Collaborative partnering

Collaborative partnering with our funders, partners, stakeholders and communities

AT undertakes a significant number of engagements as part of its day-to-day business and is committed to working closely with ward councillors, local boards, Auckland Council group, customers, stakeholders, and the wider community to deliver projects, programmes and activities. We are committed to improving its engagement, communications and consultation with these parties, and aim to satisfy Local Board members with our level of engagement in delivering One Local Initiatives, while continuing to work closely with these partners to develop suitable projects that meet funding criteria. A review of Auckland Council CCOs recommended AT focus on improving collaboration with Council on transport strategy advertisement bylaws, and improving the way it consults and implements small projects. The report of the independent panel identified eight recommendations that specifically mention AT by name, and another 24 general recommendations that apply across the CCO group. AT has worked with Council and CCO colleagues to prioritise these recommendations and ensure a consistent approach, and to identify which AT would lead on. Good progress has been made across the majority of recommendations in terms of scoping up the work required and progressing workstreams. AT was the first CCO to present a recommended workstream update to a CCO Chief Executive’s group on 12 November 2020 on the joint preparation by AT and Auckland Council of the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2031 (RLTP). AT’s Customer Central team held a two-week sprint with representatives from Council’s elected member relationship group and Panuku to explore the delivery of small projects. This resulted in a series of recommendations, including the design of a new collaborative way of working, a more efficient approach to early parts of a project pipeline to speed up delivery, the introduction of a strengthened internal project review process led by the Chief Engineer’s group, and more flexibility to deal with unplanned work.

Local Boards

AT continues to engage widely with Local Boards, keeping members up to date with the delivery of projects within funding constraints, and providing support with multiple community consultations from network upgrades to proposed speed restrictions. Local Boards were provided with targeted information relating to proposals outlined in the draft RLTP 2021-2031, the impact of a refreshed ATAP, the updated NZUP and recent climate commission announcements.

AT engages with all Local Boards in a variety of ways: regular workshops, formal monthly reports, presentations and support from a dedicated Elected Member Relationship Partner. During the first quarter of 2020/21, the majority of Local Board meetings and workshops were held online during varying COVID-19 alert levels.

A dedicated focus on increased engagement with Local Boards and individual members has involved dozens of workshops and planning sessions. Early workshops focused on reduced and uncertain future Local Board budgets, how best to manage both work in progress and new projects, and the sharing of a comprehensive, area by area, view of AT activities. The level of engagement was high and many Local Board members gave positive feedback.

Following the CCO review recommendation that AT better include the Governing Body in the formulation of the RLTP, AT worked closely with Local Board Services to develop a specific engagement plan for engaging with all 21 Local Boards. Regular updates were provided as the RLTP was developed, culminating in AT senior leadership presenting individually on RLTP projects that impacted each particular Local Board area. As a result, formal submissions were received from all 21 Local Boards, including over 700 items of feedback for AT to consider.

AT has also been working on how we better give Local Boards visibility on our work programme. Presentations were made to the Chairs’ Forum and a second workshop series, led by members of AT’s Executive Team, discussed the forward work programme for 2021/22 and provided Local Boards with an opportunity to provide input into the draft RLTP 2021-2031 programme. Over 70 AT staff were involved in these workshops. Feedback from Local Boards was extremely positive, and as a result these sessions will continue into the future. All 21 Local Boards made final submissions on the draft RLTP, with several taking the opportunity to present to a hearings panel made up of AT Board members.

This financial year the Local Board Capital Fund was reduced as part of Council’s emergency budget, from $20 million to $5 million. However some key pieces of local infrastructure were constructed/ installed including: Albert Eden, Manurewa and Papakura bus shelters, Central Park, Patuone Reserve, and Walter Massey Park shared paths, Beachlands kerb and channel improvements, Hudson Road footpath in Warkworth, Paewai Road raised crossing, and Rongomai walkway.

AT supported Local Boards during the draft RLTP consutation in successfully advocating for a reinstatement of the capital fund to $20 million per year.

AT has worked particularly closely with a number of Local Boards on innovating streets projects (tactical urbanism trials), which have been funded through Waka Kotahi.

We continue to work with the Waiheke Local Board to roll out elements of the Waiheke 10 Year Transport Plan, and with the Rodney Local Board to deliver transport initiatives funded by the Rodney Transport Targeted Rate. Early in 2021 two targeted rate funded bus routes were added to the AT-funded network, and in May construction began on the new Warkworth Community Transport Hub.

Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2031