Quiz night to support the Howick Santa Parade

Awesome night at the Santa Quiz, fund raising for the Howick Santa Parade. Very competitive teams but thanks to the incredible knowledge of my friends we managed to place second!

Great fun and all for a good cause - the Howick Santa Parade is the third largest in Australasia and second largest in Auckland. Attracting over 50,000 people, its an amazing community event that cannot be missed.

The Howick Local Board funds some of the costs but its expensive putting on such a huge event. Pleased to be able to help raise money to support this iconic local event.

Check out their website for more support options.

Our council needs to listen so I'm here to hear your questions and concerns

We deserve a council that listens to the people, so as a candidate I'm making sure I'm available to hear your concerns and dreams for our city.

I'm attending events, knocking on doors and always available to talk. I'm also hosting a series of informal events across East Auckland where anyone can come along for a chat, ask questions and discuss what you want from council.

There's no need to book an appointment and there will be light refreshments available so drop in for a coffee and a chat.

If elected, I commit to continuing these on a regular basis to ensure that your voice is heard at council.

Howick Library

• Sunday 04 Aug 2-4pm

• Sunday 15 Sep 2-4pm

Te Tuhi Pakuranga

• Sunday 18 Aug 2-4pm

• Sunday 22 Sep 2-4pm

Ormiston Activity Centre

• Saturday 31 Aug 2-4pm

• Saturday 28 Sep 2-4pm

Bucklands and Eastern Beaches Memorial Hall

• Sunday 01 Sep 2-4pm

• Sunday 06 Oct 2-4pm

Botany location TBC

• Sunday 11 Aug 2-4pm

• Sunday 08 Sep 2-4pm

Cockle Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association planning another busy year

Residents associations play a really important role in ensuring that locals are informed and have a voice. The Cockle Bay Residents and Rate Payers Association have had a very busy year which they celebrated their AGM on Saturday 27 July and I was pleased to attend.

They've been working hard to challenge the huge development planned for Sandspit Road which had helped get the Howick Local Board onside. They're looking towards another busy year working to resolve issues with Cockle Bay including ensuring we don't loose the cockles that give the area its name.

Special speaker for the AGM was Councillor Christine Fletcher who was standing in for mayoral candidate John Tamihere who wasn't able to make it.

Thefts from vehicles still on the increase

Last night was a wild and windy night for Botany Crime Watch Patrol. I saw this story in the Times just before we went out to help the police and our community.

“The good news is robberies in the area are down 11 per cent over the past 12 months.

The bad news is thefts from vehicles, particularly those on driveways – known as non-dwelling burglaries, are uncomfortably high.

Counties Manukau East Police’s Area Commander Inspector Wendy Spiller told the Times that while robberies were down significantly across the area and the whole of the Counties Manukau District, thefts from vehicles have been increasing year-on-year.

Alarmingly, nearly 40 per cent of burglaries are from vehicles, many of which are unlocked and parked in residential driveways.”

— https://www.times.co.nz/news/robberies-down-vehicle-thefts-up/

The sad reality is that our community isn't as safe as it should be and we need to take precautions. Unfortunately vehicles are an easy target, especially when parked on the road. If possible make sure you don't leave anything that looks valuable in the vehicle, although I know this isn't always practical (especially for tradies).

We're fortunate to be renting a place with a garage which fits our cars but not everyone has that option. Ensuring the street lights are working will help, although some crimes happen during the day as the criminals get more brazen.

Talk to your neighbours and look out for each other. We make sure our neighbours know when we go away and it's a huge relief knowing someone is keeping an eye on the place.

If you're keen to get more involved, consider volunteering for your local community patrol. It doesn't take much but the more people who help, the more eyes and ears in the community, working alongside the police to prevent crime from happening.

Howick Youth Council continues to show leadership and action

Howick Youth Council recently held their annual youth summit, bringing over a hundred young people from 9 schools together to understand the issues that are important to them.

Howick Youth Council do an incredible job representing the young people of East Auckland. Some people have criticised youth councils as tokenism or sidelining younger people, but Howick Youth Council has proven they can be effective and empowering.

Over the past few years I've seen them go from strength to strength, building on each years success. Already this year they've delivered a wide range of events and advocated on behalf of young people across East Auckland.

Keep up the awesome work!

Localism the council's greatest weakness

Last night I attended the Howick Local Board meeting and Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore was present to provide an update on regional issues, starting off by noting that localism was the council's greatest weakness. This sums up a lot of the issues that we heard last night but also throughout the city.

We heard again from the Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School who need safety improvements outside the new school to protect their young students from trucks. This conversation started 11 months ago and the process has been very slow but last night funding was approved to start work on addressing these issues. Also approved was funds to help Botany Downs Secondary College who also have safety challenges outside their school.

The fight to save Stockade Hill views continues and Janet Dickson was present to talk to the local board, supported by tireless champions the Defencibles.

I’ve stood with locals to fight for Stockade Hill and will continue to do so

There have been some developments and there are a number of moving parts to this. The original Plan Change 3 will provide a 137 degree protection but we want to save 360 degrees. A new Plan Change 26 will provide clarity on how Special Character Area Overlays work which may help, although Howick's overlay isn't ready and also doesn't include Stockade Hill.

The Board had asked council staff for advice on how to advocate for a solution and received a response last night which was effectively that there was no workable solution. Going against the advice of council staff, the Board unanimously voted to "obtain independent planning and other necessary supporting advice to inform the board on options available to advocate for a change of plan or control development around Stockade Hill" including funds to do so.

This feels like progress, although it's taken far to long to get to this point and there's still a long way to go. What concerns me the most is that the issue has been caused by council failing to listen to locals - the loss of localism.

We need a strong councillor who can take the concerns of our community to council and fight for locals. If elected councillor, I will continue to stand with locals and ensure that East Auckland is heard at the council table.

Ormiston Town Centre is coming (soon)!

We've all seen the residental developments around Ormiston and Flat Bush but it's exciting to see the long awaited town centre happening.

Last night we got an update from the various parts of Auckland Council and the developers Todd Property.

Lots happening but a quick summary of the key parts to the project

• brand new retail, dining and entertainment shopping centre with 100 new shops including Warehouse, Noel Leemings, New World and Hoyts;

• new aquatic and leisure centre complete with 25m pool, spa, children's area and more;

• new library and community centre, community will be engaged on the design;

• further enhancements to Sir Barry Curtis Park, including walking and cycling connections through the new town centre;

• updates to public transport and roads to support new residents, workers and shoppers.

All of this within the next few years! In fact shopping centre will be done by Christmas next year, only 18months away!

Huge thank you to the all the council staff and the developers for making themselves available this evening and especially Howick Local Board for organising it.

Lloyd Elsmore Skate Park in desperate need of upgrade

Lloyd Elsmore has a skate park but its in desperate need of attention. A small group of us caught up this afternoon to see what can be done.

It doesn't take an expert to see that the skate park is tired. There's big cracks and splits in the concrete, the rails are worn and the surface is rough which wears down tires (and riders if they fall off).

View fullsize

There were some kids using the park and they all said the same thing - it's boring and old. Many had been down to Barry Curtis Park but Lloyd Elsmore is closer.

We spoke to a mother and local teacher who asked for some basic facilities - there's currently no water, toilets or shade. Even getting access to the skate park isn't easy with no parking or footpath access. She wanted her teenagers to be able to come down and play, but she didn't feel safe letting them do this. There's no lighting around the skate park and there have been issues.

The Howick Local Board is aware of the problems and have some work underway to review all sports facilities in the area. But if we want this to improve we need to show the support for it. You can do this via the Facebook page.

Rail is so worn and sunken it’s no use to anyone

Ending domestic violence will take a community approach

Domestic violence is a terrible scourge on our communities and families. We've all heard the news, seen the statistics but its ruining lives, destroying futures.

David White is one such person - he lost his daughter, murdered by her husband. Instead of retiring, his wife and him have been raising his grandchildren, dealing with the aftermath.

He's committed to visiting every electorate in the country to share his story. It's a big ask, 71 electorates in 71 days with 120 presentations but he's doing it. I heard him speak last night in his Botany stop and it was powerful. He's very open and honest about his experiences, it's raw and personal. His experiences were devastating, inspiring and always real.

Some of what he said was hard to listen to, especially trying to explain to his 9yo granddaughter why her father had killed her mother.

He's been through some terrible times but he's determined to see change. He had some incredible stories about confronting hardened criminals in prison, communities lifting themselves up and how small interventions can help. He talked about hugging a 37 year old prisoner who'd never been hugged in his life and had never hugged his kids. It's no excuse, but the reality is that we need to break the cycle of violence.

We need to proactively tackle domestic violence as a community, not rely on the Police when it's too late. Those communities don't have to be geographical, they can be work, faith or sports communities.

Domestic violence is not okay. 
Asking for help or asking people if they need help is okay. 
Being the help people need is okay.

I strongly encourage you to get along to hear David, before his tour ends

Cockle Bay Domain restored by community

On Saturday the weather was perfect for community planting day at Cockle Bay Domain as volunteers planted around 300 natives.

Led by Matthew Brajkovich, the Friends of Cockle Bay Domain have worked to restore the local environment by removing rubbish and planting natives.

Amazing how far this reserve has come in such a short space, thanks to volunteers and support from local organisations and council. And how much work a dozen volunteers can do in a few hours!

Local Board Meetings great opportunity to hear from community

I make an effort to attend every Local Board meeting. It's a great opportunity to hear from locals, on their concerns and ideas for our community. And tonight was no different.

We heard from Richard Waugh and Laurie Hayward from the Auckland Brit and Euro Classic Car Show. Four years running, the free show had huge turnout in both cars (1077) & visitors (over 10,000), up 20% on last year.

We heard from a local resident concerned about the issuing of a consent for an extension to the Half Moon Bay Marina and the lack of notification to affected parties.

Huntington Park Residents Assoc were present to thank the Council for supporting their recent neighbourhood day. They also raised concerns about how request for removal of privet has been handled by Council, the speed of cars on Huntington Dr and issues with maintenance of curbs.

Another resident spoke about dogs off leads and the challenges they can present to cyclists. Serving to avoid dogs can (and has) led to people coming off their bikes. He's very supportive of a local dog park which we don't have in East Auckland.

And safety around our schools was on the agenda again. A trustee from Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School was back to again request action on safety for their students. This issue was raised 9 months ago, again last month and got some traction tonight. Howick Local Board requested Auckland Transport truncate the normal LBTCF funding process to urgently get detailed designs underway for safe bridge near the school. The costs are estimated at $1m for a temporary bridge or beyond $2m for permanent one. the Community Safety Fund is also to be investigated but seems unlikely given the scale of the project.

More good news on safety Auckland Transport have a temporary solution for 90 Pakuranga Rd which has had cars crashing into their fence. AMETI is arranging for temporary barriers to be installed while longer term solution is implemented.

I find these meetings worthwhile, the minutes only capture the outcomes, not the discussion or debate. The agenda is published online prior to the meetings and anyone can come along. Some times they can be a bit dry, but I've never come away without learning something about the community.

The photo was taken after I was granted special permission to do so (much to the bemusement of some of the board members).

Auckland needs a bold vision for stadiums

I've been critical of Auckland Council's recent decision to give Eden Park $10m in a grant, instead of a loan primarily because it doesn't address any of the underlying issues. It's a lot of public funds to be handing over to a private trust with no chance of return so it's essential that it's being well invested. Time will tell if that happens.

Is a sunken waterfront stadium the answer?

Over the weekend Simon Wilson published two pieces in the NZ Herald on the future of stadiums in Auckland. The first looked at the challenges faced by Eden Park while the second looked towards the future. It has some bold ideas and is well worth a read.

I'm not convinced about the waterside stadium - there are some practical concerns as well as environmental. There has been some vocal (and in my view justified) opposition to expansion of the port into the harbour - an entire stadium would never get traction.

Given the stadium would be over spaghetti junction, perhaps it could be called the Spaghetti Bowl

An alternative that I've seen which might be worth exploring is creating a stadium over the top of spaghetti junction, which might not be as absurd as it sounds. The location is perfect, it doesn't remove any valuable land and it's transport links are undeniable.

Obviously this needs proper investigation as do all the possible options which will take time and money. It's important that we get this underway soon or we're at risk of leaving a bigger problem for future Auckland (much like we have with our transport).

Simon Wilson raises some good points and I agree with his action plan:

1. Get Eden Park functioning as best as it can - focus on maximising the asset we have today

2. Start exploring options for a future stadium - the earlier we start the better.

3. Engage widely to ensure we get this right for everyone and secure the necessary funding - not the current mess we have.

4. Support Te Papa North into Manukau - what a great asset for South Auckland.

5. Move speedway and cricket to a more suitable location that works for all parties in a controlled and fair process.

I don't for a moment think that stadiums are our most pressing issue but leaving issues till we're desperate isn't how we should be running our city (despite our track record).

Being a bit more ambitious and bold wouldn't hurt either...

Point View Drive clean up a community effort

On Friday I wore my new gumboots to help fundraise for youth mental health. Today I wore them as part of a community effort to clean up Point View Drive.

This area isn't technically a reserve but is a well known lookout across East Auckland. Unfortunately some people use it as a dump site for bottles, rubbish and worse. So Howick Local Board member Mike Turinsky organised the community to clean up. Awesome to have so many people helping and we removed a lot of rubbish. Disappointed that it was necessary.

Over 30 volunteers helped collect and dispose of a big pile of rubbish in a good mornings work

Residents have been reporting these issues for some time without much success. I know Mike has been working to do what he can. Now we’ve dealt with the symptoms, he's working hard to resolve some of the systemic causes, hopefully with the broad public support we saw today he can get some traction.

Mike Turinsky thanking the volunteers and explaining the next steps

Let's all try to be more like John

Howick locals came together to acknowledge John Sato, a local who has become an inspiration to many. At 95 he caught multiple buses to be at the anti-racism march, setting an amazing example for us all.

Unsurprisingly so many people wanted to meet the man, so local Bo Burns organised a opportunity and I was so thankful to be invited. There were people from all parts of the community, including the Prime Minister but this event was absolutely about John and his message of kindness.

The Prime Minister was present to listen and talk to John.

When I spoke with John, I was impressed by how humble and kind he was. He spoke about how we all have goodness in us and that we can be kind to one another. That events like the awful tragedy in Christchurch can be an opportunity to reflect on what's inside us and how we treat others.

Let's all try to be more like John.

When I spoke with John , I found him so humble yet inspiring.

Celebrating Buddha's Day

Very peaceful time at the Fo Guang Shan Temple to celebrate Buddha's Day. So furtunate to have some a tranquil and welcoming space just on our doorstep.

There were food stalls to enjoy as well as arts exhibitions. Since my trip to Taipei two years ago, I’ve fallen in love with calligraphy and the exhibition was stunning.

The theme of this years celebration was world peace, which sits perfectly with the Buddist beliefs and also the practice of those in the temple. It is definitely one of my favourite places to visit, always so welcoming and calm.

Bathing the Buddha

Kia kaha Christchurch...

Our little country rocked by terrorism and hatred, it's difficult to think of the words to describe how it feels.

I'm devastated by the loss of life and damage done to so many. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have been impacted, especially those who lost someone.

I'm angry at those that committed these awful acts and those that enabled it (directly or otherwise). I will not read, share or accept anything they've posted nor name them - there is no excuse or reason that would make this okay. Do not give them the publicity or fame.

I'm disturbed to see that some are using this tragedy to push their hateful agenda. This just aligns them with the appalling hatred that took 40 lives and hurt so many more. Blaming the victims is unforgivable.

I'm saddened that many Muslims feel unsafe in our country, that the police recommended they do not attend their local mosque. Our country is far from perfect, but we cannot become that country. Religious freedom is one of the many reasons people come to New Zealand and we must protect it.

I'm determined that we must give nothing to racism. We will only prevent this by rejecting hate, coming together to support and care for each other. This is already happening across Aotearoa and it's heart warming. It's critical that this outpouring of support and aroha does not drift away.

Stockade Hill too important to lose

Having spaces to remember and reflect on those we've lost is an important part of community. Stockade Hill is that place for Howick and surrounding area, serving as a gathering place for locals.

