Agenda of Upper Harbour Local Board

	Portfolio Activity	Responsibilities	Board Lead/s and Alternate
1	Governance	· Board Leadership · Board-to-Council Relationships · Board-to-Board Relationships · Civic Duties · Advocacy (local, regional, and central government) · Relationships with Maoridom · Relationships with government departments and agencies · Relationship with Property CCO · Relationship with Auckland Waterfront Development · Advocacy with Governing Body (Local Board Plan; Local Board Agreements) · Unitary Plan · Local area plan	Brian Neeson Lisa Whyte
2	Regulatory & Bylaws / Civil Defence Emergency Management .	· Resource consents · Heritage · Liquor · Gambling · Swimming pools fencing · Trees · Bylaws · Relationships with the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group · Community preparedness, disaster response, relief, and recovery	Callum Blair John McLean Christine Rankin-MacIntyre Margaret Miles (Resource Consents only)
3	Events / Arts and Culture	· Community celebration · Community identity · Neighbourhood gatherings and renewal · Event compliance · Relationship with ATEED · Relationship with Regional Facilities CCOs · Tourism · Artistic and cultural service levels · Promoting all aspects of artistic endeavour · Development of public art strategy and policy	Margaret Miles
4	Community and social well-being / Local Facilities	· Community development · Neighbourhood relationships · Funding for neighbourhood projects · Community safety (excl. town centres) · Graffiti removal · Community advocacy · Relationships with Youth · Leisure centres · Community houses · Halls · Community hubs · Arts facilities · Community Partnerships · Asset Management	Callum Blair Margaret Miles

	Portfolio Activity	Responsibilities	Board Lead/s and Alternate
5	Libraries	· Stewardship of libraries · Mobile library	Christine Rankin-MacIntyre Lisa Whyte
6	Sports parks and recreation (active) / Parks, Reserves and playgrounds (passive)	· Stewardship of sports parks · Stewardship of recreation facilities · Relationship with sports clubs · Neighbourhood parks and reserves (incl. esplanade reserves and the coastline) · Design and maintenance · Plantings, playgrounds, bollards, and walkways · Skateparks · Track Network development	Margaret Miles Lisa Whyte
7	Town Centres	· Town centre renewal · Design and maintenance · Community safety within town centres · Business Improvement Districts liaison · Urban design · Built Heritage	Margaret Miles Brian Neeson
8	Transport / Regional Transport and CBD development	· Local transport projects and public transport (incl. roading, footpaths, cycleways) · Liaison on regional Transport matters · 2^nd harbour crossing · Bridge walk cycleway · Inner City Rail Link · Waterfront development · CBD master plan	John McLean Margaret Miles
9	Natural Environment .	· Restoration of wetlands, streams, and waterways · Local priorities in relation to regional environmental management · Costal management including mangrove encroachment and erosion mitigation · Relationships with Watercare · Waste minimisation strategy · Bio security	John McLean Callum Blair Lisa Whyte (waste minimisation only)
10	Economic Development / Financial oversight	· Key relationship with Business Development Manager in Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development team · Establish and promote local opportunities for increased tourism and economic development · Budgets · Project expenditure · Monitor GB strategy and Finance · Service Levels · Local funding policy	Lisa Whyte Margaret Miles

1 Welcome

2 Apologies

At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.

3 Declaration of Interest

Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.

4 Confirmation of Minutes

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Tuesday, 28 October 2014, including the confidential section, as a true and correct record.

5 Leave of Absence

At the close of the agenda no requests for leave of absence had been received.

6 Acknowledgements

At the close of the agenda no requests for acknowledgements had been received.

7 Petitions

At the close of the agenda no requests to present petitions had been received.

8 Deputations

Standing Order 3.20 provides for deputations. Those applying for deputations are required to give seven working days’ notice of subject matter and applications are approved by the Chairperson of the Board. This means that details relating to deputations can be included in the published agenda. Total speaking time per deputation is ten minutes or as resolved by the meeting.

At the close of the agenda no requests to speak had been received.

At the close of the agenda no requests for deputations had been received.

9 Public Forum

A period of time (approximately 30 minutes) is set aside for members of the public to address the meeting on matters within its delegated authority. A maximum of 3 minutes per item is allowed, following which there may be questions from members.

At the close of the agenda no requests for public forum had been received.

10 Extraordinary Business

Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“An item that is not on the agenda for a meeting may be dealt with at that meeting if-

(a) The local authority by resolution so decides; and

(b) The presiding member explains at the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public,-

(i) The reason why the item is not on the agenda; and

(ii) The reason why the discussion of the item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.”

Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting,-

(a) That item may be discussed at that meeting if-

(i) That item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and

(ii) the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but

(b) no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.”

11 Notices of Motion

At the close of the agenda no requests for notices of motion had been received.

Upper Harbour Local Board

11 November 2014

Auckland Transport Quarterly Update to Local Boards
For the quarter - 1 July to 30 September 2014

File No.: CP2014/25234

Executive summary

1. The purpose of this report is to inform local boards about progress on activities undertaken by Auckland Transport in the three months from July – September 2014, and the planned activities anticipated to be undertaken in the three months from October – December 2014.

2. Attachments include:

· A – Auckland Transport activities

· B – Travelwise Schools activities

· C – Decisions of the Traffic Control Committee

· D – Report against local board advocacy issues

· E – Report on the status of the local board’s projects under the Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF).

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) recieve the Auckland Transport Quarterly Report for the quarter 1 July to 30 September 2014.

Comments

Significant activities during the period under review

Key Agency Initiatives

East West Connections

3. Auckland Transport (AT) and the NZ Transport Agency have completed an indicative business case that identified a short list of options to address the transport issues in the Onehunga-Penrose area. Improvements were also identified along the proposed bus route between Mangere, Otahuhu and Sylvia Park.

4. The assessment process to narrow down potential options included the outcomes of the July/August engagement, as well as assessing factors such as transport performance, consentability, constructability, natural environment, public health and cultural heritage. The short list contains a range of low to high investment options for further investigation.

5. Public consultation on these short listed options commenced in October. This included public open days and workshops.

PT Development

Otahuhu Interchange

6. A civil enabling works package has gone to market to enable construction activities in December to capitalise on the scheduled Christmas Block of Line in the rail corridor.

7. The main works package is scheduled to go to market mid-December, with tenders closing end of January, and tender being awarded end of February 2015. Target completion for the interchange is end of September 2015. A public open day was held in Otahuhu Town Hall, attended by 225 people including Local Board members; feedback was very positive. Hui with local mana whenua are on-going, with six having been completed to date.

City Rail Link

8. Registrations of interest (ROI) by the construction industry for the Enabling Works and design work for the downtown section of the City Rail Link, from Britomart through Queen, Customs and Albert Streets to Wyndham Street, were received and evaluated during August.

9. Following an evaluation process, Request for Proposal documentation for two enabling works contract packages were released to the ROI respondents in late August. A series of interface meetings are scheduled with respondents prior to receipt of proposals in November whereby a tender evaluation will be undertaken to procure the preferred tenderer. A project update was provided to manu whenua groups (seven iwi represented) mainly focussing on stormwater mitigation issues.

EMU Procurement

10. There are now 27 units in NZ with 17 units in service. Manukau peak services began mid September. Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) testing on the Western line to Swanson will begin on Monday, 29 September. Manufacture and delivery is on programme.

PT Operations

Bus Improvements

11. An on-going programme of bus timetable adjustments, in partnership with AT service providers, continued this year to ensure published timetables more closely reflect actual bus running times. This is driving a significant improvement in bus service reliability, particularly for North Star, Go West, Waka Pacific and Metrolink Outer, with implementation scheduled across the entire bus network by September 2014.

12. On-time performance across the entire bus network rose to 91.45% for September and has remained over 90% during the quarter.

13. NZ Bus operated 91.7% of its bus services on time, which is a 10% increase on the previous 12 months. Go West showed the largest improvement with an 11% increase in punctuality since December. On-time performance improved by 5% after delivering a new customer value proposition of services from 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week on 3 August in the west (Green Bay/Titirangi).

14. On time performance for the Northern Express Service also continued to operate at a very high level during August, delivering 98.7% and with most of September operating at 99.4%.

Rail Improvements

15. Rail patronage for the 12 months to September 2014 was more than 11.8 million; an increase of 27% on the previous year and a new record for heavy rail in the Auckland region. Rail patronage for the first quarter 2014 was 15% above the same period in 2013.

16. Rail service punctuality was stable at 87.7% for the 12 months to September 2014; an improvement from 86.3% the previous year. This was achieved through a period of operational change to new systems following the introduction of EMUs which have presented some challenges. For the month of August 2014, punctuality was 90.5% - the first month for at least ten years that performance exceeded 90% outside holiday periods.

17. Rail station security was upgraded in May 2014 and a strategic review of rail safety, security and fare enforcement is underway.

Road Design and Development

Dominion Road

18. Construction on the cycle routes is proceeding with the project being close to 50% complete. Tenders for the main Dominion Road works have closed and evaluation is underway. The project has been expanded at the request of Watercare to include water main replacement in the three village centres.

Albany Highway

19. The contract for construction has been awarded to Fulton Hogan. Work will commence on site in late October, early November 2014. The construction is expected to be completed early in 2017.

20. Two open days will be held in October to give the local community the opportunity to meet the construction team and ask any questions they may have about the project before works begin. A communications and stakeholder management plan will be in place for the duration of the construction period.

Murphys Road

21. Construction of Flat Bush School Road and Murphys Road intersection upgrade is progressing and on track for completion by mid-December 2014. Design of the Murphy’s Road upgrade between Flat Bush School Road and Ormiston Road is on-going and programmed to finish by the end of December 2014.

AMETI

22. Construction of the new Te Horeta Road at Panmure is nearly complete. Pavement works and line marking were completed during the period and the final integration testing of tunnel systems is in progress. The road is scheduled to open on 2 November, when critical activities on Mt Wellington Highway and at the adjacent NCI site are complete.

23. The new William Harvey Bridge footbridge is now fully operational. The upgrade of Van Damme’s Lagoon, NCI and Watercare works are ongoing.

24. Planning and design meetings were held to update Pakuranga town centre stakeholders on the design work for Pakuranga bus station and Reeves Road flyover. Feedback will assist to further develop the design.

Cycle Initiatives

25. The construction of Stage 1 (Churchill Street to Quay Street via Mahuhu Crescent and Tapora Street) was completed ahead of schedule and formally opened by the Prime Minister and the Mayor. A short safety video for cyclists has been produced http://youtu.be/fNlu7xaS2KA. Within a week it had been viewed more than 2,700 times on YouTube.

26. A survey to benchmark the number of cyclists is about to start and will be used to monitor usage. The design of Stage 2 that will make the link through to Britomart Place is progressing, with the start of construction planned for early 2015.

27. A number of other cycle schemes are under construction including Portage Road (New Lynn), Swanson Rail Path and St George Street (Papatoetoe). Meanwhile the Spring Cycling Programme has commenced, with a series of cycle training and safety events being held throughout the region.

Services

Public Transport ‘Give it a Go’ Scheme

28. Between late May and the end of September AT has delivered the scheme through 18 businesses and personalised journey planning projects. Through the scheme, individuals have two weeks of commute travel.

29. Results indicate that 6 weeks after the start of the trial 52% are continuing to use public transport and after 8 weeks there is only a slight drop to 41%.

30. An evaluation survey is also undertaken as this allows participants to provide feedback on the service. There has been positive feedback, as shown in the quotes below:

· “Great idea – certainly surprised me how great public transport has become” ASB workplace survey

· “I had never taken public transport before the trial and now find that travelling by train is a lot less stressful than by road… …and thank you for offering the trial pass, you now have a passenger for life.” Health Alliance workplace survey

· “Using public transport was a lot better than I had expected. More trials like this should be done to convince others.” Sovereign workplace survey

Commute Businesses

31. Auckland Council senior management have approved the Auckland Council Travel Plan. A more detailed Action Plan is being co-developed for presentation to the Chief Planning Officer in early November for approval to proceed.

