Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

 

OPEN MINUTES

 

 

 

Minutes of an extraordinary meeting of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board held in the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board meeting room,, Shop 17, Māngere Town Centre, 93 Bader Drive, on Tuesday, 9 May 2023 at 1.30pm.

 

Te Hunga kua Tae mai | present

 

Chairperson

Apulu Reece Autagavaia

 

Deputy Chairperson

Dr Ofa Dewes

 

Members

Dr Ashraf Choudhary, QSO, JP

 

 

Topou Folau

 

 

Vi Hausia

 

 

Albert Lim

 

 

Te Hunga Kāore i Tae Mai | ABSENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

Te Hunga Āpiti kua Tae mai | ALSO PRESENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He Hunga atu anō i Tae mai | IN ATTENDANCE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

09 May 2023

 

 

 

1          Nau mai | Welcome

 

Chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia welcomed everyone to the meeting.

 

 

2          Ngā Tamōtanga | Apologies

 

Resolution number OP/2023/61

MOVED by Chairperson AR Autagavaia, seconded by Member A Choudhary:  

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a)          accept the apology from member Albert Lim for absence.

 

CARRIED

 

 

3          Te Whakapuaki i te Whai Pānga | Declaration of Interest

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

 

4

Local board consultation feedback and input into the Annual Budget 2023/2024

 

Resolution number OP/2023/62

MOVED by Chairperson AR Autagavaia, seconded by Member A Choudhary:  

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a)          whiwhi / receive the feedback from the community on the proposed Annual Budget 2023/2024 and thank the community for engaging in the consultation and providing the highest number of submissions both regionally and from within the local board area

b)          whakarite / provide the following feedback to the Governing Body on the proposed Annual Budget:

            i)               is concerned that the proposed budget will significantly and irreparably affect the social, economic and environmental future of the city and destroy the community groups and volunteers that have time and again through economic, health and natural crisis shown their value to this city

          ii)               is concerned that the budget fails to make adequate use of council’s debt headroom and rates increases that do not even cover the cost of inflation. These levers can and should be used more than what is proposed especially at this time which qualifies as an emergency period in the city’s history

        iii)               is concerned that the council continues to fail to learn the lessons of the past that continued underinvestment in infrastructure, economic development, social infrastructure and our natural environment will inevitably saddle future generations with higher costs and a run-down city

 

Annual Budget 2023/2024

 

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board feedback on regional topics

 

Topic

Proposal

Support /

Do not support

Local Board Input

Operating spending reductions

Maintaining the currently reduced number of public transport services (as of December 2022) for 2023/2024 to save $21 million

 Support

The board supports the move to maintain

reduced number of public transport services,

but only for 2023/2024 and would not want

this to be a permanent reduction.

Reducing funding to Tātaki Auckland Unlimited to save a further $27.5 million,

Partial support

Retain funding of programmes and events

through Tātaki Auckland Unlimited work

programme that are important for local

economic development and for major events

in South. These are vital for local providers,

smaller businesses, cultural integration and

greater youth participation e.g. Poly Fest,

Pasifika Festival and the Lantern Festival that

was to be delivered from the Manukau Sports

Bowl.

 

Reducing regional services such as community and education programmes, arts and culture programmes, regional events, economic development, and other social services activities such as homelessness funding, community empowerment and funding for youth centres to save $20 million

 

Do not Support

This will irreparably damage the city’s social

infrastructure and culture.

Reducing local board funded activities across all boards to save $16 million

Do not Support

This will mean the discontinuation of social,

economic, cultural and environmental

programmes and the support to local

organisations and volunteers, many of whom

won't survive the reduction in funding.

 

Reducing regional contestable grants to save $3 million

Do not Support

This will affect infrastructure and service

provision for sports, arts and the environment,

including partnership funding.

 

No longer directly providing early childhood education services to save $1 million

Support

Agree that council should exit from the direct

provision of early childhood education, but

request a managed and progressive exit that

ensures deprived communities and families

have sufficient time to find alternative and

affordable providers. 

