Latest news with #Tripe
Scoop
18-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Whanganui Heritage Buildings To Make Way For Health Campus
Heritage buildings at a council-owned site in Whanganui will be demolished and the cleared site leased long-term to a local health provider. Whanganui District Council voted 9-4 this week to lease the former St George's School site to iwi-governed Te Oranganui Trust. Mayor Andrew Tripe said the decision supported Te Oranganui's vision for a community-focused health and wellbeing campus. 'This is a community organisation with deep roots in our district. By supporting this partnership, we're making a strong statement – that public land should be used to advance public good.' The decision follows community engagement and an assessment of risks and opportunities for the site at 125 Grey Street. Tripe said the decision balanced community priorities and sound financial stewardship, along with respect for Whanganui's heritage. 'We heard strong arguments to retain the heritage buildings. 'We also had Te Oranganui present a compelling case for a future that supports our community's health and wellbeing and we are confident this will deliver long-term benefits for Whanganui.' The council had not heard any other commercially viable options for the site, Tripe said. There were more than 800 responses to a council survey on the future of the site, with 51% supporting deconstructing the buildings and leasing the site to a private developer. The council would pay the estimated $1.25 million for deconstruction from its property endowment fund, meaning ratepayers would not foot the bill. The council agreed to 'a sensitive deconstruction'. 'Our approach … respects the heritage value of the site by allowing for careful deconstruction, recovery of materials, and heritage-sensitive design in future development. 'It's not just about removing buildings – it's about making space for something new that honours the legacy of the site while creating services that will support people and whānau for generations to come.' The school's original buildings went up in 1927 but most of the buildings on the site are earthquake-prone and contaminated with asbestos, according to council reports. As part of the lease, the newer administration building facing Grey Street will remain, along with the YMCA Early Childhood Centre with access from London Street, while the older surrounding buildings will be deconstructed. Tripe said it was 'a tough decision' but there were no clear plans for future use of the heritage buildings. Bringing the site up to safe, usable standards would have cost more than $12 million. The Grey Street property was home to St George's School from 1927 until the school moved to the Whanganui Collegiate School campus. The site was bought from the YMCA in 2019 by the council's commercial arm, Whanganui District Council Holdings, as an investment. Between 2019 and 2021, it was used by the New Zealand International Commercial Pilots Academy, which proposed expanding aviation-related facilities prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The council formally purchased the site from its holdings company in 2023. Transitional housing was initially considered for the property, but that proposal was withdrawn after strong neighbourhood opposition. Two buildings are currently leased by the YMCA, but most of the site sits unused. It currently returns a net annual loss of $49,000. The council estimated the long-term lease would deliver a net benefit of $109,000 annually. Te Oranganui is expected to move in by the end of 2027.
NZ Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe pushing for locally governed tertiary institution
'We will put an investment plan together with TEC for the type of programmes they might fund. 'We are on the ground and listening to the community to know what they need now and into the future.' Last month, Tripe said the district's main tertiary provider, the Universal College of Learning (Ucol), had been 'very Palmerston North-centric' since it started. At the time, he said Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds had sent him a letter of encouragement about a new Whanganui facility. Ucol has been operating in Whanganui since 2002, after integrating with the Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic and Wanganui School of Design. It is under the umbrella of Te Pūkenga in Wellington, which was established in April 2020 and merged 25 polytechnics and industry training organisations into one network. In a statement on Monday, July 14, Simmonds said Ucol would return to regional governance from January 1 next year. The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand would be the anchor polytechnic of the new federation, which included Otago Polytechnic and Ucol, to co-ordinate programmes and other services, including shared academic boards, she said. Mayor Andrew Tripe said Ucol was "Palmerston North-centric". Photo / NZME Simmonds told the Chronicle she had been engaging with Tripe, and TEC was working with him to find ways in which the Whanganui campus could have local input and direction while still operating within the wider Ucol entity. 'Things being considered include a local advisory committee with its chair on the Ucol council, an investment plan specifically for the Whanganui campus, the ability to utilise online offerings from the Open Polytechnic for blended delivery at the Whanganui campus and an ability to market a 'Whanganui School of Design and Technology' under its own branding both locally and internationally.' A Ucol spokesperson said there would be a final decision on its 'change process' on Wednesday, July 16. The organisation announced in April that it proposed cutting up to 17% of its workforce across Palmerston North, Whanganui and Masterton, including two roles in Whanganui. Whanganui MP Carl Bates, a former board member at Ucol, said he was supporting the Whanganui District Council with its work, and communicating 'as appropriate' with Simmonds. He said Ucol's return to autonomy meant the potential for Whanganui involvement in its governance. 'The council has additional aspirations for what the Whanganui campus could look like,' he said. 'We won't end up with two [institutions] in Whanganui. This is about the best way to serve our community, ensuring it's sustainable, financially viable and it delivers for our students.' Bates said Ucol staff in Whanganui did great work and the district had a 'fantastic history when it comes to polytechnic education'. 'It would be great to see some of that lifted up again,' she said. 'That's a vision all parties, Ucol included, would support. 'We've got to work out exactly how that will be delivered.' Tripe said Whanganui had a strong, niche manufacturing sector. 'What can we do in that space? And how can we make sure there is a pipeline of talent into that particular industry? 'Design and technology cover a broad area. It is something all of New Zealand needs, not just our community.' Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
