Latest news with #Drysdale
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Feedback on visitor levy proposal could help shape Perth and Kinross' tourism policy
In 2023 tourism generated £641 million for the Perth and Kinross economy A Strathearn ward councillor believes feedback on whether or not to introduce a visitor levy should help determine a future tourism policy for Perth and Kinross. Latest figures show that in 2023, 2.3 million people visited the picturesque county, generating £641 million for the local economy and supporting around 8,200 full-time jobs. On Wednesday, May 28 the council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee met to consider a "bold and ambitious" Perth and Kinross Tourism Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030. The five-year strategy focuses on four key areas: destination marketing to attract visitors from all over the world to Perth and Kinross; investment and infrastructure; market development and internationalisation, and industry growth and resilience. Endorsing the latest draft of the plan, the committee's convener Eric Drysdale said: "It sets out a bold and ambitious vision for the future of tourism in Perth and Kinross." Pointing to the strategy's four key aims, Cllr Drysdale said: "Together these priorities aim to increase our visitor numbers, attract inward investment and support our local businesses to grow, create jobs and thrive." As part of the strategy, Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) is considering introducing a visitor levy, alongside other potential sources of investment. In February 2025, PKC's Economy and Infrastructure Committee agreed for the local authority to begin seeking the views of local businesses and residents on the possible introduction of a tourist tax. The feedback gathered will be put in a report which will go before councillors in December 2025. Elected members will then be asked to vote on whether or not to proceed with introducing the scheme. At Wednesday's meeting, Strathearn ward SNP councillor Stewart Donaldson said: "There's going to be very extensive engagement on that front before the report comes to council in December. "And then consultation, and then after that quite a lengthy implementation period. And whatever some people's views might be, I think that very exercise in itself might be helpful to us in determining a future tourism policy for Perth and Kinross." The strategy was developed by Perthshire Tourism Partnership which was established in 2005. The partnership brings together businesses, local tourism associations, groups and public sector organisations including Perth and Kinross Council from across the area. However, at Wednesday's meeting, Cllr Donaldson highlighted a "dearth" of input from West Perthshire (Strathallan and Strathearn wards), which houses two of Perth and Kinross' largest hotels - Gleneagles and Crieff Hydro. Economic Development Officer Suzanne Cumiskey - who wrote the report on the strategy - said it was a "valid point" and acknowledged there were "gaps" due to some local tourist associations, including Crieff's, having disbanded. She added: "Where there is a gap, we do have industry reps for the area and we have tried to speak to individual businesses or collectives. We're conscious there is a gap there at the moment, one that we're hoping to close." In a statement issued by Perth and Kinross Council, Perthshire Tourism Partnership chairman David Smythe said: "I thank Perthshire Tourism Partnership members and the tourism industry leaders who all contributed to shaping the new Tourism Strategy, which sets a clear path forward for this economically vital sector in Perth and Kinross. "Getting the tourism balance right through sustainable growth and focusing on the key themes is important to help keep our communities vibrant as they embrace the opportunities visitors bring to our lovely part of Scotland."
