Agenda of Albert-Eden Local Board

Albert-Eden Local Board

26 April 2017

Approval of the draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan 2017

File No.: CP2017/05220

Purpose

1. To approve:

- the draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan 2017 and, the Albert-Eden Local Board Plan summary for public consultation

- key engagement events to be held as part of the consultation.

Executive summary

2. The Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 requires that each local board complete a local board plan for adoption by 31 October 2017.

3. The draft plan and summary are attached to this report for the local board to approve for public consultation.

4. Consultation using the Special Consultative Procedure (SCP) is taking place from 22 May to 30 June 2017.

The formal engagement events the board will conduct are detailed as follows:

· Have Your Say Event – Environment and Sustainability, Tuesday, 30 May 6-8pm, Western Springs Garden Reserve Hall

· Have Your Say Event – Town Centre Development and Transport, Thursday, 1 June 6-8pm, Mt Eden War Memorial Hall

· Have Your Say Event – Arts and Heritage, Thursday, 8 June, 10-12pm, Mt Albert Senior Centre

· Have Your Say Event – Community, Sports and Recreation, Tuesday, 13 June 6-8pm, Melville Cricket Pavilion

· Have Your Say Event, Tuesday, 27 June, 6-8pm, Mt Eden War Memorial Hall.

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) Approves the draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan 2017 for public consultation using the Special Consultative Procedure.

b) Approves the draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan summary 2017 for public consultation using the Special Consultative Procedure.

c) Delegates authority to the Chair to work with staff in the event that minor edits are required to the draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan 2017 or the draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan summary 2017.

d) Approves the scheduled formal draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan 2017 engagement events, as follows:

· Have Your Say Event – Environment and Sustainability, Tuesday, 30 May 6-8pm, Western Springs Garden Reserve Hall

· Have Your Say Event – Town Centre Development and Transport, Thursday, 1 June 6-8pm, Mt Eden War Memorial Hall

· Have Your Say Event – Arts and Heritage, Thursday, 8 June, 10-12pm, Mt Albert Senior Centre

· Have Your Say Event – Community, Sports and Recreation, Tuesday, 13 June 6-8pm, Melville Cricket Pavilion

· Have Your Say Event, Tuesday, 27 June, 6-8pm, Mt Eden War Memorial Hall.

Comments

5. Local board plans are strategic plans for the following three years and beyond. The plans reflect the priorities and preferences of the community. They guide how the local board:

· makes decisions on local activities and projects

· provides input into regional strategies and policies.

6. The plans inform the development of council’s 10-year budget. They also form the basis for development of the annual local board agreement for the following three financial years and subsequent work programmes.

7. The local board is required to use the SCP to consult on the draft local board plan. The period for the SCP is from 22 May to 30 June 2017.

8. As part of meeting these SCP requirements, a full draft of the local board plan and summary will be made available on the Shape Auckland website, at local libraries, council service centres and the local board office. The summary will also be delivered to all households in the local board area, and engagement events will be scheduled during the SCP period of 22 May to 30 June 2017. These will be advertised on the Shape Auckland website, through local and regional publications, online and through social media.

9. Key features of the draft Albert-Eden Local Board Plan 2017 include:

· seven outcomes for community, parks, community facilities, town centres and local economy, transport, heritage and environment

· ensuring residents of Albert-Eden feel a sense of belonging through neighbourhood events and are able to participate in community life through programmes and activities in community facilities

· a holistic approach to improving and developing open space and encouraging neighbouring residents and groups to be actively involved in managing and caring for parks

· providing support for business networks and businesses and resourcing the upgrades of town centres to stimulate economic growth and result in outcomes that provide the most benefit to the community

· ensuring major housing, business and transport developments impact positively as the community grows and changes.

Consideration

10. The draft plan has been developed by considering:

· previous community engagement, including engagement on the 2014 Local Board Plan, 2015-2025 Long-term Plan, and previous annual plans

· subject matter expert advice from Infrastructure and Environment Services, ATEED, Parks, Sport and Recreation, and Community Facilities

· information gathered at the sub-regional hui.

Local board views and implications

11. The local board’s views have driven the development of the draft plan attached to this report.

Māori impact statement

12. As part of pre-engagement on the draft plan, the board have:

· engaged with Mana Whenua at a sub-regional governance level hui, held on 17 March 2017

· considered pre-existing feedback from Māori.

