Category: Local Government

Source: Auckland Council

Kaipātiki’s walkers, cyclists and nature lovers can now enjoy one of the north shore’s most unique natural features as they travel the newly upgraded Te Ara o Matakamokamo/ Tuff Crater Reserve walkway developed and funded by Kaipātiki Local board.

The final stages of the walkway were completed in October, allowing a step-free journey from Heath Reserve (bottom of Exmouth Road) in the south, traveling anticlockwise around the picturesque mangrove-filled salt marsh crater, through to Warehouse Way on the north side.

“This has been a project that’s dear to our hearts and the board has staged it over several years so we can afford it” explains chair John Gillon. “It’s an extremely important park, both historically and environmentally and it will likely be playing a much larger role being so close to the new population that’s moving into the area as part of the Northcote redevelopment.”

Local walker John Benschop joined the official opening of the track on 12 November alongside members of the local community and the board as they walked the 2.3-kilometre path.

“Tracks like this I think make the bush and countryside easier for everybody to enjoy. Those who have a little bit of difficulty walking, even if they’re in a wheelchair can get around here. and that’s wonderful that they can do that and enjoy the bush and the native birds.”

Looking ahead, the board hopes to connect both ends of the upgraded path to any future northern pathway (such as the Waitematā Harbour Connections project) to create a circuit for the walkway. There are plans in place to create a safe pathway connecting the track to the nearby Onepoto Domain.

You can watch a video from the opening of the walkway here.

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council has agreed to support Category 2P property mitigations for homeowners affected by the severe weather events earlier this year.

Category 2P properties are those where there are options to reduce an intolerable risk to life from flooding or landslide, through changes to the property such as raising the house or building a retaining wall. We call these changes “mitigations.”

The Category 2P Property Risk Mitigation Scheme will provide funding via two grants to support homeowners to scope and complete building work to reduce the risk at their property to a tolerable level:

• a design and consent grant to help homeowners get the technical advice and consents they need to confirm the project’s feasibility; and

• a construction grant supporting the homeowner to complete the consented works.

To be feasible, the mitigation work must cost no more than 25% of the property’s CV in total (both grants) and the works must be completed within two years.

The homeowner is responsible for managing the work, including finding professional services and tradespeople to complete the work. The normal building consent and resource consent requirement still apply for work to reduce risk at Category 2P properties.

Group Recovery Manager Mat Tucker says funding feasible mitigations to a property has multiple benefits.

“Firstly and most importantly the grants enable more whānau to stay in their homes and communities. They also reduce the environmental impact of demolishing or deconstructing buildings, and they’re more cost-effective for ratepayers than voluntary Category 3 buyouts.”

Tucker added that he expects about 100 to 120 properties will be in the 2P category. The cost of the grants scheme is shared with the Crown through the co-funded Storm Recovery package.

More information on the categorisation process can be found on the Our Auckland recovery page which will be updated regularly. A Category 2P Homeowners Guide will be available shortly and will be provided to affected property owners.

Source: Auckland Council

Aucklanders have kept nine million kilograms of food scraps out of landfill with their new rukenga kai (food scraps) collection service.

One of the largest service rollouts in Australasia has seen Auckland Council deliver more than 440,000 food scraps bins to homes in mainland urban Auckland over the past seven months.

The first collections of food scraps began in Waitakere in April with the last urban areas of Rodney and Franklin having their collections start in November. Over that time a total of nine million kilograms – or 9,000 tonnes – of food scraps has been collected.

Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee Richard Hills says Aucklanders are redefining food scraps from what was once considered waste into a valuable resource.

“Our aspiration for Auckland to become a zero-waste city by 2040 is much closer with most residents now able to access the food scrap collection service. Weekly amounts collected right now suggest we’re on track to collect over 35,000 tonnes in the first full year, well on the way to our yearly target of 40,000 tonnes.

“Food scraps that once created only harmful greenhouse gases in landfill are now contributing to a circular economy solution. We’re grateful for how well Aucklanders have embraced the new service and are choosing to see their food scraps put to good use.”

Some areas have seen reductions in the weight of total refuse in kerbside rubbish bins by up to 20 per cent.

Instead of sending food scraps to landfill, Aucklanders are ensuring their food scraps benefit the environment.

Auckland’s food scraps are processed at New Zealand’s only anaerobic digestion facility run by locally owned company Ecogas, which converts the food scraps into renewable energy and liquid fertiliser.

Deputy Chair of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee Angela Dalton says the food scraps collection service rollout has been a collaborative effort.

“The success of the rollout is testament to the many local community organisations, collectors and contractors, who have worked with the council team – and to residents who have championed the food scraps collection in their neighbourhoods.