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Tauranga Council Cuts $9.85m In Costs To Shave 2.1% Off Rates Rise
Article – Alisha Evans – Local Democracy Reporter The council deliberated on its 2025/26 Annual Plan from Monday to Thursday after receiving 968 submissions and hearing from 68 people in person this month. Tauranga residents are facing a 9.9% rates rise after the council found extra savings. Tauranga City Council faced public criticism for proposing a 12% rates increase, down from a projected 20%. It has found $9.85 million more in cuts to council operating costs to knock off another just over 2%. These included saving $166,000 by turning public recycling bins – which had high contamination rates – into rubbish bins. The biggest cost drop, however, came from employee reductions, with at least 98 roles cut and at $12.3m saved. The council deliberated on its 2025/26 Annual Plan from Monday to Thursday after receiving 968 submissions and hearing from 68 people in person this month. On Thursday Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the changes and savings made in the plan would flow through to future years. Drysdale promised he would keep the rates below those forecast in the long-term plan. The 9.9% overall rates rise was 'not as good' as the councillors would have liked, but it was a start, he said. The council would be looking at every dollar because they needed to be prudent with people's money, Drysdale said. 'We have to respect ratepayers' money, and we have to deliver things for as small a cost as we can.' The community had also told the council more facilities were needed, he said. 'We've been dealt a very tough situation where our infrastructure and our community assets are well below where they need to be.' He said the challenge was finding the balance between delivering projects and reducing rates. 'I'm very proud of this team [and] I think we have delivered a very good balance.' Councillor Glen Crowther said it was a challenging Annual Plan because they were dealing with past decisions that added costs to the organisation. A lot of those decisions were 'firmly locked into place', he said. Crowther said he wanted a lower rates increase. 'I appreciate that a lot of work went into getting to the 9.9%, so I'm not dismissing that, but I think we need to end up lower.' The council's operating expenses were still too high, and he wanted work done before the Annual Plan was adopted in July to reduce rates further, he said. During the four days of deliberations, the council discussed everything from portaloos to tsunami paths in Pāpāmoa. Tauranga Netball asked for $20,000 to lease five portaloos toilets at Blake Park during the winter sports season. Drysdale said this was 'expensive' and they needed to 'get a deal'. The council decided to buy the portaloos and would be able to pay for this within the current budget. The Ōtūmoetai Pool, an 'amazing community asset' slated for closure, was saved. The council also agreed to extend the Pāpāmoa shared coastal path from Parton Rd to Taylor Reserve, provided it cost no more than $1m and could be delivered within the council's current budget. There were some losers from the deliberations. Councillors declined ARGOS Gym Sports $67,000 for a new kitchen and cafe facility, and Bowls Matua would not receive $180,000 to upgrade its third green. Creative Bay of Plenty would also not receive a $77,500 increase in its funding. The rates increase would be finalised in June when the Annual Plan was adopted. How the council achieved its savings • Projects reprioritised or delivered in-house $3.2m • Reduction in consultants and more use of internal services $3.9m • Employee cost reductions $9.1m – 98 roles were disestablished with more possible • Uptake-related kerbside collection cost reduction $900,000 • Interest-related finance cost savings $2m • Increased user fees $2.3m • Reduced engagement and education costs $1.5m • Other organisation-wide cost reductions $5.1m The extra savings to get to 9.9% • Further employee cost reductions $3.2m • Interest and depreciation savings $2.2m • Process improvement savings $3.8m – LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Tauranga Council Cuts $9.85m In Costs To Shave 2.1% Off Rates Rise
Tauranga residents are facing a 9.9% rates rise after the council found extra savings. Tauranga City Council faced public criticism for proposing a 12% rates increase, down from a projected 20%. It has found $9.85 million more in cuts to council operating costs to knock off another just over 2%. These included saving $166,000 by turning public recycling bins - which had high contamination rates - into rubbish bins. The biggest cost drop, however, came from employee reductions, with at least 98 roles cut and at $12.3m saved. The council deliberated on its 2025/26 Annual Plan from Monday to Thursday after receiving 968 submissions and hearing from 68 people in person this month. On Thursday Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the changes and savings made in the plan would flow through to future years. Drysdale promised he would keep the rates below those forecast in the long-term plan. The 9.9% overall rates rise was 'not as good' as the councillors would have liked, but it was a start, he said. The council would be looking at every dollar because they needed to be prudent with people's money, Drysdale said. 'We have to respect ratepayers' money, and we have to deliver things for as small a cost as we can.' The community had also told the council more facilities were needed, he said. 'We've been dealt a very tough situation where our infrastructure and our community assets are well below where they need to be.' He said the challenge was finding the balance between delivering projects and reducing rates. 'I'm very proud of this team [and] I think we have delivered a very good balance.' Councillor Glen Crowther said it was a challenging Annual Plan because they were dealing with past decisions that added costs to the organisation. A lot of those decisions were 'firmly locked into place', he said. Crowther said he wanted a lower rates increase. 'I appreciate that a lot of work went into getting to the 9.9%, so I'm not dismissing that, but I think we need to end up lower.' The council's operating expenses were still too high, and he wanted work done before the Annual Plan was adopted in July to reduce rates further, he said. During the four days of deliberations, the council discussed everything from portaloos to tsunami paths in Pāpāmoa. Tauranga Netball asked for $20,000 to lease five portaloos toilets at Blake Park during the winter sports season. Drysdale said this was 'expensive' and they needed to 'get a deal'. The council decided to buy the portaloos and would be able to pay for this within the current budget. The Ōtūmoetai Pool, an 'amazing community asset' slated for closure, was saved. The council also agreed to extend the Pāpāmoa shared coastal path from Parton Rd to Taylor Reserve, provided it cost no more than $1m and could be delivered within the council's current budget. There were some losers from the deliberations. Councillors declined ARGOS Gym Sports $67,000 for a new kitchen and cafe facility, and Bowls Matua would not receive $180,000 to upgrade its third green. Creative Bay of Plenty would also not receive a $77,500 increase in its funding. The rates increase would be finalised in June when the Annual Plan was adopted. How the council achieved its savings • Projects reprioritised or delivered in-house $3.2m • Reduction in consultants and more use of internal services $3.9m • Employee cost reductions $9.1m - 98 roles were disestablished with more possible • Uptake-related kerbside collection cost reduction $900,000 • Interest-related finance cost savings $2m • Increased user fees $2.3m • Reduced engagement and education costs $1.5m • Other organisation-wide cost reductions $5.1m The extra savings to get to 9.9% • Further employee cost reductions $3.2m • Interest and depreciation savings $2.2m • Process improvement savings $3.8m - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Who are the top 10 Dodgers of all-time?
