Kotahitangi (unity) on display at UXBRIDGE

Beautiful and moving occasion on Saturday as the community gathered with mana whenua, Kāhui Ariki (Māori royal family), and representatives of kīngitanga (Māori royals).

It was an opportunity to acknowledge the legacy of Emilia Maude Nixon who came to Howick in 1925. And the incredible mahi (work) of Whaea Taini Drummond who has been kaitaki (guardian) of O Wairoa Marae since 1983.

Strongly encourage everyone to visit the taonga (treasures) on display at UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture until 21 June.

Howick Local Board Business Meeting Report for April 2025

On Thursday 17 April, the Howick Local Board held our third business meeting of the year. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and recordings of our meetings.

🗣 Deputations from Pakūranga Early Learning Centre, New Zealand Ethnic Social Services, and public forum from Howick Ratepayers and Residents Association.

📑 Feedback on decision-making resulting from disestablishment of Eke Panuku and downsizing of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, draft Contributions Policy 2025, Time of Use Charging Bill, proposed dog policy and bylaw, proposed wastewater environmental performance standards

✅ Approval of Local Board Transport Capital projects, endorsed Auckland Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy, Community Grant guidelines and Round Two Grants, Howick Play Plan.

After the initial formalities of the welcome, we approved Deputy Bo Burns and Member Bruce Kendall joining online, and accepted an apology from Member Katrina Bungard for her absence. We noted the declarations of interest and confirmed the previous minutes.

We acknowledged Subash Chandar K on being named the Local Hero of the Year at the 2025 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards. A mathematics teacher at Ormiston Junior College in Flat Bush, he has been described as “a game-changing mathematics educator who has made a significant impact on students across Aotearoa New Zealand since 2013”.

We received a deputation from the Barnardos Early Learning Centre Pakuranga. They explained the mahi they do looking after local tamariki, especially those with financial challenges. More than just childcare, they provide wrap around services for whānau in need. With the ongoing cost of living crisis, their services are more in demand than ever before. They invited us to visit them to see their work in action, which we’ll do in the near future.

Our second deputation was from New Zealand Ethnic Social Services. They’ve been operating since 2003 and have evolved their services to meet the needs of their communities such as wellbeing and navigation, counselling and mental health, youth services, and increasingly dealing with family harm. While they provide services to anyone who needs them, they specialise in Middle Eastern communities with the ability to provide services in English, Farsi, Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, and Hindi.

We had a public forum item from the Howick Ratepayers and Residents Association Inc. Janet Dickson raised concerns about the limited protections in place for Stockade Hill and that their attempt to have the site heritage listed was waiting for an official outcome. We asked staff to provide us with an update on the listing process.

Next Auckland Transport presented options for our Local Board Transport Capital Fund – provided for boards to deliver small transport projects in addition to those led by Auckland Transport. Last year AT delivered safety improvements on The Parade in Bucklands Beach and we asked them to complete speed and pedestrian surveys to confirm these had worked as well as identifying other opportunities. Together with feedback from the public consultation, they had identified some additional sites further north on The Parade plus the intersection at Laings Road. After robust discussion, we agreed to fund the remaining sites (subject to public consultation) and pedestrian improvements for Cook Street. We nominated pedestrian crossing improvements near the Kilimanjaro Drive playground as a contingency project if funds became available.

Late last year, the Governing Body (Mayor and Councillors) voted to change the structure for the Council Controlled Organisations. Eke Panuku would be disestablished (which we opposed), with urban regeneration and property management moved into Auckland Council. And Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s economic development function would be moved to Auckland Council, while they would retain major events and management of regional facilities like Aotea Centre and Auckland Zoo. We had the opportunity to provide our feedback on the new allocation of decision-making, which we supported while stressing that council must provide sufficient resources to support the increased local board decision-making including access to quality advice in a timely manner.

We endorsed the updated draft Manaaki Tāmaki Makaurau: Auckland Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy. Our previous feedback was that it lacked consideration of local board decision-making which staff had addressed in the updated version. We agreed with a capacity-based approach which means council should focus on delivering open spaces than currently enabled in high- and medium-density areas where residents have low or moderate levels of provision.

Every month we allocate a slot for our Ward Councillors to provide an update. Unfortunately, due to scheduling clashes, they are usually unable to attend. To accommodate this, they agreed to provide a written report when there are board-specific updates to share. No report was received for this meeting.

