Waitemata Local Board Draft Plan Now Out for Comment

The Waitemata Local Board, who represent the CBD Community, and are responsible for a wide range of activities, are asking people to provide comment on their Draft Local Board Plan by 8 August 2011.

Local boards form a key part of Auckland Council's governance structure making local decisions and providing local leadership. They complement the regional leadership and big picture decision-making role provided by the mayor and governing body councillors. The role of the local board is wide ranging, and includes:

· decision making on local services, facilities and activities in the local board area

· advocating on the communities behalf when decisions are being made by other agencies

· providing input to the development of region wide strategies and plans

· funding community groups through community grant funding

The Local Board plan aims to set out the aspirations and priorities for the local community and guide decisions on what happens in the Waitemata area over the next three years and beyond. We will be making a submission on the plan, and encourage businesses to either let us know your views on the plan so we can take it into consideration as of our submission.

Many aspects of the draft plan speak to Heart of the City’s interests, including

· the priority given to Heritage in the City Centre – including looking to complete a project of identification of heritage commercial buildings in the CBD, and proposing to mark sites and buildings of historical significance

· Advocating for improved Public Transport

· Acknowledging the importance of events to contribute to a vital city

· Moving towards being more sustainable

· Improving the city’s public spaces

Now is the time for you to take a look at the draft plan for the Waitemata area, and let the local board know if it’s on the right track. For more information and to provide feedback direct to Council here...