10 May 2024, Rangitoto Observer

Winter Lights festival saved by sponsors... p2

Anzac Day ceremony picture spread... p12-14

Takapuna showcased in photo competition... p22

Buy-outs underway in flood-struck Shore suburbs

The first two flooded-home buy-outs have been settled in hard-hit Wairau Valley catchment areas this month, and more offers are being considered by residents.

Milford has 14 dwellings assessed as meeting the ‘Category 3’ buy-out threshold, the most of any suburbs in the Devonport-Taka-

puna Local Board (DTLB) area.

Sunnynook has four homes and Forrest Hill one meeting the threshold due to damage suffered in the Auckland Anniversary floods of 27 January 2023.

Ten of the 18 Category 3 homes in the area had had their valuations completed by late

April, including the two for which owners have since accepted buy-out offers from Auckland Council.

A Sunnynook woman whose home was flooded and left uninhabitable for many months said she had been relieved to get a Category 3 assessment. To page 4

Sweet taste of the Philippines

Stickability... Khian (5, left) and brother Khlyde (7) Ocado tuck into some barbecued meats and pandan syrup jelly drinks at the inaugural Filipino Festival held in Takapuna last Saturday. “They love their Filipino food,” said their father Kerlvin Ocado. He was happy to see his culture shared with many people. Pictures, page 6

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Sponsors let there be light

The popular Winter Lights festival in Takapuna will shine on this July, after last-minute efforts secured sufficient sponsorship.

Displays and performances will centre on Waiwharariki Anzac Square and spill into Hurstmere Rd and Hurstmere Green, rather than take up the full town-centre block. Potters Park will be included for the first time, with a laser-lights display.

Takapuna Beach Business Association chief executive Terence Harpur said he was thrilled the TBBA would be able to again host the free community event.

This was put at risk when cash-strapped Auckland Council promotional agency Tataki Auckland Unlimited withdrew support, which last year totalled $40,000. An application by event organiser Dan Green for a Devonport-Takapuna Local Board grant was ruled ineligible last month.

Harpur said enough had been raised to commit to the event being held over the four evenings of 25-28 July. An application had also been made to a council civic-events fund which he hoped might further bolster the budget.

Patchy sound mars service for some

Sound-system arrangements for Takapuna’s next Anzac Day service will be reviewed after some of this year’s crowd struggled to hear the speeches and readings.

“It was impossible to hear the sound-system from the public seating,” one Takapuna resident who regularly attends the service told the Observer. “People around us were saying exactly the same thing.”

She and her older sister aged in her 90s had been ushered to seating to the side of the speakers’ rostrum, rather than their usual

face-on viewpoint. “We probably wouldn’t sit there again.”

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Toni van Tonder, who was Master of Ceremonies for the day, said she had heard similar feedback, including from retired Commodore Tony Lewis, OBE (pictured), who gave the Anzac Day address. “We’ll be asking [council] staff to investigate,”

The set-up had been used before, she said, but it appeared sound quality was patchy, so more speakers might be needed next year. Board staff would look at the cost.

Killarney St crossing will cost $167k

The cost of a new pedestrian planned for Killarney St near the Takapuna Pool and Leisure Centre has been estimated at $167,000.

The Observer asked Auckland Transport (AT) for the likely cost and details about the crossing, which will be installed just east of the pool entrance and west of The Terrace, after residents suggested it would be a controversial and expensive raised crossing.

AT says the crossing will be flush with the road. But the work will include two new speed humps (one on either side of the crossing), a new pedestrian island, a narrower vehicle entrance to the pool carpark, new kerb ramps, reshaped berms to prevent stormwater overflow, additional stormwater infrastructure and new signage.

AT is waiting for funding to be confirmed before it can go ahead with construction.

The work is separate from the Takapuna Safe Streets plan, the last stage of which was quietly put on hold, delaying plans for raised crossings on Anzac St at Takapuna Primary School and across Auburn St at the entrance to the Auburn Reserve and the start of the Patuone walkway.

The Killarney St crossing is part of a minor improvements programme which was first proposed and consulted on in late 2021, and on which residents were recently updated.

AT is reviewing some raised-crossing plans across the city, due to criticisim of their cost by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and others.

Authorised by Hon Simon Watts, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn. ALBANY HEAT PUMPS

Information in the Rangitoto Observer is copyright and cannot be published or broadcast without the permission of Devonport Publishing Ltd.

Playcentre seeks greater visibility as numbers fall away

Takapuna Playcentre is struggling for numbers due to a lack of visibility to the public, parents at the centre believe.

Its membership has dwindled from 17 families two years ago to just seven.

Michelle Morrison, whose grandchild attends the centre, said it used to have a sign with a logo facing Auburn St but that the installation of the new Patuone Reserve sign, which has the centre’s name in Maori before the English version, makes the name less visible to passers by. She said a better sign would help more families discover the centre.

