January/February 2023: Local Board Member Report

Storm events

The flooding, slips and damage we endured over January and February were devastating. The Local Board is working now on getting our review together on what went well/what needs to improve from a local point of view.

What was incredible in the early days was the generosity from the community in donations and helping others who had been badly impacted by flooding. People came to support businesses, homes, and local reserves.

I want to especially thank The Warehouse Group who answered my call for help and provided a freezer for the Massey University Civil Defence Centre, who were in dire need of one. The CDC had a large new chest freezer delivered less than 24 hours later from Noel Leeming Albany Mega Centre (under The Warehouse Group). Just incredible.

Policy work/feedback

In January and February, I wrote the Local Board's feedback on a range of matters:

1. Parliamentary Justice Committee's inquiry into Local Elections

There were huge failings during the local elections last year and I've made a number of recommendations on how the issues could be addressed, how to enhance voter turnout and participation. My recommendations supported by the whole Local Board included (these are just a few highlights):

- that the Govt consider requiring or encouraging the same voting system to be used in all local elections.

- that the Govt extend the Election Access Fund to local elections.

- centralise the running of both local and general elections by give responsibility for running all aspects of local elections to the Electoral Commission.

- that the Government make the Electoral Commission responsible for leading and co-ordinating triennial, nationwide campaigns to encourage and support people standing for and voting in local elections

- noting that the Local Government Act was amended in 2019 to include a responsibility of local authority chief executives to facilitate and foster representative and substantial elector participation in local elections and polls; however, we believe this should be given to the Electoral Commission with clear voter participation targets to meet.

2. Input into Auckland Council's submission on the Government’s proposals to reform the resource management system.

The Government is undertaking a comprehensive reform of the resource management system. It will repeal the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and replace it with:

• the Natural and Built Environment Bill (NBE Bill)

• the Spatial Planning Bill (SP Bill)

• the Climate Adaptation Bill.

The NBE Bill will replace the RMA. The SP Bill replaces current requirements for a spatial plan for Auckland and will work in tandem with the NBE Bill. The scale of reform is substantial and will have significant impacts for Auckland Council.

My feedback that was supported by the whole local board included the following (these are just a few highlight notes):

- Concern that the proposed replacement Bills could create more bureaucracy, more complexity and uncertainty and take too long to implement (expected to be at least 10 years).

- No detail of the interaction of the three pieces of proposed legislation (NBE, SPA and CAA to come) which is critical to achieving goals of faster, more efficient system that gives better protection for the environment.

- In relation to the question "Should more guidance be provided on how to give effect to the principles of te Titiri?": This is a change from the requirement in the current RMA (‘give effect to’ vs the RMA’s ‘take into account’. The NBE should have a clear definition of what the principles are. The Supreme Court recently said that ‘give effect to’ means implement. That’s a much stronger directive and it needs to be far clearer what that will mean in practice.

- Te Oranga o te Taiao (safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of natural resources) will require judicial interpretation. It’s a term that hasn’t been used in NZ leg before. It could lead to difficulty to give effect to in practice, without clear conceptual understanding.

- The NBE creates a list of environmental system outcomes (Section 5) but provides no hierarchy in relation to competing values. This could lead to discretion for decision-makers in how they’re pursued once limits and targets are met.

3. Draft Contributions Policy 2022, Variation A

Development contributions are charges that recover from new developments a fair share of the cost of the council's investment in infrastructure. To date our contributions policy has only recovered a share of cost of our infrastructure investment planned in the next 10 years. The council has agreed to add project beyond 2031 to the Contributions Policy for the Investment Priority Areas identified in the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 in stages starting with Drury.

My notes on this were supported. The Local Board endorsed the proposed changes to the Draft Contributions Policy Variation A with the following feedback:

- request that consideration be given to reviewing the development contribution policy to areas outside the Investment Priority Area.

- note large-scale development is happening all around our city and there is a need that the development contributions received cover all associated growth-related capital expenditure. Many of these new developments are very intensified so residents both need and expect access to well-developed parks and open spaces, roading, active transport and stormwater

- request that stormwater planning gets added as a priority to all development contribution calculations

- note that stormwater and infrastructure planning is inappropriate to deal with the more frequent flooding we are experiencing.

4. Local Board feedback on the draft Future for Local Government report

The Future for Local Government Review Panel released its draft report for consultation in October 2022. Local Boards had the ability to provide input into Auckland Council's submission to the draft report. The report makes 29 recommendations on a wide range of areas such as revitalising citizen-led democracy, achieving genuine partnership between central and local government, and putting in place effective system stewardship.

My feedback that the board supported was:

- support undertaking this review, on the basis that any additional costs to local government as a result of changes to legislated engagement and consultation requirements should come with increased funding from central government

- support including the concept of subsidiarity as a core principle for governance in combination with any devolution of roles or functions to local government being accompanied by appropriate funding allocations.

- note concern about local government being expected to play an enhanced well-being role without increased investment and improved models or mechanisms of partnership with central government that would provide clarity of role and function.

- note that in their current form, the funding tools available to council such as charges on land, rates and development contributions, are no longer appropriate for the demands and decisions council is responsible for, or the scale of growth.

- request that open and transparent discussions between central and local government are required on the cost of infrastructure to support growth and how that will be financed and funded

does not support the Single Transferable Vote method for local body elections. STV complicates the voter experience and will not encourage higher turnout

support for a referendum to be conducted on whether political terms are extended to four years.

Annual Budget 2023/24 consultation

Auckland Council is facing an operating budget gap of at least $295milion – that was the figure before the January flood and Cyclone Gabrielle.

The consultation on the proposed budget to address this funding gap is open now and closing on 28th March 2023. Cuts will impact nearly everyone so please have your say.

Regional proposals

There are some significant proposals including the sale of airport shares, rate rises and increases to debt levels. Proposals to reduce operating costs by an additional $125 million across Auckland Council and Council Controlled Organisations will impact the delivery of services such as:

fewer bus trips reducing bins across the region by 30%, garden maintenance by 80% and longer times between grass mowing. ending funding for Citizens Advice Bureau withdrawal from funding Kauri Kids early childhood education services (Browns Bay and Stanmore Bay in our area) ending funding for homelessness initiatives stopping regional events (i.e. Music in Parks) climate action related programmes funded by general rates – including stopping or reducing the Climate Action Grant, the Live Lightly programme, and work on council land and marae. reducing regional contestable community grants

Funding cuts to Local Boards

Included in the consultation is a proposal to cut $16 million from local board operating funding across all 21 local boards. The Hibiscus and Bays share of this is $838,000. As local boards are unable to alter many contracted activities, we will need to reduce funding in discretionary areas. To meet this reduction, we will need to cut nearly 50% of our annual discretionary funding. We would have to discontinue, reduce spending or increase fees within some of these activities:

Arts and culture Community climate action and sustainability Environmental education Events Grants Open space low mow or no mow areas Opening hours and services of libraries Waste management Water quality

Please make a submission and let us hear your views on the proposed cut to local board funding. Let us know how you would be impacted by these potential funding cuts. You may wish to ask the council to find another place to find the savings – include any suggestions if you have them.

The consultation document asks you to pick the top three activities we fund that you would prioritise. This information will be vital for us to help make the tough decisions that lie ahead. Please encourage your family, friends, neighbours and all members of your community group, to fill in their individual submissions.

Glenvar Road realignment project

In last year’s Annual Budget consultation, there was no suggestion to delay this essential, and long-overdue safety project. However, months later when the final budget was adopted by the Governing Body, it included a 1 year delay to this project.

If you wish to strengthen advocacy for the Glenvar Rd realignment project to continue as planned, without any further delays, please ensure you provide specific feedback. The best place to do would be in the last question in the consultation (question 7: What else is important to you?

Consultation events

The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board are holding two Community Consultation Events:

1. Monday 6th March, 1.00pm to 3.30pm in the Whangaparaoa Library. 2. Friday 17th March, 11am -1pm in the East Coast Bays Library.

I look forward to seeing you there and/or reading your submission.

Jan/Feb in images

Mairangi Bay pump station open day, volunteering for Deep Creek Restoration Society and attending the fabulous Hibiscus and Bays Local Board Arts Awards at Estuary Arts in Orewa.