How Whanganui Achieved Lowest Rates In The Country
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter Whanganui's average rates increase of 2.2 percent for the year ahead is the lowest in the country. Whanganui's average rates increase of 2.2 percent for the year ahead is the lowest in the country. Mayor Andrew Tripe says the low figure is the envy of the country and the payoff in a sustained drive to adjust how the council operates. '[It] didn't happen by accident – it's the result of a deliberate strategy to keep costs under control,' Tripe said. 'Many of the savings are structural and will flow through to future years. We expect there will be opportunities to reduce the 2026/27 rates increase as well.' In a survey by Local Democracy Reporting on average rates for 2025/26 throughout the country, Waitomo District Council had the next lowest rates at 2.9 percent, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council was third lowest in the country at 3.0 percent. Five councils – Upper Hutt City, Waipa District, Hamilton City, Hastings District and Clutha District – were looking at jumps of 15-17 percent. The average rates hike is about 8.7 percent, compared with last year's 14 percent. In his first tilt at local government in 2022, Tripe's successful campaign for the mayoralty included driving efficiencies to reduce the rates burden. A six-point plan was developed early in the electoral term to reduce costs and ease reliance on rates. As well as improving efficiency, the plan looked at reducing services, finding alternative funding for projects, identifying non-rates sources of revenue, and growing the population so there were more households to pitch in on rates. 'The plan has taken a while to get some traction, however the benefits of that approach are now starting to show,' Tripe said. The savings drive led to works and services being deferred, scaled back or cut but Tripe said investment in infrastructure had been prioritised. Variations to the long-term plan included Tripe's push to ditch a planned food scrap collection, reducing rates by $1 million or about 1.5 percent, he said. Council restructuring saved $1.2m a year. Deferrals Deferrals included pushing out by a year a $1m grant for Whanganui Surf Lifesaving Service's rescue centre. The project was not at the stage where funding was needed, Tripe said. An $8m of planned spending on an opera house upgrade was delayed to await a business case. The Waitahinga Quarry development project was deferred while the council focused on other projects, and all council vehicle replacements have been deferred for the year. A planned full review of the district plan has also been deferred, saving $700,000. Tripe said the council was no longer required to conduct a full review of the plan following central government's decision to make changes to the Resource Management Act. Non-rates income was expected to increase by almost 20 percent in the year ahead. 'We are expecting higher fee revenue in some activities such as parking and aquatics. 'We have moderated our property renewals budget down for affordability and to ensure we can deliver the planned programme. 'Three waters capital programmes have been moderated to ensure that they are deliverable in the 2025/26 financial year.' The council had also made minor reductions to venues improvement budgets and optimised corporate budgets for items like IT hardware replacements. It was committed to 'investing solidly' in core infrastructure, with more than 80 percent of capital spending earmarked over the next 10 years for the likes of footpaths, roading, and stormwater. There was also an 11 percent increase in infrastructure spending from 2024/25. The council also tightened spending on insurance cover by taking a risk-based approach on property and removing some assets from its insurance schedule. Unbalanced budget The council has forecast an unbalanced budget of $5.5 million for 2025/26 due to increased depreciation costs from inflation and large new assets like the redeveloped Sarjeant Gallery and wastewater treatment plant. 'While we are repaying debt on these long-life assets, we believe it's not fair for current ratepayers to also fund future replacements. Running an unbalanced budget is prudent in the short-term.' Tripe said the council's balance sheet was strong, debt was under control and additional repayments were being made to loans. Asked how these decisions would affect long-term planning, Tripe said the council was looking beyond the short-term and planning for the future. 'We're creating a strategy for Whanganui with five goals: to grow, build for, protect, celebrate and activate Whanganui.' This included plans to establish a standalone entity to improve housing stock and allocating an extra $590,000 toward debt repayment, on top of existing repayments. Paying down debt more quickly would benefit future generations, Tripe said. 'This equates to 0.7 percent of the 2.2 percent average rates increase.' Asked if he was confident the council was investing adequately in the district's future, Tripe said Whanganui was faring well in a difficult national economy. 'We should be excited about our future. Whanganui has a fantastic range of facilities for our community and the council is committed to maintaining these and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for Whanganui to continue to be a great place to live, work and visit.'
