Speed calming for Bradbury Road

⚠️Bradbury Road speed calming construction begins soon

Local residents and the Howick Local Board asked Auckland Transport to look into making Bradbury Road safer.

There’s a history of drivers travelling above the speed limit, particularly during morning and afternoon peaks, as Bradbury Road is commonly used as a shortcut to access other main roads in the area.

To improve safety for drivers and the community, speed cushions will be installed at five locations along Bradbury Road together with side islands. See the image for an example of what this will look like.

Speed cushions are cheaper than a normal speed bump, don't impact larger vehicles like buses or smaller ones like bikes, and allow for stormwater to flow. They're not pedestrian crossing points - studies showed there was low demand for crossings along the road.

🚧Installing speed cushions and side islands outside number 31, 73, 101, 131 and 159 Bradbury Road.
🚧Repainting the existing bus stops on Bradbury Road.
🚧 Painting new road markings and installing new signage to support the changes. No stopping at all times (broken yellow) lines will be painted at the bus stops except for 131 Bradbury Road (which already has them).

Works are planned to start on Monday 11 July and continue through to 31 July (as required). Construction will happen overnight to reduce the impact on traffic and is weather dependent.

Bradbury Road will be closed overnight during the works. If you live along this road, traffic controllers on site will help you access your property. Detours will be in place to redirect traffic around the work sites.

On-street parking will be limited. You may need to either park on your property or on a side road and walk to your property.

Works will create noise and vibration; the contractor will do their best to keep noise levels down.

You can find more about the project here: https://haveyoursay.at.govt.nz/bradbury-road-speed-calming

"We do not want you to forget the country of your birth"

"We do not want you to forget the country of your birth, nor that your children lose their heritage and cultural roots, but instead further add to the fabric of Aotearoa New Zealand."

One of the most enjoyable duties as a local board member is being involved in Citizenship Ceremonys. Each event is a massive celebration of the journey that our newest citizens have taken to arrive at this point, and it's a privilege to be a part of it.

On Tuesday, fellow Howick Local Board members Adele White JP and John Spiller, Manurewa Local Board member Andrew Lesa JP, and I took the citizenship oaths for 319 new New Zealanders from 25 different countries of origin.

Delivered in all three official languages, it was a fantastic experience and a pleasure to be a part of.

Watercare is financially independent

As of today, 1 July 2025, Watercare is financially separated from Auckland Council. This enables Watercare to leverage their own assets (which have a much longer lifespan) to raise the $13.8 billion they need to address the challenges we're facing. It reduces the risk for council and enables Watercare to raise a lot more without massive increases in water or property rates.

While water and wastewater prices increase by 7.2%, this is much lower than the 25.8% alternative if the separation didn't occur. Pricing is now regulated by the Commerce Commission, which will monitor and report on performance regularly.

Over the next year, Watercare plans to invest approximately $1 billion in new and upgraded infrastructure. The programme also includes a six-fold increase in the replacement of existing water and wastewater pipes. These renewals are a key step toward improving service reliability, reducing leaks, and minimising wastewater overflows.

This is a great outcome for Auckland!

Read more here: https://www.watercare.co.nz/home/about-us/latest-news-and-media/we-start-new-era-as-financially-independent-water-company

Dog bylaw changes coming

Last week Auckland Council confirmed the latest dog management bylaws and policies including updated on leash, on/off leash areas at nine regional parks, and limits on the number of dogs that can be walked at once.

From 1 January 2026:
🐕 Qualified dog walkers can walk up to 12 dogs at once, on or off-leash, as long as they are kept under control. To walk up to 12 dogs, qualified dog walkers must register with the council and follow the conditions attached to their registration.

🐕 Other dog owners can walk a maximum of four dogs at once, with two off-leash, as long as they are kept under control.

On leash, off leash and dog-free areas have been updated in nine regional parks:
Auckland Botanic Gardens
Hunua Ranges Regional Park
Long Bay Regional Park
Mahurangi Regional Park
Pākiri Regional Park
Shakespear Regional Park
Tāpapakanga Regional Park
Waitawa Regional Park
Whakanewha Regional Park

The Governing Body agreed to some additional work being done before finalising changes to dog rules at Te Ārai Regional Park.

