Agenda of Waitākere Ranges Local Board

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Auckland Transport update – September 2017

File No.: CP2017/20423

Purpose

1. The purpose of this report is to; respond to requests on transport-related matters, provide an update on the status of Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF), provide a summary of consultation material sent to the Board and, provide transport related information on matters of specific application and interest to the Waitakere Ranges Local Board and its community.

Executive summary

2. In particular, this report covers:

· Progress report on the Board’s advocacy initiatives

· Progress report on the Board’s transport capital fund projects

· Consultation documents on proposed safety improvements

· Local Board requests on transport-related matters

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) receive the Auckland Transport update September 2017 report.

Comments

Strategic alignment

3. The Waitakere Ranges Local Board Plan 2014 - 2017 provides direction to Auckland Transport on the views and preferences of the local community. It has three main themes, each with a number of key initiatives relating to transport and the enhancement of public space along the road corridor.

4. Theme 1 - The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area is protected.

· Developing a Road Corridor Design Guide for the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area (completed). This will form part of the Auckland Transport Design Manual.

· Implementing Local Area Plans (LAPs). The five existing LAPs for: Oratia; Henderson Valley-Opanuku; Waiatarua; Muddy Creeks; Te Henga (Bethells Beach) and the Waitakere River Valley, have transport related actions for each area.

5. Theme 2 - Our Unique natural environments are healthy and restored.

· Implementing the Waitakere Ranges Strategic Weed Management Plan,

6. Theme 3 - Public transport, cycling and walking are easy, safe and connected.

· Support rail electrification and improvements to bus services.

· Work with our communities on a proposal for a connector shuttle service for coastal / rural areas, similar to the Kowhai connection in Warkworth.

· Support the development of park and ride in Glen Eden.

· Working with Auckland Transport to improve the road corridor in Glen Eden.

· Develop a greenways plan for walking and cycling.

· Investigate options for a cycleway from Project Twin Streams pathway to Glen Eden Town Centre.

· Support the development of a cycleway alongside the western rail line.

· Advocate for rural road safety improvements – including sensible speed limits and provisions for walking and cycling.

7. Auckland Transport is supporting the Local Board initiatives and delivering on it’s Statement of Intent strategic themes. Five strategic themes guide Auckland Transport’s decisions and actions and are aimed at providing an accessible, integrated, efficient and innovative transport system. They are also critical to the realisation of Auckland Council’s vision for transport as expressed in Chapter 13 of the Auckland Plan.

8. The five strategic themes endorsed by Auckland Transport’s Board are:

· Prioritise rapid, high frequency public transport

· Continually transform and elevate customer experience

· Build network optimisation and resilience for travel times

· Enable quality urban growth to meet demand

· Fast-track creative, innovative and efficient transport services.

· Auckland Transport launched a new phone app which makes catching a bus, train or ferry more intuitive and easier to use. After four months the AT Mobile app has been downloaded by over 100,000 Aucklanders. The tracking function has been a huge hit with Aucklanders, it’s a simple thing that’s made a big difference.

· Auckland Transport will work with the Local Board and public requests for footpath improvements, through our footpath renewals and new footpath programmes. If there are any safety issues in relation to existing footpaths AT will assess them on an individual basis and repair as required

Transport capital fund update

9. Sunnyvale Station to Oratia Stage 1

Project

Description

Current Status

Sunnyvale Station to Oratia Stage 1

The Waitakere Ranges Local Board has approved the amount of $300,000 to move into construction of a raised zebra crossing across West Coast Road.

The contract is about to be awarded and is scheduled to start mid-September 2017 and finish in December 2017.

Financials update

Waitakere Ranges Local Board Transport Capital Fund Financial Summary
Total Funds Available in current political term	$1,900,714
Amount committed to date on projects approved for design and/or construction	$1,029,993
Remaining Budget left	$870,721

UPCOMING PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

Consultation Documents on Proposed Safety Improvements

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

· Seymour Road Park and Ride consultation:

o No Stopping At All Times restrictions (NSAAT) on the eastern side of the park and ride to enable safe two way vehicle movement.

o Additional NSAAT around the islands to discourage parallel parking and blocking of the pedestrian access

o Additional lane arrows

o New Give way signs

· Parking Restrictions on Captain Scott Road in Glen Eden

· Swanson Road - NSAAT

· Proposal to introduce P60 parking restrictions on Captain Scott Road in Glen Eden

Local Board Response

11. The Local Board were in support of the above proposals.

Traffic Control Committee (TCC) report

12. Decisions of the TCC over the months of August 2017 affecting the Waitakere Ranges Local Board Local Board area are shown below:

West Coast Road / Swan Hill Drive

Glen Eden

No Stopping At All Times, Bus Stop, Traffic Island, Give-Way control and Flush Median

Local Board Issues Being Investigated

13. The Local board have requested the following issues be investigated and they are in the initial investigation stage:

· Glengarry Road Pedestrian Safety

· Lighting by Glen Eden Park and Ride

· Speeding on Woodlands Park Road.

· Seaview Road Footpath

· Insufficient Road Markings Forest Hill Road

14. Auckland Transport will report back to the Local Board on these once the work is completed.

REGIONAL NEWS

Auckland Trains Smash Forecasts: 20 Million Train Trips In 12 Months

15. Auckland’s commuter train network has surpassed all its passenger forecasts to record 20 million train trips in one year, a mark that the network wasn’t expected to hit for another three years in 2020.

16. 20 million train trips in one year is a huge achievement. It is the result of strong investment in our public transport system and Auckland commuters finding it more convenient to travel by rail than be caught in congestion.

17. Auckland’s rail system has gone through huge changes in recent years, replacing our diesel fleet with electric trains, reducing carbon emissions by 80% and saving more than 9 million litres of diesel a year.

18. Train patronage has risen by nearly 20 percent each year and the number of services has increased by almost 11,000 in the last year. Punctuality is now at 96.7 per cent.

19. Aucklanders have embraced rail. They’ve taken to the HOP card and benefited from more frequent and reliable services and better links with our bus network.

20. Every rail passenger is one less car on our roads. Our recent agreement to invest in more electric trains, the opening of new stations, and further investment in the rail network including the CRL and progressing mass transit to the airport will give Auckland commuters choice and help get cars off our roads.

21. Growing the reach and frequency of Auckland’s public and active transport network is key to solving congestion in our city. We are working closely with the Government to make that happen,” Mayor Phil Goff says.

22. In the past month electronic gates have begun operating at Henderson Station and Otahuhu Station, improving safety and reducing fare evasion. These types of gates are also being installed at Manurewa, Papatoetoe, Middlemore, Parnell, Papakura, and Glen Innes.”

23. The introduction of the HOP card has been a huge success. Beginning in 2012, it’s now used on 92 percent of public transport journeys. It also allowed for the rollout of Simpler Fares in 2016, which brought in a zone-based system to simplify transfers, with commuters only paying at the end of the journey.

24. AT is also currently working through the business case to expand the park and ride at Papakura Station.

25. Auckland Council’s Finance and Performance Committee has agreed in principle to the purchase of new trains which are needed for increased capacity to the network. They are expected to arrive in 2019.

26. Throughout the city new bus networks are being rolled out, beginning in south Auckland last year. These networks provide more services running shorter routes and providing better connection with rail and other rapid transport options.

Information of train journey destinations coming and going from Glen Eden over the last three years:

Glen Eden

2014_15

2015_16

2016_17

Waitakere

278

Swanson

1684

2641

2578

Ranui

3158

3433

3966

Sturges

6580

7385

8679

Henderson

22518

25659

25750

Sunnyvale

3634

4189

4133

Glen Eden

Fruitvale Rd

2210

2955

2887

New Lynn

17166

25331

29308

Avondale

8718

11463

12259

Mt Albert

10984

10781

10927

Baldwin Ave

4193

5237

6327

Morningside

2425

3137

3930

Kingsland

4961

6007

6366

Mt Eden

6294

8887

13574

Grafton

20110

25212

30282

Newmarket

16814

18794

23049

Parnell

496

Britomart

86386

107658

117949

Remuera

203

175

348

Greenlane

419

449

983

Ellerslie

1775

2558

3850

Penrose (SL)

847

870

1222

Te Papapa

127

295

283

Onehunga

314

374

432

Orakei

240

Meadowbank

Glen Innes

542

842

826

Panmure

214

357

446

Sylvia Park

749

799

1118

Westfield

Otahuhu

155

170

436

Middlemore

238

464

368

Papatoetoe

413

632

504

Puhinui

121

264

Manukau

318

470

593

Homai

191

273

145

Manurewa

224

388

290

Te Mahia

107

Takanini

126

154

Papakura

264

420

351

Pukekohe

139

114

Total

225397

279153

315469

From	Glen Eden
	FY 2014_15	FY 2015_16	FY 2016_17
Waitakere	395	21	0
Swanson	1769	2899	3088
Ranui	3358	3512	4091
Sturges	6746	7346	9194
Henderson	25885	28776	30617
Sunnyvale	3201	3319	3530
Glen Eden	0	0	0
Fruitvale Rd	1689	2037	2383
New Lynn	16641	22861	27207
Avondale	11494	13389	16217
Mt Albert	12143	12178	12755
Baldwin Ave	4775	6353	7122
Morningside	2627	3174	3853
Kingsland	5787	6616	6737
Mt Eden	7627	11270	16289
Grafton	26854	35588	45323
Newmarket	17170	18465	23544
Parnell			548
Britomart	82545	100119	111459
Remuera	198	152	272
Greenlane	541	530	1130
Ellerslie	2752	3291	4674
Penrose (SL)	862	1029	1423
Te Papapa	55	245	345
Onehunga	231	165	463
Orakei	62	73	38
Meadowbank	13	23	40
Glen Innes	593	772	893
Panmure	180	421	404
Sylvia Park	479	379	913
Westfield	24	34	29
Otahuhu	152	129	467
Middlemore	278	390	386
Papatoetoe	426	388	474
Puhinui	73	42	104
Manukau	237	435	559
Homai	163	136	172
Manurewa	373	334	241
Te Mahia	6	23	43
Takanini	81	81	130
Papakura	232	287	315
Pukekohe	91	79	107
Total	238808	287361	337579

Consideration

Local board views and implications

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

Māori impact statement

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

Implementation

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

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors

Owena Schuster, Elected Member Relationship Manager

Authorisers

Jonathan Anyon, Manager Elected Member Relationship Unit

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Six Monthly Report

File No.: CP2017/14456

Purpose

1. An update about activities across the Council from those departments that are contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008. This report focuses on the six month period from January to June 2017 (second half of the 2016/2017 financial year).

Executive summary

2. The implementation of activities to meet the objectives of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008 (the Act) is undertaken by Council. These objectives are summarised in Attachment A. Updates on activities are presented in Attachment B. Additional key points are outlined in the body of this report, for the following topics:

· Waitākere Ranges Monitoring Report five yearly report is due in April 2018. Preparation of this report is underway

· Kauri Dieback disease. This remains the most significant threat to the Waitākere Ranges. The 2016 surveillance of Kauri dieback within the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park has reaffirmed the disease is a widespread biosecurity issue within the parkland. Comparison of Kauri health surveys data between 2011and 2016 shows the distribution of Phytophthora agathidicida has risen from 7.9% to 18.95% of the complete Kauri area

· Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Web page: The page is maintained with relevant information as appropriate

· There have been two editions of ‘Thrive‘ newsletter published in the 2016/2017 year

· Building in the Bush Design Guidelines will be completed in October 2017

· Auckland Transport draft Road Corridor Design and Management Guide is completed and will form part of the Auckland Transport Design Manual.

· Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Local Parks Design Guidelines: Public consultation is scheduled for the 2017/2018 summer

· Auckland Unitary Plan appeals: The council publicly notified its decisions and the decisions version of the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan on 19 August 2016. The one remaining relevant appeal at the High Court is from the Waitākere Ranges Protection Society. This appeal is concerned with subdivision activity and seeks to reinstate prohibited activity status in some situations. Consent order documents have been supplied to the High Court.

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) note that this report and its attachments will be provided as an information memo to the Environment and Community Committee and the Whau Local Board.

Comments

3. The Heritage Area covers approximately 27,720 hectares and includes the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. The Act recognises the national, regional and local significance of the Heritage Area, and promotes the protection and enhancement of its natural, cultural and heritage features for present and future generations.

4. This report collates information about all Council-wide activities that contribute to achieving the objectives of the Act. These include “business as usual” activities and projects that are specifically established to assist implementation of the Act.

5. An officer-level Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Programme Co-ordination Group (the Group) provides for exchange of information and ensures that the relevant work streams and activities are coordinated and aligned as much as possible. The Group provides a mechanism for discussing, prioritising, monitoring and reporting of progress among Council units and Council Controlled Organisations involved in implementing the Act. It continues to improve the co-ordination of work streams and activities in the Heritage Area that contribute to achieving the purpose and objectives of the Act. It has contributed to the attachments for this report.

6. Attachment B to this report lists the projects and activities for the 2016/17 financial year and provides a summary of their progress. The projects and activities have been grouped under topic headings that align with the Heritage Area’s features and objectives. These are:

· Planning and Communication - Planning for, communicating about and implementation of the Act as a whole

· Landscape - activities aimed at protecting and enhancing the characteristic landscape of the foothills, rural and forested areas and coast

· Development and Consent Activity - management of subdivision and development within the context of the Resource Management and Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Acts

· Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services - protection, restoration and enhancement of ecosystems by both Council and community

· Cultural and Built Heritage - this relates to both pre-and post-European settlement, including the relationships between tangata whenua and the Heritage Area, and the history of kauri milling, horticulture and viticulture

· Recreation Opportunities and Visitor Management- provision of facilities and services for enjoyment and appreciation of these heritage features, and management of visitor pressures and impacts.

