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Resolution
number WH/2023/96
MOVED by Chairperson K Thomas, seconded by Deputy
Chairperson F Amosa:
That
the Whau Local Board:
a)
tautoko / support the work being done
to bring local boards to funding equity and recognise the decision by the
Governing Body for inclusion in consultation for the Long-term Plan 2024-2034
(LTP).
b)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note and
thank the Governing Body for its decisions of 28 October 2021 (GB/2021/137
and GB/2021/138), namely to:
i)
increase local board decision-making
responsibilities to all local community services with the funding envelope
allocated to each local board, including decisions on local service assets.
ii)
achieve funding equity for most local
boards within a 10-year timeframe and all local boards within a 15-year
timeframe by prioritising Long-term Plan outer year funding for growth and
future renewals to local boards with the largest funding gaps.
iii)
ensure that no local board would lose
funding as part of the move to equity.
c)
tuhi ā-taipitopito /
note its concerns with reviewing a decision arrived at through extensive
consultation with local boards and note that a focus on reallocation of funding
does not address the current inequity issues around community service
provision across Auckland nor does it address how council and partners
respond to them in a planned and considered way.
d)
tuhi ā taipitopito /
note its concerns that the local board funding equity proposal does not
provide detail around what the minimum core service levels are expected to be
across local communities throughout Auckland and request that previous work
in this area be expanded to include a wider range of measures agreed upon
through consultation with local boards.
e)
tono / request advice from the Mayor,
Governing Body, and staff regarding why the direction of the Governing Body
is not being progressed as part of the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan and request
the rationale for reviewing the decisions of the Governing Body around how
local board funding equity is achieved, funded and transition progressed.
f)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that
local boards are being asked for feedback on new options for transitioning
local boards to funding equity without the advice or rationale noted in
resolution e) and note its concerns that if the local board does not provide
feedback on the new proposed options at this time it will miss the
opportunity to represent its community on this vitally important matter.
g)
tautoko / support the new option to
transition local boards to funding equity using new funding or unallocated
funding as part of the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan on the proviso that no local
board loses funding during the transition, noting its alignment with the
Governing Body decisions of 28 October 2021.
h)
whakarite / provide the following
feedback on the proposed changes to the scope of the Governance Framework
Review with respect to funding equity:
i)
tautoko / support locally driven
initiatives (LDI) funding being included in the scope of the local board
funding equity project for this analysis, in the light of increased local
board decision-making and 80:15:5 being adopted as the equitable model.
ii)
tautoko / support the inclusion of
local community services, local environmental services and local planning in
the scope of the local board funding equity model.
iii) tautoko / support the exclusion of local governance
activities from the scope of the local board funding model.
iv)
tono / request transparency around
the specific inclusions and exclusions used to arrive at the equity rankings
across each of the local boards, (e.g. further information about criteria and
a detailed list of all capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational
expenditure (OPEX) considered for the calculation).
v)
tono / request clearer and more
detailed information on growth funding, specifically the total amount of
development contributions paid within the Whau local board area.
vi)
tono / request that work is
undertaken to provide advice and options for using future growth and renewals
funding to move local boards to equity over time.
vii)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that
the development contributions policy could be reviewed and amended to support
local boards to deliver key community projects, such as Te Hono (Avondale
library and community hub) as the current policy has not enabled the project
to proceed even though large amounts of development contributions have been
collected in the Whau local board area over the past 13 years.
viii) tautoko / support excluding funding for discrete projects
and specific-purpose funds from the scope of the local board funding equity
project.
ix)
tautoko / support considering capital
expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) funding separately for
achieving equity as part of the local board funding equity project.
x)
tono / request that funding from
unallocated budgets be considered further as a possible source of funding to
achieve equity.
xi)
tautoko / support the move to remove
budget classifications (Asset Based Services and Locally Driven Initiatives)
from the model.
i)
whakarite / provide the following
feedback on the proposed timeline of achieving equity:
i)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note its
concern that although the transition timeline approved by the Governing Body
in 28 October 2021 may be considered too long, the current timeline appears
rushed leaving insufficient time for careful consideration and request a
compromise timeline be set.
ii)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note staff
advice that there is no new or unallocated funding available to transition
local boards to funding equity and call on the Governing Body to approve new
funding to transition local boards to funding equity.
iii)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note the
current local board reorganisation conversations and work taking place and
note its concerns that decisions around reorganisation may impact the
implementation and/or outcomes of the local board funding equity project
after local board feedback has been provided.
j)
whakarite / provide the following
feedback on alternative options to achieve local board funding equity:
i)
do not support any option that reallocates
existing local board funding (both capital and operational) between local
boards to achieve funding equity and note this is not in line with the
Governing Body decisions of 28 October 2021.
ii)
tono / request that staff investigate
the potential for local boards to set local rates under their increased
decision-making role.
iii)
oppose the proposal to continue the
transition approach in the 2027-2037 LTP by keeping new capital expenditure
in a pool where local boards can “apply” as this does not respect
local boards as decision-makers and requires them to compete for funding. Any
new capital funding should be used to complete the transition to equity and
any available surplus funding should be distributed to local boards to enable
them to respond to the needs of their residents.
iv)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that following completion of
the City Rail Link the council’s debt to revenue ratio will improve,
providing the headroom to move local boards to funding equity without the
need for large rates increases.
k)
whakarite / provide the following
feedback on multi-board services:
i)
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.
ii)
tono / request better data regarding
multi-board services before providing a view on how multi-board services
should be treated, as the user data provided to date (e.g. cell phone data
presented with community investment advice) is not reliable nor accurate and note
that until robust, detailed data and evidence on service usage is available
which demonstrates a case for change, decisions on multi-board funding should
not be made.
iii)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note the
lack of assets could have significant financial implications for the local
board under a multi-board services model.
iv)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note the
Whau local board area has limited assets to cater to the needs of its
community and is concerned that multi-board services may perpetuate this
service equity issue.
v)
me mārama / acknowledge Auckland
Council’s desire to reduce assets but note that there is still only one
public aquatic and recreation centre in West Auckland for a population of a
quarter of a million people.
vi)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note its
concern around advice to local boards that many council services can be
delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively through non-assets-based
solutions, but this has yet to be proven or tested and further note that
optimization proposals and projects have been proposed for many years to
deliver better outcomes for the community, but none have been delivered.
l)
whakarite / provide the following
feedback on the Mayor's statement released on 21 July 2023:
i)
tono / request that the Governing
Body prioritize the review of Local Government report recommendations.
ii) oppose a significant reduction in the number of local boards.
iii)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that Auckland already has one of
the highest ratios of population to elected members in New Zealand and much
higher than generally applies in successful communities and economies in
Europe.
iv)
tuhi ā-taipitopito / note
the need for local boards to remain genuinely local and in touch with their
communities.
CARRIED
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