Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board

 

OPEN MINUTES

 

 

 

Minutes of an extraordinary meeting of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board held in the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board Office, Shop 17B, 93 Bader Drive, Māngere on Wednesday, 10 May 2023 at 5.00pm.

 

Te Hunga kua Tae mai | present

 

Chairperson

Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich

 

Deputy Chairperson

Harry Fatu Toleafoa

 

Members

Joe Glassie-Rasmussen

 

 

Makalita Kolo

 

 

Christine O'Brien

 

 

Papaliitele Lafulafu Peo

(online)

 

 

 

 

Te Hunga Kāore i Tae Mai | ABSENT

 

Member

Togiatolu Walter Togiamua

 

 

 

Te Hunga Āpiti kua Tae mai | ALSO PRESENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He Hunga atu anō i Tae mai | IN ATTENDANCE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board

10 May 2023

 

 

1          Nau mai | Welcome

 

Chairperson Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich welcomed everyone to the meeting.

 

2          Ngā Tamōtanga | Apologies

 

Resolution number MO/2023/43

MOVED by Chairperson N Bakulich, seconded by Member J Glassie-Rasmussen:  

That the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board:

a)          accept the apology from member Togiatolu Walter Togiamua 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 MO/2023/44

MOVED by Chairperson N Bakulich, seconded by Deputy Chairperson H Toleafoa:  

That the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu 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 doesn’t 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

               iv)           is concerned that the airport shares are at risk of being sold, as the value of the shares have increased since we consulted on the budget ($1.9B to $2.3B). Also, the local board highlight the following –

A)         the value of the Auckland Airport company, with its increasing commercial and retail interests, will continue to grow

B)         Auckland Council must protect Tamaki Makaurau’s interest in New Zealand’s main gateway to the world and avoid using short-term thinking and sell our shares in the Airport company.

Annual Budget 2023/2024

 

Māngere-Ōtāhuhu 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

Do not support

·       Reduced services do not serve our

community

·       Routes might be lost with the reduction

·       An increase in population in the local area

must be reflected in our service levels

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

Support

·       Retain Pasifika Festivals like Polyfest and Te

Te Matatini

·       support any local economic initiatives

to gain equitable support in

our under-served area by our CCOs.

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

·       TSI – good outcome in south has been

achieved around social procurement and

professional development of youth. We

want to retain TSI only on the basis of

better reporting and accountability

measures

·       Support for Citizens Advice Bureau but

require sustainable planning for its future

·       Homelessness funding is essential to the

local area, however, note that the current

work in this area does not address the

issues outside the CBD

·       Support Youth Programmes/funding

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

Do not support

·       More focus on equitable allocation of

budgets-based on deprivation and social

risk factors

 

Reducing regional contestable grants to save $3 million

Do not Support

 

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

Support

·       There are several early childhood

education provisions within the local

network that meet our local needs

 

Amending Auckland International Airport Limited Shareholding Policy

To sell Auckland Council’s shares in AIAL

 Do not support

·       Retain the policy

·       Misleading engagement on possible

levers for debt reduction – other options

should have been shared.

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

·       Can borrow more up to a maximum of

$140 million.

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

 

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

 

Māngere-Ōtāhuhu 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)           tono / request that the Council Group urgently undertake analysis on all of council’s policies to enable the use of an “equity lens”, to ensure at risk communities like Māngere-Ōtāhuhu are adequately prioritised in council budget decisions

                 ii)           tautoko / support the allocation of existing regional targeted rates, and the pending storm response general rates rise towards Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board’s projects and programmes to support storm recovery, flood mitigation infrastructure and environmental initiatives to adapt to climate change

               iii)           tautoko / support investigating and implementing actions to further enhance the role of the local boards to ensure they are sufficiently empowered in their governance and place-making function, including through delegations from Auckland Transport

               iv)           tono / request that Auckland Transport are directed to report to local boards monthly and be much more accountable to local boards as the discontinuation of monthly reporting has had a significant detrimental effect in Auckland Transport’s accountability to local communities and the current CCO Engagement Plan is a poor substitute for regular reporting and accountability

                 v)           note that the John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation receives $180,000 of funding annually through regional contestable grants. The activities of the foundation benefit 18,000 children across 91 primary schools in south Auckland, and the loss of this funding would have a severely detrimental effect on communities of greatest need

               vi)           the local board would only support the continuation of The Southern Initiative, if it becomes more accountable to the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, by way of regular reporting and seeking direction, and supporting the local board in its economic and social initiatives. 

 

 

 

 

Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board key advocacy initiatives

Initiative

Description

Increased Local Board decision making

Example, Auckland Transport Projects. Some of the project delegation could be shared with Local Boards.

·       Transport

·       Climate Change

·       Water Quality

Equity lens in design and decision making on funding allocation.

The board can identify and communicate local interests and preferences in relation to council strategies, policies, plans and bylaws.

Equity

Example, Climate Action Targeted Rate distribution. What input does the Local Boards have in decision making on funding allocation.

Environment

The board supports the proposed additional investment to respond to climate change challenges.

The board wants to see increased regional funding for the restoration of local streams to address the impacts on the coastline due to climate change, sea level rise, and weather-related events.

Community programmes

The local board are better placed to understand the critical needs individual communities are facing therefore advocating for resources and policy decisions on issues relevant to our community.

Infrastructure

The board supports adopting a new approach for community services to enable it to reduce building and asset maintenance-related expenditure.

Local community resilience and well-being

Helping build community networks and relationships that strengthen community cohesion, preparedness for emergencies and participation.

 

CARRIED

 

 

5.22 pm                                              The Chairperson thanked Members for their attendance and attention to business and declared the meeting closed with a prayer from Member Kolo.

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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