Summary of feedback from two Forums hosted by Auckland Council s Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel

Transcription

1 Summary of feedback from two Forums hosted by Auckland Council s Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel Executive Summary: The Auckland Council s Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel (EPAP) in its April 2011 meeting agreed to host forums to engage with ethnic communities on their views on Auckland Unleashed Discussion document. Two half-day forums were organised on 14 th (Alexandra Park, Greenlane West) and 21 st of May 2011 (Henderson Service Centre) and attended by over two hundred participants. Office of Ethnic Affairs supported both the Forums. Mayor Len Brown opened the forum in Henderson and Councillor Richard Northey, liaison councillor for the EPAP gave the opening address in Alexandra Park. Panel members promoted and canvassed invitations and media releases were also put out. The forums were part of Council s wider engagement with all stakeholders of Auckland, and leads into the next phase of preparing the Draft Auckland Plan. The EPAP perused all the notes from the forums and returned to officers a first collation of feedback as per themes discussed at the forum. The following is a summary drawn together and was put forward as a gist of key concerns and aspirations of ethnic communities in preparation for the Draft Auckland Plan. The tasks of planning, implementation and feedback to the Plan was completed by 31 May This summary does not include the submission prepared by the Panel on the Auckland Plan- Discussion document. Recommendation: That the Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel receive the summary report for information only. Background: The summary below is organised as per key themes and questions that guided the discussion tables at the forums and are broadly aligned to the chapters in the Discussion document. The Panel had an opportunity to peruse the raw materials Economic development and wellbeing Immigration, skills, employment Build Auckland s prosperity through timely utilization of talent and skills of migrant (and refugee) people. Target the age group of 25 to 35 years as they are with families International students are a significant resource and risk of loosing most to Australia if they are not absorbed into the job market. Develop single point of contact and one-stop-shop Solutions through skill matching, bridging, mentoring and buddy programmes for speedy employment and settlement. Educate, inform and change mindset of employers (and Council Controlled Organisations) 1

2 Support migrant people for business and entrepreneurship through information provision; Employers and Manufactures Associations in a more active role to address gaps. Tourism City is a destination for international students tap the resource City branding a city of lifestyle and destination of choice. Essential to maintain environmental sustainability and the city s features - less pollution, quality of life, less people, ease of living, less corrupt Maintain strategic assets of the city Auckland as a hub of skills Industries that need to be progressed is education and research, information technology and electronics. Infrastructure Transport Transport is critical for new migrant and refugee people as physical accessibility is critical in gaining and sustaining employment. A good transport system is vital for economic development Funding through overseas investment, bonds, user charge. Build integrated transport and ticketing system. Public owned transport Support the idea of mono-rail Behavioral change for increased use of public transport (incentives for carpooling) Buses: Smaller and fuel efficient buses; electric power cars Though rail link is necessary, buses are equally if not more important as social and public infrastructure develops around railway stations, but busses provide the connections across the city. Shuttle services for point to point connections. Establish bus networks / connections between suburbs. Increase T-2 and bus lanes Town Planning Business hubs in other parts of Auckland (not CBD alone)- assess which industry or business more appropriate for which suburb. (considering physical and human resources) Vertical growth is required as land is limited. Also, utilize existing space instead of expanding. Balance environmental concerns along with growth. Improve residential housing design (not like some housing in CBD) and take into account green spaces. Satellite urban centers that are connected by a sound transport system Others: Count-down at traffic light signals will have a positive effect on road users. ICT/ Broadband Optical fibre cables Social and community wellbeing Festivals and culture The city needs both big and small events to reflect its diverse cultures 2

