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.

New provider for Kauri Kids Howick secured!

“We know this has been a challenging and uncertain time for the tamariki, whānau and kaimahi of Howick Kauri Kids. Thank you for your patience while we worked through this important process where our focus has been on finding a practical solution to continue this amazing service. This decision enables this to happen, and we look forward to the Ministry of Education progressing the licence.”

To protect the commercially sensitive information contained in the report, discussion and minutes, this item had to be done under confidentiality. However, It's great to be able to reveal that we have selected a new provider for Howick Kauri Kids, who will take over the operation (pending a transfer of licence via the Ministry of Education).

Read more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2023/07/howick-kauri-kids-provider-secured/

Estuary Art and Ecological Awards putting the spotlight on Tāmaki

On Saturday 6 July we opened the Tāmaki Estuary Art and Ecological Awards at UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture.

The Howick Local Board is proud to fund UXBRIDGE to deliver a wide range of arts and cultural activities, including these awards. Creativity, culture and the arts make Auckland a vibrant and dynamic city. We also know that participating in arts and cultural initiatives enables Aucklanders to express our unique cultures and see ourselves reflected in public places.

This exhibition is not just art, it’s also about the environment. In fact we believe it’s the only art award in the country dedicated to ecological themes.

The Tāmaki is also known as Te Wai o Taiki, meaning "The Waters of Taiki". Taiki being a shortened form of Taikehu, an ancestor of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. It was a key transport route, providing a link through the shortest land connection between the Waitematā and Manukau Harbours.

The estuary extends around 17 km inland, with total shoreline length of approximately 40 km. These intertidal sand and mudflats feature numerous native habitats and ecosystems that are regionally important. Much of the surrounding catchment is intensively developed with a long history of commercial and industrial use which have cumulatively had a negative impact on sediment quality.

We cannot resolve these issues quickly or alone so we partner with local organisations and volunteers to take action to protect and restore the mauri (lifeforce) of our awa (waterways).

We recently approved our new budget, with a commitment to continuing our pest removal, stream restoration and pollution prevention programmes, as well as extra funding for Pakuranga and Botany Creeks, both which feed into the Tāmaki.

This event is a wonderful intersection of these priorities – where environment meets art. Contemporary art has a unique way of sparking the public interest and these awards are a great example of using creativity to promote the ecological value of this vital awa (waterway) and encourage action against its pollution.

Each year we see artworks that inspire, educate, and inform – there’s something for everyone to enjoy. We’re proud to continue to support these awards and the creatives who respond to them.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this exhibition, I’m always impressed by the bravery of artists who are willing to share their ideas and art with us.

Also thank you to this year’s guest judge, Annette Lees. Ecologist, and author of numerous acclaimed non-fiction books, facing perhaps her greatest challenge to judge these incredible works.

And you can join in on the judging - the People's Choice Award is open until 31 August! So get along to UXBRDIGE, enjoy these beautiful artworks, and cast your vote for your favourite.

Howick Local Board business meeting report for June 2024

On Thursday 27 June, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for June. 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.

🏆 Acknowledgements for Howick Little Theatre, Polish Heritage Trust Museum, Venerable Abbess Manshin MNZM, Ian Godfrey MNZM, and John Bray KSM.
🗣Deputations from Howick Historical Village, East Auckland Tourism, and Auckland Brit & Euro Classic Car Show, public forum from Bucklands and Eastern Beaches Ratepayers and Residents Association, and Bucklands Beach Yacht Club.
🗑 Notice of Motion on Rubbish Bin reinstatement
🔇 Confidential Item on Early Childhood Education
✅ Approval of our Work Programmes for the year, lease renewal, new playspaces for Pakuranga, and Community Grants
📑 Feedback on Draft Auckland Regional Land Transport Plan, Plan Change 96, Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024

After the initial formalities of the welcome, declarations of interest and confirmation of minutes, we confirmed five acknowledgements.

