|
Arts, Culture
and Events Committee
12 February
2014
|
|
Traffic Management at Events
File No.:
CP2014/00465
Purpose
1. This
report, prepared at the request of the Arts, Culture and Events Committee on
the 4 December 2013, considers opportunities to reduce the cost of traffic
management for events in the Auckland region.
Executive
Summary
2. Auckland
Council’s elected members and a number of community event organisers have
raised concerns about the costs of traffic management for events, and the
impact that these costs are having on the feasibility of running such events.
The costs of implementing traffic management are considered unreasonable and
options must be considered to reduce these costs.
3. Auckland
Council’s events unit recognises the costs of implementing traffic management
at events can be high. It is considered that the costs are reasonable for the
service provided. Opportunities do exist to assist organisers during planning
in an effort to reduce overall costs.
4. Decisions
on traffic management in the Auckland region are made by Auckland Transport
(AT).
5. Auckland
Transport are required to implement the requirements set out in the ‘Code of
Practice for Temporary Traffic Management’ (COPTTM), a New Zealand
Transport Agency (NZTA) document.
6. Throughout
2013, a number of options were considered to reduce the costs of traffic
management for event organisers. None of the options delivered significant
savings for event organisers.
7. The
most effective approach to achieve cost savings is for events staff and
Auckland Transport to work with organisers to identify opportunities to reduce
the impact of their event on the roading network.
|
Recommendation
That the Arts, Culture and Events Committee:
a) receive the
report on traffic management plans for events.
|
Discussion
8. In recent years a number of event organisers throughout the Auckland
region have raised concerns about the costs of planning and implementing
traffic management at their events. They believe the costs to comply with
traffic management rules have significantly increased.
9. Elected members have raised concerns about the perceived increased
costs of traffic management and the potential impact of these costs on
community events.
10. All traffic management assessments and approvals for events are
determined by Auckland Transport (AT). AT implement requirements set out in the
‘Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management’ (COPTTM), a New
Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) document.
11. The COPTTM has been produced to achieve the following:
· The statutory duty of road
controlling authorities (RCA) to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the
roading network under their authority
· The need to improve the standard of
temporary traffic management in New Zealand through consistency of application
which simplifies the task for the road user by aiding recognition and
understanding, thereby improving their behaviour and safety
· The need to manage the increasing
incidence and variety of activities that are being undertaken on the road by
individuals and organisations
· Allowing industry review to maintain
best practice.
12. In 2013,
numerous discussions were held with AT to try and identify opportunities to
make savings on event related Traffic Management Plans (TMP). These discussions
centred around the need for all events, no matter the size to supply detailed
traffic management plans and meet minimum standards for implementing a TMP.
13. A number of
options have been considered to reduce the costs of TMP’s for events that have
an impact on the road. These include:
· use
of volunteers in lieu of trained traffic management staff
· relaxing
of requirements for traffic management plans
· templated
traffic management plans for use by community groups
14. The use of
volunteers as traffic management staff may result in a small savings to overall
TMP costs. This savings would be largely insignificant as the majority of the
costs associated with traffic management are incurred during the drafting of
the TMP and for the infrastructure required to implement any approved plan. There
are currently discussions with two traffic management companies about
opportunities to provide discounted training to community groups so that they
are able to provide resources to implement their own TMP’s.
15. Under the
existing legislation there is no opportunity for TMP requirements to be relaxed
for community groups. COPTTM is written to protect the safety of road users and
Auckland Council / Auckland Transport have a responsibility to ensure that
these regulations are complied with. Any decisions not in accordance with
COPTTM will make council liable should there be an incident on the site. The
events unit are having regular discussions with Auckland Transport to ensure
that costs for TMP’s are kept to a minimum for event organisers. Auckland Transport
will always recommend the most cost effective traffic management solution for
event organisers.
16. Templated
traffic management plans for events are only feasible if an event maintains the
same plan year after year. From experience events are subject to frequent
change which makes the use of templates difficult.
17. Through
discussions with Auckland Transport the most effective way of reducing traffic
management costs for events is to encourage event organisers to consider
options that reduce the impact on the roading network. Where ever possible
events should be encouraged to occur entirely within a defined site such as a
park or square. Where there is no option to avoid impact on the road network,
activity should be kept to a minimum to ensure reduced costs.
