Agenda of Albert-Eden Local Board

At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.

Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.

4 Confirmation of Minutes

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) confirm the minutes of its ordinary meeting, held on Tuesday, 17 November 2020, as true and correct.

5 Leave of Absence

At the close of the agenda no requests for leave of absence had been received.

6 Acknowledgements

6.1 Acknowledgement - 50th Anniversary of Citizens Advice Bureau Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. For the local board to note a formal acknowledgement on the meeting agenda.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The members of the Albert-Eden Local Board wish to congratulate and thank Citizens Advice Bureau Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa for their support and empowerment of people and communities as they celebrate 50 years in New Zealand.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) Acknowledge, congratulate and thank Citizens Advice Bureau Ngā Pou Whakawhirinaki o Aotearoa for their support and empowerment of people and communities as they celebrate 50 years in New Zealand.

6.2 Acknowledgement - Mt Albert Bridge Club 50th Anniversary

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. For the local board to note a formal acknowledgement on the meeting agenda.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The members of the Albert-Eden Local Board wish to acknowledge and congratulate the Mt Albert Bridge Club on its 50th year, noting its club rooms have been at the Mt Albert War Memorial Reserve since 2000 and were previously located at Fowlds Park.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) acknowledge and congratulate the Mt Albert Bridge Club on its 50th year and note its club rooms have been at the Mt Albert War Memorial Reserve since 2000 and were previously located at Fowlds Park.

7 Petitions

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

8 Deputations

Standing Order 7.7 provides for deputations. Those applying for deputations are required to give seven working days notice of subject matter and applications are approved by the Chairperson of the Albert-Eden Local Board. This means that details relating to deputations can be included in the published agenda. Total speaking time per deputation is ten minutes or as resolved by the meeting.

At the close of the agenda no requests for deputations had been received.

9 Public Forum

A period of time (approximately 30 minutes) is set aside for members of the public to address the meeting on matters within its delegated authority. A maximum of 3 minutes per item is allowed, following which there may be questions from members.

At the close of the agenda no requests for public forum had been received.

10 Extraordinary Business

Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“An item that is not on the agenda for a meeting may be dealt with at that meeting if-

(a) The local authority by resolution so decides; and

(b) The presiding member explains at the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public,-

(i) The reason why the item is not on the agenda; and

(ii) The reason why the discussion of the item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.”

Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting,-

(a) That item may be discussed at that meeting if-

(i) That item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and

(ii) the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but

(b) no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.”

Albert-Eden Local Board

01 December 2020

10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation

File No.: CP2020/18126

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve local consultation content as part of the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 process, along with a local engagement event.

2. To provide input on regional consultation content for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

3. For each financial year, Auckland Council must have a local board agreement that is agreed between the Governing Body and the local board, for each local board area. Local board agreements set out local board priorities and the local activities to be provided, and together the 21 local board agreements form a section of either the Long-term Plan (referred to as the 10-year Budget) or Annual Budget for that year.

4. Auckland Council will be consulting on both local and regional content as part of the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation. This is planned to take place from 15 February – 15 March 2021.

5. This report seeks approval from the local board for local consultation content. It also seeks approval of a Have Your Say event to be held in the local board area to give Aucklanders an opportunity to provide face-to-face feedback during the consultation period.

6. This report also seeks the views of the local board on priority regional topics to be included in the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation. Potential topics include climate change, infrastructure needed for housing and growth, community investment and funding.

7. The Governing Body and local boards will approve regional and local items respectively for consultation by 9 December 2020. The regional and local consultation items will then be incorporated into the 10-year Budget consultation document and supporting information, which is planned to be adopted by the Governing Body on 10 February 2021.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) approve local consultation document content (Attachment A) and local supporting information content (Attachment B) for inclusion in the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation material.

b) delegate authority to the local board chair to approve any changes required to finalise the local consultation document and supporting information content for the Albert-Eden Local Board for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031.

c) approve the following Have Your Say event in the local board area during the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation period:

i) round table format event, Tuesday 9 March 2021, 6:00pm – 7:30pm, Albert-Eden Local Board office, 135 Dominion Road, Mt Eden.

d) delegate authority to the local board chair to approve any changes required to the Have Your Say event.

e) delegate to the following elected members and staff the power and responsibility to hear from the public through “spoken (or New Zealand sign language) interaction” in relation to the local board agreement at the council’s public engagement events during the consultation period for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031:

i) local board members and chairperson

ii) General Manager Local Board Services, Local Area Manager, Local Board Senior Advisor, Local Board Advisor, Local Board Engagement Advisor

iii) any additional staff approved by the General Manager Local Board Services or the Group Chief Financial Officer.

f) provide feedback on the Mayoral proposal (Attachment C) and potential regional consultation topics for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031.

