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Resolution
number WH/2021/45
MOVED by Chairperson K Thomas, seconded by Member S Zhu:
That
the Whau Local Board:
a) receive consultation
feedback on the proposed
Whau Local Board priorities and activities for 2021/2022 and key advocacy
initiatives for 2021-2031.
b) receive consultation feedback on regional
topics in the 10-year Budget 2021-2031 from people and organisations based in
the Whau Local Board area.
c) approve its advocacy initiatives for inclusion
(as an appendix) to its 2021/2022 Local Board Agreement as follows:
i)
provide site identification and
delivery of the Whau aquatic and recreation facility.
ii)
increase regional resourcing to
support the Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy, other ways to increase urban
tree cover and advocating to central government to strengthen tree protection
rules.
iii)
support the Unlock Avondale Programme
and deliver the Avondale multipurpose community facility.
iv)
develop a new multi-storey
park-and-ride facility in New Lynn to realise the recommendations of the New
Lynn Urban Plan, and noting the previously identified and increasingly urgent
issues with parking capacity around the New Lynn town centre –
Auckland’s only transport-oriented development.
v)
advocate for additional resourcing to
implement the remaining parts of Te Whau Pathway, noting that the majority of
funding from the government’s “shovel ready” initiative
will be allocated to sections in the Henderson-Massey Local Board area.
d) note that in the context
of a five per cent rates increase the Local Board Transport Capital Fund
(LBTCF) is proposed to be reinstated and support this proposal, but note that
this reinstatement will not necessarily enable the local board to implement
any new projects this triennium as it does not account for the money from the
previous triennium’s LBTCF that the board lost due to the
“emergency budget” in 2020 despite assurances from Auckland
Transport that it could be carried forward.
e) provide the following input on regional topics in the proposed 10-year Budget
2021- 031 to the Governing Body:
i)
note that
submitters from the Whau Local Board area indicated some of the highest
levels of support throughout the region for the proposed investment package
including the 5 per cent one-off increase in general rates for the 2022
Financial Year (question 1)
ii)
support the
proposed investment package
iii) note that submitters from the Whau Local Board
area were generally supportive of the climate change proposal (question 2)
iv) reiterate its support as previously expressed
on the need for significant investment on climate change to ensure that
Auckland Council can implement the findings of
Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan and the
recommendations of the Climate Change Commissions recent draft advice to
government and ensure that temperature increases are kept below 1.5 °C
v)
reiterate its
support as previously expressed for the water quality proposal (question 3),
noting that submitters from the Whau Local Board area were generally
supportive of this proposal (at least in part)
vi) express serious concerns about the community
investment proposal (question 4), reiterating its previously resolved
feedback (resolution WH/2020/150 of 2 December 2020) that:
A)
the local board’s view [is] that
cutting operational expenditure, including local community services and the
maintenance, operations and renewals of our community assets, will have the
most significant and most visible impact on those who are the most
vulnerable.
B)
the Whau Local Board area has
relatively few community assets and relatively high levels of deprivation,
and it would be devastating for our communities if assets were lost, or
services reduced or fundamentally changed, particularly in the context of
COVID-19 and its economic and social impacts.
C)
the local board sees the retention of
a permanent, fixed physical presence for our community services (including
local board offices) as critical to maintain a high level of service and
retain the trust and confidence of the community
D)
Auckland has an aging population and
the local board supports reducing barriers to participation for our older
residents and for those with disabilities, and is concerned that possible
changes associated with this proposal, which might include replacing
asset-based services with “pop-up” or online/technology-based
initiatives will have the opposite effect.
vii) acknowledge that a majority of submitters from
the Whau indicated support for the community investment proposal, but noting
that this proposal attracted the highest level of opposition of any proposal
other than the investment package (question 1), that there appeared to be a
certain degree of misunderstanding of the policy amongst a significant
minority of those who indicated for support for it, and that submitters from
the Whau indicated amongst the lowest levels of support for this proposal
across the region
viii) note that the Whau Local Board area –
while not geographically isolated – straddles two legacy council areas
and has relatively few assets for its size and population and no assets that
could be considered surplus to requirements, with significant community
infrastructure tending to fall within neighbouring local board areas
ix) reiterate its view as previously stated in
resolution WH/2020/150 of 2 December 2020 and prior to that during
consideration of the Emergency Budget that asset sales are its least
preferred financial lever
x)
note that
deprivation is particularly relevant, as the most deprived members of the
community are those least likely to be able to access the sorts of services
provided by our community assets privately
xi) note that there is currently only one aquatic
facility for the whole of West Auckland and note that Whau has long been
identified as the appropriate site for a new facility – now pushed out
to the outer years of the Long-term Plan
xii) reiterate its support as previously expressed
for the proposal around the extension of the Natural Environment Targeted
Rate (question 5, part 1), noting that submitters from the Whau Local Board
area were generally supportive of this proposal (at least in part)
xiii) note that significant feedback was received
was received from residents of the Whau Local Board area in support of
enhanced tree protection and, further to the local board’s advocacy
point noted as c) ii) above, request that:
A)
the Governing Body include $2.54
million in Year One of the Long-term Plan to progress a Plan Change to review
Schedule 10 of the Auckland Unitary Plan to increase tree protection across
Auckland, support the Ngahere Strategy and tree cover across the region.
xiv) support increased investment in Māori outcomes and note that Auckland
Council
will not be able to deliver on its stated commitments to Māori
without
significant investment.
CARRIED
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