In the interests of transparency and accountability, we're going to start putting our reports to the Board up on this website. As time allows I'll go back and put the past ones up too. These reports are required for each ordinary business meeting (monthly) and should detail what we've been working on since our last report. If there's anything in a report that you are interested in finding out more about please contact us.
I'll be speaking briefly to this report at the next business meeting - October 27th, 6pm at the Wesley Community Centre, all welcome. Board member's reports are usually last on the agenda, so often we don't get to them until after 9pm.
Portfolio: Community Development
Significant points from monthly Board workshops and briefings
Participated in Board workshops (20th Sept [Activity workshop], 21st Sept, 28th Sept, 12th Oct)
Board business meeting (29th September)
Portfolio activities for the month –15th September to 13th October
Portfolio areas:
Community development:
Roskill Community Network – met with network’s coordinator (Zena Wrigley) to discuss development of network and other community development matters (5th Oct), particularly in relation to the role of different groups that are developing (Residents’ Association, Business Association, DIA intiative). Apologies given for the monthly meeting, due to another council commitment. Work with CDAP staff to ensure funding support for food for the Network until the end of 2011 (as per my recommendation at the August business meeting, clause B of PKTPP/2011/21). Next steps: Meet regularly with Zena to share information and ideas about local community development, and support each other in our different roles.
Ministry of Social Development (MSD) Auckland Central Community Response Forum (ACCRF) – Contact with MSD to clarify where project is at. They confirmed funding mechanism has changed and we are hoping to arrange a meeting between relevant people in near future to discuss further. Initial draft response to ACCRF draft report on recommendations for the Roskill/Wesley area completed. Sent to CDAP for further work before bringing back to the Board for endorsement. Further contact with MSD to schedule meeting between MSD, Toni Millar, Nandita Mathur, Board member Turnbull and myself. Next steps: Follow-up MSD regarding setting meeting. Circulate refined draft response to Board once it has come back from CDAP and seek feedback on further amendments before finalizing and submitting to MSD.
Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) community-led development project - Attended meeting of the interim leadership group (27th Sep). Main points of discussion: possible structure of the group. Subsequent discussions about the project with community members and community development workers in the area, some indicating concern that they are unsure as to the direction or intention of the project. Raised these with the key contact at the DIA. It appears at this stage that DIA are intending for local government to be at arm’s length from the project, although we will see how that develops. Next steps: Continue to keep the Board informed of developments. Attend next meeting of interim leadership group in October, and a training workshop for that group in early November.
Community Development & Partnerships (CDAP) – monthly catch-ups with Nandita Mathur, Board Member Turnbull and Kerri Foote are now scheduled. Contact through-out this month with Nandita and staff over the food for the Roskill Community Network, the DIA project, the ACCRF report, RPRA support, community grants (at both Isthmus and Local Board level),
Community Events – Prepared brief on Fickling Centre re-opening event and sent to Board members Kumar, Barter and Events contact Chantelle Whaiapu for further discussion and action. October events meeting was cancelled. Next steps (for me): follow up Fickling Centre re-opening event brief.
Auckland Community Development Alliance (ACDA) – contacted to RSVP for workshop they are holding on future direction of the ACDA in October. Preparation for workshop. Next steps: Attend workshop on 14th October.
Albert-Eden-Roskill ward community development issues – organized meeting with Margi Watson, community development portfolio holder for Albert-Eden Local Board. Next steps: Attend meeting on 25th October.
Community engagement:
Pah Rd Warehouse - Community engagement work with local community members, including:
- Community letter to The Warehouse outlining concerns and seeking dialogue around mitigation finalized and sent (7th Oct), with 12 community members as signatories, including two local MPs, myself and Board member Wood.
- Media release sent out with community letter (8th Oct)
- Media interview with NewstalkZB about the community letter (8th Oct).
- Approached various groups to endorse the community letter, awaiting responses.
- Received acknowledgement of receipt email response from The Warehouse.
- Email contact with Ludo Campbell-Reid regarding this development.
Next steps: Follow-up group endorsements. Await substantive response by The Warehouse.
Pah Rd four-laning – Discussion with Ben Stallworthy (Auckland Transport) about report back from AT regarding this process (27th Sept). Received report at September business meeting (27th Sept). Forwarded link to the report to the community members who had raised concerns. Next steps: Await confirmation of timeline from AT, then ensure that information also goes to community members.
Draft Business Improvement District (BID) policy – attended workshop (28th Sept) with Board Member Muys to give feedback on this, and participated in Board discussion at workshop on 12th October. Key issues: proposed size of BIDs prohibitive in areas like Puketapapa, needs to be support given to getting to a point where a BID is a possibility; engagement with migrant business owners will be vital.
Auckland Plan – Reading and preparation work on Auckland Plan and Economic Development Strategy. Attended workshop (5th Oct) to identify key themes for Board’s presentation to Governing Body, and specific community engagement work to undertake beforehand to support presentation. Two specific exercises agreed to: seek feedback from Waikowhai Reserve volunteers around the Manukau Foreshore/Harbour, seek input from business owners in the Stoddard Rd/May Rd/Carr Rd areas in support of prioritizing spatial planning for that area. Gave feedback on the draft survey, adopted an area of Carr Rd (southern end by Hayr Rd) to canvass. Next steps: carry out business survey and report back.
Community facilities & leases:
Community facilities stocktake - I have now received a spreadsheet from Property with some of the information requested, and contacted them regarding outstanding information, in particular the timeframe of condition surveys. Next steps: Contact Property with queries arising from the spreadsheet, in particular around timeframes for condition surveys and future planning.
Bremner Ave property – Contacted Property to raise community garden idea and follow-up on other possibilities but have not yet heard back. Next step: Follow-up community garden idea with Property.
Fickling Centre upgrade - Put up public voting display at library and maintained it, many thanks to the wonderful library staff for accommodating and supporting this. As the original media release was not sent, I re-drafted an updated one, approved by Richard, sent to Comms for tweaking and distribution. Contacted Property to request walk-through for Board members before work completed. Planning for re-opening event. Next steps: Continue rotating signs and supplying star stickers for voting, close voting on 26th Oct, collate results. Contact Property regarding timeframe for re-opening and a site tour for Board members. Confirm re-opening event details.
RYZ – dropped in to visit (12th Oct) and see how the new facility is working out. Key issues: kitchen non-compliant for selling food; very noisy in office due to lack of ceiling; improving the track could be worthwhile as it is highly used; youth employment programme was turned down by ACCRF; happy to support community group events through provision of low-cost PA system for events at RYZ; supportive of idea of a regular meeting with Property, Wesley Community Centre, relevant Board members and others, similar to the Keith Hay Users’ Group model. Next steps: contact Property regarding issues raised, work on users’ group type model for Wesley facilities.
Community funding & grants
Isthmus Local Board Joint Funding Committee – preparation for and attendance at workshop (19th Sept). Key points of discussion: criteria used by CDAP to rank applications, significantly oversubscribed, querying applications where would have made cut except for low score on budget or financial need, also querying applications by groups who fall within old ACC boundaries but outside Isthmus Local Boards’ boundaries. Significant reading and preparation for decision-making meeting. Attended decision-making meeting (13th Oct) key issues for noting: Very low number of successful applicants from Puketapapa area for both Accommodation Support Fund (ASF) and Community Grant Assistance Fund (CGAF). This reflected both a low number of applications from our area in general, as well as many not meeting the requirements for funding. The current system (which is interim and based on legacy arrangements) in some ways entrenches advantage, and, in the case of our community, disadvantage. I recommend that we look at building capacity in our community around such grant applications (see recommendations). Also there was a massive over-subscription to both funds (and the Cultural Heritage Fund we also made decisions on).
Community grants from Puketapapa Local Board – preparation, workshopping and decision-making on the September round with other Board members.
Community Assistance Framework development – attended isthmus workshop (13th Oct). Key issues: The workshop looked at a number of discussion documents for developing policies in the areas of community grants, community leases and facilities partnerships. An options paper will be coming to Local Board early next year. Currently the direction of the discussion documents tends to empower Local Boards as much as possible, e.g. a facilities partnership to have the support of the relevant Local Board, and any sub-regional applications could go to a sub-regional committee to determine which Local Board should consider that application.
Community gardening
Community gardening network – contact with Gardens4Health and council staff regarding getting this established. Concept is to encourage quarterly (seasonal) meetings of existing community gardening groups (3) and advertise publicly for new people to come along who may be interested in joining or starting a group. Hope to schedule first meeting for November. Contact made with two of the groups, and Gardens4health and council staff, regarding possible dates, meeting set for 3pm November 9th. Next steps: Prepare draft plan for discussion at November meeting.
Possible new groups - Roskill South Kindergarten are interested in establishing something at Bob Bodt Reserve, possibility at Bremner Ave property (see above).
Roskill South Oasis community garden – contact with the coordinator to support this group. Next steps: possible meeting in late October to bring the group together to discuss future.
Community groups:
National Council of Women - Attended branch meeting of the Auckland Branch of the National Council of Women (10th Oct), presentation from Ludo Campbell-Reid on the draft city centre plan. Key points: the need for high quality urban design, concentrated on building a city for people not cars; slowing traffic on a road results in more interactions between the people in the properties on that street; Auckland is the 3rd largest city in the world, in terms of size, cannot afford a city that scale with our rating base.
Roskill Puketapapa Residents’ Association (RPRA) – supporting this group to re-activate/grow. Assisted with organizing and promoting meeting on 2nd Oct which Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse spoke at. The convenor (Garth Houltham) put considerable effort into contacting people who might be interested, and seven people came along (plus apologies) and were largely keen to get the group going. Two people volunteered to assist Garth with a committee. Key points of discussion at the meeting: Penny Hulse’s interesting talk on how the Super City is working (and not yet working) which developed into discussion on issues such as: the role of Local Boards, stormwater, how to have a voice, Rugby World Cup 2011 events organization, accountability of elected members. Met with the RPRA President (30th Sept). Next steps: Assist RPRA with promotion and planning for November meeting (candidate’s forum for the Mt Roskill electorate, 6th Nov). Confirm CDAP support for RPRA’s December planning meeting. I anticipate this group may be at a point where I can step back from supporting them in early 2012.
Sanitarium Liaison Group – Sought information from council staff regarding decibel levels. Next steps: Review decibel level information and seek any further clarification needed, attend the next meeting (November).
Waikowhai Scouts – dropped in to return the net borrowed for the Molley Green Reserve opening (23rd Sept), discussion with leader about the improvements to the drainage and maintenance of Bob Bodt Reserve. Positive feedback of the work to date, although they would appreciate more information about what is being done.
Education:
Travelwise Kindergarten pilot - Identified right person to talk to at both Auckland Transport and the Auckland Kindergarten Association(AKA), initiated contact. Next steps: Follow-up contact with property manager at AKA about the possibility of a kindergarten pilot in our area. Possibly organize meeting between Travelwise people, AKA, and Board Chair.
Employment:
Continuing research on job creation, including Rod Oram’s book “Reinventing Paradise”, and Paul Callister’s 1989 publication “What Creates Jobs?”
Any other issues
Molley Green Reserve improvements – Continuing email exchanges with Katrina Morgan about this work. Further funding secured.
Recommendation/s
a) That the report be received.
b) That the Puketapapa Local Board work with CDAP officers to develop a plan to build capacity in local community groups in the area of grant applications.
