Category: Local Government

Source: Auckland Council

Headline: Kauri forest to close on 1 May

The forested areas of the the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park, and more high risk tracks in Hunua Ranges kauri areas, will close on 1 May to protect kauri from dieback disease. 

Committee chair and Waitākere ward councillor Penny Hulse lead the almost-five hour decision which focusses on preventing the spread of kauri dieback disease from the Waitākere Ranges and offers greater protection to the Hunua Ranges, which currently shows no sign of infection. 

“Today, we have taken bold action. The closure of the Waitākere Ranges forest will provide the highest level of protection to kauri, to ensure that future generations can experience and enjoy this precious taonga,” she says. 

Read more about this decision on OurAuckland. 

The following is a digest of all decisions made at today’s Environment and Community Committee. The agenda is available on Auckland Council’s website and minutes will be added once confirmed. This meeting was also webcast on the council’s website and items are available on demand.  

Items 1-8 were administrative items except for Public Input (Item 5) and Local Board Input (Item 6). 

Item 5: Public input was received on Kauri Dieback Management (Item 9) from Dr Mels Barton, The Tree Council; Edward Ashby, Executive Manager, Te Kawerau a Maki; Roger Williams, Warkworth Forest & Bird; Paul Davies, Waitakere Ranges user; Pip Mandis, Awesome Walks and Cam Bowden, AWOL Adventures.   

Public input was also received on the Weed Management Update (Information item 13) from both Hanna Blackmore who presented to the committee, and Sarah Smuts-Kennedy.  Public input 5.1 was withdrawn. 

Item 6: Local Board input on Item 9 was received from the Kaipatiki Local Board and the Waitākere Ranges Local Board. 

Item 9: Kauri Dieback Management Report Back and Decisions 

Read more on: OurAuckland 

Item 10: Next Steps for Safeswim programme 

Auckland Council’s Safeswim programme was upgraded last year, with the aim of improving the water quality information available to Aucklanders. 

The update introduced a predictive modelling approach that provides real-time water quality forecasts for 92 beaches and freshwater sites across the Auckland region. This was a change from the weekly monitoring system that was previously used. 

Since its launch in November 2017, the new Safeswim website has had 280,000 website visits, with 141,000 unique users. Safeswim recently completed its first summer of implementation, today the committee was updated on the progress that has been made in the programme and were asked to endorse the next steps for further programme development and the future direction of the programme. 

The future direction for Safeswim, unanimously endorsed by the committee today, incorporates lessons learnt from the first season and incorporates recommendations from the post-implementation evaluation, these recommendations include implementing a behaviour change campaign, refining the signage and communications strategy and increasing the number of Safeswim sites during the peak swimming season. 

Item 11: Review of Citizens Advice Bureaux Services (supplementary report) 

At the February committee meeting, staff reported findings of a recent review of Citizen Advice Bureau services in Auckland and the funding model that supports it. While no resolution was passed at the February meeting, the committee instructed staff to continue discussing current and potential funding models with the Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux Incorporated (ACABx). 

This additional discussion resulted in staff recommending to today’s committee that the current funding model be extended in its current format for the 2018/19 financial year. The extension enables council to work further with ACABx to review the current population-based funding model and to continue investigations of potential alternative funding models to achieve a more equitable distribution of funding. 

The committee approved negotiation of a three-year funding agreement 2018-2021 with ACABx conditional on a review of the population-based funding model, improved reporting and access to consistent data, meeting requirements of a local relationship framework and finalising a new strategic relationship. 

Item 12: Auckland Council submission on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Renewal of Licences) Amendment Bill (No 2) 

Staff sought approval for a submission on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Renewal of Licences) Amendment Bill (No 2), to the Governance Administration Select Committee.

Highlights of the submission include:

• Alcohol-related harm and its reduction being a focus in Auckland
• Council’s existing local alcohol policy that is not yet in force
• Support for the principle behind the Bill and Paper
• Acknowledgment of differing community and business concerns relating to the impact of the Bill
• Concern about unintended consequences and the practical effect of the Bill
• Issues in the local alcohol policy and the need to review the Act.

The committee unanimously approved council’s submission to the Governance Administration Committee on the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Renewal of Licences) Amendment Bill (No 2) and approved Deputy Mayor, and Councillor Filipaina as an alternate, and an IMSB member to appear before the Governance Administration Select Committee on behalf of Auckland Council.

Source: Auckland Council

Headline: Committee considers plan changes and tree protection in Auckland

Today’s Planning Committee approved plan changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan and discussed how Auckland Council manages and protects trees in Auckland.

Members of the public addressed the committee on specific transport proposals and on tree protection in Auckland (item 12) together with local board presentations.

The following is a digest of decisions made. The agenda is available on Auckland Council’s website and minutes will be added once confirmed. This meeting was also webcast on the council’s website and items will be available on demand.

Items 1-8 were administrative items except for Petitions (item 4), Public Input (item 5) and Local Board input (item 6).

David Roos, representing the City Centre Residents Group, spoke to a petition presented to the committee requesting safer pedestrian facilities for the Victoria Quarter. The petition was referred to Auckland Council’s Development Programme Office and Auckland Transport for consideration. 

There were three items of public input. Christine Rose and Jon Reeves from the Public Transport Users Association spoke about the trains to Haupai campaign. The committee requested a report from Auckland Transport through the 10-year Budget process.

Olric Thomas from Changda International Limited spoke to item 9 and Dr. Mels Barton of the Tree Council spoke to item 12.

Under Local Board input, Peter Haynes, Chair of the Eden-Albert Local Board, and Saffron Toms, Deputy Chair of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, spoke separately to item 12. Lisa Whyte, Chair of the Upper Harbour Local Board, spoke in support of the Hobsonville Corridor Plan Change (item 10).

Item 9: Vesting of Land on a Closed Landfill at West Hoe Heights, Orewa

The committee declined a request from Changda International New Zealand Limited, residential developers of the West Hoe Heights Special Housing Area, to vest in council three lots of land on a closed landfill at 207 West Hoe Heights.

Item 10:  Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in Part) – Hobsonville Corridor Plan Change 

The committee approved of publicly notifying a proposed plan change to the Auckland Unitary Plan for road alignments, a future arterial and to introduce stormwater controls and standards and assessment criteria for buildings and development along Hobsonville Road and next to Hobsonville Primary School.

These changes seek to improve the transport network, stormwater and built form outcomes within Hobsonville Corridor.

Item 11: Request to make operative Plan Changes 1 and 2 to the Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in part) 

Two plan changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan were made operative. These rezone Auckland Council owned land parcels that were surplus to requirements and have been cleared for sale and rezones a portion of Aotea Square from Open Space to City Centre Zone to facilitate the redevelopment of the former Civic Administration Building.

Item 12: Managing and protecting trees in Auckland

The committee noted the council’s current approach to managing and protecting trees in Auckland taking into account the council’s recently adopted Urban Forest Strategy.

The Auckland Unitary Plan provides regulatory tools and the Urban Forest Strategy is a comprehensive regulatory and non-regulatory approach to maintaining and enhancing trees and vegetation in Auckland’s urban area.

The committee also requested that options for managing, protecting and restoring trees and vegetation in Auckland and across New Zealand is discussed with the Government and Local Government New Zealand.

A further report will be made to the Environment and Community Committee with updated Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and resource consent data as part of the reporting on the Urban Forest Strategy by August 2018.

Item 13: Summary of Planning Committee information memos and briefings

A summary and provide a public record of memos or briefing papers that may have been distributed to committee members.

Source: Auckland Council

Headline: Governing Body endorses new staff policies

Auckland Council’s Governing Body today endorsed a new corporate policy framework to guide staff behaviour at work, including a revised approach around sensitive expenditure.

‘Our Charter’ is a single set of six principles and standards to guide council staff when working across key areas, including Te Tiriti o Waitangi, information and security, health and safety, general staff conduct and money and assets.

It includes new expectations around staff travel expenditure based on the principles of delivering value for money, prudence and building trust with Aucklanders around sensitive expenditure.

Mayor Phil Goff says the council has a responsibility to Auckland ratepayers to spend their money wisely.

“The new policies create clear expectations for the council and its CCOs to be restrained on gifts, hospitality and travel,” he says.

“The new principles and standards will address concerns about the level of travel spending with the expectation that there is greater transparency around council travel. 

“In addition the council will be focused on meeting expectations for tighter travel budgets with a commitment to delivering a 30 per cent reduction in the travel budget in this financial year”, says Mayor Goff.

The following is a digest of decisions made. The agenda is available on Auckland Council’s website and minutes will be added once confirmed. This meeting was also webcast on the council’s website and items are available on demand.

Items 1-9 were administrative items

Item 10: Updated Remuneration Policy 2018

The Governing Body approved changes to the council’s Remuneration Policy which must be reviewed by the Council every three years under the Local Government Act 2002.

The policy provides high-level guidance for all remuneration decisions made by the council and is supported by other operational guidelines and policies.

In summary the updates to the policy include:

• reference to the introduction of a living wage – adopted as part of the council’s Annual Budget 2017/18
• a new principle of ‘contribution’ that makes clear there is a link between remuneration and an employee’s contribution to the council’s organisational strategy
• clarification of roles and responsibilities to reflect recent changes within the council’s People and Performance division

Item 11: Initial response of Auckland Transport to recommendations of the Governance Framework Review

The Governing Body endorsed Auckland Transport’s initial responses on recommendations made about engagement with local boards in relation to place-shaping. The recommendations were made by the Governing Body as part of the Governance Framework Review.

Item 12: Auckland Council Staff Policies – Principles and Standards

As noted above, the Governing Body endorsed the council’s new corporate principles and standards called ‘Our Charter’ to guide staff behaviour at work,

This includes a revised approach for travel expenditure that will apply across the Auckland Council Group for the first time. More detailed information is available on OurAuckland

Item 13: 2018 LGNZ Conference and AGM

The Governing Body confirmed its representatives at the Local Government New Zealand Annual General Meeting and attendees at the LGNZ conference.

Representatives include Mayor Phil Goff, Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore, Councillors Penny Hulse, Alf Filipaina, and Richard Hills. Each local board is also invited to approve attendance of one member at the conference.

Item 14: Health, Safety and Wellbeing update

An update was received on the Health, Safety and Wellbeing report for the second quarter of 2017/2018. The report was previously considered at the Audit and Risk Committee on 26 February 2018.

Item 15: Appointing a replacement member to the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority

Councillor Josephine Bartley was appointed as a permanent member to the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority (Tūpuna Maunga Authority).

Item 16: Amendments to the Governing Body Terms of Reference

Amendments to the Governing Body Terms of Reference and committee membership were adopted. These include:

• renaming the Appointments and Performance Review Committee to Appointments, Performance Review and Value for Money Committee with additional responsibilities for overseeing the Local Government Act section 17A review programme and other efficiency initiatives
• changing the membership of some committees

Item 17: New appointments to the Youth Advisory Panel

The Governing Body noted the appointment process to fill three vacant positions on the Youth Advisory Panel from the Franklin, Ōrākei and Whau Local Board areas.

Item 18: Summary of Governing Body information memos and briefings

A summary and provide a public record of memos or briefing papers that may have been distributed to Governing Body members.