Category: Politics

The Politics behind the issue or of the day

Explanation: Council Gearing Up For Growth. Regional Parks Not to Be Split Up

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Regional Parks are not to be split up despite earlier concerns today

 

After  the PLEASE EXPLAIN: Council Chief Operating Officer Confronted Over Attempt to Break Up Regional Park Network which picked up on the Herald’s piece about Auckland Council Chief Operating Officer being apparently confronted about the Auckland Regional Parks network being split up, Council (more specifically the COO) has replied to the earlier story.

 

From Auckland Council:

Council gears up for Auckland’s growth

Published: 2 October 2015Share
Dean Kimpton.
Dean Kimpton.
Dean Kimpton Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council is making changes to its Operations division as it gears up to respond to the challenge of Auckland’s rapid growth.

“Auckland is expected to grow by roughly the population of Hamilton every five years, so we need to maintain our focus on responding to that growth,” says Chief Operating Officer Dean Kimpton.

The Operations division makes up the largest group within Auckland Council, with more than 5000 staff delivering critical frontline services to Aucklanders, such as libraries, infrastructure and environmental services, parks and reserves networks, licencing and compliance services, and more.

Changes to the Operations division focus on providing better service delivery for Aucklanders, faster and more cost effectively. We will achieve this by bringing activities together so that communities experience services in a more streamlined way. This can already be seen in Te Atatu and Mangere-Otahuhu, where community centres and libraries have now been integrated. We will also provide improved processes for customers such as integrated online booking and consenting services.

A number of changes are underway including a new Development Programme Office will launch early next year. It will bring together the Housing Project Office and City Transformation Projects units to coordinate the council’s response to major development and infrastructure programmes, including large housing developments.

Another change is the reshape of the council’s Community Services, which includes the regional parks network, and Community Facilities.

Changes won’t affect regional park services

“Auckland Council values the regional park network and has no intention of breaking it up,” says Dean Kimpton. “Our focus remains on enhancing how we look after these assets in the context of increased visitation and Auckland’s continuing growth, and we will continue to work with the Friends of Regional Parks and volunteer networks.”

“Top of mind is the 50-year history of regional parks in the Auckland region and that all of our parks and open spaces are well loved and are used by thousands of Aucklanders and visitors every year. We know that there is 98 per cent visitor satisfaction across our network of regional parks. We certainly want to maintain this. We also know that visitation across our regional park network has increased by 20 per cent over the past seven years and will continue to rise.”

“Regional park asset and management decisions will continue to be considered in a whole-of-network way, and there will be a continued focus on ensuring that all regional parks are effectively resourced.”

About Auckland Council regional parks:

  • 26 regional parks in the Auckland region, covering over 40,560 hectares and representing approximately 40 per cent of public open space
  • 85 park rangers on the regional parks network
  • over 65,000 person-hours of volunteer work are undertaken on the regional parks every year
  • over 5 million people visit our regional parks network every year
  • 20 per cent increase in visitation over the past seven years
  • 98 per cent visitor satisfaction across our network of regional parks.

Read more:

Plans, policies and projects

………

Source: http://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/articles/news/2015/10/council-gears-up-for-auckland-s-growth/

 

Your thoughts?

 

PLEASE EXPLAIN: Council Chief Operating Officer Confronted Over Attempt to Break Up Regional Park Network

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Mayor and CEO better be clear with the public what was going on

 

From the Herald:

Clandestine move to break up parks network foiled

5:00 AM Friday Oct 2, 2015 – Bernard Orsman 

A plan by council management to break up the regional park network has been stamped out after a showdown with councillors and a senior mayoral aide.

Politicians were tipped off about breaking up the network of 26 regional parks last week and confronted chief operating officer Dean Kimpton and senior park staff late on Thursday.

Parks committee chairwoman Christine Fletcher, councillor Mike Lee and mayoral chief of staff Barry Ebert convinced Mr Kimpton to keep the regional parks under one umbrella.

It is understood a plan was well advanced to bundle the regional parks into three geographical units alongside local parks to create operational and cost efficiencies.

The parks, recreation and sport committee knew nothing about the plan, nor did Mayor Len Brown. 

“It was complete arrogance. They had no mandate for it. It reeks of a council management out of control,” a source said.

The plan has come under fire from the Friends of Regional Parks, whose chairman Bill Burrill wrote to Mr Brown saying it would cause irreparable damage to the parks network.

“Local priorities for already squeezed budgets will end up with parks not getting the resources they need and these incredible regional assets will be degraded,” he said.

“Having a regional policy unit making decisions for the network as a whole ensures that all the parks get the resources they need, when they need them.”

The regional park network is much loved and treasured by the people of Auckland and visitors alike, said Sandra Coney, chairwoman of the Waitakere Ranges Local Board.

Kit Howden, a regional park volunteer, has written to Mr Brown and council chief executive Stephen Town urging them not to separate the public from their parks.

Mr Kimpton in a statement said the council values the regional park network and has no intention of breaking it up.

“Our focus remains on enhancing how we look after these assets in the context of increased visitation and Auckland’s continuing growth, and we will continue to work with the Friends of Regional Parks and volunteer networks.”

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Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11522305

 

I have asked the Council for a please explain earlier this morning on how this entire saga mentioned above came even to the point that the Chief Operating Officer was confronted by Councillors and a staff member from the Mayor’s Office.

 

To put the mind of the public at ease a full independent and public investigation of this saga needs to occur immediately. If the COO was found to be doing what he was confronted over and setting in motion plans to break up the Regional Park network then I am inclined for a full public rebuking and censuring by the CEO at the next available Governing Body meeting to serve as a reminder to others.

 

We await a more formal reply from Council on the matter.

 

Council to Seeks Strike Out of Defamation Proceedings Brought by Ms Penny Bright

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$100,000 in legal fees later

 

I present this without comment from Auckland Council:

Auckland Council applies to strike out Penny Bright defamation proceedings

Auckland Council has applied to have Penny Bright’s defamation proceedings struck out, with the matter to be heard by the High Court at a hearing on 5 November.

The council is seeking to recover unpaid rates of $38,372.22 from Ms Bright which date back eight years.

Separately, Ms Bright has initiated defamation proceedings in relation to comments concerning her unpaid rates made by the council in a press statement last year, which the council is defending against.

Ms Bright has refused repeated offers from council to resolve the outstanding rates, in a manner which would avoid her incurring financial hardship or the sale of her house.

 

Auckland Council’s General Manager Finance Kevin Ramsay says: “Auckland Council did not initiate these defamation proceedings but clearly we need to respond to the claims Ms Bright has made. As we have said previously, we believe the views expressed about Ms Bright were fair and accurate, and we completely reject the accusations she has made.

“We have given Ms Bright every opportunity to resolve her outstanding rates bill in a way that would avoid financial hardship, including the option of deferment. That option remains open to her.”

“Ms Bright’s offer to settle the defamation case with an apology and a payment to her of $10,000 was unacceptable from our perspective. It is open to Ms Bright to stop the court action at any time without further unnecessary costs to ratepayers.”

The courts have discretion, but routinely award costs to successful parties. Costs will be sought if the application succeeds.

 

Further Information: Background to Defamation proceedings

The proceedings were brought by Ms Bright following this statement, issued by Auckland Council, in October last year.

The statement followed comments made by her in this Herald interview and other media reports prior to 10 October. 

 

Background to Ms Bright’s outstanding rates 

  • January 2008: A final notice for rates payment is sent, as well as numerous calls made to Ms Bright. Council discussed with Ms Bright the options for rates payment, including a rebate. During the final call to Ms Bright, she advised council she disputed rates owed.
  • March 2008: A statement of claim to Ms Bright’s rates was filed in court.
  • June 2008: A statement of defence was filed in court by Ms Bright.
  • November 2008: A reserved judgment was filed which states Ms Bright is liable to pay the rates due to council.
  • April 2009: A High Court decision awards $300 in costs to Auckland Council.
  • October 2009: A final District Court judgment for rates and legal costs is issued.
  • July 2010: A query from Ms Bright, regarding the age of construction of her dwelling is received. An inspection is carried out and a letter is sent to Ms Bright, confirming there is no impact on the value of the dwelling.
  • April 2011: A charging order is placed on Ms Bright’s property.
  • October 2011: A recommendation to proceed with legal action on outstanding rates is signed.
  • November 2011: Notice of claim is served on and accepted by Ms Bright.
  • December 2011: Ms Bright serves a notice of response on council.
  • January 2012: Auckland Council serves information capsule to the District Court.
  • February 2012: Auckland Council obtains a second judgment in Ms Bright’s rates arrears case as Ms Bright failed to, in response, file an information capsule to the court.
  • April 2012: A second charging order is placed on Ms Bright’s property.
  • March 2014: A notice of intention to enforce judgment sent after no contact or payment from Ms Bright.
  • March 2014: In the same month, Auckland Council applies for an enforcement of judgment for rates via a rating sale.
  • 9 October 2014: Ms Bright applies to set aside the default judgment.
  • 10 October 2014: Two days later, Ms Bright applies for a stay of proceedings.
  • 10 March 2014: Default judgment set aside following a hearing before Judge Harvey.
  • 26 March 2015: Auckland Council sends an amended rates invoice to Ms Bright, minus legal fees.
  • 12 May 2015: Auckland Council files an amended statement of claim, which now includes an application for a summary of judgment for unpaid rates from Ms Bright, dating from June 2006 to 11 March 2015.
  • 15 June 2015: Ms Bright files a notice of opposition to the council’s application for a summary judgment in the case.

—ends—-