13. During the development of the final plan, and throughout the rest of the term, the board also intend to:

· send a copy of the draft plan to Mana Whenua and Mataawaka for formal submission during the SCP

· build an ongoing relationship with Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Nga Maungarongo of Mt Albert on governance and operational matters

· continue to develop relationships with Mana Whenua and Mataawaka to identify appropriate projects that respond to Maori aspirations in a practical and effective way.

Implementation

14. Formal consultation for the draft local board plan will take place from 22 May to 30 June 2017.

15. Amendments will be made to the final plan during August and September 2017.

16. The local board will adopt the final plan in September 2017.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Albert-Eden Local Board - Local Board Plan - Final Draft	11
b ⇩	Local Board Plan Summary Document	49

Signatories

Author	Robyn Allpress – Senior Local Board Advisor
Authoriser	Adam Milina - Relationship Manager - Albert-Eden & Orakei Local Boards

Albert-Eden Local Board

26 April 2017

Auckland Transport Report, Albert-Eden Local Board, April 2017

File No.: CP2017/06764

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 Albert-Eden Local Board and its community.

Executive summary

2. This report seeks a decision on:

· funding for the construction of a greenway path at Eric Armishaw Reserve.

3. Updates are provided to the Board on:

· Auckland Transport’s response to Board resolutions

· progress on the Board’s transport capital fund projects

· a summary of consultation material sent to the Board

· transport matters of specific application and interest to the Albert-Eden Local Board and its community, such as the Dominion Road buslane improvement project.

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) Receive the Auckland Transport (AT) Report, Albert-Eden Local Board, April 2017.

b) Authorise that $25,000 from the Board’s Transport Capital Fund be allocated to construct a greenway path at Eric Armishaw Reserve.

Comments

Approvals sought

4. Auckland Council Parks is seeking funding from the Albert-Eden’s Transport Capital Fund to construct a section of greenway/shared path through Eric Armishaw Reserve. The proposed greenway path section will be a 3 metre wide concrete path that will provide a transport function, by connecting the recently constructed greenway path that comes from Waterview to the driveway entry of Eric Armishaw Reserve, which leads to Walker Road and provides a significant connection.

5. The adjacent playground is due to be renewed and it would be practical to construct this section of path at the same time to save on site set up costs and because the proposed alignment will separate greenway cyclists from playground users. Auckland Council Parks anticipate the path to cost approximately $25,000.

The benefits of this connection are:

· separating playground users from cyclists/shared path users who may be traveling at high speeds

· providing a better aligned connection for shared path users (ie. onto the driveway/on road network, rather than into a carpark

· saving money by constructing this path as part of the playground contract, ie. save on site set up costs.

6. An illustration of the proposal is attached to this report (Attachment D).

Resolutions

7. AE/2017/15 – 22 March 2017

Requests Auckland Transport to consider the request for further consultation with local residents, businesses and the board regarding the proposed closure of the Wynyard Road – Porters Avenue rail crossing.

8. AT has applied to Auckland Council for an alteration to the designation that affects Porter Avenue rail crossing. Auckland Council will consider all the submissions made in regard to the proposal to change the designation. A hearing will be convened for those who wish to be heard either at the Auckland Council or the Environment Court.

9. As this is now a statutory process, AT will only be able to engage through that mechanism.

Local Board Capital Projects

10. The Albert-Eden Local Board receives over $700,000 per annum of discretionary funding for transport related capital projects. The Board is expected to identify new projects through their work programme.

11. The budget that the Board currently has available for transport capital projects in this political term is $1,547,380. The Board can also use the first year of transport funding from the next political term (2019-2020) of $763,381.

12. This money can be used for projects identified by the Board, the principal constraints being that the project:

· will not compromise transport safety;

· is transport-related;

· does not compromise the efficiency of the road network.

13. For funding projects outside of the road corridor, they must meet the following criteria:

· supports connectivity of cycle way and footpaths within the transport network;

· footpaths should close a gap in the current walking network to residential, recreational, public transport or town or local economic areas;

· footpaths widths should accommodate both walking and cycling when no alternative route for cycling has been identified.

