Submission 2017-18 annual plan - Newtown · Newtown Residents’ Association Submission on the...

SubmissionontheWellingtonCityCouncilAnnualPlan2017/18

Introduction

TheNewtownResidents’AssociationhasbeenanIncorporatedSocietysinceJuly1963.WeareresidentsandbusinessownersfromNewtownandthesurroundingarea,whotakeakeeninterestinthecommunityandlocalissues.Weareconcernedwithmaintainingandimprovingourarea’sliveability,connectednessandsustainabilityandworkingtomakeourcommunityathriving,diverse,greatplacetolive.

Submission

Weapproveofandsupportall5GoalsasoutlinedintheBuildaBetterCitydocuments.ItishardtoprioritisewhenallareasareimportantandsignificantbutasacommunityorganisationwewillcommentfirstlyonGoal3:People-focussed.

Goal3,Focusarea1:CapitalofCulture

Thevibrantarts,eventsandfestivalsinourcityareessentialtotheessenceofWellington,acitywecanallbeproudtobelongto.

NewtownFestivalWehaveaparticularawarenessofandsensitivitytothisfromhostingtheNewtownFestivalforsomanyyears,andexperiencingatfirsthandthejoyofthiscelebrationandthewayitenhancesoursenseofplaceandcommunity.In2016wewereextremelygratefulthattheCouncilheardourheartfeltrequesttosupporttheFestivalfinancially,andvotedtoaddextrafundingtothe2016/17AnnualPlanforthe2017NewtownFestival.Withoutincreasedfundingitwouldn’thavesurvived.AtthetimeofwritingweareunclearwhethertheCouncilbudgetfor2017/18alreadyincludesanallowanceforthisincreasedfundingtocontinue,aswasagreedbyWCClastyear.Ifnot,weurgentlyrequestthatthisisaddressedagaininthisAnnualPlan.MaintainingthefundingtoatleastthelevelgrantedlastyearisessentialtotheFestival’scontinuedexistence.

Wesupporttheproposalstoaddadditionaleventstothecalendar.Howeverofcoursewhenwealreadyhaveaverysuccessfuleventthatprovidesa‘worldoffoodandmusic’,injectingcolourandvibrancyandenhancingWellington’sclaimtobeaCapitalofCulture,wetrustthatthiswillbesupportedtocontinue.TheCouncilcouldtakemorecreditthanitdoesforbeingamajorsupporterofthebiggestfreestreetmusicfestivalandmarketintheregionand,webelieve,inthecountry.TheNewtownFestivalshouldbelistedalongsidetheothermajoreventsandkeyWellington-basedfestivalsinthediscussionoftheCapitalofCultureproposal.

Goal3,Focusarea2:Communityplanning,facilitiesandutilisationofspacesWearefortunateinNewtownastheproposalsforplace-basedcommunitydevelopmentarealreadybeingimplementedhere.WehavebenefittedgreatlyfromtheestablishmentoftheKiaOra

NewtownResidents’AssociationSubmissionontheWellingtonCityCouncilAnnualPlan2017/18.May2017. 2

NewtownbaseandtheappointmentofaCommunityLiaisonOfficerforNewtown.Wearecurrentlyengagedinaparticpatoryco-designprocessoflocalplanning.Wedefinitelysupportthisbeingcontinuedandexpandedtoallothersuburbs.Wealreadyknowofsomeunmetneeds,andwehavemadeprevioussubmissionsaboutthem.Inparticularthereistheon-goingrequestforpublictoiletsandadrinkingfountaintobeinstalledinCarraraPark.Wehopethatthesecanbeaddedtotheworkprogrammeintheverynearfuture.WecommmendtheCouncilforitsintentiontoupgradetheswimmingpoolatNewtownSchool.Wealsosupportremovingthespectatorfeeatpublicpoolssothatbothchildrenandtheircaregiverscanhavefreeaccessandthiscanencourageallchildrentolearntoswim.WevaluetheNewtownLibraryanditsdiverserangeofservices.HoweverwethinkitisunfortunatethatitclosesatmiddayonSaturday.WerequestthattheNewtownLibraryopeninghoursbeextendedsothatworkingpeoplecanusethelibrarymoreeasily,andcantaketheirchildrenthereinout-of-schooltime.WeunderstandthatcommunityconsultationontheextensionoftheCyclewaythoughBerhampore,NewtownandMtCookistoresumeafteraconsiderablehiatus.Welookforwardtothis.Wewillexpectthattheprinciplesofinclusiveco-designwillbefollowedasanessentialpartofthisproject.Goal3,Focusarea3:Clean,green,safeandinclusivecityInNewtown,maintainingstreetcleanlinessisasignificantareaofworkforRayTuffin,theWCCNewtownLiaisonOfficer,withanongoingneedforliaisonwiththeWCCCleansingandGrowthTeamandinturnwiththerelevantcontractors.Thingshaveimproved,andwecertainlyhopethatwewillachieve‘highsatisfactionlevels’wellbeforethreeyearshavepassed,butwearenotquitethereyet!Onapositivenote,dailyrubbishcollectionwasinstitutedinCarraraParkandMercyParksomeyearsagoandthetidinessoftheparkshassteadilyincreasedsincethen.Thisisanareawheretherearereportsofincreasedsatisfaction.Perceptionsofsafetyonthestreetsarechallengedbyanincreasednumberofstreetpeopleandbeggars.Theissuesarisingfromthisarewelldocumentedacrossthecity,bothinthecentralcityandinsuburbslikeours.InrecenttimestheKilbirnieWINZofficehasclosedandsohastheWellingtonSouthCommunityMentalHealthbaseinTaceyStreet,withtheclientsoftheseagenciesnowneedingtocometoNewtown.Itseemsappropriatetofocusincreasedcommunityoutreachprogrammeshereaswell,andweadvocateforthistobeapriority.Therearealreadyactionsunderwayfordevelopingacommunitysafetyplan,promoting“EyesOn’andworkingwithotherpartnerstoaddresstheneedsofthestreetpeople–whichwouldalsohelpthebusinesspeopleandmembersofthepublicwhofindthecurrentsituationverydifficult.Wecertainlyhopeandexpectthattheseeffortswillcontinueandwillincrease.Servicessucha‘wethouse’haveoursupportinlightofinformedopinionthattheseserviceswillmakeadifferencetothewellbeingofanumberofhomelesspeopleinourcommunity.Wewouldalsoencourageincreasedemphasisonmeaningfulactivityandoccupation.

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TheremainingGoalsforthe3yearworkprogramme.

TherestofoursubmissionpaysattentiontotheotherGoalsbutdoesnotaddressthemallindetail.Insteadwehavepickedoutaspectsthatseemtoimpactmostdirectlyonourarea.Goal1:MoreresilientGoal1,FocusArea1:Saferhomes,locationsandmorerobustinfrastructureAsoneoftheareasknowntohavebuildingswithunreinforcedmasonrywehaveaparticularinterestinthisarea.Wewelcomeallinitiativestoassistbuildingownerswithfundingandsupporttomakethesebuildingssafe.WealsowelcomeproposalstomakeWellington’shomessaferandmoreresilient.WesupportthespeedydevelopmentofthePrinceofWalesReservoir.Goal1,FocusArea3:Connectedandpreparedcommunities.Wearealreadyveryconciousofthevalueofpursuingthesegoals.WevalueWCCsupportwiththisandlookforwardtothiscontinuing.In2014wehadacommunity-ledprocesstodevelopacommunityresponseplan.Thisnowneedsrevisitingandrenewingandwearemotivatedtoworkondoingthis.Goal2:SmarterGrowthGoal2,FocusArea1:EconomicandjobgrowthTheproposalinthisareathatwearemostinterestedinistheOne-stop-shopforconsenting.Wesupportstreamliningprocessesandmakingthemuser-friendly.Goal2,FocusArea2:HousingpeopleWe,likeothersinWellington,areacutelyawareoftheincreasingnumberofpeoplewhoareunabletofindsafe,healthy,affordablehousing,whetherasownersortenants.Wesupportmovestoaddressthis.WearecautioushoweveraboutSpecialHousingAreaswhentheyareestablishedwithoutwideconsultationandrelyheavilyonoverridingprovisionsoftheDistrictPlan.WecannotacceptthatwhilemosthomeownershavetheamenityvalueoftheirpropertiesprotectedbyDistrictPlanrules,otherscanhavetheseprotectionssweptawaybySHAprocesses.WeaskWCCtobemindfulofprotectingexistingowners’rightsalongsidethegoalofincreasingavailablehousing.Thereareanumberofsocialhousingcomplexesinoursuburb.Wesupportthisandapproveofthemovesthathavebeenmade,andarecontinuingtobemade,toupgradethesehomes.Goal4:MoreSustainableWestronglysupportall3FocusAreasandtheoverallgoaltomakethewayoflifeinourcity,ourcountryandourworldmoresustainable.

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WehavemadeasubmissionontheDraftWasteManagementandMinimisationPlan.WealsowanttorecognisethecontributionofourNewtownFestivalZeroWasteTeamtoourawarenessoftheimportanceandthechallengesofwasteminimisation.WebelievethattheireffortshavehadaneffectbeyondwhathappensonFairdayandhavehadamuchwidereducationalimpact.ItissatisfyingtoseehowmanyillustrationsinWCCpublicationsaboutwasteminimisationarephotosoftheteammembersatworkattheFestival.Goal5:ImprovinghowweworkGoal5,FocusArea1:LivingwageWearestrongsupportersofthis.WeapproveofkeepingpaceasthedesignatedLivingWageincreases,andsupportmovestoextendthistostaffemployedonWCCcontracts.TheResidents’Association,throughtheNewtownFestivalCommitteedevotesresourcestowardshostingtheLivingWageStageattheFestival.TheFestivalitselfalsoaspirestopayitskeyassistantsthelivingwage,andmaintainingtheincreasedFestivalfundingfromWCCmovesustowardsmakingthisgoalattainable.Goal5,FocusArea2:ImprovedEngagement“Engagement”hasbeenathreadrunningthroughmanyoftheGoals,andweapproveofthisasamajorfocusforourCouncil.Asnotedbefore,WCCengagementwithourcommunityhasimproveddramaticallyoverthepastyear,andweapplaudallwhomadethispossible,fromtheChiefExecutiveonwards.Thereisstillprogresstobemade,andtheinclusionprojectthatweareinvolvedwithwill,wehope,extendtheseconnectionsmorewidelyintothecommunity.Thankyoufortheopportunitytomakethissubmission.

RhonaCarson

President,NewtownResidents’Association

May18th2017.