Welcome back Te Tuhi!

Te Tuhi is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s foremost contemporary art spaces as well as a hub of community groups and activities. It's home to Howick Youth Council, Arts Out East, and Te Tuhi Café (Aotearoa’s first training café for people with intellectual disabilities).

Last year they celebrated 50 years since the opening of the Pakuranga Community Centre which merged with the Fisher Gallery in 2001 to become Te Tuhi. Unfortunately the building suffered from bad flooding in mid 2025 which forced them to close parts of the building. The silver lining is that they've built back better!

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Slight adjustments to a few walls has opened up the main foyer, providing more space and light. Polished concrete floors throughout help bring the spaces together. And colourful Atarangi II (artist Michael Parekōwhai) is back in its new location.

This morning they held a small gathering to acknowledge the new space and in true Te tuhi style it was informal, lively, and well catered! I attended with Howick Local Board Chair Bruce Kendall and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces.

Their first exhibition opens on Sunday 1 March but the café and community spaces are open from today!

Toitū te Tiriti. Honour the Treaty.

Toitū te Tiriti. Honour the Treaty.

Ko tangata tiriti te iwi. I am a person of the Treaty.

Everyday but especially on Waitangi Day, I acknowledge Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the ongoing partnership it represents.

I recognise Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki as tangata whenua of this rohe and acknowledge their enduring connection to this whenua.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi enabled my ancestors to come to this country, to make it their home. For that I am extremely grateful.

Today is a time to listen, reflect, and continue learning about our shared history and responsibilities as tāngata Tiriti. I'm not an expert and continue to learn everyday. Sometimes it's uncomfortable, but it's always rewarding.

Weekly Wrap Up: 26 January 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 first report for 2026, covering the week starting Monday 26 January.

On Thursday we had our first Howick Local Board workshop for the year. This included:
🏬Business Improvement Districts (Howick Village and Business East Tamaki);
🎾community-led Lloyd Elsmore Community Hub;
📑review of the Mangemangeroa Reserve Development Plan;
👟renewal of Yvette Williams Athletics track;
🚧Auckland Transport presented updates on their Accent Drive proposal and an upcoming project to renew the seawall at Half Moon Bay;
🛠️Progress on maintenance contracts - one of the highlights for me. They’re big money ($14M a year for HLB alone) and vital to ensuring our open spaces and buildings are properly maintained. Despite this, we haven’t had great oversight or control but there is hope. (Check out more here).

🖼️On Saturday I attended the opening of the new exhibition at UXBRIDGE - 时雨 Showers of Spring. A beautiful collaboration between local artists Qiuwang Wang and Gavin Chai, the exhibition includes paintings and ceramics. Check out my post here. But art is best enjoyed in person so get along to see it - open until 14 March 2026.

This coming week:
📅 Thursday 5 February: Howick Local Board workshop (see details here: https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/meeting/11550)
📅 Friday 6 February: Waitangi ki Manukau 2026 at Manukau Sports Bowl (see details here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2026/02/waitangi-ki-manukau-2026/)
📅 Saturday 7 February: Reunion Dinner at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple

Have your say on proposed Kilimanjaro Drive crossing

The Howick Local Board has asked Auckland Transport (AT) to investigate pedestrian safety near Kilimanjaro Park in Northpark, Botany.

This playground was updated in 2022 and is popular with local residents, but there is no pedestrian connection from the eastern\northern side of Kilimanjaro Drive to the park. Local residents are understandably concerned about the safety in this area so we asked AT to investigate.

Auckland Transport is proposing:

• New pedestrian refuge crossing across Kilimanjaro Drive, providing a safe place for people to pause when crossing

• Side islands to narrow down lane widths and slow down vehicles approaching the crossing

• New footpath and pram crossing leading up to the refuge crossing to improve overall pedestrian access, with tactile pavers (yellow guidance markers) to assist vision impaired pedestrians

• Broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) to keep parked vehicles away from crossing areas and maintain clear visibility for pedestrians and drivers. This will require the removal of 10 on street parking spaces.

This is funded by the Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF), with final decisions made by the Howick Local Board. Your feedback is important and helps shape the design and decisions around projects like this.

You can find out more about the proposal, including how to have your say here: https://haveyoursay.at.govt.nz/kilimanjaro-drive

Feedback closes on Sunday 13 February 2026.

