Island voices will always be heard when important decisions are being made about Aotea / Great Barrier.
The way Auckland Council is structured means not all local outcomes are decided by the local board.
Some decisions are made by council’s Governing Body, some by council-controlled organisations such as Auckland Transport, and others are made by central government or private entities.
But when that happens, the local board makes sure local views are put in front of key decision-makers.
“Our community is unique because our location is isolated from most of the region, and we often face very different challenges and needs from the mainland,” says Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board chair Izzy Fordham.
“This leads us to advocate strongly for initiatives important to our people and our environment.”
One of the advocacy points listed in the draft Local Board Plan, which sets out the board’s strategy for the next three years, is to advocate to the Governing Body for continued staff support to investigate a visitor levy to respond to the impacts of tourism.
“The influx of tourists that the island sees especially in the summer months and now that the international borders are open once again can put a strain on our facilities and services, as well as posing environmental and climate challenges,” says Izzy.
“One way to help offset these risks is to collect a visitor levy which would contribute to projects offering a solution.”
The local board is closely following Rakiura / Stewart Island with their experience of a visitor levy.
Another area linked to many advocacy points is the Hauraki Gulf. Just a few of the relevant topics included in the draft Local Board Plan are:
- advocating to central government and the Governing Body for the prohibition of marine dumping
- advocating to abolish bottom trawling and dredging in the Hauraki Gulf, and to encourage sustainable fishing
- advocating for an on-island hull cleaning and maintenance facility to improve marine biosecurity.
Read the draft Local Board Plan for a full list of advocacy items, and let us know what you think before 14 August at akhaveyoursay.co.nz/localboardplans