Session leader Gin Seow agrees, saying she only found the centre because she came across it on a walk and decided to look it up online when she got home. She now has two grandchildren attending and says the facilities are some of the best in Auckland because it has large outdoor spaces and plenty of toys.

“Some playcentres are several levels. We are pretty much single level so it makes it easier for the kids and for us to supervise.”

Seow said that the centre has adapted to a more diverse demographic by including different cultural activities as part of play. It also celebrated the holidays of its different cultures, recently having themed days for Nowruz (Persian new year) and the Lunar New Year. The playcentre also regularly incorporated cultural foods into meal times.

She said even though more parents worked these days and paid for daycare, the much cheaper Playcentre model of having parents present helped them or grandparents learn about how a child played, their preferences and how they interacted with others.

If grandparents and part-time working parents could make it to the centre a few days a week they would find it beneficial, Seow said.

The play programme is child-led, with toys and activities being chosen according to what the children are expressing interest in or

ask for. The centre regularly goes on trips, most recently visiting the Chelsea Sugar Factory and My Wonderland indoor playground.

Asked about the signage concerns, Auckland Council northern operations manager Sarah Jones said there was an application process the playcentre could go through to have its own standalone sign installed.

She said that the council had a policy of not using logos on signs.

Next generation... Takapuna Placentre session leader Gin Seow with her grandson Elliott Hu (4)

Autumnal fun... Ollie Gaunt (2), Amelia Belling (3) and Max Fogarin (2) enjoy rainy-day play at Takapuna Playcentre, where fallling numbers are a concern.

Flood Fallout

Buy-outs begin but concerns about future remain

From

page 1

A valuation was expected within the next two weeks under a process she said had started slowly but was now moving efficiently

Of 240 homes registered for assessment in the DTLB area, 44 have been categorised so far, said Nick Vigar, head of planning for Auckland Council arm Healthy Waters.

Of these, 25 homes were put in Category 1, meaning they were not considered of such risk to life in future floods or slips as to trigger a buy-out offer.

Vigar said the properties assessed to date had been those in more clear-cut situations. The focus now was on the more difficult cases, as well as many new sign-ups this year.

Applications for assessment can be made until the end of September. All those made in 2023 should be completed by mid-year, Vigar said.

“Given the level of flooding and impact in the Nile Rd area in Milford, we have also been looking into community infrastructure solutions at the Wairau catchment level.

“Many homes awaiting categorisations here rely on this outcome, so we are working to get clarity as fast as we can, including exploring options with the government.”

Vigar said most of the more complex cases have had a ‘desktop’ assessment, and a site assessment where needed. Some needed flooding and geotechnical assessments.

“For some, we are confirming whether there are safe and viable mitigation options at the property, requiring careful technical consideration.”

Under two assessment categories (2C and 2P), the council or property owner becomes responsible for risk remediation. After satisfactory completion of this, mention of the issue will be removed from council files. No such assessments have been issued in the local-board area to date.

DTLB chair Toni van Tonder said she was

pleased homeowners were getting answers from council and that two buyout offers have been accepted. “This gives me heart that the buy-out process is working.”

The Observer knows of a number of property owners unsure of their next steps. Some have chosen not to seek buyouts, either staying on or seeking to sell their homes.

A number of homes in flood-plain areas have been repaired and on-sold or rented out. A handful of homeowners in clifftop areas have applied for planning consent to shore up unstable land.

Board member Mel Powell

said flooded homes had been patched up and re-let or put on the market. “They’re saying buyer beware, and it’s all on you, but if you’re new to New Zealand or desperate for housing...”

Van Tonder said the board was keen to hear from Healthy Waters about proposed mitigation works in the area. Next steps would come after the council’s 10-year budget was settled.

The board was seeking funding to support community initiatives to help people prepare and respond to emergencies. Emergency Plans were being worked on with AEM.

It is likely that after homes on bought-out Category 3 properties are demolished or removed, the sites will be used for stormwater improvements or become council reserve land.

Across the city, 1273 properties had been assessed by 30 April, with 401 found to

qualify for buy-outs and 823 pushed out to Category 1. A further 4 were put in Category 2c and 45 in Category 2P. This is from a pool of 7389 initially affected properties, which yielded 2803 homeowners seeking categorisation. Of 185 buyout offers made so far, 87 have been accepted and 55 settled.

Vigar said budgets had been boosted to contract more assessors locally and in Australia.

DTLB member Mel Powell, who was active in community flood response, said she was concerned council information did not capture who had been most impacted.

“What I realised is when I met the people from flats in Milford and people in Sunnynook is they’re old, disabled, vulnerable –and they’re invisible in the data.”