We congratulated the Howick Little Theatre on their 70th anniversary. Formed on 29 June 1954 by Alma Woods, this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the group moving into the purpose-built facility in Lloyd Elsmore Park. We’re proud to support them in delivering plays and classes throughout the year.

We congratulated the Polish Heritage Trust Museum on their 20th anniversary. Opened in July 2004, 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.

We congratulated Flat Bush resident Venerable Abbess Manshin MNZM on her appointment as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the King’s Birthday Honours 2024 for services to the community. As the leader and founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Auckland and Christchurch she has led numerous community events and activities.

We congratulated Farm Cove resident Ian Godfrey MNZM on his appointment as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the King’s Birthday Honours 2024 for services to surf lifesaving and water safety education. His efforts have been recognised as significantly reducing drownings, especially for children under five.

We congratulated Mellons Bay resident John Bray KSM on being awarded The King’s Service Medal (KSM) in the King’s Birthday Honours 2024 for services to rugby league. He has contributed to the sport for over 75 years as a player and director.

We then had three deputations from groups that we’ve supported over the last year, starting with Howick Historical Village. General Manager Lexie Palmer spoke about the various initiatives that they have underway to bring in more visitors which was paying off with an estimated 31,000 for this financial year (well up on pre-COVID levels). The Howick Local Board provides an operational grant to help keep the living museum running and we were grateful for their transparency around the financial challenges they face.

Next we heard from East Auckland Tourism, with Chairperson Andrew Laing speaking about the work his not-for-profit organisation is doing to increase tourism and economic outcomes in the area. It was good to hear about the new East Auckland Tourism Board members and understand the strengths that they bring. We provide operational funding for this group, as Tātaki Auckland Unlimited has stepped away from local economic development (due to budget cuts).

And finally Brit & Euro Classic Car Show, one of the largest events in East Auckland. It’s always good to see how well they engage local volunteers and service clubs, ensuring the event continues to be “by the community, for the community”. It was a shame about the weather this year, but those who did attend still enjoyed themselves and the cars looked amazing. We support this event through our Event Partnership Fund.

We then had two public forum items on an item that was discussed later – firstly we had Bucklands and Eastern Beaches Ratepayers and Residents Association with Derek speaking in support of the Notice of Motion to reinstate rubbish bins along Bucklands Beach.

This was Followed by Nick from Bucklands Beach Yacht Club who also supported the Notice of Motion and asked for another bin to be reinstated near the Half Moon Bay marina.

We then discussed the Notice of Motion from Member Bruce Kendall – a notice of motion is a way for elected members to get something onto the meeting agenda that isn’t driven by staff. The motion requested that staff reinstate three bins and add signage to encourage people to take their litter home. As a result of the public forum items, Members Kendall and Spiller amended their motion to be five bins and signage. There was a discussion about the potential costs and I moved an amendment to seek advice (including costs) which was passed. Member Collings moved an amendment to clarify that the wording for the signage was only a suggestion, leaving staff to make a recommendation.

Next we moved into a confidential session to allow us to discuss Early Childhood Education Services. Because the report, discussion and resolution contains commercially sensitive information, we can’t yet reveal the details of this section.

When we returned to the public session, we noted that there was no update from our Ward Councillors (who were themselves meeting at the same time) and then I tabled my Chairpersons Report.

We then discussed and debated our work programme for the coming financial year (July 2024 to June 2025). After our public consultation earlier in the year, staff provided us advice on how we could deliver our objectives in our strategic Howick Local Board Plan 2023.

We considered Movies in the Park which didn’t happen last year due to budget constraints. The proposal to have one this coming year failed to get sufficient support. We then considered Celebrating Cultures, which had a low turnout in March 2024 due to poor weather. I proposed that we continued to run it, as our only event in the Botany/Flat Bush area, providing an opportunity for our diverse communities to celebrate together. In the end, the majority of the Board (6-2) voted to not run the event in 2025, taking the time to reconsider how we can more effectively deliver the outcomes we wanted.

