progress against the odds

Grey Lynn residents navigate floodwaters during the 2023 Anniversary Weekend floods.

Waitematā Local Board member Alex Bonham reflects on the challenges and achievements of the past term.

The council term is over and it has been a full-on three years. Once again disaster struck a few months in. Last term it was Covid. This time it was the Anniversary Floods. Roads slipped, people had to be rescued from houses deluged with water, and infrastructure collapsed, including the Orakei sewer. Then infrastructure costs soared and the “let's build back better” vibe was overcome by geopolitics, recession and cuts.

And yet, despite all this, council has delivered a lot. Alongside the Labour Government of the time, a rescue package was developed and we have mended sinkholes in roads, tracks, and parks. We have supported people personally affected to help them move on and advocated for the planning rules to change to keep people out of danger. And this approach has now been adopted by the governing body, and supported by government.

We are making more space for water to manage flooding better. In Waitematā we are expanding the Hakanoa Reserve as a blue-green corridor with regenerative planting to boost biodiversity—the reserve will be an even nicer place to be. And lots of investment in improving the pipes, in Hakanoa Road and across the city. Environmental restoration projects across the city from Remuera to Parnell, Waitītiko Meola Creek, Grey Lynn, and Western Springs are increasing biodiversity and bringing people together.

Planting alongside Waitītiko Meola Creek where it runs through MOTAT towards Te Tokaroa Meola Reef.

Focus has gone into emergency management into tech, sensors and communications. I successfully advocated for emergency guidance for people living in apartments, a New Zealand first. I will continue to advocate for more focus on apartment living and community resilience in general, including for the homeless, who are in crisis for much of the time, but who are particularly vulnerable in major flooding events.

I have been working with the community to limit private helicopter use since 2022. I successfully advocated for a suite of measures to manage helicopters better, including a practice note to guide planners, making it easier for the community to complain, removing pictures of helicopters in Council brochures, and the adoption of National Planning Standard 15 to limit noise. In 2024 I led a Notice of Motion to advocate for the prohibition of helicopters in residential areas. I have stood alongside the community to stop new consents and will continue to advocate with them to stop any more helipads in residential areas.

More positively, the Central Interceptor and water separations projects are ahead of schedule. Sewage spills into West Waitematā will have mostly stopped from 2028, which means Cox’s Bay can be cleaned up. The big infrastructure focus then shifts to the Newmarket Gully project to clear up Hobson's Bay. Watercare's investment in sensors and machine learning will improve services and cut remediation costs as blockages or misconnections are caught early. Hurrah.

Suggestions to significantly cut arts and Citizens Advice Bureau funding were fought against, and these organisations are delivering well, though the funding struggle remains real. Visitors to libraries are up about 20%—yay—and funding has been acquired for the Leys Institute Library restoration and consents are going through. Shovels in the ground next financial year. And negotiations are underway for the Olympic Pool, with money allocated to refurbish and remediate.

Efforts to kibosh the quality of the new CRL stations and streetscape upgrades around Karangahape Road were unsuccessful, and Auckland will reap the benefits next year when the CRL opens. Against the odds the cycle network is being connected up: Market Place, Great North Road, Meola Road, Surrey Crescent and more. Plus more trees are in the streets and in our reserves. The new artwork Waimahara led by Graham Grayza Tipene in Myers Park is stunning, as are the waka recently installed on Daldy St—go have a look if you haven’t seen them yet!

Local businesses are pulling together to face the challenges, and I was very proud to support the establishment of the Grey Lynn Business Improvement District. Now that local economy work is in-house in council, there are economic brokers working in South Auckland. We’ll be really interested in seeing how they add value. I am also keen to see more channels of dialogue open up between the BIDs, the Council Economic Unit and the Business Chamber to share opportunities and insights. How can we leverage off cheaper rents and lots of graduates and talent in the city to make exciting things happen?

We have embraced play, renewing Gladstone Park playground, Heard Park and Point Erin play areas. There is an awesome new skateboarding space in Newmarket and we have resourced young people to deliver what they want. And it’s not just kids, we are loaning out board games from the libraries and running games nights while Play Week brings multiple generations together. We have also changed the way we assess health and safety for play outside of playgrounds and have a more sensible approach to swings in trees. In other words, if the branch is robust, you can!

I have also been investigating how to make the city better for seniors and for children and am advocating for more affordable housing in the central isthmus areas. Council does have a senior housing CCO, Haumaru Housing, and I am hoping they can extend into Waitematā. I am also keen to see the actual delivery of well-designed family homes with sufficient space, green space, light and amenity, like Cohaus, which offer greater density than traditional living.

So, there is lots more to do to make the city more resilient, more vibrant and more productive, but the steps taken this term have been good ones and provides a good springboard for the next council to build upon. At local level, it will be an opportunity to refresh priorities and go in again, to finish off outstanding projects, make things happen around the Maungawhau CRL station, bring the city back to life, deliver quality housing and transport and strengthen community bonds. For other thoughts do look at https://www.alexbonham.co.nz/

Your support means the world to me, and my City Vision colleagues. I hope to continue to serve as a local board member for another term. Please vote, please encourage others to do so and talk about the city you want to live in. It makes a huge difference.

Thank you for reading, and very best wishes, Alex

Alex Bonham and Richard Northey at the Maungawhau CRL station, now nearing completion.