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Resolution
number WTK/2024/178
MOVED by Chairperson
G Presland, seconded by Member L Manley:
That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:
a)
provide the
following feedback on the draft Mayoral Proposal including potential regional
consultation topics for the Annual Plan 2025/2026:
Fairer funding
for local boards
i)
do not support
slowing down the introduction of Fairer Funding, however have the following
concerns:
A) disappointment at the timing of the advice
around cost pressures for local services and hitherto unknown financial
implications. It is understood that budget allocations for Parks and
Facilities contracts do not represent the actual cost of service delivery and
that funding has been managed across local board areas to balance that out.
Around 50 percent of the local board’s budget is locked in the
regionally-set contracts which means the local board is unable to make
service delivery changes.
B) we have been “sweating” our local
community assets and services, and have concern that we are about to reach
crisis point.
C) do not accept greater responsibility for local
boards being accompanied by what in effect may be lower funding because of
the increased cost pressures.
ii)
recommend that
local boards oversee ‘Project 27’ to negotiate new parks and
facilities maintenance services / contracts. The Waitakere Ranges Local
Board’s preference is for parks and facilities maintenance to be
delivered in house by council staff who care about the place and know the
community, rather than contracted out.
iii)
tautoko / support
the need for increased democratic accountability and transparency highlighted
in the Mayoral Proposal.
iv)
tuhi
ā-taipitopito / note a forecast increase in operational costs of $8-10 million
is unacceptable when the board currently do not believe it is seeing value
for money for maintenance of our assets which the board then have to
remediate.
v)
advice from staff
is that any reduction in budgets will go to the facilities and maintenance
increases, negating the equity funding. Advice also points to this increase
not being based on the facilities but the operational costs. Council is
continuing to cut costs but we are not asking the same of contractors in
order to alleviate any strain on local boards.
CARRIED
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