Agenda of Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee will be held on:

Date:

Time:

Meeting Room:

Venue:

Thursday, 8 October 2015

9.30am

Reception Lounge
Auckland Town Hall
301-305 Queen Street
Auckland

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

OPEN AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP

Chairperson	Cr George Wood, CNZM
Deputy Chairperson	Cr Anae Arthur Anae
Members	Cr Cameron Brewer	Cr Mike Lee
	Mayor Len Brown, JP	Mr Kris MacDonald
	Cr Dr Cathy Casey	Cr Calum Penrose
	Cr Bill Cashmore	Cr Dick Quax
	Cr Ross Clow	Cr Sharon Stewart, QSM
	Cr Linda Cooper, JP	Cr Sir John Walker, KNZM, CBE
	Cr Chris Darby	Cr Wayne Walker
	Cr Alf Filipaina	Cr John Watson
	Cr Hon Christine Fletcher, QSO	Cr Penny Webster
	Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse	Mr Glenn Wilcox
	Cr Denise Krum

(Quorum 11 members)

Barbara Watson

Democracy Advisor

1 October 2015

Contact Telephone: (09) 307 7629

Email: barbara.watson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

** This meeting will be webcast live – www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz **

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Responsibilities

This committee will deal with all strategy and policy decision-making that is not the responsibility of another committee or the Governing Body i.e. strategies and policies associated with environmental, social, economic and cultural activities. Key responsibilities will include:

· Final approval of strategies and policies not the responsibility of other committees or the Governing Body

· Setting/ approving the policy work programme for Reporting Committees

· Overviewing strategic projects, for example, the Southern Initiative (except those that are the responsibility of the Auckland Development Committee)

· Implementation of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan

· Operational matters including:

o Acquisition and disposal of property relating to the committee’s responsibilities

o Stopping of roads

o Public Works Act matters

Powers

(i) 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

(ii) Approval of a submission to an external body

(iii) Powers belonging to another committee, where it is necessary to make a decision prior to the next meeting of that other committee.

(iv) Power to establish subcommittees

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.

Independent Māori Statutory Board

· Members of the Independent Māori Statutory Board who are appointed members of the committee remain.

· Independent Māori Statutory Board members and staff remain if this is necessary in order for them to perform their role.

Staff

· All staff supporting the meeting (administrative, senior management) remain.

· Other 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.

Council Controlled Organisations

· Representatives of a Council Controlled Organisation can remain only if required to for discussion of a matter relevant to the Council Controlled Organisation.

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

ITEM TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

1 Apologies 7

2 Declaration of Interest 7

3 Confirmation of Minutes 7

4 Petitions 7

5 Public Input 7

5.1 Mary Dawson - Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) Trust 7

5.2 Barry Coates - Sustainable Initiatives Aotearoa 8

6 Local Board Input 8

7 Extraordinary Business 8

8 Notices of Motion 9

8.1 Notice of Motion - Councillor Wayne Walker - Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)

The attachments can be found at page 139 9

9 Approval of Auckland Council Stormwater Code of Practice 13

Due to the size of Attachment A this document is available under separate cover

10 Controls under the Solid Waste Bylaw 2012 for disposal of waste to land 19

11 Adoption of Auckland Growing Greener - te pai me te whai rawa o
Tāmaki : Our commitment to environmental action and green growth. 39

12 Regional Pest Management Plan Review - Approval of Discussion Document 71

Due to the size of Attachment A this document is available under separate cover

13 Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan 83

Due to the size of Attachment A this document is available under separate cover

14 Auckland Council submission to the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19 107

15 Auckland Council submission on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill 115

16 Auckland Council's Submission on Land Access for Telecommunications 131

17 Information Items 143

18 Consideration of Extraordinary Items

1 Apologies

At the close of the agenda no apologies had 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 Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Thursday 6 August 2015, as a true and correct record.

4 Petitions

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

5 Public Input

Standing Order 7.7 provides for Public Input. Applications to speak must be made to the Democracy Advisor, in writing, no later than one (1) clear working day 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.

5.1 Mary Dawson - Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) Trust

Purpose

1. Mary Dawson, Chief executive of Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) wishes to update the committee on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) decision to conclude their contract with the ARMS Trust and the implications of this decision on the Trust.

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) thank Mary Dawson of Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) Trust for her presentation.

5.2 Barry Coates - Sustainable Initiatives Aotearoa

Purpose

1. Barry Coates, representing Its our Future coalition, wishes to address the committee on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in the light of recent media reports that the TPPA is likely to be concluded within the next month. In particular, he is asking council to seek clarification from the Minister of Trade on how the council's previous resolution of the Regional Development and Operations Committee of 6 December 2012 is being addressed in current negotiations.

2. A ‘Notice of Motion’ by Councillor Wayne Walker at Item 8 on the agenda relates to this topic.

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) thank Barry Coates of Sustainable Initiatives Aotearoa for his presentation on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

6 Local Board Input

Standing Order 6.2 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 one (1) day’s 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 6.1 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

8.1 Notice of Motion - Councillor Wayne Walker - Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)

1. In accordance with Standing Order 2.5.1, the attached Notice of Motion has been received from Cr Wayne Walker, seconded by Cr J Watson, for inclusion on the agenda for the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee meeting being held on Thursday, 8 October 2015.

2. The Notice of Motion includes the following recommendations for consideration by the committee:

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) note that resolution RDO/2012/266 was communicated to the government in 2013, and that a substantive reply providing assurances that the concerns raised would be taken into account was not provided.

b) note that Auckland Council’s leadership in the form of resolution RDO/2012/266 has resulted in similar Council resolutions across New Zealand, representing over 60 per cent of our population.

c) note that there has been growing opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) internationally, including from international experts on human rights, economists and governments; from across New Zealand society, including leading jurists, medical professionals, librarians, universities and a broad range of trade unions and NGO groups in civil society; and from over 100,000 citizens who signed a petition against the TPPA and around 10,000 Aucklanders who attended a Stop the TPPA rally in August 2015.

d) note that eight Local Boards have recently passed resolutions in support of the RDO/2012/266 resolution calling for greater transparency, and more are in the process of doing so.

e) note that the local board resolutions request Auckland Council:

i. to seek clarification from the Minister of Trade on how their recommendations are being addressed in current negotiations and

ii. to make available to Local Boards and Auckland citizens the government’s response, and an analysis of the adequacy of undertakings to address council’s concern.

f) note that the issue is urgent as recent statements suggest that using its capacity under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties to conclude agreements, government will soon conclude the TPPA without objective analysis, public consultation and proper Parliamentary scrutiny.

g) request the government to publicly release the current negotiating draft and consult widely with local government and citizens before concluding a TPPA agreement.

h) request the government to clarify how the recommendations in Auckland Council resolution RDO/2012/266 (communicated to the Minister of Trade in the letter of 5 June 2013 from the Chair of the Regional Development and Operations Committee) are being addressed in the current negotiations.

i) request the government to raise the issue urgently with Local Government New Zealand to jointly undertake an independent and objective analysis to ensure the TPPA does not undermine the powers of local government or create risks of challenge to local government decisions, regulations or policies under provisions of the TPPA, including under the proposed Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanism.

Background

3. Councillor Wayne Walker’s signed Notice of Motion is appended as Attachment A, along with the resolution of the Regional Development and Operations Committee of 9 December 2012 and the corresponding letter to Trade Minister Tim Grosser dated 5 June 2013.

4. The eight local boards below have recently passed resolutions on the TPPA:

i. Albert-Eden

ii. Devonport-Takapuna

iii. Great Barrier Island

iv. Kaipatiki

v. Puketapapa

vi. Waiheke

vii. Waitemata

viii. Whau.

