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Submissions

New Zealand Parliament Auckland Council (Auckland Future Fund) Bill

Posted in Government, Submission; Tagged Accessibility; Posted 16 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Parliamentary Governance and Administration Committee
Date: April 2025

 

Purpose

This submission’s purpose is to express support for the Bill, provided that key amendments are made to ensure the fund's operations and disbursements are guided by principles of accessibility, inclusion, and the broader wellbeings of the community, explicitly recognizing and consulting with disabled people, particularly tāngata whaikaha Māori. DPA aims to prevent austerity measures that might disproportionately impact disabled people and ensure their equitable access to council services.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA supports the Auckland Future Fund Bill, viewing it as a crucial mechanism to create a complementary revenue stream for the Council, which would help prevent significant rates increases and service cuts that disproportionately affect low-income Aucklanders, including many disabled people. The submission highlights that 14% of Auckland's population (242,000 people) identifies as disabled, a figure expected to rise with the city's aging population.

DPA emphasizes that disabled people, despite paying rates, often do not have the same access to Council services, programmes, and projects, necessitating continued consideration of accessibility and the involvement of the disability community in decision-making processes.

DPA acknowledges the Bill's financial imperatives but strongly advocates for the fund's governance to extend beyond mere fiscal considerations. They recommend that the fund's principles and objectives should align with the four wellbeings - social, economic, environmental, and cultural - as outlined in the Local Government Act. This broader approach should ensure the fund actively works to remove barriers to full participation and inclusion for all equity population groups, including disabled people, Māori, Pacific peoples, ethnic communities, children, youth, and older people.

DPA welcomes the Council's commitment to controlling fund disbursements and including proposals in long-term plan consultations. However, DPA reminds Auckland Council of its obligations under the UNCRPD to conduct all consultations in an accessible way, explicitly extending this to the disability community.

A significant concern raised is the lack of clarity regarding how tāngata whaikaha Māori (disabled Māori who are mana whenua) are directly involved in consultation, despite the engagement with the independent Māori Statutory Board Houkura.  DPA asserts that Houkura does not replace direct engagement and requests an amendment to the Bill to mandate direct, accessible consultation with tāngata whaikaha Māori.

 


Key Recommendation/Finding:

That the Bill is amended to require that tangata whaikaha disabled Māori are directly consulted about the decisions of the Auckland Future Fund.

 


Supporting Statement 1:

“Tāngata whaikaha Māori and their representative organisations require adequate funding and resourcing in order to have full engagement and representation in

decision making, planning and policy making. This will ensure efforts to improve

disability rights are culturally inclusive and have fair and equitable outcomes for

tāngata whaikaha Māori.”

 


Supporting Statement 2:

“Obligations under Te Tiriti to tāngata whaikaha Māori need to be considered in

the appropriate cultural context at all levels of decision making, planning and

policy making.”

Download

DPA Submission 2504 NZ Parliament Auckland Council (Auckland Future Fund) Bill (DOCX)

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