Waitakere Ranges Local Board most recent accounts reported that the bulk of our Local Community Services expenditure went to a Picton Street Environmental Project. The problem is Picton Street is not in Waitakere Ranges Local Board, it’s in Freemans Bay.
The Board unanimaously approved the accounts with Waitakere Residents charged $13,000 for a Freemans Bay project. ** Link Here. The issue was bought to the attention of Council by the public who have called it a “coding error”.
So putting that issue aside, what else has the Waitakere Board been working on this Quarter?
The Waitakere Ranges Local Board’s names its 2015 1st quarter Highlights as:
- approving dog bylaws,
- signing a funding agreement with Ecomatters and Community Waitakere (Members Declaring Interests with these trusts are Neil Henderson, Denise Yates and Steve Tollestrup)
- supporting the Going West Writers Festival.
By comparison, the highlights for a similar middle class area on the North Shore-
Kaipatiki Local Board names its 2015 1st quarter Highlights as:
- Birkenhead Transformation: Rawene Car Park Upgrade Stage 1,
- Highbury Corner Street Upgrade Stage 2,
- A lookout sky deck and Cafe over the bush.
- A new Beachaven Village community space with picnic table, playground, paving, etc.
- And opening of an artist led redesign of Zion Reserve .
- There was also a new walkway through Le Roys Bush.
And here is a picture of how their community halls are treated. This was the restoration of the Glenfield Mission hall (also in Kaipatiki) September 2015.
So lot of things to think about here. How much of our funding is going outside our area? And have we got our priorities right? I would certainly love to see our community buildings and streetscapes getting treatment on par with the North Shore. I thought more equitable services and outcomes was what the super city was all about?
Opinion Author: Penny Sparks.
**Editors note: As of July 2015, Steve Tollestrup is no longer a trustee at Community Waitakere.
** The most recent Jan agenda shows Neil Henderson is now an Employee of both Weedfree Trust and Ecomatters, role and pecuniary interest unknown.
Dear Penny, Your heading “Waitakere Residents charged for Freemans Bay Eco Project” is clearly false as your article goes on to state. No Waitakere Ranges Local Board money went to Freemans Bay, as you know.
Clearly you do not agree with how the Local Board spends ratepayer money but you overlook any projects that do not fit with your case.
For example, what about the funds going into the shared walkways in Oratia, the foothills walkway, the exercise equipment in Parrs Park, the safety hub in Glen Eden. Considerable board funds have gone into our community halls, most recently Titirangi and Laingholm.
It is nonsense to say WRLB is spending out of the area, although we occasionally cooperate with neighbouring boards when we have common interests. We welcome input into setting our priorities and there is another opportunity for this early this year.
Sandra Coney
Chair WRLB
(Posted at Sandra’s request by Greg Presland)
Dear Sandra, Waitakere’s accounts show we were clearly being charged for a Picton St Environment project and the link is provided. Those accounts were approved by the board and I brought the issue to Council’s attention . While the public might accept one coding error, we are repeatedly seeing large scale environment projects appearing in other areas without charge to their local boards. while Waitakere pay millions with a lack of transparency as to what’s delivered. The Highlighted projects I’ve listed are directly from the Board’s named list in your performance report . 1. The Parrs Park to Oratia School footpath upgrade you’ve named hasn’t started yet and it will be good if that goes ahead. 2. It would be great to see some photos on the foothills walkway. 3. Re Community Facilities: The 2015 Waitakere performance report is missing the community facilities section showing what revenue was generated by community facilities and what work was undertaken. But again Titirangi’s buildings and streetscapes all seem to receive a much higher level of care and investment and it would be nice to see some equity amongst communities. I still have strong concern about the partnership trusts delivery model – I believe it lacks transparency. I think Kaipatiki Local Board’s are doing a great job delivering clear high value community upgrades, environment projects and assets that will improve the amenity and value of their communities for years to come. After years of promises it would be nice to see Glen Eden receving some much needed investment. Thanks Penny
The Waitakere Ranges Local Board was NOT being charged for a project in Picton Street. That is YOUR misreading of the report. The report is a performance report on the Board’s activities to implement its Local Board Plan. It was not formal accounts such as the board passes in the Local Board Plan and Annual Report. The finance Dept of Council made an error of words, there was no money involved. What are the “large scale environmental projects appearing in other areas” that you claim the Board is paying for? I am not aware of any. What are the “millions” you claim we are paying “with a lack of transparency as to what’s delivered”? Instead of these vague unsubstantiated accusations please give us some factual evidence of what you are talking about.
Dear Sandra The board had a charge for Picton Street Environment Project on its Council Published Performance report. Picton Street is in Freemans bay. I’m not misreading the report. It’s councils mistake. The link is available above. And I’ve added a screen shot of the Capital Projects list to make it clearer. Thanks Penny
And then you were told by staff that it was a coding error and a mistake, but still you go to press saying “Waitakere residents charged for Freemans Bay eco project” which is patently false.
Dear Sandra, The current status is the Freeman’s Bay project costs are on Waitakere’s books. council have responded ‘coding error’. There has not yet been any further information. Will the Council be recoding the charges and to where? Will Freeman’s Bay be charged and will council issue a copy of the revised accounts? I’ve had a look at the corresponding Waitemata Board report and they haven’t budgeted for a Picton St Eco project. I’m happy to update the article as we get new information. Thanks Penny
I’m disappointed to see this kind of sensationalist article published on the website.
It’s clearly a non-story, and no more than a technical error.
Publishing this kind of nonsense will only serve to discredit the R&R Association.
Hi David, Thanks for your thoughts. This article represents my personal opinion not the R&R.
The R&R work really hard. The R&R deliver with next to no funding the running of West Auckland’s two busiest community halls including painting and maintaining the gardens, picnic tables in the public domain, new gates, painting gates,booking the hall, painting interiors, lighting, cleaning, lady care services, the restoration of the interiors, the new signage, new chairs, new heaters. The work is done by volunteers.
I’d like to see our rates funding used to look after our parks, community buildings , local assets and services that will increase our communities well- being.
If this was the only occurence it might be considered a simple technical issue but it is not. Last year projects that were consulted on the the Waitakere Range Local Board were cut (Oratia and Glen Eden upgrades), and instead we paid $1.2 million to Project Twin Streams. No information on the deliverables for the “new project twin streams” will or can be given despite repeated requests through official Council channels.
There have been two other significant stream daylighting projects (La Rosa Stream Daylighting, Mid Eskdale Stream Restoration) in Auckland both delivered at no cost to their own Local Boards. .
Now we have this new Freemans Bay Project cost , showing up on Waitakere budgets which the board approves. Plans show a Freemans Bay new stream daylighting project, with art, infrastructure, planting, community eco education etc. There will be no cost to the Waitemata local board and the project is not in their budgets.
So the issue is why does Waitakere pay a Million dollars last year , when no significant new infrastructure was delivered. And why are we the only one paying for stream restoration?. Shouldn’t Project Twin Streams be delivered from Regional Budgets also?
This article question the highlights of the Boards Performance Report and asks why we have no tangible outcomes while similar local boards have well documented expenditure on high value community projects.
Kind Regards Penny