Such people would find relocating difficult and were often not in a good financial position or able to advocate for themselves. Some were nervous about working with the council, although its navigators, a team that helped people work through the assessment process, had helped with this.

Powell said a number of flooded homes had been patched up and re-let or put on the market. “They’re saying buyer beware, and it’s all on you, but if you’re new to New Zealand or desperate for housing...”

She worried nothing substantial had yet occurred to reduce the risk of future flooding.

“We live in a flood plain, it’s a great place to live, we just need to adapt our housing.”

Yet intensification was continuing ahead of infrastructure improvements.

Powell is also frustrated that as the board member, who with chair van Tonder, gives feedback to planning applications, decisions are not notified back to them unless they chase up planners, even when they flag concerns about some locations.

“It’s like nothing happened, it’s business as usual.”

Sister act... Back-to-back winners of the Tarana Idol singing competition Rashi (left) and Avishi Jain

Teen singer matches sister’s success

Two Forrest Hill sisters have won successive years of a radio singing competition.

Student Rashi Jain, aged 19, won this year’s Radio Tarana Idol a year after her 14-year-old sister, Avishi, won the same competition.

The girls’ mother, Shuchita, said the backto-back wins were “the best gift my daughters could have given me for Mother’s Day”.

Shuchita got both girls into music when they were young, helped them rehearse their songs and gave feedback, said Rashi.

The sisters perform together at festivals and Diwali, and post their music online.

Rashi said winning the singing contest the year after her sister made it even more special.

The win comes with a $1000 cash prize and the chance to perform at events Radio Tarana hosts for its 70,000 listeners, who are mostly drawn from the Indian community.

The station began in the 1990s and Tarana

Idol launched 15 years ago.

The annual competition consists of 12 competitors singing a different song each day, with contestants being eliminated until a winner is crowned.

Judges select different genres for the contestants to perform each day, which Rashi said took her out of her comfort zone.

The biggest challenge, however, came when she reached a judges’ choice round, for which she had to prepare four songs. The judges picked one for her to sing live on air, just moments before the performance.

The University of Auckland clinical psychology student said she was up until 2am studying for a test the night before, and headed to the competition straight after class, so had less time than she would have liked to prepare her songs.

Rashi said she wants to continue to perform and record music with her sister and see where music might take her.

See the Expert, Hear the Difference

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Doctor Teresa Burns has over 25 years experience and is a local North Shore resident. She’s active in the local community and is the proud owner of Teresa Burns Hearing.

Gang HQ raided by police

A police raid on the North Shore headquarters of the Head Hunters Motorcycle Club and other properties resulted in five arrests, with more monitoring promised. Two men aged 18 and others aged 25, 29 and 57 now face methamphetamine supply charges. Police executed search warrants at seven properties across the region on 1 May, including at the North Shore chapter’s headquarters set up in industrial Wairau Valley last year. The raids netted $80,000 in cash, along with a small amount of firearm ammunition and a quantity of cannabis.

Van stolen from youth hub

A van used to transport disabled people and equipment was stolen from the Shore Junction youth hub car park last week. It was recovered two days later in Bayview, stripped bare of its ignition, dashboard and seats. Shore Junction director Annaliese Hewitt said the hub used the van to transport equipment, while Yes Disability used it to transport disabled people.

Watts in Cabinet

North Shore MP and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has been promoted to Cabinet following the demotion of Media and Communications Minister Melissa Lee.

Tradies targeted

A spate of vehicle break-ins have been reported across Castor Bay, Forrest Hill and Milford, with tradespeople among those targeted. Police said they would look to increase patrols in the area as resources allowed, after receiving just under a dozen reports of thefts in late April and early May. No arrests have been made.

Filipino food and dance draws crowds to Takapuna

Takapuna’s first Filipino Festival last weekend won’t be the last, say local organisers, after a big turnout enjoyed cultural performances, stalls and eats in Waiwharariki Anzac Square

Stepping out... Kate Jones (15) leads the performance of a flower dance, traditionally done in May. Right: members of the Samut Sari troupe performing with fans

School showcase... Westlake high school students (from left) Xian Janvert Monsayac, Gianna Ernazo, Lexter Cueva and Iza Antonio, all aged 14, and (at rear), Alfie Nazario (17) and (right) Sarah Alatan (16) after they performed a folk dance, stepping over bamboo poles. The students are members of Filipino clubs at the Westlake boys and girls high schools and will be part of a joint Westlake Pinoy Night celebrating Filipino culture on on 24 July.

DIANA & HUGH Ryman Residents

Fashion-chain trio share more than family ties

The challenge of being a working mother is something sisters Claire Ackland and Grace Pallas share and gain support on from their own mother, Linda Savage, as the trio combine their skills in Milford-based fashion business Magazine.