I presented my Chairpersons Report for the month, detailing what we had been focused on since the last meeting. I noted the success of Te Tuhi’s Celebrating Culture Pop-Up, our EnviroSchools Tour, and the strong support for Marina Fitness (due to be decided in May).

Next we approved next year’s Community Grant programme, with similar guidelines and dates to this year. We stressed the need for groups to provide accountability reporting so we had confidence in how public money was being spent.

We then worked through the Local Grants Round Two applications, which saw 41 applications for $361k. Unfortunately, several applications were not eligible as they had not completed their accountability reports from previous grants – while we wanted to support these projects, we must ensure that public money is appropriately spent so couldn’t grant them more money. We approved a total of $126,177.73.

Next we adopted our first Howick Play Plan which provides information and project suggestions to increase the range of play opportunities we offer. Much of this is less formal play which is quicker and cheaper to provide, allowing us to do more for less. As we tackle the challenges of limited funding, having more flexibility for providing play across the rohe is a significant step forward.

We provided our feedback on the draft Contributions Policy 2025 which will set the development contributions for the next few years (the Government has signalled they plan to replace the system with something better). We asked that there is greater transparency over how the money is collected, kept, and spent for the benefit of local boards, council, developers, and the public.

Next we considered our input into the Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Bill. We’ve provided some early feedback before the legislation was developed, asking for a system that is effective, transparent, and does not unfairly punish those without alternative transport choice. The Board had concerns that the alternative options (like public transport) were not sufficient to provide residents with real choice and any congestion charge would be almost unavoidable. Therefore, we did not support the implementation of Time of Use Charging until there are sufficient alternative transport options that provide real alternatives. Until we have a more reliable, better connected and faster transport system we cannot ask commuters to pay more via time of use charging.

We provided our feedback into council’s proposal to amend dog policy and bylaw (separate from the local dog access rules). We noted that despite the strong response, the demographic breakdown suggests that the input is not representative of the entire population of Auckland or Howick. We supported the request of the Professional Dog Walkers Association (with 3,456 signatures) to explore a license for professional dog walkers as a sensible compromise that will provide for greater control of dogs without making commercial operations impossible. We also reiterated our previous resolution (supported by public feedback) that we “believe that enforcement is critical to the success of any rule and continue to advocate for greater resources to enforce this and other bylaws.”

We noted our urgent decision into Auckland Council's submission on the proposed wastewater environmental performance standards, which was required before our meeting so had to be managed outside of that process. Our feedback asked the percentage of discharge is managed so that the receiving environment is not overwhelmed and kept below scientifically proven percentages ensuring native biodiversity is not degraded, and the ability to swim is maintained. And where the receiving environment is currently being overwhelmed by discharge (as a percentage), that urgency is given to ensuring that planning is done and made publicly available as to when water quality improvements will be seen.

We noted our workshop records and forward governance work calendar before closing the meeting at 3:09pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/04/20250417_HW_MIN_11591_WEB.htm
along with related attachments like presentations here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/04/20250417_HW_ATT_11591_WEB.htm (warning this is large with many attachments)
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/04/20250417_HW_MAT_11591_WEB.htm

A recording of the meeting is available here, along with previous meetings: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiuqKCzobSzQ05kCv2JI2iefmDp2_tEh

Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 15 May at 12noon at the Pakuranga Library building in Aylesbury Street.

These are open to the public to attend and observe, although you need to request a slot if you would like to speak (so we can make sure we provide time).

Empowering community to take environmental action!

We had the pleasure of unveiling this beautiful new sign in Cockle Bay. Over the past 5 years volunteers from the Cockle Bay Residents and Rate Payers Association have transformed the local environment.

As project lead Barry Wood has helped guide this community group to volunteer an incredible amount of work (more than 1,500hours) to plant, nurture, and protect native trees, making Windross Track a beautiful pathway to Cockle Bay beach and reserve.

The new sign (created by local artist Ron Vandam) provides information on where the track goes, how long it takes, while displaying the native fauna and wildlife that you’ll find along the walk.

The Howick Local Board is proud to have provided community grants to enable this work to happen, and another grant for the sign to recognise their efforts.

Fantastic work Barry and team!

Howick Local Board attendance at meetings

As part of providing transparency, Auckland Council publishes the attendance for elected members. Here is the Howick Local Board result for January to March 2025.

Absences may be due to leave, illness, bereavement or attending other council business.

You can see more (including previous reports, other local boards and councillors) on the Auckland Council website.

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/performance-transparency/Pages/attendance-governing-body-meetings.aspx

Howick Local Board business meeting report for March 2025

On Thursday 20 March, the Howick Local Board held our second business meeting of the year. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and recordings of our meetings.

🗣 Deputations from Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum, Howick RSA, and Birdcare Aotearoa
📑 Feedback on next years Auckland Transport Kōkiri agreement, adding trees to notable trees register, Draft Storm-affected Land Use Policy, Term of Parliament Amendment Bill
✅ Approval of new lease for Pakuranga and Howick Budgeting Service,
📊 Reviewed current Auckland Transport Kōkiri agreement

After the initial formalities of the welcome, we accepted an apology from Member David Collings, and approved Member John Spiller joining online. We noted the declarations of interest and confirmed the previous minutes.

We acknowledged:
🎉 Pakuranga Library on 30 years of service to the community, after the new building was opened on 11 March 1995.
🎉 Te Tuhi on 50 years of service to the community, hosting over 700 exhibitions featuring local, national and internationally significant artists as well as countless community meetings and events.
🎉 the 21 Local Board Chairs for their collaborative efforts in addressing collective concerns regarding the significant budget shortfall.

We received a deputation from Dr Julie Chambers, the Co-Chair Tamaki Estuary Environmental Forum (TEEF). Dr Chambers raised concerns about the level of sewage overflows that were occurring in our area and the lack of awareness that might be putting people at risk. As a result of her presentation, we asked staff provide information on the number of sewage overflow events in the Howick Local Board area and what actions are underway to monitor and reduce them.

Our second deputation was from Barry Dreyer, the President of Howick Rsa. Barry provided an update on the RSA’s progress and priorities. Since they exited their Howick property, they have been looking for a new welfare location and asked us to consider allowing them to use the Howick War Memorial Hall. We asked staff to bring the item to a workshop so we could review the utilisation data that he had provided in order to consider best usage of the Hall moving forward.

And our third deputation was from Dr Rashi Parker Fundraising Manager for BirdCare Aotearoa. Dr Parker provided an update on recent rescues from across the region and locally from our area. Due to funding pressures they can only help native and endemic birds, and even then they were still facing serious challenges in keeping their critical service operating.

With Auckland Transport staff in the room, I moved up the relevant items. Firstly we reviewed the Auckland Transport Kōkiri / Local Board Transport Agreement Quarterly Update. This new agreement was helping us work more collaboratively with Auckland Transport and I noted the significant improvement in our relationship over the past year.

We also reviewed the draft list of items to include in the next year’s Kōkiri Agreement. We asked to collaborate on the safety projects projects we had initiated (i.e. Bradbury Road, Kerrykeel Drive, Flat Bush School Road, Sunnyview Avenue, and Stanniland Road) and be consulted on major projects (Paid parking in Botany, pedestrian safety on Stancombe Road, and intersection of Cockle Bay/Churchill Road/Pah Road). We wanted to be informed of other improvements and optimisations, and asked for more public transport services, commuter focused cycleways, and some specific safety improvements (Fencible Drive, Union Road/Wellington Street, Smales Road/Sir William Ave).

Next we approved the proposed community lease for the Pakuranga and Howick Budgeting Service. This provides certainty for the group who have been on a monthly rolling lease since 2020. A smaller footprint for the group would allow the Local Board to occupy lesser used parts of the office, resulting in savings for both the group and council. We continued our approach of staggering the rent to increase over three years to help reduce the impact on community groups. Unfortunately, this wasn’t possible for the operational expenses (that cover the insurance and maintenance costs).

We provided our feedback on a draft proposal to add more trees to the notable trees schedule. Trees on this register are recognised as significant and are protected. We supported adding more trees (there are 15 trees or groups proposed for our area) which will go out for public consultation. Some of the trees on this list were first proposed 10-12 years ago but this had been the first update since then - we encouraged council to improve the process to make it faster. We also encouraged council to use the consultation process to help educate the public on the rules for tree protection.

Every month we allocate a slot for our Ward Councillors to provide an update. Unfortunately, due to scheduling clashes, they are usually unable to attend. To accommodate this, they agreed to provide a written report when there are board-specific updates to share. No report was received for this meeting.

