Agenda of Upper Harbour Local Board

Upper Harbour Local Board

16 March 2017

PDF Creator

PDF Creator
Auckland Transport monthly report - March 2017

File No.: CP2017/02658

Purpose

1. The purpose of this report is to:

· respond to resolutions and requests on transport-related matters;

· provide an update on the current status of Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF);

· request approval for new LBTCF projects;

· provide a summary of consultation material sent to the board; and

· provide transport-related information on matters of specific application and interest to the Upper Harbour Local Board and its community.

Executive summary

2. In particular, this report covers:

· progress report on the board’s advocacy initiatives;

· progress report on the board’s LBTCF projects;

· consultation documents on proposed safety improvements; and

· local board requests on transport-related matters.

Recommendation

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) note the Auckland Transport update for March 2017.

Comments

Strategic alignment

3. The Upper Harbour Local Board has outlined through its 2014-17 Local Board Plan, that it has a strong interest in the role of transport and how it helps to create well-connected and easily accessible public transport networks, improve the road network, access to walkways and cycleways, and to connect Westgate to the North Shore.

4. The Upper Harbour Local Board Plan 2014-17 (pages 34-35) has a specific transport outcome in which Auckland Transport has a key role: ‘A well-connected and accessible Upper Harbour’:

We (Upper Harbour Local Board) have a well-designed road network with connected bus services, walkways and cycleways across the North Shore. We are well connected to Westgate in the west and our central city, giving us choices as to where we work, study and play.

Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF) update

5. The Upper Harbour Local Board’s funding allocation under the Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF) is currently $355,167 per annum, but will have an adjustment for inflation added in future years. The following table notes previous decisions, progress since the last update, budgets and financial commitments:

Project	Description	Current status
Gills Road pedestrian bridge	To construct a gravel footpath with a structural timber boardwalk in locations where the berm is too narrow to construct a footpath and a footbridge adjacent to the road bridge.	Auckland Transport (with funding contribution from the Upper Harbour Local Board), is proceeding with the consenting of the new pedestrian facilities and bridge on Gills Road

Upcoming projects and activities

Consultation documents on proposed safety improvements

6. Consultation documents for the following proposals have been provided to the Upper Harbour Local Board for its feedback. The material below is included for general information purposes only:

· Brigham Creek Business Park - 110 Hobsonville Road;

· no stopping at all times (NSAAT) restrictions on Carol Lee Place, Albany Heights;

· proposed bus stops and bus shelters – Hobsonville Road, West Harbour;

· proposed bus stops and bus shelters – 80 and 169 Hobsonville Road;

· NSAAT restrictions on Schnapper Rock Road, Schnapper Rock;

· NSAAT restrictions on Santiago Crescent, Unsworth Heights;

· NSAAT restrictions on Tarndale Grove, Rosedale;

· speed hump and NSAAT restriction (broken yellow lines) on Medallion Drive-Fernhill Way, Oteha;

· NSAAT restriction (broken yellow lines) on Fernhill Way, Oteha;

· proposed bus stops – 153 and 156 Wiseley Road, West Harbour; and

· NSAAT restriction (broken yellow lines) on Westminster Gardens, Unsworth Heights.

Local board response

7. The local board was in support of the above proposals.

Traffic Control Committee (TCC) report

8. Decisions of the Traffic Control Committee (TCC) over the months of January and February 2017 affecting the Upper Harbour Local Board area are shown below:

Silver Moon Road / Waka Street / Gills Road	Permanent traffic and parking changes combined	NSAAT, bus stop, bus shelter, give-way control, flush median
Kittiwake Drive / Schnapper Rock Road	Permanent traffic and parking changes combined	NSAAT, lane restrictions, flush median, traffic island
Brigham Creek Road / Totara Road / Mamari Road / Nils Anderson Road / Joseph McDonald Drive / Boyes Avenue / McEwan Street / Tamiro Road / Ripeka Lane	Permanent traffic and parking changes combined	Lane restriction, special vehicle lane-cycle lane, NSAAT, cycle path, bus stop, bus shelter, angle parking, traffic island, delineators, traffic signal control, give-way control, pedestrian crossing, shoulder marking
Meadowood Drive / Caribbean Drive / Barbados Drive	Permanent traffic and parking changes combined	NSAAT, bus stop, bus shelter, traffic islands, edge lines, give-way controlled roundabout, give-way control
Tamiro Road	Permanent traffic and parking changes combined	NSAAT, traffic island
Mapou Road / Nugget Avenue / Hobsonville Point Road / Sidney Wallingford Way / Squadron Drive / Eyton Kay Road / unnamed roads	Permanent traffic and parking changes combined	Lane restrictions, traffic island, flush median, road humps, give-way control

Greenhithe Road - proposed footpath widening

9. Auckland Transport (AT) has undertaken a site meeting with the local board about this request. AT will be widening the footpath on Greenhithe Road, although no timeline has been given as yet. AT will update the local board on progress in due course.

Safety audit - Gills Road, Albany

10. There was a request from the local board for a safety audit of Gills Road.

Update

11. An AT engineer has visited the site and undertaken an initial review of Gills Road. Further detailed investigation now needs to be undertaken to obtain a comprehensive report. This investigation has been prioritised and programmed for review, following which AT will be able to provide the board with the requested report.

12. The local board can expect a response to be included in the monthly report for the April business meeting.

Upper Harbour Drive and Albany Highway intersection traffic congestion

13. The Greenhithe Residents and Ratepayers group has expressed major concerns about the traffic congestion on Upper Harbour Drive since the cycle lane was introduced. The local board, along with the ward councillors, requested AT investigate options to reduce the congestion on Upper Harbour Drive.

Update

14. AT is meeting with the local board in March to discuss the results of this investigation.

The proposed connection between Gills Road and Oteha Valley Road around Living Streams Road

Update

15. AT presented the project to the Project Control Committee (PCG) on 25 October 2016 to seek approval to proceed from investigation phase to detailed design phase.

16. The project’s scope was partially approved by PCG. However, it requires further investigation which is currently being undertaken.

17. AT will provide the local board with a further update as part of the April monthly report.

Lucas Creek Bridge – The Avenue update

18. AT is currently aligning projects with the outcomes of the recently completed Transport for Future Urban Growth (TFUG) study. This study has identified that a review, investigation and upgrade of the Albany to Silverdale area is required to meet projected future urban growth. Further investigations for this work will commence in the coming year.

19. A business case application is currently being prepared for this project. Should this application be successful, funding may be brought forward into the Long-term Plan 2018‑2028 (LTP). If unsuccessful, AT will explore funding options through council’s LTP rounds beyond 2028.

Medallion Drive link update

20. The Medallion Drive link involves the construction of 170 meters of new road between an existing roundabout on Oteha Valley Road and Fairview Avenue. The extension will enable development north of Oteha Valley Road and provide a safe and effective route for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

21. The developer appealed against the notice of requirement (NOR) in 2012. The Environment Court gave an interim decision on 29 April 2016 to confirm the modified NOR, subject to AT providing modified land-take plans to minimise the impact on developer's land wherever possible.

22. AT is engaging a suitable consultant for the production of the design option, with an aim to minimise the impact on the adjoining property developer. Resolution of the NOR appeal is required to formally finalise the designation approval and commence the design phase of the project. AT is still waiting on the final decision and once this is received, AT will proceed with detailed design. Further updates will be provided in 2017.

Draft Speed Management Guide overview update

23. The draft Speed Management Guide will deliver significant new direction and framework for speed management in New Zealand.

24. This guide is currently in draft form while a demonstration project is carried out in the Waikato. AT wants to demonstrate how it will work across an integrated, regional network, including using (and proving) new approaches for ‘changing the conversation on speed’.

Purpose of the draft guide

25. The draft guide provides a framework and a toolbox to help manage speed on the network. It will help road controlling authorities (RCAs) identify where the risks are, where effort should be prioritized, and the interventions required for specific roads. Use of the guide will ensure there is a consistent network-wide approach to managing speeds that is targeted to risk.

26. The key change in approach contained in the guide is to begin with a strategic ‘whole-of-network’ based approach, and by applying a series of techniques, drill down to identify where there is the greatest misalignment between actual travel speeds and safe and appropriate travel speeds. The guide applies a safe system approach while ensuring network efficiency.

Safe and appropriate travel speeds

27. The One Network Road Classification classifies all New Zealand roads into categories based on their use and function in the national network. In simple terms, the Speed Management Framework overlays recommended travel speed ranges onto these classifications. The framework sets the national direction for all future speed management decisions.

28. The draft guide contains a step-by-step Speed Management Framework to help RCAs develop, engage and deliver an effective Speed Management Plan. It outlines how speed management can achieve both safety and efficiency, and it will enable RCAs to work with their communities to build support for an evidence-based, network-wide strategic approach to achieve these twin outcomes.

29. More specifically, it:

· outlines a network-wide approach to managing speed, tied in with the One Network Road Classification, so that travel speeds are appropriate for road function, design, safety and use;

· offers guidance for targeting to risk and prioritising investment;

· outlines a Speed Management Framework that encompasses all elements of the Safe System approach to reduce the risk of death and serious injury, while supporting overall economic productivity;

· provides RCAs with guidance for where setting different speed limits is the identified solution;

· identifies best-practice and successful case studies, including demonstrations; and

· develops an evaluation framework to track effectiveness, and measure performance.

30. The best outcomes will result if community and stakeholder groups are engaged, kept informed and are part of the process. The ‘changing the conversation on speed’ work will inform how this can be done effectively.

31. Through the use of the guide, people will see speed being managed consistently and targeted to risk, which will help build understanding and support for safe and appropriate speeds.

Investment approach for speed management

32. Speed Management Plans will be developed and reviewed every three years. They are an integral element of Activity Management Plans, informing investment decisions for each National Land Transport Programme cycle.

Road resurfacing (summer construction period)

33. Roads require periodic resurfacing (resealing) to keep the sealed surface waterproof and maintain good skid-resistance. The bitumen in the surfacing oxidises over time causing it to become brittle and either crack, unravel or lose chip. Similarly, the chip can become polished and/or the road surface flushed, resulting in a loss of skid-resistance over time.

34. If resurfacing is carried out at the right time, the surface remains waterproof, skid-resistant, and surface water does not penetrate the road pavement. It can be likened to repainting a house – if it is left too long and water penetrates the surface, then much more costly repairs are required.

Surfacing types

35. Roads are resurfaced using either a chip seal or a thin asphaltic concrete surfacing (hotmix). Generally, chip seals have a life of eight to 12 years, while hotmix can be expected to last 10 to 14 years.

36. Chip seals are the most cost-effective method of resurfacing and, in many situations, are the only method that can practically be used to restore the road surface to a suitable condition. Hotmix is generally only used on high traffic roads (those carrying more than 10,000 vehicles per day), or in high stress areas such as at intersections or cul-de-sac heads.

37. Chip seals cost in the order of $4-8 per square metre while hotmix costs $20-30 per square metre, depending on the type of mix used. In the 2016/2017 year, AT will resurface 430km of roads at a cost of approximately $50 million – 80 per cent of the resealing carried out will be chip seals.

38. Prior to resurfacing, pre-seal repairs such as digouts, crack-sealing and surface levelling is undertaken. There is also considerable effort made to coordinate the resurfacing works with other planned renewal and improvement works in the road corridor (both road and utility related).

39. Chip seal can be either single-coat or two-coat, although in most cases, two-coat seals are used as they are more resistant to turning stresses.

40. Each resurfacing site is subject to a specific seal design and the choice of surfacing and chip size used is dependent on factors such as traffic volume and loading, the existing surface texture and pavement strength, and turning stresses.

41. Many resurfacing complaints arise from the resurfacing of existing aged hotmix surfaces with chip seal when they reach the end of their service life. These hotmix surfaces were often constructed by developers at the time of subdivision and when they are resurfaced with chip seal, this is unpopular with adjoining landowners. The need to periodically resurface the road to avoid water ingress into the road pavement is often not understood by adjoining residents, who consider the chip seal surface to be inferior to the smoother hotmix.

42. Chip seals also continue to shed excess chip for several months following resurfacing, which is a nuisance for adjoining landowners and can create the mistaken impression that the new chip seal surface is defective. Following resurfacing, new chip seals (particularly two-coat seals) can require four to five sweeps to remove excess chip from the surface.

43. It is also usual for the bitumen to soften during warm weather for several years following application, until such time as the kerosene fully evaporates from the bitumen. At this time, it will be susceptible to scuffing from turning vehicles. These areas can be treated with the application of fresh sealing chip.

Upper Harbour AT Quarterly Report for the period October to December 2016

44. The following reports are attached to this monthly report:

· Attachment A – report from AT departments on their activities in the Upper Harbour Local Board area and regionally over the last quarter; and

· Attachment B – report on Travelwise school activities in the Upper Harbour Local Board area over the last quarter.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

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

Māori impact statement

46. No specific issues with regard to impacts on Māori are triggered by this report, and any engagement with Māori will be carried out on an individual project basis.

Implementation

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

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Upper Harbour Local Board quarterly report	39
b ⇩	Travelwise schools activities report	55

Signatories

Authors

Owena Schuster – Elected Member Relationship Manager, Auckland Transport

Authorisers

Jonathan Anyon – Manager Elected Member Relationship Unit, Auckland Transport

Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Upper Harbour Local Board

16 March 2017

Panuku Development Auckland -
Local board six-monthly update 1 July to 31 December 2016

File No.: CP2016/25237

Purpose

1. To give the Upper Harbour Local Board an overview of Panuku Development Auckland activity, major issues and projects undertaken within the local board area for the six months from 1 July to 31 December 2016.

Background

2. Panuku Development Auckland (Panuku) was established in September 2015 as a result of the merger of two council controlled organisations (CCOs), Waterfront Auckland and Auckland Council Property Limited (ACPL).

3. Panuku helps to rejuvenate parts of Auckland – from small projects that refresh a site or building, to major transformations of town centres or neighbourhoods.

4. Comprised of five directorates, Panuku manages around $1.5 billion of council’s property portfolio, which is continuously reviewed to find smart ways to generate income for the region, grow the portfolio, or release land or property that can be better used by others.

5. Panuku works with central government, iwi, not-for-profit organisations, and private entities, using skills, knowledge and connections to bring land and resources together to create the best outcome for Aucklanders.

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) note the Panuku Development Auckland update for the six month period, 1 July to 31 December 2016.

Local activities

Portfolio management

6. Panuku manages ‘non-service’ property owned by council and Auckland Transport (AT) that is not currently needed for service or infrastructure purposes. These are properties that are not immediately required for delivery of a council service or infrastructure development, but are being held for use in a planned future project, such as road construction, the expansion of parks, or development of future town centres.

7. The property portfolio comprises 1437 properties containing 1119 leases as at 31 December 2016. The current portfolio includes vacant land, industrial buildings, warehouses, retail shops, cafes, offices, medical centres, and a large portfolio of residential rental homes.

8. The return on the property portfolio for the period ending 31 December 2016 was above budget, with a net surplus to council and AT shareholders of $3.9 million ahead of budget.

9. The average monthly tenantable occupancy rate for the six month period is more than 98 per cent, which is above the Statement of Intent (SOI) target of 95 per cent.

Properties managed in the Upper Harbour Local Board area

10. Panuku currently manages 27 commercial and residential properties within the Upper Harbour Local Board area.

Commercial properties	27
Residential properties	0
Total properties managed	27

Business interests

11. Panuku also optimises the commercial return from business interests it manages on council’s behalf. This comprises two forestry enterprises, two landfills, and four quarries.

12. There are currently no managed business interests in the Upper Harbour Local Board area.

Portfolio strategy

Optimisation

13. The 2015-2025 Long-term Plan (LTP) reflects a desire of council to materially reduce or slow down expenditure and unlock value from assets no longer required, or which are sub-optimal for service purposes. In response to this, prior to the establishment of Panuku, ACPL developed a new method of dealing with service property called ‘optimisation’.

14. Asset optimisation deals with ‘service property’. It is self-funding, maximises efficiencies from service assets, and maintains levels of service whilst releasing property for sale or development. A key element of optimisation is that the sale proceeds are locally reinvested to advance approved projects and activities on a cost-neutral basis. It does not include the AT portfolio. Panuku continues to advance this programme of work. This includes the development of a cross-council project to coordinate and execute asset sales and optimisation.

Portfolio review and rationalisation

Overview

15. Panuku is required to undertake ongoing rationalisation of the council’s non-service assets. This includes identifying properties from within council’s portfolio that may be suitable for potential sale and development if appropriate. Panuku has a particular focus on achieving housing and urban regeneration outcomes. Identifying potential sale properties contributes to the Auckland Plan focus of accommodating the significant growth projected for the region over the coming decades, by providing the council with an efficient use of capital and prioritisation of funds to achieve its activities and projects.

Performance

16. July 2016 to June 2017 target:

Unit	Target	Achieved	Comments
Portfolio review	$75 million disposal recommendations	$23.5 million as at 31 December 2016	These recommendations include $13.25 million of sites that are identified for development projects

17. Panuku works closely with council and AT to identify potentially surplus properties to help achieve disposal targets.

18. July 2017 to June 2018 target:

Unit	Target	Comments
Portfolio review	To be determined as part of the SOI with council	The target will include disposal recommendations and sales for sites that are identified for housing development and urban regeneration projects

Process

19. Once a property is identified as a potential sale candidate, it is taken through a multi-stage rationalisation process. The agreed process includes engagement with:

· council;

· CCOs;

· the relevant local board; and

· mana whenua.

20. This is followed by Panuku Board approval, engagement with the relevant local board and the Independent Māori Statutory Board, and finally, a governing body decision.

Under review

21. Properties currently under review in the Upper Harbour Local Board area are listed below. The list includes any properties that may have recently been approved for sale or development and sale by the governing body:

Property

Details

Clearwater Cove – West Harbour / Westpark Marina

Ongoing local board engagement is occurring and feedback received so far has indicated support for proposed partial rationalisation.

Further local board engagement will take place during 2017.

Acquisitions and disposals

22. Panuku manages the acquisition and disposal of property on behalf of Auckland Council. Property is purchased for development, roads, infrastructure projects, and other service needs. Panuku manages the sale of properties that are surplus to Auckland Council requirements. These properties may be sold with or without contractual requirements for development.

Acquisitions

23. Nine properties have had purchase agreements signed this financial year for open space purposes around the region at a value of $21.3 million, and three properties have been purchased for storm water purposes at a value of $2.89 million.

24. Two properties had purchase agreements signed in the Upper Harbour Local Board area during the reporting period.

Disposals

25. For the six months to December 2016, the Panuku disposals team has achieved $17.94 million of unconditional net sale proceeds from the sale of ten properties against the 2016/17 disposals target of $20 million for the year. The disposals target is agreed with Auckland Council and is reviewed on an annual basis.

26. 11 Scott Road, Hobsonville has been transferred to the Crown for development of a primary school and early learning centre. A strip on the northern boundary of the site has been retained by council for future roading purposes, as set out in the Scott Point Structure Plan.

27. Land at R62 Greville Road, Pinehill will be required by the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) for the Northern Corridor Roading Improvements and busway extension.

28. Negotiations for the sale of land at 61-117 Scott Road, Hobsonville to the Hobsonville Land Company is underway. Part of the land will be retained by council for the development of a park.

