In the 2024/2025 financial year we plan to invest $5.7 million to renew and develop assets (resources we own), and $24.6 million to maintain and operate assets and deliver local activities.

In this long-term plan, local boards have more responsibility for decisions about local assets and services than in previous years.

This includes making decisions about which assets (such as parks and community halls) and services (such as libraries) we should prioritise with funds allocated by the Governing Body.

Some funding decisions are not the responsibility of a local board and in such cases the board can:

• ask the Governing Body to consider funding from its long-term plan budget
• ask a council-controlled organisation (such as Auckland Transport) to deliver the service during the 10 years of the long-term plan.

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board priorities for 2024-2034

The Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board proposed priorities for its area for the next 10 years. These priorities depend on funding from the Governing Body.

They are to:

• increase the focus on Māori outcomes, including Māori input in local governance and engagement
• secure funding for, and deliver, the Manukau Sports Bowl masterplan
• secure funding for, and deliver, the Old Papatoetoe Community hub with Eke Panuku
• assess our community leases and assets to make sure they are financially sustainable and prioritise local needs and changing demographics
• protect and care for our environment and reduce the effects of climate change
• continue to deliver improved sports fields with lighting to ensure our community has access to high-quality recreation facilities.

Priorities for Ōtara-Papatoetoe outside of local board decisions

Priorities that require funding outside of a local board need a decision from the Governing Body or a council-controlled organisation.

These priorities are to advocate:

• for fairer funding in the first three years of the long-term plan so underfunded local boards can address the levels of services they provide in their communities
• to reinvest the council’s capital expenditure (funds we invest in assets) and include Ōtara into Eke Panuku's 'transform' project to improve the neighbourhood through urban regeneration
• to retain and increase the Local Board Transport Capital Fund to the pre-COVID-19 level. Each year this fund allocates an amount money according to population size across our 21 local boards
• for fairer funding to manage our assets (maintain, upgrade or replace the resources we own) with priorities based on the needs of the area
• to increase investment in road improvements, and faster maintenance and upgrades
• to trial free public transport or offer further subsidies to encourage community use, minimise the cost and to help meet our climate goals
• to prioritise funding from the Climate Action, Natural Environment, and Water Quality targeted rates for communities that need them the most.

What we propose for Ōtara-Papatoetoe