Whau Local Board I Te Poari ā-Rohe o Whau

This consultation closed on 13 August 2020. Thank you for having your say.

We received 236 pieces of feedback.

These came from:

• our online form
• our hardcopy survey
• email submissions
• social media channels
• a Have Your Say event.

Key feedback themes

• Most people were in support of the plan.
• Many people said that environment, diversity and inclusion, and infrastructure to meet the needs of growth were the issues most important to them.
• People responded positively to the plan’s increased focus on Māori outcomes.

Changes made as a result of feedback

We have incorporated the feedback we received around opportunities for:

• youth leadership
• accessibility and participation for people of all ages and backgrounds
• support for the arts and culture
• support for active and public transport.

We have also reinforced our advocacy content around:

• tree protection
• enhancement of tree canopy cover
• reduction of carbon emissions.

What happens next

• The Whau Local Board Plan 2020 was adopted on 4 November 2020. You can view a copy of this plan on our website.

More information

If you have any questions related to this project, email us.

Thank you to everyone who shared ideas, insights and gave feedback on what the Whau Local Board should include in their next three-year plan. It has been great to hear from you and see your creative ideas and passion for your communities and neighbourhoods.

Who we heard from

We supported and led 12 opportunities for communities to tell us your priorities for our next local board plan. We held some events in partnership with local groups and community organisations such as the Green Bay Hub and Kelston Kaumātua Roopu.

We enjoyed interacting face to face with residents at the Waitākere Ethnic Board’s open event with Meng Foon, with older residents through our Seniors High Tea, and with a diverse cross-section of people at the Waitangi Day celebration at Hoani Waititi marae. The Chinese New Settlers Services Trust and Valeria at the Kelston Hub hosted additional gatherings to get wider perspectives, and we thank them for their support.

We also surveyed Whau residents through the Auckland People’s Panel as gathered your ideas here on our online ideas hub.

In total we received over 1000 contributions to the plan from around 1000 people.

What you said

These are some of the key themes we heard from all the feedback received:

Continue to support our diverse and creative communities

• There is a diverse population that calls the Whau home and wants to see themselves reflected in the decisions made on behalf them. Creative communities bring people together and the local board needs to support them to enhance the Whau’s brand and identity

Partnership with Māori

• Working in partnership with mana whenua and mataawaka is incredibly important. Māori need to have access to Māori-led programmes and see themselves represented in the community.

Urban spaces need to be functional and whānau-friendly

• Our parks are valued spaces that support psychological, physical, and social wellbeing. Community venues are well-utilised and in-demand. As our population grows, the importance of these facilities will grow. Residents want to see our community places and spaces protected, maintained, and upgraded to suit the diverse community that lives here.

The value of our environment

• The Whau River is a taonga/treasure that the board and community should collectively protect. Greenspaces are vital to our Whau community to support health, psychological wellbeing and whānau connection. Decision making at a local board level needs to be sensitive to the environmental health of our rohe/area.

Active transport infrastructure is important

• Our community wants to cycle and walk – to work, the shops and for recreation. The board needs to continue to invest in and advocate for improved facilities that meet this need.

Placemaking – our town centres and businesses are a hub for our community

• You want to see improvements to town centre identity, safety, and amenity. Local business needs to see our area as attractive to set up. Local jobs, particularly for rangatahi/youth are important.

Our draft plan will aim to address these priorities. Some of the suggestions we heard were at an operational level rather than strategic e.g. maintenance of x park, and these have been passed onto relevant council teams.

What happens next?

All 21 of Auckland’s Local Boards are developing their new 2020 Local Board Plans based on what we heard and other inputs such as the Auckland Plan 2050, Long Term Plan, and Annual Budget.

We have yet to fully determine the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our communities and it may mean some of our plans and aspirations may need to change as a result. Our response will be delivered via the annual budgeting process but the decisions we make will focus on ensuring the benefits for our community.

In July we will come back to you with an opportunity to have your say on the draft Whau Local Board Plan. We will be back in touch when phase two opens.