- By Damian Light, Howick Local Board chairperson
The Howick Local Board office in Pakūranga will close at the end of November, enabling council to recognise cost savings without impacting your access to us.
Until now, an office in Pakūranga has been rented for local board members and support staff.
Exiting this space will provide cost savings while alternative options are explored, including utilising existing Auckland Council-owned facilities.
While decisions around office space are made by council staff, the board is supportive of this cost effective and pragmatic approach.
We’re very conscious of ensuring public funds are wisely spent and we’re open to trying a new way of working.
Much has changed since the office was first opened, with hybrid and flexible working arrangements more commonplace than they were 15 years ago.
We’re fortunate to have a great team supporting us and they deserve a decent workspace to operate from.
By utilising the facilities available in the wider council group, we can achieve this quickly while providing time to establish a fit-for-purpose office in the future.
Despite the closure of the office, we continue to be available to our community on email, phone, or in-person by appointment.
When you request an appointment, instead of meeting at our office, we’ll use other locations like one of our local libraries.
We’ll continue to meet in our meeting room at 7 Aylesbury Street, Pakūranga, for business meetings and workshops (open by default from January).
Along with the Library and space provided to Citizens Advice Bureau and Pakuranga and Howick Budgeting Service, this is owned by Auckland Council and managed by the Howick Local Board.
Anyone who’s experienced the technology challenges in our meeting room will know it’s well overdue for an upgrade.
We’re pleased to see there will be a targeted investment to ensure we’re able to conduct our meetings properly, ensuring we can continue to serve our diverse community.
Find out more and stay in touch
Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/howick
Facebook: facebook.com/HowickLB
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