I presented my Chairpersons Report for the month, detailing what we had been focused on since the last meeting. I noted the progress being made on our destination playground and our local transport projects, as well as the local speed limit reversals. We’d received a lot of emails concerned about the future of Marina Fitness in Half Moon Bay, which is due to be resolved in the near future. And our concerns about the cost pressures, which had been resolved since my report was published. I asked the Board to endorse the Local Board Chairs Letter which had led to the positive outcome. But we also need to address the underlying issues with a lack of proper financial information for local boards – so we formally asked staff to make it happen, warning that without this information it will be extremely difficult to approve the local board agreement and work programmes.

The next item, seeking feedback on the cost pressures had been withdrawn as the Mayor had agreed to resolve it without asking Local Boards to cut services.

We noted our urgent decision to provide feedback on Auckland Council’s Draft Storm-affected Land Use Policy. Our feedback included concerns that Local Boards had not been appropriately involved in the process until the end, which meant the policy failed to adequately consider the impact on local communities. Most of our feedback was along the same theme – take a better look at how this would impact Local Boards.

We provided our feedback into Auckland Council’s submission on the Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill. In short the bill proposed allowing each parliament to elect a 3 or 4 year term, provided they adjusted the membership of the select committees. We noted our previous feedback supporting a move to 4 years, with local government offset by 2 years to avoid clashes. We did not support the variable 3 or 4 year cycle based on the risk it would create uncertainty. We supported greater accountability for central government regardless of the outcome of the bill, including entrenching the NZ Bill of Rights Act.

We were due to provide feedback on the draft Contributions Policy, but it was withdrawn due to issues with the report. We’ll consider it in our April meeting.

We noted our workshop records and forward governance work calendar before closing the meeting at 2:38pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/03/20250320_HW_MIN_11590_WEB.htm
along with related attachments like presentations here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/03/20250320_HW_ATT_11590_WEB.htm
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/03/20250320_HW_MAT_11590_WEB.htm

A recording of the meeting is available here, along with previous meetings: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiuqKCzobSzQ05kCv2JI2iefmDp2_tEh
Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 17 April at 12noon at the Pakuranga Library building in Aylesbury Street.

These are open to the public to attend and observe, although you need to request a slot if you would like to speak (so we can make sure we provide time).

Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan Mubarak!

On Saturday All Hands Aotearoa hosted an iftar for locals - the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset to break their fast-during Ramadan. Ramadan is a month-long period in the Islamic calendar where Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset.

This community event was proudly supported by the Howick Local Board as part of our ongoing efforts to better support and connect with our growing Muslim population (which has almost doubled since 2013).

In my brief speech I acknowledged the six-year anniversary of the terrorist attack in Christchurch. One of the darkest days our recent history, the impact of this cowardly act continues to reverberate today. While it was a coincidence that this event was on the anniversary, it was important to acknowledge it. While we’ve made good progress as a country since then, we still have more work to do in terms of diversity and inclusion.

The Bucklands and Eastern Beaches War Memorial Hall was the perfect venue as we watched the sun set before sharing a meal and exchanging stories. Great to be joined by Members Adele White and Mike Turinsky, as well as council staff.

Fairer and more effective representation for Flat Bush!

I’m really happy to see that the Local Government Commission has approved the proposed changes for the Howick Local Board.

This will mean from October 2025:

• 3 members for Howick (unchanged)

• 3 members for Pakūranga (unchanged)

• 2 members for Botany (one less member and smaller area)

• 3 members for Flat Bush (new area)

This brings the total members to 11, making it the largest Board (which matches the largest population).

Flat Bush is a growing community with unique needs and deserves its own recognition and representation. The proposal was strongly supported by both locals and Aucklanders, as well as the Howick Local Board.

With over 150,000 residents to serve, it’s important that we have enough elected representatives to listen and act on their behalf. Even with the additional members, we’ll still have one of the highest ratios of residents per elected representative.

We look forward to welcoming new members in October.

Annual declaration for 2024

Transparency is critical to a functioning democracy. Our democracy is representative, meaning we elect representatives to make decisions on our behalf. Therefore we need transparency on what might be influencing the decisions made by our representatives. To help with this, elected members are required to declare any financial and other interests they may have.

