Eleven months ago we featured an item at our AGM (30 Aug 2016) “The Future of Community Facilities in Remuera” We asked for someone from the Council to speak on the topic of No. 4 Victoria Avenue (currently in use by CAB & Plunket nurse). We received a presentation from Panuku. (Learn more about Panuku here.)
Their presentation blindsided us – we learned of their intent to “optimise” this council owned non-performing asset and release latent value for “better performing opportunities…elsewhere”
This message did not go down well with the 50 or so residents present – including a number of the then Board. There was a strong view that improved community facilities were needed in Remuera, and that the asset value not be lost. An assurance was given that the Community Facilities section of the Council would establish what the community facility needs were in Remuera.
After much engagement by the RRA to pursue & offer assistance in this process, we could get no clear answers. We held another public meeting on the topic in November, inviting Community Facilities to use that opportunity to dialogue with Residents. This invitation was not taken up, but just hours before the meeting started we received notice that a survey would be undertaken shortly. This was the first indication of action.
We then learned they were engaging an external research firm to carry out a community needs survey. That survey occurred Jan/Feb of 2017 and the report submitted in March. We estimate up to $50,000 was spent on the external consultants from Wellington, including the costs of meetings, travelling expenses and an extensive mail drop to resident letterboxes.
But curiously, the brief for the survey was expanded to include Meadowbank & Orakei residents, as well as Remuera. Perhaps to save money, or to tick the boxes for consultation with these communities. Thus there was a mail drop in all three suburbs promoting an online survey, and amongst others, we circulated all our members electronically.
The online Survey proved to be unwieldy and hard to complete primarily because it attempted to cover all three suburbs in one survey. In the end only 218 people completed the online survey. We assess there are 6,400 households in Remuera alone, and this response was very poor. Through personal interviews the researchers did back up the survey’s findings.
On 31st March we asked for a copy of the Survey report, but were told it needed amendment and would be targeted for a Board meeting in May. We understand Board members did review the report, and requested some re-writing. The latest re-writing of the consultants report occurred earlier this month. But still we were not taken into confidence.
Finally, on 14th July the report was found in the agenda of the OLB meeting for 20th July 2017. Click here to read the report yourself. You’ll find it on pages 69-149 of the linked OLB Agenda bundle.
In our opinion, the officers report and the attached researchers report takes us nowhere.
We were very disappointed to learn that the research brief specifically “did not include testing the viability of a community centre in Remuera” – surely the primary reason for undertaking the survey of community needs in response to our concerns about the proposed future of No.4 Victoria Avenue.
We are back to the status quo – the Panuku imperative to “optimise the asset” at No. 4 Victoria Avenue remains – and community needs remain unidentified and unsatisfied. Mention of the significant number of Church & School halls in Remuera as alternative venues does not address their current high level of utilisation, and hence general lack of availability…. and does not address the lack of a sense of community identity that arises with community owned assets.
The survey describes a clear desire for something better for Remuera.
We are dismayed at the lack of leadership of the Board on this matter – the lack of collaboration and partnership with residents organisations and the community. The whole process appears adversarial and can only be described as “ticking the boxes” for public consultation. The biggest fear we have is that a deal has already been done with the land trapped developer behind No 4 Victoria Avenue – the original fear felt 11 months ago.
The land & buildings at No.4 have been valued at $3.0m on today market. If the developer is to get it there should be a premium – say $3.5m. Our contention is that whole of the money remains in Remuera for community facilities.
With further investigation and imaginative proposals a true community focus can be created – a park, play area, proper toilets, meeting rooms, art space, drop in area notice boards, etc. There are many possibilities that can be collaboratively designed and developed.
But the foresight of an earlier Council purchasing the property many years ago should not be squandered. We say the investment made belongs to the residents of Remuera, not to wider Auckland. Proportionally we pay a significant quantum of the Council’s rates income, but see almost nothing in return by way of capital enhancement to the very few council owned facilities in the suburb.
We need leadership, and not the window dressing that is the game that has been played over the last 11 months.
We ask that the imperative that Panuku is working under for “optimising” council owned assets be amended to exclude the sacrifice of community facilities, and invite the current Governing Body to re-visit the resolution it made in 2015.
We ask the overarching imperatives of the Auckland Plan be observed: “the Council will protect, enable, align, integrate and provide social and community infrastructure for present and future generations” And that the Local Board understands that this is done by “identifying social infrastructure needs and engaging local boards to prioritise community infrastructure requirements”
Iain Valentine, Chairman
Remuera Residents Association Inc