Horopaki

Context

8. For each financial year, Auckland Council must have a local board agreement that is agreed between the Governing Body and the local board for each local board area.

9. Local board agreements set out (among other things) how the council will, in the year to which the agreement relates, reflect the priorities and preferences in the local board’s plan in respect of the local activities to be provided in the local board area.

10. Content relating to each local board agreement must be included in the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation document.

11. Public consultation on the budget is planned to take place from 15 February – 15 March 2021.

12. Aucklanders will be able to provide feedback during the consultation process through a variety of channels which include face-to-face (for spoken and New Zealand sign language interaction), written and social media. A contingency plan will be developed for the event of a change to COVID-19 alert levels.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

13. Local boards held workshops during October and November 2020 to determine their proposed priorities for their 2021/2022 local board agreement. Each local board is now requested to approve its local consultation document and supporting information content for consultation, as attached as Attachment A and B.

14. Should changes be required to the local consultation content during the document production, they will be provided to the local board chair for approval.

15. Any new local Business Improvement District (BID) targeted rates must also be consulted on before they can be implemented. Local boards are therefore also requested to approve any new proposals for consultation.

16. Aucklanders who wish to have their views on the proposed content of the local board agreement 2021/2022 and 10-year Budget 2021-2031 considered by Auckland Council should be provided a reasonable opportunity to present those views in a manner and format that is appropriate to the preferences and needs of those persons.

17. The special consultative procedure requires the council to provide an opportunity for Aucklanders to present their views to the council in a manner that enables “spoken (or New Zealand sign language) interaction” between the person and the council’s decision-makers, or their official delegates. The recommended Have Your Say events, along with the recommended delegation, provide for this spoken interaction.

18. The Have Your Say event recommended to be held in the Albert-Eden Local Board area is:

i) round table format event, Tuesday 9 March 2021, 6:00pm – 7:30pm, Albert-Eden Local Board office, 135 Dominion Road, Mt Eden.

There will also be online information available and the opportunity to submit written or digital feedback. Note that the proposed date for the Have Your Say event will be checked with Ward Councillor/s to ensure they are able to attend.

19. The consultation period does not begin for a couple of months. If circumstances change between now and the consultation period requiring any changes to the approved Have Your Say event these will be provided to the local board chair for approval. A contingency plan will be developed for any changes to COVID-19 alert levels.

Regional priorities for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031

20. The Finance and Performance Committee is considering potential regional topics for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation, including:

· Climate change: the actions that Auckland Council will take to respond to climate change and how to pay for them

· Housing and growth infrastructure: where to upgrade or extend infrastructure to support new housing development across Auckland

· Community investment: how to manage our aging community facilities and invest in new services or facilities

· Funding: considering the impacts of COVID-19 on the council’s budget, the right levels of capital and operating spending and how to finance this.

21. The Mayoral proposal, which outlines the Mayor’s priorities for consultation will be included as Attachment C when it is released.

22. The local board is asked to provide feedback on the Mayoral proposal and potential regional topics for the 10-year Budget consultation. The feedback from the local boards will be collated and provided to the Governing Body to consider, when approving regional items for consultation on 9 December 2020.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

23. The decision to consult is procedural in nature and the small scale of the Have Your Say events mean any climate change impacts will be negligible. These decisions are unlikely to result in any identifiable changes to greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of climate change will not impact the decisions.

24. However, where practicable, events proposed will be in locations accessible by public transport, to reduce car travel but also increase the opportunities for attendance.

25. Some of the proposed initiatives or projects included in the consultation content may have climate change impacts. The climate change impacts of any initiatives or projects Auckland Council chooses to progress with as a result of this consultation, will be assessed as part of the relevant reporting requirements.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

26. The 10-year Budget 2021-2031 is an Auckland Council group document and will include budgets at a consolidated group level.

27. Consultation items and updates to budgets to reflect decisions and new information may include items from across the group. This will be reflected in the report on regional consultation items going the Governing Body on 9 December 2020.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

28. Local board chairs have been involved in the development of the regional topics for consultation by attending Finance and Performance Committee workshops. Local board members were provided access to summarised versions of the presentations made at the Finance and Performance Committee workshops.

