Marlborough Community Initiative Fizzles Out

Saturday, 22 March 2025, 8:34 pm
Article: Maia Hart - Local Democracy Reporter

A community programme targeted to four small Marlborough communities and supported by the council has ended, but its budget will stay.

Smart and Connected, developed in 2012 by the Marlborough District Council, has an annual budget of $25,000, which is traditionally used to help fund group administration but also for reviews when needed.

In the past, groups in Seddon, Picton, Renwick and Havelock had met to discuss community issues and projects, such as cruise ship woes, hot pools proposals, cycleways and access to healthcare.

But groups had stopped meeting over time, and the budget had not been touched for a couple of years.

Groups in Seddon and Picton stopped meeting and had been on hold for three years, while in Havelock a community association had become the go-to for the community.

The chairperson in the remaining Renwick group resigned in December and there was “minimal community interest” for new membership.

Jodie Griffiths, community partnerships adviser at the council, this week told the economic and finance committee these communities were often powered by a few “really motivated” individuals.

“I think what can happen is then people just get burnt out, and then there aren't new people to take it on,” she said.

“Often these groups have energy when there's problems, and they want to get together to come up with some remedies for those.

“That's probably a positive thing, that perhaps they're not feeling that there are the problems out there that they need to address.”

Griffiths presented to the meeting as she wanted direction from the council about what to do moving forward.

“We have got a project out in Renwick. We have some DIA (Department of Internal Affairs) funding for a container for them to establish their own small recovery resilience supply for future emergencies.

“However, that administration has sort of dropped off, so I've ended up picking up the project and completing it anyway.”

She put forward three options to the council; conclude the programme and hold the budget until a new strategic department at the council was developed, conclude the programme and transfer the budget to community funding, or stick with the status quo.

Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Gerald Hope said all good things had their day.

“I applaud the council that actually initiated this,” Hope said.

“Thirteen years is a long time for any programme like this without a refresh.”

He thought option one, which meant the budget was held in case of an emergency, was the best option.

Marlborough Sounds ward councillor Barbara Faulls agreed.

“From what I see in the small communities that I actually deal with, Smart and Connected served a purpose at the time.”

She pointed out the council had grants that the community could apply for and the council had a small townships programme too.

“I think in particular if I look in Picton, the situation there has changed quite considerably since probably November last year.

“A new Picton business group is far more strategically focused. So I do believe that what they will achieve in the near future is something that they will do on their own terms, but in collaboration with council.”

She did not think there was a need for a new Smart and Connected group as well, she said.

Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Sally Arbuckle said in Renwick, there were a number of smaller groups that met.

“We're trying to get them all to become one big group,” she said.

Deputy mayor David Croad, who chaired the committee, said there was a clear overlap between the programme and other initaitives.

“I think just holding that budget is the right thing to do to enable support as and where necessary,” Croad said.

The committee therefore moved to conclude the Smart and Connected community programme, subject to full council sign-off on April 3. The budget would be held in the interim, until the development of a new strategic area of council was completed.

The changes did not impact industry Smart and Connected groups, a programme that was rebranded to the Collaboration, Innovation and Transformation Programme in 2023.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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