Community news and notices

Arts Capability Fund 2019 - 2020

We are pleased to announce the third round of the Dunedin City Council & Otago Community Trust Arts Capability Fund is now open. The contestable fund is open to any group in the Dunedin area which is committed to supporting and contributing to Ara Toi Ōtepoti: Our Creative Future - Dunedin’s Arts and Culture Strategy. https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/council/strategic-framework/ara-toi,-the-arts-and-culture-strategy

Organisations may apply for up to $10,000 for assistance with arts capability building. The fund’s priority will be to support organisations that are interested in collaborating with others and to support the sustainability, development and innovation of arts and culture groups across the city.

The fund closes 29 August. You apply via the Otago Community Trust online portal, selecting Arts Capability Fund. Head to the Otago Community Trust website and hit the yellow 'Enter Grants Portal' button. http://www.oct.org.nz/what-we-support/what-we-fund-our-funding-sectors/capability-funding.

For further information interested organisations can contact Dunedin City Council, Relationship Advisor Arts and Culture, Cara Paterson, cara.paterson@dcc.govt.nz or Otago Community Trust, Grants Manager, Sue Stewart, info@oct.org.nz.

Chinese Social Media competition

Dunedin Shanghai Association is pleased to launch the Chinese Social Media competition to promote Dunedin as a tourist destination to Chinese tourists.

The objective of the competition is to encourage the use of Chinese social media and to promote Dunedin students and graduates as a useful resource for Dunedin. The winning entries are likely to require team effort and organisation, if not sponsorship and support from tourism businesses. 

The choice of the Chinese social media platform will define the format of the material to be uploaded onto the social media platform and therefore the content. Note that it is up to entrants to provide all relevant consents including any regulatory consents for events to be held in public, consent of the tourist attraction if it belongs to a private business, and consent of the social media account holder if a public or private account is to be used. The consents must be provided as part of the proposal to be submitted.

Entries will close on 31 August 2019. The prize will be $3,000. Winners will be publicised in the social and general media.

Please see the attachments at the end of this section for more information and the entry form.

Chinese Garden temporary closure

The Dunedin Chinese Garden will be closed for five days next month to install new ground lighting.

From Monday 5 August to Friday 9 August, 180 lights at the garden will be upgraded to low wattage LED lights. The old lights have reached the end of their life and are a health and safety risk. Evening activities in the garden will be better lit by the new lights.

Acting Director Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden Cam McCracken said to keep visitors safe, it is necessary to close the garden while the electrical work is carried out. Chinese Garden staff will work on some back-of-house garden projects or help out at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum while the garden is closed.

The project will cost $70,000.

Department of Internal Affairs Community Internship Programme

The Community Internship Programme opened on the 24 July and closes 4 September.

The purpose of the Programme is to enable community groups, hapū or iwi (the Host) to employ skilled professionals (the Intern) to take time out from their regular place of work (the Home) and support them to increase capability within their organisation. The programme funds the salary of the intern for the duration of the internship, and this is paid to the Host, who then pays the Intern direct. The Intern can be employed full time for three or six months, or part time for up to 12 months.

For further information please contact Juanita Thornton on 0800 824824 email: cipfunding@dia.govt.nz or on the Community Matters Website.

Dunedin Community Accounting

Dunedin Community Accounting is a free, volunteer service for non-profits

Senior accountancy students form the University of Otago provide answers and practical help under the supervision of a Chartered Accountant.

For more information and how to use this service please see the attachment at the end of this section.

Place Based Community Grants Round Opens in August

Applications for Place Based Community Grants  open on Monday 5 August and close at 5.00 pm on Friday 30 August.

Grants will be decided by the DCC’s Grants Subcommittee in October, with grants allocated in early November.

Place based grants support a whole of community approach / community-led development in specific geographical communities across Dunedin.

In 2018 $300,000 was awarded to support place-based groups working in seven communities; South Dunedin, Green Island, North East Valley, Mosgiel, Waikouaiti, Blueskin Bay and Caversham.

To be eligible for place based funding groups must show that they are working on a range of community development initiatives that support community resilience and connection. They must also demonstrate the ways they are engaging with their community on local initiatives and evidence their role as a representative group for their place based area. Projects or groups working in interest areas e.g. working with only certain ethnicities, communities of interest, or age groups will not be funded.

Further information about the grant criteria can be obtained by contacting Community Advisor Hung Lam (hung.lam@dcc.govt.nz) or calling him on 474 4000. Information and applications will be on the DCC website from 5 August at the www.dunedin.govt.nz/place-based-community-grants-fund.

Candidates encouraged to stand in local body elections

If you’re thinking of standing in the upcoming local body elections, there’s an easy way to find out more.

Nominations open on Friday and close at noon on 16 August.

People interested in standing are encouraged to come along to an information evening being held next week. This is a chance to learn more about what councils and health boards do, the work involved and what the rules are around nominations and campaigning.

The candidates’ evening will be held at 7pm on Wednesday, 24 July at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum. Speakers will include representatives from the Dunedin City Council, the Otago Regional Council and the Southern District Health Board.

DCC Chief Executive Sue Bidrose says it’s important that people from all sectors of the community put themselves forward so a wide range of views are represented around the decision-making table.

“The more the Council represents the city and its diversity, the more likely the decisions made will reflect the wishes of Dunedin residents.

“Local body elections are an opportunity for anyone with a passion for our community and strong leadership skills to put their name forward and help shape the direction of our city.”

Those wishing to stand for election must be New Zealand citizens and be on the electoral roll. They must be nominated by two people who live in the area in which they want to stand and they must pay a $200 deposit.

Postal voting is used for local body elections. People need to be enrolled by 16 August to receive their voter packs, which will be mailed out from 20 September. Voters must return their voting papers by noon on 12 October (election day) to ensure their votes are counted.

Visit www.dunedin.govt.nz/election for candidate information and nomination forms or call 03 477 4000. Candidates can also get further information at www.vote2019.co.nz.

Seeking suggestions on Dunedin streets

Dunedin City Council (DCC) is seeking suggestions for improvements to some of Dunedin’s busiest streets and roads as part of its Our Streets project.

The Our Streets project will focus on making streets safer for communities.

DCC Group Manager Transport Richard Saunders says “We want to make more people-friendly streets and roads that are safe and easier to use for all, including motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and people using buses. We also want to create streets that are easy to understand, with consistent design across Dunedin.”

Some of the improvements that may happen include more crossings, lower speed zones, more lowered and built-out kerbs, removal of painted flush medians, and the inclusion or development of cycle lanes.

Feedback is being sought on nine main streets during the initial stage of the project: Bank Street and George Street (North Dunedin), South Road (Caversham), Main Road and Main South Road (Fairfield), Musselburgh Rise and Silverton Street (Musselburgh), Serpentine Avenue and Maclaggan Street (City Rise), North Road (North East Valley), Forbury Road (South Dunedin), Hillside Road and Orari Street (South Dunedin), and Factory Road and Bush Road (Mosgiel).

Improvements are expected to commence in 2020 and completion of all nine sites will take up to three years to deliver.

These streets were chosen as they are wide and therefore have enough room to provide for different road users. It is expected that improvements can be made with very limited impact on parking.

Feedback can be given through the online survey or interactive map by Thursday 8 August.

For more information please go to about Our Streets page on the DCC website.