MHRS

The Manukau Harbour Restoration Society

The Manukau Harbour Restoration Society (MHRS) was formed in 2011 by Auckland residents living around the harbour committed to improving the condition of the harbour and its environs. The broad aims of the society are to represent all communities and organizations that border on or are influenced by the Manukau Harbour; to restore the Harbour back to its original water quality and environmental state; and in so doing, enhance the harbour as a recreational, transportation and well managed asset, loved by residents of the city of Auckland.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY ARE:

• To lobby for the restoration of the Manukau Harbour wherever possible back to its original water quality, and environmental state.
• To represent all communities and organisations that border on or are influenced by the Manukau Harbour.
• To recognise the sensitivities and aspirations of the Manu Whenua
• To prevent pollution and abuse of the Harbour as a natural resource
• To reinstate water borne passenger transport on the Harbour
• To establish navigational aids on the Harbour
• To re-establish a Manukau Harbour Authority with responsibility for maintaining the Harbour and its facilities
• To enable the Harbour to become a recreational asset to the City of Auckland

MHRS is a membership organisation with a chair, deputy chair and executive committee elected by financial members.  All officers are volunteers; MHRS has no paid staff.

MHRS welcomes new members who wish to volunteer on the committee or help with  projects.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

In 2023/24 the officers and committee members are:

Chair:   Stephen Lasham, Onehunga

Deputy Chair and Secretary:  Kerry Harvey, Onehunga

Treasurer:  Jill Rowe, Onehunga

Marketing and Outreach: Leonie Norton, Laingholm

Committee members:

Peter Gibson, Onehunga

Judi Goldsworthy, Weymouth

Jeanette MacDonald, Mangere Bridge

Geoff Shearman, Onehunga

Bronwen Turner, Cornwallis

Committee Background Notes

Peter Gibson: I have lived in Hillsborough (original Onehunga part) overlooking Mangere Mountain since the early 1990s. I am a founding member of MHRS and have served on the committee since the Society's inception. I was an integral part of The Onehunga Enhancement Society team that was successful in achieving the restoration of Onehunga Bay (Taumanu). My business relocated to Onehunga in the early 2000s and I have been actively involved with the Onehunga Business Association, currently as its President. The Manukau is one of the lungs of Auckland and its importance is often overlooked due to its history of degradation. Onehunga Port is the gateway to the Harbour and it is vital that it is transformed to meet the future needs of the public without ignoring its heritage.

Judi Goldsworthy: Although I have always been keen on the environment, my job in the Environment Directorate of Manukau City Council increased my interest in the environment and the importance of getting things right for the environment.  As well as being a member of the MHRS committee representing Weymouth Residents & Ratepayers Association (WR&R),I sit on the committee of  WR&R.  I represent WR&R on the CLC for the Youth Justice Facility in Weymouth, am the Neighbourhood Support Co-ordinator for our street, Editor of Weymouth News and President of the Manukau Branch of National Council of Women.

Kerry Harvey: I was born and raised near the Manukau in Papakura.  I studied and spent my early working life in Auckland.  In 2012 I moved back after 25 years living and working for central government in Wellington.  I love Auckland’s many natural and culturally significant features, - the volcanic cones, beaches and shorelines, harbours, regional parks and reserves.  Living between the Manukau Harbour and Maungakiekie/Cornwall Park, for both of which I feel a special affinity, is a real privilege. I have been on MHRS committee for four years and its secretary since 2020.

Jill Joyce: I am an accountant and office manager and have been Treasurer for MHRS since its inception.

Stephen Lasham: I have been a resident of Onehunga for over 25 years and have a keen interest in the area.  I’ve been a leader at Aotea Sea Scouts since 2007, so have a focus on the Manukau foreshore and Onehunga Bay Reserve (Te Tauranga).  I’m interested in seeing the Port of Onehunga developed as a public place with boating facilities, further restoration of the Onehunga Foreshore, the completion of the replacement Old Manukau Bridge (so we can access the inner harbour), removal of the pylons from Onehunga Bay, and general water quality improvement for our beaches and recreation.  I currently work for Auckland Council as an SAP ABAP Developer, having worked in various ICT roles for the council since 1994; so have some idea of the machinations of the place.

Jeanette MacDonald:  I grew up in Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) in the suburbs surrounding that great harbour.  When I moved to Auckland to study engineering, I found a passion for water while working to enhance environmental quality and public health. Noel and I love living in Mangere Bridge and living, working and playing on the edges of the Manukau. Science, engineering, people and politics interact to give us both the status quo and the way to implement our aspirations for the future.  The way we live on the land affects the harbour.  The climate emergency poses significant challenges now and increasingly into the future. Restoring and protecting the harbour while preserving public access, as our climate warms and becomes more extreme, is a task for us all.

Leonie Norton: I am MHRS’s Web Designer, Membership Database Manager and Social Media person. I live in the idyllic Waitakere Ranges, in Laingholm on the shores of the Manukau. I have been a member of MHRS for about 10 years.

Bronwen Turner: I retired to Cornwallis in 2010 and am part of a family who has owned land and lived at Little Huia on the harbour since the 1880s. I am a founding member of MHRS and have served on the committee since the Society's inception.  Most of my time has been spent on the Unitary Plan, issues related to Watercare and water quality, restoration of the harbour's environment, particularly to protect our shore and wading birds, and the potential for Aucklanders to use the harbour for recreation and tourism.