Tag: Fairtrade

Covering Local Board activities from 1 May – 31 May 2012

Portfolio reports

Transport

Monthly transport update

The monthly Transport catch up was held with the Transport portfolio (attended by myself, Members Dempsey and Moyle) and relevant officers from Auckland Transport on 24 May. The issues discussed are reported back monthly by AT on our public agenda.  Specific issues include:

• Community Garden proposal on the roof of the Cross Street car park
• Cycling route from the Airport to downtown as part of the National Cycleway Network (the last stages of the route from Newton Road to Britomart are through the Waitemata Local Board area )
• Parking Survey for Parnell
• Westend Bus terminus and the potential for a bus turn around point at Coxs Bay

Follow up: a parking survey for the Grey Lynn surrey Cres shops in conjunction with the Grey Lynn Business Association briefing from NZTA to update the Board on NZTA/AT projects in the Waitemata area

Bike Parking

Auckland Transport has responded positively and promptly to requests for additional bike parking in Grey Lynn and West Lynn shops at four new locations. The owner of Kokako café is particularly happy that AT has installed parking on the corner of Great North Road and Williamson Ave and wrote: “Just wanted to say thank you for organising the bike racks in front of Kokako – they are awesome and our customers are loving them!”

During May, I joined AT for meetings with the Ponsonby Business Association to discuss a trial bike parking corral on Ponsonby Road and the K’rd Business Association to discuss locations for trial mini “bikerakks” (bike stands attached to existing poles) on K’rd. Auckland Transport is supporting both of these initiatives and has purchased 10 bikerakks minis for use on K’rd.

Member Dempsey and I met on site with our Elected Member Liaison Manager to discuss the lack of bike parking near Britomart station. This was prompted by the removal of bikes (including mine!) that were considered safety hazards by security at the station.

K’rd over bridge On behalf of the K’rd Business Association, I have been following up on the incorrect installation of the panels on the K’rd overbridge. Auckland Transport has advised that the architects preferred the current height in order to shield the unsightly landing/bridge area from the view while the business association did not support this design.

Next Steps: Auckland Transport is arranging a meeting with Barbara Holloway from the KBA to discuss two potential options.

Allocation of transport capital budgets to Local Boards

A Local Board cluster briefing was held during May on a proposed $10m Local Board transport capex fund. At the briefing, we were informed that this fund would be available for Local Board projects NOT in the current transport programme.   I followed up with a query to Stephen Rainbow asking AT to confirm what  Local Board transport projects and priorities (identified in either Local Board plans or agreements)  are included in AT’s work programme. I am yet to receive a response. Local Boards have been asked to respond to a discussion document however I do not consider it possible to provide feedback on how the proposed fund is allocated until AT’s understanding of the current framework and prioritisation process has been clearly articulated.

“Good for Business” workshop

In my February monthly board report I reported back on the Auckland Walking Seminar “stepping into the future” hosted by Auckland Transport with guest speaker Dr Rodney Tolley, author of the Good for Business report. As a follow up to this seminar I have met with Auckland Transport to look at arranging a jointly hosted workshop for business associations interested in understanding the economic benefits of making streets more walking and cycling friendly. Next steps: AT to invite Rodney Tolly to present at a workshop

 Community

Community Engagement

During May, I attended two Board events to seek community feedback. After the Mayor officially opened the Campbell Free Kindergarten on 5 May, an open day was held to hear ideas about possible uses for the building. We are yet to receive an official report on the submissions but there was good turn out and lots of positive suggestions about community uses. Weona Reserve Walkway open evening was held at Seddon Fields football club on 17 May. Many of the affected residents took the opportunity to discuss the plans with Board members and officers.  A report on the feedback will be on the agenda for the Board’s meeting on 19 June.

Community Assistance Framework

The community portfolio worked with officers to finalised high-level feedback on the draft Community Assistance Framework (comprising on the draft Community Funding Policy, draft Community Occupancy Policy and draft Facility partnership Policy).  This feedback is attached to the agenda. Specific concerns about the changes to the Accommodation Support Fund, Arts Alive Funding and Events funding as part of the Funding Policy were made by way of resolution at the Board’s May meeting (refer item 40 of the minutes).

Western Springs College presentation of Enviroschools Silver sign

I was honoured to have the opportunity to present Western Springs College with their Enviroschools Silver sign at a student-led junior assembly on 15 May. (A copy of my speech is attached as Attachment A) After the presentation, the Waste Wise students led a tour of the waste minimisation projects around the school such as the separated waste bins and a composter.

Smoke free launch

I assisted Member Tricia Reade with planning for the launch of smokefree playgrounds with an event on World Smokefree Day at Victoria Park Skate Park. We met with the Principal and Deputy Principal of Ponsonby Intermediate to discuss the launch and how it could best involve students from the School. We also met with officers and the Cancer Society to plan the event. The official unveiling of the Board’s new Smokefree signage took place on 31 May with a display by Ponsonby Intermediate’s cheer leading squad and  skateboard and scooter competitions.

