|
Whau Local
Board
13 September
2023
|
|
Submissions
and feedback on the draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023
File No.: CP2023/12974
Te take mō te pūrongo
Purpose of the report
1. To
provide an overview of feedback and submissions received from public
consultation on the draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023.
Whakarāpopototanga matua
Executive summary
2. The
Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 requires that each local board
adopt a local board plan by 31 October of the year following election and uses
the special consultative procedure (SCP) to engage with its communities.
3. In
June 2023, the local board approved a draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023 for
public consultation. The consultation period ran from 13 July to 14 August
2023.
4. A
total of 139 pieces of stakeholder and community feedback was received for Whau
Local Board, including 91 submissions through the online survey tool, 10 hard
copy submissions, 7 email submissions and 31 pieces of feedback through Have
Your Say events.
5. In
Hikurangi/west Auckland, mana whenua and mataawaka expressed a preference to
provide feedback through hui (verbally) and not through formal submission processes.
6. Staff
have prepared a Summary of Feedback report (Attachment A) summarising the
results of the consultation. This will be made available for the public to view
on the AK Have your say website.
7. All
feedback submissions will also be available on the Auckland Council website at akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/local-board-plans-2023-feedback.
8. When
asked if submitters agreed that the draft Whau Local Board Plan reflected their
needs and aspirations for the community, three quarters (75 per cent) of
submitters who responded agreed that it did.
9. The Whau Local Board should consider the submissions and feedback
prior to adopting the final local board plan in October 2023. Any changes
and/or responses to feedback will be detailed in the report to adopt the plan.
Ngā tūtohunga
Recommendation/s
That the Whau Local Board:
a) receive
submissions and feedback on the draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023.
b) consider
feedback when finalising the Whau Local Board Plan 2023
Horopaki
Context
10. The Local
Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 requires that each local board must:
· adopt
its local board plan by 31 October of the year following an election
· use
the special consultative procedure (SCP) to engage with their communities.
11. On 21 June
2023, Whau Local Board approved the draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023 for public
consultation.
12. Early
engagement with the community helped inform the draft local board plan as did
feedback from the Annual Budget consultation.
13. The key features
of the draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023 were:
· Māori
Outcomes – focused on four key outcomes Kia ora te hononga / Effective
Māori participation, Kia ora te taiao / Kaitiakitanga, Kia ora te ahurea /
Māori identity and culture, and Kia ora te whanau / Whānau and
tamariki wellbeing. This included initiatives to strengthen relationships with
mana whenua and mataawaka, protect and enhance the environment in partnership
with mana whenua and community, support Māori-focused projects, programmes
and events, and grow community capacity to deliver services that enhance
whānau and tamariki wellbeing.
· Climate
Action – focused on four key areas to improve adaptive capacity, increase
community support for climate action, reduce carbon emissions, waste, etc., and
improve environmental quality and lessen climate-related issues. This included
initiatives to improve community resilience, reduce barriers to taking climate
action, support and advocate for activities that deliver on low carbon and
waste reduction goals, and fund environmental and ecological improvement
programmes.
· Our
People – focused on ensuring diverse communities are supported,
represented, respected, empowered, and able to thrive and enabling community
members to engage with local democracy and influence what happens in their
neighbourhoods. This included initiatives to promote belonging and wellbeing,
strengthen partnerships, engage with Māori, and ensure diverse communities
are heard and contribute to a collective west Auckland voice.
· Our
Environment – focused on proactively working with communities to protect
the environment, achieve sustainability goals and build resilience by
understanding the need to adapt to a changing climate and take action. This
included initiatives to protect trees and greenspace, enhance our waterways,
and work with partners and communities to exercise the principle of
kaitiakitanga and build local resilience to climate change.
· Our
Community – focused on providing accessible, inclusive facilities and
services in collaboration with our
communities so individuals face fewer barriers to participation, and feel
connected and supported. This included initiatives around community facilities
and services as well as planning to consider future community needs, climate change, and
growth.
· Our
Places – focused on physical and
social connection and ensuring individuals feel safe, have a sense of ownership
and pride, and enjoy spending time in the Whau. This included initiatives to
create safe, welcoming spaces reflective of the area’s history and
diversity as well as advocacy for improved transport options and connections to
benefit community and further reduce carbon emissions.
· Our
Economy – focused on partnership
and collaboration to encourage communities to shop and work locally and
strengthen the local economy. This included initiatives with Business
Improvement Districts and advocacy for increased employment/skill development
opportunities and high-quality urban development.
14. In addition
to understanding the needs and aspirations of the community, feedback was
sought on:
· Community
investment priorities given funding challenges, specifically what services were
essential to submitters and why and how we might offer services differently and
still meet community need.
How we consulted
15. The
consultation was held between 13 July and 14 August 2023. A communications
campaign encouraged people to “Help Shape the Future’ of the Whau
Local Board area and to “Tell us what’s important”. This was
promoted through libraries and council facilities, media channels including
Stuff website, Western Leader, Facebook, Our Auckland, Whau Local Board e-news,
and election-size signs in the Whau local board area.
