Shore People…relaxing, reading, watching

Relaxing, reading, watching… love summer!

What a fantastic summer it’s been on the Shore. After such a tough year it has been great to relax, do nothing, read a book, watch Netflix or Neon… ahhh bliss! We thought we would talk to some prominent North Shore people about their summer break and provide our readers with some tips for great books and what to watch as this summer drifts on through the challenges of Omicron etc…

Shanan’s holiday at home

Netflix and Michael Cullen’s book have kept Shanan occupied this summer.

Shanan Halbert is the local Member of Parliament for Northcote and has lived in the area for over a decade, buying his first home in Birkenhead. The Labour party member chats to Channel Mag about what he did over the summer break including reading Michael Cullen’s Labour Saving and watching the Aretha Franklin biopic on Netflix.

Channel Magazine: What have you been up to this summer?

Shanan Halbert: I’ve really appreciated spending time at home this summer, getting my garden back into shape, hosting my Mum and making some great food.

CM: What has been your favourite read over the last few months?

SH: Michael Cullen’s Labour Saving was hard to put down, it’s a great read from a man who contributed so much to New Zealand.

CM: Why did you choose Michael’s book?

SH: Policies Michael championed when he was the Finance Minister made a big impact on my life, such as KiwiSaver which enabled my partner and I to buy our first house in Birkenhead. All politicians want to make a difference, and Michael certainly did, so I was interested in how he went about translating his values into positive change.

CM: Have you read or watched anything else during the break that you could recommend to our readers?

SH: I loved the Respect biopic on Netflix. Aretha Franklin was an incredible singer and songwriter whose music I’ve always loved.

CM: What’s your favourite local bookstore or publication and why?

SH: I like to support local, and I find it hard to go past Paper Plus who have just moved into a new larger store in the Highbury Shopping Centre.

CM: I am looking forward to 2022 because…

SH: I signed up to going to Parliament to be part of positive change for our community and after a year spent combatting the virus, I’m keen to get on with delivering more local priorities like better transport, protecting our environment and new trades training opportunities.

Erica’s top watches and reads this summer

Succession, American politics and Hugh Grant’s new film are all high on her list.

Erica Stanford is the National Party Member for East Coast Bays, an area she has lived in for over 40 years, having attended Rangitoto College. She is a proud mum of two and says she’s heavily invested in her local community. Erica talks to Channel Mag about her recent trip to Coromandel with her husband and kids, and what she’s been reading and watching over the break.

Shanan Halbert.

Channel Magazine: What have you been up to this summer?

Erica Stanford: I had a wonderful break spending time with my husband and two kids on the Coromandel. I managed to get sun, sand, swimming and a pile of reading all done!

CM: What has been your favourite watch or read over the last few months?

ES: During the last lock-down my husband and I started and finished watching Succession on Neon. It is a brilliant show with thoroughly dislikeable but incredible characters. I also started reading Nikki Haley's book, With All Due Respect. Nikki is a former US Governor and former Ambassador to the United Nations.

CM: Why did you choose that Nikki Haley’s book?

ES: Nikki Haley is quite likely to be the next Republican nominee for President and potentially the first (elected) woman President. I wanted to read her book to get a better understanding of a woman I greatly admire for her strength and fortitude during her time at the UN. It

Erica Stanford. Kevin O'Leary.

was fascinating to read accounts of how Nikki came up against men who thought they could push her around - including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a media who treat women very differently, and foreign diplomats who had a great amount of respect for her – including the Russians.

CM: Have you read or watched anything else during the break that you could recommend to our readers?

ES: I can thoroughly recommend the movie, The Gentleman (Netflix). I was weary of a movie that had Hugh Grant with a Cockney accent, but he was absolutely brilliant, this is one of his best performances!

CM: What's your favourite local bookstore or publication and why?

ES: My 14-year-old daughter and I spend a lot of time at Whitcoulls in Albany Mall picking out books to keep her love of reading alive. They have a fantastic young adult section and a toy section to keep the little ones entertained.

CM: I am looking forward to 2022 because…

ES: I have recently been asked to take on the shadow education spokesperson role for National. I am looking forward to getting around the country to speak to parents, principals and educators to see how we can improve the numeracy, literacy and well-being of our children.

What Kevin watched and read this summer

Why Kevin recommends Bloodlands and Elton John to readers

General Manager of Business North Harbour, Kevin O’Leary, spent the summer break in Auckland where he says he enjoyed some great family time after a busy 2021 supporting his local business community. Kevin recommends Bloodlands and a music autobiography to Channel readers and explains why he enjoyed them.

