Agenda of Rodney Local Board

Rodney Local Board

20 April 2017

Public notification of Auckland Council’s intention to grant a community licence to occupy and manage to Coatesville Settlers Hall Incorporated Society for the Coatesville Settlers Hall at Coatesville Recreation Reserve

File No.: CP2017/05888

Purpose

1. To approve the public notification of the council’s intention to grant the Coatesville Settlers Hall Incorporated Society a community licence to occupy and manage Coatesville Settlers Hall.

Executive summary

2. At its business meeting of 13 June 2016, the Rodney Local Board Parks, Culture and Community Development Committee approved a community-led incorporation model for the Coatesville Settlers Hall. Council staff have worked alongside the Coatesville Settlers Hall Incorporated Society to implement the community-led incorporation model to formally manage the hall.

3. As part of this work, staff discovered that the Coatesville Settlers Hall straddles portions of two land parcels classified subject to the requirements of the Reserves Act 1977. This complicates the process of granting the licence to occupy and manage.

4. Taking these complications into consideration, this report outlines two options for granting the licence to occupy and manage the Coatesville Settlers Hall, and recommends a course of action. These options are:

· Option one: Maintain current land classifications and follow the associated requirements under 73(3) of the Reserves Act. This involves engaging with 14 iwi in the Rodney Local Board area and notifying the public prior to approving a community licence.

· Option two: Reclassify the approximately 344m² of land currently classified as recreation reserve to local purpose (hall site) reserve. This option involves significant time and resource cost, as outlined in the report.

5. This report recommends that the local board pursue the first option. This requires the local board to approve the public notification of Auckland Council’s intention to grant a licence to occupy and manage to Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc., for the section of the hall and associated ancillary area, located on a portion (344m² more or less) of Allotment 334 Parish of Paremoremo of Coatesville Recreation Reserve.

Recommendation/s

That the Rodney Local Board:

a) approve the public notification of Auckland Council’s intention to grant the Coatesville Settlers Hall Incorporated Society a licence to occupy and manage the Coatesville Settlers Hall and ancillary area on a portion (344m² more or less) of Allotment 334 Parish of Paremoremo at Coatesville Recreation Reserve, 4 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville (Attachment A) subject to the following terms:

i) term – 5 years from the date of final approval by the Minister of Conservation (or her delegate);

ii) rent - $1.00 plus GST per annum if requested

iii) a clause to be included in the deed of licence to document the fact that as part of Coatesville Recreation Reserve described as Allotment 334 Parish of Paremoremo is owned by the Crown through the Department of Conservation, and only vested in trust in the Auckland Council, it may be identified in future years for treaty settlement.

b) nominate local board members on a hearings panel to consider and decide on any submissions or objections received following the public notification process.

Comments

6. Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc. was formed in September 2016 to:

…manage the Coatesville Settlers Hall and through a sub-committee to act as an Advisory Committee in the management of Coatesville Reserve.

Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc. rules and regulations, June 2016

7. At its business meeting of 13 June 2016, the Rodney Local Board Parks, Culture and Community Development Committee approved a community-led incorporation model for the Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc. (Attachment B). Council staff have worked alongside Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc. to implement the community-led incorporation model to formally manage the hall.

8. On researching the land information required to formally recommend the local board approve the licence to occupy and manage, council staff uncovered an issue with the classification of the land on which the hall is located. That is, the Coatesville Settlers Hall straddles portions of two land parcels classified subject to the requirements of the Reserves Act 1977. This complicates the process of granting the licence to occupy and manage.

9. Taking these complications into consideration, this report outlines two options for granting the licence to occupy and manage the Coatesville Settlers Hall, and recommends a course of action.

Details of the Coatesville Settlers Hall land classification

10. The Coatesville Recreation Reserve is adjacent to the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway between Mahoenui Valley Road and Glenmore Road in Coatesville (Attachment C). The reserve comprises six separately defined land parcels with the majority of the reserve held by the Crown through the Department of Conservation and vested in Auckland Council, in trust, for both recreation and local reserve purposes. The reserve is subject to the provisions of the Reserves Act 1977.

11. The Coatesville Settlers Hall straddles portions of two land parcels classified subject to the requirements of the Reserves Act 1977 as follows (Attachment D):

· the land described as Allotment 334 is held by the Crown through the Department of Conservation as a classified recreation reserve and vested in Auckland Council in trust for recreation purposes. This classification does not align with the community purpose activities undertaken at the hall.

· the land described as Allotment 335 is held by the Crown through the Department of Conservation as a ‘classified local purpose (hall site) reserve’. The land is vested in Auckland Council, in trust. The majority of the hall is sited on this parcel; the classification aligns with the current use.

First option to grant the licence: maintain current land classification, notify public and engage with iwi

12. The current land classification has a portion of the hall sited on recreation reserve. This classification requires the licence to be issued under section 73(3) of the Reserves Act.

13. Section 4 of the Conservation Act 1987 requires council to engage with 14 iwi with an interest in land in the Rodney Local Board area prior to approving a community licence.

14. The Reserves Act also requires that council notify the public of council’s intention to grant the licence.

15. The costs associated with public notification and engagement with iwi about council’s intention to grant a new community licence is approximately $1,500.00. This cost will be borne by the council’s Community Places Department. Should there be any submissions and or objections received during the public notification process, this may lead to a hearing process which in turn, may incur additional cost.

Second option to grant the licence: reclassify 344m² from recreation reserve to local purpose (hall site) reserve

16. Another option for granting the licence to occupy and manage is reclassifying the approximately 344m² of land currently classified as recreation reserve to ‘local purpose (hall site)’ reserve.

17. This option would allow the council to grant a new community licence to occupy and manage for the whole of the Coatesville Settlers Hall area, without notifying the public. With this option, the public would not need to be notified in future for any new licence – for example when the proposed licence with Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc. expires.

18. A number of processes would need to be undertaken to reclassify the 344m² of land. These are detailed as follows:

Steps required to reclassify land from recreation reserve to local purpose (hall site) reserve:

Step	Description	Responsible
1	Endorse the reclassification of the 344m² under section 24(1)(b) of the Reserves Act.	Rodney Local Board, Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee
2	Engage with iwi and notify the public of the proposal (approximate cost $1,500.00).	Council staff
3	Advertise the proposal in local newspapers, and give submitters one month to respond and advise whether they wish to have their submission or objection heard in person.	Council staff
4	Manage a hearings process (subject to the outcome of the above).	Council staff
5	Resolve to reclassify the 344m² under section 24(1)(b) of the Reserves Act (subject to the outcome of the above).	Governing Body (Environment and Community Committee)
6	Organise for a land survey to be undertaken (subject to the committee resolving to reclassify the 344m²). This would take approximately three months from preparation to “approval of the plan as to survey” by Land Information New Zealand. This would cost approximately $8,000-9,000.00.	Council staff
7	Prepare a gazette notice from the new description of the 344m² supplied by the plan, and make a submission to council’s delegate for the Minister of Conservation, seeking approval to the reclassification and to sign the gazette notice (subject to the survey plan being approved by Land Information New Zealand).	Council staff
8	Subject to the gazette notice being published in the New Zealand Gazette (cost to publish the notice is approximately $100.00), the reclassification would be completed and council would have met all the requirements of the Reserves and Conservation Acts.

Recommended option to pursue granting a licence to occupy and manage the Coatesville Settlers Hall

19. Staff note that a number of land re-classifications currently await processing, and the Coatesville Settlers Hall would be added to that list. This means that it may be some time before the re-classification could be considered. While the first option will take time and resource, it is less time consuming and more cost effective than the second option.

20. Staff recommend the local board pursue option one. That is, pursue granting a licence to occupy and manage based on the existing land classifications. This will require iwi engagement and notifying the public

Consideration

Local board views and implications

21. At its business meeting of 13 June 2016, the Rodney Local Board Parks, Culture and Community Development Committee resolved to approve a community-led incorporation model for the Coatesville Settlers Hall whereby a hall committee manage and operate the hall RODPC/2016/46 d) (Attachment B).

22. On 22 February 2017, a number of local board members undertook a site visit at which time council staff took the opportunity to verbally inform the members of the issue. On 23 February 2017, council staff sent local board members a memorandum by way of email detailing the issue. Feedback received from the members indicated informal support to publicly notify the proposed licence to occupy and manage.

23. The local board has authority to approve public notification of council’s intention to grant a community licence.

Māori impact statement

24. Engagement with iwi identified as having an interest in land in the local board geographical area is required regarding the proposal to grant a licence to occupy and manage at Coatesville Reserve.

25. The following iwi have an interest in the Rodney Local Board area:

Ngati Wai; Ngati Manuhiri; Ngait Whatua, Te Uri o Hau; Ngati Whatua o Kaipara; Ngati Whatua o Orakei; Te Kawrera a Maki; Ngai Tai ki Tamaki; Ngati Te Ata Waiohua; Te Akitai Waiohua; Ngati Paoa; Ngati Whanaunga; Ngati Maru; and Ngati Tamatera.

26. Engagement will involve email contact containing detailed information and inviting iwi representatives to hui and or for a kaitiaki site visit to comment on any spiritual, cultural or environmental impact with respect to the proposal. Further, the proposal was included on the agenda for the Mana Whenua Forum North, to be held in council chambers, Orewa Service Centre on 5 April 2017.

27. If there are any objections or issues, council staff will work with mana whenua representatives and if appropriate, the proposed licensee to resolve them. If the issue cannot be resolved, mana whenua representatives will be encouraged to submit a formal objection by way of the public notification process. This process will provide iwi with the opportunity to have its objection heard and a decision made by the hearings panel.

Implementation

28. Staff will report back to the local board (following public notification of council’s intention to grant a licence to Coatesville Settlers Hall Incorporated for the council-owed hall sited on a portion of Allotment 334 Parish of Paremoremo) for a decision or final approval of the two new community licences to occupy and manage to Coatesville Settlers Hall Inc. for the council-owned hall and ancillary area as follows (Attachment D):

· a portion of Allotment 334 Parish of Paremoremo (under Section 73(3) of the Reserves Act 1977)

· a portion of Allotment 335 Parish of Paremoremo (under section 61(2A) of the Reserves Act 1977).

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Aerial view showing proposed area for licence to occupy	15
b ⇩	Rodney Local Board resolution	17
c ⇩	Aerial view of the locality	19
d ⇩	Aerial view of the reserve and hall	21

Signatories

Authors

Jo Heaven - Rural Hall Advisor (Rodney)

Authorisers

Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager

Graham Bodman - General Manager Arts, Community and Events

Rodney Local Board

20 April 2017

New community leases to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated at 12 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville

File No.: CP2017/06165

Purpose

1. To grant The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated two new community leases for the land it occupies on Coatesville Recreation Reserve, 12 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville.

Executive summary

2. By virtue of its existing lease, the land area occupied by The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated at Coatesville Recreation Reserve straddles portions of two parcels:

· a portion (890m² more or less) of land legally described as Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo that is held by the Crown through the Department of Conservation as a classified recreation reserve and vested in Auckland Council in trust for recreation purposes. This classification is incorrect for the association’s activities.

· a portion (1,142m² more or less) of land legally described as Allotment 695 Parish of Paremoremo held in fee simple by Auckland Council and classified as local purpose (site for a play centre) reserve. The majority of the playcentre is sited on this Allotment and the classification is correct for the association’s activities.

3. Auckland Council has satisfactorily completed the required statutory processes of public notification and engagement with iwi about its intention to grant a new community lease to the association under section 73(3) of the Reserves Act 1977 and the Conservation Act 1987 for the portion of land described as Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo.

4. This report recommends that the Rodney Local Board grant two new community leases to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated for discrete portions of land it currently occupies within the Coatesville Recreation Reserve at 12 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville.

Recommendation/s

That the Rodney Local Board:

a) grant a new community lease to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated for a portion of Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo, on Coatesville Recreation Reserve, 12 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville (Attachment A) under section 73(3) of the Reserves Act 1977 subject to the following terms:

i) term - 10 years with one right of renewal for 10 years commencing from the date of final approval by the Minister of Conservation (or her delegate)

ii) rent - $1.00 per annum if demanded

iii) a clause will be included in the deed of lease to record that the part of Coatesville Recreation Reserve described as Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo is owned by the Crown through the Department of Conservation. The land is only vested in trust in Auckland Council and as such, may be identified in future years for treaty settlement.

iv) all other terms and conditions will be in accordance with the Reserves Act 1977, the Coatesville Recreation Reserve Management Plan adopted 7 May 2009 and the Auckland Council Community Occupancy Guidelines 2012

b) grant a new community lease to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated for a portion of Allotment 695 Parish of Paremoremo Parish, on Coatesville Recreation Reserve, 12 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville (Attachment B) under section 61(2A) of the Reserves Act 1977 subject to the following terms:

i) term - 10 years with one right of renewal for 10 years commencing from the date of execution of the deed of lease

ii) rent - $1.00 per annum if demanded

iii) the approved The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated Community Outcomes Plan be attached to the lease document

iv) all other terms and conditions will be in accordance with the Reserves Act 1977, the Coatesville Recreation Reserve Management Plan adopted 7 May 2009 and Auckland Council Community Occupancy Guidelines 2012.

c) approve The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated Community Outcomes Plan as attached to the agenda report (Attachment C).

Comments

Land, existing community lease and area occupied

5. The Coatesville Recreation Reserve is located adjacent to the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway between Mahoenui Valley Road and Glenmore Road in Coatesville (Attachment D). The reserve comprises six separately defined land parcels with the majority of the reserve held by the Crown through the Department of Conservation and vested in Auckland Council, in trust, for both recreation and local reserve purposes. The reserve is subject to the provisions of the Reserves Act 1977.

