Minute Item Attachments of Great Barrier Local Board

Great Barrier Local Board

10 December 2014

Great Barrier LOCAL BOARD

QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE REPORT

4 MONTHS ENDING OCTOBER 2014

Table of contents

1. Executive Summary. 3

1.1 Highlights & Achievements. 3

2. Update on key projects and initiatives. 4

3. Performance report by department 5

3.3 Parks, Sports and Recreation. 5

(Automatically updated)

1. Executive Summary (content written by Lead Financial Advisor)

1.1 Highlights & Achievements

Local Sports and Park:

Year two of the four year upgrade programme for the Harataonga Track was completed, including the installation of two bridges and the upgrade of 3km of track at the Okiwi end.

Consultation on the Tryphena Coastal Trail took place. Feedback was positive, with clear direction on the need to minimise visual intrusion of signage and built structures, particularly on the coastal edge.

The new track to the Iona Mine at Okupu was completed. The walkway was constructed by local contractors and a local sculptor was employed to create and install a gate in the mine tunnel to keep it safe for visitors. A simple bridge and story-telling signage are to follow.

Recreation Planning and Programming

Programmes

· Auckland is my Playground - Children and Young People –Youth Advisory Panel appointed two Representatives Tim Matthews and Micah Stininato to the Auckland is my playground steering team. The purpose of the steering team is to oversee the projects being implemented aligned to the Sport and Recreation Strategic Action Plan and I Am Auckland Children and Young People Strategic Action Plan.

· The Sport Partnerships Conference – was held on 30 July at the Papatoetoe Sports Centre and featured four key note speakers tackling legal, governance, partnership evolution and facility operations in reference to sport partnerships. The conference was well attended with over 120 people. Notes and resources can be found at www.aucklandsportpartnerships.com

Facility Partnerships:

· Central Facility Partnership funding rounds for 2014/15 opened Expression of interest stage one on 1 July 2014 and closed 15 August 2014. 10 EOI applications where received and are currently being assessed and prioritised for reporting recommendations to progress or not progress to stage two full application meeting on December 8.

· Barrier Social Club re-roofing project completed. Great Barrier Island community heritage and arts village trust funding partnership agreement drafted and project commenced

2. Update on key projects and initiatives

(content written by Lead Financial Advisor; departments to highlight significant project or milestone for inclusion)

Recreation Planning and Programming

Advisory Support:

· Sports Sector Forum – was held on 20 August and hosted by Council Sport & Recreation Partnerships Team and Aktive Auckland Regional Sports Trust. With 130 attending the forum involved 5 presentations; Sport and Recreation Strategic Action Plan for Auckland, Auckland Council draft Community Facilities Network Plan and Grants Policy, Working together for Auckland – LTP and other planning processes and Aktive Auckland Regional Sport Trust Strategic Plan 2015-2020.

· Sustainability of Sport Forums – The Sustainability of Sport Forum is an initiative of the Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee to investigate and understand the systems constraints, issues and opportunities associated with the delivery of community-level sport and recreation that are common across Auckland, particularly in relation to organisations residing on council land. A series of five fora are going to be held throughout the Auckland region and is an opportunity for sports clubs and organisations to inform the Panel about their experiences, insights, issues, opportunities and suggestions for action.

3. Performance report by department

3.3 Parks, Sports and Recreation

Substantial tree damage and slips in July with severe weather hugely affected the entire island. Many parks and tracks were temporarily closed. CPS did an outstanding job of working to re-open our assets.

2 x BBQ's damaged - insurance claim for repairs.

Medlands Playground reserve renew underway.

Volunteer Dune grass planting at Kaitoki with local schools.

Station Rock and Iona Mine - new walkways completed.

(content written by Parks, sport and rec department)

Great Barrier Local Board

10 December 2014

Local Board Supporting Information

Great Barrier Local Board

Introduction

Council’s shared governance model means local boards make decisions on local issues, activities and the use of local facilities. They develop a three year local board plan as the basis of their annual funding agreements with Council’s governing body (the mayor and the councilors). Local boards also advocate to the governing body on larger scale investments, regional programmes and policy issues such as rates proposals which are outside local board decision-making responsibilities.

This document provides information on local activities that council proposes to deliver in the Great Barrier Local Board area as part of the Long-term Plan 2015-2025.

It outlines local funding priorities and indicative performance targets for 2015/2016, and key advocacy areas and indicative local budgets for the next 10 years.

The proposals for the Great Barrier local board area are based on priorities outlined in the Great Barrier Local Board Plan 2014 and will form the basis of the Local Board Agreement 2015/2016.

About this area

Aotea Great Barrier is a remote island community of less than 1,000 people half an hour’s plane ride and four to five hours by ferry from the mainland[EJ1] . Over 60 percent of the island is under the management of the Department of Conservation,[JN2] with most of this being part of the newly created Aotea Conservation Park. The island has no reticulated power or sewage systems and many [EJ3] residents[JN4] rely on diesel generators supplemented by solar and wind systems for power. With no secondary schools, families must make a choice to send their teenagers to boarding school or leave the island. Most of the island’s community facilities are run by local groups with funding support from Auckland Council via the local board.

Funding priorities for 2015/2016

We have a shared governance model for local activities. Under the Local Board Funding Policy adopted in August 2014, the governing body sets funds to deliver local activities including the allocation of funds for local asset based services, such as building a new swimming pool or library.

Local boards are allocated funds to deliver locally driven initiatives such as local events, economic development or community development.

For 2015/2016, council proposes the following funding priorities for local activities:

Local activity	Asset Based Services	Locally Driven Initiatives[KM5] [JN6]
Local Parks, Sports and Recreation	· Upgrade walkways including the Tryphena Costal Trail, Claris Crossroads, Harataonga and Station Rock Road walkways[KM7] [AB8] · · Restore the Pah Beach stone wall ($90k) · Develop Medlands Playground and Plantation Reserves	· Continue to extend the island’s walkway and viewshaft network by provision of new paths and tracks and extension/improvement to existing routes Further developing local parks in each village including playgrounds, signage, seating and BBQ’s

Local activity

Asset Based Services

Locally Driven Initiatives[KM5] [JN6]

Local Parks, Sports and Recreation

· Upgrade walkways including the Tryphena Costal Trail, Claris Crossroads, Harataonga and Station Rock Road walkways[KM7] [AB8]

· Restore the Pah Beach stone wall ($90k)

· Develop Medlands Playground and Plantation Reserves

· Continue to extend the island’s walkway and viewshaft network by provision of new paths and tracks and extension/improvement to existing routes Further developing local parks in each village including playgrounds, signage, seating and BBQ’s

Local activity	Asset Based Services	Locally Driven Initiatives[KM9] [JN10]
Local Community Services	[KM11]	· Continue to fund programmes and support services run by island community groups for youth, the elderly, families, iwi and others in need · Continue funding support for arts and events run by local community groups · Continue to provide annual capital and community grants to fund infrastructure for community groups
Local Planning and Development		· Continue to develop a social enterprise model to enable key island activities to be established[MT12] · Undertake a cemetery needs study[MT13] , develop a heritage protection plan and a visitor strategy · Continue with the islands cellphone and broadband infrastructure development · Assess the island’s future airport and wharf needs
Local Environmental Services	· Continue to deliver a range of environmental programmes aimed at recognising and enhancing the significant ecological values of Great Barrier	· Continue and expand local biosecurity and biodiversity programmes · Commence discussions on the ecological future of the island Extend water quality monitoring programmes to additional streams and marine environments.[EJ14] · Develop and support sustainability initiatives · Advance the proposed local marine protection initiative in association with Sea Change Tai Timu Tai Pari

Advocacy initiatives

A key role of the local board is to advocate for initiatives that the local board may not have decision-making responsibilities or funding for, but recognise the value it will add to the local community. Key advocacy areas for this local board include:

Initiative	Why is it a priority?	Advocating to
Shoal Bay wharf upgrade Review the Shoal Bay wharf upgrade project so it is more affordable and can be delivered earlier[KT15] [JN16] .	Shoal Bay is the main port on the island for our freight and passengers. Stage one of the wharf development has been completed. In view of the budget reprioritization the board would like to work further with Auckland Transport to find a more cost effective solution to stages two and three to enable this project to be progressed and completed.	Auckland Transport
Road Seal Increase regional road seal budgets and develop a road seal priority and maintenance programme so the island's roads can be sealed and driven on safely.	Dust roads in populated rural areas are both a safety risk and a health risk. The board would like to see funding increased to the regional road sealing budget. In our Local Board Plan we discuss addressing sealing “key roads” urgently. These unsealed key roads run alongside harbours and spread a thick layer of sediment into the immediate marine area which has a very negative environmental impact.	Auckland Transport
Fish passages Remediate all road culverts to allow fish passage where the culverts currently create a physical barrier to natural migration.	Current culvert design inhibits native fish passage as it is geared to high water velocity movement which creates scouring of river banks and provides no purchase for fish to move upstream. Recent remedial work funded by the Stormwater Unit on 12 culverts has regained 40kms of upstream freshwater habitat.	Auckland Transport
Island cemeteries Obtain a delegation from the Auckland Council governing body to enable the board to develop island cemeteries.	Longstanding [AB17] request[JN18] from our northern and central communities on the island for a village cemetery in their area. Village cemeteries are a priority for the island’s aging population and the board would like to progress this matter.[AB19]	The governing body
Environmental and sustainability initiatives Advancing environmental and sustainability initiatives such as agreeing the direction of the islands ecology, establishing ecological and alternative energy research facilities and a centre of excellence, agreeing a network of marine protected areas and developing and showcasing the island's alternative energy systems.	Now that the Local Board Plan has been finalised, the board will be looking for partners to progress these initiatives and to allocate seed funding from its local budgets to get things going.	of[JN20] Conservation, Nature Heritage Fund, ASB Charitable Trust, a range of philanthropists
Greenways Developing a network of greenways that connect the islands villages and coastlines and providing alternatives to the use of roads.	The island’s narrow and dangerous roads are shared with vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. The board seeks to connect our villages by paths that are off-road. The island has a myriad of paper roads and the board wants to continue using them to develop a greenway network.	The governing body
Whangaparapara Wharf Whangaparapara Wharf is a commercial wharf and requires a pontoon in order to unload passengers and freight safely.	Currently passengers must climb a vertical metal ladder carrying all their goods with them, for example, fuel containers, gas and dive cylinders, and every season there are incidents where people fall. The advent of a new ferry service to the island has significantly elevated the urgency.	Auckland Transport
Waste-to-landfill Reconsider the proposal for full user-pays for Hauraki Gulf Islands for waste-to-landfill[AB21] .	Due to economies of scale, the board anticipates that the cost of full user pays will be prohibitive and consequently encourage illegal dumping[KT22] [JN23] . The board would support a subsidy which resulted in collection fees similar to those faced by households elsewhere in the region.	Governing Body

Indicative performance targets for 2015/2016

The following describes key levels of service associated with each group of local activities and indicative performance targets to assess delivery. For some activity areas Auckland Council delivers no services on Great barrier or no measures have been developed so these activity areas are not shown.

Local Parks, Sports and Recreation

Our key focus is on providing programmes and facilities that ensure more Aucklanders are more active more often. This includes providing a range of recreational opportunities on local parks, reserves and beaches and sports fields that are fit for purpose.

Key performance targets we’re aiming to achieve for 2015/2016 include:

· 75% of residents satisfied with the provision (quality, location and distribution) of local parks and reserves

· 90% of residents visiting a local park or reserve in the last 12 months

· 70% of residents satisfied with the provision (quality, location and distribution) of sports fields

Local Community Services

Our key focus is to provide safe, reliable and accessible social infrastructure for Aucklanders that contributes to placemaking and thriving communities. This includes providing library facilities and programmes, advice, grants funding, events, programmes and projects to engage with our communities.

Key performance targets we’re aiming to achieve for 2015/2016 include:

· 85% of library visitors satisfied with the library environment

· 85% of customers satisfied with the quality of library service delivery

· 9 visits to library facilities per capita

· 2 uses of libraries as digital community hubs: Number of internet sessions per capita (PC & Wi-Fi)

· 85% of attendees satisfied with council delivered and funded local events75% of funding / grant applicant satisfaction with information, assistance and advice provided

· 80% of Aucklanders that feel connected to their neighbourhood and local community

· 89% of Aucklanders feel that their neighbourhood and local town centre is safe during the day and 76% at night

Local Environmental Services

Our key focus is on providing leadership and support to protect and conserve the region’s natural environment.

Key performance targets we’re aiming to achieve for 2015/2016 include:

· 80% of local board programmes that deliver intended environmental actions and /or outcomes



Great Barrier Local Board

10 December 2014

LTP 2015-2025 Consultation: Local Board Insert

Great Barrier Local Board

Every three years council reviews its 10 year long-term plan. We need your input to make sure we get this right. In this insert we focus on local issues specific to the Great Barrier community.

Message from the Chair

Izzy Fordham

Our island continues to be well funded by Auckland Council and we are fortunate that for most our rates aren’t going up[KM24] . Prioritised[KM25] [JN26] budgets do mean we have to be strict on what we can and can’t deliver in the coming year from our local board plan but I am optimistic we will make progress on all key areas. We are concerned about the impact of possible fee increases, particularly solid waste which is going up by $525 per household (phased in over three years[JN27] )[KM28] . We really do encourage you to provide feedback on the Long-term Plan as the implications of these fee increases will have a huge impact on our island. We also need your assurance that we are on the right track with our proposed budgetary spend.

What you have told us

Through the consultation process on the Great Barrier Local Board Plan 2014, you supported our focus on our community, environment, and infrastructure. We heard loud and clear that you want our island’s ecology and environment enhanced, including our water quality and fisheries. You want our roads to be safe and usable all year round. You want us to focus on procurement, education and caring for those in need. There has been strong support for building an abattoir for the island, and making progress on marine protection.

What we propose to do

Council’s shared governance model means local boards make decisions on local issues, activities and the use of local facilities. Local boards develop a three-year local board plan as the basis of annual funding agreements with Council’s governing body (the mayor and the councillors). Local boards also advocate to the governing body on larger scale investments, regional programmes and policy issues such as rates.

To keep rates affordable, we need to plan sensibly for the future. The following proposals have been prioritised for funding in the Long-term Plan 2015-2025:

2015/2016[KM29] [AB30] [JN31]

· Upgrade walkways including the Tryphena Costal Trail, Claris Crossroads, Harataonga and Station Rock Road walkways ($340k)

· Restore the Pah Beach stone wall ($90k)

· Biosecurity and biodiversity programmes including and advancing marine protection initiatives.

· Develop Medlands Playground and Plantation Reserves

2016 Plan for the island’s abattoir and cemetery needs– 2025

· Deliver more environmental programmes such as pest management, biodiversity enhancement, marine protection and septic tank management

· Implement further infrastructure to support more alternative energy uptake, a waste recovery facility and 3G cellphone access[KM32] [JN33] .[EJ34]

· Continue walkway and park developments including Department of Conservation open spaces.

· Initiatives aligned with the aspirations of Ngati Rehua Ngatiwai ki Aotea.

Other proposals

We want to make you aware of some governing body proposals that will impact on Great Barrier and hear from you on projects we should be advocating for[KM35] that are currently unfunded.

Governing body proposals:

· Change the funding of solid waste services whereby the $525 subsidy would be phased out over three years. This will result in a $175 per year increase in the waste management targeted rate for the Hauraki Gulf Islands properties.

Advocacy for currently unfunded projects:

· Continue the sealing of the island’s roads, and cemeteries for the north and centre of the island.

What do you think?

Do you agree with the initiatives we have prioritised? Is there anything missing, or projects you would prefer we prioritise instead.

The proposed fee increases including solid waste and food premises [KM36] are part of the wider Auckland Council approach that users pay the same amount regardless of where they live in Auckland. Do you agree with that and if not, what ideas do you have to address this issue?

