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Background
Over the last twelve months there has been a growing realisation that regional governance changes in the Auckland Region will bring unique opportunities and challenges for planning, thinking, supporting and ‘doing’ community development and locally led action in Auckland. 

During 2009, discussions at Auckland Community Led Development Network meetings pointed to the need for new regional community mechanisms to:
• ensure the power of community voices across Auckland were maximised
• prepare and share key community messages
• enable greater influence and advocacy in decision making processes
• connect communities directly into the Auckland Social Policy Forum

In early December 2009, Community Waitakere and  Inspiring Communities brought together a small group of community development focused organisations and individuals from across the Auckland Region to discuss potential next steps for talking and working regionally.  Resulting out of this discussion was the desire to create a new alliance of like minds and organisations. 

About ACDA
ACDA is an informally constituted alliance of Auckland region community organisations and communities, formed in the context of the new governance arrangements in Auckland.

Purpose of ACDA
ACDA’s long term goal is to create stronger, healthier and more connected, informed, empowered, resilient and active communities in Auckland.  It does this by:
• Leading and facilitating cross community conversations in the Auckland region: community sector organisations and communities of place;
• Creating a shared collaborative space for local and regional community development thinking, talking and planning;
• Promoting the power and voice of communities in determining their own future;
• Enabling greater influence and advocacy from communities in decision making processes;
• Working with others to achieve greater social wellbeing outcomes for Auckland; and
• Connecting communities directly into the developing Auckland Social Policy Forum.

In the short term, ACDA seeks to ensure the governance reforms in Auckland contribute to its long term goal, so that:
• communities voices and views are represented in the structures and models of the new Auckland;
• the new Auckland reflects our needs and works with us;
• the new Auckland does nothing to us without us; and
• regionally mandated and recognised community led structures and organisations are developed which present united voices and messages.

ACDA will work in collaboration with all other regional organisations and communities which share these aspirations.

Establishment Group
An Establishment Group (EG) has been formed to guide the initial phases of ACDA development and to begin collaborative cross community dialogue, planning and action.  It is not possible, nor is it intended, for the EG to be representative in any way of Auckland’s extremely diverse communities and community sector organisations. The EG considers itself ‘reflective’ rather than representative, with issues of scope, mandate, formality and short and long term directions to be more fully explored over 2010.

It is expected that EG participants will be working and connecting with networks at local levels to enable the aims and activities of the ACDA to be carried out.  The question of whether and when ACDA might become a legally constituted entity will be part of the group’s ongoing discussions. It is not intended that the EG automatically become the governing body of any entity established.

Initial membership consists of both individuals and community based organisations undertaking various connecting and capacity building roles within Auckland’s existing cities and districts.  While active in those organisations, and supported by them to participate in the ACDA, the members do not necessarily represent the views of their organisations and all members of the EG attend in a volunteer capacity.

The Establishment Group desires to have members drawn from across the Auckland Region.  The group so far comprises:
• Yvonne Powley – North Shore Community and Social Services
• Carol Ryan and Chris Jones – Raeburn House
• Tony Mayow and Pat Watson - Community Waitakere
• Phillippa Pitcher – Parnell Trust
• Christine Herzog – Auckland WEA
• Mark Bentley – Manukau Community Foundation
• Tania Kauri – Papakura District Council of Social Services
• Megan Courtney – Inspiring Communities
• Denise Bijoux

For more information go to http://www.acda.org.nz/