This is broadly in line with the feedback from the Howick Local Board which was a license for professional dog walkers as a sensible compromise that will provide for greater control of dogs without making commercial operations impossible.

Read more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2025/06/bylaw-pup-dates-auckland-council-adopts-new-regional-dog-rules/

I'm standing for our community

I'm pleased to announce that I intend to stand for the Howick Local Board and Auckland Council in the elections this October. 

I'm proud of the work we've done on the Howick Local Board over the past three years.  I've enjoyed the privilege of being the Chairperson, leading the Board through some significant challenges and rewarding successes. 

Faced with budget cuts and growing population, we've made robust financial decisions, leading to less reliance on rates and enabling us to do more with less. We asked the public what they wanted us to focus on and then we delivered. We're more transparent and accountable with increased communication, visibility, and opening our workshops to the public.

It's been a privilege to serve as one of the Members for Botany (including Flat Bush) over the past three years. We've worked hard to address the gaps, especially where the infrastructure hasn't kept pace with the population growth. By working with community partners we've done more and built a strong foundation for the future. 

We opened Te Taiwhanga Taiohi East Auckland Youth Space, delivered safety improvements focused around schools, and have made real progress on the long awaited Community Centre and Library. The recently announced temporary library will provide space for our communities to connect and grow, as we work on the permanent facilities. 

And Flat Bush residents will now get the representation they deserve with three Members on the Howick Local Board.

But the work isn't finished and I intend to stand again for the Howick Local Board as a candidate for Botany where I live, in the heart of East Auckland.

 It’s been a privilege to serve the diverse communities of Howick, Pakūranga, Botany, and Flat Bush. I've seen local government at its best, empowering communities and embracing the incredible diversity of the people who call this city home.

I love this mahi (work), its localism at its finest. Acknowledging the importance of local communities and their involvement in decisions that affect them. Supporting local businesses, strengthening community bonds, and fostering a sense of place and belonging. Local Boards can achieve all of this and more but they've been held back by poor policy and execution across council.

After 15 years we're still struggling with the basics like financial transparency and effective communication. It's symptomatic of a council that isn't living up to the promise of the super city. While it's been great to see Auckland push back to Government on unfunded mandates and unreasonable consultation timeframes, too often local boards suffer the same under council.

At a local level we see the impact of an organisation not structured to respond to local needs with outdated leases, poor enforcement, and even small issues requiring endless follow up.

At a regional level we're facing significant challenges of housing intensification, climate change, and an uncertain economic outlook.

The last few years have proven to me yet again that the systemic issues at council are holding this city and its people back. 

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland deserves a more ambitious, disciplined, and diverse council. We need representatives who understand their communities and invest the time to listen to their residents, not just at election time.  

I know our city has the potential to be incredible as I've seen glimpses of it. With the right people around the council table, we can achieve it. That's why I'm standing again for one of the two Councillors for the Howick Ward (which includes Howick, Pakūranga, Botany and Flat Bush).

I have proven that I will work tirelessly for my community. I want to use my skills and experience to help our city. I’m grateful for the support I received when I stood in 2018, 2019, and 2022. It would be an honour and a privilege to serve as East Auckland's representative on council.

I will continue to be highly visible, results driven, and truly independent. I will utilise my passion for community, my experience in governance, and my knowledge of council to deliver for every resident of East Auckland.

Community night sky viewing for Matariki

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Wonderful way to celebrate Matariki with community astronomy viewing thanks to Highland Park Community House and the Auckland Astronomical Society.

As a member of the society, I enjoyed taking along my telescope and sharing the night sky with local residents.

Progress on Mill Road good news for locals

Recently the Howick Local Board received an update from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi about the Mill Road Project. This has been selected by the Government as part of their Roads of National Significance (RONS).

The project will deliver a 21.5km four-lane corrior parallel to SH1, providing more efficient and resilient transport options between Flat Bush, Manukau, Manurewa, Papakura, and Drury.

