Agenda of Waiheke Local Board - Wednesday, 8 February 2023

Waiheke Local Board

08 February 2023

Annual Budget 2023/2024 local board consultation content

File No.: CP2023/00165

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve local consultation content and supporting information as part of the Annual Budget 2023/2024 process, along with a local engagement event.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. For each financial year, Auckland Council must have a local board agreement that is agreed between the Governing Body and the local board in each local board area. These agreements set out local board priorities and the local activities to be provided for the year. Together, the 21 local board agreements form a section of the annual budget.

3. Auckland Council will be consulting on both local and regional content as part of the Annual Budget 2022/2023 consultation. This is planned to take place from late February to late March 2023. Content relating to each local board agreement must be included as part of that consultation.

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

5. Local boards will need to approve local consultation content by 9 February 2023 to be incorporated into the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation document and supporting information, which is planned to be adopted by the Governing Body on 15 February 2023.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendations

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) approve local consultation document content (Attachment A) and local supporting information content (Attachment B) for inclusion in the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation material.

b) delegate authority to the local board Chair to approve any changes required to finalise the local consultation document and supporting information content for the Waiheke Local Board for the Annual Budget 2023/2024.

c) approve the following Have Your Say event in the local board area during the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation period:

i) Community forum, 4-6pm, Wednesday, 1 March 2023, Waiheke Local Board office, 10 Belgium Street, Ostend

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

e) delegate to the following elected members and staff the power and responsibility to receive feedback and hear from the public through “spoken (or New Zealand sign language) interaction” at the council’s public engagement events during the consultation period for the Annual Budget 2023/2024:

i) local board members and Chair

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

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

Horopaki

Context

6. The Annual Budget 2023/2024 will contain the budget and funding impact statement for the year, identify any variations from the financial statements and funding impact statement in the 10-year budget for the relevant year, and provides for integrated decision-making and coordination of the council’s resources. The Governing Body is responsible for adopting the annual budget.

7. As part of this process, local boards develop annual local board agreements which are agreed between local boards and the Governing Body (and are included in the annual budget).

8. Local board agreements set out how the council will reflect the priorities and preferences in the local board’s plan through the activities to be provided in the local board area.

9. Content relating to each local board agreement must be included in the Annual Budget 2023/2024 consultation document.

10. Auckland Council is facing an estimated $295 million operational expenditure challenge for the Annual Budget 2023/2024.

11. The Mayoral Proposal was released on 5 December 2022. This included a proposed cut of 5 per cent to local board operational funding as part of the council’s proposed response to mitigate the budget pressures for 2023/2024.

12. Local board chairs were invited to attend a Governing Body workshop, held after the Mayoral Proposal was released, where the proposed regional consultation content was discussed. All local board members were invited to attend briefings on the regional consultation topics.

13. On 15 December 2022, the Governing Body decided to consult on a proposed cut of 5 per cent to local board operational funding.

14. Public consultation on the budget is planned to take place from late February to late March 2023.

15. Aucklanders will be able to provide feedback during the consultation process through a variety of channels, which include face-to-face (for spoken and New Zealand sign language interaction), written and social media.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

16. Local boards held workshops during November/December 2022 to determine their proposed priorities for their 2023/2024 local board agreement. Additional workshops held in January/February 2023 considered consultation requirements based on the proposed cut of 5 per cent to local board operational funding.

17. Each local board is now requested to approve its local consultation document and supporting information content for consultation (Attachments A and B respectively).

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

19. Aucklanders who wish to have their views on the proposed content of the local board agreement 2023/2024 and Annual Budget 2023/2024 considered by Auckland Council should be provided a reasonable opportunity to present those views in a manner and format that is appropriate to their preferences and needs.

20. As there is a proposal to amend the council’s long-term plan (10-year Budget) identified in the regional consultation content for the Annual Budget 2023/2024, the special consultative procedure is required.

