Council formally adopted our Recovery Plan as a "living document" on 24 September 2020. The idea around a living document is that it gives us the agility to respond to emerging issues as they arise and report back to decision makers and the community regularly. You can read about all our initiatives in the sections below.
While we were working on the plan, we saw the re-emergence of community transmission in other parts of the country which resulted in us moving up alert levels. This was a timely reminder that COVID-19 is an ongoing public health challenge, and that the full social and economic challenges are still not fully understood.
What we’ve learnt so far is a starting point. With Ngāti Toa, the Council will continue to work alongside communities, be agile in our approach, and respond to emerging issues in partnership with the community.
Thank you for everyone who took the time to give us their feedback and is working with us on our ongoing recovery initiatives. If you have any ideas about what recovery for our city looks like, or feedback on our initiatives below, email our team at [email protected] for a chat.
Council has created this plan in partnership with Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders to support local communities and businesses. This plan belongs to everyone who lives, works and plays in Porirua.
👉 Download the recovery plan here.
This report contains the evidence base (data and information) that informs and supports the Porirua City COVID19 Recovery Plan which contains business and community initiatives to help address the impacts of COVID-19. Porirua Council has worked in partnership with Ngāti Toa and stakeholders to develop this evidence base, drawing on qualitative and quantitative data sources and feedback from engagement with the community and local businesses to better understand the impacts of COVID-19.
Download the document here
So far, we’ve had input from over 30 different community groups and more than 500 responses to our community survey. Clear and consistent themes have emerged regarding Council’s role in recovery, and what the priorities should be for community organisations.
Feedback from the community has called for Council to:
In terms of the social impacts of the pandemic, the community has expressed particular concern about four issues:
Thank you for everyone who took the time to give us their feedback and is working with us on our ongoing recovery initiatives. If you have any ideas about what recovery for our city looks like, email our team at [email protected]
We have learnt a lot about our city’s vulnerabilities over the last few months as we’ve moved through alert levels and we want to ensure we are well placed to enable safe, healthy, resilient communities and a thriving economy. While Government has provided financial and social safety nets, a lot of these will be temporary, so it’s critical that local support initiatives are put in place and existing ones strengthened.
These will be updated regularly - the next update will be available in November 2021.
16 December 2020 - Quarterly Update on Recovery Plan
06 May 2021 - Update on Recovery Plan
Provide immediate response for welfare and other forms of assistance particularly during Alert Levels 4 and 3 including:
FUNDING - Existing budgets & cost recovery from National Emergency Management Centre where appropriate.
Commercial ratepayers can defer paying all or a proportion of their 2020/21 commercial property rates and then pay them back over the following three years. Council felt this would make it easier for landlords to be lenient on commercial tenants.
FUNDING - Existing budgets
Residents facing financial hardship will be given up to six months more to pay their rates. They can arrange a payment plan and a penalty for late payment will not be charged.
FUNDING - Up to $40k reallocated budget
Council decided to keep rates at 4.98% and to increase borrowing to cover the gap.
FUNDING - Increased borrowing to cover operational shortfall
Encourage residents to love local business and spend locally as we move to Covid-19 Alert Level 3 and beyond.
FUNDING: Existing Budget
Council provided a rental holiday for its property tenants which included leased carparks.
FUNDING: $140-200k lost revenue in 2020 funded through reallocated budget
Council facilitated and co-ordinated a workshop with 20 local community organisations to discuss emerging issues and discuss a plan for changing alert levels.
Co-ordination of youth-facing organisations, who meet every six weeks, to reduce sector fragmentation, share information and discuss emerging trends.
FUNDING - Existing budget
Council adopted the Status Report Trends in the Wellbeing of Children and Young People 2020 in August. This contains pre-pandemic data that will be used as a baseline to compare impacts of Covid-19 in years to come.
FUNDING - Existing budget
Council facilitated reimbursement of Covid-19 related claims to local service providers.
FUNDING - Cost recovery from National Emergency Management Centre
Council facilitated a workshop with the Porirua Pacific Service Network to discuss Covid-19 impacts and recovery. Part two of the workshop will be hosted in October. It also provided funding support for key groups.
FUNDING - Existing budget
A help centre for local businesses linking them to grants, education programmes, advice and information.
