Category: Auckland Council

Source: Auckland Council

St Paul Street is being renewed by the people who use it most – students of AUT.

It’s the first of two semi-permanent street upgrades enabled by Auckland Council which give postgraduate and third year design students the chance to influence the renewal of a street in their own neighbourhood.

The redesign of St Paul Street in the city centre’s Learning Quarter, by AUT spatial design students from the Master of Design programme, opens in late September 2024.

Also, a group of third year planning students from of the University of Auckland are working on concepts for the renewal of Alfred Street.

St Paul Street

Last year Auckland Council’s Tāmaki Makaurau Design Ope (TMDO) joined creative forces with the Material Imaginaries Research Collective at AUT. The task was for students to collaboratively develop a concept design for a new St Paul Street installation, replacing the existing equipment.

An initial trial helped show how students and staff used the street and what activities needed to be provided for. In September council contractors will implement their innovative, semi-permanent solution, keeping the scope and budget to a ‘no dig’, low disruption execution.

Waitematā Local Board Chair Genevieve Sage is pleased to see Auckland’s next generation of urban designers helping shape their university environments.

“It means we’re creating uni neighbourhoods that better-reflect the everyday needs of students and staff, and we’re also giving future spatial designers and planners real world experience as they begin their careers,” she says.

The students’ concept design for St Paul Street was anchored by two main elements: a ‘wandering line’ and a series of bench seats. The wandering line was designed to echo the line of the Rangipuke ridge meeting the upper stream of Te Waihorotiu, re-enacting the slow pooling motion of waterways that were once present in the area. Concrete benches rise and fall in wave-like forms.

“Working on a live, quick-response project in collaboration with Auckland Council was a great way to ground our research students’ practice-based inquiries,” says Dr Carl Douglas, Head of Department at AUT University.

“Taking part in the St Paul Street project has been an invaluable experience for me. The project provided opportunities to collaborate with various real-life professionals, and as one of the main users of St Paul Street, I enjoyed contributing to the street’s vision to become a more pedestrian-friendly place,” says participating AUT student Emma Choi. 

Alfred Street

In a second design school partnership, Auckland Council’s design team (TMDO) collaborated with the Architecture & Planning School at the University of Auckland to build a concept for the next phase of the Alfred Street project, replacing the temporary plastic planters.  

Their brief was to create a medium-term, people-focused, healthy and biodiverse streetscape while delivering a lighter, quicker, cheaper execution.

In April, twelve student groups presented their concept designs to a panel of teaching staff and Auckland Council guest critics. The TMDO will review the student presentations and consolidate them into one streetscape design to be taken forward through detailed design and implementation.

“Our students have described this project as enlightening and enjoyable.  It is fantastic for the students to get to work on a real-world solution and work with not only creativity but also constraints. I hope that we can continue this collaboration further,” says Zoe Avery, University of Auckland Associate Director of Design.

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council has made a significant advancement in its stormwater management capabilities through the deployment of cutting-edge, AI-driven hotspot cameras across the city.

The initiative is part of the Making Space for Water (MSFW) programme, a comprehensive 10-year, $760 million effort funded by local and government sources to improve flood readiness and mitigate risk across Auckland.

Following a successful trial in 2022, which saw seven solar-powered cameras capture images at key stormwater sites, then use artificial intelligence to analyse the information and alert contractors to problems, Auckland Council is set to expand this technology.

Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee Councillor Richard Hills says the expansion of this technology underscores the council’s commitment to using innovative solutions to enhance the city’s resilience against flooding.

“These AI-equipped cameras are a game-changer, providing data that vastly improves our operational capabilities enabling quicker interventions and more proactive maintenance of our stormwater infrastructure.”

The cameras, solar-powered and equipped with AI, not only support Auckland’s environmental sustainability goals but also ensure continuous operation without adding to the carbon footprint.

This initiative has already gained recognition, winning a Water NZ award in 2023 for its innovative approach to stormwater management. As AI technology advances, the benefits of this initiative will grow, providing more accurate data, faster response times, and enhanced predictive capabilities.

Auckland Council’s Head of Planning (Water) Nick Vigar says the council is committed to making Auckland a safer place by using intelligent infrastructure and technology.

“This technology is a core component of the flood intelligence initiative under MSFW, focusing on upgrading existing tools and incorporating new technologies for better planning, monitoring and modelling of flood risks.

“The project is evidence of our proactive approach to managing the challenges posed by climate change and urban development.” 

Aucklanders can look forward to enhanced flood management that is not only effective but also sustainable, ensuring the city’s preparedness for adverse weather conditions into the future.

To date, 23 cameras hve been installed with 27 more to be in place by the end of 2024 at critical stormwater assets throughout the city, to monitor and analyse images for changes in water levels, flow, and potential debris blockages.

These critical assets may include hard infrastructure such as channels, culverts, and pipes, as well as natural assets like streams on public land, which all play a vital role in Auckland’s flood management strategy.

The cameras will be strategically located based on critical need, providing early detection, reduced response times, and helping to minimize flood damage.

This initiative aims to enhance and improve proactive maintenance and operations of Auckland’s stormwater network, and continuous improvements to the technology will strength the city’s flood management system making it more resilient and efficient.

Key benefits of the AI-driven hotspot cameras:

• Sustainability: solar-powered and AI-driven, the cameras reduce carbon footprint and ensure continuous operation
• Cost-efficiency: help plan maintenance of stormwater infrastructure with information captured by cameras
• Continuous monitoring: provide network monitoring and intelligence of critical stormwater infrastructure.

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council-led supplier diversity initiative Amotai celebrates its first-ever awards ceremony this Wednesday 21 August, championing the power and importance of supplier diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Amotai Supplier Diversity Awards 2024 will recognise the efforts of individuals and organisations in levelling the playing field in procurement. It will take place on the evening of Amotai’s Navigate Summit, an annual event in its fifth year that brings together business leaders, procurement professionals and innovators from Aotearoa to learn about opportunities to drive economic growth in New Zealand, through Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses.

Councillor Kerrin Leoni, an avid Amotai supporter, says this year’s Summit theme is “The Power of Opportunity”, which speaks to the goals of Amotai to unlock supply chains and create opportunities for Māori and Pasifika businesses to provide products and services to a wide range of organisations.

“Since it was first established in 2018 by Auckland Council, Amotai’s members have grown to more than 2200 Māori and Pasifika-owned suppliers, and more than 180 buyers, including corporates, not-for-profits, government entities, and iwi,” says Councillor Leoni.

“Suppliers span construction and infrastructure, tech, professional services and retail sectors, from Te Tai Tokerau Northland to Te Wai Pounamu, the South Island. The growth of Amotai represents growth for the economy, and an upshift for our Māori and Pasifika business communities, creating a more diverse and resilient local business sector,” adds Councillor Leoni.

Auckland Council’s Chief Executive Phil Wilson, who will host a pre-Summit business mixer at Auckland Art Gallery, says Amotai was established because it was recognised that Māori and Pasifika were significantly under-represented in the council’s supply chain.

“This under-representation meant Māori and Pasifika were not able to contribute to our region or benefit from it in the same way that other groups could,” Mr Wilson says.

“When one group in society is falling behind, we are all disadvantaged, so we have sought to remedy this inequity in Aotearoa through first influencing Auckland Council’s procurement and supply chains, and the movement has flowed outward from there,” he says.

“It’s an inspiration to see how Amotai has grown since we launched it, and the positive impact supplier diversity is having on communities.

“We have come a long way in the six years since inception, and these inaugural awards are a testament to that maturity and growth. The name Amotai itself alludes to this, as it is the swell in the tide; a tide that can carry all waka to new horizons…”

This year the summit will also host an international delegation from the USA, Canada and Australia, who will present global opportunities for advancing supplier diversity. The awards will include the signing of a MOU between Amotai and the USA’s National Minority Supplier Diversity Council President and CEO, to increase international trade opportunities from the global supplier diversity movement.

