Agenda of Franklin Local Board - Tuesday, 25 July 2023

Franklin Local Board

25 July 2023

Approval of the 2023/2024 Franklin Local Board Infrastructure and Environmental Services Work Programme

File No.: CP2023/08355

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve the 2023/2024 Franklin Local Board’s Infrastructure and Environmental Services work programme.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This report presents the Franklin Local Board’s Infrastructure and Environmental Services work programme and associated budgets for approval for the 2023/2024 financial year.

3. The work programme provides a three-year view that demonstrates the phasing or continuation of programme delivery over the 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 financial years. 2023/2024 is year three of the three-year cycle.

4. The work programme responds to the outcomes and objectives identified in the Franklin Local Board Plan 2020.

5. In June 2023, the Governing Body adopted the council’s 2023/2024 budget, which has reduced some council budgets, including local board budgets. To remain within the local board’s reduced budget, reductions to some projects have been required to the programme that were approved in principle from the 2022/2023 allocation report. These reductions were workshopped with the board in May and June 2023 and adjusted following feedback received.

6. The work programme has been developed through a series of workshops between November 2022 and June 2023, where the local board provided feedback to staff on programme and activity prioritisation.

7. The local board indicated its support for the following activities to be delivered in 2023/2024, with budgets as listed below:

· Finding Franklin Bats: Te rapu nga pekapeka o Franklin - $5,000

· Manukau Harbour Forum - $8,000

· Papakura Stream Restoration programme Franklin - $14,000

· Predator Free Franklin Te Arahikoi - $45,000

· Te Korowai o Papatūānuku - $34,000

· The C.R.E.S.T Programme - $25,000

· Waiuku Zero Waste business and community education programme - $55,000.

8. The proposed work programme has a total value of $186,000, which can be funded from within the board’s draft locally driven initiatives (LDI) budget for the 2023/2024 financial year.

9. The proposed work programme also includes $6,429,320 in asset-based services capital expenditure for the following coastal renewals programmes:

· Big Bay Reserve - renew coastal assets - $1,431,000

· Clarks Beach and adjoining accesses - renew steps and fences - $67,000

· Glenbrook Beach Beachfront - renew coastal assets - $120,000

· Kawakawa Bay - investigate design and repair wharf - $210,000

· Kawakawa Bay Boat Ramp Resurfacing - $365,000

· Maraetai Wharf – remediation - $1,136,320

· Ōrere Point Beach – removal of failed stream training wall - $684,000

· Pollok Wharf Road Reserve - renew timber seawall – 393,000

· Sunkist Bay Reserve - renew seawall - $887,000

· Sunkist Bay Wharf - $334,000

· Tamakae Reserve - renew wharf structure - $802,000

10. Updates on the delivery of this work programme will be provided through the board’s quarterly performance reports.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Franklin Local Board:

a) approve its 2023/2024 Infrastructure and Environmental Services work programme and associated budgets, as summarised in the table below (Attachment A to the agenda report):

Activity name	2023/2024 budget for approval
Finding Franklin Bats: Te rapu nga pekapeka o Franklin	$5,000
Manukau Harbour Forum	$8,000
Papakura stream restoration programme Franklin	$14,000
Predator Free Franklin Te Arahikoi	$45,000
Te Korowai o Papatūānuku	$34,000
The C.R.E.S.T Programme	$25,000
Waiuku Zero Waste business and community education programme	$55,000
Total	$186,000

b) note the allocation of $6,429,320 of asset-based services in 2023/2024 year from capital expenditure budget towards:

· Big Bay Reserve - renew coastal assets $1,431,000

· Clarks Beach and adjoining accesses - renew steps and fences $67,000

· Glenbrook Beach Beachfront - renew coastal assets $120,000

· Kawakawa Bay - investigate design and repair wharf $210,000

· Kawakawa Bay Boat Ramp Resurfacing $365,000

· Maraetai Wharf - remediation $1,136,320

· Ōrere Point Beach – removal of failed stream training wall - $684,000

· Pollok Wharf Road Reserve - renew timber seawall - 393,000

· Sunkist Bay Reserve - renew seawall - $887,000

· Sunkist Bay Wharf - $334,000

· Tamakae Reserve - renew wharf structure - $802,000.

Horopaki

Context

11. Each year, the local board decides which activities to allocate its annual budget toward through a series of workshops. The local board feedback in these workshops has informed the development of the Infrastructure and Environmental Services work programme (Attachment A).

12. In June 2023, the Governing Body adopted the council’s 2023/2024 budget, which has reduced some council budgets including local board budgets. This reduction has meant cuts to programmes that were approved in principle through the 2022/2023 work programme report, including reduced funding to individual activities. These cuts were workshopped with the board in May and June 2023.

13. The proposed work programme responds to the outcomes and objectives identified in the Franklin Local Board Plan 2020. The specific objectives reflected in the work programme are:

· protect and enhance the mauri (lifeforce) of our awa (waterways), moana (harbour) and ngāhere (indigenous forests)

· support community and iwi-driven initiatives that will protect and restore the natural environment and address the impacts of climate change

· support a local transition to circular economy approach to waste management and enable local climate action.

14. The following adopted strategies and plans also guided the development of the work programme:

· National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management

· Auckland Council Waste Management and Minimisation Plan YEAR

· Auckland Council Regional Pest Management Plan YEAR.

15. The development of the work programme has been informed by staff assessments and identification of local environmental priority areas, and feedback received from the local board at workshops.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

16. The proposed work programme is made up of activities continuing from previous financial years, including annually occurring events or ongoing programmes. These programmes contribute towards the delivery of the Franklin Local Board Plan 2020 environmental objectives, as detailed above.

17. The work programme (Attachment A) provides a three-year view that demonstrates the phasing or continuation of programme delivery over the 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 financial years.

18. This report seeks local board approval for budgets and activities in year three of the three-year work programme (2023/2024).

19. The proposed activities for delivery as part of the board’s 2023/2024 Infrastructure and Environmental Services work programme are detailed below, alongside indicative plans and budgets for the 2023/2024 financial year:

Finding Franklin Bats – Te rapu nga pekapeka o Franklin - $5,000

20. The board has indicated it would like to continue to support this programme, with a reduction in the in-principle funding indicated in the 2022/2023 work programme report from $30,000 to $5,000. This reduced funding will be used to support iwi kaimahi to complete bat-catching and radio tracking field-work as a part of the programme.

21. While the board has reduced their funding to this programme, the overall delivery will continue through other funding sources. EcoQuest will continue to work in partnership with Predator Free Franklin to engage with private landowners to place automatic bat monitoring devices to find out if bats are present. The 2023/2024 programme will focus particularly in the Manukau lowland biodiversity focus areas between Pukekohe and Waiuku.

22. Staff recommend that the board allocate $5,000 to this programme in the 2023/2024 financial year.

Manukau Harbour Forum - $8,000

23. The board has indicated that it would like to continue to fund the Manukau Harbour Forum in the 2023/2024 financial year. The board is one of nine local boards who make up the Manukau Harbour Forum (Franklin, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, Manurewa, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, Ōtara-Papatoetoe, Papakura, Puketāpapa, Waitākere Ranges, and Whau Local Boards). These local boards border the Manukau Harbour and have an interest in protecting and restoring the mauri of the harbour.

24. In 2022/2023 financial year, each of the member local boards provided $8,000 to co-fund the Manukau Harbour Forum. This was allocated to several activities including a Manukau Harbour Forum coordinator, a youth sustainability wānanga that included mana whenua tautoko, and continued development of the communications plan.

25. In May 2023 the early resignation of the coordinator was discussed at the Manukau Harbour Forum business meeting on 19 May (MHFJC/2023/11). The remaining $11,200 of the 2022/2023 budget was used to purchase native plants to be grown on and made available for restoration projects in the Manukau Harbour Forum Catchment.

26. Staff recommend that each of the nine member boards contribute a further $8,000 each towards the forum in the 2023/2024 financial year, allowing a total budget of $72,000. Staff recommend that this funding supports:

· continuing to fund a Manukau Harbour Forum coordinator to assist with the delivery of the forum’s goals ($49,000)

· communications plan continuation to be overseen and led by the coordinator with staff guidance. ($3,000)

· funding the 2023/2024 youth sustainability wānanga which would involve around 50 students from all member local board areas to develop leadership skills, sustainability knowledge, and collaborative action programmes ($20,000).

Papakura Stream Restoration Programme - $14,000

27. The board has indicated that it would like to continue to support landowner engagement along the Papakura Stream in the 2023/2024 financial year. This will be the fourth year of this programme, which the board allocated $5,000 towards in the 2020/2021 financial year and $14,600 towards the continuation of this programme in 2021/2022 and a $13,000 contribution in 2022/2023 financial year. Staff recommend that the board allocate $14,000 towards the continuation of this programme in 2023/2024.

28. The Papakura Stream catchment is shared between the Manurewa, Papakura, and Franklin Local Boards, and spans the Hunua Ranges to the Manukau Harbour. This programme seeks to restore five kilometres of the Papakura Stream over a three-year period. The Manurewa, Papakura, and Franklin Local Boards have each indicated that they would like to contribute equal funding for the programme.

29. In 2022/2023 funding contributed to organising 17 planting events, with over 20,000 plants planted by more than 500 volunteers. Two of these sites were on public land while the other 15 were on private property. The volunteers included four school groups, six corporate groups and groups from community events such as Mrs. Aotearoa Beauty Pageant, the Filipino Community, and several Church groups.

30. Through the 2023/2024 work programme year Conservation Volunteers NZ will continue to organise more restoration activities, litter clean-ups and source funding sources in order to extend the project further.

31. Additional funding sources for this programme will be sought by Conservation Volunteers New Zealand which will contribute to stock exclusion in the rural portion of the Papakura Stream catchment. Trees for Survival will provide trees for landowners who expressed interest in stream restoration in surveys carried out.

Predator Free Franklin Te Arahikoi - $45,000

32. The board has indicated it would like to continue supporting community-led pest control across Franklin in the 2023/2024 financial year, with a reduction in the in-principle funding indicated in the 2022/2023 work programme report from $50,000 to $45,000.

33. This will be the sixth year of board support for this programme to which the board allocated $41,855 towards in the 2022/2023 financial year, including a $11,855 reallocation in April 2022 (FR/2022/44).

34. The board has indicated that in allocating the $45,000 towards this programme, $15,000 be put into the delivery of a pest plant programme and $30,000 into the pest animal programme.

35. With funding for the 2023/2024 financial year decreased by $5,000, the number of hub-days and materials able to be purchased will be reduced. The programme will continue to enable the provision of pest animal control equipment, such as rat traps and possum traps, to community conservation groups, as well as sponsor initiatives to support training for the community around pest control.

36. Working in conjunction with other related programmes such as Pest Free Auckland and Predator Free 2050, this programme will assist these groups to continue to reduce pest animal numbers as they work towards a shared vision of becoming pest free.

37. Staff recommend that the board allocate $45,000 towards the continuation of this programme in 2023/2024.

Te Korowai o Papatūānuku - $34,000

38. The board has indicated it would like to continue supporting biodiversity and water quality improvements along the Awakura and Awaruaiti streams in the 2023/2024 financial year.

39. The board has supported this programme since 2017 and allocated $51,000 towards this initiative in the 2022/2023 financial year, including a $26,650 reallocation in April 2023 (FR/2023/44) to assist with ecological restoration and water quality enhancement at a site at Lees Gully Road.

40. This programme will continue the ecological restoration of the Awakura and Awaruaiti streams through pest control, fencing and planting. Funding for the 2023/2024 financial year will be used to continue restoration of the ancestral awa and cultural sites of Ngāti Te Ata on the Āwhitu Peninsula by building fences to exclude stock, controlling weeds, and planting native trees. A Ngāti Te Ata business is currently contracted for this work, involving iwi and Reretēwhioi Marae in community planting days.

41. From 2021 Ngāti Te Ata have accessed nearly 40,000 free plants through the Āwhitu Landcare community nursery, funded by Te Uru Rakāu (one billion trees) as part of the wider Te Korowai o Papatūānuku revegetation programme. Local board funding will allow Ngāti Te Ata contractors to prepare the sites, build fences, maintain plantings, and lead community planting days. Staff recommend that the board allocate $34,000 towards the continuation of this programme in 2023/2024.

The C.R.E.S.T Programme - $25,000

42. The board has indicated it would like to continue supporting the protection of high priority shell barrier ecosystems along Franklin’s coastlines in the 2023/2024 financial year, with a reduction in the in-principle funding indicated in the 2022/2023 work programme report from $30,000 to $25,000.

43. This will be the sixth year of board support for this programme, which the board allocated $25,000 towards in the 2022/2023 financial year. Staff recommend that the board allocate $25,000 towards the continuation of this programme in 2023/2024.

44. The reduction in funding will reduce volunteer hours and time spent on managing data, trap lines and the number of workshops being offered to the community on conservation.

45. This programme will support the Clarks, Rangiriri, Elletts, Seagrove Trappers (C.R.E.S.T) to undertake pest control to protect threatened wading birds and their shell barrier habitat from pest animals and pest plants. This habitat includes rare coastal ecosystems along the southern Manukau Harbour. The programme aims to reduce pest numbers by assisting and empowering local communities to directly control pests.

46. Shell barrier protection will be achieved through a local coordinator who will provide advice and tools to private landowners to undertake pest control on their properties and in some local reserves. The coordinator will also run events, engage iwi and schools, monitor success, lead working bees, and carry out pest control. The programme area has expanded inland to Waiau Pā and Kingseat where a possum control area has been created. Local board funded work will complement existing pest animal and plant control work on council land in the area.