7. The information provided in Attachment B is primarily project-based and does not cover maintenance or routine management of physical assets, staff costs or fixed overheads.

Key points and highlights

Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Five Year Monitoring Report

8. Section 34 of the Act requires a monitoring report on the heritage area’s environment and progress towards achieving the objectives of the Act. The second five year Monitoring Report is due in April 2018. A meeting to hear from the public on significant matters for them was held in May 2017.

Kauri Die-back disease

9. Regional and Local Parks together with the Biosecurity team of Council continue to manage Kauri Die-back disease, which continues to be the most significant threat to the Heritage Area. In 2015, the Ministry for Primary Industries, on behalf of the Kauri Dieback Programme, commissioned Auckland Council to undertake a project to investigate the distribution of kauri dieback within the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park, including implications for its future management.

10. The 2017 report outlines the results of an investigation into the distribution of kauri dieback, and implications for its future management, within the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. The report is part of a nationally coordinated effort to determine the distribution of kauri dieback in New Zealand, and completes the first study in New Zealand to compare kauri dieback distribution within the same forest over a five year period.

11. The report contains a number of recommendations focused on minimising disease spread within the Waitākere Ranges, through the enhancement of existing initiatives and undertaking new actions some of which require further work to understand the feasibility of implementation, resource implications and impact on park users.

12. Auckland Council’s response to kauri dieback includes a strategy to monitor kauri health across the Regional Park network every five years using the National Vegetation Survey national standard, and to assist with the operational management of kauri dieback across the Auckland Region.

Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area webpage

13. The Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area webpage (embedded within the Council web site) has been maintained with relevant content added as appropriate. The webpage contains information, embedded files, documents and web links related to the Heritage Area at one place. The Council website is being refreshed, and so the way that information about the heritage area is presented is being updated.

Thrive newsletter

14. There has been one further edition of the Thrive newsletter (June 2017) published in the first half of the 2017. Thrive reflects the Board's commitment to sustainable rural business in the Heritage Area by providing local business news, information on accessing local and regional resources, profiles of sustainable practice, and a calendar of events and learning opportunities. The newsletter is available from both the Waitākere Local Board website and from the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Webpage.

Building in the Bush Design Guide

15. The Building in the Bush Design Guide Was completed following the Auckland Unitary Plan decisions to allow for the inclusion of current and relevant planning information.

Road Corridor Design and Management Guide

16. Auckland Transport Road Corridor Design and Management Guide was completed earlier in 2017. The guide establishes a set of principles that acknowledges the specific character of the Heritage Area, assists in meeting the requirements of the Act and delivers routes and connections that are safe and convenient for all road users. This will form part of the Auckland Transport Design Manual.

Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Local Parks Design Guidelines

17. Development of Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Local Parks Design Guidelines continues this financial year. A draft document is being prepared and will be consultated on during the 2017/2018 summer months.

Auckland Unitary Plan

18. The council publicly notified its decisions on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan on 19 August 2016. The Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in Part) incorporates specific provisions for the Waitākere Ranges in the Regional Policy Statement, the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Overlay, the creation of the Waitākere Ranges and Waitākere Foothills zones and the Waitākere Ranges Precincts (Wainamu, Te Henga, Bethells).

19. One remaining appeal from the Waitākere Ranges Protection Society relates to subdivision provisions that are applicable to parts of the Heritage Area. In particular, the society is challenging the application of non-complying activity status that has been applied to some categories of subdivision. The society seeks reinstatement of prohibited activity status, which was the status that applied in the legacy Waitākere City District Plan. A consent order has been provided to the Court and the council is awaiting direction.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

20. This report is for information purposes and forms the basis for a memorandum that will be provided to the Environment and Community Committee and the Whau Local Board.

21. The report is part of continuing to implement the Act and to evaluate progress being made to achieve its objectives. It is consistent with the priorities of the Board (as expressed through the 2015-18 Local Board Plan), and does not trigger the Significance Policy. This report is for Council reporting purposes and has not therefore been subject to a wider consultation process.

Māori impact statement

22. Te Kawerau a Maki, Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara and Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei have not been consulted specifically on this report. However, regular consultation and engagement takes place on a range of individual projects and activities described in this report, and on matters of mutual interest in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.

Implementation

23. This report will also be provided in a memorandum format to the Environment and Community Committee and the Whau Local Board. There are no other direct implementation issues.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	WRHA Objectives	19
b ⇩	Summary of Activity	21

Signatories

Authors

Eryn Shields - Team Leader Planning - North West

Authorisers

John Duguid - General Manager - Plans and Places

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Relationship Agreement with Mana Whenua

File No.: CP2017/18956

Purpose

1. To obtain the Waitākere Ranges Local Board’s approval to adopt a relationship agreement template as the first step towards entering into formal relationships with mana whenua.

Executive summary

2. This report recommends that the Waitākere Ranges Local Board approves a relationship agreement template as the basis for discussions with mana whenua.

3. It further recommends that where the agreement remains substantively the same as the template, albeit with the inclusion of information describing the mana whenua party, that it proceed to a formal signing without a further approval process.

4. The Governing Body is also being asked to approve the relationship template to support the expeditious completion of relationship agreements with mana whenua.

5. Auckland Council has an existing range of instruments and mechanisms to recognise and provide for its relationships with mana whenua. There is a strong desire from all parties to formalise the foundational governance relationships through the development of relationship agreements and in some cases acknowledge and build from legacy agreements held with former councils.

6. The mana whenua groups with interests in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area are:

Iwi / Hapū	Mana whenua representative organisation
Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki	Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua	Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua
Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara	Nga Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara Development Trust
Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei	Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Maia Ltd
Te Kawerau a Maki	Te Kawerau Iwi Tribal Authority
Te Akitai Waiohua	Te Akitai Waiohua Iwi Authority
Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua	Te Ara Rangatu o Te Iwi o Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua
Ngāti Paoa	Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust
Ngāti Maru	Ngāti Maru Rūnanga Incorporated
Ngāti Tamaterā	Ngāti Tamaterā Settlement Trust

7. The final draft agreement for consideration (Attachment A) recognises the two parties, sets out the purpose, aspirations and shared principles, and in particular acknowledges the governance context of Auckland Council through the governing body and the relevant local board(s).

8. There are appendices to the agreement - the administrative provisions, existing and future projects or arrangements, and specific local board arrangements. These appendices are intended to be added to over time without alteration to the main agreement.

9. Discussions have begun with some mana whenua groups who have indicated they are ready to enter into this process.

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) approve the relationship agreement template attached to the agenda report at Attachment A as the basis for discussions with mana whenua

b) approve a process of reaching these agreements whereby the agreement may proceed to signing without further approval so long as any inclusions are either descriptive or in the nature of minor drafting changes. For the avoidance of doubt, any changes of substance will be re-presented to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, other local boards and the governing body, as relevant, for final approval

c) authorise the Chairperson to sign the agreement on behalf of the local board at signing ceremonies arranged between the parties to each agreement.

Comments

10. Since Auckland Council was established, relationships with mana whenua have been sustained in a variety of ways. The demands for information and engagement that the Council family places on mana whenua has led to a range of different approaches and mechanisms to make this efficient and effective for all.

11. A foundation for the interactions is the negotiation of contracts with each mana whenua group to support their capacity to engage with the Council. These contracts specify deliverables which include participation in governance activities with Auckland Council. Additionally, some of the high contact parts of the Council family have set up separate fora to provide for project level engagement.

12. In 2013, the Governing Body, Local Board Chairs and the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB), considered a discussion document about Auckland Council entering into relationship agreements with the nineteen iwi and hapū recognised as mana whenua for Tāmaki Makaurau. As a result, a political working party of governing body and local board members was established that was expected to work on the development of the relationship agreements.

13. Subsequent discussions with mana whenua indicated that they preferred to advance some form of collective body prior to dealing with relationship agreements, negating the need for the working party. This collective body, the Regional Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum, has been recently established and is developing a forward work programme at present.

14. At a governance level, opportunities to establish relationships between mana whenua and elected members have included:

· mana whenua leading pōwhiri and the inauguration ceremonies for each new council and local board

· kanohi ki te kanohi / face to face discussions between elected members and mana whenua within major regional planning processes – notably the Auckland Plan, the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan and the Unitary Plan

· at a local level, specific engagement with mana whenua who relate to the local board areas.

15. Since the establishment of Auckland Council a strong desire has been expressed from many mana whenua groups and the Independent Māori Statutory Board to formalise the governance relationships through the development of relationship agreements and, in some cases, to acknowledge and build on legacy agreements held with former councils.

16. Relationship agreements support elements of the Auckland Plan strategic direction to “enable Māori aspirations through recognition of Te Tirit o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi and customary rights” through formal acknowledgement of the mutual interests of council and mana whenua.

17. They are a means of documenting each party’s intention to work together respectfully and positively, and the development of the agreement itself may assist in mutual understanding. Nevertheless, relationship agreements may not be considered necessary by all mana whenua groups or be a current priority for some. Should that be the case, the current arrangements with each group will continue to support the relationship.

Structure and details of Agreement

18. Te Waka Anga Mua, with the support of Legal Services has developed a governance relationship agreement template attached to this report as Attachment A.

19. This agreement has been drafted so as not to be over-prescriptive but containing the essential elements for agreements of this nature.

20. The agreement recognises the two parties to the agreement and, in particular, acknowledges the governance context of Auckland Council by including the governing body and the relevant local boards as the Auckland Council party.

21. The first part of the agreement outlines the purpose, aspirations and shared principles. Any specific commitments, projects and arrangements, engagement and meeting protocols can also be contained, or referred to, within the body of the Agreement.

22. The agreement has appendices - the administrative provisions, existing and future projects or arrangements, and specific local board arrangements – as standard inclusions. Any other relevant departmental and operational documents will be added as schedules to the agreement with the intention that these can be amended as needed without requiring alteration of the main agreement.

Next Steps

23. All mana whenua have been approached regarding a potential relationship agreement. A number of groups have indicated they are ready to progress discussions and these discussions have commenced in some cases.

24. As the agreement is intended to record a mutual intention to form a close working relationship with mana whenua which is already committed to in a range of council’s strategic documents, Waitākere Ranges Local Board is not being asked to approve entering into these relationship agreements. Rather, it is being asked to approve a template agreement which sets out the areas expected to be covered in this relationship agreement which, in general, describes matters of relevance to each of the parties to the agreement.

25. While the details about mana whenua and the arrangements or projects underway will be particular to each agreement it is expected that, in most cases, the agreements will not include any additional detail that requires governing body or local board approval.

26. It is proposed that, where the agreement remains substantively the same as the template, albeit with the inclusion of information describing the mana whenua party, it proceeds to a formal signing without a further approval process.

27. Should any of the mana whenua parties seek inclusion of matters which require new commitment by the council parties, the agreement will be referred back to the governing body and/or the local board(s) for approval on these matters.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

28. Local Boards were presented with the broad approach proposed to relationship agreements in workshops in 2015 and there was general approval of the approach.

29. To expedite the process of negotiating relationship agreements, this report is also being made to each local board for approval, tailored to recognise the iwi / hapū relevant to the local board area.

30. As relationship agreements are developed and signed, arrangements will be made for initial formal meetings with mana whenua representatives to begin new or continue current relationships.

31. The mana whenua groups with interests in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area are:

Iwi / Hapū	Mana whenua representative organisation
Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki	Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua	Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua
Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara	Nga Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara Development Trust
Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei	Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Maia Ltd
Te Kawerau a Maki	Te Kawerau Iwi Tribal Authority
Te Akitai Waiohua	Te Akitai Waiohua Iwi Authority
Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua	Te Ara Rangatu o Te Iwi o Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua
Ngāti Paoa	Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust
Ngāti Maru	Ngāti Maru Rūnanga Incorporated
Ngāti Tamaterā	Ngāti Tamaterā Settlement Trust

32. Initial discussions have begun with Te Kawerau a Maki. Once the mana whenua interest in entering into discussions about relationship agreements is more certain, we will update the Board with an indicative timetable.

Māori impact statement

33. Although Auckland Council engages with mana whenua across a wide range of activities currently and has relationships with mana whenua at both governance and operational levels, the establishment of governance level relationship agreements are a further step towards cementing an enduring positive relationship with treaty partners. Entering into relationship agreements will also complete one of the recommendations made in the Independent Māori Statutory Board’s 2015 Treaty Audit.

Implementation

34. In order to finalise the relationship agreements, a formal signing ceremony including the mana whenua group, governing body and the relevant local boards will be arranged at times to suit all parties. Te Waka Anga Mua staff will administer the agreements and maintain oversight of any commitments made within the agreements.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Relationship with Mana Whenua Template	235

Signatories

Authors

Dean Martin - Principle Advisor Maori Relations & Governance

Authorisers

Graham Pryor - GM Maori Responsiveness & Relationships

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

[Relationship Agreement]

between

[Iwi name]

and

Auckland Council

[Date]

[Iwi name Logo]

logo

[KARAKIA/MIHI]

[IMAGERY]

[IWI NAME]

1. [Insert a description of the Iwi and its rohe].

