Mon 16 Mar 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Auckland Council’s Community Development and Safety Committee will hear a proposal for a Rainbow Panel this Wednesday. The panel would be designed to give the lgbti community a visible voice within the existing Council structure. The proposal says lgbti Aucklanders experience high levels of addictions, mental health issues and suicide as well as discrimination on an institutional and individual level. The Council currently has disability, Pacific, ethnic, youth and seniors advisory panels. It’s estimated a Rainbow Panel would cost $35,000 to set up, and $116,880 a year to run – including $65,000 of Council staff support time. If it doesn’t favour a panel being set up, the Committee could recommend the continuation of the current Rainbow Door Advisory Group instead. The Rainbow Door group has suggested the panel, saying it would address identified community needs and a perception of inequality. Members of group have expressed concern that, despite facing issues of similar gravity to the other demographics represented by panels, the ‘rainbow’ demographic is represented by a reference group. It says while some members of the lgbti community have input via existing panels, “this is incidental and may not adequately represent the many diverse viewpoints that the rainbow community encompasses”. The Council’s contribution to the 2015 Auckland Pride Festival will also be discussed at Wednesday’s meeting. Representatives of six community groups; OUTLineNZ, the Charlotte Museum, Body Positive, the Gay Auckland Business Association, Auckland Pride Festival Inc and the Rainbow Tick, will speak. The meeting is at 1.30pm Wednesday, Level 26, 135 Albert Street, and is open to the public
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 16th March 2015 - 10:21am