The rest of our draft work programme passed with the full support of the Board, with the additional funding from the Movies and Celebrating Cultures moved into our Community Grants fund. We also provided feedback to council to speed up the delivery of the Flat Bush Community Centre and Library, which was being pushed back to start in 2029. We’re actively exploring asset optimisation and partnership opportunities, and asked staff to investigate a targeted rate to accelerate the delivery.

Next we approved our Environmental Work Programme, which continues our pest removal, stream restoration, educational and pollution prevention programmes. We’ve added some additional funding to target stream restoration in the Botany and Pakuranga Creeks. We also approved our Plans and Places, and Business Associations Work Programmes.

The lease for Bucklands Beach Football Club was up for renewal. Auckland Council has adopted a guideline that suggests that groups should pay something towards the administration of the lease, with the recommendation of $1,300 per year. Members Collings and Kendall suggested we stay with $1 if required (often referred to as a peppercorn rental) but the majority of the Board agreed to increase it slowly over time at $500, $900 then $1,300 per year.

As part of the Eastern Busway Project, Auckland Transport has asked permission to build a new playground at Tī Rākau Park and the Pakūranga Community Grounds (next to Te Tuhi). After some discussion, the Board voted to approve the application (although this wasn’t unanimous).

Auckland Council had logged a request to rezone land under Plan Change 96: Open Space and Other Rezoning Matters. There were two parcels of land next to Barry Curtis Park in Flat Bush which were zoned as Open Space – Sport and Active Recreation Zone but were proposed to be rezoned as Residential – Terrace Housing and Apartment Building Zone. The proposal had received strong opposition from local residents and as a result the Board agreed to oppose the rezoning.

Next we approved our final grant round for the financial year, with $22,909.81 provided to local community groups.

We provided our feedback on the Draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024-2034, supporting local residents who wanted improvements that make public transport faster, more accessible, and more reliable.

We provided feedback on the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2024, again supporting local residents, this time opposing the move to fortnightly rubbish collections. We supported the increased focus on product stewardship, advocacy for more tools to deal with litter and illegal dumping of rubbish, and more resource recovery centres (including one locally).

We deferred our feedback on the funding options for Auckland Citizens Advice Bureaux, encouraging engagement with the local Citizens CAB’s before arriving at the final decision.

We noted our Workshop Records and Governance Forward Work Calendar, and the meeting closed at 5:21pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/06/20240627_HW_MIN_12507_WEB.htm

along with related attachments like presentations here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/06/20240627_HW_ATT_12507_WEB.htm

And a recording of the meeting is available here (in two parts)
https://youtu.be/UoYnS7BYgMI?si=02n_pyLUNcue8ju6
https://youtu.be/V7c8J_DtnrE?si=KFaDRMlX9Olnq8uL

and previous meetings can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiuqKCzobSzQ05kCv2JI2iefmDp2_tEh

Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 18 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).

Transparency on our attendance

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

Absences may be due to leave, illness, bereavement or attending other council business. I was online for one workshop as I was sick - virtual attendance is allowed under the legislation, although it's not recorded differently here.

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

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

Howick Local Board delivering crime prevention

"No one should feel unsafe in their own community and, while crime prevention is a central government responsibility, we’re grateful for the funding and opportunity to target local areas of concern. We’ve prioritised practical initiatives that will help address the challenges facing our residents and business owners.”

The Howick Local Board has allocated its share of the Crime Prevention Safety Initiatives fund to several partner organisations, to address specific safety concerns in the area. 

As part of the $2 million one-off Local Crime Fund made available by the Government announced in 2022, the funding supports and enhances current community-led partnerships that aim to prevent youth crime, as well as town centre and retail crime.

Read more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2024/07/howick-steps-up-in-the-battle-against-crime/

Howick Youth Council goes from strength to strength

Another early start, but well worth it to attend the Howick Youth Council Principals Breakfast for 2024, where the new council introduced their teams and plan for the year to local school principals.

Made up of local school and university students, the Howick Youth Council determines and delivers their own programme for the year. It was great to see a range of new events and activities as well as the return of some highly successful ones from last year. This shows that they're continuing to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of their community, as well as utilising the strength and passion of their new members.

