024	Independent Assessment Panel appointed Documentation to promote and run the fund complete.
Aug-Sept 2024	Open Round: 4 weeks – Submit full application
October 2024	Applicants interviewed by Independent Assessment Panel Panel assessment: moderation and fund recommendation
5 November 2024	SSSC Meeting: Approves Panel recommendations to award grant
December 2024	Funding Agreements finalised – grants awarded
2025 onwards	Monitoring and reporting
Key:	Council meeting dates	Blank: Contestable Fund Activities

He take | Issues

Separation of Services

44 The Community Housing Regulatory Authority has issued a Guidance Note for the Separation of Services, which provides a best practice guide and clarifies the rights as a tenant and rights as a recipient of health services.

45 Council will need to determine that organisations are appropriate, credible, and likely to succeed, and that they have an understanding and appreciation of the issues associated with community housing provision.

46 To reduce the risk to Council, and to service tenants who may benefit from the housing initiative funded by the grant, the assessment process includes criteria that address these concerns.

Recognising low maturity of local sector

47 Given that there are few local organisations experienced in housing provision, it is expected that most applicants will not be registered Community Housing Providers (CHPs). Adopting strict criteria such as requiring applicants to be CHPs could disadvantage smaller local organisations that propose initiatives with potential.

48 During assessment, a balance will need to be made between supporting projects that are highly likely to succeed, with initiatives that, for example, propose innovative approaches or local partnerships and have potential to succeed.

49 The Panel will bear the following in mind when selecting successful initiatives:

49.1 Successful applicants do not need to be registered community housing providers. However, they may propose to work with a registered CHP, or partner with other local organisations to provide assurance that their proposal will succeed.

49.2 The allocation of a grant to applicants and initiatives with potential, may eventually lead to the successful applicant becoming a reliable local community housing provider.

Ngā kōwhiringa | Options

50 The table below provides some options for consideration. Option one is recommended within this report:

Kōwhiringa | Options

Hua | Benefits

Tūraru | Risks

Option 1: Run Contestable Fund

Council runs a one-off contestable seed fund for Community and Affordable Housing to achieve Housing Strategy actions (as proposed).

Fulfils and progresses an action in the Kāpiti Coast District Council Housing Strategy.

A catalyst to create or expand local housing initiatives

Supports the growth of locally-led housing solutions, increases interest and strengthens partnerships for future projects

Transparent selection process to identify best initiatives and applicants.

Labour intensive processes for potentially little gain

Potential to support applications from ill-equipped organisations or individuals

Option 2: No fund

Do not approve the contestable fund, and identify another way of achieving Housing Strategy Action

The $150,000 could be allocated elsewhere, if it is deemed to be a more appropriate use of resource.

Lack of access to funding will slow down the ability for community based to progress housing initiatives.

Option 3: Direct Approach

Instead of a fund, identify partners to develop proposals for community and/or affordable housing initiatives.

Working with known regional community housing providers, or local organisations, (i.e. Contract in services either through an RFP process to, or by direct approach)

Could specify desired housing outcomes.

Council could be open to accusations of lack of transparency, unfairness and/or conflicts of interest, if it goes direct to known partners.

CHP direct approach may not necessarily result in local partnerships.

Could restrict innovation.

May led to an emphasis away from the not-for-profit sector.

Mana whenua

51 To support the implementation of the Housing Strategy Te Urunga Whakakāinga, a Kapiti Place-Based Housing Steering Group, with representation from Te Rūnanga O Toa Rangātira, Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki and Āti Awa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust and central government (including the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development, Kāinga Ora, and Te Puni Kokiri) has been formed.

52 The inclusion of specific principles, an objective and actions related to Māori housing within the Housing Strategy illustrate that Council recognises it needs to take a supportive role in helping to deliver Māori housing solutions.

53 Council passed a resolution at the 22 September 2022 Strategy and Operations Committee meeting (Committee Resolution SAOCC2022/49), to distribute $300K of Better Off funding to the ART Kāpiti Place Based Housing Strategy for housing provision.

