Kia ora DPT whanau.

Thank you so much for signing the petition to Save the Devonport Peninsula Trust.

Here’s an update on what happens now and other ways you can still help save the Trust.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board will make its final budget decisions at its meeting on Tuesday 18 July, at 10am. 

Please attend the meeting if you can! Having a crowd in the public gallery is very powerful. The meeting is at the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board office, 1-7 The Strand, Takapuna, starting at 10am. The entry is directly off the plaza, about halfway between the library and the building’s main foyer.

The Friends will present the petition and letters of support just after 10am, then the Devonport Peninsula Trust will also speak. The relevant budget decisions will be make in Item 15 – but is a common courtesy for local board chairs to bring items forward when there are members of the public in attendance for that item.

Meeting agenda: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2023/07/20230718_DT_AGN_11879_AT.PDF

On p39 you will see the $98k funding available for the Devonport area listed as “Community Activator Taitonga”. We are asking the board to reconsider, and reinstate this funding to the DPT, rather than allocating it to totally new sole-person role.

You will also see $103k funding listed as “Community Activator Raki”. This is another sole-charge position which would replace the funding usually allocated to the Takapuna North Community Trust – who fulfil the same role as the DPT in the area from Takapuna to Sunnynook.

THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP

·      Share the petition widely.   www.change.org/p/savedevonporttrust
We currently have around 270 signatures online, and another couple of hundred on paper copies of the petition. We would love to many more – and time is running short.

·      Email a letter of support to ruth@ruthjackson.co.nz that we can table at the local board meeting. It’s a great way to make sure your voice is heard, and ensure your comments are on public record. It doesn’t have to be long, or formal. It could be quite general, or you might also want to speak about different events, activities and programmes that you’ve enjoyed, or have helped you meet others in the neighbourhood – and how losing those would be a real blow to our community.

·      Make a noise on Facebook! The basic petition link has been shared a few times, so it would be good to have a “new angle” on anything you post tonight or tomorrow, so it’s not all “same old, same old”.  Perhaps post eye-catching photos of past events (perhaps even the Matariki event from last night) – and say how great they are, and what a loss they would be … and then add a link to the petition.
Also – add comments to posts by other people. The more voices, the better!