Waiuku Zero Waste business and community education programme - $55,000

47. The board has indicated it would like to continue to support the Waiuku Zero Waste business and community education programme in the 2023/2024 financial year with a reduction in the in-principle funding indicated in the 2022/2023 work programme report from $60,000 to $55,000. Staff recommend that the board allocate $55,000 towards the continuation of this programme in 2023/2024.

48. While the board has reduced their funding to this programme, the overall delivery will continue, this will be completed through other funding sources.

49. Funding for this financial year will continue to help build greater zero waste capability of local businesses, residents, and community organisations. The proposed budget will enable the waste education facilitator to continue to deliver educational workshops and events, with residents, community organisations and iwi to support and grow zero waste/environmental champions continuing to promote best practice and showcase their practices.

50. Educational events will also continue to be held. These will include repair cafés and ‘junky monkey’ events which encourage reuse, school site visits, and discussion events. The facilitator will also present at environmental educational workshops held by local land care groups, develop further learning opportunities such as tours to the Waiuku community recycling centre, and exploring options with mana whenua to support para kore aspirations.

51. Longer term, outreach sites have been developed across Franklin providing local opportunities for zero waste education, resource recovery, volunteering, and employment. This will require additional resources and funding beyond this project.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

52. In June 2019 Auckland Council declared a climate emergency and in response to this the council adopted the Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan in July 2020.

53. Each activity in the work programme is assessed to identify whether it will have a positive, neutral, or negative impact on greenhouse gas emissions and contributing towards climate change adaptation.

54. Table 1 outlines the activities in the 2023/2024 work programme that have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions or contribute towards climate change adaptation.

Table 1: Climate impact assessment of proposed activities

Activity name	Climate impact
Finding Franklin Bats: Te rapu nga pekapeka o Franklin	Continuing to engage a Franklin-based organisation will mean less driving to sites, reducing the carbon footprint of this programme. Gaining knowledge and conservation management actions of our threatened species is one of the main ways to improve resilience of Auckland’s biodiversity to climate change. Pekapeka in particular are vulnerable to climate impacts, with the lifecycles of insect prey changing, due to temperature changes this could result in food availability issues. The work from this study will help determine diet composition and look at how climate change may affect them.
Manukau Harbour Forum	These programmes provide resilience to the community by ensuring that waterways are protected from stock and enhanced through native planting. Planting the right plants is important in ensuring that flooding and erosion impacts are minimised with the increased rainfall events as a result of climate change. Carbon sequestration will also be enhanced through more planting.
Papakura Stream Restoration Programme - Franklin
Predator Free Franklin Te Arahikoi	Having local hub days in local communities means that people will not have to drive far to pick up their pest control equipment, reducing carbon footprints. Management of exotic species’ impacts is one of the main ways in which we can improve resilience of Auckland’s biodiversity to climate change.
Te Korowai o Papatūānuku	The programme will plant at least 10,000 plants per year which will sequester a significant amount of carbon. This will also allow more native trees to regenerate and will reduce erosion of awa and sites of cultural significance.
The C.R.E.S.T Programme	Management of exotic species’ impacts is one of the main ways in which to improve resilience of Auckland’s biodiversity to climate change. This programme may also involve planting more trees in the programme area which will sequester carbon and help to reduce erosion.
Waiuku Zero Waste business and community education programme	This programme encourages diversion of waste from landfill. Diverting biodegradable waste from landfill reduces carbon emissions through the reduction of methane gas generation. Local reuse and recycling solutions also reduces the impact of transporting waste long distances.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

55. The work programme was developed through a collaborative approach by operational council departments, with each department represented in the integrated team that presented the draft work programme to the local board at a series of workshops.

56. In particular, the attached Infrastructure and Environmental Services work programme reflects the integrated activities developed Environmental Services, Healthy Waters, Waste Solutions and Resilient Land and Coasts.

57. Healthy Waters will coordinate with Natural Environment Strategy and Environmental Services staff on work related to the Manukau Harbour Forum.

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

Local impacts and local board views

58. The projects proposed for inclusion in the board’s Infrastructure and Environmental Services work programme will have positive environmental outcomes across the Franklin Local Board area. Particular focus areas for the 2023/2024 work programme include Āwhitu, Pukekohe, Clarks Beach, Waiau Pā, Kingseat, Beachlands, Waiuku and the Hunua Ranges.

59. The projects noted above align with the 2020 local board plan outcome ‘kaitiakitanga and protection of our environment’. The proposed work programme has been considered by the local board in a series of workshops from November 2022 to June 2023. The views expressed by local board members during the workshops have informed the recommended work programme.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

60. Auckland Council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its broader obligations to Māori.

61. The work programme includes activities that aim to deliver outcomes for and with Māori, in alignment with the strategic priority areas outlined in Kia ora Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council’s Māori Outcome Framework). Progress on how the activities are achieving these outcomes will be reported to the local board on a quarterly basis.

62. Staff recognise that environmental management, water quality and land management have integral links with the mauri of the environment and concepts of kaitiakitanga.

63. Table two outlines the activities in the 2023/2024 work programme that contribute towards the delivery of specific Māori outcomes.

64. Where aspects of the proposed work programme are anticipated to have a significant impact on activity of importance to Māori then appropriate engagement will be undertaken.

Table 2: Māori outcome delivery through proposed activities

Activity name	Māori outcome	Māori outcome description
Finding Franklin Bats: Te rapu nga pekapeka o Franklin	Kaitiakitanga	Auckland Council and EcoQuest have spoken with members of Ngāti Te Ata, who have embraced this programme and they have been keen to have the local iwi involved from the outset. There will be a strong focus on mātauranga Māori both in the field aspect and in public education throughout this programme. Pekapeka are taonga and hold a special relevance to māori which cannot be transferred into a western paradigm. Auckland Council and EcoQuest will hold a hui prior to commencement of this study, inviting iwi to formulate and determine outcomes of value to them, as well as involvement in the capturing and radio tracking study. This year (2023/2024) iwi kaimahi have indicated an interest to be involved in field work. The objective of this is to upskill kaitiaki in bat survey methodologies so they can utilise and transfer these skills in their mahi across their rohe.
Manukau Harbour Forum	Kaitiakitanga and realising rangatahi potential	Māori youth will be involved in the youth sustainability wānanga and are supported to develop and implement programmes relevant to them and their communities. The wānanga also engages with kaumātua from Makaurau Marae to provide advice and mātauranga Māori that informs programme delivery. During the wānanga, te reo Māori is actively promoted, as a key component of programme delivery. The coordinator role has a requirement to be comfortable to use and learn te reo in person and emails. They will also engage with mana whenua.
Papakura Stream Restoration Programme	Kaitiakitanga	The contractor acknowledges iwi as kaitiaki of Auckland's natural world and the importance of their involvement in restoration and protection of our natural taonga. They strive to connect with iwi on this initiative and will actively seek opportunities to collaborate.
Pest free Franklin Te Arahikoi	Kaitiakitanga	The group have engaged with mana whenua including Ngāti Tama Oho, Ngāti te Ata, and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki around pest control and restoration work undertaken through this project. Several iwi employees with interest in te taiao, as part of the Jobs for Nature programme, work within the group drawing on their knowledge from the whenua to provide advice drawn from mātauranga Māori.
Te Korowai o Papatūānuku	Māori business, tourism and employment, kaitiakitanga, Māori identity and culture, and realising rangatahi potential	The aim of this programme is to enable Ngāti Te Ata to restore the awa and areas of cultural significance within their rohe. This programme will provide employment opportunities for mana whenua, particularly rangatahi.
The C.R.E.S.T Programme	Kaitiakitanga	Ngāti Te Ata own an important area of wading bird habitat adjacent to the main project area. The Ngāti Te Ata Environment Team have been consulted regarding pest plant control on their land as well as the animal pest control in the wider landscape. Their team is also keen to preserve this habitat and have expressed support for the programme. The Whātāpaka Marae is in the project area and staff are looking to engage them in the programme.
Waiuku Zero Waste business and community education programme	Kaitiakitanga	Waiuku Zero Waste has developed strong relationships with mana whenua and iwi with a well-developed partnership with Tuwhera Kai, a local food producer, supporting them with their aspirations to achieve minimal/zero food waste to landfill. The CRC works closely with the iwi run local community gardens to support them in their composting and food-waste reduction journey. They also connect with Para Kore ki Tāmaki (the Māori-led programme working with marae, kura and Māori organisations to reduce waste to landfill).

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

65. The proposed environment work programme for 2023/2024 totals to $186,000 of the board’s locally driven initiatives (LDI) operational budget. This amount can be accommodated within the board’s total draft budget for 2023/2024.

66. The proposed work programme also includes $6,429,320 in asset-based services capital expenditure for the coastal renewal’s programmes.

67. Staff would have normally recommended the 2023/2024 programme that was approved in principle with the 2022/2023 work programme. However, given the council’s financial position and the need to reduce costs, the 2023/2024 local environmental programme was developed to fit within the available funds. This has meant that some activities have reduced funding.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

68. If the proposed Infrastructure and Environmental Services Work Programme is not approved in a timely manner, there is a risk that activities may be delayed or not delivered within the financial year.

69. Resourcing of the work programme is based on current staff capacity within departments. Therefore, changes to staff capacity may also have an impact on work programme delivery.

70. Table three shows the key risks associated with activities in the proposed 2023/2024 work programme, as well as proposed mitigations.

Table 3: Key risks and mitigations for activities

Activity name	Risk	Mitigation	Rating after mitigation
Finding Franklin Bats: Te rapu nga pekapeka o Franklin	There is a risk that no bats will be found through the programme.	Bats have already been found in this area and therefore this is considered a low risk. There is also new emerging technology being used in this study using ultrasonic lures, to attract Pekapeka to the area for capturing.	Low
Manukau Harbour Forum	This project is dependent of securing a new coordinator for the 2023/2024 year.	Staff have started to investigate possible applicants and therefore this is considered low risk.	Low
Papakura Stream Restoration Programme	There is a risk of the identified contractor being unavailable. To mitigate this staff will engage early.	Staff have already liaised with the contractor who is available and committed to doing the work on this programme.	Low
Pest free Franklin Te Arahikoi	There is a risk of community groups not engaging.	This is a low risk due to high engagement of community groups with this programme in past years.	Low
Te Korowai o Papatūānuku	This programme is dependent on at least 40,000 free plants being provided by the Āwhitu Landcare community nursery to speed up and expand the programme.	If these plants are not provided, the programme can still go ahead, however at a much smaller scale than planned.	Low
The C.R.E.S.T Programme	The success of this programme is reliant on landowners participating in pest control activities on their own land.	Landowner engagement has been high for this programme in the past, and therefore this is considered a low risk.	Low
Waiuku Zero Waste business and community education programme	There is a risk that outreach into other areas of Franklin is difficult to sustain.	Waiuku Zero Waste are well-respected in the area and have a wide range of networks and relationships to build on and therefore this is considered a low risk.	Low
	There is also a risk that difficulties will be experienced in developing relationships with mana whenua and local Māori organisations.	Waiuku Zero Waste will build on existing relationships and also work with Para Kore ki Tāmaki to extend these relationships.	Low

71. Where a work programme activity cannot be completed on time or to budget, due to unforeseen circumstances, this will be signalled to the local board at the earliest opportunity.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

72. Delivery of the activity in the approved work programme will commence once approved and continue until 30 June 2024. Activity progress will be reported to the local board on a quarterly basis.

73. Where the work programme identifies further decisions and milestones for each activity, these will be brought to the local board when appropriate.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Franklin Local Board Infrastructure & Environment work programme 2023/2024	23

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Donna Carter - Relationship Advisor

Authorisers

Barry Potter - Director Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Sarah McGhee - Acting Local Area Manager, Franklin Manurewa Papakura

Franklin Local Board

25 July 2023

Approval of the 2023/2024 Franklin Local Board Customer and Community Services work programme

File No.: CP2023/09585

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve the 2023/2024 Franklin Local Board Customer and Community Services work programme and its associated budget (Attachment A).

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This report presents the 2023/2024 Franklin Local Board Customer and Community Services work programme for approval from the following departments:

· Active Communities

· Connected Communities

· Community and Social Innovation

· Parks and Community Facilities

· Regional Services and Strategy

3. In addition, the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 Customer and Community Services – Parks and Community Facilities Department work programme is presented for approval in principle.

4. To support the delivery of the local board’s outcomes and aspirations highlighted in the Franklin Local Board Plan 2020, Customer and Community Services presents a work programme for local board approval each financial year.

5. The work programme details the activities to be delivered by departments within the Customer and Community Services directorate.

6. The work programme has been developed with the local board providing feedback to staff on project and activity prioritisation through a series of workshops, held between May and June 2023.

7. The work programme development process takes an integrated approach to planning activities, involving collaboration between the local board and staff from across the council.

8. Within the Customer and Community Services work programme, the Parks and Community Facilities Department has identified several projects for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 financial years as part of the Risk Adjusted Programme (RAP).

9. Approval is sought for the planning and design of the RAP projects to commence during the 2023/2024 financial year, so that they can be prioritised if other, already approved projects, cannot be delivered, face higher costs or are delayed due to unforeseen reasons.

10. The work programme includes projects proposed to be funded from regional budgets subject to approval by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee, including Slips Prevention, Local Parks and Sports Field Development budgets. The local board can provide formal feedback on these regional projects by way of resolutions to this report.

