Areas of Activity
·
Management and monitoring of Auckland’s bio-diversity and
eco-systems including natural hazards
·
Sustainability frameworks for natural resource management
·
Projects and programmes to deliver on energy management and
climate change targets
·
Environmental initiatives including coastal and freshwater
management
·
Environmental and climate change impacts of waste management
·
Facilitating partnerships and collaborative funding models to
support environmental initiatives
Responsibilities
Within the specified area of activity the Committee is
responsible for:
·
In accordance with the work programme agreed with the parent
committee, developing strategy and policy, including any agreed community
consultation, to recommend to the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee
·
Acting as a community interface for consultation on policies and
as a forum for raising community concerns, while ensuring community engagement
is complementary to that undertaken by local boards
·
Making decisions within delegated powers
Powers
All powers necessary to perform the Committee’s responsibilities
Except:
(a) powers that the Governing Body
cannot delegate or has retained to itself (see Governing Body responsibilities)
(b) where the Committee’s
responsibility is limited to making a recommendation only
(c) where a matter is the responsibility
of another committee or a local board
(d) the approval of expenditure that
is not contained within approved budgets
(e) the approval of expenditure of
more than $2 million
(f) the approval of final policy
(g) deciding significant matters for
which there is high public interest and which are controversial
(h) the
commissioning of reports on new policy where that policy programme of work has
not been approved by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee
EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC – WHO NEEDS TO LEAVE THE MEETING
Members of the public
All members of the public must leave the meeting when the
public are excluded unless a resolution is passed permitting a person to remain
because their knowledge will assist the meeting.
Those who are not members of the public
General principles
·
Access to confidential information is managed on a “need to know”
basis where access to the information is required in order for a person to
perform their role.
·
Those who are not members of the meeting (see list below) must
leave unless it is necessary for them to remain and hear the debate in order to
perform their role.
·
Those who need to be present for one confidential item can remain
only for that item and must leave the room for any other confidential items.
·
In any case of doubt, the ruling of the chairperson is final.
Members of the meeting
·
The members of the meeting remain (all Governing Body members if
the meeting is a Governing Body meeting; all members of the committee if the
meeting is a committee meeting).
·
However, standing orders require that a councillor who has a
pecuniary conflict of interest leave the room.
·
All councillors have the right to attend any meeting of a
committee and councillors who are not members of a committee may remain,
subject to any limitations in standing orders.
Staff
·
All staff supporting the meeting (administrative, senior
management) remain.
·
Only staff who need to because of their role may remain.
Local Board members
·
Local Board members who need to hear the matter being discussed
in order to perform their role may remain. This will usually be if the matter
affects, or is relevant to, a particular Local Board area.
IMSB
·
Members of the IMSB who are appointed members of the meeting
remain.
·
Other IMSB members and IMSB staff remain if this is necessary in
order for them to perform their role.
CCOs
Representatives of a CCO can remain only if
required to for discussion of a matter relevant to the CCO.
Apologies have
been receveived from Cr Hon Christine Fletcher, QSO, member Karen Wilson and
member Liane Ngamane.
2 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.
3 Confirmation of Minutes
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That the Environment, Climate Change and Natural Heritage
Committee:
a)
confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting,
held on Wednesday, 24 June 2015, as a true and
correct record.
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4 Petitions
At the close of
the agenda no requests to present petitions had been received.
5 Public Input
Standing Order
3.21 provides for Public Input. Applications to speak must be made to the
Committee Secretary, in writing, no later than two (2) working days
prior to the meeting and must include the subject matter. The meeting
Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application that does not meet
the requirements of Standing Orders. A maximum of thirty (30) minutes
is allocated to the period for public input with five (5) minutes
speaking time for each speaker.
At the close of
the agenda no requests for public input had been received.
6 Local Board Input
Standing Order
3.22 provides for Local Board Input. The Chairperson (or nominee of that
Chairperson) is entitled to speak for up to five (5) minutes during this
time. The Chairperson of the Local Board (or nominee of that Chairperson)
shall wherever practical, give two (2) days notice of their wish to
speak. The meeting Chairperson has the discretion to decline any application
that does not meet the requirements of Standing Orders.
