Category: Local Government

Source: Auckland Council

Aucklanders have one week left to give online feedback on whether Auckland Council should introduce Māori seats. Public consultation closes at midnight on Sunday 24 September.

So far, 8,810 submissions have been received through the council’s akhaveyoursay/maoriseats site since consultation started on 21 August.

Councillor Kerrin Leoni says the overall response has been impressive and she’s pleased the topic has generated so much interest at such a busy time of year.

“It’s really encouraging to kōrero on Māori wards. This consultation is prompting Aucklanders to learn more about why Māori representation is being considered now and what this decision will mean for Māori. This is part of a discussion about what is best for Tāmaki Makaurau to continue moving forward, collaboratively.

“We know there’ll be a combination of feedback coming through, which we’re looking forward to hearing. It’s essential that councillors are guided on this decision by what Māori and non-Māori  communities support.”

Mayor Wayne Brown and Auckland city’s 20 councillors will receive feedback on Māori seats next month, along with additional considerations including the council’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. Each member will then vote on Māori seats on 26 October at the Governing Body’s public meeting.

Have your say

Feedback on Māori seats can be submitted until 24 September through the council’s online feedback form – by answering two questions:

• Do you think Auckland Council should introduce Māori seats for the 2025 local elections?
• If yes, which model would you prefer?

The two models are being considered:

• The Parliamentary model (Māori wards)
• The Royal Commission model.

To learn more, visit akhaveyoursay/maoriseats or listen to Rose Leonard, Auckland Council’s Manager of Governance Services as she explains what each model means in a helpful webinar. 

The Parliamentary model can be introduced now and will result in one or two Māori councillors to be elected. The Royal Commission model will allow for two elected councillors and one appointed Mana Whenua representative but requires a change to legislation.

Verbal feedback – Have Your Say event

An opportunity to present feedback in person to the Governing Body will take place from 10am-5pm on Monday, 2 October at the Auckland Town Hall. This final Have Your Say event will close the consultation on Māori seats. Email maoriseatsconsultation@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to register.

Source: Auckland Council

If you were living in New Zealand in the 80s and you’re old enough to remember staying up all night to watch Telethon or when milk was delivered in glass bottles, you’ll probably recall waking up to the news that the anti-nuclear Greenpeace vessel the Rainbow Warrior had been bombed at Marsden Wharf on July 1985, killing crew member Fernando Pereira. As the truth came to light that French Secret Service agents were responsible, it solidified our stance as an anti-nuclear country.

The theme of this year’s Auckland Heritage Festival, which runs from 23 September – 8 October, is Peace, Love and Protest. It’s an opportunity to learn about and remember the important issues that have caused many Aucklanders to take a stand. Here are some of the highlights.

Take a walk through our anti-nuclear history

On 2 October, Richard Northey will lead a walking tour through the central city of important sites in our anti-nuclear and peace-activism history. Richard, who serves on the Waitematā Local Board, was President of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Coalition Against Nuclear Warships and belonged to other peace campaigning groups, will share anecdotes along the way.

Richard Northey’s Auckland Peace Heritage Walk tour begins at the Visual Artists Against Nuclear Armaments mural on the corner of Karangahape and Ponsonby Roads.

The Auckland Peace Heritage Walk tour starts at the iconic Visual Artists Against Nuclear Armaments Mural on the corner of Karangahape and Ponsonby Roads, which was created by a group of artists taking a stand against weapons of mass destruction in 1985.

Other locations on the walk include St Matthew-in-the-City, where Anglican priest George Armstrong launched the Peace Squadron, where brave Aucklanders headed out into the harbour on boats, canoes and even surfboards in an attempt to block the arrival of nuclear warships and submarines from the US into New Zealand. St Matthew-in-the-City is also the site where Nelson Mandela thanked New Zealanders in 1995 for protesting the apartheid regime in South Africa.

No peace heritage walk would be complete without stopping in at the Auckland Women’s Suffrage Memorial on Khartoum Place, by artists Jan Morrison and Claudia Pond Eyley. It was installed in 1993 to recognise a century of women having the vote in New Zealand and being the first country in the world to do so. Here you can pick out important Auckland suffragists, such as Amey Daldy, president of the Auckland Women’s Franchise League.

Poignantly, the tour, which takes around three hours to walk, ends up at Marsden Wharf, where the Rainbow Warrior was berthed when it was bombed in 1985.

The tour is free but spaces are limited to 40 (this isn’t no protest) and bookings are required.