Elected Members are required to declare property, companies, employment and other sources of income. Auckland Council publishes our declarations online which anyone can search:
https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/elected-members-remuneration-declarations-interest/Pages/elected-members-declarations-search.aspx

None of this removes the need to declare or act on conflicts of interest. If we have an interest (financial or otherwise) in a discussion or decision we're making, then we should declare it. Depending on how significant the interest is, we may not vote or even leave the room. If it's less significant it may be appropriate to continue to be involved in the decision. Although this can lead to people questioning whether the decision we made was in the best interests of the community we represent or our own personal interests.

Sometimes the potential perception is enough to require us to step back, even if we're not conflicted. Often this is the best approach to protect the integrity of the decision, elected member and the organization involved. Ultimately this has to be handled on a case-by-case basis because there are so many variables. It can be challenging, especially for local government representatives who are often deeply involved in their community.

But the first step is transparency.

You can search for anyone's declaration (including mine) but to make it easier I've attached mine here.

• I work part-time for AsureQuality

• I don't own any property or benefit from any trusts (we rent)

• I have a single (unpaid) governance role outside of the Local Board, with some memberships in other groups and volunteer work.

Happy to answer any questions on this, my declaration or anything else.

Wrapping up 2024!

It’s been a busy year and Christmas is approaching fast.

Last week we had our last business meeting for the year and our local staff are taking well earned leave until 6 January. As always, make sure you log any issues with Auckland Council (09 301 0101 or www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/report-it) but don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any electedmembers if you need support.

As we farewell 2024, it’s good to look back on the year that has been. In addition to our normal events, projects and activities, some highlights include:

• Confirming our commitment to incorporate Māori culture, language, art and stories into the design of public spaces through Te Kete Rukuruku (March);

• Providing clarity on future of Howick War Memorial Hall as venue for hire (March);

• Opening Te Taiwhanga Taiohi East Auckland Youth Space (April);

• Ensuring fairer and more equitable democracy for Flat Bush through Representation Review (February-October, taking effect October 2025);

• Supporting the inaugural East Auckland Business Awards (April), in addition to existing Howick Sports Awards (August);

• Securing the future of Kauri Kids Howick early childhood education through new operator (June);

• Delivering transport safety projects including gravel footpaths for Flat Bush (May and July) and Bucklands Beach (September);

• Taking action on resilience by approving the first Howick Local Board Readiness and Response Plan (November).

None of this would have been possible without the support of our amazing staff, our partners, and the community - thank you all.

Looking forward to 2025, we will be:

• Providing greater transparency through open-by-default workshops (January);

• Consulting the local community on local and regional annual budgets (February-March);

• Building the new Barry Curtis destination playground and replacement for the Wetlands Building (starting February);

• Continuing to work towards building the Flat Bush Community Centre and Library sooner (we’ve secured some funding from July 2025).

On behalf of the Howick Local Board, we wish you and your whānau a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Howick Local Board business meeting report for November 2024

On Thursday 21 November, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for the month. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and recordings of our meetings.

• Acknowledgement for Morrin Cooper

• Deputations from Ormiston Senior College Students, and East Skate Club.

• Feedback on Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy, LGNZ electoral reform discussion paper, draft Mayoral Proposal for annual budget.

• Approval of the Local Board Emergency Readiness and Response Plan, Quarter One performance report.

After the initial formalities of the welcome, declarations of interest and confirmation of minutes, we confirmed our formal acknowledgement for the month.

We recognised the upcoming 90th birthday of Morrin Cooper, the last Mayor of Howick Borough Council from 1974 to 1989 before it became part of the former City of Manukau.

We received a deputation from Ormiston Senior College Students on Salford Park. A group of Year 11, 12 and 13 students proposed a range of ideas to improve their local park including environmental, safety, and transport challenges. The Board was very impressed by the content and delivery of their presentation, and we asked staff for advice on how we could implement the proposals.

We then received a deputation from Aaron Martin of East Skate Club. Aaron raised concerns about slow progress on providing more skate and wheeled play options in East Auckland. He encouraged the Board to make sure that skate and wheeled play remained a priority and provide more sites across the Local Board area.

Every month we allocate a slot for our Ward Councillors to provide an update. Unfortunately, due to scheduling clashes, they are usually unable to attend. To accommodate this, they agreed to provide a written report when there are board-specific updates to share. No report was received for this meeting.

I presented my Chairpersons Report for the month, detailing what we had been focused on since the last meeting. It noted the progress on Eastern Busway, Bellingham Road, and return of rubbish bins to Bucklands Beach. Also, that there had been no objections to the representation review for our area, reflecting the strong public support during consultation.

We adopted the Howick Local Board Emergency Readiness and Response Plan, providing a formalised document that lays out what Auckland Council and the community should do to prepare an respond to emergencies. We thanked Auckland Emergency Management for their efforts in developing the plan – they’ve worked hard to achieve this priority for us.

We provided feedback on the draft Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy, requesting that the strategy better considers the impact on local boards and our increased decision-making. Otherwise, we generally supported the draft which brings together five regional strategies, policies and plans.

We received our Quarter One performance report which detailed the progress up to the end of September 2024. Most of our projects are on time and on budget (95%), with two being managed, two with significant issues (Ostrich Farm, and Flat Bush Community Centre and Library both awaiting funding ) and two on hold (Hawthornden Reserve lease awaiting renewal, Flat Bush walkway and cycleway paths awaiting developer). Our operating revenue ($1.2M) was lower than budgeted largely due to the planned maintenance of Lloyd Elsmore Pool and Leisure Centre, while our operating expenditure was higher than budgeted as our teams work to get ahead of the repairs and maintenance.

Next we considered a grant application that had been deferred from the previous meeting as we’d asked for more information. The request was for $3k towards a community mural on a private building that borders on a public reserve. Some of the Board was concerned about the potential impact on the reserve, which is managed through a separate mural review process. Deputy Burns and I proposed we approve the funding, but the majority of the Board voted to defer the decision again to provide time for staff to provide more information.

Next we appointed members to provide feedback on stormwater activities. As the guardians of local reserves, Local Boards normally have authority to approve (or decline) requests to use greenspaces. However, staff recently clarified that (according to legal opinion) Healthy Waters doesn’t need to ask permission which we disagreed with (see April 2024). Instead, we have a delegated member to provide feedback which will be myself, with Member Kendall as backup. We won’t have any decision-making power and would have to take objections through the Planning and Policy Committee which isn’t ideal.

Next we provided our feedback on Local Government NZ’s discussion paper regarding possible electoral reform for councils across the country. With the decline in postal services and dropping turnout, something needs to be done to address the challenges so it was good to have the opportunity to provide our feedback. We supported greater education, more information for and about candidates (including mandatory training like in Queensland), more voting options, and shifting responsibility for local elections to the Electoral Commission.

Finally we responded to the draft Mayoral Proposal which had been released earlier that week. We broadly supported the proposed reform of the CCOs, except Eke Panuku as we felt that urban regeneration benefited from being independent. Bringing strategy, policy, and planning into council should result in a more integrated approach and we asked that Local Boards are provided more oversight and decision making over what happens in their area. We opposed the suggested increase in animal management fees, with concern that rising costs would lead to less dog adoptions (when the kennels are already overflowing). We also advocated for the Flat Bush Community Centre and Library, Flat Bush Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Coastal Erosion Fund, and a regional response to the Tāmaki Estuary.

We noted our workshop records and forward governance work calendar before closing the meeting at 2:58pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/11/20241121_HW_MIN_11587_WEB.htm

along with related attachments like presentations here:

https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/11/20241121_HW_ATT_11587_WEB.htm

A recording of the meeting will be available shortly, along with previous meetings: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiuqKCzobSzQ05kCv2JI2iefmDp2_tEh

Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 12 December at 12noon at the Pakuranga Library building in Aylesbury Street.

These are open to the public to attend and observe, although you need to request a slot if you would like to speak (so we can make sure we provide time).

Howick Local Board Emergency Readiness and Response Plan

“We’re pleased to present the new Howick Local Board Emergency Readiness and Response Plan. Getting this ready has been a priority for us to ensure that we’re all ready for emergencies. We know from recent experiences that we need to build community resilience, and this plan provides the platform to help achieve this.”

Thank you to Auckland Emergency Management for their mahi on developing and delivering this plan for us.

“Having a plan helps make any emergency much less stressful for everyone. The best time to be prepared is before you need it, so please get your household or business plan in place now. It’s also a great way to connect with your neighbours, friends, and communities to share and discuss your plan. If an emergency happens, it’s vital that we look after each other.

“We know from experience that in times of need our communities of Howick, Pakūranga, Botany, Flat Bush and East Tāmaki, come together to help each other. We’re grateful for the amazing individuals and organisations who have stepped up in the past and have volunteered to be involved again.”