This right is
in addition to the right under Standing Order 3.9.14 to speak to matters on the
agenda.
At the close of
the agenda no requests for local board input had been received.
7 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.”
8 Notices of Motion
At the close of
the agenda no requests for notices of motion had been received.
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Environment,
Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee
21 July 2015
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Regional
Environment and Natural Heritage Grants Programme 2015/2016
File No.: CP2015/13677
Purpose
1. To present the Environment
Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee (the Committee) with the Regional
Environment and Natural Heritage Grants programme framework for adoption.
2. To provide the Committee with an
update on the implementation of the Community Grants Policy (CGP) following its
adoption by the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee in December 2014.
Executive
Summary
3. The CGP guides the allocation of
local, multi-board and regional grants to individuals, groups and organisations
delivering projects, activities and services that benefit Aucklanders. The CGP
covers grants for community development, arts and culture, events, sport and
recreation, environment and heritage, and includes:
· a local component (21 local grants
programmes and a ‘multi-board’ grants programme, governed by local boards and
aligned with local board plans), and
· a
regional component (six regional grants programmes aligned to strategic
directions in the Auckland Plan, with governing body decision-making).
4. The regional component of the
CGP includes provision for six regional grant programmes targeting key activity
areas aligned to strategic directions outlined in the Auckland Plan. One of
these regional grants programmes is the Regional Environment and Natural
Heritage Grants Programme, with decision making over this grants programme
delegated to the Committee.
5. This report seeks approval for
the proposed 2015/2016 Regional Environment and Natural Heritage Grants
Programme framework including:
· Criteria
for eligibility and regionally significant projects
· Funding
exclusions
· Investment
approach
· Timing
of funding round and decision making
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Recommendation
That the Environment, Climate
Change and Natural Heritage Committee:
a) adopt the Regional Environment
and Natural Heritage Grants Programme framework (consisting of criteria,
funding exclusions, investment approach and timing of funding) for the
2015/2016 financial year.
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Comments
Community Grants Policy
6. The CGP covers grants for
community development, arts and culture, events, sport and recreation,
environment and heritage, and includes:
· a
local component (21 local grants programmes and a ‘multi-board’ grants
programme, governed by local boards and aligned with local board plans), and;
· a
regional component (six regional grants programmes aligned to strategic
directions in the Auckland Plan, with governing body decision-making).
7. The regional component of the
CGP recognises community grants as a key tool by which the governing body can
support communities to implement the vision and aspirations for the region as a
whole, as set out in the Auckland Plan and other regional strategic documents.
Grants provide a direct tangible way of supporting Aucklanders aspirations for
their city and region, responding to regional needs and opportunities.
8. The CGP established six regional
grants programmes targeting six key activity areas aligned to strategic
directions outlined in the Auckland Plan. Decision making for the grants
programmes was delegated to the relevant governing body committee. This
Committee is delegated decision making for the Regional Environment and Natural
Heritage Grants Programme (RENH Grants Programme), as outlined in paragraphs 10
to 14 below.
Regional Environment and Natural
Heritage Grants Programme
9. The RENH Grants Programme is
detailed in Schedule 3 of the CGP (Attachment A). The schedule establishes the
purpose of the RENH Grants Programme as being to support the protection,
restoration or enhancement of Auckland’s environment with a focus on our most
significant natural heritage areas. Grants will also be used strategically to
encourage and support Aucklanders to adopt environmentally sustainable
lifestyles.
10. The RENH Grants Programme is
intended to help deliver the outcomes set out in the relevant council
strategies and plans. A copy of the funding outcomes is appended as Attachment
B to this report.
11. Budget allocation for the RENH
Grants Programme was confirmed as part of the final decision making on the
Long-term Plan (LTP) 2015-2025. The annual funding budget for the RENH Grants
Programme is $488,702.
