Agenda of Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

19 August 2025

Approval of a new commercial licence for the Ōtara Market

File No.: CP2025/17589

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To approve a new commercial licence to operate an open-air market (Ōtara Market) at 1R Newbury Street, Ōtara.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Ōtara Market has been an integral part of Ōtara for over many decades.

3. Auckland Council’s Property Department manages the licence which is currently on a month by month hold over.

4. The land at 1R Newbury Street, Ōtara is held by Auckland Council in fee simple as a classified local purpose (car parking and market) reserve subject to the Reserves Act 1977.

5. This report seeks local board approval to enter a new commercial licence to operate an open-air market with the current market operator (Ōtara Markets Limited Partnerships) for a term of five years.

6. The permitted hours of use on Saturday will change from 5:00AM -12:00PM to 5:00AM - 2:00PM. Additionally, the market footprint will be extended by one row of car parks, to allow for additional stalls.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a) whakaae / approve a new commercial licence to operate an open air-market on Saturdays between 5:00AM and 2:00PM at 1R Newbury Street, Ōtara for a term of five years.

Horopaki

Context

7. The land at 1R Newbury Street, Ōtara is held by Auckland Council in fee simple as a classified local purpose (car parking and market) reserve subject to the Reserves Act 1977.

8. The current market footprint located on the Northern end of the car park is marked in red in the image below and the proposed area for extension is marked in purple.

Aerial view of a parking lot

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

9. Under section 61(2A) of the Reserves Act 1977, Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board has the decision-making responsibility for landowner approval decisions on a local purpose reserve to allow the use of the land for a market.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

10. There is a commercial licence currently in place between Auckland Transport and Ōtara Markets Limited Partnership. This licence commenced on 1 June 2014. It was in place for a term of five years and expired on 31 May 2019. Since 31 May 2019 the licence has been held on a month-to-month basis.

11. Ōtara Markets Limited Partnerships has requested a new commercial licence.

12. Staff have undertaken engagement via public notice and direct engagement with the Ōtara Business Association. Matters raised included payment methodology, suggestions for a bi-weekly market, ensuring pedestrian movement and disabled access, congestion and general accessibility issues. These matters are further outlined in the local views section of this report and will be discussed with the licensee prior to executing the new licence.

13. The recommended term of five years will allow flexibility for both licensor (Auckland Council) and licencee (Ōtara Markets Limited Partnerships).

14. The permitted use of the area of the site under consideration for a new licence will remain unchanged as it is currently being operated as an open-air market on Saturdays. However, the permitted hours of use on Saturday will change from 5:00AM -12:00PM to 5:00AM - 2:00PM.

15. Additionally, the market footprint will be extended by one row of car parks, to allow for additional stalls.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

17. Auckland Council’s Property Department are committed to ensuring that the licensee will be mindful of the climate impact.

18. The new commercial licence will include a clause under the heading ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ stating that the licensee will endeavor to support both the council’s zero-waste vision and the council’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by both implementing zero waste objectives in conducting the licensee’s business as per guidance outlined by the council and by implementing reduced carbon emission objectives in doing the licensee’s job.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

19. Auckland Council’s Property Department staff consulted with Auckland Transport about the proposed changes to the market hours from 5:00AM -12:00PM to 5:00AM - 2:00PM and about extending the market footprint by one row of car parks, Auckland Transport staff are supportive of the changes.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

20. Staff attended a workshop on 3 June 2025 to discuss and seek direction from the local board on the request received from Ōtara Markets Limited Partnership for a new commercial licence. Elected members raised a number of concerns including:

· The loss of parking by extending the licenced area,

· Being able to have more control of the collection of stallholder fees by the market operator

· Ensuring that staff consult with the Otara Business Association in the first instance

· The market operator was seeking a term of 7 years, however a lesser term of 5 years was discussed as more agreeable.

21. The public notice was published in the New Zealand Herald on 9 June 2025 and on the councils Have Your Say website from 9 June 2025 to 9 July 2025 – one submission was received from a member of the public.

22. The submission included suggestions for a shorter licence term of 2 years, modernising the way payments are collected from stallholders, and expanding the market to a twice weekly event – a copy of the submission can be found as Attachment A. Staff response to the submission is set out in the table below.

Licence Term	Auckland Council’s Property Department has proposed a five-year term, to provide the tenant with security. We need to ensure the operator can run a commercially viable market and one of the ways to do this is to give them security of tenure, otherwise the uncertainty might mean it's not economically viable. Please note that the Ōtara–Papatoetoe Local Board holds the final decision on the licence term.
Modernising Stall Payments	The method of payment for stall fees is an operational decision for the market operator. We appreciate there would be some benefits with only bank payments, but the operator also requires flexibility and is best placed to decide what works for them.
Twice‑Weekly Market Proposal	Expanding the market to twice-weekly would be the operator’s decision. However, any proposal to do so, would be assessed in consultation with the Ōtara–Papatoetoe Local Board, Auckland Transport, and the Ōtara Business Association to assess feasibility and stakeholder support.
Community‑Focused Licence Conditions	The new licence includes clauses that address prioritising local vendors; waste management; and engaging with the community.

23. There is a standard Auckland Council clause under ‘Social Returns’ to encourage the operator to provide access to local performing art groups access to the space made available within the market footprint for such presentations.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

24. Staff undertook mana whenua consultation between 9 June to 9 July 2025; no responses were received from mana whenua.

25. The new commercial licence will include a clause under the heading ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ stating that the licensee will endeavour to support and enable Māori and Pasifika people, and the businesses they own, where possible.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

26. Should the local board grant approval for a new commercial licence, staff will obtain a rental valuation before negotiating a new commercial licence.

27. The commencement of the new commercial licence will create a new source of annual operating revenue for the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board for the duration of the licence. This will provide an increase to the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board’s operating budget.

28. The licence fee will be collected from the market operator by Auckland Council, this could include operating costs. The local board receive the revenue less the operating costs.

29. There is no financial impact from taking over an extra row of carparks, there may be a positive effect on the rent when it is reviewed as the licenced area is increased.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

30. While the current licence remains on holding over, there is a risk that the market operator may terminate the licence by providing one month notice, council staff will keep the market operator up to date with progress and will continue the positive working relationship to ensure any queries and requests for information are responded to appropriately.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

31. On approval from Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board, staff will obtain a market valuation and complete negotiations with the Ōtara Markets Limited Partnerships to a new commercial licence for a term of five years.

32. Council staff will update the local board where necessary to ensure the local board members are informed during this process.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Submission on Proposed Commercial Licence for Market at 1R Newbury Street, Ōtara	19

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Rosalyn Cowe - Alternative Assets Property Manager

Authorisers

Sharleen Devereux - Property Manager

Barry Potter - Director Resilience and Infrastructure

Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

19 August 2025

Endorsement of Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area

File No.: CP2025/16956

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To seek ohia / endorsement of the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan, specifically for Stretch 3.6 and Unit 4 in the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area (as set out in Volume 2 and Volume 3; Attachments A and B to the agenda report).

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Shoreline adaptation plans are being developed across the Auckland region to provide a long-term adaptation strategy for council-owned land and assets to manage coastal hazards and climate change (including sea-level rise).

3. The shoreline adaptation work programme consists of 20 plans to cover all the coastal areas across the Auckland region. Shoreline Adaptation Plans Volume 1: Understanding the Shoreline Adaptation Plan Programme sets out the context and framing of the programme.

4. The shoreline adaptation plan work programme was initiated by the Coastal Management Framework, adopted by Auckland Council in 2017 (ENV/2017/116). The plans are key to implementation of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan under the communities and coasts priority area.

5. The shoreline adaptation plan for Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan has been informed by:

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board engagement: initiated in December 2023 (prior to community engagement), with follow-up workshops held in 2024 and 2025

· mana whenua engagement: hui with Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Maru, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Paoa, Waikato Tainui, Te Patukirikiri, Marutūāhu Collective (Ngāti Maru, Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaterā, Te Patukirikiri (of Kapetaua)

· community engagement ran in parallel to the Highbrook to Whitford Shoreline Adaptation Plan between February to April 2024 to identify community use and values. Further engagement between October to December 2024 sought specific feedback on draft adaptation strategies.

6. The Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plans Volume 2 and 3 (Attachment A and B) includes adaptation strategies for each ‘stretch’ of shoreline. It provides guidance on how council-owned land and assets can be adapted over a range of change scenarios (low, moderate and high) to sustainably manage the escalating impacts of coastal hazards and climate change. Responses vary depending on levels of risk, exposure, and the types of assets present in each area of coast.

7. Unit 4 and a part of Unit 3 (stretch 3.6) of the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan (Attachment B) are within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area.

8. Shoreline adaptation plans use four adaptation strategies to describe the proposed approach to manage the risk to council land and assets from coastal hazards and climate change. The four adaptation strategies are: No Action, Maintain, Protect and Adaptation Priority Area (see figure 1).

