Social Infrastructure Stocktake
SmartGrowth Review
Purpose
To undertake a stocktake of implementation of social infrastructure planning at
Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
What is social infrastructure?
‘Social infrastructure refers to the community facilities, services and networks that
help individuals, families, groups and communities meet their social needs, maximise
their potential for development, and enhance community wellbeing.’
Social infrastructure includes:
 universal facilities and services such as education, training, health, welfare, social
services, open space, recreation and sport, safety and emergency services,
learning, religious, arts and cultural facilities, civic and democratic institutions, and
community meeting places
 lifecycle-targeted facilities and services, such as those for children, young people
and older people e.g. early childhood centres and retirement villages
 targeted facilities and services for groups with special needs, such as families,
people with disabilities, Maori, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds
e.g. te kohanga reo, hauora.
 You will note that social infrastructure is provided by a wide range of central,
regional and local organisations, Council is one of the many providers e.g.
reserves, sports field, community meeting places, libraries etc. The Framework
and Guidelines are specific to Council.
Why is it important?
Just as economic infrastructure, such as roads, energy and ports supports the
economy, social infrastructure supports the wellbeing of families and communities.
Social infrastructure provides the vehicle for a range of important functions for people
and communities, including:
 Sense of identity – from libraries, marae, and other arts and cultural institutions
 Sense of belonging and inclusion – achieved from both the presence of the
facilities and the activities that occur within them e.g. community centres, parks,
public art and open space
 Educated community and workforce – preschools, primary, intermediate and
secondary education and tertiary education
 Networking and community interaction – from events, local networks and activities
 Democratic participation and citizenship – voting, taking part in civic affairs,
standing for election
 Physical and mental health – from health service provision to the facilities that
 encourage physical activity and/or social interaction e.g. reserves, halls, action
and community centres
 Spiritual and cultural wellbeing – from faith based, cultural and spiritual
organisations, networks and facilities, such as marae
 Creative expression – through arts and cultural institutions
As noted in the definition, there is social infrastructure developed by and for Maori
which is fundamental to Maori wellbeing and reflects Te Ao Maori. These include, but
are not limited to, marae, te kohanga reo, kura kaupapa Maori, hauora and
wananga. Social infrastructure, both mainstream and Maori specific, contributes to
Maori wellbeing, this is discussed in more detail and described in the stock take of
Western Bay of Plenty social infrastructure.
Framework
The Social Infrastructure Planning Framework for the Western Bay of Plenty Subregion was developed in 2009. The document aims to build understanding of what
social infrastructure is, why it is important and outline the outcomes, principles and
overall purpose for social infrastructure planning.
Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council adopted guidelines
for each council to identify how the principles and outcomes of the Framework could
be realised.
The Framework purpose has been used to guide the stocktake process and
determine what has been achieved and where further work is required.
Stocktake
Framework Purpose
Enhance understanding of
social infrastructure
Progress to Date:
WBOPDC
 Increasing use of the term ‘social infrastructure’ by
government, and WBOPDC.
 Requests by Council staff to incorporate social
infrastructure planning in their work.
TCC
 Development of planning guidelines that incorporate SI
planning/process considerations
Assist the integration of
social infrastructure planning
into existing Council planning
processes
Provide information to
support social infrastructure
planning
WBOPDC
Social infrastructure planning has been undertaken as part
of:
 The Omokoroa community plan,
 the Katikati Built Environment and town centre plan
 Te Puna community plan (in development)
 Minden structure planning
 Long Term Plan Communities Strategy
 Libraries levels of service review.
 Informing the development of a playground strategy.
 SmartGrowth Settlement Patterns work.
TCC
 Reserve Management Plan Guidelines developed
 Place Management approach endorsed
Framework Purpose
Enhance community
involvement in social
infrastructure planning
Progress to Date:
WBOPDC
Community members’ views are sought as part of the
community planning process and are also expressed via
submissions to the community plans.
TCC
Arataki Community Centre example of community
participation in planning for development of community
centre both in terms of the community advisory group and
the other community engagement approaches used.
Support collaborative
planning for social
infrastructure between
Council and other providers
of social infrastructure
WBOPDC
Key social infrastructure providers e.g. schools, medical
clinics etc are interviewed to inform the community plan.
Information about SmartGrowth, in particular location and
timing of growth nodes, has been distributed to key social
infrastructure providers e.g. emergency services, police,
Ministry of Education, District Health Board etc.
