Revealed: Auckland under the super city

At a Local Government Commission presentation this morning, media were told how Auckland will be carved up once the super city comes into force.

It will be divided in to 13 different wards, with 21 local boards.

CENTRAL AUCKLAND

Orakei on its own
Orakei residents bombarded authorities with submissions, the most received from any area in fact. As they asked for, Remuera residents will be segregated in the supercity boundaries from the poorer area of Otahuhu.

“We received a significant number of submissions calling for the splitting of the proposed Orakei-Maungakiekie Ward in to two single-member wards,” the Local Government Commission said in its report.

The submissions were based on the distinct socio-economic difference between the Orakei area of the ward which includes Ellerslie, Mission Bay, St Heliers, Kohimarama and Remuera where voter turnout was much higher historically than the remaining area including Glen Innes, Tamaki, Onehunga and Otahuhu.

“Our investigations did identify a clear distinction between the socio-economic characteristics of the northern area and the central/southern area,” the commission said.

“We also note that the area of the proposed ward has historically been split between local authorities which would provide further challenges in developing commonalities of interest.”

Albert-Eden-Roskill Ward
A new name has not been made up for this ward, so it gets the triple-barrelled tongue twister of Albert-Eden-Roskill ward. As the name suggests, it comprises Mt Albert, Mt Eden and Mt Roskill.

It also includes all of Kingsland “to avoid splitting these communities of interest,” and Point Chevalier, Waterview, Hillsborough, Greenlane, Epsom, Lynfield and Sandringham.

Maungakiekie-Tamaki Ward
This region comprises Royal Oak, Oranga, Te Papapa, Westfield (the place Great South Rd goes through, not one of the malls), Glen Innes, Point England, Panmure up to the Panmure bridge, but excludes Ellerslie (which is part of Orakei) by dividing it halfway down Marua Rd.

It will be represented by two local boards, one for Maungakiekie and one for Tamaki, split by where the Southern Motorway runs through the ward.

Ponsonby and Great Barrier Island united?
The area known roughly as central Auckland, including Parnell, Ponsonby, Westmere, the Newmarket business district and the CBD is now part of the same ward as Great Barrier Island and Waiheke Island, which may seem illogical.

“We believe it is important to have a ward incorporating all of the Auckland CBD, as the commercial heart of the region, together with the adjoining suburbs which have a common geographical location,” the commission said.

“The area has a distinct character of commercial activity, city amenities and higher-density residential accommodation requiring representation.”

As for including all the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, the Commission said it was to best benefit their functional community interest factors like employment, transport and shopping.

There will be three local boards, one for Great Barrier Island, one for Waiheke Island, and one for the rest of the Waitemata area including mainland.

NORTH SHORE

Westies turned Albanians
The Albany ward includes Whenuapai and Hobsonville, because a number of submitters from Herald Island and Whenuapai said they felt a stronger sense of community with Albany than being part of Waitakere.

“Examples of these connections are the shopping and other services which have been developed with the new motorway,” the commission said.

The Albany ward also includes part of the North Shore Bays, excluding Castor Bay and Milford. It includes Campbells Bay, Mairangi Bay, Murrays Bay, Army Bay and Waiwera as well as Paremoremo, Greenhithe and North Harbour.

It will have separate local boards for the East Coast Bays, Hibiscus Coast and Upper Harbour (Albany and Hobsonville.)

Muriwai not in Waitakere ward
The Rodney ward includes Muriwai Beach, separating it from the Waitakere ward. Rodney will also include Dairy Flat, Snells Beach, Mahurangi and Puhoi. The local board is split in to four subdivisions – Kumeu (including Muriwai), Dairy Flat, Warkworth and Wellsford.

New North Shore
North Shore will include Devonport, Takapuna, Birkenhead, Milford, Sunnynook and Beach Haven with two separate local boards – one for Takapuna and Devonport, and the Kaipatiki local board for the rest of the ward.
The Eastern Bays upward from Campbells Bay will be part of the Albany ward.

WEST AUCKLAND

West Coast Beaches and Massey cosy up
The Waitakere ward includes the Henderson Valley, West Harbour, the Te Atatu peninsula, Piha, Laingholm, Karekare, Anawhata, Titirangi and Cornwallis.

“We received submissions opposing our proposal to include in Waitakere Ward the Te Henga wetlands and farming areas of Bethells Rd and Wairere Rd,” the Commission said.

“We considered the issues raised carefully and concluded that, as a result of the roading pattern in this area, the immediate community of interest is tied, in the first instance, to Waitakere township which is in turn linked to the community of interest represented by the Waitakere ward.”

Some farmers were concerned being linked to the heritage area of Waitakere Ranges would make them affected by the native bush’s land use and planning control restrictions, but the commission said the heritage area was defined by legislation and confined to specific properties.

Henderson and Massey will have its own local board, and the Waitakere Ranges will have a separate one.

Introducing … Whau!
Where? The Whau ward is one of the new names the commission is introducing to Auckland. It comprises Blockhouse Bay, Green Bay, Kelston, New Windsor, and Avondale. Whau and Orakei are the only wards to have only one local board.

“We received relatively few submissions relating to this ward, with some suggesting parts of it could be combined with neighbouring wards,” the Commission said.

“Given the nature of the neighbouring areas, we believe such suggestions would require larger three-member wards which we do not support.”

SOUTH AUCKLAND

Manukau Ward
The Manukau ward includes Auckland airport, Mangere, Middlemore and part of East Tamaki, with one local board for Mangere-Otahuhu and another for the Otara and Papatoetoe areas.

The commission said this meant the southern boundary moved to include Manukau CBD and the area bound by new State Highway 20, the western boundary moved westward to include Papaptoetoe cemetery and the Manukau memorial gardens, South Auckland Crematorium and the Puhinui Reserve. The eastern boundary was adjusted to include Flatbush.

Manurewa-Papakura Ward
This ward includes Red Hill, Weymouth, Takanini and Wiri. The northern boundary was moved south to exclude Manukau CBD, the commission said, and the Southern boundary was shifted to parts of Druary are included “to avoid splitting community of interest”.
It has a separate local board for Manurewa and another for Papakura.
 

EAST AUCKLAND

Eastern suburbs become Te Irirangi
The Te Irirangi ward includes Pakuranga Heights, Bucklands Beach, Half Moon Bay, Cockle Bay, Botany Downs, Highland Park and East Tamaki Heights.

The local board represents three distinct subdivisions, at Pakuranga, Howick and Botany.

Franklin divided
The Franklin ward includes Karaka, Happy Valley, Pukekohe, Brookby, Clevedon, Maraetai, Kawakawa Bay and Awhitu Central with three separate subdivisions. Waiuku subdivision, Pukekohe and Wairoa. The rest of the Franklin area not included will become part of Waikato.