Voluntary Work
“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections … but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in”.
Dr Syed Almashhadi
I have been a regular community volunteer for many decades, whether it was in a supporting role managing my children’s sports teams, volunteering in a food bank or planting, weeding and cleaning-up in the community. My family has many fond memories of regular planting sessions across Auckland – at Meola Reef Reserve, the Onehunga Foreshore and within our own local area at Oakley Creek, Te Auaunga. Many hours have also been spent sitting on environmental, social and business committees, in advocacy (both written and oral), community engagement and liaising with councils and other government organisations. Fourth year of my Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree was spent on a participatory design project for Hendon Park, where I engaged with the community and multiple stakeholders, including Friends of Oakley Creek, Auckland City Council and NZTA. The New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA) awarded this project upon completion.
CURRENT:
- Whangaruru South Residents & Ratepayers Association Inc. (WSRRA) – 7 years with 3 years as current Chairperson
- Whangaruru Coastal Community & Sports Association Inc. (WCC&SA) – 6 years with 1 year as Secretary
- Oakura Reserves Board (DOC appointees) – 4 years
PAST:
- Friends of Oakley Creek Te Auaunga – 5 years with 3 years as Secretary
- Mt Albert Residents Association (MARA) – 3 years with 1 year as Secretary
- Mt Albert Business Association (MABA) – 1 year
- NZ Garden Design Society – 6 years
I am most proud of the contribution I made during my time on the Committee of Friends of Oakley Creek, Te Auaunga and during my current term on Whangaruru South Residents & Ratepayers Association Inc. as Chair.
OAKURA CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND
Earlier this year, on behalf of WSRRA. I submitted an application for funding to Te Puna Tahua – Lottery Grants Board for a community-led children’s playground on Council owned land in Oakura Bay. In June, we were notified that our application was successful.
The provision of a children’s playground is long overdue. Currently, there are no public playgrounds in the far northern extent of the Whangārei District. The closest public playgrounds available are situated at the Hikurangi Domain, approximately 32km away, in Whangārei or at Ngunguru, over 70km away. Our local children deserve better. This has been the community project I am most passionate about achieving.
Our application was supported by WDC, as both legal owners of the site and as providers of an earlier grant in the 2023 Annual Plan, that allowed us to apply for the additional funding. We are extremely grateful to WDC for their support and look forward to our ongoing collaboration with them once construction begins in early 2026.
OAKURA WETLAND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
In conjunction with WDC and the Whangaruru Coastal Community & Sports Association Inc., WSRRA will be embarking upon the reconstruction of a wetland and associated infrastructure on Council owned land in Oakura, with works due to commence in early 2026. The process to enhance a highly modified and neglected wetland area has been a long, drawn out one. Earlier plans were produced by Architect Harry Turbott (deceased) many years ago, with another concept design covering a much wider scope produced in 2006 by Littoralis. Neither of these plans came to fruition.
However in early 2019, WSRRA met with Council representatives to once again discuss establishing the wetland. Our then current chair made a submission on behalf of WSRRA in 2019 to the Annual Plan that resulted in a grant of $20k to go towards determining consenting requirements under the relevant rules for the WDC District Plan and the NRC Regional Plan. In part due to Covid-19, progress stalled until November 2020 when WDC Parks & Recreation informed us that Morphum Environmental Ltd had visited the site and had provided WDC with a quote to progress the necessary resource consent requirements and design. Unfortunately, the cost had grown higher than previous earlier estimates and based on the advice and support of our councillors at the time, I made a submission on behalf of WSRRA to the Long Term Plan 20221-2031 seeking additional funds to allow for consenting and design work to progress. We were successful in obtaining a further $30,000, thus enabling Morphum to commence work in June 2022 once the Covid-19 restrictions had lifted. In due course, a draft concept design for the wetlands was provided by Morphum for community consultation.
In August 2022, after consultation with nga hapū of Whangārei, WDC listed their Three Waters Better Off Funding (Tranche 1) priority programmes, outcomes and funding allocations. The Oakura wetland enhancement project was ‘shovel ready’, and as a consequence, funding was allocated for the wetland, along with an upgrade to sports facilities in the Bay.
After what seemed an interminable length of time and much frustration, developments are now progressing at pace. Construction of the community-led wetland enhancement project is due to commence in 2026. For many in the Bay, the dream is finally coming to fruition. We believe the Oakura Wetland Enhancement Project will be an exemplar for future wetland projects in the Whangārei District.
Oakley Creek, Te Auaunga – a green oasis in the middle of Auckland
In 2005, I became involved in a local community group – Friends of Oakley Creek – that had been formed late 2004 by local legend, Wendy John, tasked with improving the surrounding natural environment and waterway by riparian planting, restoring the wetlands and providing advocacy for the protection of the waterway, in particular as it related to the natural segment of the waterway between Owairaka and Waterview. The vision was “to have Oakley Creek Te Auaunga and its environs restored and protected as a natural ecosystem incorporating a range of wildlife habitats, indigenous species and recreational amenities for present and future generations”.
Oakley Creek, Te Auaunga is Auckland’s longest urban stream and has the only natural waterfall on the isthmus. Over the decades, the group’s activities have grown from planting – over 90,000 native plants have gone in the ground – weeding and rubbish collection to include pest control and water quality monitoring. Many volunteers turn out regularly to assist, from local schoolchildren to businesses and organisations. Some individuals and groups have ‘adopted’ a section of the waterway that they attend on a regular basis. In 2007, our efforts were recognised when the group won the Auckland Regional Council Sustainable Urban Communities Environment Award.
During the earlier years, along with environmental restoration efforts, I spent a great deal of time in advocacy on behalf of the committee – writing submissions, presenting at public forums to NZTA, ACC Transport Committee, the Eden/Albert and Avondale Community Boards and the Auckland Regional Council. An early iteration of concept plans proposed for SH20 Waterview Connection had huge impacts on the Creek. What was being proposed meant losing vast tracts of green spaces, including Oakley Creek Walkway and the waterfall. After a long and lengthy process that ultimately ended up in the Environment Court, we were able to secure the best outcome for the Creek, its environs and the many parks that bordered it – a segment of underground tunnel through the most significant part of Oakley Creek. Post my years in the organisation, Friends of Oakley Creek, Te Auaunga has gone on to be involved in extensive mitigation of the waterway further west, in the form of renewed parks, increased day-lighting of the Creek and other forms of mitigation, including extensive riparian planting and stormwater measures. Twenty years later, and the group is still going strong.