May Newsletter

Consultation

I strongly believe (and have said on multiple occasions), that if you ask for peoples opinion you should listen to that feedback and vote accordingly. The month of March saw Council seeking feedback on a range of plans including our ten-year budget, the Auckland Plan, and Waste and Pest management plans. I thank everyone who took the time and effort to participate in that process and send in their views.

Written feedback on the 5 main budget questions from the ten suburbs making up the Orakei Ward showed;

1. Most were willing to pay an additional rate to accelerate our Water Quality initiatives to reduce waste water overflows into our harbours
2. Most were willing to pay an additional rate to fund initiatives to help preserve and enhance our natural environment.
3. Most were supportive of a general rate rise of 2.5% for the first two years of the LTP and 3.5% thereafter.
4. Most were supportive of making changes to the Accommodation Providers Targeted Rate to include online accommodation providers.

On the implementation of a regional fuel tax, again, most respondents were supportive. Interestingly central government waited for Auckland Councils consultation on this matter to close before they announced their extra tax increases of between $0.09 and $0.12 per litre. This meant that the combined increase would not be 10c plus GST but pretty much double that to 23c - 25c including GST. I personally found the timing from central government very disappointing. They knew of the Mayors intention to look at extra charges for fuel for some time. The ultimate end user at the petrol pump looks to be now given two increases with details of the legislation still to be finalised. Those in opposition voiced their concerns to me that Auckland Transport was not efficient at spending the money it currently has, and until it could prove that it was, more money shouldn’t be forthcoming. Other concerns noted the negative impact of  increased cost on those who were financially challenged and prospective impacts on industry who rely on goods to be delivered by trucks such as grocery and local services such as plumbers, electricians etc…

Do you still support the Fuel Tax?

Council is now currently going back to Auckland residents and ratepayers to re ask if they still support a fuel tax understanding more about it including the financial implications , along with the projects that would be funded by the tax which weren’t known during that original consultation either.
 
The regional fuel tax ( RFT) is promoted to  fund 14 priority areas for transport investment, ranging from specific big ticket roading projects such as the Mill Road upgrade (Papakura) and Penlink (Whangaparaoa) to “buckets” of spending such as road safety, public transport, active transport and network improvements.
 
Auckland Transport are saying, funding from the proposed RFT would also go towards the Orakei Local Board’s initiative to add a vital north south connection to the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared Path across the Pourewa Valley.
 
The RFT as proposed, will raise $1.5b from Aucklanders over the next 10 years and that revenue will enable $4.27b of capital investment over the same period.
 
More information including the consultation documents can be found at www.akhaveyoursay.nz. Transport is one of the major issues that Council deals with so please don’t miss this opportunity to have your say.
 

Mayor Goff is back at work following his heart attack

April saw Mayor Goff being hospitalised following a heart attack.  I’m sure you all joined with me in wishing him a speedy recovery from what he has said ‘could have killed him’. I’m pleased to say that he has recovered well and is back on deck to lead Auckland through the challenging budgeting and planning processes in front of Council over the next few months.

Vector update
 

Last month Auckland weathered a huge storm which saw 140km/h winds damaging property, removing outdoor furniture and leaving many homes without power and hot water for days. At the time I was concerned about the slow response rate from Vector (who have the responsibility for the lines and ensuring Aucklanders have electricity delivered.)  They have responded by saying that the scale of what they were dealing with was massive – at one point around 180,000 customers were without power and/or hot water as they dealt with hundreds of outages and points of damage on their network. Vector told me they accept and understand the frustrations many of you had with communicating with Vector during that time – and for that, Vector says they are sorry. The company is reviewing its processes and the ways in which they communicate with customers and has already begun work on a new and improved Vector Outage App that will be able to function better during a major outage event like the April storm.

Funding Auckland’s Amenities

Local Government and therefore Auckland Council is a creature of legislation – the powers, responsibilities and duties that Council have are all delegated to authorities by central government. A count of relevant legislation identified 187 acts that impact upon what Council does and sometimes details how it must carry out its duties. This might not be the first time you’ve heard this from me and that is because it is so central to many of the issues that I face as a Councillor.
 
Auckland’s Amenity funding is an example of this. The Museum and MOTAT are funded through rates with the amounts being set by legislation. We also have a similar system for financing the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Authority (ARAFA) which is the mechanism by which Council provides operational funding towards the Auckland Festival Trust, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, Auckland Theatre Company, Coastguard, Surf Lifesaving, Rescue Helicopter, Stardome and others. Approval of the funding asks were recently agreed by the Finance and Performance Committee; $31.5m for the Museum, $13.9 for MOTAT and $14.6m for ARAFA.
 
In principle this is all well and good – these are great regional assets and worthy of our support, however I always have my eye on the books and see a potential risk for our financial planning. Historically, the ARAFA board has been very good at keeping funding asks well within their limits. This has been a good thing for the ratepayers of Auckland, however, given that the legislation provides limited ability to push back on any funding request, I see the risk of exposure for Council should the board ask for the maximum. The maximum that they could ask for currently is $33m (2% of rates revenue from the previous year).
 
I’ve advocated for staff to investigate options to better manage this potential funding exposure and I’m pleased to say that my colleagues around the council table agreed with me that this is a risk that we need to address. Staff will report back to the Finance and Performance Committee in August to suggest what changes to the legislation might give Auckland Council certainty about the funding requirements for ARAFA for the future without putting any of our amenities in jeopardy.
 
Last October, Council commissioned a review of the city’s Cultural Heritage Sector (including the museums, gallery and observatory). The purpose of the review is to examine the challenges faced by the sector and make any recommendations on how the governance of the sector could be improved. I am looking to this review as a way of ensuring that ratepayers money is well spent in this area and that Aucklanders can continue to receive value for money from these well-loved institutions. This review is due to be reported back to committee towards the end of this year. I’ll keep you posted
 

E bus launch

 

Auckland Transport launched a trial of two e-busses in April. The trial is to establish how these buses perform in the Auckland environment and what maintenance and total cost of ownership would look like for an electric bus fleet. While overseas information is available, there is no substitute for finding out the realities first hand. The two buses are more expensive than a normal bus, but there are savings to be had in fuel costs along with associated benefits of quiet, clean vehicles without CO2 emissions. The buses will be running various different routes across Auckland and their performance will be assessed  regularly over the coming months.
 