2. [Insert a description of the Iwi's representative entity].

3. [Insert a description of the current status of Treaty settlements/negotiations for the Iwi].

4. [Insert other relevant background from an Iwi perspective].

AUCKLAND COUNCIL

5. Auckland Council (“Council”) is a territorial and regional authority established under section 6 of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.

6. Council has two complementary decision-making parts, the governing body and local boards. The governing body and the local boards are autonomous and make decisions as Council within their respective areas of responsibility.

7. The governing body consists of the mayor and 20 governing body members. The governing body focuses on the big picture and on region-wide strategic decisions. Each of the 21 local boards has between five and nine members. Local boards represent the communities in their area and make decisions on local issues, activities and facilities.

8. Council's purpose is to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities; and to meet the current and future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses.

9. The Council has committed to achieving better outcomes for Māori that contribute significantly to lifting Māori economic, social and cultural well-being, strengthen Council’s effectiveness for Māori, and optimise post-Treaty settlement opportunities for the benefit of Māori and the wider public of Auckland. One outcome identified through the Auckland Plan is "A Māori identity that is Auckland's point of difference in the world."

10. These commitments are reflected in, for example, the following Council documents:

(a) the 'Māori Responsiveness Framework';

(b) the Auckland Plan;

(d) the Long Term Plan; and

(e) Local Board Plans.

11. The Council also has an important relationship with the Independent Māori Statutory Board which was established in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.

12. Within that broader context, this Agreement focuses on the individual relationship between [Iwi name] and Auckland Council.

PURPOSE

13. The purpose of this Agreement is to provide a mechanism for the parties to:

(a) acknowledge the mana of [Iwi name] and the role of the Council in Tamaki Makaurau;

(b) develop and enhance a positive and enduring working relationship;

(d) make specific commitments in terms of how they will work together.

ASPIRATIONS

14. The parties both desire to work together in a manner that acknowledges and respects:

(a) the mana of [Iwi name] in Tāmaki Makaurau;

(b) the relationship of [Iwi name] and their culture and traditions with their ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu and other taonga in Tāmaki Makaurau;

(d) the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi and the importance of the parties working together in accordance with those principles in a manner consistent with relevant legislation;

(e) the significance of the [record the status of the Treaty settlement process for the Iwi];

(f) the rights and interests of all mana whenua and Māori in Auckland;

(g) the statutory purpose, functions and structure of Auckland Council;

(h) the goals of the Auckland Council's Māori Responsiveness Framework, being to provide for effective Māori participation in democracy; to provide for an empowered Council organisation; and to provide for strong Māori communities;

(i) the drivers of the Auckland Council's Māori Responsiveness Framework, being to enable Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ Treaty of Waitangi outcomes; to enable Māori outcomes; to fulfil statutory Māori obligations; and to value Te Ao Māori;

(j) the role of Council as a steward, and the need for cultural, social, economic and environmental sustainability of Tāmaki Makaurau; and

(k) the interests of all communities, ratepayers, customers, citizens and visitors in Tāmaki Makaurau.

15. [Iwi name] wishes to work more closely with the Council so as to enable [Iwi name] to have more opportunity to contribute to and influence Council decision-making and service delivery, and also provide opportunities for [Iwi name] to improve or expand its own delivery of services to its communities.

16. The Council wishes to work more closely with [Iwi name] for those reasons and to explore and develop the opportunities that a closer relationship between the parties will bring.

17. [Insert any other shared or individual aspirations].

SHARED principles

18. The parties commit to the following shared principles and to working together in a manner that reflects:

(a) a partnership approach based on respect, good faith, integrity, transparency and open and effective communication;

(b) a co-operative, supportive, positive and proactive approach;

(d) a focus on the parties assisting each other to achieve the shared aspirations outlined in this Agreement;

(e) early engagement and the provision of quality information; and

(f) a constructive and timely approach to communicating any issues that may arise in the relationship and an open-minded approach to addressing those issues.

[SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS]

19. [Insert any specific commitment between the parties at this point]

PROJECTS AND ARRANGEMENTS

20. The parties are working together on the current or proposed projects and arrangements:

(a) [Insert current projects and arrangements in Appendix Two].

21. The parties may agree to work together on future projects or arrangements and the parties may agree to include these projects or arrangements in Appendix Three to this Agreement.

ENGAGEMENT AND meetings

22. [example, Iwi representatives, the Mayor and Councillors will meet as mutually agreed but within a 6 month period. Iwi representatives, the Local Board Chairperson, members and Ward Councillor will meet a 6 monthly basis. There will be provision for additional meetings to be held at the request of either party.}

review AND AMENDMENT OF AGREEMENT

23 The parties will meet to discuss the state of the relationship and the implementation of this Agreement at least once each year.

24 The parties will meet to formally review this Agreement at least once every three years.

25 Either party may request an earlier review of this Agreement.

26 Any amendment to this Agreement must be agreed by the parties and recorded in writing.

ROLES AND RESPONSBILITIES PRESERVED

27 The parties acknowledge that nothing in this Agreement restricts, fetters or derogates from the rights or responsibilities of [Iwi name] under the Local Government Act 2002, Resource Management Act 1991 or any other statute or regulation. If anything in this Agreement is inconsistent with any of those rights or responsibilities, then those rights or responsibilities prevail and this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted accordingly.

28 The parties acknowledge that nothing in this Agreement restricts, fetters or derogates from the statutory functions, duties and obligations imposed on the Council by the Local Government Act 2002, Resource Management Act 1991, or any other statute or regulation. If anything in this Agreement is inconsistent with any of the Council’s functions, duties, or obligations pursuant to statute or at law generally, then the functions, duties, and obligations of the Council pursuant to statute or at law generally prevail and this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted accordingly.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

29 Further provisions relating to the administration of this Agreement are included in Appendix One.

EXECUTED on behalf of [Iwi name]

by ______________________________________

CHAIRPERSON

EXECUTED on behalf of AUCKLAND COUNCIL

by ______________________________________

MAYOR

EXECUTED on behalf of [to insert] Local Board

by ______________________________________

CHAIRPERSON

APPENDIX ONE

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

KEY CONTACT PERSONS & COMMUNICATION

1. The key contact persons, and contact details for each party at the time of the signing of this Agreement are:

a. [Insert for Iwi]; and

b. [Insert for Council].

2. All formal notices must be sent to the addresses set out above.

Protection of sensitive information

3. The parties acknowledge that some information shared between them will be confidential, but that under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 the Council may be required to provide requested information.

4. Where a party receives, or has received, whether before or after the commencement date, confidential information from the other party the recipient must, except as required by law:

(a) keep the confidential information confidential;

(b) not use, disclose or reproduce the confidential information for any purpose other than the purpose for which it was provided by the disclosing party;

(c) not, without the disclosing party's prior written consent, disclose the confidential information to any person other than the recipient's employees, subcontractors, agents, officers and representatives who need the information for the purpose for which it was provided by the disclosing party; and

(d) establish and maintain effective security measures to safeguard the confidential information from unauthorised access, use, copying or disclosure.

Issue Resolution

5. Within one month after the commencement date of this Agreement, the parties will agree one person to act as a mediator in the case of any issues between the parties under this Agreement. That person may be replaced from time to time by agreement between the parties.

6. The parties will endeavour to act in good faith to address any issues arising in respect of rights or obligations specified in this Agreement at the immediate time such issues arise.

7. Where an issue cannot be resolved between the parties after 10 working days the issue will be escalated to:

(a) in the case of the [Iwi name] the Chairperson of [Māori entity]; and

(b) in the case of the Council, the Governance Director.

8. Where an issue is still not resolved after one month of having been escalated under clause 7, the issue shall be referred to the mediator agreed under clause 5, who will work with the parties to resolve the dispute.

9. To assist in the ongoing development of a transparent and accountable relationship, Council and [Iwi name] will inform each other of any situation or development which may jeopardise or comprise each party’s commitment to this Agreement and their overall relationship with each other.

Managing Conflicts

10. Council and [Iwi name] representatives will actively manage any conflict of interest that may arise, be they perceived or actual conflicts.

[to discuss other administrative provisions including notice provisions]

Resourcing

Capacity Funding

11. Council recognises that it has a responsibility to enable (Iwi name) to participate and contribute to council decision-making processes. Council will negotiate a capacity funding agreement with the (Entity name) to enable (Iwi name) contribution.

Master Service Agreement

12. Council will require the assistance and information from (Iwi name) through a range of policy planning and service initiatives. Council will negotiate a mater service agreement with the Iwi Trust that will enable departments to seek technical, cultural and professional advice from (Iwi name).

13. Council will encourage Council Controlled Organisations to develop similar instruments to enable more effective engagement with (Iwi name).

APPENDIX TWO

Existing projects or arrangements

[e.g. attach statutory obligations, co-management agreements, other agreements and instruments, iwi/hapu projects of interest to council, engagement protocols for iwi/hapu, local boards and governing body, local board projects of interest to mana whenua, regional projects of interest to mana whenua, resource consent protocols.]

APPENDIX THREE

FURTHER projects or arrangements

[e.g. attach joint work programme, projects or arrangements agreed in the future at the time they are agreed]

APPENDIX FOUR

SPECIFIC LOCAL BOARD ARRANGEMENTS

[Insert any specific arrangements for local boards]

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Implementing the Glen Eden Town Centre Plan

File No.: CP2017/20230

Purpose

1. To seek endorsement of an advocacy proposal to the Governing Body for funding for Glen Eden Town Centre improvements to be included in the draft Long Term Plan.

2. The local board is asked to agree in principle to allocating $2.5m of local funding; $1.5m its accumulated reserves along with an additional $1m of Locally Driven Initiative Capex and Auckland Transport Capital Fund, toward the strategic purchase of properties in West Coast Road, Glen Eden for the development of a future laneway.

Executive summary

3. Auckland’s 21 local boards have each been asked to identify ‘one local initiative’ for further investigation by council staff as part of the Long Term Plan (LTP) review.

4. The Waitakere Ranges Local Board is advocating for funding of the Glen Eden Town Centre Implementation Plan (June, 2013) (GETCIP). The GETCIP contains a list of some 24 projects.

5. Council staff have developed a high level concept and funding strategy for the sequencing and development of projects to create public space in the heart of the town centre, as well as to improve pedestrian links and the visual connection between Glenmall Place, West Coast Road and the train station.

6. The proposal includes a property acquisition as a first step. It also includes the disposal of council property in the town centre, the proceeds of which will be used to reinvest in subsequent town centre improvements.

7. The advocacy proposal includes three stages of development:

a. Implementing West Coast Road safety improvements focused on the Glenview Road T-intersection to make it easier and safer for people to get to the train station. This is subject to a decision by Auckland Transport.

b. Developing a landscaped laneway between West Coast Road and Glenmall Place.

c. Redevelopment of council owned building and carparking and developing a town square within Glenmall Place.

8. It should be noted that the proposal has been prepared to support the local board’s advocacy to the Governing Body for funding and resources to progress the GETCIP. It is not at this stage a decision on any particular element of it.

Recommendations

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) endorse the advocacy approach for delivery of projects from the Glen Eden Town Centre Implementation Plan.

b) agree, in principle, to allocate $2.5 million of its current reserves and future allocation of the local board’s discretionary capital funds (Locally Driven Initiatives and Transport Capital Fund), and town centre improvement budget, toward the purchase of property in West Coast Road, Glen Eden, and the future development of a laneway.

c) note that b) is subject to its advocacy proposal being supported by the Governing Body for inclusion in the Long Term Plan 2018-2028.

d) note that each of the elements within the advocacy proposal are subject to future decisions on how to proceed, as further advice is provided, with public consultation and concept planning.

Comments

9. Auckland’s 21 local boards have each been asked to identify ‘one local initiative’ for further investigation by council staff as part of the Long Term Plan (LTP) review. The Waitakere Ranges Local Board is advocating for funding of the Glen Eden Town Centre Implementation Plan (2013) (GETCIP).

10. Council staff have developed a high level concept for the sequencing and development of projects to create public space in the heart of the town centre, as well as to improve pedestrian links and the visual connection between Glenmall Place, West Coast Road and the train station.

11. The local board has been limited in its ability to implement projects in the plan, mainly due to the size of its budget compared to the cost of the projects. In the current LTP, it was allocated $600,000 for town centre improvements. It has an annual discretionary budget of around $680,000 for capital projects with just under half of that reserved for transport projects.

12. Staff have proposed a funding approach that seeks to utilise Capex funding available to the local board, request additional funding through the long-term plan, and work in with Panuku Development Auckland to lead the sale and redevelopment of the Council owned building and carpark area in the centre of Glen Eden.

13. The Glen Eden Town Centre Implementation plan was developed and endorsed by the Waitakere Ranges Local Board in June 2013 to refine the existing Glen Eden Urban Design Framework and Economic Regeneration Strategy into a set of actions.

14. The GETCIP contains 24 projects which were estimated to cost $16-million in 2013 terms (see Attachment A). Land prices and construction costs have risen considerably since then.

15. Two projects were completed in 2016 – the upgrade of the Glen Eden library open space, and a new park and ride, relocated in Waikumete Road. The local board also contributed to the cost of design for the park and ride, and was a strong advocate for the project to be delivered.

