The contact details below are for journalists and other media professionals.

Auckland Council media contacts

Auckland Emergency Management

During an emergency response or civil defence emergency, the Public Information Management (PIM) duty phone will be activated. Please phone 021 837 176 to speak to the PIM duty manager.

At all other times, for general Auckland Emergency Management inquiries, please contact the Auckland Council media team.

Office of the Mayor

Director of Communications & External Relations
Mike Burgess
Phone: 021 823 936
Email: michael.burgess@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Auckland Council media team

Please direct your media query to the contact listed below.

If you are unsure, or your query doesn't fit into one of the categories, please contact michael.a.smith@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

If you have an emergency query between 5pm Friday and 8.30am Monday, phone the on-call number on 021 199 00 55.

Please note that only media queries relating to time-sensitive issues will be managed over the weekend and others will be responded to on Monday.

These contact details are for use by members of the media only. If you are a member of the public, please contact the Auckland Council call centre on 09 301 0101.

Michael Smith, Media Relations Manager

Phone: 021 538 940
Email: michael.a.smith@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Contact for:

• Biosecurity & Biodiversity
• Governance (including Advisory Panels)
• Pools & Leisure

Kate Palmer, Senior Media Adviser

Phone: 021 721 465
Email: kate.palmer@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Contact for:

• Building Control
• Climate Change
• Healthy Waters (including Safeswim)
• Planning
• Resource Consents

Sam Baxter, Media Adviser

Phone: 021 718 665
Email: sam.baxter@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Contact for:

• Animal Management
• Cemeteries
• Emergency Management
• Libraries
• Licencing & Regulatory Compliance (including Bylaws, Food Grading and Noise Control)
• Waste Solutions

Brendan Manning, Media Adviser

Phone: 021 806 370
Email: brendan.manning@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz 

Contact for:

• Arts, Community & Events
• Community Facilities
• Engineering (including Coastal Management)
• Finance (including Procurement, Treasury, Corporate Property and ICT)
• Parks

CCO media contacts

Auckland Transport

Media Relations Manager
Mark Hannan
Phone: 021 817 995
Email: mark.hannan@aucklandtransport.govt.nz

Media Adviser - Public Transport
James Ireland
Phone: 021 531 051
Email: james.ireland@at.govt.nz

Senior Media Adviser - Walking, Cycling and Road Safety
Joanna Glasswell
Phone: 021 907 642
Email: joanna.glasswell@at.govt.nz

Communications and Public Affairs Manager
Wally Thomas
Phone: 021 593 412
Email: wally.thomas@aucklandtransport.govt.nz

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development

Screen, film, investment, tripartite and corporate enquiries
Lester Thorley
Phone: 021 829 741
Email: lester.thorley@aucklandnz.com

Business growth, innovation, skills
Duncan Croft 
Phone: 021 827 046
Email: duncan.croft@aucklandnz.com

Major events
Melanya Burrows
Phone; 021 986 710
Email: melanya.burrows@aucklandnz.com

Tourism, Auckland Convention Bureau, iSITEs
Anika Forsman
Phone: 022 026 1130
Email: anika.forsman@aucklandnz.com

Panuku Development Auckland

Senior Communications and Marketing Adviser
Melanie Roberts
Phone: 022 370 1756
Email: Melanie.Roberts@developmentauckland.co.nz

Regional Facilities Auckland

External relations director
Paul Brewer
Phone: 021 532 920
Email: paul.brewer@rfal.co.nz

Watercare Services

Communications Manager
Ramari Young
Phone: 022 011 2836
Email: communications@water.co.nz