时雨 Showers of Spring exhibition opening

时雨 Showers of Spring exhibition has opened at Malcolm Smith Gallery at UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture in Howick. It’s a beautiful collaboration between local artists Qiuwang Wang and Gavin Chai, the exhibition includes paintings and ceramics.

It was great to be at the opening ceremony over the weekend with fellow local board member Jack Collins. The Howick Local Board is proud to fund UXBRIDGE, supporting local arts, culture, music, and heritage activities and experiences.

As always, art is best enjoyed in person, my photos don't do it justice.

The exhibition is open until 14 March 2026.

Learn more about this exhibition here: https://uxbridge.org.nz/exhibitions/showersofspring/

New maintenance contracts opportunity to deliver better community outcomes

With 4 (soon to be 5) libraries, 31 public toilets, 67 playgrounds, 305 local parks, and 400 rubbish bins, the Howick Local Board has a lot to maintain. With nearly half our budget allocated to maintenance, you’d expect your local board to have good oversight and control over the $14M spend but unfortunately this hasn’t been the case. But there’s hope!

In 2017, Auckland Council consolidated the maintenance of parks and community facilities under a set of outcome-based contracts for 10 years. By outsourcing the work to four large contractors over five areas (instead of the 38 smaller contracts), council leveraged its scale to deliver cost savings of around $30M. It also simplified operations for council and shifted some risks to the suppliers.

But ambiguous contracts, inadequate asset information, and leaving scheduling to contractors has limited council’s oversight and added risk. From a local board perspective, getting visibility on where our $14M is spent has been difficult and adjusting it to meet local needs has been even harder.

These contracts expire in June 2027, and the good news is that council has listened to our concerns - they are considering how to ensure the new contracts work for everyone. On Thursday 29 January we had a workshop on the upcoming maintenance contracts, and I’m pleased to report it was positive.

In summary, council is getting ready to open the tendering process for the new contracts to cover services like mowing, gardening, playground and building maintenance, plus cleaning for most toilets and community buildings. Other services (arboricultural maintenance) are delivered through technical contracts by specialist suppliers and will be dealt with in 2028. Staff have recommended against insourcing as it’s considered to be cost prohibitive because of the size and scale of resource required, and setup costs. Six geographic areas will provide a balance between elected members feedback, operational efficiency, reduce travel time and carbon emissions. Howick Local Board is grouped with neighboring Ōtara-Papatoetoe, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, and Manurewa.

One notable change will be a shift away from pure outcome-based contracts. These are great for services where we know the outcome want but the work required may vary. For example keeping the grass mowed in our parks and reserves. During some months grass grows much quicker and needs mowing more often; but in other months it grows slower and needs less maintenance. Instead of paying for them to be mowed on a fixed frequency (which might be too often or not often enough), we pay contractors to keep the grass at a certain height – it’s up to them how they manage the frequency to deliver this outcome.

But this doesn’t make sense for fixed assets like buildings where maintenance is more regular and predictable. The proposal is to move fixed assets like buildings into schedule-based contracts, while leaving open spaces in the outcome-based contracts. This might be under the same supplier, or different suppliers, depending on how the tendering process goes. This should lead to some cost savings and better outcomes for the council, community, and contractors.

As part of the new contracts, council will also be looking for better communication, transparency, and value for money. They’ll also be ensuring the suppliers have capability through New Zealand-based experience which was an issue in 2017 where two suppliers underestimated the operational complexities of Auckland’s environment leading to terrible service during transition.

In my opinion the best change will be the introduction of local priority documents. While council will continue to leverage the scale of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to achieve cost savings, the contracts will also allow variations at a local level. This will provide some flexibility for local boards so we can scale up the service level at premier locations (like Lloyd Elsmore, Barry Curtis, and Macleans) and respond to seasonal demand like we see at Eastern Beach. Transparency will provide local boards with clarity and control that we need to make informed decisions and meet our specific community needs.

We’ve asked for greater local procurement, either directly as local suppliers or as sub-contractors. We also want stronger community partnerships - we’re fortunate to have some fantastic community groups in our area but they sometimes run into barriers like health and safety requirements, or issues where contractors have mowed or sprayed their plants. To address this, a new framework for the suppliers to support community groups to deliver specific projects will be added to the contract, requiring them to mentor and support groups with health and safety, materials supply, rubbish removal etc. We’ve had some success with this but having it formalised in the contracts will allow us to scale it up.

While the length of the contract will be determined during the tendering process, it’s likely they will be for 10-15 years. This allows the supplier to spread the equipment costs over a longer period which is more cost effective. But we’ll be able to adjust our local priority document each year which, together with an annual performance review, will allow local boards to accommodate new/changed assets and shift priorities in response to resident feedback.

There is still a long way to go and it’s all subject to a complex tendering process – the total cost of the current contracts is about $165M so it’s not a small piece of work. The final decisions will be made by the Governing Body (Mayor and Councillors) in December 2026 to allow for the transition before June 2027.

Later in the year the Howick Local Board will be having further workshops and formal meetings to discuss and agree our feedback, while council works through the tendering process.

You can see all the documents that received at our workshop here: https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/Meeting/11549/70908?type=1&docId=20800

Howick Library to close for 6months for vital roof renewal

Howick Library needs a new roof and while the works are underway the library will need to close for around six months. Staff explored keeping it open but it was too complex, expensive, and would take longer.

There will be a temporary pop up service available in the Howick War Memorial Hall from Sunday to Friday (not Saturday to accommodate the market).

Services available at the pop-up:

• Customer holds pick-up

• Book returns

• Book a Librarian

• Customer service

• Skinny Jump modem sign-ups

• No on-site collection to borrow apart from requested items

Howick will close on Monday 16 February and the pop up service will commence a week later (to allow time to transfer people and equipment).

Full services are available at the other local libraries - Highland Park, Pakūranga, and Botany. Soon the Ormiston Pop Up Library will also be available.

Read more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2026/01/howick-library-temporary-closure-and-pop-up-service/

Farewell 2025

It’s been a busy year and the end of 2025 is approaching fast.

Last week we had our last workshop for the year and our local staff are taking well earned leave until 5 January. As always, make sure you log any issues with Auckland Council (09 301 0101 or www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/report-it). I’ll be relaxing with whānau and friends until 5 January and only checking my emails/social media infrequently during this time. Urgent issues that need escalation can be text to 0272 763 822.

As we farewell 2025, it’s good to look back on the year that has been. In addition to our normal events, projects and activities, some highlights for me include:

✅Opening our workshops up for the public, providing much needed transparency and accountability (January).

✅Ensuring fairer and more effective representation for Flat Bush (March).

✅Marking 100 years since Emilia Maude Nixon’s arrival in Howick with Kotahitanga (May).

✅Securing the future of Marina Fitness with a multi-year lease, responding to the wishes of our community (May)

✅Strengthening our connections with mana whenua by supporting their mahi like hosting Waitangi Celebrations at Barry Curtis Park, mahi toi (artwork) unveiling at Half Moon Bay, and dawn blessing for Rā Hihi.

✅Another record breaking year of Pest Free Howick’s moth plant competition with over 6.1 BILLION potential seeds stopped from spreading (June).

✅Celebrating our diverse cultures with our communities with Ramadan, Diwali, Moon Festival, Buddha’s Birthday, and Matariki.

✅Opening of the Barry Curtis Park destination playground (December).

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

Of course 2025 was also an election year, which brought its challenges and opportunities. Thank you again to the residents of Botany who voted for my return to the Howick Local Board - it’s a privilege to serve as your representative.

Looking forward to 2026, we will be:

✅Opening the Flat Bush Pop Up Library (expected to be March 2026);

✅Starting work on our new strategic plan Local Board Plan 2026;

✅Consulting on our annual plan for July 2026 to June 2027.

From my whānau to yours, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Weekly Wrap Up: 8 December 2025

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 8 December and will be my last for 2025 as we wrap up.

On Tuesday evening I attended the public meeting on Plan Change 120: housing intensification. Given the potential impact of the changes, it was no surprise that there was a strong turnout with over 400 residents turning up. There were representatives from most of the local residents associations and other community groups as well as Councillors and Local Board Members (read more here).

⚠️Reminder that public submissions close at 5pm this Friday 19 December - make sure you’ve had your say: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/aucklands-future-housing-plan

On Thursday we had our last Howick Local Board workshop for the year. This included an overview of Pest Free Howick, an update on Auckland Transport projects, and beginning of our next strategic plan Howick Local Board Plan 2026. The highlight was definitely the update on the Flat Bush Pop Up Library which is due to open in early 2026 (read more here).