54 The approach for assessment of applications to the seed fund, proposes that a representative of Iwi Partnerships Team be part of the independent assessment Panel.

Panonitanga Āhuarangi me te Taiao | Climate change and Environment

55 Minimising climate impact can be achieved through having compact and well-designed and planned urban areas. Proposals that consider factors such as: proximity to transport, recognise natural hazard constraints, resilience, and sustainability, or propose homes that meet or exceed Climate/Carbon measurements and Healthy Homes benchmarks, will be considered favourably.

Ahumoni me ngā rawa | Financial and resourcing

56 The proposed fund does not use rate payer funding. The $150,000 amount available for distribution has come from the Better Off funding allocation to the Housing Programme. This is a one-off fund and there is no implied ongoing provision for the fund. It is likely projects funded will be between $30,000 and $80,000, however no cap is proposed. The money is for operational expenses and cannot be used for capital projects.

57 Outcomes will be assessed to understand learnings and determine if the fund should be supported in future years.

Tūraru ā-Ture me te Whakahaere | Legal and Organisational Risk

58 This fund does not present any legal considerations or risk in addition to those presented by the other funds and grants which the Council currently allocates and administers. Staff will check with the legal team to ensure due diligence is undertaken during the fund opening, assessment and allocation stages. Prior to allocating the funds, the legal team will review the documentation for the funding agreements.

Ngā pānga ki ngā kaupapa here | Policy impact

59 There is no direct policy impact from this paper.

TE whakawhiti kōrero me te tūhono | Communications & engagement

60 Clear communication of the intent of the fund, particularly the eligibility criteria and focus on separation of services from community and social housing provision is critical.

61 A communication plan has been developed with the Communications and Engagement team to support fund promotion and manage communications with applicants.

Te mahere tūhono | Engagement planning

62 No further engagement is planned.

Whakatairanga | Publicity

63 Council will use its established communications channels to inform the community before the fund opens.

Ngā āpitihanga | Attachments

1. Housing Strategy High-Level Update (July 2024) ⇩

Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee Meeting Agenda

8 August 2024

9.2 Update on development and implementation of the Kapiti Destination Story

Kaituhi | Author: Bronte Higgs, Tourism Development and Marketing Manager

Kaiwhakamana | Authoriser: Kris Pervan, Group Manager Strategy & Growth

Te pūtake | Purpose

1 The report:

· Seeks the Committee’s endorsement of the Kāpiti Destination Story, and;

· Provides an update on the development and release of the Kāpiti Destination Story, including the launch of new Kāpiti visitor and business websites.

He whakarāpopoto | EXecutive summary

2 The Kāpiti Destination Story project was initiated by Council in 2023 to ensure a clear narrative for Kāpiti was defined to provide a collective direction and approach for Council, the local business community, and residents.

3 The Kāpiti Coast Tourism Advisory Board (KCTAB) were asked by the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board (EDKB) to lead this work with support from Council staff. An external creative agency, Dick&Jane, were engaged to assist in defining the Kāpiti Destination Story and develop a plan to support the implementation.

4 The Kāpiti Destination Story has three main elements that include:

· Creating an identity for Kāpiti.

· Increasing visibility of Kāpiti.

· Developing products and ongoing material to attract people to Kāpiti, and tools that can be used and implemented with Industry and Business.

Work has now progressed to develop these elements, and to guide the implementation of the Story with our business and tourism community.

5 Significant progress has been made on the key implementation assets like the Industry toolkit, Business Kāpiti website, and the Visit Kāpiti tourism website. These tools will play a crucial role in the marketing plan and telling the Kāpiti story, and enhancing our visibility for both business attraction and visitor attraction.

6 Our next steps are to hold launch events to release the destination story work to the local community. These will focus on our key stakeholders and will encourage interaction with our new websites and use of the industry toolkit.