Protest on display

The festival also presents slices of Auckland’s protest history at exhibitions across the region. Learn more about protesting against nuclear testing in the Pacific at the New Zealand Maritime Museum’s exhibition Nuclear-free Pacific: A Maritime Story, 23-27 September, which features images of Kiwis that undertook a 6000km journey and committed three months of their lives to protesting nuclear explosions in French Polynesia.

Delve even deeper into our nuclear-free history at the Nuclear Free New Zealand Peacemaker Exhibition, a display of art posters, photographs and memorabilia of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Campaign at Lopdell House in Titirangi.

To get even more local, take a photographic tour through individual suburbs. Ōtāhuhu residents will enjoy seeing what their neighbourhood used to look like in the display of historical protests and parades, including two films of centennial celebrations in 1948, at the Ōtāhuhu Historical Society at 12-16 High Street, Ōtāhuhu. And whatever side of the fence you were on, many West Aucklanders will remember the protests against insecticide use to wipe out painted apple moth. Check it out in the J.T. Diamond Room, level 2, Waitākere Library.

And if you’re old enough to remember milk bottle deliveries, you’ll also remember when this closed-circle service came to an end in the late 1980s and our reliance on single-use plastic began. Back then, groups like Friends of the Earth, Forest & Bird and Greenpeace knew that this was bad news. View old photos and ephemera from the ‘Save Our Milk Bottles’ campaign at the Central City Library.

Aucklanders protest in Queen Street in 1985 against the All Black tour of South Africa.

For budding activists

The festival has plenty of opportunities to ignite the spirit of activism in the young people in your life. They can learn about the power of symbols at Albany Library and how their meanings can change depending on the causes that adopt them. You can help them create an exhibition for the library’s art wall.

Or travel back in time to Aotearoa 130 years ago, when New Zealand women petitioned for the right to vote. Mt Roskill Library will be hosting a historical re-enactment of the petition being presented to Parliament at 11am on 7 October. Come dressed up too and take part.

Older children and teens will also enjoy making their own protest poster with award-winning cartoonist Toby Morris at the New Zealand Maritime Museum.

Visit Auckland Heritage Festival for the full programme of 160 free or low-cost events that will be running between 23 September-8 October.

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland’s bi-annual tsunami siren test will take place at the beginning of daylight saving on Sunday 24 September at 12pm (midday). 

“It’s important to test the sirens to make sure they’re working as expected.  There’s no cause for alarm during the testing and no action is required by the public,” Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Paul Amaral says. 

Located at a number of coastal sites, sirens give a combination of alert sounds and voice instructions advising what actions residents should take in a real emergency.  You can check and listen to the siren sound sample on the Auckland Emergency Management website [.WAV]. 

We would also appreciate if you could fill out the tsunami siren testing reporting form to let us know if you heard the sirens during the test and what it sounded like.  

Where are tsunami warning sirens located in Auckland? 

Rodney: Point Wells, Whangateau, Omaha 

Albany Ward:  Waiwera, Ōrewa, Hobsonville, Herald Island 

Waitākere: Bethells / Te Henga, Piha North, Piha South, Karekare, Whatipu, Little Huia, Te Atatū South, Te Atatū Peninsula North 

Please note that tsunami sirens at some of these locations have been vandalised or stolen. This means the audible warnings for a tsunami threat at those locations will not be functioning or functioning below full capacity. 

Changes to our tsunami risk and alerting 

The Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee has voted to decommission the aging and compromised Meerkat tsunami siren network.  

AEM General Manager Paul Amaral acknowledges the decision may concern some communities. 

“We want to assure our communities that there will be timely communication in the event of a potential tsunami.” 

 “If there is a tsunami threat, Emergency Mobile Alert will be broadcast to all capable mobile phones. As well as this, news media and social media channels will be used to alert Aucklanders.” 

Councillor Sharon Stewart, Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee chairperson says tsunami siren testing is a good prompt for Aucklanders to familiarise themselves about what to do in an emergency. 

“Aucklanders have become increasingly familiar with the Emergency Mobile Alert as an effective way to alert them to danger, having experienced this through the pandemic and during this year’s extreme weather events. The Emergency Mobile Alert will be used to alert Aucklanders to a potential tsunami. 

“The siren testing day is a good prompt for Aucklanders to talk with their whānau about planning for emergencies and importantly organising a getaway bag and meeting place.” 

Visit getready.govt.nz for great tips on making a plan for an emergency.  

This decommissioning decision only relates to the older siren network, and not to the two new sirens installed in 2020 in Ōrewa, which are working as expected and have not experienced any vandalism or thefts.  

New computer modelling of Auckland’s tsunami risk has led to the development of new tsunami evacuation maps. When the new evacuation maps are released, residents might notice a change in how they look.  

The traditional 3-colour maps will be replaced by a simpler version which shows the area at risk when a land-based warning is issued, and when a marine-based warning is issued. 

Keep an eye on Auckland’s Hazards Viewer on the Auckland Emergency Management website for the changes later in the year. 

What are the official tsunami alert channels in the event of a tsunami emergency? 

In the event of a tsunami emergency, an Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA) will be triggered. Your mobile phone will receive a message which will tell you what the emergency is and what to do. 

Besides Emergency Mobile Alerts, we will also get the messages out on radio, television, news media and social media platforms. However, if you see the natural warning signs, evacuate immediately to higher ground without waiting for an official alert. 

• Follow AEM’s official Facebook and X (Formerly Twitter) channels to stay updated. 

• For more information on tsunami warnings, visit Auckland Emergency Management website. 

What are the natural warning signs for tsunami? 

Remember LONG or STRONG, GET GONE. 

If you feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand up or a weak rolling earthquake that lasts a minute or more, see a sudden rise or fall in sea level, hear loud or unusual noises from the sea, don’t wait for an official warning. Go immediately to the nearest high ground or as far inland as you can, taking the route quickest for you. 

Be prepared 

Tsunami siren testing time is a great reminder to check out whether you live, work, or play in one of Auckland’s three tsunami evacuation zones. Check the Auckland hazard viewer map. We are updating the tsunami evacuation maps this year so remember to check back regularly to see if your zone has changed from the previous year. 

Prepare your household emergency plan and practice it so everyone knows what to do in an emergency and what you need to take if you are evacuating. 

Check the tsunami preparedness tips and what to do before, during and after a tsunami. 

Source: Auckland Council

This year Mental Health Awareness Week has a focus on five ways to improve your wellbeing. These are five super simple actions to give your mental health a boost. In the spirit of this kaupapa, here are five suggestions for ways you can find community, take notice, get active, give back and keep learning.

1. Connect with others at the UFO group at Auckland Library

If you’ve got a craft project that you’ve been wanting to complete for ages, the Unfinished Objective (UFO) Group is a space where you can finish any personal project, no matter how big or small, while being in the company of others, forging connections, and banishing the loneliness that sometimes creeps in when living in a bustling city.

Katie Richards, who facilitates the UFO Group, says that the concept behind the group – finishing unfinished projects – is broad enough that anyone can attend.

“It can be lonely in the city and we wanted to provide a space and a place where people could come and connect.”

The UFO group meets at Central City Library’s Makerspace every week Wednesday from 12-2pm – and everyone is welcome to join.

2. Give back to our community through volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, and make a difference in your community. It can also be a lot of fun!

If you are interested in volunteering there are many ways you too can make a difference. 

The Auckland Botanic Gardens has volunteering opportunities from gardening to holiday programmes and guiding walks. You don’t have to be a gardener to volunteer – a range of talents are welcomed.

Join a regular or one-off working bee, a beach clean-up, or help with pest control or tree planting in one of our local or regional parks. There is a volunteer activity for all ages and you can sign up with your whānau, friends or work mates.

If you’re a people person who loves to help others, or a practical person who’s happy to get stuck-in to more physical tasks, get in touch with Auckland Zoo to apply for Visitor Assistant, Zoo Guide, Keeper Assistant, and Zoo Crew roles. We’d love to have you join our whānau.

Share your passion about Aotearoa New Zealand’s stories of the sea with local and international visitors at the New Zealand Maritime Museum. We’re currently seeking volunteer hosts and guides and we’d love to have you onboard. Join us today!

3. Be active this season for your mind and body

Getting active is great for the mind and the body, and it takes all kinds of forms! Scale that maunga you’ve always wanted to climb or take a stroll around the neighbourhood. 

With Spring, it’s getting warmer and longer days and (fingers crossed) blue skies – it’s time to put on your trainers and get out the door. 

Here are some low-cost and free ideas to help you stay active this season.

Five short all-weather walks in Auckland

Spring into action this season with these budget-friendly exercise ideas

4. Take notice (mindfulness) and restore your wairua (spirit)

Engaging with our senses is an effective way to de-stress and be more present. There is even a mindfulness technique called the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique, which involves identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

Check out these ideas for fully engaging with the sights, smells, sounds, textures and tastes of Tāmaki Makaurau.

5. Keep learning – Try a woodworking workshop

Learning not only expands our horizons but also has the potential to improve our mental health. It encourages you to manage your time better, prioritize tasks, and break down problems — all valuable tools in stress reduction. Learning with others can also create connections. 

The ReCreators offer a low-cost woodworking class at different venues across Auckland where you can learn DIY skills and power tools. Click here to check out upcoming courses.

Source: Auckland Council

The extent to which climate change impacts Tāmaki Makaurau hit home for many earlier this year. We have seen severe weather events like the Auckland Anniversary Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle show the devastating impacts of climate change – and the importance of climate action.

Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan is a long-term approach to climate action for the Auckland region. It sets out eight priority action areas to deliver our goals to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

“Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri sets out key priorities to deliver on climate action for Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s a blueprint for the region and, overall, I am proud of the progress we have achieved in so many areas despite the challenges we have faced with covid, budget constraints and extreme weather events,” says Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

“However, there’s more work to be done particularly when it comes to emissions reduction. To halve our emissions by 2030, and reach net zero emissions by 2050, requires the council, its CCOs, the community, and our partners to increase commitments to climate action. We all must play our part.”

The progress report outlines the percentage of actions that are completed, on track, partially underway but require more work, or not in progress. It also provides highlights of progress and key challenges for each priority in the plan along with a summary of key initiatives planned for next year.

“It is important that we regularly monitor and report on Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri to better understand our progress towards our main goals of reducing emissions and adapting to climate change impacts,” says Councillor Angela Dalton, Deputy Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

“This important mahi is ongoing but these annual updates allow us to identify trends and measure how well we are tracking to deliver long-term climate goals.”

What is in the report?

Auckland Council has different levels of responsibility and control over the actions in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri, which reflects the regional focus of the plan.

There are currently a similar number of actions “underway” and actions “not in progress”, compared to the September 2022 progress report. However, the proportion of actions completed has risen to 3 per cent vs 1 per cent in the previous report.

The September 2022/2023 progress report shows that we are well underway on our actions, stating that:

• 3 per cent of actions are complete.
• 31 per cent of actions are on track.
• 52 per cent are underway but require more work.
• 13 per cent are not in progress.

In the 2022/2023 year, the council made significant progress on climate action. This includes the start of various programmes and projects funded by the Climate Action Transport Targeted Rate.

This targeted rate saw more than $1 billion invested in new frequent bus routes, the procurement of new electric ferries, as well as further investment in walking, cycling and our urban ngahere.

The committee also heard key initiatives planned for 2023/24, including:

• Further engagement with mana whenua to discuss the delivery of Te Tāruke a Tāwhiri.
• The establishment of a Regional Leadership Group to accelerate climate action through collaboration and partnerships.
• The improvement of the climate action progress and monitoring framework to provide clearer understanding of progress on climate targets.

Working with mana whenua

Te Puāwaitanga ō te Tātai outlines te ao Māori principles that should be interwoven throughout the other priorities and are fundamental to the delivery of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri.

The Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum (previously the Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum), a collective of the 19 hapū and iwi authorities of Tāmaki Makaurau, worked closely with Auckland Council throughout the development of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri.

Over the past 12 months, Māori specialist staff have provided support to build knowledge and capability amongst staff working on Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri in preparation for the next phase of delivery.

Progress on emissions

The delivery of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri and the progress of its actions impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the extent to which Auckland is impacted by climate change.

Despite the progress being made on climate action, Auckland’s emissions are not tracking in line with the target to reduce emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. Auckland’s current trajectory is still one of increasing emissions.

Meeting our targets set in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri, and meeting commitments to the Paris Agreement, is therefore becoming harder. This means the emissions curve is getting steeper and the interventions required are becoming more drastic.

Overall, from 2016 to 2019, gross and net emissions have increased by 647 kt CO2e (or 5.4 per cent for gross emissions, 6 per cent for net emissions).

Emissions were higher from energy, transport and industrial processes and process unit sectors, but lower from waste and agriculture sources.

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council hosted its largest ever webinar on 5 September with over 700 people attending the storm affected properties webinar. If you missed it don’t worry, you can watch the webinar recording instead. 

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The event was designed for Auckland homeowners whose property or neighbourhood was impacted by severe weather in early 2023. The webinar kicked off with Deputy Mayor, Desley Simpson, giving a heartfelt address to the people of Auckland.

A panel of experts shared the latest information on:

• Placards
• Flood affected land
• Property categorisation
• Future flood mitigation
• The home buyout scheme.

“The topics are complex, so the purpose of the webinar was to explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. We used questions submitted by the audience during the registration process to create content for the presentation. Our priority was to give our audience exactly what they need,” says Group Recovery Manager, Mat Tucker.

The panel was inundated with live questions during the webinar. Feedback from those who attended was positive, “Your team has been amazing, the webinar last week was so helpful” said a North Shore resident. 

“Some homeowners are feeling unsettled about what the future holds, which is understandable. I hope the webinar provided some clarity on the way forward,” says Mr Tucker.

Further support

If you’ve watched the webinar and you’ve still got questions about storm damaged properties, the information below will point you in the right direction.

• Read our frequently asked questions document. This is a good place to start as it includes answers to our most common queries relating to remediation, buyouts, placards, property categorisation and more.
• If you want to understand how property categorisation works, we’ve got a handy video and article that explains it all.

If you have a property that you believe needs to be categorised as part of the assessment process, and you haven’t already completed the flooding and landslide registration form, go online here.

Email navigators@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz if you’re a storm affected property owner and want to discuss support options for mental health, finance, insurance or accommodation. If your storm damaged property question doesn’t fit into any of the scenarios above, then email your question to recoveryoffice@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Source: Auckland Council

Revised timeline for GHD assessment

GHD has nearly finished conducting assessments of affected properties in the Piha and Karekare areas. GHD’s assessment included geotechnical site inspections and the assessment of damage from landslides.

As part of the ongoing geotech fieldwork, drone surveys will be undertaken for properties with restricted access from the week starting Monday 18 September 2023. We have been liaising with landowners of affected properties to obtain permission prior to flying the drones. We would like to express our thanks to the homeowners who have given us permission to undertake these surveys. We do encourage your cooperation as it enables us to provide the most comprehensive geotechnical assessment possible, while helping us keep the programme of work on track and avoid further delays. Final permission for these drone surveys can be given up until Monday morning, 18 September.

Over the next two weeks, GHD will revisit some properties at both Piha and Karekare to gain additional technical information, and be present for some of the drone surveys where there are access restrictions. Geotechnical reporting will continue at the same time for the remaining affected properties.

Drone surveys and orthomosaic imagery are very useful for geotechnical assessments as they can provide a detailed view of the entire site, provide high-resolution aerial imagery and topographic data. Orthomosaic images stitch together multiple individual photos (“orthophotos”) which are then overlapped to capture a comprehensive view of an area. Orthophotos can provide site overviews, precise measurements of landforms and features and terrain analysis, to create digital elevation and surface models for geotechnical analysis.

Timeline for release of GHD’s draft reports

Unlike Muriwai which had two large escarpments and associated large scale instability, the landslides in Piha and Karekare consist of numerous localised landslips and land instability. Because of this, it is more appropriate for GHD to produce multiple reports – one per landslide or area of instability. In some cases, reports will cover single properties, while others will include multiple adjacent properties.

Due to the number of reports being produced, we will be releasing GHD’s draft reporting with property owners in Piha and Karekare in tranches, as the reports become ready. This approach means that individual property owners will get their information as soon as practically possible, rather than waiting for every report to be completed.

Affected property owners will be emailed a draft geotechnical report and their initial property category, and will have the opportunity to provide feedback and discuss the report one-on-one with a geotechnical expert.

We will be contacting property owners directly over the next week to advise them of next steps, including whether they are impacted by GHD study and, if so, when they will receive a draft report and invites for follow-up discussions with technical experts.

Auckland Council will use GHD’s reports to inform decisions on final risk categorisation, as well as reviewing RBA placards.

Timeline for upcoming engagements

Community meetings, Saturday 23 September

The purpose of these meetings is to provide updates on the categorisation and risk assessment processes, and provide an update on the progress of the GHD study. At this meeting, we will explain how the placard review process will work once the geotechnical findings are available, so the next steps are clear for you.

All members of the Karekare and Piha communities are welcome to attend these meetings.

At each of these meetings, Auckland Council Head of Resilience Ross Roberts will discuss the geotechnical reports and answer any questions you may have.

Piha community meeting – 10am – noon, Barnett Hall, 2 North Piha Road, Piha

Karekare community meeting – 2–4pm, Karekare Surf Club, 34 Watchmans Road, Karekare

Release of GHD reports and initial property category

Reports will be released in clusters based on when they are completed by GHD. These clusters are:

Exact dates will be confirmed directly to affected property owners once confirmed. 

GHD assessment area

The assessment areas are shown in the maps below.

Piha assessment area: