Agenda of Governing Body - Thursday, 24 August 2023

24 August 2023

Acting Chief Executive and Group Chief Financial Officer Update

File No.: CP2023/11032

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide a monthly update to the Governing Body on key matters from the Auckland Council Acting Chief Executive and Group Chief Financial Officer.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

Interim Chief Executive and Group Chief Financial Officer’s Update

2. Phil Wilson, Interim Chief Executive and Peter Gudsell, Group Chief Financial Officer (GCFO) will provide a summary of highlights and key activities and updates for the following:

· FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 update

· Local board consultation

· Resource Management (RM) Reform

· Financial performance for Auckland Council and the Auckland Council Group

· Economic/ market update.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

3. The final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup (FIFA WWC) 2023 was held in Sydney on Sunday 20 August at 10pm and screened live at the FIFA Fan Festival at The Cloud on Queen’s Wharf.

4. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland played a major role in New Zealand’s co-hosting of the tournament with nine matches and 8 of the 32 teams being based in Auckland through the group stage.

5. More than 340,000 witnessed the world’s best footballers at Eden Park representing an average crowd of 38,047 across the nine Auckland matches.

6. Host City obligations were successfully delivered, including:

· Eleven training venues were upgraded to FIFA standards with over 120 training sessions held in Auckland over the tournament period.

· Over 85,000 attended the FIFA Fan Festival, which was open for the duration of the tournament and free for all ages.

· Integrated ticketing and supplementary event transport services for Auckland match days, temporary traffic management to support Eden Park event delivery, and complimentary accredited travel for FIFA workforce and volunteers.

7. As a major event of international scale, the FIFA WWC 2023 and its Host City programmes will be part of a publicly available national cost-benefit analysis report. This report is due at the end of December 2023. There are however some early indications of the likely economic impact; including:

· the average (actual) commercial accommodation occupancy in Auckland for the period from Thursday 20 July to Saturday 12 August 2023 was 75.0%, representing an increase of 51.4% in comparison to the same period last year (49.7%).

· Auckland tourism operators have reported a significant increase in bookings in July and August, with some operators fully booked for long periods throughout the tournament.

Service performance highlights and risks

8. Resource consent statutory performance was 83 per cent for July, improving from 79 per cent in June 2023.

9. Building and Resource Consent Lodged Application volumes have levelled in the last six months and are 20-30 per cent lower compared to July – December 2022 volumes.

10. Customer satisfaction continues to improve for Resource Consents from 71 per cent in May to 74 per cent in June. Other areas have experienced a slight drop in customer satisfaction (Building Consents, Environmental Health, Alcohol Licensing, Animal Management). Key drivers for this drop are being reviewed.

11. Resource Consents outsourced was 15 per cent (163 applications) of the month's total lodgments compared to 28 per cent (341 applications) in December 2022.

Local Board Consultation

12. Consultation on local board plans concluded on Monday 14 August. Staff will code and analyse and present feedback to local boards in September. The local board plans are an important input to the Long-term plan process.

Resource Management (RM) Reform

13. The Natural and Built Environment Bill and the Spatial Planning Bill have completed their third reading. Royal Assent is expected any time from Monday 21 August.

14. The transition from the RMA to the Spatial Planning Act (SPA) and the Natural and Built Environment Act (NBA) will occur sequentially and region by region. Orders in Council are expected which will set out the timing, including for Auckland, to begin development of a Regional Spatial Strategy and a Natural and Built Environment Plan.

15. During the transition period, only the provisions of either the RMA or the Natural and Built Environment Act (NBA) will apply to individual resource management matters.

16. While these documents will take time to develop, there are several aspects of the legislation that will ‘turn on’ from day 1, i.e. from Royal Assent. These are: fast track consenting, freshwater related consents, compliance and enforcement day 1 requirements, contaminated land – commencement, and aquaculture changes to the RMA.

17. The first National Planning Framework is expected to be publicly notified in late 2023 through a formal Board of Inquiry process.

18. The other bill associated with the RM reform – the Climate Adaptation Bill – will be introduced in late 2024. On 15 August the Minister for Climate Change announced that Parliament’s Environment Committee would conduct an inquiry into community-led retreat and adaptation funding. The findings of the inquiry will inform development of the Climate Adaptation Bill.

19. These legislative changes represent comprehensive system-change to resource management and the implementation will take several years and significant resource and cost to the council.

