Have your say
Current consultations |
Listening Post (online consultation panel) |
Different ways to have your say |
Your say in action |
More about public consultations
Different ways to have your say
You can express your views on city-wide and local issues to elected representatives, such as councillors and community
board members, through committees, community boards, formal council meetings and formal consultation, such as the
long-term council community plan (LTCCP) or annual plan process.
Elected representatives have many roles, one of which is to act as an advocate for the
community to bring individual and community issues and concerns to the council.
For contact details see:
Mayor and councillors
Community board members
Council committees and community boards have specific responsibilities - these are outlined in the council's
delegations register.
You may have your say and express your views at council, committee and community board meetings by:
- contacting your local councillor, committee chairperson or community board member
- submitting a petition
- addressing your issues through the public forum process
- speaking as a deputation
- attending special community board meetings for discussing specific issues.
You need to make arrangements with the appropriate Democracy adviser before the meeting you wish to speak at. You can find out who the
democracy adviser is by
contacting us.
Address elected representatives or a committee
Councillors are appointed to committees. They make decisions on issues and activities and plan policy on
delegated fields of activity.
A field of activity is a specific function, which the committee has responsibility for. You will
need to find out which committee is responsible for the issue you wish to address.
Click here for more information or
contact us for assistance.
The council holds regular meetings and special meetings when required. An individual, community group or organisation may
apply to address the council on matters within its jurisdiction. You can express your views and have your say at a council
meeting, with consent of the mayor, by speaking as a deputation.
Speak at a meeting
Arrangements for submitting a petition and speaking at public forum or as a deputation need to be made with the appropriate
community board or committee before the meeting. Contact the
democracy adviser who
is responsible for the community board or committee.
Deputations
Any individual, community group or organisation may address a community
board, committee or council by forming a deputation.
To present an issue through a deputation, applications must be lodged in writing (outlining purpose, intent and expectation)
to the democracy adviser 10 days before the meeting. The chairperson must approve your application. It can be refused on
the grounds of repetitiveness or offensiveness.
The mayor has discretion over granting permission to speak to the full council.
A deputation can be up to two persons. A deputation has 10 minutes to address the community board, committee or the council.
Elected representatives might address questions to the deputation to clarify or expand a point.
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If you are part of a deputation, research your issue thoroughly to provide as much detail as possible to answer any
questions that may arise. |
Petitions
When preparing a petition to present to a community board, committee or the council, you need to state the purpose, intent
and expectation in less than 500 words.
You have two options for submitting your petition
- you can request a community board member or a councillor to present the petition to the community board, committee
or the council on your behalf, or
- you can present the petition in person at the meeting. You will be given five minutes to state the request (or
prayer) of the petition.
Public forum
Auckland City Council has adopted a process of public forum at its community board and committee meetings. A public forum
allows you to speak on an issue directly to the community board or committee meetings.
Twenty minutes is allocated at the beginning of each community board and committee meeting for public forum. A five minute
limit is allocated to each speaker.
If you wish to speak at public forum, contact the appropriate
democracy adviser.
No decisions or recommendations can be made on the issue at the meeting, unless an item is included in the agenda. However,
the issue can be referred to a more appropriate forum or a council officer's report can be requested to further address the
issue at a subsequent meeting.
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Any written material on your issue should be forwarded to the appropriate
democracy adviser before the agenda
closes. The information will be included in the agenda so elected members can read and consider the information before
the meeting. |
Presentations and speaking at meetings
The conduct of council, community board and committee meetings are regulated by the council's adopted
standing orders. These
are meeting rules. Meeting protocol and presentation standards should be followed when speaking or making a presentation at
meetings.
The Democracy advisor will be able to advise you when you will be speaking and where you should sit. It is best to address committee and community board members formally in the meeting situation. You should always address your comments or reply to questions
"through the chair".
If you want to show slides, run a computer-based presentation, or run a video or
DVD you should speak to the democracy adviser and let him or her know. The democracy adviser will advise on whether the meeting venue has the equipment you require and whether it can handle the format and software that your presentation has been developed in.
It is a good idea to have hard copies of your slides to hand out at the meeting.
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Tip - Do not risk spoiling a good presentation with poor preparation. Arrive well before the meeting, get to know the equipment you will be using and make sure you are familiar with the layout of the room. |
Annual plan or long-term plan (LTCCP)
In April each year, the council seeks public submissions on its budget and
annual plan. This is your opportunity to comment on the council's
funding allocations and operational proposals for the next year.
Submissions are called for at the end of April. There is a one-month period to write to the council to express your
views. Special community board annual plan meetings are held and individuals and community groups can attend to express their
views.
Public hearings are held in June. People or groups who have provided written submissions are able to speak on their
submission.
Further information
Council, committee and community board meeting dates are available
on this website and are also published in City Scene, our weekly newspaper.
You can view copies of agendas and minutes
on this website, at our service centres and at Auckland City Libraries.
You can also view copies of
standing orders as well as the
delegations register on
this website.
All enquiries regarding meetings and meeting procedures should be directed to the relevant
democracy adviser.
Glossary
Agendas
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Document containing a list of items of business to be
discussed and/or dealt with at a meeting. |
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Annual plan
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A yearly plan published to let you know how council intends
to spend its funding in the next financial year. |
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Annual report
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Tells you whether the council has done what it said it was
going to do in the long-term council community plans and what it has spent
as well as showing progress on achieving community outcomes. |
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Chairperson
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The person who presides over a meeting. |
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Committees
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The group of councillors appointed for specific functions.
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Confidential items
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Items on an agenda from which the public is excluded. |
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Council
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The mayor and councillors form 'council'. All elected
representatives who are councillors meet in the council chambers in the
Auckland Town Hall and focus on issues from a citywide perspective. |
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Councillors
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Members of council, elected every three years. |
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Community board
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A board of five or six elected representatives set up in
each geographical area to provide a direct link between residents and
council to deal with community issues, plus the elected councillors of the
ward. |
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Community board members
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The elected members of the community board. |
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City Scene
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Auckland City Council's weekly newspaper of events and news
in the city delivered free to your letterbox. |
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Delegation
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Level of authority a committee, community board or staff
member (officer) have been given by council and/or the Chief executive to
make decisions. |
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Democracy adviser
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Responsible for managing the agenda and meeting process and
protocols. |
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Democracy coordinator
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Responsible for supporting the Democracy advisor. |
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Deputation
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An application for no more than two people to speak at a
meeting for a period of 10 minutes. |
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Deputy mayor
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Responsible for assisting the mayor and standing in if the
mayor is unable to fulfil any duties. The deputy mayor is elected by the
councillors. |
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Elected representative
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Anyone elected to represent the public, e.g. the mayor,
deputy mayor, councillors or community board members. |
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Field of activity
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A specific activity or function a committee has responsibility for. |
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LTCCP
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Long Term Council Community Plan gives a picture of all the
things that a council does and how they fit together. |
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Mayor
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Responsible for running the city and elected by the public
every three years. |
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Minutes
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An official record of what was agreed at a meeting. |
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Officers of council
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Staff members employed by Auckland City Council. |
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Petition
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A formal document making a request signed by a number of
persons. |
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Public forum
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An opportunity to speak publicly at either a committee or
community board meeting. |
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Quorum
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The minimum number of people needed to make a decision at a
meeting |
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Standing orders
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The New Zealand standard for meetings that Auckland City
Council follows (annotated to provide for Auckland City Council specific
matters). |
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Submissions
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Written feedback given to council by the public regarding
an issue. |
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Ward
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Boundaries assigned by the Local Government Commission.
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Updated April 2009
