Human Rights Commission

The Auckland Council came into being in 2010 as a result of the amalgamation of eight local authorities in the Auckland Region:  Auckland Regional, Auckland, Manukau, Waitakere and North Shore city councils and Rodney, Franklin and Papakura district councils.

The council has two complementary and non-hierarchical decision-making parts – the governing body (which consists of a mayor elected by all Aucklanders and 20 councillors) and 21 local boards.The governing body focuses on big picture, region wide strategic decisions. Local boards represent their communities, making decisions on local issues, activities and facilities.

The population of the Auckland region is the largest and most ethnically diverse in the whole of New Zealand. 

Visit the website of Auckland Council.

Projects 2012

Auckland International Cultural Festival

Auckland’s free International Cultural Festival will be held on Sunday 1 April 2012, at Mt Roskill War Memorial Park.  This festival is a celebration of the food, dance, sport, art and craft of a vast array of cultures and traditions. This community-oriented event hums to an entertainment showcase of traditional performances across three stages and sports activities.

Over 100 stalls will offer traditional foods from around the world, arts and crafts, clothing and fair trade goods. Many of the food stalls are run by families and community groups and festival attendees have the opportunity to sample products from over 48 nations.

Established in 1992, the festival has become a great opportunity for refugees and migrants to have a sense of place and belonging, while displaying with pride the cultural variety they bring to the Auckland region. AICF is run by Auckland Council. Contact Helen Cheng Helen.Cheng@aucklandnz.com for more information.

Connect2sport: Supporting diverse communities

Connect2sport represents a three year partnership project to connect people from diverse ethnic backgrounds to the sports of Football and Badminton. The project specifically aims to get more people from diverse communities both participating and volunteering in these sports. Connect2sport will also build the capacity within Auckland Football and Auckland Badminton to better engage with diverse communities. Connect2sport will initially focus on Mt Roskill, Avondale, New Lynn and Blockhouse Bay and will target youth aged 13 to 24 years. Over time learnings from the project will be extended to other regions, sports and age groups. View the Connect2sport video on YouTube. The project represents a multi-agency partnership between: Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC), Auckland Council,  Sport Auckland , Auckland Football Federation and Auckland Badminton Association.

Connect2sport is supported by the Connecting with Diversity Toolkit. The toolkit provides practical information, tools and support to assist sport and facility providers to better engage with diverse communities. The toolkit was developed by partner organisation Sport Auckland, SPARC with support from Auckland Regional Physical Activity and Sport Trust. Diverse communities experience complex barriers to sport arising from religious requirements, language differences, cultural values, family values or expectations and feeling welcomed or accepted. Awareness of these barriers, and ways in which to overcome them, will enable sports organisations to engage these communities and individuals more effectively. For more information contact  Sarah.vanderHeyden@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz .