Auckland Council has released a new draft Facility Partnerships Policy which focuses on delivering more community facilities and building stronger partnerships with community organisations.
‘Facility partnerships’ are where the council invests in community facilities that are owned or run by community groups, schools or other organisations to support wider community use.
The council already supports around 300 partner-run facilities across the Auckland region, including pools, indoor courts, community centres, arts facilities and rural halls. However many of these arrangements were established by the former Auckland councils, and there is currently no consistent regional policy to guide the selection and management of new facility partnerships.
Delivering the facilities Auckland needs
The new draft policy proposes a number of different ways the council can partner with other organisations to deliver facilities, as well as eligibility criteria, investment priorities and a high-level process for considering community proposals.
"Facility partnerships are a great way for us to join forces with other organisations who want the same outcomes for Auckland as we do. If we can pool our collective resources and expertise, we can deliver more of the facilities Auckland needs, faster," says Councillor Penny Hulse, chair of the council’s Environment and Community Committee.
"The new policy is meant to make it easier for the community to partner with us, and to help us make better investment decisions for Auckland. We want to hear people’s feedback on the new approach, and whether they think it will achieve this."
Have your say now
Consultation with the public, community organisations and local boards is now open and will continue until 17 August.
Have your say online or head to one of the drop-in sessions being held across Auckland.
For more information about the policy or details of the consultation events, email facilitypartnershipspolicy@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