Threats to our trees
 

Auckland is currently facing up to three tree diseases which threaten many of our iconic trees. Most of the diseases are not new to Auckland, however they have been prominent in the headlines recently and Council has a role in combating them.

Kauri Dieback is perhaps the most well reported of the diseases, this is caused by a fungus-like organism which is spread through infected soil. With the Waitakere ranges heavily affected already and new cases discovered more recently in Birkenhead, Council has taken steps to close some tracks in the Waitakere Ranges to minimize the likelihood of human movement spreading the infection. At present the Hunuas are unaffected, so if you are walking there please make sure your boots are clean before you head in and that you stick to the path.

Dutch Elm disease has also been with us for decades (first identified in Auckland in 1989). This is a disease spread by a beetle. Council’s strategy for responding to it is to eradicate the disease by removing any tree infected so that it can no longer be a source of infection. Sadly this has meant that over the last few months we have lost a stand of trees on Mt Hobson/Ohinerau and other notable trees around the CBD. Overall though, the work that Auckland has done on this has been effective in containing it to Auckland and preventing its spread further south.
 

Improving water quality in Ōkahu Bay
 

For years Okahu Bay has varying levels of poor water quality. One of the contributing factors has been aged ‘below the ground’ infrastructure from some of our ‘older suburbs.’ In December last year Council’s Healthy Waters team began a project to separate the combined stormwater and wastewater systems in the area, which will reduce the overflows into Ōkahu Bay that are the main cause of water quality issues.
 
In the 5 months that the project has been going, 792 private property drainage inspections have been undertaken to determine whether their stormwater and wastewater drainage systems were separated as mapping Council held was very old.
 
The number of private properties still with combined stormwater and wastewater drainage systems was higher than we anticipated.  Design consultants are currently working on the separation works which is expected to take until the of the year. Some properties, where the status is yet to be determined will require further site investigations. 
 
I’m excited that this Council is finally beginning a process that will both improve water quality in Okahu Bay and deliver quality stormwater and wastewater infrastructure for Orakei. With Okahu Bay becoming a highly used water sports and recreational destination, the urgency is even greater so the progress the Healthy Waters project team are making is encouraging.
 

Got a dog?

I received a request from a young constituent which I’d be interested in your feedback on. Please have a look at the video and let me know your thoughts Desley.simpson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

 
All pet owners maybe interested in the fact that Auckland Council have asked Auckland Transport to look at rules that would allow pets on public transport. Wellington City Council gave the go ahead earlier this year and those of you who travel know its common in many European cities. We are expecting feedback from Auckland Transport later in the year.
 

Finally...

Finally once again I urge you to have your say on the Regional Fuel Tax. Consultation Closes Monday May 14 at 5:00pm. www.akhaveyoursay.nz


 

STORM DAMAGE AND PREPARADNESS

To those who have recently experienced powercuts  and storm damage, my thoughts are with you.

Auckland experienced hurricane windgusts of up to 140km/h in the city which peaked at 213 km/h at Manukau heads on Tuesday night. At the storms peak 182,000 properties were without power as Vector experienced extensive damage to its network.

My own home was without power for a few hours, had roof damage and ended up with outdoor furniture we didn’t own. However this was significantly better than many parts of Auckland who  over 36 hours later are still without power and hot water.

Tonight  we are set for more bad weather. Please check on neighbours and loved ones. Ensure you are well stocked with batteries, candles, have access to a radio and secure all outdoor furniture.  For those who cannot call on family or friends for help, they can contact Auckland Emergency Management on 0800222200 for advice and assistance

If your life is at risk please phone 111

Many people think power outages is Auckland Councils responsibility but power to homes and businesses is the responsibility of Vector. They have had over 100 crew out throughout the region working 24 hours to restore power and fix damage and even called in others from outside the region to assist. I’m sure you along with me thank them for the efforts. However, there are a number of questions I’ll be following up with Vector as we seem to be having ‘power losses’ more frequently. Questions include -What is the main reason for the outages? Trees v power lines or aged infrastructure? What is the strategy for undergrounding powerlines and what is your reasoning behind prioritisation of locations. Why did your website and mobile app fail during this time of ‘crisis’ for many Aucklanders? I’ll keep you posted re their response.

 Council call volumes, with requests to respond to downed trees or issues relating to the storm, have returned to normal ‘business as usual’ levels. Council has had three crews of arborists out removing felled trees throughout the storm response. Arborists and maintenance teams will continue to work on clean-up over the next few days.

Public transport services have returned to normal, however power outages are affecting lighting at some train stations and some traffic signals. Generator power is in place where possible.

Power outage tips

·         Throw away any frozen food that has been exposed to temperatures above 4°C for two hours or more or that has an unusual odour, colour or texture. When in doubt, throw it out.

·         If food in the freezer is colder than 4°C and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it.

·         Contact your GP if you’re concerned about medications having spoiled.

·         Restock your emergency kit with fresh batteries, canned foods and other supplies.

·         Households that require power to pump water from tanks or to operate septic systems may need special assistance.

·         Conserve your hot water.

I do hope tonight isn’t too bad as we weather the storm together

Kind regards

Desley

Final Chance to Have Your Say

Dear Readers, 

This will be my last newsletter on the Long Term Budget before feedback closes on Wednesday 28th March.

I am extremely sad to advise that as of last Thursday only 304 people have responded from the Orakei Ward. I strongly urge you to have your say. I will listen and promise my vote will reflect your feedback.

As you will be aware I’ve covered information on  general rates and the UAGC, the proposed new Water Quality rate and the proposed new targeted rate for Natural Environment based on capital values,  the mayors proposed fuel tax along with funding issues for the Auckland Art Gallery, new charges for rubbish collection, funding for Ohinerau ( Mt Hobson) and  Mt Wellington, Managing pests on Parks ( rats, stoats, possums, pigs and  cats) ,Adding more Community Recycling Centres, Heritage funding and investment ( or lack of) in Sport and Recreation.
 
This newsletter I’m going to cover

1. The proposal to get rid of Auckland Council Investment Limited
2. Increase in Water charges from Watercare
3. Debt
4. Staff numbers
5. CCO Accountability

 - Desley Simpson
Councillor for Auckland representing the Orakei Ward

Proposal To Disestablish Auckland Council Investment Limited

Auckland Council is asking for feedback on a proposal to disestablish Auckland Council Investments Limited (ACIL). This is a Council Controlled Organisation that was set up at amalgamation to act as an arms- length entity managing Auckland Council’s significant investment portfolio away from the political arena and return a dividend to Council. Currently it has just two major investments: a 100% shareholding in the Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) and a 22.3% shareholding in Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL). Together these shareholdings return about $86m to the Council per year. ACIL costs just over $1m per year to operate.

The option to disestablish ACIL and absorb it into the Council Parent would likely save between $500,000 and $800,000 in expenses per year and could have some benefits to POAL through use of shared services. On the other side, there is the potential that this makes the long term commercial objectives of POAL more likely to be affected by political decision making and a risk is that this undermines the profitability (and therefore the dividend returned by) the company. Is this worth it for a savings of $500k -$800k per year?  With disestablishment of ACIL, the Airport and Ports of Auckland shares get transferred to Council and politicians . Do you think that’s a good idea? Have your say as part of the Long Term Plan consultation before 28 March www.akhaveyoursay.nz #akhaveyoursay

WATER CHARGES and WASTE WATER CHARGES set by Watercare

In Council we talk about Three Waters, being water supply (tap water), waste water and storm water. Watercare Limited is a Council Controlled Organization that was set up under the Auckland Council legislation and it is responsible for water supply and wastewater. Unlike other CCO’s it doesn’t receive Council funding and has a very clear mandate to ensure that water costs are kept to a minimum practicable while maintaining their assets and provision of water and wastewater services. This also includes that they may not return any kind of profit or dividend to the Council. This means that 100% of their revenue is either used to fund their operations or invested back into their assets.

Based on their asset management and investment plans, Watercare are projecting an annual increase of 2.5% for Water charges and 3.3% for Waste Water charges over the course of the Long Term Plan, as signaled by their Statement of Intent and included in the LTP consultation document. Ultimately, the Board of WaterCare Limited are responsible for approving their charges but we are asking what you think? #akhaveyoursay

One of the headlines from this LTP consultation is the proposal to include a Water Quality Targeted Rate to improve the health of our harbours. That rate reflects the part of the work that the Council parent would have in resolving the issues but does not account for the total $856m cost of the work.The programme envisages that $404m of the total spend will be funded by Watercare Limited through their user charges. This is expenditure that Watercare had already factored in and isn’t directly driving their proposed increases.

Debt

Council’s debt figures are without a doubt, eye wateringly large – $9b in borrowings for the council group now and projected to rise to $12.6b by 2028. Price Waterhouse Coopers were asked to provide an independent opinion on Councils debt raising strategy. I quote from their written opinion presented to our  February Finance and Performance Committee which says  “We believe Councils funding strategy and use of off shore debt markets is a consistent, prudent and efficient means of satisfying the above underlying statutory objectives to future proof Councils ability to access long term funding and in ensuring liquidity capacity” So, whilst I appreciate that these numbers can be mind boggling initially, they do in fact represent prudent financial practice.



One also needs to understand is that Council only funds capital projects through debt and this means that the cost of the asset can be paid off over the lifetime of the asset. This helps to manage the cost of Auckland’s infrastructure across the generations that will benefit from it. The cost of debt (repayments/interest) is funded through operational expenditure, as is the depreciation of those assets.

Credit rating agency Standard & Poors, consistently gives Auckland Council an AA rating. This is very good, second only to central government and higher than any other Council in New Zealand. When calculating the rating, they also look at Auckland Council’s ability to service their debt. This means that they focus on the ratio between the revenue that Council receives and the debt level that it has. We are very aware of this as we are creeping up towards our limit. It’s important to ensure that we do not get too close as that would potentially downgrade our AA rating. A downgrade is a lose-lose situation for Council as the interest payments on our debt would increase significantly as a result of that.

Auckland is gaining nearly 50,000 people each year. On top of that, thanks to the unitary plan, adding new greenfield urban development 1.5x times the size of Hamilton over the next 30 years. Those figures challenge us to deliver on new infrastructure above and below the ground to meet that need as well as servicing that which we currently have.

 

Staff

I have written previously about the council’s staffing levels when the staff numbers were announced through the Council’s Annual Report last September.

That report had shown that more money had been spent on staffing across the council group than budgeted and while there were various reasons given for this, I raised concerns that budgets once set, should be adhered to. As a result, the Auckland Council CEO’s performance objectives now include ‘ensuring that the Council (parent) keeps to the salaries and wages budget.’ – watch this space ….

While staff numbers have historically increased, and this LTP draft budget is no different,  increase does occur against a backdrop of very significant population growth which puts pressure on Council’s services; particularly in areas such as Resource Consents where a busy construction industry may require additional Council staff resource to keep pace. Plotting the number of council staff against the population growth in Auckland shows that since 2014 the number of staff per 1000 Aucklanders has been reducing slightly each year for both the council parent and the wider council group.

Ultimately, the concern with Council staff numbers is one of concern that public money is being used to the best effect. The Value For Money programme (Section 17A Reviews) is a great vehicle to identify where and how council can improve its practice and use rates money to the best effect, whether it is by removal of duplication or through ensuring Council is up to international best practice standards across its many functions. The mayor last week officially asked me to work alongside him to ensure deliver value for money in everything we do. As you can appreciate this is huge job, but a challenge I am up for.

CCO Accountability

CCO’s are accountable to the Council, which agree the objectives and targets for each CCO and monitor their performance. The Council is required to have a policy on the accountability of its CCO’s and during this LTP we are looking at tightening up that policy. The policy includes expectations such as providing value for money, managing risk appropriately, building a group approach to achieve outcomes for Aucklanders and assisting to build trust and confidence in the Council group.

Do you agree these are common expectations that all CCO’s should meet?

And a final plug from me to you, your family, friends and neighbours to look and see how the suggestions will impact your rates bill, your community and Auckland.
 

Please take a few minutes to HAVE YOUR SAY at akhaveyoursay.nz #akhaveyoursay

I’ll listen.

SECOND MARCH NEWSLETTER

 

Dear Readers, 

As there is much to discuss as part of Councils ten year budget, I’m sending you a second newsletter this month to update you on more subjects we are consulting on.