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
How Whanganui Achieved Lowest Rates In The Country
Whanganui's average rates increase of 2.2 percent for the year ahead is the lowest in the country. Mayor Andrew Tripe says the low figure is the envy of the country and the payoff in a sustained drive to adjust how the council operates. "[It] didn't happen by accident - it's the result of a deliberate strategy to keep costs under control," Tripe said. "Many of the savings are structural and will flow through to future years. We expect there will be opportunities to reduce the 2026/27 rates increase as well." In a survey by Local Democracy Reporting on average rates for 2025/26 throughout the country, Waitomo District Council had the next lowest rates at 2.9 percent, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council was third lowest in the country at 3.0 percent. Five councils - Upper Hutt City, Waipa District, Hamilton City, Hastings District and Clutha District - were looking at jumps of 15-17 percent. The average rates hike is about 8.7 percent, compared with last year's 14 percent. In his first tilt at local government in 2022, Tripe's successful campaign for the mayoralty included driving efficiencies to reduce the rates burden. A six-point plan was developed early in the electoral term to reduce costs and ease reliance on rates. As well as improving efficiency, the plan looked at reducing services, finding alternative funding for projects, identifying non-rates sources of revenue, and growing the population so there were more households to pitch in on rates. "The plan has taken a while to get some traction, however the benefits of that approach are now starting to show," Tripe said. The savings drive led to works and services being deferred, scaled back or cut but Tripe said investment in infrastructure had been prioritised. Variations to the long-term plan included Tripe's push to ditch a planned food scrap collection, reducing rates by $1 million or about 1.5 percent, he said. Council restructuring saved $1.2m a year. Deferrals Deferrals included pushing out by a year a $1m grant for Whanganui Surf Lifesaving Service's rescue centre. The project was not at the stage where funding was needed, Tripe said. An $8m of planned spending on an opera house upgrade was delayed to await a business case. The Waitahinga Quarry development project was deferred while the council focused on other projects, and all council vehicle replacements have been deferred for the year. A planned full review of the district plan has also been deferred, saving $700,000. Tripe said the council was no longer required to conduct a full review of the plan following central government's decision to make changes to the Resource Management Act. Non-rates income was expected to increase by almost 20 percent in the year ahead. "We are expecting higher fee revenue in some activities such as parking and aquatics. "We have moderated our property renewals budget down for affordability and to ensure we can deliver the planned programme. "Three waters capital programmes have been moderated to ensure that they are deliverable in the 2025/26 financial year." The council had also made minor reductions to venues improvement budgets and optimised corporate budgets for items like IT hardware replacements. It was committed to "investing solidly" in core infrastructure, with more than 80 percent of capital spending earmarked over the next 10 years for the likes of footpaths, roading, and stormwater. There was also an 11 percent increase in infrastructure spending from 2024/25. The council also tightened spending on insurance cover by taking a risk-based approach on property and removing some assets from its insurance schedule. Unbalanced budget The council has forecast an unbalanced budget of $5.5 million for 2025/26 due to increased depreciation costs from inflation and large new assets like the redeveloped Sarjeant Gallery and wastewater treatment plant. "While we are repaying debt on these long-life assets, we believe it's not fair for current ratepayers to also fund future replacements. Running an unbalanced budget is prudent in the short-term." Tripe said the council's balance sheet was strong, debt was under control and additional repayments were being made to loans. Asked how these decisions would affect long-term planning, Tripe said the council was looking beyond the short-term and planning for the future. "We're creating a strategy for Whanganui with five goals: to grow, build for, protect, celebrate and activate Whanganui." This included plans to establish a standalone entity to improve housing stock and allocating an extra $590,000 toward debt repayment, on top of existing repayments. Paying down debt more quickly would benefit future generations, Tripe said. "This equates to 0.7 percent of the 2.2 percent average rates increase." Asked if he was confident the council was investing adequately in the district's future, Tripe said Whanganui was faring well in a difficult national economy. "We should be excited about our future. Whanganui has a fantastic range of facilities for our community and the council is committed to maintaining these and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for Whanganui to continue to be a great place to live, work and visit."
