NZ Electoral Enrolment

 

Founding Sponsor

Newlands Paparangi

Progressive Assn.

Database Status

                   

 

The "Ideas List"

Visit our IDEAS page.  There you will find a growing list of great ideas to help your organisation.  Feel free to contribute your wonderful tip or idea - email ideas@residents.org.nz.

 

Residents' Associations

A residents’ association is a group made up of local residents who represent the interests of everyone living in a geographic community.  It helps local people deal with problems they are having as well as organising social networking and activities.

Meetings might be attended by elected officials or state employees (if permission is given). A well-run association will have a constitution and produce agendas and minutes, which are available for everyone to see. Membership should be open to all residents and should not discriminate against any members of the community.

Some residents' associations are formed for a specific purpose, such as keeping watch on a public asset or promoting environmental stewardship in an area.

Residents' associations can also be known as ratepayers or progressive associations, "friends of" groups, public watchdog groups, and may be formal or informal.  See also community association, homeowners association, and neighbourhood association.

 

Council WatchTM

The mission of Council Watch is to undertake timely, relevant, and robust research on local government, provide checks and balances to local government in New Zealand, and make it easier for residents to have their voices heard.   Despite the obvious benefits to disaffected or disadvantaged people, this site is much more than just a way to "keep Councils honest".

 There is very little known about the mechanics of local government in this country, so Council Watch serves as a clearing house for community-based research and trends.   The site also has special sealed sections specifically for residents' groups and for journalists, to promote collegiality and oneness amongst these bastions of social justice.

 Council officers and elected members are encouraged to use this site as well. However they only will have access to the non-password protected pages.

Council Watch is funded by the Draco Foundation (NZ) Charitable Trust, the same entity that is responsible for the National Database of Resident's Associations.

 

Residents2010TM Conference

In April 2010 four organisations came together to hold the inaugural Residents' Associations Conference, at parliament buildings in Wellington.  Click here for a summary of the conference and its outcomes.

Technically this was not a national conference - the desire was to hold the same conference in a number of locations around the country.  However representatives from as far away as Auckland, Christchurch and Palmerston North signed up to attend, despite only the residents' associations from Wellington Region receiving notice of the event.

The reason the conference was advertised only within Wellington Region came down to cost: as it was the event cost $11,000 to run and this was sourced from the organisers and private sponsorship.

At this stage the organisers are looking for residents' associations or individuals to help set up a conference in the South Island and upper half of the North Island.  If you are interested in this idea please email residents2010@residents.org.nz.

 

Contact Details

The Chairperson

Draco Foundation (NZ) Charitable Trust

6 Bancroft Terrace

Wellington 6037

(04) 970 6481

draco@residents.org.nz

2010 Conference Proceedings

Click HERE to download a copy of the proceedings of the Residents2010 Conference held at Parliament Buildings on April 10th, 2010.

Restricted access is also available to the full research report from the conference surveys.  Email the convenor HERE for details.

 

Free Online Resources

One of the recommendations from the recent Residents2010 conference in Wellington was that resources be developed to assist and support residents' associations.

As part of the organising committee we have put our hand up and offered this website as a location to source these resources.

Click here to visit the page with resources on it.  There are only a few there now, but new resources will be added on a regular basis.  There are also copies of the papers/speeches presented at the conference by Pat Hanley and Chief Ombudsman Beverley Wakem.

If there is a resource you think would be useful, or if you have a resource you would like to share with the rest of New Zealand, please email us: resources@residents.org.nz.

 

National Database

We have started taking the database offline for short periods as we work on upgrading the service.

In 2008 we looked for a list of residents' associations in New Zealand and couldn't find one anywhere.  So we decided to build it ourselves.

The database has nearly 1,000 organisations listed.  Much of this information was gathered by painfully trolling through public records (such as those held by the Companies Office).  Thus, not all the entries are up-to-date.

However, we are seeing more and more organisations coming to the site to ensure their details are updated.  We still haven't written to everyone on the database (you can imagine how much that will cost!) but we're intending to in the near future.

In the meantime please feel free to visit the database and - if necessary - add or update your organisation's details!

 

The Draco Foundation

The National Database of Residents' Associations is an initiative funded through the Draco Foundation (NZ) Charitable Trust, a non-governmental organisation with the charitable aim to raise awareness of- and involvement in the democratic process amongst the citizens, organisations, and communities of New Zealand.  In doing so the Draco Foundation undertakes research and engages in public debate on the results, and provides training and education to communities.

The Draco Foundation is committed to transparency in all its dealings; equity and fairness in the treatment all people and organisations; and integrity, honesty and credibility in all transactions.

The Foundation is named after Draco, the first lawgiver of ancient Athens.  His contribution to democracy was considerable, as he replaced oral laws (known only to a special class, arbitrarily applied and interpreted) with written laws; thus made known to all literate citizens, who could make appeal to the rulers of Athens for injustices.

Draco's legal code was very stringent (leading to the term "Draconian").  However the Draco Foundation does not advocate for draconian laws in the modern sense of the word.  Rather it supports the application of the law equally to all citizens and organisations: including agents of the Government - in the true spirit of Draco's approach to justice.

Local Body Elections

They're coming up, and we're pushing hard to get people on the electoral role and voting.

You can help too.  Email us here if you want some help to organise a local event, or contact the friendly people at Elections NZ by clicking the link below.