18. At this time
there are no significant cost savings options available to event organisers.
Further discussions can be held with Auckland Transport to ensure all
organisers receive advice on how best to reduce their overall costs.
Consideration
Local
Board Views
19. Local
Boards were consulted on, and contributed to the development of the Events
Policy. Funding of regional events is guided by the priorities, principles, and
criteria outlined within the policy. Local Board views have not been sought on
this proposal.
Maori
Impact Statement
20. While
this issue does not specifically target Maori groups there are some events
organised by Maori that are impacted by the costs of traffic management.
Implementation Issues
N/A
Attachments
There are no
attachments for this report.
Signatories
|
Authors
|
David McIntosh - Senior Business Advisor
|
|
Authorisers
|
Louise Mason - Manager Community Development, Arts and
Culture
|
|
Arts, Culture
and Events Committee
12 February
2014
|
|
Matariki Festival and Southside Arts Festival Update
File No.:
CP2014/00535
Purpose
1. To update the Arts, Culture and
Events Committee on Matariki Festival 2013 and Southside Arts Festival 2013,
share the vision for the 2014 festivals, and recommend reprioritisation of the
regional arts and culture festival budget in 2014/2015.
Executive
Summary
2. The arts and
culture unit delivers two regional arts and culture festivals, Matariki and
Southside Arts Festival, that assist with meeting the outcomes identified in
the Māori Responsiveness Framework and Auckland Plan.
3. In 2014
Matariki Festival will take place from 28 June-28 July.
The programming and vision follows from the kaupapa and core values. It is
proposed to expand the festival by fostering strong partnerships within council
between the Community Development Arts and Culture, Libraries, Parks and
Environmental Services departments. The festival team is also working closely
with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Waterfront Auckland and
Regional Facilities Auckland.
4. The kaupapa of the Southside Arts Festival is to celebrate and showcase Māori and Pacific youth identity
through the arts. A ‘festival village’ delivery model is proposed for 2014,
designed around ‘hub facilities’ to take advantage of Auckland’s existing
infrastructure and audiences. The ‘pop up’ festival villages will be hosted in
succession across Auckland including Otara, Henderson-Massey, Mangere and
Manurewa.
5. Auckland
Council’s arts and culture unit currently has a total annual budget of $505,000
for regional arts and culture festivals. Matariki Festival is allocated 25% of
this budget in the LTP ($130,000) and Southside Arts Festival receives the
remaining 75% ($375,000).
6. The cultural
and social outputs of both festivals is high, but the audience reach of
Southside Arts Festival is currently limited and the required expansion of
Matariki Festival cannot be achieved within the current allocated budget.
7. It is proposed
to split the annual regional arts and culture festival budget evenly between
the two events ($252,000 each) to better utilise funding across the two
festivals and to ensure both are sufficiently funded to achieve delivery in
2014.
|
Recommendation/s
That the Arts, Culture and Events Committee:
a) receive the Matariki
and Southside Arts Festival updates for 2013
b) approve the reallocation of the regional arts and culture
festivalbudget for 2014/2015 as
follows: Matariki Festival 2014 $252,500
and Southside Arts Festival $252,500
c) endorse the proposed ‘festival village’ delivery model
for Southside Arts Festival 2014.
|
Discussion
8. Auckland
Council has statutory obligations for Māori under
the Treaty of Waitangi and these obligations are expressed within both
Council’s Māori Responsiveness Framework and the Auckland Plan.
9. Chapter 3 of
the Auckland Plan sets out the strategic direction for arts and culture in
Auckland - to “integrate arts and culture into everyday lives”. The Plan also
recognises that “Maori culture is core to what distinguishes us from other
cities in the world. The cultures of our Pacific populations are also defining
features”. A specific priority identified in the Plan is to “encourage and support a range of community events and cultural
festivals that reflects the diversity of cultures in Auckland.”
10. The arts and
culture unit delivers two regional arts and culture festivals, Matariki and
Southside Arts Festival, that assist with meeting the outcomes identified in
the Māori Responsiveness Framework and Auckland Plan. Other cultural festivals that contribute to
achieving council’s outcomes are delivered by the events unit (International
Culture Festival) and ATEED (Pasifika, Diwali, and Lantern Festivals).