Last week I covered general rates and the UAGC, the proposed new Water Quality rate and the proposed new targeted rate for Natural Environment, the mayors fuel tax along with funding issues for the Auckland Art Gallery and new charges for rubbish collection.

This newsletter will cover- Funding for Remuera’s Ohinerau (Mt Hobson), managing pests, adding more community recycling centres, heritage focus and funding and sport and recreational funding.

 - Desley Simpson
Councillor for Auckland representing the Orakei Ward
 

Funding for Ohinerau (Mt Hobson) and Mt Wellington

Fourteen of Auckland’s distinctive Volcanic Cones are managed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority. This authority was set up by the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act 2014 and its membership includes representatives of iwi and Auckland Council who manage the maunga   (mountains) for the common benefit of iwi and all Aucklanders. Their plan for the maunga is being consulted upon as part of the Long Term Plan.

Although we have several maunga (mountains)  nearby, Ōhinerau/Mt Hobson is the only maunga within the Orakei Ward administered by the authority and I think this treasured landmark is worthy of a specific mention. The plan includes an increase in operational expenditure next year, primarily in pest and vegetation management, with capital works including enhancements to the track network and signage coming over the next three years.

Do you agree Ohinerau/Mt Hobson needs designated funding for Pest and vegetation management, track enhancements and upgraded signage?

Managing pests in Auckland (rats, stoats, possums, pigs and cats)

The Regional Pest Management Plan is another area where council wants to know what you think this month. This plan is to replace the previous plan that dates all the way back before the creation of Auckland Council. The plan is a mix of regulatory rules (e.g. what species are controlled and to what level) and proposing works to maintain and improve Auckland’s ecosystems. The activities suggested would be funded in part through the proposed Natural Environment targeted rate and the total work programme will depend on the funds made available through the long term plan.

A part of the plan which has attracted early attention is that it clarifies when and where cats are considered a pest cat vs a pet cat. It is proposed that Cat control will only occur around certain high ecological value sites where other pest animals are also being controlled e.g. Shakespear Regional Park. None of these sites are in Orakei or on the urban isthmus. Affected communities will be notified well in advance of any action being taken, and ensuring cats are microchipped will prevent any moggies from being mistaken for feral.

Do you think this will work and is the right thing to do?

So what else is changing? This iteration adds 11 new animal pests and 55 new plant pests to the list of controlled species. Several of the new species are currently sold by the pet or nursery industry, however gardeners and pet owners will still be able to retain existing plants or pets that they already have just won’t be able to purchase new individuals of the banned species.

Examples of animals proposed to be listed as a new pest species are bearded and eastern water dragons which have previously been allowed as pets.

Examples of a new plant species included in the proposal as pests are short-form agapanthus (with some exceptions for low fertility cultivars) and several species of bamboo.

Particular priority in this plan goes to preventing the spread of Kauri dieback, particularly to Hauraki Gulf Islands and the Hunua Ranges and eradication of pests on gulf islands.

Find the full proposed plan here

Find the feedback form  here
 

Adding more Community Recycling Centres

Auckland’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP) is a refresh of the 2012 plan which set a vision for “Zero waste by 2040”. While some progress has been made: household waste dropped 10% from 2010-2016, there is a long way to go and other sectors of waste are increasing (especially construction and demolition waste).

One of the proposals is to increase the number of Community Recycling Centres to twelve – currently there are 5, in Whangaparaoa, Helensville, Devonport, Waitakere and Waiuku. The centres are Council owned and run by community enterprise, turning unwanted goods into saleable items. So far, these centres are reportedly effective in diverting waste from landfill (exceeding expectations by diverting more than 60% of materials received away from landfill). The network at present has noticeable gaps particularly in central and south Auckland which would be covered by new facilities, for example at Western Springs and Mt Wellington/Panmure.

What do you think about expanding the network? Do you think you’d find it useful?

You can read more here and have your say here.
 

Heritage funding

Auckland Councils first Auckland Plan had 14 pages designated to Heritage. The draft Auckland Plan has none, not mentioned at all. To those keen on built heritage and the many heritage groups we have, this is very concerning. Staff say that while heritage is no longer given the status as a separate chapter in the plan, it is something that underpins other objectives such as creating/maintaining a sense of belonging and identity for Auckland. This iteration of the Auckland Plan has focused on narrowing the number of priorities so that the plan is more focussed.  While the Auckland Plan is not a funding or regulatory document, it sets the direction for Council’s work.

One example of Council’s work in this area is the grants programme, where landowners who have heritage homes are able to apply to the Council’s Regional Historic Heritage Grant to assist with maintaining their heritage buildings for the future with activities such as seismic strengthening. The size of this fund has been $80,700 for the past few years and change to this is not proposed at this point. In addition, the 21 Local Boards have funded heritage work from their contestable grants to the value of $86,927 between them in the past year.

Historic buildings owned and maintained by council in the Orakei Ward include the Remuera Library and the St Heliers Library. Funding for their maintenance and upkeep whilst regionally based comes through the OLB. I do know that the full cost of work proposed for the St Heliers library is unable to be funded from existing budgets.

What do you think, does council spend enough on heritage? Is it something that the Auckland Plan should explicitly deal with, or is it best placed as something that supports other priorities?
 

Sport and Recreation

The Parks and Community Budget covers a wide range of council facilities including parks, community halls and public spaces. Whilst the LTP shows that the Parks and Community area has a 10 year Capital budget of $3.2 billion (an increase of $800 million compared to the previous LTP), I have heard concerns from the sporting sector that this may be insufficient investment into sport and recreation. This is concerning. Not only do facilities need to be upgraded and maintained to ensure their longevity, but new facilities are required to address the current shortfall and the rapid growth in Auckland’s population – these needs are applicable to both indoor and outdoor spaces.

If there is inadequate investment in sport, recreation and physical activity in Auckland risks driving participation rates down. Physical inactivity cost New Zealand’s health care system over $200 million in 2013. 32% of New Zealand children are expected to be overweight or obese by 2025, with 21% of 4-year-old children in Auckland already overweight or obese.

Furthermore, the availability of spaces and facilities is already failing to meet demand in certain areas. Known, current, and well-researched regional facility plans prepared by sports codes demonstrate current, short-, and medium- term shortfalls in facility provision, including gaps of approximately 30 indoor courts 70 outdoor netball courts and 40 outdoor tennis courts; as well as winter sports fields shortfall in hours the equivalent of circa 50 artificial turfs.

