Input from Puketāpapa’s diverse communities is helping guide Puketāpapa Local Board members and Auckland Council staff in setting priorities for the next three years.
The local board is responsible for making decisions on local issues, activities and services. Currently, all 21 local boards across Auckland are engaging with their communities to gather input which will guide the drafting of local board plans for the next three years.
"We are blessed to make NZ as our home and we are lucky to have Puketāpapa as our local board, always supportive to local communities and getting ideas and consulting with us," said Sasikala Syed Niyamathullah, Project Coordinator at Belong Aotearoa.
The organisation (formerly known as the Auckland Regional Migrant Services or ARMS) has worked closely with the local board over the planning process as have other individuals and organisations.
Puketāpapa is distinctive as it is home to Auckland’s most diverse communities. Half of the area’s residents are born overseas – the highest proportion of overseas-born across all 21 local board areas. The largest numbers of overseas-born were born in India and the People’s Republic of China, with smaller groups from Fiji, England and Samoa.
“Hearing from our many communities is important to the Local Board “said Harry Doig, Puketāpapa Local Board chair. “We take representing our communities seriously and want to do what we can to help them thrive.”
The elected local board members and Auckland Council staff are engaging with locals through events where people can share their thoughts, opinions, hopes and dreams. Additionally, people can give their feedback online too until 28 March.