11. The work programme includes references to the recently approved 2023/2024 Annual Budget decisions, and where relevant, the potential options for the provision of Early Childhood Education (ECE) services.

12. There is a widening shortfall between council revenue and expenditure which has been driven, in part, by the growing range of assets and services provided for Aucklanders, including the investment in infrastructure to address the region’s growth.

13. Furthermore, revenue has been impacted by changing customer behaviours, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating and capital costs have increased due to inflationary pressures impacting staff, construction costs, interest and depreciation charges. The 2023 extreme weather events have also impacted both revenues and asset costs. These costs are greater as a result of council’s large and diverse asset base.

14. This has meant a rise in the costs of investing in, maintaining and operation of council’s assets and services. Additional funding pressure has come from the need to put aside money to fund future asset replacement.

15. Auckland Council is facing financial challenges, requiring the need to overcome a forecast budget shortfall of $375 million for the 2023/2024 financial year.

16. Local Boards have a distinct opportunity to help guide decisions and improve council’s financial sustainability, particularly following the 2021 approval to increase local board decision making to include most local community services, as a part of the Governance Framework Review (GFR).

17. In response to changing community needs, local boards are able to improve their revenue through various means including fees, charges and commercial lease arrangements. They can also reduce costs by prioritising or modifying services to help achieve the best community outcomes. Furthermore, to manage high and growing operating and capital expenditure, local boards can divest, consolidate and reprioritise council’s local board asset base.

18. Auckland Council and its local boards also have important statutory obligations with respect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi. Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supporting Māori outcomes is implicit within the entire work programme.

19. Once approved in July 2023, the local board will receive quarterly progress updates on the delivery of the 2023/2024 work programme.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Franklin Local Board:

a) approve the 2023/2024 Customer and Community Services work programme and its associated budget (Attachment A to the agenda report).

b) approve in principle the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 Customer and Community Services – Parks and Community Facilities only work programme (Attachment A to the agenda report).

c) approve the Risk Adjusted Programme projects identified in the 2023/2024 Customer and Community Services work programme (Attachment A to the agenda report).

d) provide feedback for consideration by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee on projects funded from the Slips Prevention, Local Parks and Sports Field Development budgets (Attachment C to the agenda report).

e) note that funding for the Coastal Renewals, Slips Prevention, Local Parks and Sports Field Development budgets is subject to approval by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

Horopaki

Context

20. The Auckland Plan 2050 (Auckland Plan) is council’s long-term spatial plan to ensure Auckland grows in a way that will meet the opportunities and challenges ahead. It aims to contribute to Auckland’s social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing.

Diagram

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21. Local board plans align with the Auckland Plan and set out local community priorities and aspirations. The 2023/2024 Customer and Community Services work programme, in turn aligns to not only the local board plans, but the appropriate Auckland Council plans, policies and strategies.

22. Work programme activities align to the following 2020 Local Board Plan outcomes:

· Outcome 1 - Our strengths generate local opportunity and prosperity

· Outcome 2 - Improved transport options and fit for purpose roads

· Outcome 3 - Fit for purpose places and facilities

· Outcome 4 - Kaitiakitanga and protection of our environment

· Outcome 5 - Cultural heritage and Māori identity is expressed in our communities

· Outcome 6 - A sense of belonging and strong community participation

23. Development of the work programme is based on consideration of community needs and priorities, availability of resources and funding, Treaty of Waitangi obligations, external partnerships and risk assessment.

24. The Annual Budget for the 2023/2024 financial year included the consideration of a savings target that required the reprioritisation of activities by the local boards. This realignment resulted in some activities being stopped, changed or reduced to contribute toward the required savings.

25. The Customer and Community Services directorate provides a wide range of services, facilities, open spaces and information that support communities to connect, enjoy and embrace the diversity of Auckland’s people, places and natural environment. These are designed and delivered locally to meet the unique needs of the local community.

26. Development of the work programme follows an integrated approach to planning activities through collaboration with the Infrastructure and Environmental Services Directorate and the following departments of the Customer and Community Services Directorate:

· Active Communities

· Connected Communities

· Community and Social Innovation

· Parks and Community Facilities

· Regional Services and Strategy

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

27. The work programme demonstrates the phasing of programme and project delivery for the 2023/2024 financial year.

28. Delivery of the work programme commences from 1 July 2023, and in some cases comprises a continuation of implementation from previous financial years, including annually occurring events or projects and ongoing programmes.

29. Table one summarises the approval status required for the three financial years presented within the work programme.

Table one: Customer and Community Services local board work programme approvals

Department	2023/2024	2024/2025	2025/2026
Parks and Community Facilities	Approve	Approve in principle	Approve in principle
All other Customer and Community Services departments	Approve	N/A	N/A

30. Parks and Community Facilities presents a three-year rolling work programme so that delivery and financial commitments against the capital works programme can be planned.

31. Approval of unique multi-year projects, particularly capital works, in the 2023/2024 work programme may lead to contractual commitments to the future budget needed to complete the project in 2024/2025 or 2025/2026.

32. The remainder of Customer and Community Services presents the work programme in descending three-year increments and are therefore only presenting year three of the three-year work programme.

33. The local board will formally be updated by staff on the delivery of the programme by way of quarterly performance reports. Parks and Community Facilities will continue to provide informal monthly updates on work programme performance.

Proposed amendments to the 2023/2024 work programme

34. The local board approved the 2022/2023 Customer and Community Services work programme in June 2022, and approved in principle the 2023/2024 work programme. The 2024/2025 Customer and Community Services – Parks and Community Facilities work programme was also approved in principle at this time.

35. The 2023/2024 work programme contains variations to the version that was approved in principle last year. These include the addition of new activities, changes to existing activities, such as required budget allocation and delivery timeframes, and identifies some activities that have been stopped.

36. Table two highlights the new activities in the work programme:

Table two: Work programme activities that are new

ID	Activity name	Lead department	Budget
948	Full Facilities Contracts Park Bins Top up	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$90,000
TBA	Franklin Paths Programme	CCS: Regional Services and Strategy – Service and Asset Planning	$40,000
3962	Hamilton Estate Recreation Reserve - park assessment	CCS: PCF – Specialist Operations	$0
3822	Play Advocacy	CCS: Active Communities – Sport and Recreation	$0
3984	Local crime prevention fund, safety initiatives investment - Franklin	CCS: Connected Communities – Community Delivery	$58,468
42940	Auckland Transport amenity lighting - lights to be operationally managed by Parks and Community Facilities	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$150,000
40253	Franklin - remediate storm damaged assets	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$50,000
40244	Franklin - renew sports field assets FY2023/2024-FY2025/2026	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$250,000
42556	Fred Graham Public Artwork - facilitate the installation of a (gifted) public artwork in Waiuku	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$500
42555	Karaka Sports Park - renew accessway	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$500
33244	McNicol Homestead Museum - refurbish building	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$50,000
40246	Pukekohe Square, Pukekohe Town Hall - refurbish water feature	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$10,000
31855	Puni Memorial Park - difficulty grade and renew bike track	CCS: Parks and Community Facilities – Project Delivery	$25,000

Financial impacts and constraints

37. A widening shortfall between council revenue and expenditure has been driven, in part, by the growing range of assets and services provided for Aucklanders. This has included investment in infrastructure to address the city’s growth.

38. This has meant a rise in the costs of investing in, maintaining and operation of those assets and services. Additional funding pressure has come from the need to put aside money to fund future asset replacement.

39. This situation has been worsened by ongoing broad economic factors such as rising inflation, higher interest rates, supply chain difficulties and a labour market squeeze, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts for the past couple of years. Recent storm events and the associated repairs make overcoming the budget shortfall even harder.

40. Over the past year, economic conditions have been exceptionally challenging. The change in New Zealand’s inflation rate has been surprising, with the consumer price index rising from less than two per cent to more than seven per cent in a year.

41. In response to the $375 million budget shortfall, a mix of solutions that include operating cost reductions was proposed in the Annual Budget for 2023/2024. This includes a total reduction in local board operating funding of $4 million.

42. This represents approximately one per cent of the total budget that the local boards oversee. Local boards may choose to reduce their allocated funding for locally driven initiatives operating expenditure, as these projects are discretionary.

43. Alternatively, local boards could consider reductions to the asset-based services budgets through changes in levels of service, e.g. reduced facility opening hours.

44. Individual reduction targets for local boards have been allocated based on the Local Board Funding Policy.

Māori Outcomes

45. Local boards play a vital role in representing the interests of all Aucklanders and are committed to the Treaty-based obligations and to enabling effective Māori participation (kia ora te hononga).

46. Auckland Council has important statutory obligations with respect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supporting Māori outcomes is implicit within the entire work programme.

47. A thriving Māori identity is Auckland’s point of difference in the world. It advances prosperity for Māori and benefits all Aucklanders.

48. The local boards recognise the importance of building meaningful relationships with mana whenua, mataawaka and whānau, and understanding Māori aspirations.

49. Table three shows the outcomes, objectives and key initiatives from the local board plan that recognise these areas of common interest.

Table three: Local board plan Māori outcomes, objectives and initiatives

Outcomes	Objectives	Initiatives
Our strengths generate local opportunity and prosperity	· Support our rangatahi (younger generation) to Develop capability, access local employment and benefit from local development.	· Continue to support locally delivered work-ready development programmes such as the “Mahia te Mahi” programme delivered by Te Ara Rangatahi.
Fit for purpose places and facilities	· Towns, villages, and settlements are planned and developed to support growing communities and retain local character. · Plan and advocate for investment in community facilities so that they can service future needs whilst retaining local character.	· Develop a plan for Pukekohe Hill that identifies a range of actions and projects that will develop and protect the reserve as a significant recreational, cultural, and environmental resource for future generations. · Develop a plan for Karioitahi reserves that draws from the experiences of other black-sand beaches in the Auckland region, identifying and prioritising opportunities to protect, enhance and leverage local economic benefit from its unique environment.
Cultural heritage and Māori identity is expressed in our communities	· Showcase local history, culture, and stories in public places and through public events. · Enable our people to engage with local history and share their cultures. · Build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with Māori.	· Support Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāti Paoa and Ngaati Whanaunga to work with the governing body of Auckland Council and Watercare to tell the story of the Hūnua Ranges through the Hūnua Trail. · Work with mana whenua and local historic societies to tell the stories of our places including parks, community centres and libraries, and supporting opportunities for digital and physical interpretation of stories. · Support accessible place-making, event activities and community programmes that showcase local culture and stories e.g. through the Auckland Heritage Festival, Diwali Festival and Matariki Festival activities. · Support community groups to research and share local history, including facilitating access to the history of the southern and eastern parts of Auckland held by Auckland Libraries. · Partner with Ngāti Te Ata and the Waiuku Trails Committee to deliver and promote the Awaroa Portage crossing. · Invest in art initiatives, programmes and projects that reference, celebrate, and promote local culture and history. · Implement the actions from the Franklin Māori Responsiveness Plan. · Work with the other southern local boards and mana whenua through the Māori input into local board decision-making project to investigate ways to improve mana whenua involvement and influence in local board decisions. · Work in partnership with mana whenua to identify opportunities to deliver local projects, events, or arts activities together.
A sense of belonging and strong community participation	· Our people are supported to actively contribute to their community and the places they live. · Our community support agencies, resident groups and marae are supported to co-ordinate or deliver a range of community well-being and resilience services and programmes.	· Identify and support a network of representative community groups, including marae and the Franklin Youth Advisory Board and deliver a plan (including a capability and capacity building programme) to support them in successfully representing neighbourhood interests. · Support eco-volunteer partnerships through the eco-volunteer partnership fund, enabling mana whenua and community groups to lead delivery of environmental improvement initiatives that protect and enhance the environment. · Support a proactive community-led place-based empowered communities’ approach to planning for and responding to disaster. · Partner with Franklin Family Support and Waiuku Family Support to deliver and broker community health and well-being services and initiatives and investigate options for a support agency to service the Wairoa subdivision.

50. There is a wide range of activity occurring across Tāmaki Makaurau to advance Māori outcomes. Much of this is led by mana whenua and Māori organisations, as well government organisations, non-government organisations and businesses.

51. The Auckland Plan’s focus on Māori culture and identity is encapsulated in the outcome: Māori Identity and Wellbeing.

52. Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau, council’s Māori outcomes performance measurement framework, captures the majority of council’s Māori outcome strategy and planning. The framework responds to the needs and aspirations that Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau, both mana whenua and mataawaka, have expressed to council.

53. The work programme includes activities that have an objective to deliver outcomes for and with Māori. Attachment B sets out the activities in the work programme that aim to achieve high Māori outcomes in one or more of the strategic priority areas.

54. Table four shows the strategic priority areas and alignment to Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau outcomes.

Table four: Local board work programme Māori outcome areas

Strategic priority area	Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau outcome
Kaitiakitanga	Kia Ora te Taiao
Māori business, tourism and employment	Kia Ora te Umanga
Māori identity and culture	Kia Ora te Ahurea
Marae development	Kia Ora te Marae
Papakāinga and Māori housing	Kia Ora te Kāinga
Realising rangatahi potential	Kia Ora te Rangatahi
Te reo Māori	Kia Ora te Reo
Effective Māori participation	Kia Ora te Hononga
Whānau and tamariki wellbeing	Kia Ora te Whānau

55. The Customer and Community Services directorate lead or contribute to programmes that align with all outcomes. Particular priorities are Kia Ora te Marae, Kia Ora te Whānau and Kia Ora te Reo.

56. In the current environment there is increasing focus on Kia Ora te Umunga / Māori Business, Tourism and Employment and the role that the council can play, not only in supporting economic recovery, but in a thriving Māori economy.