12. Paragraphs 14 to 27 below outline
the 2015/2016 RENH Grants Programme funding round, including the following
· Investment
approach;
· Eligbility
Criteria;
· Timing
of funding rounds;
· Promotion
of the RENH Grants Programme; and
· Support
for decision making, evaluation and reporting requirements (subject to a
decision from this committee).
13. This Framework will be reviewed
annually prior to the RENH Grants Programme funding round.
Consideration
RENH Eligibility Criteria
14. The RENH Grants Programme is open
to applications from individuals, groups and other organisations who meet the
general CGP eligibility criteria, qualify for regional funding, and are
delivering projects or activities that will deliver (or contribute to) one or
more of the six Auckland Plan directions referred to above. Projects can take
place on public, private or Maori land.
RENH Eligibility Criteria –
Regionally significant projects
The CGP sets out qualifying criteria for regional funding as
services, projects or activities that:
· primarily
address regionally determined priorities;
· are
regional in terms of scale or significance; or
· are
regional in terms of their impact or reach.
15. A set of criteria have been
developed to support applicants in understanding the types of projects that
qualify as a regional project in terms of scale, significance, impact or reach.
Projects will need to meet one of the following criteria below to be eligible
for funding.
· The
effective management and protection of threatened species and their habitat,
and Auckland’s threatened ecosystems.
· Council’s
efforts to connect communities of interest and encourage integrated
biodiversity management at a landscape scale.
· Protection
of regionally significant sites of indigenous biodiversity.
· Strategic
management of plant and animal pests in the Auckland region.
· Protection,
improvement and restoration of streams, waterways and riparian margins within
priority catchments.
· Regionally
focussed initiatives that promote sustainable living, including energy
efficiency, adoption of low carbon technologies, a reduction in the number and
length of vehicle trips, sustainable design and best practice, water
conservation and increased accessibility of healthy and affordable food.
16. Applicants will be provided with
additional details on Auckland’s priorty threatened species, threatened
ecosystems, regionally significant biodiversity sites and priority catchments.
Funding
exclusions
17. The CGP states that the following
activities will not be funded through any Auckland Council grants programme:
· Debt
servicing or repayment;
· Legal
expenses;
· Activities
that promote religious ministry or political purposes;
· Medical
expenses;
· Public
services that are the responsibility of central government (e.g. core
education, primary health care);
· Physical
works – e.g. improvements to community buildings – that require consents or
permits, prior to the necessary consents or permits being obtained (grants may
be awarded in principle, but funds will not be released until all conditions
are satisfied); and
· Purchase
of alcohol.
18. The CGP allows governing body
committees administering regional grants programmes to specify additional
exclusions. Based on a review of legacy council and other local authority
environmental funding schemes, the following additional exclusions will apply
for the RENH Grants Programme;
· Activities
or work that has already been completed prior to grant allocation decisions,
including purchases already made (i.e. no retrospective funding);
· Activities
or work that is required as a condition of a resource consent or mitigation
requirements. This includes wetland or forest fragment planting and fencing
required as part of subdivision consent/ entitlement applications;
· Projects
that are part of a current or known future subdivision consent application;
· Projects
that may lead to a conflict of interest for Auckland Council as a consent
authority or are identified as not in accordance with the Auckland Council’s
rules, policies or recommended best practice;
· Projects
whose sole purpose is beautification;
· Projects
that are currently identified and resourced in a managing agency’s (e.g.
Auckland Council, Department of Conservation) work plan;
· Projects
being carried out as part of the requirements for tertiary qualifications; and
· Projects
that are focussed on a specific local issue with limited regional outcomes.
These projects can be supported by the relevant local board funding programmes.
Investment approach
Grant
allocations
19. The RENH Grants Programme
supports the protection, restoration or enhancement of Auckland’s environment
with a focus on our most significant natural heritage areas. Given this focus,
the RENH Grant Programme will offer grants between $5,000 and $40,000 per
annum, with provision retained to award smaller grants for projects that meet
the criteria for regional significance but only require moderate support.
20. The RENH Grants Programme will provide
grants as either one-off project grants or multi-year project grants (i.e.
providing funding annually for a maximum of three years, without the applicant
needing to re-submit their application each year). To be eligible for
multi-year funding, applicants will be required to provide a project plan
covering the entire period of funding.
