Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Approval of the 2024/2025 Ōrākei Local Board Environmental Work Programme

File No.: CP2024/07016

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve the 2024/2025 Ōrākei Local Board’s Local Environmental Work Programme.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Each year a Local Board Environmental Work Programme is developed to respond to the outcomes and objectives identified in the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023 and available Local Driven Initiatives (LDI) budget from the board. The 2024/2025 programme for approval contributes towards environmental and water quality outcomes (see attachment A).

3. This report presents the proposed Ōrākei Local Board’s Local Environmental Work Programme and associated budgets for approval for the 2024/2025 financial year (see Attachment A).

4. The work programme has been developed through a series of workshops between November 2023 and May 2024, where the local board provided feedback to staff on programme and activity prioritisation. The development of projects has been guided by feedback from the local board to focus on biodiversity, pest control and water quality outcomes, as well as the continued successful delivery of 2023/2024 programmes. The new Responsible Pet Ownership – SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme has been proposed to respond to the board’s concern regarding the impact that cats have on native birdlife in the board area.

5. Further detail on what each project will deliver and how is detailed in the analysis and advice section and in Attachment A of this report. Feedback from these workshops has informed the proposed work programme.

6. The proposed Ōrākei Local Board Local Environmental Work Programme includes the following activities to be delivered in 2024/2025, with budgets as listed below:

· Eastern Bays Songbird Project - $90,000

· Newmarket / Middleton stream restoration - $9,000

· Ōrākei schools marine programme - $28,000

· Responsible Pet Ownership – SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme - $10,000

· Sustainable schools moth plant competition - $17,000

· Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum - $8,500

· Waiata Reserve restoration – Hobson catchment - $12,000

7. The proposed work programme has a total value of $174,500, which can be funded from within the board’s draft locally driven initiatives (LDI) budget for the 2024/2025 financial year.

8. The proposed work programme also notes $500,000 in regionally funded asset-based services capital expenditure for the following coastal renewals programmes:

· Cliff Road, St Heliers – coastal protection investigations - $400,000

· Tahuna Torea Beach Management investigations and design - $100,000

9. Updates on the delivery of this work programme will be provided through the board’s quarterly performance reports and any adjustments to the programme will be sought via the local board. The programme and projects have been prepared to be delivered within the financial year. If the board chooses to not approve the proposed local board work programme there is a risk that some outcomes will not be delivered or will need to be adjusted.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) whakaae / approve its 2024/2025 Local Environmental Work Programme and associated budget allocation, as summarised in the table below (Attachment A to the agenda report):

Activity name	2024/2025 budget for approval
Eastern Bays Songbird Project	$90,000
Newmarket / Middleton stream restoration – Ōrākei	$9,000
Ōrākei schools marine programme	$28,000
Responsible Pet Ownership – SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme	$10,000
Sustainable schools moth plant competition	$17,000
Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum	$8,500
Waiata Reserve restoration – Hobson catchment	$12,000
Total	$174,500

b) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note the allocation of $500,000 regionally funded asset based services capital expenditure budget towards the Cliff Road coastal protection (investigations) and Tahuna Torea Beach Management (investigation and design) programmes in the 2024/2025 financial year.

Horopaki

Context

10. On an annual basis, each local board decides which activities to allocate its annual budget toward through a series of workshops. The local board feedback in these workshops has informed the development of the proposed Local Environmental Work Programme for 2024/2025 (Attachment A).

11. The proposed work programme responds to the environmental objectives identified in the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023. The specific objectives reflected in the work programme are:

· Our forest, bush and wetland habitats continue to be enhanced for future generations

· Our beaches and waterways are clean and water quality is improved

· Council-community partnerships are strengthened for the betterment of the environment

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

· Te Rautaki Ngahere ā-Tāone o Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland’s Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy 2019

· Mahere ā-Rohe Whakahaere Kaupapa Koiora Orotā mō Tāmaki Makaurau – Regional Pest Management Plan 2020-2030

· Auckland Council’s Indigenous Biodiversity Strategy (2012)

· The Pourewa Valley Integrated Plan (2020)

· Hobson Bay Action Plan (2013)

13. The development of the work programme has been informed by staff and feedback received from the local board at workshops. The rationale for the projects and the anticipated outcomes is discussed in attachment A and the analysis and advice section below.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Proposed Local Environmental Work Programme developed for 2024/2025

14. The proposed work programme is made up of activities continuing from previous financial years, including annually occurring events or ongoing programmes. It also includes a new initiative supported by the local board. These programmes contribute towards the delivery of the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023 environmental objectives, as detailed above.

15. This report seeks local board approval for budgets and activities in 2024/2025.

16. The proposed activities for delivery as part of the board’s 2024/2025 Local Environmental Work Programme are detailed in attachment A. Additional details in the development of these programmes are as follows:

Eastern Bays Songbird Project - $90,000

17. The Eastern Bays Songbird Project (EBSP) has now been operating since 2017 and is well established in the Ōrākei Local Board area. The project has grown from backyard trapping to a large-scale pest control programme.

18. It is estimated that volunteers have contributed around 2,000 volunteer hours over 2023/2024 and there are 4,000 rat traps in the community.

19. The Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board have also been asked to contribute funding to support expansion of the project into their local board area. Increased pest control in a neighbouring board area will also have positive pest reduction impacts for the Ōrākei area.

20. The local board supported this programme with $90,000 in 2023/2024 and staff recommend that the board fund it again with a further $90,000 in 2024/2025.

Newmarket / Middleton stream restoration – Ōrākei - $9,000

21. Initiated in 2017/2018, this programme continues to be jointly funded with the Waitematā Local Board as the stream passes through both local board areas. The Waitematā Local Board has a lower proposed investment of $6,300 for the 2024/2025 financial year as less of the stream is in their local board area.

22. This programme supports a community-led initiative to implement the restoration plan for Newmarket Stream that involves weed control, animal pest control and native planting. This restoration work will continue to improve biodiversity and enhance the waterway by mitigating issues such as contamination, erosion and sedimentation.

23. The local board supported this programme with $9,000 in 2023/2024 and staff recommend that the board fund it again with a further $9,000 in 2024/2025.

Ōrākei schools marine programme - $28,000

24. This programme supports three schools in the Ōrākei Local Board area to learn about and actively participate in protecting their local marine environment. Initiated in 2019/2020, the programme provides experiential educational sessions that focus on identifying local marine issues in areas such as Ōkahu Bay, Ōrākei Basin, Kohimarama Beach, Tāhuna Tōrea and Pourewa Valley and explores potential solutions.

25. Local experiences will connect students to the marine environment and surrounding catchment. At the conclusion of the project a student-led celebration will be held to share their learning with the wider Ōrākei community.

26. The local board supported this programme with $24,000 in 2023/2024. In 2024/2025 staff recommend that the board fund this programme with $28,000. The increase in budget reflects the rising costs of the contractor and buses.

Responsible Pet Ownership – SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme - $10,000

27. This is the first year the Responsible Pet Ownership – SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme is being proposed for the Ōrākei Local Board area. The programme has been established in other areas around Auckland, including the neighbouring Maungakiekie-Tāmaki area.

28. Cats that are not desexed or microchipped contribute to an increasing stray cat population in Auckland, which has negative impacts on native bird populations. The Ōrākei Local Board area is home to endangered native bird populations such as Oystercatchers and Pāteke.

29. In 2012, a study estimated there were 26 stray cats per square kilometre in Panmure, which is nearby to the Ōrākei area. This evidences the need for increased desexing and microchipping of owned cats to prevent growth in the stray cat population. One undesexed female cat can have 96 to 120 kittens within its lifetime, and so stray cat numbers are growing.

30. For $10,000, approximately 80 cats will be microchipped and desexed. Pricing for desexing varies for female cats, pregnant female cats and male cats. Staff recommend that the board fund this programme with $10,000 for 2024/2025.

Sustainable schools moth plant competition - $17,000

31. This programme was first run in Ōrākei in 2019/2020 and is ongoing in several areas across Auckland.

32. In the 2023 competition, teams removed 10,132 moth plant pods and vines and an estimated seven million seeds from the Ōrākei area.

33. The programme aims to educate young people about invasive plant species, and how they can contribute to environmental protection in their local area in a fun, interactive way. It also helps to control a pest plant species that thrives in Auckland’s warm, windy climate. There are other regionally-funded initiatives that look to reduce the pressure on volunteers for the control of this species.

34. The local board supported this programme with $17,000 in 2023/2024. Staff recommend that the board fund this programme with a further $17,000 for 2024/2025.

Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum - $8,500

35. The Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum group was formed in 1988 and is supported by Auckland Council and the local boards within the immediate are of the Tāmaki Estuary. The forum includes the Howick, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki, Ōrākei, and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Boards. Members include local community groups, businesses and individual residents who have an interest in protecting and restoring the mauri of the Tāmaki Estuary.

36. The forum coordinator organizes bimonthly meetings where topics and issues related to the Tāmaki Estuary are discussed.

37. Objectives of the forum include:

· initiating and enabling community led advocacy and responses to issues adversely affecting the health of the Tāmaki Estuary

· raising awareness about how individual behaviours may negatively affect the Tāmaki Estuary

· supporting elected member advocacy for better outcomes for the Tāmaki Estuary.

38. In 2023/2024, each local board was asked to contribute $8,000 to the forum to cover the wages of the forum coordinator, as well as small-scale community initiatives to promote health of the estuary.

39. In 2024/2025, staff are requesting $8,500 from each of the five contributing local boards to increase both the coordinator’s hours and enable more forum-led initiatives.

Waiata Reserve restoration – Hobson catchment - $12,000

40. The Ōrākei Local Board has invested in restoring and protecting streams and reserves that impact on the Hobson Bay catchment for over ten years in response to the Hobson Bay Action Plan that the board published in 2013.

41. This action plan states that the ‘aquatic and marine values (of the bay) have not been well maintained and the water quality is not at an adequate standard for recreational use.’ The plan also notes that the board will ‘advocate and work in a coordinated manner with other projects and initiatives to manage upstream impacts in the wider stormwater catchment at the source to reduce adverse effects on the Hobson Bay environment’.

42. Continued local board investment has allowed the Waiata Reserve to become a much healthier ecosystem with increased native biodiversity. The area is now planted to capacity, and a budget of $12,000 is needed to maintain and protect the reserve area.

Regionally funded asset-based coastal renewals capital expenditure programmes

43. Some regionally funded coastal renewal projects are noted within this local environmental work programme as while they occur on local assets they are funded regionally. Updates on the works in the local board area will be provided to the local board as work is progressed.

44. The local board is asked to note the following projects within their area:

Cliff Road, St Heliers – coastal protection - $400,000

45. This programme will investigate options for appropriate coastal protection between the existing seawall and the stormwater outfall at Cliff Road, St Heliers. Physical works may be scheduled in future dependent upon the investigation’s outcomes and findings. The programme will also obtain appropriate updated consents for the existing seawall.

Tahuna Torea Beach Management - $100,000

46. This new programme will investigate options to renew the groynes and protect the beach at Tahuna Torea on the Tamaki Estuary, as the groynes are currently in poor condition. The investigation may inform physical works in future financial years.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

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

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

49. Table 1 outlines the activities in the 2024/2025 work programme that have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions or contribute towards climate change adaptation.

Table 1: Climate impact assessment of proposed activities

Activity name	Climate impact
Eastern Bays Songbird Project	The improved health of native biodiversity will improve the resilience of Auckland’s indigenous ecosystems against the impacts of climate change. Additionally, the increase of trees through planting and pest control will help reduce carbon in the atmosphere.
Ōrākei sustainable schools moth plant competition
Responsible Pet Ownership - SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme Ōrākei
Ōrākei schools marine programme	These programmes will contribute to environmental resilience by ensuring waterways and the marine environment are protected and enhanced. Freshwater and marine ecosystems provide many ecosystem services such as flood mitigation, habitat for native biodiversity and carbon sequestration. These services are enhanced when the ecosystems are restored.
Newmarket / Middleton stream restoration
Waiata Reserve restoration - Hobson catchment
Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

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

51. In particular, the attached Local Environmental Work Programme reflects the integrated activities developed by Environmental Services and Healthy Waters.

52. Environmental Services staff will work closely with Parks, Sports and Recreation and Community Facilities staff on programmes where restoration work is undertaken on public land.

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

Local impacts and local board views

53. The projects proposed for inclusion in the board’s Local Environmental Work Programme will have positive environmental outcomes across the Ōrākei Local Board area. Particular focus areas for the 2024/2025 work programme include Newmarket/Middleton Stream, Waiata Reserve, and the Tāmaki Estuary. The From the Deck and Ellerslie Rotary community groups are also involved in the delivery of the work programme.

54. The projects noted above align with the 2023 Environmental outcomes in the local board plan. The proposed work programme has been considered by the local board in a series of workshops from November 2023 to May 2024. The views expressed by local board members during the workshops have informed the recommended work programme.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

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

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

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

58. Table 2 outlines the activities in the 2024/2025 work programme that contribute towards the delivery of specific Māori outcomes.

Table 2: Māori outcome delivery through proposed activities

Activity name	Māori outcome description
Eastern Bays Songbird Project	The Eastern Bays Songbird Project continues to work with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, assisting with pest animal and plant control on their whenua in Pourewa Valley, Whenua Rangatira and Takaparawhau. In the 2024-2025 financial year, the project will work alongside kaimahi to implement the new restoration plan and increase trap lines throughout Whenua Rangatira, where restoration planting has grown substantially. They provide advice and training when needed for new kaimahi.
Newmarket / Middleton stream restoration\	Where possible eco-sourced plants from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei nursery will be used for this project.
Waiata Reserve restoration - Hobson catchment
Responsible Pet Ownership - SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme	Environmental Services organised a Maui dolphin hui in Sep 2023 in response to our mana whenua partners (Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and Ngāti Tamaoho) expressing concerns on the issue of toxoplasmosis impacting Maui dolphins. They were keen to progress action on limiting the risks to this endangered species. This programme is intented to address this threat and reduce cat faeces entering waterways and the ocean.

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

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

60. The proposed Local Environmental Work Programme for 2024/2025 totals to $174,500 of the board’s locally driven initiatives (LDI) operational budget. This budget represents discretionary funding that the local board uses to support projects they wish to realise. This amount can be accommodated within the board’s total draft budget for 2024/2025.

