Waitakere08 City Council Annual Report Including Sustainability Reporting 20 09 08This is Waitakere City Council’s Annual Report, including the Sustainability Report 20 2 Introduction // About the Annual Report and Sustainability 09 Contents SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING ACTIVITY STATEMENTS About the City 4 City Promotion 115 From the Mayor 7 Democracy and Governance 117 Report from the Chief Executive Officer 9 Emergency Management 119 Planning and Reporting Cycle 12 West Wave Aquatic Centre 122 How the Eco City has Developed 13 Arts and Culture 124 Stakeholders 15 Cemetery 129 Sustainability Challenges 18 Leisure 132 Community Outcomes and Strategic Direction 22 Libraries 135 Parks 139 QUADRUPLE BOTTOM LINE Housing for Older Adults 143 Social 28 City Heritage 145 Cultural 34 Transport and Roads 147 Economic 38 Animal Welfare 151 Environmental 48 Vehicle Testing Station 153 Awards Received 62 Consents, Compliance and Enforcement 155 GOVERNANCE Waste Management 159 Role and Structure of Waitakere City Council 64 Stormwater 163 Council Controlled Organisations 82 Wastewater 167 Statement of Compliance and Responsibility 98 Water Supply 171 COST OF SERVICES STATEMENTS BY Support and Planning 175 STRATEGIC PLATFORM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Urban and Rural Villages 100 Income Statement 181 Integrated Transport and Communication 103 Statement of Changes in Equity 182 Strong Innovative Economy 104 Balance Sheet 183 Strong Communities 105 Statement of Cash flows 185 Active Democracy 107 Statement of Accounting Policies 187 Green Network 108 Notes to the Financial Statements 197 Three Waters 109 Audit Report 237 Sustainable Energy and Clean Air 111 GRI Index 239 Zero Waste 112 Annual ReportReport // IncludingIncluding SustainabilitySustainability ReReportport 2008/20092008/2009 A snapshot of Waitakere Area: 36,000 hectares Open Space: 18,239 hectares Area of open space with outstanding vegetation: 5,246.8 hectares Population: 201,300 (estimated resident population 30 June 2008 Statistics New Zealand) Climate: warm temperature/subtropical 14°C – 27°C in summer 8°C – 19°C in winter Annual Report // Including Sustainability Report 2008/2009 The Annual Report, including the Sustainability Report, is one of a suite of three documents, the others being the Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) and the Annual Plan. This Annual Report is also the third year of the Council’s Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) 2006-2016 and is a one year “slice” from the LTCCP for the 2008/2009 fi nancial year. This report explains what the Council did in the last year, how much it cost, how it was funded and uses the international sustainability reporting guidelines from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for sustainability reporting. Waitakere City Council’s commitment as an eco city, the principles and platforms that direct the Council’s work and the eco city direction, the integration of sustainability into its corporate activities, progress on the Community Outcomes and Long Term Council Community Plan 2006-2016 and fi nancial reporting for the Council are all covered in this report. Massey Ward About the City Henderson Ward Bethells / Te Henga New Lynn Ward Waitakere Ward Piha Laingholm Karekare Huia Whatipu 5 Annual Report // Including Sustainability Report 2008/2009 Waitakere Waitakere is located along the west coast of the Auckland Mihi region and includes the Waitakere Ranges, cascading down the foothills and through rural villages and urban centres to No hea te aroha, te mihi nei, the Waitemata Harbour. no Waitakere Waitakere has an outstanding natural environment and diverse population and a physical presence comprising E hapai, pikaukau ana matou te kaupapa 1/3 bush and rainforest, 1/3 rural land and 1/3 urban land. Hei manaaki te oranga whenua, The original inhabitants – “The people of the land” – are the Maori tribes of Te Kawerau a Maki and Ngati Whatua. oranga moana Around 14% of the City’s population identify themselves Ara te kaitiakitanga mo te iwi hoki as coming from Maori descent. Maori within the City have played a leading role in the renaissance of Maori language and culture and in promoting the increasing prominence of Maori in business and education. Pacifi c Islands people Greeting (15%) and other ethnic groups from Europe and Asia are Where is the love, it is here in this increasing in numbers and add to the City’s culture and diversity. greeting from Waitakere The community’s history has emerged from the brick and Who raise and carry the message pottery industry, timber milling, gum digging, orchards, farming, viticulture, the water industry and the rail industry To look after the wellbeing of the and today Waitakere has evolved and expanded into land and sea viticulture, boat building and marine industry, screen production and the light manufacturing sector. Thus as the guardian for the people Case Study - Council Walking the Talk The Council must show leadership through Sustainability reporting on corporate actions will examining its own practices as it seeks to work with help achieve the following aims: the community in realising the vision of the eco city. • Demonstrate the Council’s commitment to being As with the community, sustainability is a journey a good employer. This is expected to help with and the Council needs to continuously improve its recruitment and retention of quality staff and internal policies, programmes and activities in order reduce the costs caused through turnover and to become a more sustainable organisation. loss of institutional memory Annual Report // Including Sustainability Report 2008/2009 6 Introduction // About the City • Increase the positive impacts of the Council on • Reduce the environmental impact of the Council’s the local economy by increasing the proportion of operations through such activities as reducing the the money raised through rates and user charges production of greenhouse gases and the amount that is returned to the local economy through jobs of material disposed of to landfi ll and purchases. This will help strengthen the City’s • Seek to maximise the social benefi ts of the economic base Council’s investments and interventions 7 Annual Report // Including Sustainability Report 2008/2009 From the Mayor It is a turbulent time for Waitakere. We are tasked with Mission, Goals carrying on the culture that has defi ned us as we look and Principles towards a future amalgamation into the Auckland Council. In the midst of that adversity we have produced another Waitakere Eco City year of leadership. The sustainability principles we founded this City on are now becoming mainstream sustainable nationally and internationally. We continue to lead the dynamic pack. This year we announced plans to retrofi t 20,000 just homes in the next 10 years, instigated a user pays inorganic rubbish collection and signed more than 800 Principles children up to the Water Ambassadors Kids Club. open honest communication Our Councillors and staff have again excelled under diffi cult circumstances. The recently released Long Term responsiveness Council Community Plan is a model of good planning. It accountability sets out a fi nancial map that will guide our eco city vision partnership far into the future. innovation This year has found our country struggling to extricate excellence itself from a deepening economic depression. Waitakere has been hurt along with everyone else. Many of our integrity people have been left jobless or struggling to pay their bills on cut salaries. As a council we have tried to ease the burden. Our Plus 4 Redundancy Relief programme Te whakatakanga, nga was acclaimed. We are also creating hundreds of local tuhenaga, nga whanonga jobs in the development sector. Town centre and marine cluster upgrades are set to reshape Hobsonville, while the $300 million New Lynn Town Centre Project is on Te taiao o waitakere track for completion next October. kia mau tonu nga tikanga In July we released West: A History of Waitakere. It is whakahirahira a record of what has been achieved here. For 20 years tino rangatiratanga we have balanced social, cultural, environmental and economic concerns to build a unique city on a unique Whanonga land. Any aerial map of Auckland will show you three cities spread out all over the place and one in the west kia pono kia ngawari that is stable and compact. Its waterways are among kia mama nga wawata the cleanest in the region and its hills are protected from rampant development. ko te whanau hei titiro kia haere kotahi kia kakama kia tino ataahua kia haere totika I roto I te rangaimarie Annual Report // Including Sustainability Report 2008/2009 8 Introduction // From the Mayor and CEO Look a little closer though and you will see what really We will carry that culture and the principles of the defi nes this City. Its people are the kind that turn out in ‘Waitakere Way’ with us as we transition into the their dozens to pull litter out of streams and band together new Auckland Council. in the hundreds to march against family violence. They are Some fear we will lose our identity. But I am not worried. hard but fair, stubborn but generous, together but diverse Though like the tides of our coast the West will change, and they are proud to call themselves Westies. I am proud like the Waitakere Ranges it will stand strong forever. of the role this Council has had in creating Westie culture. Bob Harvey Mayor 9 Annual Report // Including Sustainability Report 2008/2009 From the CEO As Waitakere makes ready for its place in the Auckland • In Glen Eden, it’s about boosting business and creating a Council by November 2010, I refl ect on what has been buzz: Waitakere’s newest Business Improvement District achieved at Waitakere during the year that’s just passed. (BID) has been newly created with the Council’s help. There are scores of laudable outcomes in a mere 12 months.