Read more about it here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2024/11/new-tool-to-help-prepare-for-emergencies-agreed/

Stockade Hill Christmas Tree is lit!

Last night the Howick community gathered for the belated lighting of the Stockade Hill Christmas Tree.

Our original event was cancelled due to poor weather, but Santa came to the rescue. In a wonderfully informal yet magical experience, Santa led us in song before the lights went on.

Merry Christmas from the Howick Local Board!

Howick Local Board office closes to save money

At the end of this month, the Howick Local Board will be exiting our office in Pakūranga.

“While decisions around office space are made by Auckland Council staff, the Howick Local Board is supportive of this cost effective and pragmatic approach. We’re very conscious of ensuring that public funds are wisely spent and we’re open to trying a new way of working.”

While our office is closing, your access to your elected representatives won't change - we'll continue to be available by phone email or appointment.

Read more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2024/11/howick-local-board-relocating/

Howick Local Board business meeting report for October 2024

On Thursday 17 October, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for the month. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and recordings of our meetings.

📰 Acknowledgements for Howick College Netball, Pakūranga United Rugby Club
🗣 Deputations from Beautification Trust and NZ Thread Exchange, plus public forum with Professional Dog Walkers Association
📑 Feedback on draft dog policy and bylaw, time of use charging, Biosecurity Act
✅ Approval of community grants, adoption of Public Toilet Provision Assessment

After the initial formalities of the welcome, declarations of interest and confirmation of minutes, we confirmed our formal acknowledgements for the month.

We congratulated Howick College Netball on their recent success at the National Secondary Schools Netball Championship in Christchurch.

We congratulated Pakuranga United Rugby Club on their recent success at the National Men’s Under-85kg Championship in Wellington. As the curtain-raiser match to the All Black’s second Bledisloe Cup test match against Australia, the win was reported in local and national news coverage.

We then received a deputation from Daniel Barthow (CEO) and Sterling Ruwhiu (Community Programs Manager) of The Beautification Trust on their work over the past year. It was great to see their work on graffiti removal (40% increase in HLB area since last year), working with students, and operating their community recycling centre in Manurewa.

We received a deputation from Jenny Carter (Managing Director) from NZ Thread Exchange, explaining their aim to minimise clothes going into landfill by processing them for re-use. Great example of an innovative social enterprise!

In the public forum, we had Professional Dog Walkers Association, (PDWA) with Ben Spick (Chairperson) and Caleb Hendry. They discussed their views on the proposal to limit walking of multiple dogs which was due to be discussed later in the meeting. Their input was very helpful, with Members taking time to ask plenty of questions to clarify their understanding of the potential impact on the industry.

Given the strong interest in the item and the fact we still had Ben and Caleb with us, I moved up the item on the draft changes to the dog policy and bylaw. We had drafted some feedback prior to the meeting, but we altered it based on the public forum input. There was a strong discussion about the need to keep dogs under control (regardless if on or off leash) and more enforcement. After some debate, we altered our feedback to suggest greater consideration of the potential impact on commercial dog walkers and encourage further engagement with professional dog walking associations including potential regulations, but at this stage did not support a limit. This feedback will be considered before it goes for public consultation early in 2025.

Every month we allocate a slot for our Ward Councillors to provide an update. Unfortunately, due to scheduling clashes, they are usually unable to attend. To accommodate this, they agreed to provide a written report when there are board-specific updates to share. No report was received for this meeting.

However, we were fortunate to have Councillor Julie Fairey who is the ward councillor for Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa. She’s also the Chair of Joint Governance Working Party who recently managed the representation review, so it was good to have the opportunity to seek her insight over the process and next steps.

We then received and accepted my Chairpersons Report for October, detailing what we had been focused on since the last meeting.

We then considered our first grant allocations for this financial year, with applications exceeding $345k. We deferred one as we needed more information on the approvals required to deliver a mural bordering a public reserve. There were a couple were the Board debated the amount to provide and the total funds approved was $160,472.90.

Next we adopted the recently completed Public Toilet Provision Assessment. This document detailed the recent audit of all 30 public toilets, including the condition and opportunities for improvement. It was identified that 8 were fully accessible, 17 were partly accessible and the remaining 5 were not accessible at all. There are some gaps in the network including Mangemangeroa, Riverhills, Burswood, Greenmount, and Point View Reserve. We’ll use this information to plan future investment.

