Agenda of Seniors Advisory Panel

I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Seniors Advisory Panel will be held on:

Date:

Time:

Meeting Room:

Venue:

Monday, 7 September 2015

10.00am

Room 1

Level 26
135 Albert St
Auckland

Seniors Advisory Panel

OPEN AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP

Chairperson	Margaret Devlin
Deputy Chairperson	Russell Rigby
Members	Dr Judy Blakey
	Janet Clews, CNZM,QSO, JP
	Roger Fowler, QSM
	Joan Lardner-Rivlin, QSM
	Sonny Niha
	Richard Northey, ONZM
Council liaison	Councillor Dr Cathy Casey

(Quorum 5 members)

Barbara Watson

Democracy Advisor

31 August 2015

Contact Telephone: (09) 890 8105

Email: barbara.watson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

1 Apologies

An apology from Cr CM Casey has been received.

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

That the Seniors Advisory Panel:

a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Monday 27 July 2015, as a true and correct record.

4 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.”

Seniors Advisory Panel

07 September 2015

Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Plan Project

File No.: CP2015/18351

Purpose

1. To provide the Senior Advisory Panel with an update on the development of the Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Group Plan (Group Plan) project.

2. To seek input from the panel as experts, and members of their community, to help generate a clearer picture of considerations important to older people in CDEM planning to be considered in the development of the new Group Plan.

Executive Summary

3. Auckland Council has a statutory role in planning for Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) to meet the requirements of the CDEM Act 2002. One of those requirements is to develop a plan (Group Plan) to implement effective, efficient and coordinated delivery of CDEM in Auckland.

4. The Auckland CDEM Group committee, a committee of council, are reviewing the current Group Plan and developing the next (3^rd) generation Group Plan for Auckland. The new Group Plan will come into effect in July 2016, and will be operative for five years, until July 2021.

5. The Group Plan is Auckland CDEM’s strategic document that outlines our vision and goals and how we will achieve them. The vision of the current Group Plan is ‘a Resilient Auckland’, a city that will be able to quickly adapt and continue to function at the highest possible level during and after emergency events.

6. Like the rest of the populace, all aspects of life for seniors are affected in an emergency. However, we recognise that we need to consider age-appropriate forms of personal and community preparedness and public education, immediate emergency response capability, long-term recovery planning and the specifics of senior communities in an emergency scenario in Auckland.

7. This report seeks the panel’s input both as advisers on senior matters and as members of their community to help generate a clearer picture of considerations important to seniors in CDEM planning for this Group Plan review.

Recommendations

That the Seniors Advisory Panel:

a) note the contents of the report.

b) provide feedback on considerations important to older people during Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) planning for the review of the Auckland CDEM Group Plan.

Comments

8. Parts of Auckland are at risk from natural and man-made hazards that occur with varying severity and frequency therefore Aucklanders are, and will continue to be, at risk from a broad range of hazards. Aucklanders have become increasingly aware of these risks as a result of local, national and international hazard events making it important to continue to build resilient and safe communities able to cope with, and adapt to, the impacts of disasters.

9. To make our city the most liveable city in the world we need to effectively build resilience across all facets of Auckland’s environments (social, economic, built, and environmental) in a coordinated manner, supported by a strong community engagement approach and achieving the goals in the 4Rs framework (this includes the ‘Reduction’ of risks, ‘Readiness’ of the community, and ensuring effective ‘Response’ and ‘Recovery’ capabilities).

10. The Auckland CDEM Group committee (a committee of council) has requested a thorough approach to engagement and consultation for Auckland’s communities to ensure we develop the most effective Group Plan for Aucklanders. Auckland Council will also work with the Ministry of CDEM to explore how new national approaches could be included in the new Group Plan for Auckland. This is an exciting opportunity for Auckland to help shape the future landscape of emergency management in New Zealand.

11. This engagement may present opportunities to many people, who could be directly affected by an emergency and who will want to know what council is doing to prepare Auckland to respond to, and recover from, emergencies. There is potential for this to generate wide public interest in Auckland. This is a significant consultation and engagement activity and the engagement principles of Auckland Council’s Significance & Engagement policy will be applied.

