Latest news with #JenScoular
Scoop
4 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Making Hopukiore Safer And More Accessible For All
Press Release – Tauranga City Council A missing section of the pathway on the Pacific Avenue side of Hopukiore will be constructed, creating a fully connected loop around the base of the reserve. In addition, the steep and narrow sections of the pathway along Maunganui Road will be upgraded … Work will soon begin at Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve to improve safety and accessibility and protect its cultural significance, with upgrades planned for the perimeter pathway and historic caves starting this week. A missing section of the pathway on the Pacific Avenue side of Hopukiore will be constructed, creating a fully connected loop around the base of the reserve. In addition, the steep and narrow sections of the pathway along Maunganui Road will be upgraded with a timber boardwalk. These upgrades will improve accessibility, create a safe link between the roads, and ensure pedestrians are protected from traffic. The new pathway along Pacific Avenue will result in the loss of two car parks, leaving 10 car parks remaining on that side of the reserve. Some space from the removed car parks is expected to remain available for motorcycle parking. As part of the works, barriers will be installed to protect the Hopukiore caves, helping preserve their archaeological and cultural significance and keep everyone safe. During the works, which are expected to be completed in July, pedestrian detours will be in place along the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue and Maunganui Road, with pedestrians directed to use the footpath on the opposite side of each road. Stop/go traffic management will be in place at times on Pacific Avenue and May Street to allow for the safe movement of materials and construction vehicles. The 12 car parks on the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue will be closed while works are underway. While the reserve will remain open, access to the summit track from the Maunganui Road side will be temporarily closed during the works. 'Hopukiore is a special part of Mount Maunganui and is a popular space for our community to connect, exercise and play,' says Deputy Mayor of Tauranga and Mauao/Mount Maunganui Ward Councillor Jen Scoular. 'These upgrades will ensure everyone in our community can move safely around the reserve and the historic caves are preserved for everyone to appreciate.' 'The wider Mount North area already offers several accessible facilities, including an accessible changing facility near the playground, and adaptive equipment like Te Kaiwhakatere – TrailRider all-terrain wheelchair and beach wheelchairs, both of which can be booked online. Beach access mats are also available at key points along Marine Parade. The pathway upgrades, together with these facilities, will make it easier for more people to access and enjoy the area.' The improvements are part of a broader project to enhance the reserve, which includes the Hopukiore play area upgrade. In December 2024, Council launched the 'Love, Wish, Wonder' campaign to gather community input on the future of the popular play space. The feedback highlighted a wide range of imaginative ideas – from obstacle courses and sand pits to mouse wheels and musical features. Concepts for the play space are currently being designed, shaped by community feedback, iwi and hapū values, and technical and site-specific considerations. They will be shared later in the year for further community input. A summary of the feedback can be viewed at
Scoop
4 days ago
- Scoop
Making Hopukiore Safer And More Accessible For All
Work will soon begin at Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve to improve safety and accessibility and protect its cultural significance, with upgrades planned for the perimeter pathway and historic caves starting this week. A missing section of the pathway on the Pacific Avenue side of Hopukiore will be constructed, creating a fully connected loop around the base of the reserve. In addition, the steep and narrow sections of the pathway along Maunganui Road will be upgraded with a timber boardwalk. These upgrades will improve accessibility, create a safe link between the roads, and ensure pedestrians are protected from traffic. The new pathway along Pacific Avenue will result in the loss of two car parks, leaving 10 car parks remaining on that side of the reserve. Some space from the removed car parks is expected to remain available for motorcycle parking. As part of the works, barriers will be installed to protect the Hopukiore caves, helping preserve their archaeological and cultural significance and keep everyone safe. During the works, which are expected to be completed in July, pedestrian detours will be in place along the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue and Maunganui Road, with pedestrians directed to use the footpath on the opposite side of each road. Stop/go traffic management will be in place at times on Pacific Avenue and May Street to allow for the safe movement of materials and construction vehicles. The 12 car parks on the Hopukiore side of Pacific Avenue will be closed while works are underway. While the reserve will remain open, access to the summit track from the Maunganui Road side will be temporarily closed during the works. 'Hopukiore is a special part of Mount Maunganui and is a popular space for our community to connect, exercise and play,' says Deputy Mayor of Tauranga and Mauao/Mount Maunganui Ward Councillor Jen Scoular. 