Without sufficient investment, our current and future community sport and recreation spaces are further compromised. This means our growing, increasingly diverse population won’t have adequate access to suitable infrastructure to participate in physical activity – whether it’s a competitive rugby match, social tennis or sports events. Even with the increase in funding for renewals indicated in the draft LTP, Council has acknowledged that there will be a decreased level of service, deteriorating assets, and risk of failure and asset closure.

Having invested so much of my efforts to upgrade Madills Farm, Colin Maiden Park, Ngahue Reserve, Michaels Ave and Glover Park during my time as Orakei Local Board chair, I would like to see this investment continue so all codes were catered for to meet current and future demands. Do you agree?  Tell us what you think.
 

Have Your Say

Remember you can Have your say at akhaveyoursay.nz -  feedback is due on or before March 28.

March Newsletter

Dear Readers, 

It’s been a busy start to the year with Council lodging resource consent for the Americas Cup Village and preparing consultation material to ask Aucklanders their thoughts on how rates should be set and spent for the next ten years. Whilst we ask you to think ten years out, the reality is the first three years are the most crucial, as by law, the ten year process needs to be repeated every political term (3 years). The suggestions are not all supported by me personally but my vote will reflect your feedback.
The consultation covers a very wide range of topics and proposals. The 4 main ones I’ll cover in this newsletter are:

1. General rates rise and the UAGC amount
2. New targeted rates proposed and funding mechanisms for these
3. The proposed Fuel tax, and
4.  the Orakei Local Board’s main project.

I’d also like to touch on:

1. Revaluations

1. Other consultation items and opportunities to Have Your Say!

 - Desley Simpson
Councillor for Auckland representing the Orakei Ward
 

General Rates and UAGC

Broadly speaking, Council’s draft proposal seeks to constrain the general residential rate increases that fund the bulk of Council’s investment and activity, to 2.5% for years 1 and 2. The plan looks to increase this to 3.5% for following years. The UAGC (Uniform Annual General Charge) is also set to rise 2.5% to $414 for 2017/18 and another 2.5% in 2018/19. Again the plan looks to increase this to 3.5% for following years. This will be the highest UAGC Auckland Council has ever had. Remember this is ‘good’ for our ward on the whole, as the higher the UAGC, the lower the proportion of rates that is calculated on your property’s capital value, noting Orakei is the highest residential ratepaying ward in Auckland. Do you agree with the proposed UAGC and rates rise?

Business rates-
The draft proposal proposes to resume the “Long Term Differential Strategy” which incrementally lowers the proportion of rates paid by business ratepayers. Currently business pays 32.7% of general rates and this would be gradually lowered to 25.8% over twenty years. This is done gradually so that the effect on residential ratepayers is not more than a 0.5% increase in any given year. As a Business ratepayer (or residential ratepayer) do you agree?

New Targeted rates based on capital value of your property

The suggestion in the draft plan is also to add options for additional targeted rates to increase council spend in areas where Council has a great need, namely - Water Quality, and our Natural Environment.

Water Quality Targeted Rate

In my opinion, it is unacceptable that in a city such as ours, that we still have sewage overflowing at times into our harbours. Sadly, past investment in water infrastructure has struggled to match the growth our region has faced. The Water Quality Targeted rate proposal suggests raising and using this additional funding, to specifically reduce the amount of wastewater overflows. Orakei Ward currently has 11 points where overflows can enter Hobson Bay, 8 overflows entering Okahu Bay and 22 entering the Orakei Basin.  Safeswim (the updated website identifying beaches safe for swimming and free from sewage discharge) has shown that in January this year, St Heliers Beach and Okahu Bay registered water quality, below the National Guidelines over 23% of the time.  Mission Bay and Kohimarama registered below guidelines 16% of the time. All beaches had additional rates of between 3-6% of ‘risks to people with lower immunities such as the elderly’. The Water Quality Targeted rate proposal suggests raising and using this additional funding to specifically reduce the amount of wastewater overflows. Whilst consultation documentation talks about the extra rate as being on average $66 per year, this would vary based on your homes capital value.  (I lost my recommendation on votes around the Town Hall table to have this as a set charge). Do you agree with this extra targeted rate to specifically clean up our beaches and waterways?

Natural Environment Targeted Rate

Council has also been recently faced with some major environmental challenges such as Kauri Dieback disease and introduced pest species. On top of that, Auckland has the sad label of being the ‘world’s weediest city’ because of our high number of invasive plant species. Late last year a number of cases of Myrtle Rust were found on Pohutukawa. Myrtle Rust is a fungal disease which targets related species such as Pohutukawa and Manuka. Data shows more cases of this disease were found in Remuera than any other part of Auckland. Myrtle rust is being addressed by the Ministry of Primary Industries ( MPI)  but Council needs to play its part too.

Ratepayers and residents are being asked whether they wish to contribute to specifically targeting the reduction of Kauri Dieback along with rural possum control and plant and animal pest eradication on the Gulf Islands with a Natural Environment targeted rate calculated based on the capital value of their property. Consultation material will offer you three options; not to invest further into initiatives to protect the Natural Environment, a small targeted rate that would fund a limited suite of initiatives (gathering an extra $136m over 10 years) or a larger rate with a fuller range of activities (gathering an extra $311m over 10 years). Do you think we should keep doing what we do within budget, or pay more through a targeted rate?

Regional Fuel Tax

The mayor is also asking Aucklanders to also consider a Regional Fuel Tax. Unlike the other two suggested targeted rates, it’s not yet clear exactly what projects this tax would fund. Transport has a number of masters. Obviously Auckland Transport is given budget to deliver transport infrastructure and solutions in Auckland, but for large transport projects Council often shares the spend with central government. A good local example, is the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive shared path. You will remember that following lobbying to the MP for Tamaki Simon O’Connor from the then Orakei Local Board based on community feedback, this project was agreed to be funded by both central government and then following that, Council. We are currently waiting for the new government to confirm their transport policy and at time of writing this hasn’t been completed. However due to the good work done with the previous government, we do know that Auckland faces at least a $5.9 billion shortfall in transport spending. To confuse things even more, every residential ratepayer currently pays $113.85 per annum as an extra transport cost. This was instituted in 2015 by the Len Brown Council as a flat charge to all properties as a stop gap funding measure until a new transport revenue source was identified. The proposal now is to replace that set levy with a Regional Fuel Tax of $0.10 plus GST ($0.115c) litre of fuel (diesel and petrol) to help fund the shortfall. I am still waiting to hear if this would release funding for local projects or specifically be allocated to fund any transport projects to benefit our Ward.

What do you think about paying extra through a fuel tax to assist funding transport for our region? ( noting we don’t know what for as yet)
 

Orakei Local Board Initiative

The Orakei Local Board has chosen as their number one initiative, the popular north south connection to the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive shared path at Gowing Drive. In the past, even though the Orakei Local Board have put up projects well supported by our community, they have been unfunded due to a lost vote around the Town Hall table. I’m hoping to change that.

But I need to know if you support this.

Re-Valuation of your home

You will remember that independent revaluation of all Auckland properties was done in November last year. Whilst we all know Auckland is expensive, overall revaluation showed that the value of Auckland’s real estate had increased by a whopping 46% since valuations were last done in 2014! Some properties in the Orakei ward increased significantly more than the overall average of 46% and others less. This means that unlike last year’s clear 2.5% rates increase, the change you see on your rates bill for the year beginning July 2018, will probably not match the 2.5% - some will be higher, and some will be lower. Not everyone likes a high property valuation as obviously it’s the capital value of your home which influences how much you pay in rates.
 
By way of average figures for our ward, sadly revaluation will mean 304 properties will receive a rates rise over 40% before you even start adding the extra proposed rates, 15,511 properties over 2.5%. There is good news for some though, 10,409 properties will have a rates reduction on last year.
 
To check what YOUR rates will look like with all that’s proposed please follow this link and put in your address. You will see the rates you currently pay, the increase or decrease proposed and then what the extra targeted rates will do to your bill.
 
If you have any questions or queries, please contact me.
 

Other consultation items and opportunities to have your say!

Extra funding for the Auckland Art Gallery

In 2005 Auckland Art Gallery received $6.4M of operational funding. You will remember the Art Gallery closed for extensive renovation and extension and reopened in 2011 with an operational funding budget of $9.2M. previous Council regimes have then annually reduced the budget for the Gallery down to $6.9M, very close to what it was 13 years ago even though the Art Gallery has 50% more exhibition space and 80% more public event space. After some lobbying (and yes, I was one) the Mayor is now suggesting an extra $2M per year additional funding as part of the ten year budget. This is not guaranteed at all. In fact it’s still not even in the draft budget for consultation. So if you agree the art gallery needs more funding you will need to specifically say so in your submission. If you don’t agree the Art Gallery needs more funding, is not so necessary to mention it- it’s not in the current draft.

Charging more for your rubbish collection

Also coming in the plan are some changes to the way that council’s rubbish collection works. These changes don’t start to affect Orakei until next financial year, but they are worth knowing about and having your say on them. We currently pay for refuse and recycling collection through fixed rates that are the same for every property: $ 117 for your red bin and base rate of $102 for your blue recycling bin and inorganic collection. From next year the proposal is to give you a third bin just for food waste. This would be compulsory and add $67 extra per year to your bill. The theory behind this separate food waste collection is that it would greatly reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfills. Your red bin would be collected only when you put it out and you would be charged $3.80 every time you did or that. Currently you pay $219 per year through your rates for these services and under this proposal you would pay an estimated $264 per year from 2020/21 (through rates and user charges), with an added bin for food waste collection. Do you support this?
 

Get involved.

Complete information on all the budget issues is available on the council website including what the various proposals (if agreed on) would mean for your property’s rates bill. Information will also be at your local library and through your local Residents Association. My main request to you, is to please take some time and be part of the discussion and let me know what you think. My vote will reflect your feedback.
 
There will be a public meeting at St Chad’s Church and Community Centre March 15th at 7pm if you want to discuss the above issues specifically with me, as well as a drop in session at:

• Eastridge Shopping Centre 10 March, 1:00pm-3:00pm.

Submissions opened February 28 and close on 28 March. See The Auckland Council website for full information.

Remember, I am always available to listen and look forward to seeing you at an event or reading your submission.

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

Working within our budget

There have been a number of recent stories in the Herald on Council’s budget blowouts, the high cost staff travel (and the transparency around that) along with concerns re staff numbers and salaries. The Council Chief Executive (CE) is the only employee of the Governing Body (Mayor and Councillors) so it is through him that we need to address change. I am publicly on record in the NZ Herald ‘Auckland Council Chief Executive Stephen Town Defends High Salaries’, 13 October as saying “I believe that actuals versus the budget should be a key performance indicator (KPI) for the chief executive to meet”.  

I am pleased to advise that is now a reality and effective immediately.

As a Councillor I have two levers to address these issues. First through the Chief Executive himself and secondly through the budget and the objectives that are given to the Chief Executive.

As a member of the Appointments and Performance Committee which was set up (amongst other things) to first monitor, define and then recommend to the GB the CE’s performance and KPI’s, I promoted more definitive KPI’s for our CE. These were supported, and Council’s Governing Body approved the latest Chief Executive Performance measures at our meeting on 23 November, replacing the objectives set in December 2015.

The refreshed objectives spell out the expectation that through the Chief Executive, Council parent will no longer see an annual report where budget is overspent, unless it has been politically approved.  In fact, the objectives specifically request that the CE keeps to the budget allocation for staff salaries, holds staff numbers stable, delivers on the Value for Money (section 17A) actions, reduces core operating costs per capita and finds $600,000 in savings for the travel budget over the next two years. This is a far greater level of financial detail for the CE to work with, than the 2015 objectives which focused on the budget as a whole.

Should the CE feel that operationally we need to deviate from any budget for whatever reason, he needs to come to the Governing Body for approval to do so.

Further transparency and disclosure around travel and related expenses etc… will be addressed in the New Year.

A well-run council is critical for the region (and indeed NZ) to succeed. As a Councillor, it is important for me to both hold the organisation to account when necessary, and to make decisions that will help the organisation improve for the future. I believe these new KPIs will hold the organization to a higher level of accountability and am pleased the Chief Executive, and the wider organisation, seem to be up for the challenge.