The Howick Local Board has supported this project on the basis it would address the safety issues that many local residents face every day. With it's origins back in 2009, its good to see that this project starting to make progress. We're very focused on the northern end of the project which will be delivered in Stage 1, including a signalised intersection for Murphys and Redoubt Road.

They project has also confirmed that the intersections of Murphys/Thomas Roads, and Murphys Road/Murphys Park Drive are no longer in scope, leaving them to Auckland Transport to address. We're pleased to get this clarification and are actively working with AT to make progress as quickly as possible.

Stage 1 is working through design and consenting, with construction planned to commence in mid-2026 starting with Alfriston Roundabout and some of Redoubt Road. Estimated completion for Stage 1 is 2032.

More information about the project can be found here:
https://nzta.govt.nz/projects/south-auckland-projects/mill-road/

You can see the presentation we received in our open workshop here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/06/20250612_HLBWC_ATT_13166_WEB.htm

Mānawatia a Matariki!

Matariki is a time for remembrance, celebrating the present and looking to the future.

Another record year for the Moth Plant competition!

Amazing mahi by locals to help eradicate this pesky pest plant!

The 2025 Moth Plant Pod Competition officially wrapped up with our Celebration Cluster at Pakuranga Heights School — and what a record-breaking year!

246,302 pods & seedlings removed! That’s over 6.1 BILLION potential seeds stopped from spreading and a 92.92% increase from last year!

Big congratulations to all 42 registered teams — including 5 ECEs, 18 schools, and 19 open groups — with 20 first-time entrants jumping in this year! A huge shoutout to Moth Out, who removed a staggering 71,713 pods and seedlings!

Special mentions to Pakuranga Heights School, KiNZ Mission Heights, and our local legends Beccy Long & Geoff Stott

This competition wasn’t just about numbers — it was about community, education, and making a real difference. We’re already excited for 2026!

I’m blown away by the efforts of these amazing tamariki and their whānau. it was awesome to be there to help celebrate with local schools and groups. Thank you to Pakuranga Heights Primary for hosting us.

Incredibly proud to see this competition continue to succeed, run by the amazing team at Pest Free Howick Ward and funded by Howick Local Board.

Temporary Library for Flat Bush coming soon!

Thursday 19 June 2025 was a massive day as the Howick Local Board signed off the funding required to deliver a temporary library in Flat Bush!

We’ve been working hard to secure funding for the much-needed Flat Bush Community Centre and Library, as well as the Pool and Leisure centre. With funding allocated over the next nine years, we remain committed to delivering these essential community facilities as soon as possible.

In the meantime, locals will have access to core library services like the Auckland Library collection of books and more, computers, printing, activities.

Some key points:

• Annual investment of $870k (first half-year $489k) plus one-off capital $640k (some will be reusable in the permanent space).

• Expected to open in Quarter Three (January 2026).

• Lease for five years with the option to extend

• Will operate 55 hours per week over seven days (10-6pm Mon-Sat, 10-5pm Sun).

• Smaller footprint (185sq m) means more focused delivery.

  • Book a librarian and customer service support

  • Physical space to connect, use and enjoy with minimal library programming.

  • Physical library collection browsing and check outs, including self-check out, holds pick-up, and returns.

  • Public computers with photocopying/printing/scanning, and wifi.

We know providing a space for our community to grow and connect is critical and we’re pleased to be able to achieve this sooner.

More details on the full permanent facility (and pool) coming soon.

Ancient kauri carving unveiled as living taonga for tamariki

An absolute joy to be at the unveiling of this incredible pou at Cascades Kindergarten on Sunday.

Artist Don Jessep explains the pou he has carved

Carved from a 55,980 year-old piece of ancient swamp kauri, this beautiful piece is full of meaning with the tamariki of the early childhood centre providing the inspiration.

Seeing the children interact with it after it was unveiled was awesome.