32. Commute awards recognised businesses achieving success in travel planning. The award winners have been promoted in business publications including Auckland Today. The award winners were:

· Progress on Travel Plan – AECOM

· Delivery of Commute Packages – Mahitahi Trust

· Embedding sustainable transport into company practice – MRCagney.

Route Optimisation

33. The 2013 – 2014 Route Optimisation Programme has been primarily focused around the Auckland city centre, aiming to prioritise and optimise network performance for all modes as appropriate. The Programme made use of the detailed Network Operating Plan to translate strategic intent into operational priorities, for the various modes by time of day. Being the city centre, greater emphasis was placed on public transport and pedestrian performance, the latter being particularly noticeable during the day outside of peak periods. As a whole, route optimisation covered approximately 33 km, over 110 intersections.

Variable Message Signs (VMS)

34. Eight variable message signs (VMS) programmed for the 2013-14 year are now in place.

35. The signs are due for final hand-over to the Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) during the month of October, and will be available for use for incident management, planned events, multi-modal real time travel time information (including multi-modal travel time where relevant), and any messaging requirements.

Bus route improvements

36. The Operational Planning and Performance Teams have been assisting the Public Transport Operations team, to identify and implement quick-win projects to improve the efficiency and reliability of the bus operations. Current projects include:

Route	Project Scope	Progress
Esmonde Road	Widening to extend bus lane	Resolution prepared, awaiting tree removal consent
Khyber Pass Road	Introduction of additional 90m of bus lane	Resolution prepared, awaiting Local Board approval
Khyber Pass Road	Crowhurst intersection bus priority upgrade	Resolution prepared, awaiting Local Board approval
Wellesley Street East	Bus lane pocket	Resolution prepared, awaiting Road Safety Audit sign off
Park Road	Investigation of southbound bus lane	Concept design complete, internal consultation to commerce shortly
Parnell Road	Investigation of bus lane	Concept development with consultants, due imminently

Urban KiwiRAP (International Road Assessment Programme) Update

37. A specialist engineering team completed vehicle-mounted video-mapping of 2,000 kilometres of the Auckland local road network in September, as part of the Safer Journeys Urban KiwiRAP demonstration project. This project is a world first and the video footage will be analysed to establish road safety star ratings for the Auckland urban local road network that will be used to prioritise improvements on high-risk parts of the network.

Road Corridor Delivery

38. Overall operating expenditure is running ahead of budget due to the effects of the major storm event which struck Great Barrier Island in June, higher electricity costs and an increased spend on unsealed road maintenance.

39. Renewal expenditure is behind forecast but good progress has been made in making preparations for the upcoming construction season. The actual spend is consistent with the reduced level of funding now available for renewals.

Key Renewals

40. Construction of the Beach Road Cycleway was delivered by the Road Corridor Group and completed on time for the opening by the Prime Minister in August.

41. The design of the new box culvert is underway on Great Barrier Road with the intention of commencing physical works later this year. The existing steel plate was washed away in the storm event on 10 June 2014 and there is a temporary stream crossing in place until the works can be completed.

42. Chipsealing commenced in Franklin in August using emulsion instead of cut-back bitumen. Emulsion can be sprayed in cooler weather, providing improved chip wetting and adhesion, and is safer and more environmentally friendly than hot bitumen.

43. Repairs to the Maraetai Beach seawall were also completed in August. The seawall had been undermined by several major storms over the June/July period.

44. Streetlight improvements have been carried out on East Tamaki Road and on the cycle routes in the Dominion Road Corridor. The street lights in these cycle routes, located immediately to the East and West of Dominion Road, have been upgraded with LED Luminaires to improve safety.

Road Corridor Access

Corridor Access Request (CAR) Applications

45. There were 4,039 CAR applications approved during the first quarter, representing a 4.4% increase over the number of 3,868 for the same period last year.

46. Monthly incremental increases of around 8% have been experienced since July, with the major share of the increases being for minor works i.e. works in the footpath and berm area only.

Ultra-Fast Broadband Rollout

47. Overall forecast build starts have fallen below forecasts and the likelihood of a back ended build programme for the year has increased. Up to 30 cabinet areas appear to be at risk.

48. Currently for Year 4, 88 cabinet areas are in build, 43 are completed and 22 have moved into warranty.

Watercare Hunua 4 Bulk Watermain

49. As at the end of September 2014, 12.6 km of pipe has been laid at an average weekly rate of 48 metres and Watercare advise it is on target.

Watercare Pakuranga Rising Water Main

50. Work commenced in January on the construction of a new 0.9 metre diameter sanitary sewer rising main in the carriageway of Pakuranga Road and Lagoon Drive, in the vicinity of the Panmure Bridge.

51. Progress at either end of the project site (Lagoon Drive and Pakuranga Road east of the Panmure Bridge) has been good and the positive temporary traffic management measures employed have enabled traffic to continue with only minimal delays.

Overweight Permits

52. There were 198 overweight permit applications processed in September. Of the 198 permit applications, 155 (78.3%) were processed within the target times and all applications were processed by the nominated travel start date.

53. The target timeframes for processing overweight permit applications are 3 days for KPI 2, single trip, multi travel and continuous renewal permits and 5 working days for KPI 3 continuous and area permits.

Parking and Enforcement

Parking machine replacement

54. The existing 922 Pay and Display machines installed in the greater Auckland area have reached their end of life and are due for replacement. Parking Services have conducted an on-going investigation into the developing technology associated with on-street parking. A paper has recently been prepared requesting the funding necessary for a technology upgrade and is planned to be presented to the AT Board at its November meeting.

55. The proposed new system incorporates the ‘pay by space’ mode with in-road sensors for each parking spot. Parking availability will be published on the internet. Once a parking space is occupied payment will be made at a nearby payment machine that will accept HOP cards, credit cards, text-a-park and cash. Smartphone payments will also be available with text reminders being sent when the time limit is due to expire. Additional topping up for extending parking will be available by either smartphone or at any other parking payment machine.