29. Local boards will have further opportunities to provide information and views as the council progresses through the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 process.

30. Aucklanders will have the opportunity to give feedback on regional and local proposals contained in the budget. All feedback received from submitters residing in the local board area will be analysed by staff and made available for consideration by the local board, prior to finalising its local board agreement.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

31. Many local board decisions are of importance to and impact on Māori. The local board agreement and the 10-year Budget are important tools that enable and can demonstrate the council’s responsiveness to Māori. The local board plan that was adopted in November 2020 forms the basis for local priorities.

32. The approach to Māori engagement for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 will be finalised once consultation topics are confirmed, including development of bespoke materials.

33. There is a need to continue to build local board relationships with iwi and the wider Māori community. Ongoing conversations will assist the local board and Māori to understand each other’s priorities and issues.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

34. Event associated costs include venue hire (where council premises cannot be utilised).

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

35. There is a statutory requirement for content relating to each local board agreement to be included in the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation document. The local board must approve its local consultation content by 4 December 2020 in order for it to be formatted and reviewed in time to be incorporated into the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 consultation document and supporting information.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

36. The Governing Body will adopt the consultation document and supporting information material and approve the and consultation approach for the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 in February 2021.

37. Following consultation, the Governing Body and the local board will make decisions on the 10-year budget and local board agreement respectively in June 2021.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Local consultation document content	15
b ⇩	Local supporting information content	17
c ⇩	Mayoral proposal for consultation (To be tabled)	19

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Beth Corlett - Advisor Plans and Programmes, Local Board Services

Authorisers

Helgard Wagener - Acting Policy and Planning Manager, Local Board Services

Louise Mason - GM Local Board Services

Nina Siers - Local Area Manager

Albert-Eden Local Board

01 December 2020

Review of decision-making policy

File No.: CP2020/17864

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek input into the review of decision-making policy, particularly the allocation of decision-making responsibility for non-regulatory activities and endorse the proposed approach to the long-term plan consultation draft.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Local boards and the Governing Body obtain their decision-making responsibilities from three sources: statute, delegation and allocation. The ‘Decision-making responsibilities of Auckland Council’s Governing Body and local boards’ policy provides an overview of these sources and the types of decisions involved.

3. For non-regulatory activities, the Governing Body is required by legislation to allocate decision-making responsibilities to either itself or local boards (these are known as allocations). It is also required to publish these in the long-term plan and annual plans of the council. The current allocations are contained in the decision-making policy in the current Annual Plan 2020/2021 (Attachment A).

4. The allocations have been reviewed a few times in the past decade and currently reflect a consideration by the Governing Body on what is a fair division of responsibilities and in line with legislative principles.

5. In recent workshops with local boards, many indicated that the current allocations are acceptable. However, some also noted that they have concerns about the application and interpretation of some elements.

6. The council is committed to keeping the allocations and delegations under active review. Staff are recommending that a review be undertaken by the Joint Governance Working Party (JGWP) before the adoption of the long-term plan. The JGWP currently monitors the progress of the Waiheke pilot and is well placed to make recommendations on how the findings of the pilot impact the existing responsibilities that are allocated and delegated to local boards. The JGWP is also well placed to examine and recommend improvements to other issues within the current decision-making framework that are raised by local boards.

7. This report seeks feedback on:

· the current allocations (decision-making for non-regulatory activities)

· existing delegations or aspects of regional decisions where a local board may want to request a delegation

· proposed approach to the long-term plan consultation – to use the current policy with minor amendments.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) give feedback on the allocations and delegations in the decision-making policy.

b) endorse the proposed approach to the long-term plan consultation.

Horopaki

Context

8. Both the Governing Body and local boards are responsible and democratically accountable for the decision-making of Auckland Council. Whether responsibility for a particular decision rests with the Governing Body or one or more local boards depends on the nature of the decision.

9. There are three main sources of decision-making responsibilities:

· statutory decision-making responsibilities

· delegation of decision-making responsibilities

· allocation of decision-making for non-regulatory activities.

Statutory decision-making responsibilities

10. Statutory decision-making responsibilities come from legislation and are outlined in the decision-making for context and clarity only. These are outside the scope of the review discussed in this report.

Delegation of decision-making responsibilities

11. Delegations are the transfer of responsibility, function or power from one decision-maker to another. The decision-maker who delegates the responsibility is responsible and accountable for the exercise of the delegated responsibility.

12. The decision-making policy records the delegations from the Governing Body to local boards. The Governing Body and local boards can also be delegated decision-making responsibilities from Auckland Transport but there are no delegations from AT in place at this time.

13. The existing delegations from the Governing Body to local boards include things such as:

· giving input into notification decisions for resource consent applications

· making, amending and revoking liquor licensing applications under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

· certain powers under the Reserves Act 1977 for local reserves including declaring, classifying, and reclassifying a reserve and proposing the revocation of reserve status in order to manage the land under the Local Government Act 2002.

Allocation of decision-making for non-regulatory activities

14. The Governing Body is required by legislation to allocate decision-making responsibility for the non-regulatory activities of Auckland Council to either itself or local boards. The allocation must be in accordance with principles contained in section 17(2) of the Act which provide as follows:

a) decision-making responsibility for a non-regulatory activity of the Auckland Council should be exercised by its local boards unless paragraph (b) applies:

b) decision-making responsibility for a non-regulatory activity of the Auckland Council should be exercised by its Governing Body if the nature of the activity is such that decision-making on an Auckland-wide basis will better promote the well-being of the communities across Auckland because:

i) the impact of the decision will extend beyond a single local board area, or

ii) effective decision-making will require alignment or integration with other decisions that are the responsibility of the Governing Body, or

iii) the benefits of a consistent or coordinated approach across Auckland will outweigh the benefits of reflecting the diverse needs and preferences of the communities within each local board area.

15. The presumption of local decision-making (unless there is a case for decision-making on a regional basis) means local boards are responsible and accountable for a large part of council’s non-regulatory activities. These activities include parks, community facilities, libraries, community development programmes and events.

Previous reviews

16. The current allocations have been reviewed and refined over the years. A comprehensive review in 2015 concluded that the allocations were working well and that there was a growing understanding and increasing sophistication of how to use them.

17. The review that was done as part of the Governance Framework Review (GFR) found that the current allocation recommended an area that local boards could be further empowered in. This led to the delegation of responsibility for service property optimisation decisions to local boards.

18. The delegation to local boards for service property optimisation decisions is currently reflected in the decision-making policy as a non-regulatory activity that is allocated and not delegated. A recent review by the legal team has concluded that this requires correction. This is discussed further below.

19. In March 2018, the Local Government Commission recommended that the council keeps the delegations and allocations of functions to local boards under active review and to consider whether to roll out the Waiheke pilot (or aspects of it) elsewhere before completion, if it is achieving the desired results. The council accepted this recommendation and undertook to conduct a review every three years. The opportunity to update the policy every year as part of the annual plan is still available.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Review 2021

20. Staff recommend that the JGWP undertakes a review of the decision-making policy in early 2021.

21. The JGWP meets bi-monthly to consider governance matters of mutual interest to the Governing Body and local boards. The JGWP is charged with monitoring the implementation of the Governance Framework Review recommendations and is receiving regular reports about the Waiheke pilot. The JGWP does not have delegated decision-making powers but reports its findings to local boards and the Governing Body for final decisions.

Draft decision-making policy for consultation

22. For purposes of the long-term plan public consultation, council is advised to include drafts of all long-term policies for context.

23. Staff propose that the current policy (Attachment A) be included in the consultation materials for context and to reserve any substantive amendments until the review is complete.

24. The consultation draft of the decision-making policy can include non-substantive edits including:

· updates to Schedule 1 (Regional Parks) to ensure accuracy e.g. inserting macrons, correcting an erroneous deposited plan number, including Motukorea/Browns Island in the list of regional parks

· updates to reflect any delegations that have been given and are yet to be recorded in the policy

· technical correction – there is one correction that has been identified (further below).

25. If already approved, the Governing Body may also wish to include the proposal to allocate Rodney drainage districts to the Governing Body. This responsibility is currently allocated to the Rodney Local Board. This matter is the subject of a separate report to the Governing Body.

Technical correction: Disposal delegation

26. In 2017, local boards were given a delegation from the Governing Body to make disposal decisions. This delegation was made as part of a series of agreements and actions that the Governing Body committed to following the Governance Framework Review (resolution number GB/2017/118). The delegation is limited to the use of the ‘optimisation of service assets’ policy.

27. The optimisation of service assets policy, which sets out the purpose and principles for optimisation of underperforming or underutilised local service property, was adopted by the Finance and Performance Committee in March 2015 (resolution number FIN/2015/16). A key element is that sale proceeds from underperforming service property are locally reinvested to advance approved projects or activities on a cost neutral basis. The delegation to local boards was designed to enable local boards to make the final decisions on local asset disposal and reinvestment, providing all policy criteria have been met.