The Howick Local Board is proud to provide funding and support for these amazing rangatahi and has done so for more than a decade. Every year they continue to impress, with great succession planning ensuring they're setup for success.

I thanked the principals for helping guide these amazing young leaders and also for enabling them to be involved in HYC.

Welcoming new New Zealanders!

"We do not want you to forget your country of birth, nor that your children lose their heritage and cultural roots.

By merging our cultures, histories, and ideas, we forge new friendships and develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other.

We are all stronger for this."

On 5 March I had the privilege of officiating the citizenship ceremony for over 300 new New Zealanders.

Together with Adele White (Howick Local Board), Anne Candy QSO JP, Heather Andrew and Andrew Lesa JP (Manurewa Local Board), we celebrated the newest citizens from 38 countries of origin. Singing the national anthem together has special meaning with new citizens.

Howick Local Board Business Meeting for February 2024

On Thursday 15 February, the Howick Local Board held our first business meeting for the new year. 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.

❤️ Acknowledgements for two dedicated local residents;
🗣 Deputations on Disc Golf and Howick Pakuranga Baseball Club;
📄 Chairpersons report;
📊 Quarter Two Performance Report;
📑 Confidential Decision released into the public.

After the initial formalities of the welcome, declarations of interest and confirmation of minutes, we acknowledged two locals who have had a significant impact on our community. Firstly Willemien Thom (known to most of us as Willie), who recently retired as Personal Assistant and Office Manager for the Howick Local Board. We’re very grateful for the passion and dedication that she has shown over her 19 years at Auckland Council and wish her all the best in her retirement.

We also acknowledged Emeritus Professor Edith Marion Jones ONZM who was appointed as an Office of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Years Honours 2024 for services to education. A resident of Northpark, Professor Jones has contributed to education in New Zealand and internationally for four decades including 19 years at Auckland University of Technology.

Moving into deputations, we had Steve Harding present a proposal to introduce Disc Golf into Lloyd Elsmore Park. He talked about a similar course that had been created in Hendersen which had proved popular. We asked staff to investigate options for incorporating Disc Golf into our local parks.

Next we had Mike Bongiovanni and Paul Wansbone from Howick Pakuranga Baseball Club. They thanked staff for their work on improving the dugouts and backstops and spoke about their upcoming events (including hosting nationals and internationals). They also asked for improvements to the drainage which was preventing them from playing and creating other issues with mowing. We asked staff to investigate drainage issues as part of the Local Board work programme which we’re discussing soon.

I tabled my Chairpersons Report for the month, which noted all the meetings and events that we’d attended since the last meeting. We celebrated the end of the year, including the 70th Howick Santa Parade (which we help fund) and were celebrating Lunar New Year across the community. I noted the feedback from the community regarding the reduction in public litter bins and we’re continuing to work with staff to understand what actions are available. We’re looking forward to the pending opening of the Youth Space in Botany as well as our signature annual event Celebrating Cultures.

We received the Quarter Two performance report for the Howick Local Board, which showed that (as of 31 December) most of our funded work programme items were on track. Seven items were shown in amber status (“some risk or issues, being managed”) which were the Howick Domain facilities renewal (more significant than expected and due shortly); Te Kete Rukuruku (dual naming of parks which is on hold awaiting Board decision, due soon); and some lease renewals, including Howick Domain (awaiting outcome of the above).

We noted a confidential decision that we made in March 2023 regarding a Transit Orientated Development, that was now released into the public. Eke Panuku Development Auckland is working with Auckland Transport to maximise the return on investment on the Eastern Busway. We were asked to endorse their proposal to use utilise leftover land (known as residual land) for Stage 3 of the busway project. This stage goes through Burswood and the Board has previously opposed the route (HW/2022/23 on 21 February 2022) so not all members of the Board supported endorsing Eke Panuku’s proposal.

We noted our Workshop Records and Governance Forward Work Calendar, then I closed the meeting at 12:53pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/02/20240215_HW_MIN_11578_WEB.htm
along with related attachments like presentations here:
https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2024/02/20240215_HW_MAT_11578_WEB.htm

And a recording of the meeting is available here:
https://youtu.be/MrTfWR8Yd1Y?si=4MTdd_7dcQiee31s
and previous meetings can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiuqKCzobSzQ05kCv2JI2iefmDp2_tEh

Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 21 March 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).

Fair and effective representation for Botany and Flat Bush

Based on recent population growth, the Howick Local Board needs more elected members to ensure we maintain fair and effective representation. Local authorities are required by the Local Electoral Act 2001 to review their representation arrangements at least once every six years.

Howick Local Board is currently made up of 3 subdivisions: Pakuranga, Howick and Botany, with 3 elected members from each subdivision. However, due to the exponential growth of the Flat Bush area, the representation of the Botany subdivision needs a total of 5 elected members, bringing the overall total of 11 elected members for the Howick Local Board.

There are some options on how this could be achieved:

1. 1. Leave Botany with 3 members and create a new subdivision for Flat Bush of 2 members;

2. 2. Reduce Botany to 2 members and create a new subdivision for Flat Bush of 3 members; or

3. 3. Increase Botany to 5 members.

No decisions have been made and it’s still very early in the process. However, given the significant increase in the population in Flat Bush, it’s unlikely that no change would be an acceptable outcome.

There is also the option of changing the local board’s name (currently Howick Local Board) to better reflect the areas that it covers. We only get the option of doing this once every 6 years so we’re interested in what your views on this are as well as any suggestions.

The Howick Local Board has been asked to provide its feedback on the options in March. There will then be a formal public notification process later in the year before coming into effect for the 2025 elections.

Before we provide our view, we want to hear from the community on how you would like to be represented. Consultation boards are up in the Botany Library and we’ll be at local events to get some feedback.

We’re also co-hosting a meeting with the Flat Bush Ratepayers and Residents Association on Saturday 9 March at 2pm at the Ormiston Junior College. Come along to hear more about the options, ask questions and provide your feedback.

Questions to consider:

1. 1. Which option for Botany / Flat Bush do you think best serves the community?

2. 2. Would you support a name change?

3. 3. If so, do you have any suggestions for a new name?

Email your thoughts to HowickLocalBoard@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz before Thursday 14 March 2024.

Lantern Festival is back! And closer than ever!

Fantastic to see the Lantern Festival return to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland! Even better than it's now in our backyard at the Manukau Sports Bowl, making it even easier to enjoy.

I had the privilege of attending the official opening on Thursday evening, with speeches from special guests including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson.

Then I returned on Sunday night with my partner to enjoy the last night of the festival. Amazing turnout with lots of people enjoying the event, which included food, performances and rides as well as many beautiful lanterns.

Botany Chinese Association Lantern Festival

On Wednesday 14 February, the Botany Chinese Association hosted a Lantern Festival to celebrate Chinese New Year.

It was a joyous occasion, filled with a diverse range of performances. Together with fellow Howick Local Board Member Adele White and many special guests, we were entertained with dance, song, and musical performances.

It’s wonderful to be able to enjoy so many cultures and experiences in our local community. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making it happen. For sharing your culture, your history and your art with us.

We wish you all a successful and prosperous year of the Dragon.

Back to work for 2024

I can’t believe we’re almost through the first month of 2024! I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Years.

I enjoyed Christmas with my whānau, with my sister up from the South Island. It’s always good fun, especially with the nephews and nieces. Managed to sneak in a visit to the Zoo with one of my brothers, my sister, brother-in-law and their children which was fun.

Got through some of the tasks I’d set myself, including tackling our front garden at home which had become a mess. Still a work in progress, but definitely looking a lot better!

I also managed to coordinate a week off with my partner last week, taking the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful summer weather in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland while we can. Lunch at Mission Bay followed by an afternoon exploring the nearby beaches and bays.

Unfortunately I did have a mishap with an e-scooter and injured myself in the process. Nothing overly serious, although it did force us to change some of our plans (no swimming for example). Good reminder to take care when using these!

Despite this, we got away to Rotorua, taking the opportunity to visit Hobbiton on the way through. As a massive Lord of Rings fan, it was an awesome experience. Last December they opened Bagshot Row so you can go inside two of the Hobbit-holes which were beautifully decorated by people involved with the movies - well worth a visit!

We had a nice relaxing time in Rotorua. And you can’t go and not visit the iconic Luge! There were some activities that we didn’t manage to do in our short stay so we’re already planning a return trip.

I’m back to work from Monday 15 January, meeting with staff, local residents and planning for the next few months. 

We’ve got a big year ahead of us, with the Long Term Plan (10 year strategy and budget) consultation looming. Our main focus for this will be ensuring that the Flat Bush Community Centre and Library is delivered sooner.

We’re also looking forward to the opening of the Youth Space in Botany, progressing the options for Howick Kauri Kids, and implementing a local readiness and response plan.

In July our new Local Board Plan officially kicks in, and we’re already working through potential budgets and priorities to deliver on this aspirational yet practical strategy. We’ll be consulting with the public in February and March to understand what locals want us to focus on over the coming year.

Meri Kirihimete / Merry Christmas!

As we wrap up for the holidays, we wanted to take a moment to thank our community for their continued support throughout the year. It’s been wonderful to have the opportunity to attend so many community activities and events across the year.

It hasn’t been without its challenges – the extreme weather events of early 2023 continue to impact communities across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. We’ve faced some tough financial challenges with rising costs and a growing population so are very grateful for the massive response to our annual budget consultation. Thousands of locals told us what their priorities were for our limited funding which enabled us to make the tough choices while ensuring we could continue to meet the needs of the community. On top of this, we received input into our new Local Board Plan that sets out the strategic direction for the next few years. Thank you for taking the time to provide your input, it was invaluable to us. We heard the community tell us to focus on protecting the environment, celebrating arts and culture, and supporting youth.

Our environmental programmes have achieved great things this year - the support we provide Pest Free Howick enabled them to run the most successful moth plant competition ever removing 133,507 pods containing an estimated 93 million seeds! We’re delivering on our urban ngahere action plan to increase the tree canopy by enabling volunteers to plant 16,420 trees in the 12 months to June. And we continue to focus on reducing pollution and waste with dedicated educational programmes for local construction, industry, and schools.

We provided funding for the community to deliver events like the Birt & Euro Classic Car Show, 70th Howick Santa Parade, and the Pakuranga Rotary Community Carnival & River Festival. Volunteers are at the heart of many of the successful activities and organisations that make our community such a great place, so we recognised them with a special ceremony in June. Our Celebrating Cultures event in March was a huge success and we look forward to its return as an annual event in 2024.

We’re very proud of the ongoing success of the Howick Youth Council, who’ve delivered a wide range of self-directed programmes and activities throughout the year. We’re also pleased to have secured funding for the long-awaited dedicated Youth Space that is due to open early next year.

2024 will bring new and familiar challenges, as our new Local Board Plan takes effect in July along with continued pressure on our limited budget. We’ve already stepped up our advocacy for the Flat Bush Community Centre and Library as part of the early discussions around the Long Term Plan (LTP). After a short break, we look forward to continuing to deliver for the residents of the Howick Local Board area.

We wish you and your whānau a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ormiston Entwine brings Flat Bush community together

Last Saturday evening, the Ormiston Entwine meet for the final time this year. This informal community networking group is funded by the Howick Local Board to help bring the newer communities of Flat Bush and Ormiston together.

We heard from Rosa Chow from the Asian Council on Reducing Crime (ACRC) who reminded us all to make sure we keep our valuables out of sight. In fact, don't leave anything in your vehicle as someone may break in to steal it, regardless of the value. She also encouraged us to make sure we log any incidents with the Police.

105 for non-urgent reports when the crime has already happened)

111 for urgent when the crime us happening now

I spoke about the work the Howick Local Board is doing to support the community, including the gravel paths project and the dedicated youth space. I also assured the community that the Howick Local Board remains committed to the Flat Bush Community Centre and Library - we've already stepped up our advocacy to get this built sooner.

We had a quick update from Pragna Patel from Otara Waterways and Lake Trust who has been working with other organisations to help restore the waterways in the area and tackle pest plants and animals. She reminded us all to make sure we dispose of waste properly, including the handy reminder that polystyrene can be dropped off free of charge at Mitre10.

New reservoir at Redoubt Road blessed

"Te mauri o te rangi, te mauri o te whenua, te mauri ora o Tara"

(When the lake, waterways and wildlife flourish, the people flourish)

We're very fortunate to have access to clean drinking water and there's an incredible amount of mahi (work) that goes into making sure it's available when you turn on the tap.

Photo Credit: Simon Runting

Early morning on Wednesday 13 December, I had the privilege of speaking on behalf of the Howick Local Board at the pre-dawn karakia (blessing) of the new Watercare reservoir at Redoubt Road. We'd seen the construction of this massive new asset throughout the year and it was great to be present for the final stages before it's commissioned - seeing water flow into the giant concrete cathedral that we recently visited was an amazing sight. In my speech I expressed our gratitude to all the people have had contributed to it's design and construction.

This third reservoir at this complex adds another 45 million litres of storage capacity, bringing the total to 165 million! This site handles about 80% of Auckland's daily water supply and this addition will future proof it to cope with our growing population while providing additional resilience to the network.

You can learn more about the project, including a time-lapse of the construction here.

You can read more about our visit in February here and our return visit in October here.

Photo Credit: Simon Runting

Pōwhiri for Paul Brobbel

Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Paul Brobbel, the new Director of UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture, onto O Wairoa Marae -Te Whare Wānanga O Wairoa.

Having had my own pōwhiri last year, it was a privilege to be part of this beautiful ceremony for Paul, welcoming him to the whānau. This was followed by kōrero, kai and waiata - all genuine, heartfelt and honest experiences. True manaakitanga in action.

You can learn more about Paul’s journey to UXBRIDGE in this Times article.

70th Howick Santa Parade a community success

Awesome day as we celebrated the 70th Howick Santa Parade this afternoon.

Howick Local Board is proud to support this community led event. Fantastic to join the parade today, celebrating alongside the community.

Congratulations to everyone who helped make this event happen - the generous sponsors, dedicated volunteers, and community groups who participated.

Merry Christmas to all!

Howick Local Board Business Meeting for November 2023

On Thursday 16 November, the Howick Local Board held our business meeting for the month. Here’s a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes. At the end there are links to the official minutes and a recording of this (and previous) meetings.

• Deputations from Friends of Mangemangeroa and Stand Children’s Services;

• Community Grants approved;

• Play Leadership appointments made;

• Flat Bush Gravel Path project approved;

• Quarter One performance report received;

• Community Forum report received.

After the initial formalities of the welcome, declarations of interest and confirmation of minutes, we moved into deputations.

First up we had Marion Skelton from the Friends of Mangemangeroa Reserve. The old stockyards at Mangemangeroa are due to be removed early in 2024 and Marion raised concerns around the transparency and communications of the process. While due process had been followed, they were frustrated as it would impact their operation. The Partnership Agreement with Auckland Council was overdue for renewal, and they were also looking for information on the status of the old barn. We asked staff to provide some advice on the issues raised which will come to the Board in the near future.

Then we had Preshenka Pillay and Ann Voykovich from Stand Children’s Services presenting on the work they do in our community. They provide specialist educational support for children who have experienced trauma by providing intensive family wraparound services. They currently operate a site in Half Moon Bay but are moving to Manukau in the near future. It was difficult to hear some of the stories about local tamariki, but good to know that there are organisations like this working to help them.

I tabled my Chairpersons Report for the month, which noted all the meetings and events that we’d attended since the last meeting. There has been a lot of annual general meetings, and the Board has been making an effort to attend as many as we can which has been appreciated by the community.

We then moved onto approval of our first Community Grants for this financial year. In total we approved $117,296.80 worth of grants for various community groups and organisations. Two members had conflicts of interest (they are involved with the groups) so we separated these into separate items and they respective members didn’t participate in the discussion or vote.

With an increasing interest in the ongoing development and promotion of play opportunities, Local Board Members have been invited to join an elected members Play Leadership Group. This group is intended to provide members an opportunity to learn more, increase their capacity to advocate for play and provide informal guidance for staff on paly issues. We voted to appoint Deputy Bo Burns and Member Bruce Kendall to the group.

Next we finalised the last piece in our Local Board Transport Capital Fund puzzle. This fund provides boards with a budget to deliver small projects that are not on Auckland Transport’s work programme and we predominately use it for safety projects. Flat Bush has been subject to extensive development in recent decades and private developers are required to provide footpaths when they develop land. But sometimes growth leaves one block developed and as a result Flat Bush has stretches of disconnected footpath separated by long gaps. That is particularly concerning when it’s our tamariki walking to and from their schools, so we’re prioritising action in those areas.

We received the Howick Local Board Performance Report for Quarter One, detailing the work that staff have been doing to deliver on our approved work programmes. Revenue is slightly below budget (4%) mostly due to lower numbers at Lloyd Elsmore and Howick leisure centres, while expenditure was above budget (2%) largely due to increased repairs and maintenance. 94% of our work programme items are on track, with 6% delayed which are the Howick Domain renewal (larger than expected) and three related leases, Te Kete Rukuruku (dual naming of parks waiting on us to provide feedback) and leases for Bramley Drive Reserve and the Deport (both working through some consenting changes).

We noted the delegated feedback from the previous term. Normally the Board will provide feedback via a resolution to ensure it’s transparent and conveys the views of the Board, but in the previous term there were instances where the Board delegated its authority to specific members. The report allowed us to bring this feedback back into the public record. This isn’t something we’ve done this term, so I asked members from the previous term to move and second the motion.

We received the report on our latest Community Forum, which was focused on our ethnic communities. These forums allow us to engage with parts of our community that we may not normally hear from and in a format that provides more opportunities for deeper discussion. For this forum, we had a panel discussion followed by a Q&A session, which provided some really useful insights into how we can better support and engage our local ethnic communities. This is just the beginning of our conversations in this space and we’ll look to do more of these in the near future.

We noted our Workshop Records and Governance Forward Work Calendar, then I closed the meeting at 1:17pm.

Minutes of the meeting are available here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2023/11/20231116_HW_MIN_11576_WEB.htm

along with related attachments like presentations here: https://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Open/2023/11/20231116_HW_MAT_11576_WEB.htm

And a recording of the meeting is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYb9g3MzDlQ

and previous meetings can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiuqKCzobSzQ05kCv2JI2iefmDp2_tEh

Our next normal Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 14 December at 12noon at the Pakuranga Library building in Aylesbury Street.

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

Auckland diverts 9 million kilos of food scraps from landfill

I love our food scraps bin and it looks like I'm not the only one. Since the rollout began in April, Aucklanders have diverted over 9million kilograms of food scraps. This is great news, as the scraps get converted into useful power and fertiliser to grow more kai.

And all the waste not going to landfill is great for the environment too - avoiding filling landfills and reducing methane. Nearly half of the weight of rubbish bins going to landfill was food waste! Auckland Council is hoping to collect nearly 40,000 tonnes of food scraps in the first year which will be equal to taking 10,000 medium-sized cars off the road.

We're currently on track to divert 35,000 tonnes of food scraps which is a great start. If you haven't tried the new bins, give them a go.

They can take all your leftovers, even ones that you can't normally compost like bones, fats and citrus - I know some locals are continuing to compost what they can, and sending the rest away in their food scraps bin.

Read more on OurAuckland.