Te tuku haepapa | Delegation

7 The Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee has delegated authority to consider this under section B.1. of the 2022-2025 Triennium Governance Structure and Delegations ‘Preparation of the District Plan and Plan Changes’.

Taunakitanga | RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee:

A. Endorse the Kāpiti Destination Story as developed with the Kapiti Coast Tourism Advisory Board (KCTAB), and approved by the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board (EDKB).

B. Note the engagements with key partners, stakeholders and industry to support the work.

C. Note the next steps to launch and implement the Kāpiti Destination Story using key assets developed as part of this project including the delivery of two new websites which will be instrumental in telling the Kāpiti Destination Story; Business Kāpiti and Visit Kāpiti.

Tūāpapa | Background

8 One of Councils top 10 priorities is ensuring the Kāpiti economy thrives, so that people can make a living in our District through increased tourism and economic development. A targeted action to support this priority is the development and implementation of the Kāpiti Destination Story.

9 The development of the Kāpiti Destination Story is also a strategic priority of the Kāpiti Destination Management Plan to help build awareness and position the district as a sustainable visitor destination. The plan also outlines the need to develop and share a marketing toolkit for local industry, build media and events strategies, and implement an overarching marketing plan to drive awareness of Kāpiti as a destination.

10 The Kāpiti Destination Story project was initiated by Council in 2023 to ensure a clear narrative for Kāpiti was defined that would provide a collective direction and approach for Council, the local business community, and residents.

11 It is noted that previous triennium efforts to establish this narrative were unsuccessful due to a lack of visibility and awareness of the work being undertaken. The current project seeks to overcome these issues through stakeholder engagement, an agreed implementation plan and ongoing consistent use and reinforcement of the brand by Council and local businesses.

12 As will be outlined below, another key aspect of this approach is to ensure that we have control over key channels. Our online presence for visitor and business information was previously owned by WellingtonNZ but managed by Council. When Wellington NZ amalgamated all their web properties into one regional site in 2023, we lost the ability to manage our content and the business website was discontinued. This meant that we had limited ability to tell our local story and building awareness of Kāpiti as a destination.

He kōrerorero | Discussion

13 The Kāpiti Destination Story must share what makes Kāpiti unique and how best to communicate these attributes in a way that is compelling and engaging for others. To do so, we are creating a consistent view of our identity; focusing on increasing the visibility of Kāpiti; and developing products that can support or industry and business to attract people to Kāpiti.

14 The narrative will encapsulate the essence, attractions, and unique features of a particular place. It's crafted to inspire and captivate potential visitors, enticing them to explore and experience the destination firsthand. It is made up of a number of elements that together tell a compelling story.

The process

15 The Kāpiti Coast Tourism Advisory Board (KCTAB), who are leading this work, sought support from an external creative agency, Dick&Jane, to define the identity element of the Kāpiti Destination Story and to develop a plan to support the implementation of the story.

17 Dick&Jane have previously assisted a number of large enterprises and territories on positioning and brand strategies including:

· Developing the Silver Fern branding for Tourism New Zealand.

· Repositioning and destination brand strategy for Palmerston North City Council.

· Brand identity and launch for Mercury Energy.

18 A series of workshops were held with the KCTAB and Council staff, local industry and with Elected and Iwi Representatives. The findings from these workshops were used to shape the identity element of the Kāpiti Destination Story, which is set out below, and summarised in Appendix 1.

The key elements of developing Kāpiti’s identity for the Destination story

20 The aim is to build a destination story that not only attracts visitors but also creates lasting impressions and fosters pride in our community. Six key elements were explored and landed to build a compelling and effective destination story as follows:

20.1 Positioning: This defines how we want our destination to be perceived in the minds of our target audience. It answers the question, "Why should visitors choose our destination over others?". Our positioning statement should highlight our unique attributes, such as unique selling point, target audience and competitive advantage.

