Agenda of Whau Local Board - Wednesday, 27 April 2022

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. Specifically, members are asked to identify any new interests they have not previously disclosed, an interest that might be considered as a conflict of interest with a matter on the agenda.

The following are declared interests of the Whau Local Board:

Member

Organisation

Position

Kay Thomas

· New Lynn Citizens Advice Bureau

· Friends of Arataki

· Western Quilters

· Citizens Advice Bureau
Waitākere Board

Volunteer

Committee member

Member

Chair

Susan Zhu

· Chinese Oral History Foundation

· The Chinese Garden Steering Committee of Auckland

Committee member

Board member

Fasitua Amosa

· Equity NZ

· Massive Theatre Company

· Avondale Business Association

Vice President

Board member

A family member is the Chair

Catherine Farmer

· Avondale-Waterview Historical Society

· Blockhouse Bay Historical Society

· Portage Licensing Trust

· Blockhouse Bay Bowls

· Forest and Bird organisation

· Grey Power

Member

Trustee

Patron

Member

Te’eva Matafai

· Pacific Events and Entertainment Trust

· Miss Samoa NZ

· Malu Measina Samoan Dance Group

· Aspire Events

Co-Founder

Director

Director/Founder

Director

Warren Piper

· New Lynn RSA

· New Lynn Business Association

Associate member

Member

Jessica Rose

· Women in Urbanism-Aotearoa, Auckland Branch

· Forest & Bird

· Big Feels Club

· Frocks on Bikes

· Bike Auckland

· Department of Conservation

Committee member

Member

Patron

Former co-chair

Former committee member

Employee

Member appointments

Local board members are appointed to the following bodies. In these appointments the local board members represent Auckland Council.

External organisation	Leads	Alternate
Aircraft Noise Community Consultative Group	Warren Piper	Catherine Farmer
Avondale Business Association	Kay Thomas	Warren Piper
Blockhouse Bay Business Association	Warren Piper	Fasitua Amosa
New Lynn Business Association	Susan Zhu	Kay Thomas Warren Piper
Rosebank Business Association	Fasitua Amosa	Warren Piper
Whau Coastal Walkway Environmental Trust	Fasitua Amosa	Jessica Rose

4 Confirmation of Minutes

That the Whau Local Board:

a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Wednesday, 23 March 2022, including the confidential section, 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

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

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 Whau 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.

8.1 Deputation: Promotion of Mental Wellbeing Project

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. Swami Tadananda, president of Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre New Zealand Charitable Trust and a monk of the Ramakrishna Order, will be in attendance to speak to the Whau Local Board about “Promotion of Mental Wellbeing” project.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The pandemic is having a severe toll on the mental wellbeing of the communities, especially the young and vulnerable. Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre has identified “Promotion of Mental Wellbeing” as its core service for New Zealand. The aim is to network with the communities to find ways of collaborating and serving them. Communication has been set up already with a few local schools to pilot the project in Auckland to see how it can be best embedded in the local Māori culture and spirituality.

3. Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre is a spiritual organisation and a charitable trust with a strong focus on servicing people. It has branches in many countries worldwide. In New Zealand, the charitable trust’s Auckland head office is located in New Lynn.

4. During COVID-19 pandemic, Swami Tadananda led projects of teaching meditation to the youth in Fiji and at a Brisbane school in Australia. The aim was to empower the youth with a deeper knowledge of themselves and skill to better manage their minds and emotions through “mind management techniques” such as meditation.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) receive the presentation on Mental Wellbeing Project and thank Swami Tadananda for his attendance.

Attachments

a Mental Wellbeing Project for Students in Aotearoa..................................... 153

8.2 Deputation: Kai West's activities - Update

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. Roschelle Marshall (Head of Marketing, Communications and Fundraising at FairFoods), and Megan Baird (Systems Innovator at Healthy Families Waitākere) will be in attendance to update the Whau Local Board on Kai West’s activities and next steps.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Kai West is a collective made up of people working on building resilience within community-based initiatives that focus on access to food and the local food system.

3. The collective was formed in 2017 under the West Auckland Together Kaupapa. Since then, a steering group of organisations including West Auckland Enterprise Skills and Training (WEST), McLaren Park Henderson South (MPHS) Community Hub, Community Waitākere, Massey Matters, Healthy Families Waitākere, Fair Food, Garden to Table, EcoMatters and Auckland Council, have carried out collaborative actions and enabled local food initiatives to thrive.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) receive the update on Kai West’s activities and next steps, and thank Roschelle Marshall and Megan Baird for their attendance.

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.”

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Whau Ward Councillor Update	11

Whau Local Board

27 April 2022

Classification of Bellgrove East and Bellgrove West Reserves Avondale

File No.: CP2022/04386

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek approval from the Whau Local Board to classify Bellgrove Reserve East and Bellgrove Reserve West situated at 12A and 15A Bellgrove Place Avondale under Section 16(2A) of the Reserves Act 1977 as recreation reserves.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Bellgrove Reserve East and Bellgrove Reserve West are held in fee simple by Auckland Council as unclassified recreation reserves subject to the Reserves Act 1977 (the Act).

3. The reserves are physically separated by Bellgrove Place with Bellgrove Reserve West having a playground with swings and a slide and Belgrove Reserve East mostly in grass with two small trees.

4. Kāinga Ora (KO) is redeveloping its holdings within Bellgrove Place, Avondale. The redevelopment has presented opportunities for the council to improve the amenity and functionality of the two Bellgrove reserves

5. To facilitate implementation of its development KO sought an exchange of Bellgrove Reserve West and parts of Bellgrove Reserve East for land owned by KO. The exchange would enable the development of a pocket park by KO which would be vested in council.

6. The Whau Local Board under Resolution WH/2021/50 supported the proposed exchange at its business meeting on 26 May 2021.

7. Now as a prerequisite to legalising the exchange the Bellgrove reserves must be formally classified for recreation purposes.

8. It is a statutory requirement under the Reserves Act that Council classify all reserves vested in it. Where a reserve is awaiting classification (is unclassified) Council as administering body of the reserve is legally unable to grant rights over the land such as leases, licenses, easements or undertake an exchange until it is classified.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) resolve to classify the Bellgrove Reserves under section 16(2A) of the Reserves Act 1977 as follows:

i) Bellgrove Reserve East being Lot 5 DP 100239 contained in Record of Title NA54D/1144 as recreation reserve

ii) Bellgrove Reserve West being Lot 2 DP 100239 contained in Record of Title NA 54D/1143 as recreation reserve.

Horopaki

Context

9. The Bellgrove reserves are located at 12A and 15A Bellgrove Place, Avondale and are. described as:

a) Lot 5 DP 100239 (Bellgrove Reserve East) contained in fee simple Record of Title NA 51D/1144 comprising of 245m²

b) Lot 2 DP 100239 (Bellgrove Reserve West) contained in fee simple Record of Title NA 51D/1143 comprising of 385m².

10. The two reserves are physically separated by Bellgrove Place with a children’s playground with swings and a slide constructed on Bellgrove Reserve West, and Bellgrove Reserve East mostly in grass.

11. The reserves have never been classified and this must be completed pursuant to Section 16(2A) of the Act.

12. In 1984, the reserves were vested on deposit of DP 100239 in the former Auckland City Council as recreation reserves subject to the Act.

13. Graphical user interface, map

Description automatically generated with medium confidence Local boards hold delegated authority under section 16(2A) of the Act to approve classification of council owned reserves, subject to all statutory processes having been satisfied.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Bellgrove (the reserves)

14. As the reserves are held under the provisions of the Act the land must be classified to meet Council’s statutory obligations.

Kāinga Ora

15. The reserves sit within KO’s Bellgrove Master Plan area which will see the removal of old state rental housing with modern replacement housing. The redevelopment has presented opportunities for Auckland Council to improve the amenity and functionality of the Bellgrove reserves by exchanging the existing reserves for contiguous land owned by KO.

16. The Whau Local Board under Resolution WH/2021/50 supported the proposed exchange at its business meeting on 26 May 2021.

Reserves Act 1977

17. The Act came into force on 1 April 1978 and requires all reserves to be classified for their primary purposes.

18. The Bellgrove reserves have remained unclassified and require classification. Staff recommend that they are classified as Recreation Reserve being the purpose for which they were originally vested and reflects their current use.

19. While there is no provision under the Act requiring the council to publicly notify its intention to classify any reserve in terms of Section 16 (2A) of that Act, engagement with iwi is still necessary in terms of Section 4 of the Conservation Act 1987.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

20. This is an administrative report and the decision from the local board does not have any direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

21. The proposed classification has no identified impact on other parts of the council group. The views of Council-controlled organisations were not required for the preparation of advice in this report.

22. The Parks, Arts, Community Events Committee under resolution PAC/2021/16 clause b) approved the disposal of the Bellgrove reserves to facilitate a proposed exchange in July 2021.

23. The Finance and Performance Committee under resolution FIN/2021/76 approved the disposal of the Bellgrove reserves to facilitate a proposed exchange at its meeting on 8 July 2021.

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

Local impacts and local board views

24. The Whau Local Board holds the delegated authority under Section 16 (2A) of the Reserves Act 1977 to resolve to classify the Bellgrove Reserves.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

25. Auckland Council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its broader legal obligations to Māori. Consultation has been undertaken with 13 Iwi groups identified as having mana whenua interests in the Avondale area. No objections or submissions have been received from the groups.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

26. The cost of reserve classification under the Reserves Act 1977 will be borne by Community Facilities and is estimated at $200. This covers the cost of publication of a notice in the New Zealand Gazette and its registration at Land Information New Zealand.