16. The two big place-making projects identified as a priority by the local board over the past few years have been the development of a laneway between West Coast Road and Glenmall Place, and a town square.

17. In the current term, the local board has advanced planning for a town square. An early draft concept plan has been developed for a town square on the council-owned site at 41 Glenmall Place. After further assessment, Community Facilities Investigation and Design Team are recommending that the town square be moved northward to pedestrianize a section of Glenmall Place. This is part of the funding proposal in Attachment A. Further investigation and consultation is needed to understand the implications of this on traffic flow, parking and goods movements within the central retail area.

18. A parking survey of Glen Eden Town Centre has been undertaken by Auckland Transport and a report on this expected in the near future.

19. The table below outlines the local board’s capex budgets available for town centre improvements over the next three years. The budgets shown in years 4 and 5 indicate the current position. They may change through the LTP review process so there is a high degree of uncertainty about the actual budgets beyond year 3.

		Current LTP	New LTP
	LTP	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5
	LB capex budgets	2017/18	2018/19	2019/20
1	Town centre improvements	20,000	546,129	0
2	LB discretionary fund	991,357	353,507	353,507
	Sub total	1,011,357	899,636	353,507

	Transport capex fund		New LTP
3	LB transport fund	31,152	331,152	331,152

	Totals
	Annual budget	1,042,509	1,230,788	684,659
	Total available (over 3 years)			2,957,956

20. The local board is being asked to commit in principle a further $500,000 of its LB Discretionary Fund and $500,000 from the LB Transport Fund from years 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

21. This report is seeking the local board’s view on a funding proposal for Glen Eden Town Centre improvements that will be considered by the Governing Body as part of the LTP review.

22. The proposal is a high level concept for the staging of development.

Māori impact statement

23. Glen Eden town centre is of significance to mana whenua and mataawaka. It is the main urban centre for the Waitakere Ranges Local Board area. The census units which include and surround the town centre have a higher percentage of Maori residents than elsewhere in the local board area, with Maori making up between 12-17 percent of the population depending on the census unit.

24. Te Kawerau a Maki has expressed an interest in contributing to the design of Glen Eden Town Centre improvements.

Implementation

25. The advocacy proposal will be presented to a Governing Body workshop in November. If the proposal is supported it is expected it will be included in the Mayoral Proposal and draft LTP which will go out for public consultation.

26. Implementation will be subject to future decisions on each of the steps.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Glen Eden Town Centre Plan project list (2013)	255

Signatories

Authors	Brett Lane - Local Board Advisor
Authorisers	Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Adoption of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017

File No.: CP2017/20524

Purpose

1. To adopt the final version of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017.

Executive summary

2. Under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 each local board is required to adopt a local board plan by 31 October 2017.

3. The Act also requires local board plans to be developed using the special consultative procedure. The consultation period for the 2017 local board plans ran from 22 May to 30 June.

4. The local board have considered submissions received and feedback gathered from the consultation period. There was a high level of engagement with and support for the plan, and no significant changes have been made. A number of edits and clarifications are proposed.

5. The Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017, which includes proposed changes, is attached to this report.

6. Pending adoption of the plan, photos and other design features will be added to prepare it for publication.

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) approve and adopt the final Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017 (Attachment A)

c) delegate authority to the Chair to approve any minor edits that may be necessary.

Comments

7. The Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 requires local boards to produce and adopt a local board plan every three years. This means that the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017 must be adopted by 31 October 2017.

8. 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.

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

10. Under Section 83 of the Local Government Act 2002 local boards are required to use the special consultative procedure in adopting their local board plan. The consultation period ran from 22 May to 30 June 2017. The board also held a public hearing on 3 August 2017.

11. Submissions were made through the following channels and coded together:

· online form available on the Shape Auckland website

· hard copy form included in the household summary document

· via email or post.

12. In total 239 submissions were received on the draft Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017. Eighty-three people provided feedback at engagement events and there were two pieces of feedback gathered through Facebook. Fifteen people spoke at the hearing on behalf of a range of individuals and / or groups.

Consideration of submissions and feedback

13. The board has considered the submissions and feedback gathered. They received data analysis reports and all submissions and feedback to read on 30 July 2017 and held a workshop to discuss this on 10 August 2017. They also held a hearing where submitters were able to speak to their written submission on 3 August 2017 and which were also discussed as part of the 10 August workshop. Advice has been sought from staff on matters raised in the consultation period and this is reflected in the table included later in this report.

14. Public feedback on the draft plan was generally positive although some feedback was given concerning things people didn’t like about the draft or thought were missing.

15. The local board have considered submissions received and feedback gathered from the consultation period. As a result of this consideration, some minor clarifications have been made for clarity of expression, and the following specific changes are proposed:

Outcome 1: People actively protect the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area

· Strengthen explicit context around statutory responsibility to emphasis partnership aspects of contributing to the management and stewardship of the heritage area across Council Controlled Organisations and the wider Council.

Outcome 2: Our unique natural habitats are protected and enhanced

· Include support for spray-free approaches to weed management where this is practicable.

· Emphasise the seriousness of the kauri dieback threat to our forest.

· Broaden reference to local board work programmes supporting sustainable choices to include a statement that the decisions we make will seek to reduce factors that contribute to climate change.

· Amend initiative to ‘Enable community-based weed and pest control on public and private property’ to include ‘…animal pest control…’

· Amend initiative to ‘Fund kauri dieback awareness raising,’ to include ‘…and action’.

Outcome 3: Local communities feel good about where they live

· Include statement of intent that ‘The local board will further develop its good relationship with Te Kawerau a Maki, acknowledging their role as mana whenua of the area and their aspirations for people and the environment.’

· Include reference to the EcoWest Festival.

· Expansion of the initiative ‘Develop relationships and agree shared goals with local Māori and key Māori organisations to ‘…shared goals with Te Kawerau a Maki and other mana whenua, Hoani Waititi Marae, and other key Māori organisations and local Māori residents.’

Outcome 4: People experience local arts and culture, and recognise our heritage

· Broadening of statement to include ‘We look forward to fostering a shared understanding of Te Ao Māori and Māori arts and culture…’

· Change reference in objective to Titirangi as ‘a showcase for arts in the West’ to a ‘hub for arts in the West’.

· Amend initiative to ‘Ensure Te Uru gallery programmes reflect the unique character of the Waitākere Ranges’ to ‘…engage with the unique character of the Waitākere Ranges.’

· Amend initiative ‘Ensure arts programming celebrates local creative icons’ to ‘…celebrates emerging talent and creatives.’

Outcome 5: Our urban centres are enjoyable places to be

· Strengthen the statement of economic growth outcomes expected from improving the look and feel of Glen Eden’s public spaces.

· Reinforce intention to advocate within Auckland Council’s Long-term Plan framework for budget to support major improvements to the look and function of Glen Eden town, and to progress work to deliver some on-the-ground improvements.

· Highlight interest in community projects that enhance the urban environment and support sustainable living.

· Amend key initiative ‘Continue commitment to the major town centre improvement project to ‘Invest in a major town centre improvement project’

Outcome 6: Our community spaces, parks, sports and recreation facilities meet local needs and are easy to get to

· Strengthen statement ‘As a desirable area for filming and events, to ‘…and for a large numbers of visitors’,

· Strengthen statements around building a local walking network, and encouraging people to use local walk ways to include cycle ways.

· Strengthen statement around access to local parks to include sports parks.

· Amend Outcome 6: ‘Our easy to get to community spaces and recreation facilities meet local needs’ to ‘Our community spaces, parks, sports and recreation facilities meet local needs and are easy to get to’.

· Amend initiative ‘Carry out targeted, small infrastructure projects which enhance streetscapes’ to include ‘…and parks’.

· Publicise our pleasant urban walk ways to include ‘…and cycle ways’.

· Include new initiative ‘Ensure improvements to parks of all types encourage participation in spontaneous, nature-based play.’

Changes to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017

11. The Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017, with proposed substantive changes to the outcome chapters as described in the above table, is attached to this report.

12. Other minor changes, made for the purposes of clarification, are also included.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

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

17. In developing the plan, the board considered:

· what we already know about our communities and what is important to them

· submissions received via online forms, hardcopy forms, emails and post as well as feedback provided by people at engagement events and gathered through Facebook

· regional strategies and policies

· staff advice

· stakeholder views from mana whenua and mataawaka.

Māori impact statement

18. As part of developing the plan, the board have:

· Considered views expressed by mana whenua authorities at a sub-regional governance level hui and local level one-on-one hui.

· Sought views from Te Kawerau a Maki, and Hoaini Waititi Marae, both of which made reflections on the draft in one-on-one level hui.

· Sought responses through consultation to the question ‘What else could we do to respond better to Maori needs and values?’

19. The Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017 promotes outcomes or issues of importance to Māori by include the following initiatives:

· Work with mana whenua and local communities to protect, and tell the stories of, cultural and historic sites of importance.

· Support Hoani Waititi marae-based programmes, activities and events.

· Develop relationships and agree shared goals with Te Kawerau a Maki and other mana whenua, Hoani Waititi Marae, and other key Māori organisations and local Māori residents.’

· Celebrate Matariki at key sites.

Implementation

13. Pending adoption of the plan, minor edits may be necessary. This report recommends that responsibility for approving these are delegated to the Chair.

14. Photos and other design features will then be added to the plan to prepare it for publication.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017	261

Signatories

Authors	Raewyn Curran - Senior Local Board Advisor
Authorisers	Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Attachment A

Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2017

Mihi

E nga pītau whakarei o te waka,

e nga rau tītapu o te iwi, e aku hei māpuna,

e taku iti e taku rahi, koutou kua mahue mai nei

hei toka piringa mōku i te ora,

hei ruruhau i nga hau āwhio o te wā.

E aku whakakai pounamu, e aku māpihi maurea,

kia oho te mauri, kia māriri o koutou wairua,

kia hora te marino, tēnā koutou katoa.

Tēnei au te noho atu nei i te tihi o Te Pae o te Rangi,

i tīhorea ai te whenua kia kī ake au,

e koe e te hau o te uru te wawā rā, me te kī mai,

e kore au e ora i ngā hau kōtiu, i āia ai te pūpūtara ki uta.

Nāu nei te tono kia piki ake au i ngā tai whakatū a Kupe

ki Te Waonui a Tiriwa me te Pae o te Rangi,

Kia titiro whakaroto ahau ki te maunga o Puketōtara,

kei raro e rere ana ko te awa o Waitākere

kei tētahi taha ko Puke Whakataratara, kei tua ko Te Whau.

Koinei rā te rohe kāinga o Te Au o Te Whenua me te Te Kawerau a Maki,

ko rātou nei te whāriki i āhei ai te nohoa o tēnei moka o te rohe

e tini whāioio kua whakakāinga ma.

Kua kōhatu nei nga paparahi ki te whenua,

i tangata whenuatia ai tātou katoa.

I whaikiko ai te kōrero,

“Ko te hapori te tauawhi i te taiao, he mea motuhake, rerenga kē.” Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā.

To all those who adorn the prow of this canoe,

to the revered leaders of the people, to my treasured heirlooms,

the lesser and the greater parts of me,

you who are my refuge in life,

my shelter from the storms of time.

My objects of affection,

let your very being flourish, let your spirit be at peace,

let the calm be widespread, I send greetings to you all.

Here I sit on the ridgeline of Te Pae o te Rangi,

where the land had been laid bare,

and the roaring wind of the west whispers,

that I would not survive the blast of the northerly wind, that would drive the paper nautilus to shore.

It was you who commanded me to ascend from the raised seas of Kupe,

to the forest of Tiriwa, and Te Pae o te Rangi.

So I look inland to Puketotara,

at the foot of which runs the Waitākere river

on one side stands Massey and on the other - Te Whau.

Home of Te Au o te Whenua and Te Kawerau a Maki,

the original settlers, they laid the way for later travellers

to make a home here.

They cast their footprints in stone upon these precincts of the region,

and so made settlers of us all.

Which gives substance to the adage,

“Communities connected to their natural environment are unique and diverse.” Let us grow with vigour.

Ngā upoko kōrero

Contents

Mihi	2
Contents	4
From the Chair	5
Waitākere Ranges Local Board area	6
About local boards	8
About local board plans	8
Developing our plan	9
Outcomes
People actively protect the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area	10
Our unique natural habitats are protected and enhanced	12
Local communities feel good about where they live	14
People experience local arts and culture, and recognise our heritage	16
Our urban centres are enjoyable places to be	18
Our community spaces, parks, sports and recreation facilities meet local needs and are easy to get to	19
Carrying out our plan	21
Funding information	22
Your Waitākere Ranges Local Board members	23
Appendix one: Financial overview	25
Appendix two: Local activities and levels of service	26

He kōrero mai i te Heamana

From the Chair

In the Waitākere Ranges we are living on the edge – the edge of the super-city, the edge of urban development, and the hard edge of environmental protection.

In some ways that is a good thing. There are lots of opportunities here for local people to make the most of their local environment, and to continue carving out our own unique place within the super-city. However, it also gives us a greater level of responsibility for recognising and protecting the intrinsic value of our natural areas and realising that even small actions can have a magnified effect on our larger environment.

We want to do our part to encourage sustainability in the way we live and in our interaction with and care for our environment. What this means in practice is that we will seek to make sure all of our programmes are viewed through a sustainability lens, and that we will advocate within the Auckland Council family for the effects of climate change and environmental degradation to be recognised in council policies.

