Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee recently adopted a high-level strategic direction to achieve better environmental outcomes for the Manukau Harbour and endorsed a forward work programme.
The item was carried unanimously by the committee with many speaking on the significance of the Manukau Harbour and what it means to those who live in and around it.
Cr Angela Dalton, Deputy Chair of the committee acknowledged this key milestone as a watershed moment for the Manukau Harbour.
“After years of hard mahi, it’s exciting to be here, at this moment, and have a framework to support the Manukau Harbour. We now have a strong foundation for collaboration and to bring council workstreams together in a cohesive way.”
“I’d like to acknowledge every local board member that has served on the Manukau Harbour Forum and all the work that’s been done. I’d also like to thank all the staff who have been working tirelessly to get us here,” says Cr Dalton.
“The voices in our community that live in and around the harbour have seen the many improvements over the years, but they have also seen degradation. This is a good step up to the next part of the journey of the Manukau Harbour, which will no longer be the forgotten harbour of Tāmaki Makaurau.
“This is long overdue and it’s truly fantastic to see us move forward. Rest assured, this is not just paper or words – it will move us forward, grow the work and give us more purpose.”
A joined-up approach
The initiative is aimed at ensuring the council is meeting its statutory responsibilities to safeguard the health of the Manukau Harbour.
It aims to do this by considering the council’s decisions and activities around the harbour in an integrated way and in terms of their influence on the health of the harbour.
To achieve that vision, the Committee heard how there is a need to set the direction for the future state of the harbour that the council is aiming to achieve.
“Auckland Council has a clear responsibility for safeguarding the health of the Manukau Harbour; and a significant ability to influence the environmental health of the Manukau Harbour through its regulatory and operational decisions,” says Dave Allen, Auckland Council Manager, Natural Environment Strategy.
“However, the council and its CCOs need a clearer articulation of the overarching environmental outcomes we wish to achieve for coastal marine areas within our jurisdiction. This high-level strategic direction is designed to address this for the Manukau Harbour in its own right. It will support coordination and alignment of investment and activities across the organisation. It will also include evaluating progress over time.”
A new vision
The Planning, Environment and Parks Committee has now adopted a long-term vision and environmental outcomes for the harbour: That the Manukau Harbour is healthy and thriving. Its mauri is restored, and life is abundant. Its people are well.
This vision is accompanied by five long-term outcomes focussed on water quality, healthy ecosystems, climate resilience, and supporting mana whenua and the communities of Auckland taking care of the harbour.
This vision and suite of outcomes were developed based upon an assessment of Manukau Harbour values, a review of recent community engagement feedback, and several engagement processes that included mana whenua and local boards via the Manukau Harbour Forum.
Next steps
The next stage of work will focus on what Auckland Council can do to contribute to the improved health of the harbour. This will include identifying key pressures on the harbour and objectives for reducing them.
The Planning, Environment and Parks Committee has also supported a proposal to bring committee members and mana whenua together in a periodic meeting to develop relationships and working together with a focus on the health of the harbour.
With the Committee’s approval, staff will now further develop this proposal alongside the Chair and Deputy Chair of the committee and mana whenua.
