Aotea’s newly elected Local Board is working on its next 3-year plan.  This is the document that lays out the community’s priorities and which the rest of the Council group uses to guide decisions about services and budgets for Aotea over the next 3 years. There is a short online questionnaire on the webpage to fill out (see link above) – or a form you can print. It will take 10 minutes of your time – more if you have more to say. It asks you to choose 3 priorities for environment, community and infrastructure and leaves room for comments, please feel free to use any (or all) of the points below in the form’s comments sections.

The deadline is 30 April 2023

KEY POINTS FOR SUBMISSIONS: AOTEA GREAT BARRIER LOCAL BOARD 3 YEAR PLAN

1. Aotea is unique in the Auckland region because of the high concentration of threatened ecosystems and biodiversity here. This area is not like other Local Board areas in the Auckland region, and the Local Board needs to support mana whenua and the island’s community and private landowners to do the right thing. This work should in turn be supported by appropriate funding for biosecurity work that reflects the regional importance of protecting Aotea.

2. The vision of Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea to remove predators from the island and restore its mauri needs to be clearly acknowledged in the 3 Year Plan, as it needs to support of the Council and the Local Board to be fulfilled.

3. The Aotea community takes its responsibilities to protect and restore nature seriously. This is why the community supports the vision of a predator free Aotea, and is why proportionally more households are trapping rats on Aotea than in any other community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Support for the community to continue this work on their own land is needed from the Local Board.

4. The Local Board and Auckland Council are very effective supporters of community led conservation on Aotea and this is an important part of their role. Participation in restoration and conservation improved wellbeing and helps people connect to the natural environment they live in, as well as to others. This should be a key theme in the plan and be supported by appropriate funding.

5. Responsible pet ownership, of dogs and cats, is very important for the island’s wildlife. We need the Council and the Local Board to support this with appropriate by-laws supporting enforcement against those who are currently not appropriately controlling their animals around birds and their habitats.

6. Visitor income is very important to the island’s economy and the top reason people visit is the natural environment. There are also significant employment benefits from having a thriving conservation sector. The link between the economic health of the island and the environment should be explicit in the plan.

7. The marine environment is vital to the island and the coastal zone is not protected adequately, nor are the coastal waters around the island. It is nearly 10 years since the Sea Change process identified how strongly people feel about declining fish stocks and it is appropriate for the Local Board to advocate for faster progress on marine restoration. Under the RMA, Auckland Council can move to ban commercial fishing and other damaging practices such as dredging to protect biodiversity. Ahu moana and other mana whenua led initiatives should also be acknowledged and supported in the plan.

8. Marine biosecurity is increasingly of concern to the community – there have been too many arrivals of invasive species already and this trend is unlikely to change with warming seas and more north easterly systems. There is no marine biosecurity plan for Aotea, nor permanently allocated Council or MPI resources to carry out education, surveillance, detection and response. This despite sea squirt, fan worm, Caulerpa, and Asian paddle crab all arriving on Aotea before the mainland. The Local Board has advocated effectively for changes to resource allocation by Auckland Council before and this issue requires strong advocacy from the board and acknowledgement in the 3 Year plan.