Collaboration Bay of Plenty (COBOP), with membership
from the regions local and regional authorities and central
government departments, has been a useful mechanism to
encourage information sharing and working together
between local authorities and central government. For
example, Central government agencies visited Maketu to
learn about their community plan and what role these
departments can play in advancing the plan.
Membership and input into of a number of interagency
groups e.g. SmartGrowth Strategic partners Forum,
Population Ageing Technical Advisory Group and Housing
Affordability forum, Tauranga Safe City.
Social Infrastructure developed since development of
guidelines:
 Huharua Subregional park
 Planning for an updated skatepark in Katikati
 Expansion and refurbishment of the Te Puke library
 Public art installed in Omokoroa (Crapp Reserve and
Western Ave Reserve), Te Puke town centre and
additional murals in Katikati.
 Playground in Te Puke - 2012
 Pongakawa Indoor Action Centre (commencing
construction).
 New tennis courts Pohutukawa Park, Waihi Beach.
 Further development of TECT subregional park.
TCC
 Welcome Bay Integrated Plan saw a combined agency
approach to development and implementation of the
plan which will provide accommodation for the
Welcome Bay Community Centre
 City Centre Action Group
 Development and implementation of Strand Night
Management Plan
 CoBOP – social wellbeing cluster
 Tauranga Youth Development Team
 Tauranga Safe City
Framework Purpose
Progress to Date:
TCC takes a network approach to provision of most types
of social infrastructure eg indoor facilities, open space,
swimming pools etc. This is generally through
development of strategies and the process for this includes
identification and consideration of social infrastructure
provided by other organisations.
See Table 1 and Table 2 of TCC Social Infrastructure
Planning Guidelines for new or planned social
infrastructure Identified needs included in relevant strategy.
General comments
Implementation of the Social Infrastructure Framework and Guidelines has been
achieved at many levels from strategy development through to project
implementation. It has reinforced the importance of taking a collaborative approach
to the things that we do both in terms of other organisations and the community.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Tauranga City Council already have a
good track record of doing this through collaborative processes such as
establishment of the subregional parks network.
The Social Infrastructure Framework and Guidelines have helped to achieve better
integration of social infrastructure thinking into councils planning and delivery
process. The local benefits, opportunities for Councils to engage with communities,
and the ability to provide opportunities for the community to build their capabilities
has only seen positive outcomes from the councils experience to date.
Perhaps the most useful aspect of the social Infrastructure planning process is that it
helps to build a picture of particular communities and their demographics which
ensures that the type and location of social infrastructure for areas of our district and
city meet the needs of communities, now and in the future.
It is beneficial for each Council to have a social infrastructure ‘champion/s’ at a staff
level and at a political level although this needs to be balanced with making social
infrastructure a part of what all staff do where it applies in their day-to-day work.
An area for improvement is further emphasis on the alignment between local
government, central government and other providers of social infrastructure. This
could occur in many forms. Currently the main form of communication is through the
Strategic Partners Forum whose membership includes the District Health Board, Bay
of Plenty Polytech and Waikato University partnership and is in the main one of
informing and consultation. At a Council level central government (e.g. schools) and
Council have co-funded community facilities.
Increasingly in Australia a more collaborative approach to social infrastructure
planning is occurring. For instance a number of outer Melbourne Councils in growth
areas came together with key State government social infrastructure providers to
agree on levels of social infrastructure. Other examples include public private
partnerships or developer funded social infrastructure. One Council is initiating and
basing its infrastructure, residential, commercial and industrial planning on social
infrastructure planning.
Recommendations for SmartGrowth
1. Continue to acknowledge the role of social infrastructure in our planning and land
use processes and the benefits of this e.g. council and local communities working
together.
2. The Framework, Guidelines and current good practice continue to be used to
undertake social infrastructure planning as part of all other relevant Council
planning (e.g. infrastructure network planning, community planning, structure
planning).
3. Ensure all partners of the Strategy have adequate resourcing for staff training in
social infrastructure planning.
4. Where appropriate, take a subregional approach to the planning and provision of
specific types of social infrastructure as currently occurs with subregional parks.
5. SmartGrowth considers to what extent it wishes to work other providers of social
infrastructure (e.g. Ministry of Education, District Health Board) to ensure an
integrated consistent provision of social infrastructure throughout the sub region.
Options:
a. Status quo – informing and consulting with other social infrastructure
providers;
b. Explore opportunities such as public private partnerships in the
development of social infrastructure, agreed levels of social
infrastructure with other providers and/or increased collaborative social
infrastructure planning with other providers.
6. Monitor and consider the role of iwi and hapu social infrastructure and the
potential for this to be even greater as an outcome of the treaty settlement
process