The Meadowbank and St Johns Residents Association welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2026.
Overall, we support the direction of the draft plan and its focus on connected communities, environmental stewardship, quality urban development, and thriving local centres. However, we believe the final plan should be more ambitious in articulating a vision for Meadowbank and taking advantage of the significant opportunities created by Auckland’s investment in rapid transit and the continued growth of the area.
A stronger vision for Meadowbank
Meadowbank is experiencing significant change and growth. The opening of the City Rail Link places Meadowbank Station within even easier reach of the city centre and the wider Auckland rail network, enhancing the area’s attractiveness as a place to live, work and visit.
The Local Board Plan should be bolder in recognising Meadowbank as one of the area’s key growth centres – being served by both the railway line and a frequent transit corridor – and articulate a clear vision for Meadowbank as a well-connected, vibrant and sustainable urban village. This should include:
- strengthening Meadowbank Town Centre as a focal point for the community;
- encouraging high-quality housing and appropriate intensification close to public transport;
- improving public spaces and streetscape quality;
- enhancing walking and cycling connections to key destinations such as the train station, Town Centre and local schools; and
- supporting local businesses to benefit from increased accessibility and population growth.
The plan currently acknowledges the importance of local centres, but it could do more to set out a compelling long-term vision for Meadowbank’s future and the role it can play within the wider Ōrākei Local Board area.
Creating a stronger sense of place in Meadowbank
As Meadowbank grows, there is an increasing need to create a stronger identity and sense of place.
While Meadowbank benefits from excellent transport connections, too often the town centre functions primarily as somewhere people pass through on their way elsewhere rather than somewhere they choose to spend time. The Local Board should champion a vision that transforms Meadowbank Town Centre into a genuine community destination and focal point for local life.
This means creating a town centre that is welcoming, attractive and vibrant — a place where residents meet friends, support local businesses, attend events, access community services, and spend time in quality public spaces. As the population grows, Meadowbank deserves more than a collection of shops and busy roads; it should have a recognisable civic heart that reflects local identity and fosters community connection.
This could include:
- public realm improvements, with more attractive spaces and more footpaths, throughout the Town Centre;
- enhanced landscaping, native planting and streetscape upgrades;
- public art and place-making projects that reflect local stories and cultural heritage;
- better links between the mall and the rest of the Town Centre;
- stronger pedestrian connections between the Town Centre, train station, local schools and reserves; and
- activation of public spaces through community events and activities.
Achieving this vision will require a people-focused approach to the town centre, including improved pedestrian amenity, better public spaces, and safer traffic speeds that support local businesses and encourage people to spend time in the area rather than simply pass through it. We note that whenever the Association has surveyed local residents and business owners on these points over the years, they have been strongly supported.
Meadowbank Community Centre – time to move from aspiration to delivery
The draft plan should be stronger in its commitment to delivering community facilities for Meadowbank.
For many years, local residents have advocated for a dedicated community centre that can serve the growing Meadowbank and St Johns population. Despite repeated discussion and investigation, progress has stalled while the area’s population continues to increase.
The Association supports the Local Board Plan confirming the need to complete the Meadowbank community centre but believes there should be a time commitment to progressing the project within the life of the plan. At a minimum, the Board should:
- identify delivery of a community facility as a strategic priority;
- work with Auckland Council and other partners to resolve barriers to delivery;
- investigate funding opportunities and partnership models; and
- establish a clear pathway and timeline for progressing the project.
A growing community requires civic infrastructure as well as transport and housing. A community centre would provide an important hub for recreation, learning, community development and social connection and would contribute significantly to Meadowbank’s sense of place and community wellbeing.
Support for the Gowing Drive connection
The Association strongly supports the commitment to the Gowing Drive connection.
This project has the potential to significantly improve local connectivity and accessibility and remains an important piece of infrastructure for the eastern part of the local board area. Its delivery should continue to be actively pursued and advocated for at the earliest opportunity.
Housing growth and quality urban development
We support the Plan’s emphasis on ensuring new residential development is of a high quality, with strong design, sustainability and amenity standards.
However, the Plan should more explicitly recognise the need for greater housing choice in Meadowbank and St Johns. Well-designed townhouses, terrace housing and apartments in appropriate locations can support a diverse community, enable residents to age in place, and provide housing opportunities for young people and families close to jobs, services and public transport.
Growth should be accompanied by investment in public spaces, community facilities and transport infrastructure to ensure development contributes positively to neighbourhood character and community wellbeing.
Recognising Māori values and cultural heritage
We would like to see stronger recognition of how Māori values and mātauranga Māori can inform environmental restoration, place-making and community development across the local board area.
The plan could place greater emphasis on celebrating the cultural significance of places such as the Pourewa Valley and Ōkahu Bay and supporting partnerships with mana whenua in ecological restoration, storytelling and public space design. These initiatives strengthen community understanding and benefit all residents and visitors.
Climate action, biodiversity and resilience
We support the draft Plan’s strong emphasis on biodiversity, ecological restoration and native planting, building on the positive environmental leadership demonstrated by the Local Board in recent years.
We encourage the Board to strengthen its commitment to climate action by:
- supporting greater mode shift to public transport, walking and cycling;
- advocating for transport policies that improve safety and encourage active travel;
- continuing investment in urban ngahere and native planting; and
- strengthening the role of Pourewa Valley as a key ecological and climate resilience corridor.
The Pourewa Valley in particular has the potential to deliver multiple benefits through improved biodiversity, water quality, flood resilience, recreation and access to nature, while also contributing to wider climate adaptation objectives.
Safer streets and transport choice
The Association encourages the Local Board to continue advocating for safer speeds on local streets and in and around Meadowbank Town Centre.
The Meadowbank and St Johns Residents Association has consistently supported lower speeds in areas where people walk, cycle, access public transport and travel to school. We have advocated for the retention of 30km/h speed limits in residential neighbourhoods and around schools because they make it safer and more attractive for people of all ages to move around their community. Local community surveys undertaken by the Association have demonstrated strong support for retaining safer speeds in Meadowbank, reflecting residents’ desire for safer, more liveable streets.
The Local Board Plan should include a commitment to advocate for the reinstatement and retention of safer speeds where evidence demonstrates safety benefits, particularly around schools, neighbourhood centres, public transport connections, and key walking and cycling routes. Safer speeds are not only a road safety measure; they help support mode shift, encourage active transport, enhance public amenity, and contribute to creating a more successful town centre that feels like a place to be rather than simply a place to drive through.
Conclusion
The Meadowbank and St Johns Residents Association generally supports the draft Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2026. We encourage the Board to strengthen the final plan by:
- Adopting a more ambitious vision for Meadowbank as a thriving, rail-connected town centre that is a destination in its own right, not merely a transport corridor or place people pass through.
- Prioritising the revitalisation and place-making of Meadowbank Town Centre.
- Reaffirming and progressing the long-awaited Meadowbank Community Centre project.
- Supporting housing growth that is accompanied by quality urban design and community infrastructure.
- Strengthening environmental, climate resilience and Māori outcomes across the local board area.
Most importantly, the final plan should recognise that Meadowbank is one of the fastest-changing parts of the Ōrākei Local Board area and deserves a bold vision, strong community infrastructure, and active investment to ensure it remains a “thriving and vibrant” place to live, work and connect.
Submissions can be made to the local Ōrākei Board plan until the end of 23 July 2026.