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball over the past five seasons, winning a pair of World Series in 2020 and 2024. The franchise has one of the most storied histories of all time since its days in Brooklyn, with eight World Series victories and 22 total appearances. Sustaining that level of greatness requires developing, acquiring and maximizing talent — and having those players perform at their best when it matters most. That said, we've rounded up the 10 best Dodgers in history. Who are the top 10 Dodgers of all time? 10. Don Sutton Sutton's legacy is most defined by his durability. He started 756 games across 23 seasons and had a career earned run average of 3.26, including an MLB-best 2.20 mark in 1980. While he never won a World Series, he helped the Dodgers reach four and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. 9. Dazzy Vance Vance might as well have founded the high fastball. Renowned for his heater, he used it as a setup and put-away pitch. Vance led the league in strikeouts in five separate seasons and led the National League in ERA on three occasions. That's even more impressive considering he didn't start pitching until age 31, so his ceiling could've been even higher. 8. Duke Snider Snider was a safety net in center field. He could get under any ball hit his way, even when it required diving or making basket catches. He complimented that defense with his prolific bat: Snider hit more home runs and RBIs in the 1950s than any other player. He was also a crucial part of the Dodgers' 1955 and 1959 World Series victories. 7. Roy Campanella Talk about safety behind the plate. Every hurler needs a reliable catcher like Campanella, who could frame any ball and scare any would-be base stealer. Not only was Campanella a defensive savant, but he could hit the leather off the ball. He had three separate 30-HR, 100-RBI seasons, and he won NL MVP in each of those. He's one of just three catchers to have multiple MVP awards, joining Yogi Berra (three) and Johnny Bench (two). 6. Don Drysdale Drysdale had two main intimidating factors, and he combined them to become one of the most imposing pitchers of all time: His height and unorthodox throwing motion maximized his reach. Drysdale was a towering 6-foot-5, and he threw with a sidearm motion. Right-handed hitters could barely see it, and lefties struggled to time it. Drysdale led the league in strikeouts in 1959, 1960 and 1962, winning the Cy Young in that latter season. In 1959, he helped the Dodgers win their first World Series since making the move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. When the Dodgers won it again in 1963, Drysdale pitched a gem in Game 3, allowing no runs and just three hits while striking out nine batters. 5. Pee Wee Reese A dazzling shortstop with everlasting range, Reese could make plays falling away from first base or moving toward it — scooping soft ground balls with his bare hand or digging one-hoppers out of the dirt. He led the league in fielding percentage (97.7%) in 1949 and helped the then-Brooklyn Dodgers win their first World Series in 1955. 4. Fernando Valenzuela "El Toro" is one of the most beloved Dodgers to this day. His popularity with fans and his influence on the Los Angeles community alone could land him on this list. Then, there are the stats and accolades. Valenzuela had one of the best debut seasons in MLB history. In his rookie year in 1981, Venezuela led the league in strikeouts, won Rookie of the Year and Cy Young honors and helped the Dodgers win the World Series. 3. Clayton Kershaw Kershaw is essentially the 21st century version of the next player on this list, Sandy Koufax. An imposing southpaw, Kershaw has been the model of regular-season consistency in Los Angeles. He has led the league in ERA in five separate seasons and in wins three times. He has won three Cy Young awards and earned MLB MVP honors in 2014 when he had a career-best 21-3 record with a career-low qualifying ERA of 1.77. 2. Sandy Koufax Koufax stamped his legacy when he pitched a pair of complete-game shutouts in the 1963 World Series to help the Dodgers close out the Chicago White Sox. Koufax also ranks second all time in most no-hitters, throwing four over his career. He won three Cy Young awards and was named MLB MVP in 1963, doing all this despite an arm injury so notable that a book, "Black and Blue," was named after it. 1. Jackie Robinson Robinson was MLB's first Black player, and he was a star from the moment he came into the league at 28 years old. He won Rookie of the Year in 1947, while leading the National League in stolen bases. Two years later, he won MLB MVP when he hit a career-high .342 batting average. Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962. Honorable mentions: Don Sutton Carl Furillo Orel Hershiser Mike Piazza Matt Kemp Eric Karros Check out all of our Daily Rankers. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Scoop