“A special thank you to everyone who puts out their food scraps bins every week.”

All areas of mainland urban Auckland have had food scraps bins delivered where possible. The council is working through a list of residents yet to receive their bins because, for example, their properties were still under construction when deliveries were done in their area, or they live in multi-unit developments that need a tailored solution.

All multi-unit developments, like apartments, retirement villages, and gated communities will be assessed as to whether a food scraps collection service can be delivered either as normal or as a non-standard service.

In these cases, property managers or body corporates can register with Auckland Council for a site assessment to design a food scraps service that works for the residents and the property.

The food scraps collections service is part of a four-tiered approach by Auckland Council to reduce food waste going to landfill. The approach involves preventing food waste in the first place, supporting redistribution of food through food rescue initiatives, encouraging home and community composting, and collecting the remainder with the kerbside collections of food scraps.

WATCH: video of the journey of food scraps from kerbside collection to liquid fertiliser

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council’s Governing Body voted recently to cancel a proposed multi-modal/micro-mobility centre that had been planned as part of the redevelopment of the Downtown Carpark site.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is happy with the decision.

“This centre was going to cost us $28 million and had no business case at all. I was elected to stop wasting money on stupid stuff like that, so I am happy we have been able to knock it on the head”, he said.

The Mayor also welcomed an offer by developer Precinct Properties to make 200 additional new short-stay carparks available in the Commercial Bay precinct, and there is an opportunity for the council to manage these for public benefit. Precinct also confirmed that they will continue to make available long-term carparks in the nearby Viaduct Carpark building, which has significant capacity.

“I am particularly happy to secure 200 short-stay carparks for the city and grateful to Precinct for the offer. One of my concerns about the previous council’s decision to sell the Downtown Carpark was about how we ensure the availability of carparking in the city centre, so this is a decent concession. Confirming that there are long-term carparks available is also great, given we heard they are particularly important for the residents of Waiheke”, he said.

Auckland Council decided to sell the Downtown Carpark for redevelopment in 2020, during the last term. The main purpose of the decision yesterday was to decide whether to include the micro-mobility centre in the redevelopment.

At yesterday’s meeting, during which councillors received legal advice, no motion or amendment was moved to revoke the earlier decision. 

“I did not vote to sell the Downtown Carpark building. That was a decision made by the previous council, which I probably wouldn’t have made at the time, certainly not with all the strings they attached. But I must be responsible with ratepayer money and the council’s reputation. This has got to the point where it is not responsible for council to pull out; we had to just get on with it.”

“The proposed redevelopment does represent a $1.5 billion investment into the city centre, which is pretty cool. That type of investment is a great vote of confidence in the city centre, of which I am a proud resident. I want to see people living here and it being a great place.”

Source: Auckland Council

The Transport and Infrastructure Committee will hold a meeting which councillors will be asked to give the green light for a group to be tasked with investigating time-of-use charging, with oversight from councillors. There will be public engagement during this work. 

The aim of time-of-use charging is to reduce congestion and speed up travel times throughout the city. It would then encourage a small number of people currently travelling to change their travel time, destination, or switch to public transport. Previous work showed this would mean our motorways would function like they currently do in the school holidays all year round. The charge would be a flat fee and would only be paid a maximum of twice per day, and only at peak times.

Mayor Wayne Brown says congestion is a major cost to Aucklanders’ lives, and the message has been clear: Aucklanders are sick of waiting around in traffic.

“You can’t fix Auckland by doing nothing. And we can’t just build our way out of the problem; we need to make better use of our roads. I was voted in to get Auckland moving. To harness technology to get traffic moving faster. To complete busways and optimise our transport networks. That is what I’m doing. Overseas examples show us this works. Our motorways functioning as they do in the school holidays all the time, that sounds pretty good to me.”  

There could be exemptions for some motorists. Mayor Brown says as part of the next phase of work, exemptions and discounts will be investigated. 

“I’m frustrated with excuses around tradies and school children. Tradies I know would be welcoming this—they’d be getting into town 20 minutes faster for a small fraction of their hourly rate. I believe school children should have choices: walking, cycling, buses, not only using the motorway. Though it is obvious some scenarios of exemptions need to be considered. 

Previous work has indicated emergency vehicles, buses, motorcycles, and scooters would be exempt, and discounts for those on low incomes may be required and should be investigated further as part of the next phase of the work. 

“Residents, gold card holders, and mobility vehicles could also be considered. It’s also worth noting what I’m proposing here is a switch: getting rid of the regional fuel tax and putting in place a time-of-use charge so many people will be paying less overall.” 

This is in conjunction with making big investments in public transport to give people other options. Time-of-use charging is one part of the plan to reduce congestion and better manage demand on our roads. It is not a per-kilometre rate. It is charging motorists to enter congested sections of the motorways and potentially major arterial roads at peak times.

Mayor Brown says he’d like time-of-use charging to be implemented as quickly as possible, as long as people have viable alternatives. Much work is already underway to give people options. 

“The CRL will play a big role here by doubling our train capacity, as will the moves we are making with buses: the Northern Busway is going great, the Eastern Busway is underway, and a permanent Northwestern Busway is the next priority. We will also be looking at improving the Mangere-to-Airport route. We are implementing more dynamic lanes and will be using more transponders on buses to signal light-traffic signals when a bus approaches. There is a lot of work already underway here.”

He says Council’s Public Transport Growth Programme, is being implemented through Auckland Transport. 

“While transport patronage figures aren’t as good as they were pre-COVID, they are picking up, and bus services are fully back up and running now. Part of this story is getting the workforce needed to run our buses, and AT has reached its targets here in August this year.” 

He says the next phase of the work will be more detailed.

“I am of the view that this should be on our motorways in the central areas of Auckland, which are the most congested, and this is also where public transport works best, which gives some people an option rather than paying the charge, but this will be confirmed in negotiations with the Government over the legislation required.”

Source: Auckland Council

We invite you to reset your summer with a stroll through our city centre.

With ever-changing streetscapes, award-winning spaces, re-imagined laneways and new shared paths, you’ll find it has a fresh outlook on life.  

Make a day of it and discover what’s new since you were here last.

Feel the sea breathe

Grab an ice cream and discover ten awe-inspiring things on Auckland’s waterfront. Some have been here for more than a century. Others weren’t even here last summer. Your walking shoes are calling.

Top 10 things to discover in our new downtown this summer

Where do the children play?

Let your kids’ imaginations run wild with endless ways to play at Wynyard Quarter. From public art to parks, murals, basketball and fountains, there are multiple ways to keep the kids busy in the city centre.

8 fun ways for kids to play at Wynyard Quarter

Laneways beckon

Queen Street has been given a makeover from Mayoral Drive to Customs Street. So buckle up the bike helmets, scoot along our new Waihorotiu path, and duck away into a labyrinth of laneways – some new, some ageing gracefully, all fascinating.

Channeling Melbourne, our dreamy laneways are set for summer.

CPO unveiled

Auckland’s much-loved Chief Post Office (CPO) first graced the northern end of Queen Street 111 years ago. In recent years this gracious building has been lovingly restored. Head into Te Komititanga – the square at the bottom of town – and see that the scaffolding once wrapping the CPO is now gone!

Discover what’s new where Queen Street meets the sea 

City centre parks

Even our green spaces are refreshed. Discover new Fort Street pocket park in Queen Street, award-winning Amey Daldy Park at Wynyard Quarter, and much-loved city centre oasis: Myers Park.

10 parks to explore in Auckland’s city centre

Ridgeline between harbours

Everyone loves the adrenalin which is unique to our charismatic Karangahape Road. The old narrow footpaths were once jam-packed. Now there’s room to experience the layers of Karangahape, where every detail tells a story.

10 delightful moments to experience in Karangahape Road this summer

Source: Auckland Council

It’s the coveted spot in New Zealand’s version of the Monopoly board game. It’s New Zealand’s premier street. It fires up the passion of Aucklanders. It’s a dynamic place. And our newly upgraded Queen Street – from Mayoral Drive to Customs Street – now offers you a ‘square to square’ experience on wheels or by foot along the Waihorotiu path.

When you arrive at Te Komititanga, where Queen Street meets the sea, there is magic all around:

Te Komititanga

Breathe in the scale of this magnificent city square, a place for music, arts, light shows, buskers and festivals. Its name reflects the mixing of people, converging from multiple transport points, and the place where the waters of the Waitematā and Waihorotiu stream merge. 

Look down and see 37,000 individual pieces of basalt pavers laid in a pattern by mana whenua artist Tessa Harris (Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki) and her team of weavers to depict a whāriki (welcome mat) made from harakeke (flax).

Restored Chief Post Office

Catching a train to or from downtown? You won’t miss the restored 111-year-old Chief Post Office (CPO), now the grand entrance to the Britomart Transport Centre  

Look up and you’ll see a beautiful dome that is fit for a cathedral. Look down and you’ll see the original foundations encased in glass, telling their extraordinary story. In a complex feat of engineering, the building’s weight was transferred to its new foundations and this emblem of Auckland’s past is now restored to its former glory.

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Galway Street

Weave a path around the corner to a stunning new shared space: Galway Street. Once you’ve let yourself be captivated by the area’s urban charm, the smoothed edges of the street will lead you to one of Auckland’s hospitality gems: Britomart and Takutai Square. Taste the food, wine and shopping and you will be transported (at least metaphorically) to other style capitals of the world. 

Shopping and dining

For all the delicious offerings and shopping delights of the area, we’ll throw to the awesome team at Heart of the City who have their finger on the city centre pulse. Explore places to shop here, to dine here and for bars and nightlife here.

 

The enhancement of Queen Street and Britomart surrounds have been delivered by Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, City Rail Link and private developers.

Find out about the next big development – the midtown regeneration – at ProgressAKL.co.nz/Midtown.

Source: Auckland Council

Welcome to the free spirit of Auckland’s city centre. Edgy, diverse and authentic, Karangahape Road is now an uber-modern, smoothly functioning street.

Discover the colour, charm, music, lights, nightlife, shops and new design elements which celebrate the Māori adventurers who walked this ridgeline between harbours hundreds of years ago.

Dining along the footpath

Take a moment to sit back and enjoy a drink or delicious food at tables lining the widened footpaths of this magnificent city street. The old narrow footpaths were once jam-packed. Now there’s room to spread out and experience the Karangahape hustle and bustle.  

Rainbow crossings

Karangahape Road wouldn’t be true to its identity without a celebration of the rainbow community, embraced by this street throughout its evolution. Walk the two rainbow crossings and feel the inclusive vibe of an extraordinary neighbourhood.

Credit: France Hemon @alodouce

Twist and Thief

Karangahape Road has thought-provoking public art on almost every corner. Street favourites Twist and Thief, both by Tanja McMillan and John Oz, were returned to the street after the works were completed. Small in stature, Thief is a delightful bronze sculpture of a boy and a piglet playing tug of war over a turnip. And Twist is a charming, cartoon-like sculpture of a young girl and her elephant, adding humour and a sense of playfulness to the street.

To find multiple artworks and soak up their backstories, visit our Auckland Council public art website aucklandpublicart.com and digitally geo-locate the art along the street.

Rain gardens

Rain gardens, with an understory of native planting, are popping up around the city centre to help filter the city’s stormwater. Run-off flows through the rain garden soil and plant root systems which absorb and filter contaminants and then it flows to the surrounding ground, drains and streams before it reaches the sea.

Cycleways

Enjoy separated cycleways on both sides of the street. Whether you’re wearing lycra, a frock (think ‘Frocks on Bikes’), officewear or drag, anything goes. These cycleways are intended to be cruiseways not speedways, giving wheels time to slow down and stop for pedestrians, especially visitors who are new to the street layout. Cyclists have their own traffic lights and travel in one direction. 

Pāua bus shelters

These are much more than bus shelters. Enjoy the layers of colour. They symbolise the pāua shell eyes of Māori carvings reimagined into a material adorning the structures.

Tukutuku patterns

Cast your eyes from the bus shelters to the Waitematā Harbour in the north and Maungawhau across to the southwest. It is part of the walking track used by Māori centuries ago to reach the Manukau Harbour. On the lower walls of the overbridge, you’ll see Tessa Harris (Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki) and her team have taken a utilitarian piece of infrastructure and woven it into a modern form of Tukutuku panel.

Credit: France Hemon @alodouce

Steel engraved disks in the pavement

Underneath wooden street furniture you’ll see stainless-steel circular inlays in the paving. Just as moonlight reflected in the shells enabling Māori travellers to see the ancient pathway at night, the silver disks reflect the changing colours and patterns of light in the street. On big occasions, new street lighting synchronises with the harbour bridge and other city landmarks, in an expanding network of light.

Underground 

It’s not visible, but you might also stop and imagine what’s new underground as you walk this famous street. New ducting has been installed for future technology capacity, stormwater systems have been improved below the surface, and a whole new underground station – Karangahape Station – is taking shape.

Karangahape is becoming a pedestrian-priority area anchored by two entrances to this City Rail Link station, tipped to bring an estimated 60,000 passengers to the area every day once it opens. Read how it all fits together here.

Credit: France Hemon @alodouce

Night magic

For tips on what’s on, Karangahape Road Business Association has it covered. Explore the vast menu of places to eat and drink here, and to shop here.

 

The enhancement of Karangahape Road has been delivered by Auckland Council and Auckland Transport. Find out about the next big development – the midtown regeneration – at ProgressAKL.co.nz/Midtown

Source: Auckland Council

Let your kids’ imaginations run wild with endless ways to play at Wynyard Quarter.

Sounds of the Sea

The Sounds of Sea silver funnels along North Wharf are a much-loved interactive experience for kids and adults alike. Polished stainless steel tubes form shapes that kids like to sit in, listen from and speak into. Based on the ventilation funnels and speaking tubes used on ships, they are another reason to come and play.

Giant shells

Head to Silo Park’s playspace. With giant shells to climb on and through, swings, marine-themed climbing frames and a sandy base for a soft landing, it’s no wonder this is a favourite spot for kids.

Water play

Slide fans will love the play areas along green Daldy Street, where lush plantings collide with water play and two super-cool slides springing from a 7-metre-high silo.

Wheel action

Wynyard Quarter is a perfect spot to explore on a kid-powered scooter. Wide pavements and car-free spaces provide lots of space for young explorers. The curved garden edges along Daldy Street and Amey Daldy Park are wheel-sized, making them perfect for junior speed demons.

Shooting stars

Grab a ball and shoot some hoops at the Silo Park basketball court. In summer, there are also pop-up activities for kids including arts and crafts.

Fountains underfoot

Don’t miss the space between Halsey and Daldy Streets called Tiramarama Way. Featuring foot-powered fountains and purposeful puddles designed to rise and fall with the tides, the laneway provides an unexpected opportunity for play. Look down to see more than 480,000 dots sandblasted into the ground of the laneway to represent Auckland’s 1841 waterfront.

Green oasis

If there’s still energy to burn, head to Amey Daldy Park. A little green oasis in the city, parents can kick back on the grass while children run, chase and explore the rolling landscape of the park. It’s the perfect spot to pull up with a coffee or an ice cream.

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Budding ornithologists

As the trees planted at Wynyard Quarter flourish and birds return, it’s fitting to see a beautiful new mural adorning the award-winning pump station at Amey Daldy Park, celebrating our native manu (birds).

See if the kids can find Kāka, Kōkako, Korimako (Bellbird) or Pūkeko. Created by mana whenua artists Janine and Charles Williams, the mural is named ‘Mai i ngā maunga ki te moana’ (from the mountains to the sea).

For more, visit Wynyard Quarter’s website here.

The regeneration of Wynyard Quarter is by Eke Panuku; part of the Harbour Edge Stitch outlined in Auckland Council’s City Centre Masterplan. Find out about the next big development – the midtown regeneration – at ProgressAKL.co.nz/Midtown.

Source: Auckland Council

The majority of Auckland’s tsunami warning sirens will be deactivated from 1 December 2023 and decommissioned, with the Emergency Mobile Alert the preferred method of notifying the public about dangerous tsunami threats. 

Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Paul Amaral is reassuring communities that the Emergency Mobile Alert is an effective and reliable way to alert the public to a tsunami threat.  

“In the event of a potential tsunami that could cause damaging waves or flood the land, an Emergency Mobile Alert will be broadcasted to all capable mobile phones. This is an effective means of alerting people to danger. 

“The Meerkat sirens at many sites across Tāmaki Makarau have been prone to vandalism and theft and therefore ultimately couldn’t be relied on as part of our tsunami alerting system.” 

Councillor Sharon Stewart, Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee chairperson has reiterated the effectiveness of the Emergency Mobile Alert. 

“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.” 

On 5 September Auckland Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee voted to decommission the aging and compromised Meerkat tsunami siren network. 

The decommissioning relates to the older siren network, and not the two sirens installed in Ōrewa at in 2020, which will remain. 

The tsunami sirens that will be deactivated from 1 December are located in: 

Rodney Ward: Point Wells (3), Whangateau (1), Omaha (6) 

Albany Ward: Hobsonville (1), Waiwera (1), Herald Island (3) 

Waitākere Ward: Bethells / Te Henga (3), Piha (9), Karekare (3), Whatipū (1), Huia (6), Te Atatū (5) 

Many of these sites have older sirens installed which have been stolen or vandalised and use older, outdated technology.  

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

Tsunami warnings are published on the National Emergency Management Agency’s website and social media pages. Tsunami warnings will also be broadcast on radio, television and news media, as well as on the Auckland Emergency Management website and social media pages. 

What are the natural warning signs for tsunami?  

If you are near a shore and experience any of the following, take action. Do not wait for official warnings. 

• Feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand or a long earthquake that lasts more than a minute 

• See a sudden rise or fall in sea level 

• Hear loud or unusual noises from the sea 

Remember! If an earthquake is LONG or STRONG, GET GONE and move to higher ground. 

Be prepared  

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 Auckland hazard viewer map. We are updating the tsunami evacuation maps in the near future so remember to check back regularly to see if your zone has changed.  

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