Milford Residents Assn newsletter 7 April 2026

We hope everyone enjoyed the good weather during Easter weekend. There are news updates, school holiday ideas and a talk about Milford's history in this newsletter. And we will update you later in the week with Auckland Emergency Management advice on the approach of Tropical Cyclone Vaiana. 

A F Thomas Park - future sport and recreation uses

Kaipatiki Local Board has decided on a balanced mix of golf and other sports and recreation uses at A F Thomas Park in the future. This decision was supported by Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. A full summary of future priorities for the park is here: https://engage.ubiquity.co.nz/mail/view/mlw6ddn49mjn52dv13h8z9_8v00b4bby4pr2q7v4lpbjknp4r475bbl4g_22hk6s9gzln26zjqkktct4n1_kl.   Kaipatiki Board Chair Danielle Grant commented: This has been a significant and once-in-a-generation decision. Local Board members have invested many hours reviewing information, attending site visits, engaging with the community and listening to a wide range of views.  The planned flood retention area in the park will be the first step towards achieving a significant reduction in flood risk along the Wairau, particularly in Milford.  

Plan Change 120 - The intensification goal posts move again

10,500 submissions received on PC120 - the raw submissions have recently been released to the public. It is also the first time Auckland councillors have been able to read them. Councillor Ken Turner commissioned, at his own expense, a comprehensive analysis of all the submissions. We are grateful to the Character Coalition for forwarding this analysis by Unisphere Solutions. You can read the full report here: https://mcusercontent.com/75bce9db271947a0a9e9799ee/files/f83dd1b2-8c23-bf6a-5419-c5a59629c378/PC120_Submission_Analysis_Unisphere_Solutions.pdf

In other news, Minister Chris Bishop has announced a further reduction in the required numbers of houses Auckland has to plan for - from 1.6 million to 1.4 million. Commenting on how Auckland Council will approach the reduced requirement, Bishop said: Auckland Council has set guiding principles for how it will change the plan in response to the new minimum housing capacity. The guiding principles include: downzoning in areas where homes are more susceptible to natural hazards such as flooding; enabling intensification in mandatory areas including around stations benefiting from investment in the City Rail Link; reducing housing capacity in areas more than ten kilometres from the city centre as a starting point; and reassessing requirements in places that are less well-served by public transport.

The 10,000 submissions already made under PC120 will remain valid with the process moving forward from this point. Bishop said: Once the new capacity requirement is in Place, Auckland Council will decide which parts of the plan change to withdraw or amend. If parts are withdrawn, the existing Auckland Unitary Plan zoning will remain in place. 

Submitters including Milford Residents Association will be assessing these changes in the light of how to best represent their views at the hearings later this year. In the meantime, the analysis of all submissions is a useful starting point. Thanks to Councillor Turner for being so proactive.

Activities and entertainment for the school holidays 

The PumpHouse - Two weeks of theatre for the kids 

Badjelly the Witch - 8 to 11 April  https://pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/badjelly-the-witch-2026/.  The Worm - 14 to 19 April  https://pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/the-worm/

Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna. Royal NZ Ballet presents Dazzlehands, 10 - 11 April, 4 performances  https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/bruce-mason-centre-tickets-takapuna-beach/venue/295153

Auckland Art Gallery, Kitchener St, Auckland.  Take the children to participate in Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and children. Add to this evolving installation with their own clay creations.  https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/visit/families/kids-and-whanau/creative-learning-centre. The installation room is a delight for adults as well as children. Free entry.

Aotea Centre, mid-town Auckland. Darklight: The Hidden World. 9 to 18 April, Hunua Room, Aotea Centre. Information and bookings here: https://www.aucklandlive.co.nz/show/darklight?utm_source=edm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_conversion_existing-members_2026-04-02&utm_term=&utm_content=&spMailingID=13604496&spUserID=OTY5MjU5OTMwMjU2S0&spJobID=2440021830&spReportId=MjQ0MDAyMTgzMAS2#about-the-event

And another light show for families: Dreamer, 3 to 12 April, NZ International Convention Centre. https://nzicc.co.nz/events/dreamer-an-indoor-light-festival/   Indoor light art - immersive installations and magical environments. Timed entry sessions.

As part of The PumpHouse Theatre's Creative Talks series, Debbie Dunsford will give a talk on Milford's history as a beach resort and entertainment destination through to the 1940s. Monday, 20 April, 7.00pm at the PumpHouse.

The current wet and windy weather should pass through quickly, giving us all a couple of days to check gutters and drains in advance of the predicted arrival of severe Tropical Cyclone Vaiana next weekend. 

WEATHER LOOKING GOOD FOR THE MILFORD SUMMER PICNIC tomorrow, Sunday, 1st March.  A mix of clear sky and cloud, with light easterly winds. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Update posted at 5.30pm, Saturday, 28 February 2026

We look forward to seeing you at our 2026 Milford Summer Picnic. Sunday, 1 March 2026, 11am to 3pm, Milford Reserve.

Entertainment, games for the children, community and Council information stalls. 

LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS FOR MILFORD

The Milford Summer Picnic, Sunday, 1 March 2026, 11am to 3pm, Milford Reserve

We hope to see as many of you as possible on Sunday 1 March at our beautiful reserve. Poster here: Milford Summer Picnic 2026 Poster.pdf. All friends and family are welcome.

Entertainment by wonderful local singer, Serene Boulton. Free facepainting, Big Box Play by the Creative Kids Collective and yard games by members of the Sunnynook School Holiday programme team. Local community organisations and Council services like Auckland Emergency Management, Nga Wairau Flood Prevention Project and the Watercare Wonder Wai Lite trailer and more will have stalls, displays and can explain projects to you.

Raindate is 8 March - we will email if postponed due to weather and announce on our website and Milford Locals.

Milford Community-Led Storm Recovery Project 

This was a major project for MRA and the community members who came together to form the Milford Storm Recovery Group last year. You will recall us inviting feedback from you on how we can recover from the 2023 storm and make Milford a stronger community in the future. The project facilitator, Community Think, has written a report that summarises all your feedback, identifies themes and common suggestions, and makes suggestions for next steps. The report is concise and makes for interesting reading. Please look through it and contact us if you would like to be involved in any of the projects suggested.  Report available here: Milford Report on Community Led Recovery at 30 Jan 2026.pdf   We would love to hear your comments and offers of help: chairs@milford.org.nz

We will present this report to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board at the Community Forum, The Rose Centre, Belmont, on Wednesday, 11 February 2026. Starts 6.00pm, MRA speaks at 6.30pm. Everyone welcome to attend.

A F Thomas Park - Consultation on Future Recreational Uses

This consultation by Kaipatiki Local Board on the contested future uses of A F Thomas Park occurred late in 2025. The Consultation Summary of feedback has just been released and is available here: https://hdp-au-prod-app-ak-haveyoursay-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/1217/7025/0109/A_F_Thomas_Park_summary_of_feedback.pdf

A separate piece of consultation commissioned by Kaipatiki Local Board was a Deliberative Democracy Forum on the issue. Report: https://hdp-au-prod-app-ak-haveyoursay-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/4217/7025/1871/DD-_AFT_Park_-_Report.pdf   NZ Herald reporter Simon Wilson has written the following article that gives a sense of the deliberative process itself: SimonWilsonArticle DD AFT Park.PDF.