Grace formally joined the business just this year to help with its online store.

Claire, after four years being involved, is very much her mother’s right-hand woman.

In reality, the pair’s involvement dates back 18 years, to when Linda first bought Magazine, overseeing its expansion from what was then a single store in Takapuna, to a designer chain, with 11 stores.

Linda’s experience of bringing them up while running a business these days feeds into their own approach to parenting young daughters of their own.

As working mothers themselves, Claire and Grace appreciate Linda’s wisdom and guidance.

The trio say working together can be both a delight and a challenge, with the difficulty being switching off from work.

“We are deeply passionate about what we do and could discuss it endlessly. However, it’s important to take breaks from work occasionally!”

This Sunday 12 May will be an extra-special Mother’s Day, they say, being Grace’s first as a mother to Florence. “We will spend the day together and enjoy each other’s company, including Mila (Claire’s daughter) and Florence.”

Asked about favourite places to enjoy a coffee or a brunch then a walk together they say: “We love to get an ice cream or coffee from Devon on the Wharf [in Devonport] and go for a walk along the beach and stop

at the playground for the girls.”

Present-wise, they recommend Arazzo in Milford for its “gorgeous selection of gifts”. “Bookmark in Devonport is also wonderful. Their selection of books is incredible.”

When it comes to savvy shopping, they add you can’t go past giving a gift voucher from Magazine.

This allows a lucky recipient to make their own selection. But for those who like to choose something for their special person, there’s expert guidance into what is available in-store, in a range which extends from clothes to stylish accessories.

“We’ve also curated some exquisite jew-

ellery brands from talented New Zealand designers, which would make wonderful Mother’s Day gifts. ‘Me the Label’ has just landed in-store at Magazine and it has some stunning pieces that would make any mum feel extra-special.”

But the best gift is, of course, spending time together.

“It is hard to put into words what spending time with our mum means to us,” Savage’s daughters say. “We are so lucky to have a passionate, caring and determined mother. These are values we love in business and in life and want to instil these in our girls as well.”

Fashionable family... Linda Savage flanked by her daughters and granddaughters: Claire Ackland (left), with Mila, and Grace Pallas, with Florence.

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Level 1 to 5 nursing care available, and priority to our Continuity Care Facility.

Please join us for afternoon tea this Mother’s Day at 2:30pm to celebrate our precious mums. Friends and family welcome.

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“Before Kit’s Real Guidance Programme, I had started on my fitness journey with walking and various at-home programmes but with varying success. I didn’t feel like I put in the max effort because nobody could tell what I was doing or if I was doing the moves correctly. Kit thas helped me gain strength, tone and lose 15kg; something I would never have been able to accomplish on my own. This in turn has impacted everything in a positive way, from family, work and overall health, and I couldn’t be more grateful” – Coralie Elia

Veteran Shore GP’s delivery service moves south

Long-time North Shore doctor Erica Lauder has delivered more than 4000 babies in close to 40 years as a GP.

She officially retired from obstetrics with her last delivery in February and from GP work in Takapuna last month. However, she has a feeling she may yet deliver another child, as she is moving to a rural area in the Hawke’s Bay. “We are an hour from the nearest hospital (in Hastings) and someone is bound to have a baby (early) and need help.”

Lauder has been a popular local GP since moving to Devonport in 1990. In recent years she has been based at The Doctors in Fred Thomas Dr. Before moving to the Shore she had a practice in Papakura.

To be closer to family support she and husband Rob moved with their three boys under four: Robbie, William and James (daughter Sophie was born later – a home birth). The couple loved old houses and it was a toss-up between Northcote Point or Devonport.

Things fell into place when Devonport Realty agent Eric Merkens found them a suitable home on Calliope Rd and then mentioned Devonport Family Medicine’s Grant Smith was looking for another doctor.

Lauder fitted the bill and for three decades walked a few hundred metres down the hill to work. “I spent 30 years working with him there. When he retired, I left.

After a brief stint at another Devonport practice, she signed on at The Doctors.

Long-time local… GP Erica Lauder is leaving the Shore after 34 years

followed her.

Lauder started delivering babies before cell phones and recalls the freedom which came when the “brick” phones arrived.

Over the years, she has found herself treating different generations from the same families, and their wider relatives. In many cases recently she has delivered babies to mothers she delivered 25 or 30 years before.

“Being almost part of the extended family has been the most rewarding part of the job,” she says.

For the last few years, Lauder was believed to be the last GP in New Zealand to regularly deliver babies. She says changes to birth funding models over the years meant

GPs were virtually unpaid for deliveries so stopped. Lauder carried on “because I loved it”, despite the long hours.

She was commonly up all hours with a delivery before heading into work as a GP the next day. “I felt really privileged to do my job, being part of my patients’ whanau.”

