Welcome to the Birkenhead Residents Association

Heritage – Community – Environment

The Birkenhead Residents Association is proud to represent the community of Birkenhead and promote the retention and enhancement of its unique spirit and character.

The association is non-political and strives to represent the interests of the wider community. The creation of the new “Super City” will make the role of community groups more vital to ensure that local voice can still be heard.

The Birkenhead Residents Association vision and mission:

Vision:
Our vision is ‘for Birkenhead to be a thriving community with a strong friendly spirit, remaining an environment in which people enjoy living and working’

Mission:
We will be a voice for Birkenhead, advocating for its residents best interests. We support residents and encouraging community engagement.

Our Values

Community
Being friendly, inclusive and supportive as well as celebrating the strength of our diverse community spirit.

Environment
Respecting and enjoying our environment with its unique mix of bush and harbor; promoting protection of this unique natural heritage.

Heritage
Being proud of our rich local history and stories; protecting the built heritage that reflects these while supporting the development of new stories.

Committee philosophy and style:

  • Constructive collaborative engagement
  • Respect
  • Professionalism
  • Keep our focus on the outcome we want for residents.

Financial Help:

If you would like to help financially, you can do so by becoming a Financial Member, for as little as $10.00 AND/or make a donation – THANK YOU.

Annual Beach Clean Up

In conjunction with the Little Shoal Bay Protection Society and the ‘Friends of Le Roy’s Bush, we organise an annual beach clean-up that includes the coastline from Fisherman’s Wharf through to Chelsea Bay and all reserves and parks in between.

Dates and time vary depending on the tide but is usually the first or second weekend in December. Follow us on Facebook for details of the next clean-up event.

Birkenhead Photo Competition

The annual photo competition is an opportunity for local residents to capture and share what they love most about Birkenhead.

The Birkenhead Photo Competition can be viewed here Birkenhead Photo Competition.

Primary sponsor: Barfoot & Thompson Birkenhead, with great support from many local and some not-so-local businesses and the Kaipatiki Local Board.

Birkenhead Neighbourhood Plan

Birkenhead Neighbourhood Plan

Neighbourhood Concept Plans have been applied successfully in a number of areas of Auckland in recent years. Examples include Milford and Kumeu.

In every case, the success of the concept planning is the result of a contribution by all key stakeholder groups, such as community individuals and organisations, local businesses, Local boards, and Council organisations.

Click here ==> to view the most recent version of the Birkenhead Neighbourhood Plan


Help Save Heritage

Auckland Council put forward Plan Change 78 in response to the Government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Design (NPS-UD).  

Plan Change 78 created issues for many people, particularly in regard to a reduction of Heritage Protections, which many (including the BRA) submitted about. 

Following the January floods, Council put in a request to the hearing panel on Plan Change 78 (PC78) to pause the Plan Change – this request required a conference. The pause would allow focus on infrastructure re-build and assessing the impacts of the floods on PC78 proposals, eg would they need to re-think some aspects of the proposed change.

The outcome of this requested pause is not yet known.  

For those interested in this issue, please refer to Council’s website for the latest updates: https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/hearings/find-hearing/Pages/Hearing-documents.aspx?HearingId=657


Membership: Join Today!

Why Your Financial Membership is Important

Your financial membership is essential because it helps to cover the costs involved in making submissions on your behalf to protect and enhance the unique environment of Birkenhead. And, because submissions almost always need to state how many financial members the Birkenhead Residents Association represents – numbers do matter.

There are two levels of membership available.

  1. Individual (one person) for $10.00
  2. Family/household or Business for $20.00

Click here for payment options.

About The Birkenhead Residents Association

The Birkenhead Residents Association is proud to represent the community of Birkenhead and promote the retention and enhancement of its unique spirit and character.

The association is non-political and strives to represent the interests of the wider community. The creation of the new “Super City” has made the role of community groups more vital to ensure that the local voice can still be heard.  

Located just 8 kilometers from Auckland’s city center, Birkenhead is known for its beautiful scenery, relaxed, family-friendly environment, and bustling village center. Once the site of ancient Kauri forests, Birkenhead is steeped in history and still retains the largest expanse of native bush on the North Shore.

Local parks, bush walks, and beaches provide ample space to play and explore, while the historic village center offers everything you need with great cafés and shops.

Popular with families, a number of well-regarded schools are close at hand and a calendar of community events means there’s something for everyone in Birkenhead. Easily accessed by car, bus, or ferry, its proximity to the city is one of the many things locals value.

Read more about the vision of the Birkenhead Residents Association.

Our Community’s Aspirations For The Development Of Birkenhead Include:

Views and open aspect – Protect openness, expansiveness, sunlight, and views of city, sea, and bush

Village feel – Create a sense of place and community where people can live, work, shop and play; in which they feel a sense of belonging and safety

Bush + green space – Protect and enhance bush and urban green spaces; while promoting eco-development.

Quality built environment – Reflect Birkenhead’s character, heritage, and diversity through high standards of design

Connectivity and flow – Create connections and support walkability between spaces; provide and enable all transport modes

GET INVOLVED

Residents and visitors value Birkenhead’s unique character. The Birkenhead Resident’s Association is a voice for the community, advocating for the retention and enhancement of the suburb’s character and spirit to support the community’s aspirations.

Residents contact us to find out more about living in this community. Join the Association to add your voice – be an active part of the community.

Sign up for our newsletter to keep informed.
Developers chat with us about the principles in this brochure and how we can work together to maintain and enhance Birkenhead.

Photo Credits:

Birkenhead Icon by Kevin Stan
City view from the Chelsea Sugar Factory‘ by Linfan Dong
Pump Track‘ by Kelly Vivian

These photos are from the Birkenhead Photo Competition