Financial performance for Auckland Council and the Auckland Council Group

20. The monthly financial dashboard for Auckland Council and the Auckland Council Group is appended as Attachment A. A summary of the key highlights and results will be provided by the group chief financial officer at the meeting.

Economic/ market update

21. Key economic/ market activity and updates are:

· Annual inflation rate – Consumer Price Index was 6 per cent at end of June 2023 (updated quarterly, next due 17 October 2023).

· Unemployment rate – 3.6 per cent to the end of June 2023, an increase of 0.2 per cent on the previous quarter (updated quarterly, next due 1 November 2023).

· Gross Domestic Product decreased by 0.1 per cent in the March 2023 quarter, bringing annual growth to 2.9 per cent (next update is 21 September 2023)

· Auckland new dwellings consented numbers – 19,085 for the year ended June 2023 (12 per cent lower than the year ended June 2022).

· The Official Cash Rate (OCR) rate remained at 5.5 per cent on 16 August 2023 (next update is 4 October 2023)

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Governing Body:

a) whiwhi / receive the information provided in this report, the monthly financial dashboard (Attachment A of the agenda report) and the verbal updates by the Acting Chief Executive and Group Chief Financial Officer.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Monthly Dashboard

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Karuna Dahya - Manager Group Performance Reporting

Tracy Gers - Group Accounting & Reporting Manager

Authorisers

Peter Gudsell - Group Chief Financial Officer

Phil Wilson - Acting Chief Executive

Governing Body

24 August 2023

Opportunity to change the electoral system from First Past the Post to Single Transferable Voting

File No.: CP2023/09666

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To decide whether to change the electoral system for Auckland Council elections 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, such that 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 candidate. 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 helps to ensure 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. One option for the council is to hold a poll of electors in conjunction with the 2025 elections to inform the 2028 election. This would incur an additional cost of $90,000 - $120,000.

9. 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 (Local Electoral Act 2001, s 27).

10. 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.

11. Local board feedback is varied. At the time of preparing this report, feedback from 16 local boards had been received. Nine local boards recommend staying with FPP, four local boards recommend changing to STV and three local boards recommend consulting the public or holding a poll.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Governing Body:

a) whiwhi / receive local board feedback on changing from First Past the Post to Single Transferable Voting as attached in Attachment A and as circulated following the publication of the agenda.

EITHER:

b) whakaae / agree to change the electoral system for Auckland Council elections from First Past the Post to Single Transferable Voting, to take effect at the 2025 triennial elections and 2028 triennial elections.

OR:

c) whakaae / agree to not change the electoral system for the 2025 Auckland Council elections.

Horopaki

Context

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

i) First Past the Post (FPP)

ii) Single Transferable Voting (STV).

13. 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). Alternatively, 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 percent of electors can demand that the council conduct a poll.

14. 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

First Past the Post (FPP)

15. 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.

16. 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).

Single Transferable Vote (STV) - features

17. 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.

STV - quota

18. 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 four 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).

19. 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).

STV – preferential voting

20. 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.

21. 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.

STV – concerns

Voter turnout

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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

25. 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.

26. 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

27. STV adds complexity for the voter. For example, at the 2022 local elections the Manurewa Local Board had eight vacancies and 29 candidates. Under STV, the voter would be faced with deciding not only which eight 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 candidate). 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.

28. Hamilton City Council in 2022 moved to STV for the first time. It experienced the lowest voter turnout nationally in 2022 at 29.4 per cent.

STV – Future for local government review

29. The Future for Local Government Review Panel has recommended that STV becomes mandatory for all council elections^{^[4]}:

30. “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.”

31. 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

32. The council is required to give public notice by 19 September 2023 of the right for five percent 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.

33. 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.

STV – practical implications

34. If council were to use STV, there would be an additional cost of approximately $50,000 due to additional processing costs incurred by the council’s election provider.

35. If council were to introduce STV there may also be a small delay in the announcement of final election results as the result is not known until all votes are counted and the calculations completed.

STV – other councils in New Zealand

36. The following tables list which city and regional councils adopted FPP / STV for the 2022 elections^{^[5]}:

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

(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, which decreased) 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

Conclusion

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

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

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

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

39. 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

40. 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.

41. Local board feedback is varied. At the time of preparing this report, feedback from 16 local boards had been received. Nine local boards recommend staying with FPP, four local boards recommend changing to STV and three local boards recommend consulting the public or holding a poll.

42. Those boards who recommended to retain FPP expressed concern to keep the voting experience simple.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

43. The Governing Body is considering providing for Māori representation by way of one or more Māori wards. STV would allow those on the Māori roll to express first preferences while allowing subsequent preferences to be counted if their first preference is not elected.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

44. A decision to change to STV could increase the council’s fee to its election provider by approximately $50,000.

45. A poll conducted in conjunction with the 2025 elections could add $90,000 - $120,000 to the election cost. A stand-alone poll could cost $1.25 – 1.35 million.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

46. If the council decides to change the electoral system to STV, the risk of ballot order bias could be greater (the likelihood of a voter starting the numbering of preferences at the top of the candidate list and moving down the list). A mitigation to this is randomising the order of candidate names. A report providing the opportunity to decide this will be presented in due course.

47. If the council decides to hold a poll in conjunction with the 2025 elections, a change to the electoral system would not be implemented until the 2028 elections. This could be overtaken by local government reform making it mandatory for all councils to use STV (as recommended by the Future for Local Government Review panel), in which case holding a poll would have been redundant.

48. It is the right of the public to demand a poll by way of a petition signed by 5 per cent or more of electors. The council could be forced to conduct a poll at a cost of $1.25 – 1.35 million. The requirement to publicly notify the right to demand a poll has been in place over the previous four triennial elections and a petition for a poll has not occurred. Staff consider the likelihood of a valid petition to be very small.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

49. The council is required to give public notice by 19 September 2023 of the right for 5 per cent or more of electors to petition for a poll. If the council resolves to change the electoral system, then the public notice must include the council’s resolution and to note that the only way to countermand the council’s resolution is by way of a poll.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Local board feedback on Auckland Council's Electoral System

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Warwick McNaughton - Principal Advisor

Authorisers

Rose Leonard - Manager Governance Services

Phil Wilson - Chief Executive

Governing Body

24 August 2023

Recovery Coordination Office Update

File No.: CP2023/11034

take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide an update on progress with the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Tāmaki Makaurau Interim Recovery Plan established four whenu (strands) for recovery: community and social wellbeing, Māori partnership and participation, economic growth, and natural and built environment. This report provides an update on progress for each of these whenu.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation

That the Governing Body:

a) tuhi-ā-taipitopito / note progress with the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery efforts.

Horopaki

Context

Lasting impacts of sudden storms

3. Auckland has experienced five extreme weather events since January 2023. They have caused flooding and land instability throughout the region, with a devastating and lasting impact on many communities and individuals.

4. Many Aucklanders are still significantly impacted by the extreme weather events of 2023. Some are unable to access their homes, rental properties, and businesses. For others, their homes are accessible but remain uninhabitable. Many Aucklanders are continuing to clean up and considering their options, including remediation, rebuilding, or relocation.

5. Communities, particularly those that have been affected multiple times in short succession, are anxious about the future. Affected Aucklanders want clear communication, direction, leadership, and central and local government to help them make decisions about where they live.

A Recovery Coordination Office has been established to address complex recovery needs

6. The Recovery Office has been established to coordinate the region’s recovery efforts across Auckland Council group, New Zealand Government, and other partners.

7. The recovery will be complex, prolonged, and require significant engagement with Auckland communities. To give a sense of the scale of the challenge, more than 4,500 households have needed storm-related assistance to date this year. Access to around 3,000 homes has been restricted or prohibited, with many still under investigation.

8. For Auckland Council, establishing and maintaining the recovery is a significant commitment, necessitating unplanned expenditure and generating a significant additional workload for some parts of its operations. It requires the coordination of resources across the council group and oversight from Auckland Council’s Governing Body.

9. Coordination is being supported through the Tāmaki Makaurau Interim Recovery Plan. This plan established four whenu (strands) for recovery: community and social wellbeing, Māori partnership and participation, economic growth, and natural and built environment.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

10. The monthly progress report for the Recovery Office is provided in Attachment A. Reporting is organised under the four whenu of the Tāmaki Makaurau Interim Recovery Plan.