28. In the current decision-making policy, this responsibility is shown in the allocations. Staff have considered that this is an error that needs correcting. This responsibility is derived from statutory responsibilities that rest with the Governing Body and, therefore, is not available for allocation but it can be delegated, which has indeed been done in Governing Body resolution number GB/2017/118.

29. Decisions to keep or dispose of council assets directly impact on the council’s ‘capacity to provide, or ensure the provision of, services and facilities (including local activities)’ as well as the ability to manage revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, investments and general financial dealings prudently. These are responsibilities of the Governing Body that provides useful context for the delegation to local boards.

30. Disposal decisions, if made under delegated authority, must be consistent with the long-term plan in the sense that they are expressly or implicitly authorised by that plan. This does not mean that every purchase or disposal decision must be specifically identified in the long-term plan. An example of this is agreeing to use the optimisation of service assets policy to finance or contribute towards a strategic outcome identified in the long-term plan.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

31. This report relates to a policy and does not have any immediate or long-term climate impacts.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

32. Council departments will be involved in the review of the policy and had been invited to give feedback on issues that may not be working well.

33. Feedback received to date from some departments reinforces the recommendation for guidance notes to aid interpretation of the allocations in the decision-making policy.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

34. It is not anticipated that matters arising from this report will have a significant local impact.

35. Local boards’ views and preferences are being sought through this report. Staff have gathered some views informally in workshop discussions.

36. The following list of issues have been compiled from the informal discussions with individual local boards. Local boards may wish to consider the following elements in their feedback relating to the review:

· integrate findings and progressions from the Governance Framework Review

· provide clarity on the decision-making policy through guidance notes and other supporting material

· agree a streamlined dispute process which can be used by local boards when there is a dispute over the allocation and/or its interpretation

· consider whether the allocations require further clarity on those responsibilities delegated by the Governing Body to council-controlled organisations, noting that the purpose of the policy is to ensure Aucklanders know who is responsible for what

· consider and provide resolution or guidance on issues for which there may be a conflict or disagreement between staff and elected member interpretation. These issues include but are not limited to:

o placemaking

o procurement

o filming on parks (linked to permitting)

o land newly acquired – responsibility over purpose and location

o street environment and town centre activity

o approach to regional vs. multi-board vs. local

o stormwater decisions

o naming of parks not allocated to the local board but that are located in a local board’s area

· consider whether decision-making responsibilities over some allocation elements can be shared instead of adopting a binary approach to them, e.g. local drainage reserves

· consider if more delegations can be given to local boards, including but not limited to:

o area plans

o other areas of Governing Body - the perception here is that the scale of responsibilities that sit with Governing Body is broad and not possible to ensure political oversight and monitoring over everything

· consider role of mana whenua and the Independent Māori Statutory Board – are there decision-making responsibilities that should be delegated to them?

· consider areas where local boards want to see more support and empowerment, including:

o optimisation of service property

o local economic development.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

37. There are no decisions being sought in this report that will have a specific impact on Māori.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

38. There are no financial implications directly arising from the information contained in this report.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

39. This report seeks feedback to inform the review of a policy that will not be adopted until June 2021. As such, there is very little risk associated with not providing feedback on time.

40. Local board views, if any, will be shared with the Governing Body in mid-December and then sent to the JGWP for their review in early 2021.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

41. Feedback from local boards will be presented to the Governing Body in mid-December 2020.

42. At its mid-December 2020 meeting, the Governing Body will be:

· deciding the approach to the long-term plan consultation; the draft decision-making policy agreed at this meeting will be reviewed in early 2021

· confirming the referral to the JGWP to undertake a review, consider and respond to issues to be raised by local boards.

43. Staff will be preparing guidance notes to aid the interpretation of the decision-making policy. The JGWP will oversee this task.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Decision-making responsibilities of the Governing Body and local boards	27

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Shirley Coutts - Principal Advisor - Governance Strategy

Authorisers

Louise Mason - GM Local Board Services

Nina Siers - Local Area Manager

Albert-Eden Local Board

01 December 2020

Auckland Council's Performance report: Albert-Eden Local Board for July to October 2020

File No.: CP2020/17915

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide the Albert-Eden Local Board with an integrated performance report for July to October 2020.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This report includes financial performance, progress against work programmes, key challenges the board should be aware of and any risks to delivery against the 2020/2021 work programme.

