SHALE CHAMBERS: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD REPORT AUCKLAND IS INDEED A GREAT PLACE to live in summer. Summer holidays are over for most of us, and our children back in school. However, the outdoors and all it has to offer Auckland continues to beckon. Waitemata Local Board is working on our next three year local board plan. In the new Super City established in 2010 local boards were allocated responsibility for decision making on local matters, specifically for local parks, events, arts and recreational services and facilities, community facilities, libraries, and environmental management. In addition local boards have local place making and shaping responsibilities, and local leadership, which necessitate active involvement in wider transport and heritage, urban design and planning issues affecting the local level. We realised early on that the vision and plans for our communities at the local level needed to be incorporated into our Local Board Plan; the three year plus plan for our communities developed very early in that first term. If you wished to see your vision and plans for your community in the Auckland Council Long Term Plan and then Annual Plans, then we as a local board needed to share our vision and incorporate your ideas into our three year Local Board Plan. It wouldn’t make the cut in any Auckland Council overall plan or budget otherwise. We developed our vision and priorities for our city and our local board area. • A distinctive, high quality built environment that embraces its heritage. • Connected, healthy transport options • Strong vibrant, engaged communities • Places for people • An innovative economic hub
12 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2014
• Respecting and enhancing natural environments These priorities stood the test of time and the board's last term of council worked hard to turn the priorities into actions on the ground; helping to realise Auckland’s goal as the world’s most liveable city. The new plan for the 2014-17 period will be based on a number of similar priorities areas developed in consultation with you based on delivering tangible improvements for our community. We will want to know what is important to you. We will be hosting a number of public meetings on the plan, with your local one at 1.30pm, Saturday 1 March at Grey Lynn Community Centre. This term of council, the Waitemata area is blessed with a number of new residents groups, who we as local representatives relish the opportunity of working alongside to help shape our community’s future. In fact, every suburb within the Waitemata Local Board area now has a local group; quite an acknowledgement of an active, engaged community. We are really lucky that locals give their time and energy into advocating for a better community and city, and following this up with actions! Freemans Bay Residents’ Association is the latest residents group to form, and we welcome them to a rich group. Each organisation has a different original reason for forming, but all are led by motivated local good citizens, who wish to see their local community a better place to live. The groups range from the long-established St Mary’s Bay Association; my local group, Parnell Community Committee, the city centre’s CBD Residents’ Advisory Group, Herne Bay Residents Association and the Grafton Residents Association; all with long track records of strong advocacy for their communities and much respect. Several other residents’
groups have formed since the Super City and this local board was established, and are fast developing a strong track record for their work; Arch Hill Residents’ Association, Grey Lynn Residents’ Association, Western Bays Community Group, Westmere Heritage Protection Association, Newton Residents and Business, and Newmarket Community Association. The Local Board Plan offers an additional opportunity to these groups to help identify and prioritise projects important to each community. If you wish for assistance in making contact with your local residents group, contact the local board office, and our ever helpful staff will put you in contact with the right person. Auckland Pride Festival is returning 6-23 February, with Ponsonby Road once again set to host a parade at the later time of 7pm on Saturday 22 February. Last year was fantastic, and we can expect no less colour, sequins, dance, drag queens, toned bodies, and a celebration of diversity and life. Music in Parks is back this summer, bringing Aucklanders free music and good times for the 21st year in a row right through to 23 March. Showcasing some of New Zealand’s finest home-grown talent through a rich mix of rock, pop, jazz, blues, opera and more, there’s something for all music lovers. The Auckland favourite, the Lantern Festival is again at Albert Park and Queens Wharf 13-16 February with marvellous Chinese eating offerings and performances. Enjoy summer. PN (SHALE CHAMBERS) F Contact me: shale.chambers@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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