The Amotai Supplier Diversity Awards 2024 winners will be announced at the Amotai Inaugural Awards Gala Dinner on Wednesday 21 August 2024.  

Award finalists are:

Supplier of the Year

• Kenai
• Stronghold Group
• ARC Asbestos and Demolition

Buyer Member of the Year

• Downer/Hawkins
• John Fillmore Contracting
• Ministry of Education

Supplier Diversity Advocate of the Year

• Trina Pohatu-McQueen – Waikato-Tainui
• Beaufa Brown – Height
• Sarah Lang – Beca

 

About Amotai

Amotai connects public, private and not-for-profit sector buyers across Aotearoa and Australia with Māori and Pasifika-owned suppliers with the aim to unlock opportunities for innovation, growth and resilience on both sides, supporting participating parties to positively impact communities through their procurement processes.

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council has launched a flooding resilience campaign across Auckland libraries, offering vital resources to help residents prepare for and reduce the effects of flooding.

As part of the campaign, which is running until the end of winter, libraries across Auckland have set up informative displays and are distributing the “Preparing your Property for Flooding” guide.

Available in multiple languages, including English, Te Reo Māori, Tongan, Samoan, Hindi, Korean, and Chinese, the guide provides essential tips on making properties more flood resilient.

Additionally, a flyer featuring QR codes allows residents to easily download the guide in their preferred language.

Craig McIlroy, Flood Resilience general manager emphasised the importance of community involvement in flood preparedness.

“We all have a role to play in managing stormwater around our properties. Simple actions like clearing debris from drains and gutters can make a big difference.”

Daniel Blomfield, Manager of Botany Library in Howick, highlighted the strong community interest in these resources.

“The English and Chinese guides have been ‘going out the door.’ We get a lot of library visitors, between 400,000 to 450,000 a year, and people are very interested in anything that directly impacts them.”

He shared an example of a visitor who, after being introduced to the Flood Viewer website by a librarian, discovered critical information about her property and immediately shared it with her friends.

Additional information

The Flood Viewer, promoted through the campaign, offers an interactive map where residents can input their address to check for natural hazards like overland flow paths or flood plains. The site also provides videos, guides, and resources for flood preparation, storm safety, and post-flood clean up.

Libraries across the region, including those in Mangere East, East Coast Bays, Browns Bay, St Heliers, Papakura, and New Lynn, have seen significant interest in the campaign. In total, 4,500 guides and 2,800 A5 flyers have been distributed. The initiative is further supported by digital screen displays across council facilities.

The campaign has been funded Central Government’s Accelerating Storm Readiness fund.

The fund is also being used to increase the removal of critical blockages in streams by Healthy Waters’ Operations teams as well as encouraging residents to engage in community efforts to clean up local streams, helping reduce flood risks in their neighbourhoods.

Source: Auckland Council

What do you value about Auckland’s coasts – what do they mean to you?

Shoreline Adaptation Plans are living plans that focus on how we manage Auckland Council-owned coastal land and assets. This includes reserves, public facilities, transport and water infrastructure, as well as any associated coastal defence structures like seawalls.

We’re asking you to have your say and let us know what you think as different plans come up for feedback over the course of the year.

“Across Tāmaki Makaurau, residents are grappling with climate change and the impact this is having on their homes, neighbourhoods, and community assets. We can’t ignore this, and together we need to make some smart long-term decisions on where we allocate our resources for our coast and our coastal communities,” says Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

“Our Shoreline Adaptation Plans aim to provide a roadmap for evolving coastal management strategies over the next 100 years and it’s essential that we develop these plans alongside iwi and the community.”

What’s in a shoreline adaption plan?

Each plan considers the potential impacts of coastal hazards (like erosion, inundation and rainfall flooding) and climate-change impacts (including sea level rise).

We need plans that can guide both short-term, operational responses such as maintenance and post-storm responses, and longer-term strategic planning to inform future management options and associated funding.

