Enough or is trouble coming?
“It's a diverse landscape of what we do from property sales to public realm investment and events,” he says, reeling off a list of dos and must-dos.
They range from promoting housing, building the Hayman Park playground, cleaning streams, upgrading council buildings, a new Ramada hotel and bus stations.
And there’s aiding softer community events such as car clubs and supporting the Lantern Festival. Why do all that, other than build the number of residents?
“There are many health and social impact studies that talk to the value and the benefits of urban design and quality and air quality, and peaceful surrounds,” Davison says.
“We can all feel when something feels nice. It's quite hard to achieve that across a range of different people's desires. But that's the goal.”
Broader South Auckland is attractive to Pasifika and Asian ethnicities. More than one resident in four can trace their families to the Pacific, a much higher proportion than the 7.4% nationwide.
Auckland councillor Lotu Fuli came to New Zealand in the 1970s from Samoa, has lived in Ōtara since 1976, has a law degree, and has taught overseas. She backs attempts to attract private and government investment to “truly transform Manukau”.
“Of course there is more that can and should be done – but it always depends on funding,” she says.
“At the heart of Manukau though, like any community, are people. It has a wonderfully diverse, culturally rich community.
“We were proud to host the ASB Polyfest and now the Lantern Festival, two of our largest festivals in Tāmaki Makaurau, which featured and celebrated our different, vibrant cultures.
“Whether or not we will commit to doing more in Manukau, an area with so much promise and potential, will depend on the final decision by the mayor [Wayne Brown] and the governing body,” she says.
“I love Manukau. Whatever shaky history it had when it got started, it has grown into a metropolitan area, and is the CBD for South Auckland.
“I hope we have the courage to invest in Manukau to truly transform it.”
Mayor Brown has proposed selling the remaining 11% of Auckland Airport shares. The council has about $2 billion invested in Auckland Airport, about 18% of the company, inherited from the former Manukau and Auckland City councils.
Autagavaia fears the south’s contribution to the welfare of Auckland City might be lost on the mayor.
“Our argument saying, ‘hey, look, we’ve brought this to the table’ doesn't really wash with him. That has flowed on to the CCOs [council-controlled organisations], including Eke Panuku.”
Autagavaia, who went to Auckland Grammar School, has no desire to leave Manukau.
“We love the place. We know that we’ve had great childhoods and so can our own children.”
But looking across the globe, Autagavaia fears for the region.
“Communities that are neglected see real anti-social behaviour, and also social unrest.
“You might want to look at Los Angeles as the prime example of racial disparity on a bigger scale and the riots that they had in the 90s.
“I hope we never get to that point, but Australian cities already have that makeup where there’s continued inequalities that run along racial lines. We could see something similar happen in Auckland.”
Eke Panuku is one of four council-controlled organisations in Auckland and manages a $2.3b property portfolio of non-core Auckland Council assets.
It recognises iwi and hapū have a strong historical association with Tāmaki Makaurau.
Mana whenua have occupied this whenua (land) over many generations, and they seek to maintain their relationship with the land and sea.
Its Hayman Park playground is described as “awesome” by Autagavaia.
It uses co-design elements from students at Wiri Central School, and boasts traditional mārahūpara designs by Māori play specialist Harko Brown.
As it is, Manukau City’s hub at Wiri is a “transactional place” where people come to visit Rainbow’s End, or to work. But they live elsewhere, Davison says.
“We’ve got all the pieces of the cake or are close to having them, now we’re just finding everybody to come and eat it.”
“It’s not reciprocal, and in that there’s a danger that Manukau City itself will fail, and so will wider South Auckland, if that attention is not given.” Apulu Reece Autagavaia, right