Housing for older people

29. Council owns and operates 1412 units located in 62 villages across Auckland, to provide rental housing for older people in Auckland. The Housing for Older People Project (HfOP) is a council initiative that involves procuring a third party provider to partner with council in delivering the rental housing service.

30. Following the approval by the Panuku Board on 8 December 2015, the Auckland Development Committee noted that HfOP would be an ‘Unlock’ project for Panuku and that a high level project plan (HLPP) would be prepared to provide the foundation for Panuku to develop and reposition the portfolio to better meet the needs of older people in Auckland.

31. The HLPP was approved by the Panuku Board in August 2016.

32. On 21 December 2015, council announced that the Selwyn Foundation will be its preferred joint venture partner to manage the HfOP portfolio. Panuku has been negotiating a joint venture agreement with the Selwyn Foundation. The joint venture company (JVCo) will deliver the service and improve the housing portfolio.

33. A community housing provider (CHP) application was submitted to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) by the JVCo on 20 December 2016.

34. Auckland Council has delegated Panuku to lead the development programme. An HLPP is being prepared by Panuku to cover the multi-year redevelopment of the network of village sites.

35. The following HfOP village is located within the Upper Harbour Local Board area:

Village	Address	Number of units
Windsor Court	480A East Coast Road, Windsor Park	18

Development

36. Panuku is contributing commercial input into approximately 50 region-wide council-driven renewal and housing supply initiatives.

37. Panuku works with partners and stakeholders over the life of projects. It also champions best practise project delivery to achieve best value outcomes within defined cost, time, and quality parameters.

38. Below is a high-level update on development activities in the Upper Harbour Local Board area:

· Westpark Marina – Panuku and the marina operator are meeting regularly to agree a proposed masterplan, which should be finalised by mid-2017. Panuku is also continuing to engage with AT concerning its desired transport outcomes.

· Hobsonville - in November 2015, the Auckland Development Committee resolved the 14/6 Masterplan be adopted, and Panuku be allowed to proceed immediately with the development. Key roading infrastructure has been developed and named to enable stage one to be sold to the developer, AV Jennings, who will develop 102 dwellings. Ten per cent of these dwellings will be affordable housing.

· Panuku continues to develop key infrastructure enabling the balance of residential land to be sold. Bayleys Real Estate has marketed stage two of the Airfields precinct via an expressions of interest (EOI) process, which has identified a number of potential development partners.

· Panuku continues to work closely with the Upper Harbour Local Board, iwi, Hobsonville Land Company and other key stakeholders in the wider Hobsonville precinct.

Regional activities

39. Good progress has been made in Panuku priority development areas, with HLPPs being worked on for Onehunga, Papatoetoe, Avondale and Henderson. Leading on from council’s approval of the HLPP, framework plans have been developed in Manukau and Northcote. These are more detailed plans on the development of the locations, including reference plans for each development site.

40. Often it is the smaller projects that can make a huge difference in a community over a relatively short period – placemaking activities, development of public space, or the optimisation of council properties. Panuku is identifying these projects and a key focus will be on delivering more of these projects within the locations that it works.

Highlights

41. The highlights for the last six months were:

· Sir John Wells ended his term as chair in November. Sir John has had a long association with the council family, including being chair of ACPL prior to its amalgamation to Panuku. Richard Aitken was appointed chair to replace Sir John.

· Roger MacDonald was appointed as the chief executive of Panuku, starting in the role in November. Roger originates from the United Kingdom and has delivered large-scale urban redevelopment projects across the world, including Africa, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom.

· The Panuku Board agreed that Barrowcliffe Place, Manukau, is a ‘pilot project’ to form a consortium comprising a community housing partnership (CHP) with mana whenua partner(s) and other suitable development and funding partner(s), to develop the site. The aim will be to deliver a mix of market and affordable housing where sustainable and accessible design components will be tested.

· The first tenants have moved into the Mason Brothers building in the Wynyard Quarter. The building is part of stage one of Precinct Properties’ programme of developing the commercial sites in the Wynyard Quarter. The development of 12 Madden Street will be completed in July 2017. Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) have taken the head lease for the establishment of GridAKL.

· Stage two of the Hobsonville Airfields Development was offered for tender and, after a number of tenderers submitted strong bids, a preferred developer has been selected. The due diligence process is underway. The 9.9ha site will see 500 homes of mixed typology constructed.

· Lot 1, 187 Flat Bush Road was also tendered and a development agreement has been signed. Thirty homes will be constructed on the 1.9ha site, with construction commencing within a year of the sale.

· The Auckland Savings Bank (ASB) Waterfront Theatre was opened on 22 September 2016. On council’s behalf, Panuku provided the site, contributed to the funding, and provided design review and oversight for the project. The theatre is a key component of the activation of Wynyard Quarter.

· The Water Edge Symposium was held in November, with invited waterfront experts attending from the United States, Asia, Europe and the Pacific. As well as discussing international case studies, the symposium workshopped ideas about how to develop the Onehunga/Manukau harbour water edge, and this thinking is feeding into the planning for the Onehunga transformation project.

· The Silo Park Summer Programme has seen thousands of people visit the waterfront over the summer period to enjoy the night markets, watch movies at the Silo cinema, and enjoy the various forms of entertainment on offer, cementing the waterfront as the place to be in Auckland over summer.

· After an audit of Panuku against the Accident Compensation Corporation’s (ACC) Workplace Safety Management Practices external accreditation, Panuku attained tertiary standard. This reflects Panuku’s commitment to continual improvement in health and safety.

Future outlook

42. Over the next few months, Panuku will undertake the following activities:

· formalise the joint venture between council and the Selwyn Foundation (JVCo) to manage the HfOP portfolio and tenants with legal agreements being negotiated and CHP registration being prepared. JVCo will take over the management of the HfOP portfolio in July 2017;

· the lease of the Panuku office accommodation expires in mid-2017 and options are being considered. It is likely to be more cost-effective for Panuku to move to a modest-quality building in the central business district (CBD), rather than remain in the current premises;

· Tawera Group is marketing residential apartments to gather pre-sales for the redevelopment of the Civic administration building, which is part of the Civic Quarter development. This follows on from signing of the development agreement between Panuku and the Tawera Group;

· Panuku is working on refreshing the Waterfront Strategy, which will frame future development within the CBD waterfront area. This work will be reported to council in March 2017, with draft framework plans reported in May 2017;

· Panuku has been reviewing how to improve the transparency of its board meetings and interactions with the media. Panuku will hold as many of its monthly board meetings in public as possible. A public-excluded session will be held at each meeting to discuss confidential matters. Agendas for each meeting will continue to be posted on the Panuku website prior to the meeting. Board papers (with confidential information redacted) will also be posted online. Members of the public will be invited to present to the board on issues relevant to Panuku via the website.

· All media enquiries will be responded to in a timely fashion, and all information is shared with the media unless it is of a confidential nature. Major projects are outlined on Panuku’s website and all key documents (such as the Annual Report and project plans for development locations) are available online.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

43. This report is for the Upper Harbour Local Board’s information.

44. Panuku requests all feedback and/or queries relating to property in the Upper Harbour Local Board area be directed in the first instance to localboard@developmentauckland.co.nz.

Māori impact statement

45. Tāmaki Makaurau has the highest Māori population in the world, with one in four Māori in Aotearoa living here.

46. Māori make up 12 per cent of the region’s total population who mainly live in Manurewa, Henderson-Massey, Papakura, Ōtara-Papatoetoe, Māngere-Ōtahuhu and Franklin. Māori have a youthful demographic, with 50 per cent in Tāmaki Makaurau under the age of 25 years. Five per cent of Māori in the region are currently 65 years and over.

47. There are 19 mana whenua in the region, with 14 having indicated an interest in Panuku’s lead activities within the Upper Harbour Local Board area.

48. Māori make up five per cent of the Upper Harbour Local Board population, and there are no marae located within the local board area.

49. Panuku work collaboratively with mana whenua on a range of projects, including potential property disposals, development sites in the area, and commercial opportunities. Engagement can be on specific individual properties and projects at an operational level with kaitiaki representatives, or with the Panuku Mana Whenua Governance Forum, who have a broader mandate.

50. Unlock Hobsonville is a key Panuku project within the Upper Harbour Local Board area and has attracted interest from a number of mana whenua and Māori developers.

51. Panuku will continue to partner with Māori on opportunities which enhance Māori social and economic wellbeing.

Implementation

52. There are no implementation issues.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors

Sven Mol - Stakeholder Relations Coordinator - Panuku Development Auckland

Authorisers

Toni Giacon - Team Leader Stakeholder and Community Engagement

Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Upper Harbour Local Board

16 March 2017

Project 17: Auckland Council maintenance contracts

File No.: CP2017/02988

Purpose

1. The purpose of this report is to seek feedback from local boards on maintenance contracts for parks, buildings and open space, prior to Finance and Performance Committee approval on 28 March 2017.

Executive summary

2. Auckland Council manages over 5,000 sites across the region including parks, buildings and open space. Existing Auckland Council maintenance contracts for these sites expire on 30 June 2017.

3. Project 17 was setup to procure and implement new maintenance contracts due to take effect 1 July 2017. This includes Full Facilities, Arboriculture and Ecological services across the Auckland Council region.

4. Over the last 12 months, Community Facilities has engaged with elected members through both formal and informal processes, to shape up the direction of this project and seek feedback on maintenance requirements and service levels. Refer to Attachment A for the Political Engagement Timeline.

5. Elected member feedback, including local priorities, informed the Request for Proposal document which was the basis of negotiation with suppliers. Refer to Attachment B for this local board’s resolutions dated September 2016.

