Minutes of Hastings Youth Council Meeting

CG-14-33-00060 1

HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL

MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE Hastings District Youth Council

HELD IN THE Council Chamber, Ground Floor, Civic Administration Building, Lyndon Road East, Hastings ON

Wednesday, 2 May 2018 AT 3.45pm

Present: Chair: Ella Hoogerbrug, (Havelock North)

Councillor Dixon

Rytasha Sekhon, Pelerose Vaima’a, Kate Allen, Caroline Jones, Hena Dugh and Emilee Scarborough (HGHS); Cameron Young (Deputy Chair), Abigail Masengi and Hope McCleland (Karamu High); Matekairoa Butler (Flaxmere College); Cairo Smith (St Johns College); Connor Molloy (Napier Boys); Oscar Malpas (HBHS); Xinyi Chen (Iona); Charlotte Frogley (Woodford); Samantha Anderson (Sacred Heart); Max Sharp (EIT); and Eleanor Matich (Employed)

IN ATTENDANCE: Youth Co-ordinator (Ryan Gardiner)

Strategy Manager (Lex Verhoeven)

Communications Manager (Diane Joyce)

Committee Secretary (Christine Hilton)

1. Apologies

Abigail Masengi/Max Sharp

That apologies for absence from Dylan Bishop; Gurjas Sekhon and Kaikohe Hutana be accepted.

CARRIED

2. Confirmation of Minutes

Charlotte Frogley/ Oscar Malpas

That the minutes of the Hastings Youth Council Meeting held Wednesday 4 April 2018 be confirmed as a true and correct record and be adopted.

CARRIED

3. Facebook Page Updates

There was nothing specific to address under this item.

Ella Hoogerbrug asked that members continue to send her items or information that could be posted on the Youth Council Facebook page.

Cairo Smith/Hope McCleland

That the verbal report on the Facebook Page Updates be received.

CARRIED

4. General Business

This item would be addressed later in the meeting.

Youth Council Annual Plan

(Document 18/314)

The Youth Co-Ordinator, Ryan Gardiner, spoke to his report. The Project Leads or someone from each Working Group reported back on progress on each of the Annual Plan groups. The main points that were reported, included:

Activity 5: Colour Run

· Working with Napier Youth Council and will meet and discuss with them - perhaps meet with Napier next Wednesday?

· Working Group needs to meet after today’s Youth Council meeting.

· At last meeting it was agreed Colour Run to be in the July School holidays.

· Contact to be made with the charity the Youth Council wants to support, once they have had discussions with Napier Youth Council.

Activity 7: Skate Park comp/charity event

· Had tried to meet in school holidays – wanting to get group chat going.

· Currently obtaining ideas and contacts details.

· Eleanor Matich to also be a project lead – she wasn’t at last Youth Council meeting.

· Need to have regular working group meetings – to meet next Friday, 11 May at Council building at 3.45pm. Connor Molloy not available. Ryan Gardiner will organise a room and will email the group members.

Emilee Scarborough was not at the last meeting and so not on any working groups. She will join the Colour Run; Youth Grants; and Civic Pride Working Groups and will also help Abigail Masengi and Ella Hoogerbrug with the Facebook Page.

Activity 6: Youth Grants

· Members were going to approach local businesses. If a letter was prepared it can be given out to all businesses they approach, to explain what they are doing. Cameron Young and Hena Dugh to work on wording of the letter.

· The Business Hub in Ahuriri was noted.

· Cr Dixon explained that the Hastings City Business Association was separate from the Business Hub. It was suggested that the group members could approach both organisations. Cr Dixon was attending the Hastings City Business Association meeting being held at 5.30pm that evening. If the Youth Council was interested, he could ask if representatives from the Association would speak at the next Youth Council meeting on 6 June.

· Caroline Jones happy to help out any of the working groups in the lead up to their events, as she will not be here at all in July.

· Project Leads for Youth Grants – Cameron Young, Caroline Jones and Hena Dugh.

Max Sharp/ Caroline Jones

That the report of the Youth Co-ordinator titled “Youth Council Annual Plan” dated 2 May 2018 and the verbal reports from the Working Groups be received.

CARRIED

Long Term Plan - Lex Verhoeven (Strategy Manager)

(Document 18/320)

The Strategy Manager, Mr Verhoeven, joined the meeting and noted the three pages that had been circulated (Council Records Document CG-14-33-00061). These pages set out the Long Term Plan (LTP) questions he had circulated to members prior to this meeting and his summary of the feedback received to those questions and his observations/comments he had added in colour at the end of each section. He also circulated a copy of the LTP 2018-2028 Consultation Document.

Extensive discussion took place and Mr Verhoeven said he wanted to check that he had summarised the responses accurately. He thanked the Youth Council members for the time they had spent responding to the questions. He intended to take the responses back to the Council as part of the Long Term Plan process to try and make the Long Term Plan more relevant for young people.

