Community outcomes 2008 progress report
Overview |
Leadership |
Social well-being |
Economic well-being |
Environmental well-being |
Cultural well-being |
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Social well-being
Auckland is safe
Where do we want to be?
We all feel safe and accepted in our city. We are secure
and feel confident in our homes, on the roads, around water, in public places
and in our communities.
How will we know this?
The safety of Auckland, its residents and their property is enhanced.
What we measure and why
- The
amount of crime committed and resolved
- Residents' views of the safety of our communities
The crime rate, and the rate at which crimes are
resolved, is directly linked to the overall safety of our city. Our feelings of
safety, on the other hand, regardless of the actual level of crime committed,
significantly affects our overall sense of well-being and ability to move freely
within our environment. Feeling safe enables us to participate more fully in
our communities and make the most of what the city has to offer.
Key trends
- Although the rate of reported crime in the Auckland District increased
slightly between 2005 and 2007, the percentage of resolved crimes has also
been increasing.
- Overall we see Auckland as a place where people feel moderately safe
from crime.
Case study: Minimising
crime by design
Good urban design can help make our cities safer
and make us feel safer. Under the Safer Auckland City partnership, the
Auckland District Police, the Ministry of Justice Crime Prevention Unit, Ngati Whatua O Orakei and Auckland City Council have been developing new
approaches to reduce crime in our city.
One way of minimising crime is by integrating safe
design principles into the planning, design, development, management and
maintenance of the built environment and public spaces.
There are many design features that can be used to
reduce crime and increase our feelings of safety. These include making sure
that buildings and public spaces are sufficiently lit both during the day
and at night so that people can see and be seen, ensuring that there are
good sightlines to allow people to be aware of their surroundings and to see
what lies ahead, and avoiding the creation of 'entrapment spots' or hiding
places, such as blind alleys, where attacks could occur unseen or where
there is little chance of escape.
Safer Auckland City has developed a set of
guidelines, 'Introduction to crime prevention through environmental design'
(CPTED) to create greater awareness of safe design principles. Many of
Auckland's new developments and activities are now assessed against these
guidelines.
Examples of some recently completed projects include an upgrade of
Khartoum Place and the
square at the junction of Queen, Wakefield and Rutland streets in the city
centre. Visibility and physical access have been enhanced through
strategically fitted lighting and the removal of large planters, resulting
in attractive, welcoming spaces that encourage greater public use and
pedestrian flow 24 hours a day.
The CPTED guidelines can also be used to enable
developers, companies, organisations, groups and individuals to undertake
their own safety assessments.
To find out more see
Safer Auckland city. |
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Auckland has
successful neighbourhoods
Where do we want to be?
Our local centres and their neighbourhoods build strong communities - they
are vibrant and well-designed, with plenty of green spaces and places for people
to mix.
How will we know this?
People enjoy living in their neighbourhood.
What we measure and why
- Residents' views on how successful neighbourhoods are
Our neighbourhoods can provide us with recreational
opportunities, support networks, feelings of security and sense of belonging.
These factors contribute to a sense of overall enjoyment of living in one's
neighbourhood.
Key trends
- Overall, we see our neighbourhoods being reasonably strong, with good access to parks and green space, and safe or fairly safe places to be at night.
- Despite being New Zealand's largest city, a sense of community in our
neighbourhoods is important to most of us. Only half of us feel as if we
have this.
- Most of us enjoy positive contact with other people in our neighbourhoods and rarely experience feeling isolated or lonely.
Aucklanders have
affordable housing options
Where do we want to be?
Housing in our city is close to services, transport, and
the places where we work, play and meet. Many types of housing are available,
meeting the differing needs and requirements of individuals and families,
including being affordable.
How will we know this?
People are able to find housing that meets their needs.
What we measure and why
- The
amount that people spend on rent or mortgage payments
- The
percentage of people who own their own home
- Residents' views on housing that meets people's needs
The greater the proportion of income spent on housing, the
greater the degree of financial stress there is on households. If accommodation
costs are too high compared with income, we have less to spend on other
essentials such as food, power, healthcare and clothing. Accommodation
supplements can help those with a low income spending a high percentage of their
income on rent or mortgage payments to meet these costs.
Home ownership can offer us stability and financial
security.
Key trends
- On average Aucklanders in the region spent around 23.6 per cent of our net income on housing in
2007. This increased from 2004.
- In 2006 only 41.7 per cent of Auckland households owned their own home. A further
14.4 per cent held their home in a family trust.
- Aucklanders consider our housing to be average (5.4 on a 10 point
scale) at meeting our needs,
in relation to affordability and access to services, places of employment
and leisure.
Aucklanders are
healthy
Where do we want to be?
Our communities promote healthy lifestyles. When we need
care, we have easy access to the information, social services and health care
that we need.
How will we know this?
The health status of Aucklanders is improved.
What we measure and why
- People's life expectancy
- The
number of general practitioners (GPs) (full-time equivalent per 100,000 people) in
Auckland city
- The
percentage of residents who wanted to visit a GP but have not done so in the
past 12 months
- Residents' views on access to social and health services
- The
percentage of children who get meningococcal disease
- The
percentage of people living in crowded houses1
- Residents' views of the health of Aucklanders
- See also percentage of people who play sport (Auckland is interesting and enjoyable)
Increasing levels of life expectancy suggest increasing
overall levels of health. The overall physical health of our population,
including our life expectancy, is affected by access to health services, social
and economic conditions and housing. Household crowding can also affect our
health status, in particular infectious diseases such as meningococcal disease.
In addition to providing insight into the way we view our
health, perceptions of health are an important predictor of our mortality risk.2
Key trends
- Life expectancy is increasing. Those born between 2000 to 2002 are expected to live
over two years longer, until they are 80 years old, than those born between 1995 and 1997.
- Our access to GPs is higher than the national average and increasing, and we
rate access to social and health services as good.
- The rate of children who get meningococcal disease has fallen markedly since
the immunisation programme was introduced.
- The percentage of us reporting our health as good has increased and is now
90 per cent.
Case study: AkActive
Between 1997 and 2001 Auckland city's physical
activity levels declined. We need to get moving again.
Auckland City Council, Auckland District Health Board, SPARC (Sport and Recreation
New Zealand), Sport Auckland, Procare Network Auckland and YMCA (Auckland)
have partnered together on the Active Communities, AkActive project to
increase our physical activity levels. Together they are working to expand
the physical opportunities in Auckland city and to increase awareness of
these opportunities. They are developing new programmes and initiatives and
working to increase the use of council recreation and community assets.
AkActive gives tips on getting active, calendars
of free events and holiday programme activities. They have developed Be
Active maps so Aucklanders can find out where parks, community facilities,
walking and cycling routes are. The focus is on simple, cheap and effective
ways to get us moving.
See AkActive.
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Auckland has strong
communities
Where do we want to be?
Our communities are strong, friendly, inclusive and
flexible. Being happy and inspired, communities respond well to changes in our
city and welcome new people from other places and cultures.
Everyone is helped to settle and made to feel like they
belong. We get involved in our communities, taking part in and drawing strength
from them. In particular, we support and nurture our children and young people,
and we value their input.
How will we know this?
Aucklanders feel connected with their communities and have
a sense of belonging.
What we measure and why
- Children and youth are supported and looked after
- Disabled people are able to participate in the community
- Older adults are able to participate in the community
- Residents' views of the strength of communities
How a community treats its most vulnerable members
is an indication of its overall strength and well-being. Each community has a
role in supporting children to reach their potential as full members of society,
by creating an environment that ensures children feel safe and nurtured and is
supportive of families.
A sense of belonging is integral to wellbeing. Our
relationships with others and our social networks are associated with strong
communities and social cohesion.
Key trends
- Our communities are mostly supportive environments for young people to grow
up in.
- Auckland City Council supports a range of initiatives that aim to increase disabled people's and older adults’ contribution and participation in the community.
- Overall, we consistently rate Auckland as a place where help is available
for people in need, and where people feel they belong (6.4 on a 10 point
scale).
Aucklanders have
opportunities to learn
Where do we want to be?
We have opportunities to learn throughout our lives, giving
us the education and life skills we need.
How will we know this?
Aucklanders increasingly participate in the opportunities
for learning available to them.
What we measure and why
- The
percentage of children who go to preschool
- The rate of children suspended, stood down or excluded from school
- The
percentage of people who leave school without any qualifications
- The
percentage of people with at least a secondary school qualification
- The amount of industry training people do
Time spent in early childhood education (ECE) enhances
future learning. High levels of student engagement at school and formal school
qualification is reflective of high levels of participation in learning
opportunities. This has lifelong social and economic benefits to the individual
and the community.
Tertiary education, industry training and modern
apprenticeships all have an important role in the education sector and the
workforce. They are designed to raise workforce skill levels and give our
workers and industries a competitive edge.
Key trends
- Most children aged five years and under are attending a preschool. The
percentage of Year One students who attended an early childhood education
centre in Auckland city is now 93.2 per cent.
- Stand-down, suspension, and expulsion rates are key indicators of
disengagement in education. There has been a small increase in stand-down
rates. However, suspensions and exclusion rates appear to have fallen
slightly.3
- Aucklanders are becoming more qualified. The percentage of people who leave
school without any qualifications is falling and the percentage of people
with post secondary school qualifications, including tertiary education, is
increasing.
- The number and rate of people undertaking industry training in Auckland city
is increasing.
1
Household crowding is determined by the following criteria: there should be no
more than two people per bedroom, parents or couples share a bedroom, children
under 5 years, either of the same or of the opposite sex, may reasonably share a
bedroom, children under 18 years of the same sex may reasonably share a bedroom,
a child aged 5-17 years should not share a bedroom with one under 5 of the
opposite sex, single adults 18 years and over and any unpaired children require
a separate bedroom.
2
www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/Files/honzch4/$file/honzch4.pdf - downloaded 30
June, 2008
3
Stand-down is the formal removal of a student from school for a limited period
of time. Suspension is the formal removal of a student from school pending a
decision to either lift the suspension, exclude or expel the student. A student
aged under 16 may be excluded from the school, with the requirement that the
student enrol elsewhere. A student aged 16 and over may be expelled from the
school, and the student may enrol at another school.
Published January 2009