The state of our Parks

There has been much media and community concern re the state of our parks. Whilst this is a local board issue, in so much it is within their delegation, because there were serious region wide concerns this came to Councillors attention. Ventia, one of council’s major contractors and the contractor for the Orakei Ward, was issued with a performance notice to improve the state of mowing and gardening due to poor deliverables.

A letter was issued on Friday, 23 November 2017, confirming that Ventia had not met the conditions of their contract and they issued a public apology. Weekly audits of contractor performance are being providing all elected members to give us oversight of performance as Ventia work to meet their objectives. The first audit result from the first week of November showed that in Orakei only 65% of items were maintained to the required standard, but in the most recent audit this increased to 87%. Despite this improvement, I believe management have let ratepayers down in allowing such poor performance to occur in the first place.

Thank you for your patience, while Council sorts out their management of the contracting. If you see any parks or community facilities you feel do not meet an acceptable standard (including overflowing rubbish bins) please contact our call centre (09) 301 0101 which is operational 24 hours each and every day.

Orakei Local Board’s Local Initiative in the Long Term Plan

Each term of council has an opportunity to make a Long Term Plan (budget) for Council. For the 2018 Plan, all local boards were asked to identify their top project to seek funding from the mayor and councillors. The Orakei Local Board has identified the Orakei Spine Shared Path Connection which is a north/south connection to the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared path as their priority project. This project is one that increases the utility of the shared path by people on both sides of Purewa Valley and will help relieve traffic pressure particularly around St Johns Road by providing an alternate route to the schools in the area.

The draft long term plan is developing rapidly and the Mayors proposal (released on 30 November) whilst not confirming this project specifically, is open to including it. The shared path from Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive has been a popular initiative in previous feedback and my sense is that the Local Board has done a good job developing this proposal. The next stage is for Councillors and the Mayor to hear your views through the Long Term Plan consultation period in March next year before we make decisions. Consultation is an effective way to influence your decision makers, particularly those who do not know our area well so please make your voices heard when we ask February/March next year. ( I’ll remind you!)

Raising the standard of reporting

I know it seems obvious, but reports provided to elected members from which they make their decisions, need to be of top quality. I’ve been appointed chair of the Quality Advice Political Advisory Group to improve the current standard.

Respected research organisation NZIER, takes a sample of reports each year from a range of public sector agencies and prepares ratings of how good they are in providing advice and options to elected representatives. In this year’s assessment Auckland Council’s score was 7.11 which is an average rating of ‘adequate’. This is a similar result to 2016 which is disappointing as the goal is improvement. I believe as the largest council in NZ, Auckland Council should achieve the highest rating of all Councils in the country. I also believe your elected members should receive reports that are more than ‘adequate’. Following this year’s results, I was invited to present to senior management and share my perspective on Council reports, the first time a current elected member has done so I’m told. A new report template will be adopted in the new year and this is intended to help strengthen the reporting produced by Council staff for elected members.

Opening of Melanesian Mission

The Melanesian Mission on Selwyn Reserve is a landmark heritage building that gives Mission Bay its name. I was privileged to attend the re-opening of the Mission after the restoration work undertaken by Heritage New Zealand was completed last month.

The Mission has been used over the years as a mission house (of course), naval training facility, industrial school, flying school during WWI, museum and restaurant. The restoration work included seismic strengthening which will ensure that this icon is with us for decades to come.

Photo Credit: Marcel Tromp

Opening of Heritage trail

The Orakei Local Board opened the Stonefields Heritage Trail on 21st November. As I was OLB chair when the project started, the Board kindly invited me to speak at the opening. Again, I congratulate the current Orakei Local Board on delivering the completion of this project and know many are already  enjoying the trail and the fantastic pou installations that have been donated by Ngāti Paoa, Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki and Ngāti Te Ata.

Pictured here from left to right; Councillor Desley Simpson, MP for Maungakiekie, Denise Lee and all the Orakei Local Board members

Auckland Domain Committee Update

At our Nov 30 meeting of the Domain Committee, we heard from the Auckland Holocaust Memorial Trust who have a proposal for a Holocaust and genocide memorial, potentially based around the Fairy Pond at the Winter Gardens. The committee agreed to instruct staff to work with the Trust on finding an appropriate location for the memorial which would be funded by the Trust through their own fundraising.

Another key item was to strengthen the parking enforcement by delegating Auckland Transport the authority to enforce the prohibition on parking on the grass and kerbs. Previously this has been outside of their authority.

We also approved the liquor ban for future Lantern Festivals and gave approval for ANZAC Dawn and Civic commemorations to take place for the next five years.

Rubbish Collections

Please note that there will be changes to our kerbside rubbish collections over the Christmas /New Year period and Auckland Anniversary weekend (January 29th). Most kerbside rubbish collections will take place one day later than usual. You can check your collection day by entering your address the council website.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

an enjoyable yet challenging year but I am looking forward to a holiday. There will be no January newsletter but I will be starting my monthly newsletters up in February 2018.

Until then, I wish those who celebrate it, a very happy, safe and relaxing Christmas. To those who don’t best wishes and to all, a safe, relaxing summer holiday break.

Thank you for your support,

Desley

November Newsletter

Smokefree Auckland

Up until November, our smokefree policy prohibited smoking at council run facilities including; all parks and reserves, Playgrounds, Sportsfields and Skate parks, Council service centres, Local board offices, Libraries, Stadiums, Swimming pools, Community facilities and Halls, Museums and the Zoo, Leisure, recreation and arts centres, train stations and platforms, bus stations, bus shelters and ferry terminals.
Councillors voted to increase our smokefree policy, starting November 2017 to include:

• Plazas, civic squares, shared spaces, urban centres
• The areas around sports clubs on council land
• Al fresco dining areas
• Beaches

Mark Goldstein, local owner of the Mission Bay Cafe, applauded our decision, saying it would do more good than harm. (See Auckland Now story)
An added benefit to the adoption of this policy is that signage to support this is funded regionally and is no longer something left to Local Boards to juggle amongst their many competing priorities for their limited discretionary funding.

Auckland Plan- 30 year vision for Auckland

The Auckland Plan is a set of aspirations and targets for Auckland over the next 30 years. It isn’t a financial plan, but it is a key to setting the direction for the Council organisation to assess its priorities and ultimately does help to determine where it places its efforts and funding. The Auckland Plan was first adopted in 2012 and at present we are in the process of refreshing this document. There will be public consultation on this in tandem with the Long Term Plan in February – March.

In the meantime, while the draft document is being prepared I have been working to ensure that Council reflects the views of Aucklanders via all of their elected representatives by giving our local boards robust input into the development of the document. Local Boards will now receive a formal response as to how their resolutions will be included in the draft. For a plan that can at times seem extremely high level, it is important to keep it grounded with local views – something I think is vital for effective regional governance.

Revaluations

Each year, the council’s budget sets out the amount of rates needed to keep Auckland running. Once the budget is set, we need to work out how much each ratepayer should pay. Your rates bill is determined by a number of factors. The main factor is the total amount of money required to run and invest in the city, and how much income Council can receive from other revenue sources. The other major factors are the Capital Value of the property (CV) and the amount set as the Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC). Capital Value is calculated every three years through the revaluation process. A change in your property’s value does not necessarily  mean that your rates will increase or decrease by the amount of this change – instead, your property’s new value will help determine the share of rates you pay. The higher UAGC set in this year’s budget means that the rates bill is less dependent on the Capital Value of a property. An increase in the UAGC is good for anyone paying rates on a property valued at more than the regional median (i.e. most of the Orakei Ward).

Staff Travel Update/Costs.

Over the past months there have been multiple media stories critical of Council performance, these have included articles about staff costs going over budget and highlighting the amount spent on overseas travel by staff. As you all will know, I am dead against wasteful spending and have called for explanations of the facts from the Chief Executive. He has responded and I am now in a position to dispel some myths about them.

First of all, staff travel. Council has an internal policy which serves to minimise the use of travel and imposes strict rules on when business class travel is deemed appropriate. If there are alternatives to physical travel (e.g. Skype) this is the option that staff must take. If they must travel, then economy is the only option, unless the travel is long haul and there is no option to recuperate before the meeting/event. I was supplied with a list of the travel and am satisfied that on a case by case basis most are justifiable expenses. In the interests of transparency (which I have pushed for) , staff travel costs will be published on the council website for all to see.  I have also pushed for reasons for that travel to be included as part of travel transparency too.

The mayor has recently returned from a trip to Europe funded in part by Michael Bloomberg. More information about this trip can be found here.

Staff costs have been over budget for the council group consistently for the last three years. This is inexcusable from my perspective. I believe actuals versus budget should be a key performance indicator for our chief executive (see coverage in the NZ Herald).
 

Tamaki Drive and Ngapipi Road Intersection Safety Improvement update

Auckland Transport’s work goes on and the new embankments are taking shape. The road layout will stay in its current configuration until Christmas, and this includes the 30kph speed limit. I travel  through this intersection every day  and know it has slowed travel times , so thank you all for your patience.

For more information about the multiple transport projects taking place in the Tamaki Drive area, (Intersection improvements, Tamaki Drive Cycle Route, Ngapipi Bridge widening and the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared Path) please see the Auckland Transport website for Tamaki Drive improvements here. You can also sign up for regular email updates from Auckland Transport here.
 

New parking machines coming to Remuera

Over the next few months, Auckland Transport will be upgrading all of Aucklands 810 pay-and-display parking machines to include ‘pay-by-plate’ technology. (One has to wonder about AT’s priorities putting this at the top of their list !?)

The pay-by-plate technology enables customers to enter their registration plate into the machine without the need for a display ticket, making it a faster, more seamless customer experience.

 The newly upgraded machines will also include paywave technology to further improve the customer experience. The Text-a-Park payment option will not always be available as part of the new machines as AT Park phone app is considered to be a superior alternative for customers who want to use their phone.
These machines will replace existing Parking meters in Remuera starting in December.

Regional sports grants.

Regional Sports Grant applications are open until 8 December 2017.
 
Applications are being sought from organisations that are:
•             have a region-wide mandate;
•             regional federations or groupings of local or sub-regional sports code organisations;
•             regional sport and recreation providers or advocacy groups; or
•             iwi and other Māori organisations active in the sport and recreation sector.
 
The funding pool is up to $508,000 and I am looking forward to seeing what opportunities the sporting community have that council can support. If you know anyone who may be part of an organisation who could apply for this please let them know of the opportunity.
 
More information is on the Council website here.

Conversations with Councillor Coming to St Heliers Library

 Following a successful Conversation with your Councillor session at Remuera Library in October, I will be running a similar session at the St Heliers Library from 2:00pm on Friday 17 November. Please come and see me to discuss any Auckland Council related issue, idea or feedback.
 

More responsibility to local Boards

Council has recently agreed on some updates to the delegations and responsibilities between that of local Boards and Councillors through the Governance Framework Review. Through this review Local Boards have taken extra responsibilities and powers including:

• more local board input into regional policy decisions
• increased engagement with Auckland Transport and a stronger governance role around town centre upgrades and other local streetscape projects
• that the council considers a significant increase to the local transport capital fund through the Long-term Plan (10-year budget) process
• greater decision-making rights over budgets for local services being delivered in local board areas
• that a three-year pilot project of enhanced local board decision-making in Waiheke is implemented from 1 October 2017.

Auckland recognised as a UNESCO Creative City

Auckland has officially been recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a music city within the network of Creative Cities. Auckland’s application was endorsed by Council in March. Achieving this status has helped other cities such as Adelaide attract investment and has been linked to an increase in tourism. I’m looking forward to seeing what benefits there are for Auckland’s music industry.
 
Read more here.

Safeswim

Auckland Council’s upgraded safeswim website is now live. This site gives current and forecast water quality information at our beaches, replacing the older system of regular testing and retrospective reporting. Having up to date information is crucial to let Aucklanders make informed choices and this is a positive step towards being transparent about our water quality. Safeswim is a joint initiative between Auckland Council, Watercare, Surf Lifesaving Northern Region and the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. Trial of a real time signage was launched last Saturday at Mission bay

Read more about it here and visit the site at www.safeswim.org.nz
 

Council staff cuts coming

Are we delivering value for money?

An independent review finds millions of dollars in savings in just 4 areas.

From Stuff.co.nz Auckland mayor Phil Goff promises cuts to the council's 234 communications staff and more savings to come.

Auckland Council chief executive Stephen Town defends high salaries

http://nzh.tw/11932614

I believe that actuals versus the budget should be a key performance indicator(KPI) for the chief executive to meet