Consultation on Annual Plan and Local Board priorities
Council and the local board are consulting on the current draft annual plan and the local board’s priorities.
The two questions Council is asking is what do people think of the draft plan and what do they think about the proposed visitor levy to be used to pay for major events.
Our local board priorities include the following:
- the Event Partnership Fund to support more community led events
- arts and culture programmes delivered through our community arts partners
- tailoring programmes to serve diverse communities (youth, older adults, Pacific and ethnic communities)
- community development, placemaking and activation in our growing neighbourhoods and centres such as Glen Eden, Sunnyvale and Swanson
- supporting business associations to continue supporting local businesses and ongoing growth, develop and liven-up our town centres, including assisting Glen Eden Business Association and establishing of Titirangi Business Association
- environmental programmes to help protect and restore the Waitākere Ranges
- trialling phosphite treatment of kauri infected with kauri dieback on selected local parks
- improving neighbourhood parks: George Herring Common, Koroī/ Clayburn Reserve, Tautoru/Maywood Park, and Sandys Parade.
Consultation closes soon on March 28, 2025. Comment can be made online here or by the use of traditional methods.
Consultation on the Deed of Acknowledgment with Te Kawerau ā Maki
This has been a policy the local board has worked on for some time.
The Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008 requires Council to identify opportunities for tangata whenua to contribute to managing public land in the Heritage Area. The purpose of the deed is also to acknowledge the particular historical, traditional, cultural, or spiritual relationship of tangata whenua with that land.
In December Council resolved to engage with the public, particularly local stakeholder groups, on four key elements that have been agreed to in principle.
These include:
- joint development of an overarching strategic plan for the Heritage Area.
- agreeing work programmes to achieve the outcomes set out in the strategic plan
- joint monitoring of the strategic plan outcomes
- establishing a joint committee of council to undertake these elements.
The proposed Joint Committee will have an important role. Currently it is intended to comprise of 50 per cent tangata whenua and 50 per cent from Council including the local board and the Crown.
Council is considering how to include the views of locals. It is important that this is addressed properly and there is local buy in to any arrangement.
Views are currently being sought from the public on the key elements. The local board is particularly keen to hear from locals their views on how key stakeholders will have an ongoing role under the new structures.
Engagement is now open and feedback can be provided online or through the traditional methods. A link will be provided as soon as one is available.
Remediation of land slips on newly acquired Council property
I recently spent some time with Professor Dick Bellamy talking about what to do with the slips on newly acquired land.
Council is currently purchasing a number of properties where the threat posed by slips to human life is unacceptable. There are already in many cases slips on the purchased property and I believe that Council has at least a moral obligation to remediate the land. Weeds are already propagating on these properties and weed infected properties are more vulnerable to slips.
In some cases expensive retaining walls may be the only option. With others we could seek the help of Mother Nature.
Dick suggested that Council could engage a student to experiment with the best slip and weed infestation response to improve stability.
Suggested options could include the planting of Manuka, Kanuka, Flax or Pohutukawa.
These could be propagated by seed bombs, the planting of germinated seeds, or planting of full plants.
Different areas will have different needs. The West Coast for instance with its salty atmosphere will probably require the planting of hardy trees. Titirangi’s slopes may be more suited to the use of flax.
Dick’s suggestion I believe is a good one and something that I will seek to advance. Unlike other parts of Auckland the vast majority of local properties affected by the storms have been affected by slips. To address ongoing stability concerns they need to be remediated as soon as possible.
Assistance for land owners where slips have occurred on road reserve
I was pleased when Council approved support for landowners affected by road reserve slips. In Titirangi for instance there are a number of properties where the property itself is fine but there are either problems with access caused by neighbouring slips or the property itself may be compromised or threatened by an adjacent slip.
Council announced the $5 million fund for landowners in November last year.
At that meeting I spoke in support of the fund and said “in some situations, for instance a slip on Paturoa Road in Titirangi we consider that there is a benefit for Council funding this work so that a stability compromised area is strengthened so that no future slips occur”.
Regrettably this particular application for assistance has been declined.
The rationale was that access to the property was not compromised. The original resolution was to provide support for “costs associated with consents and licences but not capital works”. There was a further limitation that “[t]he damage and/or risk is materially impacting access to the adjoining residential dwelling, compared to access prior to the storm events”.
This is even though the total estimated repair cost for anticipated qualifying properties was estimated to be $6.4 million. If only consent and licence costs were to be paid out of the fund the amount would have been more than enough.
Currently Auckland Transport is engaged in extensive works in the vicinity of this slip. It plans to build a basic wall at the site but this will not be sufficient to provide proper stability to the property.
I understand that the take-up of the fund is less than anticipated. If so Council should reconsider both what the funds can be used for and what sort of impairment has occurred. In my view a road reserve slip that threatens stability but not access should qualify.
Fairer Funding
Council is currently finalising fairer funding for local boards.
The previous formula meant that facility-rich local boards received considerably more financial support than other local boards.
The new formula calculates funding on the basis of population (80 per cent), deprivation (15 per cent) and land area (5 per cent).
For Waitākere Ranges given our large land area this will result in a reasonable increase to our funding which is welcome.
For some time we have seen our funding frozen or going backward. This has meant that we have had to “sweat” local organisations and hold their funding. In recent inflationary times this has represented an effective cut to organisations who perform really important work.
Fairer funding will allow us to address this. It will also allow us to grapple with the many issues facing our area.
