Minutes of Waiheke Local Board - Wednesday, 23 August 2023

Waiheke Local Board

23 August 2023

1 Nau mai | Welcome

Member Matthews opened the meeting with a karakia.

He hōnore, he korōria

Maungārongo ki te whenua

Whakaaro pai e

Kingā tangata katoa

Āmine

Te Atua, to piringa,

Toku orange

All honour and glory to our maker

Let there be peace on earth

May good thoughts come to all men

For ever and ever, for ever and ever.

Amen.

The Maker, the refuge

and my life.

2 Ngā Tamōtanga | Apologies

Resolution number WHK/2023/101

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) accept the apology from Deputy Chair Ranson for illness.

CARRIED

3 Te Whakapuaki i te Whai Pānga | Declaration of Interest

There were no declarations of interest.

4 Te Whakaū i ngā Āmiki | Confirmation of Minutes

Resolution number WHK/2023/102

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Wednesday, 26 July 2023 as a true and correct record.

CARRIED

5 He Tamōtanga Motuhake | Leave of Absence

There were no leaves of absence.

6 Te Mihi | Acknowledgements

The Waiheke Local Board acknowledge with great sadness the passing of Dr. Carola Cullum, PhD. Carola leaves behind an enormous legacy for Waiheke, New Zealand and abroad. Her vision and enthusiasm were contagious. Her work directly contributed to the establishment of Predator Free Waiheke, the Waiheke Collective, the Rocky Bay Ratbusters and Love Our Wetlands. Additionally, she played an integral role in many successful ecological initiatives on the island, including, but not limited to the Waiheke Marina Project, Te Korowai o Waiheke, Waiheke Resources Trust and the Hauraki Gulf Conservation Trust. Furthermore, she served the community as a volunteer at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), was a key member of the Waiheke Bridge Club and an active member of the Rocky Bay community. The Waiheke community will sorely miss her extraordinary presence.

7 Ngā Petihana | Petitions

There were no petitions.

8 Ngā Tono Whakaaturanga | Deputations

There were no deputations.

9 Te Matapaki Tūmatanui | Public Forum

There was no public forum.

10 Ngā Pakihi Autaia | Extraordinary Business

There was no extraordinary business.

Chairperson's report

Resolution number WHK/2023/103

MOVED by Member R Tucker, seconded by Member K Matthews:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) receive Chairperson, Cath Handley’s report.

b) invite Waka Kotahi representatives to meet with board members to clarify the status of the investigation into the PTOM exempt status of the Waiheke ferry service.

CARRIED

Auckland Transport Report - Waiheke Local Board - August 2023

Richard La Ville – Waiheke Manager AT attended in respect to this item.

Resolution number WHK/2023/104

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) receive the Auckland Transport August 2023 update report.

CARRIED

Local board feedback on current proposals for achieving funding equity through the Long-term Plan

Resolution number WHK/2023/105

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) tautoko / support locally driven initiatives (LDI) funding being included in the scope for this analysis, in the light of increased local board decision-making and 80:15:5 being adopted as the equitable model, however, request:

i) that the proposed funding model for the Hauraki Gulf Islands be reviewed to ensure equity, in particular recognising for Waiheke Island:

· increased maintenance, renewal and service requirements of council assets and infrastructure due to usage by the visitor population to Waiheke (numbers currently under review by Auckland Transport but historically estimated at 1 million+);

· 65-70 per cent of domestic visitors to Waiheke are from the Auckland region (all sources);

· increased project cost of up to an additional 20 per cent on Waiheke compared to the isthmus due to transportation, fuel and accommodation costs;

· inability to access regional infrastructure and facilities in the Auckland region;

ii) further investigation into equity of community service provision across Auckland including comparative analysis of assets and facilities, condition assessments, minimum core service levels and contract specifications;

iii) review of the discreet projects within the current Long Term Plan (LTP) to ensure viability and equity;

iv) alignment of funding based on local board needs and historic inequities, such as:

· inequitable regional funding of the Waiheke Community Art Gallery in comparison to other galleries in the region.

c) tautoko / support limiting the scope of the local board funding equity project to local community services and LDI funding.

d) tautoko / support excluding the following items from the scope:

i) growth funding

ii) funding for discrete projects

iii) other specific-purpose funds such as slips remediation and coastal renewals

iv) targeted rate funding

v) other local activities such as local environmental management, local planning and development, and local governance

vi) most unallocated budgets, with the possible exception of some minor capex for response renewals and new non-growth investment.

e) tautoko / support considering capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) funding separately for achieving equity.

