Xyst provided staffing resource on a secondment to cover a vacant position at the Thames-Coromandel District Council.

During the 11 months Xyst was engaged, staff managed the District’s boat ramps and wharves. This included overseeing a boat ramp pass system, engaging with the public, commercial tour operators and fishing vessels, managing part-time wharf staff and responding to customers’ service requests.

Xyst also worked to manage the District’s current operational and capital work programmes and budgets, maintaining and implementing improvements in levels of service. Xyst provided staff experienced in local government who seamlessly slotted into this position, helping to meet public expectations and the management of the Council’s harbour facilities.

Once the vacant role was filled, staff facilitated a handover to the Council’s new Officer in the role, helping to provide a continuous transition.

Parks Development and Maintenance Plan

Xyst visited each park and reserve in the Ward to collect park asset data and to map the current and recommended future maintenance activity.

We then described and priced both short and long-term improvement actions to enhance reserve utilisation, while reducing ongoing maintenance and capital costs, which was provided in a compiled report.

As part of this process, we provided shape-file information and data on current assets to add to Council’s GIS system including descriptors, quantities and photographs. We also researched and compiled information on legal description, land status, cultural redress, size, DP zoning, protected features and recommended administrative actions.

Xyst workshopped with key parks staff, discussing delivery outcomes, levels of service, desired operational plans format and expectations for inclusion. This facilitated our understanding of key requirements and staff expectations.

We prepared one template that can be adjusted by the team as needed for different sites and their characteristics. The template includes sections for each activity and park specific sections creating the potential to include a broad range of maintenance activities, site characteristics, hazards and other aspects that require detailing in a plan, such as;

• Landscape objectives
• Service levels
• Specifications
• Cultural significance
• Significant trees
• Imagery – site boundaries
• Dog off leash zones
• Assets
• Planting Palette

Xyst undertook an open space performance and asset gap analysis covering:

• Development of an agreed level of service standard for the BBS parks and open spaces, based on their hierarchy and types.
• Conducted a comprehensive gap analysis providing an overview of each park within Baw Baw Shire, highlighting discrepancies between the current assets at each site and the agreed level of service.
• Presented recommendations outlining necessary actions to retain, change or assign service for each park.
• Prepare a net cost estimation reflecting the investment required to align the park with the defined level of service standard.
• Produce Performance Assessment Database.

We also conducted a playground performance analysis:

• Generated an overall playground performance score and ranking based on predetermined criteria.
• Presented recommendations for future improvement for each playground.
• Produced a Performance Assessment Database.

Xyst worked with Council’s appointed engineering firm to import a current geo-located drone aerial image and the developed engineering set for the new stop bank and stream extent and alignment to aid the in the development of a high level concept plan and visualisation.

These showed the proposed new stop bank, stream alignment and new native riverside and stream riparian planting succession at maturity in relation to the surrounding Waiohiki Marae and community.

High Level Concept and Visualisations

Xyst helped develop the concept layout including:

• vehicle access off the State Highway and Horopito Road,
• a tour vehicle turnaround and bike drop off with bus and car parking,
• toilet block,
• shelter,
• cycle servicing hub,
• information displays,
• signage,
• native alpine planting, and
• commercial area for a coffee cart and seating.

We provided a labelled aerial concept and associated visualisation set to best communicate the proposal as part of the funding application.

Xyst worked with the client’s internal parks team developing their playground levels of service to support Council’s future strategic direction.

A report was provided outlining the service levels and recommendations to support future funding applications and to address current gaps in service levels within the next 5 years.

• Developed levels of service to guide the scale of desired development.
• Analysed the data and prioritised the playgrounds renewals/improvements using the assessment information previously prepared by Xyst and based on the levels of service.  
• Prepared generic costs associated with renewal and improvement of each playground/site.
• Prepared a report, outlining the process, outcomes and key recommendations.

Xyst implemented the Consultation and Engagement Plan developing an online survey and advertising a community drop-in session to gather the community’s aspirations for a neighbourhood playground.

This was a targeted engagement approach with flyers (advertising the drop-in session and the survey via a QR code) delivered to residents living within a 10-minute walk of the reserve, signage displayed onsite at the neighbourhood reserve and posters out up at local community facilities.

Consultation information was evaluated and a summary report was presented to the client.

Network Assessment, Recommendations and Signage Plan

Xyst physically inspected the full network of Eastern Hills Tracks in Hutt City Council to inform a track signage condition report, with an associated spatial plan showing existing signage locations and images.

We then developed a signage plan to improve track user way-finding and safety. We made recommendations for where the tracks traverse private land and provided a signage hierarchy, mocked up high level content for the sign family and proposed the graphic layout for content.

Concept Plan Development and Procurement

Xyst developed the final concept plan to enable Council to independently appoint the main landscape construction contractor – who was engaged to interpret the concept plan into a construction-ready set and provide landscape construction services.

Xyst acted as Engineer to the Contract for Council during the hard and softscape construction and procured other suppliers and contractors for the purchase and installation of street furniture, a shade sail, and the sling shot modular track.

Work was completed on time and within budget between February and June 2024.

Xyst was engaged by Kaipara District Council to assess provision of open spaces and recreation facilities in Mangawhai for the next 30 years. We assessed current and future needs due to population growth.

We used the PlaceChangers online tool for spatial analysis of different types of open spaces and recreation facilities. This was supplemented by analysing the quantity of needed spaces and facilities based on best practice guidelines and population projections.

The project provided recommendations to Council about whether additional land needed to be acquired in the short, medium and long-term, to help inform the Long-term plan 2024 consultation.

Xyst conducted an onsite hui with hapū representatives and Council for the concept brief development, then developed a draft concept before developing the final concept, and associated rough order of costs.