See more here: https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2025/06/17/ancient-kauri-carving-unveiled-as-living-taonga-for-tamariki/

Eastern Busway update June - changes for Pakūranga and Tī Rākau Drive

More changes for Pakūranga and Tī Rākau Drive:

• On 28 June, Reeves Road to Aylesbury Street near the library will open to traffic

• Between 28 June and 13 July there will be left-turn only in and out of William Roberts and Mattson Roads

• From 19 to 23 June, 7pm to 7am, Gossamer Drive will be closed between Tī Rākau Drive and Riverhills Avenue and one-way-in from 7am to 7pm on those days

• From 20 to 22 June during the day, there will be no exit from Gossamer Drive onto Ti Rākau Drive.

Night and weekend work on Pakūranga Road will continue in preparation for opening Rā Hihi (flyover) above Reeves Road

Howick Local Board Business Meeting report for May 2025

On Thursday 15 May, the Howick Local Board held our fourth regular 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 regarding Marina Fitness, and All Hands Aotearoa
📑 Feedback on business improvement district (BID) targeted rates
✅ Approval of Marina Fitness lease, local dog access rules; Bradbury Road transport project; Sport and Active Recreation Facilities Plan; leases for Bucklands and Eastern Beaches Tennis Club, EastFM, Scouts, Bucklands Beach Bowling Club, Bucklands Beach Association Football, and East Skate Club
📊 Reviewed Quarter Three Performance Report

After the initial formalities of the welcome, we noted the declarations of interest and confirmed the previous minutes.

We had a huge turnout from the public for the Marina Fitness item, more than our meeting room could fit so staff provided a viewing area in the Pakūranga Library as well as options to observe online. I moved up the deputations, public forum, and the item itself so we could focus on that before moving onto other business.

We received a deputation from Dr Colleen Rigby and Glenn Ross who represented a group of Marina Fitness members. They made a well presented case for maintaining the service at Marina Fitness, connecting their presentation to our strategic local board plan.

We then had four public forum items on Marina Fitness - Jocelyn Cameron, Adi Gibbs, and Oranus Prapasiri, and Hoffman Lau. Each spoke about the importance of the service to them, providing context and different reasons to keep the service running.

We then considered the Marina Fitness lease expiry item, starting with a briefing from staff on the key information within the report. Marina Fitness is unique as the only council-run fitness facility that isn’t in a council-owned building. When we considered the lease last year, Auckland Council was undertaking a regional review of the pool and leisure network. Given this might have major impacts (such as outsourcing) and staff were recommending we close it, we voted to extend the lease for one year. Ultimately there were no regional changes and with the lease due to end on 16 August, staff presented three options for us to consider: renew the lease, look at outsourcing, or not renew it.

People love the service, with 97% customer satisfaction and a high number of regular users. There are more than 750 people active members of Marina Fitness, and visits have been growing steadily (up 14% compared to last year). As of February 2025, Marina Fitness had a year-to-date net profit of $94,963.20, although this was $70,471.19 behind budget. The expected rent was within budget even when adjusted for CPI.

After a good discussion, we voted to continue the lease for a further three years (Option one) while noting that a further 3-year Right of Renewal clause remains available for consideration in 2028. Based on public feedback, we also empowered staff to enter a six-year lease if that was beneficial.

We took a short break to allow most of the public to depart and also stretch our legs 90 minutes into the meeting.

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 included the commemoration of Anzac Day and the sign unveiling at Windross Walkway by the Cockle Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association.

Next we turned our attention to deliberation on proposed changes to local dog access rules. We had proposed to change the rules for Lloyd Elsmore Park to be “dogs allowed under control on a leash within 10m of the Howick Historical Village”. Because this is a regulatory function, we needed to follow a specific procedure and we had staff from the Policy team to assist us. Firstly, we received and accepted all feedback from the local community, including one late item. Then we discussed the implications of the feedback, along with staff advice on the ways to respond while remaining consistent with the regional rules and legislation. We noted that 58% of the local feedback was in support, with 34% opposed, while the regional feedback only had 46% in support. We noted that the 10m rule was similar to the existing rule that required dogs under control on a leash near sports fields and playgrounds within Lloyd Elsmore Park. We voted to adopt the proposed changes as publicly notified, which will take effect on 1 August.

