SECOND MARCH NEWSLETTER

 

Dear Readers, 

As there is much to discuss as part of Councils ten year budget, I’m sending you a second newsletter this month to update you on more subjects we are consulting on.

Last week I covered general rates and the UAGC, the proposed new Water Quality rate and the proposed new targeted rate for Natural Environment, the mayors fuel tax along with funding issues for the Auckland Art Gallery and new charges for rubbish collection.

This newsletter will cover- Funding for Remuera’s Ohinerau (Mt Hobson), managing pests, adding more community recycling centres, heritage focus and funding and sport and recreational funding.

 - Desley Simpson
Councillor for Auckland representing the Orakei Ward
 

Funding for Ohinerau (Mt Hobson) and Mt Wellington

Fourteen of Auckland’s distinctive Volcanic Cones are managed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority. This authority was set up by the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act 2014 and its membership includes representatives of iwi and Auckland Council who manage the maunga   (mountains) for the common benefit of iwi and all Aucklanders. Their plan for the maunga is being consulted upon as part of the Long Term Plan.

Although we have several maunga (mountains)  nearby, Ōhinerau/Mt Hobson is the only maunga within the Orakei Ward administered by the authority and I think this treasured landmark is worthy of a specific mention. The plan includes an increase in operational expenditure next year, primarily in pest and vegetation management, with capital works including enhancements to the track network and signage coming over the next three years.

Do you agree Ohinerau/Mt Hobson needs designated funding for Pest and vegetation management, track enhancements and upgraded signage?

Managing pests in Auckland (rats, stoats, possums, pigs and cats)

The Regional Pest Management Plan is another area where council wants to know what you think this month. This plan is to replace the previous plan that dates all the way back before the creation of Auckland Council. The plan is a mix of regulatory rules (e.g. what species are controlled and to what level) and proposing works to maintain and improve Auckland’s ecosystems. The activities suggested would be funded in part through the proposed Natural Environment targeted rate and the total work programme will depend on the funds made available through the long term plan.

A part of the plan which has attracted early attention is that it clarifies when and where cats are considered a pest cat vs a pet cat. It is proposed that Cat control will only occur around certain high ecological value sites where other pest animals are also being controlled e.g. Shakespear Regional Park. None of these sites are in Orakei or on the urban isthmus. Affected communities will be notified well in advance of any action being taken, and ensuring cats are microchipped will prevent any moggies from being mistaken for feral.

Do you think this will work and is the right thing to do?

So what else is changing? This iteration adds 11 new animal pests and 55 new plant pests to the list of controlled species. Several of the new species are currently sold by the pet or nursery industry, however gardeners and pet owners will still be able to retain existing plants or pets that they already have just won’t be able to purchase new individuals of the banned species.

Examples of animals proposed to be listed as a new pest species are bearded and eastern water dragons which have previously been allowed as pets.

Examples of a new plant species included in the proposal as pests are short-form agapanthus (with some exceptions for low fertility cultivars) and several species of bamboo.

Particular priority in this plan goes to preventing the spread of Kauri dieback, particularly to Hauraki Gulf Islands and the Hunua Ranges and eradication of pests on gulf islands.

Find the full proposed plan here

Find the feedback form  here
 

Adding more Community Recycling Centres

Auckland’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) is a refresh of the 2012 plan which set a vision for “Zero waste by 2040”. While some progress has been made: household waste dropped 10% from 2010-2016, there is a long way to go and other sectors of waste are increasing (especially construction and demolition waste).

One of the proposals is to increase the number of Community Recycling Centres to twelve – currently there are 5, in Whangaparaoa, Helensville, Devonport, Waitakere and Waiuku. The centres are Council owned and run by community enterprise, turning unwanted goods into saleable items. So far, these centres are reportedly effective in diverting waste from landfill (exceeding expectations by diverting more than 60% of materials received away from landfill). The network at present has noticeable gaps particularly in central and south Auckland which would be covered by new facilities, for example at Western Springs and Mt Wellington/Panmure.

What do you think about expanding the network? Do you think you’d find it useful?

You can read more here and have your say here.
 

Heritage funding

Auckland Councils first Auckland Plan had 14 pages designated to Heritage. The draft Auckland Plan has none, not mentioned at all. To those keen on built heritage and the many heritage groups we have, this is very concerning. Staff say that while heritage is no longer given the status as a separate chapter in the plan, it is something that underpins other objectives such as creating/maintaining a sense of belonging and identity for Auckland. This iteration of the Auckland Plan has focused on narrowing the number of priorities so that the plan is more focussed.  While the Auckland Plan is not a funding or regulatory document, it sets the direction for Council’s work.

One example of Council’s work in this area is the grants programme, where landowners who have heritage homes are able to apply to the Council’s Regional Historic Heritage Grant to assist with maintaining their heritage buildings for the future with activities such as seismic strengthening. The size of this fund has been $80,700 for the past few years and change to this is not proposed at this point. In addition, the 21 Local Boards have funded heritage work from their contestable grants to the value of $86,927 between them in the past year.

Historic buildings owned and maintained by council in the Orakei Ward include the Remuera Library and the St Heliers Library. Funding for their maintenance and upkeep whilst regionally based comes through the OLB. I do know that the full cost of work proposed for the St Heliers library is unable to be funded from existing budgets.

What do you think, does council spend enough on heritage? Is it something that the Auckland Plan should explicitly deal with, or is it best placed as something that supports other priorities?
 

Sport and Recreation

The Parks and Community Budget covers a wide range of council facilities including parks, community halls and public spaces. Whilst the LTP shows that the Parks and Community area has a 10 year Capital budget of $3.2 billion (an increase of $800 million compared to the previous LTP), I have heard concerns from the sporting sector that this may be insufficient investment into sport and recreation. This is concerning. Not only do facilities need to be upgraded and maintained to ensure their longevity, but new facilities are required to address the current shortfall and the rapid growth in Auckland’s population – these needs are applicable to both indoor and outdoor spaces.

If there is inadequate investment in sport, recreation and physical activity in Auckland risks driving participation rates down. Physical inactivity cost New Zealand’s health care system over $200 million in 2013. 32% of New Zealand children are expected to be overweight or obese by 2025, with 21% of 4-year-old children in Auckland already overweight or obese.

Furthermore, the availability of spaces and facilities is already failing to meet demand in certain areas. Known, current, and well-researched regional facility plans prepared by sports codes demonstrate current, short-, and medium- term shortfalls in facility provision, including gaps of approximately 30 indoor courts 70 outdoor netball courts and 40 outdoor tennis courts; as well as winter sports fields shortfall in hours the equivalent of circa 50 artificial turfs.

Without sufficient investment, our current and future community sport and recreation spaces are further compromised. This means our growing, increasingly diverse population won’t have adequate access to suitable infrastructure to participate in physical activity – whether it’s a competitive rugby match, social tennis or sports events. Even with the increase in funding for renewals indicated in the draft LTP, Council has acknowledged that there will be a decreased level of service, deteriorating assets, and risk of failure and asset closure.

Having invested so much of my efforts to upgrade Madills Farm, Colin Maiden Park, Ngahue Reserve, Michaels Ave and Glover Park during my time as Orakei Local Board chair, I would like to see this investment continue so all codes were catered for to meet current and future demands. Do you agree?  Tell us what you think.
 

Have Your Say

Remember you can Have your say at akhaveyoursay.nz -  feedback is due on or before March 28.

March Newsletter

Dear Readers, 

It’s been a busy start to the year with Council lodging resource consent for the Americas Cup Village and preparing consultation material to ask Aucklanders their thoughts on how rates should be set and spent for the next ten years. Whilst we ask you to think ten years out, the reality is the first three years are the most crucial, as by law, the ten year process needs to be repeated every political term (3 years). The suggestions are not all supported by me personally but my vote will reflect your feedback.
The consultation covers a very wide range of topics and proposals. The 4 main ones I’ll cover in this newsletter are:

1. General rates rise and the UAGC amount
2. New targeted rates proposed and funding mechanisms for these
3. The proposed Fuel tax, and
4.  the Orakei Local Board’s main project.

