Category: Local Government

Source: Auckland Council

The Love Your Place Awards are back for 2024! The awards celebrate volunteers, local community and conservation groups and schools making a difference for the environment in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area.  

The biennial awards are funded by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and organised and hosted by EcoMatters Environment Trust. 

“This is the fifth time we’ve held these awards, and we’re always inspired by the stories of local environmental champions working to help preserve this very special part of Tāmaki Makaurau,” says Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chair Greg Presland.  

“We want to celebrate those who are going above and beyond to work for our local environment, so I encourage everyone to nominate their local environmental hero,” Greg adds.  

People can nominate themselves or others working in the environmental space anywhere across the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area, which stretches from Whatipu, Glen Eden and Titirangi in the south to Waitākere, Swanson and Te Henga in the north.  

Nominations are open from 1 to 17 November, with winners announced at a special local event early 2025. 

EcoMatters CEO Carla Gee says the awards have become a much-anticipated local event, celebrating the special relationship people in the Waitākere Ranges have with their local environment.  

“These are truly heart-warming awards, because they recognise the people who are working in and with our communities to make a real difference.  

“It’s never been more important to protect our precious natural heritage, particularly in the Waitākere Ranges, an area loved by so many Aucklanders, as the climate crisis continues to threaten biodiversity,” says Carla. 

The previous awards, in 2022, recognised trailblazers and previously unsung heroes working in predator and weed control, food growing and waste minimisation initiatives. 

The five award categories are: 

• Denise Yates Award: for youth (under 18) showing emerging leadership around local environmental issues. 

• Karaka Award: for a school or school group taking action on a local environmental issue. 

• Nīkau Award: for a business or social enterprise making a contribution to improve the environment. 

• Rātā Award: for an outstanding volunteer group or organisation taking action on a local environmental issue. 

• Kahikatea Award: for an outstanding individual volunteer taking action on a local environmental issue. 

Nominations are open from 1 to 17 November 2024.

Source: Auckland Council

Exciting changes are on the horizon as the plan to revitalise Old Papatoetoe town centre kicks off – and it’s set to be a game changer!

The plan introduces fresh vibes for the area to enliven Old Papatoetoe town centre, boost local business and provide new homes, marking significant investment in the area.

Manukau Ward Councillor Lotu Fuli says, “It’s encouraging to see the progress made that will ensure the council can continue to meet the needs of our city and South Auckland. Old Papatoetoe is strategically located next to Manukau City and offers significant regeneration opportunities in the town centre, thanks to large areas of underutilised council-owned land.”

Fellow Manukau Ward Councillor Alf Filipaina shares, “Having been a councillor at Manukau City Council from 2003, it is pleasing to see the progress in Old Papatoetoe. With robust infrastructure, essential services, and excellent access to public transport, I’m looking forward to the transformation over the next few years.”

The plan, led by Eke Panuku Development Auckland, aims to enhance safety, accessibility, and economic growth, breathing new life into the historic area. 

Council invested a record $3.2 billion last year in assets such as the roads, pipes and buildings, and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia is thrilled to see Old Papatoetoe town centre, included in this significant investment.

Apulu says, “Revitalising Old Papatoetoe is a key part of our local board plan. Old Papatoetoe will be a popular place to live, to shop, for people to meet and enjoy themselves, and will provide the services and facilities the community needs. It also boasts convenient access to Puhinui Station and Middlemore Train Stations, making it highly desirable for commuters and travellers alike.

“It’s a beautiful area with a unique character, featuring stunning art deco buildings. Currently, the town centre spans 12 hectares, and this plan aims to address its underutilisation.”

The plan

Housing

Piko Toetoe development is underway.

The site is located behind the St George Street shops and bordered by the Papatoetoe New World, Allan Brewster Leisure Centre and the rail line.

Piko Toetoe.

Board deputy chair Vi Hausia explains, “Old Papatoetoe has significant capacity to accommodate further growth and would benefit from new investment, as we see more and more diverse families making Papatoetoe their new home.

“It’s especially encouraging to see mana whenua actively engaged in reinforcing and incorporating the narrative and cultural heritage of the region into this.”

At 91 Cambridge Terrace, an underutilised council property has now been developed into 29 new homes by the New Zealand Housing Foundation who support families into home ownership.

Public space

The upgrade of Chambers Laneway is underway and on track to be complete by Christmas. Notably, it will feature a statement mana whenua designed, mural. The theme of the mural is the ‘Bittern’, a native bird that used to be found in wetlands in the area but is now extinct.

Chambers Laneway once complete. Image source: Eke Panuku.

Cambridge Terrace extension, also led by Eke Panuku, will begin in November 2024.

This new street will extend Cambridge Terrace, linking the upgraded Chambers Laneway and Piko Toetoe development to Stadium Reserve, improving access and connectivity between Papatoetoe and Puhinui train stations.

Cambridge Terrace. Image source: Eke Panuku.

The Stadium Reserve upgrade, scheduled to begin in early 2025, will feature a new playground, a basketball half court, and improved green spaces. Alongside the nearby Allan Brewster Leisure Centre, this upgrade will create a vibrant hub for community activities.

Through the design process, mana whenua provided the narrative ‘The Mists of Kohuora’.

For more details on this, visit the Eke Panuku Old Papatoetoe webpage.

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Source: Auckland Council

A tasting panel to rival the United Nations turned up to help emerging food businesses test their wares at the latest Kitchen Project event.

Held in Pukekohe, three foodies taking part in the Auckland Council initiative that helps food entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level, laid out their wares for people from South Africa, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Korea, Brasil, Wales and New Zealand.

The Kitchen Project’s Franklin work is funded by Eke Panuku – Auckland Council’s development agency – as it focuses on developing food and beverage businesses with an emphasis on culture, healthy food and sustainable practices. 

Among the businesses relying on stranger’s tastebuds was Otara donut-maker Rose Hamlin of Angel Treatz.

Madd Pies chief pie-maker and gifted baker Emily Maddren, whose hand-crafted pies are sought-after at markets and online.

“It’s scary putting your products out there but the Kitchen Project has given me the confidence to believe in myself and back what I’m making.”

Rose came to donuts when caring for her sweet-toothed daughter, who lives with multiple seizure syndrome, and who loves a good donut.

The problem was Rose wasn’t convinced she was getting good donuts, and she was convinced she could make them better, and save herself a fortune along the way.

“I’m making donuts without all the added preservatives. When I started it wasn’t long before my friends and other people were telling me I could make a business out of it.

“Being able to participate in The Kitchen Project allowed me to think of it as a business, to understand what I would need to do to make it sustainable, and how to go about all the things I had no idea you needed to consider when you go into business.

“Happily, making donuts and treats hasn’t stopped being something I love doing, it’s just turned into something that I can make a living from too.”

Sister act. Emily’s sister Jayde Lane creates traditional sauces with husband Andrew that they take to the market under the name The Smoke Shed.

Joining her were Madd Pies chief pie-maker and gifted baker Emily Maddren, whose hand-crafted pies have become a sought-after treat at markets throughout Franklin.

“I wanted to create pies that were full of flavour, that used natural ingredients, that remain hand-made and aren’t run-off a conveyer belt.

“Hopefully my pies are something you can look forward to putting in front of your family because they are healthy and home-made, rather than something dragged out of the freezer out of desperation.”

Her sister Jayde Lane was just metres away at the next tasting station, laying out sauces with husband Andrew that they take to the market under the name The Smoke Shed.

Like chicken king Colonel Sanders, she’s not letting on about the secret ingredients that go into her Worcesteshire sauce – the recipe handed down from son to son – and then to a daughter – down the generations since it first graced tables back in Wales.

 “The Kitchen Project has been a vital part of our journey. The support, advice and mentoring we’ve been able to tap into has been invaluable.

International flavour. The tasting panel was made up of people from South Africa, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Korea, Brasil, Wales and New Zealand.

“We are never going to rival the big chain sauces, but we’d like to think if someone wanted to have a good home-made tomato sauce or any of our other products, they could buy ours with confidence.”

The part-time 26-week programme includes learning both in and out of the kitchen, covering everything from regulations, food safety and business planning to finance, branding and marketing. It also offers access to dedicated commercial kitchens at subsidised rates.

The Kitchen Project’s Connie Clarkson says it can play an important role by working from the ground up.

“By fostering sustainable local food and beverage businesses that belong in the community, we’re encouraging a diverse and exciting food culture.”

The Kitchen Project and the three food businesses are all online.

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Source: Auckland Council

Birkenhead town centre’s streets are now safer and more inviting for pedestrians and motorists thanks to a major upgrade to its lighting systems.

The joint project between the Birkenhead Village Business Association, Kaipātiki Local Board and Auckland Transport was completed in late September.

“The old heritage style globe lights in the town centre had been in disrepair for years with some broken and others producing lights of different shades,” explains Local Board Chair John Gillon.

“Local businesses had been asking for something to be done about this for years, so the board is happy to have worked out a solution we are all happy with to see the improvements in the town centre become a reality.”

The upgrades include:

• New globe lights in a similar heritage style to the previous models, maintaining the town centres character but with efficient LED bulbs offering a range of colours and tones.
• Ten-metre-high LED column lights, dramatically improving visibility, safety and security for local business, motorists and for pedestrians at night. The columns have been painted black, so they don’t distract from the town centre’s aesthetic.
• Renewal of twelve four-metre streetlights with LED bulbs and new locations to improve safety for larger vehicles.
• Updated infrastructure and underground cables to futureproof all lighting in the town centre.

Birkenhead Town Centre Manager Kae Condon says the Business Association is rapt with the upgrades.

“They are a real enhancement for the ambiance of Birkenhead Village that creates both a welcoming and secure safe environment for our customers and businesses. It’s a timely improvement for the town centre and the businesses so big thanks to the board for their work making this happen. Like many town centres across New Zealand, businesses in Birkenhead were hit hard by the lockdowns and the current economic downturn. So, to be able to turn the lights on in time for Christmas brings cheer and a smile to us all. Thank you to our fabulous local board who listened and made it happen.”

Source: Auckland Council

Westies – we need your help to protect the amazing kuaka, or godwits, that have begun their yearly trip to our shores for summer. 

With another Tāmaki Makaurau stunner on the way, keep your dogs on a lead and away from prohibited areas to protect birds in our parks and on our walking tracks, including at the local Harbourview-Orangihina Park. 

This spring and summer, the animal management west team patrols will include Harbourview-Orangihina Park.

The patrol protects wildlife that resides in our coastal areas over summer by checking and reminding locals of dog walking regulations.  

Off-leash dogs are the most immediate threat to kuaka and other threatened and endangered birds and other wildlife on the coast.

Checking and following the dog walking rules in your local area is an easy way to do your part in protecting kuaka and other birds.  

In Harbourview-Orangihina Park, kuaka actively feed and rest in the vast tidal mudflat areas that surround the park.  

Henderson-Massey Local Board Chair says that it is vital for locals to respect dog walking rules this summer.  

“Dog walking bylaws exist in our parks for good reason – we have a duty to do what we can to protect all of our local species that rely on harbour ecosystems, including migrating birds like kuaka,” he says.  

“In Harbourview-Orangihina Park, dogs are prohibited in the beach and foreshore areas.  

“In other park areas dogs must be walked on leashes. The grass area between the carpark and Te Atatū Road is the only area where dogs are permitted off-leash.” 

Kuaka are amazing birds that take a massive journey across the world.  

Starting from their breeding grounds in the Northern Hemisphere, from as far north as Alaska, they take an epic non-stop flight across the enormous distance south to visit our shores over summer and avoid the harsh winter they’ve left behind.

Over our summer, they find temporary homes across Aotearoa in tidal flats, including in Te Atatū Peninsula, where they feed and bulk up to get ready for their onward journey.  

In late summer, they head back north to Alaska, with a refuel stop in China’s Yellow Sea, continuing their migrations across the world.  

Let’s show these little travellers our hospitality and help them to stay safe as they prepare for their onward journey, ready to return next summer. 

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Source: Auckland Council

The Auckland Town Hall will turn into temples and a forest of flowers with tigers, deer and elephants roaming the walls in a spectacular 3D light projection show coming to the city centre for BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival.

The festival is bringing exciting new celebrations to the city centre this October.

Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali signifies the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the renewal of life. In celebration of this time-honoured festival, the Auckland Town Hall will transform into a dramatic visual narrative of Diwali light and sound.

After sunset from Monday 14 October through to Wednesday 23 October Aucklanders and visitors will see 3D projections of symbolic Diwali storytelling shining on the historic building in traditional Diwali colours of fuchsia pink, yellow and orange.

Nick Hill Chief Executive of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited explains how important it is to honour the rich tradition of Diwali in our city.

“This festival gives us an opportunity to thank our Indian Aucklanders who bring the vitality and creativity of this joyous celebration to the city centre and throughout their communities across the region every year.

“As part of the Auckland Council group, our team at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is committed to supporting the cultural vibrancy and prosperity of Tāmaki Makaurau including hosting major events and cultural experiences. We are thrilled to have celebrated Diwali in Auckland for more than two decades,” he says.

Duane Wichman-Evans, festival director for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, walks us through the show’s storyboard.

“As the sun rises in the narrative, we see the Town Hall stencil start to appear. We see images of the Hindu Gods appearing in windows. The pillars start to move and we see deer. A monkey then moves along the side of the building, transforming into four monkeys who climb the tower.

“The deer walk around the building, stopping to look out to the crowd. Bows shoot arrows at the tower which bursts into fireworks. As the monkey climbs down, the Town Hall is rebuilt into the temple in Ayodhya.

“Rangoli designs appear and dissolve into flowers becoming the valley of flowers. The flowers are blown away with the wind revealing the temple again with the iconic shape and silhouette of Tamil Nadu scenes. The sun rises and reveals the Sundarbans mangrove forest, with birds flying in the sky. 

“A herd of Indian elephants arrives in the forest. They walk behind the pillars and through the jungle before the jungle falls away and the rangoli designs return,” Duane Wichman-Evans says.

Don’t miss the BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival taking place during the weekend of 19 and 20 October in and around Aotea Square. Since its inception in 2002 the festival has been a vibrant showcase of traditional and contemporary music and dance with stalls offering delicious Indian delicacies and crafts.

This 3D light projection for the BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival is presented by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and supported by Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate. 

For all dates, times and venues visit www.aucklandnz.com/diwali 

Photos by Bryan Lowe, Auckland Council.

Source: Auckland Council

Over the next few months, Auckland Council will take the first steps to engage and consult Aucklanders on work to strengthen how the Auckland Unitary Plan addresses natural hazards, including flooding, erosion and landslides.  

Councillor Richard Hills, Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee, explains how a process known as deliberative democracy will be used to consult with a representative sample of Aucklanders.  

“The deliberative democracy process allows us to gain insights from Aucklanders on what can be quite a complicated subject. We’re early in the engagement and consultation process for the plan change, but doing this work means we’re able to capture the views of Aucklanders as it shapes up. As a result, our communities’ views are considered at different stages, rather than just through the Resource Management Act submissions process.  

“It’s also one of the steps we can take to get feedback from Aucklanders while we wait for changes that the government is making to legislation, so we can change the Auckland Unitary Plan to better deal with natural hazards. Even though we’ve heard loud and clear our communities want urgent action since our devastating floods and storms in 2023, we cannot move forward on this until the government changes the law to allow us to do so.”  

What is deliberative democracy? 

Deliberative democracy allows a diverse group of people to learn about a topic in detail, before coming to a collective decision to answer a question. Aucklanders will take part in this process, and will represent the demographics, needs and interests of those living in the region. 

Participants are randomly selected beforehand, so they represent the wide-ranging views of Aucklanders. The process is often used to gain views on complex topics. It allows participants to have fair and reasonable discussions, share their views, hear the views of others and deliberate before coming to a collective view at the end of the process. 

These views are then collated with others gained from across Auckland’s communities to give direction on the next stages of the plan change.  

What is being asked?  

Phill Reid, Manager Aucklandwide Planning, explains that participants will get an overview of why the work to strengthen the Unitary Plan is needed and what it could entail, saying that they will also discuss changing the Auckland Unitary Plan to better address the risks that natural hazards pose. 

“While the Unitary Plan can’t stop natural hazards from happening, there are rules and regulations we can add or change to strengthen it against the risks from those hazards. Before we can do this work, we need to understand the level of risk that Aucklanders feel is tolerable or intolerable – this will influence any new rules or restrictions that are brought in and this is what participants will be asked to come to a consensus on.

“For example, should new homes be able to be built in areas subject to flooding at all? If the group decides they should, then we need to look at what changes we can make to planning rules that don’t negatively impact those living there, their neighbours and their properties.

“We know Aucklanders would like the Unitary Plan to address natural hazards – and we were given this direction by the council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee in mid-2023. The insight we get from this type of engagement will help shape up the next steps.”  

Would you like take part in future deliberative democracy processes?  

Deliberative democracy is a form of engagement Auckland Council uses on different topics ahead of a full consultation or submissions process. If you’d be interested in taking part in this kind of process, you can let us know here.