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20.1 Visual Identity: A distinctive logo, colour palette, typography, and design elements that reflect our destination's essence. As its primary use is for the visitor market, a complimentary business facing identity has been developed to be cohesive with our tourism identity and remain consistent with the Kāpiti Destination Story. We have tied in various elements that our workshops identified as being from the alternate options by including threads of nostalgia throughout the visual elements.

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20.2 Personality: Our personality describes the language and style we use in our communications both written and visually. This is giving us the creative licence to have an edge and an unexpected voice in a saturated market. Whilst being quintessentially kiwi, it’s laid back in a simple and welcoming way, but is cheeky, lively and has a sense of adventure. This is to reflect the dynamic nature of our community and range of experiences on offer in Kāpiti.

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20.3 Narrative: Our brand narrative is the story we tell about our destination. It is authentic reflecting our true character and spirit, engaging capturing the imagination and emotions of our audience and consistent maintaining a cohesive message across all channels and touchpoints.

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20.4 Event and Activation Concepts: Bringing our destination story to life through various initiatives including integrated marketing campaigns across digital, social, and traditional media to raise awareness and drive engagement, and events and experiences that champion our assets and showcase the unique aspects of Kāpiti. The following are examples of how we could activate our story through events and activations and will be considered as part of a review of our major event policy.

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20.5 Channels: As we implement our destination story our digital channels are pivotal in ensuring that our brand message is effectively communicated and consistently reinforced across all touchpoints. The Visit Kāpiti website will be our primary digital touchpoint where visitors can access comprehensive information and inspiration about our destination. The Visit Kāpiti social media channels allow us to engage with a broad audience, share real-time updates, and inspire visitors with compelling imagery. This is also a place where we can effectively implement the personality and narrative elements of our destination story. The Business Kāpiti website provides the opportunity to tell our destination story in business and investment attraction. It celebrates the local business community and what we stand for—collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to growth.

21 These elements are brought together in a Destination Story Guideline, for Council use. A sample of this has been included in Appendix 2. This is used as a framework to guide what style and tone Council use in our marketing outputs. It also contains exciting event and activation concepts that provide engagements for visitors and the local community that foster pride and ensure authentic experiences.

22 We are now finalising an industry toolkit which is a crucial component that provides our partners and stakeholders with the resources they need to also share and leverage the Kāpiti Story. This toolkit includes a guideline and templates for marketing material, media library of images and video, and a key messaging framework. The industry toolkit ensures that all stakeholders have a unified and coherent approach to promoting our destination which helps maintain consistency.

Launch and Implementation of the Kāpiti Destination Story

23 Events are a key part of increasing the visibility of Kāpiti, and will features strongly in an overall communication and engagement programme that is developed with partners and stakeholders to support the launch of the Kāpiti Destination Story (including direct communications and links to the new websites and supporting material). Key upcoming events are outlined in the following table:

13 August 2024	Tourism Industry Soft Release
	· Soft release of the Kāpiti Destination Story · Soft release of Business Kāpiti Website tourism pages · Soft release of Visit Kāpiti Website
20 August 2024	Releasing Kāpiti Destination Story
	· Release the Kāpiti Destination Story · Business Kāpiti Website Reveal · Soft launch of Visit Kāpiti Website
29 October 2024	Increasing the visibility of Kāpiti as a Tourism & Business Haven
	· Update on Kāpiti Destination Story · Kāpiti’s New Tourism Website · Kick-off peak season marketing

24 A multi-faceted approach is proposed to raise awareness and amplify our reach to key audiences, including:

24.1 Ongoing Marketing Activity: Implement the marketing strategy which utilises integrated campaigns across digital, social, and traditional media to raise awareness and drive engagement as well as leveraging partnerships with travel influencers, the media, and the tourism industry to amplify our reach.

24.2 Website Development: Further develop our website platforms and dedicated websites for business and tourism to serve as key marketing and business support tools. Enhance the message with up-to-date, highly engaging, quality visual and written content to deliver the Kāpiti Destination Story.