16. A range of
engagement activities were undertaken to encourage the public to have their
say, with a focus on digital and online platforms:
· Public
submissions: These were hard copy and online collected via email, post, and
through libraries, service centres, local board offices, People’s Panel
members, and the online engagement platform akhaveyoursay/localboardplans.
· Have
Your Say: One Have Your Say community hui was held on 26 July 2023 at New
Lynn Library and nine face-to-face drop-in engagement events (spoken
interaction) were held at various locations throughout the Whau between 18 July
and 10 August 2023.
· Translations:
The summary of the draft plan was translated into the following languages for
the Whau Local Board: Hindi, Samoan, and Simplified Chinese. Some information
was also available in Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language through
the AK Have Your Say website.
· Great
North Gallery exhibition: From 30 July to 5 August, the Whau Local Board
participated in an exhibition at Great North Gallery on Great North Road in
Avondale to raise awareness for the local board and the draft local board plan
consultation. Passers-by could engage with the material and were directed to
the online feedback form via QR code.
· Easy-Read
document: the summary of the draft plan was also adapted into an Easy-Read
document as a resource for individuals with accessibility needs. This was made
available through the AK Have Your Say website.
17. In response,
the local board received the following feedback:
· 91
submissions through the online survey tool
· 10
hard copy submissions
· 7
events
· 31
pieces of feedback via Have Your Say events.
Tātaritanga me ngā
tohutohu
Analysis and advice
Summary of consultation feedback
18. The results
and analysis of the public consultation should be considered by the local board
when developing the final local board plan.
19. Staff have
prepared a Summary of Feedback report (Attachment A) summarising the results of
the consultation. The key messages of the report are described in Table 1
below.
Table 1. Key feedback themes by consultation question
|
Consultation question
|
Themed feedback
|
|
1. Our people: We will
focus on promoting belonging and wellbeing, strengthening partnerships,
engaging with Māori, and ensuring our diverse communities are heard and
contribute to a collective west Auckland voice. Will this help you and your
community to thrive?
|
- support for cultural diversity and creating a sense of
belonging
- improved engagement with specific communities and
building/ strengthening relationships
- housing advocacy, consideration of the four wellbeings
and community resilience
- dissatisfaction with the focus on Māori
outcomes/culture
- desire for greater detail in the plan
|
|
2. Our environment: We
will focus on protecting trees and greenspace, enhancing our waterways, and
working with partners and communities to exercise the principle of
kaitiakitanga and build community resilience to climate change. Does this
reflect your community’s environmental priorities?
|
- support for protecting trees and greenspace, healthy
waterways and connections, creating community resilience and reducing carbon
emissions
- importance of community involvement
- consideration for biodiversity and other specific
initiatives
- dissatisfaction with focus on climate change and
climate action
|
|
3. Our community: We
will focus on providing inclusive, accessible, and sustainable facilities and
services. We will ensure plans consider future community needs, climate
change, and growth. We will partner with community groups to deliver quality
services. Will this support increased participation from your community and
improved connection to the community as a whole?
|
- support for investment into new community facilities and quality
infrastructure
- accessibility and planning to meet future needs
- importance of existing services and play
- advocacy for regional grants/funds
- dissatisfaction with level of detail and/or
Māori and climate action focuses
|
|
4. Our places: We will
focus on having safe, welcoming spaces that reflect our Māori history,
industrial heritage (e.g. clay and ceramics), and cultural diversity. We will
advocate for improved transport options and connections that help to reduce
carbon emissions. Will this make Whau a great place to live and work in?
|
- support for initiatives around improved transport and
walking/ cycleways
- support for safety and emission reduction initiatives
- advocacy for a variety of regional and
transport-focused activities
- some dissatisfaction around Māori placemaking
initiatives
|
|
5. Our economy: We will
focus on fostering effective partnerships with our Business Improvement
Districts (BIDs) and local businesses. We will advocate for increased
opportunities for employment/skill development and high-quality urban
development. Will this support and bolster our local economy?
|
- support for initiatives
focused on job opportunities/skill development and partnership
- advocacy for quality urban development,
transport, and addressing local crime issues
|
|
6a. Can you tell us
what services are essential to you and why?
|
- most frequently mentioned: libraries, parks/greenspaces
and community facilities
- noteworthy: sport facilities and cultural
events/programmes, transport-related items
|
|
6b. How might we offer
services differently and still meet community need?
|
- support of community partnerships to offer service
delivery
- openness to move to new models for funding and service
delivery
|
|
7. Do you agree that
our plan reflects your needs and aspirations for our community over the next
three years?
|
- varied responses; many comments covered in questions above
|
|
8. Do you have any
other feedback on our proposed Local Board Plan, including how we could
better meet Auckland Council’s climate change goals or Māori
outcome aspirations?
|
- support for environmental goals
- advocacy for transport-related items and other specific focuses
|
Publishing the results of public
consultation
20. To conclude
the consultation phase of the local board plan development, staff recommend
that the local board receive the submissions and feedback for consideration.
21. All
feedback is available on the Auckland Council website at akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/local-board-plans-2023-feedback
22. The Summary
of Feedback (Attachment A) report will also be available on the AK Have your
say website following approval of this report.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
āhuarangi
Climate impact statement
23. Receiving the submissions and feedback has a neutral climate impact.
The submissions are available online to reduce the printing of hard
copies.
24. The draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023
contained a specific Climate action section, focusing on the scope of
challenges posted by climate change. It considered such impacts as increasing
temperatures, rising sea levels, and changing rainfall patterns on the local
board area.
25. Feedback relating to climate impacts was received throughout the
consultation and is largely noted in Table 1 above in response to the
plan’s key sections and consultation questions. Other feedback received with respect to climate impacts noted the
value of working collaboratively across local board boundaries.
26. The climate impact of any initiatives the Whau Local Board chooses
to progress will be assessed as part of the relevant reporting requirements and
project management processes.
Ngā whakaaweawe me
ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera
Council group impacts and views
27. Workshops were
held with the board and the board had the opportunity to attend briefings on a
range of topics including community investment, Māori outcomes, local
economy, and climate action. Written advice was also provided to the board on
several topics including strategic context and environmental services.
28. Subject
matter experts from across the council, Auckland Transport, and Tātaki
Auckland Unlimited were also given the opportunity to peer review the draft
local board plan and provide advice.
29. Staff will
work closely with the local board in the development of the final plan.
Ngā whakaaweawe
ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe
Local impacts and local board views
30. The Whau
Local Board should consider all submissions and feedback to the draft Whau
Local Board Plan 2023 prior to adopting the final local board plan in October
2023. Any changes and/or responses to feedback will be
detailed in the report to adopt the plan.
31. Feedback
received from community in the Annual Budget consultation was used to shape the
draft plan.
32. The following
local community groups were involved in either the early engagement or through
the consultation period:
· Whau
Youth Board
· I
Love Avondale.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
Māori
Māori impact statement
33. The
draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023 included feedback received from mana whenua
and mataawaka in Hikurangi/ West Auckland throughout the pre-engagement phase
of local board plan development.
34. On
8 and 13 June 2023, two online information sessions were held
to inform mana whenua across Tāmaki Makaurau about the purpose of local
board plans, how their perspectives could be incorporated into the plans, as
well as the feedback process, and timelines.
35. Mana whenua were invited
to share their views on any of the 21 draft local board plans they wanted to
review through tailored feedback forms.
36. In Hikurangi/ West Auckland, mana whenua and mataawaka expressed a
preference to provide feedback through hui.
37. The three west Local Boards, Henderson-Massey, Waitākere
Ranges, and Whau, met with mataawaka collectively and discussed local board
plans at Hoani Waititi Marae on 9 August 2023.
38. The three West Local Boards, Henderson-Massey, Waitākere
Ranges, and Whau, together with ward councillors, met with mana whenua, Te
Kawerau ā Maki, collectively and discussed local board plans during a
Rangatira ki te Rangatira/ governance hui at Te Ipu Kura a Maki (Henderson
Civic) on 18 August 2023.
39. In terms of formal submissions, nine were received from those
respondents who selected that they whakapapa Māori. This comprised six per
cent of the overall submissions for Whau.
40. Feedback relating to Māori outcomes was received throughout the
consultation and is largely noted in Table 1 above in response to the
plan’s key sections and consultation questions.
41. Additional feedback from both mana whenua and mataawaka included the
importance of genuine engagement, working together with other west local boards
in a collective approach, and advocacy/support for marae development.
Environmental protection, building community resilience, and providing positive
opportunities for rangatahi and tamariki were also highlighted.
Ngā ritenga
ā-pūtea
Financial implications
42. There are no
direct financial implications associated with receiving the submissions and
feedback.
43. The budget to
implement initiatives and projects is confirmed through the annual plan
budgeting process.
Ngā raru tūpono me ngā
whakamaurutanga
Risks and mitigations
44. The local
board will consider all submissions and feedback before making changes to the
draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023.
Ngā koringa ā-muri
Next steps
45. The
submissions and feedback are available on the Auckland Council AK Have Your Say
website.
46. The Whau
Local Board will adopt the Whau Local Board Plan 2023 on 26 October 2023.
Ngā tāpirihanga
Attachments
|
No.
|
Title
|
Page
|
|
a⇩
|
Draft Whau Local Board Plan 2023 - Summary of feedback
report
|
15
|
Ngā kaihaina
Signatories
|
Authors
|
Brenda Tang - Senior Local Board Advisor
|
|
Authorisers
|
Adam Milina - Local Area Manager
|
