Taupō District Council is applying for $4.93 million in funding for a much-needed upgrade to the district’s landmark Owen Delany Park sports facility.

The funds have been offered by Central Government and relate to the Three Waters reforms which impose mandatory removal of water services from councils to regional water entities. The Better Off Funding supports local government transition through the reforms and is intended for councils to invest in the future for local government, urban development and the wellbeing of communities.

Applying for the funding does not mean Council agrees with the reforms – and in fact, it has come out in strong opposition to them.

But Taupō District Council Mayor David Trewavas said the money could greatly benefit the community, and councillors had a duty to be financially responsible.

Mr Trewavas said the decision to accept the free $4.93 million, which was agreed at yesterday’s council meeting, was an agonising one to make.

Councillors were torn between doing what was prudent, which would be to use the money for important projects to benefit the community, or continuing to signal their dislike of the reforms by forgoing much-needed funds which would otherwise come from ratepayers.

“We continue to express our strong opposition to the Three Waters reform process, including in our robust recent submission to Parliament on the first Waters Services Entities Bill.

“This does not mean council agrees with the reform process – and in fact, we keep going strong in our opposition to it,” Mr Trewavas said.

“Our legal advice was that even if Council decided to apply for the Better Off Funding, it wouldn’t be constrained from criticising the reforms publicly.”

Councillors had already voiced their “strong opposition” to the Three Waters reforms and that view had not changed.

Projects eligible for the Better Off Funding have to meet a set of criteria and upgrades to Owen Delany Park met those, including the requirement that the project improve community wellbeing, Mr Trewavas said.

The park is a community facility heavily used by a range of age groups, clubs, schools and sporting codes and the upgrades would help attract national and possibly international fixtures.

Proposed improvements include new lighting, PA system upgrades, possible changing room improvements, an electronic scoreboard and landscaping.

Council will consult with iwi/hapū on the proposed use of the funds as part of the funding application process.

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