Eastern Busway feedback shows Burswood diversion unpopular with locals

Auckland Transport have released the response to the December consultation on the Pakuranga to Botany leg of the Eastern Busway.

There's a bit to work through, but it's clear the Burswood diversion created a stir (which is no surprise given the shock it was to locals). I still question some of the info they've presented here and it feels very much like they're pushing a solution that the community doesn't want or need.

I fully support the Busway and want it delivered sooner. However driving a diversion through Burswood at the cost of many homes is unjustified. I applaud the response from local residents who have organised to oppose this bizarre proposal. My submission is available here.

Apparently AT have confirmed the proposed design for Pakuranga to Botany, although it's pretty light on details.

More consultations due later in the year, although it does feel like the decision has been made (using cost as the excuse).

Documents are available online - https://at.govt.nz/.../eastern-busway/pakuranga-to-botany/

Also interesting to note that the diversion has had mixed response from the Howick Local Board

A plan that would see the next stage of the Eastern Busway public transport project dissect a residential community has sparked heated debate between members of the Howick Local Board.

See the full article in https://www.times.co.nz/news/board-members-clash-over-busway/

Auckland Council finances still don't add up

Major transport projects like the Eastern Busway have been delayed because Auckland Council told us they didn't have the money to fund it. Yet the NZ Herald has revealed that council is sitting on $285 million of unspent regional fuel tax earmarked for transport.

“Auckland Council is sitting on a $285 million goldmine, after it failed to spend nearly half the money it raked in thanks to the regional fuel tax.

In 2018, the Government introduced an additional tax on fuel sold in Auckland of 10c a litre (with GST taking the figure to 11.5c) to help the council fund transport projects in the city.

But according to data from the council, as of December 2021, less than half of the $515 million raked in by the tax has actually been spent, leaving the council with a $285m tax surplus.”

— NZ Herald 26 Jan 2022

Meanwhile this very same council is busy selling off our parks and community centres using the excuse they don't have enough money. The hearings for the East Auckland parks (Golflands Park, Fortyfoot Park, and Aberfeldy Park) have been delayed again and again, but council are still determined to sell them.

Even before the pandemic is was clear we needed more public space and it's even more important now.

Howick Local Board meeting for July 2021

Monday night was the Howick Local Board meeting for July with discussions on bikes, dogs and bylaws. I always try to attend to see what’s happening in the community and at Council.

There were three members of the public speaking - local BMX Club Mountain Raiders are asking for an asphalt pump track (similar to what was built in Grey Lynn a few years ago).

There were two separate speakers on dog parks - one asking for an off-lead area in Mangemangeroa and another speaking against the proposed off-lead park in Macleans Park (public consultation closes 25 July)

Councillor Paul Young provided an update on the governing body (Councillor Sharon Stewart wasn't available) with a focus on the Eastern Busway. He said he and Sharon were both surprised by the delays and continued to work to bring the project forward (although I'm unsure how this would be possible now). Paul also noted that while Auckland Council broadly supported the need for reform of water infrastructure (especially funding), there was concern that the government's proposed solution would mean less accountability.

It was interesting to see that Auckland Transport had a monthly report again - these had stopped while they reviewed the reporting process, apparently they're resuming them while the review continues. Unfortunately the AT representative was sick and unable to present anyway which was a shame because I'm sure the local board would have wanted to ask about the delays to the Eastern Busway.

Auckland Council is proposing a new sign bylaw and the local board provided their feedback, generally supporting the document. They asked for greater enforcement of the rules. The Board also asked for consideration of a cap on the number of signs per candidate or party in each ward to help reduce the clutter and even the playing field. This wasn't supported by all members and only passed 6 to 3 with Members Spiller, Turinsky and Bungard voting against it. One of those opposed noted that they weren't sure that a limit was possible under freedom of expression laws and we'll have to wait and see how far this goes within council.

The Board also supplied input into Auckland Council's submission on the government's planned RMA reform. The Board asked to ensure that the public would still be consulted on consents in their area and there was concerns that the new legislation would make it more difficult for the public to have their say. There seems to be agreement from most political parties that there should be some reform although with a majority, Labour won't need consensus to pass their bills through Parliament. The draft legislation isn't due until early 2022 so we will have to wait and see what they propose.

Full agenda for the meeting is available online and the minutes are normally up within a week or two (although they only capture the resolutions, not the discussion).

Community Patrols NZ conference

In mid-March I spent a weekend in Palmerston North at the Community Patrols New Zealand leadership conference representing Botany.

It was great to learn from the Commissioner about our partnership with NZ Police and make some great connections with volunteers across Aotearoa.

CPNZ is made up of 170 community patrols across the country who volunteer as the eyes and ears of the NZ Police to keep their community safe. We’re always looking for more volunteers!

Selling parks and reserves won't fix anything

Stunning Saturday afternoon for a community meeting in Aberfeldy Park in Highland Park. Sadly this park is on the list for potential sale under Auckland Council's so called "asset recycling" programme which will see over $224m in community assets sold.

While I'm not ideologically opposed to asset sales, selling our reserves and greenspaces is something else entirely. As our city continues to grow and housing is intensified, these spaces become more important. Once gone, we'll never get them back. It's short sighted and fails to address the issues of waste and misspending.

Disappointed that neither of our Councillors could be there to hear concerns and explain their part in the decision making. Both voted for the asset sale programme in the Emergency Budget, although they did vote against the sale of these specific parks in a later meeting.

Big thank you to local MPs Christopher Luxon and Simeon Brown for organising the meeting, making sure that locals are aware of the issue and are heard.

Formal consultation is due to start sometime in February and locals are coordinating to ensure everyone is able to respond with full and complete information.

Selling land is short sighed

“The council’s finance and performance committee voted in September to dispose of a swath of council-owned properties across the city. The move is part of an effort to raise $224 million from “asset recycling” through the council’s emergency budget.”

This was one of my major issues with the Emergency Budget - a firesale of over $200m worth of assets is extremely shortsighted and will do nothing for the long term viability of our city.

I'm not ideologically opposed to asset sales - sometimes it makes sense to sell some unused land to fund something better and more useful for the community. But selling them to fund a shortfall in revenue means we're loosing out, especially when it's clear that even this massive selloff will do little to plug the gap. There's also a very real concern that the timing of these sales and the volume will only hurt the value of the properties, further reducing the return.

These decisions are being made without consideration of the long term plans for the area. The decision to sell has disregarded local feedback, including the Howick Local Board which was extremely clear (and fair) in their feedback. Panuku (Auckland Council's development arm responsible for managing this process) have a long history of being extremely opaque and I echo the concerns of many that this process won't result in good outcomes.

It's great to see that our two councillors (who voted for the Emergency Budget) have now voted against these sales. It's also good to see two of our local MPs are adding their voice to this.

Lack of skatepark needs to be addressed

East Auckland is one of the largest and fastest growing parts of Auckland, yet we lack some basic facilities. When it comes to parks and recreation, what we do have is often too small or desperately out of date. Lloyd Elsmore Skatepark isn't just outdated, it's dangerous. 

In the park on Tuesday I heard horror stories of injuries sustained, including glass in head wounds. Other parents refused to let their children use it, driving them to Barry Curtis or even into the city instead. Neither is acceptable - we need to do something with Lloyd Elsmore. 

While not a skater myself, I know the difference a decent skatepark can mean. Some of this is because I've seen the success in other parts of Auckland (eg Birkenhead, Wellsford, Papakura Glenfield, Waiuku). I've also spent a lot of time talking to locals about this issue - families, parents and young people all asking for somewhere safe to skate. The request isn't unreasonable and council openly admits it hasn't done enough to maintain the park, getting distracted with other projects. 

Funding comes down to priorities, driven by public demand. And there's plenty of demand - last year we got thousands of signatures asking for a solution, but still nothing. Since then we've been working to build more support and I'm happy to throw my voice behind this latest push to get it sorted.

One of the gaps has been the lack of collective voice - so locals are organising to make sure their voices are heard. Your support is welcome at www.facebook.com/refurblloydelsmore

Council should be investing in the safety of our children

Last night was the Howick Local Board meeting for November, a little over a year after the new Board was sworn in. A lot has changed since then and our elected representatives have had to tackle some tough challenges, including a global pandemic that not only changed how we live and work, but also massively impacted the council’s revenue streams and therefore its ability to operate.

There's been plenty of coverage over Auckland Council’s financial troubles, the drastic (and in my view poorly considered) cuts to the city budget earlier this year far from over.  Even if the COVID19 vaccines are as successful as we all hope, it'll be sometime before council revenue returns to its previous levels - the cuts will be here for a while.

One of the worst decisions was to cut back the road safety funding, including the end of the Community Safety Fund - once the flagship of the Vision Zero programme. Dropping this not only sent the wrong message that we should simply accept more deaths and serious injuries to save a few dollars, but also put critical projects at risk.

Once such project was the Flatbush School Road bridge. Once a small rural backroad, this area has grown quickly with massive housing developments and a new school, Te Uho o te Nikau Primary. Sharing this tiny bridge with increasing traffic, including large trucks, put the students at risk. I witnessed the dedication and persistence of the school as they turned up at every Howick Local Board meeting asking for action. After far too much debate over which part of Auckland Council would fund the project, it ended up with the Community Safety Fund. As the process rolled on, COVID hit and the Emergency Budget saw the end of the fund, leaving the bridge in question.

One silver lining from last night's meeting is that this critical project will continue, funded by Auckland Transport directly. A small delay due to consenting means the bridge should be done in February or March 2021. Great news for the Board, Management and Parents of Te Uho o te Nikau Primary School who worked so hard to keep their students safe.

It's a good news story for these students, although it should’ve come sooner. But too many other children around Auckland still have no safe walking or cycling options. On Twitter yesterday I saw parents lamenting the lack of safe access to schools across the city. While there is some work underway, it’s small programmes and pilots - nothing that will seriously shift the gears into action.

I appreciate that this year has left Auckland Council with less ability to respond to issues. But this only highlights the need to get these projects done earlier, quicker and with urgency. Imagine if we'd spent the $900k wasted on yet another stadium report on improving safety around our schools? Or the $10m given away to Eden Park? Or whatever AT Local cost? 

We've got our priorities wrong Auckland, keeping our kids safe should be at the top of the list. More students walking and cycling is better for congestion, the environment and children’s health. Instead our city gets distracted with half-baked ideas for waterfront stadiums. We need to focus on real priorities, cut the fluff and get on with it.

Point View Drive gets another community clean up

Point View Drive offers amazing views across East Auckland

Lots of volunteers turned up to help clean up the site

(left to right) Mike Turinsky (Howick Local Board) John Spiller (Howick Local Board), Paul Young (Howick Councillor) and me.

Point View Dr offers some stunning views over East Auckland, but unfortunately some people dump rubbish which ruins it for everyone.

Today we had 2nd annual clean up, organised by Howick Local Board Member Mike Turinsky (he organised the event last year as well). We removed lots of rubbish thanks to the generous local volunteers who gave up a few hours of their Saturday morning to make it happen. So disappointing to see the amount of bottles, plastic and polystyrene littering the environment.

Good to see this supported by local politicians with John Spiller (Howick Local Board Member), Paul Young (Howick Ward Councillor) and Naisi Chen (Labour's candidate for Botany).

Cockle Bay long history of advocating for improvements continues

Nearly a hundred local residents came to listen, discuss and advocate for a better Cockle Bay.

The Cockle Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association has existed since the 1930s, advocating for the needs of locals and to ensure it remains a beautiful place to live. 

At today's AGM, we heard about the work that they have been up to over the past year and it’s been another busy one. They’ve been working with concerned locals on the Sandspit Road development which has been a long and ongoing battle. The first hurdle to overcome was to get clarity on the definition of what an IRD (integrated residential development) meant and if it was intended to allow for more than just retirement homes. Together with a new consent application from the developer, the situation was still evolving and the Committee was working to understand the process going forward before seeking further public support.

They provided support to locals during lockdown and have been working to ensure the sustainable future of the cockles that give the area its name. They’re awaiting some scientific studies on the smaller species of shellfish. It was great to hear they’d submitted on the Emergency Budget, providing some practical suggestions for savings as well as alternatives to funding such as user pays. It was also pleasing to hear that they felt that there had been a cultural shift on the Howick Local Board with the engagement with the association significantly improving. While the Association had not been successful in their application to get the walkway between Cockle Bay Beach and Pah Rd upgraded, they were now working towards getting the bamboo cut back.

As Chair, Laurie Slee has done an amazing job of leading the organisation through some extremely complex issues while maintaining strong advocacy. He was once again reelected as Chairperson without opposition which is a reflection of the confidence locals have in his leadership. As treasurer, Grant Taylor has ensured the organisation has remained financially sustainable and was also reelected unopposed. 

Alan La Roche giving his talk on local history, filled with facts and laughs.

Then local historian Alan La Roche gave a fantastic talk on the history of advocacy in the area, filled with humorous anecdotes. He noted that the residents association (then called Cockle Bay Residents and Improvement Association) was formed in the 1930s with the aim of getting changing sheds for swimmers, street lights and improved roads. At the time the area was largely bachs, but as this changed the association advocated for more, including connection to the Auckland water supply to (somewhat ironically) avoid droughts. In the 1960s, proper sewage connections were established which saw the end of septic tanks in exchange for a 30% rates rise. He recalled as a child swimming through sewage at Cockle Bay to get out into the clearer waters, which at the time didn’t seem like an issue. While attitudes have changed dramatically, Alan also mentioned that the planned development of Whitford Manor had been approved to discharge treated sewage into the Turanga estuary. Seems we still have a lot to learn from history and need strong local groups to advocate for our people and environment.

It was a great turnout this morning and together with the hard work the association has been doing, I’m confident that the locals of Cockle Bay are being well served by their association.

Howick Local Board feedback on Emergency Budget

On Thursday evening last week I attended a special Howick Local Board meeting. Timed to allow the members to consider feedback from locals on the proposed Emergency Budget before it goes to council.

Some interesting insights into some of the 2,549 responses from the Howick Local Board area. 51% voted for a 2.5% increase, while 27% voted for a 3.5% increase. 65% voted in favour of the rates postponement scheme and 72% for the suspension of the targeted accommodation rate and it’s linked tourism projects. Some other themes that came out which I’d love to explore in more detail at some stage.

The Board responded with feedback not just to the main questions, but in quite a bit of detail which was good to see. I did live tweet the decisions but there were a lot to cover (took 3 hours) and I'd prefer to wait till the minutes were up. Here are a couple of highlights

• only support 3.5% rates increase based on the impact that 2.5% would have on ability for council to deliver and with proviso's to limit asset sales;

• only support reduction in Local Board Transport funding if Community Safety Fund is retained;

• do no support the delay to Ormiston Community Centre and Library;

• do not support deferrals in stormwater projects, especially where intended to address immediate risk to people or property;

• asked for more meaningful engagement with Local Boards and Community on any further decisions especially asset sales, transport and changes to facilities.

While I didn't agree with every decision made, it was good to see some healthy debate and the detailed response. Faced with such a stark and messy proposal, it would be easy to respond in kind but I felt the Board was trying to be constructive and realistic.

This was most obvious when responding to the proposal to sell an additional $200m in assets - the Board noted concerns that the timing would mean council was unlikely to maximise its return and that the Board needed more information to make informed decisions. Where the Board had already worked with Panuku, they could actively challenge the sale or in a few cases, support the sale.

It will be interesting to see what other local boards have said, I suspect there will be some common themes. Ultimately this is a decision by the Governing Body of Auckland Council which is made up of the Mayor and 20 Councillors (2 for Howick). Auckland Council is reviewing the feedback and making their decision on Thursday 16th July. I'll be there and will report back.

Howick Local Board goes online to approve transport investment

The Howick Local Board for April was held online but not open to the public. I normally attend these and it was a shame to not be able to attend this, but I understand that changes are necessary in these challenging times.

As expected when we move to a new way of working, there were a few teething problems but nothing significant. Full credit to the Chair, Board and Council team for making this work.

The big item on the agenda was to allocate the Local Board Transport Capital Fund (LBTCF) which is a discretionary fund that each local board gets to to spend on transport projects they see as a priority. This is in addition to the other Auckland Transport spending. There was minor changes to the proposed wording, but the result is effectively the same.

This means the Board has:

• asked for options of up to $3m for better pedestrian safety around Bucklands Beach;

• asked for options for speed indicator variable message signs (VMS) on Point View Dr;

• asked for options for an information plinth at Half Moon Bay, and other locations;

• asked for options for better walking route between the Half Moon Bay Ferry Terminal and coastal walkway in front of the Bucklands Beach Yacht Club;

• allocated up to $4m for the Howick Walking and Cycling Plan;

• reserved $3m for projects from the Steering Group on the Howick Village Centre Plan.

Historically the fund has been under spent, which has been disappointing consider the huge transport challenges we have in East Auckland. As they say, the devil is in the detail and there is a bit to work out, especially for the Bucklands Beach work, but it's great to see these progress.

The Auckland Council website is hosting a video recording of the session (23 minutes) if you're interested. And the minutes are also available (although these only record the outcomes, not the discussion).

Local Irra Lee gets hands-on experience communicating the work of Parliament

Local Irra Lee has spent a few months working in Parliament, gaining some really good insights into how it really works. In her words:

“Opportunities like this become really valuable in providing students fresh out of university with real-world experience, seeing how things are run. It’s important for all journalists to understand the two sides of the coin [journalism and public relations] and see how they work, as they all contribute to what comes out to the public,”

“I also learnt a lot here from the perspective of a member of the public, about Parliament and how it’s run. So it was a valuable experience from both a professional and personal point of view.”

