Monthly Report - May 2026
At last week's Howick Local Board meeting, I presented my monthly report which was accepted by the Board.
This is my third Members report for the term, with my last update covering up until 15 April.
Key themes:
• Celebrating our heritage and our diversity
• Balancing our budget while delivering for our community
• Celebrating upgrades to our community infrastructure, big and small
• Eastern Busway continues to disrupt
One of the greatest strengths of East Auckland is our diverse community who provide opportunities for us to learn and share about the rich cultural heritage of the people who live here. Over the past month we’ve had opportunities to celebrate with activities such as the 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple and the Dragon Boat Festival hosted by the Botany Chinese Association. We also acknowledged significant events in the history of our people, with Anzac Day Dawn and Civic Services on Stockade Hill and the Commemoration of 147years of Fiji Girmit by the Fiji Girmit Foundation.
As we approach the end of the financial year, we turn our focus to the upcoming work programmes. Both our capital and operating budgets are constrained, limiting our ability to deliver what our community needs. We will need to make tough choices to balance the budget, as we face significant cost increases outside of our control (like $200k more for ‘our’ maintenance contract we didn’t sign or see). As the cost-of-living crisis continues, the public understandably wants council to ensure its delivering value for money, particularly in the face of a significant rates increase.
However, it’s important that we celebrate the successes too – last month we marked the opening of the upgraded courts at the Howick Pakūranga Netball Centre (including a friendly game), and the beginning of construction on the upgrade for the Lloyd Elsmore Skatepark. The hard work of our staff has not gone unnoticed, with Barry Curtis Park Playground wining the playspace of the year at the 2026 Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards. I’m very thankful for the partnership with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki that delivered a unique design that responds to the needs of our community and the environment that they live in. Smaller wins like the Tarnica Park renewal and long-awaited replacement of the spinner in Frank Nibolo Park are also appreciated.
The construction of the Eastern Busway continues to dominate feedback from residents, as they deal with the ever-changing layouts and disruption. Ti Rakau Drive is challenging for locals living, working, and commuting through the area, especially as the construction moves towards Botany (some of the most constrained parts of the project).