21. All grants will be subject to
accountability requirements with grant recipients expected to provide reporting
related to the outcomes supported by council grants. Multi-year grants would
be subject to accountability requirements for each year that funding is
provided with an expectation that a longer funding relationship would mean
project accountability includes detailed multi-year monitoring and evaluation.
Strategic relationship grants
22. The RENH Grants Programme
schedule in the CGP includes provision for strategic relationship grants,
allowing council to enter multi-year funding relationships with a small number
of strategic organisations operating at the regional level. These grants are
intended to support “sector infrastructure” organisations that develop,
advocate for, and build the capacity of the sector as a whole.
23. Strategic relationship grants
will not be offered for the 2015/2016 funding round. A review is currently
being undertaken to assess how a community empowerment approach can be applied
to environmental projects. Outcomes of that review will inform the development
of any plan for the introduction of strategic relationship grants.
Match funding
24. A matched funding (applicant
contribution) approach will apply for the RENH Grants Programme to ensure that
council grants continue to leverage private investment and funding from other
providers. Legacy council environmental funding schemes applied a 50% match of
total project costs with the applicant’s contribution able to be comprised of
financial resources, costed in-kind support, volunteer labour or funding from
other organisations.
25. This requirement for a 50% match
will apply to the RENH Grants Programme, with provision retained for grants of
up to 70% of the total project costs to be allocated in exceptional
circumstances.
Timing of
funding rounds, decision making
26. The RENH Grants Programme will
have one annual funding round. In 2015/2016, the fund will open in September
2015 and close in October. Applications will be assessed in October and
November 2015 with funding recommendations presented to the Committee in early
December.
27. The RENH Grants Programme will be
promoted through the Auckland Council website and social media sites, Auckland
Council publications, existing council networks such as the Pest Liaison Group
and Biodiversity Landowner Liaison Group, press advertisements in local print
media and email notification to stakeholders.
Local
Board views and implications
28. The Community
Grants Policy provides for local boards to operate their own local grants
programmes. They may choose to fund local environmental projects and
activities, some of which may complement the grants provided at regional level,
or vice versa.
29. The local component of the CGP
has been implemented by staff supporting individual local boards to develop and
adopt individual Local Grants Programme schedules which will guide community
groups and individuals when making applications. Each Local Grants Programme
schedule specifies the outcomes the board wishes to support through their
grants programme, local board funding priorities, budget allocated to the
grants programme, which grant types will operate locally, the number of funding
rounds, funding round dates, any additional criteria or exclusions that will
apply and other factors the local board consider to be significant to their
decision-making.
30. In formal
feedback on the CGP some local boards expressing concern that the difference
between ‘local’ and ‘regional’ was ill-defined or difficult to establish in the
environmental area. Providing reference to threatened species, ecosystem and
priority catchment classification seeks to add clarity to this distinction. The
need for regional component projects to reflect regional impact will be
considered as part of application assessment (qualifying criteria) and will
need to be considered by ECCNH as part of their decision making.
Māori
impact statement
31. All grant programmes should
respond to Auckland Council’s commitment to improving Maori wellbeing by
providing grants to organisations delivering positive outcomes for Maori.
Input from the Independent Maori Statutory Board has been sought into the
development of the Regional Environment and Natural Heritage
grants programme.
32. In particular, an outcome of this
fund is support for projects that enable tangata whenua to act as kaitiaki, and
participate in co-management of natural resources.
Implementation
33. Processes are in place to deliver
the RENH Grants Programme.
Attachments
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No.
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Title
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Page
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aView
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Extract from Community Grants Policy - Schedule 3:
Regional Environment and Natural Heritage Grants Programme
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15
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bView
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Regional Environment and Natural Heritage Grants
Programme 2015/2016
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19
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Signatories
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Authors
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Fran Hayton - Environmental Funding Advisor
Viv Sherwood – Catchment Management and Incentives
Manager
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Authorisers
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John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and
Environmental Services
Jacques Victor - GM Auckland Plan Strategy and
Research
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