Next we received our second deputation from Dr. M. Waseem Soomro of All Hands Aotearoa. It was helpful to understand the work that this group is doing to improve digital and numerical literacy for elderly and youth.

At this point, Member Bungard had to leave the meeting for another commitment.

Then Auckland Transport presented their report on one of our projects and two of theirs. They asked us to authorise them to move to detailed design and construction of the speed calming measures on Bradbury Road, which we did. They also asked for our support for two of their projects - at-grade zebra pedestrian crossing on Flat Bush School Road near Arranmore Drive and install improved pedestrian facilities and other safety features on Stancombe Street near Erica Street, which we did.

Next we endorsed the targeted rates for our local Business Improvement Districts (BID). These are collected by Auckland Council but every dollar goes to the BID to use. The values are requested by the business associations and confirmed by their membership at their AGM. We endorse the rates ($211,622.94 for Howick Village Association and $612,379.00 for Business East Tāmaki).

In 2015, the Howick Local Board adopted our Sport and Active Recreation Facilities Plan which helps provide strategic direction on investment, advocacy, partnerships and opportunities within the sport and recreation facility network. This was refreshed in 2018, and this was the latest update from 2024. It’s good to see that a number of the high priority projects were already underway, but we still have more work to do.

Next we worked through six community leases. In 2023 the Governing Body (Mayor and Councillors) adopted new Community Occupancy Guidelines which included moving away from what’s referred to as a ‘peppercorn rent’ of $1 if requested (effectively free) to $1,300 per year. We’ve taken the approach of staggering the rent increase over three years ($500, $900, $1,300) to help reduce the impact on community groups, forgoing the revenue in the short-term.

First up was a renewal for the Bucklands and Eastern Beaches Tennis Club at Rogers Park. We staggered their rent and agreed to the ten-year term (as per their right of renewal).

Next was the Howick Radio Charitable Trust who operate the not-for-profit EastFM. Staff recommended a 5-year lease but their previous term had expired in 2023 so we extended it to 8 years so they would get the full 5 years. We staggered their rent increases in line with our normal practice.

At this point, Deputy Burns had to leave the meeting for another commitment.

We reviewed the lease for Scouts Howick together with the Bucklands Beach Bowling Club in a single report (saving staff time and money). We granted Scouts a 10-year lease (with one right of renewal) while Bowling Club was granted a 5-year lease, both with staggered increasing rents.

At this point, Member Turinsky had to leave the meeting for another commitment. During this time we temporarily lost quorum – we must always have at least five members physically in the room (online doesn’t count). Once they returned, we continued.

We reviewed a proposal to lease a small piece of land to the Bucklands Beach Association Football Club for their storage shed at Wiliam Green Domain. Given that it was only 14sq meters and they were already paying for a lease at Rogers Park, the Board agreed to reduce the rent for this site to a ‘peppercorn rent’ of $1 if requested (effectively free).

Our last lease of the day was for East Skate Club who were seeking a space at Lloyd Elsmore Park for a storage container and space next to the skatepark for a new skatebowl. The container would be used to store their equipment (like skateboards, helmets) used to activate the skatepark. The Howick Local Board is delivering an upgraded skatepark but couldn’t afford to deliver the skatebowl – by granting East Skate Club a lease over the space, this would allow them to fundraise for it, including accessing funders we couldn’t. There was some discussion from members about the proposed rent (staff recommended $1,300) and Members Kendall and Collings moved an amendment to reduce the rent to a ‘peppercorn rent’ of $1 if requested (effectively free). This failed to get the votes required but we did recognise that this was different from our normal leases and reduced the rent to $100, $200 and then $500 per year. Member Kendall requested his dissenting vote against the rent be recorded.

Our last major item for the day was to receive the Quarter Three Performance Report. Covering the January to March 2025, the report showed that 95% or 117 of our projects were on track. Operating revenue was below budget (mostly due to unrealistic pool and leisure centre budgets set by staff), while expenditure was slightly above budget.