Timeframe

f) tautoko / support seeking to achieve funding equity for local boards in a much shorter timeframe (three years) than the 10-15-year period approved in-principle in 2021, noting that this may mean a reduction in funding for some local boards.

g) tautoko / support taking a staged implementation approach of using year one of the Long-term Plan (i.e., 2024-2025) to prepare, and implementing the changes from year two.

Alternative options

h) tautoko / support achieving equity by using a mix of new funding and reallocating funding from local boards that are currently funded over the equitable funding level to local boards that are funded below the equitable funding level.

i) tautoko / support holding new funding in the later seven years of LTP 2024-2034 in a pool which is to be allocated to local boards according to agreed criteria, which are yet to be developed, if getting most local boards to within 5% of funding equity in 3 years is pursued.

Multi-board services

j) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that the proposal for multi-board services needs further investigation to better understand the implications for local boards and the governance structure and that further advice will be brought to the Joint Governance Working Party and local boards in due course.

CARRIED

Member R Tucker left the meeting at 1.35pm.

Member R Tucker returned to the meeting at 1.37pm.

Auckland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan

Resolution number WHK/2023/106

MOVED by Member R Tucker, seconded by Member K Matthews:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) endorse the key focus areas outlined in the Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Plan and thank Auckland Emergency Management and the committee for the swift delivery of the plan.

b) suggest the elaboration and further clarity on the roles and responsibilities of all parties in the Emergency Management structure and bringing this to the beginning of the document so that their respective roles in the 4 Rs (Readiness, Response, Recovery and Reduction) described later in the document are clearly understood and further clarify the roles of CEG partners and local boards in the plan.

c) request that more emphasis is placed on localised responses to emergencies, taking into account the remote nature of some of those communities and their accessibility in an emergency, with particular consideration of the relative isolation of Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier Local Board areas and sufficiently resourcing these communities to respond.

d) include the nature of the water services in rural areas of Auckland and of Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier and their needs in an emergency under infrastructure planning.

e) update the Transportation to include the critical freight links of essential goods and services to Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier by Sealink.

f) support the development and implementation of an Emergency Communication Strategy that allows for multi-channel broadcasts that account for relevant localised information.

g) endorse the need for a robust and well managed volunteer organisation and network that extends beyond council staff, that are trained and can be mobilised locally, particularly in remote communities.

CARRIED

Local board feedback on the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan and Making Space for Water

Resolution number WHK/2023/107

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) whakarite / provide feedback on the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan and the Making Space for Water programme, as set out in the public consultation documents (Attachments A, B, and C) as follows.

c) note that both Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan and the Making Space for Water programme are predicated solely on recent extreme weather events of 2023 and take no account of the flooding events of 2017, and subsequently on Waiheke Island, which have not been fully remediated or recognised in council’s plans and budgets to date;

d) tautoko / support the principles and structure of the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan, envisaged as being two-tiered, with a region-wide section and sections that are place-based.

e) tautoko / support the nine Making Space for Water initiatives and provide the following feedback.

i) Increased maintenance: Keeping the stormwater network ready to handle lower-level flooding events.

Pre-emptive stormwater maintenance and necessary capital investment is required. This includes more frequent catchpit/drain clearing and targeted flow path management and stream clearance. An audit of all stormwater assets should be carried out, together with a maintenance plan.

Co-ordination within the council organisation for roadside and vegetation maintenance is important as debris and vegetation often fills roadside drains which then require repeated clearing, and during flood events. Silt is also a significant problem for the Waiheke Island’s culverts and drains.

There needs to be clearer communication about the process for logging a stormwater issue and the process needs to be very simple.

The community has no awareness of the various responsibilities within the wider council organisation so there needs to be a single point of contact and the issue then triaged by council through to a well-communicated solution.

Communication of landowner responsibilities needs to be regularly communicated and promoted. The board suggest a fridge magnet or similar with precise information to raise household awareness.

There is a large number of absent property owners on the motu, and this can lead to neglected maintenance of drains, so solutions to make absentee homeowners aware of their obligations is required.

Note there may be situations where landowners are unwilling to engage with council due to pre-emptive works undertaken on their own property so there should be consideration of how these ratepayers can be reached.

ii) Flood intelligence: Investing in planning and modelling tools to understand flood patterns and assess future risk.

The board support investment in planning and modelling tools and has regularly advocated for Catchment Management / Watershed Plans. Knowledge and awareness is key to enabling the council, local boards and the community to prepare and respond to future risk.

These would also inform necessary future Planning and Policy changes relating to housing development and infrastructure.

The Flood Viewer tool is a good example of an easy to use tool. Early warning alerts and identification of hot-spots would be welcomed by our community.

iii) Community-led flood resilience: Ensuring we all know what to do before, during and after a flood, and are active in managing our own risks.

Community flood readiness resources and advice on localized strategies to manage flood risk are required by our community.

iv) Stream rehabilitation: Rehabilitating critical high-risk streams to be more resilient to floods.

As Waiheke’s stormwater drainage system predominantly relies on streams and waterways, there is good community awareness of the importance of weed and rubbish free streams and bank and wetland restoration. The board will continue to partner with the council and community partners to continue this work.

v) Rural settlements: Developing flood management solutions for rural communities, marae and papakāinga.

As much of Waiheke is considered rural, the board would welcome advice and support for our community regarding managing water systems including bores, rainwater tanks and septic systems as related to flooding.

vi) Culvert and bridge upgrades: Improving the capacity and resilience of critical culverts and bridges.

The board appreciate the work Healthy Waters has carried out to date on culvert improvements on the motu and draws attention to those requiring repair, replacement or installation on the main roads and recognise the significant budget that will be required to carry out these essential works throughout the region.

vii) Blue-green networks: Creating new waterways (blue) and parks (green) to hold and convey stormwater in areas identified as having critical flood risks, feasible stormwater solutions, and wider community benefits.

Blue-green solutions are supported and recent storm events have proven their effectiveness to divert stormwater and reduce risk to people and property, along with improving carbon sequestration.

viii) Overland flow path management: Keeping private overland flow paths clear of obstructions.

The board welcome information and support for our community to manage all of its overland flow paths.

ix) High risk properties: Working with property owners to develop solutions where occupants are exposed to high flood risk.

The board recognise the significant emotional and financial impact recent weather events have had on many people within the region and supports targeted engagement with those areas most affected by the floods and at risk of future flooding. The board draws attention to the floods on Waiheke in 2017 and more recently and the need to remediate areas of significant risk as a priority.

f) recognise the significant budget required to progress the Making Space for Water initiatives and support inclusion of funding with the LTP, a targeted rate (in principle), and advocacy to central government for crown funding noting that the concept of targeting rates at those most affected by flooding is highly inequitable as the main causes of flooding are not the responsibility of single communities/ratepayer groups, and nor is a split of financial responsibility between council and national government equitable as climate change is a national responsibility, and all taxpayers should bear an equitable burden.

CARRIED

Local board feedback on Māori seats for Auckland Council

Resolution number WHK/2023/108

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member K Matthews:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) note the lack of opportunity for the board to have meaningful input into the consultation material given that it is already open for public submissions and note Q2 of the Have Your Say submission form is not going to be readily understood and may lead to significantly skewed responses.

b) tautoko / support the public consultation for Māori seats for Auckland Council for the 2025 local elections.

c) note that the board has already expressed its preference for a minimum of two Māori seats on the Governing Body elected at large.

CARRIED

Local board feedback on the draft Future Development Strategy

Resolution number WHK/2023/109

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) tautoko / support the draft Future Development Strategy.

b) note that the Hauraki Gulf Islands, whilst mentioned as having major challenges, are not accorded any protections against development going forward which puts their character and their communities and environments at risk.

c) note that the National Planning Standard for Urban Development (NPSUD) specifically excluded the islands of Aotearoa New Zealand from the NPSUD, and Auckland Council now has the opportunity to do the same to protect the special character of the Hauraki Gulf Islands.

d) note that the highly productive soils of Waiheke’s winegrowing industry, that account for significant regional economic value, are not protected from future development.

e) note the deeply undemocratic process of withholding the local submissions from the Waiheke Local Board agenda papers thus precluding the board’s opportunity to represent local views in this feedback which is a statutory obligation of local board members. Members seek an understanding of how additional feedback may be presented by the Waiheke Local Board, and incorporated, in light of the failure to provide the documents required on which the local board relies to make informed decisions.

f) ask the Chair of the Waiheke Local Board to present to the Governing Body or Planning, Environment and Parks Committee of the Governing Body the above issues when the Future Development Strategy is considered.

CARRIED

Local board feedback on the proposed direction of the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024

Resolution number WHK/2023/110

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) tautoko / support the proposed direction of the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan for 2024-2030

b) recommend that an additional proposal be added to change consent conditions to ensure every consent has an approved Construction Waste Plan as is instituted in other local government jurisdictions in Aotearoa New Zealand and with that the funding to make the requisite plan changes to the AUP and the HGIDP.

c) recommend that regional initiatives that model behaviours that accelerate action towards the goals of the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024 are funded accordingly through regional funding grants that are fully realised in the LTP.

d) propose that highly effective communications strategies are funded to produce behaviour change at a household and business level, such strategies to be focused on cut through and not to be council-bound in terms of institutionalised communications .

e) propose introduction of a commitment to eliminating triple-walled milk bottles as council loses money on each consumer purchase that is added to recycling.

CARRIED

19	Approval of the Waiheke Local Board Auckland Emergency Management work programme 2023/24
	Resolution number WHK/2023/111 MOVED by Member R Tucker, seconded by Member K Matthews: That the Waiheke Local Board: a) approve the Auckland Emergency Management work programme 2023/2024 (Attachment A to the agenda report). b) establish a working group consisting of the two board member representatives to Waiheke Emergency Response Network (WERN) and relevant Council staff to develop the plan and the structures to set up the emergency response framework for Waiheke. CARRIED
20	Auckland Council’s Quarterly Performance Report: Waiheke Local Board for quarter four 2022/2023
	Resolution number WHK/2023/112 MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker: That the Waiheke Local Board: a) receive the performance report for quarter four ending 30 June 2023. b) note the financial performance report in Attachment B will remain confidential until after the Auckland Council Group results for 2022/2023 are released to the New Zealand Exchange (NZX) which are expected to be made public on or about 29 September 2023. CARRIED

Waiheke Local Board - Resource Consent Applications - August 2023

Resolution number WHK/2023/113

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) note the list of resource consents applications (Attachment A) related to Waiheke Island and inner Hauraki Gulf islands 19 June to 12 July 2023.

CARRIED

Waiheke Local Board - Workshop Record - August 2023

Resolution number WHK/2023/114

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) note the record of proceedings for the local board workshops held on 2, 9 and 16 August 2023.

CARRIED

Waiheke Local Board - Hōtaka Kaupapa Policy Schedule - August 2023

Resolution number WHK/2023/115

MOVED by Chairperson C Handley, seconded by Member R Tucker:

That the Waiheke Local Board:

a) note / tuhi ā-taipitopito the Hōtaka Kaupapa – Policy Schedule for the political term 2022-2025 as at August 2023.

b) agree or approve / whakaae to cancel the extraordinary meeting date to the 2022- 2025 Local Board meeting schedule to accommodate the Local Board Plan 2023 on Wednesday, 13 September 2023 at 1.00pm to be held at the Waiheke Local Board as this is no longer required as the feedback report will be included in the board’s ordinary business meeting on Wednesday 27 September 2023.

CARRIED

24 Te Whakaaro ki ngā Take Pūtea e Autaia ana | Consideration of Extraordinary Items

There was no consideration of extraordinary items.

25 Te Mōtini ā-Tukanga hei Kaupare i te Marea | Procedural Motion to Exclude the Public

Note: The matters listed under public excluded had been dealt with in the open part of the meeting and therefore Item 25 – Procedural motion to exclude the public, is no longer required.

Member Matthews closed the meeting with a karakia.

Kua mutu ā mātou mahi

Mō tēnei wā Manaakitia mai mā katoa

O mātou hoa

O mātou whānau

Aio ki te

Aorangi

Our work is finished

For the moment

Blessing upon us all

Our friends

Our families

Peace to the Universe

2:37 pm The chairperson thanked members for their attendance and attention to business and declared the meeting closed.

CONFIRMED AS A TRUE AND CORRECT RECORD AT A MEETING OF THE Waiheke Local Board HELD ON

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

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

Chairperson	Cath Handley
Members	Kylee Matthews
	Robin Tucker

Deputy Chairperson	Bianca Ranson
Member	Paul Walden