Hamilton applied for Three Waters Better Off funding. Photo / Hamilton and Waikato Tourism
Hamilton applied for Three Waters Better Off funding. Photo / Hamilton and Waikato Tourism
Hamilton City Council (HCC) has shortlisted eight community projects to receive the first tranche of the Government’s Three Waters Better Off funding.
The projects include the City Safe programme, planting and maintenance within Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park and cycling and pedestrian education.
HCC approved the funding application in December, but hadn’t shortlisted any projects. The selection of the projects means the application to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is now finalised.
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate says applying for the money was “sensible” in the current financial environment.
“With the skyrocketing cost of living, times are really tough for a lot of people. Using these funds to ease the financial pressure on council is the right thing to do,” Southgate says.
She says the money will help tackle “key challenges” in Hamilton, such as community safety and climate action.
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate. Photo / Mike Walen, KeyImagery
“A successful funding application would mean these work programmes are locked in now, without cost to ratepayers and achieving better outcomes, sooner, to improve the wellbeing of our community.”
The money will be used for native planting and accessways in Te Awa O Katapaki reserve in Flagstaff North ($3.9m) as part of HCC’s Nature in the City strategy; planting and maintenance within Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park ($500,000), as well as workplace and school travel planning, and cycling and pedestrian education ($700,000) which is part of the Access Hamilton strategy.
Also, $3.1m will go towards the City Safe programme, which provides CCTV cameras, graffiti removal, and patrols for anti-social behaviour; $750,000 will be used for corporate sustainability and climate change education programme, $1.75m will be used for community grants, and $3.3m will go towards providing more council data to the public and improving online services for customers.
$500,000 of Hamilton's first tranche of Three Waters Better Off funding will be used for planting at Waiwhakareke National Heritage Park. Photo / Hamilton City Council
Lastly, $500,000 will be used for projects to deliver on HCC’s He Pou Manawa Ora – Pillars of Wellbeing - strategy.
The $2 billion better-off fund has been developed as part of the Three Waters reform to help councils pay for projects that build resilience to climate change, infrastructure and housing projects or community wellbeing projects.
Hamilton’s total share is $58.61m, of which $14.6m is available this year, while the balance will be available from July 1 next year.
The application for the first tranche is due on February 28.