It's also the perfect place to appreciate the amazing harbour, mountains and city that surround us. A view that we cannot afford to lose.

“The Cenotaph on Stockade Hill, known as Howick’s War Memorial, was unveiled but the Governor General Lord Jellicoe on 13 January 1921 to commemorate the 30 locals who lost their lives during WW1.

Made from Coromandel granite, this obelisk stands as a proud landmark of Howick, the site of Howick’s Anzac Day services.”

— Save Stockade Hill Views

Tarnica Park issues go deeper than just anti-social behaviour

There are serious concerns about safety in Tarnica Park with reports of anti-social behaviour, fighting and even a stabbing not long ago. Check out this Times article for more.

It's very concerning to see these issues happening, especially in my local park. There's a range of things we need to do and locals are asking for the Local Board to install lights. This isn't a silver bullet, but it's a good start and I fully support getting them installed as soon as possible and I'm not alone.

On Saturday we had a public meeting in the park and the solid turnout of local residents despite the pouring rain was encouraging. There were some very concerning stories about issues in the park which has left many residents concerned about allowing their children walk through it in daylight.

I spoke about what the Botany Crime Watch Patrol does in the area to help protect our community. I've spoken to our Operations Manager who's ensured that we have this park noted as needing extra checks.

In my personal opinion there's more work that needs doing, including having the park assessed for safety, known as crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). This is being arranged for Tarnica Park now, but we need to take a proactive approach to security in our parks and have them all assessed, starting with the parks people visit the most. New parks and redesigns go through this process but we need to assess what we've got already.

Macleans Park has new friends

Great first meeting of the Friends of Macleans Park, a new community group to reduce the pests and weeds in the park while replanting and improving the natural environment.

Plenty to do but volunteers (including the local college) are keen to get started and are led by local legend Matthew Brajkovich. Great to see this supported by Auckland Council Biodiversity team, Volunteers Manager Sarah and Pest Free Howick.

More to come so follow along at the Facebook page.

Women's safety is everyone's concern

I’m struggling with the Grace Millane story. What happened is awful and wrong, and my heart goes out to her family and friends.

There’s lots of theories and talk about what happened. I understand people trying to come to terms with it, make meaning out of a senseless act. But there are no excuses, drugs, alcohol, clothing, dating/hookup apps, sex, anything the victim did. There are no excuses, it is never okay.

I’ve also heard people seem surprised that it happened here. We need to face facts, our country is not safe for women - New Zealand is considered one of the worst in the developed world in terms of safety for women.

A large part of this because of our appalling domestic violence. An average of 13 women, 10 men, and 9 children are killed each year due to domestic violence. Nearly 40% of our women will be victims of abuse from a close partner. Disabled women are twice as likely to be victims of abuse than women.

One in five women will be victims of sexual assault as an adult and most go unreported. Estimates suggest that 91% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police. Of those that are reported, only 13% result in a conviction.

I don’t want to ruin people’s view of our country but admitting we have a problem is the first step to dealing with it. Especially us men, who more often than not are the perpetrators. Obviously most men don’t commit these awful acts, but some of us are bystanders which enables it to continue. It can be hard, calling our friends, families, neighbors and strangers out but we cannot let this continue.

We have every right be be angry and upset about the appalling actions that ended Grace’s life, let’s direct that passion into doing something about it to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Call the Police on 111 if you think someone is in danger.

Support the community organisations trying to help those in need.
https://womensrefuge.org.nz/ 
http://www.2shine.org.nz/

Ask others if they’re okay and support them if they need it. http://www.areyouok.org.nz/

Don’t condone or walk past violence, that includes physical, sexual or psychological. https://whiteribbon.org.nz/

Challenge ourselves and those around us to take this issue seriously. Don’t joke about violence or make excuses.

There are candlelight vigils being organised for this week, a good opportunity to come together and share our compassion and solidarity. 
Auckland: https://www.facebook.com/events/1062548473924944/
Howick: https://www.facebook.com/events/1950321131682152/
Wellington: https://www.facebook.com/events/206809043527948/