Financials update

14. The Local Board’s current Local Board Transport Capital Fund projects are summarized in the table below:

Current Transport Capital Projects

Project	Description	Status	Funds Allocated
St Andrews Road Pedestrian Facility	Facilities to improve pedestrian safety when crossing between 131-137 St Andrews Road.	Design completed, consultation completed. Construction if this project is about to commence.	$26,000
Owairaka Park Pedestrian Bridge	Pedestrian bridge	Allocated to 2016/2017 budget. Parks project, they report that it is expected to be in construction before June 2017.	$138,000
Cricket Avenue Speed Tables	Traffic calming	Construction of this project is complete.	$109,000
Mt Eden/Normanby Intersection Improvements	Road safety improvements to intersection	The contractor is currently working on the Mt Eden/Normanby Rd section. Most of the physical works will be completed by the 20 April with street lighting and road marking to commence thereafter.	$169,310
Waterbank/Herdman/Daventry Safety Improvements	Traffic calming	Waiting for two streetlights to be installed. Otherwise the construction of this project is complete.	$114,000
Anderson Park Walkway Lighting	Improved walkway lighting	AC Parks project, combining with carpark works, construction likely mid-2017. (Approved by LB for construction).	$197,250
Lancing Traffic Calming	Traffic calming	Waiting for two streetlights to be installed. Otherwise the construction of this project is complete	$89,000
Pedestrian Refuge New North Road	Provision of a new pedestrian refuge at 373 New North Rd, Kingsland	Detailed design process is completed. Project is now ready to move to consultation AT is currently drafting consultation letter.	$38,000 ROC
Carrington Road Traffic Calming	Investigation of traffic calming devices in this general area	Board has allocated funds for further analysis of the results of the traffic survey carried out by the Board in the Carrington Road area. The consultant is currently carrying out vehicle volume counts, reviewing crash incidents, reviewing consultation responses and measuring onsite road widths etc. Transport programme leads have been asked to provide further direction.	$20,000
Chamberlain Park Greenway and Bridge	Construction of shared path and bridge	AC Parks are further developing feasibility using their budget. This will be discussed at an AC Parks/Board workshop on 8 March 2017.	-

Upcoming Projects and Activities

Point Chevalier to Herne Bay Cycleway

15. AT is proposing new walking and cycling facilities along Point Chevalier Road, from its intersection with Great North Road to Meola Road, then along Meola Road and Garnet Road up to the Westmere shops.

16. Public consultation on this project began on 27 March 2017 and will remain open until 23 April 2017. (Attachment B).

17. Two sessions were arranged for the public to engage with staff to discuss the proposal:

· 8 April 2017 – Pt Chevalier Library, 1221 Gt North Road, 10am - 2.30pm

· 12 April – Nomad Restaurant, 5 Pt Chevalier Road, 5pm - 8.00pm.

Dominion Road Bus Lane Improvement Project

18. AT is working on a project to improve bus efficiency on Dominion Road and provide for double decker buses. AT recognises the need to provide more amenity in the corridor, including some streetscape improvements in the village centres and the need to facilitate bus efficiency as soon as possible but aims to avoid any rework when the light rail project for Dominion Road is implemented.

19. The work to adjust canopies and kerbs for double decker buses and allow for continuous peak hour bus lanes throughout the corridor is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

20. The work on the neighbourhood bus interchanges and the town centre upgrades will be implemented in 2018.

21. AT has established a community liaison group to work through matters concerned with the town centre improvements. Board members from both Puketapapa Local Board and Albert-Eden Local Board are attending these meetings.

Mt Albert Town Centre Renewal

22. In December 2016, Auckland Transport invited feedback on four proposed options for the intersection of New North Rd, Carrington Rd and Mt Albert Rd.

23. A number of factors had to be considered before making a final decision. These included traffic flow through the town centre, any traffic impacts on surrounding local roads and improving the amenity in the Mt Albert town centre.

24. The plan retains the right hand turn into Mt Albert Rd from New North Rd and includes full length cycle lanes. AT will deliver the upgrade for Auckland Council and the Albert-Eden Local Board and work is due to begin on 18 April 2017 and be completed by February 2018.

Consultation

25. The following consultations were forwarded to the Board in March/April 2017 for and feedback. Further details are contained in Attachment A.

· Hendon Avenue (bus stop changes)

· View Road (reconsultation on earlier proposal of new pedestrian crossing facilities and a roundabout)

· Wheturangi Road, Bangor Street and Herdman Street (broken yellow lines)

· Central Road (subdivision).

Traffic Control Committee

26. The decisions of Auckland Transport’s Traffic Control Committee for March 2017 in the Albert-Eden area are appended as Attachment B.

