Agenda of Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel

Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel

27 August 2014

Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel - Draft Work Programme

File No.: CP2014/18505

Purpose

1. To agree a draft work programme for recommendation to the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee.

Executive summary

2. All panels are required by Governing Body resolution to prepare a work programme for committee approval.

3. The work programme, once ratified, will form the basis of most of the work of the panel over the next two years. As far as possible the work programme is to align with the council’s policy development and engagement programme.

4. Based on the outputs of presentations to the panel’s first meeting, staff have included in the work programme priorities that the panel earmarked as most important.

5. The panel will workshop these priorities, consider staff advice on how the panel can have input into the work streams and recommend a final draft for committee ratification.

Recommendation/s

That the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel:

a) discuss details of the work programme

b) confirm its draft work programme for recommendation to the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

c) agree that the Lead Officer Support be authorised to make any minor edits or amendments to the draft work programme to reflect decisions made by the Panel during the discussion.

Comments

6. Following a review of the demographic panels during the last term of Council, the Governing Body recommended to the incoming council that several panels be established. At a Governing Body meeting in December 2013 it was resolved to establish five demographic panels, including the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel, and to support these panels collectively as part of council’s structure.

7. The panels’ purpose is to provide strategic advice on issues of significance to the communities they represent, and on effective engagement by council with those communities.

8. The panels are required to produce an annual work programme which, wherever possible, is to be integrated with the other panels. These work programmes must be signed off by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee.

9. At its first meeting, the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel received a report and a presentation on the council’s strategy and policy forward work programme, as well as a presentation on key demographic statistics and trends derived from the 2013 census.

10. This background material provided information and context to assist the panel in developing its work programme. There is no set number of issues required for the work programme, it just needs to be manageable and be in a format common to all panels.

11. The work programme will outline the outcomes sought by the panel. Progress will be regularly reported to the Regional Strategy and Policy committee. It is envisaged that there will be a limited capacity to have input into issues not defined in the work programme. In particular, there will occasions when the panel is requested to give advice to council, including local boards and council-controlled organisations (CCOs), on engagement and policy drafts that are not part of their work programme. Any major deviations from the work programme will need to be agreed by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee.

12. At its meeting the panel needs to confirm that these priorities are the main focus of the work programme, noting that the number can change slightly.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

13. Some aspects of the work programme will relate to local boards plans and local boards may seek advice from the panels.

Maori impact statement

14. The panels work programme may overlap with the council’s Maori responsive objectives.

Implementation

15. The template for the draft programme is attached. Once approved this will be updated and reported to each meeting, together with a list of proposed agenda items and tracking of relevant resolution.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Draft Work Programme	11

Signatories

Authors

Bruce Thomas - Principal Advisor Panels

Authorisers

Marguerite Delbet - Manager Democracy Services

Kim Taunga - Manager Customer Experience South & East Libraries

Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel

27 August 2014

International Relations - Overview and Update

File No.: CP2014/17935

Purpose

1. To provide a brief overview of the role of Auckland Council’s International Relations unit and its interface with the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel on matters relating to Auckland Council’s Pacific partnerships. To also update the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel on the change of strategic direction within the unit.

Executive summary

2. Over the past three years, the primary role of the International Relations unit has been to manage the sister city/country relationships and programmes with Auckland's 19 formal international partnerships. The goal has been to achieve mutually beneficial economic, cultural and civic outcomes in collaboration with our partners and stakeholders that contribute to Auckland being internationally connected and export driven. A key area of work has been to project manage outbound trade missions such as the successful trade mission to Samoa, the Kingdom of Tonga and the Cook Islands led by Mayor Len Brown in July 2012. This unit is also responsible for inbound diplomatic, official and trade-related visits to Auckland as well as international technical study visits to the council.

3. Since its inception, the International Relations unit has focused on 'opening doors' for Auckland businesses, and partnering with other teams across council and key stakeholders, such as ATEED, to deliver economic returns to Auckland. The unit has developed and project managed a portfolio of initiatives and events including business exchanges, cultural events and leveraging the Rugby World Cup in 2011. The latter in particular was a time when the Pacific nations were to the fore. The Tonga and Samoa teams were great examples of igniting the enthusiasm for Auckland’s hosting of the Cup.

