Annual Budget 2023/2024 - feedback on regional topic for
consultation
File No.: CP2022/16863
Te take mō te
pūrongo
Purpose of the report
1. To
seek input on the proposed regional consultation content for the Annual Budget
2023/2024 from the local board.
2. To recommend an additional meeting between 7 and 9 February (to
approve local consultation content and a local engagement event).
Whakarāpopototanga matua
Executive summary
3. Auckland
Council will be consulting on both local and regional content as part of the
Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation. This is planned to take place from late
February – late March 2023.
4. This
report seeks the views of the local board on priority regional topics that will
be included in the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation. This includes the four levers that can be used to mitigate
council’s operating budget challenge. These four levers are: debt,
general rates, operating expenditure, and assets.
5. The
Governing Body will agree regional consultation items on 15 December 2022.
Local boards will be asked to approve local consultation content (that is,
content relating to the proposed local board agreements) between 7 and 9
February 2023.
6. The
local consultation content will then be incorporated into the Annual Budget
2023/2024 consultation document and supporting information, which is planned to
be adopted by the Governing Body in February 2023.
Ngā tūtohunga
Recommendation/s
That the Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board:
a) whakarite / provide feedback on potential regional consultation
topics and policies for the Annual Budget 2023/2024
b) whakarite / provide feedback on proposed
changes to fees and charges in Active Communities – bookable spaces
including on the following:
i) the
establishment of standardised baseline fees for services in the Active
Communities – Bookable Spaces portfolio across Auckland
ii) the
proposed discount framework across Auckland for:
A) a
consistent peak / off-peak discount;
B) a
consistent discount for regular hirers vs. casual hirers
C) a
standardised community outcomes discount with criteria guided by relevant local
boards
c) whakaae / approve an
additional meeting between 7 and 9 February 2023 to approve local consultation
content for the Annual Budget 2023/2024 if required
Horopaki
Context
7. Auckland
Council is required to adopt a 10-year budget every three years and an annual
budget in the intervening years.
8. Each
year, every local board makes an agreement with the Governing Body for the
delivery and funding of services in the local area. These local board
agreements are included in both the 10-year budget and each annual budget.
9. Auckland
Council is required to consult the public on the annual budget (or 10-year
budget every three years). The
consultation content consists of regional content decided by the Governing Body
and local content decided by each local board.
10. Before
the regional consultation content is decided by the Governing Body, local
boards have the opportunity to provide their input.
11. The
local consultation content relating to each local board agreement must be
included in the consultation document.
12. Public
consultation on the Annual Budget 2023/2024 is planned to take place from late
February to late March 2023.
13. Aucklanders
will be able to provide feedback during the consultation period through a
variety of channels, which include face-to-face (for spoken and New Zealand
sign language interaction) and written.
Tātaritanga me ngā
tohutohu
Analysis and advice
14. The
local board is asked to provide feedback on potential levers to mitigate the
budget gap for the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation. The feedback from the
local boards will be collated and provided to the Governing Body to consider
when agreeing regional items for consultation on 15 December 2022.
Budget Challenge
15. For the 2023/2024 financial year, Auckland Council is facing a $295
million operational expenditure challenge.
16. The
Governing Body is considering potential levers that can be used to balance the
operating budget: debt, general rates, operating expenditure, and assets.
17. The
Mayoral Proposal will outline the proposed balance of these levers for
consultation.
Financial policies for Annual Budget
2023/2024
18. The
local board is asked to provide feedback on potential annual budget-related
policies for the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation. The feedback from local
boards will be collated and provided to the Governing Body to consider when
approving annual budget-related policies for consultation on 15 December 2022.
Fees and Charges
19. A
three-year cycle of fee reviews was introduced in the Annual Budget 2022/2023.
The reviews will ensure that the cost recovery decisions previously made by the
council continue to be met.
20. In year two of the fee review cycle, a number of
fees and charges were reviewed, and changes are proposed to the following:
· animal management fees
· some building and resource consenting fees
· other regulatory fees such as food licensing
registration, micro-mobility operator fees and swimming pool inspections
· cemetery fees (stage two
- to ensure an appropriate level of cost recovery is in place for cemetery
services. Some further standardisation was also considered.)
· bookable spaces in council managed pool and leisure facilities.
21. The
review of fees and charges for the Active Communities service has been split
into two phases due to the number and complexity of the fees. The existing
pricing and discount frameworks currently in place for Active Communities
contain variations and inconsistencies for customers interacting with the
service.
22. In
the first phase, fees for use of bookable spaces in council-managed pool and
leisure facilities have been reviewed, with a focus on standardisation.
The second stage, planned for 2024/2025, will include a review of the remaining
fees for Active Communities services, including the appropriate level of cost
recovery for all fees.
23. Active
Communities – Bookable Spaces includes land and aquatic bookable spaces,
such as basketball courts, squash courts, badminton courts, swimming pools,
dive pools, stadiums, recreational halls, and rooms available at sites within
the Active Communities business.
