Howick Local Board Business Meeting report for July 2023
On Thursday 20 July, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for the month. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and a recording of this (and previous) meetings.
On Thursday 20 July, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for the month. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and a recording of this (and previous) meetings.
We began our meeting with a minor correction to the previous minutes, noting that Coastguard Howick had generously provided each Local Board Member with a copy of their new book.
We acknowledged Vickie Bowers who has recently retired from Centre Director of the UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture Centre. Leading this organisation since 2015, Vickie leaves an incredible legacy and we are grateful for her service to our community.
We also took the opportunity to thank our amazing volunteers who do so much in our community. We had a special event to recognise some volunteers who were nominated by fellow community members. Adding their names means this recognition is now part of the public record.
For the first time this term we didn’t have any members of the public coming to speak with us! The one planned deputation was withdrawn and we hope to see them soon.
We received the written report from our Ward Councillors, Sharon Stewart and Maurice Williamson detailing the meetings that they had attended.
This was followed by my Chairperson’s report, where I try to capture some of the key events and issues that we’ve been focused on since the last meeting. I noted our recent Community Forum (first of the term) and the recent local celebrations for Matariki. During the month we received a resolution from the Waiheke Local Board, noting with concern the impact of the exotic marine invader Caulerpa. We supported their resolution and added our own voice to the call for more action to tackle this significant treat to our marine biosecurity.
Our next item was discussed under confidentiality, requiring us to exclude the public. While we cannot disclose the discussion within this section due to potential commercial issues, we did release the decision we made – to fund the local Kauri Kids early childhood education centre for this year. During the Annual Budget consultation, the Mayor had proposed that Auckland Council withdraw from the provision of early childhood education services which advice suggested would save $1 million across Auckland. The Howick Local Board has consistently said that we believe that this discussion was better suited in the Long-Term Plan consultation. The Governing Body (Mayor and Councillors) voted to withdraw the service, with a caveat that allowed Local Boards to fund them if we wanted to. Within six weeks we were asked to make this decision, despite only receiving the relevant financial information a week prior. If we didn’t fund them, they would close. Our decision to fund the service allows us time to better understand the options available to us and we’ve asked staff to identify potential alternative providers. We’ve set a deadline of 30 June 2024 to give everyone certainty and also reduce the financial risks for the Board (e.g. we’re not liable for any potential redundancies).
To keep Kauri Kids operating, we had to allocate some of our budget to cover the costs that were previously regionally funded. Unfortunately, this meant we weren’t able to finalise our full work programme for the year. This was frustrating as we’ve spent a significant amount of time and effort making sure that our plan delivered on what the community wanted, balanced with what we could afford. Thanks to valuable advice from our staff, we managed to finalise most of our operational grants, delivery of community services and maintenance contracts. We also confirmed our capital works programme (CAPEX), community leases and business improvement work programmes.
Our environmental work programme is one of our higher value items and while we couldn’t confirm the entire plan, we did approve some funding for our vital stream improvement and Pest Free Howick. Over the next few weeks we are getting more advice on the items we didn’t approve (or only partially approved) and then we’ll make the final decisions at our August meeting.
Normally at this time of the year we’d be reviewing the agreements for the Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) like Auckland Transport, Watercare and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. However these organisations are still working through the impact of the new council budget and these will be reviewed in August instead. We did receive their latest updates for April to June and plan for July through till September.
We then confirmed our local community grants programme for the year. Our quick response grants are available in two rounds (9 October-3 November and 17 April-12 May) for applications between $300 and $3,000. Larger grants are available in two separate rounds (24 July-1 September and 8 January-16 February) for grants over $3,000.
Shamrock Cottage in Selwyn Road had to be closed for significant repairs and upgrades which are almost complete. Because of the scale of the works and timing of the previous lease, the tenant had exited the building. We approved the new commercial lease for the same operator to return, with the addition of the opportunity to apply for an alcohol license.
We received and adopted the Shade/Shelter Provision Assessment which will guide the delivery of more shade in our parks and playgrounds over the next few years. Some of this will be delivered through the planting of trees (providing other benefits) while built structures like shade sails will be used for a quicker delivery (at a significantly higher cost).