3. The key activity updates from this period are:

· Four Community Facilities: Build Maintain Renew and two Community Facilities: Community Leases activities have been completed.

· Community grants (533). Between July to October the local board allocated a total of $60,224.88 to quick response and local grants round one.

· Fowlds Park - develop fields 2 and 3 - install hybrid turf surfaces and lighting (2392). The softball diamond has been erected and is ready for use.

4. All operating departments with agreed work programmes have provided an update against their work programme delivery. Activities are reported with a status of green (on track), amber (some risk or issues, which are being managed) or grey (cancelled, deferred or merged). The following activity is reported with a status of red (behind delivery, significant risk):

· Te Kete Rukuruku tranche two (4).

5. The financial performance report compared to budget 2020/2021 is attached. There are some points for the local board to note:

· Overall operating results for the first four months of the year is seven per cent below the budget due to higher revenue and lower expenditure.

· Revenue is above budget by 39 per cent while expenditure is seven percent below budget overall.

· Asset based services expenditure was affected by COVID-19 restrictions. During August and September, restricted services were offered to the public.

· In Locally-driven Initiatives, expenditure is below budget by 25 per cent as projects are in progress. Capital expenditure delivery is below the budget by 9 per cent and mainly focussed on local asset renewals and sports development.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Albert-Eden Local Board:

a) receive the performance report for July to October 2020.

b) note the following community leases have been deferred to future financial years of the Community Facilities: Community Leases work programme:

i) 47A Kiwitea Street - Central United Football Club Incorporated (276)

ii) Murray Halberg Park at 117 Richardson Road, Mt Roskill - Marist Rugby League Football Club Incorporated (283)

iii) Pollard Park, 1A Waitomo Avenue, Lease to The Scout Association of NZ - Balmoral Scout Group (2137)

iv) Warren Freer Park - Mt Albert Ramblers Softball Club Incorporated (2139)

v) Fowlds Park, 1 Rocky Nook Avenue, Mt Albert - Rugby League Football Club Incorporated (2140).

Horopaki

Context

6. The Albert-Eden Local Board has an approved 2020/2021 work programme for the following operating departments:

· Arts, Community and Events

· Parks, Sport and Recreation

· Libraries and Information

· Community Facilities: Build Maintain Renew

· Community Leases

· Infrastructure and Environmental Services

· Plans and Places.

7. The graph below shows how the work programme activities meet Local Board Plan 2017 outcomes. Activities that are not part of the approved work programme but contribute towards the local board outcomes, such as advocacy by the local board and projects funded through the Transport Capital Fund, are not captured in this graph.

Graph 1: Work programme activities by outcome

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Local Board Work Programme Snapshot

8. The graph below identifies work programme activity by RAG status (red, amber, green and grey) which measures the performance of the activity. It shows the percentage of work programme activities that are on track (green), in progress but with issues that are being managed (amber), and activities that have significant issues (red) and activities that have been cancelled/deferred/merged (grey).

Graph 2: Work programme by RAG status

9. The graph below shows the stage of the activity (activity status) in each departments’ work programmes. The number of activity lines differ by department as approved in the local board work programmes.

Graph 3: Work programme by activity status and department

Key activity updates

Completed activities

10. The following activities have been completed:

· Albert-Eden - upgrade electrical & fire system (2395)

· Local Parks and Reserves - install signage (2448)

· SH16/20 funding top up for Anderson Park and Murray Halberg projects (2508)

· Coyle Park - renew flying fox and safety matting (2667)

· 869 New North Road back building- Expressions of Interest (281)

· 956 Great North Road, Western Springs- Auckland Horticultural Council Incorporated (2142).

Arts, Community and Events updates

11. Build Capacity: Western Springs community recycling centre network development (507). Staff are working alongside Waste Solutions Unit to reconnect with groups which were involved in the early engagement process to design the establishment and usage of the Community Recycling Centre in Western Springs. Staff will coordinate workshops to inform groups about the establishment of the centre, and the requirements to run a community recycling centre. The expression of interest process for the operation of the centre will start early in 2021.

12. Placemaking: Thriving town centre local placemaking (512). Mentoring is continuing for business associations in the five town centres, focusing on governance, current operational structure and developing their key areas of focus. Staff are working with Auckland Emergency Management to deliver resilience workshops for interested business areas. Greenwoods Corner Business Association was established as was a new committee at Sandringham Business Association. A new co-ordinator has been appointed until December 2020 to manage the conversations with businesses in Mount Albert and Point Chevalier town centres.