How you can be heard

You can provide feedback by sending in a written feedback form (online or hard copy) available at www.shapeauckland.co.nz and in libraries and service centres.

You can also provide your views in person at a local consultation event. In the Great Barrier local board area this will be held on (insert date but not the time) at (insert location). For more details or to register your attendance visit www.shapeauckland.co.nz, www.facebook.com/greatbarrierlb or call (09) 301 0101.

How to find out more

Supporting Information containing more detail on these proposals can be found on www.shapeauckland.co.nz.

[EJ1]Could add in something here regarding off island residents, and holiday homes.

[JN2]Don’t see the reason to add anything

KM: OK

[EJ3]Some residents may rely completely on solar energy.

[JN4]No, no one in this category – would be nice but not

KM: OK

[KM5]Align project wording to LB insert wording

[JN6]All ok since it’s not part of the mail-out (is it?)

KM: Supporting Info doc won’t be mailed out, but it will be available online and in libraries. Same wording helps the public read and align both documents.

[KM7]I assume this is being funded from the local boards SLIPS budget of $613k?

[AB8]Kate, if this is SLIPs, shouldn’t it be in LDI. Does the board still have a SLIPs line in their budget?

KM: Yes, Gt Barrier have retained their existing capex budgets as they negotiate each year. The 3 capex lines for 2015/16 are:

“LIPS” ($613k)

“Local & sports parks renewals” ($150k)

“Comm & arts facilities renewals” ($4k)

As it’s still an asset based service (ie. capex) I think it makes sense to keep it under the ABS column. The LB still needs to negotiate these funds with the GB so aligns to responsibilities.

[KM9]Align project wording to LB insert wording

[JN10]All ok since it’s not part of the mail-out (is it?)

KM: Supporting Info doc won’t be mailed out, but it will be available online and in libraries. Same wording helps the public read and align both documents.

[KM11]Not really a key initiative but rather ongoing operational support which would happen regardless. Also, the CDAC model is changing so best to keep clear of comments relating to this.

[MT12]Should sit in Local Community

[MT13]Is a cemetery plan a regional activity?

[EJ14]Are already funding stream monitoring this year. Rewording makes this text clearer.

[KT15] No clear what GB are being asked to do

[JN16]I think its clear from the text under “why is it a priority”?

[AB17]Is there another phrase for this? Longstanding? Ongoing?

[JN18]Yep

[AB19]Makes the board seem a bit undemocratic

[JN20]Changed

[AB21]Suggested rewording to make it read more like an advocacy statement. Open to other ideas or if you think original wording is the only way to say it.

[KT22]Disincentive to do what?

[JN23]Chnaged

[KM24]Aaron confirmed this is correct and confirmed that the solid waste is increasing by $525

[KM25]The total PCL themed budget in this new LTP is the same as previous LTP funds. They’ve just been prioritised. Perhaps the chair means ‘financial constraints’?

[JN26]I don’t see anything wrong with the word “Tighter” The board will have less budget overall than it did in 2014/15;

KM: OK to keep ‘tighter’

[JN27]I don’t see any need to add in “phased in over three years” It is not incorrect without this wording and there is no need for the chair to refer to this (it has been added in below and that’s fine

KM: OK

[KM28]The council decided against changing the fees for cemetery and cremation services on Hauraki Gulf Islands.

[KM29]Just need to highlight top priority initiatives

[AB30]This section is for the funded initiatives; the most significant ones. Advocacy areas should go in the ‘other proposals’ section.

[JN31] I have suggested some further changes and the yellow shows sections that need to be retained because they are important for the board

KM: OK

[KM32]How can the LB fund this? Isn’t it a phone network responsibility? Perhaps this should become an advocacy item.

[JN33]The LB has over the last three years provided $600,000 to Vodafone for this work and the project will continue into 2015/16 so it has and it can. They would like 4G but it’s not on the table and it’s not the wording used everywhere else, so no.

KM: OK that makes sense

[EJ34]Could the board be aspirational and request 4G?

[KM35]This is generic wording to make this section clearer

[KM36]This is correct – checked with Aaron