56. Enforcement of expired parking spaces will be managed from Parking Officers PDAs that will be able to communicate to a central system holding data on the parking status of the city’s precincts. Improved management information and remote tariff adjustments will be managed from the centralised system.

Auckland parking discussion document

57. There was significant interest in the parking discussion document, with AT receiving over 6,000 submissions. The submissions are still being analysed and themes collated. The next step will be to draw up a region-wide parking policy which will consider information from those submissions.

58. A report on key themes and possible policy responses is expected to be reported back to the AT Board in October. The detail of individual schemes will follow.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Schedule of activities undertaken for the first quarter (2014/15) ending 30 September 2014 and forward works programme for the second quarter (2014/15) ending 31 December 2014	17
b View	Travelwise Schools activities broken down by Local Board	35
c View	Traffic Control Committee Decisions	37
d View	Local Board Advocacy Report	39
e View	Local Board Transport Capital Fund Report	41

Signatories

Authors

Various Auckland Transport authors

Authorisers

Jonathan Anyon, Elected Member Relationship Team Manager

Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Upper Harbour Local Board

11 November 2014

Auckland Transport Report - November 2014 - Upper Harbour

File No.: CP2014/25246

Purpose

1. The purpose of the report is to respond to local board requests on transport-related matters and to provide information to elected members about Auckland Transport (AT) activities in the local board area.

Executive summary

2. This report covers matters of specific application and interest to the Upper Harbour Local Board and its community, matters of general interest relating to Auckland Transport activities or the transport sector, and relevant Auckland Transport media releases for the information of the board and community.

3. In particular, this report provides an update on:

· Albany Highway Update

· Consultation documents on proposed safety improvements and bus network

· Media

· Issues register

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) receive the Auckland Transport Report – November 2014, to the Upper Harbour Local Board.

Comments

Albany Highway Update

4. The project scope for this upgrade is;

· Road widening from Bush Road/Schnapper Rock Road intersection in the south to Albany Expressway in the north (approximately 3.8km).

· Two traffic lanes, each direction. One lane in each direction will operate as a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on weekdays 7-9am and 3-6pm.

· Roundabouts at Rosedale road, Bass Road and Wharf Road will be changed to signalised intersections.

· A new four-lane bridge will be built over the Oteha Stream.

· Relocation and undergrounding of services.

· The storm-water system will be upgraded to help reduce pollution from the road flowing into local streams.

· Landscaping and urban design will provide a road corridor that is attractive as well as functional.

5. Auckland Transport awarded the contract to Fulton Hogan and they have started the detailed planning phase i.e

· Completing the construction management plan, traffic management plans and detailed programme.

· Engaging with stakeholder organisation’s, the local community and users of the route and developing on going communication plans.

6. The site was blessed by local Iwi and officially opened by Councillor Walker and Watson and by the Upper Harbour Local Board Chair Brian Neeson.

7. Actual construction is expected to start on site in late October 2014 and is estimated to take 2 and ½ years to complete.

8. Auckland Transport will hold public open days, to allow the public to meet the project team, view plans and discuss activities planned during construction, these open days will be held at Kristin School, 360 Albany Highway, on Wednesday, 29 October, 4 to 7pm and Saturday 1 November 10am to 12pm.

Consultation documents on proposed safety improvements

9. Consultation documents for the following proposals have been provided to the Upper Harbour Local Board for its feedback. As the Board’s transport portfolio holders provide feedback on the Board’s behalf, the material below is included for general information purposes only.

10. Henry Rose Place and Rosedale Road Intersection - Consultation Plan - Proposed No Stopping at All Times (NSAAT) Restriction - In order to improve bus turning movement, which is currently restricted by cars parking too close to this intersection. Auckland Transport is proposing to install NSAAT “Broken yellow lines” as shown on the plan,(Attachment A).

11. John Glenn Avenue and Unity Drive North Intersection – Consultation Plan – Proposed No Stopping at All Times (NSAAT) Restriction – In order to improve bus accessibility at this intersection, Auckland Transport is proposing to install NSAAT “Broken Yellow Lines” as shown on the plan,(Attachment B).

12. Proposed New Public Transport Network for West Auckland – memo outlining upcoming consultation to be carried out by Auckland Transport on proposed changes to the bus services in West Auckland. (Attachments C and D).

Media

Cameras and lights linked to new computer system

13. Camera and lights linked to a new computer system will make life safer and smoother for road users.

14. Relief could be at hand for motorists and cyclists suffering red-light rage on Auckland’s clogged roads.

15. Road users are being promised less waiting time at traffic lights linked to CCTV cameras.

16. Making traffic lights work better is just one of a raft of efficiency and safety benefits expected from a new computer “analytics” system, aimed at coordinating data pouring in from 1800 cameras already spread across the Super City’s roads and railway stations.

17. Auckland Transport says its primary concern will be safety, but the system will allow some cameras to be used for multiple purposes. Those will include gathering traffic data for planning, emergency incident management, parking enforcement, combating vandalism and keeping bus-ways and clearways free of obstruction.

18. Auckland Transport which has inherited five separate camera systems from former councils, is finalising a contract to unify them on a single information platform which will automatically alert staff at a new traffic operations and incident management centre on Queens Wharf to congestion or safety problems needing rapid responses. That is likely to include alerts being flashed up on banks of monitors if train passengers get too close to the edge of platforms or even fall on to tracks, so centre staff can send warnings across public address systems or to rail operator Transdev.

19. Cameras will also be used to back up existing GPS tracking of any parking officers finding themselves under attack from angry drivers.

20. Auckland Transport is still working through protocols with the privacy commissioner to protect information gathered, although it will be available to the police for prosecution purposes, subject to warrants being obtained. However, information about individuals would be kept for a maximum of seven days, unless needed longer for evidential purposes.

21. The new system will also feed into a traffic operations centre run since 2010 in Takapuna by the Government’s Transport Agency, which is sharing project costs and will use it to enhance its management of motorways and highways.