'These upgrades will ensure everyone in our community can move safely around the reserve and the historic caves are preserved for everyone to appreciate.' 'The wider Mount North area already offers several accessible facilities, including an accessible changing facility near the playground, and adaptive equipment like Te Kaiwhakatere – TrailRider all-terrain wheelchair and beach wheelchairs, both of which can be booked online. Beach access mats are also available at key points along Marine Parade. The pathway upgrades, together with these facilities, will make it easier for more people to access and enjoy the area." The improvements are part of a broader project to enhance the reserve, which includes the Hopukiore play area upgrade. In December 2024, Council launched the 'Love, Wish, Wonder' campaign to gather community input on the future of the popular play space. The feedback highlighted a wide range of imaginative ideas – from obstacle courses and sand pits to mouse wheels and musical features. Concepts for the play space are currently being designed, shaped by community feedback, iwi and hapū values, and technical and site-specific considerations. They will be shared later in the year for further community input. A summary of the feedback can be viewed at For more information on the pathway upgrade and cave protection works, visit
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Tauranga City Council Improves Consenting Performance With More Improvement To Come
Press Release – Tauranga City Council A report presented at the City Delivery Committee meeting on Wednesday highlighted efficiency gains in processing both building and resource consents on application volumes that were slightly lower than the year prior. Tauranga City Council has made good progress in improving its consenting performance for the 2024/25 financial year, but acknowledges there is still room for improvement. Despite economic challenges throughout the country, application volumes overall have remained steady, which is a positive sign of continued growth in Tauranga. A report presented at the City Delivery Committee meeting on Wednesday highlighted efficiency gains in processing both building and resource consents on application volumes that were slightly lower than the year prior. Tauranga City Council City Delivery Committee Chair and Deputy Mayor, Jen Scoular acknowledged the progress made, while also noting the need to keep making improvements. 'The team have worked hard to refine processes, and it's good to see tangible results. Going forward we have asked the team to keep a focus on making consenting faster and more efficient for our community. 'Council gave staff a steer to set a plan that engages with the construction sector, to better understand the blockages and issues. Staff were also asked to look at comparison times with other councils to help define what good looks like.' Staff confirmed they are committed to refining the Building Consent processes further, and continue to enhance its systems, including piloting a new 'reference consent' system where the team can pre-approve simple repeat buildings. This is expected to increase the speed of consenting for these buildings, but also free up staff time to speed up other more complex applications. Tauranga City Council staff are gearing up for the next IANZ audit in September 2025 after achieving its best Building Control Authority audit result in over a decade in 2023. Jen emphasised the importance of adapting to future legislative changes and noted that while council is moving in the right direction, consents will remain an area of focus. 'Upcoming reforms in the Building Act and Resource Management Act will bring further changes to how consents are processed. Changes being proposed by Central Government will take away some of the risk adversity we are seeing, as a number of activities will no longer need consent.' Building Consents: 1,471 applications received year-to-date, showing a slight decline compared to previous years. Compliance with the 20-day statutory timeframe has improved to 82%, up from 75% in 2023/24 and significantly higher than the low of 35% in April 2022. Median processing time has dropped to 14 days, matching national benchmarks. Reliance on external contractors has reduced from 60% to just 18%, signalling strong internal capability growth. Inspection wait-times remain under two days, with 97% of Code Compliance Certificates issued on time. Resource Consents: Application volumes remain stable, with a 22% increase in subdivision consents suggesting future development opportunities. On-time decision-making has increased to 96% compliance year-to-date, a significant improvement from 38% in July 2022. The average processing time is 56 working days, with 31 days typically spent on hold. External consultant use has decreased due to strengthened in-house expertise.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Tauranga City Council Improves Consenting Performance With More Improvement To Come