4. A significant part of the work undertaken by the International Relations unit involves the management of Auckland Council’s formal international partnerships. The prominence of Auckland’s Pacific population means that the special relationship with our Pacific Island neighbours is highly significant and valued. This is reflected through the signing of Memorandums of Co-operation (MOC) between Auckland and the Governments of the Cook Islands, Samoa and the Kingdom of Tonga in 2012 during the trade mission. The MOCs broadly cover areas of cooperation ranging from the facilitation of professional advice, exchange of knowledge, support of two-way trade opportunities, study visits, and assistance to date through the PacificTA facility has included dog control management, infrastructure governance, and waterfront development. These formal partnerships reinforce the special relations and the importance of these communities to Auckland.

5. The unit’s work is carried out in collaboration with a number stakeholders. These include:

§ Partner countries and their associated stakeholders offshore

§ Diplomatic entities

§ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and other Ministries e.g. Pacific Island Affairs

§ New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE)

§ ATEED and other Auckland Council Controlled Organisations

§ Tertiary education providers e.g. University of Auckland, AUT, Massey University, MIT

§ Business and industry organisations and associations such as the Pacific business councils, Pacific Cooperation Foundation and Pacific Business Trust

§ Local Government New Zealand (who manages the PacificTA facility funded by MFAT’s International Development Group)

6. To date, engagement with the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel has included their support for the Auckland Council Trade Mission to the Pacific led by Mayor Brown to Samoa, the Kingdom of Tonga and the Cook Islands in 2012. A member from the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel accompanied the delegation during their visit to each country. Their background and experience was important to ensure the delegation was aware of cultural protocol and for making beneficial business and political connections. The Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel engagement can also involve representation at mayoral and business-related meetings and other events involving these partner countries, and the two-way exchange of advice and information in relation to these Pacific partnerships. We look forward to developing further opportunities for engagement in collaboration with the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel.

7. More recently, however, as part of Mayor Brown’s electoral economic policy, he has signalled a refocus of our international relations effort. A key priority of both the Auckland Plan and the Auckland Council Economic Development Strategy (EDS) is to enhance Auckland’s international connectivity and improve Auckland’s export performance. Achievement of both goals requires significant and sustained international engagement on the part of the Mayor and Auckland Council, in order to make Auckland a connected, competitive, and internationally-visible city.

8. To achieve these outcomes, a report on a refreshed strategic direction for council’s global engagement has been prepared by the International Relations unit and will be received by the Economic Development Committee in September 2014.

9. As part of our global engagement activities over the coming year we are planning a short visit to Japan and China accompanied by a targeted delegation to leverage specific sector opportunities in Japan and to sign a tripartite agreement with the Mayors of both Guangzhou and Los Angeles while in China. In June 2015, Mayor Brown also plans to attend the World Cities Summit’s Mayors Forum in New York, aligning this with potential trade mission visits to San Francisco, and Los Angeles as part of the agreed activity under the tripartite agreement with Guangzhou and Los Angeles. There is also the Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) and Mayors’ Forum in Brisbane, Australia next July.

10. There are a number of ways that these activities could contribute to Pacific connections and economic opportunities including business participation in one of the trade missions and collaboration on particular sector initiatives.

11. The refocus of our global engagement effort is an exciting prospect and has the potential to bring greater economic returns for Auckland and general prosperity which can benefit our Pacific peoples.

12. The International Relations unit will continue to inform and engage with the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel on activities relating to our Pacific partnerships and to the Pacific in general, as well as our broader global engagement programme.

Recommendation/s

That the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel:

a) receive the report, and

b) provide feedback to the International Relations unit

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors

Sanchia Jacobs - International Relations Specialist

Authorisers

Harvey Brookes - Manager Economic Development

Kim Taunga - Manager Customer Experience South & East Libraries

Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel

27 August 2014

Significance and Engagement Policy

File No.: CP2014/15558

Purpose

1. To gain feedback on the draft content of a new Significance and Engagement Policy, and associated guidance on measures to improve community engagement with Auckland’s demographically diverse communities.

Executive summary

2. Recent amendments to the Local Government Act require all councils to adopt a significance and engagement policy by 1 December 2014. While the changes have only recently been passed by Government, work is well underway to develop a policy for Auckland Council in time.

3. The changes to legislation and the development of the policy provides an opportunity for Auckland Council to consider how to engage in a more meaningful and practical way that recognises and supports the needs of Auckland’s diverse communities to get involved in council and civic life.

4. In developing the draft policy, the council will take into account feedback already received by the public and stakeholders relating to consultation and engagement and lessons learned on past processes such as the Unitary Plan and local board plans.