Issues Update

22. The following Issues Update comprises issues raised by Elected Members and Local Board Services staff to 24 March 2014:

Location	Issue	Status
Attwood Road	· Requests from residents and LB re safety assessment due to speeds down the road	· Safety assessment carried out, consideration to lowering the limit to 50km/h · Discussion with Police, NZTA, Automobile Association, all have agree 50km/h is appropriate · Local Board and Public Consultation to be conducted October/November 2014
Hobsonville Road Footpath opposite old petrol station	· Reported as dangerous for pedestrians	· AT has temporarily fixed the hazards to make these locations safe for pedestrians. · In addition, AT’s Area Engineer will be conducting further investigations of this area. · On-going monitoring until area fully developed
Clemow’s subdivision	· Footpaths damaged by the roots of large trees · Temporarily patched · May pose further issue’s for users if not extensively repaired.	· Remedy determined · Expected start of remedial work to start 3^rd week of October 2014 · Ongoing until finished
The Avenue/SH17 intersection, Albany	· Request for safety assessment of The Avenue/SH17 intersection, Albany.	· Scoping investigation phase complete · Feasibility study complete · Scheme assessment complete · The detail design is programmed for the 13/14 and 14/15 financial years and will take about 9 months to complete · The project is not included in the current LTP 2012/22 · AT is working to see if this project can be brought forward · As part of the State Highway revocation agreement, NZTA has agreed to fund 50% of the project – this should enable AT to raise the priority of the project.
Lucas Creek Bridge design	· LB have requested an opportunity to see the designs for the proposed strengthening and widening and The Avenue upgrade	· Awaiting reply from Investigation and design as to what stage they are at and if this is possible · A workshop with the LB will be held once plans available

Consideration

Local board views and implications

23. The board’s views will be incorporated during consultation on any proposed schemes.

Maori impact statement

24. No specific issues with regard to the Maori Impact Statement are triggered by this report.

General

25. The activities detailed in this report do not trigger the Significance Policy. All programmes and activities are within budget/in line with the Council’s Annual Plan and LTP documents and there are no legal or legislative implications arising from the activities detailed in this report.

Implementation

26. All proposed schemes are subject to prioritisation, funding and consultation.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Henry Rose Place - Consultation Plan drawing	49
b View	John Glen Ave – Consultation Plan drawing	51
c View	Proposed new Public Transport Network West	53
d View	Proposed new Public Transport Network West	59

Signatories

Authors

Ivan Trethowen - Auckland Transport Elected Member Relationship Manager

Authorisers

Jonathan Anyon – Auckland Transport Elected Member Relationship Team Manager

Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Upper Harbour Local Board

11 November 2014

Draft Community Facilities Network Plan

File No.: CP2014/24893

Purpose

1. To seek the Board’s feedback on the draft Community Facilities Network Plan (Attachment A) following workshops held with all local boards in August and September 2014.

Executive summary

2. In August 2014 the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee endorsed the Draft Community Facilities Network Plan (REG/2014/98) for engagement with local boards, advisory panels and key external stakeholders.

3. The purpose of the Community Facilities Network Plan (draft 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; and

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

4. The scope of the draft 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 available for community use. 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 in the implementation phase.

5. There are three key components of the draft 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 future community facility provision.

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

6. Each action will require detailed community or sector based investigation to understand needs and determine the appropriate response. Process guidelines have been developed to ensure a consistent approach to these investigations. Local boards and the local community will be fully involved in investigation processes.

7. As council may not have the capacity to invest in all community facility projects, the draft plan also provides prioritisation criteria to help determine the priorities for investment once the investigation process determines the appropriate facility response. The ability and timeframe to implement the actions is dependent on the budget available for community facility investment in the Long-term Plan 2015-2025 (LTP).

8. Feedback on the draft plan was sought from key stakeholders including regional sports organisations, facility partners, facility managers and advisory panels. Submissions were also invited through shapeauckland.co.nz which closed on 15 September 2014. A summary of feedback is attached in Attachment B.

9. It is proposed that libraries should be included in the Community Facilities Network Plan as another key community facility that council provides, and to ensure alignment of planning and future facility provision. Libraries have undertaken similar research to understand the gaps and needs for libraries and are well placed to be included. There will need to be further communication with local boards on the libraries content. Revised timeframes to integrate libraries into the plan and to align with the LTP process are outlined in this report.

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) provide feedback of the Draft Community Facilities Network Plan which will guide council’s provision of community facilities, including any specific feedback on the strategic framework, provision framework, action plan, implementation approach and prioritisation criteria.

b) note proposed revised timeframes to include libraries in the Community Facilities Network Plan, and that further engagement with local boards will be undertaken to discuss the libraries content and the final revised network plan.

Comments

Draft Community Facilities Network Plan

10. 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.

11. The draft plan outlines how council will provide and invest in community facilities to respond to community needs and population growth and changes.

12. The draft 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. This is aligned with the strategic direction and transformational shifts in the Auckland Plan, local board plans and relevant strategic action plans.

13. The proposed common purpose for community facilities is “Vibrant and welcoming places at the heart of where and how communities connect and participate”.

14. The draft 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 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

15. The draft 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

16. 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 needs for spaces to deliver a wide range of community, recreation, learning, events, arts and culture activities.

Venues for hire

17. Given the wide range of providers of venues to hire, the draft plan proposes the council does not invest in any more new stand-alone venues for hire. It is proposed that bookable space is included in 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. In some cases where venues for hire are no longer serving community needs, there may be potential to consider repurposing venues for other activities or possible divestment.

Aquatic and Leisure Facilities

18. 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 draft plan outlines different functions and levels of provision for local, destination and regional facilities.

Arts and Culture Facilities

19. At the local level, the proposed future provision will focus on enabling participation in arts and culture activity through programming in existing facilities and new multi-purpose facilities, rather than building new standalone local arts facilities. The focus will be placed on integrating arts space and programming within the existing network or in new multi-purpose facilities, repurposing existing spaces or partnering with others to provide suitable space.