6. In 1995 the former Rodney District Council granted a lease to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated for the site on Coatesville Recreation Reserve. The lease was for a term of 19 years which commenced 1 November 1994 with final expiry on 31 October 2013 (Attachment E GIS view showing current lease area to the Playcentre as outlined in yellow). Since the date of final expiry, the association’s community lease has been continuing on a month by month basis.

7. The association wishes to continue leasing the area it occupies at Coatesville Recreation Reserve, 12 Mahoenui Valley Road, Coatesville being portions of Allotment 695 and Part Allotment 671 of Paremoremo Parish.

Public notification

8. As Coatesville Recreation Reserve is subject to the requirements of the Reserves Act 1977, Auckland Council publicly notified and engaged with iwi on its intention to grant a new community lease to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated for the 890m² portion of Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo classified as recreation reserve.

9. Public notices were placed in the Nor-West News and the Rodney Times on 25 August 2016. The proposal was also advertised on the Auckland Council website. Submitters were allowed one calendar month to make submissions or objections to the proposal to grant a community lease under section 73(3) of the Reserves Act. During this period, no submissions or objections were received.

Option to reclassify 890m² of Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo from recreation reserve to local purpose (site for a play centre) reserve

10. Reclassifying the 890m² (more or less) of land currently occupied and classified as recreation reserve to local purpose (site for a playcentre) reserve would mean that The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated may be granted a new community lease for the whole of the area it occupies without the need for public notification. Similarly, further public notification would not be required for any new lease at the expiration of the proposed lease as detailed in this report.

11. While the process has commenced with the view to reclassify the 890m² portion of Part Allotment 671, there are a number of processes that are outstanding, along with considerations which impact on the proposal. These are detailed as follows:

· council staff recommended to the Rodney Local Board Parks, Culture and Community Development Committee at its business meeting of 7 September 2015 to support the proposed reclassification (Attachment F RODPC/2015/53).

· council staff must engage with iwi and undertake public notification with regard to the proposal (cost for this is approximately $1,600.00).

· council staff must place an advertisement in relevant local newspapers giving submitters one calendar month to respond and advising whether they wish to have their submission or objection heard in person.

· subject to the satisfactory outcome of the above process, council staff must report to the governing body, Environment and Community Committee recommending that it resolve to reclassify the 890m² under section 24 (1)(b) of the Reserves Act 1977.

· subject to the committee resolving to reclassify the 890m², council staff would organise for a land survey to be undertaken. Survey costs to redefine the 890m² by survey office plan would be approximately $8,000.00 to $9,000.00. The plan would take approximately three months from its preparation to “approval of the plan as to survey” by Land Information New Zealand.

· subject to the survey plan being approved by Land Information New Zealand, council staff would prepare a gazette notice from the new description of the 890m² supplied by the plan, and make a submission to council’s delegate for the Minister of Conservation, seeking approval to the reclassification and to sign the gazette notice.

· subject to the gazette notice being published in the New Zealand Gazette, (cost to publish the notice is approximately $100.00), the reclassification would be completed and council would have met all the requirements of the Reserves and Conservation Acts.

12. Whilst council works through its list of outstanding land classifications, council staff recommend that, in this instance, a new community lease for the area occupied on Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo (classified as recreation reserve) is granted and issued under section 73(3) of the Reserves Act 1977 as opposed to reclassifying the 890m².

13. The Coatesville Recreation Reserve Management Plan adopted 7 May 2009 at 17.2 Objective 2 To facilitate the range of community activities held on the reserve and to recognise the contribution of the activities to the wider social fabric of the district recommends under policy and implementation to continue the existing lease with The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated.

The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated

14. The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated was registered as an Incorporated Society on 22 November 1973. Its objectives are to:

· Work with nga whanau/families to provide quality learning experiences for young children

· Assist nga matua/parents to provide a Playcentre, and maintain, equip and supervise it

· Advise, assist, encourage and co-ordinate the activities of existing Playcentres

· Develop public awareness of the Playcentre movement and to develop public conscience concerning the welfare of young children

· Bring nga matua/parents the knowledge available of principles and methods of management and care of young children and foster better matua/parent/child relationships.

15. The association has provided financial accounts which indicate that its funds are sufficient to meet its liabilities and are being managed appropriately. The association has all necessary insurance cover, including public liability insurance, in place.

16. The association owns its building which is well maintained. In 2016, the association undertook significant upgrades to the interior of the building. These changes allow the association to more effectively meet its requirements under the New Zealand Early Childhood Regulations and provide better utilisation of the space and flow between areas within the current building as well as meeting regulations in terms of accessibility.

Coatesville Playcentre

17. Coatesville Playcentre has been in existence for more than 30 years and operates as part of The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated

18. Coatesville Playcentre caters for children up to six years of age and has a good relationship with the teaching staff at the local school who advise how they can best prepare the children for the transition to school.

19. Coatesville Playcentre received a positive review from the Education Review Office in late 2013.

20. Coatesville Playcentre organise trips for the children each term. Its recent trips include visits to Three Streams Reserve in upper Albany, Coatesville Reserve and local business Living Herbs. Living Herbs was excited about the opportunity to connect with its local community and plan to support Coatesville Playcentre to build a refreshed kitchen garden area.

21. The Coatesville Hall and Reserve Advisory Committee supports a new lease to the association in its current position on the Coatesville Reserve (Attachment G).

22. Council staff has worked alongside the association to draft and negotiate a Community Outcomes Plan. Subject to local board approval, the community outcomes plan will be appended as a schedule to the deed of lease to for Allotment 695, Parish of Paremoremo.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

23. At its business meeting on 13 June 2016, the Rodney Local Board Parks, Culture and Community Development Committee resolved to; a) approve the 2016/2017 Community Facilities work programme Resolution number RODPC/2016/36. The proposed new lease to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated (for the Coatesville site) is listed on the community lease work plan 2016/2017.

24. At its business meeting on 7 September 2015, the Rodney Local Board Parks, Culture and Community Development Committee resolved to approve the public notification and consultation with iwi of council’s intention to grant a community lease to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated for a portion of Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo Resolution number RODPC/2015/52 (Attachment H).

Māori impact statement

25. During January and February 2016, engagement was undertaken with 14 iwi identified as having an interest in the local board geographical area regarding the proposal to grant a community lease on a portion of Part Allotment 671 Paremoremo Parish. Of the four iwi that responded none indicated any objections to the proposal.

26. A treaty clause will be included in the new deed of lease (for Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo) about the possibility of the land being returned to the Crown should a successful claim be lodged over the land.

Implementation

27. The costs associated with public notification and engagement with iwi of Auckland Council’s intention to grant the lease was approximately $500.00. This cost was borne by the Community Facilities Department.

