Social well-being in the Queen City
If I’m going to stand up here and talk about how wonderful I believe Auckland to be, you’ll have a hard time getting me to stop. West Auckland’s my stomping ground as you know, and I’m staunchly proud of my Westies.
So if I’m going to focus on the topic of how to build a ‘World Class Auckland’ I’d better stick to something more closely related to my portfolio areas.
I want to focus on the social well-being of Auckland.
First, let’s cut through the jargon and talk about what "social wellbeing" actually means.
One of the best ways I’ve heard it described is "the things people value in their life that contribute to them reaching their potential. It’s a shorthand way of referring to the conditions in society – health, education, productive work and so on – that allow people to flourish."
When you think a bit about that definition, you start to understand just how critical social wellbeing is to the success of a city.
If you have poor social outcomes, you can hold back the potential of not just individuals or even their families – but whole communities. If you’re not getting people to reach their potential, then by default, you’re not getting a CITY to reach its potential either.
What the Government is proposing focuses on getting Auckland to reach its potential as a world class city.
Now as an Auckland-based MP I’m a convert to the cause. I’m biased. I live here because I love it. But I believe what’s proposed will propel Auckland further along that ‘World Class’ road.
It’s about having a vision for Auckland and working doggedly toward that. So what is that vision?
- Boosting Auckland as the economic turbine the country;
- Attracting people from all corners of the globe – and getting them to stay here;
- Housing vibrant and diverse communities
- Being a hub for creativity
- Making sure it’s a place where people feel welcome and safe
Just how we achieve this is what the Government’s working on. We’ve proposed some changes, which will be talked through by my colleagues.
Those changes canvass a number of areas – economic, planning, transport and of course – social outcomes.
Those social outcomes are vitally important. What we do in the social area, I believe, will make a major contribution to the success of Auckland as an international city.
It will touch on the life of not only those already resident in Auckland, but those thinking of moving there or those just passing through. And in turn, what others do in areas such as transport, economic development and land use will also impact on social outcomes and how people work and play here.
One of things I believe is also critical to any discussion on Auckland’s future is to make sure decision-making continues to support social issues.
The Government’s proposal for Auckland involves having one Council, which we believe will scrap some of the duplication that happens at the moment. We want to get the system right so there’s effective, efficient and tidy decision-making for Auckland.
So underneath that overarching body of a single Council to set the direction for the Queen City, we want 20 to 30 Local Boards which will play a key role in their communities.
Unlike the previous Government, we’re not interested in telling people how to live their lives. We back people to know what’s best for them.
Likewise, we believe Local Boards will know what’s best for the people living in their own communities.
This is a diverse city – it’s one of the things that makes Auckland so great. Our neighbourhoods are different from one suburb to the next. A "one size fits all" approach to Local Boards simply won’t fly. We need to make sure the communities within those Boards can address their own unique local issues.
In setting up these boards, we need to make sure there’s effective community representation – so local views are represented in broader decision making at Council level.
You’re going to see that desire for stronger community representation coming through in other central government decisions. For example, I recently announced a Community Response Fund to help critical social service groups help combat significant demand increases or financial hardship due to the recession. We’re going to have Regional Panels advise on those funding decisions, because we know ultimately that only local communities will have a true picture of what’s needed for their own residents.
Both council and central government have critical roles and responsibilities to deliver on those social outcomes for the people of Auckland.
Both contribute to the $12 billion dollars that’s spent on social outcomes in Auckland every year. I’m going to repeat that number, because it’s a mind boggling amount. $12 billion dollars.
If nothing else, it underscores just how vital social issues are to the people of Auckland. I’m sure you’ll agree, we want to make sure we get bang for our buck. All 12 billion of them.
So how to do that exactly?
Cabinet has agreed to set up an Auckland Social Policy Forum. The idea is to have central and local government working together to make sure the work done in the region to support social wellbeing moves in the same direction.
The Forum members will include the Mayor of Auckland, myself as the Minister for Social Development and that key representation from Local Boards.
The Forum will have its work cut out for it – here’s a taste:
- to work out what the region’s social priorities are
- consider and agree on joint venture plans and projects
- identify where there’s a double-up in activity, find the gaps and highlight what could work to achieve positive social outcomes
I believe the Forum will provide a very real way for communities, Council and central government to identify important social issues for Auckland and figure out the way to best respond to them.
We all have a responsibility when it comes to ensuring the people of Auckland are flourishing. And that’s across the board – again it involves communities, Council and central government. But it stands to reason the best outcomes can only be achieved by aligning the work instead of working in isolation from one another. We’re all in the waka together - let’s start paddling in the same direction.
The vision for Auckland is dependant on so many different factors – and you’ll have a better sense of that after this morning’s session. The social wellbeing of this city is one of those critical factors.
The groundwork laid by setting up Local Boards and the Auckland Social Policy Forum will ensure everyone can and does, play their part in making Auckland a world class city.
If I’m going to stand up here and talk about how wonderful I believe Auckland to be, you’ll have a hard time getting me to stop. West Auckland’s my stomping ground as you know, and I’m staunchly proud of my Westies.
So if I’m going to focus on the topic of how to build a ‘World Class Auckland’ I’d better stick to something more closely related to my portfolio areas.
I want to focus on the social well-being of Auckland.
First, let’s cut through the jargon and talk about what "social wellbeing" actually means.
One of the best ways I’ve heard it described is "the things people value in their life that contribute to them reaching their potential. It’s a shorthand way of referring to the conditions in society – health, education, productive work and so on – that allow people to flourish."
When you think a bit about that definition, you start to understand just how critical social wellbeing is to the success of a city.
If you have poor social outcomes, you can hold back the potential of not just individuals or even their families – but whole communities. If you’re not getting people to reach their potential, then by default, you’re not getting a CITY to reach its potential either.
What the Government is proposing focuses on getting Auckland to reach its potential as a world class city.
Now as an Auckland-based MP I’m a convert to the cause. I’m biased. I live here because I love it. But I believe what’s proposed will propel Auckland further along that ‘World Class’ road.
It’s about having a vision for Auckland and working doggedly toward that. So what is that vision?
- Boosting Auckland as the economic turbine the country;
- Attracting people from all corners of the globe – and getting them to stay here;
- Housing vibrant and diverse communities
- Being a hub for creativity
- Making sure it’s a place where people feel welcome and safe
Just how we achieve this is what the Government’s working on. We’ve proposed some changes, which will be talked through by my colleagues.
Those changes canvass a number of areas – economic, planning, transport and of course – social outcomes.
Those social outcomes are vitally important. What we do in the social area, I believe, will make a major contribution to the success of Auckland as an international city.
It will touch on the life of not only those already resident in Auckland, but those thinking of moving there or those just passing through. And in turn, what others do in areas such as transport, economic development and land use will also impact on social outcomes and how people work and play here.
One of things I believe is also critical to any discussion on Auckland’s future is to make sure decision-making continues to support social issues.
The Government’s proposal for Auckland involves having one Council, which we believe will scrap some of the duplication that happens at the moment. We want to get the system right so there’s effective, efficient and tidy decision-making for Auckland.
So underneath that overarching body of a single Council to set the direction for the Queen City, we want 20 to 30 Local Boards which will play a key role in their communities.
Unlike the previous Government, we’re not interested in telling people how to live their lives. We back people to know what’s best for them.
Likewise, we believe Local Boards will know what’s best for the people living in their own communities.
This is a diverse city – it’s one of the things that makes Auckland so great. Our neighbourhoods are different from one suburb to the next. A "one size fits all" approach to Local Boards simply won’t fly. We need to make sure the communities within those Boards can address their own unique local issues.
In setting up these boards, we need to make sure there’s effective community representation – so local views are represented in broader decision making at Council level.
You’re going to see that desire for stronger community representation coming through in other central government decisions. For example, I recently announced a Community Response Fund to help critical social service groups help combat significant demand increases or financial hardship due to the recession. We’re going to have Regional Panels advise on those funding decisions, because we know ultimately that only local communities will have a true picture of what’s needed for their own residents.
Both council and central government have critical roles and responsibilities to deliver on those social outcomes for the people of Auckland.
Both contribute to the $12 billion dollars that’s spent on social outcomes in Auckland every year. I’m going to repeat that number, because it’s a mind boggling amount. $12 billion dollars.
If nothing else, it underscores just how vital social issues are to the people of Auckland. I’m sure you’ll agree, we want to make sure we get bang for our buck. All 12 billion of them.
So how to do that exactly?
Cabinet has agreed to set up an Auckland Social Policy Forum. The idea is to have central and local government working together to make sure the work done in the region to support social wellbeing moves in the same direction.
The Forum members will include the Mayor of Auckland, myself as the Minister for Social Development and that key representation from Local Boards.
The Forum will have its work cut out for it – here’s a taste:
- to work out what the region’s social priorities are
- consider and agree on joint venture plans and projects
- identify where there’s a double-up in activity, find the gaps and highlight what could work to achieve positive social outcomes
I believe the Forum will provide a very real way for communities, Council and central government to identify important social issues for Auckland and figure out the way to best respond to them.
We all have a responsibility when it comes to ensuring the people of Auckland are flourishing. And that’s across the board – again it involves communities, Council and central government. But it stands to reason the best outcomes can only be achieved by aligning the work instead of working in isolation from one another. We’re all in the waka together - let’s start paddling in the same direction.
The vision for Auckland is dependant on so many different factors – and you’ll have a better sense of that after this morning’s session. The social wellbeing of this city is one of those critical factors.
The groundwork laid by setting up Local Boards and the Auckland Social Policy Forum will ensure everyone can and does, play their part in making Auckland a world class city.
