Auckland council considers 'Rainbow Community Advisory Panel'

Community development and safety committee chairwoman Cathy Casey. Photo / Jason Oxenham

An Auckland Council committee will consider establishing a 'Rainbow Community Advisory Panel' on Wednesday at an annual unbudgeted cost of $116,880.

Community development and safety committee chairwoman Cathy Casey said the creation of the panel will provide an important voice for the community in the same way other communities are represented.

The panel would provide a voice for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex (GLBTI) community in Auckland.

"I want to ensure we have the widest possible representation on the panel of the GBLTI community," she said.

"We have a responsibility to represent all groups within Auckland and this is an important step in that process."

Council officers have estimated a one-off cost of $35,000 to recruit members to the panel and an annual cost of $116,880 to operate the panel.

The chair of the panel would be paid $3180 to attend six meetings and 12 members $1500 each.

The panel would have a discretionary fund of $20,000, $9000 to hold a community summit, plus mileage and catering costs.

The panel would mean the council hiring an additional democracy adviser at a cost of $65,000.

A 'rainbow door reference group', established in 2010 to discuss issues of interests with council representatives, support an advisory panel to elevate issues of concern for rainbow communities.

The council already has disability, Pacific, ethnic, youth, rural and seniors advisory panels.

Stephen Berry, who stood for the Auckland mayoralty in 2013 under the Affordable Auckland banner and is gay said the core functions of council are to focus on the very basics that are essential to the functioning of the city such as sewerage and rubbish collection which a rainbow view is irrelevant to.

"An advisory group would be nothing more than another special interest group advocating for handouts.

"I'm also opposed to the idea that there is any such thing as an LGBTI voice. Homosexuals are individuals with a wide range of varying opinions and it is offensive to
try to put all gay people into one collective box based on their sexuality," said Mr Berry.