She posted 10 pictures of fences, including those with broken or missing palings, mismatched repairs and weathered timber.
Burns, who said she had lived in East Auckland for 48 years, reflected on the pride residents once took in their homes and neighbourhoods.
“You didn’t necessarily need the flashiest or most expensive house. Lawns were mowed, gardens were looked after, fences were painted and repaired, and there was a real sense of being house proud,” she wrote.
Burns acknowledged “times are tough” and maintaining a property costs money, stressing she was not suggesting everyone needed “pristine designer fences”.
“But I do think pride in where we live matters,” she wrote.
Burns described the photos as East Auckland’s most “o-fence-sive” fences and issued a “gentle challenge” for residents to tackle anything at the front of their properties that “needs a little love” this spring.
One of the East Auckland fences pictured in councillor Bo Burns’ since-deleted Facebook post.
She also encouraged people to post their own fence photos while respecting residents’ privacy.
Although Burns’ post was deleted, screenshots were reshared to a local Facebook group, where residents were divided over her comments.
One commenter called the post “pretty poor form” for a councillor, questioning whether “publicly shaming someone’s house” was kind when she did not know the occupants’ circumstances.
Another suggested the focus should be on helping residents find affordable solutions, while one agreed Burns “has a point” but believed she should have left out the photos.
Some defended Burns, with one saying a lack of pride in maintaining homes had become prevalent.
“Think ya probably goin a bit overboard [sic],” another wrote. “She just commented on a few fences around our community that need a bit of love.”
Burns posted 10 photos of fences she believed needed attention, prompting backlash from some residents.
Burns told the Herald the post was intended to highlight what she believed was a decline in the appearance of parts of the Howick Ward, an issue she said had also been raised by residents.
“I was born and raised here, and I take enormous pride in our community.”
However, Burns removed the post after reading comments pointing out some residents could not afford to clean or repair their fences.
“That made me stop and think. Instead of simply highlighting the problem, how can I/we turn this into positive action and help people who genuinely need support?”
She maintained she had deliberately used close-up photographs without addresses, street names, house numbers or people, but acknowledged the concerns raised.
She was now exploring a community project involving businesses, tradies and volunteers to help elderly, disabled or financially struggling residents with fence maintenance.
Howick MenzShed had responded positively to the proposal and agreed to explore the idea further.
Howick Local Board chairman Bruce Kendall said he understood why residents had pushed back against Burns’ post, pointing to the financial pressures facing many households.
The board regularly heard complaints about unmown berms, rubbish, deteriorating fences and untidy properties, but Kendall believed there could be a range of circumstances behind them.
“Some people are struggling,” he said. “Some of these people don’t own their properties, they’re just renting.”
Kendall believed financial pressures could also contribute to issues such as illegal dumping, with some people potentially unable to afford a trip to the tip or organise rubbish removal.
When it came to the state of people’s fences, he was reluctant to pass judgment.
“I live in a building that’s not in the best of conditions because it’s really old, and I can’t afford to maintain it myself,” Kendall said.
“I keep the grounds as neat and tidy as I can, but it’s just difficult out there, and I totally get it.”
Kendall questioned whether publicly pointing the finger at residents was the best approach, particularly when fixing a property could come at a high cost.
Despite disagreeing with the approach, Kendall defended Burns’ intentions.
“She does have the best interests of her people at heart. People make mistakes.”
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