Waiheke Local Board

06/09/2026

Seeing Rākino’s wildlife above and below the water

What can a community discover with the right tools?

On Rākino Island, community-led environmental monitoring is revealing a remarkable range of wildlife, both on land and beneath the surrounding waters.

Waiheke Local Board funding across two grant rounds helped Rākino Island Environmental Projects purchase a trail camera and an underwater camera.

The trail camera has captured little blue penguins, or kororā, travelling to and from their nesting area, including gathering material for their nests. It has also recorded pāteke, pūtangitangi and variable oystercatchers.

Underwater, the camera has documented the rich marine life around Rākino’s rocky reefs, including schools of fish, kina, sea anemones, nudibranchs, octopus and other reef species.

The monitoring is helping the Rākino community learn more about the wildlife around the island, raise awareness of the importance of protecting kororā and their nesting areas, and support future community penguin monitoring.

It’s a great example of community-led environmental work supported by local funding, helping build a better picture of the natural environment around our islands.

See more of Rākino’s wildlife and the images captured through the project:

www.rakino.org.nz/2026/08/23/korora-cam/
www.rakino.org.nz/2026/01/07/snorks/
www.rakino.org.nz/2026/01/18/snorks-2/

03/09/2026

Great work by the conservation dog teams helping protect Waiheke’s native wildlife.

Over four months, three detection dog teams covered around 760 kilometres across the motu. Of the last 12 stoats caught on Waiheke, five were found with the help of a conservation dog.

The Waiheke Local Board has funded more detection dog visits through its latest local and environmental grant round, part of $60,467 awarded to local community and environmental projects.

Read more about the grants and the projects they are supporting: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2026/08/waiheke-grants-bring-stories-to-life-and-protect-native-wildlife/

03/09/2026

Keeping water moving on Waiheke

Auckland Council is assessing selected Waiheke properties where mapping indicates an overland flow path may cross or pass close to the property.

Overland flow paths are natural routes that allow stormwater to move safely during heavy rain. Having one mapped near your property does not mean your property will flood.

Council assessors are checking whether things such as fences, landscaping, vegetation or structures could affect the safe movement of stormwater. Where an issue is identified, property owners will receive practical advice, with voluntary action encouraged in the first instance.

This work is part of Auckland Council’s wider Making Space for Water programme, helping improve flood resilience across Waiheke.

Read more: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2026/08/waiheke-olfp/

28/08/2026

Upcoming Waiheke Local Board meetings

You're welcome to attend our upcoming open workshops and business meeting.

Workshops

🔷 Wednesday 2 September

🔷 Wednesday 9 September

🔷 Wednesday 16 September

🔷 Wednesday 30 September

Attend in person at the Waiheke Local Board Office, 10 Belgium Street, Ostend.

Business meeting

🔶 Wednesday 23 September, 1pm

Held in person. Public attendance is welcome.

Find agendas, meeting links and minutes

You can view agendas before meetings, check future meeting dates, and read minutes from past meetings on the council's Resolve portal.

To join the business meeting online, open the meeting agenda on Resolve and select the MS Teams link at the top of the agenda page.

Visit Resolve here: https://aucklandcouncil.resolve.red/portal/

26/08/2026

Have your say on Auckland’s future housing plan

Auckland Council is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan through Plan Change 120 (PC120).

The changes would affect where and how much housing can be built across Auckland, including proposed changes around town centres, rapid transit stations and selected frequent bus routes. The plan also includes stronger protections for areas at risk from flooding and other natural hazards.

Find out more, view the proposed planning maps and make a submission at akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/aucklands-future-housing-plan

Submissions are open from 27 August to 24 September 2026.

Government changes to PC120

24/08/2026

Waiheke Local Board grants are helping turn local ideas into action, from bringing arts and literary experiences to island families to supporting the work to eradicate stoats and protect native wildlife.

More than $60,000 was awarded through the latest grants round, supporting community, arts, youth, environmental and conservation projects across the island.

Read the full story: ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2026/08/waiheke-grants-bring-stories-to-life-and-protect-native-wildlife/

24/08/2026

Meet author Josie Shapiro at Waiheke Library

Join bestselling author Josie Shapiro in conversation with award-winning author Caroline Barron about Good Things Come and Go, a novel of friendship, betrayal, ambition and grief, set on Waiheke Island.

Hear about the inspiration behind the novel and the themes of taking risks, second chances and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned.

📚 Saturday 29 August, 2pm
📍 Waiheke Library, 131 Ocean View Road
🎟️ Free, bookings required. Doors open 1.30pm.

Josie and Caroline will also be available to sign books after the event, with copies available to buy.

Book your free place: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/good-things-come-and-go-with-author-josie-shapiro-tickets-1993095727975?aff=ALwebsite

Presented by Auckland Council Libraries as part of We Read Auckland / Ka Pānui Tātou i Tāmaki Makaurau.

Caroline Barron and author Josie Shapiro unpick the themes of friendship, betrayal, ambition and grief in a new novel set on Waiheke Island.

18/08/2026

Great to see local funding making a difference for Waiheke’s community.

The board contributed $10,000 towards a new MESI diagnostic device for Waiheke Medical Centre, supporting ECG and spirometry testing and helping provide more diagnostic services locally.

Thank you to the team at Waiheke Medical Centre for sharing the impact of this investment, and for your ongoing work supporting the Waiheke community.

🙏 THANK YOU, WAIHEKE LOCAL BOARD 💜

We would like to sincerely thank the Waiheke Local Board for its generous $10,000 funding contribution, which has enabled Waiheke Medical Centre to purchase a MESI diagnostic device.

The MESI system allows our clinical team to perform ECGs and spirometry tests efficiently within the practice.

Its ECG capability helps us assess patients experiencing a range of cardiovascular symptoms and concerns, while its spirometry function supports the assessment and management of respiratory conditions, including asthma and COPD.

Both are important tools when responding to acute health concerns and supporting the ongoing management of chronic conditions.

We are extremely grateful to the Waiheke Local Board for supporting an initiative that will benefit our community for many years to come. This investment has truly strengthened our ability to provide accessible, high-quality diagnostic services.

www.waihekemedical.co.nz

📸 Pictured below: Nurse Lead Salila Hood (left) and Nurse Lead Rachel Falconer (right) with the MESI diagnostic device.