I’d also like to touch on:

1. Revaluations

1. Other consultation items and opportunities to Have Your Say!

 - Desley Simpson
Councillor for Auckland representing the Orakei Ward
 

General Rates and UAGC

Broadly speaking, Council’s draft proposal seeks to constrain the general residential rate increases that fund the bulk of Council’s investment and activity, to 2.5% for years 1 and 2. The plan looks to increase this to 3.5% for following years. The UAGC (Uniform Annual General Charge) is also set to rise 2.5% to $414 for 2017/18 and another 2.5% in 2018/19. Again the plan looks to increase this to 3.5% for following years. This will be the highest UAGC Auckland Council has ever had. Remember this is ‘good’ for our ward on the whole, as the higher the UAGC, the lower the proportion of rates that is calculated on your property’s capital value, noting Orakei is the highest residential ratepaying ward in Auckland. Do you agree with the proposed UAGC and rates rise?

Business rates-
The draft proposal proposes to resume the “Long Term Differential Strategy” which incrementally lowers the proportion of rates paid by business ratepayers. Currently business pays 32.7% of general rates and this would be gradually lowered to 25.8% over twenty years. This is done gradually so that the effect on residential ratepayers is not more than a 0.5% increase in any given year. As a Business ratepayer (or residential ratepayer) do you agree?

New Targeted rates based on capital value of your property

The suggestion in the draft plan is also to add options for additional targeted rates to increase council spend in areas where Council has a great need, namely - Water Quality, and our Natural Environment.

Water Quality Targeted Rate

In my opinion, it is unacceptable that in a city such as ours, that we still have sewage overflowing at times into our harbours. Sadly, past investment in water infrastructure has struggled to match the growth our region has faced. The Water Quality Targeted rate proposal suggests raising and using this additional funding, to specifically reduce the amount of wastewater overflows. Orakei Ward currently has 11 points where overflows can enter Hobson Bay, 8 overflows entering Okahu Bay and 22 entering the Orakei Basin.  Safeswim (the updated website identifying beaches safe for swimming and free from sewage discharge) has shown that in January this year, St Heliers Beach and Okahu Bay registered water quality, below the National Guidelines over 23% of the time.  Mission Bay and Kohimarama registered below guidelines 16% of the time. All beaches had additional rates of between 3-6% of ‘risks to people with lower immunities such as the elderly’. The Water Quality Targeted rate proposal suggests raising and using this additional funding to specifically reduce the amount of wastewater overflows. Whilst consultation documentation talks about the extra rate as being on average $66 per year, this would vary based on your homes capital value.  (I lost my recommendation on votes around the Town Hall table to have this as a set charge). Do you agree with this extra targeted rate to specifically clean up our beaches and waterways?

Natural Environment Targeted Rate

Council has also been recently faced with some major environmental challenges such as Kauri Dieback disease and introduced pest species. On top of that, Auckland has the sad label of being the ‘world’s weediest city’ because of our high number of invasive plant species. Late last year a number of cases of Myrtle Rust were found on Pohutukawa. Myrtle Rust is a fungal disease which targets related species such as Pohutukawa and Manuka. Data shows more cases of this disease were found in Remuera than any other part of Auckland. Myrtle rust is being addressed by the Ministry of Primary Industries ( MPI)  but Council needs to play its part too.

Ratepayers and residents are being asked whether they wish to contribute to specifically targeting the reduction of Kauri Dieback along with rural possum control and plant and animal pest eradication on the Gulf Islands with a Natural Environment targeted rate calculated based on the capital value of their property. Consultation material will offer you three options; not to invest further into initiatives to protect the Natural Environment, a small targeted rate that would fund a limited suite of initiatives (gathering an extra $136m over 10 years) or a larger rate with a fuller range of activities (gathering an extra $311m over 10 years). Do you think we should keep doing what we do within budget, or pay more through a targeted rate?