The Youth Council members generally agreed with the feedback summary points that Mr Verhoeven had prepared but expanded on some main points by way of clarification, including:

City Centre:

· Needs to be a place of fun and enjoyment that can transition from day to night (e.g. night markets. Encourage existing businesses/restaurants to stay open longer).

· Definition of the extent of CBD – this is not clear. Should model on Havelock North as a “cluster”.

· “Eat Street” and new green area around water feature/fountain.

· Youth focussed activities in the central precinct area.

· Do not feel safe in Hastings “after hours”.

· Night-time safety and transport will affect how long people stay in town and where they go.

· Transport – having no public transport between Napier and Hastings in weekends affected the enjoyment of life for youth in HB who not have licences.

· Go Bus – seats not strong enough and quality of buses needed improvement..

· Do not feel safe travelling by themselves and concerned about younger siblings using the bus to Havelock North. Suggested cameras for safety when getting the off buses.

· Having more discounted rates for students would help.

· Smaller buses and more frequent services. Run by HBRC – Ryan to approach Regional Council and see if someone will come to speak at a future meeting.

Recreation Time:

· Establish venues that were a destination in their own right.

· Aquatic recreation – clean water and reserve spaces around rivers and beaches.

· Clustered activities that were safe.

The Talent War:

· Creation of new jobs in competition with other areas to attract and keep strong base here.

· Innovation hub.

· Need to grow a more “artsy” sector with a diversity of cultural lifestyles and vibes.

· Hastings needs its own culture and not just copy e.g. Wellington.

· Have EIT for study opportunities but need better social life here.

· Benefits of having more student rates.

Key Priorities:

· Mental Health is a big issue in HB and needs to be addressed.

· Hastings Youth Council shared a petition for funding a mental health unit in HB which has 4,000 signatures.

· Cairo Smith was on National Suicide Prevention Board and this was a much wider topic as well as affecting HB. He will approach Mike King.

· Suggestion of asking someone from DHB to talk to Youth Council and making them aware of the petition and bring the petition to people’s attention (e.g. TV1 news).

· Will ask the person who started the petition if they would be prepared to come to the Youth Council meeting when the DHB representative attends.

· Should support “Directions”.

Abigail Masengi/Xinyi Chen

That the report of the Youth Co-ordinator titled “Long Term Plan – Lex Verhoeven (Strategy Manager)” dated 2 May 2018 be received.

CARRIED

4.		GENERAL BUSINESS…Continued…
		Connor Molloy noted that as he travelled from Napier Boys High, he would always be arriving slightly late to the Youth Council meetings. It was noted that Dylan Bishop had advised the Youth Co-ordinator, Ryan Gardiner, that unfortunately he would not be able to continue as a Youth Council member due to the number of other commitments that he had. It was noted that this was the third year that Dylan had been a member of the Youth Council. On behalf of the members, Ryan would write a letter to Dylan, acknowledging and thanking him for all his hard work on the Youth Council during that time and wishing him well for the future. Diane Joyce, Council’s Communications Manager, was introduced to the members. She advised that she was writing an article on the Youth Council. Road Works – The disruption caused by the large number of road works around Hastings/Havelock North was noted, particularly when several streets close together were unexpectedly closed resulting in considerable detours and traffic congestion before and after school – it was making some students late for school. Information about road closures needed to be conveyed in a better way to the public and to the schools – suggested methods were via the HDC Facebook page; letters to advise schools near the closed roads; newspaper and pamphlet drops. Diane advised that Council did use a number of methods to convey this information, including radio, and they had asked Karamu High School to put information about the road works into their school newsletter. Installing the water pipework from Hastings to Havelock North was also having an impact. Ella Hoogerbrug (Chair) and Cameron Young (Deputy Chair) had met with Mayor Hazlehurst the previous day to discuss issues that affected youth in Hastings. They had discussed transport issues facing young people. They had also discussed the train station, advising that the exterior would be used for a mural showing the story of Watties and an eatery/café was planned for the interior. Max Sharp and Abigail Masengi would work on a written submission supporting this on behalf of the Youth Council. A suggestion was also made for a train service between CHB and Hastings. Jake Brookie, who facilitates the Youth Environment Council, was keen to meet the Youth Council on Wednesday, 23 May 2018 at the Napier Aquarium. There would be a free tour first, at 3.30pm, then a meeting. Ryan would advise Jake that the Youth Council members were keen to attend on 23 May. Bruce Morgan, from Skills Org, wanted to introduce a “Work Ready Passport” project in HB and to speak at a meeting. This is aimed at helping students show they are “work ready”. Ryan would include further details about this in an email to the Youth Council.
		Cairo Smith/Connor Molloy A) That the verbal reports given under General Business, regarding upcoming events and speakers at future Youth Council meetings be received. B) That the Youth Council accept the resignation from Dylan Bishop, and that the Youth Co-ordinator write a letter to Dylan, acknowledging and thanking him for all his hard work on the Youth Council during the past three years and wishing him well for the future. CARRIED

The meeting closed at 4.52pm

Confirmed:

Chairman:

Date:

Hastings District Youth Council

Lyndon Road East, Hastings 4156