Tauranga City Council has made good progress in improving its consenting performance for the 2024/25 financial year, but acknowledges there is still room for improvement. Despite economic challenges throughout the country, application volumes overall have remained steady, which is a positive sign of continued growth in Tauranga. A report presented at the City Delivery Committee meeting on Wednesday highlighted efficiency gains in processing both building and resource consents on application volumes that were slightly lower than the year prior. Tauranga City Council City Delivery Committee Chair and Deputy Mayor, Jen Scoular acknowledged the progress made, while also noting the need to keep making improvements. 'The team have worked hard to refine processes, and it's good to see tangible results. Going forward we have asked the team to keep a focus on making consenting faster and more efficient for our community. 'Council gave staff a steer to set a plan that engages with the construction sector, to better understand the blockages and issues. Staff were also asked to look at comparison times with other councils to help define what good looks like.' Staff confirmed they are committed to refining the Building Consent processes further, and continue to enhance its systems, including piloting a new 'reference consent' system where the team can pre-approve simple repeat buildings. This is expected to increase the speed of consenting for these buildings, but also free up staff time to speed up other more complex applications. Tauranga City Council staff are gearing up for the next IANZ audit in September 2025 after achieving its best Building Control Authority audit result in over a decade in 2023. Jen emphasised the importance of adapting to future legislative changes and noted that while council is moving in the right direction, consents will remain an area of focus. 'Upcoming reforms in the Building Act and Resource Management Act will bring further changes to how consents are processed. Changes being proposed by Central Government will take away some of the risk adversity we are seeing, as a number of activities will no longer need consent.' Building Consents: 1,471 applications received year-to-date, showing a slight decline compared to previous years. Compliance with the 20-day statutory timeframe has improved to 82%, up from 75% in 2023/24 and significantly higher than the low of 35% in April 2022. Median processing time has dropped to 14 days, matching national benchmarks. Reliance on external contractors has reduced from 60% to just 18%, signalling strong internal capability growth. Inspection wait-times remain under two days, with 97% of Code Compliance Certificates issued on time. Resource Consents: Application volumes remain stable, with a 22% increase in subdivision consents suggesting future development opportunities. On-time decision-making has increased to 96% compliance year-to-date, a significant improvement from 38% in July 2022. The average processing time is 56 working days, with 31 days typically spent on hold. External consultant use has decreased due to strengthened in-house expertise.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Tauranga Parks Take Top National Honours With Community-Led Designs
Press Release – Tauranga City Council Tauranga City Council's commitment to creating inclusive, well-designed community spaces has been recognised on the national stage, with wins at the 2025 Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards in Auckland this week. Two category wins and two merit awards were received, reflecting efforts by council staff to work more innovatively and collaboratively within the city's parks and recreation sector. Among the winners were Te Papa Tākaro o Matua, which won Playspace of the Year (under $500,000), and Tauranga Waterfront Playground, awarded Playspace of the Year (over $500,000). Two further projects received merit awards: Waitaha Reserve (Playspace of the Year – over $500,000) and the Kōpūrererua Valley restoration (Healthy Parks Award category). The Matua and Waitaha Reserve projects were designed, delivered and project-managed in-house – an approach that ensured value for ratepayers and enabled community involvement from concept to completion. 'These awards recognise our focus on building spaces that are locally led and enjoyed,' says Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular. 'We're committed to working alongside the people who use these spaces to make sure we're creating play and recreation experiences that reflect community needs, values, and aspirations.' The Te Papa Tākaro o Matua project involved the full renewal of an outdated neighbourhood park, drawing on the ideas of local hapū Ngai Tamarawaho, children and scout groups to reimagine the space. The result is a vibrant, inclusive park where all ages and abilities feel welcome. In the city centre, the new Waterfront Playground has become a recreational destination that reflects the city's cultural identity and connection to Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour. Local school children fed into its design and judges praised the project's strong cultural narrative, use of natural materials, and ability to create connection and joy through play. Waitaha Reserve was another in-house project that showcased Council's internal design capability on larger-scale upgrades, working alongside hapū, Ngāti He. The Kōpūrererua Valley project was recognised for its long-term ecological restoration, which is balancing environmental outcomes with recreation access in one of the city's largest natural corridors. 'We've had great feedback from the community that spaces like this are important to them. Having these projects recognised on the national stage reflects our efforts to be innovative and create places that people care about and want to use.' Jen also acknowledges the community's role in shaping the spaces. 'The most successful parks and play spaces are those created with the people who will use them.'