Auckland Transport is considering how they might implement time of use charging (sometimes referred to as congestion charging). While there is still a way to go (including Parliament passing legislation to enable it), we were asked for our input into how a scheme could work. We provided our feedback, with a strong focus on ensuring any scheme was easy to use and effective, with measures in place to confirm it worked as intended. We made it clear that practical alternatives would need to be place before implementing any changes.

We were asked for input into proposed changes to the Biosecurity Act. Because I work for a company that delivers work in this area, I declared potential conflict of interest and stepped aside. With Deputy Burns departing early due to illness, the Board elected a new Chair (David Collings) for the item. The Board supported increased fines for breaches, greater investment into scientific research and securing the border.

I returned to the Chair to finalise the meeting. We noted our workshop records and forward governance work calendar before closing the meeting at 3:24pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/10/20241017_HW_MIN_11586_WEB.htm
along with related attachments like presentations here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/10/20241017_HW_ATT_11586_WEB.htm

A recording of the meeting will be available shortly, along with previous meetings: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiuqKCzobSzQ05kCv2JI2iefmDp2_tEh

Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 21 November at 12noon at the Pakuranga Library building in Aylesbury Street.

These are open to the public to attend and observe, although you need to request a slot if you would like to speak (so we can make sure we provide time).

Bellingham Road in Ormiston is open!

Before the sun was up this morning, mana whenua led a moving karakia, physically walking the length of the new road and underneath to view the mahi toi (artwork) on the bridge.

Despite the early start, we had solid representation from the community, businesses, developers, and Auckland Transport. It was a privilege speak on behalf of the Howick Local Board, standing alongside fellow Botany representatives Mike Turinsky and Peter Young.

It's been a long road to get to this point, longer than anyone had hoped for and we know it's been frustrating for the community. But we're finally here and the road is open. It connects Stancombe Road to the Ormiston Town Centre, supporting residential, employment and economic growth. At the northern end, it passes by Barry Curtis Park including our soon-to-be upgraded destination playground.

As we left the cones and barriers were removed, making the road available from this morning. Looking forward to seeing the community enjoy this great piece of infrastructure.

Tour of Rā Hihi

Recently the Howick Local Board was fortunate to have the opportunity to have a guided tour of the Rā Hihi flyover that is being built over Reeves Road as part of the Eastern Busway project.

While we receive regular updates and monthly briefings from the project team, it was great to see the progress first hand. Maps and diagrams are really helpful, but nothing compared to standing on the top of the flyer.

Rā Hihi will carry vehicles (not buses) over Tī Rākau Drive, allowing the busway to travel underneath and avoid congestion. The flyover is due to be finished mid-2026 with the whole Eastern Busway operational from 2027.

Thank you Howick Primary School

Thank you to Howick Primary School for hosting the Pest Free Howick Ward pestival earlier this week.

Students explained what they had learned and done. It's always inspired by the amazing environmental action that our local tamariki (children) are taking. It was a privilege to congratulate the latest cadets through the Pest Free Howick programme.

Great to hear from David on his work leading local volunteers helping protect and restore local reserves in Mellons Bay.

Happy Diwali

On Friday evening we celebrated the festival of light with the South East Auckland Senior Citizens' Association Inc. - Seasca.

An evening of wonderful performances and beautiful food, shared with amazing locals and special guests. It was my pleasure to speak on behalf of the Howick Local Board, supported by fellow member Adele White.

Open workshops mean better transparency

“In our representative democracy it’s vital that the public have trust in those making the decisions on their behalf. Transparency is a crucial part of this and that’s why we’re opening our workshops to the public from the start of next year."

Following on from a report from the Ombudsman, the Howick Local Board has agreed to open our workshops to the public (with exceptions where required).

Workshops are informal meetings where staff provide us information and advice, but no decisions are made (this must come to a public business meeting). By opening these workshops up to the public and publishing the materials, the public can see and hear the same advice we get, demystifying the process and increasing our accountability to our community.

Read more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2024/10/howick-workshops-open-up-in-2025/

Transparency on attendance

As part of providing transparency, Auckland Council publishes the attendance for elected members. Here is the Howick Local Board result for July to September 2024.

Absences may be due to leave, illness, bereavement or attending other council business. I missed one workshop on 26 September as I was at the Auckland Council meeting regarding representation review.

You can see more (including previous reports, other local boards and councillors) on the Auckland Council website: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/performance-transparency/Pages/attendance-governing-body-meetings.aspx