Patients have also been a great source of strength during tough times. Lauder gave evidence at a Coroners Court inquest after patient Amale Moore died in 1996 after giving birth to a stillborn child. Lauder was grief-stricken from losing a patient and so devastated from the ensuing legal processes that she contemplated leaving obstetrics. “My patients took care of me,” she says of the support she received at the time.

Two years ago, the Lauders bought –sight-unseen – the 150-year-old, 10-bedroom Oruawharo Homestead, set on 40 acres in central Hawke’s Bay, selling up here.

In partnership with son William, a chef, builder and now beekeeper, and his partner Bianca, they are running an old church on the property as a function centre and wedding venue, while Rob has been working on restoring the house, currently painting the exterior. It’s a mammoth task.

“We’ve set a goal of having it in a reasonable state by 2029,” Lauder says.

Lauder will work two and a half days a week as a GP at the Tuki Tuki Medical practice in Waipukurau. She’s looking forward to “learning to work in rural medicine”.

On the march... Led by Squadron Leader Alex Koppenaal, former military personnel head the parade down Lake Rd to the Takapuna War Memorial on the Strand, where a crowd gathered for addresses

RSA helpers... Mary-Jane Clarke

and Anfisa Trekhelb collect donations for poppies and programmes, helped by Anfisa’s sister Kira (4), with her own bucket.

School’s tribute... Takapuna Normal Intermediate students (from left)

Below: A member of the Cenotaph Guard provided by number 6 North Shore Squadron Air Training Corps, with the Harbour Voices choir at rear.

(left)

Lachlan Raybould, Yina Zheng, Annabelle Isa and Sienna Nicholls with a wreath.

Takapuna marks Anzac Day

Young and old joined forces in Takapuna on Anzac Day to honour those who served. North Shore Brass and Harbour Voices accompanied the solemn commemorations, while students from local schools laid wreaths and gave readings.

Flag duty... Air Training Corps member Tyler Matairangi. Below (from left): Lynn Brown with her father and fellow Takapuna resident 97-year-old former US Navy serviceman George Uhe, and Ray Kwok with his daughter Summer.

Showing respects... Elected representatives (from left) Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Mel Powell, North Shore MP Simon Watts, Auckland councillors for North Shore ward Richard Hills and Chris Darby and board member Peter Allen. Board member George Wood is partly obscured at rear.

Double act... Commander Muzz Kennett’s salute happened to be echoed in the swimsuit shop behind him. Below: Victoria Da Silva from Carmel College reads a poem.

Floral tributes... Wreaths being laid by Harry Goddard (above left) and Anzac Sandrey of Takapuna Primary School), Westlake Boys High School head boy Matt Young (below), and Westlake Girls High School’s Emily French (below right)

Heads bowed... Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Toni van Tonder (left) and Takapuna Grammar School head girl Brodie Crowther, who read a prayer.

harbourhospice.org.nz/joyful

Devonport Recycling Centre launches Zero Waste educational play space

Children are turning trash into treasure at the newly upgraded Devonport Community Recycling Centre (CRC), which had its official opening in March.

Known locally as Resource Recovery Devonport, the CRC has undergone an extensive upgrade with support from Auckland Council. This includes the Noughty Wasters Makerspace, a new educational play space for children, that focuses on sustainable practices to prevent and reduce waste.

Ann Langis, the educator behind Noughty Wasters, says children are naturals when it comes to zero waste.

“Kids see the opportunities when presented with a room full of junk. They think creatively about how to fix things or make something new. It gives them a sense of joy and accomplishment and teaches them new skills.”

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chairperson Toni van Tonder says the education space is a fantastic addition to an already well supported waste minimisation centre.

“Given that the Devonport Community Recycling Centre was New Zealand’s first-ever

municipal recycling centre thanks to the successful lobbying of local residents in 1977, I expect locals will fully embrace the many opportunities this new educational space will present in dialling up the conversations about waste minimisation and environmentalism.”

As part of its commitment to creating a zero waste, circular economy, the Devonport CRC has started a new skip bin service targeted at both residential and commercial businesses. This will allow it to collect more unwanted items along with construction and demolition items for reuse. This runs alongside its landscaping supplies business which utilises green waste. Profits from the businesses help fund local community organisations.

North Shore Ward councillor Chris Darby says the Devonport CRC has strong support from the community and, in turn, supports its community.

“The Devonport CRC is creating opportunities and resources for its community, while also supporting Auckland’s strategy for reaching zero waste by 2040. Its strong connections and robust social enterprise model are a great

CONTACT US: aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/devonporttakapuna FOLLOW US: Facebook.com/devonporttakapuna

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chairperson Toni van Tonder (left) with Noughty Wasters educator Ann Langis

example for existing and new CRCs as we expand the council’s Resource Recovery Network.”

One of 13 community recycling centres across the Auckland region that are part of the Auckland Council’s Resource Recovery Network, its aim is to keep waste out of landfill and support a circular economy.

Devonport Community Recycling Centre upgrades included a new reuse shop and education space, new weighbridge and office, improved surfacing and stormwater management devices.

Auckland Council’s goal is to expand to 21 CRCs and two large resource recovery parks by 2030, ensuring most urban Aucklanders live within a 20-minute drive of a convenient place to bring or buy items.

The Devonport Community Recycling Centre is located at Resource Recovery Devonport, 27 Lake Road. Find out more at devonportrecycle.co.nz/

For a full list of Community Recycling Centres in the Auckland region, visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/crc

PHOTO: DEVONPORT CRC

Harbour netball numbers strong as 2024 club competitions begin

Club netball has bounced back strongly in North Harbour, with player numbers across 10 grades just two teams short of pre-Covid levels in 2019.

And the area’s school competitions are also thriving, with 63 more teams than last year registered across primary, intermediate and secondary grades.

The Netball North Harbour (NNH) club competition begins this week, involving 80 teams across the grades, including current and former national league players in the top tier.

Three of the 20 clubs involved are new, with another returning after a hiatus.

In Premier 1, last year’s champions, Collegiate, are likely to prove hard to beat, with a well-honed line-up who also play in the Auckland club competition.

Tough competition will come from Westlake 1, the beaten finalist last year, and the top team from Shore Rovers, the Harbour centre’s biggest and oldest club.

Both Westlake club and Rovers have second teams in Premier 1, reflecting their depth. They are joined by a team each from the well-established Rangitoto and Commodores clubs and rising contender AUT.

Premier 1 games played at the Barfoot & Thompson arena on Tuesdays at 7pm and 8.30pm are open to the public.

Synergy Hair National Netball League players are involved in several top teams, including Northern Comets player Marie Hansen (Collegiate), who represented Tonga at the Netball World Cup last year.

Local Northern Marvels players include Charli Foster (Shore Rovers 1) and Courtney Katterns (Collegiate), who both – like Hansen – came through Westlake Girls High School, and Jazmine Zanders (Commodores).

Last season, some professionals from the ANZ Premiership popped up, including Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (Mystics),

Top athletes pride of local club Sport

Erikana Pedersen (Tactix), and Amorangi Malesala and Jamie Hume (Stars) for Westlake, and Carys Stythe (Mystics), playing for Collegiate.

To date, no ANZ players have registered to play at NNH, says the centre’s chief executive Lynette Brady

But Emma Iversen, who has formerly played in the mid court for both the Mystics and the Stars, is playing for Shore Rovers 2.

Westlake club president Michele Wallace says its ANZ players may not be available, because the championship runs until late July and some players will need a stand-down before internationals.

Premier 2 teams play on Thursday evenings, with all other club play on Saturday afternoons.

NNH also runs competitions involving 252 secondary-school teams, with grading rounds starting last Saturday morning. Year 9s play on Mondays after school, and with 20 more teams registered this year, a 7.20pm round has been added. Intermediate competition has 201 teams and primary 277.

Brady says adult social numbers are also strong, partly due to shorter formats reducing the time commitment required. For the first time, mixed teams outnumber women’s teams in both the inside 5-a-side and outdoor twilight competitions.

Shore Rovers president, Kelly Cameron says many secondary students wanted to play club netball for extra time on court and exposure to more experienced players. Rovers and some other clubs have development sides to meet this demand. Rovers, with 18 teams – one more than last year – had interest to fill 21 but not the resources. She hoped other clubs would look to add more teams next year to spread the load.

Westlake and Northcote clubs are next biggest, both with 12 teams.

Three of the 15 athletes named in the initial New Zealand team for the Paris Olympics are current members of the Takapuna Athletics Club and former students of Takapuna Grammar School.

Pole-vaulter Eliza McCartney, who won bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, will head to Paris in July after a season of strong form, having bounded back from some injury-plagued years. Shotputter Jacko Gill, who has also been competing well, will be at his third Olympics.

For pole-vaulter Imogen Ayris, Paris presents a first opportunity to compete on athletics’ biggest stage, two years after she secured a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

For her, and a third North Shore jumper, Olivia McTaggart, from the Harbour Bays Club, attendance is conditional on achieving a qualifying height in the next six weeks, with both heading to Europe for several competitions soon.

The athletics team is one of the strongest assembled in years. New Zealand finished third on the medal table at the World Athletics Indoor Championship in Glasgow last month, with two gold and two silver medals. High jumper Hamish Kerr and hurdler Jack Beamish topped the podium.

The next generation of aspiring local athletes are also shaping up well, with some having success at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships over the school holidays. Karmen Maritz, a Westlake Girls High student who competes for Harbour Bays, won the under-17 girls discus.

From the Takapuna Athletics Club, Noa King was third in the U17 boys 400m. All-rounder Connor Brady, in his first big heptathlon competition, was fourth overall in the U16 section. Kate Halllie was sixth in the U18 girls discus and seventh in the shotput.

Hospice beneficiary grateful for support she’s received

North Shore 67-year-old Julie Brewin (right) says the hospice care she has been receiving for the past year has made all the difference to the quality of life she is able to enjoy despite daunting health challenges.

She says the support she gets from Harbour Hospice’s community nursing team is something she can’t imagine getting by without. The mother and grandmother is now also a regular attendee at its Takapuna day-group programme.

“It normally takes me hours to get up and get dressed in the morning. But on Thursdays – day-group day – I’m up, organised and put together two hours before my pickup, because I’m so excited to go.”

She returns home re-energised from the experience. “I go home and clean the house – I find housework very calming – or I get out in the garden or make sauces from my tomatoes.”

Brewin agreed to speak about her experience of hospice care ahead of the organisation’s awareness week, which runs from 13-19 May. This is designed to help raise community understanding of what its free services offer and also to act as a fundraiser.

“Everyone deserves access to a good end-of-life experience, but many people reach us too late or not at all – and we need this to change,” says Harbour Hospice chief executive Jan Nichols.

“Throughout the week we’re highlighting the importance of reaching those with a life-limiting illness earlier in their journey, so we can do more to support them to live well, in the place they call home with the people they love.”

For Brewin, although her garden is her happy place, she had come to feel somewhat trapped in her home until connecting with hospice. She says regular visits and calls from its team make her feel cared for and she knows hospice is there for her.

Initially she was reluctant to attend its day programmes, having not ventured out much for some time.

“I was wary because I hadn’t left the house or been around other people for a long time,” she recalls. “But once I got there... I look

forward to it now. It has given me a sense of belonging and it cheers me up.”

Nichols says although Harbour Hospice cares for many in the community, few realise that the earlier it becomes involved in a person’s care, the more it can do to support them.

“Hospice is not just about dying. It’s about being there for patients like Julie, families and whānau to make those final years, months or weeks more joyful, not just less awful.”

Some local supermarkets will be asking customers to add $1 to their shop for the charity, as will Hospice’s own opportunity shops, including in Milford, Takapuna and Devonport and its outlets in Ellice Rd and Link Dr in Wairau. Other businesses are also supporting the fundraising efforts. Auckland construction company Youngman Richardson will match online donations, up to $10,000.

For details of the campaign and other ways to help, see harbourhospice.org.nz

Potential development site on market

Six homes are being sold, potentially as one lot, on a prime central spot on Sunnynook Rd, across from the community centre and supermarket.

The Forrest Hill properties, on separate titles at 103 to 113 Sunnynook Rd, occupy 3700sqm of flat land. They are being marketed by Barfoot & Thompson as a “rare and lu-

crative” chance to buy a flexible development site. The area is zoned for intensification, allowing terrace housing and apartments up to six storeys high. The existing homes are currently tenanted.

The properties are being sold by tender, with “two or more” on offer. The tender closes on 22 May, unless sold prior.

Northcroft upgrade should be canned

I see in your recent paper (26 April) that Northcroft St, Takapuna, is due to close for ‘beautification’, costing a considerable amount of taxpayers’ funds, indicated to be in excess of $1 million. I cannot understand why a perfectly good, clean, wide street needs any funds spent on it at all, particularly at a time when we are being told Auckland Council budgets are under pressure.

Surely, given the fact that the country is in recession and inflation is high, this type of expenditure should be stopped and spent on more pressing issues for the community such as rubbish collection, bin provision and maintaining other services such as the library?

I trust (but doubt) our local board has seen the business case for this work and any cost-benefit analysis shown. If the council wants to ‘beautify’ something, spend the funds on replacing the footpaths on Lake Rd before there is a serious incident caused by dangerous paving.

Please Mr Mayor, stop this ridiculous uncontrolled expenditure of my hard-earned rates.

Bryan Dustin

‘Education’ mooted for lakeside residents

It might take the combined resources of the Takapuna North Community Trust, the Pupuke Birdsong Project and Discover Pupukemoana to prepare an education programme in order to convince some of the lake’s adjoining landowners of the ‘community benefits” of a continuous walkway/ cycleway around Lake Pupuke.

For over 100 years, some of them have used dubious, largely unsubstantiated, selfish tactics in order to stymie this admirable proposal. In 2024, it might be time for all of us to ‘think globally but act locally’.

