- By Damian Light, Howick Local Board chairperson
Auckland is unique with our Super-City structure – we have the governing body, made up of the mayor and 20 councillors, who make regional decisions like rates, rubbish, and regulatory matters.
They also provide oversight of the council-controlled organisations (like Watercare, Auckland Transport, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and Eke Panuku).
At a local level, decision making is provided by the 21 local boards, including the Howick Local Board.
While we take our name from the historical Howick, we also look after Pakuranga, Botany and Flat Bush.
Nine elected members serve a three-year term, with elections due in 2025.
We’re paid to reflect the time we must commit to reading reports, attending meetings, and making decisions on behalf of the community.
We also attend community events and activities throughout the year. We look after 266 local parks, four libraries, and four leisure centres (including a pool).
We deliver environmental programmes, youth development, and arts and cultural opportunities.
Adapting to our changing demographics
We’re fortunate to live in one of the most diverse cities in the world and our population continues to grow.
The latest census shows the Howick Local Board holds its position with the fifth largest population with 153,570 usual residents (after Auckland with 1.7 million, Christchurch with 391,383, Wellington with 202,689 and Hamilton with 174,741).
This population increase is in line with growth projections and isn’t a surprise given the 10.4 per cent increase in houses since the last Census in 2018.
We’ve seen significant growth in the Flat Bush area in particular as land is developed.
Our population who identifies as Asian is now at 52.5 per cent (up from 46.5 per cent) which is well above the Auckland average (31.3 per cent).
Local Māori (6.3 per cent) and Pasifika (8 per cent) populations continue to rise, along with Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (2.8 per cent).
This rich diversity brings both challenges and opportunities, especially as we strive to improve our communications and engagement.
On Thursday, June 27, the Howick Local Board met to finalise our work programmes for the coming year.
As we consider our priorities and budgets, having up-to-date demographic information is helpful to ensure we’re providing the facilities and services that serves our changing population.
Find out more and stay in touch
Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/howick
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HowickLB
Monthly eNewsletter: https://bit.ly/42kdAlK