24. The
purpose of this review is to provide:
a) A
standardised baseline fee rate for like services
b) A
standardised discount framework with:
o a
consistent peak / off-peak discount
o consolidation
and standardisation of Casual/Regular and Standard/User Group hire rates
o simplification
of the discounts targeting specific community outcomes (e.g. youth focus,
disability focus, community groups, etc).
25. Some
local boards may not have these facilities in their local board area but may
still want to provide feedback on their nearest bookable spaces.
26. As
provided for in the Revenue and Financing Policy, other regulatory fees and
charges will increase in line with the council’s cost inflation where
necessary to maintain cost recovery.
Other rating matters
27. The
following rating issues and policies are also being presented to the Governing
Body for consideration for consultation, not all these issues will be relevant
to all local boards:
· amendment to Community Occupancy Guidelines
· targeted rate charges for non-standard refuse
bins (in the former Auckland (ACC) and Manukau (MCC) city councils areas)
· introduction of a fee for swapping bin sizes
· rollout of food scraps service and further
standardisation of waste services and targeted rates
· changes to Waste management targeted rates
· support for papakāinga development on
general title land
· changes to swimming/spa pool inspections
targeted rate and fees
· changes to the Rodney Drainage District Targeted
Rate
· changes to the Climate Action Targeted Rate.
Local Consultation Content
28. Local boards will be asked to approve local consultation content
between 7 and 9 February 2023. This will allow time for local boards to
consider any impacts of the proposed regional consultation content on the local
board area.
29. If the local board does not have a meeting scheduled in this time,
an additional meeting will be required.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
āhuarangi
Climate impact statement
30. The
decision to consult is procedural in nature, meaning any climate change impacts
will be negligible. These decisions are unlikely to result in any identifiable
changes to greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of climate change will not
impact the decisions.
31. Some
of the proposed initiatives or projects included in the consultation content
may have climate change impacts. The impacts of any initiatives or projects
Auckland Council chooses to progress as a result of this consultation will be
assessed as part of the relevant reporting requirements.
Ngā whakaaweawe me
ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera
Council group impacts and
views
32. The
Annual Budget 2023/2024 is an Auckland Council group document and will include
budgets at a consolidated group level.
33. Consultation
items and updates to budgets to reflect decisions and new information may
include items from across the group. This will be
reflected in the report on regional consultation items going to the Governing
Body on 15 December 2022.
Ngā whakaaweawe
ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe
Local impacts and local board
views
34. Local
board members were invited to attend two Annual Budget 2023/2024 briefings
summarising topics discussed at Governing Body workshops. Local board chairs
have been invited to the Governing Body Annual Budget workshop on 7 December
2022.
35. Local
boards will have further opportunities to provide information and views as the
Annual Budget 2023/2024 process progresses.
36. Aucklanders
will have the opportunity to give feedback on regional and local proposals
contained in the budget. All feedback received from submitters residing in the
local board area will be analysed by staff and made available for consideration
by the local board, prior to the local board finalising its local board
agreement.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
Māori
Māori impact statement
37. Many
local board decisions are of importance to and impact on Māori. The local
board agreement and Annual Budget 2023/2024 are important tools that enable and
can demonstrate council’s responsiveness to Māori. The local board
plan adopted in November 2020 forms the basis for local priorities.
38. The
approach to Māori engagement for Annual Budget 2023/2024 will be finalised
once consultation topics are confirmed, including development of bespoke
materials.
39. There
is a need to continue to build local board relationships with iwi and the wider
Māori community. Ongoing conversations will assist the local board and
Māori to understand each other’s priorities and challenges.
Ngā ritenga
ā-pūtea
Financial implications
40. The
local board provides input to regional plans and proposals. There will be
information in the council’s consultation material for each plan or
proposal with the financial implications of each option outlined for
consideration.
Ngā raru tūpono me
ngā whakamaurutanga
Risks and mitigations
41. There
is a statutory requirement for content relating to each local board agreement
to be included in the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation document. The local
board must approve its local consultation content by close of business on 9
February 2023 in order for it to be formatted and reviewed in time to be
incorporated into the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation document and
supporting information.
Ngā koringa ā-muri
Next steps
42. The
Governing Body will adopt the consultation document and supporting information
material and approve the consultation approach for the Annual Budget 2023/2024
in February 2023.
43. Following
consultation, the Governing Body will agree the local board agreements with the
local boards and adopt the final Annual Budget 2023/2024 in June 2023.
Ngā tāpirihanga
Attachments
There are no
attachments for this report.
Ngā kaihaina
Signatories
|
Authors
|
Renee Burgers - Lead Advisor Plans
and Programmes
Phoebe Peguero - Senior Advisor
Operations and Policy
|
|
Authorisers
|
Louise Mason - General Manager Local
Board Services
Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager
|