Issues Raised by Local Board Members

Location or Name of Issue	Description	AT Response
Bright Street	Request for a ramped 'right of way' and yellow dashed lines to be added to the entrance/exit of the tunnel at the top of Bright St, Kingsland. (photos provided)	Logged for evaluation and a response will be prepared.
Gardner Road	Request for traffic calming on Gardner Street	No traffic counts were available for Gardner Road so this will be done in early May, after the school holidays.
Manukau Road	Please investigate if it’s possible to provide a crossing facility between Balmoral Road and Greenwoods Corner - vicinity of Banff St.	Logged for investigation and feedback before mid-July 2017.
Alford Street	Request for parking restrictions at the shopping area on Alford St/Great North Rd to promote parking turnover.	Under the framework of AT Parking Strategy, changes to parking management is recommended if the demand for on-street parking regularly exceeds 85% occupancy at peak times. In this situation, Auckland Transport has not identified any parking availability issues in this area. Parking occupancy surveys and site visits indicated the section outside the shopping area on Alford Street, Waterview was rarely close to capacity. The average parking occupancy in the area was below 50% with continuous turnover of parking.
Lisnoe Street	Lisnoe St, is a very narrow street, with parking on one side only. A resident has pointed out that the markings allowing parking currently make it extremely difficult, or sometimes impossible, to turn into his drive. Would it be possible for AT to arrange for the small amount of road marking required to allow him to use his driveway without problem?	Logged for investigation.

Regional and sub-regional projects

Mass Rapid Transit and Dominion Road

27. The NZ Transport Agency and AT boards have come to an important agreement on the next steps for mass transit in Auckland.

28. Both boards have agreed that there will be a staged, integrated transition from bus to light rail transit from the airport to the city centre, based on future demand and capacity, and to commence route protection for this important gateway corridor between two of Auckland’s key growing employment areas.

29. The route chosen to link to the airport is via Dominion Road and the SH 20 alignment, though Mangere. Work will also be undertaken to progress route protection of the south-eastern connection from the Airport to Manukau City Centre and east to Botany to ensure good connections to the airport and its surrounding employment zones.

30. The NZ Transport Agency and AT will work together with Auckland Council to determine an integrated approach that enables a progression from the current bus services and bus lanes, to improved bus services in the short-term. This will potentially be followed by higher capacity buses and a dedicated bus mass transit right of way, before a transition to light rail transit could occur.

31. The timing for this transition will be based on demand, capacity and funding. Further details are expected to be available in May, when a briefing for the Albert-Eden Local Board has been arranged.

Waterview Cycle Path Progress

32. This project has four sections, Alford Street Bridge, Harbutt Bridge, Soljak Place Bridge and Trent Street Link.

33. Alford Street Bridge: The removal of the temporary staging works has begun and the focus is now on incorporating the artwork and pou whenua as the project heads towards the Stage 1 opening. The date of the opening is to be confirmed with the Minister of Transport’s office. The project experienced delays in the shared path construction on Unitec land from the 16 January until the 10 March 2017. There is now a tight construction programme for this section with a planned completion date to be confirmed.

34. Harbutt Bridge: The retaining walls at the back of the Phyllis Street properties are nearly complete and preparation is progressing for the centre pier to enable the beam lifts for the new path in late May 2017.

35. The Soljak Bridge: Construction has advanced rapidly with the large 600 ton crane lifting in beams over the rail line. The beam lifts have been expedited to meet lease agreements and construction windows so that the project is clear of the new housing development by 6 May. Kiwirail staff and WCA staff have collaborated to make these super beam lifts possible.

36. Trent Street link: Stump grinding and retaining wall preparation have commenced. The route is on track for opening late July 2017, but AT is looking for opportunities to achieve an earlier date.

Auckland Transport News

St Lukes Cycling Improvements

37. Work started in March on improvements to the St Lukes Road cycle lanes which will give cyclists heading to and from the Northwestern cycleway an added layer of protection.

38. Rubber kerbs with reflective posts will physically separate cyclists from traffic and prevent vehicles from illegally queuing in the cycle lanes between Asquith Ave and Duncan MacLean Street. Road markings and signage will also be upgraded.

39. The project was first suggested by the community and is costing the NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport $170,000. It is funded by a new minor improvements programme introduced to make quick improvements to enhance the quality of the existing cycle network. The programme replies to safety and attractiveness concerns from the public and local boards, helping maintain existing numbers of cyclists, and attract new riders.

CRL project opens up huge employment opportunities

40. Construction of Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) will require about 1600 people delivering the project at its peak. This could include opportunities for hundreds of workers who are new to the workforce or not currently employed.

41. The project estimates that at peak 600 general construction workers will be needed as well as those with more specialised skills. Labour requirements will vary with opportunities for new entrants to the workforce as well as the need for skilled labour and trades including plumbers and electricians and those involved in specialist rail systems and signalling.

42. The project will look for contractors to provide internships, cadetships, apprenticeships or equivalent pathways to learning as well as upskilling and reskilling to equip people for the present and future. The project is a long-term employment offering, with the CRL not due to be completed until 2023, giving time for people to develop and progress in their careers.

43. This opens up opportunities for employment, training and social innovation especially for Māori, Pasifika and young people aged 15 to 24 years. This will respond to the 162,000 young people of that age who are not in employment, education or training in New Zealand.

Auckland Transport announces rail experience improvements

44. AT has announced a number of initiatives to improve customer experience, increase security and safety and reduce vandalism and fare evasion on the rail network.

45. The first project is to bring together the ticket offices and customer service centres at five train stations. Currently customers need to queue at one point to buy a cash ticket and queue at another to get journey planning advice and other information on AT Metro services.

46. A second initiative later in the year will look to pilot on-board Transport Officers. New legislation that is expected to by passed by Parliament later this year will mean the Transport Officers will have greater powers to enforce fare payment by all and will be able to issue penalty notices to fare evaders as well as provide assistance to customers.

47. A further project underway is to install new AT HOP electronic gates at eight more stations over the next 18 months: Otahuhu, Manurewa, Papatoetoe, Henderson, Parnell, Middlemore, Glen Innes and Papakura. This is a further enabler to encourage all passengers to pay their way and purchase a valid ticket to travel on the rail network.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

48. The Board’s views will be incorporated during consultation on any proposed schemes.

Māori impact statement

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

Implementation

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

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Attachment A – Consultations	79
b ⇩	Attachment B - Pt Chevalier to Herne Bay cycleway consultation materials	83
c ⇩	Attachment C - Traffic Control Committee Decisions	105
d ⇩	Attachment D - Eric Armishaw Reserve	107

Signatories

Author

Lorna Stewart, Elected Member Relationship Manager, Auckland Transport

Authorisers

Jonathan Anyon, Manager, Elected Member Relationship Unit, Auckland Transport

Adam Milina - Relationship Manager - Albert-Eden & Orakei Local Boards

Albert-Eden Local Board

26 April 2017

Albert-Eden applications for funding in local grants round two 2016/2017

File No.: CP2017/04563

Purpose

1. To approve funding or part funding, or to decline applications submitted to Albert-Eden local grants round two, for 2016/2017.

Executive summary

2. The Albert-Eden Local Board has set a total community grants budget of $102,000 and a total budget of $160,000 for their accommodation support grants scheme for the 2016/2017 financial year.

3. A total of $34,984 remains in the community grants budget to be allocated for one remaining local grant round and one quick response round for 2016/2017. There are no further grant rounds scheduled for the accommodation support grant scheme and $69,498 remains in the accommodation support budget.

4. A total of 22 applications were received in local grants round two, requesting $145,169. One application has been received, out of round, for accommodation support grant requesting $20,000.

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) agree to fund, part-fund or decline each application received in local grant round two listed in table one.

Table one: Albert-Eden local grant round two applications

ID and focus	Applicant	Project	Requested	Eligibility
LG1701-223 Arts and culture	Sharu Loves Hats	Towards marketing costs and rehearsal venue hire for 'Dominion Road - The Musical'.	$10,000	Eligible
LG1701-226 Arts and culture	Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust	Towards volunteer teachers and teaching resources for Bal Vikas - Indian language and culture classes.	$7,000	Eligible
LG1701-241 Arts and culture	Metro Gallery	Towards gallery rental for artists.	$10,000	Eligible
LG1701-208 Community	Viviane Almeida	Towards marketing, room hire and afternoon tea costs for Auckland mama circles.	$856	Ineligible, requesting below the local board minimum.
LG1701-210 Community	Mt Albert Residents' Association	Towards the website build, two years hosting and support for a community website.	$8,990	Eligible
LG1701-214 Community	Qamar Boukir	Towards platform design, web development and visuals for the website ‘Involved’.	$9,000	Eligible
LG1701-222 Community	Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) Charitable Trust	Towards catering equipment and “WISE” food control plan verification for ARMS and WISE Collective.	$7,416	Eligible
LG1701-229 Community	Gribblehirst Community Hub	Towards website development to interface with the swipe card system at Gribblehirst Community Hub.	$7,200	Eligible
LG1701-231 Community	Dance Therapy New Zealand	Towards therapist and assistant fees, programme delivery, administration and co-ordination costs for delivery of the “STARS” programme.	$8,935	Ineligible, applicant has received prior funding for activity this financial year, QR1701-227
LG1701-234 Community	Auckland Somali Community Association Incorporated	Towards one bi-lingual tutor, resources, transport and venue hire for the study support centre for Somali children and families.	$9,500	Eligible
LG1701-235 Community	The UMMA Trust	Towards coordination, volunteer time, transport and venue hire along with resources for “Step Change for Refugee Family Engagement” in Eden Albert Area.	$9,400	Eligible
LG1701-240 Community	PHAB Association Incorporated	Towards wages, venue hire and volunteer expenses for PHAB Social Clubs in Albert-Eden.	$2,000	Ineligible, applicant has requested below the local board minimum and has also received prior funding for activity this financial year, QR1701-103
LG1713-227 Community	Discovery Foundation	Towards scholarships for ‘Discovery for Teens’ October 2017 Programme.	$2,000	Ineligible, requesting below the local board minimum.
LG1720-207 Community	Dress for Success Incorporated	Towards rent, salary and operating expenses employment dressing and job retention support.	$2,000	Ineligible, requesting below the local board minimum.
LG1701-215 Events	All Together Multi-Culture Society Club of New Zealand Incorporated	Towards festival costs and promotion for Russian Days 2017 – “Russian Cultural Festival”	$7,537	Eligible
LG1701-228 Events	New Zealand Book Festival Limited	Towards website upgrade, advertising material and public relations (PR), also partial sponsorship of 10 stands for local authors.	$10,000	Ineligible, applicant has received prior funding for activity this financial year, LG1701-101
LG1701-227 Environment	Project Litefoot	Towards salaries, materials installed at the club, administration costs, travel costs, and promotion.	$4,253	Eligible
LG1701-201 Sport and recreation	No. 19 (Auckland) Squadron Branch of the Air Training Corps Association of New Zealand	Towards a custom built trailer for No. 19 (Auckland) Squadron.	$5,595	Eligible
LG1701-204 Sport and recreation	Mt Albert Ramblers Softball Club	Towards the administrator salary for Mt Albert Ramblers Softball Club.	$5,000	Eligible
LG1701-212 Sport and recreation	Mt Albert Croquet Club Incorporated	Towards renovation of the Mt Albert Croquet Club greens.	$4,140	Eligible
LG1701-218 Sport and recreation	Mt Eden Hockey	Towards turf hire	$10,000	Eligible
LG1701-230 Sport and recreation	Auckland Softball Association Incorporated	Towards five KiwiSport equipment school packs.	$4,347	Eligible
Total			$145,169

b) receive a request for accommodation support grant outside of the grant round and agree to fund, part-fund or decline the application listed in table two.

Table two: request for an accommodation support grant

ID	Applicant	Location	Requested	Eligibility
ASF1701-033	Central United Football Club Incorporated	Field hire at Auckland Grammar School	$20,000	Eligible

Comments

5. The Auckland Council Community Grants Policy supports each local board to adopt a grants programme (see Attachment A).

6. The local board grants programme sets out:

· local board priorities

· lower priorities for funding

· exclusions

· grant types, the number of grant rounds and when these will open and close

· any additional accountability requirements.

7. The community grant programmes have been extensively advertised through the council grants webpage, local board webpages, local board e-newsletters, Facebook pages, council publications, radio, and community networks.

8. The Albert-Eden Local Board will operate two local grant rounds and three quick response rounds for this financial year. The local board will also operate an annual neighbours day grant round and an accommodation support grant round.

9. The local board has set a total budget of $102,000 for their quick response and local grants schemes and a total budget of $160,000 for their accommodation support grants scheme for the 2016/2017 financial year.

10. A total of $34,984 remains to be allocated for one remaining local grant round and one quick response round for 2016/2017. Decisions were made on the only scheduled accommodation support grant round for 2016/2017 on 7 December 2016, $69,498 now remains in the accommodation budget.