We also want to focus on the needs of our urban communities. We want to make sure the people who live here are enjoying living locally, and are making connections with each other and with the council that will improve their quality of life. This is where the idea of ‘small is beautiful’ is important. Small changes, initiated from within, are the best way to achieve social change. We want to support this process. This benefits the council as well, as people who love where they live look after where they live, and often in more exciting and innovative ways than we can imagine.

In this local board plan we set out our key areas of interest for the next three years and beyond. This is not a list of everything we will do, but a flavour of what we have identified as being important to local communities. Many of the ideas in the plan have come from you through feedback provided to us in the past and, pleasingly, were widely supported in the local board plan engagement process.

Our challenge is to address the needs of all with a limited budget and resources and over a huge geographical landscape. We know this area has one of the smaller local economies, a population that travels outside of the area for work, and an active and interested community sector. I am excited for the next three years as we act to complement and support what happens here.

Ngā mihi

Greg Presland

Chair, Waitākere Ranges Local Board

Te Rohe ā-Poari o Te Wao-nui-o-Tiriwa

Waitākere Ranges Local Board area

The first thing you see when you approach west Auckland is the Waitākere Ranges, which form a natural backdrop to the western skyline and are protected by the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008.

This local board area, full of natural and cultural features, yet close to metropolitan Auckland and subject to pressure from the urban environment, is unique in New Zealand.

Te Kawerau a Maki and Ngāti Whātua are mana whenua in the Waitākere Ranges. Hoani Waititi Marae is a local urban marae.

Our largest and only town centre is Glen Eden, surrounded by the suburban areas of Glen Eden, Kaurilands, Parrs Park and Sunnyvale. Laingholm, Oratia and Waitākere are located in very different settings, and long-established rural communities are clustered around Huia, Parau, Piha, Karekare and Bethells Beach.

Titirangi and Swanson are established small villages with strong local characteristics. Titirangi hosts Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery and is an established centre for the arts. Swanson is a small village which is expanding quickly.

In the 2013 census 48,339 people were living in this area, an increase of 6 per cent from 2006. Labour force participation is above the Auckland average and, at $79,700 median household incomes are higher than the Auckland average of $76,500, though there are significant differences between more and less affluent areas.

Residents have access to council libraries at Titirangi and Glen Eden, two community houses, venues for hire at Ceramco Park and Titirangi Hall, a variety of halls run by community groups, and sports fields such as those at Parrs Park.

He kōrero mō ngā poari ā-rohe

About local boards

Auckland Council has a unique model of local government in New Zealand, made up of the Governing Body (the mayor and 20 ward councillors) and 21 local boards. The Governing Body focuses on Auckland-wide issues while local boards are responsible for decision-making on local issues, activities and services and provide input into regional strategies, policies and plans.

These local issues, activities and services include:

· supporting local arts, culture, events and sport and recreation

· providing grants and partnering with local organisations to deliver community services

· maintaining and upgrading town centres and facilities including parks, libraries and halls

· caring for the environment and preserving heritage.

Local boards also have a role in representing the view of their communities on issues of local importance.

About local board plans

Local board plans are strategic documents that are developed every three years to set a direction for local boards. Reflecting community priorities and preferences, the plans guide local board activity, funding and investment decisions. They also influence local board input into regional strategies and plans, including the Auckland Plan (the 30-year vision for Auckland), the council’s 10-year budget and annual budgets.

Auckland Plan
				Local board plans




Auckland Council's financial plans Includes the council's 10-year budget and annual budget (which includes local board agreements)

Local board agreements

A key role of local board plans is to provide a basis for developing annual local board agreements. Agreed between the council’s Governing Body and local boards, these are part of Auckland Council’s budget setting process and set out local funding priorities, budgets, levels of service, performance measures and targets by activity for each financial year. Each local board develops annual work programmes alongside adoption of their local board agreement.

Te whakawhanake i tā mātou mahere

Developing our plan

Our plan comprises aspirational outcomes, objectives we want to achieve and some of the key initiatives we will carry out to achieve them. To make this happen will take the efforts of many working together.

During May and June 2017 we consulted on a draft of this plan for feedback. The draft was developed by considering what we know about our community, having worked closely with you over the last six years and heard your views on a wide range of things, and we were pleased to get some thoughtful and considered feedback.

Whakaotinga 1: He ngangahau te tiaki a te iwi i te Papa Rāhui ki te Ika Whenua o te Waitākere

Outcome 1: People actively protect the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area

The Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area is recognised as a taonga for the people of Auckland.

The Auckland Plan acknowledges that nature and people are inseparable. This is particularly true in the Waitākere Ranges, where most of the 27,720 hectares of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area sits within our boundaries.

Created in 2008 by an Act of Parliament, the heritage area was put in place to recognise the area’s national, regional and local significance, and to promote the protection and enhancement of its heritage features for present and future generations.

A variety of organisations have responsibilities for the heritage area, and the land within it is made up of a combination of public and private landholdings. Auckland Council has a statutory responsibility for contributing to the management and stewardship of the heritage area. This responsibility is shared across many parts of the council and involves a range of activities. Council-controlled organisations (CCOs) such as Auckland Transport and Watercare also have extensive roles and responsibilities associated with managing their assets within the heritage area.

A heritage area monitoring report is prepared every five years. The next will be in 2018. We will use it to help us decide which areas of work we should prioritise in the future. We believe the ecological importance of the heritage area needs greater recognition. We will advocate to the Governing Body to elevate the heritage area’s status and to prioritise resourcing actions that will protect it in the long term.

Locally, there are five Local Area Plans under the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act – Bethells/Te Henga, Waiatarua, Oratia, Henderson Valley/Opanuku, and Muddy Creeks. These plans set out long-term community goals for the future use, character, community wellbeing and environment in these areas. We will continue to focus on carrying out their recommendations.

Outcome 1: People actively protect the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area
Objective	Key initiatives
The heritage area’s special character is celebrated and enhanced	Prioritise and carry out recommendations of the 2018 Heritage Area Monitoring Report
	Work with communities to carry out recommendations from Local Area Plans
	Work with mana whenua and local communities to protect, and tell the stories of, cultural and historic sites of importance
	Help landholders and residents understand their duty of care for the fragile heritage area
	Promote and support small-scale and sustainable home-based business in the heritage area
	Create greater awareness of the values and heritage features of the heritage area
	Seek funding to erect gateway signs to the heritage area

Whakaotinga 2: Kei te tiakina me te whakapaitia ake ō tātou toi whenua taketake

Outcome 2: Our unique natural habitats are protected and enhanced

Local communities and the council work together to live sustainably and look after our environment.

Eighty-two per cent of our local board area is native vegetation containing diverse and unique habitats. These habitats are surrounded by both a fragile marine and coastal environment and by New Zealand’s largest metropolitan area. This means we face a number of environmental challenges.

Weeds are a significant threat to habitats in the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area. This area has a large number of private properties within its borders and a lot of roads and tracks. This makes it very easy for weeds to spread, so collaboration and coordination between the council and private landowners is vital to control their impact. We will use our resources to support individuals and groups to control weeds and animal pests, and will support spray-free approaches to weed management where this is practicable.

In the 2016 State of Auckland Marine Report Card, Manukau Harbour has a D-rating overall, based on water quality, contaminants and sediment, and ecology. Our marine environment is threatened by, among other things, poorly performing septic tanks, and water quality in our coastal lagoons is also poor.

We will focus our efforts on ensuring that poorly performing septic tanks are replaced. We have commissioned a coastal and marine environment report and will use this to inform future actions.

In the course of everyday business, we see how easily human activity can encroach on animal and plant habitats. Our coastal areas contain a number of rare or threatened birds and marine mammals, and the last population of Maui’s dolphin. We want to encourage visitors and residents to take more care around all our native species.

Kauri dieback is a serious threat to our forest. August 2017 saw the release of the “Kauri Dieback Report 2017: An investigation into the distribution of kauri dieback, and implications for its future management within the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park”. Working alongside community groups, mana whenua and the public will be critical to the success of measures undertaken to control the disease, and we will continue to fund a dedicated resource, currently in the form of a Kauri Coordinator.

Living in a sustainable and resilient way also has an immediate impact on the natural environment. Reducing plastic bag use, avoiding car journeys, and planting trees are all things that contribute in this area. Our work programme will support sustainable choices and the decisions we make will seek to reduce factors that contribute to climate change.

Outcome 2: Our unique natural habitats are protected and enhanced
Objective	Key initiatives
Animal pests and weeds are controlled long term, and the fight against kauri dieback continued	Carry out weed removal, focusing on areas identified in the Waitākere Ranges Strategic Weed Plan
	Enable community-based weed and animal pest control on public and private property
	Fund kauri dieback awareness raising and action
Our marine and coastal environments are protected	Help residents and landowners act to improve water quality in coastal lagoons and harbours
	Support community efforts to protect marine and coastal environments
	Work with communities to protect vulnerable marine animals and plants
Our visitors and residents make everyday sustainable living choices	Support local projects which make a positive difference to their environment

Whakaotinga 3: He pai tonu ki ngā hapori ā-rohe ake ō rātou wāhi noho

Outcome 3: Local communities feel good about where they live

Our communities celebrate their distinct identities and live, work and play together.

Our area’s residents live in a variety of different ways and places, from the west coast and rural villages to areas of suburban housing and urban townships. Each place has its own aspirations, challenges and strengths. We want our communities to feel proud of their areas. We will seek out opportunities for collaboration to ensure our neighbourhoods are better connected, informed and resilient, and create opportunities to strengthen local networks.

The local board will further develop its good relationship with Te Kawerau a Maki, acknowledging their role as mana whenua of the area and their aspirations for people and the environment.

Locally we have a number of skilled and enthusiastic groups with whom we can partner to support local people to achieve their own outcomes. Supporting and encouraging local events such as the EcoWest Festival is one way to bring people together. We will programme activities and initiatives which involve and cater for the range of cultures, interests and age groups that represent our community’s make-up.

Through our local grants fund, the board will also support community projects which enhance the places where people live.

There are no secondary schools in our area and we know many people travel out of the area to work. We will look for opportunities to support our youth as they prepare for a future in adulthood and the workforce.

Outcome 3: Local communities feel good about where they live
Objective	Key initiatives
Communities are skilled, well informed and engaged	Support communities to lead their own place-making initiatives
	Support Hoani Waititi marae-based programmes, activities and events
	Assist local communities to grow their organisational skills and capacity, particularly in communities that are currently less well-resourced
Community events and activities celebrate diverse local identities	Fund Waitangi Day celebrations
	Fund key community events which celebrate our inspiring settings and diverse character
Young people are supported to achieve	Develop the leadership and job skills of young people
	Support youth-led community projects
	Enable young people to contribute to decision-making
Mana whenua and mātāwaka are acknowledged and their needs and aspirations are widely known	Develop relationships and agree shared goals with Te Kawerau a Maki and other mana whenua, Hoani Waititi Marae, and other key Māori organisations and local Māori residents

Whakaotinga 4: He aro tonu te iwi ki te ao toi, ngā tikanga ā-iwi ake me ā tātou taonga tuku iho

Outcome 4: People experience local arts and culture, and recognise our heritage

We celebrate what makes us unique.

Arts and culture are intrinsic to place-making, and in our area we are fortunate to have a range of established partners to work with across the arts and heritage communities. Our investment is significant. We fund and support a wide range of partners in and around the Lopdell Precinct, the most prominent of which is Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery. This relationship plays an important role in showcasing Titirangi as the arts hub for the west and stimulating the wider local creative economy.

We want to continue providing a range of opportunities for community participation and access to the arts. This includes promoting locally relevant arts and themes, and supporting local creative businesses with our open studios event. We look forward to fostering a shared understanding of Te Ao Māori and Māori arts and culture, including celebrating Matariki with our community at Arataki Visitor Centre and building upon local links to the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area.

With future townscape improvements in Glen Eden expected to be complemented by private sector housing developments and investment, there is also an opportunity to boost locally generated arts and cultural activities in this area.

Protecting our shared history is also a key way to identify what is unique about our area, and provides a point of reference from which we can inform and influence physical changes to our urban and rural landscapes. For example, Waikumete Cemetery is just one of our many built heritage sites with both local and national importance. We would like it to be more connected to Glen Eden in the minds of residents and visitors. The board will also make sure our road and place names reflect our shared heritage, and that mana whenua’s relationship to the landscape is recognised.

We will use the Swanson Heritage Report and Design Guidelines to influence development in this area to reflect the village’s rich heritage.

Outcome 4: People experience local arts and culture, and recognise our heritage
Objective	Key initiatives
Arts and culture are part of the everyday life of all our communities	Continue our annual open studios event to promote the local creative economy
	Fund events which create a sense of place, interest and local identity
	Promote more arts and cultural activities in Glen Eden.
Titirangi is seen as a hub for arts in the west	Ensure Te Uru gallery programmes engage with the unique character of the Waitākere Ranges
Titirangi is seen as a hub for arts in the west	Ensure arts programming includes emerging talent and creatives
Historic and cultural heritage is recognised, celebrated and understood	Protect key local sites of cultural and historic importance and tell their stories
	Hold heritage events which celebrate past, present and future
	Celebrate Matariki at key sites

Whakaotinga 5: He wāhi pai tonu hei haerenga ō tātou pokapū ā-tāone

Outcome 5: Our urban centres are enjoyable places to be

Our urban environments are attractive and looking towards the future.

