Weekly Wrap up: 17 August 2026
Each week I’m providing a quick summary of the meetings and events I’ve attended as a member of the Howick Local Board (HLB).
This is my report for last week, starting Monday 17 August.
On Monday, I attended the Tūpuna Maunga Authority (Hui 107) as one of the six Auckland Council representatives on this co-governance board. We had a public presentation from Devonport Heritage in relation to the proposed Fast Track application for the redevelopment of the Devonport Town Centre. The proposal would impact the views of Takarunga Mount Victoria which the presentation made clear. I grew up in Devonport and know the maunga well, so it was my privilege to move the motion to formally thank the group for their presentation. Our public agendas and minutes get published online: https://maunga.nz/about-us
On Wednesday I attended the Business East Tāmaki Committee meeting in the morning. They’re working on an update to their strategic plan, responding to the increasingly rapid pace of change driven by technology and innovation.
On Wednesday evening I attended the East Auckland Tourism Board meeting. The team have been busy working on WellFest which runs throughout September, providing opportunities to improve your wellness through a series of activities and events. Find out more here: https://eastaucklandtourism.co.nz/wellfest/
On Thursday we had our HLB workshop (https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/meeting/12291)
⚽Ostrich Park Development: another long-awaited project for Flat Bush (also delayed due to funding cuts by Governing Body in 2020), stage 1 of the master plan agreed in 2021 would’ve delivered 5x soccer fields (including 1 synthetic), cricket facilities, toilets, lighting and parking. Despite securing an additional $1.1M for this last year, the budget (now $7.99M) will now only deliver 2x soccer fields (including 1 synthetic), toilets, lighting and parking.
🚶♂️Mooney’s Bridge South Reserve minor pathway: 15 meter pathway to address well-used desire line along Aviemore Drive originally budgeted at $35k but estimates have significantly increased (due to location challenges) up to $120k. Board considering value for money.
📑Local Board Portfolio Review - Draft Portfolio Plan: closed and confidential session so I can’t discuss further.
📑Work Programme Item review: we continued our review of our work programme to ensure we can get early advice for next year (starting July 2027).
On Friday I attended the Howick Youth Council (HYC) Annual Youth Summit, a regular feature of the HYC calendar, that provides an opportunity for rangatahi (youth) from East Auckland to come together to attend workshops and discuss topics that are important to them and their peers. See more here.
On Saturday I attended the Howick Ratepayers and Residents Association AGM, which was run very efficiently. The following political panel was less impressive, with non-local candidates delivering offensive ramblings. See more here.
On Saturday evening I attended the Youth Project NZ Volunteer Awards Night. It was wonderful celebration of local rangatahi (youth).
On Sunday I went along to the Lloyd Elsmore Dog Park to see how everyone (including our furry friends) was enjoying the recent upgrade. While we don’t have a dog (yet), I firmly believe that it’s vital we have spaces like this for dogs to exercise and socialise.
Meetings/activities planned for this week:
📅Mon 24 Aug: Lloyd Elsmore Park User Group Quarterly Meeting
📅Thu 27 Aug: Howick Local Board Meeting (https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/meeting/12502)