Waitakere Ranges Regional Park redux
By Greg Presland
Thanks everyone for your comments concerning the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. The Board has reconsidered the issue and at its last regular meeting passed the following resolution:
That the Waitakere Ranges Local Board:
1. Confirms that the Board’s view is that the Waitakere Ranges parkland should remain part of the Regional Parks network
2. Invites discussion with the Governing Body to ensure that the Local Board and community have meaningful input into the governance, operational and funding decisions relating to the park
3. Supports the current environmental baseline established by the Auckland Regional Parks Management Plan
4. Works to ensure that information concerning the park be made regularly available to local residents.
I hope and trust that this will meet everyone’s expectations.
Can I emphasise that the original resolution was in response to a clear statutory test and that the Board was somewhat “straight jacketed” in the way that it could respond. The decision that we had to make effectively was that either we have no say in the parkland or complete say. A hybrid model was technically not an option.
I think the feedback has been very helpful and trust that the new resolution is more acceptable to everyone. I also wish to personally thank Sandra Coney for her input into the issue.
A related issue that has arisen is how the Board relates to local residents and local groups. Some are concerned at what they feel is a lack of consultation. My response is that the information is readily available. There is far too much information, it is difficult to find and digest and the timeline between release and consideration is only a matter of days but it is there.
Feedback would be welcome. The Board now has a Facebook page, and I attempt to blog on matters of interest from time to time. There is an email loop for the local community groups. But any suggestions on how to to speed up and simplify the dissemination of information and also ease the ability for locals to have input would be welcome.
Thanks Greg and Denise, I knew you wanted only the best for the Reg Parks. The super city legislation is far from super! Will give some thought over the break to ways of improving the feedback from community. Trixie Harvey
At last we got there. It was pretty frustrating from where I sit repeatedly asking the Board to clarify the original resolution which I always believed was not worded correctly – I just coudn’t get agreement to do this straight away – so much agro could have been prevented. My apologies to everyone for being less than fully alert when the original resolution was passed. I was concentrating at the time on my own portfolio area and have learned a salutory lesson that as Local Board members we are all responsible for all of our issues. I intend to recommend in the new year that we do not have portfolios. We are all learning how to organise our work in this experimental local government structure.
Judy Lawley,
Waitakere Ranges Local Board Member
Great stuff but….I can’t find the new resolution anywhere in the minutes of the meetings that are on Auckland Council website…..
Hi Monique
The resolution is recorded under the Chairperson’s report at 29. The minutes are at http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/aboutcouncil/localboards/waitakererangeslocalboard/meetings/waitakererangeslbmin20111214.pdf
It is sad to see so few people at the Waitakere Ranges Local Board Meetings. The perfect place to stay up to date