11. Of particular note this month:

a) Auckland Council is making progress on the complex risk categorisation process for flood affected properties. 5000 individual flood assessments are estimated to be required, in addition to 250 geotechnical inspections. The flood assessments began on 21 August 2023.

b) The largest clusters of potential Category 2 and 3 properties are in Henderson, Rānui, Swanson, around Milford, and in the Mt Roskill area, with other significant clusters in Māngere, Piha, Karekare and Muriwai.

c) Confirmation of groups of Category 1 properties has started.

d) The geotechnical reporting for Muriwai will be completed by the end of August 2023 and confirmation of risk categories for the area will begin.

e) Discussions with the Crown in response to their buyout programme for Risk Category 3 properties continues (see separate paper).

f) Conversations with homeowners about buyouts could start in late October 2023, depending on the outcome of negotiations with the Crown and possible public consultation.

g) Auckland Council has brought in additional staff to assist with technical assessments for the categorisation process.

h) A Recovery Navigation Service is being established to provide support to impacted homeowners going through the categorisation process.

i) Community Recovery Liaisons are being recruited to support community-led recovery in severe weather impacted communities (see Attachment B).

j) The Government’s North Island Weather Events - Temporary Accommodation Assistance will be available from 4 September 2023 for homeowners who can’t live in their homes and whose insurance cover for rental accommodation has ended.

k) Staff are working with Government to agree how funding for the Social Sector Recovery Plan will be allocated in Auckland, to deliver on the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan.

l) Engagement with the community and social sector has commenced to co-develop a community and social recovery strategy for Tāmaki Makaurau. This work will both inform the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan and set out our approach to working with the sector throughout the recovery process.

m) Region-wide engagement on the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan and Making Space for Water programme is underway, with feedback from over 700 Aucklanders as at 7^th August.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

12. Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan sets out two core goals: achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The risk of more frequent and extreme weather events is rising with the effects of climate change. The impacts of individual events compound – making communities more vulnerable to crises and undermines resilience building efforts. This compound risk puts our communities, natural environment, infrastructure, utilities, and services under further pressure. Responding and recovering from extreme weather events becomes harder if communities are still coping with the impacts of the last event.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

13. The Recovery Coordination Office is working across the council group to ensure alignment with council policy and priorities.

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

Local impacts and local board views

14. Local board meetings are underway this month. Local boards have been requested to provide their feedback on the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan and Making Space for Water programme, for consideration at the September Governing Body meeting.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

15. Both the Recovery Coordination Office and Healthy Waters have staff working with Mana Whenua and Māori across the range of workstreams to ensure effective engagement.

16. Direct engagement with Mana Whenua began in mid-May. Since then, staff have worked through their established relationships to refine some initiatives. Staff provided an overview of the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan and Making Space for Water programme to the Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum pou taiao on 7 June 2023. At this hui, staff were asked to hold a workshop on this and other broader water issues. This Wai Tāmaki Wai Ora hui was held on 10 August.

17. Officers will meet with community liaisons from priority areas on Tuesday 22 August. One on one meetings with respective Mana Whenua representatives are being scheduled throughout the end of August and early-September.

18. In addition to gathering initial feedback on the Interim Recovery Plan, the engagement will focus on co-developing an ongoing recovery engagement plan with Mana Whenua and Māori community representatives which Auckland Council can utilise moving forwards.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

19. The Recovery Office operations to date have been funded by up to $3 million unbudgeted expenditure agreed by the Governing Body at its meeting on 23 March 2023, and from 1 July will be funded by the Storm Response Fund adopted as part of the Annual Budget.

20. Central government has announced a funding commitment to support Aucklanders impacted by severe weather, however the details of any funding or co-funding arrangements are still under discussion. Progress is reported under separate confidential cover to this Governing Body meeting.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

21. Table 2 outlines risks to the successful development and implementation of the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan.

Risk	Mitigation
Vulnerable Communities: Risk of inadequate service provision to prevent further hardship.	Undertaking community needs assessments to inform approach (scale and scope) required for TMRP (Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan) development. Working with Government to agree how funding the Government’s Social Sector Recovery Plan will be allocated to Auckland to deliver on the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan
Reputational: Risk of losing social license to operate and deliver Recovery outcomes	Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan developed to define recovery activities and ensure coordination and integration within council teams and across the council group. Utilising community groups to convey key messages and information. Resourcing recovery communications function to enable proactive media and communication across all key stakeholders.
Funding: Risk of funding sources (local and central govt) and levels of funding being inadequate.	Ongoing negotiations with the Crown.
Māori Partnership and Participation: Risk of losing endorsement, trust, and confidence from Mana Whenua and Māori communities.	Dedicated resourcing for Māori engagement.
Governance, decision-making, mandate, and scope: Risk of changes to or incorrect scope for Recovery, unclear decision-making processes, ambiguity of owners and influencers, unclear mandate	Being clear about what is in and out of the council’s scope to address and the anticipated timeframes for resolution. Developing tailored solutions for affected communities with dedicated liaison officers for priority communities.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

22. Results from the August engagement will be reported to the September Governing Body meeting.

23. The Recovery Office will continue to engage with central government officials to define the arrangements for co-funding of recovery efforts.