13. Youth: Youth voice and youth initiatives (514). The Albert-Eden Youth Board has undertaken a recruitment drive and now has 17 youth board members, double their numbers from this time last year. The Youth Board teams are working on delivering the following local engagements throughout the remainder of the financial year: visual showcase, youth awards, high school and community youth engagements.

14. Community grants (533). Between July to October the local board allocated a total of $60,224.88 to quick response and local grants round one.

Infrastructure and Environmental Services updates

15. Urban Ark Coordinator (1565). The Albert-Eden Local Board funding will complement the funding received from the Conservation and Coordination Facilitation grant programme, along with funding from the Waitematā Local Board and through the natural environment targeted rate. This will allow Urban Ark to have more tools and resources to engage the community at upcoming events. The group is planning to engage a second coordinator in the near future to help with the increasing number of groups and volunteers under the Urban Ark umbrella.

16. EcoNeighbourhoods (1582). There are currently 17 groups, down from 20 at the end of 2019/2020. Two groups, while remaining part of Eco-Neighbourhoods, no longer require funding but continue to be active. One group disestablished. Two new groups are going through the registration process and will be active in the next quarter. There has been an extensive promotional programme in Mount Eden, Epsom, and Greenlane.

Parks, Sport and Recreation updates

17. Parks Services Planning Programme (113). The following programme elements have been confirmed for delivery this financial year: Waterview BMX track review, ranger guided walk, review of existing accessibility mapping and the outdoor covered court assessment.

Community Facilities: Build Maintain Renew updates

18. Fowlds Park - develop fields 2 and 3 - install hybrid turf surfaces and lighting (2392). The softball diamond has been erected and is ready for use. Minor defects items for the softball fence are being addressed by the main contractor. Next steps are to handover the new asset to the operations team to manage and maintain.

19. Pt Chevalier Library - comprehensive renewal of exterior and interior (2946). Remaining weather tightness physical works of the building are being undertaken. Next steps are to review the final report submitted by the external consultant in regards to the future physical works for the building.

20. Windmill Park - renew and rebuild buildings (3558). Professional services for concept, developed and detailed design are underway to renew the smaller existing building (including six unisex toilet and storage requirements), provide covered area adjacent to building and landscaping to increase access and amenity. Next steps are to engage with existing leaseholders. Once the concept is complete, staff will present to a workshop for local board consideration.

Activities with significant issues and on hold

21. Te Kete Rukuruku (Māori naming of parks and places) tranche one (2224) was carried forward from 2019/2020 due to project delays. The project is now on hold. Concerns raised by mana whenua during the negotiations have impacted on timelines. Park names were received but are on hold pending resolution of the issues. Discussions are ongoing to work towards resolution. The delay in tranche one has impacted on Te Kete Rukuruku tranche two (4), which is subsequently also on hold and has a RAG status of red. No progress is expected until tranche one is finalised and delivery of tranche two this financial year is uncertain.

Changes to the local board work programme

Deferred activities

22. These activities are deferred from the 2020/2021 work programme to future financial years:

· 47A Kiwitea Street - Central United Football Club Inc (276)

· Murray Halberg Park at 117 Richardson Road, Mt Roskill - Marist Rugby League Football Club Incorporated (283)

· Pollard Park, 1A Waitomo Avenue, Lease to The Scout Association of NZ - Balmoral Scout Group (2137)

· Warren Freer Park - Mt Albert Ramblers Softball Club Incorporated (2139)

· Fowlds Park, 1 Rocky Nook Avenue, Mt Albert- Rugby League Football Club Incorporated (2140).

Activities merged with other activities for delivery

23. This activity has been merged with another activity for efficient delivery:

· CARRY FORWARD - Community-led streamside restoration – Te Auaunga (Oakley Creek) (2273) has been merged with Te Auaunga Restoration Programme (1584).

Activities with changes

24. The following work programme activity has been amended to reflect minor change, the implications of which are reported in the table below. The local board was informed of these minor changes and they were made by staff under delegation.

Table 2: Minor change to the local board work programmes

ID/Ref

Work Programme Name

Activity Name

Change

Reason for change

Budget Implications

3555

Community Facilities: Build Maintain Renew

Play spaces – renew – 2019/2020

As part of the matting renewal at Rocket Park, remove the liberty swing and replace it with a basket swing.