5. It is expected that the draft policy will be available for public consultation during September.

Recommendation/s

That the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel:

a) provide feedback on the draft principles and approach to policy development

b) provide feedback on how the council could further enable and encourage people from different pacific groups to engage with Auckland Council.

Background

6. The Local Government Act (LGA) 2002 Amendment Bill (No 3) proposed that all councils adopt a significance and engagement policy by 1 December 2014. This Bill has now been passed.

7. This change to the LGA was one of the recommendations of the Local Government Efficiency Taskforce to review the decision-making and consultation provisions of the Act (particularly part 6).

8. The LGA amendment allows more flexibility in the way that council engages with Aucklanders, and the policy presents an opportunity to consider how to engage in a more meaningful and practical way.

9. The legislation does not require any changes to Auckland Council’s existing Significance Policy. The current Significance Policy will be used to provide the significance element of the new Significance and Engagement Policy.

10. Auckland Council does not currently have an adopted engagement policy. It does however have:

· a consultation and engagement guidebook;

· a guide on Engagement with Māori;

· a staff training programme in community engagement through the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2);

· an internal network which is used to share case studies; and

· an annual awards event to celebrate good practice.

Further work is taking place to improve the guidance that is available, in particular with respect to engaging with Auckland’s culturally and demographically diverse communities.

11. These internal processes have been a good way of identifying ways of improving how the council carries out consultation and engagement, particularly in relation to a range of planning or policy projects. However, the policy will help us to have a process of improving the way we engage consistently across the council family and enable members of the public to have greater understanding of the way we work.

12. Over the last year, feedback has been received on the process of consultation and engagement which includes the following points:

· Openness, transparency, integrity are very important markers of council’s performance

· There is an important distinction (and a big difference in perceptions) between Council providing people with the ability to provide feedback, and people trusting that the Council will use their feedback

· The Council needs to genuinely engage with the intention of acting on public views as much as possible

· The Council needs to provide opportunities for people to engage in a more diverse, flexible and open way, with more time and more local influence

· Council communications need to be objective, balanced, clear, and engaging

· There are pockets of excellence and good practice within the Council, but more could be done to ensure good practice is consistent.

Draft policy

13. From initial conversations internally and with key community groups there has been general agreement that the draft policy should be principles based, to allow flexibility with the approach taken in delivering consultation and engagement depending on the audience and scale of the issue. It will be developed with input from teams across council and will be supported by updated and improved processes, templates and guidance material so that we move towards a centre of excellence for consultation and engagement.

14. Research into other engagement policies (both within New Zealand and internationally), as well as the feedback received so far has identified the following draft principles for Council engagement:

· Meeting Treaty of Waitangi obligations

· Inclusive: reaching out to all affected / accessible / going beyond usual participants

· Timely: early in decision-making and allowing sufficient time

· Commitment / genuine intent / open & honest: meaningful engagement based on an open mind and willingness to listen

· Respectful / build trust

· Clear & sufficient information: balanced, plain English

· Clear purpose & well planned

· Flexible / needs based: designed to suit participants’ needs

· Coordinated: across departments, to minimise duplication and fatigue

· Pragmatic / efficient / value for money

· Feedback / close the loop

· Evaluate / monitor / improve

· Be innovative.

15. However, there is also a need for much more planning and thinking about how to apply those principles at a local community level and to recognise and tap into Auckland’s cultural diversity, particularly concerning:

· Enabling and encouraging people from different areas, cultural groups, ages and walks of life, and people with disabilities to engage with Auckland Council

· Providing more opportunity and flexibility for community groups to have more influence around the nature, scope and topics of the engagement – more bottom up planning in which council is the enabler / facilitator rather than the ‘owner’.

16. Next steps need to involve developing and engaging on a draft Engagement Policy and associated internal ‘how to’ guidelines that focus on improving:

· Consistency of good practice throughout the organisation

· Methods of engaging with diverse community groups

· The way in which internal groups and decision-makers use community input

· Demonstrating the way in which input has been used, to prove that it does make a difference and therefore build trust.

