Local Board Survey: Manurewa

The New Zealand Herald has surveyed the 21 local boards to see how they are getting on after six months of the Super City.

The Herald asked the chairs of the local boards six questions and to score the first four questions out of 10. Not all boards gave a score.

Here are the responses from Daniel Newman the chairman of the Manurewa board.

1. After six months, how well is the local board model working for your community?

Score: None provided

Manurewa has gotten off to quite a good start, with a clear sense of unity, a shared vision, and common views in terms of our annual and three-year priorities. The Board has been proactive in terms of a number of key initiatives, including:

* strong advocacy in response to the proposed variation to allow for the construction of a 1,500 bed men's prison at Wiri (2 days after its inception, the Board went over the head of the Council and straight to Hon Nick Smith to oppose the EPA fast-track).

* negotiation with Parks secure a concept plan for the redevelopment of the Riverton Reserve in Randwick Park.

* the Manurewa Sports Centre has been opened, with the Manurewa Rugby Football Club and Netball Manurewa to follow shortly.

* the roll-out of an annual events calendar, which will be supported by both the Board as well as the newly established Manurewa Community Events Charitable Trust.

* approval of the first private CCTV scheme, which will operate in Wattle Downs.

* extensive community engagement throughout Manurewa on the Board's priorities.

* work has commenced to establish the Manurewa-Papakura Youth Council, and a Manurewa-Papakura (and now Franklin) Social Policy interface.

The Manurewa Local Board has also been very bullish on resourcing issues, and is 'punching above its weight' on matters such as the Auckland Plan, the draft annual plan 2011/12, citizenship, and regional funding issues.

2. How are things going between your local board and the Auckland Council governing body)?

Score: None provided

Auckland Council has been slow to embrace the idea of co-governance. In many respects a lot of the third and fourth tier managers as well as officers in the engine room on the Council see Boards as a bit of a 'box-ticking' exercise. This is problematic because the Boards carry the weight of public opinion in individual communities, not Council staff.

Earlier this year I was advised by the Mayor's office that he would not be attending a Manurewa Local Board meeting in 2011. Manurewa is the third largest Board in the region, and it represents some of the most socially deprived neighbourhoods. As a result I directed officers to schedule Manurewa's draft annual plan hearings day at the Randwick Park Community House to force engagement between the elected leadership of the Council, and the community. The tactic appears to have worked.

We are lucky to have wily George Hawkins on the Board. As a former Minister of the Crown and a past Mayor of Papakura, George has been a wonderful source of advice the conduct of people in local government.

3. How are things going between your local board and the CCOs?

Score: None provided

The two CCOs that relate closely to the Boards at Auckland Transport and Watercare. Auckland Transport's deployment of staff to interface with the Board has been very good. Watercare's success in reducing the retail cost of water is good news. Watercare has been the amalgamation success story so far.

4. Do you think local boards are living up to the promise of empowering communities?

Score: None provided

I can only comment in terms in Manurewa, and I would say that is an absolutely genuine commitment to empower Manurewa residents and businesspeople. I think we are doing our level best under the circumstances, and I am confidence that my constituents will give us the benefit of the doubt given our record of advocacy and leadership.

5. What improvements would you like to see made to the local board model? (No score required)

Boards need to be properly empowered with appropriate access to staff and resources. I suspect that the success of Board will be in spite of Auckland Council, not because of it. The Mayor needs to devolve resources and functions down to Board as much as possible.

6. Please feel free to comment on any other issues about the local board model.

It is laughable that Auckland Council appears to desire a role in dealing with matters that are local in focus and delivery. The Council should be devolving down to the Boards as much as possible so as to allow the Mayor and councillors the ability to find the $45-$50b necessary to fund the regional land transport strategy.