Rules of engagement

By law, each of Auckland's 21 local boards must engage their local communities. Hayley Hannan finds out how your board will try to reach you.

An expanse of uneven asphalt stretches outside Devonport's Depot Art Space. On the road a tight line of cars is crammed against the kerb. One building down, a small, sandy-haired boy stares, his head just visible behind the daycare wall.
Linda Blincko, Depot Art Space creative coordinator, is keen to change the pavement she shares with other businesses to create a more child-friendly community space. How that is done will be decided after consultation with Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and Auckland Council.
She is an example of an Aucklander who is keen to get involved with the local board to help change her community. It's essential for boards to listen, she says, and for people to pipe up.
"I think the one thing to mention is: good engagement is a two-way street.
"I think it's really important that the community does push to have an accessible board and they do make their own concerns heard, and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented."
Local Boards from Rodney to Franklin are presently working on an informal community engagement plan, outlining how each will reach and listen to local voices.
For some reluctant boards, these guidelines are born of a legal requirement. The Royal Commission into Auckland local government found two major failures in the former council structure: lack of public engagement and poor regional integration.
As a result, the acts setting up the new system bring an instruction for the council and boards to "engage" with their community.
Each engagement plan is formed as part of Local Board Plan preparation, another wider plan setting out community priorities and aspirations.
The completed engagement plans kick into action this month. We asked what approach the boards in your area are taking.
Central boards
The Waiheke Local Board is creating a network of residents and ratepayers groups, community groups and key organisations. The board will have an e-forum, an Ostend Saturday Market stall and members will hold forums around their portfolio roles
The Albert-Eden board is looking online, with a Facebook and regularly updated council webpage. Chair Peter Haynes says the board will use forums for large issues, and is targeting community noticeboards to get information out to the area's significant older population. Dr Haynes: "It has to be about engagement with residents and businesses like there has never been before."
Puketapapa has decided to focus on intermediaries to get information out. Chair Richard Barter says: "There are over 100 languages spoken in the area, so the huge variety of ethnicities and cultures do not work will with the traditional western model of meeting in a school hall or the like."
The board has seven forums planned with key stakeholders, who will in turn, gather feedback from their networks.
Maungakiekie-Tamaki plans to work through public workshops and focus groups, with an emplasis on involving groups which may not have worked with the council before. Chair Leila Boyle hopes people will also share their views through letters and emails. "We are comitted to having a robust process for engaging with our communities in place."
Orakei will focus on letters and public notices with links to key information to reach the area. Chair Desley Simpson plans to organise feedback meetings and workshops to gather public opinion for the Local Plan. On a personal front, selected board members and relevant portfolio members will meet with key stakeholders.
Deputy chair Pippa Coom says the Waitemata Local Board is determined to make sure people feel connected. "We intend to engage in a range of ways including forums, online, and through public meetings. We also want to listen to the community to find out how they would like us to engage." The board finalised its plan this week, and will launch the engagement process mid-March.
Members of the Great Barrier Local Board did not return phone calls before the paper went to print.
West boards
Henderson-Massey, Whau and Waitakere Ranges Local Boards plan a seminar  on the Local Board Plan on March 31, at The Trusts Stadium.
On a more local level, the Whau board plans  a community consultation forum in April.
Chair Derek Battersby says he has contacted local schools, and is working with the Whau area networking groups.
"And that's all I can really do at the moment. We don't know what our funding levels are. It's really messy."
The Henderson-Massey board continues with former Waitakere City Council schemes, such as the Back2Back programme, the Ranui Action Project and the Massey Matters newsletter.
Chair Vanessa Neeson says: "We've got plans but everything is in its infancy. It's just all too new at this stage to be saying we are going to be doing this and that."
Details of the Waitakere Ranges board's approach are still being developed, says chair Denise Yates.
"We don't have [a plan] at the moment, but we are going to be working on it in the coming weeks. We have to bear in mind that community engagement is quite different to consultation, so we want to do it right."
Chair Brian Neeson says the Upper Harbour board engagement plan is a "living document" that could change depending on how it works.
He says the board will be "coming out into the community through farmers' markets and by setting up tents around specific issues. We're taking a lead from ratepayers' groups by attaching ourselves to them, and there will be  material in libraries."
Northern boards
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Chris Darby says: "We need to make local government relevant to the lives of the community." The board will collaborate, when necessary, with locals on projects. A Facebook page and online polls are planned.
Scientifically constructed focus groups and geographical cluster meetings are on the cards. The board will maintain regular communication with around 100 key stakeholders.
It's most enterprising initiative is the 'Board in the Bus Stop', a local adaptation of the Len Brown's Mayor in the Chair. Local board members will go out to bus stops, malls and libraries for one-on-ones.
Chair Bob Howard says the Rodney Local Board will use public notices to get information to the community and members plan to regularly attend residents and ratepayers meetings. "We have some very active groups locally and they have expressed a desire to meet with us and be involved."
Mr Howard invites Rodney residents to attend the board's monthly meetings in Orewa. The community engagement plan was finalised on Monday (Feb 28).
Deputy chair Nick Kearney says the Kaipatiki Local Board will discuss its community engagement plan at a meeting today (March 3). "We're not bound by legislation and can pretty much do what we chose, but with consideration of who our community is. We will discuss how best to engage with people." He says the board is considering a Kaipatiki-wide newsletter to keep people informed, or a spot in the council's newly launched Our Auckland magazine.
The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board engagement plan wasn't finalised at the time The Aucklander went to print. Chair Julia Parfitt the board's approach will include a Facebook page, focus groups and for all board members to "get out into the community as much as we can."
South boards declined to comment before discussing engagement further and formally.