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A new place to find what’s on in Tāmaki Makaurau and bring your own ideas to life

Maketime is what we’re calling our series of workshops where ideas come to life. We’ve already got three planned this year and ‘Move It’ is the theme for the first one.

This one's all about movement – physical, creative or social. Think sport, dance, wellness, activism, theatre or anything that gets people moving and connecting IRL.

Auckland Council is investing big in community climate action with the launch of Te Ara Urutau – Climate and Emergency Ready Fund, offering more than $1million to help community organisations across Tāmaki Makaurau take bold, practical steps to tackle climate change and be emergency ready.

The fund supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prepare for emergencies, and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. It brings previous and new climate-related grants together into one streamlined process, making it easier for communities to access funding.

Groups can apply for up to two funding streams

Through a single application, groups can apply for up to two of the following funding streams: 

Emergency Readiness Funding – Helping communities work together to get ready for natural disasters and extreme weather events. (Funding requests range from $5000 to $15,000)

Emissions Reduction Funding – Supporting community-led and Māori-led projects that cut carbon emissions and promote sustainable practices. (Funding requests range from $5000 to $15,000)

Climate Adaptation Planning and Implementation – Enabling community-led planning and action for challenges like flooding, sea-level rise, and drought. Community organisations may recognise parts of this as the Auckland Climate Grant. (Funding requests range from $5000 to $40,000, with additional available to implement plans)

Who can apply?

Applications are welcome from a wide range of groups committed to delivering positive outcomes for their communities. This includes community groups such as not-for-profit, charitable and voluntary organisations, mana whenua and Māori organisations, neighbourhood or resident groups, schools leading community projects, and business improvement districts, associations or social enterprises delivering projects with a community or public benefit.

Applications open 2 February 2026

Applications open 2 February 2026 and close 8 March 2026. Funding decisions will be announced before the end of May.

Registration for EcoFest 2026, Sunday 22 March to Wednesday 22 April (Earth Day) are now open.

‍Registering Your Event is Free

‍Hosting an event is a great way to showcase the wonderful work you’re doing, share your environmental conservation knowledge, reach new audiences, recruit volunteers and activate collective local climate action.

‍Organise any event with an environmental or sustainability theme in Tāmaki Makaurau during EcoFest and register it with us by 31 January 2026 to be considered for inclusion in the printed festival flyer and make the most of the festival launch.

‍Organising Your Event

‍Events can range from guided nature walks to film screenings, stream restoration days to family bike rides, hands-on workshops, cooking classes and more. You are welcome to include your regular ‘business-as-usual’ eco events, working bees and volunteer sessions. View the 2025 programme for more inspiration on what kind of event you could host full of imaginative, community-driven events that made a real impact.

The 2026 festival dates include Easter weekend from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April and the school holidays are Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April. 

‍We really encourage events for tamariki and whānau during the weekdays of the school holidays.‍ ‍

If you have questions about being part of EcoFest, would like to discuss an event idea or anything else, feel free to get in touch with our Festival Coordinator, Ana, on ecofest@ecomatters.org.nz or 021 394 447.

The Event Categories Are

- Waka hourua / Clean transport and energy
- Kīnaki kai reka / Foodies’ fix‍
- Te whaihanga / Makers’ mayhem
- Torohē nuku / Explore nature
- ‍Mauri noho / Conscious living

EcoFest is a collaboration between EcoMatters Environment Trust, Kaipātiki Project, Beautification Trust, and Waiheke Resources Trust.

‍At EcoMatters we are looking after event hosts in the local board areas of Whau, Waitākere Ranges, Henderson-Massey, Waitematā, Maungakiekie-Tāmaki and Ōrākei and central Auckland. If you are hosting an event outside these areas feel free to get in touch and we will figure out the best option for you. We are very thankful for the support we receive from the local boards, we couldn’t run the festival without them‍. ‍

haping the Future of Your Community: Local Board Plans 2026

Every three years, post elections, Auckland’s 21 local boards work with their communities to develop a local board plan — a strategic document that sets out local priorities and preferences, and guides how council delivers services and investment in each area.

Work will start shortly on the draft Local Board Plans 2026

Why early conversations matter
Local Board Plans are more than just council documents — they are community roadmaps. They reflect what people value most about their neighbourhoods and identify what needs to change or improve.

Early conversations help shape direction before formal consultation begins. They allow local boards to test ideas, understand community aspirations, and identify shared priorities. When people engage early, their voices help define what success looks like — from local parks and facilities to transport connections, climate action, and community wellbeing.

Working together for better outcomes
Local boards are supported by teams across Auckland Council who provide expert advice and data to inform the plans.