Proposed changes for Golfland Dr / Botany Rd / Tarnica Rd intersection

Auckland Transport is proposing upgrades to the Golfland Drive and Botany Road intersection.

This project was initiated in response to feedback from residents and businesses about safety concerns related to informal and unsafe pedestrian crossings in the area.

The project proposes installing the missing pedestrian crosswalk on the southern side of the Botany Road/Golfland Drive/Tarnica Road signalised intersection to improve accessibility and safety.

Public consultation is open until Sunday 22 December.

Further information can be found here, including how to have your say on the proposals: https://haveyoursay.at.govt.nz/botany-golfland-tarnica

Eastern Busway update for December 2025

🚌Eastern Busway update for December 2025:

🚧 Summer work on Tī Rākau Drive from 27 Dec to mid Jan
🚦 Pakūranga Road / Rā Hihi – flyover intersection
🌏 Reducing carbon emissions
🎥 Rā Hihi – flyover videos
📅 2025 in review.

Importantly it includes information about the upcoming closure of Ti Rākau Drive underneath the flyover after Christmas through till mid-Jan 2026.

https://e.at.govt.nz/mail/view/s2c1nr60ywyn70w613h3f_p72005bzy1ct3ck_vdj88jkmchz020lyp5b9xnwlw18byrg26z6wz_fbhntl6g0

To contact the Eastern Busway project team:
Phone: 0800 287 929
Email: info@easternbusway.nz

Public submissions on Plan change 120 close soon

⚠️ Public submissions on proposed Plan Change 120: Housing Intensification and Resilience closes this Friday 19 December at 5pm.

Auckland Council is proposing changes to where new homes and businesses can be built. These proposed changes (known as Proposed Plan Change 120) respond to central government direction for more housing and allow the council to strengthen its natural hazard rules.

They aim to better protect people and property from floods and other natural hazards and focus more new homes in safer, well-connected areas close to jobs, shops, services, and fast, frequent public transport.

This approach makes better use of existing infrastructure, such as the $5.5 billion City Rail Link and allows for more housing choice near town centres, train stations and rapid busways.

These are still proposed changes. We encourage Aucklanders to have their say before final decisions are made by making a submission on Plan Change 120.

You can find out more, including how to have your say here: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/aucklands-future-housing-plan

You don't need to be an expert or a homeowner to make a submission - everyone's view is important. All submissions will be considered by an Independent Hearings Panel who will hold public hearings. You can request to speak at a hearing when you make your submission if you want (but you don't have to).

The Independent Hearings Panel will make recommendations to the council on the proposed changes, with Auckland Council making the final decisions in mid-2027.

Trees remain unprotected after Government rejects plea from Auckland

I am very disappointed to see that the Government has blocked the long awaited and urgently needed tree protections for Auckland.

174 new individual trees and 29 new groups of trees were due to be added to the list of protected trees. But the Government has put a halt to all plan changes, rejecting Auckland Council's request to continue with this important work. Massive amounts of staff as well as volunteer and other public time has been out into getting to this point, all wasted. Ironic given all the talk about reducing waste.

Many of these trees have been waiting since 2012 when the Government removed blanket protection. Now they're all at risk again without any protection.

Some.of these are local and I hope we don't loose them before action can be taken.

Flat Bush Pop Up Library coming soon!

📚 Flat Bush Pop-up Library is coming soon!

In our Howick Local Board open workshop today, staff presented an update on the temporary library space for Flat Bush. The community has waited a long time for the library they were promised and while this isn't the permanent facility, I'm thrilled to see that we're closer than we've ever been before. There is still a lot of work to be done, but it's fantastic to see real progress!

I've attached some of the designs that we were shown today, giving you a sense of how the space will work. The design makes use of adaptive seating and shelving layouts to allow the library to evolve with community needs, supporting a wide range of activities with minimal waste.

It's important to note that the space is smaller than a normal library but will still provide core services you'll find across the city:
✅Book a librarian and customer service support
✅Physical space to connect, use and enjoy
✅Physical library collection browsing and check outs, including self-check out, customer requested items (Hold or Pick-ups) and return of library items
✅Wifi, Public computers, photocopying / printing / scanning
✅Library programming

This project represents a significant investment from the Howick Local Board which required us to make some tough decisions last term to free up the funding. This is important to our community so we prioritised it to make it happen.

