16% of February ferry trips cancelled

Easing immigration criteria for potential Fullers ferry crew is on the agenda at a top-level meeting between Auckland Transport and the government post-Easter in an attempt to sort out the troubled Devonport service.

Staff shortages have been cited as a leading cause of late and cancelled ferries, particularly rife in 2023. This has frustrated public transport users to such an extent that some are resorting to jumping back in their cars.

In February, on the Devonport/Auckland run of 1900 scheduled trips, 1610 were completed on time, according to Auckland Transport figures. Of the rest, 290 were deemed unreliable (did not arrive within 15 minutes of the scheduled time); and a whopping 251 – 16 per cent of scheduled trips – were cancelled with no alternative transport.

Metro Services Darek Koper told the Flagstaff the meeting with government ministers of transport and immigration would seek changes to immigration criteria to allow qualified workers to move to New Zealand on a “pathway to residing here.”

Devonport Publishing Ltd First Floor, 9 Wynyard St

Telephone: 09 445 0060

Email: sales@devonportflagstaff.co.nz news@devonportflagstaff.co.nz

Website: www.devonportflagstaff.co.nz

NZ COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARDS

Best Community Involvement:

2021, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2005

Best Special Project/Supplement: 2016, 2020

VOYAGER/CANON MEDIA AWARDS

Community Reporter of the Year: Winner 2018

Community Newspaper of the Year: Finalist 2017

MANAGING EDITOR: Rob Drent

PUBLISHER: Peter Wilson

CHIEF REPORTER: Janetta Mackay

REPORTER: Lochlan Lineham

DESIGN: Brendon De Suza

COPY EDITOR: Jo Hammer

NEXT ISSUE: April 21

ADVERTISING DEADLINE: April 14

Auckland Transport’s Group Manager

Other ideas being pursued included increased crew-training options and the possibility of higher pay for ferry workers in Auckland, similar to incentives offered to bus drivers to attract them to working in New Zealand’s most expensive city, Koper said. Management of the ferry service was taken over by Auckland Transport last July with 98 per cent of ferry services on time set as a minimum benchmark for Fullers. The company faces financial penalties if this target is not met. Ferry operation figures for March will be collated and made public by mid-April.

Hauraki tops local burglary index

Hauraki had the most burglaries on the Devonport Peninsula last year, according to new figures.

Security company Auckland CCTV pulled Auckland police data from 2022 and analysed more than 23,000 burglaries.

Hauraki ranked 201st on the list of Auckland suburbs, with 46 burglaries; Mt Victoria/ Devonport was 271st with 33; Narrow Neck 307th with 26; Seacliffe/Belmont 339th with 21, Bayswater 341st with 20; and Stanley Bay 361th with 12 burglaries. Data was gathered for 408 areas across Auckland.

Elsewhere in the Devonport-Takapuna

Local Board area, Takapuna ranked 102nd, with 75 burglaries; Milford was 166th with 57; Sunnynook 197th with 48; Forrest Hill 230th with 41 and Castor Bay 346th with 17.

Glenfield had the most burglaries on the Shore, ranking 27th on the list with 126. Albany was next at 33rd with 116; North Harbour East was 51st with 102; Wairau-Westlake 62nd with 94; Greenhithe 82nd with 83; Browns Bay at 89th with 81; and Beach Haven 90th on the list with 80 burglaries.

Auckland Central, Takanini South and Mt Wellington were the three suburbs topping the citywide list.