Attachments

a Councillor Wayne Walker's signed Notice of Motion for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and related attachments.......................... Page 139

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Approval of Auckland Council Stormwater Code of Practice

File No.: CP2015/14569

Purpose

1. To approve the ‘Auckland Code of Practice for Land Development and Subdivision Chapter 4 – Stormwater’, to set minimum standards for the quality of stormwater infrastructure, empowered as a control under the Stormwater Bylaw 2015 with effect from 1 November 2015.

Executive Summary

2. Auckland Council has developed a draft Stormwater Code of Practice (SWCoP) as part of council’s programme to set minimum standards for the quality of infrastructure built across the region. It replaces the seven existing legacy codes from the legacy councils. The scope of the SWCoP is the design and construction of new public stormwater assets and of any new private stormwater assets which are to be vested in council ownership. It allows council to review proposed stormwater assets against standard technical requirements throughout the region and maintain a consistent standard for approval of stormwater assets to be vested with council.

3. The Stormwater Bylaw 2015 was adopted by the governing body on 30 July 2015 and will become operational from 1 November 2015. Under the Stormwater Bylaw 2015, controls such as the SWCoP may be made by the council, by resolution, following a consultation process under the Local Government Act 2002.

4. The use of a special consultative procedure under the LGA is not a requirement, so to develop the SWCoP council drafted an initial version in October 2013, and then sought feedback on this from the development community and council’s own experts in stormwater infrastructure. The second version of the SWCoP (shown in attachment A) incorporates the feedback received from this process.

5. The contents of the SWCoP have been prepared based on the current provisions in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan. Amendments to the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan as a result of findings from the current hearings may result in required changes to the SWCoP.

6. In summary the SWCoP minimum technical standards include (but are not limited to) provision for:

· Minimisation of flood risk to life and property

· Minimising adverse environmental and community impacts

· Protection of aquatic ecosystems from potential adverse effects

· Application of Water Sensitive Design solutions

· Safety in design

· Compliance with environmental requirements

· Adequate system capacity to service the fully developed catchment

· Long service life with consideration of maintenance and whole of life cost

7. The SWCoP also allows for the resource consent engineering approval process to be streamlined for the applicant. This involves a stronger focus on the pre-application discussions and earlier identification of potential non-compliance with council requirements, meaning that possible alternative solutions can be explored earlier in the discussions and assets vested are of an appropriate standard.

8. The SWCoP is not a design guidance document. Detailed design guidance is provided through a range of Auckland Council technical publications, guidance documents and technical reports, such as Auckland Council Guidance Document 2015/04 Water Sensitive Design for Stormwater, and other relevant industry best practice guidelines.

9. It is recommended that the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approve the attached SWCoP to be empowered as a control under the Stormwater Bylaw 2015.

10. The SWCoP will need to be regularly updated to reflect technological advances, regulatory changes or changes in accepted best practice.

Recommendations

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) approve the Code of Practice for Land Development and Subdivision Chapter 4, version 2, November 2015 (SWCoP) as attached to this report, as a control under the Stormwater Bylaw 2015, with effect from 1 November 2015.

b) delegate the approval of any minor amendments to the Stormwater Code of Practice to the Chair of the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee, who will work in consultation with the Chief Engineer.

Comments

Background

11. Part of Auckland Council’s function is to set minimum standards for infrastructure across the Auckland region.

12. Former legacy councils within Auckland had their own documents which addressed compliance with development rules for infrastructure providers. After the unification of the legacy councils, there was a need for a single code of practice to provide minimum technical standards for infrastructure for the whole Auckland region.

13. The Stormwater Code of Practice (SWCoP) is one chapter in an overall Code of Practice document that is being prepared by, and in consultation with, Auckland Transport and Watercare Services Limited to cover all aspects of infrastructure requirements for council and vested assets. The Code of Practice will be implemented by the council to ensure more consistent minimum standards for Auckland infrastructure.

14. The primary objective of the stormwater network is to effectively manage stormwater runoff to minimise flood damage and the potential adverse effects of stormwater runoff on both built and natural environments. The SW CoP provides a means of compliance when designing and constructing engineering works to fulfil legislative and policy framework conditions that control the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of council’s stormwater system.

Purpose of the Stormwater Code of Practice

15. The SWCoP sets minimum technical standards for stormwater assets which are either built by the council or are to be vested in the council. As such it replaces the legacy councils’ infrastructure codes of practice and standardises the approach for the council to take when reviewing proposed designs of stormwater infrastructure.

16. The SWCoP is not a design manual and is not fully prescriptive. It is recognised that in some instances designers may be unable to meet the technical requirements of the SWCoP. In such instances departures from the technical standards of the SWCoP will be considered on a case by case basis. In these cases the council will determine whether a deviation will be acceptable considering level of service, risk and cost implications prior to accepting the design as a council asset, and with a view to enabling growth where practicable.

17. The SWCoP will require regular updates to ensure that up-to-date minimum technical standards are maintained, best practice is followed and that relevant regulatory provisions are accurately represented.

Relation to the Stormwater Bylaw 2015

18. The Stormwater Bylaw 2015 was adopted by Auckland Council’s Governing Body on 30 July 2015 and will come into effect on 1 November 2015.

19. The Stormwater Bylaw 2015 refers to the SWCoP as a guiding document for infrastructure provision in a number of areas such as (but not limited to):

· Maintenance and construction work that affects the public stormwater network

· Access to the built components of the public stormwater network

· Requirements for private assets to be vested in the council

· Works and activities in close proximity to the public stormwater network

· Ground soakage systems.

Consultation undertaken on the Code of Practice

20. As noted above, under the Stormwater Bylaw 2015 controls may be made by the council by resolution following a consultation process under the Local Government Act 2002.

21. It is not necessary to follow a special consultative process and undertake comprehensive public consultation on these controls in accordance with section 156 of the Local Government Act 2002. Instead subpart 2 (clause 6) of the bylaw states that controls must give consideration ‘to the views and preferences of persons likely to be affected by, or to have an interest in the particular control.’

22. Due to the technical nature of the SWCoP and the recent development of the Stormwater Bylaw 2015 it was considered that limited consultation would be required as outlined in Part 6 of the Local Government Act 2002. It was identified that the most likely parties to be affected by the SWCoP were the development community, utility providers, engineering consultants and council staff who are involved with stormwater and development.

23. Accordingly an initial version of the SWCoP was produced by council drawing on internal expertise and advice from experts in the field of stormwater infrastructure provision. This was published on the council website in October 2013 and a series of presentation workshops were undertaken with the development community, infrastructure designers and council staff.

24. Feedback and comments on the SWCoP were solicited and as of 31 July 2015, over 500 comments have been received as a result of the consultation process. These comments were logged and reviewed at a high level by the SWCoP working group with regard to urgency and alignment with the most recent Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan mitigation.

25. The first version of the SWCoP was then reviewed and updated incorporating the feedback and comments received as part of the consultation where appropriate. Feedback was generally received in three themed areas

a. Technical (e.g. minimum pipe diameter; hydraulic requirements, durability, pipe materials, etc.)

b. Process (e.g. engineering approval, who in council to contact), and

c. Tools (e.g. which Technical Publication, Technical Report, Guidance Document, NZ Standard, H&S legislation, industry best practice, etc to use in which scenario).

26. This revised second version of the SWCoP (attached) incorporates and addresses the above feedback. For example hydraulic design parameters are further defined, whole of life costs have been amended to include capital, maintenance and rehabilitation costs using a life cycle of 100years, stormwater device ownership is defined, a design for installation section is included, and private and or public network interactions and ownership is further defined. In addition the importance and encouragement of the use of Water Sensitive Design as a vital part of Auckland’s Council’s approach to supporting the vision of the Auckland Plan is integral to the code of practice. The latest version of the SWCoP is appended as attachment A to this report.

Recommendation and process for revisions

27. It is recommended that the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approve the SWCoP as a control under the Stormwater Bylaw 2015 to take effect from 1 November 2015. This will assist council to set consistent standards for stormwater infrastructure across Auckland.

28. It is noted that the SWCoP will require updating over time to reflect the changing needs of Auckland, technological advances and regulatory changes. It is also recognised that updates to the SWCoP may be required once the final findings of the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan hearings are published.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

29. The views of the local boards on the Stormwater Bylaw 2015 were sought through 21 local board workshops in August 2013. Local boards supported the outlined approach for regulation of the issues through the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan and the proposed bylaw. No submissions were received from local boards during the subsequent consultative process.

30. Local boards were not consulted specifically on the SWCoP, however their involvement in the development of the Stormwater Bylaw 2015 provided an opportunity for input into general principles for stormwater management, which have been considered in the development of this code of practice.

Māori impact statement

31. It is recognised that maintaining the mauri of waterways and improving water quality is of particular significance to mana whenua in their role as kaitiaki of Auckland’s natural environment.

32. Mana whenua were consulted with during the preparation of the Stormwater Bylaw 2015 by bylaws and code of practice staff. Some key feedback points received during this process include:

· That preference be given to measures that separate stormwater treatment and purification systems from wastewater systems

· That land-based treatment systems are the generally preferred the option for stormwater treatment and purification.

33. The SWCoP helps to support these principles by:

· Requiring new development in combined sewer areas to consider future separation of stormwater and wastewater flows

· Requiring that stormwater is discharged to land in certain areas of Auckland which have suitable soil types.

34. As outlined in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, the interests of relevant iwi will be considered by council when approving the design of individual stormwater projects that impact on mana whenua.

Implementation

35. The delegations of the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee include ‘Final approval of strategies and policies not the responsibility of other committees or the Governing Body’, including ‘strategies and policies associated with environmental, social, economic and cultural activities.’ As such, it is within the delegations of the committee to approve the SWCoP as a control under the Stormwater Bylaw.

36. If approved by the committee, the SWCoP is proposed to be available for general download from the Auckland Council website from 1 November 2015, in line with the operative date of the Stormwater Bylaw 2015.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Code of Practice for Land Development and Subdivision, Chapter 4 Stormwater Version 2 November 2015 (Under Separate Cover)

Signatories

Author

Sarah Sinclair, Chief Engineer & Manager Engineering & Technical Services, Infrastructure & Environmental Services

Authorisers

John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Controls under the Solid Waste Bylaw 2012 for disposal of waste to land

File No.: CP2015/18425

Purpose

1. To approve the Disposal of Waste to Land Control (Attachment A) with effect from
31 October 2015.

Executive Summary

2. Auckland Council adopted the Solid Waste Bylaw 2012 on 25 October 2012. The Solid Waste Bylaw aims to create uniform controls for the management of waste across Auckland. It allows the council to specify detailed operational controls to assist in implementing Auckland Council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP).

3. Currently the Solid Waste Bylaw 2012 states that all waste facilities must be licensed, except for cleanfill facilities that accept ‘cleanfill material’ as per the outlined exception criteria. However, the bylaw does not clearly define what types of material should be classified as ‘cleanfill material’ for the purpose of the exemption.

4. The attached Disposal of Waste to Land Control (Attachment A) has been developed to clarify which facilities must be licensed. It also relates to the responsibilities of those disposing of waste to cleanfill and managed fill sites.

5. The control clarifies what can be disposed of at cleanfill sites by providing detailed definitions of types of materials such as ‘natural hardfill’ and ‘uncontaminated hardfill.’ The control also clarifies which material is acceptable to dispose at a managed fill site.

6. Controls can be made by the council under the bylaw by resolution following a consultation process that meets the requirements of sections 77 to 81 of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA). As per section 156 of the LGA, the use of a special consultative procedure was not considered a requirement in this case, as the content of the controls do not have a significant impact on the public or industry.

7. The overarching requirement for licencing of fill sites was consulted on and accepted as part of the Solid Waste Bylaw development in 2012. The Disposal of Waste to Land Control aims to provide clarity for the purpose of the licensing requirements however it does not alter the existing and accepted bylaw licensing conditions.

8. In developing the control an internal working party was established with representatives of various relevant council teams. A draft control was developed and presented to interested cleanfill industry members at workshops in September 2015 for discussion and refinement (see Attachment C). Following this engagement, the definitions as outlined in the draft control were refined to reflect feedback received.

9. It is recommended that the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approve the attached control. If approved this will take effect on 31 October 2015.

Recommendations

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) approve the Disposal of Waste to Land Control contained in Attachment A with effect from 31 October 2015.

b) delegate approval of any amendments to the Disposal of Waste to Land Control as a result of feedback from the committee, to the chair of the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee who will work in consultation with the Manager Waste Solutions.

Comments

Background

10. On 25 October 2012, the Governing Body of Auckland Council approved the new Solid Waste Bylaw 2012 (the bylaw). The aim of this bylaw is to create uniform controls for the management of waste across Auckland. As such, it is an enabling framework that allows the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee to specify detailed operational controls by resolution following a consultation process prescribed by the bylaw that meets the requirements of section 77 to 81 of the LGA.

11. On 31 October 2015, under the bylaw the council will extend the licensing system for waste facilities that is currently operative in the north and west of Auckland to the rest of Auckland. All waste facilities will be required to be licensed, and all licensed facilities will be expected to meet the minimum levels of service outlined in their licence terms and conditions.

12. As of 31 October 2015, clause 16(1) of the bylaw (see Attachment B), requires anyone who operates a resource recovery facility, a landfill site, cleanfill site, managed fill site or mono-fill site within Auckland to have a facilities licence under the bylaw. A key aspect of these licences is a requirement for operators to report waste data to the council for the purpose of reporting and planning Auckland’s waste requirements.

13. Whilst clause 16(1) does include cleanfill sites, 16(2)(a) and 16(2)(b)(i) outlines some criteria that, if met, would exempt cleanfills from requiring a facilities licence. The intention of this clause is to ensure that cleanfills which are only accepting material that is considered natural and uncontaminated are not required to obtain a licence. However, cleanfills that accept mixed materials, as per the criteria under 16(2)(b)(ii), will be required to obtain a facilities licence, and thereby report waste data, under the bylaw.

14. Because the exemption criteria of 16(2) are currently unclear and thus somewhat difficult to implement, it was determined that a control to provide further clarity and guidance on the implementation of these licensing requirements for cleanfills was needed.

15. Clause 20 of the bylaw (see Attachment B), gives the council the authority for the development of such a control relating to the disposal of waste to land.

Definition of cleanfill material under the Solid Waste Bylaw 2012

16. When the bylaw was adopted in 2012, it included a definition of ‘cleanfill material’:

Clean fill material means waste that:

(a) does not undergo any physical, chemical or biological transformation that, when deposited or with the effluxion of time, is likely to have adverse effects on the environment or human health; and

(b) is not diverted material; and

(c) includes virgin materials such as clay, soil and rock, and other inert materials such as concrete or brick that are free of:

i. combustible, putrescible, degradable or leachable components;

ii. hazardous waste;

iii. products or materials derived from hazardous waste treatment, hazardous waste stabilisation or hazardous waste disposal practices;

iv. materials that may present a risk to human health or the environment; and

v. liquid waste.

(d) has less than two per cent by volume by load of tree or vegetable matter.

17. Clause 16(2), which along with the rest of Subpart 3 commences on 31 October 2015, categorises cleanfill waste in terms of –

· hardfill that is natural,

· hardfill that is uncontaminated,

· other hardfill and

· cover material (see attachment C).

18. The bylaw, as written in 2012, did not define these types of hardfill or cover material, as it was intended that these should be defined as part of a control under clause 20. As such these materials must be defined as part of this Disposal of Waste to Land control.

Disposal of waste to land control

19. At the time of the bylaw development there was little regulation available regarding waste types and their disposal to fill sites. Since the bylaw was adopted by the Governing Body, further regulatory and industrial advancements have been made regarding disposal of waste to land.

20. Therefore, there is no longer a need for council to produce controls regulating the disposal of waste to all fill sites, such as landfills, as these will now be regulated through the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan and individual resource consents.

21. In developing the controls a review of relevant definitions as outlined in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan and the WasteMinz Technical Guidelines has been undertaken (see Attachment C). The definition of ‘cleanfill material’ as outlined in these documents is more stringent than that which is included in the bylaw and outlined in paragraph 16 above. As per the LGA any attachment or control of a bylaw cannot be more stringent than the content of the enabling document. Therefore, whilst it would be ideal to align the control with the newer definitions, this cannot be done at this time.

22. This will be addressed in 2018 when the Solid Waste Bylaw is reviewed, to ensure that its definition of ‘cleanfill material’ is aligned with that used in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan.

23. In the interim, the control uses the bylaw definition of ‘cleanfill material’ and clarifies this through defining types of hardfill material (see Attachment A) that can be accepted at certain waste disposal sites and, in doing so, clarifies which facilities need to have a license. Definitions of ‘natural hardfill’, ‘uncontaminated hardfill’, ‘other hardfill’, ‘cover material’ and ‘prohibited material’ are shown in Attachment A.

24. These definitions are allowed for under clause 20(d), (e) and (g) of the bylaw (see Attachment B) and are consistent with the existing bylaw definition of cleanfill material.

25. Further to this, the control clarifies the meaning of ‘managed fill material’ as per the bylaw definition and outlines ‘prohibited material’ for a managed fill site as allowed for under ccause 20(d) of the bylaw (see Attachment B).

Summary and recommendation

26. It is recommended that the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee adopt this control as it clarifies the bylaw definition of cleanfill material and, in doing so, sets some parameters for what types of waste disposal facilities are required to have a licence (see Attachment D). This includes defining the types of waste that are acceptable and prohibiting certain materials from disposal at cleanfill sites for the purpose of controlling waste and encouraging resource diversions. The control also provides some guidance around managed fills in regards to acceptable and prohibited material.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

27. In April 2012, as part of the bylaw consultation, all local boards received a discussion document outlining solid waste management issues and options. The contents of this paper were also presented to local boards at four ‘cluster’ workshops for north, south, central and western local boards.

28. During this consultation local boards agreed that the council should be involved in managing cleanfill sites and requiring information by those who dispose of solid waste.

29. The overarching requirement for licencing of fill sites was consulted on and accepted as part of the bylaw development at that time in 2012. The controls as proposed in this report aid in clarifying some definitions and licensing requirements on cleanfills however do not alter the existing and accepted bylaw licensing conditions.

30. An information memo will be sent to the local boards to update them on the licensing of cleanfills.

Māori impact statement

31. Although the collection of domestic waste is not specifically included in the Schedule of Issues of Significance published by the Independent Maori Statutory Board, it is recognised that environmental management, particularly waste management, has integral links with the mauri of the environment and concepts of kaitiakitanga. The world view expressed in the WMMP explicitly recognises this importance. Maori input was received during the development of the WMMP and the Solid Waste Bylaw 2012.

32. A total of six submissions were received from mana whenua during the WMMP consultation. All six WMMP submissions supported council’s aspirational goal of zero waste.

33. The purpose of the control is to further contribute to council’s ability to regulate and control the disposal of waste in order to maximise waste diversion and reuse in line with the overarching goal of zero waste.

Implementation

34. If approved, the control will be used to implement the licensing process for waste facilities effective 1 November 2015. Council is able to administer the resulting licensing and reporting requirements from within existing resources and budgets.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Controls for the disposal of waste to land	23
b View	Relevant clauses of the Solid Waste Bylaw 2012	29
c View	Report outlining bylaw controls review and alignment	31
d View	Solid Waste Bylaw licencing requirement	37

Signatories

Authors

Parul Sood, Manager Waste Planning

Sophien Brockbank, Senior Waste Planning Specialist (Bylaws)

Authorisers

John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Adoption of Auckland Growing Greener - te pai me te whai rawa o Tāmaki : Our commitment to environmental action and green growth.

File No.: CP2015/20195

Purpose

1. Adopt Auckland Growing Greener – te pai me te whai rawa ō Tāmaki as council’s commitment to achieve the vision for a green Auckland as outlined in the Auckland Plan.

Executive Summary

2. Auckland’s natural assets are critical to our identity as a region and a key component of our aspirations to become the world’s most liveable city.

3. Auckland Growing Greener (AGG) describes:

· current trends as highlighted in the 2015 Auckland State of Environment Report;

· the challenges and opportunities for our region to grow in a way that promotes and supports our natural assets;

· council’s role and current projects delivering on four focus areas – urban transformation, zero waste, restoring nature and healthy waters;

· future commitments for council to act as a catalyst for the region to “grow greener” focused on five key operating principles: walking the talk, empowering communities, partnering with mana whenua, embracing innovation and delivering infrastructure for multiple outcomes.

4. Auckland Growing Greener focuses on council’s role in delivering on the Auckland Plan transformational shift 2 “Strongly commit to environmental action and green growth”. Implementing AGG will also contribute to other transformational shifts. In addition to “a green Auckland” the commitments made in AGG will also contribute to “a beautiful Auckland that is loved by its people”, “a Māori identity that is Auckland’s point of difference in the world” and “an Auckland of prosperity and opportunity”.

5. Auckland Growing Greener has previously been reported under the working title of the Environment Strategic Action Plan (ESAP). AGG has been developed in consultation with mana whenua kaitiaki representatives and local boards. It proposes an on-going partnership model to build on these relationships.

Recommendations

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) adopt Auckland Growing Greener – te pai te whai rawa o Tāmaki: our commitment to environmental action and green growth (Attachment A to the report).

Comments

6. Auckland Growing Greener has previously been reported under the working title of the Environment Strategic Action Plan (ESAP). The scope of ESAP was endorsed by the Environment, Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee on 11 December 2013 (resolution number ENV/2013/3). Progress updates have been provided to that committee on 28 May 2014 (resolution number ENV/2014/21) and 11 March 2015 (resolution number ENV/2015/12).

7. Auckland Growing Greener outlines:

· current trends as highlighted in the 2015 Auckland State of Environment Report;

· the challenges and opportunities for our region to grow in a way that doesn’t impact negatively on our natural environmental assets;

· council’s role and current projects delivering on four focus areas – urban transformation, zero waste, restoring nature and healthy waters;

· future commitments for council to act as a catalyst for the region to “grow greener” focused on five key operating principles outlined in paragraph 10 below.

8. Auckland Growing Greener describes how Auckland Council is and will continue to deliver on the Auckland Plan transformational shift two “strongly commit to environmental action and green growth”. While the commitments made will accelerate progress towards “a green Auckland”, they also contribute to other Auckland Plan transformational shifts (“radically improve the quality of urban living” and “significantly lift Māori social and economic wellbeing”). Auckland Growing Greener supports the whole vision, contributing to most of the outcomes including “a beautiful Auckland that is loved by its people”, “a Māori identity that is Auckland’s point of difference in the world” and “an Auckland of prosperity and opportunity”.

9. Auckland Growing Greener includes targets and measures from other strategies and plans and provides a coherent view of current environmental activities and commitments. It is based on the latest information about the natural environment as presented in the 2015 State of the Environment report.

10. Auckland Growing Greener identifies five principles to deliver better environmental outcomes. These are:

· Walking the talk: ensuring the council is thinking and acting green in all it does.

· Empowering communities: supporting the energy and commitment of the people of Auckland.

· Committing to collaborative partnerships with mana whenua: recognising their kaitiaki role and the intrinsic connection between the natural environment and Māori cultural well-being.

· Embracing innovation: looking for new ways to grow greener.

· Delivering infrastructure for multiple outcomes: designing and delivering environmental, social and cultural benefits through built infrastructure and development projects.

11. Auckland Growing Greener has been developed with input from staff, elected members, mana whenua and targeted external stakeholders:

Staff engagement – advisory group, workshops and interviews providing a stocktake of current activities and ideas for change

Local boards - presentations to all local boards on green growth, current projects, ideas for action

Elected members – two workshops testing key concepts, frameworks and ideas for action

Mana whenua kaitiaki^{^[1]} managers – (1) review of submissions on council plans and iwi management plans; (2) presentation to Kaitiaki Information Hui and establishment of a dedicated kaitiaki working group to provide a better understanding of the kaitiaki perspective and shape the strategy

External stakeholders – targeted research institutions, sustainable business practitioners, small business owners, Generation Zero and a range of thought leaders on green growth

Public- (1) analysis of feedback to the draft Auckland Plan and proposed Unitary Plan with regards to the environment; (2) People’s Panel survey resulting in 2,835 completed questionnaires

12. Auckland Growing Greener is an ongoing initiative, as council continues to act as a catalyst to empower Aucklanders to live and work in ways that promote and support our natural environment. The October 2015 Auckland Growing Greener document is a milestone, highlighting the range and depth of council’s work to protect and restore our natural environment and describing ways to accelerate this through embedding the five proposed operating principles.

13. The actions described in the four priority areas (urban transformation, zero waste, restoring nature and healthy waters) will continue to be implemented at pace, and will lead to visible changes for a better Auckland in the coming years.

14. We will continue to identify, evaluate, implement and accelerate innovative ways for integrating environmental outcomes into our projects and decision-making, for example our procurement practices and infrastructure design.

15. Our initial focus will be on Māori cultural wellbeing indicators, environmental asset management frameworks and integrated reporting. Implementation and progress made by relevant internal business owners for these initiatives will be reported as appropriate.

16. We will continue to engage with and support mana whenua, strategic partners and community stakeholders that are committed to the transformational shift (Auckland Growing Greener) through current regional programmes and local initiatives, providing better alignment between regional and local projects.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

17. A number of local boards have commitments to the environment and environmental improvement projects in their local board plans. Local boards have contributed to the initial development of Auckland Growing Greener through meetings and workshops to ensure place-based community values, aspirations and projects relating to the natural environment and green growth are supported.

18. Following adoption of the strategy, officers will work with local boards to contribute to and showcase their work in delivering environmental outcomes with their communities.

Māori impact statement

19. The development of this strategy is of significant interest to mana whenua. The relationship between natural resource management and cultural wellbeing, giving effect to kaitiakitanga and the integration of mātauranga Māori are central to this interest. Iwi management plans are sources of mana whenua cultural wellbeing statements and aspirations for environmental outcomes.

20. The strategy has been developed with input from a kaitiaki working group from Auckland’s iwi. The key role of this working group has been to shape the strategic intent and high level initiatives that will empower mana whenua in the stewardship and kaitiakitanga of natural resources. Te Waka Angamua has informed and supported this process.

21. Key priorities are to articulate mana whenua roles as kaitiaki, support the design of cultural wellbeing indicators specific to iwi and or hapu, integrate cultural wellbeing indicators with the current environmental monitoring programme, and finally, communicate these measures in a meaningful way.

Implementation

22. There are no other known issues requiring consideration at this stage of the project. Engagement undertaken in the development of Auckland Growing Greener is considered appropriate to support its adoption by the council, noting that it is a non-statutory document.

23. There are no known implementation issues at this stage of the project. This strategy records currently committed projects that are related to environmental improvements. It also proposes a range of possible future actions that are largely to be resourced within existing budgets. Some initiatives could be the subject of future requests for funding according to appropriate prioritisation and funding processes.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Auckland Growing Greener Draft	43

Signatories

Authors

Karen Creagh, Project Manager, Auckland Growing Greener

Paula Vincent, Coastal Specialist

Gael Ogilvie, Manager Environmental Services, Infrastructure & Environmental Services

Authorisers

John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Jacques Victor - GM Auckland Plan Strategy and Research

Jim Quinn - Chief of Strategy

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Regional Pest Management Plan Review - Approval of Discussion Document

File No.: CP2015/18248

Purpose

1. To approve the stage one consultation documents for the Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan review.

Executive Summary

2. The Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan is undergoing a major review, driven by legislative and operational changes. A discussion document, along with a brief summary brochure, has been prepared for the first stage of a two-part public consultation process; these documents are presented for the committee’s approval.

3. The first stage of the review is informal, with the view of getting early feedback and input. this will be incorporated into the draft Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan developed for the second stage of consultation in 2016.

4. The second stage of the review will be a formal public submission and hearing process on the proposed Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan.

Recommendations

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) approve the Regional Pest Management Plan review stage one consultation document, as per Attachment A.

b) approve the text of the Regional Pest Management Plan review summary brochure, as per Attachment B.

Comments

5. The Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan is the main statutory document implementing the Biosecurity Act 1993 in the region. It provides a strategic and statutory framework for the effective management of plant and animal pests in Auckland. Auckland Council is in the process of reviewing its plan (which dates from 2007). The purpose of the review is to update the council’s approach to pest management, especially with regard to changes in pest species, distribution, and issues arising from their control; along with community expectations and available resources.

6. It is also necessary to incorporate new provisions which come from the reform of the Biosecurity Act in 2012. Among other changes, the Act now requires councils to comply with the National Policy Direction on Pest Management (NPD), which was gazetted on 24 August 2015. Councils have 18 months to determine if their pest management plans are consistent with the NPD.

7. A two-stage consultation process is being used for the review. A discussion document has been prepared for the first stage. It outlines the key issues, and its launch in October 2015 will be followed by a six week informal consultation period. Comments received will be used to help prepare the Proposed Auckland Regional Pest Management Plan. This Plan will be drafted in mid-2016, and notified for formal public submissions and hearings (stage two consultation). It is anticipated that the final Plan will be presented to this committee for adoption in late 2016.

8. The discussion document (attached as appendix one) provides an overview which summarises selected key changes and issues, rather than addressing all the changes arising from the reform of the Biosecurity Act. The document seeks to encourage comments from a broad cross-section of the community and technical detail has been kept to a minimum. The structure flows from the general to the specific, with sections on pest management roles and responsibilities, plant pests (including widespread weeds), animal pests, the future of community pest control, pest management in the Hauraki Gulf, and marine biosecurity. Current pests and ‘research organisms’ are listed in appendices for reference. Comments can be made on the topics raised in the document or on any other pest management issue. A communication and engagement plan is in place - this includes hui with mana whenua, and meetings with community groups and industry.

9. The summary brochure text (attached as appendix two) provides a brief outline of the discussion document’s contents, along with some specific feedback questions. The attached summary document is a text-only version and will undergo corporate design and illustration following approval.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

10. Pest management is important at a local as well as a regional scale. Local board views have been sought at the start of the review through workshops and meetings with environment portfolio holders. A combined local board workshop on the proposed content of the discussion document was held on 20 April 2015. The discussion document will be placed on local board business agendas for feedback. Further engagement with local boards will occur throughout the review process.

Māori impact statement

11. One of the primary purposes of pest management is to manage the effects of pests on the relationship between māori and their culture, traditions, ancestral lands, waters, sites, wāhi tapu and taonga. Initial consultation with māori has occurred through a series of individual and combined hui. At the request of Ngāti Paoa, a further combined hui is planned for October, once the discussion document has been approved, but prior to general public release. Ongoing consultation with iwi authorities and tribal rūnanga will occur throughout the review process.

Implementation

12. The review of the Regional Pest Management Plan (including producing and distributing the discussion document) is funded through existing Biosecurity and Natural Environment Strategy budgets.

13. Any changes to the plan arising from the review are likely to have operational cost implications. These will be considered during the cost-benefit and cost-allocation stages of the review, and in subsequent annual plan and LTP processes.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Discussion document (Under Separate Cover)
b View	Summary brochure	75

Signatories

Author

Helen Sharpe - Biodiversity Specialist

Authorisers

Jacques Victor - GM Auckland Plan Strategy and Research

John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Jim Quinn - Chief of Strategy

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan

File No.: CP2015/15128

Purpose

1. To adopt the Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan.

Executive Summary

2. Arts and culture play a key role in the cultural, social and economic life of Auckland, making it a more vibrant, inclusive and attractive place to live, work and visit.

3. The Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan (the plan) is a core strategy to deliver on the Auckland Plan strategic direction to integrate arts and culture into our everyday lives.

4. The plan is important to enable council and the arts and culture sector to focus resources where it can make the most collective impact. It will guide investment and provision of arts and culture across the Auckland region for the next 10 years.

5. It has been developed through research, analysis, and extensive engagement with the arts and culture sector, local boards, mana whenua and other stakeholders.

6. The plan has six strategic goals and 15 objectives which focus on:

· increasing participation for all Aucklanders

· valuing and growing investment in arts and culture

· ensuring there is infrastructure to meet Auckland’s growing, diverse needs

· enhancing our place-making through arts and culture

· celebrating Auckland’s unique cultural identity

· building a robust and flourishing creative economy.

7. Staff have worked with arts and culture stakeholders to develop an action plan (including priority actions) that sets out what the council and the sector will do to deliver on the goals and objectives.

8. Local board views have helped shaped the plan and local boards will play an important role in supporting arts and culture at the local level.

9. Many actions in the plan are already underway. Funding new actions will be through reprioritising existing resources or new investment. In council’s case this will be subject to future annual plan and long-term plan processes.

10. Progress on implementation will be reported annually to the governing body and arts and culture sector.

11. On 23 September 2015 the Arts, Culture and Events Committee endorsed the plan and recommended it to the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee for adoption.

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) adopt the Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan (Attachment A).

b) recommend that the report and attachments be sent to all local boards for their information.

Comments

Background

12. The Auckland Plan recognises that arts and culture are critical to achieving the vision of the world’s most liveable city. It dedicates Chapter 3 specifically to this, stating that:

Auckland expects that our arts and culture will thrive, unite, delight, challenge and entertain and also drive wealth and prosperity for individuals and for Auckland.

13. The Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan is a core strategy to give effect to this. While it will deliver on multiple outcomes and strategic directives in the Auckland Plan, the primary strategic intent is to integrate arts and culture into our everyday lives.

14. Council has led the development of the plan working closely with the arts and culture sector, including a multi-agency project team and steering group.

15. The process has included research and extensive engagement with the sector, other stakeholders and public consultation.

16. Key milestones are summarised below:

September-December 2013	· Current state review and research completed · Key stakeholder engagement including creative sector, tertiary, health, mana whenua, local boards · December 2013: Report to Arts and Events Committee (ACE) on current state and engagement findings (CP2013/27583)
February -March 2014	· Engagement with local boards on an early draft plan.
April 2014	· Report to ACE Committee for endorsement of draft plan for stakeholder and public consultation (ACE/2014/05043)
June-July 2014	· Public consultation on draft plan · 440 submissions were received indicating strong endorsement of the six goals and 15 objectives · Strong feedback to work with sector stakeholders on development of the action plan to support goals
September- October 2014	· Reports to local boards providing a summary of consultation feedback and seeking formal endorsement of the revised draft plan. · October 2014: ACE Committee adopted the plan’s goals and objectives. Resolved that staff work with the sector on the development of the action plan (CP2014/21697)
February-April 2015	· Engagement with art and culture stakeholders to identify and prioritise actions. This included hui with mana whenua, wānanga with mataawaka, and a Creative Sector Forum in March
May – July 2015	· Revised action plan developed. · Feedback loop to over 800 sector contributors for information and comment. · Presentation of draft action plan to local board chairs and portfolio holders
August -September	· Workshop with governing body on draft plan · Final revised plan developed · Development of implementation framework underway
September 2015	· Final plan endorsed by Arts, Culture and Events Committee and recommended to Regional Strategy and Policy Committee for adoption.

17. Arts and culture play a key role in the cultural, social and economic life of Auckland. The benefits and impacts include:

· connecting and strengthening communities

· building a sense of identity, belonging and pride

· enhancing our sense of place and place-making

· improving individual and community wellbeing

· generating employment and wealth which contribute to a strong economy.

18. Having a strategic plan for arts and culture is important to enable council and the sector to focus their efforts and investment where it can make the most collective impact.

19. It is a ten-year plan that will assist decision-making, encourage collaboration to achieve the shared goals; and help address the key challenges and opportunities of a growing and increasingly diverse city.

The plan has six strategic goals and 15 objectives which are outlined in the following table:

Goal 1: All Aucklanders can access and participate in arts and culture

· Increase opportunities for Aucklanders to experience and participate in arts and culture

· Better communicate what’s on offer

· Remove barriers to access and participation.

Goal 2: Auckland values and invests in arts and culture

· Grow and deliver strategic investment in arts and culture to enable a thriving and resilient sector

· Evaluate and promote the economic, social, cultural and environmental value of investment in Auckland’s art and culture.

Goal 3: A network of vibrant arts and culture organisations and facilities

· Support a network of complementary arts and cultural institutions and facilities

· Promote the city centre as Auckland’s major cultural destination

· Provide a regional spread of vibrant diverse and affordable creative spaces.

Goal 4: Arts and culture is intrinsic to Auckland’s placemaking

· Tell our stories by encouraging unique and distinctive public art that reflects and responds to our place

· Make it easier to plan, create and deliver innovative art and design in public places.

Goal 5: Auckland celebrates a unique cultural identity

· Celebrate Māori and their culture as a point of difference

· Support and celebrate creative excellence

· Promote Auckland as a creative city with a unique cultural identity.

Goal 6: Auckland has a robust and flourishing creative economy

· Champion the creative sector to grow Auckland’s economy

· Foster education, collaboration and professional development for the creative sector.

20. An action plan with 62 actions to deliver on the goals and objectives has been developed in conjunction with stakeholders. Of these, 27 have been identified by the sector as priorities and will be the focus in the first three years (priority actions are shaded in the tables on pages 20-39 in the attached plan).

21. The action plan identifies the key agencies and contributors that will deliver the actions.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

22. Local boards have been engaged in the development of the plan at various stages and their views have helped shape the plan.

23. In September 2014 local boards responded positively to the draft plan with 18 of the 21 boards endorsing the strategic goals and objectives.

24. Three boards (Henderson-Massey, Kaipātiki and Manurewa) did not specifically endorse it. In part this was due to concern that the actions to implement the plan and the roles of each agency needed to be clearly articulated. These issues have now been addressed through the development of the action plan.

25. Continued engagement with local boards on the action plan has been through briefings and workshops with local board members and portfolio holders.

26. A key theme in feedback from local boards has been increasing visibility of the important role they play in supporting arts and culture in their communities. To address this, boards have requested their arts and culture projects be captured in a separate schedule to the plan. This is currently being complied and will be available online and include successful case studies. See examples in Attachment B.

Māori impact statement

27. The strategic direction of the plan to integrate arts and culture into everyday life aligns well to a Māori world view where there is no delineation between art, culture and life.

28. The Auckland Plan outcome that a Māori identity that is Auckland’s point of difference in the world is a key focus in Goal 5. There are a range of supporting actions that seek to give effect to this aspiration.

29. It is expected that the plan will provide positive impacts for Māori through actions that include:

· growing Māori participation by promoting Māori art and culture in all forms including Māori events

· establishing networks for Māori creative practitioners and supporting entrepreneurship and indigenous business development

· promoting the visual and spoken use of Te Reo Māori and growing marae as regional cultural hubs

30. There is also a strong emphasis in the plan on increasing the visibility of Auckland’s unique Māori identity in the public realm through place-making projects and public art that reflect Māori stories, sites of significance and embrace Māori design principles.