27. The Finance and Performance Committee approved the exchange of the Bellgrove reserve at its meeting on 8 July 2021. (Resolution FIN/2021/76)

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

28. It is a statutory requirement under the Reserves Act that Council classify all reserves vested in it. Where a reserve is awaiting classification (is unclassified) Council as administering body of the reserve is legally unable to grant rights over the land such as leases, licenses, easements or undertake an exchange until it is classified

29. Should the Whau Local Board choose not to resolve to classify the Bellgrove Reserves, this decision would prevent Council staff from completing the land exchange.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

30. Subject to a local board resolution, council staff will publish a notice in the New Zealand Gazette, so a permanent public record of the classification is held.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Wendy Morrice - Specialist Technical Statutory Advisor, Community Facilities
Authoriser	Adam Milina - Local Area Manager

Whau Local Board

27 April 2022

Landowner approval for 28 Racecourse Parade, Avondale

File No.: CP2022/04924

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek Landowner Approval to construct a ground level car park at 28 Racecourse Parade, Avondale.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Eke Panuku Development Auckland (Eke Panuku) is seeking approval to construct a ground-level public car park at 28 Racecourse Parade, Avondale that will provide 30 additional car park spaces to support the new Avondale Library, Community Hub and town square development (the Hub), scheduled for construction in late 2023.

3. Community feedback from the 2021 public consultation on the designs for the Hub highlighted a need for more car parking to support access to the new services and facilities provided by the Hub.

4. Eke Panuku has a consented scheme to construct a car park at 28 Racecourse Parade, Avondale. Construction has not been initiated on the project due to a limited demand for parking in this location. Now that we have certainty of the future parking demand from the Hub, we are progressing an updated version of this car park.

5. The proposal is to construct a ground-level gated public car park with two mobility parks and 28 general parking spaces. Both the Hub and the car park will be managed by Community Facilities (Auckland Council).

6. This project is part of the wider Eke Panuku Unlock Avondale regeneration programme which includes significant public investment by the Council and Eke Panuku in the construction of the Hub to support a strong, vibrant, and growing population in the Avondale town centre.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) approve the application for Landowner Approval to construct a ground-level public car park at 28 Racecourse Parade, Avondale.

Horopaki

Context

7. In 2015, Auckland Council’s Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee approved the reclassification of the 1,834m² rectangular site at 28 Racecourse Parade. The reclassification approved the site to be held by the Crown through the Department of Conservation as a classified local purpose (car park) reserve under the Reserves Act 1977, and vested in the Auckland Council, in trust for that purpose:

Resolution Number PAR/2015/51:

That the Parks, Recreation and Sport Committee:

a) approve the reclassification of Lot 6 DP 16112 from a recreation reserve to a local purpose (car park) reserve.

b) request clarification regarding the legal processes for iwi consultation for this item.

c) request further information regarding the history of land title to be included in future reports on land classifications.

8. In May 2017, a resource consent was approved to provide public car parking for the Council-leased playing fields in the centre of the Avondale racecourse and for the central reserve to enable an active frontage for the adjoining proposed housing development at 24-26 Racecourse Parade, and to improve passive visual security for the adjacent reserve. The longer-term objective was to hold the site for potential conversion to a road in alignment with the Avondale Master Plan and Precinct Plans. It is noted that through the wider design work it has been confirmed that a road connection is not required in this location.

9. The construction of the public car park was not implemented due to limited demand and placed on hold until it was required.

10. Eke Panuku identified Avondale as a priority location area in 2017. Eke Panuku is tasked with enabling urban renewal through the significant opportunities for urban intensification in the town centre. The Whau Local Board endorsed the Eke Panuku High Level Project Plan – Unlock Avondale (Unlock Avondale) in October 2017.

11. One of the key projects within Unlock Avondale is the joint Eke Panuku and Council project to design and build the new Avondale Library, Community Hub and town square project in the town centre (the Hub). During 2021, public consultation was held to seek feedback on the designs of the Hub. The community feedback identified a need for additional public car parking to support the services and events that will be provided by the Hub, as well as supplement the proposed 16 short-term car parking spaces.

12. In June 2021, the Whau Local Board approved the concept plans for the Hub. Eke Panuku advised they had reviewed options to provide additional car parking with the preference being to utilise the classified car park reserve at 28 Racecourse Parade. This site provides ease of access to the new facility through Avondale Central Reserve and the timeline for construction is planned to align with the completion of the Hub development:

Resolution number WH/2021/50

That the Whau Local Board:

a) approve the finalised concept design of the new Avondale Library and Community Hub.

b) thank Rachel Molloy, Project Manager (Eke Panuku), and Shiva Dubey, Senior Project Manager (Customer and Community Services, Auckland Council) for their attendance to speak to the item.

13. Further investigation into the resource consent for 28 Racecourse Parade indicates that the consent is due to lapse on 26 May 2022 if it is not given effect, and the Landowner Approval status expired in 2020.

14. It is proposed that the operating hours of the public ground-level 30 car park will align with the Hub operating hours and for special events as required. Once completed the car park will be a Community Facilities Asset managed by Auckland Council’s Community Facilities. Below there is a map showing the site of 28 Racecourse Parade along with a proposed layout of the car park.

A map showing the design and outline of the car park at 28 Racecourse Parade, Avondale

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

15. Public consultation on the Avondale Library, Community Hub and Town Square Project concept plans was held from 21 April to 20 May 2021. The majority of the feedback received from the community indicated the proposed 16 car parks were insufficient to service the Hub. This ground-level car parking facility will support the Hub development and directly responds to the need in the community for car parking.

16. To provide car parking on the Hub site or as underground car parking would create a significant additional financial cost to the Hub and hinder the Hub’s design to allow events to interact with the outside spaces. This would impact the quality of the connection to the Avondale Central Reserve and removes the ability to convert the car parks to other uses should they no longer be required in the future. Providing car parks on nearby development sites would be very expensive and reduce the development potential of these sites.

17. The provision on the nearby car parking reserve at 28 Racecourse Parade, while not directly adjoining the facility, is significantly more efficient and has less impact on the wider town centre regeneration strategy for Avondale.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

18. The car park is designed to have planting that will contribute to the Council’s Urban Ngahere Strategy and stormwater improvements to deal with localised flood issues from higher intensity rainfall events.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

19. The project has an approved Resource Consent due to expire on 26 May 2022 and is currently in the process of receiving an approved Engineering Approval from Auckland Council. The design has already incorporated feedback from Parks, Sport and Recreation as well as Community Facilities (asset owners of the site once construction is completed).

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

Local impacts and local board views

20. The Whau Local Board approved the finalised concept plans for the Hub in June 2021 which included the results of the community consultation identifying the need for additional car parking. Engagement with the Whau Local Board on the proposed public car parking facility has occurred in the February 2022 workshop.

21. The recommendations in this report are within local boards’ allocated authority relating to landowner approvals on classified local purpose (car park) reserve under the Reserves Act 1977.

22. Engagement with the affected residents and owners of 24-26 Racecourse Parade is planned to occur prior to May 2022. The ground-level car parking facility at 28 Racecourse Parade, Avondale, will be constructed to provide a low visual prominence between the Set Apartments at 24-26 Racecourse Parade and the Reserve, bordering the Racecourse. Landscape planting will provide further visual mitigation to prevent the potential impact on residential visual amenity.

23. It is noted that this project is included within the Land Information Memorandum (LIM) for the Set Apartment owners (24-26 Racecourse Parade, Avondale). A LIM report is a summary of information Council holds on a property and contained with the LIM for 24-26 Racecourse Parade is the approved May 2016 resource consent report (R/LUC/2016/537 Land Use Consent) which states:

The layout and design of the proposed scheme responds positively to the existing and proposed street interfaces, including the indicative roading network and car park towards Great North Road as indicated in the Master Plan. It is noted that a portion of this new network will be implemented through the proposed car parking facility located at 28 Racecourse Parade by Panuku Developments Auckland which is the subject of a separate consenting process.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

24. A mana whenua working group (including representatives from Te Ākitai and Te Kawerau ā Maki) was established for the Avondale Library, Community Hub and Town Square Project, with regular meetings from May 2019. A mana whenua vision for the project was developed including the underlying principle of hononga – connection, relationship and bond. Hononga underpins the project in its entirety, from how we work together, the services and design of the facility through to how the facility is operated when it opens.

25. The mana whenua working group will be consulted on the proposed ground-level car parking facility and how it is central to the operation and function of the Hub.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

26. Funding is available through the Eke Panuku Unlock Avondale Programme and a business case of $1.8 million has been approved for the project.

27. If the resource consent is not activated before its expiry on 26 May 2022, additional costs will be incurred to reapply for a resource consent. With the current availability of funds, this is the best time to get the work completed as there is a risk regarding the loss of budget in the future and the impact would be felt when the Hub is operational. Currently we have rising construction costs and a lack of contractors in the market. However, we are able to use an existing contractor who is available to start before the consent expiry.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Mridula Duffadar, Senior Project Manager (Eke Panuku)

Authorisers

Shane Hogg, Area Operations Manager (Community Facilities)

John Carter, Priority Location Director (Eke Panuku)

Adam Milina - Local Area Manager

Whau Local Board

27 April 2022

Whau Local Board 2021/2022 work programme budget reallocations

File No.: CP2022/04190

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve reallocation of funding within the Whau Local Board’s 2021/2022 work programme.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Whau Local Board approved its work programme 2021/2022 on 23 June 2021 (resolutions WH/2021/51, WH/2021/52 and WH/2021/53).