61. The proposed work programme also notes $500,000 in regionally funded asset-based services capital expenditure for the coastal renewals programmes.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

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

63. Risks and mitigations for new activity lines were considered during the scoping phase. There may be risks associated with trialling a new activity for the first year. These will be continually assessed and reported to the local board.

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

65. Council is currently undergoing a restructure which will see some movement of departments into new directorates. Staff are working actively to ensure continuity of services and support for the Local Environmental Work Programme during this change and adoption of the work programmes at this stage also mitigates programme delivery risk.

66. Table 3 shows the key risks associated with activities in the proposed 2024/2025 work programme, as well as proposed mitigations.

Table 3: Key risks and mitigations for activities

Activity name	Risk	Mitigation	Rating after mitigation
Eastern Bays Songbird Project	The success of this programme depends on the Ōrākei community’s engagement and commitment to pest trapping activities.	The Eastern Bays Songbird Project group of core staff and volunteers are very well connected with the Ōrākei community and will continue to advertise the benefits of pest control to Ōrākei residents through trap-handouts, social media and speaking to different community groups and schools.	Low
Newmarket / Middleton stream restoration - Ōrākei	There is a risk that there will be low participation at the community planting day.	Previous planting days have been well attended and supported by the community. Staff will continue to engage with community members and raise awareness of the stream. Contingency plans for bad weather have been included in the project. This project has been successfully delivered by this contractor	Low
Waiata Reserve restoration - Hobson catchment			Low
Ōrākei schools marine programme	There is a risk of low school engagement. The programme is dependent on the availability of external organisations and schools, who often have timetables that do not fit neatly into project financial years and quarters.	There is an engaged cluster of Enviroschools in the local board area. Schools that participated in 2021/2022 have expressed an interest to continue with the programme. The programme has been successful in previous years so there is a track record of organisations that will continue to engage.	Low
Sustainable schools moth plant competition			Low
Responsible Pet Ownership - SPCA cat desexing and microchipping programme	This programme relies on people taking up the offered subsidy, so there is a low risk this may not occur.	This programme has run for multiple years across Auckland and has been consistently oversubscribed.	Low

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

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

68. Delivery of the activity in the approved work programme will commence once approved and continue until 30 June 2025. Activity progress will be reported to the local board on a quarterly basis.

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

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	Local Board Local Environmental Work Programme 2024/2025 - Ōrākei Local Board

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Nicola Perry - Relationship Advisor

Authorisers

Barry Potter - Director Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Approval of Customer and Community Services local board work programme 2024-2025

File No.: CP2024/07743

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve the 2024/2025 Ōrākei Local Board Customer and Community Services work programme and its associated budget (Attachment A).

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This report presents the 2024/2025 Ōrākei Local Board Customer and Community Services work programme for approval from the following departments:

· Active Communities

· Connected Communities

· Community and Social Innovation

· Parks and Community Facilities

· Regional Services and Strategy.

3. In addition, the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 Customer and Community Services – Parks and Community Facilities Department work programme is presented for approval in principle.

4. To support the delivery of the local board’s outcomes and aspirations highlighted in the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023, Customer and Community Services presents a work programme for local board approval each financial year.

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

6. The work programme has been developed with the local board providing feedback to staff on project and activity prioritisation through a series of workshops, held between March and May 2024.

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

8. Within the Customer and Community Services work programme, the Parks and Community Facilities Department has identified several projects for the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 financial years as part of the Risk Adjusted Programme (RAP).

9. Approval is sought for the planning and design of the RAP projects to commence during the 2024/2025 financial year, so they can be prioritised if other, already approved projects cannot be delivered, face higher costs or are delayed due to unforeseen reasons.

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

11. The work programme includes references to the recently approved 2024/2025 Annual Budget and the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan decisions.

12. On 22 June 2024, a new organisational structure for Auckland Council will go live. Staff will remap and rename the work programmes of the equivalent directorate and departments. This will be reflected in the quarter one reporting in August 2024.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) whai / approve the 2024/2025 Customer and Community Services work programme and its associated budget (Attachment A to the agenda report).

b) whai / approve in principle the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 Customer and Community Services – Parks and Community Facilities work programme (Attachment A to the agenda report).

c) whai / approve the Risk Adjusted Programme projects identified in the 2024/2025 Customer and Community Services work programme (Attachment A to the agenda report).

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

e) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that funding for the Coastal Renewals, Slips Prevention, Local Parks and Sports Field Development and Local Board Discrete Project budgets is subject to approval by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

f) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that $80,000 of locally driven initiative (LDI) operational expenditure remains to be scoped and allocated, and further note that staff are aware of the local board’s intention to activate local board community assets and that staff will need to undertake further investigations and provide advice to realise the local board’s intention

Horopaki

Context

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

14. Local board plans align with the Auckland Plan and set out local community priorities and aspirations. The 2024/2025 Customer and Community Services work programme, in turn aligns to not only the local board plans, but the appropriate Auckland Council plans, policies and strategies.

15. Work programme activities align to the following 2023 Local Board Plan outcomes:

· Our people

· Our environment

· Our community

· Our places

· Our economy

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

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

18. The work programme includes:

· the maintenance and operational budgets for parks and community facilities like libraries, pools, recreation and community centres

· programmes for community development,⁠ events, play, sport, recreation and the environment

· grants for community groups and facilities

· community leases

· provision of asset management advice

19. Attachments A and C to this report provide detail about the specific projects and programmes delivered.

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

· Active Communities

· Connected Communities

· Community and Social Innovation

· Parks and Community Facilities

· Regional Services and Strategy.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

21. The work programme demonstrates the phasing of programme and project delivery for the 2024/2025 financial year.

22. Delivery of the work programme commences from 1 July 2024, and in some cases comprises a continuation of implementation from previous financial years, including annually occurring events or projects and ongoing programmes.

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

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

Department

2024/2025

2025/2026

2026/2027

Parks and Community Facilities

Approve

Approve in principle

All other Customer and Community Services departments

· Active Communities

· Connected Communities

· Community and Social Innovation

· Regional Services and Strategy.

Approve

N/A

24. This is the first work programme which responds to the Local Board Plan 2023. It includes new programmes and projects to deliver on the local board plan objectives and initiatives.

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

26. Approval of unique multi-year projects, particularly capital works, in the 2024/2025 work programme may lead to contractual commitments to the future budget needed to complete the project in 2025/2026 or 2026/2027.The 2024/2025 work programme includes projects with contractual commitments approved in principle as part of the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 work programmes.

27. Draft Customer and Community Services capital (capex) work programmes for financial years 2024/2025- 2026/2027 were prepared by Parks and Community Facilities staff and discussed with local boards during workshops in March/April and May 2024.

28. The draft work programmes were based on the budgets in the central proposal and or the Fairer Funding consultation modelling, reflecting a combination of reallocation and new funding. Local board feedback was provided based on this information as the workshops occurred before Governing Body decisions on the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP).

29. On 16 May 2024, the Governing Body resolved to adopt a Fairer Funding model for local boards based on new funding only, without reallocation. Budget changes under this model will take effect from the 2025/2026 financial year.

30. The Fairer Funding model allocates new funding, approved through the Long-term Plan, to local boards currently identified as funded below their equitable levels. This allocation begins from year two of the Long-term Plan (2025/2026) to achieve significant equity for most local boards in both operational (opex) and capex budgets.

31. A new Local Board Funding Policy will be in effect from the financial year 2025/2026 to enable the Fairer Funding model. Under this new policy, local boards will no longer have the distinction of asset-based services (ABS) and locally driven initiatives (LDI) funding. These changes may impact the proposed phasing of projects due to start in 2024/2025 if boards decide to reallocate funding.

32. To start delivery of the work programme from the beginning of the financial year (1 July 2024), the work programmes must be approved in June 2024. A delay in this timeframe will jeopardise the ability to fully deliver the local boards’ build and renewal works in the coming year.

33. To mitigate this risk, this local board was provided with two draft capital work programmes for discussion in a workshop in May 2024:

· an updated Parks and Community Facilities CAPEX work programme version previously discussed at a workshop based on the central Long-term Plan proposal.

· a Parks and Community Facilities CAPEX work programme based on the fairer funding proposal.

34. Any potential impacts to local projects, as a result of decisions made by the Governing Body, will be made on a project-by-project basis after July 2024.

35. The remainder of Customer and Community Services presents the work programme for a single year. Work programmes considered in subsequent years will reflect the new funding effective from July 2025.

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

Proposed amendments to the 2024/2025 work programme

37. The local board approved the 2023/2024 Customer and Community Services work programme in June 2023 and approved in principle the 2024/2025 Parks and Community Facilities capex work programme. The 2025/2026 Customer and Community Services – Parks and Community Facilities work programme was also approved in principle at this time.

38. The 2024/2025 work programme contains variations to the version which was based on the central proposal in the Long-Term Plan and approved in principle last year. This is the first year of the work programme which supports implementation of the 2023 Local Board Plan. It includes the addition of new activities, changes to existing activities, such as required budget allocation and delivery timeframes, and identifies some activities that have been stopped.

Work programme budget types and purpose

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

40. Table two outlines the different budget types and their purpose in funding the work programme.

Table two: Work programme budget types and purpose

Budget type	Description of budget purpose
Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI)	A development fund used to advance local operational and capital activities at the discretion of the local board.
Asset Based Services (ABS)	Allocated to deliver local activities based on decisions regarding region-wide service levels, including allocation of funds for local asset-based services, grants and staff time to deliver activities.
Local renewals	A fund dedicated to the partial renewal or full replacement of assets including those in local parks and community facilities.
Growth (local parks and sports field development)	Primarily funded through development contributions, a regional fund to improve open spaces, including developing newly acquired land into parks, and existing open space to increase capacity to cater for growing population needs.
Coastal	A regional fund for the renewal of Auckland’s significant coastal assets, such as seawalls, wharves and pontoons.
Slips prevention	A regional fund to proactively develop new assets for the prevention of landslides and major slips throughout the region.
Specific purpose funding	Funds received by the council, often from external sources, held for specific local board areas, including compensation funding from other agencies for land acquisitions required for major projects.
Discrete Local Board Projects	Funds allocated to a local board priority project in alignment with the Long-term Plan 2024-2034.
Long-term Plan discrete	Funds associated with activities specifically named and listed in previous long-term plans, including new libraries, community centres and major sports and community infrastructure.
Kauri Dieback Funding	Part of the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (NETR) Fund, this is a regional fund used to implement the national kauri dieback programme standards.
External funding	Budget from external parties, not yet received and held by Customer and Community Services.

Capital projects and budgets

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

42. The budgets associated with the work programme are estimates only, costs are subject to change and may need to be refined as the project progresses through the design and delivery process. Once activity details are more clearly defined, staff will update the work programme for approval in subsequent years.

Risk Adjusted Programme

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

44. Several capital projects in the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 work programme have been identified as part of the Risk Adjusted Programme and outlined in Attachment A.

45. Local board approval is sought for the commencement of these projects in the 2025/2026 financial year, so they can be prioritised if other, already approved projects, cannot be delivered or are delayed due to unforeseen reasons.

Regionally funded activities included in the local board work programme

46. Some activities are funded regionally and will be presented to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee for approval on 25 July 2024.

47. These projects include Slips Prevention, Local Parks and Sports Field Development budgets (also referred to as Growth budgets) and discrete local board projects funded from regional budgets.

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

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

Process for changes to the approved work programme

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

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

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

53. Amendments to the work programme or specific projects will be provided to the local board when required.

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

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

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

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

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

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

70. Examples of collaboration on delivery are the kauri dieback programme which is delivered by the Parks and Community Facilities and the Infrastructure and Environmental Services directorate, as well as pathway connections funded by Auckland Transport but delivered by Parks and Community Facilities.

71. The new Auckland Council organisational changes and structure will come into effect on 22 June 2024, work programmes will be remapped to reflect the new structure of the organisation following the adoption of the work programme. This will be reflected in the quarter one reporting in August 2024.

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

Local impacts and local board views

72. The feedback received from the local board through a series of workshops in March/April and May 2024 has informed the proposed Customer and Community Services work programme.

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

74. Planning and delivery of some activities involves consultation with the community to ensure their aspirations are understood and responded to.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

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

76. Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau, council’s Māori outcomes performance measurement framework, captures the majority of council’s Māori outcome strategy and planning. The framework responds to the needs and aspirations Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau, both mana whenua and mataawaka, have identified as mattering most for them.

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

78. Local Board Plans include Māori outcomes and align Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau Outcomes with key initiatives in the local board plan.

79. The work programme delivers on the local board plan key initiatives and includes activities which have an objective to deliver outcomes for and with Māori. Attachment B sets out the activities in the work programme that aim to achieve high Māori outcomes in one or more of the strategic priority areas. They involve ongoing collaboration with Māori or are delivered by Māori.

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

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

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

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

83. Each activity line has a budget allocation in one or more of the financial years e.g. 2024/2025 2025/2026 and 2026/2027. Where activity lines show a zero-dollar operating expense opex budget, this reflects implementation costs met through staff salary or other funding sources.

84. The 2024/2025 activities recommended for local board approval can be accommodated within 2024/2025 budgets and staff resources.

85. The budgets allocated to activities in the financial years 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 in the Parks and Community Facilities budgets are indicative and are subject to change due to any increased costs, inflation or reduction to the overall available annual council budget that may occur.

86. Table three summarises the budget sources and allocation for each work programme financial year.

Table three: Ōrākei budget allocation

Local budgets	2024/2025 (approve)	2025/2026 (approve in principle Parks & Community Facilities only)	2026/2027 (approve in principle Parks & Community Facilities only)
Operational (Opex): Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI)	1,147,185	0	0
Opex: Asset Based Services (ABS)	13,613,664	0	0
Capital (Capex): Local Asset Renewals - Budget (ABS)	3,583,329	4,856,990	5,255,459
Capex: Local Asset Renewals - Proposed Allocation (ABS)	3,337,550	4,856,990	5,255,459
Advanced Delivery RAP*	245,779	0	0
Capex: Local Asset Renewals - Unallocated budget (ABS)	0	0	0
Storm Damage Capex	0	0	0
Capex: Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) – Budget	545,067	553,874	563,952
Capex: Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) - Proposed Allocation	545,067	45,000	30,000
Advanced Delivery RAP*	0	0	0
Capex: Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) - Unallocated budget	0	508,874	533,952
Capex: Growth projects Allocation	0	150,000	800,000
Capex: Coastal projects Allocation	0	0	0
Capex: Slips Prevention projects Allocation	45,000	495,000	140,000
Capex: Specific Purpose Funding – Allocation	3,363,390	483,925	0
Capex: One Local Initiative	0	0	0
Capex: Long-term Plan discrete	100,000	1,894,240	3,749,881
Capex: External Funding Allocation	190,000	88,296	0
TOTAL ALLOCATIONS	22,341,856	8,013,451	9,975,340

87. The budgets are based on the allocations in the Long-term Plan 2024-2034. Budgets are subject to change during council’s Annual Budget and future long-term plan processes.

88. During delivery of the 2024/2025 work programme, where an activity is cancelled or no longer required, the local board can reallocate the associated budget to an existing work programme activity or create a new activity within that financial year. This process will include agreement from each department and will need to be formally resolved on by the local board.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

89. The most significant risk is that delivery of the Customer and Community Services work programme is dependent on the local board approving the work programme by the end of June 2024. Approval of the work programme later into the financial year will result in delays to delivery.

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

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

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

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

Table four: risks and mitigations

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

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

94. The new Auckland Council organisational changes and leadership structure will come into effect on 22 June 2024, staff will remap the work programmes and budgets to reflect the new structure of the organisation.

95. Delivery of the Customer and Community Service work programme is scheduled to start on 1 July 2024 and continue until 30 June 2025.

96. Regionally funded projects are an exception and will commence after they have been approved by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee in July 2024.

97. The local board will receive progress updates on a quarterly basis, with the first quarterly report available in November 2024.

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

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	Customer and Community Services Work Programme 2024/2025
b	Māori Outcomes
c	Regionally funded activities
d	Climate Impacts

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Justine Haves - General Manager Regional Services & Strategy

Claire Stewart - General Manager Active Communities

Darryl Soljan - Manager Customer Experience - North & West Libraries

Taryn Crewe - General Manager Parks and Community Facilities

Authorisers

Claudia Wyss - Director Customer and Community Services

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Churchill Park Ngahere (Forest) Enhancement Project

File No.: CP2024/07320

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek approval from the Ōrākei Local Board for delivery of the Churchill Park Ngahere (Forest) Enhancement Project, involving pine tree removals, replacement planting, control of weed species and fencing in Churchill Park.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Churchill Park contains five Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) stands containing a total of c. 200-220 senescing pines estimated to be 80-100 years old. Approximately 10-20 trees within these stands are dying or falling each year.

3. The Ōrākei Local Board was advised at a workshop in October 2021 that staged removal of the pines, followed by planting was the most appropriate approach for long term management of the park.

4. In mid-2022, mana whenua and the community were formally engaged to provide feedback on the proposed project. As most of the community feedback on the project was supportive, only minor changes to the proposal were recommended and these mainly related to planting.

5. Staff lodged an application for resource consent, granted on 15 February 2023 (LUC60412365), to remove the pine trees and carry out planting/control of weed species and fencing.

6. Following the granting of the resource consent, a Project Delivery Team was formed and preparation for the delivery of the project started. Staff plan to remove the pine trees in stands 1, 2A and 2B and replant those areas in 2024. Liaison will also begin with tree nurseries to grow the exotic tree component. In 2025 and 2026, staff plan to remove the pine trees in stands 3A and 3B and undertake planting there.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) approve delivery of the Churchill Park Ngahere (Forest) Enhancement Project, involving pine tree removals, replacement planting, control of weed species and fencing in Churchill Park as follows:

i. In 2024, the removal of pine trees in stands 1, 2A and 2B, restoration planting in the footprint stands 2A and 2B, and fencing of this restoration planting

ii. In 2025, the removal of the pine trees in stands 3A and/or 3B, and infill planting in the footprint of stands 3A and/or 3B (where the removals have taken place)

iii. In 2026, the removal of any remaining pine trees in stands 3A and/or 3B and infill planting in the footprint of stands 3A and/or 3B (where the removals have taken place)

iv. From 2025 onwards, liaison with tree nurseries to grow the exotic tree component tree stock for planting at a later stage when the tree stock reaches sufficient size (45L root ball, approximately 2m in height).

Horopaki

Context

7. Churchill Park comprises approximately 40-hectares of land, located at 320/336 Riddell Road, Glendowie. It provides a mix of recreational and farming activities, including grazing cattle, ‘off leash’ dog walking areas, the Glendowie bowling and tennis clubs at the southern end of the park, and several arterial walking tracks.

8. Development within the park is guided by the Churchill Park Management Plan 1996 and the Churchill Park Development Plan, most recently revised in 2007. Both plans advocate for the removal of the senescing pines and the planting of native species within the park.

9. The landscape is accented by five Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) stands containing a total of c. 200-300 senescing pines estimated to be 80-100 years old (see the Approved Tree Location Plan - Attachment A). These stands are close to public paths and houses and around 10 to 20 of trees within these stands are falling or dying per year. There are pockets of young indigenous forest plantings scattered throughout the park, as well as exotic plantings near to the scout hut on Kinsale Avenue.

10. Currently, a semi-reactive approach is taken whereby trees are inspected and managed on an as needed basis.

11. A Tree Management Plan was commissioned in 2019 by the Regional Arborists & Ecological Manager to undertake a survey and assessment of the pine trees onsite with a view to providing a long-term management strategy for the park.

12. The plan recommended that a staged removal of pines accompanied by indigenous revegetation planting was the most appropriate approach for long-term management of the park. This approach carries many long-term benefits for the park such as increased tree numbers, reduced eutrophication of the watercourse and increased biodiversity and local fauna.

13. A memorandum was provided to the Ōrākei Local Board at a workshop in October 2021 (Attachment D), advising that staged removal of the pines, followed by planting was the most appropriate approach for long term management of these trees in the park.

14. A subsequent update was provided to the Ōrākei Local Board in November 2021 (Attachment E), seeking approval to advance engagement with mana whenua and to provide an update on the consent strategy and programme, stakeholder engagement and the intended methodology for developing a proposed planting plan.

Community Engagement

15. In March 2022, the local board indicated support for the approach to public engagement at a workshop.

16. From 9 May to 3 June 2022, a community engagement campaign was run through Auckland Council’s AK Have Your Say online platform. The information provided online during the campaign included the pine removal plan, a draft planting plan and Frequently Asked Questions. This information was also accessible at St Helier’s Library.

17. People with an interest in providing feedback were able to do so by using an online feedback form. An online information session was held on 17 May 2022, where staff presented an overview of the proposal, and attendees were able to ask questions.

18. To make people aware of the project, letters were sent to landowners and residents within 100 metres of Churchill Park. Emails were also sent to key stakeholders in the community, such as organisations who occupy the park (school, kindergarten, grazier) and local community groups (Friends of Churchill Park, Rotary). Some one-on-one meetings were held where requested, including with Friends of Churchill Park representatives. A dedicated email inbox was also set up to enable people to directly contact staff with questions or feedback on the project.

19. As most of the community feedback on the project was supportive, only minor changes to the proposal were recommended and these mainly related to planting.

20. Responses were mixed regarding staging pine removals over 3-5 years or removing all pines in one large operation. Most respondents were supportive of the staging, whilst some felt it was too slow, or too fast. It was recommended that the 3–5-year staging remain as this is a more practical programme and will spread the visual impact of the proposal over time.

21. In terms of the species and location of trees in the planting plan, overall responses were supportive. Amendments were made to the concept planting plan to take account of community feedback.

22. A memorandum provided to the local board in February 2022 (Attachment F) presented a summary of the feedback from the consultation undertaken and sought approval for amendments to the project to address the community feedback.

23. Following the finalisation of the project plan including the planting layout, the project team lodged an application for a resource consent.

Resource Consent

24. The resource consent was granted on 15 February 2023 (LUC60412365). It provides for enhancement of the ecological and landscape amenity values of the urban ngahere (forest) cover at Churchill Park via the removal of five stands of old senescing Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) trees, followed by extensive planting in tandem with control of weed species and provision of stock-exclusion fencing.

25. The resource consent requires pre-commencement meetings at each stage of the tree removals, a Works Management Plan, a Stand-Specific Erosion and Sediment Control Plan, a Communications Plan and an Indicative Planting Plan / Ngahere Enhancement Plan. There are also conditions on arboriculture, noise and vibration, ecology, and accidental discovery.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

26. Following the granting of the resource consent, a Project Delivery Team was formed and preparation for the delivery of the works have begun. Staff plan to remove the pine trees in stands 1, 2A and 2B, and replant these areas in 2024 (see the Churchill Park Approved Indicative Planting Plan - Attachment B).

27. The project will unfold in three stages and each stage will consist of several main workstreams. These workstreams involve:

a) pine tree removals

b) replacement planting and control of weed species

c) fencing.

28. All trees will be replanted in accordance with the consented Indicative Planting Plan / Ngahere Enhancement Plan and fenced off where there is any presence of stock nearby. The plant palette includes approximately 70% natives and 30% exotics (including fruit trees).

29. There has been strong community interest in supporting restoration planting onsite including from the Friends of Churchill Park and Rotary. Staff anticipate the tree planting will be completed in collaboration with the Friends of Churchill Park group

Works Management Plan

30. Further details of the Works Management Plan are set out in Table 1.

Table 1: Works Management Plan

Activity	2024	2025	2026	2027 onwards
Pine removals	Stands 1, 2A, 2B	Stands 3A and/or 3B	Stands 3A and/or 3B	All pine trees are removed
Restoration planting	Stands 2A, 2B	Stands 3A and/or 3B	Stands 3A and/or 3B
Amenity tree planting	Staged planting pending tree stock availability	Staged planting pending tree stock availability	Staged planting pending tree stock availability	Staged planting pending tree stock availability
Fencing	Stands 2A, 2B
Maintenance	Ongoing	Ongoing	Ongoing	Ongoing

31. It is anticipated that the tree removals will take approximately one month and occur in June/July each year.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

32. Increasing the potential to capture carbon in terrestrial environments is key to meeting Auckland’s goal of reducing emissions. It is estimated that carbon sequestration from Auckland’s forests reduces the region’s gross emissions by around 10 per cent each year. Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan reinforces the need to protect existing carbon sinks, including mature trees and forests.

33. In addition, healthy mature urban trees provide cooling to reduce the urban heat island effect as well as enhancing stormwater management, air pollution removal, improved water quality, and ecological corridors to connect habitats and improve biodiversity.

34. Further, Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland's Climate Plan must be considered in any decision regarding potential removal of public trees.

35. A specialist arboricultural analysis of the proposed planting plan has been carried out which has confirmed that both canopy cover and carbon sequestration will increase significantly over time under the Plan when compared to the status quo approach of reactively managing aging pines onsite.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

36. The Auckland Council group has a well-developed strategic framework and set of policies that guide decision-making when considering the potential removal of mature trees, including resource consent processes.

37. A resource consent has been sought and was granted on 15 February 2023 (LUC60412365). It provides for enhancement of the ecological and landscape amenity values of the urban ngahere (forest) cover at Churchill Park via the removal of five stands of old senescing monterey pine (pinus radiata) trees followed by extensive planting in tandem with control of weed species and provision of stock-exclusion fencing.

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

Local impacts and local board views

38. The Ōrākei Local Board also has a well-developed strategic framework to guide decision-making when considering the potential removal of mature trees, including under the Ōrākei Urban Ngahere Action Plan 2020. There is also the Churchill Park Management Plan 1996 and the Churchill Park Development Plan (most recently revised in 2007) to consider.

39. These documents provide the following key principles:

a) striving toward canopy cover of 30% by 2050

b) species origin split 70% of native trees/plants and 30% of exotic trees/plants. Orchard species have been included to provide community food gathering opportunities

c) location of the planting

d) maintenance of the ‘country in the city’ feel.

40. These Ōrākei Local Board strategies and plans have formed a basis for the proposal to remove the pine trees and their replacement.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

41. Mana whenua have been engaged to ensure opportunities have been provided to collaborate on design of restoration plans, plant sourcing and planting works.

42. Mana whenua were first contacted about the project in August 2018. At that time, five of the 14 iwi groups responded, expressing in principle support for the project and several iwi indicated a desire to be involved in restoration planting design.

43. Mana whenua were also contacted again more recently about the proposal, with updates on the proposed planting plan. Once this report has been adopted, mana whenua will be engaged again prior to commencement of the first phase of removals and planting.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

44. At this stage, the project is seen as purely operational and as such it is anticipated that the costs associated with the pine tree removals, planting/control of weed species and fencing will be covered by Parks and Community Facilities operational budgets.

45. Therefore, no impact on the local board’s budget is currently anticipated.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

46. The community has been advised that pine tree removal is required in the first instance to ensure community group planting can be undertaken safety. The stakeholders have also been informed that the felling of the pines has resource consent and that there are potential complexities that may arise in the process.

47. A risk register will be developed and maintained which will be influenced by lessons learnt from previous tree removal projects. Regular updates will be provided monthly to all stakeholders, including the Ōrākei Local Board and relevant council departments (e.g. Healthy Waters).

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

48. Staff recommend that the Ōrākei Local Board approve delivery of the Churchill Park Ngahere (Forest) Enhancement Project, involving pine tree removals, planting/control of weed species and fencing in Churchill Park.

49. If the local board approves this recommendation staff will carry out the works as described in the above works management plan.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	Approved Tree Location Plan
b	Approved Indicative Planting Plan
c	Survey Responses Report
d	Churchill Park Restoration Project - 30/09/2021
e	Churchill Park Restoration Project - 01/11/2021
f	Churchill Park Restoration Project - 17/02/2022

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

David Stejskal – Regional Arborists and Ecological Manager

Authorisers

Martin van Jaarsveld - Head of Specialist Operations

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Landowner approval to install a stormwater pipe and new manhole within Tautari Reserve

File No.: CP2024/07990

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek approval from the Ōrākei Local Board for a landowner approval application to install stormwater infrastructure within Tautari Reserve to service the development at 82 Tautari Street, Ōrākei.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Marty van der Burg Builders Limited (the applicant) is in the process of constructing a new swimming pool with associated landscaping and retaining walls at 82 Tautari Street, Ōrākei.

3. During construction of the swimming pool, the existing private stormwater pipe that extends into Tautari Reserve was filled up with concrete slurry so it can no longer be used.

4. A new stormwater connection is required to manage stormwater from the development. The new infrastructure includes a stormwater pipe and manhole to the existing public pipe in Tautari Reserve.

5. Current Stormwater Code of Practice requires the new stormwater pipe to be public because it does not allow private pipes within another property unless it is protected by an easement.

6. The stormwater infrastructure is proposed to be installed by open trenching and is anticipated to cause temporary disruption to park users for 3-5 days. Following completion of the works, the reserve would be reinstated.

7. Private developers should, where possible, address their stormwater needs within private property, rather than within a public reserve. Staff have worked with the applicant, a Healthy Waters Specialist and Development Engineer to explore feasible alternative solutions that would have less impact on the reserve. However, these alternatives were found to be impractical and would not comply with current Stormwater Code of Practice.

8. The applicant will be responsible for the installation of the infrastructure, including any associated cost. Once the infrastructure has been installed and inspected to ensure compliance with the Stormwater Code of Practice, the new stormwater asset will be vested in council as a public asset. Council will then be responsible for all future maintenance and associated costs. The expected lifetime of the new pipe will be at least 100 years so there will be no immediate costs to the council.

9. The proposal does not contradict the outcomes of the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023 because the proposed infrastructure is not anticipated to adversely affect the useability of the reserve and there are no current plans to develop the reserve. As a result, and due to the lack of alternatives that comply with Stormwater Code of Practice, staff recommend that the application is approved.

10. If the Ōrākei Local Board approves the application, staff will issue a landowner approval letter with associated conditions, allowing the applicant to proceed with the proposal. If the Orakei Local Board does not approve the application, staff will advise the applicant accordingly.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) approve the application by Marty van der Burg Builders Limited for landowner approval to install a stormwater pipe and new manhole at the junction with the existing public stormwater pipe within Tautari Reserve.

b) note that, if approved, the applicant has agreed to pay a planting contribution to cover the cost of the tree purchase, planting, maintenance and aftercare of two new trees that will be planted either in Tautari Reserve or within the Ōrākei Local Board area to mitigate the reduction of amenity from the proposed manhole.

Horopaki

Context

The land

11. The land known as Tautari Reserve, sited at 80 Tautari Street, Ōrākei is held in fee simple title, legally described as Section 456 TN OF Ōrākei comprising 887 square metres and is held by Auckland in trust as classified recreation reserve subject to the Reserves Act 1977.

Figure 1. Extent of Tautari Reserve, Ōrākei (blue)

12. Under the Reserves Act 1977, the land is held for the purpose of ‘providing areas for the recreation and sporting activities and the physical welfare and enjoyment of the public, and for the protection of the natural environment and beauty of the countryside, with emphasis on the retention of open spaces and on outdoor recreational activities, including recreational tracks in the countryside.’

Proposal

13. The applicant is in the process of developing a new swimming pool, with associated landscaping and retaining walls within the northern portion of the property at 82 Tautari Street.

14. During construction of the swimming pool, the existing private stormwater pipe that extends into Tautari Reserve was filled up with concrete slurry so it can no longer be used.

15. A new stormwater connection is required to manage stormwater from the development. The new infrastructure includes a new stormwater pipe and manhole to the existing public pipe in Tautari Reserve.

16. Current Stormwater Code of Practice requires the new stormwater pipe to be public because it does not allow private pipes within another property, unless it is protected by an easement.

17. The infrastructure is proposed to be installed by open trenching and would cause temporary disruption to park users for 3-5 days. Access will be required by a 1.7 tonne digger from Reihana Street across the reserve.

18. The applicant will be responsible for the installation of the infrastructure, including any associated cost. Once the infrastructure has been inspected by Infrastructure & Engineering Services and found to comply with Stormwater Code of Practice, the new stormwater asset will be vested with council as public asset.

19. The expected lifetime of the proposed pipe will be at least 100 years so there will be no immediate cost to council. However, once the infrastructure is vested, all future maintenance and associated costs will fall to Auckland Council.

20. The proposed works will not directly affect any existing vegetation in Tautari Reserve. However, machinery access and the work site are near trees. Accordingly, the arboricultural report provided with the application has been reviewed and accepted by council‘s Urban Forest Specialist.

21. Attachment A shows the proposed stormwater infrastructure.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

22. The proposal aligns with the development strategies and directions of the Auckland Plan 2050, which advocates for facilitating development through efficient infrastructure design.

23. The following Auckland Council specialists have been consulted on l and accept the proposal subject to recommended conditions:

a) Parks & Places Specialist, Parks & Community Facilities

b) Urban Forest Specialist, Parks & Community Facilities

c) Manager Area Operations, Parks & Community Facilities

d) Facilities Manager, Parks & Community Facilities

e) Healthy Waters Specialist, Infrastructure & Engineering Services

f) Development Engineer, Regulatory Engineering & Resource Consents.

24. Auckland Council’s Parks and Community Facilities department adopts the stance that a private developer should, where possible, address their stormwater needs via their own property, rather than within a public reserve. The stance is adopted regardless of cost to the applicant and/or engineering preference. Staff do, however, acknowledge the developer’s limitations (and physical/topographical/land-based constraints) and Healthy Waters preferences and requirements.

25. Where a developer cannot address their stormwater needs within private property, staff recommend exploring all other options. If the use of the reserve is unavoidable, staff may accept the infrastructure within public land and will work with the developer to explore the least intrusive solution.

26. Staff have worked with the applicant, Healthy Waters Specialist, Development Engineer and Parks and Places Specialist to explore alternatives including locating the connection outside the reserve. However, these options have been deemed impractical and/or would not conform to the Auckland Council Stormwater Code of Practice. The alternatives are not feasible due to constraints including site topography, limited available space within the applicant's property or would be difficult to access during maintenance and would result in increased maintenance costs to the council in the event of a blockage or malfunction.

27. Generally, staff are reluctant to support proposals which may reduce Auckland Council’s ability to further develop reserves and provide enhanced community facilities. However, apart from the new manhole, the proposed infrastructure will be below ground and will not significantly alter usable open space.

28. If the local board decline the application, the applicant will not be able to undertake the proposed works and alternative options will need to be explored further.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

29. The applicant proposes a gravity fed stormwater pipe to the existing public stormwater pipe within Tautari Reserve which would not require continous energy to be operated, making it more climate friendly than a pumped system.

30. Due to the location of the proposed works, staff do not anticipate the impacts of climate change and sea level rise to significantly impact the asset.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

31. The application and its effects have been assessed by several technical experts on behalf of both the applicant and the council. The areas of expertise include parks strategy, engineering and arboriculture.

Healthy Waters Specialist views

32. The Healthy Waters Specialist in collaboration with a Development Engineer have confirmed that the following options would be feasible. However, Option A is the only viable solution that will comply with Stormwater Code of Practice.

· Option A (preferred option)

Connect to the existing public stormwater pipe in Tautari Reserve with a 1050mm manhole at the junction with a 600mm diameter lid. This option is preferred because it will comply with Stormwater Code of Practice and provide easy access for future maintenance, including entry by person in the event of a blockage.

· Option B

Similar to Option A with a smaller access chamber of 600mm at the junction. This option only has the benefit of reducing disturbance in the reserve during construction, it would still enable camera access for future maintenance but from a visual amenity perspective it would have the same sized manhole lid of 600mm diameter. This option would not comply with Stormwater Code of Practice, would have increased chance of blockage and increased costs during maintenance that may include digging up the pipe in the event of blockage.

· Option C

This is the least preferred option but it has the advantage of no visible structure within the reserve. This option would still involve constructing a new pipe with Tautari Reserve but instead of a manhole or chamber at the junction, a rodding eye would be established within private property. This option is not preferred because it would not comply with Stormwater Code of Practice, locating and accessing the rodding eye during maintenance will be difficult and specific cameras may be necessary for investigation of the pipe in the event of a blockage.

Parks & Places Specialist views

33. The Parks & Places Specialist has confirmed that while their preference is to not have manholes in parks and reserves, they support the proposed manhole (Option A) and requesting a planting contribution. This is in the interest of mitigation of potential stormwater risks in the reserve and due to concerns from the Healthy Waters Specialist about the other options not meeting Stormwater Code of Practice.

Recommended conditions

34. Conditions that will be placed on any landowner approval issued will include, but not be limited to:

· pre-construction site meeting with Facilities Manager and Urban Forest Specialist to scope and finalise the proposed access route for machinery and the location of laydown areas for construction material and machinery storage,

· adhering to the tree protection methodology in the arboricultural report,

· ensuring the works are undertaken during dry weather conditions,

· erosion and sediment controls,

· health and safety fencing and signage,

· accidental discovery protocols,

· to ensure that track matting is used to protect the park surface when machinery or vehicles access the park, and

· post-construction meeting with the Facilities Manager to ensure any damage to the park has been reinstated prior to handover of the asset to council.

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

Local impacts and local board views

35. The proposal does not contradict the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023. This is because the proposed infrastructure is not expected to reduce the useability of the reserve and there are no current plans to develop the reserve.

36. During construction, the works would cause some temporary disturbance to reserve users for 3-5 days. Following completion of the works, the reserve would be reinstated.

37. It is acknowledged that the new manhole will result in a localised reduction in amenity within the reserve. Accordingly, the applicant has agreed to pay a planting contribution to cover the cost of planning and species selection and the tree purchase, planting, maintenance and aftercare of two new trees that will be planted either in Tautari Reserve or within the Ōrākei Local Board area to mitigate the reduction of amenity from the new manhole.

38. Apart from the new 600mm diameter manhole lid, the rest of the infrastructure will be below ground. Therefore, it is considered that the presence of the infrastructure upon completion and reinstatement will not significantly detract from access to and enjoyment of the space.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

39. Auckland Council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its broader legal obligations to Māori. The council recognises these responsibilities are distinct from the Crown’s Treaty obligations and fall within a local government Tāmaki Makaurau context. These commitments are articulated in the council’s key strategic planning documents the Auckland Plan, the Long-term Plan 2021-2031, the Unitary Plan and Local Board Plans.

40. There are no known archaeological sites or sites of significance to Māori identified within Tautari Reserve. Therefore, no consultation with mana whenua groups is considered necessary for this application. To further minimise potential impact, a condition with respect to adhering to accidental discovery protocols would be included in any landowner approval.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

41. The applicant will be responsible for the costs associated with the installation of the infrastructure and remediating any damage to the park surface after construction.

42. The new pipe will have an expected lifetime of at least 100 years so there will be no immediate cost to the council. However, once the new infrastructure is vested as public asset, the responsibility for costs of maintenance of the infrastructure will sit with council.

43. It is considered that constructing stormwater infrastructure that complies with Stormwater Code of Practice will reduce future maintenance costs in the event of a blockage or malfunction.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

44. The land is held principally for recreational and open space purposes with the intent of retaining open space values and opportunities. The installation of the stormwater asset may limit Auckland Council’s ability to further develop the land if buildings are proposed over the underground assets. However, there are no current plans to develop the reserve.

45. There are no significant operational or financial risks associated with approving the proposal because the applicant will be responsible for all aspects of the infrastructure installation. The new pipe will have an anticipated lifetime of at least 100 years so there will be no immediate cost to the council.

46. It is considered that constructing stormwater infrastructure that will comply with Stormwater Code of Practice will reduce future maintenance costs in the event of a blockage of malfunction.

47. There will be risk associated with declining the proposal because the applicant is required to manage the stormwater from the property in a manner that complies with Stormwater Code of Practice.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

48. The Ōrākei Local Board may resolve to either decline or approve the landowner approval application and staff will advise the applicant of the outcome.

49. If the local board resolves to approve the application and once the applicant has paid the planting contribution, staff will issue an approval letter to undertake the works. This will include relevant operational conditions and any mitigation requirements.

50. If the local board resolves to decline the application, staff will advise the applicant accordingly.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	Plans of the Proposed Stormwater Infrastructure - 82 Tautari Street

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Gail Lorier-May - Land Use Advisor

Authorisers

Taryn Crewe - General Manager Parks and Community Facilities

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Options for voting methods in local elections

File No.: CP2024/06556

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To receive feedback from local boards on a range of voting method options following the Governing Body’s 27 April 2023 decision asking staff to investigate options of postal, booth or a combination voting method for the 2025 elections.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Postal voting is the current voting method for Auckland Council elections.

3. Following the review of the 2022 elections, several short and long-term issues were identified. These include:

· some eligible voters not receiving voting documents

· few special voting centres

· general consequences of a declining postal service

· general decline in voter turnout.

4. In March 2023 local boards were asked for their feedback on whether council should move from a ‘postal only’ voting method to a ‘combination’ (postal and booth) voting method. (Attachment A)

· 14 supported combination voting (postal, with booth on election day).

· One supported postal and online voting.

· One supported online voting, and booth voting on election day.

· One supported retaining postal only.

· Four did not provide feedback on this issue.

5. In April 2023 the Governing Body supported staff to investigate options of postal, booth or a combination method of voting for the 2025 election. The council can change its voting method through resolution.

6. Local boards are being consulted on this topic again, as the option for a booth only voting method is now also under consideration.

7. Staff are investing the feasibility of five options:

· Option One - postal voting with limited special voting centres (status quo)

· Option Two - postal voting with more special voting centres (status quo plus)

· Option Three - booth voting

· Option Four - combination voting (postal, with booth on election day only)

· Option Five - combination voting (booth and postal).

8. The management of postal voting is relatively straightforward. The short-term issues identified at the 2022 election can be remedied through the addition of more special voting centres on election day (status quo plus option).

9. The management of booth voting is more complex and comes with risks and higher costs. The organisation will need to build capacity to manage a booth voting election with up to 630 voting places, and to hire and train up to 3000 temporary staff.

10. Booth voting has not been used in local elections since 1992 and the current booth voting regulations have not been tested since that time. No recent policy work has been done to determine if any amendments to the regulations are necessary to ensure their workability in the modern context. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has stated it may be challenging for policy work to be completed and ready for the 2025 local elections.

11. A combination method will be costly (estimated between $10.7-$17.1 million) with the separate costs for postal and booth operations. Additionally, the close of voting on election day for postal is 12 noon, and 7pm for booth. This could lead to the confusion and frustration of voters.

12. Staff recommend that the postal voting method should be retained, with an increase of special voting centres to avoid queues on election day (status quo plus option).

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) whakarite / provide feedback on their preferred voting method provided in this report and on the staff recommendation for the status quo plus option.

Horopaki

Context

13. Auckland Council appoints an Electoral Officer to conduct its elections for mayor, councillors and local board members. The Electoral Officer also conducts the elections for five licensing trusts.