20. It is recognised that there is a need for some specialised arts and culture facilities that serve larger catchments. The draft plan proposes supporting a network of destination and regional arts and cultural facilities to meet sector and audience demand, which would be determined by robust investigation on a case-by-case basis. It is proposed that council would only intervene when the private sector does not, and opportunities for partnerships with the wider sector including central government should be explored.

Action Plan and Implementation

21. The draft plan includes over 50 recommended actions to investigate in the future provision of community facilities, focused on both existing facilities and potential areas for new facilities.

22. 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 plan: Community Facilities Development Guidelines). Local boards and the community would be fully involved in investigation processes.

23. As council may not have the capacity to invest in all community facility projects, the draft network plan provides prioritisation criteria to assist the governing body to determine its priorities for investment in community facilities.

24. The draft plan identifies existing community facilities which have issues impacting on their performance and ability to meet community needs. In these cases, investigation is required to understand in more detail how the facility is operating and meeting community needs, explore various options for the facility and to determine the appropriate response. There could be a variety of options including changes to facility governance, management or programming, facility redevelopment, repurposing for another activity or possible divestment.

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

26. The actions in the draft network plan have been ranked according to the urgency of completing the investigation, recognising different factors including condition issues, responding to catalysts, opportunities for rationalisation or partnerships, timing and scale of population growth and location in a spatial priority area.

27. During workshops with local boards, some inaccuracies were identified in the draft plan. Corrections have been included in the draft plan attached in Attachment A.

Stakeholder Engagement

28. The draft plan has been informed by previous feedback from communities, principally via annual customer satisfaction surveys, user surveys, catchments studies, and consultation on the Auckland Plan and relevant strategic action plans.

29. Given this context, engagement on the draft plan has primarily been limited to targeted stakeholders, including council’s advisory panels, facility partners and managers, and external stakeholder groups such as regional sports organisations. Additionally, the draft plan has been available for wider public comment on shapeauckland.co.nz. A summary of feedback is attached in Attachment B.

30. Most of the actions identified in the draft plan will require further investigation to determine the appropriate response. This will include detailed and localised community and/or sector based investigation/engagement and feedback from communities on different options. The public will also have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed level of future investment in community facilities via the LTP consultation process.

Incorporating Libraries into the Network Plan

31. Through the LTP process, the Parks, Community and Lifestyle theme has been working to address priorities and funding for activities including community facilities, recreation facilities and libraries. It has become clear there is a need for a more coordinated and aligned approach for the future planning and development of community facilities, with an emphasis on multi-purpose facilities.

32. It is proposed that libraries be included in the network plan as a key community facility that council provides, and to ensure alignment of planning and future facility provision. Libraries have undertaken similar research to understand the gaps and needs for future libraries and are well placed to be included. There will need to be further communication with local boards on the libraries content, which means the timeframes to complete the network plan will need to be extended into 2015.

33. One advantage of extending the timeframes is alignment with the LTP process. The level of future capital investment in community facilities will not be known until after the public consultation process on the LTP is completed in May 2015. Finalising the network plan once the LTP process is completed (or near completion) will ensure the plan can incorporate the LTP outcomes and governing body priorities for future investment in community facilities.

34. The key benefit of modifying the scope to include libraries is the alignment of planning and provision to achieve better community outcomes and greater efficiency.

35. The revised timeframe for integrating libraries into the draft plan is outlined below:

Dec	Briefing with local boards on the library research
Dec-Jan	Development of revised Community Facilities Network Plan
Feb 2015	Workshops with local boards to review the revised plan
Mar	Report to the governing body on the revised draft plan
Apr-May	Report to local boards seeking feedback on revised draft plan
July	Report to governing body seeking approval of final Community Facilities Network Plan

Consideration

Local board views and implications

36. During August and September, workshops with local boards were undertaken to present on the draft Community Facilities Network Plan, to respond to any questions and assist local boards in formulating their feedback.

37. Feedback from local boards is sought on the draft plan, particularly on the following:

· Strategic framework (section 3) including the common purpose, outcomes and objectives

· Provision frameworks (Section 4)

· Action plan (section 5)

· Implementation approach (section 6) including process guidelines and prioritisation criteria.

38. The feedback from local boards will be incorporated into a revised network plan (which includes libraries) and will be presented/reported to local boards in 2015.

Māori impact statement

39. The provision of community facilities contributes to improving wellbeing among Maori communities, by providing spaces to connect, socialise, learn skills and participate. For all community facility types Maori are represented as users. At aquatic facilities Maori make up 14% of users (compared to 9% of the population), 11% of leisure facility users and 9% of community centre users. Maori are under-represented as users compared to the Auckland population at arts and culture facilities.

40. Given the context of the network plan and the information already received through the user surveys and iwi consultation on the strategic action plans, it was not proposed to undertake any specific engagement with Maori or other facility users.

41. The broader picture of community facility provision recognises that marae and kohanga reo are important social infrastructure for Maori and the community. Officers from Te Waka Angamua are currently scoping a project to address the future provision and development of marae facilities. Opportunities for aligned provision and/or partnerships with marae facilities should be considered as potential options to meet community needs.

Implementation

42. The draft 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.

43. 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 investigations, and depending on the outcome of each investigation, capital and operational funding to implement the recommended response.

44. Once the network plan is adopted, implementation will focus on progressing the high priority actions using the implementation approach and community facilities development guidelines.

45. The draft plan lists a number of community facility projects that are already underway or were anticipated to commence construction in 2014/15. The current review of the 2014/15 capital works programme may result in the deferral of some of these projects. Once decisions have been made on deferrals, then the draft network plan will be amended to reflect this.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Draft Community Facilities Network Plan	67
b View	Draft Community Facilities Network Plan stakeholder feedback	133

Signatories

Authors

Anita Coy-Macken - Principal Policy Analyst – Central

David Shamy - Principal Policy Analyst

Authorisers

Penny Pirrit - Regional & Local Planning Manager

Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Upper Harbour Local Board

11 November 2014

Request for feedback on the draft Local Approved Product Policy

File No.: CP2014/25783

Purpose

1. The purpose of the report is to seek local board feedback on the draft Local Approved Product Policy (LAPP).

Executive summary

2. On 9 October 2014 the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approved the draft LAPP for public consultation (REG/2014/123). The LAPP sets rules regarding where retail outlets of psychoactive substances may operate. The Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 provides that a policy may regulate the location of retail outlets by reference to broad areas within a district, proximity to other premises selling approved products and/or distance from certain types of premises such as schools, places of worship and other community facilities.

3. Local boards are being asked to provide formal feedback on the draft LAPP by the end of December. There will be an opportunity for local boards to present their views to the hearings panel in February 2015.

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) provide feedback on the draft Local Approved Product Policy in the attached report.

Comments

4. On 9 October 2014 the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approved a draft LAPP for public consultation (REG/2014/123).

5. The LAPP sets rules regarding where retail outlets of psychoactive substances may operate. The Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 provides that a policy may regulate the location of retail outlets by reference to broad areas within a district, proximity to other premises selling approved products and/or distance from certain types of premises such as schools, places of worship and other community facilities.

6. The draft LAPP will prevent licences being granted in areas of high deprivation, near high schools and near addiction and mental health treatment centres. It would also limit how close to an existing shop a new shop could open. The policy also has a separate set of rules for the city centre where licences won’t be granted in areas of high residential deprivation and new shops would have to be a certain distance from existing shops. This draft would reduce the availability of these substances in areas where their presence is likely to have the greatest potential for harm.

7. Public consultation on the draft LAPP will be conducted via a special consultative procedure. The consultation will begin on 28^th October and run for four weeks. The consultation is being publicised via social media, Our Auckland, the peoples panel, various public events and advisory panel networks.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

8. Local board views are being sought via this report. Local boards have previously provided feedback on possible options and on a proposed draft. Workshops on the proposed draft were held with a number of boards. 17 boards provided feedback on the specific options, three requested a complete ban. Great barrier declined to comment as they did not consider it an issue for their area.

9. As a result of local board feedback to the proposed draft the following changes were made:

· Buffer zones around schools were increased

· Buffer zones around mental health and addiction treatment centres were increased

· New rules for the city centre were added.

10. Local board feedback is being sought in a parallel process to the special consultative process. The local board process will last until the end of December with local boards having the opportunity to present their views to the hearings panel in February 2015.

Maori impact statement

11. Māori are over represented amongst the groups of vulnerable people likely to be affected by using approved psychoactive substances. This over representation has two effects. Firstly getting the right option for the LAPP to maximize harm reduction will be more effective for Māori. Secondly, any solutions need to be designed in close collaboration with Māori to ensure they are workable and support wider initiatives aimed at improving Māori outcomes. Both of these goals are consistent with outcomes set out by Auckland Council to improve social outcomes for Māori in Auckland.

12. The consultation process with Māori has been developed in partnership with Māori agencies. A workshop has been undertaken with representatives from Hapai Te Hauora Tapui, an agency representing Māori health providers in the Auckland region, to provide initial feedback. Council staff are working with the Independent Māori Statutory Board, Te Waka Angamua and Hapai Te Hauora Tapui to ensure effective engagement with Māori. The initial work has centred on ensuring information is available to iwi and maata waka.

Implementation

Step	Estimated timeframe
1. Special consultative procedure	28 October – 28 November
2 Local board consultation	20 October – 19 December
3 Hearings	February 2015
4. Adopt final policy	April 2015
5. Implementation and review	Ongoing

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Changes from proposed to draft summary	143
b View	Statement of Proposal - draft LAPP	145

Signatories

Authors	Callum Thorpe - Principal Policy Analyst
Authorisers	Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Upper Harbour Local Board

11 November 2014

Significance and Engagement Policy

File No.: CP2014/25889

Purpose

1. The purpose of this report is to provide background information on the draft Significance and Engagement Policy to support local boards in providing formal feedback.

Executive summary

2. There have been changes to the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA2002). Council is now required to adopt a Significance and Engagement policy by 1 December 2014. Council already has a Significance Policy, but it must be expanded to include engagement.

3. A draft Significance and Engagement Policy was adopted by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee on 4 September, for public consultation from 22 September to 19 October 2014.

4. The legislation requires the policy to consider community preferences about engagement on decisions relating to specific issues. Auckland Council carries out hundreds of consultation exercises each year, covering small neighbourhood issues up to large regional issues. A core function of local boards is to understand, engage with and represent their local communities. The development of the Significance and Engagement Policy is not intended to constrain or restrict the role of local boards in this regard.

5. An overview of the methods that could be used depending on the significance of the issue has been compiled to provide guidance.

6. The policy will be supported by updated guidelines, case studies and templates providing more detail on engagement principles and good practice.

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) provide formal feedback on the draft Auckland Council Significance and Engagement Policy.

Background

7. As part of the Long-term Plan (LTP) 2012-2022 process, Auckland Council adopted a Significance Policy to provide a mechanism for establishing which decisions are significant with reference to thresholds and general criteria. This was a requirement under the LGA2002 and the policy requires all council reports to state the degree of significance. A significant decision triggers an automatic requirement to consult.

8. The Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2014 amended the LGA 2002, so that all councils are now required to adopt a Significance and Engagement Policy by 1 December 2014.

9. This legislative change requires the council to expand its current Significance Policy to include engagement. The current Significance Policy has been used to provide the basis of the new Significance and Engagement Policy.

10. The draft Significance and Engagement Policy was adopted by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee on 4 September (Resolution number REG/2014/113), for public consultation from 22 September to 19 October.

11. Since the committee meeting, there have been some minor changes to clarify what constitutes a ‘significant’ decision. The order of the significance section has changed as a result of this, while the criteria that related to engagement are now in section 6.1 under engagement methods.

Consultation on the draft policy

12. Consultation on the draft policy will not follow a special consultative procedure (SCP). Consultation will be targeted at interest groups and will seek out feedback from communities who are often not involved in council’s consultation processes.

13. Consultation will largely be focused online through ShapeAuckland. A sign language submission service has also been set up through Deaf Radio.