Utilise the matting renewal as an opportunity to install the basket swing.

A memo went to the local board on 18 September 2020 with options and implications and the local board supported progressing with this option.

New safety matting needs to be installed under the basket swing, which will require $18,000 funding. This will bring the total budget for the project to $115,000.

This funding is part of the playground renewal budget, not additional funding.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

25. Receiving performance monitoring reports will not result in any identifiable changes to greenhouse gas emissions.

26. Work programmes were approved in August 2020 and delivery is underway. Should significant changes to any projects be required, climate change impacts will be assessed as part of the relevant reporting requirements. Any changes to the timing of approved projects are unlikely to result in changes to emissions.

27. The local board invested in a number of sustainability projects in 2020/2021, which aim to build awareness around individual carbon emissions, and changing behaviour at a local level. These include:

· EcoNeighbourhoods (1582). An EcoNeighbourhood comprises groups of six or more neighbours from different households within the local board area, with the objective of adopting sustainable, low carbon practices and increasing resilience within their homes, lifestyles and neighbourhoods.

· Bike Hub Implementation (1579). This project will continue to develop and refine the operations of the Tumeke Cycle Space Bike Hub established at Gribblehirst Park in 2018/2019.

· Placemaking: Community-led placemaking in community gardens (515). A community organisation co-ordinates a network of community gardens, connects with eco-neighbourhoods, low carbon initiatives and ecological restoration projects, responds to new garden initiatives and provides seed funding to the network to share materials and expertise.

· Taonga tuku iho - Legacy - we preserve our past, ensure our future. (Environment) (1272). Libraries showcase sustainable workplace practices and run programmes to care for the environment for present and future generations.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

28. When developing the work programmes council group impacts and views are presented to the boards. As this is an information only report there are no further impacts identified.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

29. This report informs the Albert-Eden Local Board of the performance for July to October 2020.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

30. The local board’s work programme contains a number of projects which provide direct outcomes for Māori, such as:

· Local Māori Aspirations (520) - Staff met with operators of Māori Enterprise Whau Cafe on Maungawhau, the co-ordinator of The Asian Network Incorporated (TANI), and the Gardens 4 Health co-ordinator in August to plan how to showcase and celebrate Māori culture and heritage on Maungawhau.

· Te Auaunga / Oakley Creek – renewals (te reo signage and tohu brand symbol) (2413) – the local board is working with staff to ensure all signage includes approved te reo Māori and tohu brand symbol.

· Whakatipu i te reo Māori - we grow the Māori language. Celebrating te ao Māori and strengthening responsiveness to Māori (1266) - All three Albert-Eden Libraries celebrated Te wiki o te Reo Māori and Matariki promoting the language through collections, social media and events.

31. The local board, through its work programme responds and delivers upon council’s Māori Responsiveness Framework through the following actions:

· fostering and building strong relationships with mana whenua and mataawaka by ensuing their views are considered prior to making decisions on local projects.

· embedding mana whenua customary practices within the development of local projects (for example, blessings at sod-turnings).

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

32. This report is provided to enable the Albert-Eden Local Board to monitor the organisation’s progress and performance in delivering the 2020/2021 work programmes. There are no financial implications associated with this report.

Financial Performance

33. Revenue at $165,000 is $46,000 above the budget. This is mainly from venue hire, libraries and leases.

34. Expenditure of $6,823,000 is below the budget by $492,000 in total. In asset- based services, building and park maintenance services were impacted by COVID-19 shut down. In Locally Driven Initiatives, projects are at various stages of planning and delivery.

35. Capital spend is $589,000 and is below budget by $60,000. The expenditure is on renewals of park assets and play spaces, community facilities such as Pt Chevalier library, Mt Albert Memorial Hall floor renewal and Mt Eden Memorial Hall. In Sports development, the expenditure relates to the installation of hybrid turf surfaces and lighting in Fowlds Park.

36. The Albert-Eden Local Board Financial Performance report is in Attachment B.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

37. While the risk of non-delivery of the entire work programme is rare, the likelihood for risk relating to individual activities does vary. Capital projects for instance, are susceptible to more risk as on-time and on-budget delivery is dependent on weather conditions, approvals (e.g. building consents) and is susceptible to market conditions.

38. Information about any significant risks and how they are being managed and/or mitigated is addressed in the ‘Activities with significant issues’ section.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

39. The local board will receive the next performance update for November 2020 to February 2021.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments