Key points:

• Revenue up $7.1m on budget of $184.1m, reaching $191.2m
  • Underpins $5.4m operating surplus
• Capital delivery $3.9m ahead of forecast to $33.9m
  • $18.5m more infrastructure delivered than 2022/23 year
  • $22.1m spent on flood protection
• Public transport trips up 23% on previous year
  • 3.37m passenger trips taken
• $45m Quayside Holdings dividend
  • Contributes 24% of Council revenue
  • Reduces rates by an average $380 per household
• $1.2m to support volunteer work by community groups

Bay of Plenty Regional Council has signed off its report card to the community for the 2023/24 financial year (1 July - 30 June 2024) with Chair Doug Leeder saying it reflects a year of opportunity and challenge for the council.

The Regional Council’s Annual Report highlights a number of positives for the community, particularly delivery of critical flood protection infrastructure, growing patronage across the Baybus network, a $5.4m operating surplus and a $45m dividend from subsidiary Quayside Holdings Limited that reduced rates by an average of $380 per household during the year.

Chair Leeder says the organisation remains focussed on delivering core services effectively and efficiently, with significant gains across key service delivery areas, including flood protection and public transport.

“During the year, as part of the $22.1m spend on flood protection, we completed six projects worth $14.2m, upgrading floodwalls and stopbanks. While this work is not the ultimate fix to the impacts of climate change, it does provide surety to communities across the region, such as Whakatāne and Edgecumbe, that the Regional Council is doing its bit to ensure property owners and businesses, particularly the important primary sector, are protected from significant flooding events.”

Bay of Plenty Regional Council manages and maintains nearly $440m worth of flood protection defences, including stopbanks, floodwalls, floodgates and pump stations, across five major river and drainage schemes that serve more than 54,500 targeted ratepayers.

Bus patronage, particularly in the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region, which includes Tauranga city, saw a 23% increase in patronage on the previous year.

“Through a combination of awareness raising, service improvements and timetable changes to meet demand, there were 3.37 million bus passenger trips across the network during the year,” says Chair Leeder.

“While this is a strong result, we’ll continue to look at opportunities to grow demand and broaden our service offering, for example assessing our Baybus OnDemand trial. This work is all part of an ongoing focus that recognises the region-wide benefits of public transport, including reduced traffic congestion for all road users, lower carbon emissions and improved air quality.”

The past financial year also marked the completion of upgrades to the 182ha Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park, providing a new look and experience for park visitors.

Upgrades include a new carpark that provides more than 80 additional spaces, and a new entryway, seating and toilet block – all of which have been made to better cater for the more than 100,000 people who visit the park each year.

“In a world where open spaces increasingly come under pressure from encroaching development, the conservation of the park for its heritage, recreational and ecological values is an important part of a vibrant region,” says Chair Leeder.

The Regional Council supports environmental volunteering across the region and in 2023/24 it contributed more than $1.2m to community-led groups and projects by providing grants through its Environmental Enhancement, Volunteer Initiatives, and School Sustainability and Resilience Funds, and to around 80 environmental care groups, including Coast Care.

“The work of volunteers is at the heart of our communities and these funds play a key role in supporting this work,” says Chair Leeder.

“It is fundamental to ensuring the Bay of Plenty remains one of the best places in New Zealand to live, work and play.”

For the full Annual Report, visit the website: www.boprc.govt.nz/annual-report

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