17. High level timeline for developing the policy

Milestone	Description / steps	Timing
Developing the draft policy	Drafting the policy Testing the policy internally, with key stakeholders and advisory panels Gaining feedback on draft policy with local board members, local board chairs, IMSB Regional Strategy & Policy for adoption prior to consultation	July – August 5 September
Consulting on the draft policy	Communications and engagement on the draft Local board reports / feedback process Advisory panel workshops Stakeholder discussions Public engagement	September-October
Revising the draft policy	Analysing and reviewing feedback Updating draft policy	October onwards
Adopting the policy	Committee review and adoption of draft policy	November

Consideration

Local board views and implications

18. An initial discussion has taken place through the Local Board Chairs Forum. Workshops are being organised to take place to feed into the development of the draft policy. Local boards will also be asked for their feedback on the draft policy later this year.

Maori impact statement

19. A report will be taken to the Independent Maori Statutory Board for discussion.

Implementation

20. There are no implementation issues

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors

Carol Hayward - Team Leader Consultation and Engagement

Authorisers

Kim Taunga - Manager Customer Experience South & East Libraries

Wilma Falconer - Communications and Public Affairs Interim Director

Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel

27 August 2014

Draft Community Facilities Network Plan

File No.: CP2014/18775

Purpose

1. To seek the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel’s feedback on the draft Community Facilities Network Plan.

Executive summary

2. The purpose of the Community Facilities Network Plan is to guide council’s provision of community facilities for the next 10 years and beyond. The key drivers are to:

· Optimise the use and efficiency of existing facilities

· Address gaps and needs for community facilities now and into the future

· Meet current and future demand arising from population growth and changing user expectations.

3. In March 2014 the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approved the development and scope of the network plan (REG/2014/37) to address future provision of community centres, venues for hire, arts and cultural facilities, aquatic and leisure facilities.

4. A draft Community Facilities Network Plan (network plan) has been developed (Attachment A). There are three key components of the draft network plan:

· Strategic framework – specifies the outcomes council is seeking from its investment in community facilities aligned with the Auckland Plan, Local Board Plans and other strategic priorities; and articulates the council’s key objectives for future provision.

· Provision framework – guides council’s approach for the provision of community facilities in the future.

· Action Plan – over 50 recommended actions to investigate areas where potential gaps in provision have been identified and to investigate existing facilities where issues affecting their performance have been identified.

5. Most of the recommendations in the network plan will require detailed community or sector based investigation to determine the appropriate response. It is proposed that any future investment in community facilities will be determined following detailed investigation which provides clear evidence of need, options analysis and a robust business case.

6. The draft network plan is an aspirational plan with actions for implementation over the next 10 to 20 years. The ability and timeframe to implement these actions is dependent on the decisions made by council through the Long-term Plan 2015-2025 (LTP) on the budget available for investment in community facilities.

7. Engagement with local boards, advisory panels and key external stakeholder groups on the draft network plan is being undertaken in August and September. Feedback will be incorporated into the final plan which is scheduled to be reported to the governing body by December 2014.

Recommendation/s

That the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel:

a) note that the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee will be endorsing the draft Community Facilities Network Plan for stakeholder engagement at their 8^th August meeting.

Comments

8. Community facilities contribute to building strong, healthy and vibrant communities by providing space for people to connect with each other, socialise, learn skills and participate in a range of social, cultural, art and recreational activities. Community facilities contribute to improved lifestyles and a sense of belonging, identity and pride among residents.

9. To realise Auckland’s vision to be world’s most liveable city, the network of community facilities will need to improve, evolve and increase to keep pace with Auckland’s growth and diverse population. The network plan has been developed to guide council’s provision and investment of community facilities to meet community needs, both now and into the future.

10. The draft network plan aligns with strategic directions and transformational shifts outlined in the Auckland Plan, and has been informed by local board plans and relevant strategic action plans, including the Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan, Sport and Recreation Strategic Action Plan, Thriving Communities Strategy and Children and Young People’s Strategic Action Plan.

11. The scope of the network plan includes community centres, venues for hire (community or rural halls), arts and culture facilities, aquatic and leisure facilities. The network includes facilities owned by council and facilities owned by third-parties which are supported by council and are available for community use.

12. There is a wider picture of community facility provision which also contribute to meeting community needs. Delivering a successful network of community facilities will involve identifying opportunities to work across all providers, looking for partnership opportunities and solutions to best meet community needs. While facilities like libraries, sport clubs, community leases, schools, churches and marae are not included in the recommendations of the network plan, these facilities will be considered fully in the localised and detailed assessments undertaken in the implementation of the network plan.

13. The first stage in developing the network plan was a review of the current state to identify what facilities we have, who uses them, how they are used, how they are operated and key issues associated with this provision. The key findings from the current state review are included in the draft network plan and have informed the proposed provision frameworks and actions. The full current state report is a companion document to the network plan and available on request.