There have been some hiccups in the scheme. Cost pressures relating to electricity, gas and some full facility and environmental contracts have emerged and it was proposed that local boards should deal with these out of our budgets. For some local boards, particularly Henderson Massey and Mangere Otahuhu and Otara Papatoetoe, the effect of one of the options offered would have been disastrous with most of their discretionary funding disappearing. A second option, that increases in fairer funding be smoothed out, was also difficult to justify.
My view and the view of all other local board chairs is that cost increases are legitimately dealt with by way of a rates increase. I am sure people will agree that if the power bill goes up then the appropriate way to deal with it is through a rates increase.
We have jointly written to the Mayor and Councillors to tell them of our view. I am pleased to advise that the Mayor has indicated that Council will work to follow the original intent of the fund.
Reform of Auckland Transport
Council is currently consulting on its latest Annual Plan.
Reform of council controlled organisations including Auckland Transport is a major feature of the proposal.
This is something that I think is overdue. Because if there is one thing that causes more frustration to locals than anything else it is how local roads are handled.
Back in the days of Waitākere City there was direct democratic oversight of local roads. If people wanted parking changes or alterations to road layouts they could talk to their local councillor or community board member. Waitākere Council was receptive to these requests and keen to make sure that roads and footpaths contributed to local wellbeing.
It was initially proposed during the formation of the super city that local councils would continue to have day to day control over local roads. But during the formulation of the super city this was all changed. Control over all roads was handed to Auckland Transport.
And AT has a one size fits all mentality that does not work for everyone. West Auckland is entirely different to other parts of Auckland.
There is also the question of is Auckland Transport being adequately resourced. Funding for footpaths and walking and cycling projects appear to be unduly limited.
I have a great level of respect for individual AT workers who do their best to deliver for the people of Auckland. But as an entity I believe that we can do better and that the proposed reforms are important to implement.
Love Your Place Awards
This is a local board-supported Ecomatters event where we celebrate the great mahi performed by locals to protect and enhance our environment.
I was invited to speak at the recent event.
I took the opportunity to acknowledge three stalwarts of the local environmental movement who had passed away in recent years.
These included June Henderson, who was the main driver behind the new residents pack which contained information of local community groups as well as information concerning weeds and pests.
She was known as the “Ginger Lady” because of her efforts in raising awareness of the curse of Ginger to the local environment and also as the “Possum Lady” for her work on eradicating possums which included distributing possum tracks from her home and educating people on the threats they presented.
I also mentioned my old friend John Edgar who was not only a very talented artist but also a formidable environmental activist. He led the Waitākere Ranges Protection Society for many years.
He was completely principled in his approach to issues, clear in positions that he adopted yet able to explore pragmatic resolutions.
Without him the Waiākere Ranges Heritage Area Act probably would not have passed.
His love for and his dedication to the Waitākere Ranges were complete.
And I also mentioned Robert Woolf who was a stalwart of West Auckland environmental groups and a member of Forest and Bird, Friends of Whatipu and the Pest Free Alliance.
He was always full of ideas and keen to contribute to discussions about environmental issues.
He always had a very happy demeanour and I always enjoyed his company.
It is clear that recently the environment is under extreme pressure. Mother nature is not coping right now. Which is why we should continue to remember June and John and Robert because we need as many June Hendersons and John Edgars and Robert Woolfs as we can get right now.
The event is to celebrate the next batch of June Hendersons and John Edgars and Robert Woolfs who are emerging.
It was a day of celebration and the descriptions of what everyone was doing was deeply satisfying and encouraging.
The winner of the Rata Award, given to an outstanding volunteer group or organisation taking action on a local environmental issue was awarded to Restoration Ruatuna.
They are a dedicated volunteer group restoring native habitats in Laingholm, tackling weed-infested areas, managing native planting, and addressing flood and erosion issues.
They have built a strong network of advocates for local conservation.
Their commitment to protecting Laingholm’s natural environment makes them a model of community-driven sustainability.
And the winner of the Kahikatea Award for an outstanding individual volunteer taking action on a local environmental issue was Megan Fittler.
The description of what she achieves is as follows:
“Megan has been the dedicated secretary of the Waima to Laingholm Pest Free Group for six years, managing administration and public relations while actively supporting conservation efforts. She has successfully organized key community events, including a public meeting at Woodlands Park School. Megan is also involved in multiple environmental initiatives, such as the Little Muddy Creek Estuary Rehabilitation Project, Pest Free Waitākere Ranges Alliance, and Huia Water Treatment Plant Replacement Project. She collaborates with local groups like Restoration Ruatuna and South Titirangi Neighbourhood Network, educating the public on conservation, trapping, and responsible pet ownership. Her dedication and extensive contributions make her a key figure in the Waitākere Ranges community.”
The Denise Yates award, created in memory of our former chair Denise Yates went to 13 year old Eloise Dwyer. She is a dedicated volunteer at Matuku Link and regularly attends Sunday working bees with her family. The description said “[h]er passion led to her becoming the first-ever “Junior Volunteer” for the school holiday programmes. She inspires younger children to explore nature, teaching them about native insects and harakeke weaving. With her leadership and patience, she nurtures curiosity and respect for the environment. Eloise’s commitment is making a meaningful impact on both the local ecosystem and tamariki.”
Recommendations:
- That my report be received.
- That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:a) tono / request staff to consider options relating to the remediation of storm affected properties acquired by Council, the best way to research and determine the best response for different parts of the local board area and also assessing the likely amount of resources required and their source to properly remediate affected areas.
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