24.3 Partner / Stakeholder Engagement: Actively involve partners and stakeholders in the ongoing development and promotion of the destination story to ensure it reflects the community's identity and strengths. We will invite the business community to our quarterly events with the KCTAB to provide input, collaboration opportunities and shape the delivery of the marketing campaigns and events. By providing an Industry toolkit we will also be actively encouraging our stakeholders to be using these assets.

24.4 Events and Activations: Events provide an opportunity to leverage high profile marketing activity to tell the destination story. By undertaking the Major Event Fund policy review we have the opportunity to shape how we attract and support events in our district to reinforce and implement our destination story. Council will work closely with the EDKB and the KCTAB, as well as other key stakeholders, through the review process. We can also create interactive activations at these events to highlight the Destination story messaging and create a memorable experience for visitors and community members.

He take | Issues

25 There are no issues proposed for discussion.

Ngā kōwhiringa | Options

26 There are no options for discussion, other than to provide feedback and to endorse the proposed elements of the Kāpiti Destination Story.

Mana whenua

27 We recognise the importance of the Kāpiti Destination Story to mana whenua and ensured there was representation throughout the process of this work. Of note:

27.1 Iwi representatives on the EDKB and KCTAB have been actively involved in the process as well as supporting wider engagements

27.2 The Economic Development team has engaged with the Iwi partnerships team and Iwi representatives at key milestones in the process as seen in Appendix 1.

28 In understanding the Te Ao Māori approach we have ensured that we apply these principles to this work. This has been done in a number of different ways and some examples of this are:

28.1 Storytelling on our taonga and highlighting the cultural significance in our district.

28.2 Showcasing the Māori Economy on the Business Kāpiti website to incorporate Te Ao Māori views.

Panonitanga Āhuarangi me te Taiao | Climate change and Environment

29 We have considered strategic priority 4 in the Kāpiti Destination Management plan: To create a destination recognised for acting sustainably. Sustainability and regeneration into the future was a strong aspiration expressed by many within the community. This is a consideration of the implementation of the Kāpiti Destination Story.

29.1 Process and development: Developing messaging that reflects our commitment to having a sustainable approach to protecting our natural assets.

29.2 Delivery of activity: Utilising digital channels and keeping printed collateral to the minimum to reduce environmental impacts. We use environmentally friendly options when it comes to consumables, opting for recycled and accredited products for printed collateral where we must supply it.

29.3 Messaging: Highlighting in our messaging the public transport options for getting here, and ease of navigating our district by bike.

29.4 Working with Partners: Supporting event partners and collaborators to take a considered approach to the delivery of their activities including waste management and environmental protection.

Ahumoni me ngā rawa | Financial and resourcing

30 There are no budget implications to raise, as the implementation of the Kāpiti Destination Story is funded by the approved Economic Development budget.

Tūraru ā-Ture me te Whakahaere | Legal and Organisational Risk

31 Legal advice has been sought from an Intellectual Property attorney Woodhouse and Associates regarding any risks and or limitations with the use of the proposed logo design.

32 Preliminary advice is there is little to no risk in proceeding with the proposed design. The basis for this risk rating is borne out by the latest guidelines.

33 We have engaged them to undertake a full NZ Trademark search and formal advise.

Following this we will the lodge a Trademark application to register the Logo in New Zealand in the appropriate class/classes.

Ngā pānga ki ngā kaupapa here | Policy impact

34 The Kāpiti Destination Story is a key consideration for the Major Event Fund Policy review as it plays a key role in how we leverage and promote the Major Events that Council invests in.

35 This Policy is scheduled to be reviewed in 2024, and will commence following the launch of the Kāpiti Destination Story. The EDKB and KCTAB will be engaged in this policy review.

TE whakawhiti kōrero me te tūhono | Communications & engagement

36 There has been communication, engagement and consultation with key stakeholders including Elected Representatives, mana whenua, and the Tourism Industry.

Te mahere tūhono | Engagement planning

37 Further engagements will be held with the stakeholder group throughout the implementation of the Kāpiti Destination Story providing an opportunity to shape and participate in this work.

39 The Kāpiti Destination Story is a key element in of the Tourism Industry Engagement Plan and is a key part of the ongoing implementation plan of this work.

Whakatairanga | Publicity

40 A strategic communication plans will be developed to support the ongoing implementation of the Kāpiti Destination Story which will include the stakeholder group, media, tourism industry and targeted visitor markets. The existing social media channels for Kāpiti Coast NZ will be updated to reflect the new Kāpiti Destination Story guidelines. These channels include Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.

41 Council’s new online channels of VisitKapiti.co.nz and BusinessKapiti.co.nz which are managed by the Economic Development team will be the key implementation tools for the Kāpiti Destination Story.

Ngā āpitihanga | Attachments

1. Appendix 1 - Engagements ⇩

2. Appendix 2 - Internal Brand Guidelines ⇩

Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee Meeting Agenda

8 August 2024

9.3 Contracts Under Delegated Authority

Kaituhi | Author: Kiri McFarland, Procurement Lead

Kaiwhakamana | Authoriser: Sean Mallon, Group Manager Infrastructure and Asset Management

Te pūtake | Purpose

1 This report provides an update on any contracts over $250,000 accepted under delegated authority for the period 1 April to 30 June 2024.

He whakarāpopoto | EXecutive summary

2 An executive summary is not required for this report.

Te tuku haepapa | Delegation

3 The Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee has delegated authority to consider this report under the following delegation in the 2022-2025 Governance Structure, Section B.1.

This Committee will deal with all decision-making that is not the responsibility of the Council, including approval of contracts and contract variations outside the Chief Executive’s delegations.

Taunakitanga | RECOMMENDATIONS

A. That the Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee notes there were eight contracts accepted under delegated authority over $250,000 for the period 1 April to 30 June 2024.

Tūāpapa | Background

4 Contracts for the 2024/2025 year are listed at Appendix 1.

He kōrerorero | Discussion

5 2024-C012 Otaki Fire Loop Watermain Installation Stage 2

· Nine tenders were received ranging from $1,944,312.29 to $5,149,901.90.

· The contract type is a Measure and Value contract.

· The contract was awarded to Groundworks Limited for a sum of $640,876.07.

· Local content is estimated at 30-40%.

6 2023-C099 Waikanae Library Design Services

· 15 Tenders were received using open competition.

· Weighted Attributes were evaluated excluding price weightings.

· The contract type is a Conditions of Contract for Consultancy Services Contract.

· Budget is for periods 2023/24 to 2025/26.

· The contract was awarded to Studio of Pacific Architecture Limited for a sum of $1,662,400.

· No Local content as Studio of Pacific Architecture Limited is based in Wellington.

7 2024-C367 Enhanced Muaupoko and Te Kowhai Flood Modelling and Preparation of Maps to be used for Consultation Purposes

· The supplier had recently completed the modelling works associated with the upgrade of the council District wide flood modelling. Therefore, they are in a unique position to deliver what was needed and minimise risk to the Council while providing good value for money. Any new contractor would have required significant additional work and resource to carry out the same works.

· The contract was awarded to Awa Environmental Limited for the sum of $264,688.

· No local content as Awa Environmental Limited is based in Wellington.

8 2024-C500 Paraparaumu WWTP – Generator & Fuel System Upgrade

· Council use a single supplier for large emergency generators (Caterpillar). This ensures consistency in parts supply, maintenance and performance. Caterpillar are one of the top providers of auxiliary emergency generators internationally.

· The contract type is a Supplier Drafted Contract.

· The contract was awarded to Terra Industrial New Zealand Limited (Caterpillar supplier) for a sum of $640,876.07.

· Local content is estimated at 5% for the use of local crane services.

9 2023-C100 Ratanui Sewer Renewal

· Ten tenders were received ranging from $898,337 to $2,186,364.28.