We were asked to classify the carpark at Ara Tai Road, Half Moon Bay, but Members had questions about the potential implications of the decision that we couldn’t answer at the time. We’ve deferred this item to a future meeting so we can get more information and advice first.
Next we granted approval for two road names in Flat Bush – Firenze and Riserva Road.
And another approval – landlord approval for Fencibles United AFC to install an illuminated sign on their club rooms at William Green Domain. They own the building and want to explore installing an electronic sign for sponsors which we approved. This is subject to a couple of terms (e.g. must be switched off at 9pm) and still may require a resource consent.
In New Zealand councils can choose to run elections using either the First Past the Post (FPP) or Single Transferable Vote (STV) systems. There are pros and cons for both systems (captured in the report). The Board supported moving to the STV system together with an informational campaign to ensure the public understands how to vote. This decision will be made by the Governing Body before 23 September 2023.
Last month we held our first Community Forum for the term, Connecting with Communities in Need. This is a less formal format that allows us to engage with groups that we wouldn’t normally get an opportunity to engage with. We received a report that gave a brief summary of who attended and the key themes from the discussion. We’re going to review this in greater detail in a future workshop and get more advice on what we can do to support these organisations and the incredible work they do in our communities.
We were expecting a report from Auckland Transport on our Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF) but it wasn’t ready in time and was withdrawn.
After noting our workshop records and forward work calendar, our meeting closed at 3:26pm.
Minutes of the meeting are available here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/.../20230720... along with related attachments like presentations here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/RedirectToDoc.aspx?URL=Open/2023/07/20230720_HW_MAT_11572_WEB.htm
And a recording of the meeting is available here: https://youtu.be/zdekVKqR05s
and previous meetings can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...
Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 17 August 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).
Public Consultation on Safer Speeds
Today Auckland Transport launched their consultation on their draft speed management plan Katoa, Ka Ora. This plan proposes to set safe and appropriate speeds on approximately 24% of the roads across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Today Auckland Transport launched their consultation on their draft speed management plan Katoa, Ka Ora. This plan proposes to set safe and appropriate speeds on approximately 24% of the roads across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
“Katoa, Ka Ora” (KKO) means everyone alive, healthy, and well. As a Road to Zero partner, Auckland Transport wants Auckland’s roads to be free from deaths and serious injuries. Although speed is not
the only factor in a crash, it determines whether someone is seriously injured or killed. For example, someone hit by a vehicle moving at 50km/hr has an 80% chance of being killed or seriously injured. This risk drops to 30% at 40km/hr and 10% at 30km/hr. No matter whether you drive, walk, cycle or use public transport, everyone deserves to get to where they are going safely.
The Howick Local Board has provided some initial feedback into the plan, asking Auckland Transport to take an approach that's easy to understand and prioritises changes that provide the greatest impact to safety. We've also asked they listen to locals and don't overwhelm with too many changes at once.
The draft changes for our area are shown in this map, but there's an interactive version which you can zoom into to see more. https://haveyoursay.at.govt.nz/.../katoa-ka-ora...
The proposal is for 30km/h safe school or neighbourhood zones proposed for Bucklands Beach, Howick (near Owairoa School), Huntington Park and Flat Bush (east of Murphys Road). These are represented by the blue areas on the map.
Most (but not all) kura/schools will have a 30km/h variable speed zones added which mean reduced speeds during school hours. These are represented by the pink dotted lines, with the kura/school shown as purple dots.
It's really important that you have your say on these proposals, so please provide your feedback to support, oppose or make suggestions.
Close off for feedback is Monday 28 August.
Saving Kauri Kids Howick
Yesterday the Howick Local Board faced one of the most challenging decisions of this term - funding for early childhood education.
Yesterday the Howick Local Board faced one of the most challenging decisions of this term - funding for early childhood education.
As part of it's annual budget decision, the Governing Body of Auckland Council decided to withdraw from the delivery of early childhood education while allowing Local Boards the option of funding them. Already facing a reduced budget, we had a robust discussion in the limited time available - the ultimate outcome was that we will provide funding through until June 2024.
This provides time to explore alternatives and we’ve directed staff to identify one or more third party providers to deliver a similar service, utilising a model which aligns with the Kauri Kids values. We’ve provided a deadline to provide certainty and reduce the financial risks for the Howick Local Board.
Unfortunately, this has meant that were weren’t able to finalise all of our work programmes while we seek further advice on what we can reduce without significantly impacting the delivery. While not an ideal situation, we believe that the extra effort is worthwhile to protect this beloved community service.
Read the full story on OurAuckland: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2023/07/howick-local-board-keeps-kauri-kids/
Howick Local Board Business Meeting report for June 2023
On Thursday 22 June, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for the month. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and a recording of this (and previous) meetings.
On Thursday 22 June, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for the month. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and a recording of this (and previous) meetings.
After opening the meeting, we confirmed our minutes from with a correction to one grant. We accepted an apology from Member Collins for lateness and confirmed there were no leaves of absence or petitions this month.
Howick Coastguard presented their new book celebrating 65 years of saving lives at sea. This book is a fantastic collection of photos and stories, cataloguing the decades of community service that this organisation and its amazing volunteers have provided Howick. We then acknowledged the Howick Coastguard for their years of service to the community.
We also acknowledged Jim Smith QSM, a local resident who has volunteered with Auckland Operational Support who support firefighters across Auckland. Mr Smith has done this for 50 years which is an incredible achievement and deserved our recognition.
We acknowledged two locals who were appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit during the recent Kings Birthday and Coronation Honours – Kendal Collins of Flat Bush for services to youth and Warren Jack of Howick for services to the community.
We acknowledged with sadness the number of deaths on our roads recently, five within the last month. We extended our condolences to their families and thanks to the emergency services who attend these incidents. We also urged people to listen to the Police and drive safely to ensure they and those around them get home safely.
Our first deputation was from Mike Bongionvanni of the Pakuranga United Rugby Club who provided an update on the gym expansion project at the Howick and Pakuranga Community Sports Centre. He also asked us for support in addressing some issues which we’ve asked staff to follow up on.
Next we had Fiona Bailey, Libby Giddey and Michelle Field from the Howick Children's and Youth Theatre. It was great to get an update on the work they’re doing in the community, rebuilding their membership after the last few years. They shared some fantastic examples of how their programmes help young people build confidence, empathy and teamwork.
We received a deputation from the Lloyd Elsmore User Group, represented by Alison Mudford, Lexie Palmer and Ian Rodger. They asked for some updates to the Auckland Council website to more accurately reflect the groups that operate in the park, requested a fix for the report a problem tool and also for a calendar to show events in the park. They also noted that the bollard on Aviemore Drive wasn’t consistently in place, leading to members of the public inadvertently assuming it was access into the park. Staff are actively following up on all these requests, with progress already being made.
Representatives from Howick Children's Charitable Trust who run the Howick Santa Parade came to provide an update on their recent activities. Claire Atkinson and Pip Burns spoke about the cancellation of the 2021 parade and the community activations they replaced it with. They asked us to consider including the Howick Santa Parade in our non-contestable grants and also asked if we’d like to have float in this year’s parade which will be the 70th.
Our final public presentation was from Judy Speight and Huia Murupaenga of the Otara Waterways and Lake Trust. They provided a handout which detailed some of the amazing work that they have been doing to protect and restore the waterways. In the last year they’ve planted 50,416 natives, restored 20 stream sites and removed over 10 tonnes of rubbish. We help fund this organisation (together with our neighbours Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board) so it was good to get an update on what they’ve been up to and we’re looking forward to working more closely with them.
Moving on from presentations, we received the written report from our Ward Councillors Sharon Stewart and Maurice Williamson, detailing the meetings they had attended.
I then tabled my Chairpersons report where I convey some the issues we've been focused on since our last meeting. We’re relieved that the annual budget has been settled, especially given how challenging the process had been. We’re pleased that much of our advocacy was heard (better public transport, funding Citizens Advice Bureau and minimising service cuts) and we’re working through the impact of the cut to our budget. On a more positive note, we celebrated the success of the Moth Plant Competition and Waste Minimisation programme in our local schools – so proud of their incredible success. I also noted the draft Local Board Plan (that we’d later vote to send for consultation) which marks a significant milestone of the new term.
We noted an urgent decision to provide feedback to Waka Kotahi (NZTA) regarding the NZUP Manukau to Takaaini Access and Safety Project. We strongly supported the proposed safety upgrades to Murphys Road, including a significant upgrade for the intersection with Redoubt Road and signalised intersections at Murphy’s Park and Thomas Park Roads.
Another urgent decision we noted was a reallocation of $10k from our Howick Stream Improvement Programme to our Industrial Pollution Prevention Programme. This was to ensure that the funds were spent before the end of the financial year, boosting our successful programme to prevent pollution.
We approved our draft Local Board Plan 2023 to go out for consultation, including a public engagement event on Friday 4 August. We’ve spent the first half of this year talking to as many locals as we could to understand what their priorities are for the area. We’ve combined this valuable feedback with demographic data and financial analysis to create a new strategic plan that we believe is both aspirational and practical. We’re looking forward to engaging with locals as we validate that we’ve heard their views and taking onboard any further suggestions.
We also approved our Local Board Agreement 2023/24 which is our high-level budget for the coming financial year. It doesn’t include the details of what programmes will be delivered (this is coming in July) but it does highlight some of the key initiatives that we’re delivering. Based on feedback from locals, we’re focusing on the environment, arts and culture and youth. We’re building on the success of our existing programmes and we’ve worked hard to find funding for a dedicated Youth Facility. After a successful pilot last year, it’s awesome to be shift this into a more permanent outcome for our local rangatahi.
We approved $51,880.10 in grants for local groups and organisations to deliver a wide range of events, programmes and improvements. This was our last round for this financial year and the remaining funds were reallocated to getting our Youth Facility underway (as per an earlier resolution in May).
Another big milestone was the granting of landowner approval and lease for the Highbrook Watersports Centre. This project has been underway for some time and it’s great to see it making good progress. This approval allows the Charitable Trust behind the project to move into the consenting, funding and eventually construction phases.
We provided our feedback on private Plan Change 90 for 8 Sparky Lane in Ōtara which proposed rezoning some of the light industrial area to allow for housing. While it’s just outside of our area, this does impact the Highbrook commercial area. We supported the feedback from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board and the majority of submissions by opposing the plan change. This area isn’t suitable for housing and the impact on transport and the environment is too high.
This month we tidied up another missing reserve classification, this time it was Trugood Esplanade Reserve. Legislation requires that every reserve be classified so staff are working to ensure we’ve captured them all.
We received and approved the Quarterly Report which provides a brief update on the progress on our comprehensive work programme through till 31 March. Key highlights for this period include the events like our Music in the Park Kiwi Anthems and Celebrating Cultures. The Flat Bush Library and Community Centre continues to wait for funding from the Governing Body (which we’re continuing to fight for). Revenue was above budget with higher than expected visitor numbers to our leisure centres and operating expenditure was lower with some programmes on hold. Our capital programme was well above budget which is a positive as we push through our backlog of renewals especially in Barry Curtis Park.
After noting our workshop records and forward work calendar, our meeting closed at 2:20pm.
Minutes of the meeting are available here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/RedirectToDoc.aspx?URL=Open/2023/06/20230622_HW_MIN_11571_WEB.htm
along with related attachments like presentations here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/RedirectToDoc.aspx?URL=Open/2023/06/20230622_HW_MAT_11571_WEB.htm
And a recording of the meeting is available here: https://youtu.be/AA0quZQXCZI and previous meetings can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...
Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 20 July 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).
HLB Chairpersons Report May 2023
Each meeting I have the opportunity to table a Chairpersons Report where I convey some the key issues we've been grappling with since our last meeting. I also include a summary of the meetings and events we've been attending as part of our roles, so you can see what we've been up to as well as a couple of photos.
Last Thursday was the Howick Local Board business meeting for May. Each meeting I have the opportunity to table a Chairpersons Report where I convey some the key issues we've been grappling with since our last meeting.
I also include a summary of the meetings and events we've been attending as part of our roles, so you can see what we've been up to as well as a couple of photos.
I’ve reproduced it here for ease of reading (also available as a PDF), but the official version is available online here
Chairperson’s Report as of 12 May 2023
Throughout April and May the Board has been working through the feedback from local residents on the Annual Budget. Given the significant financial challenges and complex nature of the problems, it’s no surprise that the feedback has been mixed. The large number of engagement events has provided members with a deeper understanding of resident’s feedback with over half of the 3,499 submissions received during these events. There were clear themes around continuing our environmental programmes, supporting arts, culture, and youth. The Board has used this valuable public feedback as we’ve formed our response to the regional topics and while considering our local work programmes.
