Changes proposed for Whitford

Members of the public have had their say about changes they want to see in Whitford as part of the consultation feedback and input phase of the formation of the Franklin Local Board’s agreement 2025-2026.

The board received a report at its recent business meeting outlining numerous requests and suggestions from people in relation to possible improvements in Whitford.

The agreements of Auckland’s local boards detail the annual funding priorities, activities, budgets, levels of service, performance measures and initiatives for each local board area.

Local board agreements will be included in Auckland Council’s annual plan 2025/2026.

The report provided to the Franklin Local Board states the council publicly consulted from February 28 to March 28 to gather community feedback on its proposed annual plan 2025/2026.

“This included consultation on the Franklin Local Board’s proposed priorities for 2025/2026 to be included in their local board agreement, and key priorities and advocacy initiatives for the Annual Plan 2025/2026.

“Auckland Council received 13,016 submissions in total across the region and 667 submissions from the Franklin Local Board area.”

Of the submitters from the Franklin Local Board area, 59 per cent support all or most of the board’s priorities for 2025/2026, 61 per cent support all or most of the overall plan, 55 per cent support the bed night visitor levy proposal, and 49 per cent support the waste management proposal.

As part of the annual plan process, Auckland’s local boards provide recommendations to the council’s governing body for consideration or decision-making.

This includes any local board advocacy initiatives. The governing body will consider these matters during the annual plan decision-making process in May and June this year.

Among the matters its members will consider are any new/amended business improvement district targeted rates, any new/amended local targeted rate proposals, the release of local board specific reserve funds, and any other local board advocacy initiatives.

The requests and suggestions provided to the Franklin Local Board as part of the feedback process include a dog exercise area on the Whitford Reserve opposite the church, a public toilet at Pohutukawa Park, extensions to the path network in Whitford, and lowering the speed limited on Whitford-Maraetai Road between Beachlands and Maraetai to 50km/h so families can safely access Te Puru Park.