3. As projects progress through the delivery process the specific work required and the cost of delivery can change. As a result, variations are sought to the work programme to ensure the local board’s locally driven initiatives operational budget is optimised.

4. The following activities within the work programme are tracking towards an underspend for the 2021/2022 financial year and have budget available for reallocation:

a) ID 579: Event partnership fund - $13,250

b) ID 578: Senior citizens function - $6,500

c) ID 1649: Engagement - $4,000

d) ID 561: Build capacity: community leadership - $3,104

e) ID 1461: ANZAC services - $4,300

f) ID 577: Local civic events - $3,000

g) ID 630: Telling parks stories - $7,000

h) ID 3172: Legacy rates grant (ABS opex) - $2,292

i) ID N/A: Film Revenue - $1,113

5. Underspend budget must be allocated to projects that can be completed by the end of the 2021/2022 financial year.

6. It is recommended that the underspend budget from the above initiatives is reallocated to support the following activities:

a) ID 565: Māori Responsiveness: E Tu - $28,000

b) ID 566: Placemaking: Neighbourhood and town centre development - $3,104

c) ID 1235: Avondale and Rosebank local parks service assessment - $5,000

d) ID 580: Community Grants Whau - $8,455.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) approve the reallocation of $44,559 underspend budget towards the following activities:

i) ID 565: Māori Responsiveness: E Tu - $28,000

ii) ID 566: Placemaking: Neighbourhood and town centre development - $3,104

iii) ID 1235: Avondale and Rosebank local parks service assessment - $5,000

iv) ID 580: Community Grants Whau - $8,455.

Horopaki

Context

7. The Whau Local Board has an approved 2021/2022 work programme for the following operating departments:

· Customer and Community Services (resolution WH/2021/51)

· Infrastructure and Environmental Services (resolution WH/2021/52)

· Plans and places (resolution WH/2021/53).

8. The local board receives performance updates on the work programme throughout the year; the last report was presented at the February 2022 business meeting.

9. As projects progress through the delivery process the specific work required and the cost of delivery can change. As a result, variations are sought to the work programme to ensure the local board’s locally driven initiatives operational budget is optimized.

10. Underspent operational expenditure can be reallocated across departments, but must remain as operational expenditure (i.e. it cannot not be used as capital expenditure), and should reallocated on the basis that delivery can be achieved before the end of the financial year.

11. Any budget reallocated in the current financial year must be spent by 30 June 2020 otherwise it will be treated as savings.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Activities with underspends

12. Staff have identified nine activities within the operational work programme that will deliver an underspend for the 2021/2022 financial year. The total underspend amount to reallocate is $44,559.

13. The following table provides a breakdown of the underspend against each activity.

Table 1: Work programme underspend for reallocation by the local board

ID	Work Programme Name	Activity Name	Reason for underspend	Underspend amount
579	Customer and Community Services (CCS )	Events partnership fund Whau	The annual Sirens and Sounds event was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.	$10,000
579	Customer and Community Services (CCS )	Events partnership fund Whau	The annual Indian Kite festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.	$3,250
578	CCS	Senior citizens function	Event unable to be delivered due to COVID-19 restrictions.	$6,500
1649	CCS	Engagement	This activity has been challenging to deliver due to COVID-19 restrictions.	$4,000
561	CCS	Build capacity: community leadership	An administrative error has resulted in an underspend here and an overspend in line 566 Placemaking: Neighbourhood and town centre development. The re-allocated budget will be spent on completion of an initiative addressing homelessness in the Whau.	$3,104
1461	CCS	ANZAC services Whau	The Avondale RSA will proceed with its service but decided not to hold a parade due to safety concerns associated with COVID-19.	$4,300
577	CCS	Local civic events Whau	Fewer civic events than usual have been held, partly due to COVID-19 and its associated impacts.	$3,000
630	CCS	Telling parks stories	Activity was able to be delivered for less than the allocated budget.	$7,000
3172	CCS (ABS opex)	Legacy rates grant	As identified in Auckland Council Performance Report Quarter Two: Whau Local Board 2021/2022.	$2,292
N/A	N/A	Film Revenue	As identified in Auckland Council Performance Report Quarter Two: Whau Local Board 2021/2022.	$1,113
			TOTAL	$44,559

Activities to re-allocate budget

14. Staff have identified the following activities, which can be delivered by the end of the 2021/2022 financial year, to which budget can be re-allocated.

Table 2: Activities to reallocate

ID	Work Programme Name	Activity Name	Activity Description / how budget will be spent	Reallocation amount
565	CCS	Māori Responsiveness: E Tu	Allocate $20,000 to extend the Kaiwhakaawe – Māori broker programme from May 2022 for a further 12 months.	$20,000
565	CCS	Māori Responsiveness: E Tu	Allocate $8,000 to the proposed Te Ao Māori Community Wananga Programme to be based at Kelston Girls’ College.	$8,000
566	CCS	Placemaking: Neighbourhood and town centre development	An administrative error has resulted in an overspend here and an underspend in line 561 - Build capacity: community leadership. The re-allocated budget will be spent on completion of an initiative addressing homelessness in the Whau.	$3,104
1235	CCS	Avondale and Rosebank local parks service assessment	Allocate $5,000 to complete this activity, noting some unforeseen cost increases.	$5,000
580	CCS	Community grants Whau	Community groups receive funding through a contestable grants process. There are two upcoming local grants rounds in which this could be used.	$8,455
			TOTAL	$44,559

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

15. The proposed work programme re-allocation does not significantly impact on greenhouse gas emissions or contribute towards adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

16. When developing the work programmes council group impacts and views are presented to local boards. There are no further impacts to be considered with this re-allocation of funding.

17. Relevant departments within Auckland Council have been consulted regarding the re-allocations and no objections or concerns have been raised by delivery staff.

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

Local impacts and local board views

18. The reallocation of funding within the local board’s work programme supports strong delivery and optimisation of the local board’s available budget for 2021/2022.

19. The nature of the reallocation aligns with the local board’s work programme and the Whau Local Board Plan 2020.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

20. Where aspects of the proposed work programme are anticipated to have a significant impact on activities of importance to Māori then appropriate engagement will be undertaken.

21. The reallocation of funds to activities focused on Māori development – noting that the bulk of these proposed recommendations are proposed to be invested in the work programme activity E Tu Māori responsiveness and participation are anticipated to raise the profile of Te ao Māori and have a positive impact on Māori in the Whau local board area.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

22. Reallocation of funding is regarded as a prudent step for the local board to take in order to optimise its locally driven initiatives (LDI) opex budget for the 2021/2022 financial year.

23. The activities recommended to receive funding align with the Whau Local Board Plan 2020.

24. Should the local board choose not to support the reallocation of the funding from the initiatives identified above, the funding would be offered up as budget savings.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

25. There is a risk that despite the reallocation, some of the budget remains unspent at the end of the financial year. However, delivery staff from the believe it is feasible to deliver the activities within the timeframes required, and the risk of non-delivery is considered to be low.

26. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions may interrupt the ability delivery work programme activities. Delivery departments will endeavour to adapt work programme activities for delivery where feasible.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

27. The funding will be re-allocated according to the local board’s resolution, and the relevant department will progress with the delivery of the next steps.

28. The Whau Local Board 2021/2022 work programme will be updated to reflect the board’s formal decisions and any variations will be reflected from the quarter 3 performance report onwards.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Mary Binney - Senior Local Board Advisor
Authoriser	Adam Milina - Local Area Manager

Whau Local Board

27 April 2022

Transport Emissions Reduction Plan

File No.: CP2022/04146

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide a progress update on the development of the Transport Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) and seek the Whau Local Board’s formal feedback.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are developing a Transport Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) to deliver a 64 per cent reduction in transport emissions by 2030 and achieve wider wellbeing outcomes. Improving equitable access to sustainable transport modes is a key principle of the TERP.

3. The TERP gives effect to the commitments in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan to halve regional emissions by 2030 and transition to net zero emissions by 2050.

4. The TERP is being developed in the wider context of increasing government action on climate change. This includes the development of the government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP), which is expected to introduce policy changes and additional funding to better enable the delivery of sustainable transport modes.

5. A recommended TERP pathway will be presented to the Environment and Climate Change Committee for approval in July 2022. Implementation of the pathway will require significant additional funding, policy changes and the reshaping of the urban environment by the Auckland Council group and Government.

6. A bespoke TERP emissions model has been developed to identify the scale of the challenge. Preliminary modelling indicates that change is possible, but the level of transformation required is immense. Three key observations arise from the modelling work so far:

· although central government has outlined several actions in its ERP, these do not go far

enough, nor do they act fast enough to achieve a 64 per cent reduction in emissions. TERP must fill a large gap between the baseline and the target

· all levers across transport and a range of other sectors will need to be pulled as hard as

they can be within the timeframe available

· among the levers, mode shift is by far the most powerful to meet the 2030 target. However,

significant mode shift to all sustainable modes is required, especially active modes. A compact urban form and accelerated decarbonisation of the public and private vehicle fleet are also crucial.

7. Achieving a low carbon transport system will bring many other benefits for all Aucklanders, including cleaner air, safer streets, reduced transport costs and easier ways of getting around the city. The TERP will set out a pathway to deliver this vision.

8. Previous local board feedback shows overwhelming support for more investment in sustainable transport. There is also broad support for policies that suppress private vehicle travel, such as congestion pricing, subject to the adequate provision of sustainable options.

9. Local boards have a critical role to play in advocating for specific improvements that support their communities transitioning to low carbon travel, e.g., addressing safety hotspots, accelerating the delivery of walking, cycling and micromobility networks, and improving the coverage, frequency, and hours of operation for public transport.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) receive the progress update provided on the Transport Emissions Reduction Plan.

b) note the scale of the challenge to meet Auckland’s transport emissions reduction target and that mode shift is the most powerful lever for reducing transport emissions.

c) provide feedback on:

i) ways to dramatically reduce transport emissions in its local board area, or more broadly, while achieving broader wellbeing outcomes

ii) ways to increase uptake of walking, cycling and public transport for communities in its local board area

iii) barriers that might prevent the implementation of a sustainable, healthy, accessible, and equitable transport system for Auckland, and potential solutions

iv) ways to build public support for the initiatives that will be introduced as part of the Transport Emissions Reduction Plan.

Horopaki

Context

10. Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are developing a Transport Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) to deliver a 64 per cent reduction in transport emissions by 2030. As transport is Auckland’s largest source of emissions, modelling has shown that this steep reduction in transport emissions is necessary to fulfil Auckland’s commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and transition to net zero emissions by 2050.^{^[1]}

11. The TERP also seeks to achieve wider wellbeing outcomes for mana whenua, mataawaka and Auckland’s diverse communities.

Past decisions and information provided

12. The TERP’s approach and governance framework were endorsed by the Environment and Climate Change Committee in August 2021 (ECC/2021/32). In December 2021, the Committee noted the urgency of Auckland’s decarbonisation challenge and unanimously endorsed Auckland Council and Auckland Transport taking quick and decisive action to reduce the region’s transport emissions through several ‘early actions’ that can be advanced prior to the approval of the TERP (ECC/2021/45).

13. A memo on the TERP was provided to local board members in October 2021 (Attachment A), followed by two local board briefings which were held online in November and December 2021.

Broader policy context

14. The TERP is being developed in the wider context of increasing government action on climate change. Central government is due to finalise its Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) in May 2022. Its ERP discussion document in November 2021 set out targets in key areas, including a 20 per cent reduction in vehicle kilometres travelled.

15. Central government’s ERP discussion document also includes many highly ambitious policy interventions that will be required to achieve those targets, which are well-aligned with Auckland’s TERP.

16. In its present state, however, the ERP leaves too many of its actions until after 2030. Therefore, the TERP cannot rely on government’s ERP alone to meet Auckland’s targets. The TERP needs to pull hard on all the levers available and advocate for government to bring forward the actions and investment it outlines in its ERP.

17. The National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS – UD) is another key instrument due to take effect that, over time, has the potential to enable significant emissions reductions through more compact urban forms. Auckland Council’s response to the NPS will be crucial.

18. The systemic changes that will be delivered through the ERP, resource management reforms, and the NPS - UD will create an environment that is much more conducive to reducing transport emissions than is currently the case – the near future context will be very different from what it is today.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Understanding the scale of the challenge

19. As reported to the Environment and Climate Change Committee in December 2021, preliminary modelling shows that a large gap remains between the baseline and Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri’s modelled 64 per cent pathway, even accounting for initiatives within the government’s ERP. Modelling shows that there is likely only one pathway available for the TERP: it needs every lever available, and it needs to pull each of them as hard as it can.

20. The figure below illustrates the gap between the projected baseline (shown in red) and the target (shown in green).

Chart, pie chart

Description automatically generated

21. Modelling shows that significant reduction in vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) is the only plausible strategy to achieve a 64 per cent reduction in transport emissions by 2030. Reducing VKT will require rapid and transformational improvements to public transport, walking and cycling options for all Aucklanders. Land use changes that enhance accessibility by bringing destinations closer will also be required, to make walking, cycling and public transport systematically the most competitive modes for daily trips.

22. Staff are also engaging with the freight, rail, shipping, and aviation sectors to understand the opportunity for emissions reduction within these sectors, opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, and potential barriers that need to be resolved.

Taking a systems approach

23. Cities around the world are increasingly taking a systems approach to transforming energy-intensive transport systems into sustainable, healthy, and accessible ones. This approach recognises that “climate action could be more efficient and effective if focused on systems as a whole, so that – by design – systems require less energy and materials, and produce less emissions, while achieving wider wellbeing outcomes, such as improving our health and safety, and subsequently better lives” (OECD 2022^{^[2]}).

24. Taking a systems approach to tackling Auckland’s carbon-intensive transport system means firstly addressing its car-oriented status quo and the cycle of induced demand, urban sprawl, and the long-standing erosion of active and shared transport modes that further perpetuate car dependency.

25. Induced demand, urban sprawl and erosion of shared and active transport modes are the source of high emissions and a number of negative impacts on people’s wellbeing, such as air and noise pollution, congestion, road injuries and fatalities, reduced travel options and unequal access to opportunities.

26. Without addressing the challenges of the transport system as a whole, there is a tendency for incremental improvements to dominate, focusing on technological and pricing solutions without changing the underlying system.

Developing a package of interventions

27. The TERP takes a systems approach in developing a high-level programme of interventions, which work synergistically to create a transport system that is sustainable-by-design and achieves broader wellbeing goals.

28. These interventions draw from best practice around the globe and fall under broader themes, examples of which are likely to include:

· accessible neighbourhoods in an accessible region

· using online options where appropriate e.g., working from home

· replacing private vehicles trips with active, public, and shared modes

· transitioning to zero emissions vehicles

· better options for moving goods.

29. Auckland Transport’s increased emphasis on addressing climate change and road harm means that there is a range of programmes underway that can be scaled up and funded as part of the implementation of the TERP pathway.

30. The scale of transformation required to drastically cut transport emissions will not be possible without fixing the existing inequities of the transport system. Improving equitable access to sustainable transport modes is therefore a key principle of the TERP. In most instances the types of interventions needed to bring about significant emissions reductions will also help improve transport equity. However, a small number of specific interventions (road pricing, for example) have the potential to make the transport system more unaffordable for some communities and additional mitigations will be required as part of the TERP programme.

Assessing the broader impacts of TERP

31. An impact assessment will be undertaken to assess the social, environmental, financial, and cultural impacts of the TERP. This assessment could:

· help inform decision-makers of the impacts on society as a whole

· support future decision-making about intervention design (e.g., to mitigate inequitable impacts, where to concentrate certain efforts)

· provide a sense of the type and scale of co-benefits (in addition to emissions reduction) and costs

· show the changes to costs and benefits over time (i.e., 2030 and beyond).

Identifying barriers and potential solutions

32. Work is underway to identify the legislative, regulatory, financial, and cultural impediments to achieving emissions reductions of the scale required by the TERP. The purpose in identifying these systemic barriers is not to set a cap on the ambition of the TERP but rather to document the reforms required at both central and local government level as part of the implementation of the TERP. Some of these barriers are features of the way in which institutions or funding mechanisms have been designed, others are more cultural in nature.

33. Many of the impediments are already well known and in many cases work is underway outside of the TERP process to address them. The barriers workstream of the TERP will bring this together and point to areas where further work is required over and above what is already underway across different agencies.

34. The output from this workstream will include:

· an assessment of the criticality of resolving specific barriers for the ability to achieve rapid and significant emissions reductions

· an assessment of the relative ease of resolving each barrier

· the role of Auckland Council and Auckland Transport in resolving each barrier – resolution of many of the barriers will fall within the remit of central government and local government’s role may be one of advocacy

· a high-level forward work programme, based on the above, to address the identified barriers.

35. Continued collaboration between Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, Waka Kotahi, and the Ministry of Transport on many of these issues will be crucial to the resolution of many of the barriers identified by this workstream.

Engagement

36. Staff have engaged with mana whenua, local boards, and a range of stakeholder groups in the development of the TERP. These groups include:

· Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum and iwi chairs

· local boards

· Auckland Council’s demographic advisory panels

· transport advocates, ranging from Bike Auckland to the Automobile Association

· business interests such as the Sustainable Business Council and Employers Manufacturers Association

· academics and experts in public health, Māori health, community psychology, injury prevention, disability access, sustainability transitions, climate finance

· frontline community groups such as South Seas Healthcare.

37. Feedback has generally been positive. There is widespread recognition on the need for systems change to achieve Auckland’s climate goals and address the problems caused by decades of transport and land use policies that have prioritised private vehicle travel over other sustainable modes.

38. Deep and sustained engagement with iwi Māori and Auckland’s diverse communities is necessary to reimagine a low carbon transport future for Auckland. Staff are exploring how the implementation of the TERP could be supported over a longer period through the use of deliberative democracy, living labs and wānanga to better enable citizen participation and identify community aspirations as well as barriers in transitioning to a sustainable, healthy, and accessible transport system.

Supporting the implementation of the TERP

Building public support

39. The TERP requires a thoughtful public communications approach to proactively socialise the scale of change required to achieve the region’s climate goals.

40. Auckland Transport and Auckland Council communications staff, with guidance from the Transport Emissions Reference Group, are developing an agreed set of principles to guide on-going and future communication campaigns and behavioural change programmes, as well as assess funding requirements for any dedicated additional campaigns/programmes to support the TERP.

Applying behavioural science to transport emissions reduction

41. Achieving a two thirds reduction in transport emissions by 2030 requires a range of responses, including the purposeful application of behavioural science. Information sharing or communication campaigns alone will not be sufficient.