24. Progress on the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Plan will be reported to the September Governing Body meeting, including a proposed structure and process for delivery. A final Making Space for Water programme will be reported to the September Governing Body meeting.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a⇨	Recovery Progress Dashboard July 2023
b ⇨	Community and Social Recovery Flyer

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Mace Ward - Deputy Group Recovery Manager

Authorisers

Mat Tucker - Group Recovery Manager

Phil Wilson - Acting Chief Executive

Governing Body

24 August 2023

Summary of Governing Body and Committee information memoranda and briefings (including the Forward Work Programme) - 24 August 2023

File No.: CP2023/07371

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To receive a summary and provide a public record of memoranda or briefing papers that may have been distributed to the Governing Body or its committees.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This is a regular information-only report which aims to provide greater visibility of information circulated to Governing Body members via memoranda/briefings or other means, where no decisions are required.

3. The following memos or information were circulated to members of the Governing Body:

Date	Subject
23.7.23	Action from Franklin Local Board in relation to Council-controlled organisation update on work programme items (Apr-Jun 2023) and expected milestones (Jul-Sep 2023)
2.8.23	Action from Waitakere Ranges Local Board in relation to Chair’s Report – Greg Presland
3.8.23	Memorandum: Commencing site investigations for potential Category 3 homes and confirming Category 1 status homes
4.8.23	Media Release: Auckland Council makes its easier to access flood data
17.8.23	Emergency Management Bill

4. The following workshops/briefings have taken place for the Governing Body:

Date	Subject
28.7.23	CONFIDENTIAL Category 3 Stormwater Recovery Political Advisory Group (No attachment)
2.8.23	CONFIDENTIAL Auckland Council Enterprise Risk (No attachment)
2.8.23	CONFIDENTIAL Strategic Options for Port Land Release and Operations – continuation of workshop on 16 July 2023 (No attachment)
9.8.23	CONFIDENTIAL Category 3 Stormwater Recovery Political Advisory Group (No attachment)
16.8.23	CONFIDENTIAL: Eke Panuku Board commercial decision relating to Westhaven Marina (No attachment)
16.8.23	CONFIDENTIAL Category 3 Stormwater Recovery Political Advisory Group (No attachment)

5. This document can be found on the Auckland Council website, at the following link:

http://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/

o at the top left of the page, select meeting/Te hui “Governing Body” from the drop-down tab and click “View”;

o under ‘Attachments’, select either the HTML or PDF version of the document entitled ‘Extra Attachments’.

6. Note that, unlike an agenda report, staff will not be present to answer questions about the items referred to in this summary. Governing Body members should direct any questions to the authors.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Governing Body:

a) whiwhi / receive the Summary of Governing Body and other committee information memoranda and briefings – 24 August 2023.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇨	Forward Work Programme
b	Action from Franklin Local Board in relation to Council-controlled organisation update on work programme items (Apr-Jun 2023) and expected milestones (Jul-Sep 2023) (Under Separate Cover)
c	Action from Waitakere Ranges Local Board in relation to Chair’s Report – Greg Presland (Under Separate Cover)
d	Memorandum: Commencing site investigations for potential Category 3 homes and confirming Category 1 status homes (Under Separate Cover)
e	Media Release: Auckland Council makes its easier to access flood data (Under Separate Cover)
f	Memoradnum: Emergency Management Bill (Under Separate Cover)

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Sarndra O'Toole - Kaiarataki Kapa Tohutohu Mana Whakahaere / Team Leader Governance Advisors
Authoriser	Phil Wilson - Acting Chief Executive

[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.

Mayor	Wayne Brown
Deputy Mayor	Cr Desley Simpson, JP
Councillors	Cr Andrew Baker	Cr Mike Lee
	Cr Josephine Bartley	Cr Kerrin Leoni
	Cr Angela Dalton	Cr Daniel Newman, JP
	Cr Chris Darby	Cr Greg Sayers
	Cr Julie Fairey	Cr Sharon Stewart, QSM
	Cr Alf Filipaina, MNZM	Cr Ken Turner
	Cr Christine Fletcher, QSO	Cr Wayne Walker
	Cr Lotu Fuli	Cr John Watson
	Cr Shane Henderson	Cr Maurice Williamson
	Cr Richard Hills

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