After a few years of disruption, ANZAC Day was commemorated with local dawn and civic services. It was pleasing to see the strong public turnout for both events, especially from local rangatahi (youth), kura (schools) and clubs.
Auckland continues to experience severe weather events, with a local state of emergency being declared on Tuesday 9 May and subsequently ended on Thursday 11 May. While communications with the public and elected members has improved dramatically since the events of Auckland Anniversary Weekend, there is more work than needs to be done on building community resilience. Meanwhile the Board continues to advocate for a more responsive, more local and better resourced emergency planning and response.
The Board continues to engage with locals on a range of issues, including hosting a public meeting on the proposed Bucklands Beach safety improvements. A follow up meeting to one held in February (to promote the consultation), this meeting was focused on playing back the feedback received and providing context to the recommendations made to the design as a result of the consultation.
We’ve also continued to have feedback from locals about nuisance and health and safety issues with fishing along Bucklands Beach. Members from the Pakuranga subdivision (Kendall, Collings and Bungard) meet with the local residents association who would like to see controls put in place such as a bylaw.
Damian Light
Howick Local Board Chair
| Date | Event / meeting attended |
|---|---|
| Sat 15 Apr | Race Relationship Day Multicultural Festival hosted by the Federation of NZ Chinese Associations attended by Deputy Bo Burns and Members Adele White and David Collings. |
| Mon 17 Apr | Howick Village Association Committee meeting attended by Member
Adele White. Local Board Chairs Forum attended by Chair Damian Light o Auckland Transport CEO Dean Kimpton o Auckland Emergency Management Pakuranga Rotary Club attended by Chair Damian Light o Invited as guest speaker, spoke on budget and other challenges and opportunities. |
| Wed 19 Apr | Howick Residents and Ratepayers Association arranged by Chair Damian Light |
| Thu 20 Apr | Howick Local Board Business Meeting (refer minutes for attendance and outcomes) |
| Mon 24 Apr | ANZAC Sound and Light Tribute by Howick Village Association attended by Chair Damian Light |
| Tue 25 Apr | ANZAC Dawn Service attended by Chair Damian Light, Deputy Bo Burns
and Member Adele White. ANZAC Civic Service attended by Chair Damian Light, Deputy Bo Burns and Members Adele White, John Spiller, David Collings and Mike Turinsky, Councillors Sharon Stewart and Maurice Williamson, and MPs Simeon Brown and Chris Luxon. |
| Wed 26 Apr | Ngai Tai ki Tamaki introduction with new CEO arranged by Chair
Damian Light Public Meeting regarding Half Moon Bay Ferry reliability hosted by MP Simeon Brown attended by Chair Damian Light and Member Bruce Kendall. |
| Sat 29 Apr | Barry Curtis Playground renewal consultation open day attended by
Chair Damian Light and Member Peter Young. Botany and Flat Bush Ethnic Association World Tai Chi Day attended by Chair Damian Light and Member Peter Young. Pest Free Howick Ward plant swap event attended by Chair Damian Light and Member Peter Young. |
| Mon 1 May | East Auckland Tourism Meeting attended by Deputy Bo Burns Bucklands & Eastern Beaches Residents & Ratepayers meeting on fishing issue attended by Members Bruce Kendall, David Collins, and Katrina Bungard. |
| Mon 8 May | Howick Village Association Committee meeting attended by Member
Adele White. Local Board Chairs Forum attended by Chair Damian Light o Auckland Council CEO o Fire and Emergency NZ planning and response o Annual Budget with Deputy Mayor. o Auckland Transport speed management and berms policy. Fencibles United Football Club arranged by Chair Damian Light and Deputy Bo Burns |
| Wed 9 May | Public Meeting on Bucklands Beach Safety Improvements attended by Chair Damian Light and Members Bruce Kendall, David Collins, Katrina Bungard and Peter Young. |
| Thu 11 May | Howick Local Board Business Meeting (refer minutes for attendance and outcomes) |
| Fri 12 May | Southern Local Board Chairs Forum attended by Chair Damian Light o Regional waste recycling centre. o Annual Budget |