12. Like the rest of the populace all aspects of life for seniors are affected in an emergency. However there are additional consideration in terms of preparedness and resilience that need to be factored into planning for response and recovery for seniors in our region. For example a report prepared for the Earthquake Commission exploring earthquake preparedness in an aging society emphasises that seniors, with some level of disability or impairment, are clearly among the groups who are most vulnerable in earthquakes or disasters.

13. A high proportion of older people have one or more chronic conditions or physical limitations, which make them more vulnerable than healthy people after a disaster (Aldrich and Benson, 2008). Sustained power outages can impact on life support equipment, such as oxygen supply. Damage to transport systems may mean that emergency responders cannot reach older people.

14. Research findings stress the benefit of pre-disaster public information and the need for mutual and self-help in communities. Coordination among relief organisations and identification of vulnerable people by both specialised (for older people) services and general services (power supply, for example) are seen as essential.

15. This report seeks the panel’s input both as experts on senior matters and as members of their community to help generate a clearer picture of considerations important to seniors in CDEM planning. This feedback will help inform the content of the new Group Plan and the development of Auckland Council’s engagement activity which will roll out as per the timelines listed below:

Timeline of Group Plan project

16. Informal engagement will be completed and development of the draft Group Plan will occur between July and December 2015.

17. Statutory public consultation will take place from January to April 2016.

18. The final Group Plan will be reviewed by the Minister of Civil Defence and approved by the Auckland CDEM Group and adopted in July 2016.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

19. For the purposes of preparing this report, no local board views or implications were sought. Local board views are regularly sought across functions of CDEM such as, local hazard and risk communication, community response planning and community engagement in CDEM readiness.

20. Local board views will be sought through the Group Plan review process.

Māori impact statement

21. Future discussions on the review of this Group Plan may have implications for Maori. The Auckland Plan identified Māori outcomes will be considered as the Group Plan review is developed. Māori views will be sought through the Communications and Engagement component of the Group Plan project.

Implementation

Significance of Decision

Obligations to the Local Government Act 2002

a) Auckland Council’s new Significance and Engagement (S & E) Policy is effective from
1 December 2014. This policy is required under the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA)

b) This consultation may present opportunities to many people, who could be directly affected by an emergency and want to know what the council’s Group Plan is about. There is potential for this to generate wide public interest in New Zealand, given events that have happened domestically and internationally. It is therefore determined that this as a significant consultation and engagement activity and the engagement principles of the S & E policy will be applied.

c) Specifically, the council will:

· conduct its business in an open, transparent, and democratically accountable manner; and give effect to its identified priorities and outcomes in an efficient and effective manner

· make itself aware of, and should have regard to, the views of all of its communities

· take account of the diversity of the community, and the community's interests; and the interests of future as well as current communities; and the likely impact of any decision on them

· provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to its decision-making processes

· ensure prudent stewardship and the efficient and effective use of its resources in the interests of its district or region, including by planning effectively for the future management of its assets.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Author

Kiri Maxwell, Senior Advisor Readiness, Civil Defence

Authorisers

John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Greg Morgan - Lead Officer Support

Seniors Advisory Panel

07 September 2015

The Housing We’d Choose – a study of housing preferences, choices and trade-offs

File No.: CP2015/18389

Purpose

1. To outline several key results from recently released The Housing We’d Choose study, as they pertain to respondents aged 60 years and over. It is for information only and is designed to complement results available in the main report (Auckland Council technical report TR2015/16).

Executive Summary

2. There were several key differences in the results for respondents aged 60 years and over with regard to what mattered to them when thinking about choosing a place to live. In particular, significantly higher proportions of older respondents rated easy access to shops (50% compared with 36%), easy access to public transport (45% compared with 35%), as being very important. Also of importance were that it was a freehold title (71% compared with 59%), that the section was easy to maintain (56% compared with 44%), and that it was north facing (53% compared with 41%).

3. The research also shows that older Aucklanders would choose a range of housing types across Auckland if they were available. Almost half (48%) chose something other than a stand-alone dwelling.

Recommendation/s

That the Seniors Advisory Panel:

a) receive the report and information on ‘The Housing We’d Choose – a study of housing preferences, choices and trade-offs’.

Comments

4. Auckland is at a turning point in how it must think about and deliver housing solutions. The population of Auckland is projected to increase exponentially, driven by natural increase (births minus deaths) as well as net in-migration from other parts of New Zealand and overseas, which will drive the demand for an increasing number of dwellings. (Auckland’s population is anticipated to grow by a further 517,000 people in the next 20 years according to Statistics New Zealand’s medium projections). Further to this, increasing diversity in household structure and size, an ageing population, and increasing divergence of the ability to afford the costs of housing will drive demand for a variety of appropriate and affordable housing solutions. All of this is occurring in a broader context of a desire to curb urban sprawl and realise the efficiencies of a ‘compact city’ model.

5. The issue of enabling and encouraging supply-side factors to meet this demand is a priority for Auckland Council, and for central government. The Auckland Plan includes a priority to ‘increase housing choice to meet diverse preferences and needs’. The Plan also proposes an urban form for Auckland of a ‘quality compact city’ with up to 70% of growth occurring within the 2012 Metropolitan Urban Limit (MUL) over 30 years, but with flexibility for up to 40% outside the MUL. This emphasis on future ‘intensification’ within the urban area is reflected in the bold new vision of the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, with its provisions for a range of building heights and density within the existing urban area.

6. The Housing We’d Choose study had two main aims:

· To understand what matters to people when thinking about choosing a place to live

· To explore the choices and trade-offs that people would make between location, housing size and type, within real life income constraints.

7. The findings of this study add an important contribution to our understanding of the demand for future housing types.

8. The results presented in this report are summary and are preliminary. A full report on the findings for those aged 60 years and over is being prepared by RIMU and will be reviewed by the Auckland Council Peer Review Panel. It is considered however that the Seniors Advisory Panel might wish to understand the key findings.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	The Housing we'd choose - Focus on responses among those aged 60 years and over	49

Signatories

Author	Alison Reid, Senior Researcher, Social and Economic Research team
Authoriser	Greg Morgan - Lead Officer Support

Seniors Advisory Panel

07 September 2015

Seniors Advisory Panel Work Programme Update

File No.: CP2015/18381

Purpose

1. To receive up-to-date information regarding the Seniors Advisory Panel’s work programme and how the panel’s advice has been used.

2. To review the panel’s programme of work for the 2015/16 year.

Executive Summary

3. This report provides an overview of the panel’s programme of work and makes it possible for panel members to see how staff are using the advice and input provided by the panel. The lead officer now requests staff, where possible, to indicate how advice from the Seniors Advisory Panel is applied.

4. In July the panel gave feedback to the council’s Leisure team on the activity needs of older people. Feedback covered ideas for activities and themes around social inclusion and participation, the imaging and stereotypes about older people, mobility, the fear of isolation and the need to stay connected and feel valued, economic barriers, the options available to older people and the visibility of those options. The panel also provided input to ATEED on the development of an Auckland brand and story.

5. In response to a housing update from the Housing Project Office, the panel has requested the council to explore the development of an older persons’ housing policy. The discussion covered a range of topics including the council’s advocacy role to central government and concern over affordable rentals for people on restricted incomes.

6. Planning has continued on the housing-themed summit in partnership with Disability Advisory Panel and marking the International Day of the Older Person.

7. The panel has the opportunity to the panel has the opportunity to review and update its work programme, to make any adjustments for the 2015/16 year.

Recommendation/s

That the Seniors Advisory Panel:

a) receive the Seniors Advisory Panel Work Programme update to September 2015.

b) confirm the programme of work for the 2015/16 year.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Advice and Feedback	69
b View	Work Programme Update to September 2015	71

Signatories

Author and

Authoriser

Greg Morgan - Manager Service Development

Author	Barbara Watson - Democracy Advisor
Authoriser	Greg Morgan - Manager Service Development