Christchurch City Council

STRATEGY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

SEMINAR AGENDA

THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY

AT 1.00 PM

(at the conclusion of the Annual Plan meeting)

IN THE NO 2 COMMITTEE ROOM, CIVIC OFFICES

Committee:

Councillor David Close (Chairman), The Mayor, Ms Vicki Buck, Councillors Oscar Alpers, Carole Evans, Gordon Freeman, Pat Harrow, Ian Howell, Alister James, Garry Moore, Margaret Murray, Denis O'Rourke and Ron Wright.

 

Principal Adviser	Committee Secretary
Mike Richardson	Julie Sadler
Telephone: 371-1553	Telephone: 371-1438
Fax: 371-1811	Fax: 371-1786

INDEX

1. APOLOGIES

2. SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS FOR THE 1998 RESIDENTS SURVEY

3. DRAFT FUNDING POLICY



1. APOLOGIES

 

2. SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS FOR THE 1998 RESIDENTS SURVEY

Officer responsible	Author
Corporate Planning and Information Manager	Simon Markham
Corporate Plan Output: Elected Member Decision Making, Vol. I, Page 3.1.14

INTRODUCTION

Interviewing for this year's Annual Residents' Survey to be conducted by National Research Bureau Ltd takes place in April. Suggested topics for supplementary questions were sought by Christmas for question design and finalising by early February. Suggestions for this year include a number of high profile issues. Draft questions are set out below for Committee consideration. It is important these be phrased as neutrally as possible.

TOPIC: OWNERSHIP OF COUNCIL TRADING ENTERPRISES

Objective

Determine the extent of support for the Council's retaining full ownership, part ownership, or selling off the Council's interest in its local authority trading enterprises. The major enterprises are Southpower, Christchurch International Airport Ltd and Lyttelton Port Co Ltd. The intention is to test "ambient" views on overall attitude, rather than see if opinion differs for each of the individual companies.

Q.1 "The Council owns 88% of the shares in Southpower, which provides electricity to Christchurch residents, 65% of the Lyttelton Port Company, which operates the port of Lyttelton, and 75% of Christchurch International Airport Ltd, which operates the airport at Harewood.

The Council wants to know whether residents think it should sell some or all of these shares. From this list (showcard 1), which of the following best matches your opinion on this issue?" (Read out and circle or record one only)

"Do not sell any shares at all" ---------------------------- 1

"Sell off some of the shares,

but retain control of the companies -------------------- 2

"Sell all of the shares" ------------------------------------- 3

"or, some other opinion" ----------------------------------- 4

(Record) _____________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

DO NOT READ OUT: Don't Know ------------------------ 5

Q.2 "The Council would also like to know what you think they should do with the proceeds of selling its shares. I am going to read out a number of options open to Council. Can you tell me from this list (Showcard 2) how much you support or oppose Council using the proceeds in this way." (Read out and circle one for each.)

	Strongly Support	Support	Neutral	Oppose	Strongly Oppose	Don't know
a. "Reduce Council debt"	1	2	3	4	5	6
b. "Fund other projects without increasing rates"	1	2	3	4	5	6
c. "Invest the funds for the future"	1	2	3	4	5	6

 

Note: In 1996 a question was asked regarding Selwyn Plantation Board share ownership. The results were:
Favour keeping shares	44%
Neutral		27%
Favour selling shares	21%
Don't know		9%

TOPIC: THE PROPOSED NEW ART GALLERY

Objective

Determining public support for continuing with the project as and when planned, (commencing 2001, completed 2003) or whether it should be delayed. Rates will need to go up to service the borrowing, reflect depreciation and cover increased operating costs that will be necessary.

Q.3 "The Council currently proposes to build a new, larger City Art Gallery on Worcester Boulevard scheduled to start in 2001, for completion in 2003. As a result of this rates on the average property will increase by $23 per year for the next 20 years. Which of the following (Showcard 3) best matches your opinion on this project? (Read out and circle or record one only.)

"Build the Art Gallery as is currently proposed" -------- 1

"Delay by a few years and not raise the rates

until then for the project" ---------------------------------- 2

"or some other opinion" ------------------------------------- 3

(Record)_______________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

DO NOT READ OUT: Don't know -------------------------- 4

Note that in a 1994 Survey on this topic the results were:
"Don't need a new Art Gallery"	26%
"Buy site and build before 2000"	36%
"Buy site and build after 2000"	32%
"Don't know"	5%

It is not proposed to give the option of need. The Council has resolved to build. The issue is one of timing.