Massive thanks to the staff who have been working tirelessly since the decision in June to secure the lease and get the library underway.

Thank you to mana whenua for their involvement and support - your contributions to this project have helped design a unique and community-centred environment.

And of course thank you to the Ormiston Town Centre who will be hosting us. Located just outside the foodcourt, the pop up library will be open 55 hours per week (Mon – Sat 10am to 6pm; Sun 10am – 5pm to align with the town centre opening.

At this stage staff have indicated that the opening should be on (or around) the end of March 2026, but this is subject to change. There's a lot of work to get this space ready for the community and we'll confirm the final details for the opening early in 2026.

This is just a temporary space and we haven't stopped working on the full, permanent facility that has been promised. We've got land allocated (visible from the entrance to the pop up library) and funding approved over the next few years to build it. Running in parallel to this pop up, staff have been working on the options for the full facilities (including pool and recreation centre) and we're expecting more information in early 2026.

Here is the link to the presentation and designs that we were presented today: https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/Meeting/10192/65185?type=1&docId=18952

East Auckland turn out for public meeting on intensification

Auckland Council is proposing changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan – the city’s rulebook for where new homes and businesses can be built. These proposed changes - known as Proposed Plan Change 120 - respond to central government direction for more housing and allow the council to strengthen its natural hazard rules.

On Tuesday night there was a public information session for East Auckland to understand more about the proposed changes and what it might mean for their communities. Originally there wasn't one specifically planned for East Auckland, with an earlier event in Ōtara (which I attended) intended to cover South and East Auckland. Howick Ward Councillors Bo Burns and Maurice Williamson asked staff to arrange one which they did. Given the potential impact of the changes, it was no surprise that there was a strong turnout with over 400 residents turning up. There were representatives from most of the local residents associations and other community groups as well as Councillors and Local Board Members.

Staff provided an overview of the proposed changes, before responding to questions received via an electronic system. Given the number of people in the room, I understand the need for structure although many residents were disappointed that there was no opportunity for verbal comments or questions (as we saw at the other event in Ōtara).

Key points from the presentation
🏘️Intensification has been mandated by the Government through legislation and Auckland must respond.
🏘️Better protections against natural hazards have come into immediate legal effect, giving council more powers to restrict or decline development in high risk areas.
🏘️Intensification is focused around town centres and rapid transport although, because of the requirement to meet 2 million dwellings,
🏘️Submissions are how the public can have their say and will shape the future of the plan.

Most importantly please make sure you complete your submission before it closes on 19 December. See https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/aucklands-future-housing-plan

Submissions will be read by the Independent Hearing Commissioners with an option for residents to speak to their submission, before a recommendation is made to Auckland Council for final decision in mid-2027.

I've tried to capture some of the key questions below that were asked and roughly the answers given but these aren't verbatim - please ask if you need clarification on anything here.

❓How will Auckland Council manage stormwater runoff causing sewerage overflows now let alone when more infill housing occurs as planned?
Staff acknowledge that infrastructure is already a challenge, and catering for growth remains difficult while trying to maintain what we have. Funding is a major constraint and the Government has promised to provide more options, although we’re still waiting for this.

❓Where does the 2 million dwelling target come from?
It is a theoretical maximum based on fully developing everywhere across Auckland using the (now defunct) Medium Density Residential Standards (often referred to as 3x3 as it allowed three buildings up to three storeys). Auckland Council doesn't agree with this target, but Government included it within the legislation so we have no choice but to comply.

❓What changes will the council implement to keep the streets clear for vehicles so that oncoming traffic can pass on the main streets?
Auckland Council cannot require parking because the previous Government removed this option and the new Government has not returned it.

❓As Howick is not on a public transport corridor, and is in fact, isolated from direct rapid public transport, why are we included in this intensification plan.
Howick has been designated a town centre which the Government requires upzoning using walkable catchment.

❓6-7 weeks is way too short of time for ratepayers to consider and understand the plan changes
Auckland Council agrees it is too short but it's been mandated by the Government. This is not how or when council would do it if we had the choice.

❓Do covenants still take precedence over unitary plans and if so why is council not supporting them?
Yes, they do still take precedent. They're managed through the Property Act and enforced through courts. However, Auckland Council cannot rely on them as part of the zoning process as they're not part of the Resource Management Act (RMA).

❓Fundamentally, why is intensification required? Auckland is not going to follow other cities with populations over 5m people, for probably 50 yrs. Why now?
Auckland Council has always said that growth, managed well, is good and required for the city to succeed. Successive governments have agreed, pushing Auckland to grow faster than council has planned.

❓Has there been any consideration for the Heritage sites in Howick and the rich historical history that will be lost amongst the proposed high rise developments?
It has been considered and protections like the Stockade Hill View Shaft are maintained.

❓What about the value of my house?
Zoning can lead to increases or decreases in property prices, as the land values change and markets respond. Higher zoned land may be worth more to a developer than it was before. Protection of property value isn't covered by the the Resource Management Act (RMA) so could not be considered as part of this planning process.

❓Is this a done deal?
No, absolutely not. The only thing that has taken effect is the increased protection for natural hazards. The rest of the plan is proposed, pending public submissions, hearings and final decisions. There will be changes, there always are changes so make sure you submit.

Weekly Wrap Up: 1 December 2025

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 1 December.

On Thursday we had our first business meeting of the new term. It was a big meeting with eight presentations from the public and twelve non-standard reports taking us just under five hours. I’ll do a more full summary but some key decisions included funding to deliver the Lloyd Elsmore Skatepark we’ve promised the community, major investment into the Howick Library for roof repairs, and providing our initial feedback into the annual plan for next year. I was appointed as the Board representative onto East Auckland Tourism, Business East Tamaki, and Pest Free Howick Ward, as well as being delegated the landowner, film and event approvals within the Botany subdivision.

On Friday I attended a Road Safety Forum, a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and understanding of the challenges and opportunities around road safety across Auckland. Great discussions about how safer roads can enable students to walk and cycle to school (and why we need to do more to make it possible), as well as loads of practical examples of how to make progress (without waiting for perfection). I made plenty of notes and will do a more detailed summary later in the week.

I headed back to Pakūranga for a tour of Te Tuhi before it closes for renovations. They were badly impacted by flooding earlier this year and while it’s been a painful process, it’s provided an opportunity to rebuild better. Jack Collings (HLB Pakūranga subdivision) and I got a sneak peak of the plans. It's been a challenging time for the staff and community, and I can’t wait for the reopening in early 2026.

And then I attended the Howick Youth Council Annual Review, along with Jack Collins and Deputy Kai Zeng. Having attended my first annual review back in 2017, it’s always a fantastic opportunity to see what these amazing rangatahi have been up to over the past year, and meet the new leadership team for next year. It was great to see this year’s team challenge themselves to rethink their projects to keep them fresh and relevant. Changes like splitting their youth summit into one for juniors and senior students allowed them to tailor the programme. And they finally finished the long-awaited ‘What is HYC’ video which provides a quick snapshot into what the group does for local youth. Check out https://youtu.be/otm7No19tnc?si=WvYIcoSVUOYspFjK

Over the weekend I attended a Family Christmas and an end of year celebration for a community organisation I volunteer with, making the best of the stunning weather.

This coming week:
📅 Tuesday Plan Change 120 Intensification public information meeting (https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/aucklands-future-housing-plan)
📅 Thursday Howick Local Board workshop (https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/meeting/10192)

Rates capping is bad policy.

The Government has announced they are pursuing legislation to cap local government rates to inflation rising: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/getting-rates-under-control-ratepayers

Rates capping is a bad idea - it's an overly simplistic answer to complex problem.

If the Government was serious about reducing the burden of rates, they'd give councils more options to generate revenue - like returning GST on rates (approximately $317M for Auckland alone) or paying rates on Government properties.

If they were serious about making local government focused "on the basics", they'd stop unfunded mandates that have contributed to massive increases across the country. The amount of council money spent on RMA reform which has come and gone and come again must be massive. And for anyone who says councils should "focus on the basics" (whatever that means) how will our museums, art galleries, coastguard and community groups to survive without funding.

If they were serious about the cost of living crisis and ensuring whānau can afford to pay their bills, they'd focus on the real costs (something like 95% of tax paid goes to Central Government).

Capping rates based on inflation isn't an answer. It's proven problematic in Australia, leading to infrastructure deficits - like this isn't already a problem here.

No one wants endless rates rises and Auckland has worked hard to reduce our reliance on rates. Less than 40% of our revenue is from rates, the rest is commercial income or user pays.