Shoreline Adaptation Plans are the council’s first round of ‘adaptive planning’ – an approach that addresses uncertainty and risk says Paul Klinac, Auckland Council General Manager Engineering, Assets and Technical Advisory.

“We know our coastal environment is both dynamic and highly valued – these plans will take these important factors into consideration,” says Mr Klinac.

“The intention is that each plan reflects the intrinsic value of the coast to mana whenua as well as the local community and presents a balanced approach to its future management in response to coastal hazards and climate change. This includes opportunities to safeguard our coastal environments for future generations.”

Have Your Say

With your help, we can plan and protect our much-loved coastline by understanding why Auckland’s shoreline areas are important to you. We want to know:

• What do you do and enjoy at the coast, where do you visit and why?
• Have you experienced the impact of coastal hazards, and how has this changed the way you use the coast.
• What are your concerns for our future changing coast and how it is managed?

Tell us what you think over the course of 2024. Keep an eye on our social media, your local board Facebook page and our e-newsletter to know what plan is coming up.

You can also help by joining the conversation and telling us what you value about your local coastline today by visiting our regional interactive map – you can also drop pins to leave comments on coastal areas not yet open. 

For some areas, we’re also asking for your feedback on our draft adaptation strategies – head to akhaveyoursay.nz to see what plans are currently open for feedback.

Putting the plans into action

As many Aucklanders know well, the severe weather events in early 2023 resulted in significant damage across the region. We saw severe damage to both public and private land.

These events have highlighted the value of having adaptive plans to guide and coordinate future management of our coastal areas.

This year we will complete the series of 20 plans across Auckland. You can find out when we will be in your neighbourhood by visiting our website Shoreline Adaptation Plan Programme.

So far, we’ve completed the below plans:

For more information on Shoreline Adaptation Plans, check out council’s website or you can get in touch with the team at shorelineadaptationplans@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

Source: Auckland Council

Estuaries are critical in helping maintain sea water quality by filtering sediment and excess nutrients, as well as protecting the land by acting as buffers against tidal surges and storms.

Unfortunately during the 2023 weather events the Wairau Estuary in Milford was left reeling.

“The sheer scale of rubbish and debris took our breath away,” said Tabitha Becroft, Pupuke Birdsong Project Environmental Coordinator.

“There were massive piles of wreckage tangled in mangroves and a lot of household rubbish washed down from gardens and bins.”

But the local community kicked into action with support from the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.

“The Pupuke Birdsong Project, Milford Residents Association, and Milford Mariners joined forces to organise community clean-ups, hauling out an astonishing 148 cubic metres of debris … from bulky furniture and full fences, down to toothbrushes and plastic waste.

“Conservation Volunteers NZ is also working to restore the estuary through tree planting and litter pick-ups,” adds Tabitha.

“These clean-ups are more than just a practical response – they’re a testament to our community’s resilience and determination.

“They’re not easy – they’re hard, dirty work. But every volunteer who’s waded through the mud, hauled out debris and seen the impact first-hand knows it’s worth it.”

Next community clean-up: Saturday 7 September

Keen to get involved? Don your wellies and come down to the Wairau Estuary on Saturday, 7 September 1pm-3pm.

For full details including where to meet, visit https://events.humanitix.com/stream-care-wairau-estuary.

Source: Auckland Council

Watercare will begin the final stage of the Huia 1 watermain replacement in Epsom.

This stage marks the beginning of the end of a mammoth project that Watercare and construction partner March Cato have been working on since June 2019.

Stretching over 15 kilometres between Epsom and Auckland’s western reservoirs in Titirangi, the new Huia 1 watermain will supply drinking water to roughly 20 per cent of Auckland’s population.

It will replace the existing Huia 1 pipeline, which – at 76 years old – is nearing the end of its design life.

The pipeline will be installed along road corridors and reserves to make it easier for future maintenance and access.

Map of the Huia 1 replacement pipeline works in Epsom.

