Consultation on Howick Sailing Club

The Howick Sailing Club has asked the Howick Local Board to consider granting them an extension to their lease at Howick Beach to allow them to create a larger storage shed (next to their existing building).

This is what they've said about the application:

"The club is in the early stages of a proposed infrastructure project to help assure the future of the club. We have several different issues that we’re trying to resolve;
The location of the club rooms over the water affords us an amazing view at our beautiful location. However it exposes the storage of club and club member assets under the club rooms to the potential effects of any sea level rise.

We are currently having to store club RHIBs and the tractor at club members properties. This option is not viable long term. We need the space at the beach area to store these.

We are finding that fewer members have the available space at their properties to store their sailors boats. This project will provide some space for sailors to have their boats at the club like the majority of other yacht clubs around the city. The vast majority of our sailors are kids. Being able to store boats at the beach would enable them to be more active and less reliant on parental spare time to transport boats backwards and forwards.

Our proposed lease application is for a building that joins onto the current Learn To Sail/Waterwise kiosk. It would occupy a space that is not currently used other than by a walkway which would be slightly re-routed. The embankment is steep and the sloped scoria wall is not an inviting place to sit and relax. On the roof of the new building we would provide a level platform upon which the public could relax and enjoy the environment."

This will result in an additional building footprint of 148m2 for leasing purposes (or a total of 164m2 when including the cantilevered portion of the viewing deck that extends over the existing carparking area). The project also involves the realignment of an existing path with stairs, removal of a rubbish bin and a section of rock retaining wall beside the carpark as shown in the plans.

Because this might have an impact on other users of the beach area, it's important that the public has an opportunity to have their say. Therefore Auckland Council has publicly notified the request and is seeking feedback until 5pm Friday 15 August.

A notice was also placed in this weeks Times newspaper. An earlier notice incorrectly said the area was 16m2 so it's been re-notified.

You can find out more about the request, including how to have your say here: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/public-notices/Pages/community-lease-4r-granger-road-howick-howick-sailing-club.aspx

Community clean up in Salford Park

As part of the celebrations for Matariki, the Ōtara Waterways and Lakes Trust organised a community planting day at Salford Park, Flat Bush.

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Despite the rain, 28 locals turned up to volunteer including local students and residents. Always great to part of the community efforts to clean up our local waterways.

"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.

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

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.

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.

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!

Supporting Poppy Day

Today is Poppy Day, the annual fundraising day for the RSA. Donations go directly to supporting New Zealand's veterans of military service and their whānau.

I had the pleasure of volunteering at the Botany Town Centre with fellow Howick Local Board member Peter Young.

If you missed the volunteers out today, but want to support the welfare work of the RSA, you can still do so: https://www.rsa.org.nz/support-us/donate

Happy Birthday to Buddha!

Another wonderful event at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Flat Bush, as we celebrated Buddha's birthday on Saturday 5 April.

The temple's deep connection to our communities was on display, with VIPs including the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, senior members of Police, and many local community leaders. The Howick Local Board was represented by myself, Deputy Bo Burns and Member Adele White.

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.

Stunning weather at Community Carnival and River Festival

Stunning weather brought a great crowd to the Pakuranga Rotary Club's Community Carnival and River Festival.

On at Bramley Drive Reserve, Farm Cove with proceeds used to support local community projects and activities.

Proudly supported by Howick Local Board through our events partnership fund.

New tractor for Howick Coastguard

Howick Volunteer Coastguard have an incredible new tractor which they showed off at the Howick Santa Parade on the weekend.

Look at the massive wheels on that thing! Necessary to keep the mechanics clear of the salt water.

This amazing group of volunteers do incredible work, saving lives at sea across the Hauraki Gulf. Having reliable, fit for purpose equipment to do the job is essential.

Thank you everyone who contributed to getting this new tractor.

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/

Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with the Botany Chinese Association

It was wonderful to spend Saturday afternoon celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with the Botany Chinese Association.

Fellow Howick Local Board members Adele White, Mike Turinsky and I enjoyed a range of performances including dance, singing and musical pieces.

We're so fortunate to have an incredibly diverse population, enabling us to share in so many cultures from across the world, in our own community.

Construction on The Parade Safety Improvements Project begins

🚧 Construction on The Parade Safety Improvements Project begins Monday 2 September 2024.

Last year the Howick Local Board and Auckland Transport consulted on a proposal to improve safety along The Parade. This was in response to local residents asking for something to be done to make this area safer.

Auckland Transport updated the proposal based on the public feedback, and again after a technical review to deliver the most cost effective changes, while achieving the required safety outcomes.

This work will involve:
− A full road closure and detours, although resident access will be maintained.
− Installing a concrete raised pedestrian near the Laings Road intersection (where there is the highest pedestrian volumes)
− Installing 3 speed humps between Laings Road and Whitcombe Road (to reduce unsafe speeds)
− Line marking, new streetlighting and signage

There will be some disruption as the roadworks progress and the contractor will do what they can to minimise this. This work is being done now to avoid the busier Summer period and will take approximately four weeks to deliver.

There were more issues raised during public consultation so there will be a Stage 2 out for further consultation later this year to address those issues, with a focus on the northern end of The Parade (aka Big Bucklands Beach)

You can see more about the various designs, public consultation and changes made here: https://at.govt.nz/about-us/have-your-say/east-auckland-consultations/bucklands-beach-safety-improvements

Celebrating 20 years of the Polish Heritage Trust Museum

It was wonderful to spend time at the Polish Heritage Trust Museum yesterday as they celebrated 20 years.

The Polish Heritage Trust was established in the late 1990’s by Mr John Roy-Wojciechowski and the museum in Howick opened in July 2004. He and his family are still involved.

The museum continues to offer educational resources about Poland, its history, arts and culture, the history of the 733 children and 102 adults who arrived as refugees from Europe in 1944 (known as the ‘Children of Pahiatua’).

We're fortunate to have this amazing collection in Howick, providing opportunities to learn more about Polish history and culture.