Disclaimer
The information on this page has been provided by the candidates. It does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.
Mike BISHOP
Candidate for Hibiscus and Bays Local Board (East Coast Bays Subdivision)
Backing the Bays
Candidate statement
I live in Long Bay with my partner and am the current CEO of Harbour Sport. With over thirty years of experience as a sports administrator and previously in the finance industry, both in NZ and overseas, I have strong business and governance experience. I have also spent the last few years dedicating my spare time to the disability community. I’m the current Chair of Disability Sport Auckland and a Board member of Paralympics NZ, The Laura Fergusson Trust, and the Auckland Paraplegic Trust. I’m passionate about our community being more physically active and healthy, being a safe place to live, and having better transport solutions locally and for the wider region. My background in finance and governance will ensure your rates are spent wisely. I am excited to stand with the highly effective Backing the Bays team and share their strong desire to see the Bays area thrive.
Why I want to be elected
I am standing for the Local Board with the Backing the Bays team because I am passionate ensuring the Bays continue to thrive. I live in Long Bay and am deeply committed to creating a more active, connected, and inclusive community. I am particularly passionate about resolving our transport issues, for our community to remain a safe place for all, and protecting our wonderful coastline for future generations to enjoy.
My key skills and qualities
I am a highly experienced sports administrator with over 31 years of experience as a CEO across various regions of NZ. Prior to that I worked in NZ and overseas in the finance industry. I have served as the CEO of Harbour Sport for the last 6.5 years, leading Harbour Sport’s efforts to empower and strengthen our community through physical activity, health and well-being. Having lived a life dealing with mild cerebral palsy, I am a passionate advocate for inclusivity and championing diversity.
My top three key issues
1. Advocate for new and expanded indoor sports facilities given the severe shortage we have in the area. 2. Increase investment in community programmes that make our neighbourhoods, town and village centres safer. 3. Purchase more portable play and recreation equipment to activate neighbourhood parks and get our community more active.
My position on key topics
Transport
Prioritise safety upgrades—roundabouts, pedestrian refuge islands, improved lighting. Regular maintenance to reduce potholes, especially on popular local routes like East Coast Road. Advocate for higher-frequency, reliable bus services connecting Orewa, Browns Bay, Silverdale, and Torbay. Support enhanced multimodal connections to key AT hubs. Advocate for the Glenvar and East Coast Roads upgrade project to be brought forward to ease significant congestion and safety issues.
Water
Ensure capacity for future growth through timely upgrades to aging infrastructure. Promote conservation campaigns and household rainwater harvesting (e.g., free or subsidised tanks). Provide guidance and incentives for efficient fixtures and leak detection. Increase green infrastructure—rain gardens, swales, permeable pavements—especially in new developments. Retrofit critical areas to reduce runoff into estuaries such as Browns Bay, protecting water quality.
Built environment
Encourage growth around nodes like Long Bay and Browns Bay , balancing density with public amenity. Introduce scaled transitions to respect existing suburban character. Support well-located and well planned diverse housing (e.g. low-rise terraces, townhouses) that meet local needs—especially for families, downsizers, and first-home buyers. Ensure that roads, cycle paths, parks, and stormwater systems are planned and funded upfront alongside growth. heritage trails to celebrate local history.
Natural environment
Work with DoC and Iwi to reopen the Okura Bush walkway. Work with volunteers to extend native revegetation along regional parks and streams. Incentivise riparian planting on private land to improve stream health. Expand community-led pest eradication programmes (e.g. rats, stoats) with funding and equipment support. Identify at-risk coastal zones to protect shellfish, sands and wetlands through dune restoration and native buffer zones. Incorporate such parts into resilience planning.
Community
Help fund community hubs with free/low-cost programmes—youth events, senior activities, cultural festivals. Enhance mental wellbeing via outdoor education and marae partnerships. Upgrade playgrounds, toilets, park furniture as required and prioritise high-use spots like Long Bay Regional Park, Waiake, Browns Bay, Murray's Bay and Mairangi Bay beachfronts to promote community usage and encourage active recreation.
Economic and cultural development
Fund neighbourhood and town centre crime prevention initiatives. Support local business associations in Browns Bay, and smaller villages. co-fund activation initiatives, e.g. night markets, pop-up shops along footpaths, arts events to revitalise the Browns Bay Village Green. Position Hibiscus and Bays as a speciality destination—think “better beaches, better bites.”boost hospitality, tourism, and experiential offerings (guided walks, support mana whenua to tell local stories).
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
Collaborate with mana whenua on parks, waterbody restoration, marae-based education, and public art. Ensure Treaty and Te Tiriti-based governance. Build on recovery lessons from storm events—support low-interest loans or grants for shoreline protection, resilience plantings, and home adaptation. Coordinate with Auckland Emergency Management to boost local readiness.
Candidate's supporting links
These links to external websites have been provided by the candidates. The content on these websites does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.