Whau Local Board

The Whau Local Board is one of the 21 local boards of the Auckland Council. It is the only local board overseen by the council's Whau Ward councillor.

Whau Local Board Te Poari ā-Rohe o Whau
Local board of Whau
Whau in Auckland
Country	New Zealand
Region	Auckland
Territorial authority	Auckland
Ward	Whau ward
Legislated	2010
Area [1]
• Land	26.85 km2 (10.37 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	91,400

Local Board Members
Leadership
Chairperson	Kay Thomas, Labour
Deputy chairperson	Fasitua Amosa, Labour
Structure
Seats	7
Political groups	Labour (5)   Independents (2)
Length of term	3 years
Elections
Last election	2022
Next election	2025
Meeting place
31 Totara Avenue, New Lynn

The Whau board, named after the Whau River estuary which runs through the board area, covers the suburbs of Avondale, Blockhouse Bay, Green Bay, Kelston, New Lynn and New Windsor.^[3]

The board consists of seven members elected at large. The inaugural members were elected in the nationwide 2010 local elections, coinciding with the introduction of the Auckland Council.

Area

The Whau Local Board area takes its name from Whau River estuary arm of the Waitematā Harbour, which extends into the area.^[4]

The area includes the suburbs of Avondale, Blockhouse Bay, Green Bay, Kelston, New Lynn, New Windsor and Rosebank.^[4]

New Lynn is the primary retail shopping area, and Kelston and Rosebank have significant industrial areas.^[4]

Demographics

Whau Local Board office in New Lynn

Main article: Whau ward § Demographics

Whau Local Board Area covers 26.85 km² (10.37 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 91,400 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 3,404 people per km².

2022–2025 term

The board's term currently runs from the 2022 local body elections to the local body elections in 2025. The current board members are:^[5]

• Kay Thomas (chair)
• Fasitua Amosa (deputy chair)
• Valeria Gascoigne^[6] (replacing Susan Zhu)
• Catherine Farmer
• Warren Piper
• Sarah Paterson-Hamlin
• Ross Clow

2019–2022 term

The board's term from the 2019 local body elections to the local body elections in 2022. The board members are:^[7]

• Kay Thomas (chair)
• Susan Zhu (deputy chair)
• Catherine Farmer
• Warren Piper
• Fasitua Amosa
• Ulalemamae Te'eva Matafai
• Jessica Rose