Staff and elected members of an Auckland local board have been offered counselling after they discovered a dead body on the steps of their office.

The body, wrapped in a blanket on the front steps of a building, appeared to be that of a rough sleeper. Police and ambulance services could be seen around it on Dominion Road about 9am on Wednesday.

Albert-Eden Local Board relationship manager Adam Milina said the incident "has been upsetting for staff and elected members, particularly the individuals who arrived at the local board office this morning to find the deceased on the steps of the building".

MARION VAN DIJK/STUFF The body was believed by a local employee to be that of a homeless person. (File photo).

"Those affected have been supporting each other on-site and helped the police with their enquiries," Milinia said. "The council provides access to personal assistance and support through EAP Services for all staff and that will be available to anyone who requires it in this instance."

Albert-Eden Local Board chairman Peter Haynes would not comment on whether the death was symptomatic of a wider homelessness issue in Auckland.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kathy Bostock said police officers attended an "unexplained death" on Dominion Road on Wednesday morning, which they were notified of around 8.50am.



"We are currently at the scene making inquiries to establish what has taken place and we have no further information at this stage," Bostock said.

A staff member at the nearby boarding house, Dominion Lodge, said the body was taken away in an ambulance about 8.30am.

She understood it was a homeless person and not one of the guests at the lodge, she said.