Auckland Council’s six demographic advisory panels celebrated the end of their term this month.
The panels are an important part of the council’s governance structure, advising elected members and staff about plans and strategies that impact their communities.
The six panels are: Disability, Ethnic Peoples, Pacific Peoples, Rainbow Communities, Seniors and Youth.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff thanked the panels who took on a significant responsibility to ensure the voices of all Aucklanders are heard around the council table.
“Tāmaki Makaurau is proudly diverse and it is important that everyone’s voices are heard when the council is making decisions for the region.
“During this term, the panels have continued to provide us with valuable input on a wide range of priorities such as the COVID-19 response, housing and homelessness, climate change, public transport and diversity and inclusion.
“Engaged and enabled communities underpin Auckland’s vision of becoming a world-class city and the contribution from our panels has helped improved outcomes for our diverse communities.
“I want to thank our panels for their commitment and passion to help make our wonderful city more inclusive for everyone.”
Mayor Phil Goff thanked the panels for their hard work and commitment at the end of term celebration held earlier this month.
Councillor Cathy Casey, Chief Liaison Councillor of the Advisory Panels says it has been amazing to see the perseverance of the panels getting on with making a difference for our communities despite the challenges of COVID-19.
“This term hasn’t been easy for our panels who have had to work through a delayed start to the term and multiple lockdowns.
“Despite it all, they continued to create meaningful opportunities to talk with and listen to their communities on what matters most to them.
“For example, during lockdown, we got to hear from a disability perspective regarding access to emergency food parcels and access to vaccination centres or at-home vaccinations. This was critical in our planning to ensure our community could access the resources they need.
“A big thank you goes out to the panels whose mahi has made our communities stronger."
Disability Advisory Panel
The role of the Disability Advisory Panel is to identify the issues that are important to people with disabilities and provide advice on regional strategies, policies and plans. During this term, the panel advised the council on ways it can value disability diversity across people and places.
Key achievements:
- Provided essential feedback from a disability perspective regarding access to emergency food parcels, access to vaccination centres or at-home vaccinations, and access to online information during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Advocated for a reduction in street clutter due to the impacts on accessibility
- Advocated for safety improvements for e-scooter management and licensing to minimise their interactions with pedestrians
- Ongoing monitoring and championing of the Disability Operational Action Plan.
Read the full end-of-term report from the Disability Advisory Panel here [PDF].
Disability Leadership community engagement forum hosted by Disability Advisory Panel July 2022 with speakers Paula Tesoriero, NZ Disability Rights Commissioner; Dan Buckingham, CEO, Able and co-chair Martine-Abel Willamson, QSM, President, World Blind Union.
Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel
The Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel offers advice based on their experiences living as people from ethnic cultures. During this term, the panel advised the council on issues of importance to ethnic communities such as employment, housing, transport, safety, and civic participation.
Key achievements:
- Held a community meeting with Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon, providing a platform to engage directly and hear from Auckland’s ethnic communities
- Engaged with staff involved in progressing the council’s Inclusive Auckland Framework [PDF], and provided recommendations to the Deputy Chief Executive Patricia Reade and other members of the Executive Leadership Team.
Read the full end-of-term report from the Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel here [PDF].
Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel
The Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel offers advice based on their experiences living as people from Pacific cultures. During this term, the panel advised the council about the needs of Pacific communities and strengthened Pacific voices in the council’s initiatives and activities.
Key achievements:
- The endorsement of the Ara Moana Strategy by the council which is a foundational working document for Pacific communities’ voices and visibility
- Taking up the invitation of the Elections Team, the panel invited all mayoral candidates and hosted a ‘Meet the Candidates’ event for Pacific communities in September 2022
- A Climate Change Pacific package recommendation with significant budget allocation supported by the council’s finance and performance committee.
Read the full end-of-term report from the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel here [PDF].
Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel
The Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel offers advice based on their experiences living as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer (LGBTIQ+) people. During this term, the panel advised the council on a range of issues including service provision, housing and COVID-19 response.
Key achievements:
- Provided timely input about priorities within rainbow communities particularly for those most impacted by the pandemic
- Ongoing advocacy for rainbow competency training for frontline staff.
Read the full end-of-term report from the Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel here [PDF].
Seniors Advisory Panel
The Seniors Advisory Panel offers advice based on their experiences living as senior citizens. During this term, the panel continued to support the completion of the Age‐Friendly Auckland Action Plan and advised the council on a range of issues including COVID-19 response, housing, and public transport.
Key achievements:
- Continued the work done by previous panels on the Age-friendly Auckland Action Plan to see it approved and adopted by the council in November 2021
- Worked in partnership with the council to get Auckland internationally recognised and accepted into the World Health Organisation's Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities
- Hosted the Minister for Seniors, Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall – highlighting matters of interest to Tāmaki Makaurau’s seniors and receiving an update on relevant central government initiatives and priorities
Read the full end-of-term report from the Seniors Advisory Panel here [PDF].
The Youth Advisory Panel discussing about the 10-year Recovery Budget at their first open meeting in 2021.
Youth Advisory Panel
The Youth Advisory Panel offers advice based on their experiences living as young people aged 14 to 24 years. During this term, the panel advocated on their key priorities of youth mental health, youth employment, cost of living and climate change.
Key achievements:
- Provided advice on the I am Auckland Plan, a framework to help children and young people reach their potential in Tāmaki Makaurau
- Hosted numerous meetings and community engagement sessions with youth across the region.
Read the full end-of-term report from the Youth Advisory Panel here [PDF].
