Leading the Franklin District
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LEADING THE FRANKLIN DISTRICT These are the activities of Council that provide leadership. In particular these activities cover the operation of the elected Council and all the committees, and strategic planning and policy development • STRATEGIC PLANNING AND POLICY • REPRESENTATION WORKING TOGETHER FOR OUR FUTURE 41 GROUP OF ACTIVITIES LEADING THE FRANKLIN DISTRICT What we do The full DGS is available on our website www.franklin.govt.nz. “Democracy is the form of gevernment in which Climate Change: the free are rulers.” This group of activities contributes to a number of the community outcomes, but primarily to the following three outcomes: well- Aristotle (4th c. B.C.) Despite some uncertainty, Council considers it prudent to plan for managed growth; cultural, social, inclusive communities; and commonly agreed changes in climate that are likely to affect the educated and enabled community. Franklin District. These include, but are not limited to, rising sea “It is best to do this systematically, since we are levels, increasing rainfall, and more extreme weather events such only human, and disorder is our worst enemy.” These activities support strategic leadership and contribute to the as flooding and drought. Consideration of these matters has been purpose of local government to enable democratic decision-making. Heisod (8th c. B.C.) included in the way Council has thought about where District Growth should go, as well as thinking about the way its assets such as Activities and major issues transport or stormwater should be managed. Strategic Planning Waikato River Settlement: • Strategic planning The Waikato River is an important asset for the District and the • Policy wider Waikato and Auckland regions. The Council administers • Resource Management Policy various functions such as district planning, recreational facilities and drainage that potentially influence the state and character of the • Regional Initiatives River and its margins. In August 2008 the Crown signed a Deed of Representation Settlement with Waikato-Tainui. The Deed of Settlement covers the whole of the River and will involve the creation of a co-management • Community boards regime between the tribal authorities, territorial local authorities • Council and Committees and Environment Waikato. The co-management agreement will be • Maori Committee (Te Roopu Paehere) administered by a new oversight body, the Waikato River Statutory Board, which is still to be created by legislation. Also to be formed Managing Growth: is the Waikato Raupatu River Trust representing Tainui, a body In August 2007, Council released the District Growth Strategy (DGS) delegated to implement eventual Board policy. which sets out a plan for development of the District over the next 50 The detail of how the co-management regime will operate is still years. It identifies sufficient land to accommodate a doubling of the to be established. Franklin District has a representative on the population over that time. The goal is to accommodate this growth Statutory Board Establishment Committee, which is to report by 1 while protecting the rural character and agricultural capacity of the March 2009. The significant implications for Franklin District are area. For this reason, Council has identified the growth areas as likely to appear in proposals to change aspects of the District Plan, Pukekohe, Tuakau and Waiuku, supported by new growth in Pokeno in order to achieve a unified management regime across the whole and other small townships. catchment. There may also be changes in detail and emphasis 42 43 to policies made under the Local Government Act 2002 that may for Maori to contribute to the decision-making processes of have significance for the management of the River. While detailed the local authority and; proposals are not available to comment on during the development - consider ways in whch it may foster the development and submission stages of this Long Term Council Community Plan, of Maori capacity to contribute to the decision-making any subsequent proposals to alter council practices and documents processes of the local authority, and; will be widely consulted on and publicly notified at the time they appear. - provide relevant information to Maori for the purposes of paragraphs above. Royal Commission on Auckland Governance: Franklin District Council achieves this primarily through its The Commission is due to report with recommendations for the Te Roopu Paehere (Maori Committee). governance of the Auckland Region during the time that this LTCCP • Resource Management Act which requires the preparation of a is out for consultation. In the preparation of this LTCCP, Council has district plan and consideration of the impact of activities on other planned using the status quo option, but will make such adjustments activities; as are necessary for adoption of the final LTCCP in June 2009. • Local Government Official Information & Meetings Act 1987. significant negative effects The key regional strategies affecting this group of activities are There are no significant negative effects from this group of activities. primarily: • Auckland regional growth strategy Assets and groups of assets required by • Auckland regional policy statements this group of activities • Auckland regional land transport strategy There are no assets or groups of assets within this group of activities. • Environment Waikato strategies and policy statements. WHAT WE MUST DO Key Strategies The key pieces of legislation affecting this group of activities are • District Growth Strategy primarily the: • District Plan. • Local Government Act 2002 setting out the purpose, role and Group of activity performance measures powers of local government including Council’s planning, decision-making and accountability parameters; 1. Residents rating of Mayor and Councillors performance over last 12 months (Communitrak) • The local Government Act 2002 includes specific requirements for local authorities to provide opportunities for Maori to 2. Residents’ satisfaction with Council managing the effects of contribute to and participate in local authority decision-making land-use and development on the: processes. According to section 81 of the 2002 Act, a local a) natural, and authority must: b) built environment (Communitrak). - establish and maintain processes to provide opportunities 42 43 What we do STRATEGIC PLANNING AND POLICY Within this Activity are all of the work streams that assist our Council to develop strategies and policies for the District. These include: • Council is a signatory to the Urban Design Protocol and the • Maintenance and management of the District Plan document. What we must do international Climate Change Protection programme. • Research, development, monitoring and review of the District Plan. The key pieces of legislation affecting this activity are the Local FDC works within the jurisdiction of two regional councils i.e. Government Act 2002 (LGA) and the Resource Management • Preparing Plan Changes as necessary. Auckland Regional Council and Environment Waikato. FDC Act 1991 (RMA). This legislation requires the preparation of takes into account the policies and strategies of both these • Research, development and review of Council policies and by-laws. a District Plan and the Long Term Council Community Plan at organisations in its planning processes. Key regional policies • Provision of policy and strategic planning advice to staff, specified times. and plans affecting this activity are: management, and Council. The Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Act (2004) is • Regional Policy Statements • Support to Council’s Te Roopu Paehere, Strategy and Policy, and also significant for this work. Regulatory committees. • Regional land transport and land use plans, such as the Central government policy initiatives and relevant legislation Auckland Regional Growth Strategy. • Research, development, monitoring and review of strategic also influence the activity. For example: documents, including the Long Term Council Community Plan. Franklin has prepared a District Growth Strategy which provides • The Waikato/Tainui settlement will have impacts on future the overarching framework to guide growth in the district for the • Support to Council working groups and other groups, as required. Council roles in any co-management arrangement for the foreseeable future. This Strategy provides the basis for ongoing Regional initiatives: Waikato River in our District. major initiatives in the next few years, such as the review of the District Plan. • Support to regional committees. Community Strategic Policy Resource Regional Planning Management Initiatives outcome Policy Impacts on other activities: themes What we are going to do in the future Economically strong 4 4 4 This activity impacts on most of the activities Planned for the next three years are: community and services that Council provides but has Easy to get around 4 4 4 4 • Implementation of the District Growth Strategy (DGS) specific impacts on: Safe, healthy and active 4 through the District Plan review, asset planning, community • Regulatory, compliance and monitoring. redevelopment of town centres and review of codes of Cultural, social, vibrant, 4 4 practice. • Asset planning. inclusive community Special character, 4 4 • Review of the District Plan (2009-2012) including healthy, natural completion of rural plan changes. environment Well-managed growth for 4 4 4 4 • Delivery and implementation of the Heritage Strategy. quality living environment