42. Rather than assuming people’s preferences are fixed, social scientists point to “malleable preferences” and the opportunity to redesign infrastructure and services to bring about significant behavioural change and improved wellbeing.^{^[3]} A memo by Dr Jesse Allpress from Auckland’s RIMU provides an overview of the behavioural science behind reducing transport emissions (Attachment B).

Measuring Aucklanders’ access to opportunities via sustainable modes

43. Reducing VKT without impacting negatively on people’s wellbeing requires a focus on accessibility (people’s ability to reach desired services and activities) instead of mobility (people’s ability to travel faster and further).

44. Staff are developing a regionwide assessment framework to measure access to social and economic opportunities via walking, cycling and public transport. This framework will:

· measure access across the urban area to destinations (‘opportunities’) that enable the people of Tāmaki Makaurau to fulfil their daily needs consistently and reliably

· identify current barriers to access to opportunities for the people of Tāmaki Makaurau

· assess distribution of access across Tāmaki Makaurau and across demographic groups and understand how different factors (e.g., age, level of ability) could limit a person’s potential use of the transport network

· inform investment and planning for transport infrastructure and services, land-use planning, and the location of new facilities. This will involve integrating the framework into policy and investment decision-making processes over time.

Assessing willingness and ability to change travel behaviour

45. An initial project will investigate Aucklanders’ most frequent car trips with a focus on the real and perceived viability of non-driving alternatives. The research will survey over 4000 car drivers in Auckland on their ability and willingness to travel in alternative ways. These perceptions will be compared to ‘objective’ travel data from Google Maps.

46. The research will identify:

· where negative perception matches actual experience (to target service improvement)

· where negative perception does not match actual experience (to target other behavioural interventions)

· the suburbs and population groups where access to alternative modes of travel is poorest, so these inequities can be addressed via the TERP.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

47. Auckland has less than 100 months to transform its current transport and land use system to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target. Meeting this target will require a fundamental shift from traditional transport planning and investment processes. Incremental change, reliance on existing practices and focusing on standalone policy instruments will simply not be enough.

48. A transport emissions reduction plan needs an integrated mix of policies. Supply-side interventions that make public transport, walking and cycling more attractive will only lead to emissions reduction if they replace trips that were previously made in private cars. A stronger focus on demand-side approaches is also required, e.g., congestion pricing and changes to the supply and cost of parking.

49. While technological innovation and fleet improvements will play an important role in the transition to low carbon transport, particularly beyond 2030, these policies need to be combined with interventions that reduce the demand for travel in private vehicles and increase the use of sustainable transport modes.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

50. Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are jointly developing the TERP. This is reflected in the composition of the working groups and in all levels of the governance framework.

51. The Auckland Transport Board is represented in the Transport Emissions Reference Group, which provides staff with oversight and direction on the TERP.

52. The TERP’s recommended pathway will be recommended to both the Environment and Climate Change committee and the Auckland Transport Board for their endorsement in mid-2022.

53. Implementation of the TERP will require concerted action from multiple agencies. Auckland Transport will be particularly critical to the success of implementation given its key role in relation to many aspects of Auckland’s transport network.

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

Local impacts and local board views

54. The TERP is a strategic regional plan and will not include area-specific projects. However, implementation of a transport decarbonisation pathway will have significant impacts at the local level.

55. Local board feedback on the Climate Change Commission’s draft advice, the government’s Emissions Reduction Plan discussion document and Auckland Transport’s Regional Land Transport Plan shows overwhelming support for more investment in sustainable transport. There is also broad support for policies that suppress private vehicle travel, such as congestion pricing, subject to a range of caveats, such as the adequate provision of sustainable options.

56. Local boards have a critical role to play in advocating for specific improvements that support their communities to transition to low carbon travel, e.g., addressing safety hotspots, accelerating the delivery of walking, cycling and micromobility networks, and improving the coverage, frequency, and hours of operation for public transport.

57. Staff are seeking feedback from the local boards on the following topics:

· ways to dramatically reduce transport emissions in the local board area, or more broadly, while achieving broader wellbeing outcomes

· ways to increase uptake of walking, cycling and public transport for communities in the local board area

· barriers that might prevent the implementation of a sustainable, healthy, accessible, and equitable transport system for Auckland, and potential solutions

· ways to build public support for the initiatives that will be introduced as part of the Transport Emissions Reduction Plan.

58. Successful implementation of the TERP at a local level will require Council Controlled organisations (CCOs) to urgently review how they currently design, consult on, fund, and implement minor capital works, as recommended in the Independent Panel’s review of Auckland Council’s CCOs.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

59. Addressing climate change for the benefit of current and future generations aligns strongly with Māori values of environmental and inter-generational wellbeing.

60. Some of the low carbon transport interventions that Mana Whenua and Mataawaka have advocated for in previous submissions include more reliable and affordable public transport as well as safe walking and cycling facilities.

61. Partnership with iwi, hapū and Māori organisations in delivering climate action is a common theme in submissions received. Equity is also a strong focus for many submitters, highlighting the need for a transport system that increases access, choice, and affordability, particularly for lower income groups and those living outside of the urban core.

62. Reducing transport emissions to mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change has significant positive implications for Māori. These include cleaner air, fewer traffic-related deaths and serious injuries, lower transport costs, and more equitable access to opportunities for whānau. However, without additional support, some low carbon transport policies could adversely impact on disadvantaged communities.

63. The Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum and Independent Māori Statutory Board are represented on the Transport Emissions Reference Group, which provides staff with oversight and direction on the TERP.

64. Staff have presented to the Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum twice on the TERP and have also written directly to iwi chairs to seek early feedback.

65. A series of hui will be held between March 2022 and April 2022 to seek input from Mana Whenua and Mataawaka on the TERP, including solutions that will support Māori communities in Tāmaki Makaurau to transition to low carbon travel. The council expects to continue working with Mana Whenua and Mataawaka to co-design solutions as part of the implementation of the TERP.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

66. Development of the TERP is being funded from within existing Auckland Council and Auckland Transport budgets.

67. Delivery of the recommended pathway will require significant investment from both Auckland Council and central government over a period of many years. As part of the assessment of the wider impacts of the TERP, high level costings of the recommended pathway will be worked up. Detailed costings of specific interventions are beyond the scope of this plan, but this work will be undertaken over time as specific projects move closer to implementation.

68. Some of the early interventions identified in this report may require additional funding to that which is signalled in the Long-term Plan (LTP) and Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). Funding implications will be investigated and reported back to the committee as part of the pre-implementation decision making process.

69. In the ERP discussion document, the government indicated its intention to substantially increase funding for public transport and active modes. Auckland would expect to benefit from a good proportion of any additional government funding given its greater potential for mode shift than other parts of New Zealand. Any confirmation of additional government funding would likely come through the final ERP and the government’s budget, both due in May 2022.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

70. The table below provides the key risks associated with the TERP. The paper presented to the Environment and Climate Change Committee on 2 December 2021 includes the full risk register.

Risks	Mitigation update
There may not be sufficient evidence to credibly support the assumptions that will go into the model, especially if there is a delay to the technical work required, and some interventions will be difficult to model.	A consultancy has been engaged to provide advice on international best practice in terms of assessing the likely emissions reduction potential of interventions. This is being augmented by work undertaken internally to document the experiences of many international and domestic cities that have implemented the types of interventions that will be included in the recommended pathway.
Current central and local government funding, planning and regulatory frameworks are not reformed quickly enough to enable the transformation required to meet the transport emissions reduction goals in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri.	Work on identifying barriers to implementation and potential ways of unlocking them is an important aspect of the TERP. Responsibility for addressing many of them lies with other agencies and continued collaboration will be essential as the work proceeds. Government’s ERP discussion document proposes solutions for several key regulatory, fiscal, and legislative barriers.
Disruption from the scale of change required could disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities.	Equity has been one key focus area for the work to date. Many of the interventions proposed will help address current transport inequities, e.g., vastly improved public and active transport will help address lower levels of access and travel choice for certain parts of Auckland. Other interventions such as road pricing will require specific mitigation measures. The equity impacts of the recommended pathway will be assessed and presented to the committee.
Strong support for climate action does not always translate into support for specific action at the local level.	A public communications campaign is needed to identify the wider benefits of decarbonisation, the risks of inaction and the ways to ensure a Just Transition. Early work on this has started with the Reference Group. The implementation of specific actions within the chosen pathway will be subject to public consultation processes.
Auckland Council is not seen to model good emissions reducing behaviours within its own corporate activities	Auckland Council will be asking Aucklanders to make considerable adjustments to the way they travel around the city. It is important for the perceived credibility of the plan that council’s own practices are seen to role model best practice in reducing transport emissions. While the transition to a lower emissions fleet is a start, work should be undertaken immediately to consider what else could be done, particularly around site specific travel plans, encouragement for staff to use public transport, parking privileges.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

71. A recommended pathway will be presented to the Environment and Climate Change Committee for approval in July 2022. Feedback from local boards will be summarised and included in the committee report.

72. Implementation of the TERP will follow the committee’s decision in 2022. Local boards will have an opportunity to provide input on the interventions in the endorsed pathway as they are planned and implemented in the future.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Local board memo October 2021 - TERP	41
b ⇩	The behavioural science behind reducing Auckland’s transport emissions	45

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Szening Ooi - Principal Transport Advisor

Authorisers

Jacques Victor – General Manager Auckland Plan Strategy and Research

Louise Mason – General Manager Local Board Services

Adam Milina - Local Area Manager

Whau Local Board

27 April 2022

Auckland Transport - Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw 2022

File No.: CP2022/03994

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek local board’s input on Auckland Transport’s proposed Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw 2022.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Transport proposes to use bylaw-making powers granted to Auckland Transport under the Local Government Act 2002 and the Land Transport Act 1998 to replace five existing, legacy bylaws with a new ‘Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw’.