11. A total of 22 applications were received in local grants round two, requesting $145,169. One application has been received out of round for accommodation support requesting $20,000.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

12. Local boards are responsible for the decision-making and allocation of local board community grants. The Albert-Eden Local Board is required to fund, part-fund or decline these grant applications against the local board priorities identified in the local board grant programme.

13. The board is requested to note that section 50 of the Community Grants Policy states “We will also provide feedback to unsuccessful grant applicants about why they have been declined, so they will know what they can do to increase their chances of success next time.”

14. A one-page summary of each application is attached (see Attachment B).

Māori impact statement

15. The provision of community grants provides opportunities for all Aucklanders to undertake projects, programmes, activities that benefit a wider range of individuals and groups, including Maori. As a guide for decision-making, in the allocation of community grants, the new community grants policy supports the principle of delivering positive outcomes for Maori.

Implementation

16. The allocation of grants to community groups is within the adopted Long Term Plan 2015-2025 and local board agreements.

17. Following the Albert-Eden Local Board allocating funding for this round Commercial and Finance staff will notify the applicants of the local board decision.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Albert-Eden local grants programme 2016/2017	129
b ⇩	Albert-Eden Local Grants Round Two application information	133

Signatories

Author

Jaimee Wieland - Community Grants Coordinator

Authorisers

Marion Davies - Community Grants Operations Manager

Jennifer Rose - Operations Support Manager

Adam Milina - Relationship Manager - Albert-Eden & Orakei Local Boards

Albert-Eden Local Board

26 April 2017

Albert-Eden Local Board

26 April 2017

2016 Elections - Highlights and Issues

File No.: CP2017/06622

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 the 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 the 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 the 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:

i. describes initiatives taken in the areas of focus

ii. evaluates the achievement of the outcomes

iii. notes other activities associated with the election, such as inaugural meetings

iv. summarises the budget and forecast expenditure

v. identifies issues for the council to follow up

vi. proposes submissions to make to Parliament’s Justice and Electoral Select Committee’s “Inquiry into the 2016 local authority elections”

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

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

i. a successful marketing campaign based on the ‘showyourlove’ brand

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

iii. increased participation in Kids Voting

iv. personal assistance provided to the visually impaired

v. increased turnout over 2013

vi. 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 the Governing Body in May 2017. The submission needs to be lodged by December 2017.

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) agree its comments to be reported back to the 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

7. A report to the 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

· optimum use of council resources.

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

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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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

· Kids Voting programme in schools.

11. 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.

12. 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.

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

· 80 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, five5 information stalls

· 10 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

· 24 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

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

14. 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.

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

16. 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

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

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

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

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

- forgot to vote (18 per cent)

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

- not interested in politics or politicians (14 per cent)

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

- couldn’t be bothered voting (11 per cent)

- too much effort to select the candidate (10 per cent)

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

17. Effectiveness of messaging:

· 53 per cent said the ads made them think of their community

· 44 per cent said the ads reminded them of what they love about their city

· 46 per cent said the ads made them more likely to vote.

18. 21 per cent used the web and social media for information about the elections – mostly the Auckland Council website.

19. 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.

20. 74 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.

21. 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 class teachers could use to explain how council works. There was a hypothetical referendum question that students voted on using the STV voting system. 11,730 students and 56 schools registered to take part, compared with 8,319 students and 44 schools in 2013. 4,748 students from 41 schools 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

· researching candidates.

Candidate awareness of election information

22. 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

· digital ads.

23. The Election Team focused on on-line content over hard copy booklets. It did not hold candidate information evenings following the experience in 2013 of twenty-eight information evenings gathering only small attendance.

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

On-line voting

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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

28. Key areas of the 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, 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

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

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

30. 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

31. 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

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

Candidate experience

32. For the first time, the council conducted an on-line survey of candidates. 150 candidates took part. This feedback shows a positive candidate experience.

33. Key findings were:

· 76 per cent said it was easy, or very easy, to find information

· 88 per cent said that overall they could access the information they needed

· 87 per cent said they used resources on the Auckland Council website

· 83 per cent were aware of the “Love your Auckland – stand for council” campaign

· 80 per cent contributed to their information on the showyourlove.co.nz website

· 50 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.

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

i. a couple of candidates were nominated for positions for which they did not intend to stand. In one case a number of candidates on the one ticket arrived at a service centre together, creating increased demand on staff at the last minute. In the 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.

ii. 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.