NZ Herald
14-07-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
How Whanganui achieved the lowest property rates increase in New Zealand
In a survey by Local Democracy Reporting on average rates for 2025/26 throughout the country, Waitomo District Council had the next-lowest rates increase at 2.9%, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council was third-lowest at 3.0%. Five councils – Upper Hutt City, Waipa District, Hamilton City, Hastings District and Clutha District – were looking at jumps of 15-17%. The average rates hike is about 8.7%, compared with last year's 14%. In his first tilt at local government in 2022, Tripe's successful campaign for the mayoralty included driving efficiencies to reduce the rates burden. A six-point plan was developed early in the electoral term to reduce costs and ease council reliance on rates. As well as improving efficiency, the plan looked at reducing services, finding alternative funding for projects, identifying non-rates sources of revenue, and raising the population so there were more households to pitch in with rates. 'The plan has taken a while to get some traction, however, the benefits of that approach are now starting to show,' Tripe said. The savings drive led to works and services being deferred, scaled back or cut but Tripe said investment in infrastructure had been prioritised. Variations to the Long-term Plan included Tripe's push to ditch a planned food scrap collection, reducing rates by $1 million or about 1.5%, he said. Council restructuring saved $1.2m a year. Deferrals Deferrals included pushing out by a year a $1m grant for Whanganui Surf Lifesaving Service's rescue centre. The project was not at the stage where funding was needed, Tripe said. An $8m of planned spending on an opera house upgrade was delayed to await a business case. The Waitahinga Quarry development project was deferred while the council focused on other projects, and all council vehicle replacements have been deferred for the year. A planned full review of the district plan has also been deferred, saving $700,000. Tripe said the council was no longer required to conduct a full review of the plan following central government's decision to make changes to the Resource Management Act. Non-rates income was expected to increase by almost 20% in the year ahead. 'We are expecting higher fee revenue in some activities such as parking and aquatics. 'We have moderated our property renewals budget down for affordability and to ensure we can deliver the planned programme.' Capital programmes for water services have been moderated to ensure that they are deliverable in the 2025/26 financial year, Tripe said. The council had also made minor reductions to venues improvement budgets and optimised corporate budgets for items like IT hardware replacements. It was committed to 'investing solidly' in core infrastructure, with more than 80% of capital spending earmarked over the next 10 years for the likes of footpaths, roading and stormwater. There was also an 11% increase in infrastructure spending from 2024/25. In addition, the council tightened spending on insurance cover by taking a risk-based approach on property and removing some assets from its insurance schedule. Unbalanced budget The council has forecast an unbalanced budget of $5.5m for 2025/26 due to increased depreciation costs from inflation and large new assets like the redeveloped Sarjeant Gallery and wastewater treatment plant. 'While we are repaying debt on these long-life assets, we believe it's not fair for current ratepayers to also fund future replacements. Running an unbalanced budget is prudent in the short term.' Tripe said the council's balance sheet was strong, debt was under control and additional repayments were being made to loans. Asked how these decisions would affect long-term planning, Tripe said the council was looking beyond the short term and planning for the future. 'We're creating a strategy for Whanganui with five goals: to grow, build for, protect, celebrate and activate Whanganui.' This included plans to establish a standalone entity to improve housing stock and allocating an extra $590,000 toward debt repayment, on top of existing repayments. Paying down debt more quickly would benefit future generations, Tripe said. 'This equates to 0.7% of the 2.2% average rates increase.' Asked if he was confident the council was investing adequately in the district's future, Tripe said Whanganui was faring well in a difficult national economy. 'We should be excited about our future. Whanganui has a fantastic range of facilities for our community and the council is committed to maintaining these and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for Whanganui to continue to be a great place to live, work and visit.' LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
