Submissions, empowered communities and goodbye to rats the order of the day

Council’s submissions to two government legislative processes, an update on Auckland Council’s biggest pest control project yet and an update on empowered communities were discussed at yesterday’s Regional Strategy and Policy Committee. The committee also considered the draft policy for Business Improvement Districts. 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 1-8 are administrative items, excluding public and local board input which is summarised below. Items 14-16 were approved without debate and there were no extraordinary items.

Item 5: Public Input

Paul Beverley, Independent Chair of the Sea Change Tai Timu Tai Pari Stakeholder Working Group, gave an update on process that the working group is following.

Item 6: Local Board Input

Local board member Malcolm Bell (Franklin Local Board) spoke to the Hunua Project item.

Item 9: Approval of New Marine Protected Areas Act Council Submission

The committee approved the council’s submission to the Government on its consultation document, ‘A New Marine Protected Areas Act’.

The submission supports refining the purpose of the legislative framework to enhance, protect and restore marine biodiversity however points out the council’s concerns about the new legislation creating jurisdictional overlaps, complexity and increased coordination costs.

Item 10: Update on the implementation of the Empowered Communities Approach

This is an update on the council’s new model for delivering services by shifting away from direct service delivery to supporting community-led initiatives. It became operational on 1 October 2015.

Committee Chair Cr George Wood commended officers on work done to date to get the Empowered Communities approach up and running and noted some areas for future focus.

“This approach required a complete transformation of how we carry out council business. Both officers and community groups have embraced this change and, whilst Empowered Communities is still in its infancy, have made excellent progress.

“In order to build on this success, the council must prioritise its own internal collaboration,” he says.

Item 11: Project Hunua Post Operation Report

The post operational report on the 2015 1080-based pest control programme was presented to the committee, supported by local board input from Franklin Local Board member Malcolm Bell. The presentation recapped the reason for the project, how it was carried out and results from a comprehensive monitoring programme.

Cr Wood acknowledged the work of the entire project team, mana whenua and the agencies council collaborated with. A separate media release will be issued on this report.

Item 12: Submission on the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill

The committee retrospectively endorsed the council’s submission to the Government’s amendment to Shop Trading Hours legislation. The council opposes the amendment bill, noting that current legislation is working, and that the amendment will create expectations for a council bylaw. Introducing a bylaw would mean costs to establish a bylaw, exposure to legal challenge and risks, confusion for the community and compliance costs.

Item 13: Forward Work Programme 2016 – Economic Development Committee

The committee approved the Economic Development Committee forward work programme for 2016.

Ends

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