Background
- Matariki Festival
11. Auckland Council coordinates Matariki Festival,
Auckland’s most prominent indigenous festival promoting Māori arts and
culture. It is a seasonal celebration of the Māori New Year that begins
with the rising of the Matariki star constellation (Pleiades). Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the
festival which grew out of a shared vision by the former Auckland, North Shore,
Manukau and Waitakere City Councils to reclaim, promote and commemorate
Matariki.
12. The guiding principles of Matariki Festival are:
Māori led (Tino Rangatiratanga); celebrate community
(Whakawhanaungatanga); encourage belonging and sharing (Manaakitanga); and
enrich and value the art and culture of Māori communities (Kaitiakitanga).
13. Auckland Council is the core funder of the
festival, investing approximately $150,000 each financial year. A significant
proportion of this funding ($130,000) is provided for in the 2012-22 Long Term
Plan, with the balance being variable contributions from local board
discretionary events budgets. Each year approximately $100,000 is secured in
sponsorship.
14. Council’s
investment in the Matariki Festival aligns with the strategic direction of the
Auckland Plan, council’s Treaty of Waitangi obligations, and the strong focus
of this council on enabling Maori outcomes.
Matariki Festival 2013
15. Matariki Festival 2013 was held from 22 June to
22 July and was delivered across the region from Te Hana in the north to Franklin
in the south. The success of the
2013 festival in Tāmaki Makaurau is captured in the following highlights:
· Attendance numbers increased by over 78%, from
51,844 people in 2012 to over 92,700 in 2013
· 91% of attendees agree that “Auckland Council
should support events like this”
· 85% of attendees say they are likely to return to the same
event next year
16. There were over 70 programmes within the 2013
festival, the majority of which were delivered by, or in partnership with
community organisations. Council organised and delivered five flagship events.
Highlights included:
Ø Dawn Karakia/Family Fun Day (Maungakiekie One
Tree Hill)
Ø Two Degrees Kapa Haka Super 12’s
(Waitematā)
Ø New Zealand Post Manu Aute Kite Day
(Orākei)
Ø Native Noise Concert – Reggae at The Town Hall
(Waitematā)
Ø Te Atinga: 25 Years of Contemporary Māori
Art (Mangere)
Ø Wānanga ā-Kai Māori Food Forum
(Māngere)
Ø “Ruia te kākano” Children’s Theatre (at
Marae across the region)
17. The 2013
festival had a total budget of $270,000 - $155,000 council funding and $115,000
in sponsorship (NZ Post $70,000, 2 degrees mobile $40,000 and the US Embassy
$5,000). In-kind contributions were also secured from Mediaworks, Maori TV,
Waterfront Auckland, The Edge (RFA), Lassoo (Reach Media), and Tohu Wines.
|
Festival
|
Rates Contribution
|
Attendees & Participants
|
Cost Per Person
|
|
Matariki 2013
|
$155,000
|
92,740
|
$1.67
|
Mataraki
Festival - Vision for 2014
18. In 2014 Matariki Festival will take place from 28 June – 28
July. The programming and vision follows from the kaupapa and core values:
· Tangata whenua – indigenous people of the land
· Taiao – The Environment
· Matauranga – Knowledge
· Whakangahau – Performance
· Nga Mahi Toi – The Arts (Multi-disciplinary,
traditional and contemporary)
19. With
this kaupapa in mind, it is proposed to expand the festival by fostering strong
partnerships within council between the Community Development Arts and Culture,
Libraries, Parks and Environmental Services departments. The festival team is
also working closely with ATEED, Waterfront Auckland and Regional Facilities
Auckland so that the CCO’s can fulfill council’s expectations of them to
contribute to “achieving a culturally rich and creative Auckland” and
showcasing “Maori identity that is Auckland’s point of difference in the
world”.
20. Auckland
Council’s Events Policy states:
“[ATEED and Auckland Council Events shall] plan and develop
a signature event that becomes an anchor event for Auckland and celebrates Auckland’s point of difference in the world. It will have high potential for significant
economic and social benefits, and will involve engagement and collaboration
with iwi and other stakeholders at the concept, planning and design stages.”
21. In
2013, the Independent Maori Statutory Board (IMSB) approached council to
request strategic discussion about a signature Maori event for Auckland. ATEED
has initiated discussions across the council family that may result in a
feasibility assessment of one or two options that could complement Auckland’s
events landscape. Initial work identified the importance of Matariki, its
multi-layered narratives and its potential for significant expansion as a
launch for activities across the rest of the year.
Background
- Southside Arts Festival
22. Southside Arts Festival is a regional festival that celebrates
emerging and established contemporary urban Maori and Pacific Island culture.
It has a strong youth and family-focus, and also aims
to showcase local facilities and community arts organisations. The festival
started in 2008 and was originally known as the Manukau Festival of Arts. The
name changed to Southside Arts Festival after the council amalgamation in 2010.
23. Auckland
Council is the core funder of the festival, investing $375,000 each financial
year. No cash sponsorship has been secured for the festival in recent years,
but in-kind contributions have been generated for specific flagship events.
Council’s investment in Southside Arts Festival reflects the focus on pacific
and Maori communities that is woven throughout the Auckland Plan and it also
delivers on a key arts and culture priority - “encourage and support a range of
community events and cultural festivals that reflects the diversity of cultures
in Auckland”.
Southside
Arts Festival 2013
24. Southside
Arts Festival 2013 was held from 17 October – 3 November and included activity
in Puketāpapa, Waitematā, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki,
Ōtara-Papatoetoe, Mangere-Ōtāhuhu and Papakura local board
areas.
25. The
success of the 2013 festival is captured in the following highlights:
· 12,750 people either participated or attended
festival events and programmes
· A diverse programme spanning key arts and
culture genres, including performance, visual arts, fashion, dance, music film
and spoken word
· 2 new strategic partners joining the programme
(Auckland Museum with the First Asian AB theatre season and Auckland Art
Gallery’s The best of Pollywood film event).
26. There were over 20
different events within the 2013 festival held at 12 different venues across
Auckland. Council organised and delivered four flagship events. Highlights included:
Ø Southside
Gig – day-long event focused around hip-hop musical genre and street culture
(Manukau)
Ø Cult
Couture – fashion design competion and awards show (Manukau)
Ø Afakasi
Speaks - Grace Taylor’s poetry book launch (Ōtara)
Ø We
are Pasifika - Manukau Symphony Orchestra (Manukau)
Ø The
Best of Pollywood - Pasifika short films (Central City)
Ø Southern
Gallery Express Art Tour to multiple venues
Ø Secret
Walls - live street art battles, at multiple venues
Ø Home,
Land and Sea and Where is Home? – youth focused contemporary dance-theatre work
(Ōtāhuhu and Mangere)
27. The 2013 festival had a total budget of
$375,000. No cash sponsorship was raised in 2013, but in-kind contributions
were secured from Mediaworks, MAC Cosmetics, and Servilles.
|
Festival
|
Rates Contribution
|
Attendees & Participants
|
Cost Per Person
|
|
SAF 2013
|
$375,000
|
12,750
|
$29.40
|
Southside
Arts Festival - Vision for 2014
28. The kaupapa of the Southside Arts Festival is to celebrate and showcase Māori and Pacific
youth identity through the arts.
In 2014, an artistic festival theme will drive the expansion of the
geographic reach of the festival using the concept of ‘festival villages’ to
connect the festival kaupapa to local communities across Auckland.
29. For 2014 the theme is ‘Ta i Va’ (Pacific concepts of ta (time) and
va (space)), based on Albert Wendt’s 2012 quote:
“We
need to write, paint, sculpt, weave, dance, sing, and think ourselves into
existence. For too long other people have done it for us – and they’ve usually
stereotyped us, or created versions of us that embody their own hang-ups and
beliefs and prejudices about us. So we have to write our own stories.”
30. The
long term vision is to apply an artistic theme to the festival each year
keeping the festival fresh, innovative and at the forefront of presenting
Māori and Pasifika arts and culture in Auckland and to the world.
31. For
2014 a festival village model designed around ‘hub facilities’ is proposed to
take advantage of Auckland’s existing infrastructure and audiences. These “pop
up” festival villages will be hosted in succession across Auckland including Ōtara,
Henderson-Massey, Mangere and Manurewa. Each event will be primarily focussed
around Maori and Pacific youth and deliver community engagement, participation,
exchange and connection for youth to create future pathways.