Accessible Business Cards

In our Local Board Plan, we have made a commitment to become an accessible board and area. When the opportunity came to have new business cards printed, on the advice of Auckland Council’s disability advisor, I requested a font size of 14 for details on the card. It took 2 months but with the assistance of Emma Monk, communications advisor, I am very proud to now have, what I believe to be, Auckland Council’s first large font size business cards (see Attachment B). I recommend the design as simple and effective and that it should become the default for all business cards within the organisation.

Other issues relevant to the Community portfolio A range of meetings were attended during May relevant to the Community portfolio – these are listed below.

Other board activities

Fairtrade Auckland

On 4 May, Mayor Len Brown launched Auckland’s status as a Fair Trade City joining a network of 1000 towns and cities around the world. The Waitemata Local Board kicked off the process through Auckland Council to meet one of the key requirements of being certified a Fair Trade City. It took exactly a year from our own resolution to be the first Fair Trade Local Board in May 2011 for the decision to go to through the Council’s Economic Forum, the Tenders and Procurement sub-committee and finally to the Regional and Operations Development Committee in March when the Mayor and Council voted unanimously in support. The Mayor received Auckland’s Fair Trade certificate from Michael Toliman, the coffee farmer from Papua New Guinea in New Zealand for fairtrade fortnight. The Board held its Fair Trade coffee break at the Board office on 17 May raising $100 for Oxfam. Chris Morrison and Julia Collins from All Good Bananas were our special guests who generously provide a box of Fairtrade Bananas.

Grey Lynn Business Association I attended the GLBA business meeting on 1 May. I am following up a number of issues for the GLBA board including parking issues and streetscape improvements at the Surrey Cres shops.

Waste Management & Minimisation Plan

I am taking a close interest in the development of the Council’s waste plan. I attended the deliberations meeting of the Hearings Panel on the draft plan on 29 May. The recommendations to be made to the governing body on 8 June are consistent with the Board’s support for waste to be considered a valuable resource with appropriate incentives to encourage recycling and waste minimisation. The panel gave particularly strong support for the development of a resource recovery network to replace the inorganic collection and noted the initiative of the Waitemata,  Albert – Eden and Puketapapa Local Boards to develop a pilot resource recovery centre.

Local Board Agreement

Following consultation and deliberations on the Waitemata Local Board Agreement the final amendments were agreed at our May public meeting. I took a particular interest in the Advocacy to Auckland Transport section of the Agreement and recommended amendments that ensure all the proposed projects for 2012/13 are consistent with Auckland Transport’s work programme and the Local Board priorities. I supported the Chair in preparing for our “Discussion” with the governing body and spoke to the transport issues at the meeting. Although Section  21(1) of the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2010 requires that for each financial year, the Auckland Council must have a local board agreement (as agreed between the governing body and the local board) for each local board area,  it is disappointing that at no point in the process has a “negotiation” occurred between the local board and the governing body.

LGNZ  Joint Zone One and Zone Two meeting

I attended the LGNZ meeting on 11 May travelling to Manukau on the new train service. At the meeting, Mike Cohen reported back on behalf of Local Boards. He highlighted his views oon the restructuring issues and gave the example of the parks budget, which does not provide the Boards with any incentive to find efficiencies and cost savings. However if Boards seek improvements this has to be found from the Board’s budget. I was also interested in the update from TRAFINZ (the New Zealand Local Authority Traffic Institute) that represents local authority views on road safety and traffic management in New Zealand. Like the Board, TRAFINZ supports speed violations being delegated from the Police to Local Authorities.

The Love NZ public place recycling manager gave an update on the Love NZ nationwide recycling initiative, which is co-funded by Central government and industry through the Glass Packaging Forum. In the first 6 months including through the RWC, the Love NZ Board claim to have diverted over 1000 tonnes of packaging from landfill through the Love NZ recycling bins. It was confirmed at the meeting that Glass Packaging Forum does not support container deposit legislation which is considered to be the most effective means of reducing packaging waste.