Regional Fuel Tax

The mayor is also asking Aucklanders to also consider a Regional Fuel Tax. Unlike the other two suggested targeted rates, it’s not yet clear exactly what projects this tax would fund. Transport has a number of masters. Obviously Auckland Transport is given budget to deliver transport infrastructure and solutions in Auckland, but for large transport projects Council often shares the spend with central government. A good local example, is the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive shared path. You will remember that following lobbying to the MP for Tamaki Simon O’Connor from the then Orakei Local Board based on community feedback, this project was agreed to be funded by both central government and then following that, Council. We are currently waiting for the new government to confirm their transport policy and at time of writing this hasn’t been completed. However due to the good work done with the previous government, we do know that Auckland faces at least a $5.9 billion shortfall in transport spending. To confuse things even more, every residential ratepayer currently pays $113.85 per annum as an extra transport cost. This was instituted in 2015 by the Len Brown Council as a flat charge to all properties as a stop gap funding measure until a new transport revenue source was identified. The proposal now is to replace that set levy with a Regional Fuel Tax of $0.10 plus GST ($0.115c) litre of fuel (diesel and petrol) to help fund the shortfall. I am still waiting to hear if this would release funding for local projects or specifically be allocated to fund any transport projects to benefit our Ward.

What do you think about paying extra through a fuel tax to assist funding transport for our region? ( noting we don’t know what for as yet)
 

Orakei Local Board Initiative

The Orakei Local Board has chosen as their number one initiative, the popular north south connection to the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive shared path at Gowing Drive. In the past, even though the Orakei Local Board have put up projects well supported by our community, they have been unfunded due to a lost vote around the Town Hall table. I’m hoping to change that.

But I need to know if you support this.

Re-Valuation of your home

You will remember that independent revaluation of all Auckland properties was done in November last year. Whilst we all know Auckland is expensive, overall revaluation showed that the value of Auckland’s real estate had increased by a whopping 46% since valuations were last done in 2014! Some properties in the Orakei ward increased significantly more than the overall average of 46% and others less. This means that unlike last year’s clear 2.5% rates increase, the change you see on your rates bill for the year beginning July 2018, will probably not match the 2.5% - some will be higher, and some will be lower. Not everyone likes a high property valuation as obviously it’s the capital value of your home which influences how much you pay in rates.
 
By way of average figures for our ward, sadly revaluation will mean 304 properties will receive a rates rise over 40% before you even start adding the extra proposed rates, 15,511 properties over 2.5%. There is good news for some though, 10,409 properties will have a rates reduction on last year.
 
To check what YOUR rates will look like with all that’s proposed please follow this link and put in your address. You will see the rates you currently pay, the increase or decrease proposed and then what the extra targeted rates will do to your bill.
 
If you have any questions or queries, please contact me.
 

Other consultation items and opportunities to have your say!

Extra funding for the Auckland Art Gallery

In 2005 Auckland Art Gallery received $6.4M of operational funding. You will remember the Art Gallery closed for extensive renovation and extension and reopened in 2011 with an operational funding budget of $9.2M. previous Council regimes have then annually reduced the budget for the Gallery down to $6.9M, very close to what it was 13 years ago even though the Art Gallery has 50% more exhibition space and 80% more public event space. After some lobbying (and yes, I was one) the Mayor is now suggesting an extra $2M per year additional funding as part of the ten year budget. This is not guaranteed at all. In fact it’s still not even in the draft budget for consultation. So if you agree the art gallery needs more funding you will need to specifically say so in your submission. If you don’t agree the Art Gallery needs more funding, is not so necessary to mention it- it’s not in the current draft.

Charging more for your rubbish collection

Also coming in the plan are some changes to the way that council’s rubbish collection works. These changes don’t start to affect Orakei until next financial year, but they are worth knowing about and having your say on them. We currently pay for refuse and recycling collection through fixed rates that are the same for every property: $ 117 for your red bin and base rate of $102 for your blue recycling bin and inorganic collection. From next year the proposal is to give you a third bin just for food waste. This would be compulsory and add $67 extra per year to your bill. The theory behind this separate food waste collection is that it would greatly reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfills. Your red bin would be collected only when you put it out and you would be charged $3.80 every time you did or that. Currently you pay $219 per year through your rates for these services and under this proposal you would pay an estimated $264 per year from 2020/21 (through rates and user charges), with an added bin for food waste collection. Do you support this?
 

Get involved.

Complete information on all the budget issues is available on the council website including what the various proposals (if agreed on) would mean for your property’s rates bill. Information will also be at your local library and through your local Residents Association. My main request to you, is to please take some time and be part of the discussion and let me know what you think. My vote will reflect your feedback.
 
There will be a public meeting at St Chad’s Church and Community Centre March 15th at 7pm if you want to discuss the above issues specifically with me, as well as a drop in session at:

• Eastridge Shopping Centre 10 March, 1:00pm-3:00pm.

Submissions opened February 28 and close on 28 March. See The Auckland Council website for full information.

Remember, I am always available to listen and look forward to seeing you at an event or reading your submission.

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

Working within our budget

There have been a number of recent stories in the Herald on Council’s budget blowouts, the high cost staff travel (and the transparency around that) along with concerns re staff numbers and salaries. The Council Chief Executive (CE) is the only employee of the Governing Body (Mayor and Councillors) so it is through him that we need to address change. I am publicly on record in the NZ Herald ‘Auckland Council Chief Executive Stephen Town Defends High Salaries’, 13 October as saying “I believe that actuals versus the budget should be a key performance indicator (KPI) for the chief executive to meet”.  

I am pleased to advise that is now a reality and effective immediately.

As a Councillor I have two levers to address these issues. First through the Chief Executive himself and secondly through the budget and the objectives that are given to the Chief Executive.

As a member of the Appointments and Performance Committee which was set up (amongst other things) to first monitor, define and then recommend to the GB the CE’s performance and KPI’s, I promoted more definitive KPI’s for our CE. These were supported, and Council’s Governing Body approved the latest Chief Executive Performance measures at our meeting on 23 November, replacing the objectives set in December 2015.

The refreshed objectives spell out the expectation that through the Chief Executive, Council parent will no longer see an annual report where budget is overspent, unless it has been politically approved.  In fact, the objectives specifically request that the CE keeps to the budget allocation for staff salaries, holds staff numbers stable, delivers on the Value for Money (section 17A) actions, reduces core operating costs per capita and finds $600,000 in savings for the travel budget over the next two years. This is a far greater level of financial detail for the CE to work with, than the 2015 objectives which focused on the budget as a whole.

Should the CE feel that operationally we need to deviate from any budget for whatever reason, he needs to come to the Governing Body for approval to do so.

Further transparency and disclosure around travel and related expenses etc… will be addressed in the New Year.

A well-run council is critical for the region (and indeed NZ) to succeed. As a Councillor, it is important for me to both hold the organisation to account when necessary, and to make decisions that will help the organisation improve for the future. I believe these new KPIs will hold the organization to a higher level of accountability and am pleased the Chief Executive, and the wider organisation, seem to be up for the challenge.

The state of our Parks

There has been much media and community concern re the state of our parks. Whilst this is a local board issue, in so much it is within their delegation, because there were serious region wide concerns this came to Councillors attention. Ventia, one of council’s major contractors and the contractor for the Orakei Ward, was issued with a performance notice to improve the state of mowing and gardening due to poor deliverables.

A letter was issued on Friday, 23 November 2017, confirming that Ventia had not met the conditions of their contract and they issued a public apology. Weekly audits of contractor performance are being providing all elected members to give us oversight of performance as Ventia work to meet their objectives. The first audit result from the first week of November showed that in Orakei only 65% of items were maintained to the required standard, but in the most recent audit this increased to 87%. Despite this improvement, I believe management have let ratepayers down in allowing such poor performance to occur in the first place.

Thank you for your patience, while Council sorts out their management of the contracting. If you see any parks or community facilities you feel do not meet an acceptable standard (including overflowing rubbish bins) please contact our call centre (09) 301 0101 which is operational 24 hours each and every day.

Orakei Local Board’s Local Initiative in the Long Term Plan

Each term of council has an opportunity to make a Long Term Plan (budget) for Council. For the 2018 Plan, all local boards were asked to identify their top project to seek funding from the mayor and councillors. The Orakei Local Board has identified the Orakei Spine Shared Path Connection which is a north/south connection to the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared path as their priority project. This project is one that increases the utility of the shared path by people on both sides of Purewa Valley and will help relieve traffic pressure particularly around St Johns Road by providing an alternate route to the schools in the area.

