Last Thursday 16 February was the first normal Business Meeting of the Howick Local Board for the year. Here's a summary of some of the key discussions and outcomes.
We began by congratulating local resident and community leader Yongrahn Park who received the Queen’s Service Medal for services to the Korean Community. For more than a decade she’s helped promote Korean culture and support new migrants settle into New Zealand.
The Board acknowledged the passing of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple New Zealand in Flat Bush. Board Members visited the temple recently to pay our respects.
We thanked community and Council volunteers of the Howick Civil Defence Centre for their work during Cyclone Gabrielle. Local community leader Jessica Niemack helped identify and lead a team of volunteers who ensured that local residents had somewhere to go if they needed support.
East Skate Club was present to provide an update on their recent activities and plans for the future. Aaron Martin, Gareth Stehr and Jessica Ready spoke to the local need and gave some examples of skateparks around Auckland and New Zealand that were excellent, often as a result of involvement from local users. Lloyd Elsmore Skatepark is due for renewal over the next 18 months and the Board will be getting an update in March.
Brian Brown and Alan Davies from the Huntington Park Residents and Ratepayers Association presented an update on their organisation, including some positive feedback about council responses to address issues. Local residents are particularly concerned about road safety and the Board has asked Auckland Transport for an update on the speeding and yellow lines along Huntington Drive.
We also heard from Dr Mike Thornber regarding the Lloyd Elsmore Pool & Leisure Centre. He noted that swimming continued to be popular and suggested that the facility was at capacity. His presentation was well timed as the Board will be considering long-term future of our leisure facilities as part of our Local Board Plan which we’re consulting on now.
The Board provided feedback on a range of local and central government proposals, from the resource management reform, future of Local Government, Sale and Supply of Alcohol amendment, and a potential change to the Development Contributions Policy.
I tabled my chairpersons report, which included a quick summary of all the public events and meetings we’d attended since our last meeting. I also noted that the proposed annual budget would require us to make challenging decisions and it was vital that we get public feedback to help inform our decision making. Consultation launches on 28 February and runs for a month.
The Annual Auckland Council Group Māori Outcomes Report: Te Pūrongo a Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau Ngā Huanga Māori 2021-2022 provided an update on the regional outcomes for Māori. The elevation of the Director of Ngā Mātārae and Māori Outcomes to the Executive Leadership team is a positive step and Ngā Mātārae have been a huge help in guiding and supporting our Māori engagement at a local and regional level.
The Board considered an item of extraordinary business in regard to marine biosecurity. After a lengthy and robust debate, the Board resolved to ask the Governing Body to present to raise concerns about the potential impact on the Tāmaki Estuary and halt further decisions on related amenities until a review is completed.
The Auckland Council’s Performance Report: Howick Local Board for Q2 2022/2023 showed that most of our work programme is on track. Some funding has been shifted around to prioritise urgent repairs to eliminate a potential asbestos risk at the Lloyd Elsmore Park toilets. Because Auckland Council has bonds quoted on the NZX, we’re subject to disclosure rules which mean we had to exclude the public to review the financial performance report – along with the Auckland Council group results, this will be publicly released around 28 February.
Minutes of the meeting are available here, along with related attachments.
And a recording of the meeting is available here: https://youtu.be/l8j3K_uD_To or below.
Our next Business Meeting is scheduled for Thursday 16 March at 12noon. These are open to the public to attend and observe, although you need to request a slot if you would like to speak.