57. Kia Ora te Ahurea / Māori Identity and Culture is often a focus for local boards, as events and place-based design often plays an important part in many local programmes.

Work programme budget types and purpose

58. Work programme activities are funded from various budget sources, depending on the type of delivery. Some activities within the work programme are funded from two or more sources, including from both local and regional budgets.

59. Table five outlines the different budget types and their purpose in funding the work programme.

Table five: Work programme budget types and purpose

Budget type	Description of budget purpose
Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI)	A development fund used to advance local operational and capital activities at the discretion of the local board
Asset Based Services (ABS)	Allocated to deliver local activities based on decisions regarding region-wide service levels, including allocation of funds for local asset-based services, grants and staff time to deliver activities
Local renewals	A fund dedicated to the partial renewal or full replacement of assets including those in local parks and community facilities
Growth (local parks and sports field development)	Primarily funded through development contributions, a regional fund to improve open spaces, including developing newly acquired land into parks, and existing open space to increase capacity to cater for growing population needs
Coastal	A regional fund for the renewal of Auckland’s significant coastal assets, such as seawalls, wharves and pontoons
Slips prevention	A regional fund to proactively develop new assets for the prevention of landslides and major slips throughout the region
Specific purpose funding	Funds received by the council, often from external sources, held for specific local board areas, including compensation funding from other agencies for land acquisitions required for major projects
One Local Initiative (OLI)	Funds allocated to a local board priority project in alignment with the Long-term Plan 2018-2028
Long-term Plan discrete	Funds associated with activities specifically named and listed in previous long-term plans, including new libraries, community centres and major sports and community infrastructure
Kauri Dieback Funding	Part of the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (NETR) Fund, this is a regional fund used to implement the national kauri dieback programme standards
External funding	Budget from external parties, not yet received and held by Customer and Community Services

Capital projects and budgets

60. The capital projects to be delivered in the Franklin Local Board area, together with identified budgets and main funding sources, are shown in Attachment A.

61. The budgets associated with the capital works programme are estimates only, costs are subject to change and may need to be refined as the project progresses through the design and delivery process. Once activity details are more clearly defined, staff will update the

Risk Adjusted Programme

62. The Risk Adjusted Programme was first implemented in 2019 and is designed to mitigate risk so that the total budget is delivered.

63. Several capital projects in the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 work programme have been identified as part of the Risk Adjusted Programme and outlined in Attachment A.

64. Local board approval is sought for the commencement of these projects in the 2023/2024 financial year, so that they can be prioritised if other, already approved projects, cannot be delivered or are delayed due to unforeseen reasons.

Regionally funded activities included in the local board work programme

65. Some activities from the Slips Prevention and Local Parks and Sports Field Development (growth) budgets are funded regionally and will be presented to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee for approval after 30 June 2023.

66. The local board has decision-making responsibility for these activities within parameters set by the Governing Body, which include project location, scope, and budget. These activities are therefore included in the work programme.

67. The local board can provide feedback on the activities outlined in Attachment C. Staff will present this feedback to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee when they consider regionally funded activities.

Process for changes to the approved work programme

68. Some projects in the work programme require further local board decisions as they progress through the delivery process.

69. Where further decisions are anticipated they have been indicated in the work programme. Decisions will be sought as required through local board business meetings.

70. In response to more detailed design and costing information, community consultation, consenting requirements and similar factors, amendments to the work programme or specific projects may also be required as projects progress.

71. Amendments to the work programme or specific projects will be managed in accordance with the established local board delegations to staff.

72. The work programme includes community leases. Lease renewals without variations will be processed by way of a memo, in accordance with agreed delegations.

73. Should the local board signal their intent to change or pursue a new lease that is not contemplated in the leasing work programme, a deferral of an item already programmed for delivery will need to be accommodated.

74. Staff will workshop expired and more complex community leases with the local board and then report on them at a business meeting.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

75. As Customer and Community Services is a significant service provider and property owner, the directorate has a leading role in delivering Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan.

76. In providing asset-based services, Customer and Community Services contributes most of council’s operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through its facilities and infrastructure.

77. Property managed by the directorate, in particular coastal assets, will be adversely affected by climate change. The work programme includes actions, consistent with Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri to halve council’s operational GHG emissions by 2030, and to adapt to a changing climate.

78. Actions include reducing operational GHG emissions through phasing-out gas heating in aquatic centres, improving the efficiency of facilities, investing in renewable energy, and adopting the Sustainable Asset Policy.

79. At the same time, the directorate will mitigate GHG emissions and improve climate resilience through delivering tree planting programmes across the region. This includes the transitioning of unproductive farmland on regional parks to permanent native forest and delivering ecological restoration projects with community groups.

80. Recent significant weather events have influenced criteria for renewing assets. Each renewal project will be assessed for flood plain impacts, as well as any new known consequences council has experienced due to the weather.

81. Work is ongoing to build on the above actions and embed climate change considerations into investment decision-making, planning, and corporate policies, including asset management plans and local board plans.

82. As approved through the 10-year Budget 2021-2031, council’s mandated approach to ‘deliver differently’ is also anticipated to help reduce the council carbon footprint by creating a sustainable service network. This may include a shift to digital service models or the consolidation of services into a smaller footprint.

83. Each activity in the work programme has been assessed to identify whether it will have a positive, negative or neutral impact on greenhouse gas emissions, and affect Auckland’s resilience to climate change.

84. The activities in the Franklin Local Board work programme identified as having a positive or negative impact on climate change are outlined in Attachment D.

85. Types of activities in the work programme that will have positive impacts on emissions and improve community resilience to climate change, include community-led environmental and educational programmes, supporting volunteer planting, delivering council-led planting and sustainable design.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

86. The Customer and Community Services work programme was developed collaboratively by staff from the directorate’s departments and Local Board Services, to ensure that the activities and delivery of the work programme are integrated, complementary, and reflect council wide priorities.

87. Development of the work programme also follows a cooperative approach to planning activities through association with other directorates like the Infrastructure and Environmental Services Directorate.

88. Examples of collaboration on delivery are the Franklin Paths Programme, jointly developed and delivered through Regional Services and Strategy and Parks and Community Facilities, as well as pathway connections which may be funded by Auckland Transport but delivered by Parks and Community Facilities.

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

Local impacts and local board views

89. The feedback received from the local board through a series of workshops in May and June 2023 has informed the proposed Customer and Community Services work programme.

90. A focus area of the work programme is to respond to local board aspirations through consideration of the local board plans. The work programmes consider communities of greatest need and the building of capacity within those communities through community-led delivery and partnerships.

91. Planning and delivery of some activities involves consultation with the community to ensure that their aspirations are understood and responded to. The work programme outlines (by line) the further opportunities for the local board’s input into deliverables, so that delivery reflects local community priorities.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

92. The provision of services, facilities and open spaces support the realisation of the aspirations of Māori, promote community relationships, connection to the natural environment and foster holistic wellbeing of whānau, hapū and iwi Māori.

93. Attachment B shows local board projects or programmes that are ranked as delivering ‘high or moderate’ Māori outcomes. They involve ongoing collaboration with Māori or are delivered by Māori.

94. Projects or programmes in Attachment A may also contribute to Māori outcomes but are not highlighted as they are identified to have a low or no impact.

95. It is recognised that engagement with Māori is critical. If not already completed, engagement will occur on a programme or individual project basis, where appropriate, prior to any work commencing. Engagement outcomes with Māori will be reported back separately to the local board at the appropriate time.

96. Further information about the response to Māori aspirations as described in the work programme, is captured in the Analysis and Advice section.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

97. Each activity line has a budget allocation in one or more of the financial years e.g. 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Where activity lines show a zero-dollar operating expense (opex) budget, this reflects implementation costs met through staff salary or other funding sources.

98. The 2023/2024 activities recommended for local board approval can be accommodated within 2023/2024 budgets and staff resources.

99. The budgets allocated to activities in the financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 in the Parks and Community Facilities budgets are indicative, and are subject to change due to any increased costs, inflation or reduction to the overall available annual council budget that may occur.

100. Table six summarises the budget sources and allocation for each work programme financial year.

Table six: Franklin Local Board budget allocation

Local budgets	2023/2024 (approve)	2024/2025 (approve in principle Parks & Community Facilities only)	2025/2026 (approve in principle Parks & Community Facilities only)
Operational (Opex): Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI)	1,110,454	35,000	35,000
Opex: Asset Based Services (ABS)	13,396,348	0	0
Capital (Capex): Local Asset Renewals - Budget (ABS)	9,365,466	5,135,615	3,070,080
Capex: Local Asset Renewals - Proposed Allocation (ABS)	9,331,748	5,074,830	3,033,158
Advanced Delivery RAP*	0
Capex: Local Asset Renewals - Unallocated budget (ABS)	33,718	60,785	36,922
Capex: Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) – Budget	212,000	684,625	1,036,534
Capex: Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) - Proposed Allocation	211,698	681,873	1,016,873
Advanced Delivery RAP*	0
Capex: Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) - Unallocated budget	302	2,752	19,661
Capex: Growth projects Allocation	222,000	350,000	745,000
Capex: Coastal projects Allocation	0	0	0
Capex: Slips Prevention projects Allocation	50,000	360,000	482,500
Capex: Specific Purpose Funding - Allocation	0	0	0
Capex: One Local Initiative	0	0	0
Capex: Long-term Plan discrete	0	0	0
Capex: Natural Environment Targeted Rate	0	0	0
Capex: External Funding Allocation	0	0	0
TOTAL ALLOCATIONS	$9,835,445	$6,501,702	$5,312,531

* See paragraphs 62 to 64 for RAP explanation

101. The budgets are based on the allocations in the Long-term Plan 2021-2031. Budgets are subject to change during council’s Annual Budget and future long-term plan processes. Where decisions on the Annual Budget result in budget reductions, the work programme will need to be amended to align to these budgets via future decisions of the local board.

102. During delivery of the 2023/2024 work programme, where an activity is cancelled or no longer required, the local board can reallocate the associated budget to an existing work programme activity or create a new activity within that financial year. This process will include agreement from each department and will need to be formally resolved on by the local board.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

103. The most significant risk is that delivery of the Customer and Community Services work programme is dependent on the local board approving the work programme by 25 July 2023. Approval of the work programme later into the financial year will result in delays to delivery.

104. The majority of operational (opex) activities in the work programme are ongoing and occur annually. Risks associated with these activities have been identified in previous years and are managed on an ongoing basis.

105. Storm recovery investigation work is still in progress. In most cases, some provision has been made to manage the impacts, but mitigation will need to be refined and worked through with the local boards.

106. There are constraints with accessing geotechnical reports and assessing the asset need and location. Consideration also needs to be given to long term flood impacts. Insurance proceeds need to be understood and will, in part, reduce the liability of recovery. Unfortunately, the many insurance claims will take time to assess and process.

107. Table seven outlines the key risks and mitigations associated with the work programme once it has been approved.

Table seven: risks and mitigations

Risk	Mitigation
Non-delivery, time delays and budget overspend of activities that are managed through the work programme.	Having agreed processes to amend the work programme if activities need to be changed or cancelled. Utilising the Risk Adjusted Programme to progress those activities identified as ready to proceed under the Risk Adjusted Programme at the beginning of the financial year.
Health, safety and wellbeing factors, including external influences relating to work programme delivery may impact the delivery of activities, resulting in activities requiring adjustment.	Health and safety assessments will be conducted prior to commencement of projects. Work programme activities and projects will be adjusted accordingly where these risks occur during the delivery phase.
Extenuating economic and environmental conditions, as well as the possibility of further COVID-19 outbreaks, may continue to create capex delivery challenges, including increased material and labour costs, as well as shortages in both sectors, this in turn will lead to increased overall project costs and may lead to delays in project delivery.	Development of the work programme has included consideration of potential impacts on delivery due to extenuating economic and environmental conditions, as well as possibly of further COVID-19 outbreaks for all activities. Timeframes for some activities are set to enable delivery within the agreed timeframe despite possible delays. Increased costs and delays will be managed as part of the ongoing management of work programmes via additional RAP projects, and the rephasing of projects to accommodate increased budget and address material shortages. Where activities need to be cancelled the local board can reallocate the budget to other activities.
Adverse weather impacts - delays to construction due to soft ground conditions and being unable to construct in the rain has impacted delivery of the capex work programme in the 2022/2023 financial year. Should this continue, which with climate change is likely, this will once again impact delivery.	Having agreed processes to amend the work programme if activities need to be changed or cancelled. Delays will be managed as part of the ongoing management of work programmes via additional RAP projects.
The geopolitical factors may result in further inflationary and supply chain pressures.	Potential inflationary pressures have been modelled into key forecasts, however, uncertainties remain. The ongoing cost increase may become unsustainable, and may require a reprioritization of potential work programmes, capital spend and a potential discontinuation of some programmes.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

108. Delivery of the Customer and Community Service work programme is scheduled to start on 26 July 2023 and continue until 30 June 2024.

109. Regionally funded projects are an exception and will commence after they have been approved by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee in August 2023.

110. The local board will receive progress updates on a quarterly basis, with the first quarterly report available in November 2023.

111. When further decisions for activities are needed at project milestones, these will be brought to the local board at the appropriate time.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Customer and Community Services Work Programme 2023/2024 (Under Separate Cover)
b ⇨	Māori Outcomes (Under Separate Cover)
c ⇨	Regional Projects (Under Separate Cover)
d ⇨	Climate Impacts (Under Separate Cover)

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Justine Haves - General Manager Regional Services & Strategy

Mirla Edmundson - General Manager Connected Communities

Dave Stewart - General Manager Active Communities

Taryn Crewe - General Manager Parks and Community Facilities

Tania Pouwhare - General Manager Community & Social Innovation

Authorisers

Claudia Wyss - Director Customer and Community Services

Sarah McGhee - Acting Local Area Manager, Franklin Manurewa Papakura

Franklin Local Board

25 July 2023

Approval of the 2023/2024 Franklin Local Board Governance Work Programme

File No.: CP2023/09346

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve the 2023/2024 Franklin Local Board Governance work programme.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This report presents the Franklin Local Board’s Governance work programme and associated budgets for approval for the 2023/2024 financial year.

3. The work programme responds to the outcomes and objectives identified in the Franklin Local Board Plan 2020.

4. In June 2023, the Governing Body adopted the council’s 2023/2024 budget, which has reduced some council budgets, including local board budgets. The impact of these reductions were workshopped with the board in May and June 2023 and adjusted following feedback received.

5. The work programme has been developed through a series of workshops between November 2022 and June 2023, where the local board provided feedback to staff on programme and activity prioritisation.

6. The local board indicated its support for the following activities to be delivered in 2023/2024, with budgets as listed below:

· TUIA Programme $3,000

· Ara Kōtui $6,000.

7. The proposed work programme has a total value of $9,000 which can be funded from within the board’s draft locally driven initiatives (LDI) budget for the 2023/2024 financial year.

8. Updates on the delivery of this work programme will be provided through the board’s quarterly performance reports.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Franklin Local Board:

a) whakaae / approve its 2023/2024 Governance work programme and associated budgets, as summarised in the table below (Attachment A to the agenda report):

Activity name	2023/2024 budget for approval
Achieving Māori Outcomes: Tuia Programme	$3,000.00
Achieving Māori Outcomes: Ara Kōtui	$6,000.00
Total	$9,000.00

Horopaki

Context

9. Each year, the local board decides which activities to allocate its annual budget toward through a series of workshops. The local board feedback in these workshops has informed the development of the Governance work programme (Attachment A).

10. In June 2023, the Governing Body adopted the council’s 2023/2024 budget, which has reduced some council budgets, including local board budgets. This reduction has meant cuts to programmes that were approved in principle through the 2022/2023 work programme report, including reduced funding to individual activities or stopping activities. These cuts were workshopped with the board in May and June 2023.

11. This proposed work programme responds to the objectives and key initiatives identified in the Franklin Local Board Plan 2020. The specific objective reflected in the work programme is:

· Objective: Build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with Māori

· Key Initiative: Work with other southern local boards and mana whenua through the Māori input into local board decision-making project to investigate ways to improve mana whenua involvement and influence in local board decisions.

12. The following adopted framework also guided the development of the work programme:

· Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau: A framework to measure Māori wellbeing outcomes and performance for Tāmaki Makaurau.

Māori Outcomes

13. Local boards play a vital role in representing the interests of all Aucklanders and are committed to their Treaty-based obligations and to enabling effective Māori participation (Kia Ora te Hononga).

14. Auckland Council has important statutory obligations with respect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supporting Māori outcomes are implicit within the entire work programme.

15. The local boards recognise the importance of building meaningful relationships with mana whenua, mataawaka and whānau, and understanding Māori aspirations.

16. There is a wide range of activity occurring across Tāmaki Makaurau to advance Māori outcomes. Much of this is led by mana whenua and Māori organisations, as well as government organisations, non-government organisations and businesses.

17. The Auckland Plan’s focus on effective Māori participation is encapsulated in the outcome Kia ora te Hononga.

18. Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau, the council’s Māori outcomes performance measurement framework, informs the majority of the council’s implementation of Māori outcomes. The framework responds to needs and aspirations that Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau, both mana whenua and mataawaka, have expressed to the council.

19. Table one shows the Māori Outcomes strategic priorities within Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau.

Table one: Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau Māori Outcomes Strategic Priorities

Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau Strategic Priorities
Kia Ora te Taiao	Kaitiakitanga
Kia Ora te Umanga	Māori business, tourism and employment
Kia Ora te Ahurea	Māori identity and culture
Kia Ora te Marae	Marae development
Kia Ora te Kāinga	Papakāinga and Māori housing
Kia Ora te Rangatahi	Realising rangatahi potential
Kia Ora te Reo	Te reo Māori
Kia Ora te Hononga	Effective Māori participation
Kia Ora te Whānau	Whānau and tamariki wellbeing

20. Local Board Services leads or contributes to local board initiatives that align with Kia Ora te Hononga, and Kia Ora te Rangatahi.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

21. The proposed work programme is made up of activities continuing from previous financial years. These programmes contribute towards the delivery of the Franklin Local Board Plan 2020, as detailed above.

22. This report seeks local board approval for budgets and activities in 2023/2024.

23. The proposed activities for delivery as part of the board’s 2023/2024 Governance work programme are detailed below.

Ara Kōtui - $6,000

24. The board has indicated that it would like to continue Ara Kōtui in the 2023/2024 financial year. The board is one of five local boards who make up Ara Kōtui (Franklin, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, Franklin, Ōtara-Papatoetoe, and Papakura Local Boards) alongside representatives from mana whenua.

25. These local boards comprise the ‘southern’ local boards, and collectively have an interest in building relationships and partnering with mana whenua iwi who also have an interest in the southern local board areas.

26. In 2022/2023 financial year, each of the member local boards contributed between $5,000 and $11,000 to co-fund Ara Kōtui. This was primarily allocated towards mana whenua attendance fees, and to a council run induction day for elected members introducing Māori in the south and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

27. Staff recommend that each of the five member boards contribute a further $6,000 each towards Ara Kōtui in the 2023/2024 financial year, allowing a total budget of $30,000. Staff recommend that this funding supports:

· mana whenua attendance fees at Ara Kōtui

· any other actions that support building relationship and understanding between local boards and mana whenua, such as collective or individual hui, or cultural induction led by mana whenua.

TUIA rangatahi mentoring programme - $3,000

28. The board has indicated that it would like to continue the TUIA rangatahi mentoring programme in the 2023/2024 financial year.

29. Staff recommend that the board contribute a total budget of $3,000 towards ongoing delivery of this programme in 2023/2024. Staff recommend that this funding supports:

· rangatahi attendance and associated expenses to attend wananga

· any other expenses associated with delivery of this programme.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

30. Each activity in the work programme is assessed to identify whether it will have a positive, neutral, or negative impact on greenhouse gas emissions and contributing towards climate change adaptation.

31. The activities in the Governance work programme have no direct impact on climate change.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

32. The Governance work programme is primarily delivered through staff support from within Local Board Services.

33. Mentoring opportunities through the TUIA programme may require co-operation from other council departments and Council Controlled Organisations.

34. Local Board Services co-ordinates with other departments as required to deliver the Governance work programme, with support from the Local Communications Specialist, and the Customer and Community Services Community Broker roles.

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

Local impacts and local board views

35. The projects proposed for inclusion in the board’s Governance work programme are a continuation of existing projects delivered in previous years.

36. The programmes noted above align with the local board plan objective ‘build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with Māori’. The proposed work programme has been considered by the local board in a series of workshops from November 2022 to June 2023. The views expressed by local board members during the workshops have informed the recommended work programme.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

37. Auckland Council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its broader obligations to Māori.

38. The work programme includes activities that aim to deliver outcomes for and with Māori, in alignment with the strategic priority area Kia ora te Hononga in Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Council’s Māori Outcome Framework). Progress on how the activities are achieving these outcomes will be reported to the local board on a quarterly basis.

39. Table two outlines the activities in the 2023/2024 work programme that contribute towards the delivery of Kia ora te Hononga.

Table two: Māori outcome delivery through proposed activities

Activity name

Māori outcome

Ara Kōtui

Kia Ora Te Hononga: Effective Māori participation

TUIA rangatahi mentoring programme

Kia Ora Te Hononga: Effective Māori participation

Kia Ora Te Rangatahi: Realising rangatahi potential

40. During the Annual Budget consultation, mana whenua and Māori communities indicated that retaining all local board funding for initiatives delivering to Māori Outcomes was a high priority.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

41. The proposed Governance work programme for 2023/2024 totals $9,000 of the board’s locally driven initiatives (LDI) operational budget. This amount can be accommodated within the board’s total budget for 2023/2024.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

42. If the proposed Governance Work Programme is not approved in a timely manner, there is a risk that activities may be delayed or not delivered within the financial year.

43. Resourcing of the work programme is based on current staff capacity within Local Board Services. Therefore, changes to staff capacity may also have an impact on work programme delivery.

44. Delivery of the work programme is also subject to mana whenua, rangatahi and elected mentor participation.

45. Table three shows the key risks associated with activities in the proposed 2023/2024 work programme, as well as proposed mitigations.

Table three: Key risks and mitigations for activities

Activity name	Risk	Mitigation	Rating after mitigation
Ara Kōtui	There is a risk that mana whenua representatives do not attend hui.	Staff work to ensure topics for hui are of interest to mana whenua.	Low
TUIA rangatahi mentoring programme	There is a risk of rangatahi being unable to attend wananga, and mentors having limited time to mentor rangatahi. There is also a risk that no rangatahi will put themselves forward for the 2024 programme.	Staff work to promote the opportunity for rangatahi through existing networks and through connections with mana whenua and Māori organisations. This will begin in Q2. Staff provide rangatahi with administrative support for travel arrangements to attend wananga.	Low

Activity name

Risk

Mitigation

Rating after mitigation

Ara Kōtui

There is a risk that mana whenua representatives do not attend hui.

Staff work to ensure topics for hui are of interest to mana whenua.

Low

TUIA rangatahi mentoring programme

There is a risk of rangatahi being unable to attend wananga, and mentors having limited time to mentor rangatahi. There is also a risk that no rangatahi will put themselves forward for the 2024 programme.

Staff work to promote the opportunity for rangatahi through existing networks and through connections with mana whenua and Māori organisations. This will begin in Q2. Staff provide rangatahi with administrative support for travel arrangements to attend wananga.

Low

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

46. Delivery of the activity in the approved work programme will commence once approved and continue until 30 June 2024. Activity progress will be reported to the local board on a quarterly basis.

47. Where the work programme identifies further decisions and milestones for each activity, these will be brought to the local board when appropriate.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Franklin Local Board Governance Work Programme 2023/2024	53

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Lucy Stallworthy - Local Board Engagement Advisor
Authoriser	Sarah McGhee - Acting Local Area Manager, Franklin Manurewa Papakura

Franklin Local Board

25 July 2023

Council-controlled organisation update on work programme items (Apr-Jun 2023) and expected milestones (Jul-Sep 2023)

File No.: CP2023/08465

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide the Franklin Local Board with a council-controlled organisation (CCO) update on the work programme (Apr-Jun 2023) and expected milestones and engagement approaches in its area for Quarter One (Jul-Sep 2023).

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

1. The 2022/2023 CCO Local Board Joint Engagement Plans were adopted in June 2022. These plans record CCO responsibilities and local board commitments with Auckland Transport, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Eke Panuku Development Auckland and Watercare.

2. Local boards and CCOs were expected to review the joint engagement plans (CCO responsibilities and local board commitments) in June 2023. Due to annual budget impacts and CCO staff restructures, this review is now recommended to occur in September 2023.

3. CCOs provide local boards with the CCO work programme in their area. Each work programme item lists the engagement approach with the local board, activity status, updates and milestones anticipated for the next quarter.

4. Providing local boards with the CCO work programme addresses the 2020 CCO Review’s recommendation to coordinate CCO actions better at the local level.

5. As per the 2022/2023 CCO Local Board Joint Engagement Plans:

· CCOs, when creating their work programme, consider the priorities identified in the local board plan and any relevant strategies or policies specific to the local board area

· Local boards advise CCOs of issues or projects of significance, communicate the interests and preferences of their communities and allow for flexibility in terms of engagement, recognising differing levels of interest.

6. CCOs and local boards workshop the CCO work programme and engagement approach regularly to identify and maximise opportunities for good community outcomes within the local board area.

7. This report provides a formal update on the CCO work programme items from April to June 2023 and the engagement approach and anticipated milestones for Quarter One (Jul-Sep 2023).

8. The Franklin Local Board will receive the next update in October 2023 which will include an update on projects from Quarter One (Jul-Sep 2023) and expected milestones and engagement approaches for work in Quarter Two (Oct-Dec 2023).

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Franklin Local Board:

a) whiwhi / receive the council-controlled organisation update on the work programme (Apr-Jun 2023) and anticipated milestones and engagement approaches for Quarter One (Jul-Sep 2023).

Horopaki

Context

What are CCO Local Board Joint Engagement Plans?

9. The 2020 Review of Auckland Council’s council-controlled organisations recommended that CCOs and local boards adopt an engagement plan to:

· help cement CCO and local board relations

· agree on a common understanding of accountability between CCOs and local boards

· coordinate CCO actions better at the local level.

10. These plans record the commitment between Auckland Transport, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Eke Panuku Development Auckland, Watercare and the local boards to work together.

11. Each local board adopted their 2022/2023 CCO Local Board Joint Engagement Plans in June 2022. These plans include CCO responsibilities and local board commitments.

12. This report does not update the CCO responsibilities and local board commitments. Local boards were expected to revise their engagement plans in June 2023. Due to annual budget impacts and CCO staff restructures, this is now recommended to occur in September 2023.

What are the CCO work programme items?

13. CCOs provide local boards with a work programme that lists the different CCO projects happening in the local board area.

14. The work programme is not a full list of projects in the Franklin Local Board area. It includes work programme items for engagement purposes. Providing local boards with the CCO work programme addresses the 2020 CCO Review’s recommendation to coordinate CCO actions better at the local level.

15. As per the joint engagement plans:

· CCOs, when creating their work programme, consider the priorities identified in the local board plan and any relevant strategies or policies specific to the local board area

· Local boards advise CCOs of issues or projects of significance, to communicate the interests and preferences of their communities and to allow for flexibility in terms of engagement, recognising differing levels of interest.

16. Each work programme item records an engagement approach with the local board, activity status, updates and milestones anticipated for the next quarter.

17. The CCO work programme is intended to be reported through a local board business meeting quarterly for clarity and transparency. These updates may include the following types of changes:

· new work programme items and proposed engagement level

· changes to the engagement approach with the local board

· updates to status or anticipated milestones during the next quarter.

18. The work programme and engagement approach are workshopped regularly between CCOs and local boards to identify and maximise opportunities for good community outcomes within the local board area.

19. The engagement approach is based on the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) standards which are provided in Table 1 below. Note that the “involve” and “empower” categories are not included in the CCO reporting as decided when the joint engagement plans were adopted.

Table 1: International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Engagement Approach Levels

CCO engagement approach	Commitment to local boards
Inform	CCOs will keep local boards informed.
Consult	CCOs will keep local boards informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how local board input influenced the decision. CCOs will seek local board feedback on drafts and proposals.
Collaborate	CCOs will work together with local boards to formulate solutions and incorporate their advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

20. Local boards received the last update to the CCO work programme and engagement approach in April 2023.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

21. The following sections list changes since April 2023 to the CCO work programme for any:

· completed work programme items

· new work programme items

· changes to engagement levels.

22. More detailed updates to the CCO work programme are provided in Attachments A-D.

Auckland Transport

Completed work programme items since April 2023

23. There are two items:

· Otau Mountain Road.

· East Street, Pukekohe

New work programme items since April 2023

24. Auckland Transport has added new projects to the work programme including:

· response to the flood at various stages. i.e. East Street, Pukekohe, Otau Mountain Road.

Changes to work programme item engagement levels since April 2023

25. There are no changes to engagement levels in Auckland Transport’s work programme to report.

26. Auckland Transport’s work programme items are provided in Attachment A.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

Completed work programme items since April 2023

27. There are two items:

· Southern Auckland Economic Masterplan opening with the Minister - this is still on going

· opening of the Hūnua Traverse.

New work programme items since April 2023

28. There are no new items in Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s work programme to report.

Changes to work programme item engagement levels since April 2023

29. There are no changes to engagement levels in Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s work programme to report.

30. Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s work programme items are provided in Attachment B.

Eke Panuku Development Auckland

Completed work programme items since April 2023

31. There is one item:

· Market Hall and Market Street - feedback received on next phase from the local board business meeting in June.

New work programme items since April 2023

32. There are no new work programme items that Eke Panuku Development Auckland has added the following new projects to the work programme.

Changes to work programme item engagement levels since April 2023

33. There are no changes to engagement levels in Eke Panuku Development Auckland’s work programme to report.

34. Eke Panuku Development Auckland work programme items are provided in Attachment C.

Watercare

Completed work programme items since April 2023

35. The Beachlands Servicing strategy was presented to the local board for formal feedback at its May business meeting.

New work programme items since April 2023

36. There are no new items in Watercare’s work programme to report.

Changes to work programme item engagement levels since April 2023

37. There are no changes to engagement levels in Watercare’s work programme to report.

38. Watercare’s work programme items are provided in Attachment D.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

39. This report does not have a direct impact on climate, however the projects it refers to will.

40. Each CCO must work within Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Action Framework. Information on climate impacts will be provided to local boards on a project or programme basis.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

41. Local boards advise CCOs of issues or projects of significance, communicate the interests and preferences of their communities and allow for flexibility in terms of engagement, recognising differing levels of interest.

42. The joint engagement plans and work programme items are shared with the integration teams that implement local board work programmes and give council staff greater ongoing visibility of CCO work programmes.

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

Local impacts and local board views

43. This report on the CCO work programme items ensures the communication of clear, up-to-date information from CCOs to local boards on projects in their area.

44. As per the joint engagement plan, CCOs, when creating their work programme, consider the priorities identified in the local board plan and any relevant strategies or policies specific to the local board area.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

45. This report does not have a direct impact on Māori, however the projects it refers to will.

46. Local boards and CCOs provide opportunities for Māori to contribute to their decision-making processes. These opportunities will be worked on a project or programme basis.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

47. This report does not have financial impacts on local boards.

48. Any financial implications or opportunities will be provided to local boards on a project or programme basis.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

49. Some local boards expressed concern over the quality of CCO work programme reporting in April 2023 and provided views on requiring more regular engagement with CCOs. All local board resolutions in April 2023 were sent to the relative CCO staff for their consideration.

50. If local boards prefer a more formal commitment for workshops with their CCOs, this arrangement can be addressed through revision of the next CCO joint engagement plans (CCO responsibilities and local board commitments) in September 2023.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

51. The local board will receive the next CCO work programme report in October 2023 which will include an update on projects from Quarter One (Jul-Sep 2023) and expected milestones for work in Quarter Two (Oct-Dec 2023).

52. CCOs and local boards will have an opportunity to workshop the CCO forward work programme through August and September before the next report in October 2023.

53. CCOs and local boards are expected to revise their next joint engagement plans (CCO responsibilities and local board commitments) in September 2023.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Attachment A Auckland Transport	61
b ⇩	Attachment B Tataki Auckland Unlimited	67
c ⇩	Attachment C Eke Panuku	71
d ⇩	Attachment D Watercare Franklin	73

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Maclean Grindell - Senior Local Board Advisor

Orrin Kapua - Local Board Advisor

Authorisers

Louise Mason - General Manager Local Board Services

Sarah McGhee - Acting Local Area Manager, Franklin Manurewa Papakura

Franklin Local Board

25 July 2023

Auckland Transport: Franklin Local Board Transport Capital Fund

File No.: CP2023/09034

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek approval for the allocation of the 2023-2025 Franklin Local Board transport capital fund (LBTCF).

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Transport (AT) manages the LBTCF on behalf of the Franklin Local Board. AT provides advice to support local board decision-making. A decision relating to the allocation of the Local Board Transport Capital Fund is being sought.

3. The indicative budget for the Franklin Local Board this political term is $2.5 million.

4. The cost to complete the Jutland Road bridge has increased by $600,000. This leaves $1,915,049 for the other candidate projects.

5. The long list of projects was reduced by the board to meet the available funds.

6. In this report, AT recommends that the local board allocate the full $2.5 million.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Franklin Local Board:

a) allocate the Local Board Transport Capital Fund 2022-2025 in part as follows:

i) Jutland Road Bridge - $600,000 (further funding)

ii) Beachlands Kerb and Channel - $680,000 (partial project)

iii) Clarks Beach/Waipa Pa Pathway - $700,000

iv) King/Kitchener Roads Crossing Upgrade - $70,000

v) Valley/Belgium Roads Intersection Improvements - $150,000

vi) George Street/France Street/Kaiwaka Road - Waiuku Primary School - $300,000.

Horopaki

Context

7. The Local Board Transport Capital Fund is an AT fund established in 2012, to allow local boards to deliver small projects in their local area that would not normally be prioritised by Auckland Transport. The indicative budget for Franklin Local Board’s allocation of LBTCF for the 2022 – 2025 political term is $2.5 million.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

8. Workshops to gather suggestions for the local board transport capital projects began with the Franklin Local Board early in 2023. The first workshop sought to gather new ideas for worthwhile projects as well as present some suggestions from members of the public or from local schools.

9. AT followed this up in May 2023 with a second workshop that provided board members with high level costings for projects and the opportunity to highlight their priorities.

10. The board requested that AT report back in a workshop on the Jutland Road Bridge, particularly the Geotech. This was planned to happen before the Board meeting. However, a change project matter meant this was not possible.

11. There was also a request to review the cost of the pathway. Given the timeframes involved it was not achievable. It is recommended that the board allocate the full $700,000. With this approval work can progress and any savings identified can be reported back.

12. The completion of the Beachlands Kerb projects is $1.6 million. It is recommended that one or two of the stages proceed this term.

Project Details

Jutland Road Bridge	Additional Funding	$600,000
Beachlands Kerb and Channel Improvements	First View Avenue, Second View Avenue and Karaka Avenue; Cost estimates for each street: Karaka Road: $300k First View Ave: $680k Second View Ave: $380k	$680,000
Clarks Beach - Waiau Pa pathway	A 3.2 km gravel walkway along Clarks Beach Road between the communities particularly for school children	$700,000
King Street, Kitchener Road - Upgrade crossing	Relocate pram crossings and island cut through back away from the intersection. Pedestrian demand from school students and general foot traffic	$70,000
Valley Road/Belgium Road - intersection improvements	Install splitter islands to provide clear delineation of the approach lanes at the intersection. Low risk, unsupportive driver behavior, kerb buildouts	$150,000
George Street/France Street/Kaiwaka Road - Waiuku Primary School	Pedestrian improvements e.g., splitter islands/build-outs on side roads, high school pedestrian demand. AT has a project to raise the main zebra crossing outside the Waiuku Primary School, this will link with that crossing.	$300,000

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

13. Auckland Council has declared a climate emergency and has developed Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan.

14. AT therefore urges the Franklin Local Board to consider prioritisation of projects that help reduce carbon emissions.

15. All the proposed projects above will encourage safer travel, pedestrian, and passenger transport usage.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

16. Any engagement required with other parts of the Council group will be carried out on an individual project basis.

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

Local impacts and local board views

17. Franklin Local Board discussed this programme of work at two workshops with Auckland Transport. This report reflects the views of the local board as expressed in the workshops.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

18. The actions being considered do not have specific impacts on Māori. Both Auckland Transport and Auckland Council are committed to meeting their responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and its broader legal obligations in being more responsible or effective to Māori. Auckland Transport’s Māori Responsiveness Plan outlines the commitment to 19 mana whenua tribes in delivering effective and well-designed transport policy and solutions for Auckland. We also recognise mataawaka and their representative bodies and our desire to foster a relationship with them. This plan is available on the Auckland Transport website - https://at.govt.nz/about-us/transport-plans-strategies/maori-responsiveness-plan/#about.

19. Any Auckland Transport project that requires consultation with iwi will include that activity within its project plan.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

20. This report requires consideration of a significant financial commitment of up to $2.5 million by the Franklin Local Board.

21. The costs calculated are based on estimates and it is possible that costs on some projects may be under or over the estimations.

22. The budget for the next three years was presented by AT staff at the Chairs Forum on 10 July 2023. It shows the approved budget for 2023/24 and endorsed budget for the following two financial years. This means there is a potential shortfall of capital budget over the three-year term when compared to the information discussed in recent workshops.

23. AT still recommends that the local board continues to plan on a three-year period and allocate funds to the levels discussed at the workshops, as reflected in this report. This is because some of the projects may not be able to be constructed in this political term and there may be unspent funds available from other projects. This could mean that the projects on the list for the local board’s LBTCF may be funded. However, we also recommend that local boards are prepared to reprioritise project funding once the confirmed budget is known for each financial year.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

24. As resources are constrained, delaying decision making could have a significant impact on delivery timelines.

25. There are a number of fully funded projects across the region from the last political term that still need to be delivered. As resources are constrained, and in order to complete these projects from last term, AT may need to delay the investigation of new projects until while completing these projects. This means that the timeframe for AT to come back to the local board for further decision-making with confirmed costs and concept designs for the new projects, is likely the first quarter of 2024.

26. There is a risk that some new projects may cost more than is budgeted in this report, but equally some projects may reduce in scope after further investigation work is carried out. For instance, some sites may merit pedestrian refuges rather than raised crossings. This will be discussed with the local board once further investigation work is completed.

27. As resources and budgets are constrained, delaying decision making means that there is less time for planning for the investigation, design, and subsequent delivery of the projects that the local board wishes to progress. Timely decision making will provide the best opportunity for these projects to be delivered in the current political term.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

28. Auckland Transport will take note of the local board’s confirmed projects come back to the local board initial concepts are completed and costs for the projects are better understood.

29. Concepts and costs for the selected projects will be discussed at workshops with the local board and depending on the feedback received, they will then proceed to public consultation.

30. After public consultation, detailed design is completed and at this stage the local board will be requested to confirm the projects for delivery.

31. Throughout the concept and design process, Auckland Transport will keep the local board updated and when a decision is required, a report will be made to a public meeting so the members can consider it and decide on next steps.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Bruce Thomas, Elected Member Relationship Partner

Authorisers

Sila Auvaa, Programme Manager – on behalf of Dan Lambert

Sarah McGhee - Senior Local Board Advisor

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Franklin Communiy Grant Programme 2023/2024	87

Franklin Local Board

25 July 2023

Auckland Unitary Plan - Local board views on Plan Change 87 (Private) for 301 and 303 Buckland Road, Pukekohe

File No.: CP2023/07947

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To invite local board views on a private plan change to the Auckland Unitary Plan (‘AUP’) by Pukekohe Ltd for 301 and 303 Buckland Road, Pukekohe.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Decision-makers on a private plan change to the AUP must consider a local board’s views on the plan change, if the local board chooses to provide its views.

3. Pukekohe Ltd lodged Private Plan Change 87 (‘PC87’) for 301 and 303 Buckland Road, Pukekohe. The purpose of the plan change is to rezone land from the existing Future Urban Zone (‘FUZ’) to the Business – General Business Zone (‘GBZ’) in the AUP.

4. Plan Change 87 was publicly notified on 27 October 2022 with the submission period closing on 1 December 2022.

5. Six submissions were received. Key submission themes included support for and opposition to the change of zoning, ensuring certainty on the delivery of transport upgrades, reverse sensitivity and ensuring infrastructure (roading, water, wastewater, stormwater) were provided for to support the rezoning.

6. The Summary of Decisions Requested (‘SDR’) – which provides a summary of ‘primary’ submissions received (with original submissions attached), was notified on 10 February 2023 with the further submission period closing on 24 February 2023. One further submission was received.

7. A local board can present local views and preferences when expressed by the whole local board. This report is the mechanism for the local board to resolve and provide its views on PC87. Staff do not recommend what view the local board should convey.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Franklin Local Board:

a) provide local board views on Plan Change 87 by Pukekohe Ltd for 301 and 303 Buckland Road, Pukekohe.

b) appoint a local board member to speak to the local board views at a hearing on Plan Change 87, if considered necessary by the local board.

c) delegate authority to the chairperson of Franklin Local Board to make a replacement appointment in the event the local board member appointed in resolution b) is unable to attend the private plan change hearing.

Horopaki

Context

8. Each local board is responsible for communicating the interests and preferences of people in its area regarding the content of Auckland Council’s strategies, policies, plans, and bylaws. Local boards provide their views on the content of these documents. Decision-makers must consider local boards’ views when deciding the content of these policy documents (ss15-16 Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009).

9. A private plan change request will be included in the AUP if it is approved. Local boards must have the opportunity to provide their views on private plan change requests – when an entity other than the council proposes a change to the AUP.

10. If the local board chooses to provide its views, the planner includes those views in the hearing report. The hearing report will address issues raised in local board views and submissions by themes.

11. If appointed by resolution, local board members may present the local board’s views at the hearing to commissioners, who decide on the private plan change request.

12. This report provides an overview of the private plan change, and a summary of submissions’ key themes.

13. The report does not recommend what the local board should convey, if the local board expresses its views on PC87. The planner must include any local board views verbatim in the evaluation of the private plan change. The planner cannot advise the local board as to what its views should be, and then evaluate those views.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

14. The plan change area comprises two neighbouring properties at 301 and 303 Buckland Road (refer to Figure 1 below) and is approximately 7.8 hectares in total area. The plan change area is located approximately 1.7km south of the Pukekohe Town Centre.

Figure 1: 301 and 303 Buckland Road (showing the plan change area within the yellow lines)

15. There are a variety of land uses which surround the plan change area:

· Pukekohe Park, a horse racing, motor racing and community events facility is located directly across Buckland Road. The zoning is Special Purpose – Major Recreation Facility (‘MRFZ’)

· Adjoining the site to the west is rural land used for commercial horticultural. The zoning is Rural – Rural Production Zone (‘RPZ’)

· To the north is a mix of large format retail and industrial land uses just outside of the Pukekohe Town Centre. The zoning includes the Business – Light Industry Zone (‘LIZ’) and the GBZ

· Future Urban zoned land adjoins the site to the south and includes uses such as grazing, residential (typically single dwellings) and ancillary agriculture buildings.

16. The plan change area is currently comprised of grazed pasture with structures associated with agricultural use (301 Buckland Road) and a single dwelling (303 Buckland Road) with residential amenities. Topography across the site is mainly flat to undulating pastoral farmland with rolling sides which dip towards Buckland Road to the east. The predominant vegetation cover is pasture, with limited hedging, amenity plantings and trees. The plan change area straddles two catchments and overland flow paths drain towards Manukau Road and Buckland Road, eventually passing through culverts towards Tutaenui Stream.

17. The plan change area is zoned Future Urban and is subject to the following controls:

a) Natural Resources: High-Use Aquifer Management Areas Overlay [rp] - Pukekohe Kaawa Aquifer

b) Natural Resources: High-Use Aquifer Management Areas Overlay [rp] - Pukekohe Central Volcanic

c) Natural Resources: Quality-Sensitive Aquifer Management Areas Overlay [rp] - Franklin Volcanic Aquifer

d) Controls: Macroinvertebrate Community Index – Rural.

Plan Change overview

18. The private plan change seeks to rezone land at 301 and 303 Buckland Road, Pukekohe from FUZ to GBZ (see Figure 2 below).

A picture containing map

Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Figure 2: Existing AUP zoning (left) shows the FUZ within the extent of the plan change area. The area to the west is the Rural Production Zone and the area across the road is the Special Purpose – Major Recreation Facility Zone. Areas to the north are zoned a mixture of General Business Zone and Light Industry Zone. Areas to the south are zoned Future Urban. The proposed AUP zoning (see figure to the right) as a result of this plan change, would be Light Industry Zone, as shown.

19. The applicant’s stated purpose of PC87 is to introduce an appropriate urban zoning for the site in order to meet demand for business land and provide opportunities for local employment.

20. PC87 as notified does not seek any other changes to the AUP aside from the rezoning.

21. The plan change includes technical reports that evaluate the proposed zoning including infrastructure, geology, traffic, contaminated land, economics and cultural values assessments. The reports and other application details are available from council’s website here.

22. Council’s planner, and other experts, will evaluate and report on:

· technical reports supplied by the applicant

· submissions

· views and preferences of the local board if the local board passes a resolution.

Strategic planning context

23. The Pukekohe-Paerata Structure Plan 2019 (‘the structure plan’) has been prepared to guide future development of this area over a 30-year period, consistent with the council’s Future Urban Land Supply Strategy 2017 (‘FULSS’). The structure plan’s preferred zoning over the plan change area is the LIZ which differs from the applicant’s proposed GBZ. The appropriateness of the proposed zoning will be considered in the hearing report.

24. The FULSS is a council strategy that indicates the sequencing of when different FUZ areas across Auckland are anticipated to be development ready (i.e. have infrastructure to support urban development). The FULSS identifies the FUZ land in the plan change area as being development ready in the second half of Decade One (2023-2027).

25. A new Future Development Strategy (‘FDS’) is being developed by the council and a draft edition is currently being consulted on (6 June – 31 July). The consultation draft FDS proposes extending out the time periods for when different Future Urban zoned areas will be development ready. For the plan change area, the draft FDS proposes the area will be development ready 2030+.

26. Future funding and the provision of infrastructure necessary to support urban development in the plan change area will be considered in the hearing report and the decision-making process on PC87.

27. Plan Change 78 (‘PC78’) is the council’s intensification planning instrument required to incorporate the medium density residential standards (‘MDRS’) into relevant residential zones, and to give effect to the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (‘NPS-UD’). PC78 was notified in August 2022 and is part way through the statutory intensification streamlined planning process. PC78 and the requirements of MDRS and the NPS-UD do not affect PC87 and the GBZ in its proposed location.

Themes from submissions received

28. PC87 was publicly notified on 27 October 2022 with the submission period closing on 1 December 2022. The SDR was notified on 10 February 2023, with the further submission period closing on 24 February 2023.

29. Nineteen submission points were made by 6 submitters.

30. The matters covered by the submissions are summarised as follows:

· support for the GBZ

· request rezoning to the LIZ instead of GBZ

· the impact of the development on the local transport network and ensuring certainty that necessary transport infrastructure will be identified and delivered through a Precinct

· ensuring infrastructure in the area in terms of roads, water, stormwater and wastewater are provided for to support the plan change

· managing the effects of reverse sensitivity on adjacent Rural Production zoned land

· the sharing of costs for any upgrades to the intersection at Buckland Road, Manukau Road and Kitchener Road as a requirement for approval of the plan change.

Table 1: Submissions

Submissions	Number of submissions
In support, as notified	1
In support but with provisos	1
Neutral, with suggested amendments if approved	3
Oppose but if approved, with suggested amendments	1

31. Information on individual submissions, and the summary of all decisions requested by submitters, is available from the council’s website here.

32. One further submission was received. Further submissions are only able to support or oppose primary submissions received and are not able to raise new matters. Therefore, further submissions will not change the submission themes identified above.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

33. Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan sets out Auckland’s climate goals:

· to adapt to the impacts of climate change by planning for the changes we will face (climate adaptation)

· to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 (climate mitigation).

34. The local board could consider if the private plan change:

· will reduce, increase or have no effect on Auckland’s overall greenhouse gas emissions

· prepare the region for the adverse impacts of climate change (i.e. does the private plan change elevate or alleviate climate risks (e.g. flooding, coastal and storm inundation, urban heat effect, stress on infrastructure).

35. Development of the site as proposed may have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions given the use of private vehicles and limited public transport. However, this is potentially offset by the provision of local employment opportunities (reducing the need to travel further afield for employment) and improved access to business services, both of which may help to sustain Pukekohe as a self-sufficient rural community with a population of nearly 30,000 people.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

36. Plans and Places has sought advice from Healthy Waters on the plan change, which will inform the recommendations made in the planner’s section 42A hearing report.

37. Auckland Transport submitted on the plan change. Auckland Transport indicates that they oppose the plan change unless their matters raised are adequately addressed. The primary relief sought by Auckland Transport is the introduction of a Precinct and Precinct Plan for the site to provide certainty that all the necessary transport upgrades will be delivered. Such upgrades include a new collector road, walking and cycling facilities, intersection upgrades and urbanisation of rural roads. The applicant and Auckland Transport have come to an agreement on precinct provisions and a precinct plan for the plan change area.

38. Watercare Services did not submit on the plan change. The applicant’s infrastructure report has confirmed that there are no constraints to subdivision and development of the site from a bulk water supply perspective.

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

Local impacts and local board views

39. The private plan change request does not relate to public land for which the local board has decision making powers.

40. Factors the local board may wish to consider in formulating its view:

· interests and preferences of people in the local board area

· well-being of communities within the local board area

· local board documents, such as the local board plan, local board agreement

· responsibilities and operation of the local board.

41. This report is the mechanism for obtaining formal local board views. The decision-maker will consider local board views, if provided, when deciding on the private plan change.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

42. If the local board chooses to provide its views on the plan change it includes the opportunity to comment on matters that may be of interest or importance to Māori, well-being of Māori communities or Te Ao Māori (Māori world view). In the 2018 census results 11,247 residents in the local board area identify as Māori.

43. The applicant has indicated that they engaged with mana whenua to discuss the merits of the proposal and to get advice on cultural matters. A Cultural Values Assessment (‘CVA’) was prepared by Ngāti te Ata and Ngāti Tamaoho for the plan change area. The matters raised by Ngāti te Ata and Ngāti Tamaoho in the CVAs will be addressed in the hearing report.

44. A number of iwi groups (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti te Ata, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngāti Tamaoho, Waikato - Tainui and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki) were provided direct notice of the plan change upon notification.

45. No iwi groups submitted on the plan change.

46. The hearing report will include analysis of Part 2 of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) which requires that all persons exercising RMA functions shall take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The private plan change does not trigger an issue of significance as identified in the Schedule of Issues of Significance and Māori Plan (2017, Independent Māori Statutory Board.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

47. The private plan change request does not pose any financial implications for the local board’s assets or operations.

48. Costs associated with processing the private plan change request will be recovered from the applicant.

49. Impacts on infrastructure arising from the private plan change request, including any financing and funding issues will be addressed in the hearing report.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

50. There is a risk that the local board will be unable to provide its views and preferences on the plan change, if it does not pass a resolution. This report provides:

· the mechanism for the Franklin Local Board to express its views and preferences

· the opportunity for a local board member to speak at a hearing.

51. If the local board chooses not to pass a resolution at this business meeting, these opportunities are forgone.

52. The power to provide local board views regarding the content of a private plan change cannot be delegated to individual local board member(s) (Local Government Act 2002, Sch 7, cls 36D). This report enables the whole local board to decide whether to provide its views and, if so, to determine what matters those views should include.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

53. The planner will include, and report on, any resolution of the local board in the hearing report. The local board member appointed to speak to the local board’s views will be informed of the hearing date and invited to the hearing for that purpose.

54. The planner will advise the local board of the decision on the private plan change request by memorandum.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Jimmy Zhang - Planner

Authorisers

John Duguid - General Manager - Plans and Places

Sarah McGhee - Acting Local Area Manager, Franklin Manurewa Papakura

Franklin Local Board

25 July 2023

2025 Auckland Council elections - electoral system

File No.: CP2023/09388

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide feedback to the Governing Body on whether the electoral system should change from First Past the Post (FPP) to Single Transferable Voting (STV).

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The council has previously decided to retain FPP, giving priority to keeping the voting experience as simple as possible for the voter.

3. STV has recognised benefits as an electoral system and the Future for Local Government Review has recommended it be mandatory for all councils.

4. A key feature of STV is that it permits the voter to vote for the candidate they prefer without being deterred by the prospect their vote might be wasted if the candidate is not a popular choice. STV allows the voter’s vote to count towards the voter’s second preference if their first preference is not elected. Their vote may be transferred to subsequent preferences if this is required.

5. Another key feature of STV is that it can allow a more proportional outcome in a multi-member election. A “quota” defines the number of votes required to be elected. Under STV a minority group might have enough votes to elect the group’s candidate whereas under FPP a minority group may never be represented (those in a majority group will always outnumber those in a minority group).

6. A downside to STV is that it can add complexity to the voting experience for voters who do not have sufficient knowledge about candidates. In these situations, it is difficult enough for a voter to decide for whom to vote, without then having to decide a ranking. However, STV as practiced in New Zealand does not require a voter to indicate a preference for each position. A voter could just indicate a first preference if that is their wish.

7. It is also debatable whether voters in New Zealand local government elections vote in groups, whether those groups are political parties, or demographic groups. In local government elections overseas where STV is used candidates stand in political parties and voters align with such political parties. STV ensures the success of political party candidates is proportional to the voting patterns in the community. In New Zealand local government elections, voters and candidates do not align with political parties to the same extent (though there is some alignment) – the meaning of a proportional outcome is less clear.

8. This report sets out the key advantages and disadvantages of STV. On balance there may be a benefit to voters through being able to express preferences thereby avoiding wasting their vote, even though this introduces some complexities for some voters. The complexity associated with STV voting can be mitigated with simple and clear instructions on how to vote.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Franklin Local Board:

a) whakarite /provide feedback to the Governing Body on whether the electoral system should be changed from First Past the Post to Single Transferable Voting for the 2025 elections.

Horopaki

Context

9. The Local Electoral Act 2001 (LEA) provides for two electoral systems for council elections:

(i) First Past the Post (FPP)

(ii) Single Transferable Vote (STV).

10. Prior to each council election the council can decide which electoral system to use. If the council wishes to change its electoral system to STV it must resolve to change to STV for the next two elections by 12 September 2023 (LEA s 27). A council may resolve to conduct a poll (referendum) on whether to change to STV. This might be held as a standalone poll or in conjunction with the next election. Also, a petition from 5% of electors can demand that the council conduct a poll.

11. Whenever the Governing Body has considered these matters in the past it has decided to retain FPP, its focus being on the voter and making the voting experience as simple as possible.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

FPP

12. FPP, also known as plurality voting, has the feature that candidates having more votes win over candidates having fewer votes. In a community which has minority groups, minority groups might never be represented if it is assumed that groups vote only for candidates representing their group or community of interest.

13. A simple scenario illustrates the implications. In this hypothetical scenario an electorate has a majority group and a minority group and each group puts up candidates for a multi-vacancy election (for example a multi-member ward). The majority group will out-vote the minority group for each vacancy because it has more voters and each voter can vote for each vacancy. FPP is characterised as a ‘winner takes all’ electoral system. In this simple scenario of a majority group and a minority group the minority group will never be represented. It does not have enough votes to out-vote the majority group. (In this example the term “group” is used generically. Discussion about FPP and proportional systems like STV in the literature is typically in terms of political groups. However the same arguments apply if the groups are demographic groups such as ethnic groups or age groups).

STV - features

14. For STV, voters mark the candidates in order of preference -1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. To determine who is elected, a quota is determined from the number of votes and the number of positions to be filled. The first preferences for each candidate are counted. Any candidate who has votes equal to or greater than the quota is elected. Any surplus votes (over the quota) of the elected candidates are redistributed to voters' next preferences. When all surpluses have been redistributed, the last placed candidate is excluded and their votes redistributed to voters' next preferences. This process continues until the total number of candidates to be elected is reached.

15. One key feature of STV is the “quota”. This is the number of votes a candidate must receive in order to get elected. Because each voter has only one vote the total pool of votes is equal to the total number of electors who are voting. The quota is obtained by dividing the total votes by one more than the number of vacancies and adding a small number^{^[1]} to avoid a tie. For example, if the total number of voters is 10,000 and there are 4 vacancies, then the quota is obtained by dividing 10,000 by five to give 2,000 votes (plus a small number) as the quota. Any candidate reaching the quota will be elected^{^[2]}. If there was a majority group of 6,000 voters and a minority group of 4,000 voters the minority group now has a chance of electing a representative because it is able to provide the required 2,000 votes to elect a candidate (whereas under FPP the majority group could take all seats).

16. STV is considered to be a proportional electoral system in that the outcome of an election will be more closely proportionate to the voting patterns in the community, particularly in a multi-member election (single or double-member wards would not provide the scope for a range of groups to be represented).

17. A second key feature of STV is that it addresses the issue of wasted votes by enabling voters to express their preferences. FPP can discourage a voter from voting for the candidate they prefer because they know their vote would be wasted if the candidate was not likely to get elected. Under STV a voter’s first preference might be for the candidate they prefer but if that candidate was eliminated then their vote would go to their second preference and so on. Under STV it is safer for a voter to vote for the candidate they actually prefer because they know that if their preferred candidate is not eventually elected then their vote will count toward their second and subsequent preferences.

18. The aspect of wasted votes under FPP has been highlighted at mayoral elections. In the most recent mayoral election candidates withdrew to avoid voters wasting their votes on them. If STV had been in place this might not have been necessary.

19. For single-seat elections such as a mayoral election or election of one member in a single-seat ward, STV has the feature that a winning candidate will receive a majority of votes and not just more votes than other candidates. This is because at each iteration of vote counting the lowest scoring candidate is eliminated until, at the final iteration, the contest is between two candidates.

20. The Governing Body might resolve to provide for Māori representation by way of one or more Māori wards. There would, at most, be two members elected from a Māori ward. STV could assist those voting on the Māori roll – a voter could express a first preference for a candidate that represents their own mana whenua group and also express a second and subsequent preferences in case that candidate did not get elected.

STV – concerns

Voter turnout

21. The effect of varying patterns of voter turnout might be a greater concern than achieving proportionality. For proportionality to be achieved it is best to have multi-member electorates. Governing Body wards are currently single or double member wards. As noted in the review of the 2022 elections there are widely varying voter turnout patterns around Auckland. If, say, a six-member ward was created, being three times the size of a double-member ward, then the differences in voter turnout within the ward might be of more significant concern than achieving proportionality through STV.

22. For example, if the Manukau, Howick and Manurewa-Papakura wards were combined then the part of this new large ward that would have the most voter turnout would be in the Howick area. It is possible that Howick voters would determine who represented Māngere and Ōtara.

23. The ward system spreads representation around Auckland geographically and because of the varying voter turnout patterns might be of more importance in terms of achieving representation of communities than adopting STV. STV might still be of benefit in single-member ward elections because of its preferential voting features which address the wasted vote issue. Local board elections use multi-member electorates (members are elected at-large or by subdivisions) and STV could be of benefit in achieving proportional representation.

New Zealand council elections not party- based

24. In New Zealand local government elections achieving a proportional result might not be very meaningful. The proportionality benefits of STV are usually explained in terms of voters voting in groups for candidates that represent the voters’ groups. For example, if there are younger voters who make up a proportion of the electorate but there are a greater number of older voters who vote for candidates in their own age group the younger voters as a group might not be represented under FPP^{^[3]} but under STV might be able to achieve sufficient votes to reach the quota. However, if voters do not vote in groups then it is difficult to explain how STV might enhance proportionality. In local government elections voting in groups does not occur to the extent it occurs in Parliamentary elections when voters align with political parties.

25. In local elections overseas where STV is used such as Ireland and Scotland, candidates are party-based. If, in New Zealand local government elections, voters tend to vote for candidates they consider to be the best candidates regardless of political group, age group, ethnic group or other type of group, then the proportionality benefits of STV are more difficult to argue.

Complexity

26. STV adds complexity for the voter. For example, at the 2022 local elections the Manurewa Local Board had 8 vacancies and 29 candidates. The voter is faced with deciding not only which 8 of the 29 candidates should be elected but how to rank them (noting there is no requirement to vote for, or express a preference for, each vacancy). This could make the task of voting more difficult for a voter who does not have any knowledge of candidates other than the information presented in the accompanying profile statements. On the other hand it might make voting a better experience for a voter who does have knowledge of all candidates, has clear preferences for candidates and wishes to use their vote to have an effect on who is elected. Ensuring the voting experience is user-friendly has been a key concern of the council in the past.

27. Hamilton City Council in 2022 moved to STV (and also established a Māori ward) for the first time. It experienced the lowest voter turnout nationally in 2022 at 29.4%.

STV – other councils in New Zealand

28. The following tables list which city and regional councils adopted FPP / STV for the 2022 elections^{^[4]}.

29. Territorial authorities – Auckland Council and city councils (omitting district councils).

30. Data in the table below includes voter turnout, informal votes and election of women councillors. There tend to be more informal votes under STV (voters not marking their voting documents correctly and therefore not counted). STV does not seem to have had a significant effect in 2022 on voter turnout (except for Hamilton) or the election of women councillors.

		Voter turnout	Total votes	Informal votes	Informal votes %	Total coun-cillors	Women coun-cillors	Women coun-cillors %
Auckland Council	FPP	35.2%	404,541	488	0.12	20	8	40.0
Christchurch City Council	FPP	44.4%	120,210	432	0.36	16	5	31.3
Hutt City Council	FPP	41.0%	64,002	250	0.39	12	5	41.7
Invercargill City Council	FPP	53.2%	20,907	87	0.42	12	4	33.3
Napier City Council	FPP	43.9%	18,451	31	0.17	12	6	50.0
Upper Hutt City Council	FPP	43.9%	24,296	42	0.17	10	4	40.0
Dunedin City Council	STV	40.1%	48,133	961	2.00	14	6	30.6
Hamilton City Council	STV	29.4%	32,357	846	2.61	14	7	50.0
Nelson City Council	STV	53.2%	41,794	937	2.24	12	2	16.7
Palmerston North City Council	STV	38.6%	21,370	515	2.41	15	6	40.0
Porirua City Council	STV	37.3%	15,640	212	1.36	10	4	40.0
Wellington City Council	STV	45.5%	73,067	287	0.39	15	8	53.3

Regional councils

Bay Of Plenty Regional Council	FPP
Southland Regional Council	FPP
Hawke's Bay Regional Council	FPP
Northland Regional Council	FPP
Taranaki Regional Council	FPP
Waikato Regional Council	FPP
West Coast Regional Council	FPP
Canterbury Regional Council	FPP
Otago Regional Council	FPP
Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council	FPP
Wellington Regional Council	STV

STV – Future for local government review

31. The Future for Local Government Review Panel has recommended that STV becomes mandatory for all council elections^{^[5]}:

32. “STV can be more representative of voters’ choices because a vote can be transferred if a preferred candidate does not meet a certain threshold. This transfer of votes avoids wasted ballots. Early research demonstrates that STV leads to improvements in the representation of women (Vowles and Hayward 2021). However, the representative benefits of STV work best when there is a large pool of candidates and wards with more than one seat being contested.”

33. It is unknown whether this, or any other recommendation, will be implemented by the incoming Government in time to be in place for the 2025 elections.

STV – poll

34. The council is required to give public notice by 19 September 2023 of the right for 5% of electors to demand a poll on the electoral system to be used for the 2025 elections. Such a public notice is required prior to each election and, in the past, has not resulted in any interest for a poll on whether to change to STV.

35. The council itself may resolve to conduct a poll on the electoral system to be used. A stand-alone poll on changing to STV for 2025 would cost $1.2 – 1.3 million. A poll held in conjunction with the 2025 elections on whether to change to STV for 2028 would cost an additional $90,000 - $120,000.

Conclusion

36. While there are arguments for and against STV, on balance the ability for voters to express preferences is a benefit and is likely to become mandatory if the Future For Local Government Review Panel’s recommendations are implemented.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

37. A change of electoral system will not impact climate change.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

38. A decision about the electoral system affects the election of the mayor, councillors and local board members. It does not have an impact on the council group.

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

Local impacts and local board views

39. This report sets out the benefits and disadvantages of the STV electoral system. The choice of electoral system impacts the election of local board members. Because local board elections are at-large or by multi-member subdivision the proportionality aspects of STV could be of benefit in achieving an outcome that is proportional to the voting patterns in the community.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

40. The Governing Body is considering providing for Māori representation by way of a Māori ward. STV would allow those on the Māori roll to express first preferences for their own mana whenua group candidates while allowing second and subsequent preferences to be counted if their first preference is not elected.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

41. There would be some minor additional cost associated with using STV as compared to FPP due to STV requiring more processing.

42. There would be an additional cost if the council chose to conduct a poll on whether to change to STV as outlined earlier in the report.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

43. If the electoral system is changed to STV it will be important to provide very simple and clear advice to voters on how to vote.

44. Ballot order effect can be more pronounced the harder voting is for a voter. Under STV there may be more of a risk that candidate names at the top of the list might be selected. One mitigation would be to order candidate names randomly. A report on the order of candidate names will be presented for feedback in due course.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

45. The feedback from the local board will be conveyed to the Governing Body.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Warwick McNaughton - Principal Advisor

Authorisers

Carol Hayward - Team Leader Operations and Policy

Louise Mason - General Manager Local Board Services

Sarah McGhee - Acting Local Area Manager, Franklin Manurewa Papakura

[2] The actual formula used in New Zealand is contained in the Local Electoral Regulations 2001, Schedule 1A.

[3] It should be noted though that New Zealand’s youngest Mayor (Gore District Council) was elected under FPP.

Chairperson	Angela Fulljames
Deputy Chairperson	Alan Cole
Members	Malcolm Bell JP
	Sharlene Druyven
	Gary Holmes
	Amanda Hopkins
	Andrew Kay
	Amanda Kinzett
	Logan Soole

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Franklin Local Board workshop record 6 June 2023	119
b ⇩	Franklin Local Board workshop record 13 June 2023	121
c ⇩	Franklin Local Board workshop records 20 June 2023	123
d ⇩	Franklin Local Board workshop record 27 June 2023	125

Author	Denise Gunn - Democracy Advisor
Authoriser	Sarah McGhee - Acting Local Area Manager, Franklin Manurewa Papakura

Exclusion of the Public: Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987