Amending Auckland International Airport Limited Shareholding Policy

To sell Auckland Council’s shares in AIAL

 Do not Support

Believes this is a short-sighted proposal that

does not cost the ratepayer any money in

holding the asset and does nothing more

than create further debt headroom to replace

an income generating asset with a non-

income generating one. If the Governing

Body goes ahead with the decision to amend

the AAIL Shareholding policy, the Ōtara-

Papatoetoe Local Board would support only

a partial sale.

 

Managing rates and debt

To increase rates by 4.66 percent.

Support

The board supports a higher general rates

increase to at least match inflation.

 

To increase debt by $75 million

Support

The community and the board favours greater

use of debt.

 

To reduce Natural Environment and Water Quality Targeted Rates.

Support

Reluctantly support the suspension for a year

but note that the board and community are in

strong support of more investment by council in

environment and climate change outcomes.

 

Storm response

To increase rates by an additional 1 per cent to fund a storm response fund

 

Support

Ensure the use of the budget is transparent

and support for less resilient communities

first.

Other rates, fees and charges

To introduce a one-off fee for residents wishing to change bin sizes

 

 Support

To extend the food scraps targeted rate to new areas

 Support

To change which bus service are funded by the Climate Action Targeted Rate

 Support

To increase fee for swimming pool/spa pool fencing compliance targeted rate

 Support

To amend the Community Occupancy Guidelines

 

Support

 

To review fees for bookable spaces in council managed pool and leisure facilities.

Support

 

Any other rates, fees and charges

Support

 

Other Issues

Any other issues, including:

• Tūpuna Maunga Authority Operational Plan 2023/2024

Support

 

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board feedback on related policies

Policy

Proposal

Support /

Do not support

Local Board

Input

Revenue and Financing Policy

Pause the Long-Term Differential Strategy (LTDS) for one year.

Support

 

Māori Land Rates Remission and Postponement Policy

Amend the Māori Land Rates Remission and Postponement Policy to provide a partial remission of rates to general title papakāinga, where that land is:

·       protected from being sold out of Māori ownership

·       for the sole use of hapū/iwi (tribe).

Support

 

 

c)          whakarite / provide the following advocacy comments to the Governing Body:

            i)               the board is not advocating for additional funding for large projects at this time due to council’s financial situation, although many projects such as the Manukau Sports Bowl, the Ōtara Town Centre development and Papatoetoe community facilities have been in the planning stages for years and are desperately needed

          ii)               request that council specifically and urgently undertake policy analysis on the use of an “equity lens” in all of council’s policies and investment decisions as the term is currently poorly defined and elected officials and senior staff are not sufficiently accountable to the public to ensure disadvantaged communities are adequately prioritised in council decisions

        iii)               that the support of disadvantaged communities be a key and specific factor in the allocation of regional funding collected through targeted rates, and the allocation decisions and projects supported as a result seek local board input

        iv)               welcomes the Mayor and Governing Body’s work to address the historic inequity in community service provision and supports plans to significantly bring forward the commencement of funding re-allocation

          v)               support the Mayor’s comments of empowering local boards and requests urgent work commence on council’s current delegations to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose and local boards are sufficiently empowered in their governance and place-making function, including through delegations from Auckland Transport

        vi)               request that Auckland Transport be specifically directed to report to local boards on a monthly basis and be much more accountable to local boards as the discontinuation of monthly reporting has had a significant and detrimental effect in Auckland Transport’s accountability to local communities and the current Council Controlled Organisations Engagement Plan is a poor substitute for regular reporting and accountability.

CARRIED

 

 

 

1.38 pm                                           The Chairperson thanked Members for their attendance and attention to business and declared the meeting closed in karakia.

 

CONFIRMED AS A TRUE AND CORRECT RECORD AT A MEETING OF THE Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board HELD ON

 

 

 

DATE:.........................................................................

 

 

 

CHAIRPERSON:.......................................................