32. The emphasis for 2014 is to develop a
sustainable, manageable, innovative and exciting festival that connects with
local communities. The focus on connecting
locally within the context of the Auckland region will mean prioritising
resources to gain audience and geographic reach rather than delivering
budget-intensive flagship events.
Proposed
Financial Approach to Festivals
33. Auckland
Council’s arts and culture unit currently has a total annual budget of $505,000
for regional arts and culture festivals. Matariki Festival is allocated 25% of
this budget in the LTP ($130,000) and Southside Arts Festival receives the
remaining 75% ($375,000).
34. Local
boards can contribute discretionary budget to enhance local delivery of these
regional festivals, but this funding is not guaranteed and therefore is
negotiated each financial year.
35. The
cultural and social outputs of both festivals is high, but the audience reach
of Southside Arts Festival is currently limited and the required expansion of
Matariki Festival cannot be achieved within the current allocated budget.
Council’s return on investment across the two festivals is also not optimal and
needs to be addressed by implementing new festival delivery models.
36. It
is proposed to better utilise existing funding across the two festivals to
ensure both are sufficiently funded to achieve delivery in 2014. An even split
of the annual regional arts and culture festival budget across the two cultural
festivals would provide staff with the resources required to achieve the
anticipated outcomes in 2014. An allocation of $252,500 to each festival is
recommended.
37. It
is acknowledged that the reduction in budget to the Southside Arts Festival
means that the current model of budget-intensive flagship events cannot be
delivered in 2014, but staff believe that the new festival delivery model based
on ‘festival villages’ and the activation of existing community infrastructure
will produce a festival of similar quality and extended reach.
38. The
reprioritisation of festival budgets are proposed for immediate implementation
in 2014. The development of the new Long Term Plan over the next year will
involve a comprehensive review of the full arts and culture programme.
Discussion on the long term approach to arts and culture events and festivals
will be part of that process.
Consideration
Local
Board Views
39. Staff
work with individual local boards throughout the year to identify local arts
and culture programming that aligns to their local board priorities. Local
boards can contribute financially to local events as part of each regional
festival and there has been an increasing interest to do this for Matariki over
the past year. Staff are currently developing programme ideas for Rodney,
Orakei, and Maungakiekie-Tamaki local boards for Matariki 2014.
Maori
Impact Statement
40. Matariki
Festival is built upon council’s priorities to acknowledge Māori values,
enable Māori outcomes and
deliver on the statutory obligations for Māori under the Treaty of
Waitangi. These principles and values are highlighted as central to the
Māori Responsiveness Framework and therefore Matariki Festival is a key initiative for council.
41. Matariki
Festival delivers outcomes for Maori and acknowledges statutory obligations by:
a. Enabling
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
· Matariki recognises the
principles of tangata whenua and mana whenua
· Celebrates indigenaiety
b. Valuing
Te Ao Māori (Māori world views)
· Tangata Whenua – Prominent
Indigenous festival
· Taiao – Planting days,
Cultivation, Zero Waste events
· Matauranga – Knowledge
transfer, wānanga (houses of learning)
· Whakangahau – performance
events, showcasing Māori performing arts
· Nga Mahi Toi – Multi artform
focus, including both contemporary/traditional forms
42. Similarly,
with Southside Arts Festival focusing on Māori and
Pacific Island youth, the festival delivers Māori outcomes and contributes to council meeting its
statutory obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.
General
43. This report does
not invoke the Auckland Council Significance Policy.
Implementation
Issues
44. If the
recommended proposal is endorsed by the committee, a stakeholder engagement
plan will need to be developed to ensure any changes to the Southside Arts
Festival are transitioned smoothly with community partners. This plan will
also set out the approach for engaging new partners and community
infrastructure to bring to life the new ‘festival village’ delivery model.
45. There are no
financial or human resource implementation issues associated with the proposal.
Attachments
There are no
attachments for this report.
Signatories
|
Authors
|
Kaye Glamuzina – Manager Arts and Culture
|
|
Authorisers
|
Louise Mason - Manager Community Development, Arts and
Culture
|