3. A single bylaw encompassing all activities in the road corridor will make it easier for members of the public to find information about regulations, and for Auckland Transport to regulate activities in a consistent and appropriate way.

4. As part of developing the proposed bylaw, a consolidation and refresh of regulations will be undertaken, and new provisions may be proposed where appropriate.

5. Public consultation occurred in January and February 2022, and the new bylaw is expected to be operational in June 2022.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) provide feedback on the draft Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw 2022 ahead of it being submitted to the Auckland Transport Board for final approval.

Horopaki

Context

6. There are five bylaws relating to activities in the road corridor that require an approval from Auckland Transport. These are:

· Trading and Events in Public Places Bylaw 2015

· Public Safety and Nuisance Bylaw 2013

· Rodney District Council General Bylaw 1998 Chapter Six Stock on Roads

· Franklin District Council Stock on Roads Bylaw

· Legacy Bylaw Provisions on Construction in the Road Corridor and Other Public Places 2015.

7. Auckland Transport has developed a draft bylaw to regulate activities within the road corridor that were previously covered under these bylaws, such as construction; trading, events, and filming; and livestock on roads.

8. The new bylaw should streamline processes and ensure activities across the road corridor are done so legally and safely and will be made under the bylaw-making powers granted to Auckland Transport under the Local Government Act 2002 and the Land Transport Act 1998.

9. The proposed bylaw is a consolidation and refresh of regulations in the above bylaws. New provisions may also be proposed where appropriate, for example to future proof for planned activities such as climate change adaptations.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

10. Of the five bylaws listed above, three have expired (Rodney and Franklin livestock bylaws, and Public Safety and Nuisance bylaw) and one will expire at the end of March 2022 (Trading and Events in Public Places Bylaw 2015). The legacy bylaw provisions on Construction in the Road Corridor and Other Public Places Bylaw - a combined legacy bylaw approved in 2015 which covers seven bylaws from pre-amalgamation councils – is due to expire in October 2022.

11. The existing bylaws do not cover everything they need to, because:

· they were written before some innovations, situations or issues emerged, or

· new operational issues have now been identified which need to be addressed to enable better management of the transport system.

12. The core components of the bylaw will be based on existing bylaw rules around activities in, on, under and above the road corridor to ensure that relevant activities are undertaken safely, without damaging Auckland Transport assets. The bylaw will also detail which approvals are required.

13. Key proposed changes to the bylaw are outlined in Attachment A and the full draft bylaw is included as Attachment B.

14. Where possible, Auckland Transport intends to future-proof bylaws to allow for strategic outcomes and activities, such as changes to who uses parts of the road corridor.

15. In addition, the ability to set fees and charges or reclaim costs associated with permits, licenses, leases, inspections, investigations or enforcement will be included where appropriate.

Public consultation

16. Auckland Transport undertook engagement with the public in January and February 2022, by distributing information to all database contacts including Business Improvement Districts and advisory boards. A letter was posted to rural livestock owners.

17. An electronic survey was advertised using social media and media releases.

18. Facilitated focus groups were conducted with industry leaders and representatives from the following groups:

· construction and traffic management

· events and filming

· trading (including micro-mobility, mobile vendors and performers)

· livestock.

19. Written submissions were invited, and seven people spoke to a hearings panel.

20. A more detailed review of public engagement and the emergent themes was supplied to local boards in mid-March and is included as Attachment C.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

21. Auckland Transport is strongly committed to providing alternatives to private vehicle travel, reducing the carbon footprint of its own operations and, to the extent feasible, that of the wider transport network by encouraging use of electric vehicles, use of non-car transport and public transport.

22. This bylaw contributes directly to these goals, including new provisions for managing electric vehicle parking and better regulating micro-mobility (i.e. electric scooters), both of which will directly lower emissions.

23. Further, the bylaw seeks to address some of the issues currently experienced managing traffic around filming, events and work in the road corridor. Better traffic management improves the efficiency all types of transport, reducing carbon emissions.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

24. Officers from Auckland Transport and Auckland Council worked together to develop the draft bylaw and investigated two options to make sure that Auckland Transport and Auckland Council bylaws remain compatible, and avoid regulatory gaps:

· option one was for both organisations to develop ‘mirror’ bylaws, which are identical, and then each entity just enforces the aspects under their respective legal remits

· option two was for each organisation to develop ‘zipper’ style bylaws, where each bylaw covers the aspects under control of the organisation, and the two bylaws together cover the full needs with no overlap.

25. The ‘Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw’ has utilised the ‘zipper’ approach as:

· the bylaw relates to approval processes for activities within the transport network (for example, construction of a vehicle crossing or running a mobile stall); and

· Auckland Transport’s mandate for bylaws is much narrower than Auckland Council’s. ‘Zipper’ bylaws allow fewer, clearer, and more succinct bylaws that are consistent across activities; and

· Auckland Transport can still delegate enforcement powers to Auckland Council, e.g., for permitting micro-mobility providers.

26. Provisions relating to trading, events and filming have been aligned with the Auckland Council Public Trading, Events and Filming Bylaw 2022, which takes effect from 26 February 2022 and regulates similar activities in public places other than the road corridor.

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

Local impacts and local board views

27. This report is to formalise local board feedback on the draft bylaw.

28. Local board members were invited to attend an online briefing for local boards on 18 February 2022. In addition, local board workshops with subject matter experts were organised for boards that requested one.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

29. Both Auckland Transport and Auckland Council are committed to meeting their responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and its broader legal obligations in being more responsible or effective to Māori. Auckland Transport’s Māori Responsiveness Plan outlines the commitment to 19 mana whenua tribes in delivering effective and well-designed transport policy and solutions for Auckland. Auckland Transport also recognise mataawaka and their representative bodies and our desire to foster a relationship with them. This plan is available on the Auckland Transport website - https://at.govt.nz/about-us/transport-plans-strategies/maori-responsiveness-plan/#about

30. The actions being considered are likely to have few specific impacts on Māori, because the bylaw consolidates a number of existing bylaws into one new bylaw. Further, the bylaw changes do not impact on land or water rather on behaviours so do not impact on Māori kaitiakitanga of these resources.

31. At the time this report was written, specific Māori engagement is being undertaken. Representatives of mana whenua tribes have been contacted and hui are currently underway. This feedback is not currently available but will be included in the information provided to the Auckland Transport Board.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

32. There are no financial implications for local boards providing feedback on the proposed bylaw.

33. For Auckland Transport, this bylaw will have limited financial impact. The bylaw consolidates existing bylaws into one bylaw and does not create significant new revenue streams, nor public expenditure.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

34. Three of the bylaws have expired and a fourth is due to expire in 2022. Without a replacement bylaw, Auckland Transport does not have the legal right to give approval for activities in the road corridor or enforce certain behaviours on the road network. For example, Auckland Council’s current regulation of public hire micro-mobility devices is regulated through the Auckland Transport Trading and Events in Public Places Bylaw 2015, which expires at the end of March 2022.

35. Although Auckland Transport will not be able to have this new bylaw in place before the end of March the aim is to mitigate risk by getting approval as quickly as possible.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

36. Based on feedback received from local boards, iwi and through the public consultation, Auckland Transport staff will make recommendations to the Auckland Transport Board on any proposed changes to the draft bylaw.

37. The Auckland Transport Board will decide in May 2022 whether to go ahead with the changes to the draft bylaw as proposed.

38. The ‘Activities in the Road Corridor’ bylaw is expected to become operative in June 2022.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Quick guide – Activities in the road corridor bylaw 2022	57
b ⇩	Draft bylaw – Activities in the road corridor	63
c ⇩	Consultation report – Activities in the road corridor	85

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Kat Ashmead - Senior Advisor Operations and Planning, Local Board Services

Andrew McGill, Head of Integrated Network Planning, Auckland Transport

Authorisers

Louise Mason – General Manager Local Board Services

Adam Milina - Local Area Manager

Whau Local Board

27 April 2022

Local board feedback on the draft 2021 Regional Parks Management Plan

File No.: CP2022/04059

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To enable local boards to provide formal written feedback to the draft Regional Parks Management Plan (draft plan) hearings panel.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Parks, Arts, Community and Events (PACE) Committee approved the draft plan for public consultation on 2 December 2021. Through the 12-week public consultation period from 10 December 2021 to 4 March 2022, 4684 submissions were received from individuals, organisations and mana whenua. A summary of the submissions received is in Attachment A and submitters identified by local board area are in Attachment D. Local boards can use Attachment D to find local board specific submissions on the review’s hearings page^{^[4]}.

3. The draft plan provides a policy framework to manage the use, protection and development of 28 regional parks. Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park, a portion of the Hūnua Ranges Regional Park called the Hūnua Falls Special Management Zone and the Botanic Gardens have been excluded from the draft plan.

4. The draft plan presents the vision, values, management framework, general policies, and specific information and management intentions for each park. It provides a management response to key areas of focus, including:

· increased involvement of mana whenua in accordance with te Tiriti partnership principle

· adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change on regional parks

· focus on biodiversity protection

· adding value to visitor experiences

· acknowledging that collaboration with others is increasingly important to achieve the aspirations of this draft plan.

5. In preparing the draft plan, staff considered the suggestions and input from mana whenua, local boards, community and organisations as required under the Reserves Act 1977 and Local Government Act 2002 and reviewed legislative requirements and current council policy.

