Category: Local Government

Source: Auckland Council

Aotea / Great Barrier is aiming to be the first place in New Zealand to eliminate single-use takeaway cups.

From October 1, coffee retailers on the island will offer alternatives to the cups and most will no longer stock single use cups, which despite appearances are neither recyclable nor compostable.

“We’re lucky on Aotea because we’re a small, island location so something like this is totally doable,” says Jo O’Reilly, director of Aotea’s Anamata resource recovery centre and driver of the scheme. “I’ve been so impressed by how enthusiastic people are, right from our retailers to our coffee drinkers.

“We live in an ecological paradise that we all want to protect. The trick will be to bring tourists and visitors along with us.

“What most visitors to the island probably don’t realise is that every bit of landfill waste must get shipped back to the mainland at huge environmental and financial cost. We’re doing all we can to reduce those volumes,” says Jo.

Zero waste

The cups project is one part of Aotea’s bid for zero waste to landfill by 2040, and Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board is in support of the initiative.

“We want to congratulate Anamata on the initiative”, says Izzy Fordham, Local Board Chair.

“It’s been great to see the community truly embrace the initiative, with most store owners and businesses in support of eliminating single-use cups.

“The board has offered its continued support for the project, which aligns with our vision of zero waste for the island.”

Coffee drinkers will have three options once the single use cups are gone.

1. Bring their own keep cup

2. Use a mug from the café’s mug library (at participating outlets) or

3. Purchase a $10 double walled, lidded, stainless-steel cup from the island-wide “borrow” scheme, which can be kept or returned to any participating outlet for a refund.

“Or of course they can sit down to drink their coffee, at a pace more suited to island life,” says Jo. “We call the cups scheme ‘a small step for mankind but a big step in terms of what it says about our island and what’s important to us’.”

Her message to all those coming to Aotea this summer is: pack your keep cup!

The initiative is supported by the New Zealand Packaging Forum.

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Source: Auckland Council

Significant progress has been made across the Auckland region over the last month on permanent repairs to storm damaged roads.

With over 2000 slips and issues reported across the region following the January and February weather events, there is still a long road of repairs ahead.

The overall programme of repairs to more than 500 medium-large scale slips and issues is expected to take 2-3 years to be completed.

In northern parts of Auckland, rural areas experienced 363 sites of slips or damage – of which 140 minor slips and nine major slips have already been completed. In urban areas, there were 48 sites of slips or damage, of which one is complete.

Below are a selection of photos highlighting just a small portion of the great work the construction and maintenance teams are doing in these areas. We will look to show progress in other areas of Auckland in future newsletters.

East Coast Road update

Significant repairs are due to start on East Coast Road (near Haigh Access road) on 18 September 2023, and are expected to take 13 weeks to complete.

Photo Credit: AT and Downer

Permanent repair at Mahurangi East Road began on Monday 28 August. Piling works are already underway – with holes for the piles visible in this photograph.

Photo Credit: AT and Downer

At Tauhoa Road, Tauhoa (west of Warkworth), piling works are underway to stabilise the roadway. This will involve an impressive 36-meter timber pile retaining wall, composed of a total of 24 poles. 

Photo credit: AT and Downer

On Ahuroa Road, several major slips have completely closed the road through to Puhoi, two of which are shown above. The tiny settlement of Ahuroa now have an extra hour’s journey to connect back to Puhoi – previously just a few minutes. Progress to date includes soil nails (acting like anchors) ready for steel mesh and/or shotcrete (sprayed on concrete).

Photo Credit: Fulton Hogan

Paremoremo Road, Paremoremo also has a number of very large slips across four sites. At this slip site, all of the concrete columns have been completed now, ready support the backfilling which will occur over the coming months.

Photo credit: Fulton Hogan

On Glenvar Road, Torbay, the team have made fantastic progress with the road sub-base now largely in place.  Over the next month or so, the focus will be on road surfacing and barrier installation.

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Source: Auckland Council

For central Aucklanders who have been putting off dropping off their unwanted items at a community recycling centre (CRC) because they’re too busy to drive across town, it’s time for a big sort out because you now have a local option. Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre at 990 Great North Road in Western Springs is open and ready to welcome you.

Situated just down the road from Auckland Zoo and a stone’s throw away from Te Wai Ōrea Park / Western Springs Lakeside, many Aucklanders will be familiar with the rock gatehouse that stands at the entrance to the site. 

The gatehouse and clubrooms were built in 1939 and were originally part of the Chamberlain Golf Club. This was before the Northwestern Motorway went through and cut off access (you can see the golf course just across the motorway).

After spending the last 20 years as the Auckland Horticultural Council clubrooms, the building and site has now undergone a makeover to transform it into a recycling centre where you can drop off recyclables such as glass, paper, alkaline batteries and cardboard for a small fee (read more on that here) or donate items, such as books, clothing and cookware, to the shop in the renovated building basement (pro tip: if you often feel overwhelmed by the quantity of items when bargain hunting in op shops, this space has carefully curated displays that are a pleasure to browse)

The shop at the recycling centre accepts clothes, toys, books, fabric, furniture and other items that are in good and working condition.

The CRC offers more than recycling though. The upper level of the building is a dedicated community space.

“You can bring your recycling, then you can come upstairs and take part in various community activations from repair cafes to e-waste drop-off days, to learning how to knit, sew and mend, or upcycle furniture.” says Kathryn Lawlor, CEO of MPHS Community Trust, the community development organisation that runs the CRC for Auckland Council.

Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre manager Christine Wang (left) and MPHS CEO Kathryn Lawlor had local schools and early childhood centres create a mural for the facility using upcycled materials.

Kathryn says that various environmental groups, such as conservation organisation Urban Ark – Manawa Taiao, will also be using the space to have their hui (meetings), providing opportunities for the public to pick up traps or learn about planting.

The CRC also has plans underway to collaborate with nearby Te Māhurehure Marae and hold weaving workshops and grow a pā harakeke (a collection of different flax species) onsite.

“Once we’re sustainable, then any funds that are generated go back into running free hui here for the community,” says Kathryn.

At Waitākere Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station by Tipping Point (another zero-waste project managed by MPHS) a big focus is to invest in rangatahi (youth) in the local community. This is done by Tipping Point generating income which goes back to support rangatahi programmes in the community.

So far 21 local schools and early childhood centres have contributed to the community space at Waiōrea CRC by helping create a large mural. Centre manager Christine Wang supplied them with wooden panels salvaged during the building’s renovation and asked them to create a collage of Te Wai Ōrea / Western Springs lake across the road using upcycled materials.

The upcycled mural at Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre features iconic local spots such as the Rainbow Path beside Unitec.

Over time, the plan is to fill a whole wall with panels decorated by different educational institutions.

But whether you live locally or not, Kathryn says that the centre is for everyone.

“A lot of people are coming here for a bargain, some will be coming because they’re very passionate about sustainability. We hope that it’s an inclusive space for education and also just to have those conversations. We don’t have all the answers but we think that everyone’s small contribution can make a change.”

Source: Auckland Council

There has been some public interest in a developer’s decision to fell trees in Auckland’s suburb of Pukekohe. We wanted to take this opportunity to explain how these decisions are made and what Auckland Council is doing to protect and increase our tree canopy across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Why was the developer allowed to fell these trees?

The developer applied for Certificates of Compliance to remove the trees located on private property. We issued the Certificates of Compliance because the activity was permitted under the Auckland Unitary Plan.

As a regulatory body, our role is to check whether activity is permitted or not within the rules of the Resource Management Act and Auckland Unitary Plan, and we must operate within the law.

Because the trees were not identified as being in a Significant Ecological Area at that time and were located within the Rural Urban Boundary, their removal was a permitted activity under the Auckland Unitary Plan and did not trigger the need for a resource consent.

As no resource consent was needed, there was no discretion afforded to us to consider and assess the effects of the tree felling.

“The processing planner actively worked, over months, to check every aspect of the proposal and see if a resource consent was legally required, but it was not. We must be certain that no consent is required, otherwise we cannot issue a Certificate of Compliance,” says Craig Hobbs, Auckland Council Director Regulatory Services.

What is a Significant Ecological Area?

The Significant Ecological Area overlay was introduced to the Auckland Unitary Plan in 2013 and was confirmed in 2016 following a public submissions and hearings process. This was to protect and better provide for the management of areas that contribute significantly to Auckland’s biodiversity.

To date we have 3,234 land-based Significant Ecological Areas protected in the Auckland Unitary Plan covering 79,124 hectares of vegetation and wetlands on public and private lands.

A Significant Ecological Area overlay for this vegetation was proposed as part of Private Plan Change 76 which had legal effect from 23 March 2023, after the Certificates of Compliance were issued. 

Every time land is rezoned vegetation and wetlands are assessed as to whether they should be protected as Significant Ecological Areas, Wetland Management Areas and Notable Trees through protections within precinct plans, or other mechanisms such as covenants.

Did council consider the impact on fauna (i.e. bats)?

Our ability to consider indigenous fauna, such as bats, is limited to when a resource consent is required. It is directly linked to whether the vegetation being removed is protected as a Significant Ecological Area, or if it is located on rural land outside the Rural Urban Boundary.

In this instance, the vegetation was not protected, and no consents were required under the Auckland Unitary Plan. This meant that we could not consider any effects on fauna resulting from the removal of the trees.

“Our planners and compliance officers work to protect the environment every single day when they are processing resource consents and ensuring conditions are adhered to. They consider the effects of a proposal on the environment and on persons under the Resource Management Act, but they can only do this where a resource consent is triggered,” says Craig Hobbs.

What is Auckland Council doing to plant more trees in Tāmaki Makaurau?

As part of the council’s Urban Ngahere Strategy, our aim is to increase canopy cover by 30 per cent across Auckland’s urban area, and at least 15 per cent in each local loard area. We are on track to reach the target set for local boards having 15 per cent tree canopy cover in most of the urban local board areas except in some of the South Auckland areas.

“There were over 1.6 million plants, including trees, planted during the 2022/2023 financial year. This is a significant increase on previous years being over double the annual totals for 2020 and 2021. Many of the planting programmes involve community groups, schools and mana whenua,” says Craig.

The Natural Environment Targeted Rate has invested in planting 89,301 plants through the Trees for Survival programme.

In addition, the 200-hectare Carbon Sequestration tree planting programme (which started in 2021 with 13,000 plants) and has increased to 87,000 plants planted in 2022.

The Mayor’s Million Trees campaign planted 344,291 trees and the Healthy Waters work programmes have planted an additional 624,000 plants which is three times the number of plants in 2021.

Source: Auckland Council

Safety in the central city and its post-Pandemic recovery were two key topics of discussion at the City Centre Advisory Panel meeting on Monday 11 September 2023.

City Centre Advisory Panel Chair, Scott Pritchard, notes the discussion points below:

Source: Auckland Council

The 108-year-old heritage kiosk next to the Tāmaki Makaurau Downtown Ferry Terminal has been repurposed into a cultural and marine education space to create a new public waterfront destination.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, tangata whenua of central Tāmaki, and Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Council have partnered to deliver Te Wharekura, a kaupapa / project which celebrates tangata whenua and the cultural richness of Te Waitematā, and which aims to inspire its protection.

Te Wharekura is one of the projects highlighted in the draft Waitematā Local Board Plan. It has been designed to encourage kōrero about the state of the environment as well as sharing stories of the history and current activities of tangata whenua for the benefit of all.

Kīngi Makoare, delivers the mihi whakatau at the dawn blessing of Te Wharekura.

Kīngi Makoare, Pou Hāpai Tikanga Taiao for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei celebrates the kaupapa of Te Wharekura.

“We have always considered the protection of te Waitematā as essential to the wellbeing of our people.

“When the environment is healthy and thriving, so too are the people. By sharing our stories and heritage, Te Wharekura inspires everyone living in and visiting Tāmaki Makaurau to treat the water as a taonga, a prized possession.”

Housed in a beautiful, category B heritage kiosk, with the re-design respecting its heritage values, Te Wharekura features the mahi toi / artwork of senior Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei ringatoi / artists Graham Tipene, Hana Maihi, Jodi-Ann Warbrick, Leah Warbrick, Joanne Maihi and Kororia Witika which will be permanently located there. Robbie Pāora of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei describes the process of designing the whare.

“The walls of Te Wharekura celebrate the beauty of our unique and rich culture through our reo, our pūrakau, our kōrero, our mahi toi, our waiata, and through a variety of physical taonga and interactive media housed within the space.

“Importantly, Te Wharekura acts as a learning space / laboratory for environmental education, blending kōrero tuku iho and western science to inform and uplift all who visit the space, with a particular focus on tamariki and rangatahi from kura / schools across the region.”

One literal translation of Te Wharekura is a “house of learning”. The name was gifted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and reflects a shared aspiration to bring minds and hearts together. True to this spirit of collaboration and inclusion, all members of the public are able to visit and participate in the immersive experience of Te Wharekura at no charge.

Located at the western end of Te Wānanga in Quay Street, Te Wharekura injects cultural vibrancy and environmental awareness and education into the waterfront space that Aucklanders and visitors are drawn to and love.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei perform haka at the opening of Te Wharekura.

With kaitiakitanga for Te Wharekura being held by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei as ahi-kā and tangata whenua for the central city and isthmus, in future, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei will apply their tikanga to provide opportunities for other iwi to share their mātauranga in this space. The project will deliver a rich display of environmental values, and mātauranga Māori that share the historical relationships and stories fundamental to the past, present and future of te Waitematā and Tāmaki.

Portfolio Lead for Te Kaunihera Māori Outcomes, Councillor Kerrin Leoni (Ngāti Paoa, Ngāi Takoto and Ngāti Kuri) is pleased to see the shared commitment of Te Kaunihera and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to improve waterways manifested in Te Wharekura.

“Holistic thinking and collaboration is essential when it comes to addressing the health of our natural environment. It is important that Te Kaunihera continues to partner with tangata whenua in a manner that reflects Taiao ora, Tangata ora – ‘If the natural world is healthy, so too are the people’.”

Te Wharekura is open with free entry to the public from 10am to 4pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 14 September 2023.

Source: Auckland Council

For many in Tāmaki Makaurau, this year has challenged our relationship with water. Two years of drought followed by a year of record rainfall has reminded Aucklanders the importance of a strategic approach to water.

The Auckland Water Strategy (2022 – 2050) is Auckland Council’s 30-year approach to water, guided by the vision te mauri o te wai, that the life-sustaining capacity of Auckland’s water is protected and enhanced.

“We have seen firsthand the impacts of climate change from droughts to devastating floods. The purpose of the Auckland Water Strategy is to set the long-term strategic direction for the wider council whānau in relation to both its responsibilities and aspirations for water,” says Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

“Aucklanders should be congratulated for already surpassing our water usage target, although this is partly due to the rainfall we have had it still shows that residents and businesses are thinking about how much water they use and how to conserve it, something we will need to work on as we move into summer.

“The Auckland Water strategy allows us to take a strategic approach as more and more water-related projects and programmes are introduced. It is a foundation for us to ensure we are showing leadership and vision in a sustainable and achievable way while aligning with our commitments in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan.”

The Planning, Environment and Parks Committee received the inaugural annual update, covering the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.

“The guiding principle behind the Auckland Water Strategy is ‘Te Mauri o Te Wai o Tāmaki Makaurau’ – that the life-sustaining capacity of Auckland’s waters is protected and enhanced,” says Councillor Angela Dalton, Deputy Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

“The Auckland Water Strategy sets out aspirational and long-term goals and this progress report is the first of a series of annual reports. Due to its nature, it is focused on specific actions but it is important to remember that this alone does not reflect the full value and impact of the Strategy.”

The Water Strategy framework centres around eight Strategic Shifts:

1. Te Tiriti Partnership
2. Empowered Aucklanders
3. Sustainable Allocation and Equitable Access
4. Regenerative Water Infrastructure
5. Water Security
6. Integrated Land-Use and Water Planning
7. Restoring and Enhancing Water Ecosystems
8. Pooling Knowledge

What progress has been achieved?

The July 2023 Annual Progress Report shows that the Auckland Water Strategy is being delivered through multiple new and ongoing work programmes across Auckland Council and council-controlled organisations.

Furthermore, 90 per cent of the actions scoped to begin in year 1 are progressing in the timeframes provided in the implementation plan.

The Implementation Plan identifies three actions for completion in year 1 (2022/2023), which are underway at the time of reporting and anticipated to be completed in Year 2 (2023/2024).

While these three actions are not yet complete, four of the Strategy’s 58 actions have been completed, representing positive progress towards considering te mauri o te wai in the council group’s decision-making.

Watercare’s 2022 Citizens’ Assembly is a great example of empowering Aucklanders to make decisions for better water outcomes, one of eight strategic shifts in Auckland’s Water Strategy.

This partnership between Watercare and Koi Tū (the University of Auckland’s Centre for Informed Futures) started in 2021, and took a deliberative democracy approach to the question of Auckland’s water supply. Watercare’s Board accepted direct recycled water as the next source of water for Auckland, and included feedback from mana whenua in their response to all four (accepted) recommendations on 1 November 2022.

Water Security targets achieved

Auckland has already met the water supply and demand targets set out for 2030, noting that the record rainfall experienced during the reporting period means that efforts to increase efficient use and diversify our water supply will continue through ongoing implementation of the Strategy.

Based on figures provided by Watercare, the average consumption of drinking water in Auckland as of June 2023 was 241.33 litres/day/person.[1]

This exceeds the 2025 target (253 litres/day/person) and even exceeds the 2030 target (247 litres/day/person).

The recycled water capacity for beneficial use in Auckland between 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 was 21.70 million litres/day (MLD), which exceeds the 2030 target of 20 MLD.

This does not include rainwater tank volumes across Auckland, and therefore is estimated to be even greater.

What’s next?

The Auckland Water Strategy identifies 34 actions to be delivered by July 2025.

Resource constraints are already challenging council group staff to progress the significant expectations for delivery in the first three years of the Strategy.

Therefore, staff have undertaken a prioritisation exercise to support decision-making to resource the highest-priority directions from the Strategy over the coming years. This is based on the following criteria:

• Urgency: when the action is targeted for delivery in the Implementation Plan.
• Impact: how directly the action protects and enhances te mauri o te wai.
• Low risk: the likelihood that factors outside our control could derail progress.
• Alignment: with other ongoing and high priority activities for Auckland Council.

We will continue to progress the Auckland Water Strategy and its vision as the Auckland Council group progresses water-related programmes and projects including Resilient Auckland (including the Making Space for Water programme), National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, and Water Services Reform transition.

[1] This is within the territorial authority district (*litres plus/minus 2.5%) (12 month rolling average)

Source: Auckland Council

Taste delicious street food, listen to live jazz, walk among 75 vintage neon signs in the dark, turn the clock back 500 years to the banks of an abundant Waihorotiu stream, imagine an underground ballroom once hosting 1920s glamour, and discover ‘just who was Martha?’

French Toast with Linn Lorkin

On Thursday 28 September the inaugural Midtown Street Party is coming to Elliott, Albert, Victoria, Wellesley, Darby and Queen Streets, and along the historic Strand Arcade – from 6pm to 9pm.

Hosted by Auckland Council, it is a signal to midtown residents, workers, hospitality and retail businesses that midtown is on the threshold of a return to full vibrancy, after several years of construction.

Midtown Street Party curator and Auckland Council city centre place activation principal Barbara Holloway says it’s another way to thank midtown people for their resilience and understanding during the current transformation.

“The Midtown Street Party is a chance for us to shine light on midtown’s unique hospitality and retail experience. It’s a little bit K Road, a little bit Dominion Road, but midtown is evolving a community vibe all its own. Get ready for history, mystery, magic and mayhem, and come along to the first-ever street party in this part of town,” she says.

Aucklanders and visitors joining the street party will sample a symphony of flavours, see art in shop windows, make zines, hear the history of Strand Arcade, spin to win on the wheel of fortune, dance to K-pop, channel Paris with the mellow sound of a French chanteuse, and discover the antics of Martha Lindsay. Outrageous Fortune’s West family have nothing on the Lindsays! Learn more about the event by visting this website https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2023/09/midtown-street-party/ 

Building momentum

The Midtown Street Party sits at the heart of major projects – some completed, some progressing. Thousands of people will pour into Victoria and Wellesley Streets after disembarking trains at Te Waihorotiu Station, when the City Rail Link is operational.

To prepare the area, Auckland Council is delivering the $133million Midtown Regeneration programme, announced in 2021.

Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson explains that public investment is attracting significant private investment, including the Symphony Centre which will be developed above and adjacent to Te Waihorotiu Station.

“When the station opens in a few years’ time the council group will have ensured the area is ready. In the meantime, our teams are working hard to understand the impacts of construction disruption and do our best to minimise those impacts.

“The street party and our recent

Taurima lighting project are among many initiatives designed to help keep midtown attractive for residents and customers during construction.

Taurima in Elliott Street; photo credit Angus Muir Design

“We also have a real focus on street health and safety, and we’ve offered a Small Business Support Programme for nearby retail and hospitality businesses among many other measures of support,” she says.

With wide footpaths and new streetscapes starting to become visible around the station entrances, and with Te Hā Noa taking shape in Victoria Street, momentum is building. Gifted by mana whenua, the name of the street’s new design points to a neighbourhood with space for people to gather and take time to breathe.

In an update of other midtown regeneration projects: the new street design at the HomeGround end of Federal Street, which opened a year ago, will welcome a significant new public artwork in coming months.

Myers Park is seeing 24 new native trees planted, some manoeuvred into place with cranes last week, as finishing touches are made to the much-anticipated upgrade of the northern end of the park, opening in November.

And completion of the final section of the Waihorotiu path at the northern end of Queen Street will give riders a continuous square to square experience – Aotea Square to Te Komititanga – in time for Christmas. The city’s upgraded Queen Street was opened last November, and this is the last piece of alignment to be completed.

Diary the date

Auckland Council is proud to deliver the first Midtown Street Party, supported by the city centre targeted rate. Diary the date and head to Elliott Street and surrounding streets and lanes at 6pm on Thursday 28 September.

An onsite kiosk will outline to people what’s next in the transformation of midtown.

The schedule of free performances, ethnic food freebies and a feast of art can be found at OurAuckland. This schedule may be subject to weather.