6. This report outlines the following documents which will form part of final maintenance contracts and standard service levels:

· Attachment C Standard and Enhanced Assets;

· Attachment D Full Facilities Contract Service Specifications;

· Attachment E Supplier Specific Information (CONFIDENTIAL);

· Attachment F Contractor Performance Balanced Scorecard;

· Attachment G Tupuna Maunga Values Specifications; and

· Attachment H Contract Information (CONFIDENTIAL).

7. Community Facilities seek feedback from local boards on Attachments C, D and E, prior to Finance and Performance Committee approval on 28 March 2017.

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) provide feedback on:

i. Standard and Enhanced Assets (Attachment C);

ii. Full Facilities Contract Service Specifications (Attachment D); and

iii. Supplier Specific Information (Attachment E).

b) note that the local board will have the opportunity to meet successful suppliers in April and May to discuss and refine local service level variations.

Comments

Process

8. Over the last 12 months, Community Facilities has engaged with elected members through both formal and informal processes, to shape up the direction of this project and seek feedback on maintenance requirements and service levels. Refer to Attachment A for the Political Engagement Timeline.

9. An open, competitive tender process seeking proposals for the supply of full facilities, arboriculture and ecological maintenance services of council assets was conducted as follows:

· on 10 August 2016, an expression of interest was published to identify market interest in providing maintenance services for buildings, parks and open spaces to Auckland Council. Thirty-six expressions of interest were received;

· formal feedback from local boards on the project approach and proposed service specifications was received in September 2016;

· feedback was also sought from local boards on the list of assets in their area, used as the basis of asset data in the request for proposal;

· refer to Attachment B for this local board’s resolutions;

· feedback was used to inform the request for proposal document, which was released on 28 October 2016 and submissions closed 9 January 2017;

· submissions were assessed and scored by an evaluation team against weighted criteria including; methodology, resources and capability, innovation and SMART procurement, and price;

· negotiations are now underway with shortlisted suppliers, due for completion 10 March; and

· recommended contracts for five areas across the region, including pricing and baseline service levels, will be presented to the Finance and Performance Committee on 28 March 2017 for final approval.

10. Community Facilities seek feedback from local boards on Attachments C, D and E, prior to Finance and Performance Committee approval on 28 March 2017.

Approach

11. Following a review last year of management and maintenance processes of council’s assets, this project has adopted an improved approach to maintenance services, to:

· focus on the whole-of-life cycle of assets;

· deliver more services without compromising quality;

· encourage and incentivise contractors to be accountable for the assets and develop ownership at all levels of their service delivery;

· provide a contractual framework that enables contractors to employ innovate ideas and methods without compromising on quality delivery; and

· implement five new contract areas (called Tahi, Rua, Toru, Whā, Rima) to allow for better economies of scale. The local boards represented within each area are:

Contract Area

Tahi

Rua

Toru

Whā

Rima

Devonport-Takapuna

Hibiscus & Bays

Kaipātiki

Upper Harbour

Albert-Eden

Great Barrier

Puketāpapa

Waiheke

Whau

Henderson-Massey

Rodney

Waitākere Ranges

Howick

Maungakiekie-Tāmaki

Orākei

Waitematā

Franklin

Māngere-Ōtāhuhu

Manurewa

Ōtara-Papatoetoe

Papakura

12. A key change is that contracts will have a more outcome-based focus on service levels, as opposed to predictive or frequency based maintenance schedules (unless where necessary). This ensures service standards are consistently maintained and managed by suppliers.

13. A standard maintenance service level is applied to every asset to ensure it is fit for purpose, in good condition and achieves community outcomes.

14. Where an asset may have specific known demands such as high frequency use, high reputational risk, requires attendance due to its nature (e.g. old, troublesome asset) or is a heritage site, an enhanced level of service may be applied to the asset.

15. An enhanced service level should not be confused with poor performance from a supplier to provide the agreed standard service level.

16. Refer to Attachment C outlining the updated asset list (including those requiring an enhanced service level) for this local board area as at March 2017. Please note this asset list is continually reviewed to ensure up-to-date data in alignment to council decisions and asset assessments.

17. Maintenance contracts have been negotiated to cover three core functions across the five areas:

· Full Facilities;

· Specialist Arboriculture; and

· Specialist Ecological.

18. Council may immediately terminate (or suspend the supplier’s performance of) the contract in whole or in part, by written notice to the supplier, if a persistent performance breach occurs. Please refer to the Contractor Management section in this report for further details.

19. Refer to Attachment H (confidential) for further information about contract terms and Attachment E (confidential) for supplier specific information.

Standard Service Levels

Full Facilities Contract (FFC)

20. Service specifications determine the criteria and outcomes associated with maintaining an asset or facility, which then sets the foundation of a contract agreement.

21. Refer to Attachment D for the Service Specifications expected across the Auckland region for Full Facilities maintenance work. In summary, these are service level output statements by category:

Full Facilities Category	Output Statement
Open Space	Parks, reserves and roadsides within Auckland are maintained and developed to provide a sustainable, safe, clean and healthy environment while assets are maintained and enhanced to meet the amenity and use needs of council, Auckland residents and visitors.
Arboriculture	Trees (under three metres in height) are maintained to an aesthetically pleasing state which promotes healthy growth with the tree adding to the resident or visitors experience with targeted maintenance activities to achieve healthy and safe trees.
Locking and Unlocking	Assets are actively managed to minimise vandalism and anti-social behavior
Buildings - Maintenance	All Auckland Council owned and/or operated facilities require on-going Planned and Response Maintenance (compliance and non-compliance) to ensure that all facilities provided for public and Auckland Council staff use are functional, fit-for-purpose, safe and where possible ensure that the building services are optimised to reduce disruption to the facilities operation.
Buildings – Cleaning	All Auckland Council owned and/or operated buildings that require planned and response cleaning shall be cleaned to a standard that allows all buildings users to utilise a sanitary, hygienic, safe, functional and fit for purpose space for their operation. All litter and debris shall be removed from site and done so in a sustainable manner.

22. Standard Operating Procedures have been developed to agree minimal functional requirements such as height of grass mowing, mulching thickness, goal post painting etc. These procedures have been developed through expertise knowledge and are operational in nature.

23. Minor Capital Works (low value, low risk) is included in these contracts to ensure appropriate mitigation measures are incorporated when maintaining assets.

24. The baseline service level for specialist sportsfield maintenance ensures sports playing surfaces are managed to provide surfaces and assets that are ‘fit for use’ for the type and level of sport being played and which maximise usage and support organised sporting activities.

25. Specialist sportsfield renovation work includes:

· fertilisation, application, fertilisers;

· winter treatment - cambridge rolling, slicing and spiking, solid tine vertidraining, ground breaking, vibramoling;

· summer - vertimowing, dethatching, organic matter removal, leaf collection, scarifying/ dethatching, coring/hollow tine, core harvesting, undersowing/oversowing, sand topdressing, soil topdressing, vibramoling, mole plough, verti-draining, ground probe aeration, weed control, weed control (couch), agrichemical controls on sportsfields, top planning;

· turfing – turf replacement (minor);

· artificial - cleaning, rubber top-ups, grooming, repair, hygiene;

· supply bulk supply materials - eg sand, soil, seed, agrichemicals, turf (winter and summer species), fertiliser;

· renovation works programme development; and

· note that the Full Facilities contract incorporates sports mowing, line marking, goal posts/furniture, soil and/or tissue sample analysis, grass selection, pest and disease detection, minor turf repairs, renovation works programme report, cricket.

26. Sportsfield renovations seasonally renovate surfaces back into condition for subsequent sporting code use, including renewal of surfaces that have reached their life span, or reinstating an asset that has been damaged through excessive overuse.

27. Sportsfield renovations are collaboratively implemented to complement maintenance activities in the contract.

28. When asset components are replaced (e.g. turf type), the same style and material type is supplied, unless otherwise directed by Auckland Council.

Arboriculture Specialist Contract

29. The scope of the arboriculture contract covers the management of council owned trees i.e. its ‘urban forest and rural surrounds’

30. The arboriculture contract includes, but is not limited to, the following services:

· general administration and communication;

· inspections and programmes;

· pruning;

· reactive works;

· clean-up;

· tree removal;

· planting;

· aftercare maintenance; and

· tree asset inventory.

31. The arboriculture contract will be managed as a prescriptive measure and value contract, but may shift to output basis through the term of the contract. Work will be managed on both a scheduled and reactive basis.

32. Auckland Council will retain ownership of all chipped bio-mass (foliage, brushwood and wood) resulting from Arboriculture Specialist contracts.

33. It will be expected that the supplier takes a proactive approach in relation to council’s assets, including those not directly related to the contract’s scope. This will involve reporting any faults or issues, regardless of asset ownership in a timely manner e.g. reporting a vandalised bus shelter (Auckland Transport) next to a street garden.

34. The management of Kauri Dieback and weeds are incorporated into Standard Operating Procedures included in the Arboriculture Specialist contract.

Ecological Specialist Contract

35. The ecological contract provides for the maintenance of Auckland Council’s high value ecology sites, and significant bush and natural areas. The prioritised targeted removal of animal and plant pests from council’s open spaces is a core service within this contract. The overarching objective is to restore and rehabilitate native biodiversity in a sustainable and long-term approach.

36. The scope of the ecological contract includes:

· preparing ecological restoration plans that take a long term perspective and provide the optimum cost effective management to reinstate the ecological processes, so the site environmental values are conserved and enhanced;

· assessing, monitoring and controlling pests impacting the ecological processes and or values at each site. This includes but is not limited to plant, animal and invertebrate pests; and

· restorative planting of sites.

37. The supplier is required to have all vehicles to carry a web based GPS tracking system. This enables reports to be produced on journey length and stay.

38. The ecological contract is supplemented by an Ecological and Environmental Pest Control Standard Operating Procedure which provides guidance to methodologies and site-specific requirements.

39. The supplier is required to report any hazardous dumping to Auckland Council’s pollution hot line immediately.

Other Maintenance Priorities

SMART Procurement

40. The following SMART procurement outcomes are requirements outlined in maintenance contracts:

· Increase capability and capacity – suppliers are required to create sustainable businesses that provide training and development to ensure continued quality delivery of services over the term of the contract;

· Youth employment - contracts should facilitate connecting work-ready youth to local employment by creating local jobs with training and development opportunities;

· Diversity and inclusion - contracts should promote inclusion, reduce discrimination and remove barriers to opportunity and participation, particularly for disadvantaged groups who face barriers to employment e.g. long term unemployed, and people with disabilities;

· Valuing Māori - suppliers are required to work collaboratively with council to achieve better outcomes with Māori, by supporting skill development and labour market participation, and engagement with Māori owned businesses;

· Pacific Auckland - contracts should support further training, development and labour market participation for Pacific youth and communities; and

· Local community and economy - contracts should support local business where reasonable/practical, and should meet the social needs of the delivery area.

41. Contracts have retained flexibility to remove assets (by contract variation) to facilitate active participation by the third sector/volunteers to deliver maintenance outcomes.

42. Suppliers (and subcontractors) are required to establish, document, implement, maintain and continually improve an environmental management system. This will capture practices such as an environmental policy, environmental impacts of significance, legal requirements, environmental objectives and targets. At a mimimum, the management system will monitor and measure energy conservation, water conservation, waste management and recycling, chemical use, Scope 1 and Scope 2 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

43. Suppliers are proposed to annually reduce the carbon footprint from year two onwards.

44. The environmental management system must be certified by an accredited third party to the standard of ISO14001, EcoWarranty, Enviro-Mark or an agreed-upon alternative programme. Where the supplier has certified to the Enviro-Mark programme, they will commit to attaining the highest level of certification, Enviro-Mark Diamond.

45. Please refer to Attachment E for further supplier specific information.

Weed Management

46. A memorandum from Barry Potter, Director Infrastructure and Environmental Services, was circulated to local board members on 15 November 2016 regarding weed management. A second memorandum was circulated to all elected members on 16 December 2016 providing an update on the implementation of Auckland Council’s Weed Management Policy, particularly with regards to this project.

47. New maintenance contracts have been designed to reflect the objectives of Auckland Council’s Weed Management Policy which includes implementing the following changes:

48. What will change?

· Minimise agrichemical use:

o the new contracts require a reduction in agrichemical usage and this will be closely monitored - a 10 per cent penalty of the monthly invoice to the supplier will be applied if the ‘annual reduction in use of agrichemicals’ KPI is not met;

o chemical usage will be reported monthly by suppliers and tracked on a local park by local park basis. Please refer to the Contract Management section in this report for further information on reporting, auditing and KPI’s;

o contracts will standardise which type of glysophate will be used across the region by all suppliers;

o manual and mechanical weed control methods are currently used in and around children’s playgrounds across the region. Agrichemicals are not used within these spaces. This will continue under new contracts; and

o mechanical edging will be applied along paving and other hard edges.

· Integrated weed management, ensure best practice and value for money:

o the volume of mulch in gardens and garden beds will be increased to reduce other methods of weed control;

o change from frequency based maintenance contracts to a focus on environmental outcomes, to encourage suppliers to be more innovative in their approach to weed management and edge control;

o learnings from innovations will be socialised across all suppliers to promote continuous improvement and best practice methodology;

o suppliers will be encouraged and rewarded for innovation in weed management at quarterly supplier forums;

o development of a weed management manual which is currently being reviewed by the Best Practice Reference Group;

o establishment of the Best Practice Reference Group made up of external technical experts and community representatives as per the policy action plan; and

o a No-Spray register will be used by suppliers to ensure consistency in practice and process.

· Empower the community to manage weeds in accordance with the policy

o weed control programmes in ecological restoration contracts will be planned and agreed in advance of the works;

o targeted weed control, including the use of volunteers, will be enabled to ensure that agrichemical usage is minimised and integrated with other sustainable practices such as replanting with eco-sourced species to prevent weed re‑infestation;

o contracts include supplier inductions and training on public awareness of vegetation controls, including herbicides and the importance of public education, including signage when spraying; and

o improved information on council’s website outlining how and why council controls weeds.

49. At the 13 December 2016 Finance and Performance Committee meeting, the following resolutions relating to weed management were approved:

· an addition to recommend to the Environment and Community Committee as follows:

a) note that significant funding reallocations are not within the scope of the Annual Plan process.

b) endorse glysophate reduction targets within the current budget.

c) express support for the continued implementation of the Weed Management Policy.

d) agree that a political group be appointed by the Mayor, monitors and reviews the implementation of Auckland Council’s Weed Management Policy and practice.

e) recommend that a review and consultation of allocated funding take place through the upcoming Long-term Plan process.

· resolution d) reshapes the weed management political advisory group

Co-Governance

50. As pre-agreed with co-governance partners, suppliers submitted a detailed report and costings on how they would manage and provide specific services to the Tūpuna Maunga Authority and / or Parakai Recreation Reserve in their preferred areas.

51. This report is being socialised with leaders and representatives from co-governance entities with the outcome being determined at the end of March 2017, with either of the following options being the preferred solution:

· maintain the status quo;

· offer maintenance services to the supplier in the specific area; or

· offer maintenance services to only one supplier who would be accountable for all outcomes.

52. Whenua Rangatira (Bastion Point) – no change proposed to current maintenance agreements where iwi are responsible for managing this site.

Community Empowerment

53. Local boards expressed strong support to enable community empowerment including volunteers, through these contracts.

54. Contracts have the flexibility to accommodate contract variations such as community empowerment initiatives, however compliance with Health and Safety, legislative obligations, agreed service levels and operating procedures are critical in these cases.

55. Local boards should work with their strategic brokers (within the Arts, Community and Events team) to identify requirements and opportunities, who will then liaise with Community Facilities to agree and implement suitable solutions.

Contract Management

Contractor performance

56. Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) measure how well the supplier is doing to meet specifications and outcomes. KPIs cover five categories:

· quality;

· innovation;

· management;

· smart procurement and environmental management; and

· stakeholder, customer and community impact.

57. Health and Safety (H&S) is a contractual obligation.

58. KPIs are measured monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or annually.

59. Suppliers are required to meet Full Facilities Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Minor Capital Work KPIs to have their level of direct award for Minor Capital Works increased, as an incentive for good performance.

60. For each category component failed, suppliers must provide an improvement plan to resolve the performance issue.

61. If a supplier continues to fail on a category component beyond the performance resolution improvement plan deadline, council will be entitled to withhold payment of 10 per cent of each month's invoices (excluding minor capex) until the supplier starts meeting the category component target.

62. Suppliers have the right to earn back withheld payments relating to category components if they start meeting required target levels by a timeframe set by council.

63. Attachment F outlines the Contractor Performance Balanced Scorecard that will be monitored and applied across the region.

Auditing

64. Auditing of contractor performance was previously conducted by external parties. However, this function is now being conducted internally by Community Facilities. A team of auditors conduct spot checks onsite, targeting 10 per cent of all maintenance work conducted by each supplier.

Response maintenance

65. Response maintenance work will be categorised by urgency and a maximum response time determined. Criteria is still under negotiation and agreement for some suppliers.

66. The supplier will undertake programmed maintenance, responsive maintenance and all other minor contract works (including emergency works on an as needs basis only) on Monday to Sunday, restricting noisy and any activities that may cause a nuisance to between the hours of:

· 7:00am and 6:00pm (52 weeks of the year); and

· 10:00am and 6:00pm (Saturdays and Sundays and statutory holidays).

67. The supplier will provide a call-out service 24 hours, seven days a week, carried out as part of normal duties.

68. Following completion of response maintenance work, the supplier will call the customer (between 8:00am and 6:00pm unless otherwise stated), to inform them that works have been undertaken and check that the customer is satisfied.

69. It is expected that suppliers assist with ‘whole of life’ asset management which requires the supplier to assess and make recommendations on the optimal most cost effective balance of programmed maintenance, responsive maintenance, and renewal of assets across their whole life.

70. Suppliers are required to update a condition assessment grading once a maintenance service has been undertaken, to be included in council’s asset management system, and to notify council of any significant degradation.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

71. Project 17 has engaged with local boards through various channels including:

· Local Board Chairs Procurement Working Group;

· Local Board Chairs Forum presentations;

· memorandums;

· cluster workshops;

· individual local board workshops; and

· business meeting reports.

72. Refer to Attachment A outlining the political engagement timeline.

73. Community Facilities is now seeking feedback from local boards during the final stage of this procurement process, prior to Finance and Performance Committee approval of contracts.

Māori impact statement

74. Auckland Council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its broader statutory obligations to Māori.

75. Māori responsiveness requires the collective effort of everyone. Under the new contracts, suppliers will work collaboratively with council to achieve better outcomes with Māori and for Auckland. This will include:

· building positive relationships with Māori – effective communication and engagement with Māori, developing resilient relationships with mana whenua;

· significantly lift Māori social and economic well-being; and

· building Māori capability and capacity.

76. Through these contracts, opportunities to support local community outcomes and economic development include (but are not limited to):

· providing employment opportunities, in particular for local people and for youth;

· increasing capability and capacity (apprenticeships, cadetships or equivalent) in particular for youth; and

· building on community and volunteer networks.

77. The request for proposal outlined Tūpuna Maunga Value Specifications as outlined in Attachment G, which suppliers are required to support as part of new maintenance contracts.

Implementation

78. The transition into new contracts will commence once formal approval is agreed by the Finance and Performance Committee.

79. Local boards will have the opportunity to meet new suppliers in April and May 2017 to discuss specific local priorities. Any local service level variations may need to be reflected in contract variations and implementation timelines agreed with the supplier.

80. New maintenance contracts take effect on 1July 2017. Note that there will be approximately six to 12 months to bed in changes, in particularly systems and reporting.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Political Engagement Timeline	159
b ⇩	Local Board Resolutions (September 2016)	161
c ⇩	Standard and Enhanced Assets	165
d ⇩	FFC Service Specifications	169
e ⇩	Supplier Specific Information - Tahi (Under Separate Cover) - Confidential
f ⇩	Contractor Performance Balanced Scorecard	221
g ⇩	Tupuna Maunga Values Specifications	225
h ⇩	Contract Information - Confidential

Signatories

Authors

Kate Marsh - Financial Planning Manager - Local Boards

Authorisers

Rod Sheridan - General Manager Community Facilities

Karen Lyons - General Manager Local Board Services

Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Upper Harbour Local Board

16 March 2017

2016 Election: Highlights and issues

File No.: CP2017/03270

Purpose

1. To provide local board input into submissions to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee’s ‘Inquiry into the 2016 local authority elections’.

Executive summary

2. This report has been presented to governing body which has agreed that the report will be presented to all local boards for their feedback on submissions to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee’s ‘Inquiry into the 2016 local authority elections’. The issues on which submissions might be based are outlined under the heading later in the report ‘Submission to Justice and Electoral Select Committee on legislative change’. Local board comments will be reported back to governing body, to decide the final form of the submission.

3. Planning for the 2016 elections commenced at the end of 2014. Staff presented a report to governing body in March 2015, which set out the areas of focus for achieving outcomes in terms of voter and candidate experiences and turnout.

4. This report:

· describes initiatives taken in the areas of focus;

· evaluates the achievement of the outcomes;

· notes other activities associated with the election, such as inaugural meetings;

· summarises the budget and forecast expenditure;

· identifies issues for council to follow up;

· proposes submissions to make to Parliament’s Justice and Electoral Select Committee’s ‘Inquiry into the 2016 local authority elections’; and

· outlines the timetable for the review of representation arrangements leading up to the 2019 elections.

5. The 2016 elections were successful. Particular highlights were:

· a successful marketing campaign based on the ‘showyourlove’ brand;

· innovative approaches to engaging with the community, including through social media, websites and the Love Bus;

· increased participation in Kids Voting;

· personal assistance provided to the visually impaired;

· increased turnout over 2013; and

· the elections came within budget.

6. This report is presented to local boards to provide input to a submission to the Select Committee, with the final submission presented back to governing body in May 2017. The submission needs to be lodged by December 2017.

Recommendation/s

That the Upper Harbour Local Board:

a) agree its comments be reported back to governing body for inclusion in the Auckland Council’s submission to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee’s ‘Inquiry into the 2016 local authority elections’.

Comments

Strategic approach

7. A report to governing body in March 2015 set out the strategic approach to the 2016 elections. It identified the following areas of focus:

· communications and community engagement;

· candidate awareness;

· on-line voting; and

· optimum use of council resources.

8. Those areas of focus were to deliver the following outcomes:

· an excellent experience for candidates and voters;

· a voter turnout of at least 40 per cent;

· a candidate-to-member ratio of three; and

· user-centric, innovative and transparent local body elections.

9. The following sections describe initiatives taken in these areas of focus and the achievement of the outcomes.

Actions taken in areas of focus

Communications and community engagement

10. Voter participation statistics showed that previous participation rates were low among 18 - 39 year olds and this age group was a key focus for the Election Planning Team.

11. Initiatives included:

· a comprehensive marketing campaign based on the “showyourlove” brand;

· advertising – billboards, adshells, bus backs, press, magazine, radio, digital, ethnic radio and newspapers;

· heart ballot boxes;

· digital bus shelter voting tallies;

· targeted social media: videos and articles via VoteAkl social media sites, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube;

· ‘Our Auckland’ council’s news channel;

· Auckland Council channels for posters, such as libraries and service centres;

· the Love Bus and community presentations;

· showyourlove.co.nz web pages for information about candidates; and

· Kids Voting programme in schools.

12. The Election Team tested the ‘showyourlove’ brand with audiences. Feedback, particularly from young people, has been very positive. Wellington City Council also developed its own brand, using our ‘love’ concept. Auckland Council and Wellington City Council experienced greater increases over 2013 turnouts than other metropolitan councils.

13. The Love Bus provided a visual reminder of the elections. It stopped at various locations where people gathered, such as at malls, and staff engaged with passers-by.

14. An engagement programme included making presentations to community groups:

· eighty events including: 22 Love Bus events, 11 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) events, 22 community presentations (total attendance at these presentations was approximately 800), three meetings or informal chats, five information stalls;

· ten of these events were run in conjunction with the Electoral Commission;

· sessions were facilitated by the deaf community, Disability Network NZ, Tongan and Samoan churches, and Korean Youth Leadership Institute, independent of council support;

· twenty-four engagement sessions included an interpreter for at least one language; interpreters for eight different languages, including New Zealand sign language, were used;

· groups reached included faith communities (Jewish, Muslim), Rainbow communities, Youth, Korean, Chinese, African, Indian, Tongan, Samoan, Sri Lankan, Somalian, Ethiopian, Rwandan, Filipino, West Indian, Burmese, Cambodian and Japanese;

· all advisory panels contributed to the elections programme;

· engagement activities and events were run in 15 of the 21 local board areas; and

· approximately 24,000 Aucklanders were reached by engagement activities.

15. The showyourlove.co.nz website provided information about candidates for voters. People often state, when asked in surveys, the reason they do not vote is they lack information about candidates. This website was planned very carefully to ensure that council did not provide any candidate with an electoral advantage. All candidates were given the same opportunity to provide information, in addition to the information in their candidate profile statements.

16. A survey conducted after the 2016 elections gauged the effectiveness of these initiatives. The sample size was 1,259 people.

17. Awareness and likelihood of voting:

· awareness of the elections rose from 83 per cent before the campaign, to 93 per cent following the campaign;

· before the election, 75 per cent intended to vote but after the election only 63 per cent (of the survey sample) actually voted;

· of the 35 per cent who did not vote, 56 per cent intended to vote but did not; and

· reasons given for not voting by the 35 per cent who did not vote include:

o don’t know anything about the candidates (25 per cent);

o don't know enough about the policies (22 per cent);

o did not know when voting finished, missed deadline (18 per cent);

o forgot to vote (18 per cent);

o can't work out who to vote for (16 per cent);

o not interested in politics or politicians (14 per cent);

o didn’t think vote would make a difference (11 per cent);

o couldn’t be bothered voting (11 per cent);

o too much effort to select the candidate (10 per cent); and

o had other commitments during that time (10 per cent).

18. Effectiveness of messaging:

· fifty-three per cent said the ads made them think of their community;

· forty-four per cent said the ads reminded them of what they love about their city; and

· forty-six per cent said the ads made them more likely to vote.

19. Twenty-one per cent used the web and social media for information about the elections; mostly the Auckland Council website.

20. Of those who intended to vote but did not vote, 25 per cent said on-line or app based voting would encourage them to vote.

21. Seventy-four per cent said they would prefer on-line voting over postal voting with 18 per cent preferring postal voting; those who preferred on-line voting were spread amongst all age groups but were mainly in the younger age groups.

22. The Kids Voting programme was an on-line voting experience for students. Students cannot legally take part in the actual election, but Kids Voting creates awareness of the elections which often flows from the participating students to their families. The Election Team prepared teaching kits that class teachers could use to explain how council works. There was a hypothetical referendum question that students voted on using the STV voting system. Fifty-six schools and 11,730 students registered to take part, compared with 44 schools and 8319 students in 2013. Forty-one schools had 4748 students who actually voted. The lessons provided to the schools by the Election Team were:

· an introduction to Auckland Council;

· an introduction to elections and voting;

· a real world on-line referendum case study;

· local boards, wards and local issues; and

· researching candidates.

Candidate awareness of election information

23. The council’s website provided information for candidates. This included:

· candidate information handbook;

· candidate audio booklet;

· FAQs;

· research material;

· how to be nominated;

· election timetable;

· video explaining Auckland Council;

· posters on all Auckland Council channels;

· ads in newspapers;

· radio; and

· digital ads.

24. The Election Team focused on on-line content over hard copy booklets. Following the experience in 2013 when 28 information evenings garnered only small attendance, the team did not hold candidate information evenings.

25. Wellington City Council publicised community-based candidate meetings on its website, which people apparently found useful. Auckland council could consider this for 2019.

On-line voting

26. Prior to the elections, the Associate Minister of Local Government announced that trials for on-line voting would not take place for the 2016 elections.

27. The community expects to have an on-line option, provided concerns about the security of on-line voting are addressed. In the post-election awareness survey, 74 per cent said they would prefer on-line voting over postal voting.

28. The Finance and Performance Committee resolved in December 2016 to request the Minister of Local Government to explore a pilot trial of an electronic voting system, including for by-elections.

Optimum use of council resources

29. Key areas of council involved in the elections were:

· Democracy Services and Communications and Engagement;

· libraries and service centres held election information, received nominations and issued special votes;

· communications staff undertook advertising, branding, web content, and social media with assistance from the design studio;

· bylaws compliance staff enforced the Auckland Transport Elections Signs Bylaw;

· Legal Services provided legal advice when required; and

· Research and Evaluation (RIMU) staff provided advice on demographic data and undertook research for the report on the order of names.

30. Elections planning staff worked closely with the Electoral Commission, Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM).

31. Council’s election services provider (Independent Election Services Ltd) was based in the central business area, in Anzac Avenue, and was the main central city office. Staff later provided limited services at the Bledisloe Service Centre in response to demand.

Achievement of outcomes

32. The desired outcomes were:

· an excellent experience for candidates and voters;

· a voter turnout of at least 40 per cent;

· a candidate-to-member ratio of three; and

· user-centric, innovative and transparent local body elections.

Candidate experience

33. For the first time, council conducted an on-line survey of candidates. One-hundred and fifty candidates took part. This feedback shows a positive candidate experience.

34. Key findings were:

· seventy-six per cent said it was easy, or very easy, to find information;

· eighty-eight per cent said that overall they could access the information they needed;

· eighty-seven per cent said they used resources on the Auckland Council website;

· eighty-three per cent were aware of the ‘Love your Auckland – stand for council’ campaign;

· eighty per cent contributed to their information on the showyourlove.co.nz website; and

· fifty per cent said this was their first time standing for elected office with Auckland Council and 50 per cent said it was not their first time.

35. The Election Team has noted some candidate issues for following up or improvement:

· a couple of candidates were nominated for positions for which they did not intend to stand. In one case, a number of candidates on one ticket arrived at a service centre together, creating increased demand on staff at the last minute. In future, the Election Team will co-ordinate with ticket campaign managers to help manage the processing of nominations and will provide additional briefings to staff helping at service centres. Legislative change to allow electronic submission of nominations to improve these processes will be sought;

· there was a question whether a Samoan matai title could be used on the nomination form. The legislation prohibits ‘titles’ but does not define ‘title’. The Electoral Officer, after receiving legal and cultural advice, allowed matai ‘titles’ on the basis they were used more like names than titles. It would be helpful to have legislative guidance on this; and

· some candidates expressed concern about the requirement to state in the profile statement whether they lived in the area for which they were standing. Council previously submitted in opposition to this requirement.

Voter experience

36. The awareness survey showed that voters used on-line tools to find out about voting and about candidates.

37. Issues which negatively affected the experience of voters (some outside the control of council):

· a small number of voters in one area did not receive voting documents. The Electoral Officer received about 90 applications for special votes from voters in that area;

· voters outside the area during the voting period either could not vote or had to apply for a special vote. An example was, a voter who was overseas and who had arranged for a special vote to be posted to them but who could not meet the deadline for posting it back from overseas. An ability to supply the voting documents electronically would assist; and

· an issue which continues to affect the voter experience is the mixture of different voting systems on the one voting document, and different orders of candidate names.

38. Ten staff volunteered to assist blind people with their voting. This was arranged in partnership with the Blind Foundation and the volunteers were trained and made declarations as electoral officials. The volunteers visited voters at their residences and helped them mark their voting documents. The Auckland Branch of Blind Citizens NZ wrote an appreciative letter to the mayor and chief executive.

Voter turnout

39. The council aimed for a 40 per cent turnout. The turnout was 38.5 per cent, an increase of 3.7 per cent over the 2013 turnout.

40. Across all of New Zealand, there was a slight increase over 2013:

2010

2013

2016

Change

National voter turnout %

49.0

41.3

42.0

+0.7

41. Across metropolitan councils, Auckland and Wellington achieved the two highest increases:

Voter turnout % - Metro	2010	2013	2016	Change %
Auckland	51.0	34.9	38.5	+3.7
Christchurch City	52.2	42.9	38.3	-4.6
Dunedin City	53.0	43.1	45.2	+2.1
Hamilton City	37.8	38.3	33.6	-4.7
Hutt City Council	40.4	36.6	37.8	+1.2
Nelson City	52.2	52.2	52.1	-0.1
Palmerston North City	43.2	38.7	39.1	0.4
Porirua City	39.1	36.6	38.0	+1.5
Tauranga City	43.8	37.8	38.0	+0.2
Upper Hutt City	44.3	40.8	41.0	+0.2
Wellington City	40.0	41.5	45.6	+4.1
Total	45.0	38.0	39.3	+1.3

Candidate to member ratio

42. The target was three candidates per position.

43. There were 19 candidates for mayor. In 10 out of 13 electoral ward issues for councillors, the ratio of candidates to positions was three-to-one or greater.

44. There were 32 local board electoral issues (there are 21 local boards but elections in some local board areas are on a subdivision basis). In nine, the ratio of candidates to positions was three-to-one or greater. For a local board that is not divided into subdivisions, it is harder to achieve the ratio because the number of positions is greater.

45. Overall, there were 468 candidates for 170 positions, which is a ratio of 2.8 to one.

User-centric, innovative and transparent local body elections

46. The key ‘users’ in an election are the candidates and the voters. Feedback shows:

· candidates got the information they needed; and

· compared to previous elections voters could find out more about candidates, through the “showyourlove” website.

47. Assistance was provided to voters who were blind. Blind Citizens NZ communicated its appreciation back to council.

48. The report details above a number of innovative activities such as the Love Bus and Heart Ballot Boxes.

49. Aspirations to have on-line voting were not met. There is a need to provide a user-friendly option for voters who do not use postal services. Voters who are not in the area during the voting period also have issues. If a voter is overseas, by the time voting documents have been posted to them (if they have a reliable postal address) there is insufficient time to post them back. The ability to download blank forms and to scan and email completed forms should be investigated.

50. For candidates, there is only the one option of paper-based nomination forms. Submitting nominations electronically needs to be investigated.

51. The communications and community awareness programmes were innovative and received positive feedback, as noted above under ‘Communications and Community Engagement’.

52. Ensuring candidates and voters had sufficient information assisted the transparency of the elections.

Other activities relating to the elections

53. The Executive Leadership Team adopted a staff policy around political neutrality and involvement in the election process outside work hours. Governing body adopted an elected members’ policy dealing with issues such as the use of council resources by incumbent members. The policy required close management of council communications during the sensitive period and a panel met weekly to monitor this.

54. Council staff enforce the Auckland Transport Election Sign Bylaw and dealt with 162 complaints. Earlier in the year, there was media coverage about the use of commercial billboards. This will be addressed in a review of the Auckland Transport bylaw.

55. Following each election there are a number of activities arranged for elected members:

· induction sessions for members;

· refreshing the technology provided to members;

· powhiri for all members; and

· inaugural meetings of governing body and local boards at which members make their statutory declarations.

Cost of the election

56. Summary of budget and expenditure:

Budget	Planned	Actual (at 31/01/17)	Forecast	Comments
Election Services - IES	$4,893,000	$4,515,500	$4,653,490	Amount payable to IES as per contract plus a 10 per cent buffer for variable costs to be determined at wash-up in Feb ’17, Whilst costs are currently forecast to arrive over contract amount, these are expected to be within budget (including buffer).
Communications and engagement (internal charge)	$1,221,000	$1,160,960	$1,221,498	Expected to meet budget once final costs are confirmed.
Staff	$620,000	$659,637	$669,637	Slight over-spend in staff due to increased programme scope and staff turnover.
Kids Voting	$50,000	$49,424	$49,424	Steering group approved exceeding budget for increased number of participating schools and students. This includes $30,000 for IES for on‑line voting capability.
Community engagement	$40,000	$27,441	$27,441	Initial elections budget had no allocation for community engagement hence in 2016, $40,000 was reallocated from other items. Under-spend here due to final budget being confirmed after a lower cost engagement schedule was already planned. $10,000 for translations and accessibility was covered by community engagement budget.
Governing body inaugural meeting	$57,000	$49,661	$52,697	Initial budget had allocated $81,000 for post-election costs, of which specifics were not known to elections team. This was reduced to cover inaugural meeting only and then further to fund community engagement. In 2013, Inaugural meeting cost was $57,000.
Local board inaugural meetings	$129,300	$97,921	$129,300	The budgets for travel and equipment hireage were not fully utilised.
Research	$20,000	$6,404	$8,700	This amount was reduced from $30,000 to fund community engagement.
Pre-election IES, DDB and Buzz	$0	$48,980	$48,980	Unplanned costs for development of elections strategy were funded by Democracy Services in 2015.
Miscellaneous	$0	$9,244	$9,244	Includes judicial recount, costs associated with services at libraries and service centres, other programme-wide costs, and office expenses.
Recoveries - DHBs and LTs	-$1,500,000	-$622,500	-$1,517,964	Full recoverable amount will be determined at wash-up in February 2017. Current estimates expect to meet planned amount.
Total	$5,530,300	$6,002,672	$5,352,447	Overall budget under-spend expected once wash-up is confirmed in February 2017.

57. The costs of the Howick by-election ($104,000) will be absorbed in the budget if possible.

Issues to progress further

Howick by-election

58. A member of the Howick Local Board resigned at the inaugural meeting of the board. Council held a by-election at a cost of $104,000, which the Finance and Performance Committee has approved as unbudgeted expenditure. The committee considered council should have the option of appointing to a vacancy that occurs within six months of an election, and that council should have the option of conducting a by-election on-line. The committee resolved:

“That the Finance and Performance Committee:

…

c) agree that the Mayor will write to the Minister of Local Government requesting, among other amendments to the Local Electoral Act 2001 necessary to improve the conduct of local elections, an amendment to section 117 to allow a local authority using the first past the post electoral system to determine by resolution whether to fill an extraordinary vacancy which occurs up to six months after the previous triennial local government election either by appointing the highest polling unsuccessful candidate from the previous triennial local government election, or by holding a by-election.

d) request the Minister of Local Government to explore a pilot-trial of an electronic voting system including by-elections.”

(Resolution number FIN/2016/1)

59. Both of these issues are discussed further in this report.

On-line voting

60. Survey results show the community prefers on-line voting. Government previously established a working party which made recommendations for a staged approach with trials in 2016. Government supported this and set out the requirements to be met for a council to establish a trial. Auckland Council was considered to be too large for a trial and was not eligible. In April 2016, the Associate Minister of Local Government announced the trial would not proceed as requirements had not been met.

61. Government wants local government to lead on-line voting, subject to its requirements being met. LGNZ should co-ordinate the local government sector’s development of on-line voting and Mayor Goff and Councillor Hulse will be pursuing this with the Local Government New Zealand National Council.

Voter participation

62. In order to prepare for the 2019 elections, a voter participation project has been established. The main aims of the project are to reduce barriers to participation, encourage diversity and increase awareness and understanding of council and local elections.

63. The planning team for the 2016 elections has now completed its task and has been disbanded, however a position of Senior Advisor, Voter Participation, has been established within Democracy Services to provide continuity between the work that was carried out for the 2016 elections and the engagement that needs to occur for the 2019 elections.

Research on order of names

64. An analysis of the 2010 and 2013 election results was undertaken so that council could decide whether the order of names on voting documents should be alphabetical or random. Further research will be undertaken and provided to council when it next makes a decision on the order of names.

Review of Auckland Transport Election Signs Bylaw

65. Auckland Transport has undertaken to review the bylaw. The review will take place in time for implementation for the 2017 parliamentary election.

Submission to Justice and Electoral Select Committee on legislative change

66. The Justice and Electoral Select Committee conduct an enquiry following each election. Submissions on the inquiry into the 2016 elections will close in December 2017.

67. This report seeks input from local boards for the submission, particularly on the following issues. A proposed submission will be reported to governing body later in 2017:

Matai names

· the Local Electoral Act 2001 prohibits the use of official titles when listing candidate names on the voting document. Names that can be used include a registered name or a name by which the candidate has been commonly known for the six months prior to an election. Although sometimes referred to as ‘matai titles’, legal advice provided to staff is that these are more in the nature of names than of a title denoting the holding of some sort of office. To avoid doubt, the legislation should give guidance;

Vacancies occurring within six months of an election

· since the 2016 elections were held, three vacancies have occurred – Auckland (resignation of local board member), Bay of Plenty Regional Council (death) and Waikato Regional Council (death). When considering the budget for the Howick by‑election, governing body resolved to seek a law change allowing a local authority using the first-past-the-post electoral system, to appoint the highest polling unsuccessful candidate to a vacancy occurring within six months of an election;

Legal requirement for candidate to state whether residing in area

· some candidates complained about this requirement. Council has previously submitted in opposition to it and may consider doing so again. Following the 2013 elections, the select committee recommended that the requirement be removed and noted that candidates for parliamentary elections did not have to make a similar statement. However, it has not yet been removed;

Timing of school holidays

· the school holidays overlap with the postal voting period. Many people go out of the area during school holidays and do not vote. Currently local government elections are on the second Saturday in October. Moving election day to the first Saturday in October would provide one week before election day that would not overlap with school holidays. This still gives time to adopt the annual report, and it provides an additional week between the elections and the end of the year for the new council to attend to business, such as a draft annual plan;

Electronic transmission of voting documents to and from voters overseas

· voters who are overseas during the postal voting period often do not have enough time to post back voting documents prior to election day, after receiving their voting documents in the post. The select committee has previously recommended electronic transmission. Government has supported sending blank voting documents electronically but has opposed the return of completed votes electronically. On-line voting would also solve this issue;

Electoral Officer (EO) to have access to the supplementary roll

· the processing of special votes relies on the Electoral Commission checking that voters are on the electoral roll. If the EO had access to the supplementary roll, the EO could do this, with the potential to speed up the counting of special votes. This has previously been supported by the select committee and the government;

Access to data associated with electoral roll

· it is a concern that local government election turnouts are low. Having access to statistical data associated with the electoral roll, such as age groups of electors, would be helpful when planning election awareness campaigns. Currently the Electoral Act only allows this information to be supplied for research into scientific or health matters;

Electronic nominations and candidate profile statements.

· the option to submit nominations electronically would benefit the candidate experience and it would lead to more accurate representation of candidate profile statements. Currently there are over 600 profile statements to be typed from copy supplied by candidates, and then proof-read. Occasionally this leads to mistakes;

Legislative confirmation that local authorities may promote elections

· legislation should give a clear mandate to local authorities to promote elections. This is to avoid any uncertainty about public funds being used for election promotion purposes;

Time period for printing electoral rolls

· electoral rolls were not printed in time for the start of candidate nominations because the legislated time period is too short. Extending the time period for printing would correct a previous change to timeframes, which shortened the time for printing the rolls;

Electronic access to electoral rolls for election staff

· when processing candidate nominations, staff at service centres need to check whether nominators are on the electoral roll for the specified area. They may only have one hard-copy version to share between staff processing nominations for different candidates. It would be more efficient to access the current roll electronically;

Close of voting time

· extend voting later into the last day and create one full 'voting day'. The Electoral Officer received 18,000 votes on the Saturday morning via our ballot boxes. Extra time on the final Saturday would give voters more time to vote and could help turn the final Saturday into a voting day celebration;

Discourage inappropriate use of elections

· there were 19 candidates for Mayor. Clearly some of these had no chance of being elected but presumably used the opportunity to promote their cause. Consideration could be given as to whether this is an issue that needs to be addressed;

Separation of District Health Board (DHB) elections.

· a variety of election issues on the one voting document, together with different voting systems and ordering of names, confuses voters. It would be better to hold DHB elections at a separate time, for example a separate year, or alongside the parliamentary elections. However, this would increase the cost of an election to Auckland Council, which currently receives $1.5 million in recoveries from DHBs and Licensing Trusts;

Candidate information in different languages

· candidate profile statements are limited to 150 words. If a candidate profile statement is provided in English and Māori, then each version may have 150 words, as Māori is an official language. If a candidate profile statement includes English and a language other than Māori, it is limited to 150 words in total. Consideration could be given to other options for candidates to provide information in languages relevant to their constituents;

Consistency between Electoral Regulations and Local Electoral Regulations

· the Electoral Regulations include provisions that would be helpful to local elections, such as:

o telephone dictation for voters with disabilities; and

o receipt of special votes electronically.

Relationship with Electoral Commission

· some voters, confused about who was responsible for running council elections, contacted the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission typically referred callers to council and enquirers ended up calling the council call centre, only to be referred on to Independent Election Services. There should be consideration to jointly promote awareness about who enquirers should contact with queries about local elections.This does not require a legislative change but could be implemented through LGNZ.

Timetable for 2019 elections

Electoral system

68. If council wishes to change the electoral system from first-past-the-post to single transferable vote, a resolution is required by 12 September 2017. Such a resolution might then be subject to a petition for a poll. Alternatively, council could conduct a poll.

Māori wards

69. If council wishes to establish Māori wards, a resolution is required by 23 November 2017. Such a resolution might then be subject to a petition for a poll. Alternatively, council could conduct a poll.

Review of representation arrangements

70. Council is required to review:

· whether the election of councillors is on a ward basis or at large and, for each local board, whether election of board members is on a subdivision basis or at large;

· the number of members in each local board within a minimum of five and a maximum of twelve;

· if there are wards or subdivisions, what the boundaries are, and how many members there are in each; and

· the names of wards, subdivisions, and local boards.

71. Unlike other councils, Auckland Council cannot review the number of members of governing body because the legislation sets this at 20 members.

72. The statutory timetable for the review is:

Due dates	Requirement
No earlier than 1 March 2018	A council resolution setting out council’s initial proposal
Within 14 days of resolution but no later than 8 September 2018	Public notice of the resolution, providing at least one month for submissions
Within six weeks of close of submissions	The initial proposal may be amended after considering submissions. Public notice of the final proposal.
20 December 2018	Appeals from those who submitted on the initial proposal and fresh objections to any amendments are received.
15 January 2019	Appeals and objections are forwarded to the Local Government Commission.
11 April 2019	Appeals and objections are determined by the Local Government Commission, which may conduct hearings in order to do this.

73. The review will be conducted as one component of the wider governance framework review reported to governing body last December. Governing body established a political working party comprising seven governing body members and seven local board members.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

74. The report is being presented to all local boards for their views, before being presented back to governing body to finalise a submission to the select committee.

Māori impact statement

75. Initiatives that encourage the community to engage with elections will have a positive impact on Māori. There are activities associated with elections that are particularly significant to mana whenua, such as the pōwhiri to welcome all elected members following the elections.

76. The survey of candidates asked candidates to identify their ethnicities. Ten per cent of candidates were Māori, compared to nine per cent of the total Auckland population. As a result of the election, seven per cent of elected members are Māori (115 of 170 elected members replied to the survey).

77. There will be an opportunity to consider the establishment of Māori wards for the 2019 elections.

Implementation

78. This report will be presented to local boards for their comments, to be included in a report back to governing body so that governing body can finalise its submission to the select committee.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors

Warwick McNaughton - Principal Advisor - Democracy Services

Authorisers

Marguerite Delbet - General Manager Democracy Services

Phil Wilson - Governance Director

Stephen Town - Chief Executive

Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

Chairperson	Lisa Whyte
Deputy Chairperson	Margaret Miles, JP
Members	Uzra Casuri Balouch, JP
	Nicholas Mayne
	John McLean
	Brian Neeson, JP

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Upper Harbour Local Board workshop record - 2 February 2017	245
b ⇩	Upper Harbour Local Board workshop record - 9 February 2017	247
c ⇩	Upper Harbour Local Board workshop record - 23 February 2017	249
d ⇩	Upper Harbour Local Board workshop record - 2 March 2017	251

Authors	Cindy Lynch - Democracy Advisor
Authorisers	Eric Perry - Relationship Manager

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Report to Regulatory Committee - Statement of Proposal: Draft Air Quality Bylaw for Indoor Domestic Fires	75
b ⇩	Statement of Proposal: Draft Air Quality Bylaw for Indoor Domestic Fires	89