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Resolution
number MR/2022/183
MOVED by Chairperson G Murphy, seconded by Member A
Cunningham-Marino:
That
the Manurewa Local Board:
a) whakarite / provide the following feedback on
potential regional consultation topics and policies for the Annual Budget 2023/2024:
Operational cost savings
i)
the board supports in principle the
additional $60 million cost savings proposed for Auckland Council, with the
following feedback:
A)
an equity lens needs to be applied
when considering reductions in regional services such as arts programmes,
regional events, community programmes and social services. Lower income
communities will be disproportionately affected by such reductions. Service
reductions should be made in a way as to lessen the impact on communities of
greatest need.
B)
our general view is that regional
contestable grants have historically been poorly targeted and difficult for
communities of greatest need to access. However, in discontinuing those
grants, advice will need to be provided to local boards on whether there are
groups in their area who will be adversely affected by these reductions, as
those groups may look to the board as an alternative source of funding.
C)
we are concerned about the potential
effects of reducing open space levels of service delivered through the Parks
and Community Facilities full facility maintenance contracts. Manurewa has
historically been underfunded by Auckland Council, and we already struggle
with perceived poor levels of service due to this inequity. Reducing these
levels further will have detrimental effects on community pride, which in
turn leads to more vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
ii)
the board supports leveraging central
government investment into social services being delivered by council that
should be delivered by central government, including the funding for COMET.
iii)
the board does not support
undertaking a review of governance support to local boards. It is essential that levels of staff support
are maintained. Any reductions in support will have a detrimental effect on
the board’s ability to undertake its statutory decision-making
responsibilities. This is especially true considering the increased
decision-making given to boards as part of the Governance Framework Review
and the Mayor’s stated intention to devolve as much local
decision-making as possible to local boards.
iv)
the board does not support a 5 per
cent reduction to overall local board funding in the 2023/2024 financial
year. As the complexity of cutting asset-based services (ABS) Opex budgets
related to facilities is unlikely to be feasible for the 2023/2024 financial
year, this will mean reducing Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) Opex budgets
by around 50 per cent
We believe that any good achieved through these savings
would be disproportionate to the harm caused by the reduction in funding.
Manurewa has a high population of vulnerable groups, and many of the
community organisations that support them are reliant on funding from the
board. It has been acknowledged through the Governance Framework Review that
Manurewa has been historically underfunded by Auckland Council. In fact, the
degree of underfunding of this board is twice that of the next most
underfunded board. This is in spite of the fact that our community
experiences some of the highest levels of deprivation in Tāmaki
Makaurau. To now expect them to suffer from a further reduction in funding is
unjust and inequitable.
If reductions in local board funding must be made, this
should be done with an equity lens, looking at which areas will be most
affected by such reductions, and considering lessening the effects on
communities of greatest need.
v)
the board supports the proposed $25
million of operational cost saving for Auckland Transport. Although this will
include a significant increase in public transport fares, we feel that the
impact of this on our community will be lessened as many of our public
transport users receive discounted fares or can access services for free (such as Super Gold Card and
Community Services Card holders, tamariki and students). Additionally,
holding fares at their current level would simply mean there would need to be
a greater increase later.
vi)
the board supports the proposed $25
million of operational cost saving for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.
vii)
the board supports in principle the
proposed $5 million of operational cost saving for Eke Panuku, subject to
further information regarding the specific projects to be deferred. We hope
that these reductions can be achieved without unduly affecting the implementation
of Whakaoratangi i te Puhinui, the Puhinui Regeneration Strategy. It is also
important that the ability of Eke Panuku to assist local boards with advice
regarding service optimisation is not compromised.
viii)
the board supports implementing group
shared services by financial year 2023/2024 to eliminate duplication and
deliver efficiencies between council and CCOs.
Rates
ix)
the board supports the proposed
package of rates changes, including:
·
a general rate increase of 7 per
cent
·
reducing the Natural Environment
Targeted Rate (NETR) and Water Quality Targeted Rate (WQTR) by two thirds in
the 2023/2024 financial year
·
pausing the long-term differential
strategy for business rates for the 2023/2024 year
The board notes that the overall effect of this package
would be an effective rates impact of 4.66 per cent.
Auckland
International Airport Limited (AIAL) shares
x)
the board supports undertaking public
consultation on changing the AIAL shareholding policy to permit a full sale
of Auckland Council’s 18.09 per cent shareholding in AIAL and using the
proceeds to reduce council’s debt, with the following feedback:
A)
the board cannot confirm its support
for the sale of the AIAL shares at this time, but we do believe it is
appropriate that consultation is undertaken so that the people of Auckland
are able to make their views on the proposal. We reserve the right to provide
our final feedback after public consultation is complete.
B)
we would like to receive more
information on the relative benefits of retaining or selling the shares,
including how long it might take for the returns derived from keeping the
shares would outweigh the returns from selling them.
C)
we are concerned that selling the
shares at a time when council’s financial position is weaker will not
achieve the greatest benefit for Aucklanders. If they were to be sold when
council’s financial position is stronger, the proceeds would be able to
be used to fund new projects rather than simply to maintain the status quo.
D)
we believe it would be appropriate
that funds realised from the sale of these shares should, where possible, be
used to benefit the communities in the former Manukau City Council and
Auckland City Council areas, as the shares were held by those councils prior
to amalgamation. We suggest that consideration is given to whether they could
be used to offset any reductions in local board budgets in these areas.
E)
we request that consideration is also
given to what other assets could be divested that would provide a similar
return to the AIAL shares, such as council-owned golf courses.
Ports of Auckland Limited
(POAL)
xi)
the board supports expectations for
POAL to increase their dividend to Auckland Council by $10,000,000 or more in
the 2023/2024 financial year.
Debt
xii)
the board supports allowing for a
maximum of $75,000,000 of short-term debt to meet shortfalls in the budget.
b) whakarite / provide the following feedback on proposed changes to fees and
charges and other rating matters:
Waste
Management Targeted Rate
i)
the board supports introducing the
option of an 80-litre bin to the former Manukau City Council and Auckland
City Council areas, noting that this will be of benefit to low waste
producing households.
ii)
the board gives qualified support to
introducing a $40 fee for swapping between bin sizes. While we understand
that is desirable to discourage customers from swapping bin sizes too
frequently, we are concerned that this fee might also discourage customers
from swapping to an appropriately sized bin when needed. This could result in
increased illegal dumping if the customer needs a larger sized bin, or in the
customer paying a higher targeted rate than necessary if the customer could
have switched to a smaller sized bin. We suggest that consideration is given
to allowing customers to switch once per annum, or once within a two- or
three-year period, without cost, with the fee to be charged for any
subsequent swaps.
iii)
the board supports adjusting waste
management targeted rates to reflect costs.
iv)
the board supports extending the Food
Scrap Service and targeted rate to Manurewa.
Swimming pool inspection fee
and targeted rate
v)
the board supports increasing the
inspection fee and annual targeted rate to reflect actual costs.
Accommodation Provider Targeted
Rate
vi)
the board supports reducing visitor
attraction and major events activities as the planned Accommodation Provider
Targeted Rate funding is no longer available.
Climate Action Targeted Rate
vii)
the board supports consulting on
changes to the bus services projects funded by the Climate Action Targeted
Rate.
Papakāinga development on
general title land
viii)
the board supports a partial discount
of up to 10% of the rateable land value for papakāinga in general title
if land is protected from alienation and papakāinga for the sole use of
hapū.
Fees and charges
ix)
the board supports increasing dog
registration fees by $1 above cost inflation adjustment for additional
promotion of responsible dog ownership and desexing in areas with high volume
dog attacks. However, our preference is for increased enforcement over roaming dogs rather than promotional
campaigns, if possible.
x)
the board supports increases to
consenting fees.
xi)
the board does not support the
establishment of standardised baseline fees for services in the Active Communities
– Bookable Spaces portfolio across Auckland and provides the following
feedback:
A)
we question whether standardising
fees is a desirable outcome. Standardising fees will disproportionately
impact low-income communities such as Manurewa. We would prefer that local
boards are able to set fees that are appropriate for the needs of their local
community. We believe that making the standardisation of fees a Governing
Body decision is not in keeping with the principles of the Governance
Framework Review.
B)
given the historical underfunding of
Manurewa by Auckland Council, we question the implementation of a policy that
raises fees on this community. We believe that the setting of fees for
services should be done with an equity lens, and that fees should be lowered
for communities of greatest need.
C)
if fees need to be standardised, this
should be done gradually over several years to minimise the impacts on users.
We would prefer that higher fees be charged to users of Manurewa facilities
who do not reside in the Manurewa local board area and that the fees for
Manurewa residents are kept at a lower level.
xii)
the board supports consulting on an
amendment to the Community Occupancy Guidelines to provide local boards with
greater discretion to adjust the maintenance and administration costs
recovered in community leases. We consider that granting local boards this
greater discretion is in line with the principles of the Governance Framework
Review. However, we note that it is unlikely that this board would make use
of this discretionary power given the need to ensure our spaces are
accessible to communities of greatest need.
c) whakaae / approve an additional meeting on 9 February 2023 at 1.30pm
in the Manurewa Local Board office, 7 Hill Road, Manurewa or in the Local
Board Chambers, 35 Coles Crescent, Papakura to approve local consultation
content for the Annual Budget 2023/2024 if required.
CARRIED
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