The draft long term plan is developing rapidly and the Mayors proposal (released on 30 November) whilst not confirming this project specifically, is open to including it. The shared path from Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive has been a popular initiative in previous feedback and my sense is that the Local Board has done a good job developing this proposal. The next stage is for Councillors and the Mayor to hear your views through the Long Term Plan consultation period in March next year before we make decisions. Consultation is an effective way to influence your decision makers, particularly those who do not know our area well so please make your voices heard when we ask February/March next year. ( I’ll remind you!)

Raising the standard of reporting

I know it seems obvious, but reports provided to elected members from which they make their decisions, need to be of top quality. I’ve been appointed chair of the Quality Advice Political Advisory Group to improve the current standard.

Respected research organisation NZIER, takes a sample of reports each year from a range of public sector agencies and prepares ratings of how good they are in providing advice and options to elected representatives. In this year’s assessment Auckland Council’s score was 7.11 which is an average rating of ‘adequate’. This is a similar result to 2016 which is disappointing as the goal is improvement. I believe as the largest council in NZ, Auckland Council should achieve the highest rating of all Councils in the country. I also believe your elected members should receive reports that are more than ‘adequate’. Following this year’s results, I was invited to present to senior management and share my perspective on Council reports, the first time a current elected member has done so I’m told. A new report template will be adopted in the new year and this is intended to help strengthen the reporting produced by Council staff for elected members.

Opening of Melanesian Mission

The Melanesian Mission on Selwyn Reserve is a landmark heritage building that gives Mission Bay its name. I was privileged to attend the re-opening of the Mission after the restoration work undertaken by Heritage New Zealand was completed last month.

The Mission has been used over the years as a mission house (of course), naval training facility, industrial school, flying school during WWI, museum and restaurant. The restoration work included seismic strengthening which will ensure that this icon is with us for decades to come.

Photo Credit: Marcel Tromp

Opening of Heritage trail

The Orakei Local Board opened the Stonefields Heritage Trail on 21st November. As I was OLB chair when the project started, the Board kindly invited me to speak at the opening. Again, I congratulate the current Orakei Local Board on delivering the completion of this project and know many are already  enjoying the trail and the fantastic pou installations that have been donated by Ngāti Paoa, Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki and Ngāti Te Ata.

Pictured here from left to right; Councillor Desley Simpson, MP for Maungakiekie, Denise Lee and all the Orakei Local Board members

Auckland Domain Committee Update

At our Nov 30 meeting of the Domain Committee, we heard from the Auckland Holocaust Memorial Trust who have a proposal for a Holocaust and genocide memorial, potentially based around the Fairy Pond at the Winter Gardens. The committee agreed to instruct staff to work with the Trust on finding an appropriate location for the memorial which would be funded by the Trust through their own fundraising.

Another key item was to strengthen the parking enforcement by delegating Auckland Transport the authority to enforce the prohibition on parking on the grass and kerbs. Previously this has been outside of their authority.

We also approved the liquor ban for future Lantern Festivals and gave approval for ANZAC Dawn and Civic commemorations to take place for the next five years.

Rubbish Collections

Please note that there will be changes to our kerbside rubbish collections over the Christmas /New Year period and Auckland Anniversary weekend (January 29th). Most kerbside rubbish collections will take place one day later than usual. You can check your collection day by entering your address the council website.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

an enjoyable yet challenging year but I am looking forward to a holiday. There will be no January newsletter but I will be starting my monthly newsletters up in February 2018.

Until then, I wish those who celebrate it, a very happy, safe and relaxing Christmas. To those who don’t best wishes and to all, a safe, relaxing summer holiday break.

Thank you for your support,

Desley

November Newsletter

Smokefree Auckland

Up until November, our smokefree policy prohibited smoking at council run facilities including; all parks and reserves, Playgrounds, Sportsfields and Skate parks, Council service centres, Local board offices, Libraries, Stadiums, Swimming pools, Community facilities and Halls, Museums and the Zoo, Leisure, recreation and arts centres, train stations and platforms, bus stations, bus shelters and ferry terminals.
Councillors voted to increase our smokefree policy, starting November 2017 to include:

• Plazas, civic squares, shared spaces, urban centres
• The areas around sports clubs on council land
• Al fresco dining areas
• Beaches

Mark Goldstein, local owner of the Mission Bay Cafe, applauded our decision, saying it would do more good than harm. (See Auckland Now story)
An added benefit to the adoption of this policy is that signage to support this is funded regionally and is no longer something left to Local Boards to juggle amongst their many competing priorities for their limited discretionary funding.

Auckland Plan- 30 year vision for Auckland

The Auckland Plan is a set of aspirations and targets for Auckland over the next 30 years. It isn’t a financial plan, but it is a key to setting the direction for the Council organisation to assess its priorities and ultimately does help to determine where it places its efforts and funding. The Auckland Plan was first adopted in 2012 and at present we are in the process of refreshing this document. There will be public consultation on this in tandem with the Long Term Plan in February – March.

In the meantime, while the draft document is being prepared I have been working to ensure that Council reflects the views of Aucklanders via all of their elected representatives by giving our local boards robust input into the development of the document. Local Boards will now receive a formal response as to how their resolutions will be included in the draft. For a plan that can at times seem extremely high level, it is important to keep it grounded with local views – something I think is vital for effective regional governance.

Revaluations

Each year, the council’s budget sets out the amount of rates needed to keep Auckland running. Once the budget is set, we need to work out how much each ratepayer should pay. Your rates bill is determined by a number of factors. The main factor is the total amount of money required to run and invest in the city, and how much income Council can receive from other revenue sources. The other major factors are the Capital Value of the property (CV) and the amount set as the Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC). Capital Value is calculated every three years through the revaluation process. A change in your property’s value does not necessarily  mean that your rates will increase or decrease by the amount of this change – instead, your property’s new value will help determine the share of rates you pay. The higher UAGC set in this year’s budget means that the rates bill is less dependent on the Capital Value of a property. An increase in the UAGC is good for anyone paying rates on a property valued at more than the regional median (i.e. most of the Orakei Ward).

Staff Travel Update/Costs.

Over the past months there have been multiple media stories critical of Council performance, these have included articles about staff costs going over budget and highlighting the amount spent on overseas travel by staff. As you all will know, I am dead against wasteful spending and have called for explanations of the facts from the Chief Executive. He has responded and I am now in a position to dispel some myths about them.

First of all, staff travel. Council has an internal policy which serves to minimise the use of travel and imposes strict rules on when business class travel is deemed appropriate. If there are alternatives to physical travel (e.g. Skype) this is the option that staff must take. If they must travel, then economy is the only option, unless the travel is long haul and there is no option to recuperate before the meeting/event. I was supplied with a list of the travel and am satisfied that on a case by case basis most are justifiable expenses. In the interests of transparency (which I have pushed for) , staff travel costs will be published on the council website for all to see.  I have also pushed for reasons for that travel to be included as part of travel transparency too.

The mayor has recently returned from a trip to Europe funded in part by Michael Bloomberg. More information about this trip can be found here.

Staff costs have been over budget for the council group consistently for the last three years. This is inexcusable from my perspective. I believe actuals versus budget should be a key performance indicator for our chief executive (see coverage in the NZ Herald).
 

Tamaki Drive and Ngapipi Road Intersection Safety Improvement update

Auckland Transport’s work goes on and the new embankments are taking shape. The road layout will stay in its current configuration until Christmas, and this includes the 30kph speed limit. I travel  through this intersection every day  and know it has slowed travel times , so thank you all for your patience.

For more information about the multiple transport projects taking place in the Tamaki Drive area, (Intersection improvements, Tamaki Drive Cycle Route, Ngapipi Bridge widening and the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared Path) please see the Auckland Transport website for Tamaki Drive improvements here. You can also sign up for regular email updates from Auckland Transport here.
 

New parking machines coming to Remuera

Over the next few months, Auckland Transport will be upgrading all of Aucklands 810 pay-and-display parking machines to include ‘pay-by-plate’ technology. (One has to wonder about AT’s priorities putting this at the top of their list !?)