31. Engagement with Māori has occurred throughout the process. This included a number of hui with mana whenua and engagement with mataawaka through wānanga facilitated by Ngā Aho, a national network of Māori design professionals.

32. The Independent Māori Statutory Board’s (IMSB) Māori Plan for Tāmaki Makaurau has been a guiding document underpinning the plan. The IMSB was represented on the project steering group and has provided guidance on both process and content. Māori art expertise was also represented.

33. Mana whenua have indicated a desire to remain closely involved in ongoing implementation including having representation on the implementation oversight group.

Implementation

34. The Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan is an aspirational plan that will guide investment and provision of arts and culture over the next 10 years.

35. It is a whole of sector plan which means that many different arts and culture stakeholders have a role in implementing actions, not just council.

36. Many of the actions are already funded and underway. Funding new actions will be through reprioritising existing resources or new investment. In council’s case funding decisions will be subject to future annual plan and long-term plan processes.

37. An implementation framework is currently being developed which will provide more detail on who is involved in the delivery of actions, timeframes and high level measures.

38. An implementation leadership group will be established with representatives from the sector, iwi and council to provide oversight on implementation. Progress will be reported annually to the governing body and arts and culture sector.

39. The implementation framework and annual reports will be available online to enable key stakeholders, lead agencies and contributors to engage with the plan on an ongoing basis.

40. The draft document attached to this report will be designed for publishing. It will include a range of images to reflect the diversity of art and culture covered by the plan. It will also feature case studies that showcase each goal area.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	ACSAP Final Draft (Under Separate Cover)
b View	ACSAP Local Board Schedule	89

Signatories

Author

Maree Mills - Principal Policy Analyst

Authorisers

Kataraina Maki - GM - Community & Social Policy

Jim Quinn - Chief of Strategy

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Auckland Council submission to the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19

File No.: CP2015/19810

Purpose

1. To seek retrospective endorsement of Auckland Council’s submission to the Ministry of Health’s Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19 Consultation document.

Executive Summary

2. The Ministry of Health refreshes and consults on its integrated problem gambling strategy every three years.

3. A submission [Attachment A] on the Ministry of Health’s Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19 Consultation document was approved by the Chair of the Class 4 Gambling Political Working Party and lodged on behalf of Auckland Council to meet the 11 September 2015 deadline.

4. The decision required of the committee is to retrospectively approve the submission.

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) retrospectively approve the submission made to the Ministry of Health on behalf of Auckland Council in the matter of the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19 Consultation document.

Comments

5. The Gambling Act 2003 requires the Ministry of Health to develop and implement an “integrated problem gambling strategy focused on public health”, including measures to promote public health, services to treat and assist problem gamblers and their families/whānau, independent scientific research and evaluation. The integrated problem gambling strategy is refreshed at three-yearly intervals.

6. The Ministry of Health’s Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19 Consultation document, the 2016/17 to 2018/19 refresh of the integrated problem gambling strategy, was released for consultation in August 2015.

7. A submission [Attachment A] was approved by the Chair of the Class 4 Gambling Political Working Party and lodged on behalf of Auckland Council in order to meet the 11 September 2015 due date. The submission is based on previous gambling-related submissions and was developed in conjunction with the Class 4 Gambling Political Working Party.

8. Auckland Council’s submission supports the overall intent of the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19 Consultation document, but requests amendments to sections which relate to the activities of territorial authorities, and proposes further areas for research.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

9. Local board input was provided through involvement in the Class 4 Gambling Political Working Party and through feedback on previous gambling-related submissions.

Māori impact statement

10. One of the key objectives articulated in the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19 Consultation document is to address the overrepresentation of Māori and other minorities in gambling harm statistics. The Strategy includes research and services tailored to Māori, aiming to directly reduce gambling harm to Māori.

11. The Independent Māori Statutory Board provided input through the Class 4 Gambling Political Working Party and feedback on previous gambling-related submissions.

Implementation

12. There are no implementation issues associated with the decision.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Auckland Council’s submission to the Ministry of Health’s Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2016/17 to 2018/19	109

Signatories

Author

Rebecca Turner - Policy Analyst

Authorisers

Kataraina Maki - GM - Community & Social Policy

Jim Quinn - Chief of Strategy

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Auckland Council submission on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill

File No.: CP2015/18253

Purpose

1. To seek retrospective endorsement of Auckland Council’s submission to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill.

Executive Summary

2. On 20 August 2015, Auckland Council made a submission to the Justice and Electoral Committee (“the Select Committee”) on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill (“the Bill”). A copy of the submission is provided in Attachment A.

3. The Bill received royal assent on 31 August 2015 and came into effect on 1 September 2015. It allows licensed premises to operate with extended trading hours during the Rugby World Cup 2015, which runs between 18 September and 1 November 2015.

4. Public consultation on the Bill was brief. In order to meet the deadline, a submission was approved by the Chair of the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee, and lodged on behalf of Auckland Council.

5. The decision required of the committee is to retrospectively approve the submission.

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) retrospectively approve the submission made to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee on behalf of Auckland Council on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill.

Comments

6. On 20 August 2015, Auckland Council lodged a submission on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill. A copy of the submission is provided in Attachment A.

7. The Bill was introduced to allow licensed premises to operate with extended trading hours during the Rugby World Cup 2015, which runs between 18 September and 1 November 2015.

8. The Select Committee process was condensed to allow implementation of the Bill before the start of the Rugby World Cup. The submission period ran for only four days and the Select Committee did not hear oral submissions.

9. Due to the tight deadline, there was insufficient time to gather feedback on the Bill from local boards or to seek formal approval of the submission from the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee. Council staff:

· consulted with the Chair of Regional Strategy and Policy Committee and other councillors available at the time (Councillors Anae, Cashmore, Casey, Hulse and Penrose)

· referred to the council’s formal policy positions on alcohol licensing (for example as adopted in the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and the Provisional Local Alcohol Policy)

· considered the feedback received from local boards in mid-2015 on the Draft Local Alcohol Policy relating to alcohol licences for special events.

10. The Chair of the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee approved the final submission to the Select Committee.

11. The Bill received royal assent on 31 August 2015 and came into effect on 1 September 2015.

12. A summary of the key provisions of the Bill, the Auckland Council submission, and the amendments made to the Bill before it was passed are provided in Attachment B.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

13. In developing the submission, staff considered the feedback received from local boards in mid-2015 on the Draft Local Alcohol Policy relating to alcohol licences for special events.

Māori impact statement

14. The council’s submission made recommendations to help minimise the potential alcohol-related harm associated with extending opening hours during the Rugby World Cup. This harm reduction approach is consistent with the health and wellbeing outcomes specified in the Māori Plan for Tāmaki Makaurau.

Implementation

15. There are no implementation issues associated with the decision.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Auckland Council submission on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill	117
b View	Summary of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Extended licensing hours during Rugby World Cup) Bill as originally proposed, the council’s submission and the final outcome	127

Signatories

Authors

Belinda Hansen - Principal Policy Analyst

Authorisers

Kataraina Maki - GM - Community & Social Policy

Jim Quinn - Chief of Strategy

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Auckland Council's Submission on Land Access for Telecommunications

File No.: CP2015/15868

Purpose

1. To seek retrospective endorsement and provide an overview of Auckland Council’s staff submission on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Land Access for Telecommunications discussion document.

Executive Summary

2. On 9 June 2015 The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) released the Land Access for Telecommunications discussion document for comment by 24 July 2015.

3. A staff response was submitted to this discussion document. This enabled the timeframe to be met and acknowledged the interest that Auckland Council has in improving Ultrafast Broadband (UFB) access for Aucklanders.

4. Currently each new UFB connection or maintenance request requires the approval of the land-owner, resulting in significant delays for end-users seeking access to UFB connections.

5. The discussion document aims to reduce barriers to connecting premises to UFB. MBIE’s proposals have the potential to simplify the access requirement process for network builders, property owners and end-users.

6. Council’s response provided specific feedback on:

a. the existing regulatory framework and current barriers to UFB connections

b. proposals to simplify access to private property for UFB installations

c. extending ongoing access rights for the repair and maintenance of UFB connections to match the access rights of the existing copper network.

d. using existing infrastructure to install UFB connections

e. providing a robust and independent dispute resolution process

f. opportunities for Auckland Council and MBIE to work together to refine the proposals.

7. Most of the changes proposed by MBIE were supported by Council staff as appropriate ways to simplify the regulatory framework that currently controls access to private property.

8. As part of the submission staff have offered to work with MBIE to refine the implementation details once these have been developed.

9. Auckland Council’s response is included as Attachment A of this report.

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) retrospectively approve the Land Access for Telecommunications submission.

Comments

Context for change to New Zealand’s legislative framework for telecommunications

10. New Zealand’s existing legislative framework for telecommunications does not reflect the rate of technological change in New Zealand and was not developed for the UFB network.

11. Unlike the existing copper network, each new UFB connection or maintenance request currently requires the approval of the land-owner, resulting in significant delays for end-users seeking access to UFB connections.

12. This is a significant issue, particularly where landowners either decline, or are unable to be reached for approval to access their property to install UFB connections. This is most apparent where approval is required from multiple affected owners with shared driveways, multi-unit complexes and rental properties.

13. With the UFB rollout a priority, central government is moving to address land access rights for telecommunications. In 2013 central government announced an early start to the Telecommunications Review, originally scheduled to begin in 2016. The purpose of the review is to ensure that legislation provides regulatory certainty, particularly for the new UFB network.

14. The discussion document Land Access for Telecommunications released on 9 June 2015 put forward proposals to clarify the requirements for network builders to access private property to install UFB connections and invited submissions.

Auckland Council’s Response

15. The proposed changes are welcomed in Auckland, where more than 400,000 premises will have access to UFB by the time the network is completed in 2020. A significant number of these may be impacted by existing barriers if there is no legislative intervention.

The existing regulatory framework and current barriers to UFB connections

16. The existing regulatory framework does not adequately provide for access rights to private land for a full network build such as UFB. It needs to be updated to reduce the barriers to delivering the network to end-users.

17. Council supports updating the Telecommunications Act 2001 to reflect the significance of the UFB network, bringing access rights in line with those of the existing copper network.

18. Council recognises the economic and social impacts of UFB. It is critical that barriers are removed to enable Aucklanders to connect to UFB without unnecessary delays.

Proposals to simplify access to private property for UFB installations

19. Support was indicated for a combination of ‘deemed consent’ and ‘low-impact installations’. This would strike a balance between efficient UFB connections and protecting private property rights.

20. The suggested combination would require the network builder to seek approval from the property owner in the first instance. The connection could be installed automatically once a specified timeframe had passed without response, provided the installation has a low impact. The land-owner would be able to object if there are reasonable grounds for doing so and there would be more consideration for installations that may have a higher impact.

Extending ongoing access rights for the repair and maintenance of UFB connections to match the access rights of the copper network

21. Council supports ongoing access rights for UFB connections. It is sensible for UFB to have the same access rights as the copper network, particularly as copper is replaced by UFB over time.

22. The Telecommunications Act 2001 should specifically provide for ongoing access rights for UFB connections to ensure that there is no ambiguity for ongoing access rights.

Using existing infrastructure to install UFB connections

23. This proposal enables network builders to use existing ducts and services, both underground and overhead to install UFB connections.

24. Council supported this as an efficient way of installing UFB. Council proposes that any such installations, particularly where connections are built alongside overhead lines, are consistent with the rules of the District Plan.

Providing a robust and independent disputes resolution process

25. Council suggests that this function could sit with an appropriate independent central government mechanism such as the Disputes Tribunal Telecommunication Disputes Resolution service.

Opportunities for Auckland Council and MBIE to work together to refine the proposals

26. The proposals need further refining to ensure that they are fit for purpose and strike the right balance between simplified access and private property rights.

27. Areas that council has offered to work with MBIE include:

· defining timeframes for installing a connection following the notification of land-owners

· specifying criteria for low-impact installations

· developing safeguards and conditions of access

· developing mechanisms to provide ongoing access to private property

· defining criteria for land owners to reasonably deny access to private property.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

28. The proposals apply to all urban areas in New Zealand that fall under UFB coverage footprint. Auckland Council’s submission is a regional response impacting communities in all local board areas, except for Great Barrier.

29. The proposals mean a more streamlined connection process to connect to UFB, supporting the business and social benefits that come with better broadband access.

30. The submission timeframe meant that local board input was not possible for this submission. The submission reflects support previously expressed by local boards for better access to UFB.

Māori impact statement

31. All Aucklanders within the UFB coverage zone, including Māori residents and businesses, are expected to benefit from simplified access to the UFB network.

32. Chorus, the UFB provider for Auckland, has previously worked with Ngā Pu Waea (the national Maori Broadband Working Group) to connect marae and papakāinga to the UFB network.

Implementation

33. Implementation of the proposals is the responsibility of MBIE. Decisions on the proposals are expected in late 2015 once submissions have been considered.

34. MBIE is interested in working with Auckland Council staff to discuss the proposals in more detail following further policy development.

35. The variable land-ownership information available to network builders has resulted in inconsistencies when identifying and contacting land owners. MBIE is considering using local authorities’ rates information databases to ensure that notices are addressed to the correct property owners.

36. The inclusion of UFB connections in Land Information Memoranda to support ongoing rights of access for network builders has also been suggested.

37. Council hopes to further support efficient processes by working with MBIE to explore mechanisms to improve the process of building and connecting users to the UFB network.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Land Access for Telecommunications: Auckland Council Submission	137

Signatories

Author

Anthony Acres - Digital Advisor

Authorisers

Jacques Victor - GM Auckland Plan Strategy and Research

Jim Quinn - Chief of Strategy

Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

Regional Strategy and Policy Committee

08 October 2015

Information Items

File No.: CP2015/16382

Purpose

1. To receive a summary and provide a public record of memos and information that has been distributed to committee members since 3 September 2015.

Executive Summary

2. This is a regular information-only report which aims to provide greater visibility of information circulated to committee members via memo or other means, where no decisions are required.

3. The following memos were circulated:

· 24 September 2015 : Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area – Six Monthly Report

· 25 September 2015 : Update on Action on Alcohol Plan 2013-2018

· 30 September 2015 : Funding for Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS)

· 30 September 2015 : Extension of deadline for implementation of Subpart Six of the Solid Waste Bylaw for multi-unit developments

· 1 October 2015 :Technical publications from the Research and Evaluation Unit (RIMU)

4. These documents can be found on the Auckland Council website, at the following link:

http://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/

o at the top of the page, select meeting “Auckland Development Committee” from the drop-down tab and click ‘View’;

o Under ‘Attachments’, select either HTML or PDF version of the document entitled ‘Extra Attachments’

5. Note that, unlike an agenda report, staff will not be present to answer questions about these items referred to in this summary. Committee members should direct any questions to the authors.

Recommendation/s

That the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee:

a) receive the summary of information memos since 3 September 2015.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area – Six Monthly Report (Under Separate Cover)
b	Update on Action on Alcohol Plan 2013-2018 (Under Separate Cover)
c	Funding for Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) (Under Separate Cover)
d	Extension of deadline for implementation of Subpart Six of the Solid Waste Bylaw for multi-unit developments (Under Separate Cover)
e	Technical publications from the Research and Evaluation Unit (RIMU) (Under Separate Cover)

Signatories

Author	Barbara Watson - Democracy Advisor
Authorisers	Dean Kimpton - Chief Operating Officer

[1] Kaitiaki refers generally to the role of stewardship or guardianship that mana whenua exercise over natural resources, the kaitiaki working group consists of representatives from Iwi organisations with resource management responsibilities.