Waitematā Local Board News

Waitematā Local Board includes the city centre and fringe retail and commercial areas (including Newmarket) and the inner-city residential suburbs (Westmere, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, Ponsonby, Arch Hill, St Marys Bay, Freemans Bay, Newton, Eden Terrace, Grafton, Newmarket and Parnell.)

Waitematā Local Board have three grants:

Waitematā Local Grant – Round Two Opens from 19 January - 27 February 2026

Waitematā Quick Response Grant – Round One Opens from 29 September - 24 October 2025

Waitematā Accommodation Grant – Round One Opens from 19 January - 14 March 2026

Waitematā Local Board adopted its Emergency Readiness and Response Plan in December 2024.

Four new Community Emergency Hub locations and three additional Civil Defence Centres have been added since the original plan was released. The plan summary is currently being translated into six other languages.

The plan is available online and in libraries. Locals are encouraged to take a look and make their own household plan using the check list supplied. An information sheet specific to apartment dwellers can also be found on the Auckland Emergency Management website.

The local board has been collaborating with the City Centre Residents Group for input into additional Community Emergency Hub options in the central city area.

Due to city traffic, limited footpath space, pedestrian activity, and the lack of storage space in many properties, wheelie bins are not suitable for Auckland’s city centre. Instead, there’s a special bag collection for rubbish and recycling.

Auckland Council’s kerbside rubbish and recycling collection in the city centre covers Karangahape Road, Queen Street and the area bounded by Mayoral Drive, Albert Street, Britomart Place and Quay St. On Emily Place, collections are on the north side only.

English Guide
Korean Guide
Simplified Chinese Guide

Taller buildings and increased development capacity are on the way for Auckland’s city centre, following Auckland Council’s decision to accept recommendations that will help deliver more homes, more businesses, and better access to the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau.  

The decision was made by Auckland Council's Policy and Planning Committee, which accepted in full a set of recommendations from the Independent Hearings Panel (IHP), an expert body established to hear public submissions and evidence on Plan Change 78. The IHP recommendations were based on extensive public input, expert evidence, and hearings.