A chinwag on experiences, learnings and insights

Hosted by:AUCKLAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFFMonica Sharma, Team Leader, Cultural Wellbeing, Waitakere CityRina Tagore, Snr Policy Adviser, Wellbeing & Diversity, Manukau City

NATIONAL DIVERSITY FORUM Christchurch

Convention Centre3.30 pm, 22 August 2010

Ethnic voices at the Decision Makers’ Table

Agenda

Context Examples – New Zealand and overseas Lets chinwag

Legislation, Demographics and Democracy

Improving Transparency, Accountability and Financial Management Bill

Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation Act 2009, and Auckland Law Reform Act 2010

Provision to establish ‘Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel’ (EPAP) by the Mayor, no later than 31 March 2011.

Purpose of the EPAP

to communicate the interests and preferences of Auckland’s ethnic peoples and

to advise on processes and mechanisms for engagement with ethnic peoples and communities of Auckland.

Context

37% of Auckland’s population born overseas 180+ ethnicities Nearly half have lived in New Zealand for

less than a decade. More entrenched patterns of residential

settlement by broad ethnic and cultural groupings

One council for all of Auckland—1.4 million

Context

Ethnic voices on current Auckland councils

Examples from TLAs

Christchurch: An Intercultural Assembly included Maori and Pakeha

Wellington: Ethnic Forums Hamilton: Listening Forums Waitakere: Waitakere Ethnic Board Inc. Manukau: Mayoral Summit

Overseas

Cross-cutting legislative frameworks, e.g. The Equality Act 2010, Equality Framework for Local Government

Task bound expert panels Externally initiated forum, for inter-agency response

on common agenda (responsive media, social cohesion)

‘Peak’ organisations, MoUs, specialist government departments and using legislative drivers

Pointers from Diversity Forum 2009

What will the new legislation (TAFM) mean for community engagement, participation and representation? Less representation and more of a strategic focus? Who is at the decision making table? (Mike Reid, LGNZ)

Three Points of Tension in Diversity and Democracy (David Bromell, Victoria University)

1. universal rights that all share equally,vs. special group rights

2. individual liberty, vs. the common good

3. democracy as a ‘market’, vs. democracy as a ‘forum’

Panels: Why? What? Who? How?

Purpose and outcomes Composition and size Selection and recruitment Resourcing Mandate and outcomes

Open exchange

What works What makes such bodies effective What would strengthen and assist the Panel

(Auckland).

References and acknowledgements

1. Colleagues from the Local government work-strand, Auckland Regional Settlement Strategy

2. Population characteristics of Auckland regional local board areas – an overview. Auckland Regional Council, 18 August 2010

3. Royal Commission’s report on Auckland Governance

4. The new Auckland Council’s website

5. Presentations by Mike Reid and David Bromell, National Diversity Forum, Wellington, 2009

Prepared by: Rina Tagore, Senior Policy Adviser, Wellbeing and Diversity, Manukau City Council