Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board

27/10/2026

We’re proud to fund this Creative Lab session right here in Hunters Corner, creating opportunities for our community to connect, get creative, learn new skills and express themselves ✨

22/10/2026

Have your say on proposed safety improvements in Clover Park 🚦
💬 Have your say by Monday 2 November 2026 I For any queries, contact: [email protected]

Safety improvements are proposed for the Aspiring Avenue and Matthews Road intersection to make it safer and easier for people driving, walking, cycling and using public transport.

Auckland Transport The proposed changes include:
🚦 New traffic signals
🚶 Signal-controlled pedestrian crossings
🚌 Relocating four bus stops and three bus shelters
🏗️ A new retaining wall on Aspiring Avenue
🚗 Changes to on-street parking

⏺️ The proposed safety improvements at Aspiring Avenue and Matthews Road would remove 29 on-street parking spaces to make room for new infrastructure and improve visibility. Relocating the existing bus stops would create eight additional parking spaces in the area, meaning 21 fewer parking spaces overall.

⏺️ The intersection has recorded 23 crashes between 2020 and 2026, with concerns about vehicle speeds, near misses and limited safe crossing options for pedestrians.

⏺️ Parking demand around the intersection is generally low, and there are no nearby schools or businesses expected to be affected by changes to pick-up and drop-off activity.

The changes aim to make the intersection safer for everyone and improve traffic flow during busy periods. We want to hear from the people who use this intersection. Share your local knowledge or feedback to help refine the design before construction begins.

👉 Find out more about the proposed improvements here https://at.govt.nz/projects-and-initiatives/aspiring-avenue-and-matthews-road-intersection-improvements

20/10/2026

You may have seen Lappington Park playground making the rounds on social media - well, we’ve got some good news 😄

Lappington is getting the glow-up it deserves.
Take part here: https://tinyurl.com/455wps5a

With Pearl Baker playground recently renewed just 300 metres away, it’s Lappington’s turn to shine! Every playground deserves its comeback story. Let’s give locals another great community a space to enjoy and take pride in looking after 🛝

What we’re planning 🖍️
A refreshed playground with safer, more accessible equipment and more ways for local tamariki (children) and whānau (family) to play and enjoy the space.

What we’d like your feedback on ☑
How you use the playground and reserve, what play activities and facilities you’d like, and your seating preferences. Your feedback will help shape the playground’s future, with a plan presented to the local board in December 2026.

Take part by 🔽
Wednesday 11 November 2026.

18/10/2026

Whether it’s cooling off on a hot day, keeping active, enjoying the gentle, therapeutic benefits of being in the water or spending time with whānau, our Ōtara Pool and Leisure Centre and Papatoetoe Centennial Pool and Leisure Centre have something for everyone. Swimming is free for all ages, and with accessible features like ramps and hoists, more of our community can enjoy the water. Proudly backed by your local board. Spa, sauna and gym access incur additional fees.

More about these facilities and many other epic spaces - supported by our neighbouring local boards - across south Auckland found here https://tinyurl.com/4k3hpecn

15/10/2026

Getting you up to speed on Barrowcliffe Bridge 🌉
The bridge is part of a series of projects that will reconnect the south with safe, convenient walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as community amenities - all the way from the Auckland Botanic Gardens to Manu-kau Noa Iho / Hayman Park, following the Puhinui stream.

Thanks to the team from Auckland Urban Development Office you can learn all about it here https://tinyurl.com/4ephj845

🚶 Manukau’s transformation is underway!

One of the key projects that laid the groundwork for this is the upgrade of Barrowcliffe Bridge.

Working with the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board , we upgraded the bridge to reconnect the Wiri community with the town centre. It includes a new walking and cycle route and enables vehicle access to Kōtuitui Place.

The bridge is part of a series of projects that will reconnect the south with safe, convenient walking and cycling infrastructure, as well as community amenities - all the way from the Auckland Botanic Gardens to Manu-kau Noa Iho / Hayman Park, following the Puhinui stream.

🔗 bit.ly/barrowcliffe-lblf to learn more

15/10/2026

Another great Papatoetoe Networking Meeting! These monthly catch-ups are a chance to hear what’s happening across the area, our Chair provides regular updates and we have a chance to hear from local groups. This month, we heard from the Drowning Prevention team and look forward to sharing their tips and advice as we head into the summer months.

06/10/2026

🚀 Big ideas, new connections and the future of AI - right here in Manukau

Auckland Startup Week 2026 https://www.aucklandstartupweek.com/ runs from 12–16 October, bringing entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders together across Auckland.

Whether you're a founder, investor, enabler or corporate innovator, you'll find events that motivate, enlighten and inspire.

One of those events is the Tukua AI Brunch, created by South Auckland’s hub for Indigenous Innovation & Growth, Te Ngahere
🌿 Tradition is Innovation: Indigenous Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI
📅 Tuesday 13 October
🕙 10am–12pm
📍 Te Ngahere, 57 Cavendish Drive, Manukau
🎙️ Facilitated by Dan Walker
☑ Registration is free. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/4rz965tx

This is the third AI Brunch in the series and will explore what happens when Indigenous ways of thinking meet the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence.

Long before innovation became a startup buzzword, Indigenous communities were developing sophisticated ways of adapting, problem-solving, creating and responding to the world around them.

In partnership with AUT, the brunch will bring together perspectives from the AI, innovation and Indigenous spaces. The panel will include Anau Mesui Henry, co-owner of The Four Shells Kava Lounge, and Mihi Tibble of The Hina Collective, with two further speakers to be announced.

Come along for a morning of kōrero, connection and kai as we explore the innovation already embedded in our whakapapa and imagine new possibilities for the future of AI in Aotearoa 🎟️

05/10/2026

Auckland Transport’s system is changing - but most people won’t notice much day to day https://tinyurl.com/mry76pux

From 1 October 2026, Auckland Council is taking responsibility for local roads, footpaths, parking, bus lanes, street lighting and speed limits.

What stays the same?
🚌 Buses, trains and ferries will continue to be operated by Auckland Transport.
🚗 Parking charges and payment methods aren’t changing.
🛣️ State highways and motorways remain with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

There are a couple of changes to be aware of.
AT Park is becoming AC Parking, and Auckland Council will now handle reports about things like potholes, damaged footpaths and broken streetlights through its Report It service.

Council will also take the lead on consulting with communities about local transport changes, with local boards having a greater role in neighbourhood-level decisions.

The big change is happening behind the scenes: more transport decisions are moving closer to Auckland Council and local communities, with the aim of better connecting transport with decisions about housing, infrastructure and how Auckland grows.

04/10/2026

Community Notice I Monday October, 10am
Our community will come together for a vigil at the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Tavern Lane, at the former bowling club site.

We hold the family and our wider community in our thoughts and prayers, praying for healing, comfort and strength during this incredibly difficult time.

A heartfelt thank you to Matua Chris Pomare for leading our vigil in karakia. At a time when many in our community are grieving and hurting, we hope this gathering provides a space to come together, show our respects and support one another.

A staff member will be nearby to help direct people to the vigil location. We ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy and give them space by keeping away from the home.

01/10/2026

Looking for something free and fun to do this Saturday 3 October? Pop into Papatoetoe Library and join the team for this fun activity 😊

Happy Tuvaluan Language Week! 🌺🏝️ Come along, bring the famili, and enjoy some fun craft together for this week's Family Fun Saturday activity. Te fetaui! 😉🌴