East Auckland residents are being asked to help shape the future direction of their local community.
The Howick Local Board’s local board plan lays out its strategy and what it intends to do over the next three years.
The first round of public feedback on the plan will inform its draft version, which people will soon be able to share their view on.
The document will then be finalised and adopted before coming into effect in July next year.
Board chairperson Damian Light says the plan is divided into five areas, being people, environment, community, places, and economy.
Integrated into those categories are efforts to ensure the board contributes to climate mitigation and meets its legal obligations to Maori.
Light says the plan is critical as it helps to inform not just local residents but also Auckland Council about what is important to this community.
“It states what we want to see done as well as what we want more of and what we want less of.
“The plan says what we’re looking for, what we need to deliver on, and gives direction to the rest of council about what our priorities are.
“It’s really important locals have their say as the plan drives what we do for the next couple of years.”
Light says the section focusing on people is important as the Howick ward has a “pretty broad demographic”, especially regarding ethnic diversity.
“We need to know how we can engage with people, what sort of languages we need to be speaking, and what the ways are that we communicate with people.
“Also, what are the different needs and challenges and opportunities that exist for people as that diversity grows.”
He says the environment has always been important to locals and more needs to be done to protect it but also to restore it.
The section of the plan on community looks at how the board can enable people to be connected and engaged.
“It’s a big city and there are about 150,000 people in the Howick ward, so it’s very easy for people to become isolated,” Light says.
“We’re thinking about how we can engage with people who have different needs and wants, and age is a factor.
“The next section in the plan is about places, which is physical stuff such as the parks and transport and facilities we have available for people.”
The part focusing on the economy looks at how the board can support the 18,000 businesses in the Howick ward, he says.
“They make a pretty significant contribution to local employment, but they’re also regional and national.
“We have a big part to play in that in how we support and grow our economy and how we encourage people into good jobs.”
Light says the board has listened to initial public feedback to create the draft plan and it’s looked at what in the previous plan is still relevant.
The document will go out for public consultation and will then be finalised and adopted in October.
