With Care and Complexity: Renewing Auckland Council’s Property Portfolio

24 June 2025

News
Urban regeneration

Did you know that Auckland Council’s Property Department manages the council’s $2.9 billion non-service property portfolio, and provides property services and advice within council?

We play an important role in ensuring that non-service properties, (service properties include libraries, bus stations, or community centres), still deliver value to the council and our communities.

We provide tenancy management services, facilities and operations management, asset management services, and renewals. The renewals programme is one of the ways we ensure our properties are well maintained.

With about one thousand properties in the portfolio, no two renewal projects are the same. While often seen as simple fixes, renewals can be just as complex as major capital projects, frequently facing tight time frames and operational constraints, such as the need to keep offices or businesses functioning during construction. Consenting processes can also add complexity and further pressure for projects. Heritage-listed properties can take a bit longer as they require special care to make sure we retain their special features.

Like anyone else doing construction work, our projects often face challenges, like having to work around tenants, supply chain issues, limited availability of specialist contractors, or the need to import materials which can impact scheduling. Projects often also require robust health and safety planning and strict environmental controls. Overall, renewals tend to be highly technical and logistically demanding exercises, requiring close collaboration with our neighbours to ensure they are delivered safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption.

During the 2024/25 financial year, we completed 14 renewal projects across the region, in places like Whenuapai and Hingaia, or central areas like Queens Wharf and Wynyard Quarter in the city centre.

These projects highlight the diversity of our portfolio — from homes to heritage buildings and iconic public venues. Each one is part of our broader asset management work to maintain these valued properties, ensuring they remain safe, functional, and fit for purpose.

As Marian Webb, Head of Property Management, explains “renewal projects might not always be high profile, but their impact is far-reaching — ensuring our assets remain resilient, functional, and able to meet the needs of Aucklanders.”

In the coming weeks, we will take a closer look at some of these projects, starting with a couple of residential properties.

Maintaining Homes with Care: Healthy Homes and Happier Tenants in West and South Auckland.

We manage a wide range of residential properties on behalf of Auckland Council. Like any home, wear and tear is inevitable over time. Through proactive property inspections — and by listening to tenant feedback —we recently identified two homes in West and South Auckland that needed important renewal work.

As a responsible and responsive landlord, we understand that a warm, dry, and safe home is fundamental to wellbeing. Meeting Healthy Homes Standards is not just about compliance — it is a commitment to the people living in our properties.

At the West Auckland home, the work was straightforward: a full roof replacement. In South Auckland, the upgrades were more extensive and included:

The septic tank was replaced
The roof and guttering of the main house were replaced, while issues in the laundry were also resolved
The fibrelite panelling on the combined garage and workshop was replaced, and
The separate granny flat received a full interior refurbishment.

Importantly, both homes remained tenanted throughout the works. We worked closely with each household to plan and schedule the work in a way that minimised disruption to their daily lives.

This approach reflects our commitment to doing this important and necessary work with care and respect for the people living in the homes we manage.