14. The Chief Executive is responsible to the council for “facilitating and fostering representative and substantial elector participation in elections and polls held under the Local Electoral Act 2001”. For this reason, a small team of seconded, fixed term and sometimes volunteer staff work alongside the Electoral Officer to ensure all eligible voters are well informed and motivated to vote and that voters have a diverse range of candidates to choose from.

15. The Governing Body can make decisions about specified matters relating to elections, including the voting method.

16. The Local Electoral Act 2001 allows a council, through resolution, to change the voting method of its elections. The authorised methods are:

· postal voting (current method)

· booth voting

· a combination method.

17. Attachment B provides details of the different methods of voting. Attachment C provides three flow charts outlining how voters would interact with each of the three distinct voting processes (postal, booth and combination) and how each process interacts with the others.

18. Online voting is not an option within the Local Electoral Act 2001. The Governing Body has not previously considered a change from postal voting.

19. Voter turnout has declined from 59 per cent at the first Auckland City Council postal method election (1986), down to 35.5 per cent at the 2022 Auckland Council election. Although Auckland Council’s result was up 0.3 per cent from the 2019 election it still does not compare favourably with other parts of New Zealand. The average voter turnout at the 2022 elections across local governments was 42 per cent.

20. An evaluation of the Auckland Council 2022 elections was provided to the Governing Body in April 2023 (Attachment D). This review outlined several short and long-term issues with the postal voting method from Auckland voters including:

· some voters not receiving voting documents. This is largely because the Electoral Commission have difficulties getting eligible voters to enrol or update their enrolment information when they shift to another residential location. This information needs to be up to date so that eligible voters can receive their voting pack in the mail.

· the need to travel far for a special voting centre

· having to queuing at a special voting centre on election day

· the challenge of voting paper security.

21. Long-term issues were also identified, including:

· the declining and costly postal service

· the general decline in voter turnout.

22. One of the options in the 2022 evaluation is to consider moving from postal voting to a combination method (postal and booth) at the 2025 election, whereby booths are staffed on election day and do not close until 7pm. Postal voting would be available as has been past practice, closing at 12 noon on election day. Including this option, staff are investigating the feasibility of five options:

· Option One - postal voting only (status quo)

· Option Two - postal voting with more special voting centres (‘status quo plus’)

· Option Three - booth voting only

· Option Four - combination voting (postal, with booth on election day only)

· Option Five - combination voting (booth and postal).

23. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), in their 2023 Briefing to the Incoming Minister, has signalled changes to current voting method regulations. They describe the need to modernise a system that ‘relies heavily on traditional postal services and has not kept up with many improvements to parliamentary election processes.’ DIA believe these changes might happen in time for the 2028 elections.

24. This report provides a staff recommendation that responds to the short-term issues described above and outlines current risks with options that respond to the long-term issues.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Option One – Status quo – postal voting with limited special voting centres

25. Postal voting is used in every council in New Zealand and is widely supported by Electoral Officers across local governments who are a mixture of both independent and council staff. It is relatively cost effective, and a system known to those who are involved so there is a high probability of achieving a clear and defensible election result.

26. It does have some problems however which are contained in Attachment D and noted above which has led to improvements being made in recent years such as the provision of special voting centres.

27. To overcome people not receiving their voting papers, special voting centres have been used to ensure eligible voters can cast a vote during the electoral period.

28. At the 2022 election the eight special voting centres had lines out the door, with some voters queuing on the last hours of the last day.

29. New Zealand Post have previously advised that postage costs will rise in the order of 30 per cent per annum meaning that the estimate of the 2025 election costs of postage is likely to be around 100 per cent more than the 2022 elections, with mailer printing set to increase by 25 per cent over the same period.

Option Two – Status quo plus – postal voting with more special voting centres

30. Despite its drawbacks, postal voting is a straightforward and relatively cost-effective method for Auckland Council to administer and has a high likelihood of a clear and defensible election result, compared to booth only voting. A postal voting election, with increased special voting centres would provide a short-term response to some of the issues from the 2022 election. An increase in the number of special voting places (minimum one per local board area) will reduce travel and wait times and ensure those who do not receive or lose their voting documents can easily vote.

Option Three - Booth voting

31. The main perceived benefit to Auckland Council running booth voting for the next election is that it would be similar to Parliamentary elections which is something that voters are very used to and attracts nationwide media coverage. Booth voting also would overcome the issue of a declining postal service and address perceptions about postal ballots being stolen and/or misused.

32. There are some drawbacks however:

· Booth voting has no provision for voters outside of Auckland. Currently, the Local Electoral Regulations 2001 do not give voters who are overseas and outside of Auckland voters an option to return their vote electronically. DIA has stated that they have started early policy work to allow the return of votes electronically for overseas voters but if any changes are made, they may not be ready for the 2025 local elections.

· To be comparable to a booth voting experience provided by the Electoral Commission for Parliamentary elections, up to 3000 temporary staff would need to be hired and up to 630 voting places would need to be managed over the voting period. This resource has not been budgeted for. The capacity and capability of the organisation to manage this large undertaking is a risk. The financial and reputational cost to re-run a booth voting election is extremely high.

· Auckland Council and Independent Election Services (our contracted service provider) have not run a booth voting election before.

· Voter turnout might be impacted. Dale Ofsoske, the Auckland Council Electoral Officer, suggests there could be up to a 10 per cent decrease in voter turnout. This is based on the last booth voting election undertaken by a local authority in New Zealand, where Hutt City Council adopted booth voting for their 1992 election and achieved a 26 per cent turnout compared to the previous postal voting election where a 45 per cent turnout was achieved. Although there may be other circumstances relating to that case, it is worth bearing in mind that a shift of this nature has risks.

· Time taken to cast a vote is not conducive to booth voting. Voters in a general election have to make only two choices; one for an electorate vote and one party vote. This is in contrast to the number of choices for an Auckland local election where a mayor, councillor, up to nine local board members and five licensing trusts are decided. The regulations state that candidate profiles must be provided when a voting document is issued. The time it will take for voters to review candidate profiles and make their decision could cause long wait times at polling places. This was evidenced at special voting places in 2022.

Options Four and Five - Combination postal and booth voting

33. The benefits of a combination method, of postal and booth voting, are that these options overcome the known problems of postal and booth voting as follows:

· a combination voting method provides a process (postal voting) for overseas and outside of Auckland voters with a way to return their votes, which booth voting only does not.

· a combination voting method, reduces reliance on and responds to the declining postal service, while giving voters more options for casting and returning their votes.

34. There are additional risks however:

· The risk with a combination of voting methods is the potential for widespread confusion and frustration. Conveying to voters a combination method, and the different closing times of postal and booth voting, 12 noon and 7pm, respectively, is not straightforward. This could also impact on a later release of election results.

· Because turnout trends for election methods are mixed, the potential level of confusion could decrease turnout.

· Managing and running two discrete election method processes (plus special voting) is a capability and capacity risk. Council and independent election providers in New Zealand do not have sufficient experience to run a booth voting election.

· If systems fail and an election result is not clear, the financial and reputational cost to re-run an election is high (above $10million).

· The cost of running the postal voting method will have increased by approx. $2.6 million since 2022 by the time council runs the 2025 election, the addition of a booth voting method in addition to postal will further increase costs. This is covered further in the financial analysis section.

Staff recommendation

35. Staff recommend retaining the postal voting method with an increase in special voting centres (the ‘status quo plus’ option).

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

36. This report discusses booth voting. The climate impact of people travelling to a booth is likely to be mixed, depending on where they are located.

37. Voting documents for postal and booth method elections rely on the use of paper. A more climate friendly option would be online voting. However, online voting is currently not an authorised voting method in the legislation.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

38. A decision about the voting method affects how voters elect the mayor, councillors and local board members. It does not have major impacts on the council group.

39. In some options, libraries and volunteer staff may be engaged. Libraries have been consulted and are able to help. Volunteer staff will be engaged if necessary.

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

Local impacts and local board views

40. In March 2023 local boards were asked for their feedback on whether council should move from a ‘postal only’ voting method to a ‘combination’ (postal and booth) voting method.

· 14 supported combination voting (postal, with booth on election day).

· One supported postal and online voting.

· One supported online voting, and booth voting on election day.

· One supported retaining postal only.

· Four did not provide feedback on this issue.

41. Local communities have not been consulted regarding voting methods.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

42. Demographic data shows that turnout for electors of Māori descent was lower than the average turnout. Further analysis conducted by RIMU about who voted in the 2022 local elections suggested that a range of interrelated factors may be contributing to these discrepancies, including:

· differences in the perceived relevance of local government to the everyday life of different communities

· differences in family and work commitments and an ability to pay attention to local politics in light of other life priorities

· the complexity of the local government system and voting process, along with differences in knowledge about local government across communities in Auckland

· for some communities, a lack of identification with and ability to see one’s identity reflected in the local governance system

· a distrust of and disengagement from the local government system, particularly amongst Māori

· the existence of a social norm of non-voting in some families, neighbourhoods and communities.

43. The impact of a different voting method on Māori voter turnout is not known and difficult to estimate. This is also true for non-Māori voter turnout.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

44. Of the options considered, the estimated financial implications run between $10,060,390 and $19,849,574. Only options One and Two have sufficient budget provided for in the Long-term Plan. Any other option would require additional funding to be made available by making further trade-offs in another budgetary allocation.

45. The costs below are estimates. This is especially true for options which include booth voting as not all costs are known.

Option	Description	Cost (estimate)
Option One - Postal voting only (Status quo)	Same as 2022, with 8 special voting centres	$10,060,390
Option Two - Postal voting, plus more special voting centres (Status quo plus)	Same as 2022, with a minimum of one special voting centre per LB	$10,160,390
Option Three - Booth only	20 places per LB, 7 days	$11,377,653
	30 places per LB, 7 days	$13,714,734
	20 places per LB, 14 days (same voting period as Parliamentary elections)	$15,467,546
	30 places per LB, 14 days	$19,849,574
Option Four - Combination: Postal voting, with booth voting on election day	Postal, with 20 places per LB on election day	$10,673,874
Option Five - Combination: Booth and Postal voting	30 places per LB, 7 days	$17,071,634

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

46. Staff have taken the short-term issues from the findings of the 2022 election to provide a recommendation to maintain postal voting, with more special voting centres (status quo plus).

47. In consideration of the declining postal service and voter turnout, staff will continue to work with DIA, the Electoral Commission, and other entities to inform policy work for any potential changes for the 2028 elections.

48. The analysis in the body of this report includes information on the risks of each option and Attachment E describes these in more detail. This analysis shows that Option Two ‘status quo plus’ has the least risks. The risks noted include:

· voter fraud

· voter intimidation

· technical issues

· long queues and voter suppression

· misinformation and disinformation

· security concerns

· accessibility issues

· logistical challenges

· communication of results

· postal service

· fit for purpose.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

49. Your feedback will be provided to the Governing Body in June where a decision on the voting method for the 2025 local elections will be sought.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	2022 local board feedback
b	Types of voting methods
c	Voting method flow charts
d	Evaluation of 2022 election method
e	Risk analysis

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Liam Davies - Graduate

Warwick McNaughton - Principal Advisor

Authorisers

Rose Leonard - Manager Governance Services

Louise Mason - General Manager Local Board Services

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux Funding Model Options

File No.: CP2024/07898

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek feedback on a new strategic funding model for Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux Inc (ACABx) is the regional governing body for the nine Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) who operate at 32 sites across 19 local boards (not in Upper Harbour or Aotea/Great Barrier).

3. In 2023/2024 Auckland Council granted ACABx $2.224 million, of which $2.1 million was allocated to CAB. ACABx uses the balance of this funding to pay building lease costs on behalf of CAB and to meet its administration costs. Council also provides subsidised leases for office space at peppercorn rent, however this arrangement is outside the scope of this report. Recent Long-term Plan decisions continue the council’s funding for the next three years.

4. The current three-year funding agreement expires on 30 June 2024, and a new agreement needs to be completed in August/September in time for funds to be allocated to CAB for 2024/2025.

5. The current funding model was jointly developed by council staff and ACABx and approved by the council in 2019. This was an interim/transitional model which sought to address population and deprivation changes across the region, during which time a strategic plan was to be developed by CAB. Due to operational complexities including COVID-19, this transition was extended to 30 June 2024.

6. CAB have developed a Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027, which aligns closely with the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 direction. Council staff have worked with ACABx to develop two new funding model options - both of which support implementation of the strategic plan - and a new three-year funding agreement incorporating new outcome measures.

7. Together a new funding model and a new funding agreement will allow the effective and efficient delivery of the CAB strategic plan whilst better meeting the needs of Aucklanders.

8. Three funding model options are considered in this report:

· Option One: No change, current funding model. The council allocates funds between sites via ACABx based on existing operational costs, as part of an extended transition towards the 2019-model based on the population and deprivation at each site. This model is not supported by ACABx or recommended by council staff.

· Option Two: Subregional model. The council allocates funding between four subregions via ACABx, based on the current number of sites in each subregion and the Auckland-wide average site operational cost. Funding allocations to sites/services would then be made by the three subregional bureaux operating in the north, west, and centre/east. In the south, where there are five bureaux, the fourth tranche of allocations would be made by ACABx following consultation with those bureaux. In addition, ACABx would retain $150,000 per annum for advancing strategic service priorities as identified through its yearly operational plans.

· Option Three: Regional and outcomes focussed model. ACABx allocates the council funding across sites/services while advancing strategic service priorities. This ”bulk-fund” model allows ACABx to invest strategically, with a regional outcome focus, co-ordination and reporting. This option is supported by ACABx and recommended by council staff.

9. A briefing of local board members on 20 May presented the options in this report.

10. Local board feedback, provided through a resolution to this report, will be presented to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee for consideration as part of their decision on the funding model at their July meeting.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) provide feedback, if any, on the preferred option for a new strategic funding model for Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Horopaki

Context

CAB and ACABx structure

11. There are nine independent Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) operating 32 sites in the Auckland region, across 19 local boards (not in Upper Harbour or Aotea):

· Three CAB operate at a subregional level in the north, west, and centre/east with 22 sites between them.

· Six smaller CAB, one in the north and five in the south, operate 10 sites between them.

12. CAB staff and volunteers offer free information, advice, referral and client advisory services to Aucklanders.

13. Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux Incorporated (ACABx) is the regional body for CAB. It was established in 2012 to seek and allocate investment from Auckland Council and other funders, and to develop the strategic direction for CAB services across Auckland. Members of the nine CAB elect a board of six representatives, and a chairperson.

Image: Auckland CAB and ACABx Structure

Number and type of client interactions

14. During 2022/2023, there were 100,842 client interactions with Auckland CAB. This is an increase of over 26,000 on the previous year, showing numbers are rebuilding after the impact of COVID-19. However, these figures are still below the 156,892 client interactions in 2018/2019.

15. The changing mode of client interaction may have implications for future CAB operations, which are largely based in council facilities. For the first two quarters of 2023/2024, 54 per cent of these interactions were face to face, a decrease from 64 per cent in 2018/2019. In contrast, the number of phone and electronic interactions have increased during the same period from 36 per cent to 46 per cent of all interactions. In 2023, 1.18 million CAB website visits were made from Auckland.

16. Changes in service mode are reflected in the Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027 which aims for CAB to reach out to their customers, whether in an office-based service or by other channels such as pop-ups or digital services. It is important to note however that CAB offices also provide essential access to technology for those who are unable to access and/or use digital services. They host many clinics and other organisations, for example budget, food parcel and quit smoking services and community law, relationship mediation, counselling and rates rebate clinics. CAB offices also allow adherence to the Citizens Advice Bureaux New Zealand membership principle of Confidentiality and Privacy, which mandates bureaux provide a space where people can seek assistance in complete privacy.

Implementation of June 2023 Governance Body decisions

17. On 8 June 2023, the Governing Body resolved to (GB/2023/100):

(f) agree to consider the following approach to preparing the next 10-Year Budget 2024-2034 for consultation and addressing the council’s persistent budget challenges:

(ii) In relation to the Citizens Advice Bureaux of Auckland, funding is provided subject to:

a) ongoing quarterly performance reporting, including number of Aucklanders served by CAB and types of services utilised;

b) proactively work with council to seek sustainable central government funding with the aim of 50 per cent being derived from central government sources by FY 2024/2025;

c) proactively work with council to determine future service delivery model that aligns with council’s Long-term Plan 2024-2034 direction.

18. In response to the above resolution:

a) Council staff and ACABx have prepared new reporting formats to be used from July 2024 to improve the focus on regional impact, while retaining the ability to access data at the site level. Client service satisfaction metrics will also be included.

b) The Mayor and Chair of ACABx made a joint request to the Minister for Social Development and Employment and for the Community and Voluntary Sector, asking for shared financial support from the government in acknowledgement of the shared nature of CAB services provided to Aucklanders. The outcome of this request is yet to be determined.

c) ACABx have worked with volunteers, managers and boards representing CAB to produce the Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027. This has established agreement on a three-to-five-year vision for a regional CAB service, strategic priorities and how the goals around these priorities are to be achieved, and time frames and resources required. This plan aligns closely with the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 direction. The ACABx Chair and board members presented the plan during Public Input to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee at their meeting on 23 May 2024.

Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027

19. The Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027 has five priorities:

· Auckland CABs working together for better outcomes for clients

· services that meet the needs of clients in a changing environment

· sustainable and adequate funding

· more Aucklanders aware of CAB and the services available to them

· sufficient number of high performing and values driven volunteers.

20. A key element of the strategic plan is to focus on proactive services that meet the needs of clients in a changing environment. This will be a combination of physical premises that provide facilities for those needing or preferring private onsite services, while supporting volunteers to deliver services by phone or online.

21. An overview of the intent of the strategic plan is reproduced below.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

22. A funding agreement between the council and ACABx sets out the basis and mechanism for funding allocations amongst CAB. The current three-year funding agreement expires on 30 June 2024. While the funding agreement references the intention to complete the transition to a funding model agreed in 2019, this has proven operationally complex to implement for the reasons set out below and so this transition was extended to 30 June 2024.

23. A decision is needed on a funding model in July 2024, so that a new funding agreement can be completed in August/September 2024. This will enable funds to be allocated to CAB for 2024/2025 and give certainty as to the model in place beyond that.

24. Three funding model options with a comparative analysis/assessment and their associated advantages and disadvantages/challenges are presented below. The two new options have been jointly developed by council staff and ACABx with the intention of allowing the effective and efficient delivery of the CAB strategic plan whilst better meeting the needs of Aucklanders.

25. The funding model options differ only in terms of the decision-makers determining the specific allocations, and the basis of these allocations. The overall funding amount across all models is the same, including the funding ACABx retains to pay building lease costs on behalf of CAB and to meet its administration costs.

26. All funding options enable the implementation of the cash reserves policy agreed in 2023 between ACABx representing CAB and the Director of Customer and Community Services on behalf of the council. This policy is to form part of the new funding agreement and allows bureaux to hold up to six months operating costs in reserve.

Option One: No change, current funding model. Based on operational costs, intended to transition to a population/deprivation basis

27. The council currently allocates funds between CAB via ACABx based on existing operational costs at each site, as a transition to a model jointly developed by ACABx and council staff and approved by the Environment and Community Committee in 2019 (ENV/2019/58)

28. The 2019 model intended to make allocations based on the population and deprivation associated with each site following a two-year transition, during which time a Regional Network Service Provision Framework was to be developed to plan for future growth and service needs. However, work on this framework ceased in 2020 due to COVID-19 and has now been replaced by the Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027.

29. The current funding model does not provide CAB the flexibility to implement the outcomes intended under their strategic plan. Retaining this option is not supported by ACABx or recommended by council staff.

Option Two: Subregional model

30. Under this model, the council would allocate funding via ACABx to four subregions. Three subregional bureaux already operate in the north, west, and centre/east. Note that the Wellsford CAB would be included in the northern subregion alongside the seven sites managed by North Shore CAB for the purposes of subregional funding allocations and decision-making. In the south, five bureaux operate independently. Subregional funding would be determined based on the current number of sites in each subregion and the Auckland-wide average site operational cost. Funding allocations to sites/services would then be made by the three subregional bureaux and in the south by ACABx following consultation with the five bureaux operating there.

31. In addition, ACABx would retain $150,000 per annum for advancing strategic service priorities as identified through the Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027. Examples of these priorities for 2024/2025 include working with rangatahi in schools and in particular school leavers, raising awareness of CAB, and increasing engagement with Māori.

Option Three: Regional and outcomes focussed model

32. Under this model, ACABx would allocate the council funding across sites/services while advancing strategic service priorities, guided by the CAB strategic plan. In this way, ACABx and CAB will be enabled to develop a regional focus whilst better meeting the needs of Aucklanders. Together, ACABx and CAB will be incentivised and resourced to deliver on and be accountable for the outcomes (strategic goals and priorities) set out in their strategic plan. They will become more flexible and efficient in the way they address these outcomes and will demonstrate to the council and other funders their effectiveness and sustainability.

33. This model has close similarities to other regional service grants where a regional body allocates the funds granted across the various local subsidiary bodies, such as the arrangement with Surf Life Saving Northern Region Inc.

34. ACABx support this option, which is recommended by council staff.

Table 1: Comparative analysis/assessment of funding models

Analysis/assessment criteria X does not meet ü partially meets üü fully meets	1. Current model	2. Subregional model	3. Regional and outcomes focused model
How funds are allocated	Existing operational costs in each bureau, transitioning to 90% population & 10% deprivation funding	Number of sites currently in each subregion, and average site operating cost $150,000 per annum retained by ACABx to implement strategy	As determined by ACABx to achieve strategic and operational plans, in consultation with bureaux
Decision-maker	Council	Subregional bureaux in the north, west, and centre/east and ACABx in the south	ACABx
Equity	X	ü	üü
Population / demographic change	X	ü	üü
Community need	X	ü	üü
Efficiency / effectiveness	X	ü	üü
Delivery of ACABx strategic plan, aligning with LTP	X	ü	üü
Attractiveness to potential new funders	X	ü	üü
Advantages	· Continues current local service delivery availability and channels	· Allows greater flexibility in determining service delivery sites/channels within subregions · Includes allocation of funding towards implementation of strategic plan	· “Regional and outcomes first” focus - focuses on strategic plan delivery · In line with similar regional grants allocation mechanisms and includes regional reporting
Disadvantages / Challenges	· Is not a regional service approach · Does not support implementation of strategic plan the council has asked for, e.g. investments into improving Māori outcomes	· Is not a regional service approach · Partially supports implementation of strategic plan the council has asked for. ACABx retains only limited funding to support this, and would need to work with subregional bureaux to extend outcomes · Changes to service delivery may impact on some communities and volunteers, e.g. in optimizing locations of physical sites	· High trust funding. Requires willingness of the council to “step back” and provide ACABx and CAB space and accountability to implement strategic plan · Changes to service delivery may impact on some communities and volunteers, e.g. in optimizing locations of physical sites

Proposed implementation of new funding model

35. Under Option Two or Option Three, subregional bureaux or ACABx respectively will assess local community needs before making funding allocations that would result in any changes to the nature of the services delivered in that community, for example, if the locations of existing sites were to be optimized. In recent years, bureaux have trialled enhancements to standard service offerings, such as “pop-up” service centres at weekend markets, attendance at student orientation events, and greater use of social media. ACABx will ensure that those communities most in need of CAB services will be a focus for alternative or enhanced service offerings and will work closely with CAB in those communities to achieve this.

36. ACABx have indicated that if the council agree to Option Three (Regional and outcomes focused model), in 2024/2025 ACABx will distribute the funding between the subregions in a way that allows current operations to be maintained. This will allow time to continue the development of the operational plan underpinning the Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027, and review and confirm that the allocation of the funding is meeting CAB needs.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

37. CAB across Auckland helped Aucklanders during and following the 2023 weather events and have recently engaged with Auckland Emergency Management to understand how they can enhance that support in future.

38. The application of all the funding model options presented contribute to building communities’ abilities to be resilient. Resilience is a measure of adapting and responding to situations, which could include climate change. However, the specific climate impact activities for each funding model option were not assessed.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

39. The views of council units and departments including those involved with community delivery, community facility leasing, and regional funding agreements have been obtained as inputs to this report.

40. In support of ACABx’s proposal to maintain existing operations at bureaux sites through 2024/2025 under Option Three, if this option is agreed to, the council’s Property & Commercial Business unit propose to extend all of the existing 25 CAB leases operating at council facilities on a month-by-month basis until June 2025. Nearly all of these leases have expired. Renewing on a month-by-month basis for 12 months will avoid those leases having to be renewed at the higher rate now being applied to new leases, and the rental fee and either OPEX or maintenance fee that would otherwise need to be charged. Twelve months will also give ACABx and CAB time to consider any operational decisions required regarding future site locations.

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

Local impacts and local board views

41. Local board feedback, provided through a resolution to this report, will be presented to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee for consideration as part of their decision on the funding model at their July 2024 meeting.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

42. In 2022/2023 Māori represented nine per cent of those seeking support from Auckland CAB. CAB data shows Māori disproportionately experience inequity and hardship in accessing essentials such as food, shelter, and financial resources. It also reveals difficulties for whānau Māori in navigating systems that do not uphold their mana or meet their needs. Furthermore, Māori face significant barriers in access to justice in relation to knowing and acting on their rights. These challenges are further exacerbated for Māori who find themselves struggling to engage in an increasingly digital world.

43. All CAB volunteers complete a “Mauri Manaia and the Treaty of Waitangi” training module as part of their probation learning requirement. Some CAB also offer additional Te Reo and Te Ao Māori training. Auckland CAB Bureaux have Māori volunteers and managers, some of who are members of their governance boards.

44. Auckland CAB through their Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027 intend to engage with mana whenua and mataawaka with a clearly defined kaupapa for that engagement and work with them for positive outcomes for Māori in the Auckland region. Two areas of focus include proposed work with rangatahi in schools (in particular Māori school leavers) and efforts to increase Māori representation on ACABx’s board and to identify Māori leads for projects intended to address Māori outcomes. Reporting on Māori outcomes will be a requirement of the funding agreement.

45. This mahi has linkages to the council’s Māori Outcomes Framework - Kia ora Tāmaki Makaurau, in particular Kia ora te Kāinga, Kia ora te Whānau, and Kia ora te Rangatahi.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

46. The Long-term Plan budget confirms funding for CAB services over the next three financial years. For the 2024-2025 year this is confirmed at $2.030,725. Subsequent years have an inflationary uplift of two per cent.

47. Commercial Finance (Customer & Community Services) supports Option Three as it transitions ACABx to a more strategic and long-term approach in the delivery of its outcomes. The change in accountability in how funding is distributed will assist in this transition. The current operating model is no longer adequate to meet the changing needs of the community and the delivery of its services. There is no financial impact to current Long-term Plan budgets from this change.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

48. Implementation of the Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027 may lead to changes in site locations, to meet community needs. This may impact volunteers and communities, although CAB envisage that improved alternative service offerings will be available to communities such as “pop-up” service centres at weekend markets, attendance at student orientation events, and greater use of social media.

49. ACABx has undertaken that under either of the two new funding model options proposed there will be no closures of current sites in 2024/2025, and beyond that any site closure will require community and council consultation. The new funding agreement will set out the council’s expectation that it will be engaged early regarding any proposed site changes, and mitigations.

50. The funding agreement will require ACABx to report on planned and delivered service changes, including outcomes for Māori, as part of annual reporting on the delivery of the Auckland CAB Regional Strategic Plan 2024-2027.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

51. Following the PEP committee decision in July 2024 on a funding model and Long-term Plan budget decisions, council staff will prepare a new three-year funding agreement with ACABx incorporating new outcome measures as appropriate, including new customer satisfaction metrics. Drafting will be undertaken with ACABx and delegation for sign off falls to the Director of Customer and Community Services (Director Community from 22 June 2024).

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Wayne Levick - Regional Partnerships Lead

Authorisers

Claudia Wyss - Director Customer and Community Services

Megan Tyler - Chief of Strategy

Louise Mason - General Manager Local Board Services

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Local board feedback on the draft Mahere Hukihuki mo te Whakahaeretanga me te Whakaitinga o te Para / Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024

File No.: CP2024/08114

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek the local board’s feedback on the draft Mahere Hukihuki mo te Whakahaeretanga me te Whakaitinga o te Para / Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Auckland Council’s draft Te Mahere Hukihuki mo te Whakahaeretanga me te Whakaitinga o te Para / Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024 (draft plan) continues the Zero Waste journey of council’s previous waste plans. However, it has a strengthened focus for actions at the top of the ‘waste hierarchy, with a greater emphasis on reducing, redesigning, reusing or repairing items, while maintaining support for actions at the recycling level.’

3. The draft plan proposes 12 key priorities which are outlined in the snapshot summary in Attachment A.

4. On 30 November 2023 the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee approved the draft plan for public consultation (resolution PEPCC/2023/165). This includes the draft Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan 2024 which is an appendix to the regionwide draft plan.

5. The draft plan was formally consulted on alongside the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 in February and March 2024.

6. Auckland’s Waste Assessment 2023 was prepared to inform the draft plan and reflect the requirements of Te rautaki para Aotearoa / the New Zealand Waste Strategy. This was made available with the draft plan as part of the for public consultation process, pursuant to sections 50 (3)(a) and 44(e) of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008.

7. Consultation on the draft plan sought feedback on key aspects of the plan, from the overall direction to specific priorities for action. The key proposals included:

· a shift to fortnightly rubbish collections

· a focus on construction and demolition waste and five further priority waste materials: organic, plastics, packaging and textile waste, and biosolids

· support for product stewardship (including a container return scheme)

· addressing litter and illegal dumping.

8. There was also a question relating to the draft Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan and an opportunity to provide any other comments.

9. Council received 2,737 written submissions on the draft plan. In addition, Auckland Have Your Say Events (AKHYS) with the public attracted 1,410 responses on proposals within the plan. At these AKHYS events, particular attention was given to receiving feedback on the fortnightly rubbish collection proposal.

10. The majority of written submissions supported six out of the seven consultation questions, ranging from 64 per cent support for the general direction of the draft plan to 84 per cent support for the proposed priority for addressing litter and illegal dumping. Notably the proposal to shift to fortnightly collections received the most mixed feedback. In written submissions 53 per cent of submitters did not support the proposed shift to fortnightly rubbish collections. Whereas, 56 per cent of people providing feedback at AKHYS events, supported this proposal.

11. A workshop was held with the local board between May and June to discuss a summary of the submissions. The presentation from this workshop is also included Attachment B and covers:

· the level of support for the proposals outlined in the feedback form, both regionally and from residents of this local board

· themes from local board residents on the feedback form questions

· feedback from any organisations linked to the local board area.

12. Staff are seeking local board feedback on the draft plan. This will be incorporated into a report with recommended changes to the draft plan for final consideration and adoption by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee in September 2024.

13. Once the final version is adopted, the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024, including the Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan 2024, will be the guiding document for waste management and minimisation services in the Auckland region over the next six years (2024-2030).

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) whakarite / provide feedback on the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024, including the Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan 2024.

Horopaki

Context

14. Auckland Council is required by the Waste Minimisation Act 2008 to review its waste management and minimisation plan (waste plan) every six years. This waste plan is Council’s guiding document for achieving effective and efficient waste management and minimisation in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.

15. On 30 November 2023 the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee approved Te Mahere Hukihuki mo te Whakahaeretanga me te Whakaitinga o te Para / draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024 (draft plan), for public consultation (resolution PEPCC/2023/165).

Local boards have provided feedback that informed the draft plan

16. As part of drafting the 2024 plan, council staff worked with mana whenua, and sought input from, local boards, the Governing Body, the Auckland Council Group and community partners. Feedback from local boards on the proposed direction of the draft plan was sought in August 2023 and incorporated into the draft plan.

17. Resolutions from all local boards on the proposed direction of the draft plan can be located here.

Draft plan vision, key priorities and targets

18. The draft plan (available at AKHYS.co.nz) builds on the previous waste plans of 2012 and 2018, continuing the Zero Waste journey. However, it has a strengthened focus for actions at the top of the ‘waste hierarchy’:

· reduce, rethink, redesign

· reuse repair, repurpose.

19. This is reflected in the revised vision, principles and 12 key priorities of the plan which are summarised in the snapshot document in Attachment A. The key proposals included in the feedback form are identified below:

· a shift to fortnightly rubbish collections

· a focus on construction and demolition waste and five further priority waste materials: organic, plastics, packaging and textile waste, and biosolids

· support for product stewardship (including a container return scheme)

· addressing litter and illegal dumping, and

· a specific question relating to the draft Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan and an opportunity to provide any other comments.

20. A new draft Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan 2024 is included within the plan, reflecting the unique waste needs of the islands.

Consultation materials and process

21. Public consultation included a publicity campaign to promote the draft plan through digital, print and radio platforms, while also working through our community partners and business contacts and through council’s channels such as, OurAuckland and social media accounts.

22. Staff attended ten Auckland Have Your Say (AKHYS) events across the region, including two on the Hauraki Gulf Islands of Waiheke and Aotea / Great Barrier Island.

23. Alongside the draft plan, the following materials were made available on the AKHYS website:

· the Waste Assessment 2023 (a document of research that informs the draft plan)

· the snapshot summary of the draft plan (translated into Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Chinese, Korean, Hindi and New Zealand sign language, which was also made available in an ‘easy read’ format)

· submission feedback forms (translated into Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Chinese, Korean, and Hindi)

· a document of frequently asked questions on the fortnightly rubbish collection proposal.

24. Two webinars on the draft plan were held alongside a video introduction to the plan. Two hearing-style events for Māori organisations and regional organisations and interest groups were held in March 2024.

25. Staff also workshopped the plan with six advisory panels hosted by Auckland Council. Attachment D summarises the panels’ key points. The panels offered unique perspectives from their communities, for example, that many disabled people have large amounts of medical waste that they cannot influence, so actions are needed to target health providers or suppliers and support these communities to reduce waste.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Consultation Questions

26. Consultation asked respondents whether they supported key aspects of the draft plan, from the overall direction to specific priorities for action, as identified in paragraph 18.

27. A copy of the consultation feedback form for the draft plan is provided in Attachment E.

Submissions – regionwide

28. A summary of submissions on the draft plan as presented to the board between May and June 2024 is appended to this report as Attachment B.

29. A total of 2,737 written submissions were received including online, hard copy surveys and emails, including 11 verbal submissions at hearing-style events for organisations, of which eight organisations also provided a written submission.

30. In addition, AKHYS events with the public attracted 1,410 responses on various proposals in the draft plan. These predominantly addressed the fortnightly rubbish collection proposal, as staff made this a key focus of face-to-face interactions with Auckland residents.

31. A majority of written submitters supported six out of the seven consultation questions, as shown in Attachment B. Support ranged from strong support for the general direction of the draft plan (64 per cent), priority waste materials (70 per cent) and product stewardship (73 per cent) to very strong support for actions on construction and demolition waste (79 per cent) and the proposed priority for addressing litter and illegal dumping (84 per cent).

32. The proposal to shift to fortnightly collections received the most mixed feedback. In written submissions 53 per cent of submitters did not support the proposed shift to fortnightly rubbish collections. Whereas 56 per cent of people providing feedback at AKHYS events, supported this proposal.

Submissions breakdown by local board

33. The number of written submissions per local board area is shown in Attachment C and identifies the total number of submissions per person by local board and the total number of Have Your Say responses.

34. The submissions by local board area largely reflected the summarised regional results, with all supporting six out of the seven consultation questions. The exception was Question 2A fortnightly rubbish collections, where results were more varied. Table 1 below shows the level of support for this proposal by local board area.

35. Table 1 does not include feedback from AKHYS events on this topic by local board area as local board information was not captured from people at these events. The responses from the Have Your Say events are captured separately at the bottom.

Table 1: Breakdown of submissions to Q2A Fortnightly rubbish collections by local board area (red = majority do not support; green = majority support).

Local Board	Support (%)	Don't know (%)	Other (%)	Do not support (%)	Total number of submissions
Albert-Eden	39	1	5	55	274
Aotea/Great Barrier	70	0	0	30	10
Devonport-Takapuna	50	2	4	44	116
Franklin	26	1	8	64	72
Henderson-Massey	31	1	5	63	142
Hibiscus and Bays	49	3	5	43	159
Howick	31	1	4	64	208
Kaipātiki	52	2	4	42	181
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu	29	3	2	66	62
Manurewa	29	0	3	69	77
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki	19	1	36	44	335
Ōrākei	27	0	4	69	249
Ōtara-Papatoetoe	25	0	7	68	69
Papakura	44	2	2	52	52
Puketāpapa	29	2	6	63	51
Rodney	44	3	6	47	115
Upper Harbour	43	0	3	53	118
Waiheke	65	3	3	29	31
Waitākere Ranges	41	0	13	46	80
Waitematā	48	1	7	43	136
Whau	48	2	4	45	97
AKHYS Events	56	6	0	38	798
TOTAL					3436

Request for local board feedback

36. Local boards are being asked whether they support the proposed approach for the draft 2024 Waste Plan. Staff are particularly interested in hearing local board views on the 12 priorities for action outlined in the summary document in attachment A – Summary Snapshot – draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024, and on the goals and actions of the of the Hauraki Gulf Islands plan.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

Auckland’s climate emissions and waste

37. Responding to the challenge of climate change is a key priority for Auckland Council and in 2020, the council approved Te-Tāruke-a-Tawhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan, the region’s plan to tackle this challenge. The plan includes actions and priorities relevant to reducing emissions related to waste to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through reduced consumption-emissions and emissions generated by disposal, dealing with climate-related risks and looking at the opportunities that may arise.

38. To address the urgency to move to a low waste and low emissions economy, Auckland’s Waste Assessment 2023 placed an emphasis on identifying the emissions factors of all waste streams. This resulted in retaining focus on reducing construction and demolition waste and expanding the list of priority wastes for the draft plan to include textiles and biosolids. Including actions that aim to reduce disposal of materials with high emissions factors to landfill will further support meeting our climate change obligations.

39. From a council perspective, information on embodied carbon of materials (where available) and emissions from transport and energy associated with collecting and processing waste are other common greenhouse gas factors to consider when making decisions on important waste issues, and this has helped to shape the draft plan considerations.

40. Over the lifetime of the proposed 2024 plan, the impact of greater diversion both from food scraps collection and general recycling will result in an estimated reduction in carbon emissions from waste by 125,000 tonnes CO2-e per annum increasing to 250,000 tonnes over the 20-year project period. Fortnightly refuse collection maximises this opportunity by reducing waste and associated emissions further.

41. This plan focuses on actions at the top of the waste hierarchy to design out waste and keep resources in their highest value for as long as possible; the expanded Resource Recovery Network and shift to a circular economy proposed within the plan should ultimately result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

42. A focus on waste-related emissions reduction is not only important because of the human impact, but because climate-related disasters and events can result in significant amounts of waste from damaged properties, assets and possessions, along with waste streams such as ash, sediment, vegetation or hazardous wastes. These wastes are often hard to divert from landfill due to high contamination levels.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

43. In developing the draft plan, staff worked with departments and Council-controlled Organisations (CCOs) within the Auckland Council Group that are likely to create or manage waste in their operations. This included work to test the direction and actions within the plan related to operational waste or are within scope of other council units or CCOs, such as managing public waste and biosolids, and closed landfills.

44. We also worked across units to capture data on operational waste. Initial data collection indicates that construction and demolition together with soils and biosolids are among the largest waste streams from council activities. Demonstrating best practice in waste minimisation within the council is a clear opportunity to change the way our staff and suppliers approach waste minimisation, such as transitioning from demolition to deconstruction approaches when renewing assets and capital expenditure.

45. Acknowledging the complexity of establishing meaningful baselines for operational waste across the Auckland Council Group, the target for in-house operational waste is staged within the draft plan to set specific deadlines for data collation and establishing baselines, before setting targets in 2025 for the years 2026 to 2030. The initial in-house operational waste targets can be found on pages 23 and 24 of the draft plan, and a section on how the council is leading the way in meeting those targets can be found on page 57 of the draft plan.

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

Local impacts and local board views

46. Local boards are integral to the success of the draft plan, particularly in working with local communities to promote waste minimisation.

47. A local board briefing was held on 7 August 2023, with an update on the Waste Assessment 2023 and the review of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2018. This was followed by a report to all local boards in August 2023, providing an opportunity to give feedback on proposed priority actions to be included in the revised plan.

48. Staff also sought feedback from the local boards of Aotea Great Barrier, Waiheke (which includes Rakino Island) and Kawau (Rodney Local Board) seeking early input on the draft Hauraki Gulf Islands Waste Plan 2024.

49. All 21 local boards provided feedback in August 2023, which in turn was provided to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee when they approved the draft plan for consultation on 30 November 2023. These points were considered in drafting the draft plan and will be considered when developing work programmes. Staff will continue to liaise with local boards to ensure their concerns are addressed.

50. During May and June 2024 staff have scheduled workshops with all 21 local boards to provide an overview of regional and local consultation responses, with an opportunity for local boards to ask questions and clarify any areas of concern prior to providing a formal response through this report.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

51. The zero-waste vision of the draft plan is aligned with the broader holistic framework and values of te ao Māori, and staff have continued to seek close engagement with Māori to strengthen the plan through the post-draft consultation phase. This included working closely with representatives from Te Ahiwaru, supported by Māori specialists, and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei (NWŌ), supported by technical experts. Key feedback from these iwi included the need:

· to address commercial waste through creating a Resource Recovery and Infrastructure Plan (RRIP).

· for future work with Mana Whenua to strengthen te ao Māori in the draft plan. Both Te Ahiwaru and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei suggest reflecting the Māori priorities and te ao Māori throughout the plan. NWŌ suggest this be done through creating the RRIP noted above.

· for better alignment between the WMMP and the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP), with suggested wording to reflect the role of the AUP in land use planning for waste infrastructure.

52. Para Kore, a national Māori zero waste organisation, provided a submission strongly supporting the direction of the plan but noting they expected to see more at the top of the waste hierarchy. They suggest the plan ‘defers to Central Government’ and that the language of the plan revolves too much around diversion from landfill rather than actions further up the hierarchy.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

53. The actions proposed in the draft plan are achievable within existing funding, being a combination of:

· commercial revenue, which includes revenue generated from waste management and minimisation activities, such as gate fees at council’s Waitakere Waste and Resource Recovery Facility, income from investment, and user-pays charges for bin tags and bags for kerbside refuse collections (until shift to regionwide rates-funded service)

· targeted rates for rubbish collections, recycling collections, food scraps collections, and a minimum base charge that covers inorganic collections and the resource recovery network

· general rates that cover litter and illegal dumping removal, and enforcement of the Waste Bylaw and the Litter Act

· waste disposal levy revenue

· Long-term Plan 2024-2034 budgets when confirmed e.g. for expansion of the Resource Recovery Network.

54. The actions rely on council capability and resourcing, alongside collaborative efforts with external partners and stakeholders. Should specific council-led research or advocacy actions identify the need to implement new initiatives, separate business cases will be developed and where appropriate, external funding sought through central government funding for infrastructure and enabling private sector investment.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

55. If local board views are not captured, the direction of the plan will not reflect the range of local views and issues. We are mitigating this risk by providing this opportunity for local board feedback.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

56. Local board feedback on the draft plan will be incorporated into a report with recommended changes to the draft plan. This will be taken to the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee in August or September 2024 for their consideration and adoption.

57. Once approved, the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024 will form the basis of Auckland Council’s work on waste for the next six years (2024-2030).

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a	Attachment A – Summary Snapshot – draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024
b	Attachment B – Summary of submissions as workshopped with the local board
c	Attachment C – Number of submissions by local board area
d	Attachment D – Summary of advisory panel responses
e	Attachment E – Copy of consultation feedback form

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Sarah Le Claire - Waste Planning Manager

Tania Utley - Senior Waste Planning Advisor

Authorisers

Parul Sood - General Manager Waste Solutions

Barry Potter - Director Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Ōrākei Local Board

20 June 2024

Public notification of Auckland Council’s intention to grant an agreement to lease and subsequent community ground lease to Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 at Ōrākei Domain, Reihana Street, Ōrākei

File No.: CP2024/06993

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek approval from the Ōrākei Local Board to publicly notify Auckland Council’s intention to grant an agreement to lease and subsequent new community ground lease to Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1at Ōrākei Domain, Reihana Street, Ōrākei.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Auckland Regional Indoor Court Plan (2019) was developed as a cross-code plan to guide decisions and investment in the future provision of indoor courts. The plan identified a need for additional indoor courts across Auckland.

3. From the plan it was recommended that the Ōrākei area develop an indoor courts hub at Colin Maiden Park and additionally the plan recommends support and development of local satellite facilities.

4. In March 2020, external consultancy firm Visitor Solutions was contracted by Ōrākei Local Board to complete a sport and active recreation plan. The Ōrākei Sport and Active Recreation Facility Plan is designed as a guiding document to assist future sport and active recreation facility investment decisions. The plan focuses on ensuring investments are made in alignment with identified priorities to limit ad-hoc development.

5. The findings included that within the Ōrākei area, indoor court provision is distributed across schools, the Auckland Netball Centre, Barfoot & Thompson Stadium, and Ellerslie Recreation Centre, and all are showing high levels of capacity strain and increasing demand. A high priority identified was to increase indoor court provision.

6. The Ōrākei Local Parks Management Plan, though still in its draft form, identifies a key principle of working in partnership with mana whenua as part of the council’s role in managing park land.

7. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei via its Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 (the Trust) has applied for a community lease for land at Ōrākei Domain to enable the development of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Sport, Recreation, and Hauora Centre.

8. The proposed facility has been discussed over the last 40 years and the intent is for the facility to meet the multi-generational needs of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and to provide a valued facility for use by the whole community.

9. The proposed facility will include one or two indoor court facilities with a fitness centre, plus supporting spaces and amenities such as a café, changing rooms and some offices.

10. The proposed facility will focus on the overall well-being/hauora of the community by providing a safe, inclusive space for rangatahi, tamariki, and all whanau within the community.

11. Dependent on the opportunity for commercial partnerships with the council, there may be future options for the development of a third indoor court and padel tennis courts and possibly other recreation options such as Learn-To-Swim.

12. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Limited, is the parent group and is the Post-Settlement Governance Entity tasked with leading the ‘Group.’ The Group includes three entities, the Trust and the two subsidiaries, Whai Rawa Limited and Whai Māia Limited. These subsidiaries have their own boards of governance with a mix of whānau and independent directors. All subsidiary board members are appointed by the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Limited.

13. Whai Māia Limited is the charitable arm and is responsible for the social and cultural development of its people. This entity in turn owns Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1. Whai Maia Charitable Trust 1 is a registered charitable trust, registration number CC 48752 which was registered on 30 January 2013. The Charitable Trust have applied for the community lease.

14. The subject parcel of land is Crown owned and vested in trust to Auckland Council and subject to the requirements of the Reserves Act 1977. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has identified that the land may be subject to settlement claims. Under the Reserves Act, the council must undertake public consultation on the proposed agreement to lease and subsequent ground lease.

15. This report recommends that the Ōrākei Local Board approve the public notification of Auckland Council’s intention to grant an agreement to lease and subsequent new community ground lease.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōrākei Local Board:

a) whakaae / approve the public notification of Auckland Council’s intention to grant under Section 54 of the Reserves Act 1977 an agreement to lease and subsequent community ground lease to Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 for an area up to a maximum of approximately 8,800m² of land legally described as Section 1, SO 6333 and Allotment 819 Town of Ōrākei, subject to the following terms and conditions:

i) The agreement to lease conditional on the development commencing within five years or any other date specified by council.

ii) Subject to completion of the first stage of the development and fulfilment of all conditions of the agreement to lease, issue a community ground lease to Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 on the following terms:

a. term of 11 years with two further 11-year rights of renewal.

b. Permitted activity for the site to be for the development and operation of a recreation centre comprising up to two indoor courts and associated sports facilities. The Trust will be permitted to operate a café on site.

iii) The total area to be leased shall be finally determined once a decision is made whether the facility shall comprise one or two indoor courts.

iv) Include options in public notification on the core application of a recreation centre and indoor courts including an option for the future development to include padel tennis courts and/or a swimming pool.

v) All other terms and conditions to be in accordance with the Reserves Act 1977, the Auckland Council Community Occupancy Guidelines 2012 (updated July 2023), and the Auckland Council standard form community lease agreement.

b) delegate to the Ōrākei Local Board Chairperson to appoint a panel to consider submissions or objections received following the public notification of the intention to lease, and for the panel to make a decision.

c) request that council staff report back to the local board following public notification for a decision or final approval of the proposed agreement to lease and community lease.

Horopaki

Context

16. This report considers the leasing matters with respect to the Trust’s proposed occupation of a portion of land at Ōrākei Domain, Reihana Street, Ōrākei.

17. The Ōrākei Local Board is the allocated authority relating to local, recreation, sport, and community facilities, including community leasing matters.

Land and proposed lease

18. The proposed recreation centre and two indoor courts will occupy approximately 6,500 square metres of land legally described as Section 1, SO 6333 and Allotment 819 Town of Ōrākei.

19. The land is currently owned by the Crown and vested in trust to Auckland Council and held as a classified recreation reserve. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has identified that the land may be subject to settlement claims.

20. The Trust’s proposal was to develop a facility that meets the needs and fosters access for the whole community, and to allow for the consolidation of outdoor and indoor activity and services in one location. This consolidation allows for economies of scale within the development and operation of the facility, improved multiple activity/socialisation, and enhanced service outcomes, along with other plans developed by both the local board and external sporting bodies. The Trust identified Ōrākei Domain as the logical location.

21. The Trust proposes as its core project to develop a recreation centre with two indoor courts. (see figure 1).

Figure 1: Core project proposal

22. This option is envisaged to require approximately 6,500m². Most of this proposed option will occupy the land of the former Ōkahu Bay Bowling Club.

23. The two-court option is estimated to cost in the region of $27 million.

24. Under this option the Trust has recently applied to the council’s Sport and Recreation Facility Investment Fund (SRFIF), initially for funding to assist with preliminary design and other works, and a subsequent application will probably be made for a significant amount of the development costs ($8.4 million), which will be used to fund the construction of a second indoor court.

25. If the council is unable to provide a significant amount of funding (sufficient to cover the costs of a second indoor court), the development may be scaled back to a single indoor court facility, which would be fully funded by the Trust.

26. Should the decision be made to proceed with a single indoor court facility, the total leased area may need to be reduced accordingly and will be subject to finalisation once a final determination is made.

27. Other options the Trust propose in the future, dependent on partnership and funding agreements with either the council or private investors, would look to develop padel tennis courts and possibly other recreation options such as Learn-To-Swim via an on-site swimming pool.

28. The future options would include use of up to an additional 3,000m² of leased land from the core facility.

29. Staff recommend publicly notifying the maximum future potential leased area and options to gauge the public’s feedback on all options. This will help shape the local board’s decision for the initial development, and for any future decisions around the proposed future developments.

30. Staff recommend granting an agreement to lease, as this will give security of tenure to the Trust to help secure funding. A key condition of the agreement to lease will be that the Trust secures all funding for the specific stages of the development before commencing any construction work.

31. For proposals of this size, staff recommend up to three years to secure funding and two more years to construct stage one of the proposed development.

32. Once the Trust has fulfilled the terms and conditions of the agreement to lease (developing a recreation centre and two indoor courts) a community ground lease will be granted.

33. The Community Occupancy Guidelines recommend a 10 + 10-year lease for tenant owned buildings. In this instance the development is projected to cost in excess of $27 million. Given the scale of investment and that the facilities are to be long-term community assets, staff recommend a community ground lease of three 11-year terms to reflect the maximum lease time allowed under the Reserves Act 1977. The Act permits a maximum term of 33 years.

The Trust

34. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has had aspirations for some time for a sport, recreation, and hauora centre that would be a valued recreation facility for the local community.

35. The Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 is a fully owned subsidiary of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Limited. The Trust is the Post-Settlement Governance Entity tasked with leading the ‘Group.’ The Group includes three entities, the Trust and the two subsidiaries, Whai Rawa Limited and Whai Māia Limited. These subsidiaries have their own boards of governance with a mix of whānau and independent directors. All subsidiary board members are appointed by the Trust.

36. Whai Māia Limited is the charitable arm and is responsible for the social and cultural development of its people. This entity in turn owns Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1. Whai Māia Charitable Trust 1 is a registered charitable trust, registration number CC 48752 which was registered on 30 January 2013. The Charitable Trust have applied for the community lease.

37. During the development of a business case by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for the proposed development, multiple liaisons with different staff and stakeholders have been undertaken. This has happened at both governance and operational levels.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Public notification

38. In accordance with the Reserves Act 1977, the granting of new leases requires public notification. As this is a new development and of significant value and size staff recommend undertaking public consultation on a scale to reflect the development and lease proposal.

39. This provides an opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the proposal and will help provide a pathway for an accepted and supported recreation and indoor court facility at the domain.

40. The public notification process will involve the publication of an advertisement detailing the development and lease proposal in relevant local newspapers, Auckland Council’s Have-your-say website and the local board’s social page. The public are invited to make submissions and / or objections and are allowed one calendar month to submit these and advise whether they wish to be heard. This may lead to a hearing process.

41. Staff would also recommend a letter box drop, posters and a drop-in session. This exceeds the usual public consultation process on reserve land but keeping in mind the scale and cultural importance of the development it is imperative the council ensure the community have the opportunity to provide their views on the proposal. The latter accords with the statutory requirements under the Local Government Act 2002.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

42. It is anticipated that activation of the park will result in an increase of greenhouse gas emission.

43. To improve environmental outcomes and mitigate climate change impacts, the council advocates that the lease holder:

· use sustainable waste, energy, and water efficiency systems

· use eco labelled products and services

· seek opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lease-related activities.

44. All measures taken are aimed at meeting the council’s climate goals, as set out in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan, which are:

· to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and

· to prepare the region for the adverse impacts of climate change.

45. Although the northern part of the domain sits in a flood plain, climate change has an unlikely potential to impact the proposed lease area, as no part of the leased area is located in a flood-sensitive or coastal inundation zone.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

46. Council staff from within the Customer and Community Services Directorate recommend the public notification of the proposed recreation centre and indoor court development.

47. The proposed new development and lease has no identified impact on other parts of the council group. The views of council-controlled organisations were not required for the preparation of this report’s advice.

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

Local impacts and local board views

48. At its workshop on 7 March 2024, the Ōrākei Local Board supported in principle going out for public consultation on the proposed new recreation centre and indoor courts.

49. The latest engagements by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei with the local board occurred when they presented to them in late 2023 and again in May 2024 with their updated proposal. These presentations were part of many conversations regarding a proposed facility with both the board and staff.

50. The proposal aligns with the Ōrākei Local Board plan to support Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei with their aspirations to establish a multi-use sports facility in the Ōrākei Domain.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

51. Auckland Council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its statutory obligations and relationship commitments to Māori. The council recognises these responsibilities are distinct from the Crown’s Treaty obligations and fall within a local government Tāmaki Makaurau context.

52. These commitments are articulated in the council’s key strategic planning documents the Auckland Plan, the Long-term Plan 2021-2031, the Unitary Plan, individual local board plans and in Whiria Te Muka Tangata, Auckland Council’s Māori Responsiveness Framework.

53. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are mana whenua of the proposed leased area and Ōrākei Domain is within Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s rohe / tribal area.

54. Community leasing aims to increase Māori wellbeing through targeted support for Māori community development projects. The proposed facility supports the council’s strategic plans and the principles under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

55. Community leases support a wide range of activities and groups. Leases are awarded based on an understanding of local needs, interests, and priorities. The activities and services provided by leaseholders create benefits for many local communities, including Māori.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

56. The costs associated with public notification and engagement with the community on the council’s intention to grant a new agreement to lease and subsequent community lease will be borne by the Parks and Community Facilities Department. Should there be a hearing process, this may incur additional cost.

57. As noted earlier in this report, the Trust has submitted an application to the SRFIF. The initial application is seeking funding to further the investigative work required at the commencement of a development of this scale. The Trust will probably make subsequent applications to the SRFIF for grant funding to contribute to the cost of the facility, to cover the cost of a second indoor court.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

58. Should the Ōrākei Local Board resolve not to undertake public consultation this will jeopardize any decision the board makes around the development and occupation.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

59. Council staff will undertake public consultation on the agreement to lease and subsequent lease.

60. Council staff will subsequently report back to the local board for a decision on the public notification process or final approval of the occupation agreements.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Phillipa Carroll - Principal Community Lease Advisor

Authorisers

Kim O’Neill - Head of Property & Commercial Business

Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager

Deputy Chairperson	Sarah Powrie
Members	Troy Churton
	Angus McPhee
	Penny Tucker
	Margaret Voyce
	David Wong, JP

No.	Title	Page
a	Workshop Record - 2 May 2024
b	Workshop Record - 9 May 2024
c	Workshop Record - 23 May 2024
d	Workshop Record - 30 May 2024

Authors	Monique Rousseau - Democracy Advisor
Authorisers	Glenn Boyd - Local Area Manager