Growth in Auckland isn’t just about big council projects like new roads, major transport initiatives, or improved water services.
Local boards also fund projects, upgrades and facilities that build better neighbourhoods and help create great places to live.
From bush tracks to barbecues, here are four things you might not know Aotea / Great Barrier Local Board is helping to provide on the island, improving local amenities for all.
Walking the walk
The journey between the airport and the Claris shops is now a connected pathway keeping pedestrians separate and safe from road traffic. The board has been funding the path in stages, and working with Auckland Transport on sections close to the road including finding a suitable place for people to cross.
The path is accessible for wheelchairs, pushchairs and even suitcases on wheels! Children on bikes are welcome, as long as they are careful of other users.
The board also oversees some of the other walking tracks on the island with stunning scenery, including bushy Station Rock Path (the steps are worth it for the view!) and Whangapoua Path in Okiwi.
Playtime
Medlands Playground Reserve recently got a glow up with a new basketball halfcourt which now includes markings for Pickleball – a whole new sport for the island!
Wheeled play opportunities have also increased in recent times for the motu, with a full skate ramp at Mulberry Grove which can be used rain or shine thanks to its canopy cover, a moveable ramp at Medlands, and the Levi Golaboski Memorial pump track at Kaitoke School which was part-funded by the local board through its grants programme.
There’s also more to come, with many of the island’s playgrounds due for an upgrade over the next few years. Watch this space.
Sun’s out, buns out
2024 saw new barbecues installed at Okiwi Park, Okupu Reserve, and Motairehe Road Reserve to keep them cooking for summers to come. The other locations you can take your saussies (and buns) to are Mulberry Grove Reserve and Medlands Playground Reserve, for a casual DIY dinner outing with the whānau.
Solar Power
Yes, it’s the title of a Lorde album, but it’s also the island’s most popular source of renewable energy. Many of our community spaces and organisations such as Aotea Family Support Group, Anamata, Claris Club, Motairehe Marae, Aotea FM and Glenfern Sanctuary have benefitted from the local board’s capital grant funding to install solar energy systems and harness the power of the sun! This is great news because it reduces reliance on diesel generators, strengthening island resilience and empowering clean energy.
Great Barrier Island Service Centre in Claris is also about to get an upgrade to its system, thanks to council’s Fix and Finish Fund.
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