Channel Magazine: What have you been up to this summer?

Kevin O’Leary: I stayed in Auckland enjoying the weather, visiting some attractions and spending lots of time with my family.

CM: What has been your favourite watch over the last few months?

KO: My favourite watch was Bloodlands.

CM: Why did you choose Bloodlands?

KO: It’s a drama from the producers of Bodyguard and Line of Duty which are other excellent short series. The plot has never-ending twists and turns which continually prove you wrong just when you think you’ve cracked the case, or the bad guy is going to get caught.

CM: Have you read or watched anything else during the break that you could recommend to our readers?

KO: I read ‘Me’ which is Elton John’s autobiography, which as a fan of his music for many years I found very insightful and interesting.

CM: What’s your favourite local bookstore or publication and why?

KO: Channel magazine of course as it contains lots of useful local information.

CM: I am looking forward to 2022 because…

KO: It has to be better than 2021!!

Succession filled summer for Don

What this local Devonport resident watched and read over the break.

Retired pharmacist and Stanley Point (Devonport) local, Don Barker, is a keen consumer of books, films and television. He spent the summer break at home with his wife Heather and enjoys regular swimming and golf. Don details why he’d recommend Succession (Neon) and The Nautical Chart book to Channel readers. Don also talks about his love of the local library and Paradox Books.

Channel Magazine: What have you been up to this summer?

Don Barker: We had a very quiet Christmas. I’ve been enjoying swims most days and some golf too, of course.

CM: What has been your favourite watch over the last few months?

DB: A watch has been Succession on Netflix. Horrible rich people who seemed to feel they deserved their private jets and excesses. A

Don Barker.

read has been The Nautical Chart. A novel of adventure translated from Spanish. A very good read from the Devonport Library.

CM: Have you read or watched anything else during the break that you could recommend to our readers?

DB: Watched Power of the Dog (Netflix and filmed in NZ). Beautiful scenery but a very slow-moving story.

CM: What’s your favourite local bookstore or publication and why?

DB: Paradox Books in Devonport has a great selection, but hard to beat the local Library too.

CM: I am looking forward to 2022 because…

DB: I am looking forward to this year with the hope that Covid can be sorted as we learn to live with it.

What Ben’s watching and reading

Day trips, Netflix and Metro Magazine have been on the agenda.

Ben Panettiere is the General Manager of Peugeot Citroen North Shore and an avid consumer of media. The self-confessed foodie has been day tripping over summer and tells Channel Mag about some of his trips away and why he recommends Maid on Netflix and Metro Magazine.

Channel Magazine: What have you been up to over the summer break?

Ben Panettiere: How good has this weather been right?! I took the opportunity to stay in Auckland while the rest of the population headed to the beaches, I did a couple of day trips to Waiheke and Matakana and it was so nice and quiet, lots of really good food and wine!

CM: What has been your favourite watch over the last few months?

BP: I was a bit late to the party on this one but ‘Succession’ on Neon was a standout for me, I managed to catch up on all three seasons in just a few weeks.

CM: Why did you choose Succession?

BP: It had been recommended several times and then I read a controversial article on one of the main characters, so I had to see it for myself. The dynamic of growing up in the family business all vying for the top job and then throw copious amounts of money and luxury like private planes and super yachts into the mix it made for lots of drama and mind games.

CM: Have you read or watched anything else during the break that you could recommend to our readers?

BP: ‘Maid’ (Netflix) was another great watch; it really delves into the short comings of the child welfare system and can be anxiety inducing at times.

CM: What’s your favourite local bookstore or publication and why?

BP: I very rarely make it into a bookstore these days, but I have been an avid reader of Metro Magazine since it was relaunched by an independent local owner – if you are a foodie like me, it’s a must read (just like Channel Mag haha!) with all the latest openings and reviews.

CM: I am looking forward to 2022 because…

BP: it is going to be a huge year for Peugeot Citroen North Shore that was established in 2019. We have experienced substantial growth in the past 12 months and with the launch of award winning electric and plugin hybrid cars we are predicting another massive year ahead!

With Councillor Richard Hills, North Shore representative on Auckland Council.

Good progress in difficult times

Richard Hills.