7 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
‘Woefully Inadequate': Sportsground Has Six Toilets For 4000 People
"Woefully inadequate" toilet provisions at a busy Mount Maunganui sports facility have prompted debate about who should pay and how much to address the issue. Tauranga Netball asked the Tauranga City Council for $20,000 to lease five portaloos toilets at Blake Park during the winter sports season, saying the facility's six loos were not enough when one games night alone attracted 4000 people each week. The club had leased additional portaloos from April to September in the last few years to cover the shortfall. Tauranga City councillors discussed the issue, and other community funding requests, on Monday during Annual Plan deliberations. The draft 2025/26 plan, which proposed an overall rates rise of 12 percent, received 968 written submissions and 70 people spoke at hearings this month. Mayor Mahé Drysdale said $20,000 for toilets for six months seemed "expensive". Council community services general manager Barbara Dempsey said the price was based on what the club paid in previous years. Because there was an accessible toilet, it was more expensive. Council spaces and places manager Alison Law said the cost also included servicing. Drysdale asked how much it cost to buy a toilet. Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular said she had asked a company that morning but was waiting to hear back. Drysdale said the council had a duty to provide toilets at reserves but netball brought in a "huge number" of people and that meant more loos were needed. "I'm just trying to understand whether that should be a council cost or a sport cost." Dempsey said historically it was the council's responsibility to provide public toilets to support recreation facilities. The growth of netball had outstripped the amenities, and it was up to the council whether it wanted to fund the extra toilets, she said. Tauranga Netball's Annual Plan submission said there were 4000 attendees at Friday night college netball and 38 teams for junior netball on Saturday. It said the current six toilets were "woefully inadequate" and the excessive demand resulted in "unsanitary and unsafe conditions". Councillor Glen Crowther said Tauranga Netball was asking because plans to move netball to Baypark had not happened, so the club was incurring unexpected costs. "I do agree with the view that hopefully we'll get them cheaper, that might make this a less contentious issue." Councillor Rick Curach said he was happy for the council to provide in-principle support for the funding, but he wanted the costs confirmed. Drsydale wanted to see if the council could "get a deal". Councillor Steve Morris said the council didn't want to flush money away. The council agreed in principle to give Tauranga Netball the funding, with a final decision to follow. On Tuesday, council staff provided a quote from one company for four standard portaloos and an accessible one at $42,000 for six months' hire and servicing. The cost of buying a standard portaloo was $1800 and servicing five loos for six months would be $3640. The council also voted on funding requests from several other community groups on Monday. They agreed in principle to give Mount Maunganui Cricket Club $73,300 for relocatable changing rooms at their Blake Park grounds. Surf Life Saving New Zealand would get $16,080 to extend its paid lifeguard services at Tay St beach for three weeks over summer. Drysdale said if one life was saved, that would be more than value-for-money for the council's investment. Councillors declined ARGOS Gym Sports $67,000 for new kitchen and cafe facility, and Bowls Matua would not receive $180,000 to upgrade its third green. The Annual Plan deliberations continue until Thursday.