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: Ngāti Toa, WellingtonNZ
Establish a Workforce Forum with business, education, NGO and Government partners to support collaboration and the delivery of the Porirua Employment and Skills Plan.
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: Ngāti Toa, WellingtonNZ, Partners Porirua, Chamber of Commerce, MSD, MoE, Whitireia, key businesses
The Council has applied for Government funding to bring forward the building of infrastructure to boost local employment opportunities.
FUNDING: TBD pending Government decisions on stimulus projects
DELIVERY PARTNERS: Crown Infrastructure Partners
To assist the hospitality sector, Council is to consider discounting Alcohol License Fees by three months.
FUNDING: $8.5k lost revenue funded from existing budget
To reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and grow jobs we are investigating a waste diversion facility with Kāinga Ora which will deconstruct houses from the Eastern Porirua regeneration and sell the recycled timber and stock.
FUNDING: $50k reallocated budget
DELIVERY PARTNERS: Ngāti Toa, Kāinga Ora, Whitireia, MfE, MSD
We can improve the quality of the harbour by riparian planting all of the streams and catchments in Porirua over 20 years. We are developing a business case where jobs can be created using governments subsidised work scheme.
FUNDING:$50k reallocated budget
DELIVERY PARTNERS: Ngāti Toa, MfE, DOC, MSD, GWRC, WCC, MBIE, rural land owners
Events, recreation and sports will be an important part of Porirua’s wellbeing and economic recovery. We are developing a “getting back to normal” summer events and recreation programme.
FUNDING: Existing budget
As part of our summer events and recreation programme, we will include free pool access to residents for one month during the Christmas/New Year holiday period.
FUNDING: Up to $100k lost revenue would need to be funded from existing budget
To ensure oversight of emerging health and wellbeing trends, Council will continue to build on its partnership with RPH and regularly attend and feed into regional cross-agency Psycho-Social co-ordination hui led by CCDHB.
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: RPH, CCDHB, local councils
Even though the civil defence emergency status has been lifted, all councils will have an ongoing role supporting Government agencies with emergency response activities. These activities are monitoring future Covid-19 outbreaks, supporting local accommodation, food and welfare needs, and reporting to regional and national agencies.
FUNDING: Existing budget
Council is sponsoring a skills and employment hub project being led by Kāinga Ora, which will link employment opportunities out of the Eastern Porirua regeneration with local job seekers in infrastructure and construction and other opportunities.
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: Ngāti Toa, Kāinga Ora, MBIE
As a result of Budget 2020 and the scale of investment into tertiary education and vocational programmes, we are expecting Council to have a role in developing and supporting pathway programmes from education into internships and employment.
FUNDING: TBD
DELIVERY PARTNER: Ngāti Toa
Develop a graduate programme for young people in the consenting team of Council.
FUNDING: Existing budget
Work with YouthQuake to produce a directory of youth services that is accessible to young people and designed in a way that is useful and relevant to them
FUNDING: Existing budge
DELIVERY PARTNER: YouthQuake, CCDHB
Establish a collaborative cross-agency task group to address emerging issues around housing, food security and financial literacy. (Council has already been working with local police to strengthen perceptions of safety within key areas of the city.)
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: Local community organisations, central Government agencies
Maintain close relationships during the recovery to ensure we know what their changing needs are, including regular forums and information sharing at executive level.
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: Ngāti Toa, local community organisations, central Government agencies
Co-ordinate a skills and knowledge-sharing group to enable organisations and groups to apply for external funding and grants for Covid-19 recovery initiatives.
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: Central Government agencies and local funding partners
Provide fees relief to up to 70 different parks and recreation groups (incl. Scouts and sports clubs) financially affected by the lockdown.
FUNDING: $190k lost revenue funded through reallocations
Act as a ‘one source of information’ for Covid-19 issues, through the Council website, hardcopy information, and regular email updates to key groups.
Create a local directory of key agencies.
Establish key contacts for community groups within the City Partnerships team – incorporating BAU and emergency response into long-term outcomes.
FUNDING: Existing budget
DELIVERY PARTNER: Central Government agencies and local partners
Council has created this plan in partnership with Ngāti Toa and key stakeholders to support local communities and businesses. This plan belongs to everyone who lives, works and plays in Porirua.