28. Council’s community leases staff will work with the association to finalise the deeds of lease.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	GIS aerial view of Coatesville RecreationReserve at 12 Mahoenui Valley Road showing lease area to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated on a portion of Part Allotment 671 Parish of Paremoremo outlined in red	29
b ⇩	GIS aerial view of Coatesville Recreation Reserve showing lease area to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated on a portion of Allotment 695 Parish of Paremoremo outlined in blue	31
c ⇩	The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated Community Outcomes Plan	33
d ⇩	Locality plan	37
e ⇩	GIS aerial view of part of Coatesville Recreation Reserve with existing lease area to The North Shore Playcentre Association Incorporated outlined in yellow	39
f ⇩	Resolution number RODPC/2015/53	41
g ⇩	Copy of letter from the Coatesville Hall and Advisory Committee	43
h ⇩	Resolution number RODPC/2015/52	45

Signatories

Authors

Karen Walby - Lease Advisor

Authorisers

Rod Sheridan - General Manager Community Facilities

Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager

Rodney Local Board

20 April 2017

Rodney Quick Response, Round Three 2016/2017 grant applications

File No.: CP2017/00080

Purpose

1. To present applications received for the Rodney Quick Response, Round Three 2016/2017. The Rodney Local Board is required to fund, part fund or decline these applications.

Executive summary

2. The local board has set a total community grants budget of $269,000 for the 2016/2017 financial year.

3. A total of $136,017 been allocated under round one of the local grants and rounds one, two and three of the quick response grants rounds in the 2016/2017 financial year.

4. The local board has a balance of $132,983 to be allocated for local grants round two and quick response grants round three in this financial year.

5. A total of $120,776 was allocated under round one of the local grants, $6,488 was allocated under round one quick response and $8,753 was allocated under round two quick response leaving a balance of $132,983 to be allocated for the remainder of the 2016/2017 financial year.

6. Sixteen applications were received for Quick Response Round Three 2016/2017, with a total request of $29,293.00.

Recommendation/s

That the Rodney Local Board:

a) consider the applications listed in the table below for Quick Response Round Three 2016/2017 and agree to fund, part fund or decline each application in this round

Application No.	Organisation Name	Project	Total Requested	Eligible/ ineligible
QR1706-301	The R K L Morrow Family Trust (on behalf of Ms Liz Morrow)	Towards the purchase of herbicides, trees/shrubs and ongoing maintenance costs between May 2017 to December 2018	$2,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-301	Warkworth Music Society Incorporated	Towards the purchase and installation of wheels for the grand piano in March 2017	$ 2,000.00	Ineligible project occurred before decision making date
QR1716-302	Open-Air Cinema Limited	Towards the marketing and promotional costs for the “Sounds on Screen - Music Documentary Film Festival” in June 2017	$4,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-303	North Rodney Blue Light Ventures Incorporated	Towards a subsidy for camp fees for eight youth to attend the Blue Light Skills camp between May to December 2017	$1,740.00	Eligible
QR1716-305	Baddeleys and Campbells Beach Residents and Ratepayers Association	Towards the hireage of a removal jumbo bin between April 2017	$459.00	Eligible
QR1716-306	Waimauku Tennis Club Incorporated	Towards the purchase of tennis balls for the 2017 winter season between April to September 2017	$1,268.00	Eligible
QR1716-307	Pohutukawa Trust New Zealand	Towards the purchase of possum bait between May to December 2017	$2,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-308	Waitoki School	Towards the purchase of microphones in May 2017	$2,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-309	Helensville Playcentre	Towards the costs of power, water and the building warrant of fitness costs between June 2017 to May 2018	$2,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-310	S L and L Clapshaw on behalf of Domain Crescent Neighbourhood Group	Towards the purchase of weed bags and pest bait and bait stations between May to December 2017	$946.00	Eligible
QR1716-311	Children's Autism Foundation	Towards the venue hire, purchase of resources and salaries and wages between June to November 2017	$2,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-313	Bays Youth Community Trust	Towards the costs for the annual insurance between May 2017 to April 2018	$2,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-314	Art Centre Helensville	Towards the marketing and advertising costs between May 2017 to February 2018	$1,180.00	Eligible
QR1716-315	Kowhai Singers	Towards the venue hire of the Warkworth Town Hall, costs of advertising and marketing, wages and salaries for the musicians for the “Messiah” performance in May 2017	$2,000.00	Eligible
QR1716-316	Art Centre Helensville	Towards the purchase of materials, salaries and wages for the facilitator and administration and advertising costs in October 2017	$1,700.00	Eligible
QR1716-317	A C Talmage on behalf of “Sing Up Rodney”	Towards the costs of venue hire, catering and professional fees (salaries and wages) between May to August 2017	$2,000.00	Eligible
		Total	$29,293

Comments

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

8. The local board grants programmes sets out:

· local board priorities

· lower priorities for funding

· exclusions

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

· any additional accountability requirements

9. The local board will have operated three quick response rounds for this financial year. Applications for this quick response round closed on 10 March 2016.

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

11. The local board has a set a total community grants budget of $269,000 for the 2016/2017 financial year.

12. A total of $136,017 been allocated under round one of the local grants and rounds one, two and three quick of the response grants in the 2016/2017 financial year.

13. The local board has a balance of $132,983 to be allocated for local grants round two and quick response grant round three in this financial year.

14. A total of $120,776 was allocated under round one of the local grants, $6,488 was allocated under round one of the quick response grants and $8,753 was allocated under round two of the quick response grants leaving a balance of $132,983 to be allocated for the remainder of the 2016/2017 financial year.

15. Sixteen applications were received for Quick Response Round Three 2016/2017, with a total request of $29,293.00.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

16. Local boards are responsible for the decision-making and allocation of local board community grants. The 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.

17. The local 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.”

18. A summary of each application is attached (see Attachment B).

Māori impact statement

19. The provision of community grants provide opportunities for all Aucklanders to undertake project, programmes, activities that benefit a wider range of individuals and groups, including Māori. 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 Māori. There are no organisations applying in this round that have identified as Māori. Two applications have indicated their project targets Māori or Māori outcomes.

Implementation

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

21. Following the local board allocating funding for round three, quick response, commercial and finance staff will notify the applicant of the local board’s decision.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Rodney Grant Programme 2016/2017	53
b ⇩	Rodney Quick Response Round Three Application Information	57

Signatories

Authors

Sonia Parra - Environmental Funding Coordinator

Authorisers

Marion Davies - Community Grants Operations Manager

Jennifer Rose - Operations Support Manager

Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager

Rodney Local Board

20 April 2017

Panuku Development Auckland Local Board Six-Monthly Update 1 September 2016 to 28 February 2017

File No.: CP2016/25247

Purpose

1. To give the Rodney Local Board an overview of Panuku Development Auckland. The report also notes any major issues, projects and activities within the local board area for the six months 1 September 2016 to 28 February 2017.

Executive Summary

2. Panuku Development Auckland was established in September 2015 as a result of the merger of two Council Controlled Organisations – Waterfront Auckland and Auckland Council Property Limited.