9. The shoreline adaptation plan strategies are applied across three climate change scenarios, these are:

· Low climate change scenario: present day and up to 0.5 metres of sea level rise

· Moderate climate change scenario: between 0.5 and one metre of sea level rise

· High climate change scenario: one metre or more of sea level rise.

10. Across the two coastal units within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area, the following shoreline adaptation strategies are proposed:

· the majority of coastline within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area can be managed through a Maintain or a No Action approach

· Maintain is identified for the coastline of Grange Road to east of State Highway 1 Motorway, Ngāti Ōtara Park, and Highbrook Park to reflect the importance of maintaining access and pathways to critical transport infrastructure and places important to the local community (including Middlemore Hospital, and Ngāti Ōtara marae located in Ngāti Ōtara Park)

· No Action is identified for private property, Crown land, or areas of coast with limited council owned land or assets exposed to coastal hazards.

11. The shoreline adaptation programme is funded through the Long-term Plan as part of the climate action investment package.

12. The adaptation strategies selected in the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan do not commit council to any additional investment and no financial investment decisions have been made at this time.

13. The shoreline adaptation plans will be integrated into relevant council plans, including asset management plans that help to inform appropriate maintenance. This also includes local implementation of capital works under the Coastal Asset Renewals Works Programme, and the Making Space for Water the establishment of Blue Green networks and Recovery Office responses.

14. Staff recommend that the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board endorse the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan as a guiding document to manage and adapt council-owned land and assets to the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change over time.

15. The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu and Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Boards are also recommended by staff to endorse Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan at their August 2025 business meetings.

16. Following endorsement, the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan will be presented to the Planning and Policy Committee for approval in August 2025.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a) ohia / endorse the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan (Attachments A and B).

Horopaki

Context

17. The Coastal Management Framework adopted by the council in 2017 (ENV/2017/116) set the direction for a regionwide shoreline adaptation plan programme and responds to the priority area in Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan, that “communities and individuals are prepared for our changing climate and coastline”.

18. The shoreline adaptation plan work programme focuses on how Auckland Council manages and adapts council-owned land and assets to the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change over time. The entire Auckland coastal region will be covered through a series of 20 plans.

19. Shoreline adaptation plans are non-statutory living plans which guide asset management planning and decision making. The programme is developed collaboratively across Auckland Council including council-controlled organisations, Auckland Transport and Watercare and Eke Panuku.

20. The Auckland Council and Council Controlled Organisation-owned coastal land and assets considered by the shoreline adaptation plans fall into four major categories illustrated below:

	· Auckland council owned land, including regional and district parks and other landholdings held by Auckland council and the CCOs.
	· Community facility assets. Such as buildings, parks infrastructure, facilities or closed landfills
	· Water assets including stormwater, potable water and wastewater.
	· Roads, transport networks (such as shared pathways, cycleways busways and ferry and train infrastructure) which are owned or managed by Auckland Council or Auckland Transport.

Table 1: Categories used to group Auckland Council and CCO-owned coastal land and assets considered within each shoreline adaptation plan.

21. Each shoreline adaptation plan responds to the following national and regional policy, plans and work programmes:

· from the early development stage each shoreline adaptation plan supports community-led discussions about natural hazard risk, adaptation and resilience identified as an area of focus in ‘Accelerating a Resilient Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’ resolved by the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee on 29 June 2023 (PEPCC/2023/81)

· where applicable shoreline adaptation plans align with the ‘Making Space for Water’ programme, with regards to flood hazards in coastal areas

· shoreline adaptation plans respond to the policy direction set out in the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (2010) which directs councils to identify areas that may be affected by coastal hazards over at least 100 years

· the shoreline adaptation plans follow guidance from the Ministry for the Environment (2024) to apply a best practice method for developing the Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways through coastal hazards vulnerability and risk assessment alongside community and mana whenua engagement.

22. The high-level strategies recommended in the shoreline adaptation plans provide a strategic direction for Auckland Council and Council-controlled organisations to refer to when considering how council-owned coastal land and assets can be managed, either to the immediate impacts of storm events or the sustainable management of longer-term coastal hazards and climate change. This supports sustainable coastal management decision making, including whether to reinstate or realign (moving back) assets within coastal areas.

23. Shoreline adaptation plans are a first step for a regionally consistent approach to adapting our dynamic coastal areas to future climate change and sea-level rise. Adaptation planning is a proactive journey which will take decades to fully implement.

24. The shoreline adaptation plan programme considers three hazards (coastal erosion, coastal inundation and catchment (rainfall) flooding where it interacts with the coastal environment). For further information on these hazards refer to Section 4 of Volume 1 – Understanding the Shoreline Adaptation Plans.

25. In the original shoreline adaptation consultation material, adaptation strategies were presented over indicative short, medium and long-term timeframes which were reflective of different sea level rise scenarios. Responding to feedback from communities, local boards, elected members and mana whenua, the final shoreline adaptation plan reports have presented final recommended strategies in relation to clearly described coastal change scenarios:

· Low climate change scenario: present day hazards including a one per cent annual exceedance probability catchment flooding and coastal inundation (storm) event and up to 0.5 meters of sea level rise and a corresponding understanding of coastal erosion and instability susceptibility based on this sea level scenario

· Moderate climate change scenario: including a consideration of 0.5 and up to 1 metres of sea level rise (and a one per cent annual exceedance probability event scenario) and a corresponding understanding of coastal erosion and instability susceptibility based on this sea level

· High climate change scenario: over a metre of sea level rise (and a one per cent annual exceedance probability storm/rainfall event scenario) and a corresponding understanding of coastal erosion and instability susceptibility based on a sea level of over a metre.

26. A one per cent annual exceedance probability event scenario is a way to express the likelihood of a flood of a specific size or greater occurring in any given year, expressed as a percentage. A detailed view of the hazard scape is included in volume 3 for each unit (Attachment B).

27. The shoreline adaptation plans consider four adaptation strategies No Action, Maintain, Protect and Adaptation Priority areas, as summarised in Figure 1. The strategies provide high-level guidance on how council-owned land and assets located in coastal areas could be adapted over time to sustainably manage the escalating impacts of coastal hazards and climate change.

Maintain

A blue square with a white and black tool

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Existing assets and uses are maintained within their general location. Considering design and location to manage risks.

Protect

A purple and white shield

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

The coastal edge and/or uses are protected. The coast is often fixed in location and defences (preferably nature based) are used to achieve this.

No action

A blue square with a logo and a flower

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Limited or no council assets are exposed to coastal hazards. No action is required to reduce or manage risk.

Adaptation priority area

A blue flag with a white mark on it

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Action is required to manage risk to council land and assets from coastal hazards and catchment flooding. The values and nature of the coastal area requires further adaptation planning and discussion to confirm the actions required.

Figure 1: Adaptation strategies for the shoreline adaptation plans.

28. The final shoreline adaptation plan documents have been structured into three volumes and as outlined in Figure 2:

· Volume 1: Details of the overarching programme

· Volume 2: Contextual overview of the specific shoreline adaptation plan area (see Attachment A)

· Volume 3: Site-specific detail including the recommended adaptation strategies for each area (see Attachment B).

A map of the world

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Figure 12 Depiction of the scale and content of the three volumes of reports applicable to the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

29. The Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan The Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan area spans the middle and upper reaches of the Tāmaki River inlet, from Wai-o-Taiki Bay on the western coastline and extending east around the upper inlet to Highbrook. The total coastline of this Shoreline Adaptation Plan area is approximately 42 kilometres in length. The context, including the key council land and assets, cultural context provided by local iwi and community feedback is addressed in Volume 2 - Tāmaki Estuary Area Plan (Attachment A).

30. Within the shoreline adaptation plan, Unit 4 is entirely within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board’s area, and one out of six ‘stretches’ in Unit 3 is located within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board’s area. Each unit is outlined in Volume 3 - Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan (Attachment B).

What is happening? Coastal hazards and climate change

31. Research and analysis were undertaken to inform an understanding of coastal hazards and the resulting risk to council-owned land and assets, along with identified ecological, cultural and historic heritage assets.

32. The shoreline adaptation plan programme considers three hazards (coastal erosion, coastal inundation and catchment (rainfall) flooding where it interacts with the coastal environment). For further information on these hazards refer to Volume 1.

33. An overview of the hazard scape is included at a shoreline adaptation plan area scale in the Volume 2 report and at a detailed scale in Volume 3 for each unit (refer to figure 2 below). Key areas of note are as follows:

· Unit 3:

§ The stretch covering the upper Middlemore Creek around the western shoreline of the Grange Golf Course is absent of council-owned land and assets that require management of risk from coastal hazards. Middlemore Hospital is located within this stretch (set back from the coast), noting that the hospital is not owned/ managed by Auckland Council.