 

Are Residents' Associations Going to

be Banned From Raising Money?

At the Residents2010 Conference one of the side issues raised was the treatment of some residents' associations by the Charities Commission.

Why should this be of concern to you?  Consider these two recent stories:

1)   White Poppies

The RSA was reported to be up-in-arms over a peace group selling white poppies to raise money and awareness for their cause, just prior to ANZAC Day.

In a media release the CEO of Fundraising New Zealand (FINZ) - James Austin - said “It’s intolerable that an organisation not registered with the Charities Commission can collect funds from the public in direct competition with a registered charity".  See here for full details.

On a a Radio New Zealand interview it was said that, because Peace Movement Aotearoa was not registered with the Charities Commission there is "no way of proving where the money's gone" and that it was "inappropriate" to be collecting at all.

The employee of a high-profile charity said it was "honourable" to "register" the appeal week with the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand.  However that body says on their website that "To raise funds for your club or group you do not need to be registered with anyone, nor do you need a licence."

Listen to the recording HERE.

As an aside, the Auckland RSA President - also interviewed on National Radio said "...certainly the timing is not what we'd like, you know there are plenty of other days in the year to do that, however, it's understandable why a peace movement would choose to do it at this time."

Peace Movement Aotearoa have said they changed their appeal week back next to ANZAC Day because of demand by people who wanted to wear white poppies (symbolising justice and freedom of expression amongst other things won by the blood of soldiers and civilians) alongside their red ones.

People should be free to give to whatever charity they choose and to suggest the State (through the Charities Commission) or the industry bigwigs (through the Fundraising Institute) or anyone else can make that decision on behalf of a person is nothing less than anti-democratic.

2)   Otaki Market

The Otaki Women's Community Club is upset at being told to stop making food for the local market. Kapiti Coast District Council says the stallholders need to have registered kitchens.

The Council's Manager for Assets and Services, Gary Simpson, said that  people selling food must have registered kitchen to protect against outbreaks of illness.

The Council then went on to say that only charities or vendors whose complete profits go to a charity are permitted to prepare the food they sell in their own kitchens.

So... who defines what is a "charity" in this instance.  The Charities Commission?  Looks like red tape either way!

And as an aside, are we to conclude that when money goes completely to charity the chance of an outbreak of illness is less?

Despite Minister Tizard's expectation that "the commission will not prevent an organisation from being able to register if it engages in advocacy as a way to support and undertake its main charitable purpose", it appears many groups are being rejected from gaining charitable status due to their advocacy activities.

As a residents' association or any similar group that aims to improve your community through promoting a strong 'civil society' you run the risk of being rejected charitable status.  This means that you will not be able to apply to an increasing number of funders (like the Paul Newman Foundation, or technology donor Tech Soup as well as several gaming machine funds such as The Trusts Charitable Foundation).

In addition, from 1 July 2008 an organisation will only be tax-exempt if it is a trust, society or institution that is registered as a charitable entity by the Charities Commission.  In other words any charity not registered by the Charities Commission is liable for income tax (see IR255 brochure, p11).

According to Charities Commission CEO Trevor Garrett it is currently "expanding its monitoring and investigation and education functions" (see here for story).  What's next on the cards... a ruling that bequests can only be made to registered charities?  Buskers having to show charitable status before being allowed to perform music?  Stormtroopers marching down the street, smashing windows?  Is it time, perhaps, to start learning the words of this song? (Okay, that was a step too far.  But hysteria aside, we still need our civil society to protect us from going down this path).

Unless the Charities Commission is made to change its stance and relax the rules on what is "charitable" we will see civil society slowly choked by a lack of access to funds, donated resources and - if the Fundraising Institute has its way - access to the ability to publically raise money.

Last year the Parliamentary Social Services Committee produced a report entitled 2009/10 ESTIMATES FOR VOTE COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR.  An excerpt reads "We were ... interested to hear that the commission had rejected 3,000 applications in six months, and asked the Minister whether the commission was perhaps being too rigorous or pedantic in evaluating applications. The Minister said she had raised the issue of the registration procedures, which she believed might be partly responsible for the length of time it had taken to clear the backlog of applications, but that the commission was reluctant to change its processes and criteria for approving applications."  See full report here.

We have made an initial approach to Trevor Garrett, CEO of the Commission, for a meeting to discuss the issue but to date he has not replied (or acknowledged our request).

Charities Commission logo

Using the Official Information Act we have uncovered at least 29 cases where residents' associations have been rejected charitable status.  There are a number still out there who have received a rejection letter but still have time to appeal, or have appealed and are under consideration  and we have requested documents relating to those instances.

The reasons vary but all of them hint at a government department flexing its legislative muscles through a strict interpretation of the law.

Whilst further information is being sought one of the conversations we would like to see happen is "What is the RELEVANCE of the Charities Commission?", given that the ability of the public and private sector to engage in philanthropy and charitable activity is being stifled.  Already people are starting to ask for evidence as to what benefit they bring to our New Zealand society aside from another level of bureaucracy.

If you have been rejected from, given the run-around by, or discouraged to apply to the Charities Commission then please let us know.

Email us here, we will get in touch to have a further conversation.

 

Residents 2010™ is a trade mark of the Federation of Wellington Progressive and Residents' Associations and is copyright ©2010.

National Residents Association Database™ and Council Watch are trade marks of the Draco Foundation and the contents of this website are copyright ©2009~2010.