Feedback on the proposed Social Policy Forum Discussion Document was due on Friday May 21st.

• Click here to download our feedback on this document , or click the Read More link for the full text.

11 May 2010

Submissions on billion-dollar Auckland Social Policy Forum close on 21 May

Aucklanders have only a few days left to have their say about the Auckland Social Policy Forum, which will help decide how $11-12 billion is spent each year in their city.

Feedback on the proposed forum closes on Friday 21 May - less than two weeks away.

North Shore Community & Social Services spokesperson Yvonne Powley says that community feedback is urgently needed on a discussion document which was issued by the Minister of Social development Paula Bennett in late January.

“The Social Policy Forum will play a major role in deciding how billions of dollars will be distributed for social services in greater Auckland.

“This will be our only chance to have a say in how the forum is set up, who is on it, what it does and how its relationships work.

We have submitted feedback to the Auckland Transition Agency in relation to Local Boards and CCO's.

"We thank the ATA for the opportunity to give feedback on the two discussion documents.

North Shore Community & Social Services (NSCSS) has a membership base of over 150 community groups on Auckland’s North Shore including arts, environment, health, and migrants, Maori, Pacific peoples, seniors, family, education, community, youth and disability sectors. This feedback is from the Executive of NSCSS and does not claim to represent all our membership views. It is informed by many discussions with community agencies over 2009 and continuing workshops and meetings in 2010.

The primary concern of NSCSS is to ensure, through the local government reforms, that the social issues and structures established in North Shore City remain to support community agencies. NSCSS wants to ensure that the voice of community remains intact and is indeed strengthened where possible. The restructuring of Auckland local government has promulgated anxiety for many throughout the North Shore for the future of community agencies."

Click the Read More link to read the rest of the document.

We have made a submission to the Auckland Governance Legislation Select Committee with regards to the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill. The submission outlines our concerns with this bill, and we are hoping to appear before the Select Committee to speak our submission.

Click here to read this submission.

UPDATE - In addition to the submission we have requested a few more issues be considered by the Select Committee. Click here to read these.