· The contract type is a Measure and Value contract.

· The contract was awarded to Mills Albert Limited for a sum of $1,125,741.96.

· Local content is estimated at 100%.

10 2024-C002 Maclean Park Skatepark Construction

11 The market for specialist skatepark builders in NZ is very small (WCC and Hutt City have recently contracted an Australian company for two of their projects). There were no other specialist contractor operating in the lower North island at the time of progressing to construction and procurement was therefore direct sourced.

12 Rawlinsons QS provided independent price review for the skatepark with an estimated cost of $1. 66M.The final contract was awarded to Angus McMillan Concrete Limited for a sum of $1,696,372.00

· The contract type is a Lump Sum Construction Contract using NZS3910:2013 model.

· Budget is part of the Maclean Park project budgeted from 2022/23 to 2024/25.

· Local content is estimated at 30% for the concrete supply and other construction materials.

13 2023-C108 2023/24 Low-Cost Low Risk Programme (Roading) Physical Works

· Eight Tenders were received ranging from $635,334.01 to $1,002,020.95.

· Price Quality Method was used to evaluate the tenders as works are NZTA funded.

· Budget for 2023/24 is $1,500,000.

· The contract was awarded to Wellington Developments Limited for the sum of $826,872.

· Local content is estimated at 100%.

14 2023-C112 Paekākāriki Water Treatment Plant UV and Generator Building

· The procurement was directly sourced as there was a limited number of suppliers in the market. The supplier had also previously completed water treatment plant building design work which we were able to replicate at minimal additional cost to council.

· The contract type is a Lump Sum Construction Contract using NZS3910:2013 model.

· The contract was awarded to Filtec Limited for a sum of $272,581.

· Local content is estimated at 60%.

He take | Issues

15 This report has a low degree of significant under Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy.

Ngā kōwhiringa | Options

16 There are no further options to be considered within this report.

Mana whenua

17 There are no tangata whenua considerations within this report.

Panonitanga Āhuarangi me te Taiao | Climate change and Environment

18 There are no climate change considerations within this report.

Ahumoni me ngā rawa | Financial and resourcing

19 There are no financial and resourcing issues in addition to those already noted in this report.

Tūraru ā-Ture me te Whakahaere | Legal and Organisational Risk

20 There are no legal and risk considerations arising from this report.

Ngā pānga ki ngā kaupapa here | Policy impact

21 There are no current or future impacts to Council policies within this report.

TE whakawhiti kōrero me te tūhono | Communications & engagement

Te mahere tūhono | Engagement planning

22 There are no engagement planning considerations arising from this report.

Whakatairanga | Publicity

23 There are no publicity considerations arising from this report.

Ngā āpitihanga | Attachments

1. Contracts for the 2024/2025 year ⇩

[1] However, an organisation can provide services beyond Kāpiti, for example, an applicant may be a nationally or regionally aligned community housing provider, and Council would consider proposals for initiatives within Kāpiti.


RĀRANGI TAKE AGENDA Rautaki, Whakahaere, me te Ahumoni \| Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee Meeting
I hereby give notice that a Meeting of the Rautaki, Whakahaere, me te Ahumoni \| Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee will be held on:
Te Rā \| Date:	Thursday, 8 August 2024
Te Wā \| Time:	9.30am
Te Wāhi \| Location:	Council Chamber Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road Paraparaumu
Kris Pervan Group Manager Strategy & Growth

Cr Sophie Handford	Chair
Cr Liz Koh	Deputy
Mayor Janet Holborow	Member
Deputy Mayor Lawrence Kirby	Member
Cr Glen Cooper	Member
Cr Martin Halliday	Member
Cr Rob Kofoed	Member
Cr Jocelyn Prvanov	Member
Cr Shelly Warwick	Member
Cr Nigel Wilson	Member
Cr Kathy Spiers	Member
Ms Kim Tahiwi	Member
Mr Huriwai Paki	Member
Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Representative	Member
Ms Janine Huxford	Member