· Unit 4:

§ The shoreline of this unit is a very low-energy sheltered estuarine environment, situated in the upper reaches of Tāmaki River where the main channel diverges; with Middlemore Creek branching to the southwest and Ōtara Creek branching towards the southeast. Dense mangrove habitat fringes the upper reaches of Tāmaki River and provides a natural buffer to coastal processes

§ The risk of coastal erosion is generally low, with established mangroves buffering the shoreline from reduced wave energy within the estuarine environment. The most exposed section within this unit is the relatively short length of shoreline north of the entrance to Ōtara Creek, facing the main Tāmaki River channel. The weak geology of these low cliffs are prone to weathering by repeated wetting and drying with the tidal cycle

· Exposure to coastal inundation is predicted to be largely limited to the periphery of the coastline as a result of the steepness and height of the coastline. This hazard will not impact on the network of coastal walkways in the low to moderate change scenario. In the high change scenario, some of the lower-lying sections of pathway through Ōtara Creek Reserve are predicted to be occasionally inundated during an extreme coastal storm event with 1 m sea-level rise. The sports fields at Ngati Ōtara Park are not at risk, being elevated above the high change scenario

§ Inland tributaries of the Ōtara Creek are prone to catchment flooding. Through the Community Flood Resilience initiative of Making Space for Water, Healthy Waters has funded pilot projects with local environmental and community organisations across Tāmaki Makaurau in response to the needs of community and waterways impacted by the 2023 storm events. The Ōtara Waterways and Lake Trust are working alongside Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters team on practical flood resilience projects across Ōtara and Papatoetoe. There has been extensive native restoration planting in the area immediately surrounding Ōtara Creek and clearance of culverts.

A map of a city

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Figure 23: Unit map overview for Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan

What matters most? Council assets and local input for coastal areas

34. A detailed overview of council-owned land and assets and the supporting cultural, social and ecological context is provided in Volume 2 and Volume 3 (Attachment A and B).

35. Auckland council land and assets, within the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan area include (but are not limited to):

· 281 hectares of park/ reserve land

· 97 kilometres of road network

· 570 kilometres of water piped networks

· 122 council-owned buildings and wharves.

36. The Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan area is also noted to include 103 publicly identified sites. Additional cultural landscapes, statutory acknowledgement areas, values and sites may be present and further development of cultural statements, in response to the shoreline adaptation plan programme is anticipated.

37. Within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board’s area (Stretch 3.6 and Unit 4) includes urban areas and infrastructure (including roading connections and the non-council owned Middlemore Hospital). Several areas of reclamation (closed landfill) have modified the southern shoreline of Ōtara Creek, the upper reaches of Middlemore Creek, and a small side arm which branches east forming parts of Springs Road Reserve.

Local input into local issues

38. The purpose of community engagement throughout Shoreline Adaptation Plan development is to identify how the community use and value their coastal areas. This has been supported by analysis of publicly available documents (such as local board and local parks plans).

39. Development of the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan has included engagement with:

· Ngā iwi o Tāmaki Makaurau nineteen iwi of Tāmaki Makaurau and (recognises that each iwi is wholly autonomous, individual and unique), including Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Maru, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Paoa, Waikato Tainui, Te Patukirikiri, Marutūāhu Collective (Ngāti Maru, Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaterā, Te Patukirikiri (of Kapetaua)

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board (along with the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki and Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Boards)

· local community through engagement and including Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum, NZ Motor Caravan Association and Wai-O-Taiki Residents Association

· asset owners and managers including Parks and Community Facilities, Auckland Transport, Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience, Closed landfills, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Waste Solutions and Watercare Services

· acknowledging the location of specific assets, land uses and third-party infrastructure within these Shoreline Adaptation Plans, communications and engagement has also taken place with Transpower and New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for the wider shoreline adaptation plan area.

40. Community engagement ran in parallel with engagement for the Highbrook to Whitford Shoreline Adaptation Plan and was delivered in person and digitally as follows:

· initial community engagement took place in February to April 2024

· a second round of further engagement was completed in October to December 2024 to seek feedback on area specific strategies. The shoreline adaptation plan team have also attended working groups meetings following the consultation period, with the Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum.

41. Community engagement included digital and in-person events to identify community use and values and seek feedback on draft strategy consultation documents. This included direct meetings with stakeholders, attendance at residents and community group meetings (i.e. the Tāmaki Estuary Environmental Forum and the Auckland East Community Association, with approximately 15 in-person, public outreach events to inform people of the shoreline adaptation plan programme and receive feedback.

42. Digital engagement was undertaken using Social Pinpoint, and AK Have Your Say. Social Pinpoint, an online engagement platform, provided 259 comments pinned to an interactive map for the area. AK Have Your Say received a total of 188 surveys. Feedback was also received via email submissions.

43. Feedback has been analysed and used to develop community objectives and guide the development of the adaptation strategies. Community objectives are included in Volume 2 (Attachment A) and locationally specific feedback is identified in Volume 3 (Attachment B).

44. Engagement with local iwi and asset owners has been undertaken through separate workstreams and is outlined in Volume 2 and respective Volume 3 documents (see Attachments A and B).

What can we do about it? Adaptation strategies for the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area

45. The shoreline has been divided into several coastal units, defined by the driving coastal processes. Within these, stretches have been developed to reflect the varying distribution of assets and the subsequent, appropriate management strategies.

46. The Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan includes 26 coastal stretches, of which seven are located within Units 3 and 4 of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area. The recommended adaptation strategies are represented as pathways across the three coastal change scenarios previously outlined.

47. A comprehensive overview of the recommended strategies for each stretch and supporting rationale is provided in Volume 3 (Attachment B). In summary:

· the majority of coastline within the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board area can be managed through a Maintain or a No Action approach over all climate scenarios due to the limited presence and/or the landward, set-back location of council-owned assets

· Maintain is identified for coastline of Grange Road to east of Southern Highway 1 Motorway, Ngāti Ōtara Park, and Highbrook Park to reflect the importance of maintaining access and pathways to critical transport infrastructure and places important to the local community (including Middlemore Hospital, and Ngāti Ōtara marae located in Ngāti Ōtara Park)

· No Action is identified for private property, Crown land, or areas of coast with limited council-owned land or assets exposed.

48. Adaptation strategies and pathways do not preclude further investment or planned asset management. As living documents, the shoreline adaptation plans may be updated to reflect land use change, investment in assets, community values and environmental change.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

49. The shoreline adaptation plan work programme is funded as part of the council’s climate action package and is a core climate adaptation workstream. As global temperatures rise, Tāmaki Makaurau is predicted to experience between 0.6 and 1.5 meters of sea level rise by 2130, depending on the future CO2 emissions scenario. The impacts of climate change and sea-level rise are expected to increase the frequency, intensity and magnitude of natural hazards including coastal erosion, coastal inundation, and rainfall flooding.

50. To prepare for the future with climate change, we need to plan adaptively. Shoreline adaptation plans will help reduce asset exposure and signal the need to work with nature by developing natural systems (such as wide beaches, well vegetated dunes, and tidal marshes) that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

51. Shoreline adaptation plans assist in educating the public about the impacts of climate change and the need to adapt. Building awareness and signaling the need to be prepared for coastal hazard events is an important part of long-term resilience and preparedness. For that reason, shoreline adaptation plans report under the Community and Coast priority area of Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri – Auckland’s Climate Plan 2020.

52. The Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan outlines how council-owned land and assets can be managed to mitigate the impacts of coastal hazards and climate change. Implementation of the shoreline adaptation plans will increase resilience by reducing exposure and vulnerability of assets in hazards zones.

53. Greenhouse gas emissions are not directly considered within the shoreline adaptation plans, which focuses on the strategic goal of adapting the shoreline to build long-term resilience.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

54. Considering the broad extent of council-owned coastal land and assets and the non-statutory nature of the shoreline adaptation plans, implementation will be a collaborative effort across council departments. The project team has worked in partnership with relevant departments to co-develop the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan.

55. Strategies will be considered and integrated into all relevant council strategic plans and documents including Reserve Management Plans, Regional Parks Management Plans and Open Space Network Plans. This will support associated decision making, such as landowner and leasehold approvals.

56. Adaptation strategies will also be integrated into targeted asset management plans to inform appropriate outcomes, including ongoing operational maintenance and future capital renewal work programmes. For example, assets that provide a coastal defence or amenity function will be considered through council’s regionally funded Coastal Assets Renewals Programme and Shoreline Adaptation Plan Implementation Programme.

57. The completion of all 20 shoreline adaptation plans will confirm regionally consistent themes, challenges and opportunities. This will inform the future implementation strategy including prioritisation and funding.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

58. Initial workshops with the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board commenced in commenced in December 2023, prior to planning for community engagement. Follow-up workshops were held over the course of 2024 and 2025 to provide updates on the development of the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan, what was heard via community engagement and seek feedback on draft coastal adaptation strategies.

59. Throughout the engagement period, the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board expressed interest in the development of the plans, attended public engagement sessions and provided connection to local community networks and groups. Specific areas of interest and overarching matters were raised through workshops with the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board, with general themes and including:

· Recognition of critical infrastructure and roading connections: The Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board wished to emphasise the exposure of critical transport routes to coastal hazards (i.e. State Highway 1 Motorway and local roads) and the need to ensure this was clearly articulated in adaptation planning. Connectivity to and along key transport routes (rail) and road networks to Middlemore Hospital was emphasised as highly important noting the significance of the public health infrastructure to the wider South Auckland community. This has been highlighted in respective strategy implementation notes, although it is noted this infrastructure does not belong to council

· Education on adaptation planning and ongoing engagement: Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board advocated for continued engagement with local communities, iwi, and boards through educational workshops. This acknowledges that adaptive planning is a complex kaupapa that requires time and trust to build meaningful relationships. Additionally, the board stressed that ongoing engagement needs to reach the diverse community networks, numerous residents associations and key stakeholders in specific areas

· through workshops, the local board identified a specific interest in ensuring engagement with local iwi was undertaken and that community engagement considered local views to ensure that plans were responsive to these uses, values and aspirations.

60. As previously outlined, community engagement for the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan ran in parallel to Highbrook to Whitford plan. Initial community engagement focused on values, uses and aspirations for the future. Further engagement enabled specific feedback on adaptation strategies to be sought.

61. All rounds of community engagement included digital and in-person events to identify community use and values and seek feedback on draft strategy consultation documents. Key themes for each Shoreline Adaptation Plan area are identified in Volume 2 documents with unit specific feedback included in Volume 3 documents in relation to each of the coastal unit areas.

62. Overall, matters raised have been responded to through identification of key interests and issues in Volume 2 (attachment A) and updates to strategies and the inclusion of implementation notes (as appropriate) in the Volume 3 (Attachments B).

63. Following endorsement from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board (along with Māngere-Ōtāhuhu and Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Boards) the Tāmaki Estuary Plan will be presented to the Planning and Policy Committee for approval.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

64. From the programme’s inception in 2021, the shoreline adaptation plan Programme has been designed and developed in the spirit of partnership with ngā hapū me ngā iwi o Tāmaki Makaurau. The programme principles which underpin this approach are included in Volume 1 Understanding the Shoreline Adaptation Plan programme.

65. Multiple hui and hikoi with local iwi have been held to support the development of the shoreline adaptation plan Programme, including the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan. The project team also presents regularly to the Interim Kaitiaki Forum (formerly the Infrastructure and Environmental Services kaitiaki forum).

66. The Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan area includes statutory acknowledgement areas, numerous known (and unknown) sites of significance, situated amongst the diversity of coastal tributaries/ streams, headlands and portages to inland areas. Those iwi who whakapapa to the area and/or expressed an interest in the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan kaupapa are:

· Ngāti Whanunga

· Ngāti Maru

· Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki

· Ngāti Paoa

· Waiktao Tainui

· Te Patukirikiri

· Ngāti Tamaterā

· Te Ākitai Waiohua

· Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua

· Te Patukirikiri, Marutūāhu Collective (Ngāti Maru, Ngaati Whanaunga, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaterā, Te Patukirikiri (of Kapetaua)).

67. The project team has worked with iwi representatives of the group to provide cultural statements and cultural commentary to help guide the adaptation approaches set out within this shoreline adaptation plan. Acknowledging each iwi have their own kōrero and may choose to share this in a manner which protects each iwi intellectual property, the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan Shoreline Adaptation Plan includes content which iwi have approved to be included (see Attachment A). Further information may be included in cultural statements, to be held by iwi, which once finalised will inform implementation of the shoreline adaptation plans.

68. Engagement with the above iwi and ngā hapū me ngā iwi o Tāmaki Makaurau who express an interest, will continue throughout completion of the shoreline adaptation plan programme and its implementation.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

69. Delivery of the shoreline adaptation plan work programme is regionally funded through the climate action package. No additional funding is sought from local boards to deliver the reports.

70. Mitigating coastal hazards will become increasingly expensive for Auckland and wider Aotearoa. It will not be affordable or feasible to defend everywhere. Shoreline adaptation plans and the supporting coastal asset management plan will ensure that coastal projects consider the escalating future risk of climate change and respond in both an environmentally and economically sustainable manner.

71. No financial investment decisions have been made through the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan Shoreline Adaptation Plan. The adaptation strategies will be given effect to across relevant council decision-making. This includes the future management, maintenance and renewal of council assets and land located along the coast through existing work programmes and associated budgets. Over time, this will result in cost savings as assets are moved out of coastal hazard areas and incur less damage due to coastal erosion and flooding.

72. Once all shoreline adaptation plans across Auckland are completed, a regional funding prioritisation approach will be developed. The framework and process for undertaking this exercise will need to be agreed with the Governing Body. This will assist in budgetary requirements and support an equitable approach for areas where managed realignment or other major coastal works have been recommended.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

73. The risks and mitigations associated with the local boards endorsing the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan are outlined in Table 2 below:

Table 2: Risk identification and mitigations

Main risk	Mitigation
Coastal asset decisions are at risk of being made on an ad-hoc basis and may not adequately consider the escalating risk of climate change	· Adopting the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan area will provide for future implementation of the plan · Asset management across multiple asset classes will require multiple departments across council to continue to work together. As a strategic document, the Shoreline Adaptation Plan provides a coordinated and holistic approach, alongside other relevant council policies and regulatory mechanisms.
Potential opposition to the proposed adaptation strategies (noting a high level of public interest in council management of assets in response to climate change and natural hazard risk)	· The development of the shoreline adaptation plans has been undertaken in collaboration with local iwi and with extensive engagement with the local community, wider public and infrastructure providers · These shoreline adaptation plans remain living documents, revisions to the shoreline adaptation plan can be advanced to respond to further engagement with iwi, communities and in response to other programmes such as the Closed Landfill Asset Management Plan development.
Due to uncertainty in emission reductions, coastal hazards may increase in frequency and intensity earlier than expected	· Shoreline adaptation plans have been developed using conservative climate change scenarios in the long term · The shoreline adaptation plans are adaptive and advancement to the next timeframe can be considered based on the observed impact of coastal and climate change.
As multiple teams are required to work together to implement the shoreline adaptation plan, there is potential that the SAP is not applied across all business areas	· The project team have worked collaboratively with departments across council and Council-Controlled Organisations to develop the shoreline adaptation plan and will maintain relationships to support implementation · A governance group oversees the development and implementation of the shoreline adaptation plan work program and also supports strategic relationships.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

74. Following endorsement from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu and Maungakiekie-Tāmaki local boards, the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan will be presented to the Planning and Policy Committee for approval.

75. Once approved, the Tāmaki Estuary Shoreline Adaptation Plan will be released to the public and to stakeholders across Auckland Council. Local implementation will include capital works under the Coastal Asset Renewals Works Programme. The adaptation strategies will then be integrated into key council plans, such as asset management plans.

76. Regional implementation of shoreline adaptation plans will commence in late 2025 once all are completed. Implementation will be supported via existing work programmes and Long-term Plan budgets, whilst the shoreline adaptation plan team prepare guidance on future budget requirements to be considered as part of the next Long-term Plan. In the interim, there will be an ongoing opportunity for iwi and other programme partners to collaborate in the implementation of the shoreline adaptation plan programme.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Shoreline Adaptation Plan Tāmaki Estuary: Volume 2	37
b ⇩	Shoreline Adaptation Plan Tāmaki Estuary: Volume 3	107

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Lara Clarke – Principal Coastal Adaptation Specialist

Sage Vernall – Senior Coastal Adaptation Specialist

Jo Morriss – Senior Coastal Specialist

Natasha Carpenter – Head of Coastal Management

Authorisers

Barry Potter - Director Resilience and Infrastructure

Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

19 August 2025

Local board views on Plan Change 113 - adding trees and groups of trees to Schedule 10 - Notable Trees Schedule of the Auckland Unitary Plan Operative in Part, and to the Notable Trees overlay

File No.: CP2025/16915

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To invite local board views on Plan Change 113, which seeks to add 174 trees and 29 groups of trees to Schedule 10 Notable Trees Schedule of the Auckland Unitary Plan (Operative in part) (AUP).

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Decision-makers on a plan change to the AUP must consider local boards’ views where provided.

3. The purpose of Plan Change 113 (PC113) is to amend or add 161 entries to Schedule 10 Notable Trees Schedule (‘Schedule 10’). The additions and amendments comprise 174 individual trees and 29 groups of trees. The Notable Trees Overlay (the ‘overlay’) is also amended accordingly.

4. The local boards had an opportunity to express views on the draft plan change before it was finalised and notified for submissions. A report was taken to all local board business meetings (except for Aotea/Great Barrier and Waiheke Local Boards) during March 2025. All feedback received during this stage was incorporated into the report that was presented to the Policy and Planning Committee.

5. The Policy and Planning Committee approved the notification of PC113 at its meeting on 15 May 2025 (PEPCC/2025/47).

6. The local boards were emailed further information about the trees and groups of trees proposed to be added within their board areas on 16 May 2025.

7. PC113 was notified on 22 May 2025. A 20-day period of public submissions closed on 23 June 2025. 113 individual submissions were received. A period for further submissions closed on 25 July 2025 and 4 further submissions were received.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a) tuku / provide their local board views on PC113, which adds 174 trees and 29 groups of trees across the region to Schedule 10, and to the Notable Trees Overlay in the AUP maps.

b) kopou / appoint a local board member to speak to the local board views at a hearing on the plan change.

c) tāpae / delegate authority to each local board chairperson to make a replacement appointment in the event the local board member appointed in resolution (b) is unable to attend the plan change hearing.

Horopaki

Context

Decision-making authority

8. Each local board is responsible for communicating the interests and preferences of people in its area regarding the content of Auckland Council’s strategies, policies, plans, and bylaws. Local boards provide their views on these documents’ contents. Decision-makers must consider local boards’ views when deciding the content of these policy documents.^{^[1]} (sections 15-16 Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009).

9. A plan change will be included in the AUP if it is approved. Local boards must have the opportunity to provide their views on council-initiated plan changes – a plan change alters the content of the Auckland Unitary Plan.

10. If the local board chooses to provide its views, the planner includes local board views verbatim, and addresses those views in the hearing report (alongside issues raised by submitters).

11. If appointed by resolution, a local board member may present only the local board’s views at the hearing to commissioners, who decide on the plan change.

12. This report provides an overview of the plan change, and a summary of key themes from submissions. A summary of local board views on the plan change during its draft stage are included at Attachment A.

13. The purpose of the plan change is to address the nominations for notable trees that the council has held in its database over the last 10-12 years. All nominations were progressively evaluated between 2022 and 2024, with a view to adding them to Schedule 10 and the corresponding mapped overlay, which spatially identifies the locations of all notable trees and notable groups found in the schedule.

14. Schedule 10 is managed by the AUP through a policy and rule framework. The Regional Policy Statement (RPS) in the AUP (Chapter B4.5. Notable Trees) contains the objectives and policies (including the criteria for scheduling). Chapter D13 Notable Trees overlay contains the district-level objectives and policies, and sets out the rules framework for how activities affecting notable trees are treated. Schedule 10 itself is found in Chapter L -Schedules. The AUP maps contain the Notable Trees overlay which spatially identifies the locations of all notable trees and groups throughout the region, using specific symbology.

15. The scope of PC113 is strictly limited to adding trees and groups of trees to Schedule 10. It does not seek to amend any other parts of Schedule 10, or to amend any of the policy or rules framework relating to Notable Trees.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

Plan change overview

16. The report to the local board business meetings in March 2025 outlined the background to PC113 and provided a summary of all the trees and groups of trees proposed to be added within the various board areas. At that time, details such as exact locations of proposed trees and groups of trees had not been finalised. The process of evaluating hundreds of nominated trees and groups required a careful assessment and a triage process by council planners, arborists, heritage staff, GIS staff and planning technicians. The boards were provided with a breakdown of the final list of additions to Schedule 10 according to board area on 16 May 2025 via email.

17. Some feedback from local boards expressed a desire for additional trees to be added as part of the plan change. The nominations considered as part of the process included all those up to the end of June 2024 only. This was to ensure that all consultation, evaluations and preparation could be adequately prepared and executed within a reasonable timeframe. Any nominations received after June 2024 are held in the council’s database and will be evaluated at a future date to be determined.

18. Supporting documentation (including all public submissions received, and a full summary of those submissions) is available from the council’s website.

19. Council’s planners, and other experts, will now evaluate and report on:

· the plan change

· all submissions

· views and preferences of the local board, if the local board passes a resolution.

20. A hearings report will be prepared and all submissions and feedback considered by planners and subject matter experts. Officers will provide recommendations on whether to accept or reject (or accept in part) submissions, or whether submissions are considered to be out of scope; but a hearings panel will make the final decision on these recommendations.

21. The hearing is expected to be held later this year.

Overview of submissions received

22. The overarching submission themes are as follows:

· support the plan change with no amendments

· support the plan change with amendments

· decline the plan change

· decline the plan change with amendments.

23. 113 individual submissions were made. Some submissions sought more than one point of relief. A total of approximately 170 submission points were summarised.

Table 1: Summary of feedback by submitters

Submissions	Approximate Number
In support of the plan change as a whole, and/or with specific support for certain trees/groups	56
Opposition to certain trees/groups of trees being added to the Schedule (note that more than one submission or submission point may apply to a proposed tree/group)	69
Seek to add more trees to the Schedule (specific ones and ‘in general’)	12
Decline the plan change in general	4
Relating to various issues such as seeking alternatives or additions to scheduling, process and operational matters, disclosure of nominators’ details, or support for another primary submitter	28
No decision requested	1

24. Submitters’ addresses are not mapped, which means it is not possible to provide details of submissions according to local board area. Additionally, the nature of most submissions is seeking general support, or general opposition to, PC113 (which applies regionally). The submitters seeking specific removal of certain trees or groups from the Schedule are not necessarily the owners of the trees or groups of trees proposed to be added to the Schedule via PC113. Other submissions are relatively general in the sense that they apply to issues of process or policy matters.

25. Information on all individual submissions, and the summary of all decisions requested by submitters, is available from council’s website at the link provided above. For the boards’ information, a summarised version of all submissions is attached at Appendix B.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

Context

26. Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan sets out Auckland’s climate goals:

· to adapt to the impacts of climate change by planning for the changes we will face (climate adaptation)

· to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 (climate mitigation).

27. Both climate goals are relevant and align with the requirementfor RMA decision-makers to have:

· particular regard to the effects of climate change (section 7(i) RMA), and

· regard to any emissions reduction plan and any national adaptation plan prepared under the Climate Change Response Act 2002 (section 74(2) RMA) when preparing or changing a district plan.

28. Notable trees are part of the overall canopy cover of Auckland. They make a positive contribution to Auckland’s climate by assisting with carbon sequestration and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions. CO₂ (carbon dioxide) is stored in the trees’ wood, leaves, roots, and the soil around the trees.

29. While not all the proposed additions to the Schedule are located in the urban environment, most are. Large trees in built-up areas are known to have a cooling effect through evapotranspiration and shade, reducing temperatures and energy consumption. Shade from trees also reduces the amount of direct sunlight reaching surfaces and buildings, further lowering temperatures.

30. An increase in notable trees would have further positive effects on Auckland’s climate by providing them with specific protection against removal, so that their ongoing contribution to positive climate effects can continue.

31. Moreover, any particular local board views on climate adaptation and/or climate mitigation will be considered by the plan change decision-makers.

Local board views - climate

32. It is considered that the plan change will not affect any local board in particular in terms of climate change. Across local board areas, the collective addition of trees and groups of trees to Schedule 10 will be beneficial in terms of their contribution to climate change mitigation by ensuring their retention and formal protection.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

33. Many of the trees and groups of trees subject to PC113 are located on council reserves, as well as on road reserves which are the domain of Auckland Transport. Owners (and occupiers) of land upon which a nominated tree or group is located were notified as part of a mail-out to advise of the plan change process and of upcoming site visits by a council arborist to evaluate the trees; this included council and Auckland-Transport owned trees.

34. Auckland Council made a submission on PC113. Submissions points reflected an error identified in the plan change documents, and also to describe several situations where it was determined that proposed trees were no longer present on the sites.

35. Auckland Urban Development Office (formerly Eke Panuku) provided feedback on two sites where one tree and a group of trees are proposed to be added to the Schedule. Their feedback related to these sites being part of proposed urban regeneration areas. No council-controlled organisations made a submission to PC113.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

36. The purpose of this plan change is to add or amend 161 new ‘line items’ to Schedule 10 of the AUP, which results in 174 trees and 29 groups of trees being added. Initial feedback on the draft plan change was gathered during local board business meetings in March 2025, before final tree locations were confirmed. Following a detailed evaluation process, finalised lists were shared with boards in May. While some boards requested additional trees, only nominations received by June 2024 were considered, with later submissions held for future assessment.

37. This plan change relates to all local board areas apart from Aotea/Great Barrier Local Board and Waiheke Local Board. Schedule 10 does not include the Hauraki Gulf Islands.

38. This report is the mechanism for obtaining further local board views following public submissions to the plan change. The decision-makers will consider local board views, if provided, when deciding on the plan change.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

39. If the local board chooses to provide its views on the plan change it includes the opportunity to comment on matters that may be of interest or importance to Māori, wellbeing of Māori communities or Te Ao Māori (Māori world view).

40. Council is required to consult with iwi authorities when preparing a plan change. As part of PC113, iwi authorities were consulted. A letter (via email) was provided on 4 March 2025 to all iwi authorities recorded by council as being associated with the Auckland region. The letter provided an explanation of the proposed plan change and a draft list of all proposed trees and groups of trees to be added.

41. Kōrero was subsequently held with a representative from Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki specifically in relation to a pōhutukawa in Cockle Bay (which is already scheduled), and some additional pōhutukawa in Maraetai. A second request was received from Ngāti Paoa in relation to the location of proposed notable trees, and further information was sent to them on 30 May 2025. To date, no other feedback on the plan change has been received from iwi authorities.

42. A submission on the plan change was received from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia Ltd (submission number 93). The submission supported PC113 and included reasons for this support.

43. As part of the hearings report, the planner will include an analysis of Part 2 of the RMA which requires that all persons exercising RMA functions take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The plan change does not trigger a specific issue of significance as identified in the Schedule of Issues of Significance (2021) and Māori Plan (2017, Houkura Independent Māori Statutory Board).

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

44. The plan change does not pose any financial implications for the local board’s assets or operations.

45. Costs from the plan-making process are met by existing council budgets.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

46. The local board will be unable to provide its views and preferences on the plan change, if it does not pass a resolution. This report provides:

· the mechanism for the local board to express its views and preferences

· the opportunity for a local board member to speak at a hearing.

47. If the local board chooses not to pass a resolution at this business meeting, these opportunities are forgone.

48. The power to provide local board views regarding the content of a plan change cannot be delegated to individual local board member(s) (Local Government Act 2002, Schedule 7, clause 36D). This report enables the whole local board to decide whether to provide its views and, if so, to determine what matters those views should include.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

49. The planner will include, and report on, any resolution of the local board in the hearing report. The local board member appointed to speak to the local board’s views will be informed of the hearing date and invited to the hearing for that purpose.

50. The planner will advise the local board of the decision on the plan change by memorandum, if local board views are provided.

51. Following recommendations made by the Hearings Panel, the item will go to the Policy and Planning Committee for a decision in terms of the plan change being made operative.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Attachment A - Local Board Feedback on proposed Plan Change 113 March 2025	183
b ⇩	Attachment B - Summary of Decisions Requested by submitters to Plan Change 113	205

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Ruth Andrews - Senior Policy Planner

Authorisers

John Duguid - General Manager Planning and Resource Consents

Lou-Ann Ballantyne – General Manager Governance and Engagement

Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

19 August 2025

Local board input into Auckland Council’s submission on the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill

File No.: CP2025/17672

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide local board input to Auckland Council’s submission on the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Government is calling for submissions on the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill (‘the Bill’). The Bill passed its first reading on 17 July 2025 and was referred to the Governance and Administration Select Committee. The closing date for submissions on the Bill is 27 August 2025.

3. The Bill proposes the following amendments to the Local Government Act 2002 (‘the Act’):

· refocusing the purpose of local government, by:

o removing all references to the four aspects of community well-being

o reinstating, as a purpose of local government, being focused on the cost-effective provision of good-quality local infrastructure and public services

o defining the specific core services a local authority must have particular regard to in performing its role as the following:

§ network infrastructure

§ public transport services

§ waste management

§ civil defence emergency management

§ libraries, museums, reserves, and other recreational facilities.

· making changes to measuring and publicising of council performance, by:

o moving into regulations the specific groups of activities councils must plan for and report on

o expanding existing regulation-making powers to enable benchmarks to be set in areas of council activity beyond financial performance and asset management

o requiring councils to report on contractor and consultant expenditure

o making the issuing of rules for performance measures by the Secretary for Local Government discretionary rather than mandatory.

· requiring core services to be prioritised in council spending, by introducing a financial management principle for councils, requiring them to have particular regard to the purpose of local government and the core services of a local authority when determining their financial management approach

· introducing new council transparency and accountability requirements as follows:

o issuing a standardised code of conduct and set of standing orders, both of which would be binding on all councils

o requiring councils to include the standardised code of conduct in statutory briefings of newly elected members

o requiring chief executives of local authorities to facilitate information sharing between councils and elected members

o adding the two following new local governance principles:

§ fostering the free exchange of information and expressions of opinions by elected members

§ fostering the responsibility of elected members to work collaboratively to set the direction of their respective councils.

· revising regulatory requirements on councils, by:

o modernising public notice requirements

o removing the requirement for six-yearly service delivery reviews

o clarifying the authority of an acting or interim chief executive to sign certificates of compliance for lending arrangements

o clarifying that third-party contributions to capital projects for which development contributions are charged can be targeted to specific project drivers

o removing the requirement for councils to consider the relevance of tikanga Māori knowledge when appointing council-controlled organisation (CCO) directors

o extending the maximum length of a chief executive’s second term from two to five years.

4. The Bill was approved as a priority submission for Auckland Council by the Policy and Planning Committee at its meeting on 13 March 2025 (PEPCC/2025/18). Staff have commenced development of a draft submission.

5. Local boards were sent a memo on 4 August 2025 (attached) summarising the bill. Below is further commentary on parts of the Bill that are likely to have implications for local boards, and which boards may wish to consider providing comments on as part of their feedback.

Purpose of local government and core services

6. Changes to the purpose of local government would largely reinstate the version that was in the Act between 2012 and 2019, with an additional requirement to support local economic growth and development. Similarly, the list of core services that was in place during that period would be reinstated, with changes to replace ‘solid waste collection and disposal’ with ‘waste management’ and ‘the avoidance or mitigation of natural hazards’ with ‘civil defence emergency management.’

7. Boards may wish to consider in their feedback whether the proposed purpose statement and list of core services adequately describe the role and activities of local government, and to suggest any changes or additions that could improve them.

Standardised codes of conduct and standing orders

8. The standardised codes of conduct and standing orders proposed in the Bill would apply to local boards as well as to the Governing Body. Local boards may wish to consider whether it is desirable to apply standardisation across all local authorities, or if it is preferable for councils to retain their current ability to create their own local versions. Boards may also wish to consider other options to improve consistency between councils while retaining the potential for local preferences to be incorporated. For example, the potential to issue a model set of standing orders and code of conduct that set a minimum standard, but allow regional variations that are not inconsistent with the model rules.

Auckland Council submission process

9. A report will be taken to the 14 August 2024 Policy and Planning committee meeting setting out the proposed key elements of the submission and seeking a delegation to approve the council’s submission.

10. The final date for local boards to provide feedback to be incorporated into the council submission is 21 August 2025. Local board feedback received by 26 August 2025 will be appended to the submission.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a) tuku / provide input to be considered for incorporation into, and appending to, Auckland Council’s submission on the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Memo: Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill	217

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Robert Boswell - Senior Strategic Advisor

Authorisers

Denise O’Shaughnessy - Manager Strategic Advice

Lou-Ann Ballantyne - General Manager Governance and Engagement

Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

19 August 2025

Auckland Council’s Quarterly Performance Report: Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board for quarter four 2024/2025

File No.: CP2025/17680

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To receive the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board with a quarterly performance report for quarter four, 1 April to 30 June 2025 and the overall performance for the financial year against the approved 2024/2025 local board work programmes.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. This report provides an integrated view of performance for the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board and includes financial performance and delivery against work programmes for the 2024/2025 financial year. The work programme is produced annually and aligns with Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Plan outcomes.

3. 113 activities within the approved work programmes have a Green RAG status (activities that were completed in 2024/2025 or have progressed as expected).

4. 10 activities have an Amber RAG status (activities that were expected to be completed this financial year which have been delay until the first quarter in 2025/2026, activities that have not progressed as expected, or activities that are on hold).

5. No activities have a Red RAG status (activities that were not delivered, activities that were expected to be completed this year which delayed until after the first quarter in 2025/2026, activities that are significantly delayed, or activities that are on hold with significant issues).

6. 6 activities have a Grey RAG status (activities that have been cancelled or deferred during the year).

7. Key activity achievements from the 2024/2025 work programme include:

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe KaiWaka (# 3041)

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe capacity building for diverse community groups (#1235)

· Pearl Baker Reserve renew and extend walking and cycling path (#31955)

· Ōtara Town Centre (Bairds Road Reserve) renew playground and associated park furniture (#28593)

· Ngāti Ōtara Park works on upgrading the netball facilities (#31224)

· Ōtara -Papatoetoe Ecological Volunteering Programme (Local Parks) (#660)

· Pest Free South Auckland Ōtara-Papatoetoe (#1004).

8. Key activities not delivered / not progressed as expected include (status - amber):

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe Te Kete Rukuruku (Māori naming of parks and places) tranche three (#4158)

· Motatau Park playground renewal (#28678)

· Manukau Sports Bowl - replace velodrome lighting (#30163).

Qualifying budgets of unfinished activities will be carried forward into 2025/2026 work programmes.

9. The financial performance report is attached but is excluded from the public. This is due to restrictions on releasing annual financial reports and results until the Auckland Council Group results are released to the NZX – on or about 29 August 2025.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a) whiwhi / receive the integrated performance report for quarter, 1 April to 30 June 2025.

b) tuhi tīpoka / note the financial performance report in Attachment B of the report will remain confidential until after the Auckland Council Group results for 2024/2025 are released to the New Zealand’s Exchange (NZX) which are expected to be made public on or about 29 August 2025.

Horopaki

Context

10. The Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board has an approved 2024/2025 work programme for the following:

· Customer and Community Services (Resolution number OP/2024/1)

· Infrastructure and Environmental Services (Resolution number OP/2024/2)

· Auckland Emergency Management (Resolution number OP/2024/98)

· Local Governance (Resolution number OP/2024/3).

11. The graph below shows how the work programme activities meet Local Board Plan outcomes. Activities that are not part of the approved work programme but contribute towards the local board outcomes, such as advocacy by the local board, are not captured in this graph.

Graph 1: Work programme activities by outcome

A graph with blue bars

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

12. The graph below identifies each work programme activity by RAG status (Red, Amber, Green and Grey) which measures the performance of each activity.

Graph 2: Work programme performance by RAG status

13. The definitions of the Red, Amber Green and Grey for the quarter four / end of year report outlined in table 1 below.

Table 1: RAG status definitions for quarter four / end of year report

Red	· activities that were not delivered, · activities that were expected to be completed in 2024/2025 which are not expected to be completed until after the first quarter in 2025/2026, · multi-year projects that are significantly delayed, and · activities that are on hold with significant issues.
Amber	· activities that were expected to be completed in 2024/2025 which are now expected to be completed in the first quarter in 2025/2026, · multi-year projects that have not progressed as expected, and · activities that are on hold.
Green	· activities that were completed by the end of the financial year, and · multi-year projects that have progressed as expected.
Grey	· activities have been cancelled or deferred in the period April to June 2025.

14. The graph below shows the stage of the activities in each departments’ work programmes. The number of activity lines differ by department as approved in the local board work programmes.

Graph 3: Work programme performance by activity status and department

Key activity updates from quarter four

15. The key activity updates from this quarter are:

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe KaiWaka (#3041) - This quarter Ngahuru/Autumn to Hōtoke/Winter came with an abundant harvest from the Pacific Food Forest. A third Food Forest workshop was held and focused on the potential location and layout for the future Forest. At the annual Polyfest stall partnering with E tū Rākau to rescue and process the pineapple and watermelon ‘waste’ through our Whenua to Whenua space saw diverted 100 kilogrammes into compost bins.

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe - capacity building for diverse community groups (#1235) - in this quarter an inaugural Prosper Pasifika Small Business Spring Expo Night was held at the Te Puke o Tara Community Centre to showcase local businesses and facilitate networking between business owners, funders and support services. As a result, one has successfully set up a new charitable trust and is able to assist others in doing so.

SEASCA delivered targeted 9 group and one-on-one training sessions. As a result, two Senior Societies and the Māori group successfully obtained grants. Additionally, support enabled six Senior Societies to revise their constitutions for re-registration, assisted one Māori group in writing and achieving their constitution for new Charitable Trust registration and two other groups being successfully registered as new Charitable Societies.

· Pearl Baker Reserve renew and extend walking and cycling path (#31955) - this project was completed in April 2025.

· Ōtara Town Centre (Bairds Road Reserve) renew playground and associated park furniture (#28593) - Have Your Say events have been held and design workshops with youth groups started in mid-July 2025. The next step is for a draft concept design to be prepared and presented to the Local Board.

· Waenganui/Allenby Park (#30520) - The work on the skate bowl has started. Positively staff have ensured the skate community is involved (monitoring) in the physical works. The physical work for the playground renewal will follow the skate bowl works.

· Ngāti Ōtara Park (#31224) - works continue upgrading the netball facilities with the foundations for the new lights completed.

· Mayfield Park (#40527) – the contractor is completing the installing of the basketball and volleyball courts.

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe Ecological Volunteering Programme (Local Parks) (#660) - A total of 1,509 volunteer hours were recorded this quarter and 1,375 plants planted. Plantings were undertaken by 3 schools - Manurewa Intermediate School (375 plants in Puhinui

Reserve), Papatoetoe West School (500 plants in Kohuora Park) and Sir Edmund Hillary School (500 plants in Ngāti Ōtara Park).

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe Auckland Teaching Gardens (#1415) - trends show increased usage at Middlemore Garden, East Tamaki Garden and Charntay Gardens. All have 100 per cent occupancy. Swaffield Garden still requires funding to meet install costs.

· Access to community places - Bookings (#330) - There were 1,063 bookings this quarter, up from 989 in the same period last year. Attendance totaled 60,110, an increase from 48,702 recorded in the corresponding quarter last year. Facilities were used for 3,625 hours, up slightly from 3,445 hours in the same period last year. The primary activities were arts and cultural events, religious gatherings, and meetings. Importantly, 100 per cent of users said they would recommend the facilities, with 87 per cent reporting overall satisfaction with their experience.

· Ōtara Waterways and Lake Trust Ōtara-Papatoetoe projects (#743) - This quarter, the Stream Team focused on maintenance, flood damage repair, weed control, and initiating winter planting across multiple restoration sites. Activities undertaken included planting of 2,000 native plants at Preston Road Reserve, extensive weed and debris removal at Pearl Baker Drive, Bolton Place, the South Auckland Bible Church and at the Hannah Rd Reserve.

· Pest Free South Auckland Ōtara-Papatoetoe (#1004) - The annual moth plant competition has been completed with 17 teams collecting 72,698 moth plant pods. The local activator hosted Ōtara Youth Hub at Puhinui Reserve for a conservation field skills training session in May. 19 trap lines have been set up by the pest free team across the local board with 212 pest animals controlled this quarter and 489 pest animals caught this financial year.

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe Consultation for memorial naming of park and community facilities room (#4441) - Park and Community Facilities are currently in the process of reviewing their Memorial Policy and will be presented at the Chairs Forum in the new year. The activity is on hold to ensure alignment with the policy.

Carry forward activities

16. The Lead Financial Advisors have identified the following from projects from the local board’s 2024/2025 Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) operational budget which meet the criteria to be carried forward:

· Ōtara-Papatoetoe Te Kete Rukuruku (Māori naming of parks and places) tranche three (#4158) - Iwi have not had capacity to deliver names this financial year. Funding has been requested to carry forward $7,000 to allow for the programme to continue and names to be received in FY26.

· Local civic events Ōtara-Papatoetoe (#336) - No civic events were planned to be delivered in Q4. Len Brown Skate Park Phase 2 was considered as a potential event opportunity, pending project completion. However, the site was not ready in time to meet the 12-week planning and permitting requirements necessary for an outdoor civic event, therefore funding has been requested to carry forward $15,156.

These will be added to the 2025/2026 work programmes, subject to approval.

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

17. Receiving performance monitoring reports will not result in any identifiable changes to greenhouse gas emissions.

18. The local board is invested in several sustainability projects, which aim to build awareness around individual carbon emissions, and changing behaviour at a local level. These include:

a) EcoNeighbourhoods - Ōtara-Papatoetoe (#3075) - This quarter, five EcoNeighbourhoods groups held events or activations, engaging 66 participants. To date, the programme has supported nine active groups and engaged over 200 participants in local climate action.

b) Ōtara Papatoetoe community climate action engagement (#4099): -This quarter the engagement programme supported by 100 hours of volunteer time, included three stalls at the Otara Market which engaged 245 people. Two hui were held at Te Pupu Tahi Rangi ki Ōtara, the first on 7 May was focused on climate change impacts, the Ōtara Papatoetoe local climate action plan and actions local community and residents can take. The second hui on 11 June was focused on opportunities to work with the Ōtara Waterways and Lakes Trust on flooding.

c) Ope Phase Two: Building Sustainable Community Ōtara-Papatoetoe through Enviroschools (#742) - This quarter Sustainable Schools coordinated Citizen Science Days at Kohuora Park, engaging 109 students from ten schools and 41 community participants. The number of schools were assisted in planting and rest plant removal – including Papatoetoe Intermediate in planting 350 native plants at Grange Golf Course, De La Salle College students removed pest plants along 1,500 metres of creek area, Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate's installed 350 natives in Ngāti Ōtara Park and Dawson Primary's planted 250 natives on their grounds.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

19. When developing the work programmes council group impacts and views are presented to the local board.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

20. This report informs the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board of the performance for quarter four ending 30 June 2025 and the performance for the 2024/2025 financial year.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

21. The local board’s work programme line Māori responsiveness Ōtara-Papatoetoe (#329) which seeks to increase capability of local Māori to deliver on Māori outcomes and aspirations, support Ngāti Ōtara Marae to build administrative and management capability and develop enterprise around the existing older marae infrastructure. E.g. wananga, workshops, arts. This quarter saw the following undertaken:

a) Ngati Ōtara Marae Karanga and Men’s Te Reo Speech classes are increasingly popular at 40+ attendance. The participants now deliver in real context for example at Powhiri.

b) TaroPatch has exposed Māori youth, including the Māori bilingual unit at Flatbush Primary School, to the filming industry in an alternative way. A total number of 75 Māori youth have benefitted from this programme.

c) KaiHaka Kapa Haka has met every Sunday to teach Kapa Haka. A total of 75 people have been through their practices. KaiHaka have been asked to perform in Italy. They are fundraising and taking youth who have never been out of Auckland.

d) Te Puke o Taramainuku Kapa Haka had Mau Rakau for men every Thursday from 15 May 2025. The group were requested to perform at the Citizenship Ceremony as well as the Mussell Shell fishing Competition in Otara.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

22. This report is provided to enable Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board to monitor the organisation’s progress and performance in delivering the 2024/2025 work programmes. There are no financial implications associated with this report.

Financial Performance

23. Auckland Council (Council) currently has a number of bonds quoted on the New Zealand, Singapore and Swiss Debt Markets (Quoted Bonds). As a result, the Council is subject to continuous disclosure obligations, which it must comply with under the listing rules of the NZX (Listing Rules), the listing rules of other exchanges and the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMCA).

24. These obligations restrict the release of annual financial reports and results until the Auckland Council Group results are released to the NZX – on or about 29 August 2025.

25. Due to these obligations the financial performance attachment to this report (Attachment B) is excluded from the public and is under confidential cover.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

26. Information about any significant risks and how they are being managed and/or mitigated is addressed in the ‘Overview of work programme performance’ section.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

27. Work programmes for 2025/2026 were approved at the board’s business meeting in June 2025.

28. Deferral of budgets of unfinished activities will be added into 2025/2026 work programmes by quarter one reporting.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Ōtara – Papatoetoe Local Board - 1 April to 30 June 2025 Work Programme Update	229
b ⇩	Ōtara – Papatoetoe Local Board - Operating Performance Financial Summary - Confidential

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Nicola Mochrie - Local Board Advisor

Authorisers

Lou-Ann Ballantyne - General Manager Governance and Engagement

Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

19 August 2025

Initiating Review of Local Board Delegation Protocols

File No.: CP2025/17743

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To invite local boards to commence a review of their Delegation Protocols and identify issues for consideration by incoming boards in the new term.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Local boards have delegated the majority of their decision-making responsibilities to the Chief Executive to support efficient service delivery. The general delegations – approved by each of the 21 local boards in 2013 (Attachment 1) are subject to specified financial limits as well as specific exclusions and other requirements set out in the Delegation Protocols ("the Protocols").

3. The Chief Executive, and all staff exercising delegated authority derived from local boards, must act in accordance with the Protocols (included in Attachment 1) and ensure operational policies or procedures are consistent with them.

4. While the Protocols have provided effective operational guidance since their adoption in 2013, it is timely to review them in light of increased local board decision-making and evolving expectations.

5. Staff are inviting local boards to initiate this review, with an opportunity for outgoing boards to identify issues for early consideration. This will help shape staff advice and support a more focused review in the new term.

6. To support this, staff sought initial guidance from local board chairs, who expressed support for beginning the review now so that issues concerning outgoing local boards can be factored in. Chairs were encouraged to recommend a working group that staff can start to work with. While an initial list of nominees was provided, the chairs expressed support for broadening participation to any other representative that local boards may wish to nominate.

7. Local boards are being asked to provide feedback on issues they would like the review to explore and, if they wish, nominate a member to join the proposed working group. The group will meet in September to help identify key issues and, where feasible and appropriate, progress low-hanging fruit. Substantive work will continue into the next term, with any changes to the Protocols to be adopted by local boards.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board:

a) identify any issues for consideration during the early stages of the review of the local boards’ Delegation Protocols, or delegate this task to a nominated representative to identify and communicate issues on the board’s behalf

Optional

b) nominate a representative to be part of the working group to explore issues for the Delegation Protocols review in September.

Horopaki

Context

8. The Chief Executive - and by extension all staff exercising the local boards’ delegated authority - are required to act in accordance with the Protocols. The Protocols include exclusions to the general delegations to the Chief Executive made by all 21 local boards in 2013.

9. Notwithstanding the general delegations to the Chief Executive, a local board may, at any time and in any circumstance, direct that a particular decision be made by the local board itself. This can be done through the chairperson and does not require an amendment to the local boards’ existing delegation. Similarly, staff retain the discretion to refer any matter to the local board for decision-making.

10. The current Protocols were adopted by local boards in 2013 during the first term of Auckland Council. They were developed by an elected members’ political working group, in consultation with operational managers, to provide clear and practical guidance on how delegated local board decision-making responsibilities should be exercised; or where they are excluded and must be made at the board level. A review may be beneficial to ensure they continue to provide sufficient and up-to-date guidance for staff undertaking decision-making on behalf of local boards.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

11. Since 2013, the responsibilities of local boards have evolved, particularly with the increased decision-making over existing activities and the allocation of new ones. In light of these developments, it may be timely for local boards to review the Protocols to determine whether any areas of decision-making requires updated guidance to reflect current expectations and practice.

12. In 2019, a small staff working group examined whether the existing exclusions and restrictions within the Protocols were continuing to support effective and efficient operational decision-making. That assessment found:

· the Protocols have been effective in guiding the development of work programming and reporting now embedded into council processes e.g. requiring staff to produce annual work programmes and report quarterly on progress

· there were only a limited number of areas where staff considered it might be useful to renegotiate exclusions with local boards; otherwise, the current Protocols remain broadly workable

· some of the issues staff were raising appeared to stem from a misunderstanding of the allocation of decision-making responsibilities, particularly where there are perceived overlaps between the authority of local boards and the Governing Body.

13. The staff review in 2019 was to determine whether a review should be recommended to local boards. Staff do not have the authority to amend the Protocols – this matter sits with the local boards themselves.

14. A future review of the Protocols will therefore need to include meaningful dialogue between elected members and operational staff to:

· better understand how local board decision-making responsibilities are currently being exercised by staff

· identify any constraints or concerns relating to the exercise of decision-making by staff under delegation or processes that culminate in decisions at local board level

· explore how staff exercising a board’s decision-making authority can provide appropriate confidence and assurances

· review the current list of exclusions to the delegation, to determine whether local boards are comfortable delegating more decisions to staff and to identify any additional matters they may wish to retain for local board-level decision-making.

15. In July, staff sought direction from the 21 local boards on timing of a review. The chairs felt that an early start could provide outgoing local boards with an opportunity to shape the review and raise issues that have caused them concern this term.

16. Due to the short amount of time left in the term, staff also asked the Chairs Forum to nominate a working group of members to start these discussions. While the chairs provided a preliminary list of nominees, they also emphasised the importance of ensuring other elected members felt welcome to participate. Staff therefore consider the working group open to additional members that individual local boards may wish to nominate at this stage. The current nominees for the working group are:

· Chair John Gillon (Kaipātiki Local Board)

· Chair Scott Milne (Ōrākei Local Board)

· Chair Damian Light (Howick Local Board)

· Chair Ella Kumar (Puketāpapa Local Board)

· Chair Maria Meredith (Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board)

· Member Brooke Loader (Henderson-Massey Local Board)

Tauākī whakaaweawe āhuarangi

Climate impact statement

17. The decision being sought is procedural in nature, and the associated work is not expected to have any material impact on the council’s climate change objectives or broader environmental commitments.

Ngā whakaaweawe me ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera

Council group impacts and views

18. The views of the council group will be sought as part of the review.

19. At this stage, it is sufficient to note that the council group is subject to obligations to deliver services efficiently and cost-effectively. These obligations influence how delegated authority is exercised, and the council group is likely to support efficiency improvements to customer-facing processes that intersect with local board decision-making.

Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe

Local impacts and local board views

20. Local board views are being sought through this report.

Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori

Māori impact statement

21. The decision sought is procedural in nature and will not impact policy or service delivery in any way that would directly impact Māori.

Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea

Financial implications

22. The decision sought in this report is procedural in nature and has no financial implications. Staff will identify areas where efficiencies can be gained from utilising delegations as part of the review.

Ngā raru tūpono me ngā whakamaurutanga

Risks and mitigations

23. There is a risk that the working group may have limited time to progress substantive work before the upcoming local elections. However, as no immediate decisions are required prior to the elections, the risk is considered low. Any limitations in process can be mitigated by the ability to carry the work over into the new term.

24. The primary focus of pre-election work is to identify key issues of concern to outgoing local boards. This will enable staff to prepare appropriate advice to support informed discussions in the next term. With feedback provided in response to this report, alongside insights gathered through the proposed working group, the process is expected to remain on track and manageable.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

25. Staff will arrange online discussions with elected members nominated to the working group. These sessions will aim to identify key issues to help shape the focus of the review in the new term and, where appropriate, address any low-hanging fruit that can be progressed in the interim.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a⇩	Local boards general delegation to CE and Delegation Protocols	263

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Shirley Coutts - Principal Advisor - Governance Strategy

Authorisers

Lou-Ann Ballantyne - General Manager Governance and Engagement

Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Memo - Pursuit of Excellence Awards - August 2025	301
b ⇩	Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board feedback on National Direction package 4 – Going for Housing Growth	305

[1] Sections 15-16 Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009

Chairperson	Apulu Reece Autagavaia
Deputy Chairperson	Vi Hausia
Members	Dr Ashraf Choudhary, QSO, JP
	Dr Ofa Dewes, MNZM
	Topou Folau
	Li'amanaia Lorenzo Kaisara
	Albert Lim

Author	Claire Bews - Democracy Advisor
Authoriser	Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

Author	Phoebe Peguero - Senior Advisor Operations and Policy
Authoriser	Victoria Villaraza - Local Area Manager

Exclusion of the Public: Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987