3. Panuku Development Auckland 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 six Directorates, Panuku Development Auckland manages around $1.5 billion of council’s property portfolio, which we continuously review 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 Development Auckland works with government, iwi, not-for-profit and private organisations. We use our skills, knowledge and connections to bring land and resources together to create the best outcome for Aucklanders.

Recommendation/s

That the Rodney Local Board:

a) note the Panuku Development Auckland Local Board Update 1 September 2016 to 28 February 2017

Comments

Local Activities

Portfolio Management

6. Panuku Development Auckland manages “non-service” properties owned by council and Auckland Transport (AT) that are 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 28 February 2017. 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 the council and AT shareholders of $3.9m ahead of budget.

9. The average monthly tenantable occupancy rate for the 6 month period is more than 98% which is above the Statement of Intent target of 95%.

Properties Managed in the Rodney Local Board Area

10. Panuku currently manages 68 commercial and residential properties within the Rodney Local Board area.

Commercial Properties	53
Residential Properties	15
Total Properties Managed	68

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 is currently one managed business interests in the local board area:

13. Ti Point Forest – This forest is ready for harvesting and we are negotiating a new contract for deforestation.

Portfolio Strategy

Optimisation

14. The 2015-2025 Long-term Plan 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, Auckland Council Property Limited (ACPL) developed a new method of dealing with service property, called optimisation.

15. Asset optimisation deals with “service property”. It is self-funding, it 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 Auckland Transport 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

16. 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

17. July 2016 to June 2017 Target

UNIT	TARGET	ACHIEVED	COMMENTS
Portfolio Review	$75million disposal recommendations	$35.5 million as at 28 February 2017	These recommendations include $13.25 million of sites that are identified for development projects.

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

19. July 2017 to June 2018 Target

UNIT	TARGET	COMMENTS
Portfolio Review	To be determined as part of the statement of intent with Council.	The target will include disposal recommendations and sales for sites that are identified for housing development and urban regeneration projects

Process

20. Once identified as a potential sale candidate a property is taken through a multi-stage Rationalisation Process. The agreed process includes engagement with: the council, Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs), local board and Mana Whenua. This is followed by Panuku Board approval, engagement with local ward councillors and the Independent Māori Statutory Board and finally a governing body decision.

Under review

21. Properties currently under review in the Rodney 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
Sec 1 SO 375381 (2.6118HA) m adj State Highway 16, Kumeu	A large, vacant parcel of land that was acquired by the former Rodney District Council for a proposed future cemetery. There was community opposition to this proposal and subsequent assessments found that this site is not suitable for a cemetery or required for growth planning in the Huapai-Kumeu area. Consultation with council and its CCOs, iwi authorities and the local board has now taken place. A report was submitted to the local board’s 16 March 2017 business meeting to provide it with an opportunity to formalise its views. A report was submitted to the Finance and Performance Committee’s 11 April 2017 meeting for a final decision on the proposed disposal. An update will be available at the local board’s 20 April 2017 meeting.
14 Baxter Street, Warkworth	The site comprises a public car parking platform, the airspace above it, and the ancillary foyer, stairs and support pillars. It was originally acquired by the former Rodney District Council for a proposed community centre development. Consultation about this property has been undertaken with council and its CCOs, iwi authorities and the local board. No alternative service uses have been identified. The local board resolved at its 16 February 2017 business meeting that it was opposed to the proposed disposal of this site on the basis that it may be required for town centre car parking purposes in the future. A report was submitted to the Finance and Performance Committee’s 21 March 2017 meeting for a final decision on the proposed disposal. The committee resolved to delay the decision regarding the disposal of land until such time as the Auckland Transport Strategy team investigates parking options (including all day parking options) for Warkworth, with at least the same or greater number of carparks as the above property, and report back to the Finance and Performance Committee by way of a written report within the next three months. The committee also directed staff and the Rodney Local Board to investigate the urgency and the funding of the weather tightness remedial work and other deferred maintenance totalling approximately $500,000 and noted that resolution of the funding issue cannot be held over until the 2017/2018 Annual Plan.
Allotments 136, 137, 138, 139, 140 and 141 Ahuroa Parish and 147 Kourawhero Parish, Woodcocks Road, Woodcocks	Consultation about the parcels of stopped road has been undertaken with council and its CCOs, iwi authorities and the local board. No alternative service uses were identified for the subject sites through the rationalisation process and the feedback received was supportive of the proposed disposal of the properties. A report was submitted to the local board’s 16 March 2017 business meeting to provide it with an opportunity to formalise its views. A report was submitted to the Finance and Performance Committee’s 11 April 2017 meeting for a final decision on the proposed disposal. An update will be available at the local board’s 20 April 2017 meeting.

Acquisitions and Disposals

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

Acquisitions

23. 12 properties have had purchase agreements signed this financial year for open space purposes around the region at a value of $19.1m, and three properties have been purchased for storm water purposes at a value of $16.2m.

24. Two properties were purchased in the local board area during the reporting period.

25. Panuku undertakes acquisitions for Auckland Council Parks and Healthy Waters under delegation from council’s Chief Executive. Panuku does not unilaterally decide what properties to buy and when but rather follows a directive to manage the commercial transactions following committee approval to purchase a particular property.

26. All land acquisition committee resolutions contain a confidentiality clause due to the commercially sensitive nature of ongoing transactions, and thus cannot be reported on while in process.

Disposals

27. For the eight months to February 2017 the Panuku disposals team has achieved $17.94m of unconditional net sales proceeds from the sale of 10 properties against the 2016/17 disposals target of $20.0m for the year. The disposals target is agreed with council and is reviewed on an annual basis.

28. No properties were sold in the local board area.

Housing for Older People

29. Council owns and operates 1412 units located in 62 villages across Auckland to provide rental housing to older people in Auckland. The Housing for Older People (HfOP) Project 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 Panuku would prepare a High Level Project Plan (HLPP) that provided the foundation for Panuku to develop and reposition the portfolio to better 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 Selwyn. The Joint Venture Company (JVCo) will deliver the service and improve the housing portfolio.

33. Community Housing Provider (CHP) Application was submitted to the Ministry Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) by the JVCo on 20 December 2016.

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

35. There are no HfOP villages located within the local board area.

Regional Activities

36. Good progress has been made in our priority development areas, with HLPPs being worked on for Onehunga, Papatoetoe, Avondale and Henderson. In Manukau and Northcote, leading on from the council’s approval of the HLPP, Framework Plans (which are more detailed plans on the development of the locations, including reference plans for each development site) have been developed.

37. Often it is the smaller projects that can make a huge difference in a community over a relatively short period – the placemaking activities, the 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 we work.

Highlights

38. The highlights for the last six months were:

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

b) Roger MacDonald was appointed as the Chief Executive of Panuku, and he started in the role in November. Roger originates from the United Kingdom, and has delivered large scale urban redevelopment projects across the world, in Africa, the Middle East and in the UK.

c) The Panuku Board agreed that Barrowcliffe Place, Manukau is a “pilot project” to form a consortium comprising a Community Housing Provider, with a 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.

d) 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, which Auckland Toursim, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) have taken the head lease for the establishment of Grid AKL, will be completed in July 2017.

e) Stage Two of the Hobsonville Airfields Development was tendered, and a preferred tenderer has been selected after a number of tenderers submitted strong bids. The due diligence process is underway. The 9.9ha site will see 500 homes of mixed typology constructed.

f) Lot 1, 187 Flat Bush Road was also tendered and a development agreement has been signed. 30 homes will be constructed on the 1.9 hectare site, with construction commencing within a year of the sale.

g) The ASB Waterfront Theatre was opened on 22 September 2016. Panuku (on behalf of council) 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 the Wynyard Quarter.

h) The Water Edge Symposium was held in November, with invited waterfront experts attending from the USA, 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 Transform project.

i) The Silo Park Summer Programme has seen thousands of people visit the waterfront over the summer period, to enjoy the night markets, catch 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.

j) After an audit of Panuku against ACC’s Workplace Safety Management Practices external accreditation, Panuku attained Tertiary standard, reflecting its commitment to continual improvement in health and safety.

Future outlook

39. Over the next few months, Panuku will:

k) Formalise the joint venture between the council and The Selwyn Foundation (JVCo) to manage the Housing for Older People portfolio and tenants with legal agreements being negotiated and Community Housing Provider registration being prepared. JVCo will take over the management of the Housing for Older People portfolio in July 2017.

l) The lease of the Panuku office accommodations expires in mid-2017. Options are being considered, and it is likely that it will be more cost effective for Panuku to move to a modest-quality building in the Central Business District rather than remaining in its current building.

m) 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 the signing of the Development Agreement between Panuku and the Tawera Group.

n) Panuku is working on a refresh of the Waterfront Strategy, which will frame future development within the CBD waterfront area. This work will be reported to the council in March 2017, with draft Framework Plans reported in May 2017.

o) 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 the open 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 (panuku.co.nz) prior to the meeting. Board papers (with confidential information redacted) will also be posted online. Members of the public will be invited (via the Panuku website) to present to the board on issues relevant to Panuku.

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 our website and all key documents (such as our Annual Report and the project plans for our development locations) are available online.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

40. This report is for the local board’s information.

41. Panuku requests that all feedback and queries you have relating to a property in your local board area be directed in the first instance to localboard@developmentauckland.co.nz

Māori impact statement

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

43. Māori make up 12% 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% of Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau under the age of 25 years. 5% of the Māori population in the region are currently 65 years and over.

44. There are 19 Mana Whenua in the region, with 15 having indicated an interest in Panuku lead activities within the local board area.

45. Māori make up 10 percent of the local board population, and there are seven marae located within the local board area.

46. Panuku work collaboratively with Mana Whenua on a range 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.

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

Implementation

48. 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

Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager

Rodney Local Board

20 April 2017

Approval of the draft Rodney Local Board Plan 2017

File No.: CP2017/04549

Purpose

1. To approve the draft Rodney Local Board Plan 2017 and the Rodney Local Board plan summary for public consultation, and the 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 Rodney Local Board 2017 is attached to this report (Attachment A). The Rodney Local Board plan summary is also attached (Attachment B). The local board is asked to approve both documents for public consultation.

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

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

a) Wellsford Library drop in session, Tuesday 23 May 2017 2.00-7.00pm

b) Riverhead Primary School drop in session, Wednesday 31 May 2017 3.00-8.00pm

c) Rautawhiri Park, Helensville drop in session, Saturday 10 June 2017 10.00am-3.00pm

d) Diary Flat School drop in session, Monday 12 June 2017 3.00-7.00pm.

e) Kowhai Arts Centre, Warkworth Showgrounds drop in session, Saturday 17 June 2017 10.00am-3.00pm

Recommendation/s

That the Rodney Local Board:

a) approve the draft Rodney Local Board Plan 2017 for public consultation using the Special Consultative Procedure.

b) approve the Rodney Local Board Plan summary document.

c) delegate authority to the Chairperson to make typographical changes or other minor edits or amendments to the Rodney Local Board Plan 2017 or the summary, before it is submitted for final publication.

d) approves the scheduled formal engagement events for the local board plan engagement, as follows:

i) Wellsford Library drop in session, Tuesday 23 May 2017, 2.00-7.00pm

ii) Riverhead Primary School drop in session, Wednesday 31 May 2017, 3.00-8.00pm

iii) Rautawhiri Park, Helensville drop in session, Saturday 10 June 2017, 10.00am-3.00pm

iv) Diary Flat School drop in session, Monday 12 June 2017, 3.00-7.00pm.

v) Kowhai Arts Centre, Warkworth Showgrounds drop in session, Saturday 17 June 2017, 10.00am-3.00pm

Comments

6. 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

7. 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.

8. The local board is required to use the Special Consultation Procedure (SCP) to consult on the draft local board plan. The period for the SCP is from 22 May to 30 June 2017.

9. 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.

10. The following locations and dates have been selected by the local board for their SCP consultation:

a) Wellsford Library drop in session, Tuesday 23 May 2017 2.00-7.00pm

b) Riverhead Primary School drop in session, Wednesday 31 May 2017 3.00-8.00pm

c) Rautawhiri Park, Helensville drop in session, Saturday 10 June 2017 10.00am-3.00pm

d) Diary Flat School drop in session, Monday 12 June 2017 3.00-7.00pm.

e) Kowhai Arts Centre, Warkworth Showgrounds drop in session, Saturday 17 June 2017 10.00am-3.00pm

11. Key features of the draft Rodney Local Board Plan 2017 include a focus on: transport infrastructure that allows us to get around easily and safely, supporting communities taking the lead on projects in their areas, parks and sports facilities that we all enjoy, clean harbours and waterways, and supporting spaces in our townships that create a strong sense of community.

Consideration

12. The draft plan has been developed by considering:

· stakeholder views and previous community engagement feedback, including from past annual budget consultations, the local board plan 2014 consultation, long-term plan consultation and all deputations and presentations at public fora during local board business meetings

· the local board member’s views and preferences

· regional strategies, including the Auckland Sport and Recreation Strategic Action Plan, I Am Auckland: Children and Young Persons Strategic Action Plan, Toi Whītiki Arts and Culture Strategic Action Plan

· regional policies, including the I Am Auckland status report, and Auckland Council’s Māori Responsiveness Framework Whiria Te Muka Tangata

· subject matter expert advice from staff within Parks Sport and Recreation, Infrastructure and Environmental Services, Arts Community and Events, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Libraries and Information, Community Facilities, Chief Planning Office, and Auckland Transport

· Mana Whenua and Mataawaka feedback

Local board views and implications

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

Māori impact statement

14. 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 6 March

· considered pre-existing feedback from Māori

15. 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

· continue to develop relationships with Mana Whenua and Mataawaka by engaging in regular sub-regional hui, and pursuing the development of formal relationship agreements in addition to that already signed with Te Uri o Hau.

Implementation

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

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

18. The local board will adopt the final plan in September

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Draft Rodney Local Board Plan	125
b ⇩	Rodney Local Board Plan Summary	155

Signatories

Authors

Christie McFayden - Graduate Advisor

Authorisers

Karen Lyons - General Manager Local Board Services

Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager

Rodney Local Board

20 April 2017

Auckland Transport Update April 2017 to the Rodney Local Board

File No.: CP2017/05904

Purpose

1. To respond to resolutions and requests on transport-related matters, provide an update on the current status of Local Board’s Transport Capital Fund, provide a summary of consultation material sent to the Rodney Local Board and provide transport-related information on matters of specific application and interest to the local board and its community.

Executive summary

2. This report provides information on:

· The local board’s transport capital fund projects;

· Consultations on regulatory processes;

· Traffic Control Committee results;

· Issues raised by elected members;

· Rodney Local Board’s Locally Driven Initiatives Footpath Construction;

· Funding to investigate a solution for the Hill Street intersection in Warkworth;

· New Road Connection for Warkworth;

· Tamahunga Bridge Construction;

· Agreement on next steps for Auckland mass transit;

· Auckland Transport opens its books;

· AT Park phone application launched

Recommendation/s

That the Rodney Local Board:

a) note the Auckland Transport Update for April 2017.

Comments

Update on Rodney Local Board’s Transport Capital Fund Projects

3. As at 7 March 2017 the balance of Local Board’s Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF) funds available to the local board for allocation prior to 30 June 2019 was $856,375, comprising:

· $44,804 from the 2016/2017 financial year;

· $399,986 from the 2017/2018 financial year; and

· $411,585 from the 2018/2019 financial year.

4. An additional amount of $423,933 is available to the local board from the 2019/2020 financial year commencing on 1 July 2019.

5. Local board members should now be giving some thought to projects which may benefit from the monies available over the course of the current political term.

6. A copy of the Local Board Transport Capital Fund Proposal Form, required to be completed for each project nominated by the local board, has been forwarded to members. They are reminded that each project nominated must:

· Be a CAPEX project that creates a physical transport asset;

· Not compromise safety; and

· Not compromise network efficiency.

7. It is intended that each project proposal will be discussed initially at meetings with Members Brewer and Johnston, Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Local Board’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee before being forwarded to Auckland Transport’s LBTCF project team for assessment against the criteria for the fund and provision of a rough order of costs.

Consultations on Regulatory Processes

8. The following table lists consultations on regulatory processes considered recently by the local board:

Street/Suburb	9. Date Circulated	10. Restriction	11. Local Board Comment
Tapu Road, Huapai, and Garfield Road, Helensville,	12. 23 Feb 17	13. Bus Stops	14. No objections were received from the local board.
SH1 Warkworth	15. 8 Mar 17	16. Speed Limit Changes	17. No objections were received from the local board.
Kumeu Town Centre development at 94 - 106 Main Road, Kumeu	18. 22 Mar 17	19. Traffic Restrictions	20. Responses by 13 Apr 17.

Traffic Control Committee Results

9. Decisions made by Auckland Transport’s (AT) Traffic Control Committee in relation to regulatory processes relevant to the local board during March are listed below:

Street Name, Suburb	Report Type	Nature of Restriction	Decision
Hauraki/Totara Roads, Leigh	Permanent Traffic and Parking Changes	NSAAT restrictions	Carried
Main Road (SH16)/Trigg Road, Huapai	Permanent Traffic and Parking Changes	NSAAT restrictions, bus stop, bus shelter, stop control, flush median, shoulder marking, edge line	Carried
Parlane Drive, Huapai	Permanent Traffic and Parking Changes	NSAAT restrictions, bus stop, give way control	Carried
Kaspar/Hill Streets, Warkworth	Permanent Traffic and Parking Changes	NSAAT restrictions, No stopping at restricted times, footpath	Carried
Hudson/Sanderson/ Albert/Falls Roads/ Mansel Drive/ Woodcocks Road/ Mason Heights/ Evelyn/Oliver Streets/Jamie/ Christopher Lanes/ Viv Davie-Martin Drive/Francis Place, Warkworth	Permanent Traffic and Parking Changes	Lane restrictions, bus shelter, traffic island	Carried

Issues Update

10. Attachment A lists those issues raised by elected members and local board services staff to 4 April.

Rodney Local Board’s Locally Driven Initiatives Footpath Construction

11. At its meeting on 9 May 2016 the Rodney Local Board’s Transport, Planning and Infrastructure (TPI) Committee resolved to (RODTP/2016/32):

a) approve the following footpaths to proceed to detail design and construction based on the rough order of costs indicated:

· Tapu Road, Huapai (East side), from Maple Lane to Matua Road - $118,000;

· 1-31 Elliot Street, Riverhead (South side) - $385,000;

· Princes Street, Riverhead (North side), from Coatesville Riverhead Highway to Great North Road - $237,000;

· Hill Street, Warkworth (North side), from 20a to 4 - $168,000;

· Hill Street, Warkworth (South side), from Albert Street to Hudson Road - $394,000; and

· Kaspar Street, Warkworth (full length, East side) - $160,000.

12. Concept designs for these projects were circulated to members and to residents whose properties will be directly affected late in 2016/early 2017 for comment and changes were made to the designs to reflect feedback received.

13. Tenders for construction of the three footpaths in the North (Falls Road, Hill Street and Kaspar Road) closed on 10 March. It is hoped the contract will be awarded during April so that construction can begin in late April.

14. Construction of the footpath on Tapu Road began in mid-March and is progressing well.

15. The tender for the Elliot Street footpath closed on 17 March and the contract was awarded in late March for construction to begin in mid-April.

16. The design for the Princes Street footpath is almost complete, but resource consent is required to work within the protected root zone of adjacent trees. Following receipt of consent, it is expected that physical works will begin in late-April/early May.

17. It is hoped that construction of all six footpaths will be completed by 30 June 2017.

Funding to investigate a solution for the Hill Street intersection in Warkworth

18. The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has provided funding for AT to start the investigation phase into improving the Hill Street intersection in Warkworth.

19. AT has recently been reviewing both internally developed designs and those submitted in the past by the community. The funding from NZTA will enable AT to undertake a full investigation into a re-design for the intersection and pursue any land acquisition and regulatory requirements.

20. Work on any future phases will still need to be agreed between NZTA and AT and funding applications made, but the NZTA funding should enable commencement of the physical works as soon as the new Matakana Link Road and the Puhoi to Warkworth highway are completed in late 2021.

New Road Connection for Warkworth

21. A new road connection, officially opened by Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff on Friday, 3 March 2017, between new housing areas and Warkworth township, will give Warkworth residents an alternative route.

22. The $6.4 million project, the first stage of the Western Collector, has extended Mansel Drive with a bridge over the Mahurangi River and enabled construction of a new intersection where Mansel Drive meets Falls Road. Falls Road is prone to flooding so the new bridge will ensure that the link can stay open in all weathers.

