Recent decisions on funding applications highlight how redundant this standalone committee is in the Manukau City Council.

Two groups, Crosspower and TYLA applied for funding to the committee. I strongly support both groups in the community. Crosspower did not receive funding on the basis it was already funded by Government. TYLA was funded. Both groups are in fact funded by Government.

When Community Safety Committee was first proposed, I was one of four Councillors who did not support its establishment. One of the others was the current Chairman Cr. Quax.

The reasons I did not support the committee's establishment was that any money Council wanted to put into funding community groups to carry out crime prevention work should go directly to the groups, with as little lost to bureaucracy and meeting time as possible. I also felt it was important for Council to send a message to Central Government that Council was not looking to become active in policing and social intervention, an area specifically funded by our taxes, not rates.

My active involvement in leading a community response to rising drugs and gang activities leads me to believe even more strongly that Council's role in the area of drugs, gangs and family violence needs to be focused on strong advocacy and administrative support. It does not have the level of funding or knowledge base to be involved with resourcing to the level that is required. The advocacy and administrative support function could be effectively carried out through an existing committee such as Community Development.

Central Government has recognised that dumping solutions to our problems into the middle of South Auckland, is ineffective and is not acceptable to us. Our communities are owning these problems and are leading and developing solutions such as TYLA and 274. They are being resourced and empowered by central Government directly.

Our Council should assist this process, not feel compelled to lead it, by setting up committees that can never be resourced to deliver on the raised expectations of pro-active anti- crime campaigns.

Council should provide a lead with analysis, policy advice, advocacy and administrative support. It can give strong direction to Government on behalf of our communities and its leaders, as to where our taxes need to be best invested, with whom, and for the greatest impact. This advocacy function is more powerful than piecemeal funding. For example Council's leadership could best be exercised in taking the Governments 26 point plan for dealing with youth violence in our city and reviewing and reworking it. It was not our plan and it needs to reflect what our communities really want for outcomes in policing, health, employment and community initiatives. This is critical work that would have a major effect in redirecting government resources in these crucial areas.

I want to see the resourcing that we do have for safety and pride to be chanelled specifically into those areas where we have direct responsibility and where we need to make urgent progress. The funding we have should be used for maximum effect on two or three projects rather than piecemeal expenditure on computers. We could start with grafitti.

Len Brown
Mayoral Candidate, Manukau City.

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