But the most valuable insights often come directly from the community. When residents, mana whenua, businesses, and community groups share their perspectives early, local boards can make more informed, confident decisions that truly reflect local needs and opportunities.

What happens next
Over the coming months, you will have the opportunity to take part in early engagement activities — through local events, online feedback, and conversations with key groups and partners.

Your input will help shape the draft of each Local Board Plan, which will be formally consulted on in mid-2026.

How you can get involved
Together, we can create plans that reflect the aspirations, identity, and priorities of every community across Auckland — and set a strong direction for the next three years.

Every Friday and Saturday, 10:00pm to 3:00am, from 10 July to 19 September

Outside Ellen Melville Centre

We are so excited to be expanding into Auckland with a 10-week pilot supported by Auckland Council.

In Auckland, Take10 will be providing services like, games, phone charging, water, transport advice, first-aid medical support, friendly trained volunteers who love to kōrero with anyone who visits, and acting as a safe spot for people to relax, take a break or come to if they are lost or become separated from the people they are with.

Taking our mahi into a new city and being able to meet, and support a whole new group of people is something we are so looking forward too. If you are on a night out drop by and say Kia ora, we would love to meet you!

What makes us different?

Preventative – we catch people before they become victims by stopping them from becoming isolated and helping to reconnect people

Approach-able – people are often more willing to come to us than the police or emergency services

Safe – we give people a safe place to go - where they can charge their phones, take a break, sober up, have a chat, get medical support, and get help to get home safely.

Auckland Council launches essential guide to new life in Tāmaki Makaurau

Auckland Council is thrilled to announce the launch of its Welcome to Auckland web portal— a helpful and essential guide for anyone making Tāmaki Makaurau their new home. 

The portal aims to ease the transition for new residents by acting as a central hub for information, community services and civic participation, ensuring newcomers feel a sense of belonging from day one.  

The initiative is built on the Welcoming Communities framework – an international programme led in Aotearoa by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and is aligned with the Auckland Plan and the city’s strategic objectives for Thriving Communities.   

The Welcome to Auckland portal is not just a website; it's an invitation to engage. The resource was shaped by shared experiences of newcomers to Auckland as well as mana whenua and their perspectives on iwi roles in welcoming newcomers and making it a doorway to culture, values and an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Iwi and Hapū of Tāmaki Makaurau, as well as cultural events like Matariki. 

Alongside the digital platform, a practical orientation programme of workshops is being rolled out in partnership with community organisations across nine local boards. These workshops give new residents hands-on information on everything from public transport and accessing local services to participating in civic life. 

Nau mai, Haere mai ki Tāmaki Makaurau. Your journey to belonging starts here: Welcome to Auckland – a practical guide for newcomers.

Every fourth Thursday of the month, 12pm - 1.30pm, Ellen Melville Centre

Join a community meeting. We meet monthly at the Ellen Melville Centre to discuss a range of topics and connect our city centre community.

A community newsletter for apartment dwellers

The Vertical Voice is one of the best and most readable sources of local information for apartment dwellers. Sent out monthly by email, it is free and easy to receive. ​Written by local Antony Phillips, the Vertical Voice seeks to help build neighbourhood and community in the City Centre, by raising the profile of information, local events and other opportunities, relevant to those of us living in apartments locally. ​

Subscribe now to receive monthly news.

An e-newsletter with city centre updates

Auckland City Centre Residents Group Ngā Kainoho o Te Pokapū o Tāmaki (CCRG) is a volunteer, non-profit, registered incorporated society with the purpose to represent – as a policy lobbying & stakeholder group advocate – Auckland City Centre residents, and their interests and concerns, to Auckland Council and any other agency whose actions have an impact on us.

News and views from Auckland streets

The K’Road Chronicle is inspired by The Big Issue, with a number eight wire twist. It is a street paper for the fringe community of Karangahape Road, Auckland, New Zealand.

The K’Road Chronicle is a not for profit social enterprise with all profit returned to the disenfranchised and destitute through direct action initiatives.

K’Road Chronicles Season 3
Season 3 Intro and full season: Celebrating the human spirit born out of homelessness

Sharing for a stronger community, a healthier environment, and a way cooler tomorrow.

CoKoha connects communities, reduces waste, and spreads kindness through koha – the gift of love.

The Auckland Central Community Patrol is a dedicated group of individuals committed to fostering a safer and more secure environment for everyone in our vibrant city.

Our volunteers are the extra eyes and ears for the New Zealand Police, actively patrolling the streets, and contributing to the overall well-being of the community.

Consider supporting Community Patrol by donating and volunteering.