Housing, dark sky status, dredging and water quality will be among some of Aotea/Great Barrier Local Board's funding priorities for the coming year.
The process to finalise and adopt the Annual Budget 2019/2020 is now complete.
The board is grateful to everyone in the community who provided feedback online or at consultation events.
Consultation was carried out across the Auckland region in March and the completed budget was adopted on June 20.
The Aotea/Great Barrier Local Board agreement has now set out the funding priorities for the island over the next year.
During the feedback process, the board heard concern from the community on issues as wide ranging as housing, dredging and carparking.
The local board shares the community’s concern about the availability and affordability of housing and is committed to finding a solution to the issue.
This commitment is backed by a $25,000 budget and work to find a solution has begun and is in its early stages.
The Aotea Great Barrier Area Plan which is in the works will also hopefully address some of the current housing obstacles.
There were also concerns raised about water quality and marine pollution.
The board is continuing with Ecology Vision, biodiversity and biosecurity programmes as well as freshwater quality monitoring and looking into emergency drinking water.
The board will also continue to advocate for alternatives to the dumping of dredging spoils in the marine environment.
Concerns about roading and carparking were loud and clear and the board is working with Auckland Transport to address the issues at play.
The Area Plan will be coming out for consultation early next year with some ideas around carparking and the process to fix the slips along Puriri Bay Road and Aotea Road is currently in the design and consent stage.
The board will continue to investigate cemetery sites for the north and centre of the island as well as grants funding to support health, welfare, education, tourism and other community groups and ventures.
There will also be work done to support the status of Aotea/Great Barrier Island International Dark Sky Sanctuary and funding to support iwi responsiveness.
Following feedback from across the Auckland region, the following adoptions or amendments to the Annual Budget 2019/2020 will be of interest:
- An increase to the waste management targeted rate base service charge. From 1 July 2019, the charge will be $121.06. An increase of 40 cents per week
- Increases to some building consent, resource consent, animal management and mooring permit fees to maintain cost recovery
- The proposed daily fee for foreign vessels over 40 metres has been amended to an annual navigation and safety fee of $20 plus GST per metre, per vessel of 40 metres and over
- Free travel for children aged 15 years and under on public transport at weekends and public holidays from 1 September 2019
- Ferry fare integration where other modes of public transport are used during a journey, to be introduced from 1 February 2020.