6. Of the 4684 written submissions received within the submission period, more than 3830 submissions were generated from a campaign website (www.handsoff.nz) through which 3646 people sent an identical submission. Commentators on mainstream and social media claimed the draft plan hid an intention to transfer control of regional parks without proper consultation to either the Hauraki Gulf Forum or to iwi authorities. This raised concern for many people and prompted them to submit via the campaign website.

7. The proposal in the draft plan to investigate joining relevant parks to the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park does not lead to transfer of control to the Hauraki Gulf Forum, even under the legislative changes being proposed by the Forum. No transfer of control away from the council is proposed in the draft plan.

8. Some other groupings of identical submission points were submitted by motor campervan users, the Waitākere community and the Pakiri community.

9. Across all submissions a large variety of comments were received, between them commenting on all chapters of the draft plan, with varying levels of support and criticism.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Whau Local Board:

a) receive the public feedback on the draft 2021 Regional Parks Management Plan.

b) provide formal feedback on the draft 2021 Regional Park Management Plan to the hearings panel.

c) delegate authority to a Whau Local Board member to speak to the local board’s feedback on the draft 2021 Regional Park Management Plan on 9 May 2022.

Horopaki

Context

10. The PACE committee has decision-making responsibility over the regional parks as identified in Schedule 1 to the Allocation of Decision-Making Responsibility Table in the Long-term Plan.

11. Under the Reserves Act 1977 and Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008, the 2010 Regional Parks Management Plan was due for review.

12. In August 2020 the PACE committee notified an intention to prepare a new plan (PAC/2020/36). The Council sought suggestions from the community (in September and October 2020) as required under the Reserves Act. A summary of the suggestions was provided to elected members including local board members in December 2020.

13. Following the agreed principles for local board involvement in regional policies, all local boards were invited to input their suggestions for the review (January-March 2021). Local boards are invited now to review submissions on the draft plan and provide feedback to the hearings panel. Interested local boards held workshops earlier in April 2022 prior to this business meeting.

14. Engagement with 16 mana whenua and the Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum occurred throughout the preparation of the draft plan, to meet Reserves Act requirements to give effect to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to align to the Council’s commitments to improving Māori outcomes.

15. The draft plan is intended to serve as the reserve management plan for the regional parkland that is held under the Reserves Act 1977 (noting the exclusions outlined in paragraph 22).

16. Under s 41(3) of the Reserves Act 1977 (the Act), the plan must adequately incorporate and ensure the use and management of the reserve is aligned to the purposes for which it is classified and ensure compliance with the principles set out under the relevant classification in the Act.

17. It also fulfils the requirement for a management plan for the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park under s19 of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008. The Council must give effect to the Act and its objectives when preparing the plan for the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.

18. Regional parkland that is not held under the Act is held under the Local Government Act 2002, for which this is a discretionary plan.

19. The Regulatory Committee appointed hearings panel members at its meeting on 14 December 2021. The hearings panel members are: Councillor Linda Cooper (Chair), Councillor Christine Fletcher, Independent Māori Statutory Board Member Glenn Wilcox, independent David Hill, independent James Whetu.

20. Once finalised the draft plan will replace the 2010 plan. The timeline and process from here is provided later in this report. The intention is to finalise the plan for adoption in this political term.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

The draft Regional Parks Management Plan

The draft plan covers 28 regional parks with some exclusions

21. The draft plan provides a policy framework to manage the use, protection and development of 28 regional parks. The PACE Committee resolved to exclude the Auckland Botanic Gardens (Resolution number PAC/2020/36) and the Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park and Hūnua Falls area of the Hūnua Ranges Regional Park (Resolution number PAC/2021/69) from this omnibus plan for these reasons.

· the Botanic Gardens is a different type of regional park and will have its own management plan

· a management trust established to govern the Crown-owned portion of Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill is not currently active, and is subject to Treaty settlements, so it was not possible to develop a plan chapter at this point

· a significant part of the Hūnua Falls area is subject to completed and pending Treaty settlements which transfer land from the Crown to iwi but retain the council as the administering body. The Council must jointly prepare part of this land with its iwi owner, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. A larger part of Crown-owned land in the same vicinity is subject to similar Treaty settlement legislation with four future iwi owners (Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Paoa, Ngaati Whanaunga and Ngāi Koheriki) once all four settlements are completed. These areas and the arrival area to the falls have been excluded from the draft plan.

Consideration of suggestions

22. Local boards provided 245 suggestion points, which were considered in drafting the plan (see Attachments B and C).

23. From the first round of public consultation during September and October 2020, 789 submitters including 53 organisations and a petition from 3681 petitioners provided suggestions and comments to be considered in the Council’s review.

24. Full consideration was given to the thousands of individual suggestion points in preparing the draft plan. Particular interest came from submissions relating to track closures in the Waitākere Ranges, dogs, conflicts between vehicle users and others on Muriwai beach, requests for more recreational activities, and a petition seeking the end to the killing of farmed animals for animal rights reasons.

Outline

25. The draft plan structure is as follows.

· book one: context, vision, values, a management framework and general policies

· book two: a chapter for each of 28 regional parks, including park vision and description, mana whenua associations, recreational provision, challenges and opportunities, management intentions and key stakeholders

· maps to illustrate the parks

· appendices: most of the appendices provide supporting factual information. Appendix 4 presents track development principles and criteria for development of new tracks.

26. The full draft plan runs to 508 pages with 60 maps. Due to its size, it is not appended to this report. The draft plan may be downloaded in full or in part at https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/regional-parks-management-plan

Key points

27. Through this draft plan the regional parks will remain under Auckland Council control as the treasured taonga of Tāmaki Makaurau. Concerns were raised by commentators in mainstream and social media during the consultation period in January-February 2022 suggesting the draft plan proposed to transfer some regional parks to the Hauraki Gulf Forum. These concerns are misplaced. The proposal in the draft plan to investigate joining relevant parks to the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park does not lead to transfer of control to the Hauraki Gulf Forum, even under the legislative changes being proposed by the Forum. No transfer of control away from the council is proposed in the draft plan.

28. The plan safeguards the natural, undeveloped feel of the regional parks that people have consistently told us they value and enjoy. Aucklanders will retain free access to opportunities to explore and enjoy our unique and stunning coastline, forests and farmland.

29. However, the draft plan notes that the context of park management is changing. Mana whenua have expressed that they want to be involved in park management at all levels. The need to protect biodiversity is more important than ever in the face of climate change and population growth pressures. We need to reorient our activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on parks as in other aspects of Council’s business. At the same time Aucklanders want to enjoy these special places in ever greater numbers, and the council faces increasing pressures to do more with limited resources.

Proposals in the draft plan

30. The draft plan responds to the changing context by:

· seeking to follow the partnership principle under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, setting a course to work with mana whenua at management, project and operational levels

· mitigating and preparing for climate change by:

o keeping 35,000ha of forest healthy

o aiming to reduce visitor vehicle emissions

o revegetating 200ha of retired farmland

o referencing council’s shoreline adaptation plans and council’s biodiversity work to face increased drought, fire risk, and hotter temperatures

o providing more shade and shelter for visitors and animals

· seeking to protect the unique precious biodiversity in our regional parks by:

o following the direction set by our scientists on regional priorities

o implementing pest control programmes

o continuing to protect kauri from kauri dieback disease

o supporting the significant contributions made by conservation volunteers

· continuing to recognise and protect the cultural heritage on regional parks, which is of significant value to mana whenua and to Aucklanders

· responding to recreation requests by prioritising:

o track network planning in the Waitākere Ranges to identify next steps beyond the existing track reopening programme

o recreation planning to unlock the potential opportunities in the Hūnua Ranges

o planning for expected rapid growth in visitor numbers at Te Ārai

o providing for other opportunities across the regional parks network

· responding to the growing population and increasing diversity of Aucklanders by:

o seeking to cater for different cultural needs where we can safely do so

o aiming to provide more information about heritage and nature to build understanding and a sense of identity and connection

o continuing education programmes and supporting others to deliver also

· overcoming budget limitations by seeking to collaborate with others to deliver the outcomes of this plan, including reviewing the commercial activities framework.

31. The draft plan aligns to, and references, current Council policies, strategies and programmes, noting management of regional parks touches on many areas of Council policy and activity.

Public consultation on the draft plan

32. As required by section 41(6) of the Reserves Act (for land held under that Act), the draft plan was open for public consultation from 10 December 2021 to 4 March 2022. The Reserves Act provides for written comments from submitters followed by hearings.

33. Given the high level of interest in this draft plan, the consultation period was publicised widely through Council channels, emails to mana whenua, previous submitters and a wide list of regional park stakeholders, via social media, on regional parks and through leisure centres. Hard copies were available in a number of libraries and in the Arataki Visitor Centre and a public online briefing was held.

34. The consultation also followed the special consultative procedure under s.83 of the Local Government Act 2002, noting that a summary was not required under s.87(2)(a). The requirement to adopt the special consultative procedure stems from the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008 and applies to the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.

Submissions received

35. Some 4684 written submissions (excluding duplicates) were received within the submission period including from mana whenua, individuals, and 82 organisations. Of those more than 3830 submissions were generated from a campaign website of which 3646 were identical.

36. The table shows the number of submissions and identical campaign submissions received by local board area (where this information was provided). Attachment D lists submitters (other than the identical form submitters) who provided their local board area or postal code. The full list including campaign form submitter names is published on the hearings page.