Local Board workshops and meetings

Attended:

•  All 3 Local Board workshops held during the month on 1, 15 and 22 May
• Parnell Festival of the Roses meeting to hear the results of the event assessment survey
• Art in the Square – meeting to discuss ideas for the activation of Newmarket Station Square Herne Bay Residents Association meeting – regarding the Wellington Street on ramp on 4 May
•  Myers Park Development Plan meeting 4 May (part only)
• Meeting with Puketapapa and Albert Eden Local Boards to discuss the development a pilot resource recovery centre on 7 May
• Meeting with a member of the public concerned with the level of spitting in the city centre that creates a hazard for those using walking sticks Meeting to discuss the Local Board transport advocacy for inclusion in the Local Board Agreement
• Draft LTP – Budget & Advocacy Finalisation in preparation for the Local Board public business meeting
•  Meeting at Ponsonby Intermediate to discuss plans for the launch of the Board’s smokefree park signage on World smokefree day Local Board business meeting in Parnell on 8 May
• Public Art Workplans for 2012/13 on 9 May
• Visit to Auckland University of Technology to be briefed on the contribution made by AUT on 9 May
• Hīkoi with Waitemata Local Board members and Malcolm Patterson on 10 May to discuss the Māori heritage of the foreshore and how this can be respected and celebrated through developments such as an extended coastal walkway or arts trail Meeting with officers to discuss the planning for the smokefree launch
• Meeting with AT Community Transport  and Barbara Holloway to discuss the trial of mini bike stands on K’rd Meeting with Heart of the City to discuss the “Parklet” proposal
• LGNZ  Joint Zone One and Zone Two meeting on 11 May in Manukau
• Communications meeting with the new Local Board Communications Advisor, Chris Baldock on 15 May  C
• ommunity Development and Partnerships monthly meeting with Shane Ta’ala
• Parks Maintenance contracts Local Boards cluster meeting on 16 May – a follow-up workshop to the one held on 6 December 2011 to discuss new parks maintenance contracts across Auckland and levels of service.
• Waitemata Local Board’s “discussion” with the Governing Body on 16 May
• Meeting with Judith Webster; Programme Manager City Transformation Projects and Michelle Prattley; Project Leader, City Transformation Projects to discuss the city centre noise project involving a range of mechanism to reduce and manage noise
• Weona Walkway open day at Seddon Fields on 17 May
• Meeting with Ponsonby Business Association to discuss a trial “bike parking corral” on Ponsonby Road
• Catch up with Ashley Church, Newmarket Business Association General Manager (as alternate on the Board) on 18 May
• Monthly transport portfolio catch ups with Auckland Transport on 24 May
• Deliberations meeting on the draft Auckland Waste Management and Minimisation Plan on 29 May
• Allocation of transport capital budgets to Local Boards cluster meeting at the Town Hall on 21 May
• Waitemata Local Board – Parnell Festival of Roses presentation to the Parnell Community on 22 May
•  Strategy and Finance Committee meeting attended from 1pm – until 7pm on 23 May (where the LTP budget was approved)
• Meeting with Chorus to discuss UFB rollout in Waitemata Local Board area on 24 May
• Good for business workshop planning meeting with AT on 28 May
• Victoria Park Management Plan meeting on 30 May
• Ann McAfee – International Advisor to the Unitary Plan presentation to Local Board members and Councillors on 30 May
• Britomart site visit with Christopher Dempsey and Lorna Stewart to evaluate bike parking
• Meeting with Jo Wiggins, David Parker and Brian Palmer of the Auckland Sport and Recreation Reference Group (ASRRG) on 31 May

Events and functions

I attended the following events and functions during May:

• AECOM’s Global Cities Institutes book for Auckland Official Launch on 2 May at the District Dining Room- The book, Auckland, Connected, examines how the city can address the challenges and opportunities facing its urban development in four areas: economic growth, transportation, urban form and liveability.
• Hospice Cuppa launch on 3 May with guest speaker Alan Whetton
• Fair Trade Fortnight breakfast launch event at the Britomart Country Club on 4 May (at the invitation of the Fairtrade NZ)
• Fairtrade presentation to the Mayor on 4 May at the Central Library
• Official opening of Campbell Free Kindergarten on 5 May
• A Midsummer night’s dream on 5 May (at the invitation of ATC)
• Sustainable Business Network AGM on 9 May
• Cycle Action Associates Breakfast at the Box café on 10 May
• GLBA networking drinks on 10 May
•  Community Tree planting at Harry Dansey Reserve, Freemans Bay on Saturday 12 May
• Easy Green Living Show (including the Auckland Council’s retro fit your home and composting displays) and Green Drinks at Alexandra Park
• SAVE TVNZ7 Public Meeting , Freemans Bay Community Hall
• Waitemata Local Board Fairtrade Coffee break raising $100 for Oxfam
• Carrot mob at Cosset Café on Sunday 19 May
• Auckland Conversation: How Effective Transport Planning and Efficient Public Transport have Transformed London, Councillor Daniel Moylan – Deputy Chairman Transport for London, Chairman of Urban Design
• Launch of the Auckland Plan on 29 May at the Auckland Museum
• Launch of smoke free signage at Waitemata Parks event on 31 May
• Cycle Action Auckland, NZTA and Auckland Transport presentation –  North-western Cycleway connection to Beach Road