14. Key challenges that the network plan seeks to address are:

· There are gaps and duplication in provision across the region which will require decisions on where new facilities should be developed and potentially where underperforming facilities which are no longer meeting community need could be divested or repurposed.

· Some facilities are not fit for purpose due to the quality, design or layout.

· There are a number of aging facilities that will require investment to remain operational or divested if they are no longer suitable to meet community needs.

· Across the board there is a need to improve the financial sustainability of community facilities to reduce the overall cost of provision.

· There are a variety of other providers of community facilities across Auckland which needs to be considered as part of future provision.

· There is a need for thorough and consistent planning to properly understand community needs and determine the most appropriate response to these needs. In some cases a facility response may be not the best solution and other options such as partnerships, programming or marketing may achieve the desired outcomes.

· Auckland is growing and becoming more diverse and the network of community facilities will need to be flexible enough to respond to changing community needs.

Draft Community Facilities Network Plan

15. The draft network plan sets out a strategic framework for community facilities to articulate why council invests in the provision of community facilities, the desired outcomes from this investment and the key objectives for future provision. The strategic framework is aligned with the Auckland Plan, local board plans and relevant strategic action plans.

16. Proposed common purpose for community facilities: Vibrant and welcoming places at the heart of where and how communities connect and participate.

17. The draft network plan sets out four proposed key objectives to guide and underpin the future provision of community facilities:

· Undertake robust and consistent planning to ensure future decisions on the provision of community facilities are based on clear evidence of needs and assessment of all options.

· Maintain, improve and make the best use out of existing community facilities where they continue to meet community needs and investigate the future of facilities that no longer meet community needs.

· Provide flexible and multi-purpose facilities that are co-located and/or integrated with other community infrastructure.

· Look for opportunities to leverage and support partnerships.

Future Provision Framework

18. The draft network plan proposes provision frameworks for each type of community facility to guide council’s approach to the provision of new facilities in the future.

Community Centres

19. The proposed provision approach for community centres is to continue to maintain and deliver community centres at the local level across the region, recognising the important role they play in meeting local community need for spaces to deliver a wide range of community, recreation, learning, events, and arts and culture activities.

20. It is proposed community centres will serve local catchments of up to 5 km (approximately 15 minutes travel time) with a minimum population size of 20,000 residents. This reflects the current levels of provision and is in keeping with international benchmarks. New community centres should be sized between 600-800 metre² to ensure they have the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of activities and need. In rural areas, where there is lower population size, existing halls could be activated with programming.

21. Based on this proposed provision framework, the following potential areas of need for new community centres have been identified for further investigation:

· Ormiston (Flatbush)

· North-West corridor (Westgate, Massey North, Hobsonville Point)

· North Pukekohe

· Manurewa (quality and level of existing provision is low)

· Papakura (Takanini, Hingaia)

Venues for hire

22. There are a wide range of providers of venues for hire and many existing venues have low utilisation and/or issues impacting on their performance. In order to optimise the overall community facility network, it is proposed the council does not invest in any more stand-alone venues for hire. Instead, it is proposed that bookable space is included in flexible multi-purpose community centres (new or existing/redeveloped), guided by community needs assessments. Other options should be explored including partnerships or encouraging other organisations (such as schools, sports clubs and churches) to make bookable spaces available for community use.

23. Venues for hire is an area of the community facility network where there is potential for divestment or repurposing for other activities. Repurposing could include introducing programming to create a community centre, arts and culture facility or youth facility, converting to a community lease, or transferring the asset to a community organisation.

Aquatic and Leisure Facilities

24. The proposed provision framework for aquatic and leisure facilities is through a hierarchy of local, destination and regional facilities to support participation in a range of sport and recreation activities from casual play through to competitive sport. The provision framework is supported by actual catchment analysis of council’s aquatic and leisure facilities.

25. At the local level, it is proposed facilities should serve catchments up to 5km in distance. Potential gaps for investigation are identified in areas outside the catchments of existing facilities, where overall participation is less than the Auckland average and where population density meets target thresholds as outlined in the plan. It is proposed to develop an affordable design model to reduce the design and build costs without compromising the quality or viability of new facilities.

26. Destination and regional facilities will serve larger catchments 10km plus and only a limited number of facilities are required to serve the region. These facilities should be assessed on a case by case basis where there is clear evidence of demand.

