Every three years the Waitematā Local Board, in consultation with the people in our community, aims to deliver a new strategic three-year Local Board Plan that places people at its heart.
This plan sets out the direction for the local area, reflecting community aspirations and priorities. Our Local Board Plan 2023 key portfolio priorities are our people, our environment, our community, our places and our economy.
People are the heart of Waitematā. They thrive in an environment where their various skills and needs are supported, where they can connect with others and have equitable access to social, economic, environmental and cultural opportunities. People deserve to live in an environment that celebrates their diverse culture and heritage.
Taking these key themes into consideration enables us to prioritise budgets to focus on the initiatives within the plan. This allows us to make best use of local assets, such as community centres, libraries and parks. It also gives council staff a clear road map to help them deliver projects and services in line with what our community wants.
When there are key projects in our local board area that are beyond our funding or authority to make decisions on, another key role we have is to advocate to other decision makers to ensure they are aware of the community's views and of our support.
Local board plans are also an essential way to deliver Māori outcomes at a local level. The board has actively sought Mana Whenua input into projects such as naming and design for parks and public spaces.
Whakawhanaungatanga is at the heart of our planning. Having open communication channels and good relationships are key to the success of our beautiful Te Waitematā and delivering better outcomes for our people and environment.
We are piloting a deliberative democracy model focusing on rangatahi to improve education and awareness of the governance process and to facilitate youth-voice in programming and delivery for youth.
Meeting climate goals in this plan also mean taking ambitious action to reduce emissions and to adapt to any changes in climate patterns that may impact our area. Integrating climate awareness into all decisions will help us to better mitigate future risk. Within the local board area, the waterfront is identified as a hotspot, both vulnerable to changes in climate conditions and with limited capacity to adapt.
We will be sharing our draft plan with you in mid July to get your feedback. The path ahead presents significant challenges and opportunities. Your thoughts, ideas and feedback are invaluable to us as we shape the future of our community. I encourage each and every one of you to share your voice and contribute to our shared vision of Waitematā being the best place to live, work, learn and play.
Come and talk to us on Tuesday 1 August, 4:30pm – 7pm at the Ellen Melville Centre about the draft plan or visit www.akhaveyoursay.nz/localboardplans from 14 July.
Genevieve Sage, Waitematā Local Board Chair
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Published 3 July 2023