TOPIC: PROPOSED AMALGAMATION BETWEEN CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL AND BANKS PENINSULA DISTRICT COUNCIL

Objective

To gauge "ambient" public attitudes to the possible amalgamation of the two authorities, considering that this may result in a rates rise.

Q.4 "The Council would like to know what Christchurch residents think about the proposed amalgamation of Christchurch City Council and Banks Peninsula District Council. From this list (SHOWCARD 4), please tell me what your attitude to an amalgamation between these two Councils is." (CIRCLE ONE)

Strongly support -------------------------------------------- 1

Support ------------------------------------------------------- 2

Neutral ------------------------------------------------------- 3

Oppose ------------------------------------------------------- 4

Strongly oppose -------------------------------------------- 5

Don't know ------------------------------------------------- 6

Q.5 "Amalgamation could mean that Christchurch City Council ratepayers face a small increase in rates in order to bring services in Banks Peninsula District to the same level as in Christchurch City. If there were to be such a rate increase, what would be your attitude to amalgamation then?" SHOWCARD 5 (CIRCLE ONE)

Strongly support --------------------------------------------- 1

Support ------------------------------------------------------- 2

Neutral -------------------------------------------------------- 3

Oppose ------------------------------------------------------- 4

Strongly oppose -------------------------------------------- 5

Don't know ------------------------------------------------- 6

Depends on amount of increase -------------------------- 7

TOPIC: ROADING REFORM

Objective

To determine public attitudes to the proposal for control and funding of city streets to pass from local authorities to companies. There are two issues: transfer of control to what will be "arm's length" companies, and increasing road user charges to reduce or eliminate rates as a source of funding for roading.

Q.6a "Local streets in Christchurch are currently provided by Christchurch City Council and funded two thirds by rates and one third by petrol tax and road user charges. The government is proposing that control and funding of streets be transferred from local authorities to companies that would be part owned by Councils and part owned by the Government.

How do you feel about the transfer of the planning and control of city streets from Christchurch City Council to a company?" SHOWCARD 6 (CIRCLE ONE)

Strongly support -------------------------------------------- 1

Support ------------------------------------------------------ 2

Neutral ------------------------------------------------------- 3

Oppose ------------------------------------------------------- 4

Strongly oppose -------------------------------------------- 5

Don't know ------------------------------------------------ 6

Q.6b "The Government has also proposed to increase petrol tax and road user charges to pay for streets entirely. Local authority rates would fall as a result. How do you feel about increasing petrol taxes and road user charges to pay for streets and thereby reducing rates accordingly?" SHOWCARD 6 (CIRCLE ONE)

Strongly support ------------------------------------------- 1

Support ------------------------------------------------------ 2

Neutral ------------------------------------------------------- 3

Oppose ------------------------------------------------------ 4

Strongly oppose -------------------------------------------- 5

Don't know ------------------------------------------------- 6

TOPIC: HERITAGE VALUES

Objective

To gauge residents' opinions on the importance of historic buildings to the overall city scape of Christchurch. That is, would people prefer to live in a city where historic buildings have a place, or would they prefer to live in a city that is predominantly, if not exclusively, made up of modern buildings?

Q.7 Christchurch has a small number of historic buildings. Over time, those in the city centre in particular are being replaced, with larger buildings or a more modern design becoming the norm.

Which of the following best describes how you feel about this? (SHOWCARD 7)

(READ OUT AND CIRCLE OR RECORD ONE ONLY)

"Want more modern buildings, even though historic

buildings could be replaced in the process ----------- 1

"The number of historic buildings will slowly decline and there

is little that can or should be done about it ----------- 2

"Want the historic buildings we have now, kept ------ 3

"Not concerned either way" ------------------------------ 4

"Some other opinion" -------------------------------------- 5

(Record) ____________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

DO NOT READ OUT: Don't know ----------------------- 6

Note: In 1995 attitudes to Council spending on historic buildings were canvassed. The results were:

Spend more 35%
Spend same amount 59%
Spend less/nothing/don't know 7%

Recommendation: For discussion

 

3. DRAFT FUNDING POLICY

The report of the Corporate Planner is attached.