Councils are more than just rubbish and water, we respond to local needs based on annual consultation.

Weekly Wrap Up: 24 November 2025

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 24 November.

On Monday, I attended the Lloyd Elsmore Park User Group quarterly meeting. This informal group is made up of the various groups and clubs who use Lloyd Elsmore Park, sharing challenges and opportunities.

I attended the South/East Public Information Session on Plan Change 120: Intensification on Tuesday night. It was good to have the opportunity to listen to residents of the Howick Local Board and understand their questions and concerns (check out my other post about this event here). Submissions close: Friday 19 December 2025, 5pm and we’ve been advised that there is a session being planned for Howick - details to come shortly. In the meantime, you can find out more, including how to have your say online here: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/aucklands-future-housing-plan

On Thursday, we had our Howick Local Board workshop. Again unfortunately most of these were held in closed/confidential sessions so I’m not able to confirm what was discussed for most of the sessions, other than the topics:
- Annual Planning Workshop 2
- Quick Response Grants Round One (this is coming to our next business meeting)
- Business Meeting Preparations

The only open session was where staff presented us an update on the Logan Carr wheeled play project. Thanks to the hard work of East Skate Club, we will have achieved the initial outcomes much sooner than expected. We were presented options to reallocate the remaining funding to other projects - I strongly argued that Botany lacks sufficient opportunities for our youth and this location needs more investment (not less). The Board directed staff to continue developing options to improve opportunities in Logan Carr.

On Saturday we celebrated the opening of the Barry Curtis Park destination playground! Representation from Mana Whenua, stunning weather, and great community turnout made it a fantastic event.

In the afternoon, we attended the Howick Youth Council’s Junior Youth Summit. The annual Youth Summit has been a major event in the Howick Youth Council calendar for many years, but this year their leadership team created a second dedicated event for younger youth, allowing them to tailor it and make it more age appropriate. We were invited to witness the presentations from the attendees, detailing what they’d learned over the day about leadership.

Unfortunately due to poor weather, our planned Stockade Hill Christmas Tree lighting did not go ahead. Look out for an update on the alternative date.

This coming week:
📅Thursday Howick Local Board meeting (see more here https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16MCTDX4y7/)
📅Friday Road Safety Forum, Howick Youth Council Annual Review, Howick Village Christmas Fair

Barry Curtis Park destination playground is open!

Fantastic morning as the new destination playground in Barry Curtis Park was opened for the community!

Special thank you to Ngai Tai ki Tamaki for partnering with Howick Local Board to develop a playground that responded, respected and reflected the history of the area. It's been a long time coming and it was awesome to see the concepts turned into reality.

The updated playground features accessible and inclusive play elements, with shade and water features. The Wetlands Building has been redeveloped to provide a family friendly covered BBQ and eating area alongside open space for picnics and more.

Public shares concerns about intensification at public meeting

Auckland Council is proposing changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan – the city’s rulebook for where new homes and businesses can be built. These proposed changes - known as Proposed Plan Change 120 - respond to central government direction for more housing and allow the council to strengthen its natural hazard rules.

On Tuesday 25 November there was a public meeting in Ōtara for the communities of South and East Auckland to learn more about the proposals and ask questions. It was very well attended with over 100 people turning up, including Councillors Andy Baker (Franklin), Alf Filipaina (Manukau) and Lotu Fuli (Manukau), plus local board members. It was good to have the opportunity to listen to residents of the Howick Local Board and understand their questions and concerns.

While every community is impacted differently, many of the concerns are similar. Questions were asked about the social, transport and water infrastructure required to support the intensification. Staff acknowledged these challenges and that outcome of this process (expected to conclude mid-2027) will help inform future plans and investment. It's a challenging conversation and I was impressed by the staff's willingness to respond as best they could.

It's important to remember that the requirement to increase housing capacity in Auckland has been mandated by Parliament and we can only choose where (not if) we enable more intensification.

There is another session coming up which will cover Central and East Auckland on Monday 1 Dec 06:30 pm to 08:00 pm at the Aotea Centre.

It's vital that everyone takes the opportunity to be heard, sharing their concerns and questions while there is this opportunity.

You can find out more, including how to have your say online here: https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/aucklands-future-housing-plan

Submissions close: Friday 19 December 2025, 5pm