I’m glad we got through most of summer without Omicron in the community, and thankfully our vaccination rate kept Delta cases low. Our beautiful city is just so good and the summer brings

everyone out to our parks, beaches and harbours; we also got that much-needed time with family and friends after a really tough year. It has been a testing time but I am proud of our community and the progress we are making together. Yes, there is still work to do, but we also have a lot to celebrate with so many improvements either SHORE completed or under way. More and more visitors to our city are noticing the differences and enjoying spending time here. More importantly, so are locals. Auckland has so much going for it right now with infrastructure upgrades big and small. There is a general buzz around the place and a focus on people being most important. It is noticeable on the Shore too. Local parks, tracks and facilities are being upgraded and our very cool Hurstmere Road upgrade was completed in December. It has been well over 30 years since Hurstmere Road had seen any investment. The infrastructure was literally falling apart, the road was sinking and the pipes under the road were almost a century old. Now we have new furniture, lighting, planting and plenty of revitalised spaces for people to enjoy Takapuna and what our local businesses have on offer. New mature native trees were planted in the many new rain gardens which improve water quality by cleaning the stormwater before it reaches Takapuna Beach; it’s also a much safer place for people of all ages. Looking at water quality, we have now removed the permanent long-term water quality warning from the Wairau Estuary outlet at Milford Beach. This warning was put in place over a decade ago by the North Shore City Council. The removal was possible through a joint initiative between Auckland Council and Watercare, investigating almost 1000 properties and removing sources of wastewater contamination located in the catchment. This work was funded through the water quality targeted rate which will continue to fund ongoing work in this area. Community advocacy from passionate local groups and volunteers played a huge part as well, as we worked to secure this budget after we had success addressing similar issues at Takapuna Beach through our Safe Networks programme. Last month I attended a pōwhiri to bless the site for construction of the new public space in the centre of Takapuna. It will be constructed in three stages with the first part of the square due to open in December 2022. It has been a long road to get here but what is currently a carpark will soon be an amazing civic space where people will gather. Mana whenua have gifted it the name Waiwharariki, which is the original mana whenua place name for the area now known as Takapuna, the beach, and town centre areas. New beginnings while bringing our history back too. I know many of you will be anxious for what Omicron brings but I am hopeful that if we continue to work together and look out for each other we will get through okay. We will also need to continue to invest in our community even in the hard times to get the best outcomes for our community now, and into the future.

Feel free to continue to contact me about local issues on Richard.hills@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

By Shanan Halbert, Northcote MP. Transport opportunities will Shanan Halbert. come with climate change

Securing the significant opportunities for Auckland from decarbonising our transport network is a priority for me in 2022.

We know the need to rapidly lower our transport emissions as part of becoming a low emissions city is urgent. Transport currently contributes close to half (47%) of our greenhouse gases and these have almost doubled since 1990 – the index year for global emissions measurement. The Zero Carbon Act Parliament passed without dissent in 2019 mandates that we produce an emissions reduction plan to achieve this target. Not dealing with domestic emissions means we will need to buy carbon credits to meet our commitments.

There are real opportunities for Auckland, and especially for the North Shore, as we make this transition. We’ve already made a good start with more to come in 2022. Last year some big bits of the jigsaw puzzle were decided upon. The 10-year $31 billion Auckland-wide transport realignment project (ATAP) was finalised, while the Northern Busway extension to Albany Station is well underway and cycling improvements like the Tapuwae safe cycle bridge between Northcote and Smales Farm opened. Around one in four new car sales are now EVs.

The Northern busway is a great example of visionary long term leadership and investment that we need more of. Opened in 2008, it now carries more than 8 million passengers annually, or 50% of peak traffic, more than proving that its early critics who said it would be a white elephant were wrong.

We need to make sure the new transport investments being planned deliver a win win for us on the Shore – tackling both congestion and lowering emissions. The additional harbour crossing now being planned, for example, must be engineered to properly link up to the light rail network to be built from the central city to the airport, enabling expansion to the North Shore. That would be a truly transformational project for us on the Shore giving people better transport choices and leaving our roads less congested for those who need to use cars.

At the same time the additional harbour crossing also enables us to rethink how it connects with local streets to relieve existing hot spots, such as the heavily congested Onewa Road which is currently the only route through Birkenhead and Northcote to the bridge. We also cannot lose sight of the contribution a walking and cycling connection across the Waitematā should make as part of an integrated transport network.

Transport consumes a big chunk of my time in Wellington on the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee and as chair of the government’s Infrastructure and Environment Caucus Committee. In both roles I see the challenges and trade-offs we face in reorienting our existing network – but also the real opportunities our necessary work to tackle climate change will deliver as long as we keep that objective front and centre. This is a real legacy to leave our grandchildren and the generations that follow them and I’m ready to play my part in realising it.

Email: Shanan.Halbert@parliament.govt.nz Call my office on 0800 222 007

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