SUBMISSION

ORAL SUBMISSION - MONDAY 27 MARCH 2023

Malo le soifua maua ma le lagi e mama. 

Whau Pasifika Komiti formed from the recommendation of the local board’s commissioned Whau Pacific Peoples Plan 2019. Last year we became a Charitable Trust, and we exist simply to amplify the voices of empowered Pasifika Peoples in the Whau Local Board area. 

We are submitting on the Auckland Council's 2023/24 budget.

• This proposed budget does not fill a budget hole but creates a sieve of leaking social infrastructure, draining Auckland of what makes its citizens vibrant, connected, resilient and hopeful.

• Whau Pasifika ask that you listen to our voice as we speak on behalf of many Pasifika, but also many other groups. The many who do not write submissions, do not vote, didn’t get a speaking spot and  do not speak english as a first language. The many disenfranchised who are ratepayers, renters and homeless but all are Auckland residents.

• Whau Pasifika advocates for Council to use its existing levers to balance the budget. 

• We advocate to increase rates at least in line with inflation, increase the debt ceiling, sell unused or inequitably utilised but high value assets (a golf course or 2), and work smarter - use local expertise instead of outsourcing for council logos and brand campaigns.

• We advocate to hold firmly to its 18% share of Auckland Airport, and that you investigate suggestions from informed economists and working groups proposing viable alternatives, such as A Better Budget Auckland. 

• Whau Pasifika urges you not to destroy years and years of community development and networks built on the goodwill of community groups, volunteer collectives and organisations. We need your support, now more than ever. We are all recovering from years of covid, natural disasters, a housing crisis, and rising living costs.

HOW DARE AUCKLAND COUNCIL propose cuts that will decimate the arts, culture and heritage sector for Pasifika peoples to participate in, to see ourselves in, and is a sector of unquantifiable wealth that Pasifika contributes to Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland. 

In July we host our third Whau Pacific Festival, inviting diverse communities to share, learn and be proud. It’s delivered locally and hosted at 3 different local board community centres. Accessing Arts and events is important for me personally, as the only Samoan with Audio Describe Aotearoa. Last year, I audio described Dawn Raids presented by Auckland Theatre Company, attracting Pasifika Blind and Low Vision patrons, some of whom experienced their first ever audio-described theatre show. How is it possible in 2023, in a first world country, in our largest city, that Auckland blind residents have access to such events for the first time in their lives. This is only possible through the joined up efforts of the Arts, Health and Community sectors commissioning works, getting them to stage, and providers like us wrapping support around the Blind. We value and need collective approaches.

THESE CUTS ENSURE THESE FIRST EXPERIENCES MAY NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT MORE WORRYINGLY THEY WILL NEVER BECOME A NORMAL EXPERIENCE FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.

HOW DARE AUCKLAND COUNCIL propose cuts to Local Boards, regional grants, COMET, the Southern and Western Initiative - programmes that specifically address inequity.

We see the sharpest end of inequity in our local schools. We support them funding school holiday programmes and School Ready resources. We also acknowledge how community groups take the tiny dollars, peanuts, that we offer through our contestable community grants and deliver well beyond the dollar sign. Last week, I got feedback from one school’s hangi and umu event, including from a Teacher “My Pacific/Māori students felt such pride and mana to have their parents involved and were so proud to share their knowledge.” And one primary aged student said “This is the best day of my life, I loved it all. The food was delicious!” 

What the council proposes will hurt our children, with the impacts felt for decades. This is not catastrophising. Schools have said their need is not academic, it’s social.  Increasingly our local schools spend hours building partnerships with community orgs such as I Love Avondale, EcoMatters, Eat my Lunch, Kidscan, Sport Waitakere, Community Waitakere, Healthy Active learning, Bike Avondale, Whau Pasifika, Kai Avondale, Whau the People - virtually of whom receive council funding. Our community groups are filling gaps and these services are sadly duplicated all across auckland. 

You can’t outsource the funding of these community services. They already receive it, and already pull on all available funding levers - seeking contestable grants and funding from central govt Ministries. The loss of the council income line will mean some orgs will close their doors, never to reopen. 

HOW DARE THIS COUNCIL consider taking away Local Board funding of $16million, when a one percent rates rise yields $20million.

Have you costed the impact socially, the rise in mental & health services coping with individuals lacking support?

Have you costed the impact to businesses when ram-raids rise, when our young lose community spaces and programmes that give them hope and skills, which already run on the smell of an oily rag. 

Have you costed the loss of “the best day of my life”, not just for one child but communities of children across Auckland. 

We are worried that the outcomes from this proposed budget, signals a vision for Auckland that:

- takes services and hope from the poor and most vulnerable

- does not recognise that people are at the heart of a thriving community, not a balance sheet

- the very services you are cutting are from the communities, the essential workers that supported Tamaki Makaurau and Aotearoa through years of lockdowns. Communities mobilised faster for the recent floods than the Auckland Council’s own Emergency Management Centre, our hub crews did not clock off once their redeployed council shift was over.  

For some of you who are scared of empowered youth, minority groups, and enjoy generational wealth and all the opportunities, education and employment available to you, you won’t see what’s at the bottom from your immense height. But this budget signals your choice to widen inequality and keep our communities separated, unskilled and joyless.

We are worried that your choice to leave Local Government New Zealand, signals a vision for Auckland that:

- ignores democracy, with 15 of the 21 local boards choosing to stay, and only 1 voting to leave.

- your vision ignores the power of the collective, the reality and value of he waka eke noa - we are all in this together. 

We ask instead that your legacy is one that exhausts all levers available to it, first, before making cuts to our community services and support.

We finish with a very common Samoan proverb - O le ala i le pule, o le tautua - the pathway to leadership is through Service.

It’s a humbling but powerful concept - showing leadership…creating a legacy that serves the interests of others, rather than those of self-interest. We invite you, our elected Members, to keep this in mind when you decide on this budget.