Fund transfer a boost for economic development and stone carvers secure new home

NPDC’s Mayor and Councillors have agreed to transfer $750,000 from the Sustainable Lifestyle Reserve to the Economic Development Reserve, ensuring the Council can respond to opportunities that support economic growth, create jobs, and attract investment to the district.

The decision at yesterday's full Council meeting reflects the organisation’s strategic focus on economic development and provides greater funding flexibility to support business growth, attract investment, strengthen existing industries, and encourage economic diversification.

The Sustainable Lifestyle Capital Reserve was established through the 2024-2034 Long-Term Plan to help fund future capital projects. However, staff advised that the current balance of $750,000 is unlikely to grow and therefore limits its ability to significantly advance major capital projects and could deliver greater value if invested in economic development opportunities now.

Staff noted that waiting until the next Long-Term Plan process to consider the transfer could limit the Council’s ability to respond to emerging opportunities in the meantime.

Councillors also agreed to delegate authority to the Going for Growth Committee to approve economic development funding applications between $50,000 and $100,000, with decisions reported back to the full Council.

A recent example of the Economic Development Reserve being used was a grant to Venture Taranaki to help develop a proposal that led to $3 million in Government funding for the Taranaki Alliance.

The future purpose of the Sustainable Lifestyle Capital Reserve will be considered as part of the Long-Term Plan 2027-2037 process.

Stone carvers secure new home at Colson Road

Te Kupenga Stone Sculpture Society has a new home for its stone-carving activities at the former Colson Road landfill site after New Plymouth District Council approved a 10-year ground lease.

The decision provides long-term certainty for the society, which runs the popular international sculpture symposium on New Plymouth’s waterfront.

The group has been looking for a permanent base since 2013, when its future at the Centennial Drive site near Paritutu became uncertain.  Due to this, the event has been on pause for the past few years.

Te Kupenga explored more than 20 possible locations. Many were ruled out because they could not meet the group's needs for space, access, or managing dust and noise. The Colson Road site was identified as the best option, providing enough room for stone carving activities while being far enough from homes and businesses to minimise any impacts.

The site was identified as a possibility for the group through the Colson 2050 Vision and Remediation Plan, adopted by Council in March 2025. The plan sets out a long-term vision to transform the former landfill into publicly accessible parkland and recreation space while continuing to meet environmental management requirements.

Having Te Kupenga on site is the first step in bringing that vision to life and supports arts, culture and community wellbeing.

The community lease is set at $1 plus GST per year with a further 10-year right of renewal. The society will be responsible for operating costs, including rates, power, insurance, repairs and maintenance.

Other decisions included:

Review of Animals and Alcohol Control bylaws

Residents can provide feedback on minor proposed changes to NPDC’s Animals Bylaw 2020, after elected members approved it for public consultation.

The bylaw helps manage issues such as noisy animals, roaming animals and other animal-related problems. In reviewing the bylaw officers found that the bylaw is working well to manage these issues.

The proposed changes only affect the beekeeping section. They include clearer wording, updated terms and a reference to the New Zealand Honeybee Care Code.

No new rules are proposed for dogs, which is managed through the NPDC Dog Control Bylaw 2022, or for cats, poultry, livestock or other animals. There are also no major changes to enforcement or compliance.

A review of Alcohol Control Bylaw was also approved for public consultation, with feedback sought on the proposed continuation of the bylaw to manage alcohol-related harm and maintaining public safety.

This bylaw regulates the consumption of alcohol in public places but not in venues such as bars, clubs and restaurants etc. 

People can have their say on both bylaws from 3 October at npdc.govt.nz/haveyoursay

A copy of this and all Council meeting agendas can be viewed on the Council meetings section of our website npdc.govt.nz