Aucklanders are, and will continue to be, at risk from a broad range of hazards. These hazards include flooding generated by severe weather, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions, or by other hazards like chemical spills, or interruptions to our essential services, such as power failure or loss of water supply.  Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) is looking for your feedback on its new draft Group Plan which will be out for statutory consultation early next year. The current Group Plan that Auckland is working under can be found here. To help inform the new draft Group Plan, please check out Shape Auckland for more information on how you can have your say. Engagement ends on Friday, 16 October 2015.

Don’t forget, the next ShakeOut event is coming up! Register here and ‘drop, cover, and hold’ at 9:15am on Thursday, 15 October 2015.  

Auckland is experiencing one of the most exciting periods of growth and change in its history. It is evolving from a small city on the world stage to becoming a well-recognised mid-sized city renowned for its quality of life, giving it the opportunity to grasp what already makes it great and address some of the challenges and issues that hold it back. Some of these opportunities include the draft Aotea Quarter Framework and the concept designs for the Pioneer Women’s and Ellen Melville Hall and the Freyberg Square upgrade. More information will be available on Shape Auckland from Monday, 7 September so you can have your say on both these projects.

Auckland Council's registration of interest (ROI) to the NZ Government in support of improved broadband coverage has been reinforced by nearly 300 pieces of feedback from rural communities across the region. Feedback came from communities in Franklin, Rodney, Waiheke, Great Barrier and Waitakere Ranges local board areas. More than 50 per cent of the responses came from the Rodney area, the largest and most populated of the rural local boards. The information supported the council's ROI to the government submitted on Thursday, 16 July. The government will use the information provided by Auckland Council and other local authorities to decide how to allocate the funds nationally. Find out more here.

The government is introducing a new food act in March 2016. This food act does not include a food grading system and Auckland Council has been asked to advise on what a suitable grading system would be. Auckland Council sought the views of Aucklanders recently on the current food grading system in Auckland, as well as alternative options.

Your feedback is now being used to develop a new grading method that will be aligned to the Food Act 2014. The new approach will be discussed with the Ministry of Primary Industry and other territorial bodies across New Zealand. Auckland Council will be implementing the new grading scheme next year and will be communicating this change to our customers closer to the time.

Read the full report here.