The pay-by-plate technology enables customers to enter their registration plate into the machine without the need for a display ticket, making it a faster, more seamless customer experience.

 The newly upgraded machines will also include paywave technology to further improve the customer experience. The Text-a-Park payment option will not always be available as part of the new machines as AT Park phone app is considered to be a superior alternative for customers who want to use their phone.
These machines will replace existing Parking meters in Remuera starting in December.

Regional sports grants.

Regional Sports Grant applications are open until 8 December 2017.
 
Applications are being sought from organisations that are:
•             have a region-wide mandate;
•             regional federations or groupings of local or sub-regional sports code organisations;
•             regional sport and recreation providers or advocacy groups; or
•             iwi and other Māori organisations active in the sport and recreation sector.
 
The funding pool is up to $508,000 and I am looking forward to seeing what opportunities the sporting community have that council can support. If you know anyone who may be part of an organisation who could apply for this please let them know of the opportunity.
 
More information is on the Council website here.

Conversations with Councillor Coming to St Heliers Library

 Following a successful Conversation with your Councillor session at Remuera Library in October, I will be running a similar session at the St Heliers Library from 2:00pm on Friday 17 November. Please come and see me to discuss any Auckland Council related issue, idea or feedback.
 

More responsibility to local Boards

Council has recently agreed on some updates to the delegations and responsibilities between that of local Boards and Councillors through the Governance Framework Review. Through this review Local Boards have taken extra responsibilities and powers including:

• more local board input into regional policy decisions
• increased engagement with Auckland Transport and a stronger governance role around town centre upgrades and other local streetscape projects
• that the council considers a significant increase to the local transport capital fund through the Long-term Plan (10-year budget) process
• greater decision-making rights over budgets for local services being delivered in local board areas
• that a three-year pilot project of enhanced local board decision-making in Waiheke is implemented from 1 October 2017.

Auckland recognised as a UNESCO Creative City

Auckland has officially been recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a music city within the network of Creative Cities. Auckland’s application was endorsed by Council in March. Achieving this status has helped other cities such as Adelaide attract investment and has been linked to an increase in tourism. I’m looking forward to seeing what benefits there are for Auckland’s music industry.
 
Read more here.

Safeswim

Auckland Council’s upgraded safeswim website is now live. This site gives current and forecast water quality information at our beaches, replacing the older system of regular testing and retrospective reporting. Having up to date information is crucial to let Aucklanders make informed choices and this is a positive step towards being transparent about our water quality. Safeswim is a joint initiative between Auckland Council, Watercare, Surf Lifesaving Northern Region and the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. Trial of a real time signage was launched last Saturday at Mission bay

Read more about it here and visit the site at www.safeswim.org.nz
 

Council staff cuts coming

Are we delivering value for money?

An independent review finds millions of dollars in savings in just 4 areas.

From Stuff.co.nz Auckland mayor Phil Goff promises cuts to the council's 234 communications staff and more savings to come.

Auckland Council chief executive Stephen Town defends high salaries

http://nzh.tw/11932614

I believe that actuals versus the budget should be a key performance indicator(KPI) for the chief executive to meet

What’s the benefit to ratepayers?

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Portugal, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, USA, Vietnam .....I don’t think it’s unfair to have a greater level of transparency around why  the travel is necessary and the benefit to ratepayers gained from the trip.

Read the article here.

Staff budget blowouts need to stop and they need to stop now

 I spoke with Zac Fleming from Radio New Zealand to say that the council's $42m salary and wages blowout is unacceptable. 

Click here to listen to the interview.

Remuera Cross Street Banner saved by Desley Simpson.

The Remuera Business Association Newsletter Reads: 

"A huge thank you to Desley Simpson for stepping in (once again!) to save our cross street banner rig from being disestablished by Auckland Transport.  Installed in 2014 with a rigorous engineer's report, our rig is one of only a few that can still be used.  It has been a fantastic way to promote Remuera events to thousands of motorists over the years... one of the few benefits of being on a four lane transport corridor!  Thanks again to Desley Simpson for stepping in to save our cross street rig."