Update from Watercare project manager Tim Mannin

Watercare project manager Tim Manning says the final stage – from St Andrews Rd to King George Ave and part way down Gillies Ave – should be completed by early next year.

“To minimise disruption, we’ll use a pipe installation technique called slip lining, where we’ll pull a 630millimetre-diameter pipe through the existing Huia 1 pipeline.

“This section of the pipeline carries less water than the sections west of Epsom, so we can install a smaller pipe using trenchless technology instead of open cut excavation.”

Manning says commuters can expect to experience some traffic disruptions during the works.

“The works will take place from the corner of Watling Street and St Andrews Road to King George Ave, and then continue down Gillies Ave all the way to the corner of Kimberley Road.

“For everyone’s safety, traffic management measures such as lane and road closures will be necessary during construction.

“On Gillies Ave, traffic will be shifted to the eastern side to maintain a two-way flow.

“Rest assured, we will keep residents and businesses informed about all upcoming traffic management.

“We encourage everyone to stay updated by following our social media channels and checking our website for the latest project information.”

“Work on the pipeline is still underway in Blockhouse Bay and Mt Roskill. These works are expected to be completed by April next year.

“We thank everyone for their patience and understanding as we continue to install this critical piece of infrastructure for Auckland,” Manning says

Source: Auckland Council

The storm recovery programme offers a limited, one-off opportunity to get financial support for property mitigation or a voluntary buy-out, that closes on 30 September 2024.

We’ve heard from some homeowners about why they’re not registering for a risk assessment and category, and you’ll see some responses to those below.

There’s a lot for you to consider so we recommend you seek independent advice to help you make an informed decision.

Storms like that won’t happen again in my lifetime

We should expect more frequent and severe storms.
Unfortunately climate change will cause more frequent and severe storms. Homes in a ‘one in 100 year’ flood zone have a one in 100 chance of experiencing a significant flood in each year.

I’m going to wait and sell [my storm-affected home] when the property market improves

Storm affected homes could be worth less in future.
No-one knows what your storm-affected property will be worth in the future – especially if it is in a known high-risk area. Property buyers are more aware than ever of natural hazard risks, with tools like Flood Viewer and hazards information on LIMs being regularly updated.

 

If I get a category, I won’t be able to get house insurance

Property categories are not the only risk indicator.
Insurers already have access to the information council holds about natural hazards affecting your property, including categories issued to properties in your area. The Insurance Council of New Zealand says insurers are still offering cover to Category 1 and Category 2 homes.

My neighbour is a Category 1 so there’s no point in registering

Neighbouring homes can have very different categories.
We assess each individual property. If your neighbour has a category, it does not necessarily mean your property will be given the same one. There can be different categories for properties within the same area, section or even the same building.

I’ve already spent my insurance money on repairing my home

You can still benefit from the recovery support schemes.
You will not be disadvantaged if you spent insurance money on repairs and are given a Category 3. For a Category 2P, if you complete risk mitigation work before receiving your category, you may still be eligible for a grant to cover some or all of those costs.

See our guide to progressing work while waiting for a category [PDF 184KB] for more details.

A Category 1 will devalue my property

Flood risk information is already available to potential buyers.
If your property is prone to flooding, this information is already available via your LIM and Flood Viewer. The council is required to disclose natural hazard risks and is working to improve how both flood and land instability risks are shown on LIMs. Category 1 information is included in the property file, confirming the property was low risk when assessed.

I’ll get more money if I wait and sell to the council under the Public Works Act

Or you could get a lot less.
Your property may not be needed for council to construct flood resilience infrastructure for many years – or may not be needed at all. A Public Works Act purchase is compulsory and based on the market value at the time of purchase, which will consider previous storm impacts and natural hazard risks.

These questions are available on this PDF flyer [1.1MB].

Source: Auckland Council

Historic places, such as archaeological sites and heritage buildings, are a unique part of Tāmaki Makaurau and an important part of the city’s identity.