Due to good financial and commercial decisions, we had some additional revenue to allocate. Staff recommended we allocate the $145k to the Howick Village BID Expansion ($10k), Howick Youth Council ($15k), and East Auckland Youth Space ($120k) which we did. This frees up funding in the next financial year, which we can then allocate to other projects.

We noted our workshop records and forward governance work calendar before closing the meeting at 4:39pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/05/20250515_HW_MIN_11592_WEB.htm
along with related attachments like presentations here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/05/20250515_HW_ATT_11592_WEB.htm
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/05/20250515_HW_ATT_11592_EXCLUDED_WEB.htm
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/05/20250515_HW_MAT_11592_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 19 June at 12noon at the Pakūranga 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).

Cooking rice in support of cultural festival

Every year the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Flat Bush runs an outreach programme for local schools. In it's 11th year, 3G4G teaches local tamariki the value of Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds and Giving, Gratitude, Goodness, Growth.

It's fantastic to see the involvement of the Counties Manukau Police, ensuring local students have positive interactions with law enforcement.

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I had the pleasure of cooking rice for the students, under the guidance of the Abbess and her team. I've improved from last year's efforts but still need more practice! We then welcomed Mission Heights Junior College students as they arrived, observed classes (including having a go at calligraphy) and participated in guided mediation in the courtyard, all which lifted my spirits.

Thank you to the Abbess and her amazing team (including many volunteers) who make this programme possible.

Future of Marina Fitness confirmed

Pleased to report that last week the Howick Local Board voted to confirm that Marina Fitness remain open for at least the next 3 years.

“We’re proud of the mahi of the Marina Fitness staff ensuring locals remain healthy and active. This dedication to the local community was reflected in the strong public support for the continuation of the service. Together with the solid financial results, it’s clear that this service is needed in our community.”

Thank you to everyone who contacted us in support of Marina Fitness. Your passionate, genuine, and heartfelt input made this decision much easier.

Read more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2025/05/full-house-backs-marina-fitness/

Howick Local Board advocating for better outcomes

I travelled into the city centre on Wednesday 14 May to speak to the Auckland Council Governing Body and present the Howick Local Board feedback into the annual plan.

We're asking for

• continued focus on delivering cost effective services while acknowledging costs are going up

• pause on increases to dog management fees to ensure more people can afford to be responsible owners

• ongoing support for the Flat Bush Community Centre and Library

• regional funding to restore our beaches

Together with the other Southern Local Boards we'll be advocating for

• better quality and timely advice for all elected members, especially financial info

• greater involvement of LBs in decisions regarding growth

• better outcomes for the Tāmaki Estuary and Manukau Harbour, with investment matching the significance of these waterways

• greater resources for enforcement and compliance

You can read our full feedback here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2025/05/20250501_HW_MIN_13178_WEB.htm

And video recordings of the presentations can be found here: https://youtu.be/nAj0zBwqwpw?si=nWs8jeaPumVtqtc1

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!

Submission on Electoral Boundaries Review 2025

The following is my submissions on the proposed electorate boundaries and names for the 2026 General Election.

Ōtāhuhu

My objection relates to

• a proposed boundary

Objection & reasons
I object to moving 700 from Takanini around Barry Curtis Park to Ōtāhuhu -

This divides Flat Bush into three electorates (already divided into two), unnecessarily splitting this community of interest.

The proposed boundaries will mean that the Ormiston Town Centre (built to serve as the centre of Flat Bush) will be on the border of three electorates. This does not comply with section 35 3ii of the Electoral Act 1993 "in forming the several General electoral districts, due consideration shall be given to community of interest".

This proposal moves further away from the Local Government boundaries, namely the Howick Ward/Local Board boundary.

Suggested solution
Align the boundary with the existing Howick Ward/Local Board boundary down Te Irirangi Drive to keep the majority of Flat Bush together in one electorate.

Refer attached image of proposed shift to/from Ōtāhuhu/Takanini

Pakuranga

My objection relates to

• a proposed name

Objection & reasons
The name of the electorate Pakuranga originates from the name Te Pakūranga Rā Hihi which means ‘The Battle of the Sun's Rays’.

Suggested solution
The electorate name should include the macron i.e. Pakūranga.