The Dunedin City Council is to consider next week not allocating a $30,000 increase it had previously promised to place-based groups such as the South Dunedin Community Network.
The groups are typically area networks and small groups of volunteers and the allocation to them is to be debated after a notice of motion was put up by deputy mayor Cherry Lucas.
She had earlier signalled she wanted the funding increase stopped.
"This is because no other grants have been increased as part of the annual plan and council has clearly signalled that it is undertaking a grants review as part of the nine-year plan," Cr Lucas said in her notice.
The council this year deferred its long-term plan — deciding to run a nine-year plan from next year — and this resulted in confusion about some funding decisions.
Cr Steve Walker said the motion about place-based groups was "a complete kick in the guts for so, so many dedicated and key people".
They were often volunteers, "working tremendously hard in a sector that’s doing incredible mahi at the coalface of the place-based, community-led sector".
"This motion is another attack on the poorest and most vulnerable people in our city," Cr Walker said.
"Of all the many things council funds, this place-based fund arguably provides the greatest ‘bang for our buck’.
"Why would we not want to fund a grassroots approach to build local connections and resilience ... ?"
In 2021, the council approved an increase in the place-based funding pool from $300,000 a year to $550,000 by the 2026-27 year. This began with a one-off $100,000 increase, to be followed by $30,000 annual increases until 2026-27.
Cr Walker moved the resolution, supported by deputy mayor at the time Christine Garey and it was passed 11-3.
A complication for Cr Lucas is the 2024-25 annual plan needs to be adopted this month.
She proposed retaining the money in the budget but directing staff not to allocate it.
The notice signalled her intention "to have the approach and allocation of place-based funding considered alongside the grants review in time for consultation with the community during the nine-year plan".
South Dunedin Community Network representative Eleanor Doig said the place-based fund had proven its worth, particularly in South Dunedin.
The network’s activities had enabled the council to engage more closely and positively with the community and community attitudes to the council had "softened considerably".
The network rooms were used for a wide variety of social, educational and cultural purposes, she said.
Network community engagement and operations manager Kirsten Gibson said the network helped facilitate communication between the council and community.
An example was the South Dunedin Future programme, which aimed to create a resilient future for the area amid climate change.
