Six dollars apiece

The coffers of Auckland's 21 local boards have been filled for the next financial year but not everyone is content with their share. Sophie Bond, Joanna Davies and Rowena Orejana report.
A dawn service, a new playground, equipment for a community sports group - these are the type of projects your local board may well fund this year.
Last month, Auckland's local boards received their budgets for 2011/2012.
Capital expenditure discretionary funds were worked out by allocating $4 per head of population, except for Great Barrier and Waiheke, which receive $40,000 and $120,000 respectively. Further, operating expenditure funds are calculated at $2 per head of population (see sidebar).
In addition, local boards covering the former North Shore City Council and Auckland City Council areas receive the remaining SLIPS (Small Local Improvement Projects) funding which had been awarded to the former community boards.
Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board chair Leila Boyle is pleased with the funding the board has to distribute this year. The Maungakiekie board gets $146,000 in operating expenditure and $292,000 in capital expenditure.
"We have a lot more discretion because of that SLIPS budget. We now have direct control and decision-making power over about $1.1 million worth of discretionary funding ... which makes us one of the highest funded boards in the region, regardless of population size."
Ms Boyle says the board is looking at having quarterly funding rounds and holding back about $5000 a month for projects which may come up towards the end of the year.
The boards have until June 30 next year to spend their allocations.
Out west, the Henderson-Massey Local Board is receiving $219,200 in operating expenditure and $438,400 in capital expenditure.
Board chairwoman Vanessa Neeson says the board had hoped for more.
"We have yet to see what this funding is earmarked for and what the governing body is expecting us to do with it," says Mrs Neeson.
"There are a lot of very active community groups in our board area who will be applying for funding, and we won't know what projects we will be supporting until we have seen all of the funding applications."
Manurewa Local Board chairman Daniel Newman says the funding is a mixed bag. "I'm very happy with the funding that we got for Randwick.I'm disappointed we don't have funding in this round to complete the work that we wanted to complete next year for Netball Manurewa."
The board wants to transform Randwick Park into a recreational and sports park.
Mr Newman says the discretionary funding for capital works "is useful although it's not going to be much for catering to all the projects we've got going on". He says the board will continue to push for staffing and operational resources to allow it to serve ratepayers efficiently.
"It's nowhere near enough. Auckland Council needs to understand is that its success will not be judged on big-ticket projects in the CBD," he says. "Its success will depend on how it can deliver equitable services and infrastructure for the hundreds of communities that comprise the Auckland region."
Sound fair to you? Email: letters@theaucklander.co.nz
Rolling funder
Money in the capital expenditure fund is for physical projects such as a new playground or a park bench. Grants from the operating fund are for holding events such as a Santa parade or community sports day.
Feeling more-ish?
Three local boards received additional project funding:
Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board: operating expenditure of $250,000 to investigate the MAGIC centre.
Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board: capital expenditure of $200,000 for Otahuhu Swimming Pool.
Great Barrier Local Board: operating expenditure of $20,000 for health services on the island.