The Auckland Plan prioritises the protection, enhancement and improvement of business-zoned areas and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). The main way your local board can support economic development, or other changes in urban centres, is through place-making, or inspiring people to reimagine and reinvent our local places.

Glen Eden is our area’s main town centre. We are committed to making significant improvements, with a town square following on from the 2016 upgrade of the library courtyard. The town centre already has many assets, including the excellent library, a number of up-and-coming businesses and an active business association with which we will partner to help the township more actively and attractively promote what it has to offer.

In improving the look and feel of Glen Eden’s public spaces, we hope to encourage better use of retail spaces to attract economic growth and support existing businesses to make the most of the opportunities Glen Eden offers.

We will continue to advocate within Auckland Council’s Long-term Plan framework for budget to support major improvements to the look and function of Glen Eden town centre, and are progressing work to deliver some on-the-ground improvements.

Around our smaller urban centres we will be actively looking to make grants for community projects which will enhance these environments and support sustainable living.

Outcome 5: Our urban centres are enjoyable places to be
Objective	Key initiatives
Glen Eden is an attractive and welcoming town centre	Invest in a major town centre improvement project
	Ensure public places are family-friendly, inclusive and safe
	Provide better walking connections to the town centre
	Support BID projects which present an attractive town centre
Local communities are supported to enhance local villages	Identify village-focused, community place-making projects which enhance our centres while keeping their essential character

Whakaotinga 6: E tutakina ana ngā hiahia o te rohe nā te āhei me te ngāwari o te taea atu o ngā ngā wāhi noho wātea, ngā papa rehia me ngā wāhi whakahaere hākinakina

Outcome 6: Our community spaces, parks, sports and recreation facilities meet local needs and are easy to get to

Local parks, facilities and walkway connections provide attractive places for people to come together.

Geographically, our area is split between people living urban and rural lifestyles. This means people in the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area rightly have different needs and expectations for their commuting and communal lives than those living more urban lifestyles.

Across the whole area, we want to encourage people to get out and about, meeting others and building supportive networks. We might create the spaces, but there is room for more to be happening at council-owned facilities. It is important that residents know where local facilities are and the opportunities for using them. Working with the local people who manage these places and programmes will help with this.

In our rural areas we want to make sure our parks remain understated and accessible. With local and regional parkland so closely intertwined, how we use our parks can easily have a negative effect on the heritage area. As a desirable area for filming and events, and for large numbers of visitors, we need to be conscious of the impact on the environment.

People are always interested in getting from A to B, for work or for pleasure. Building a local walking and cycling network is a slow process but a worthwhile one, and we want to encourage people to use our pleasant walk and cycle ways. Where it is financially practicable, we will make targeted improvements to streetscapes. Where it is not, we will work to influence Auckland Transport to prioritise those improvements.

Access to local and sports parks, quality gathering and resting spaces, and good transport, walking and cycling connections is vital for good urban living. We want people to have access to green space, and connections between suburbs that support freedom of movement without the car.

We have a number of small urban parks throughout our area, but they are not always as inviting as they might be. We want to improve amenity and recreational use for locals so that these parks are used more regularly – actively for exercise, but also as quiet communal spaces. We know that if the needs of children are addressed when designing community spaces, then they will also be good for adults.

Outcome 6: Our community spaces, parks, sports and recreation facilities meet local needs and are easy to get to
Objective	Key initiatives
Our public spaces are great places for people to meet	Improve the attractiveness of small urban parks
	Ensure improvements to facilities are child-centred and mobility-friendly
	Support local facilities to become more visible in their communities
	Carry out targeted, small infrastructure projects which enhance streetscapes and parks
	Publicise our pleasant urban walk and cycle ways
	Develop linked trails through Glen Eden and Titirangi to enable people to get around and exercise in attractive off-road settings
	Improve rural walkways for pedestrians
People have plenty of sports and recreation opportunities	Deliver parks-activation projects which bring the community into our parks and open spaces
People have plenty of sports and recreation opportunities	Ensure improvements to parks of all types encourage participation in spontaneous, nature-based play

Te whakatutuki i tā mātou mahere

Carrying out our plan

· To deliver against the outcomes of our plan we will:

· prioritise our budget to focus on the initiatives in the plan

· make the best use of our assets such as our community centres and parks

· set direction for council staff who are responsible for delivering our annual work programme

· work with others, including community organisations and partners, to deliver projects and services

· represent your views on matters of local importance.

In some instances, our role is limited to representing your views on matters of local importance because we do not have the decision-making authority and/or funding to carry it out. When this is the case, we will use our time and energy to influence the relevant decision-maker. We do this by advocating on your behalf or making formal submissions, ensuring decision-makers are aware of your views and our support for them.

Budget information can be found on page 36.

Empowering communities

We seek to empower and enable our communities. This means listening to what you want to achieve, directing council resources towards community aspirations, and supporting diverse communities to have an input into the things they care about and which matter uniquely to them.

We will prioritise activities led by the community, encourage and support people from all walks of life to actively participate in their community, and fully use our diverse talents, insights and contributions. We will work with others to enable our communities to achieve their goals.

Working with Māori

Delivering on Auckland Council’s commitment to Māori at a local level is a priority for local boards. The council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and its broader statutory obligations to Māori.

Waitākere Ranges Local Board will focus on building strong and meaningful relationships with local Māori and key Māori organisations to ensure that Māori needs and aspirations are understood. The local board sees particular mutual interests relating to environmental management, youth, community development and place-making, and looks forward to developing a partnership of mutual respect and openness.
He kōrero take pūtea

Funding information

The purpose of this section is to provide information on local board funding.

How local boards are funded

Funding is allocated to local boards through the council’s budget setting process. This involves the council’s Governing Body adopting a 10-year budget every three years and an annual budget every year. Local board agreements, briefly described in page eight, make up part of the annual budget.

A financial overview for the Waitākere Ranges Local Board for the 2017/18 financial year is included in Appendix 1.

The council’s budget setting process involves allocating funding gathered through revenue sources such as rates and user charges. It also involves setting levels of service for council activities and corresponding performance targets.

Details on levels of service for local activities are included in Appendix 2.

Auckland Council’s 2018-2028 10-year budget

In June 2018, the council’s Governing Body will adopt the 2018-2028 10-year budget informed by local board plans. The 10-year budget will need to consider all funding needs for Auckland and balance these with the need to keep rates and other council charges affordable. This balancing act may impact local boards’ ability to carry out all the key initiatives in their local board plans.

Auckland Transport’s Local Board Transport Capital Fund

Local boards can also access funding from Auckland Transport’s Local Board Transport Capital Fund which is allocated to deliver small transport related projects.

The fund allocated to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board for the 2017-2018 financial year is $358,706.

How local boards spend their budget

Much of the budget available to local boards is required to keep our services going and maintain our local assets including parks, community centres, libraries and halls.

Local boards also have additional, discretionary funding they can spend on local projects or programmes that are important to their communities.

More information about local board budgets can be found in Auckland Council’s Local Board Funding Policy on the council website.

The council is currently looking at ways to provide local boards with more flexibility over their budgets.

Ngā Mema o tō Poari ā-Rohe o Te Wao-nui-o-Tiriwa

Your Waitākere Ranges Local Board members

	Members’ details
	Greg Presland – Chairperson Phone: 021 285 3666 greg.presland@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
	Saffron Toms – Deputy Chairperson Phone: 021 904 896 saffron.toms@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
	Sandra Coney, QSO Phone: 021 446 370 sandra.coney@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
	Denise Yates, JP Phone: 021 285 7999 denise.yates@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
	Neil Henderson Phone: 021 286 5666 neil.henderson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
	Steve Tollestrup Phone: 021 043 3686 steve.tollestrup@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Appendix One

Financial overview

Income, expenditure and capital investment by local activities for the period 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018

Annual Plan Financials			2017/18 ($000s)
Operating revenue
Local community services			154
Local parks, sport and recreation
Local planning and development
Local environment services
Total operating revenue			154
Operating expenditure
Local community services			3,608
Local governance			1,019
Local parks, sport and recreation			2,573
Local planning and development			252
Local environment services			994
Total operating expenditure			8,446
Net operating expenditure			8,592
Capital expenditure
Local community services			424
Local governance
Local parks, sport and recreation			2,022
Local planning and development
Local environment services
Total capital expenditure			2,446

Appendix Two

Local activities and levels of service

Local board responsibilities, provided for directly in legislation or allocated to boards, are summarised into local activities. These are described in the table below, along with levels of service statements.

More information regarding levels of services, including performance measures and performance targets, can be found in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Agreement 2017/2018. This is available on the council website.

Local activities

Levels of service statements

Local parks, sport and recreation

This group of activities covers management and provision of local parks and open space and recreation activities for both passive and active recreation

Provide a range of recreational opportunities catering for community needs on local parks, reserves and beaches

Provide sportsfields that are fit for purpose and cater for community needs

Local community services

This group of activities contributes to improved community outcomes by providing places and spaces for the community to learn and recreate and by integrating arts and culture into the everyday lives of Aucklanders. Key activities include locally delivered Libraries and Information (Libraries) and Arts, Community and Event services

Provide safe, accessible, welcoming library facilities that support the delivery of quality learning programmes and services relevant to local communities

Enable Aucklanders and communities to express themselves and improve their wellbeing through customer centric advice, funding, facilitation and permitting

Deliver a variety of events, programmes and projects that improve safety, connect Aucklanders and engage them in their city and communities

Provide safe, reliable and accessible social infrastructure for Aucklanders that contributes to place-making and thriving communities

Local planning and development

This group of activities covers local business area planning, local street environment and town centres and local environment and heritage protection

Develop local business precincts and town centres as great places to do business

Local environmental management

Local environmental management activities work in partnership with locally based communities and iwi to deliver enhanced environmental outcomes (with a focus on indigenous biodiversity, healthy waterways and sustainable living) that contribute to Māori, community wellbeing and economy

Provide leadership & support to protect and conserve the region’s natural environment, historic heritage and Māori cultural heritage

Local governance

Activities in this group support our 21 local boards to engage with and represent their communities, and make decisions on local activities. This support includes providing strategic advice, leadership of the preparation of local board plans, support in developing the Local Board Agreements, community engagement including relationships with mana whenua and Māori communities, and democracy and administrative support

The measures for this group of activities are covered under the Regional Governance group of activities in the Long-term Plan 2015-2025 where the survey measures determine participation with Auckland Council decision-making in general. This includes local decision-making. There are no significant changes to the measures or targets for 2017/2018

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Remuneration Authority consultation document

File No.: CP2017/19765

Purpose

1. To provide comments on the Remuneration Authority’s Consultation Document “Local Government Review” by 15 December 2017.

Executive summary

2. The Remuneration Authority is consulting local authorities on proposals in its consultation document “Local Government Review”. Feedback is due by Friday 15 December 2017. The Remuneration Authority wants to discuss the proposals with Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) zone meetings.

3. The Authority has noted that they are seeking the views of councils, not individual elected members or staff. All local boards are being provided the opportunity to respond as is the governing body.

4. The Authority proposes the following long-term changes to the way in which remuneration is decided:

(i) each council is sized according to proposed factors such as population

(ii) a remuneration pool for the council is determined based on the size

(iii) the mayor’s salary is determined by the Authority

(iv) the council then proposes how to allocate the total pool (after the mayor’s salary is deducted) among elected members to recognise positions of responsibility

(v) there is relativity between mayors and MPs, with the Auckland mayor being paid no more than a cabinet minister.

5. The consultation document sets out the proposals and asks for feedback in regard to specific questions.

6. The proposals do not impact on expenses policies or meeting fees for resource management hearings.

7. The body of this report summarises the content of each section of the document and quotes the questions. Comments from staff highlight issues the local board might wish to consider. The document is in Attachment A and provides the full details of the proposals.

8. The proposal to provide each council with a remuneration pool gives councils more flexibility to recognise varying responsibilities among members, but it puts elected members in the position of making decisions about their own salaries.

9. The consultation document does not discuss local boards. In other councils, community board salaries would be funded from the council pool, unless they were funded by a targeted rate. Local boards are very different from community boards and local boards should make their comments in the context of their role and responsibilities within Auckland Council. Local boards may wish to comment on how, if the remuneration pool concept proceeds, the remuneration of local boards should be decided.

Recommendation

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) provide its comments on the Remuneration Authority’s Consultation Document Local Government Review.

Comments

Introduction

10. The Remuneration Authority has circulated a discussion document with a request for comments by 15 December 2017. This is appended in Attachment A. The Authority states that a separate consultation document will be circulated for Auckland Council but that the principles in the current document will apply to Auckland Council.

11. The Authority has noted that they are seeking the views of councils, not individual elected members or staff. All local boards are being provided the opportunity to respond as is the governing body.

12. Currently, the key aspects for setting remuneration for councils other than Auckland are:

(i) a size index for each council based on population and expenditure

(ii) job-sizing council positions in sample councils

(iii) assessing the portion of full-time work

(iv) the Authority’s pay scale

(v) a pool equivalent to one member’s salary for recognising additional positions of responsibility

(vi) a loading of 12.5% for unitary councils

(vii) hourly rates for resource consent hearings.

13. The report summarises the content of each section of the discussion document and quotes the questions. Comments from staff highlight issues the local board might wish to consider. The document is in Attachment A and provides the full details of the proposals.

Council size

14. The discussion document defines council size as “the accumulated demands on any council resulting from its accountability for its unique mix of functions, obligations, assets and citizenry”. It proposes a number of measures on which to base council size such as:

(i) population

(ii) operational expenditure

(iii) asset size

(iv) social deprivation

(v) guest nights.

15. For regional councils, social deprivation would not be used to assess size, but land area would be.

16. For unitary councils, land area would be added to all other factors in order to recognise regional responsibilities. The previous 12.5% loading would not apply.

17. Detailed explanations about why these factors were chosen are in the discussion document.

18. Remuneration Authority questions on sizing factors:

With regard to the proposed factors to be used for sizing councils

· Are there significant influences on council size that are not recognised by the factors identified?

· Are there any factors that we have identified that you believe should not be used and why?

· When measuring council assets, do you support the inclusion of all council assets, including those commercial companies that are operated by boards?

· If not, how should the Authority distinguish between different classes of assets?

19. Comments:

(i) It is noted that prior to 2013, the Authority took population growth into account. The councils experiencing higher growth might be expected to be faced with more complex issues to resolve than councils with stagnant growth.

(ii) In a review conducted in 2012, the Authority stated:

The adjustment for ‘abnormal population growth’ has been discontinued, because it is felt that such growth will be reflected in a council’s expenses

Weighting

20. The discussion document proposes weighting the factors slightly differently for different types of council.

Territorial authorities:

Population, operational expenditure

Assets

Deprivation index, visitor nights

Regional councils:

Operational expenditure, geographic size

Assets, population

Visitor nights

Unitary authorities:

Population, operational expenditure, geographic size

Assets

Deprivation index; visitor nights

21. Remuneration Authority questions on weighting:

· Are you aware of evidence that would support or challenge the relativity of the factors for each type of council?

· If you believe other factors should be taken into account, where would they sit relative to others?

22. Comments:

(i) Staff do not see any issues with this proposal.

Mayoral remuneration

23. Mayors are considered to be full-time positions. The discussion document states that a base rate would be determined and additional amounts would be based on the size of the council as assessed above. The Remuneration Authority would set the mayor’s salary.

24. Remuneration Authority questions on Mayoral remuneration:

· Should mayor/chair roles should be treated as full time?

· If not, how should they be treated?

· Should there be a “base” remuneration level for all mayors/chairs, with additional remuneration added according to the size of the council?

· If so, what should determine this “base remuneration”?

25. Comments:

(i) For Auckland Council, the roles of the mayor, councillors and local board chairs have all been treated as full-time. There has been no diminution in role responsibilities since that was determined. There is no rationale for change.

Councillor remuneration

26. A total remuneration pool would be set for each council and each council would decide how to distribute the pool among elected members (after the mayoral salary has been deducted). A 75% majority vote would be required. The Remuneration Authority would receive each council’s decisions and would then make formal determinations.

27. The pool could be used to recognise additional workload arising from appointments to external bodies.

28. Remuneration Authority questions on councillor remuneration:

· Should councillor remuneration be decided by each council within the parameters of a governance/representation pool allocated to each council by the Remuneration Authority?

· If so, should each additional position of responsibility, above a base councillor role, require a formal role description?

· Should each council be required to gain a 75% majority vote to determine the allocation of remuneration across all its positions?

29. Comments:

(i) Setting a remuneration pool for an entity with the entity then responsible for deciding how it is allocated among members, is a valid remuneration practice.

(ii) One issue to consider relating to the pool proposal is that the size of the pool, once determined, is fixed. If a pool is determined for each local board, then if the number of members on a board is increased or decreased, say by a review of representation arrangements, the amount that each member is paid will decrease or increase accordingly. This issue is acknowledged in paragraphs 102 and 103 of the discussion document.

(iii) In view of this, the local board might wish to consider its view on the assumption that the governance responsibility can be represented by a fixed pool.

(iv) A further issue to consider is that elected members would need to debate how to allocate the pool. The Remuneration Authority currently fully sets Auckland Council’s elected member remuneration. Council has not had to debate how remuneration might be apportioned among governing body and local board members. This would be a major change.

(v) Staff do not see any issues with the proposals for role descriptions and a 75% majority vote.

External representation roles

30. The Authority notes that elected members are increasingly being appointed to represent councils on various outside committees and bodies.

31. Remuneration Authority questions on external representation roles:

· Should external representation roles be able to be remunerated in a similar way to council positions of responsibility?

32. Comments:

(i) There are many bodies such as trusts and co-governance entities to which Auckland Council elected members are appointed. These appointments are currently treated as part of the role of being an elected member.

(ii) If the pool proposal allows councils to recognise additional responsibilities (or workload) attached to representation on external organisations, an issue to consider is whether such recognition of additional workload might then extend to internal committee membership, including the number of committees a member is part of. The issue is how granular the recognition of responsibilities should be.

Appointments to CCOs

33. The Authority notes that some councils make appointments of elected members to CCOs.

34. Remuneration Authority questions on appointments to CCOs:

· Do the additional demands placed on CCO board members make it fair for elected members appointed to such boards to receive the same director fees as are paid to other CCO board members?

35. Comments:

(i) Auckland Council cannot legally appoint elected members to substantive CCOs, other than Auckland Transport.

(ii) In the current term, Auckland Council has not appointed elected members to Auckland Transport, but in previous terms the two appointees received directors’ fees.

Community boards

36. The discussion document includes proposals and questions regarding community boards. Auckland Council does not have community boards and we recommend this is clearly stated in any local board response.

37. Community board salaries would either come from the council pool or be separately funded by way of a targeted rate.

38. Remuneration Authority questions on community boards:

· Should community board remuneration always come out of the council governance/representation pool?

· If not, should it be funded by way of targeted rate on the community concerned?

· If not, what other transparent and fair mechanisms are there for funding the remuneration of community board members?

Local Boards

39. The discussion document does not mention local boards.

40. Most local boards are larger or similar in size to other councils in New Zealand.

41. Local boards have decision-making and governance responsibilities over $500million per annum

Comments:

Local boards should comment

(i) On the merits or otherwise of a bulk funding approach

(ii) If the Remuneration Authority does decide on a bulk funding approach

a. Should the governing body determine remuneration for each local board or

b. Should the Remuneration Authority determine separate bulk funding for the governing body and each local board.

Local government pay scale

42. The discussion document discusses how the role of elected members might compare to other roles and other entities for the purposes of setting a pay scale. It considers local government managers, central government managers and boards of directors. These are not elected member roles.

43. The document then considers parliamentary elected member salaries for comparison.

44. Remuneration Authority questions on local government pay scale:

· Is it appropriate for local government remuneration to be related to parliamentary remuneration, but taking account of differences in job sizes?

· If so, should that the relativity be capped so the incumbent in the biggest role in local government cannot receive more than a cabinet minister?

· If not, how should a local government pay scale be determined?

45. Comments:

(i) The Authority suggests in the document that mayor/chair salaries are related to MPs. The question refers to the “biggest role in local government” which would be the Auckland mayor. By setting the salary of the Auckland mayor to that of a cabinet minister, other mayors would be scaled accordingly.

Timetable

46. A determination setting councils’ remuneration pools will be made around 1 July in each election year. Following the elections, each council is to resolve its remuneration policy on the allocation of the pool for the triennium. In the years between elections, adjustments will be made based on published “Labour Market Statistics”.

Conclusion

47. These proposals constitute a major change for Auckland Council. From its inception, the salaries of Auckland Council elected members have been fully determined by the Remuneration Authority.

48. The remuneration pool proposal provides councils with more flexibility to recognise varying responsibilities among members, but this puts elected members in the position of making decisions about their own salaries.

Consideration

Local board views and implications

49. This report seeks the local boards’ views on the proposals contained in the Remuneration Authority’s discussion document. Local board views will be reported individually to the Remuneration Authority.

Māori impact statement

50. The level at which elected members are remunerated does not impact differently on Māori as compared with the wider community.

Implementation

51. Feedback from the local board will be communicated to the Remuneration Authority.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Local Government Review	297

Signatories

Authors

Warwick McNaughton - Principal Advisor - Democracy Services

Authorisers

Phil Wilson - Governance Director

Karen Lyons - General Manager Local Board Services

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Public alerting framework for Auckland

File No.: CP2017/19754

Purpose

1. To provide information on the Public Alerting Framework for Auckland. The report also provides the results of an analysis carried out by GNS Science, identifying communities at risk from tsunami across Auckland.

2. In addition, the report also seeks in-principle support for the proposed enhancement of Auckland’s tsunami siren network.

Executive summary

3. In February 2017, the Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Group Committee endorsed the draft Public Alerting Framework for Auckland.

4. Following on from this, crown research agency, GNS Science was commissioned to provide an analysis of those communities most at risk from tsunami within the orange and red tsunami evacuation zones.

5. The GNS report and the Public Alerting Framework was presented to local boards in workshop sessions. Auckland Emergency Management is asking local boards for in principle support for the Public Alerting Framework and for an enhanced tsunami siren network.

6. Next steps involve procurement and design of tsunami siren and signage. Further information will be presented to local boards in due course.

Recommendations

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) note the approach to public alerting as outlined in the Public Alerting Framework for Auckland (Attachment A).

b) provide in-principle support for the development of an enhanced and expanded regional tsunami siren network, noting that further information on design, placement and other considerations for the network will be reported in due course.

Comments

Tsunami risk for Auckland

7. A tsunami is a natural phenomenon consisting of a series of waves generated when a large volume of water in the sea, or in a lake, is rapidly displaced^{^[1]}. Tsunami threats pose a risk to New Zealand and to Auckland. Occurrence rates of tsunami are higher in the Pacific than for other oceans because of the "Ring of Fire".^{^[2]} Tsunami waves are most commonly caused by underwater earthquakes. In addition, these events have the potential to cause multiple other hazards including but not limited to; fire, fault line ruptures, coastal inundation, landslides, lifeline utility failures and serious health issues.^{^[3]}The Tonga-Kermadec trench is one of the Earth’s deepest trenches, and is Auckland’s highest risk for tsunami. Auckland is susceptible to regional and distant source tsunami, that is, tsunami generated from earthquakes in and around the Pacific Rim with travel time more than 1 hour as well as locally generated tsunami. Tsunami can be categorised as local, regional or distant based on their travel time or distance to the Auckland coastline.

· Local source – less than 1 hour travel time. These tsunamis can be generated by offshore faults, underwater landslide or volcanic activity.

· Regional source – Earthquakes in and around the Pacific Islands and the Tonga-Kermadec Trench 1 to 3 hours travel time to Auckland

· Distant source – Commonly generated by a large earthquake from any location around the Pacific Rim including but not limited to South America, Japan, the Aleutian Islands and Alaska. The travel time to Auckland will be 3 hours or greater. ^{^[4]}

Figure 1: This map shows the position of New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean within an area of intense seismic activity called the ‘Ring of Fire’. Source: GNS Science

Tsunami sirens

5. Currently, Auckland has 44 fixed tsunami warning sirens across nine sites in legacy Rodney and Waitakere. These sirens were installed in 2008 and 2010 and do not meet current government technical standards^{^[5]} for tsunami warning sirens. All new and existing siren installations will need to meet these standards by June 2020.

6. Auckland Emergency Management is currently investigating the upgrading of its existing siren network from ‘tone-only’ sirens to those with PA/voiceover loudspeaker capability. The sirens have a strong immediate effect and can prompt immediate action to seek further information. There are valuable benefits in using tsunami sirens, in particular, sirens can be used when other communications (e.g. cell phones and radio broadcasting) may not have the maximum reach or be as effective. It is commonly accepted across the emergency management sector that effective public alerting systems are those that take a holistic view. This being said, public alerting needs to be well planned, understood, and in conjunction with effective public education information and campaigns. This is imperative for a regionally consistent approach to public alerting that communities can use and understand.

7. The limited locations of the present tsunami siren systems have been identified as a gap in the public alerting capabilities of Auckland region. Presently, Auckland is not well represented by tsunami sirens with the estimated reach of Auckland’s current sirens being only eight per cent of the ‘at-risk’ population. Auckland’s tsunami siren network is currently being considered for enhancement and expansion through the delivery of the Public Alerting Framework

Public Alerting Framework

8. Auckland Council has recognised the need for a regionally consistent approach to public alerting through the adoption of the Public Alerting Framework. The Framework, which was approved for consultation with local boards in February 2017, has been designed to:

· explain what public alerting in a CDEM sense is, what it can and cannot do;

· give detail on the range of channels for public alerting currently available in Auckland;

· highlight the advances being taken with regards to public alerting at a national level;

· provide some commentary on tsunami sirens, their uses and limitations; and

· assist with decisions taken by the Auckland CDEM Group Committee, local boards and partners and stakeholders with regards to the prioritisation of budgets and options for enhancing public alerting across the Auckland region.

9. Auckland Council recognises the need to enhance the public alerting network, and as such, has allocated funds from the Long-Term Plan for this venture. This funding provides a starting point for consultation on the future of Auckland’s tsunami siren network and the enhancement of public alerting.

10. It is important to understand that no one public alerting system is without fault. The Public Alerting Framework focusses on the use of multi-platforms, understanding that a holistic approach is one that maximises the reach of public alerting in an emergency or hazard event. Through this project, prioritised public education is critical. Without effective public education and engagement activities, sirens alone are not considered a standalone approach to public alerting.

GNS Science report

Introduction and methodology

11. Following the endorsement of the Public Alerting Framework, crown research agency GNS Science was contracted to complete an independent analysis (see Appendix B) of those communities most at-risk of tsunami.

12. A GIS based analysis was used to calculate the number of exposed residents in communities. The analysis used 2013 census population data to identify the number of residents located in the red and orange tsunami evacuation zones. (see Figure 2.) For further detail on the evacuation zones and the methodology please see Appendix B.

Figure 2. Auckland red and orange tsunami evacuation zones as used in the GNS Science analysis

Results

13. The results of the analysis carried out by GNS Science identified 217 communities at-risk from tsunami. For all 217 communities modelled, there are a total of 49,853 people at-risk from tsunami in the orange and red evacuation zones. For detailed information on the results of this analysis including detail on those communities at risk of tsunami please refer to the report from GNS Science at Appendix B.

Next steps

14. Workshops have been held with local boards across the region in order to share the results of the GNS Science report and the intention to implement an enhanced and expanded regional tsunami siren network. This report seeks in-principle support for this enhanced and expanded network. More information on design, placement and other considerations for the network will be reported in due course

Consideration

Local board views and implications

15. Workshops on tsunami risk were held with local boards in 2016. Following the development of the Public Alerting Framework further information on tsunami risk, including the results of the GNS Science report, were shared with local boards between July and October 2017. Local boards were told that in-principle support for the enhanced and expanded tsunami siren network would be sought at formal business meetings of local boards.

16. As key decision makers representing local communities, local board input into this important project will continue.

Māori impact statement

17. There are no particular impacts on Maori communities which are different from the general population arising from this report. The Public Alerting Framework for Auckland notes the importance of community resilience, of reaching all members of the community and of having systems in place to ensure that public alert messages are understood and ubiquitous.

Implementation

18. Once in-principle support has been achieved, procurement and design of tsunami siren and signage will be undertaken.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Public Alerting Framework	333
b ⇩	GNS Science report	343

Signatories

Authors

Celia Wilson, Project Manager

Authorisers

Craig Glover - Head of Strategy and Planning

John Dragicevich - Director Civil Defence and Emergency Management

Karen Lyons - General Manager Local Board Services

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

28 September 2017

Chairperson's report - September 2017

File No.: CP2017/20530

Rimutaka Walkway

1. Neil Henderson has been heavily involved in the design and construction of the Rimutaka Walkway and deserves praise for his work. The walkway is now essentially complete and a formal opening is to be held soon. The walkway will help in linking the Woodlands Park community to the Landing Road walkway and improve pedestrian access in the area. The surrounding area is remarkably beautiful and if you need either exercise or soul cleansing immersion in nature or both this is one walk you will want to take.

2. The Board's draft Greenways Plan is being readied for release for consultation. The intent is that this will drive the creation of further walkways like the Rimutaka walkway. The benefits are immense for both congestion and health, more people walking makes for a healthier and more sustainable community.

Kauri Dieback report

3. Following the release of the Auckland Council report on Kauri Dieback in the Waitakere Ranges thought is now being given to what to do.

4. As I noted previously the news is dire. The Waitakere Ranges has by far the greatest concentration of the disease. Over half of the areas in the Regional Park have trees showing signs of the condition and the rate of infection appears to have doubled since the previous survey was completed five years ago.

5. And it is clear that infection is concentrated around tracks and bait lines. The latter may be the result of infections caused before the use of trigene and hygienic boot cleaning methods. Everyone that I know who are involved in bait lines are really keen to preserve the Ranges the way they are. And it may be that bait line infections are due to lower hygiene standards from years ago rather than recent infections. But the statistics for use of the trigene stations on the tracks are deeply concerning with most people not using the brushes and trigene disinfectant to clean their boots.

6. The following table shows how clear the relationship between infection and the tracks is.

7. Council is to urgently upgrade all cleaning stations with better equipment so that the cleaning process is easier and better. But everyone has to do their part. If you are walking in the Ranges on one of the tracks please make sure you clean your shoes properly.

8. Drastic measures are being contemplated. I believe that we have to consider the possibility of track closures. A Rahui over the Waitakere Ranges has been proposed by Te Kawerau A Maki and may be necessary so that we can at least stabilize things until we understand more fully what is happening and work out a long term containment plan.

9. But clearly this will not be popular. I have received an expression of concern from the organiser of the Lactic Turkey event who is worried about what may happen. And I have seen a report suggesting that the hygiene methods used by the organisers of the race are pristine. So this is not going to be a straight forward process.

10. In the medium term an upgrade of the tracks with boardwalks or with proper drainage will be required to preserve existing Kauri. There will be a significant cost. Central Government funding may be needed. But if we want to make sure that the King of the Forest remains we will need to do whatever is required to stop the spread of this most destructive of diseases.

11. The Board considered the report at its last meeting. We passed resolutions noting that the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park is now the most heavily kauri dieback infected area currently recorded in New Zealand and that the recorded distribution of kauri dieback in a kauri area has essentially doubled in the past five years. The highest risk vector for Kauri dieback movement into new areas is soil disturbance associated with human activity. We also noted that compliance with hygiene requirements is very low and must increase if we are to prevent kauri dieback spread.

12. Our resolution urged Council to urgently upgrade Phytosanitary stations to the most effective models available so that the spray bottle and brush station are superseded, to seek more funding from Central Government because of the national significance of kauri, and because both local and central government are obligated to uphold the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008. We requested adequate funding to increase maintenance and improve drainage on tracks, and upgrade selected tracks to reduce possibility of infection.

13. On the issue of track closures the Board wants Council to give this consideration although in consultation with the Board and external stakeholders. The Board also wants public education to be increased. Current use of the hygiene stations is far too hit and miss and we need to do better.

Unitary Plan appeals

14. I became involved in local government primarily to support meaningful protection for the Waitakere Ranges and one of the areas I was most proud to be involved in was the development and passage of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008. Ever since its passage I have had a keen interest to monitor its performance and to see if it is achieving what it was intended to achieve.

15. The Board has taken very keen interest in the development of the Unitary Plan and made submissions to the Panel when hearings were conducted.

16. Our preference was that the intent of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act be followed and existing District Plan provisions retained.

17. One area where this is important is the ability to subdivide. Through much of the ranges subdivision down to a certain size was permitted but any subdivision below those sizes was prohibited. The intent was that a certain amount of intensification would happen but after that the level of development would be capped.

18. So it was of concern when the Hearings Panel recommended that subdivision below permitted levels be classed as non-complying rather than prohibited. The difference is that land owners could still apply and try and persuade the decision maker that a particular subdivision should be allowed to proceed. The almost inevitable result would be that over time the heritage area could be fundamentally changed. An individual decision to subdivide may not have had much effect and the temptation would be to let it through but the cumulative effect of a number of these decisions could have been profound. As the former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Morgan Williams said the Ranges would suffer death by a thousand cuts. The protection offered by the Act would have been weakened considerably.

19. Council confirmed the decision even though it was urged not to.

20. The Waitakere Ranges Protection Society then appealed the decision claiming that the original recommendation was flawed in that it did not give sufficient weight to the provisions of the Act.

21. I am pleased to say that Auckland Council supported the appeal and that the appeal was granted.

22. Justice Whata said this in granting the appeal:

"In the present case, I agree with the appellant that the WRHAA articulates a number of values which are expressions of social, environmental and cultural outcomes or expectations which might properly justify prohibited activity status as an outcome. The most effective way of achieving these objectives may have been to impose prohibited activity status on subdivision. To the extent the Panel did not approach the imposition of prohibited activity status in this way, it applied the incorrect legal test, in terms of (the Court of Appeal decision in) Coromandel Watchdog."

23. The appeal has been granted in a way which will allow submitters to the original provision to appeal to the Environment Court against the change.

The roadside Kauris on Paturoa Road

24. There has been a lot of local concern that two rather magnificent roadside Kauri on Paturoa Road may be threatened by works being conducted on the site. The litigation relating to the work has resulted in the landowner deciding to surrender the consents so for now the roadside Kauri are safe. There are live issues however about what if any development around these trees should be allowed as the original analysis about the trees drip lines relied on by the consent may not have been optimal.

25. Through the Unitary Plan process the significant ecological area zone for this property was removed. This included the part of the zone that was on the road reserve.

26. Various people have raised concerns with me that this means the roadside Kauri are no longer protected.

27. I have raised this with Council staff and I have been advised that although they do not see an urgent need to reinstate the significant ecological zone for the area as a matter of urgency this could occur as part of a review over the next five years. In the meantime the trees are protected in that their removal would require a resource consent as well as Council consent. I have advised the staff that the Local Board regard this as a significant issue and any application that may affect the trees should be brought to the local board’s attention.

Watercare

28. The liaison group is meeting regularly and I have been able to attend two of the meetings. Agreement has been reached concerning an ecological survey and who and how it will be completed by. Clearly we are getting close to design decisions being made.

29. One aspect which I believe will be contentious is Watercare’s desire to place two large reservoirs on the Exhibition Drive side of Woodlands Park Road. If the design is not sensitive there is the prospect of a prominent group of Kauri being affected. Along with any incursion into the Clark’s Bush Walk area this particular aspect possibly represents the most significant threat to the local environment.

China

30. Finally a few comments on my recent trip to China. I spent time in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. These are big cities, Hong Kong has 7.4 million people, Beijing has 22 million, and Shanghai has 24 million.

31. I had expected to go to cities that were hopelessly gridlocked with air pollution that was out of control, similar to the photo below which was taken in 2014.

32. But the cities' skies were remarkably clear.

33. It may be because I was in China at a good time. It could be that China's aggressive phasing out of coal fired power plants is having an effect.

34. But the rate of growth of its underground rail in its major cities in the past 30 years has been phenomenal. Shanghai has more than doubled its underground rail from 260 kilometers to 640 kilometers since 2008. Beijing has nearly tripled its underground rail going from 200 kilometers to 570 kilometers. By comparison the city rail link is 3.5 kilometers and it will take a similar time to complete.

35. The frequency is every three minutes. There literally is no waiting. And the price is phenomenal. For the equivalent of 60c I was able to travel half way across each city at a speed that the local taxi drivers could often not match.

36. And the cities, particularly Beijing really look after their walkers and cyclists with dedicated cycle lanes being very prominent and hire bikes being easy to locate and use.

37. And the effect on congestion? Shanghai for instance is geographically six times the size of Auckland but has nearly 20 times the population. And the congestion is no worse than Auckland's.

38. It is clear to me that we are not going to be able to road build our way out of our current congestion problem. Fast reliable public transport is the only way to address congestion. Light rail on the North Western motorway, on the Isthmus and to the airport should be a priority. And if we want to do something about climate change then it needs to be electricity powered.

Greg Presland

Chair Waitakere Ranges Local Board

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) receive the Chairperson’s report.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors	Tua Viliamu - Democracy Advisor
Authorisers	Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

[1] Berryman, K. et al. (2005) Review of Tsunami Hazard and Risk in New Zealand. Dunedin, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited.

[2] GNS Science, Tsunami in New Zealand data accessed on 26th June 2017 from https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Our-Science/Natural-Hazards/Tsunami/Tsunami-in-New-Zealand

[3] ACDEM (2016), Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Plan 2016-2021

[5] [5] MCDEM (2014), Tsunami Warning Sirens Technical Standard [TS 03/14]

Board Member	Organisation / Position
Sandra Coney	· Waitemata District Health Board – Elected Member · Women’s Health Action Trust – Patron · New Zealand Society of Genealogists – Member · New Zealand Military Defence Society – Member · Cartwright Collective – Member · Titirangi RSA – Member · Portage Trust – Member · West Auckland Trust Services - Director
Neil Henderson	· Portage Trust – Elected Member · West Auckland Trust Services (WATS) Board – Trustee/Director · Whau River Catchment Trust - Employee
Greg Presland	· Lopdell House Development Trust – Trustee · Whau Coastal Walkway Environmental Trust – Trustee · Combined Youth Services Trust – Trustee · Glen Eden Bid - Member
Steve Tollestrup	· Waitakere Licensing Trust – Elected Member · Waitakere Task force on Family Violence – Appointee
Saffron Toms	NIL
Denise Yates	· Friends of Arataki Incorporated – Committee member · EcoMatters Environment Trust – Trustee

Board Member	Organisation / Position
Sandra Coney	· Friends of Arataki Incorporated – Trustee
Neil Henderson	· Friends of Arataki Incorporated – Trustee · Rural Advisory Panel - Member
Steve Tollestrup	· Glen Eden Business Improvement District
Greg Presland	· Glen Eden Business Improvement District (alternate)
Saffron Toms	· Ark in the Park

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Workshop Record 24 August 2017	401
b ⇩	Workshop Record 07 September 2017	403
c ⇩	Workshop Record 14 September 2017	405

Governance role	Examples
Setting direction/priorities/budget	Capex projects, work programmes, annual plan
Local initiatives/specific decisions	Grants, road names, alcohol bans
Input into regional decision-making	Comments on regional bylaws, policies, plans
Oversight and monitoring	Local board agreement, quarterly performance reports, review projects
Accountability to the public	Annual report
Engagement	Community hui, submissions processes
Keeping informed	Briefings, cluster workshops

Chairperson	Greg Presland
Deputy Chairperson	Saffron Toms
Members	Sandra Coney, QSO
	Neil Henderson
	Steve Tollestrup
	Denise Yates, JP