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

Voter experience

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

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

i. 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.

ii. 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

iii. 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.

37. 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 help them mark their voting documents. The Auckland Branch of Blind Citizens NZ wrote an appreciative letter to the mayor and chief executive.

Voter turnout

38. 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.

39. 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

40. 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

41. The target was three candidates per position.

42. There were 19 candidates for mayor. In 10 out of 13 electoral ward issues for councillors, the ratio of candidates to positions was 3 to 1, or greater.

43. 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 9, the ratio of candidates to positions was 3 to 1 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.

44. Overall, there were 468 candidates for 170 positions, which is a ratio of 2.8 to 1.

User-centric, innovative and transparent local body elections

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

· candidates got the information they needed

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

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

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

48. 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 not sufficient time to post them back. The ability to download blank forms, and to scan and email completed forms, should be investigated.

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

50. The communications and community awareness programmes were innovative and received positive feedback, as noted above under “Communications and Community Engagement”.

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

Other activities relating to the elections

52. The Executive Leadership Team adopted a staff policy around political neutrality and involvement in the election process outside of work hours. The 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.

53. 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.

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

i. induction sessions for members

ii. refreshing the technology provided to members

iii. powhiri for all members

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

Cost of the election

55. 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 & 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 $40k was reallocated from other items. Under-spend here due to final budget being confirmed after a lower cost engagement schedule was already planned. $10k for translations and accessibility was covered by C&E 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 & 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 & 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.

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

Issues to progress further

Howick by-election

57. A member of the Howick Local Board resigned at the inaugural meeting of the board. The 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 the council should have the option of appointing to a vacancy that occurs within six months of an election and that the 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)

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

On-line voting

59. Survey results show the community prefers on-line voting. The government previously established a working party which made recommendations for a staged approach with trials in 2016. The 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.

60. The 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

61. 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.

62. 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

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

Review of Auckland Transport Election Signs Bylaw

64. 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

65. 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.

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

i. 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.

ii. 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, the 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.

iii. Legal requirement for candidate to state whether residing in area

Some candidates complained about this requirement. The 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.

iv. 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.

v. 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. The 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.

vi. Electoral Officer 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.

vii. 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.

viii. 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.

ix. 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.

x. 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. Extend time period for printing. This corrects a previous change to timeframes which shortened the time for printing the rolls.

xi. 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.

xii. 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.

xiii. 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 whether this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

xiv. Separation of 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 on a separate time, for example a separate year, or with 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.

xv. 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.

xvi. Consistency between Electoral Regulations and Local Electoral Regulations

The Electoral Regulations include provisions that would be helpful to local elections such as:

· Telephone dictation for voters with disabilities

· Receipt of special votes electronically.

xvii. Relationship with Electoral Commission

Some voters, confused about who was responsible for running the council elections, contacted the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission typically referred callers to the 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 promoting awareness about who enquirers should contact with queries about local elections. This does not require a legislative change but could be implemented through Local Government New Zealand.

Timetable for 2019 elections

Electoral system

67. If the 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 the council could conduct a poll.

Māori wards

68. If the 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 the council could conduct a poll.

Review of representation arrangements

69. The 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

· the names of wards, subdivisions and local boards.

70. Unlike other councils, the council cannot review the number of members of the Governing Body because the legislation sets this at 20 members.

71. The statutory timetable for the review is:

Due dates	Requirement
No earlier than 1 March 2018	A council resolution setting out the 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 6 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

72. The review will be conducted as one component of the wider governance framework review reported to the Governing Body last December. The Governing Body established a political working party comprising 7 governing body members and 7 local board members.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

73. The report is being presented to all local boards for their views, before being presented back to the Governing Body to finalise a submission to the select committee.

Māori impact statement

74. 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.

75. The survey of candidates asked candidates to identify their ethnicities. Ten per cent of candidates were Māori, compared to 9 per cent of the total Auckland population. As a result of the election, 7 per cent of elected members are Māori (115 of 170 elected members replied to the survey).

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

Implementation

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

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Author

Warwick McNaughton - Principal Advisor - Democracy Services

Authorisers

Marguerite Delbet - General Manager Democracy Services

Phil Wilson - Governance Director

Stephen Town - Chief Executive

Adam Milina - Relationship Manager - Albert-Eden & Orakei Local Boards