27. Based on the proposed provision framework the following potential areas of need for new aquatic and leisure facilities have been identified for further investigation:

· Western corridor from Mt Albert to Glen Eden – aquatic and leisure facility

· Ormiston (Flatbush) – aquatic and leisure facility

· North-west corridor (Westgate, Massey North, Hobsonville Point, Kumeu) – aquatic

· Central city area – investigate partnership opportunities for leisure facility

· Warkworth and surrounding area – aquatic and leisure facility (noting the small population size may impact on demand and type of facility required)

· Waiheke Island - aquatic facility (noting the small population size may impact on the demand and type of facility required)

· Indoor court facilities across the region to provide for indoor sports

· Regional aquatic and indoor sport facility.

Arts and Culture Facilities

28. It is proposed the future provision of arts and culture activity at the local level will focus on enabling local expression through programming rather than building dedicated arts facilities. Future provision will be included as part of flexible multi-purpose community centres (new or existing/redeveloped) guided by community needs assessment. Focus will be placed on integrating appropriate space and programming within the existing network, or partnering with others to provide suitable space.

29. For destination and regional facilities, it proposed that council supports a network of facilities to meet sector and audience demand. The future provision of both destination and regional facilities should be determined by robust investigation on a case-by-case basis. In particular, council should only intervene when the private sector does not and opportunities for partnerships with sector, private and government should be explored.

Action Plan and Implementation

30. The draft network plan includes over 50 recommended actions to undertake investigations for the future provision of community facilities. This includes actions related to existing facilities as well as potential new facilities.

31. All recommended actions will require detailed community or sector based investigation to determine the appropriate response. It is intended that any future investment in community facilities will be determined following detailed investigation which provides clear evidence of need, options analysis and development of a robust business case. Detailed process guidelines to ensure a consistent approach to these investigations have been developed (Appendix 2 of draft network plan: Community Facilities Development Guidelines). The guidelines are consistent with the gateway process being developed by the Enterprise Project Management Office to be rolled out across council.

32. For some existing facilities, investigation is required to understand in more detail how the facility is operating and meeting community needs and to determine the appropriate response. There are a variety of responses the investigation could identify:

· Changing the way the facility is managed or operated such as new programming, marketing or new management model.

· Identifying the facility is no longer required for the original activity and could be re-purposed for a new activity or function.

· Identifying the facility is no longer required and could be divested.

· Identifying the facility needs to be redeveloped or improved and should be considered for investment.

33. For potential areas for new facilities, a similar investigation process is required to understand needs, test the feasibility of different options and assess the business case for a facility. The outcome of this investigation may identify a non-asset solution is required such as a partnership or supporting a non-council facility.

34. The actions in the draft network plan have been ranked according to the urgency of completing the investigation, which is based on consideration of the following factors:

· Urgency to address condition issues with existing facilities.

· Need to respond to major catalysts impacting on existing facilities.

· Opportunities for rationalisation or partnerships.

· Identified as an existing gap in the network.

· Timing and scale of projected growth.

· Located in a spatial priority area.

35. Feedback from the governing body, local boards and stakeholders may change the ranking of actions in the final plan. The ability and timeframe to implement the actions is dependent on the level of budget available through the council’s LTP.

36. As council will not have the capacity to invest in all community facility projects, the draft network plan also provides prioritisation criteria to assist the governing body prioritise investment into community facilities once the investigation process has identified the appropriate response. The criteria will be used to assess the strategic benefits of the project, the importance of investing in a specific area and the project outcomes.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

37. Cluster workshops with local boards were undertaken in March and April. The purpose of the workshop was to provide an overview of the network plan, present information on the current state and to seek feedback on key components of the network plan. Key feedback themes from the local board cluster workshops were:

· Need to maintain and improve current network of community facilities, taking care of existing facilities as the first priority.

· Local boards strongly support the need and intent to be fully involved in the facility planning process.

· Decisions for investment in community facilities needs to be based on clear evidence of need.

· Planning for community facilities needs to take a holistic view across all provision and providers, looking for opportunities for partnerships and to coordinate delivery.

· There was a range of views on needing to address gaps, population growth, capacity issues and failing assets.

· Some local boards felt that different delivery models are appropriate for different communities to achieve the best results.

· Community facilities need to be accessible and inclusive for all sectors of the community.

· Community facilities need to be multi-purpose, flexible and integrated to deliver multiple community outcomes or benefits.

