The Devonport Flagstaff Page 3
July 2, 2021
Tide running out for waterfront dinghy lockers
Pre-World War II dinghy lockers and a boat ramp on the Devonport waterfront are on the chopping block. Tenants of the 35 boat lockers on Queens Pde have just received notice from an Auckland Council marine-management contractor that the nearby ramp won’t be repaired and while they can continue to use the lockers, it won’t be for the long term. Council has no plans for “major repairs” to the lockers, which will be eventually “retired when they are no longer fit for purpose,” a notification sent to owners said. The Queens Pde lockers and the ramp, on the site of a former wharf, are believed to date back to around 1938. David Simes, whose family has had a locker at Queens Pde for 20 years, said the news was a knockback to a community that appreciates its coastal assets. “We moved to Devonport because of the access to the water – our kids grew up with that idea.” He used the ramp to row a dinghy out to his boat, Layla, moored off Queens Pde – directly across from his home. Council has said boat and kayak users have alternative ramps at Torpedo Bay or Stanley Bay. “Torpedo Bay is a two-kilometre walk away – rowing a dinghy from there to our boat into a head wind isn’t really an option,” Simes said. The Queens Pde ramp has been out of action recently. It broke six years ago and was repaired, but was damaged again in August 2020 and has yet to be fixed. Council said it was not practical to replace the ramp, given the erosion caused by the south-westerly winds and wave wash from passing vessels.
At a low ebb... David Simes wants the dinghy lockers and boat ramp at Queens Parade retained Simes felt the council was running the lockers (and the ramp) under corporate-style management, unsuited to community assets. He felt the lockers should be in the hands of the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. “In reality I don’t think they (council) can be bothered with them.” He estimated the Queens Pde locker
North Shore has big win ahead of carnival Chatham Cup clash A Chatham Cup carnival atmosphere is likely when North Shore United takes on Waiheke in a fourth-round match at Allen Hill stadium on July 10. Waiheke has a number players originating from South America, and a large supporter base who travel with drums and horns. It’s shaping as a facinating encounter with Shore mid-table in the Northern Premier League and Waiheke top of the first division. Kick off is at 2pm. Current Shore coach Malcolm McPherson had a stint with Waiheke prior to coming to Shore – adding an extra strand of interest to the clash. North Shore United had a 4-1 victory against the West Coast Rangers in the Northern Premier league last Saturday.
It was a decisive and much-needed victory for Shore, which has drawn five of its 13 matches so far this season. The win puts Shore mid-table, but only three points off the top four, with nine matches to go. The top four teams at the end of the regular season go into a national league play-off for a New Zealand club championship. North Shore’s next match is against Western Springs at home tomorrow (3 July) – an interesting tussle as both sides are on equal points. The first four rounds of the Chatham Cup are played against local teams. If Shore wins its match against Waiheke and makes the quarter-finals, it will play teams from around the country.
users fees amounted to nearly $20,000 per year – more than enough to maintain them. Tenants of 15 large lockers pay $665 a year, while those with smaller lockers pay $471. Many tenants would be happy to chip in time and money to keep them going, he said. “In reality we are just trying to keep what we’ve already got.”
Lake Rd project restarts: design budget brought forward More than $2 million of the Lake Rd Improvements budget has been brought forward so detailed design and consenting work can start. Last week, Auckland Council’s Planning Committee endorsed the Regional Land Transport Plan, which included the $48.4 million spend on Lake Rd. The plan was to be confirmed by the Auckland Transport Board last Monday, as the Flagstaff went to press. North Shore Councillors Richard Hills and Chris Darby had sought to bring forward some of the spend into the first years to keep the project moving. “The business case for Lake Rd has been retimed by spreading the allocated funding such that $1m is allocated in each of 2021/22 and 2022/2 financial years,” a report to the Planning Committee said. The final Lake Rd budget has been confirmed at $48.4 million, not $52 million, as mentioned in some council documents.