Auckland Council has opened funding applications for 2024 for the Regional Historic Heritage Grant Programme. The programme preserves and enhances these taonga to ensure they can be enjoyed by future generations.  

Individuals, iwi or Māori groups, community groups and trusts can apply for up to $50,000 for the preservation of heritage places.

“Auckland has many heritage places which all contribute to making Tāmaki Makaurau a unique and vibrant place,” says Councillor Richard Hills, chair of Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

“To ensure these taonga live long into the future, it’s important that they are maintained and preserved.

“This grants programme offers a meaningful way for communities to restore, preserve and enhance heritage sites for the use and enjoyment of Aucklanders now and in years to come.

“There are many Māori cultural heritage places across Tāmaki Makaurau which are extremely important parts of the city’s history. Once again, this year we’re really keen to support the kaitiakitanga of these heritage places and emphasise we welcome applications from groups wanting to preserve and enhance these taonga.”

Applications for this year’s Regional Historic Heritage Grant Programme (RHHGP) funding round are open from 12 August 2024 until 07 October 2024.

The funding priorities include: 

• Conservation of regionally significant historic heritage places, including places in a historic heritage area.

• Conservation of at-risk historic heritage places, including initiatives which address the impacts of climate change.

• Supporting kaitiakitanga of Māori cultural heritage places.

Success story: Terrace of shops on upper Queen Street

The terraced shops at 456-486 Queen Street are Auckland’s longest continuous row of early twentieth century shops, still in use today. The terrace of shops would once have been on the shoppers’ route between the department stores of Queen Street and Karangahape Road, where early tenants included furriers, milliners, jewellers, and tailors.

The shops were also tenanted by printers, confectioners, volunteer organisations and music shops. Many shop owners or other tenants lived above these buildings.

The shops were constructed between 1908 and 1912 and were designed by two architects, Alexander Wiseman and Thomas William May. Wiseman is best known for his design of the Auckland Ferry Building. The 16 shops were built in a group to an Edwardian Eclectic style of design.

Recently the shops, now mainly tenanted by restaurants, received a Regional Historic Heritage grant from Auckland Council to assist with renewal of their degraded shop awnings. Over the years the tin had visibly rusted allowing leaks onto the footpath. The awnings have now been repaired in keeping with the original design, ensuring foot traffic stays dry on the walk up Queen Street.

“This grant absolutely ensured that we could go ahead with this project”, says Clare Doherty, Chairperson of the Upper Queen St Shops.

“The promise of these funds was hugely significant as the project simply could not go ahead without it. These historic buildings require huge money to simply keep insured and maintained so to undertake a project such as this is beyond our budget. Auckland Council’s help was critical to us.”

The terrace of shops is protected under the Auckland Unitary Plan as a category B historic heritage place. It is also listed in the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga – List Rārangi Kōrero as a category 1 place.

Learn how to apply through a grant workshop

Learn more about these grants and the application process at an online workshop.  

Date: Tuesday 20 August 2024

Time: 12.15pm to 1.15pm 

Please RSVP by emailing grants@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz for the calendar invite. 

More information about the Regional Historic Heritage Grants Programme, and a link to apply can be found here.

Source: Auckland Council

Work has started on Auckland’s new swimming pool at the Karanga Plaza Tidal Steps to provide space for people to safely enjoy the city centre waterfront.

As part of the Mayor’s vision to open up the waterfront for Aucklanders, Eke Panuku have designed improvements which are set to be completed by the end of 2024, just in time for summer.

“Making the most out of our harbour and environment is one of my top priorities,” said Mayor Wayne Brown.

 “We’ve got one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the world, and I’m determined to see it transformed into a vibrant public space everyone can enjoy for free.

This new trial pool, which I’ve secured at very low cost to ratepayers, is just the start of what’s to come. It’s part of a much bigger piece of work that will see much more of our waterfront made into places of rest and recreation for Aucklanders, and visitors.” 

As well as the free saltwater harbour pool, the improvements include a new jump platform. Find out more here.