· Recognise that community facilities contribute to building a sense of place and making Auckland a more liveable city.

· Identified a range of operational issues that need to be addressed.

Maori impact statement

38. The provision of community facilities contributes to improving wellbeing among Maori communities by providing spaces to connect, socialise, learn skills and participate.

39. Community facility user surveys and catchment studies has collected a range of information from all types of users including Maori users, which has informed the network plan and proposed actions. The network plan has also been informed by submissions and feedback received on the strategic action plans for community development, arts and culture and sport and recreation. The consultation process for these strategic action plans included a number of hui with iwi, which has provided input on the provision of community facilities.

Implementation

40. The draft network plan is an aspirational plan for the next 10 to 20 years which outlines what needs to be investigated and undertaken to deliver a network of community facilities to meet community needs. The ability and timeframe to implement the actions is dependent on the level of budget available through the council’s LTP 2015-2025.

41. Through the LTP process, the governing body will consider the amount of funding available for investment in community facilities. To deliver the network plan this will need to include both operational funding to undertake the required investigation (needs assessment, feasibility and business case) and depending on the outcome of each investigation, capital funding or operational funding to implement the recommended response.

42. It is proposed that any capital funding for major upgrades or building new community facilities should be held in a regional investment fund and allocated to specific projects once a business case is approved.

43. The next steps for the network plan are engaging with local boards, advisory panels and key stakeholder groups (such as regional sport organisations) who have an interest in council’s community facilities. Given the context of the network plan and the information and feedback already received through the user surveys and strategic action plans, it is not proposed to undertake any specific engagement with facility users or the general public.

44. The engagement process will be completed by October. Depending on the level of feedback to be incorporated, the final plan will be reported to the governing body in December 2014.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Draft Community Facilities Network Plan	31

Signatories

Authors	Linda Greenalgh - Policy Analyst - Region wide
Authorisers	Kim Taunga - Manager Customer Experience South & East Libraries

Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel

27 August 2014

Draft Local Board Plans 2014

File No.: CP2014/18897

Purpose

1. To receive information regarding the consultation process for local board plans and to receive an overview of the key themes arising from the draft local board plans as they relate to the draft work programme of the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel.

Executive summary

2. Local boards will be adopting their 2014 local board plan by 31 October 2014. Local board plans are strategic plans for the following three years and beyond. The plans reflect the priorities and preferences of the community. They guide how local boards make decisions on local activities, provide input into regional strategies and policies and work with other agencies, including council-controlled organisations.

3. The draft 2014 local board plans are now available for feedback. The consultation documents include the draft plans, summary documents and submission forms and are available on http://www.shapeauckland.co.nz/LocalBoardPlans. A number of local boards decided to have the summary documents and submission forms translated into other languages to reach communities that they wished to target for engagement.

4. An analysis of the draft plans shows that there are a number of common themes across local boards including the protection of the environment, access to public transport, safe and inclusive communities, access to community facilities, encouraging active and healthy lifestyles, local economic development and thriving town centres.

5. While the draft local board plans seldom make specific reference to Pacific peoples, the plans refer to inclusive, diverse communities with a strong sense of belonging and local identity. The two main areas of commonality between the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel draft work programme and the draft local board plans are youth and economic development. Some draft local board plans also include housing initiatives, housing is included in the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel draft work programme.

6. While the many of the initiatives in the draft local board plans may not specifically target Pacific peoples, local boards would value advice on how to ensure that their activities are inclusive and reach the diverse areas of their communities.

7. Although the formal consultation period has closed local boards would welcome feedback on the draft local board plans from the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel. This feedback can be provided to Karen Titulaer by 29 August.

Recommendation/s

That the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel:

a) note the common themes arising from the draft local board plans and considers how this might relate to the panel’s work programme.

b) note that the draft 2014 local board plans are available for feedback and considers options for providing feedback.

Comments

8. A presentation was provided to the June meeting of the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel on the development and role of local board plans. Legislation requires that local boards develop and adopt local board plans by 31 October 2014. Local board plans are strategic plans for the following three years and beyond. They guide how local boards make decisions on local activities, provide input into regional strategies and policies and work with other agencies, including council-controlled organisations.

9. The plans reflect the priorities and preferences of the community. Feedback was sought from the Panel on engaging with Pacific peoples across Auckland. The feedback obtained from the Panel has been circulated to the local board teams for consideration in engagement strategies.