14. A variety of stakeholder organisations have been contacted to help organise community workshops on the draft policy. This includes youth groups, ethnic groups, Grey Power, Age Concern, community organisations and networks.

15. In addition, the council will use Our Auckland, the People’s Panel and social media as a way of further encouraging feedback on the draft policy. Local boards are reqiuested to help encourage participation through their stakeholder newsletters and social media.

Role of local boards

16. A core function of local boards is to understand, engage with and represent their local communities. They do this through a number of formal and informal mechanisms in relation to their local board plans and local board agreements, and also to inform local board input into regional plans and policies. The development of the Significance and Engagement Policy is not intended to constrain or restrict this role.

17. While adoption of the Significance and Engagement Policy is a Governing Body decision, local boards have a role in providing input to its development. The purpose of this report is to seek formal local board input on the attached draft policy.

Policy approach to engagement

18. The LGA2002 sets out principles for consultation that all councils must follow.

19. Feedback received from the community and stakeholders on Auckland Council consultation and engagement processes, has highlighted a number of other important principles to consider when engaging with the community. These have been incorporated into the policy as a way of recognising the needs of Auckland’s diverse communities, and the value that is placed on their involvement in decision-making processes.

20. The legislation requires the policy to set out how the council will respond to community preferences about engagement on decisions relating to specific issues, assets and other matters. Auckland Council carries out hundreds of consultation exercises each year from small neighbourhood matters up to large regional issues. A list of how the council will engage on each issue would be extensive and would not allow flexibility depending on the timing, the community affected and likely level of interest on the issue. It would also limit the council’s ability to consider and refine approaches for engagement in response to community feedback.

21. An overview of the kinds of methods that could be used, depending on the significance of the issue, has been compiled to provide guidance. These have been categorised as small and simple, medium or large and complex. The level of significance will be determined using the criteria in section 3 of the policy. The criteria used to assess whether a decision is significant are also useful when considering which engagement methods should be used for a particular decision (if any). For the avoidance of doubt, the use of the criteria to assess the level of engagement does not replace the council’s assessment of whether or not a decision is ‘significant’.

Significance

22. A decision is significant if:

a. the thresholds related to an activity or group of activities are exceeded; or

b. the decision relates to strategic assets.

23. A decision will also be significant where the council, having applied the criteria, decides that it is significant. Where a decision is determined to be significant, it will automatically trigger a requirement to consult.

Strategic Assets

24. Strategic assets are defined as assets, or a group of assets, required for the local authority to maintain its capacity to achieve or promote any outcome that council determines is important for the present or future wellbeing of the community. The council considers its strategic assets as a whole (rather than single assets), because it is the asset class as a whole that delivers the service. The list of strategic assets should cover only those assets that are significant for an entity the size of the Auckland Council. The strategic assets are listed in the Significance and Engagement Policy, which includes land or buildings owned by the council that are required to maintain the local authority’s capacity to provide affordable housing, and equity securities held by council in a port company or airport company.

25. The definition of networks included in the list of strategic assets has been updated by inclusion of the QBE Stadium, Bruce Mason Theatre and Q Theatre, which Auckland Council acquired since the adoption of the Significance Policy in 2012. In addition, substantive shares in Watercare have been combined with shares in substantive CCOs, as Watercare became a substantive CCO in 2012.

26. The legislation provides that a decision to transfer the ownership or control of a strategic asset to or from the local authority may only be made if they are explicitly provided for in the council’s LTP and, from 2015, also included in the consultation document used to consult on the LTP.

27. Decisions on assets not included in the list are subject to the normal provisions of the Local Government Act 2002, regarding decision making and consultation. This ensures that interested or affected parties will have their views considered appropriately in decision making. The council would retain discretion to consult (including using the special consultative procedure) for these decisions if it wished.

28. Strategic assets, as defined by this policy, that are owned and or managed by a substantive CCO, are identified in the CCO Accountability Policy.

Thresholds

29. As a general guide, the creation of a new group of activity, the cessation of a group of activity, or a 33 per cent increase or 20 per cent decrease in the nature of a group of activity, would be considered significant.

General Criteria

30. The council has also identified a list of criteria to consider when deciding whether or not a matter is significant.

Timeline

31. The high level timeline for the development of the policy is as follows:

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 workshops Local board reports / formal 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	Budget Committee Regional Strategy and Policy Governing body for adoption	5 November 6 November 27 November

32. This policy is expected to be adopted by 1 December 2014 and must be incorporated into the Long-term Plan (in summary form). The policy can be amended at any time.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

33. This report is seeking the formal views of local boards on the draft policy.

34. Local boards’ statutory role of identifying and communicating the views of the community on regional strategies, policies, plans and bylaws of the council has been taken into account during the development of the draft policy.

35. Engagement with local boards to date has included:

· an initial discussion at the Local Board Chairs Forum meeting on 28 April 2014;

· a workshop for all local board members to discuss aspects of the draft policy on

22 August; and

· workshops were held with individual boards during September and October where requested.

Māori impact statement

36. Auckland Council recognise that Māori are a critical / important audience that need to be engaged in a meaningful way. The Treaty of Waitangi Audit 2012 and the Auckland Council Guide on Engaging with Māori were reviewed during the development of the draft policy. The draft policy has been presented for discussion to the Independent Māori Statutory Board. The results of a recent research study on Māori engagement with Auckland Council will be considered prior to finalising the draft policy, and to identify improvements with the engagement guidelines.

37. Discussions on the draft policy and guidelines will also take place at a mana whenua forum during the consultation period.

General

38. This report does not involve decisions that will trigger the council’s current Significance Policy.

Implementation

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. It is expected that updated guidance, case studies and templates will be prepared alongside the development of the draft policy, so that these are available for the purposes of engagement on the draft Long-term Plan and other processes as soon as practicable. This will include legal advice on the consultation document and other changes to requirements as a result of the LGA 2002 amendments.

42. Local boards will be encouraged to input into the development of the updated guidance, case studies and templates through engagement advisors.

Attachments