Table 1: Number of submissions by local board area^{^[5]}

Local board area	Number of 'unique' submissions	Number of repeat campaign submissions
Albert-Eden	56	99
Aotea / Great Barrier	2	0
Devonport-Takapuna	40	130
Franklin	40	208
Henderson-Massey	21	31
Hibiscus and Bays	112	350
Howick	23	184
Kaipātiki	19	100
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu	7	10
Manurewa	2	45
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki	19	117
Ōrākei	41	271
Ōtara-Papatoetoe	1	10
Papakura	7	43
Puketāpapa	10	31
Rodney	172	241
Upper Harbour	20	117
Waiheke	19	72
Waitākere Ranges	166	114
Waitematā	25	106
Whau	18	37
Outside Auckland	73	1313
Location not provided	112	17
Regional / national organisations	33	0
Totals	1038	3646
Grand total		4684

37. Thousands of comments (supportive and critical) were received, covering many parts of the draft plan. The summary of submissions presents an overview of:

· responses to the feedback form questions

· emailed comments on the general sections of the draft plan

· all comments relating to each regional park chapter.

38. Four groupings of submitters presented the same or similar comments. These were in respect to:

· seeking continued council control of regional parks (the campaign submission)

· opposition to aspects of the draft plan in respect to Waitākere Ranges Regional Park, including:

o seeking access to closed tracks and seeking to not be excluded from the central part of the forest long-term

o seeking changes to reinstate aspects of the 2010 management plan for the park including the 2010 vision

o opposition to any proposals that might facilitate increased numbers of visitors and change the wilderness aspect of the park

· more opportunities for overnight stays for self-contained certified campervans from campervan users

· local community views on Pakiri Regional Park.

39. All submissions are publicly viewable on the council’s hearings page at https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/hearings/find-hearing/Pages/Hearing-documents.aspx?HearingId=526.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

40. The draft plan aims to embed the mitigation and adaptation policies from Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan. The proposed adaptation and mitigation policies are outlined in paragraph 30. The expected impact of the mitigation policies will be to gradually reduce emissions associated with farming and visitor vehicles over time, and to retain and increase the carbon stored in permanent indigenous forest.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

41. Advice from staff across the Council group helped to draft this plan including from:

· Parks, Sport and Recreation in particular regional parks and visitor experience

· Community Facilities in particular land advisory, farming and sustainability

· Infrastructure and Environmental Services including coastal, biosecurity, natural environment teams

· Auckland Plan Strategy and Research including the chief sustainability office, strategic advice, natural environment strategy and Hauraki Gulf

· Ngā Matarae / Māori Outcomes

· Plans and Places in particular heritage

· Community and Social Policy.

42. Auckland Transport, Auckland Unlimited (Screen Auckland in particular) and Watercare were engaged over aspects of the draft plan relevant to their roles.

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

Local impacts and local board views

43. A summary of all the submissions received from the community and organisations is in Attachment A.

44. Attachment B provides the collated local board suggestions for the review from March 2021. Attachment C presents the common themes from local boards’ input and the draft plan response.

45. A list of submitters by local board area (where known) is in Attachment D.

46. This report is presented to enable local boards to include comments on the draft plan for the hearing panel, following workshops earlier this month of April 2022. The hearings panel has set aside Monday 9 May to listen to local board representatives.

47. Local boards will be provided with updates on the hearings panel report and PACE Committee decisions.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

48. The Reserves Act is one of the acts in the First Schedule to the Conservation Act 1987. In performing functions and duties under the Reserves Act, the council must give effect to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

49. Treaty obligations are overarching and not something to be considered or applied after all other matters are considered.

50. The draft plan acknowledges council’s obligation to iwi in relation to Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi in regional parks management planning. In developing the draft plan Council aimed to honour these obligations.

51. The draft plan’s intentions to involve mana whenua in park management and acknowledgement of mana whenua associations with regional parkland, impact positively on mana whenua and Council’s commitments to improve Māori outcomes (in particular Kia ora Tāmaki and Kia ora Te Taiao, which relates to the role of Māori as kaitiaki).

52. Sixteen of the 19 mana whenua in the region and the Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum, formerly the Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum, engaged during the drafting of the plan.

53. Mana whenua aspire to a more substantive role including co-governance and co-management. The role of mana whenua with respect to regional parks and how the draft plan portrays mana whenua and partnerships was the most highlighted point across all mana whenua engagement. The Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum sought clarity on how the Council views its partnership role, in particular seeking co-governance for mana whenua of the regional parks. It also sought recognition of case law that confirmed mana whenua priority for business opportunities on Reserves Act land.

54. In chapter one the draft plan identifies that governance of the regional parks rests with the council’s governing body. While it does not provide for co-governance of the regional parks, the draft plan acknowledges that this is part of a broader discussion.

55. The policy chapter titled Mana Whenua Partnerships provides for potential co-management acknowledging paragraph 60) but does not specify how this should occur, as there are a variety of emerging models of co-management. Given the number of iwi involved and the variety of associations with different regional parks it would not be appropriate to specify models in this plan. This chapter includes policies aligning to council’s commitment to improve Māori outcomes and to address mana whenua aspirations as outlined in the Issues of Significance 2021-2025, including:

· setting an enabling framework to build partnerships at all levels

· enabling an expanded mana whenua role beyond cultural heritage; the draft plan reflects mana whenua interest in all areas of park management

· supporting a Māori identity on parks and Māori wellbeing including through park naming (the draft plan reflects the decisions made by this committee on 11 November inviting mana whenua to provide Māori names for six parks (PAC/2021/61).

56. The first management intention in each park chapter is to work with mana whenua to explore their priorities and involvement in delivering the intentions for that park.

57. Several mana whenua and the Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum submitted on the draft plan.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

58. There are no cost implications arising from local board feedback.

59. Costs relating to the review are covered from the project budget. Hearings’ commissioner costs are met from existing operational budgets.

60. This draft plan sets aspirations for the care, management and use of regional parks. The policies and management intentions are not costed nor prioritised and in many cases they are aspirational. The draft plan provides for the regional community to partner in support of Council to deliver the outcomes in the plan.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

61. The following table outlines relevant risks and mitigations.

Risk	Mitigation
The draft plan sets out ambitions that exceed the current budget. There is a risk that it will raise expectations beyond current resource capacity in the Long-term Plan.	The draft plan explicitly identifies the intentions are not fully funded and explains funding decisions are through the Long-term Plan and annual budgets. It opens the door to collaboration with and resourcing by others and notes plan delivery will involve setting priorities across its wider portfolio and is impacted by changes to budget and revenue, such as impacts from Covid-19.
Many suggestions and submissions relate to issues that are beyond the scope of the plan and are not addressed, raising the risk that people think the council is not responsive.	Continue to communicate that the plan covers matters relating to the management of the regional parks covered by the plan, setting the scene for management for the next decade.
If the correct processes under the Reserves Act 1977 and other legislation are not followed, the review process could be open to challenge.	· confirm the legal status of regional park land holdings and check the statutory and other obligations over each land parcel to ensure compliance · ensure legal requirements regarding consultation processes are correctly followed.
The large number of submissions received through the ‘campaign’ website is evidence that many were unnecessarily concerned there was a plan to move the regional parks from council control.	The Our Auckland article titled ‘No plan to change ownership or management of Auckland’s regional parks’ released on 11 February 2022 provided reassurance that council was not planning to relinquish control of the regional parks.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

62. The next steps will be:

· local board feedback provided through the minutes to this report will be sent to the hearings panel

· the hearings panel will hear from representatives of local boards on 9 May 2022

· hearings with submitters are booked for the week of 16 May 2022

· deliberations are booked for the week of 23 May 2022

· providing the hearings panel completes its report with recommendations for changes by 30 June 2022, the panel’s recommendations will be reported to the PACE Committee on 11 August 2022.

63. The review’s target is to present to the PACE Committee a final amended regional parks management plan for adoption at its meeting on 22 September 2022.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	Summary of submissions to the draft plan (Under Separate Cover)
b ⇩	Local board input to the preparation of the draft plan	103
c ⇩	Summary of response to local board input	117
d ⇩	Submitters identified by local board area	119

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Jo Mackay - Project Manager

Authorisers

Justine Haves - General Manager Regional Services Planning, Investment and Partnership

Claudia Wyss - Director Customer and Community Services

Adam Milina - Local Area Manager

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Whau Local Board workshop notes - 9 March 2022	135
b ⇩	Whau Local Board workshop notes - 16 March 2022	139
c ⇩	Whau Local Board workshop notes - 30 March 2022	141
d ⇩	Whau Local Board workshop notes - 6 April 2022	143

[2] OECD (2021). Transport strategies for net-zero systems by design. https://www.oecd.org/climate-change/well-being-lens/

[3] Creutzig, F., Niamir, L., Bai, X. et al. (2022). Demand-side solutions to climate change mitigation consistent with high levels of well-being. Nature Climate Change, 12, 36–46.

[5] Notes: Duplicate submissions from the same submitter were excluded. The first of the identical campaign submissions is counted in the ‘unique’ submissions column. The campaign submissions provided postal codes which have been mapped to local board areas. Postal code areas do not match local board areas. The local board area forming the largest portion of the postal code area was assigned to the postal code, however some of these submitters may be resident in a neighbouring area.

Chairperson	Kay Thomas
Deputy Chairperson	Fasitua Amosa
Members	Catherine Farmer
	Ulalemamae Te'eva Matafai
	Warren Piper
	Jessica Rose
	Susan Zhu

Author	Rodica Chelaru - Democracy Advisor
Authoriser	Adam Milina - Local Area Manager