Check out the full story on the NZ Parliament website.

I know Irra through her work with the Howick Youth Council and she's fantastic. Always so positive and professional, normally she's the one taking the photos and writing the story, nice to see this about her experiences in Parliament.

Well done Irra, keep up the great work!

Why is sunscreen so expensive in NZ?

We all know to slip slop and slap, but sunscreen is expensive especially when compared to Australia.

"The best buy from Aussie Woolworths is a homebrand Woolworths Sunscreen – 1 litre for A$9. For NZ$10 here, we get a 100ml Cancer Society Sunblock Lotion. That means we get one-tenth of the sunscreen for the same price that Australians pay." - The Spinoff

With 80,000 new cases of skin cancer a year, the government needs to do more. Prevention makes social and financial sense. We spend $57m on skin cancer treatment but only $600,000 on prevention. If we increased prevention, we save money and lives.

Sign the petition here.

Howick Santa Parade a huge success!

Another fantastic Howick Santa Parade! Third biggest in Australasia and this year was better than ever!

Loads of entertainment, including a magic show!

Music and more as the floats paraded through Howick

Couldn't help but enjoy the day!

Wouldn't be Santa Parade without the man in red!

Proud to have helped lead our amazing volunteers!

Huge effort, good fun to be a small part of it leading our amazing team of volunteers. Thank you to everyone, especially Bo and Pip Burns for an awesome community day! 🎄

And the rain held out!

Congratulations to the Howick Local Board members

Congratulations to the new and re-elected members of the Howick Local Board. I'm thrilled to see that the Local Board has retained much of its experience while also gaining some new blood.

Howick Subdivision

• Adele White (re-elected)

• John Spiller (re-elected)

• Bo Burns (new member)

Botany Subdivision

• Mike Turinsky (re-elected)

• Bob Wichman (re-elected)

• Peter Young (re-elected

Pakuranga subdivision

• David Collings (re-elected)

• Katrina Bungard (re-elected)

• Bruce Kendall (new member)

Jim Donald and Garry Boles were not re-elected and I want to thank them both for their service to our community, not just on the Board but in other roles. I'm sure we'll still see them both around the community.

I know that new members Bo Burns and Bruce Kendall will bring fresh ideas to the Board along with the determination to see them delivered.

I'm looking forward to seeing the new Board get underway and working with them on the issues facing our community. Lots of promises were made during the election, it's time to deliver.

Thank you East Auckland

Firstly I want to thank everyone who voted for me, regardless of the outcome I appreciate your support and the trust you have placed in me. Thank you everyone who helped during the campaign, your support made it all possible.

I'm obviously disappointed in the results, I'd hoped to have the privilege of representing our community at Council but it was not to be.

Congratulations to both Sharon Stewart and Paul Young on being re-elected to council. As our area continues to suffer growing pains, we need councillors who will ensure that our community and its people are heard - it's up to you to ensure that we get what we need.

Commiserations to fellow candidates David Collings and Tofik Mamedov. I know how much time, money and effort goes into a campaign but you should be proud for standing up for your community. Kia kaha.

This isn't the end for me - I'll continue to be heavily involved in my community, lending a helping hand where I can. I return to an awesome job, working with great people. I'll continue to be a strong advocate for our area and do what I can to hold our representatives and council to account. And there's another election in three years...

Vote to ensure your voice is heard

With less than a week left, just under 17,000 locals of Howick Ward have voted. If you haven't, please make sure you do!

If you don't have your voting papers, you can cast a special vote.

☑️ Howick Library

☑️ Botany Night Market

☑️ Manukau Service Centre

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/elections/information-for-voters/Pages/where-cast-special-vote.aspx

We painted the town red!

We pained the town red! Well, the bins anyway.

Saturday afternoon over 80 volunteers came together to help give the Howick Village a makeover, cleaning up rubbish, painting bins and fences and tidying up the gardens.

Awesome work everyone!

Local businesses essential to East Auckland

Did you know that the 2,000 businesses in East Tamaki employ 30,000 people and contributes $3 billion to New Zealand's economy.

This massive growth is partly thanks to the great work by the Greater East Tāmaki Business Association (GETBA).

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with their General Manager Jane Tongatule to discuss the challenges and opportunities that their organisation and members face.

Jane and her team do a fantastic job of supporting the members and advocating on their behalf. Lots of great improvements thanks to their hard work but always more that Council can do better to help support this essential commercial and industrial area.