The Whanganui Walls event in 2021 received grants from the district council through the Public Art Fund and the Town Centre Regeneration Project. Photo / Bevan Conley
The Whanganui Walls event in 2021 received grants from the district council through the Public Art Fund and the Town Centre Regeneration Project. Photo / Bevan Conley
The future of grants to community groups is up in the air as the Government orders councils to get back to basics.
Whanganui District Council community grants total more than $1 million this year but it is unclear whether they fit with the Government’s agenda.
The Local Government Act states the purpose of councils is “to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of communities in the present and for the future”.
But that is expected to change, with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown saying the four wellbeings distracted councils from key issues facing communities.
“We are refocusing the purpose of local government to ensure councils are delivering high-quality core services and infrastructure in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses,” he said.
A report from council chief executive David Langford said the removal of the wellbeings, and the Government’s focus on getting back to basics, meant there was a risk some or all of the activities funded by community grants could be seen as outside core services.
“No specific details have been released yet; however, there has been mention of incentives and spending caps,” it said.
Brown confirmed options such as caps were being looked at “to limit councils from spending hard-earned ratepayer money on nice-to-haves”.
“The Government is considering options to implement this work programme and will make final policy decisions later this year.”
He did not say whether community grant funding was considered a nice-to-have or fell outside core services.
The Local Government Act was changed in 2012 under the John Key government, stating councils’ purpose was “to meet the current and future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses”.
The Government is yet to say if that purpose will be reinstated.
Whanganui Deputy Mayor Helen Craig, who is leading a review into the council grant structure, said councils saw themselves as facilitators for the community to thrive.
Putting parameters around what was essential would be difficult, she said.
“Who else is going to play that role if we can’t? There is only so much public funding from other sources.
“It’s very easy to say get back to basics but tell us what we can’t do.
“They [Government] have got the press release and now they have to work out the actual policy.”
Whanganui Deputy Mayor Helen Craig says councils see themselves as facilitators for the community to thrive. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui MP Carl Bates (National) said councils were responsible for how community grants were allocated.
“Sometimes, it might feel easier to have someone else tell you what the answers should be but I’m confident we have a council that is up to the challenge of continuously considering how best they’re spending Whanganui ratepayers’ money,” he said.
Bates did not give specific examples of nice-to-haves in the Whanganui District - “that’s for district councillors and the mayor” - but he did not think the Government would stop councils from spending money in specific areas.
“I do think some organisations need to think about how they measure outcomes.
“I was in the Hakeke St Community Centre recently and was told they were going to add a camera that counts the number of people actually coming in - that’s data.
“Community organisations should also think about what other organisations in the city do similar, if not the same, work.”
Potentially, they could merge to save money on costs such as administration and audits, he said.
The Hakeke St facility received a $50,000 council grant for 2024/25.
The council increased community grant funding by $100,000 annually as part of its long-term plan.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said 83% of the council’s capital spend over the next 10 years was dedicated to infrastructure so the rest “should be spent how we choose”.
“During difficult times, it’s really important we emphasise community cohesion and people feeling proud about where they live,” he said.
“Community events and activities are a great way of helping them feel connected and it’s an important part of the wellbeing of a society.”
Langford’s report said council officers would monitor the Government’s policy position on the purpose of local government and report back to the projects and grants committee as it progressed.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