23. Improvements for cyclists and pedestrians have also been made and these have been future proofed for connections to other walking and cycling projects currently being investigated.

24. This stage of Warkworth Western connection is the first of many transport infrastructure improvements planned for Warkworth. Further stages will connect to State Highway 1 in the south and the proposed Matakana Link Road in the north. The timing and exact route of the remaining two stages have yet to be determined.

25. Scheduled for completion in 2021, Matakana Link Road will provide a connection between Matakana Road and State Highway1, giving locals an alternative route between western and eastern areas of Warkworth which bypass the Hill Street intersection.

26. Southbound traffic from north of Warkworth will also be able to bypass the intersection and continue south via the Pūhoi to Warkworth highway, also scheduled for completion in 2021.

Tamahunga Bridge Construction

27. Development taking place along Tamahunga Drive south of Matakana will mean many more pedestrians using the road to access Matakana School.

28. AT is proposing the installation of a 2.5m wide timber footbridge across the Tamahunga stream, together with a concrete footpath on both sides that will link to the existing concrete raised platform on Tamahunga Drive and a future footpath on Matakana Road. This will address an absence of edge lines or sufficient space for pedestrians and vehicles to pass simultaneously over the road bridge, improving safety for pedestrians. A site plan of the area and a plan of the proposed work are shown below:

29. An Auckland Council arborist’s assessment is underway as a tree may need to be removed and works within the dripline of a number of others. Earthworks will also be required for the bridge foundations, which will be within the riparian yard, and resource consents are needed for both the earthworks and the tree trimming/removal. It is hoped that these applications will be lodged during April 2017, to award the construction contract in May so that construction can begin in June, and to complete the work before the end of this calendar year.

Agreement on next steps for Auckland mass transit

30. The boards of NZTA and AT have reached an important accord on the next steps for mass transit in Auckland, agreeing that there will be a staged, integrated transition from bus to light rail transit from the airport to the city centre and that route protection for this gateway corridor between two of Auckland’s key growing employment areas will begin.

31. The agencies have agreed and confirmed through various studies that Dominion Road is the preferred route, acknowledging not only the importance of the Airport Precinct and the city centre, but the public transport access and connectivity that is needed along the route.

32. Further work will be carried out to assess key operational elements, required trade-offs, flow on effects, transition impacts and network resilience issues. In parallel, work will 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.

33. NZTA 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.

34. The timing for this transition will be based on demand, capacity and funding, though immediate measures have been taken in the 2015-2018 National Land Transport Programme to deliver improved public transport solutions around the greater Airport area, supporting a package of short term improvements being developed to address urgent access issues and bringing the Auckland Transport Alignment Project to life. The parties involved are now in agreement that urgent action needs to be taken.

35. NZTA and AT will also continue to work with Auckland Council and Auckland International Airport Limited to jointly develop and implement a package of short term access improvements to the airport.

Auckland Transport Opens its books

36. Since it was established in 2010, AT has routinely published the details of all contracts valued at over $50,000 on its website. As a publicly-funded body however, the organisation wants to be as transparent and accountable as possible so that threshold has now been dropped to zero.

37. Whilst there is a small additional administrative burden in releasing this sort of information, the Board of AT feels that this is worth it to allow more open scrutiny of its activities and to demonstrate a clear commitment to being open and accountable to the public.

38. The nature of some of AT's activities, such as property negotiations, means that sometimes information is commercially sensitive and involves third-party businesses or individuals. In those cases, and to protect the interests of ratepayers and taxpayers, they are dealt with confidentially. When the reason for that confidentiality no longer exists however, the material is routinely released and published on AT’s website.

AT Park phone application launched

39. AT’s phone application ‘AT Park’ has been introduced, offering users a range of benefits when parking on-street and improving AT’s customer experience by making it easier to pay for on-street parking.

40. Customers using the system only pay for the time they use and no longer need pay-and-display tickets. They also receive a text reminder when their parking is due to expire and are able to view their parking transaction history at any time.

41. The application’s other features include an easy to use parking map detailing parking locations and prices, no transaction fees and, for registered HOP card users, the ability to pay using their MyAT account. It can be downloaded for use on Android and Apple mobile devices, with users registering for AT Park through the mobile app or via AT’s website.

42. Details about the options for paying for parking will be progressively installed on parking meters over the next few months, starting in the Kingsland area. There will also be a marketing campaign in April, with ambassadors promoting the service.

43. People will still be able to pay for their parking using a meter with cash, credit card or via text, but as more people use AT Park, parking meters will gradually be thinned out and redeployed to new paid parking areas.

44. Further information on AT Park is available at: https://at.govt.nz/driving-parking/paying-for-parking/at-park/how-to-register-set-up-at-park/.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

45. The report is for the local board’s information.

Māori impact statement

46. 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 basis.

Implementation

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

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Auckland Transport Issues in relation to Rodney Local Board	195

Signatories

Authors

Ellen Barrett – Elected Member Relationship Manager, Auckland Transport

Authorisers

Jonathan Anyon – Elected Member Relationship Team Manager, Auckland Transport

Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager

Rodney Local Board

20 April 2017

2016 Elections - highlights and issues

File No.: CP2017/03073

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 Rodney 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

Strategic approach

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:

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)

o 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 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. 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 Electoral Officer (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 seven governing body members and seven local board members.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

73. The report is being presented to all local boards for their feedback, 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 candidate survey 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 feedback, 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

Authors

Warwick McNaughton - Principal Advisor - Democracy Services

Authorisers

Marguerite Delbet - General Manager Democracy Services

Phil Wilson - Governance Director

Stephen Town - Chief Executive

Chairperson	Beth Houlbrooke
Deputy Chairperson	Phelan Pirrie
Members	Brent Bailey
	Tessa Berger
	Cameron Brewer
	Louise Johnston
	Allison Roe, MBE
	Colin Smith
	Brenda Steele

Requirement FY 2015-2016	Status	Comments
A strategic plan for next 3 – 5 years - reviewed every 3 years.	Compliant	2016-2020 Strategic Plan in effect.
Audited financial accounts and audit management letter.	Compliant	Provided
Business plan including: · A minimum of three key performance indicators and budget allocations for programme areas.	Compliant	Provided
Annual review report: · Achievement of previous year’s objectives against business plan.	Compliant	Provided
2017-2018 Indicative Budget	Compliant	Provided
Annual BID programme reporting and alignment meeting between Rodney Local Board and business association board.	Pending	All BIDs are advised that this meeting must be scheduled before the end of this fiscal year.
BID Programme Agreement	Compliant	Fully signed agreement provided.
Summary	Recommend Targeted Rate	Staff are satisfied that Northwest BID is in substantial compliance with policy reporting requirements for the purpose of the recommendation of this report, and that the local board reporting meeting will be held in a timely manner.

Authors	Raewyn Morrison - Local Board Democracy Advisor
Authorisers	Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager

Authors	Jonathan Hope - Local Board Advisor - Rodney
Authorisers	Lesley Jenkins - Relationship Manager