21. The special consultative procedure requires the council to provide an opportunity for Aucklanders to present their views to the council in a manner that enables ‘spoken (or New Zealand sign language) interaction’ between the person and the council’s decision-makers or their official delegates. The recommended Have Your Say events, along with the recommended delegation to elected members and staff to hear from the public in relation to the local board agreement, provides for this spoken interaction.

22. The Have Your Say event recommended to be held in the Waiheke Local Board area is:

· Community forum, 4-6pm, Wednesday, 1 March 2023, Waiheke Local Board office, 10 Belgium Street, Ostend

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

24. If circumstances change between now and the start of the consultation period that require any changes to the approved Have Your Say event, these will be provided to the local board chair for approval in line with the recommended delegation.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

25. The decision to consult is procedural in nature and the small scale of the Have Your Say events means any climate change impacts will be negligible.

26. However, where practicable, events proposed will be in locations accessible by public transport, to reduce private vehicle travel and increase opportunities for attendance.

27. 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

28. The Annual Budget 2023/2024 is an Auckland Council group document and will include budgets at a consolidated group level.

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

Local impacts and local board views

29. 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

30. 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 2020 local board plan forms the basis for local priorities.

31. The approach to Māori engagement for Annual Budget 2023/2024 will be finalised when the consultation documents are adopted, including development of bespoke materials.

32. 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

33. There may be marginal costs associated for Have-Your-Say events including venue hire (where council premises cannot be utilised).

34. After consultation local boards will make decisions on local spending in the local board agreement with financial impacts that affect local communities.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

35. There is a statutory requirement for content relating to each local board agreement to be included in the 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 for adoption by the Governing Body.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

36. The Governing Body is due to adopt the consultation document and supporting information material and to approve the consultation approach for the Annual Budget 2023/2024 on 15 February 2023.

37. Following consultation, the Governing Body and the local board will make decisions on the Annual Budget 2023/2024 and local board agreements respectively in June 2023.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Annual Budget 2023/2024 local consultation content	11
b ⇩	Annual Budget 2023/2024 supporting information	13

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Phoebe Peguero - Senior Advisor Operations and Policy

Janine Geddes - Senior Local Board Advisor

Authorisers

Oliver Roberts – Acting General Manager Local Board Services

Jacqui Fyers - Senior Local Board Advisor

Waiheke Local Board

08 February 2023

Request for Waiheke Local Board Comment on Vector Blanket Tree Trimming Consent Application

File No.: CP2023/00507

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide the Waiheke Local Board with opportunity to comment on the blanket tree consent application from Vector Limited in relation to notification determination.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This application includes vegetation removal, tree-trimming and other tree works in various locations around Waiheke Island relating to maintenance of the Vector power line network to reduce fire hazards and network damage on Waiheke.

3. This is triggered for local board input as it is a non-complying activity, which is a listed trigger. The non-complying component of the proposal is the vegetation removal within 100m of a wetland under the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater.

4. The Local Board Resource Consent Lead is invited to make comment in relation to the notification determination for consents which are triggered. It is recommended that comments be limited to what adverse effects may occur from a particular proposal and why you think these adverse effects might occur.

5. Leads may choose to provide comment under delegation, following discussion with other members, or refer to a board meeting.

6. It is noted any comments provided are not a determination but are to be taken into account by the Council Planning Officer and the decision maker, in their assessment whether the application is:

· Public notification – Anybody can make a submission on the application, with a public notice placed in the written media and local residents receiving copies of the application.

· Limited notification – Specific sites/persons are considered adversely affected and only these owners/occupiers can make submissions.

· Non-notification – No third party can make a submission on the application.

7. Given the wide public interest there may be in this application the local board have requested the request for comment be referred to a business meeting agenda.

8. The Assessment of Environmental Effects report and application plans are attached to this agenda report.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) provide comment in relation to notification determination for the Vector tree consent application.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments