Tag: Penny Hulse

Bouncing Houses

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Too many on the move?

 

From Auckland Council on Housing:

Too many small Kiwi children moving house

 

Auckland Council says data showing nearly half of New Zealand’s children moved house at least once before their second birthday is a sign that renters need more security on the length of their leases.

The main finding of the University of Auckland’s Growing Up in New Zealand report – Residential Mobility Report 1: Moving house in the first 1000 days, is an unexpectedly high level of residential movement in young families – much higher than an equivalent UK study.

The report identifies housing tenure as the key determinant of whether a child moves; that is, those in private rental accommodation are most likely to move.

Auckland’s Deputy Mayor, Penny Hulse, said the survey provides evidence that achieving a stable housing situation is a major challenge for families with young children who are renting in Auckland.

“I am disturbed by the report’s findings that such a high proportion of our most vulnerable, being children, have unstable accommodation in the first years of their lives,” said Ms Hulse.

“This situation is not acceptable on any level. Auckland Council’s Housing Action Plan identifies the need for more secure rental tenure as a key priority. We are calling on the government to urgently address this issue and put some options to the community on how this can be achieved,” said Ms Hulse.

“Security of tenure for renters was a major focus of the recent Auckland Conversations event ‘What’s wrong with renting?’ which attracted close to 600 people, showing this is an issue that matters to Aucklanders”, said Ms Hulse.

Growing Up in New Zealand is a contemporary longitudinal study tracking the development of approximately 7,000 New Zealand children from before birth until they are young adults (the majority are in the Auckland and Waikato regions). Today’s release is the fifth substantial report from the study and the first in the new ‘Residential Mobility’ series.

For a link to the Growing Up in New Zealand report, see: www.growingup.co.nz/reports

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Otara-Papatoetoe Area Plan Approved – And Ruled by Technocracy?

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A Shame

 

As expected although one had to try (see: Council Fails South Auckland – Again) the Auckland Development Committee has adopted the Otara-Papatoetoe Area Plan into operation this afternoon.

While disappointing as the Area Plan is now nothing but platitudes backed up with very little funding for most of the projects listed in the ‘5-year’ project lists any how.

 

I will evaluate the situation in a podcast tomorrow as well as other happenings that came of the Committee today including this:

 

Ruled by a Technocracy we are….

 

One thing I will say though, if I do ever serve as an elected representative in the Auckland Council Governing Body technocracies is something I despise and that Area Plan would be fully reviewed and rebuilt – properly!….

 

And The Winners for the Environment Are…..

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Awards for sustainability

 

From Auckland Council:

The colour of sustainability is Bronze, Silver and Green-Gold

 

A number of kindergartens and schools across Auckland will be recognised at the annual Enviroschools celebration this Friday for their outstanding commitment to sustainability.

The event takes place at Royal Road School in Massey on Friday 5 December, where 26 Enviroschools will receive Bronze, Silver or Green-Gold certificates of achievement.

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse will present the Enviroschools certificates at the ceremony along with Councillors Wayne Walker and Linda Cooper as well as representatives from local boards.

Ms Hulse says: “Enviroschools teaches such important life skills – it shows our children they can become the environmental leaders of the future by taking action and making a real difference in their community.”

The Enviroschools programme allows children to apply their ideas and energy to real-life situations. They, as well as their schools and families, are encouraged to think and act sustainably by participating in a range of fun and useful projects, including community gardens, native tree planting and stream clean-ups.

The programme lets children introduce initiatives to improve their own kindergartens and schools, while also helping their wider community. Initiatives include recycling to reduce waste going to landfill, saving water by installing water tanks, and increasing biodiversity by planting native gardens.

There are currently 966 Enviroschools in New Zealand, which includes early childhood centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools. In Auckland there are 181 Enviroschools, with more starting their sustainability journey every year.

The celebration will be attended by the students, teacher and parent representatives from each school, and representatives from Auckland Council. The Enviroschools programme is facilitated in the Auckland region by Auckland Council in conjunction with the national Enviroschools Foundation.

To find out more visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/educationforsustainability or enviroschools.org.nz

 

Further Information:

Green-Gold

Elm Park School, Forrest Hill School, Western Springs College

Silver

Avondale Kindergarten, Chelsea Kindergarten, Colwill Kindergarten, Early Discoveries Centre, Freemans Bay Kindergarten, Glenfield Kindergarten

Milford Kindergarten, Pt Chevalier Kindergarten, Takapuna Kindergarten

Waiheke Kindergarten, Dawson Primary, Pakuranga Heights School, St Leo’s Catholic School, St Thomas’s School, Taupaki School

Bronze

Ararimu School, Arohanui Special School, Howick Intermediate School, Milford School, St Francis Catholic School, Vauxhall School, Waiheke Primary School 

Green-Gold review

Grey Lynn Kindergarten

 

Award Definitions

Bronze Enviroschools have been on the Enviroschools journey for up to two years. Students have started work on getting to know their environment and are exploring options and finding ways to take action for a sustainable future.  There are some students and staff actively involved, and everyone else in the Enviroschool is aware.

 

Silver Enviroschools have been on the Enviroschools journey for at least four years and involves students, teachers, boards of trustees, parents and community members. In a Silver Enviroschool you can expect to see sustainable practices and projects that have grown in strength, variety, depth and number since formally becoming part of the programme. Students are fully involved in making decisions about sustainable actions and can show what change has happened because of their learning and action.

 

Green-Gold is the highest level of achievement in the Enviroschools journey and takes at least five years.  Environmental sustainability is part of decision-making within the community and Maori perspectives are embraced to enrich the journey of the Enviroschool. Students have a strong sense of connection to the environment and lead much of the on-going action. They understand how they can effect change for a sustainable world and can measure the difference made by previous initiatives. Green-Gold Enviroschools are involved with their community and honour the diversity of the people within it.

 

Green Gold Review – Enviroschools will continue to holistically reflect on their journey at least every three years using the Green-Gold descriptive paragraph and will decide if there is still a comfortable fit with that paragraph. During this review they will explore how understanding and practices have deepened and broadened.

 

 

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Well done to those recognised