3 Communities to be encouraged to organize their own events Provide information on Arts and Culture to all communities; expand the reach of festivals such as Auckland International Festival to all ethnic groups. The Treaty and its principles communicated to all migrant and refugee people Cultural diversity should be normal and not out of the ordinary or exotic create opportunities for inter-cultural interaction ; educate and inform organisations and funders Youth among ethnic communities / associations to bring together, share, connect to each other on values, cultures and celebrating each other. Funding and facilities Community facilities to be more accessible to diverse ethnic groups Diverse ethnic groups need common/ shared spaces for expression and retention of their arts and culture and social networking. Research through Creative Communities indicates that there is inadequate support in terms of funding and information about resources for ethnic communities. Museums, arts-heritage arenas need to incorporate other cultures as Auckland moves forward. Gold card is a good example demonstrating support for well-being of older people as it led to increased activity, reducing loneliness and isolation. Transport infrastructure is vital for connecting communities. Cycle-ways and walkways for wellbeing of people. Swimming pools with small charge to help fund more pools Role of schools: Schools as community hubs are a good idea but are not the single solution for fixing the problem. Schools need resourcing and collaboration with other agencies, they also must be open to the wider community (ethnic peoples). Schools have infrastructure that can be better utilized to support community needs halls and facilities. They can play a role in helping ethnic community groups to retain their language and culture. Some families / parents require additional support, as they are not necessarily able to help their children. For most families from ethnic communities, deprivation may not be a primary factor but language barrier and isolation does not allow them to integrate. After school programmes are essential, particularly for those families where parents are not able to assist children with homework. There is a high drop out rate among children from wider African communities. English classes for migrant and refugee people is a priority; more so for women who tend to be isolated as second applicants. Schools can be safe means for outreach in the community. Sports and recreation is another area where schools (along with recreational centres) can play a role in informing, educating and providing facilities. There is a gap among migrant and refugee people about sports avenues of joining clubs and memberships. Job creation and productivity Council can be a proactive employer for migrant and refugee people Re-skilling and bridging (also noted under economic wellbeing) 3

4 Professional associations are a barrier in gaining employment more work to break such barriers that do not allow qualified people to contribute. Safety Lighting, design and usage of common spaces, safe streets and more people walking will improve safety; neighbourhood watch and presence of police and security cameras can increase perception of safety. Increased neighborly connections to improve safety Elderly Chinese people frequently experience isolation and being unsafe. Other ideas: There is a need for more umbrella organizations eg. Grouping South Asian communities. Translated materials help now there are websites that provide translation. Support community social enterprise initial funding and gradual withdrawal Affordable housing Location/ area Pockets of deprivation to be addressed Schools and their decile rating are intrinsically linked to affordability of houses including the rental market. Accessibility to amenities schools, public transport, shops, health care, community facilities and green areas along with work-hubs/ employable areas. Security and safety including police assistance Older people Plan culturally appropriate rest homes/ retirement villages e.g.. Create a one-stop shop setting. Seek overseas investment. Facilities targeted and designed for certain communities such as the Chinese. (to meet cultural, language and resource needs) Ownership, affordability and type Owning a home is a dream and hard to make it a reality. Energy efficient homes home insulations; Housing that is connected to facilities and transport Rent to home options; subsidies Low-cost, good quality housing stock needed (no leaky homes) High-rise is an option; apartment living and a variety of types two-bedroom self contained, compact. Public-private partnership Barriers to ownership debt; hard to put together deposit; uncertainty of interest rates. Water conservation at household level use of tanks; Solar heating systems Rental issues: Migrant and refugee people encounter barriers for renting as they do not have local history/ references Discrimination Sustainability 4

5 Train and educate on power conservation practices Management of e-waste and collection points Water charges should not be changed to user pays will impact older people if does change. Green spaces Ready to trade-off: Cars for better public transport Smaller houses for affordable housing Messages for long term planning Would like children to live in NZ Prepare for transition from renting to owning home Prepare for older people in the community Holistic view of villages self sufficient, grow own food Role of Council: Offer security guarantor for housing/ renting Education Schools as hubs is a positive idea as it can serve a catchment area and communities. Small things like information booklets, Mayor s visits make a difference. Adult education opportunities for migrant and refugee people as parents are the first point of contact for children and young people for them to understand NZ education system. Indoor facilities, school holiday programmes that are accessible social and culturally appropriate for all (including ethnic communities) families Approach to discipline in many ethnic communities is different compared to that in New Zealand - school is viewed as very formal means of learning (and discipline) and not social. Ethnic communities need support to retain their own values and language Education as a means of integration Language support for newsletters (Refugee people are qualified, but IELTS fails them and language is a barrier) Apprenticeship style training for bridging gaps (drop-outs) Re-build family and social fabric Schools should be of same standard Funding for community education Additional support Solo parents need more support Focus resources to reduce gaps in educational achievement Assess which communities are doing well among ethnic communities and then target those who need additional assistance eg refugee communities need additional support (compared to Chinese or Korean) Recreational facilities and activities for non-users and to enable / increase access to facilities e.g. time slots for women only programmes. Role of Council Advocacy (As education is responsibility of central govt.) 5

6 Mayor of Auckland to have a place in Parliament General comments: The idea of Auckland to be uncovered and unpacked Focus on education is too narrow- what is meant by child friendly 6