10. The formal consultation process on the draft local board plans ran from 7 July to 6 August. Although the formal consultation has closed, local boards would welcome feedback from the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel which can be provided to Karen Titulaer by 29 August.

11. The local boards listed below decided to have the summary documents and submission forms translated into Pacific languages to reflect communities that they wished to target for engagement.

Board	Translations
Puketapapa	Samoan
Mangere-Otahuhu	Samoan; Tongan
Otara-Papatoetoe	Samoan; Tongan
Maungakiekie-Tamaki	Samoan; Tongan
Manurewa	Samoan
Henderson Massey	Samoan

12. Each draft local board plan sets out outcomes that the board would like to achieve. Below is a summary of the common themes among the outcomes of the 21 draft local board plans.

· Protect, enhance, respect and restore the natural environment so that it is available for recreational use now and in the future.

· A transport system that is well-connected, offers a range of options and real choice.

· A safe community with a sense of belonging, where people from all walks of life feel valued, connect with each other and participate in local matters and activities; a place that people are proud of and choose to live.

· Community facilities that are welcoming and encourage participation in community activities.

· Encouraging active and healthy lifestyles through the provision of places and opportunities for play and relaxation such as parks, open spaces and sports facilities.

· Well-planned vibrant town centres that support the local economy and provide a hub for the local community.

· A strong local economy and a range of local employment opportunities.

13. It is understood that the draft work programme being considered by the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel focuses on The Southern Initiative, family and violence, youth, housing and economic development.

14. The Mangere - Otahuhu Local Board see The Southern Initiative as a means to work with stakeholders for the purpose of local economic development and the protection of environment and heritage.

15. Creating safe, strong neighbourhoods is an outcome included in many draft local board plans. However with the exception of Puketapapa Local Board there are no specific references to family and violence initiatives. The Puketapapa draft Local Board Plan includes an initiative to support programmes for children and their families to address intentional and unintentional harm.

16. Most draft local board plans include initiatives to support youth through:

· Encouraging civic and community participation through youth advisory panels

· Supporting pathways from education to skills and employment, often through supporting Youth Connections, although a number of other initiatives are supported. Pacific youth are specifically targeted for support in Mangere-Otahuhu and Puketapapa.

· Providing youth focused recreational and leisure facilities

· Youth focused community events

17. A number of local boards have housing initiatives focused on improving access to safe, healthy and affordable housing, they are Great Barrier, Puketapapa, Rodney, Waiheke, Waitemata and Whau.

18. The majority of draft local board plans include a local economic development theme. With the exception of Puketapapa, these do not specifically reference Pacific people. The draft local board plans economic development objectives include:

· Well-planned vibrant town centres that support the local economy and provide a hub for the local community.

· A strong local economy and a range of local employment opportunities.

· Growth in the local economy by focusing growth in specific areas, developing innovation hubs and, supporting business associations and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).

· Increasing opportunities for tourism, in particular to help grow the local economy.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

19. While the many of the initiatives in the draft local board plans may not specifically target Pacific peoples, local boards would value advice on how to ensure that their activities are inclusive and reach diverse areas of their communities.

Māori impact statement

20. The purpose of this report is to inform the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel of the consultation on local board plans and key themes arising in the draft plans. While this will not have a direct impact on Māori, any learnings on engaging with particular communities may have a beneficial impact on engagement with Māori, particularly Māori ratepayers and residents.

Implementation

21. Feedback on the draft local board plans from the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel can be provided to Karen Titulaer by 29 August.

22. Local boards would welcome engagement with the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel on the areas of commonality between the Panel’s work programme and the draft local board plans, in particular on youth, economic development and housing.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors

Karen Titulaer - Senior Policy Advisor

Authorisers

Anna Bray - Policy and Planning Manager - Local Boards

Kim Taunga - Manager Customer Experience South & East Libraries

Chairperson	Aiolupotea Sina Aiolupotea-aiono
Members	Apulu Reece Autagavaia
	Tunumafono Ava Fa'amoe
	Rev Tevita Finau
	Tevita Funaki
	Sefita Hao'uli
	Ofeina Langi
	Afa'ese Manoa
	Richard Pamatatau
	Sam Sefuiva
	Leilani Tamu
Liaison Councillor	Anae Arthur Anae

Date	Time	Venue
15 October 2014	4.30pm start (or 6pm start)	Manukau /Henderson/ North Shore – depending on the availability of the venue
17 December 2014	4.30pm start (or 6pm start)	Auckland Town hall