Bruce Tubb

No-parking zone needed in Nile Rd

Re the new $425k Forrest Hill Rd crossing (Observer, 26 April), what about the hazard of very narrow Nile Rd (part of a bus route) especially at Seine Rd and Gordon Ave? This is very dangerous (especially when it is raining, as it is on a hill), with parked cars on the bends. What would it cost to paint yellow ‘No Parking’ lines there?

John Morrison

We welcome letters. Please limit to 300 words on local topics. Noms de plume or unnamed letters will not be printed. Email news@rangitoto-observer.co.nz or write to Letters, PO Box 32 275, Devonport.

Double-fault: Club vexed at tree danger and lease delay

Lake Pupuke Tennis Club wants action to safeguard their players – and the public using Taharoto Park – from risks posed by large macrocarpa trees that overhang its courts.

Club committee members took their case for Auckland Council to urgently assess and better maintain the trees to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board’s community forum this month.

They also want council to complete renegotiation of their lease, which expired in May 2010.

Club president Jennie Stewart told board members falling branches from the trees had damaged the fence around the courts, while tree litter caused a slip hazard.

Roots were affecting the court surface in one corner.

The volunteer-run club did its best to keep on top of the mess, she said, but the risk of overhanging branches snapping off was a threat to safety. Council had cut one branch previously, but another was now of concern.

Quizzed by board members, Stewart said her personal view was the trees would be better off removed.

She later told the Observer the court fence had been damaged by branches on three occasions, most recently last year, leading to an increase in the club’s insurance premiums because of its claims.

“I don’t think they have been maintained that well over the years.”

Reaching council staff had proved problematic, she told board members. It had also taken three months to have a rubbish bin at the club replaced.

The board agreed to ask council staff to check out the trees again before winter and to report findings back to the club.

Risky business... Falling macrocarpa branches badly damaged the Lake Pupuke Tennis Club fence in 2023. A public path is behind them.

Two recurring themes of recent meetings replayed during discussion: issues around tree management and concerns about delays in community-lease processing.

Board chair Toni van Tonder said tree management was the responsibility of council arborists. The macrocarpa were scheduled so could not just be removed.

Preserving large trees for canopy coverage was important, she said. If they creaked, this was not necessarily a problem indicating imminent failure.

Deputy board chair Terence Harpur described the trees as huge and spectacular. Member Mel Powell said such trees were important in cooling temperatures in a changing climate.

Member George Wood sympathised

including in Anne St, Devonport, where a problematic species has caused drain blockages, leading to flooding.

“It’s a terrible situation. It’s going to deprive you of having clean and tidy courts,” Wood added.

Regarding the club lease, Van Tonder said the board had already agreed to it being progressed, but she understood processing this and other leases had been delayed by staff vacancies then a backlog of work. “We will look into why it hasn’t been sent to you to sign. It should have been.”

Harpur said the delays in dealing with leases needed escalating up the council

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Info for seniors... At an Age Concern meeting aimed at the Chinese community at the War Memorial Hall in Takapuna last month, Ben Zhang (right) talked about controlling weeds and rats

Environmentalists seek support of Chinese community

A local environmental organisation has been teaching workshops in Mandarin to further its outreach in the community and improve its pest-trapping efforts.

The Pupuke Birdsong Project had wanted to connect with the Chinese community for a while, but needed to find the right person to help it do so, environmental coordinator Tabitha Becroft said.

It found exactly that in Mandarin speaker Ben Zhang, who lived in Milford until recently.

Zhang has vast knowledge about gardening and pest control, Becroft said.

“It’s quite rare to find someone like Ben who has so much knowledge and so much passion about the importance of the environment and gardens and, of course, is perfectly bilingual.

“I’m very aware that I know how to talk to people who’ve grown up in New Zealand, but that immigrant experience is very differ-

ent and so that’s why Ben is really good at bridging that cultural gap.”

Zhang has his own gardening business and has previously taken environmental sessions for Auckland Council.

Becroft said for the predator-free movement to be truly effective everyone needs to take part. She had realised that the language barrier was stopping the organisation from reaching a large portion of the community.

The Mandarin-speaking community was targeted as Census data showed it was the largest non-English-speaking population.

Becroft said sessions started with lessons on gardening, with information about growing native plants, how to identify pest plants and how to get rid of them, moving on later to pest control.

Attracting people to come to a trapping workshop can be difficult, so the gardening context helps introduce the concept.

“It’s getting that balance in a workshop so

that people are interested enough to come and that we can get our message out.”

Becroft said once people get a taste of pest trapping in their own gardens, they are more likely to become involved with trapping in public spaces such as reserves.

Sessions over March and April were held at Takapuna Library, funded through an Auckland Council grant.

Sessions focused on the seniors within the Chinese community were held at Age Concern, as part of a collaboration with its Asian Social Service Team. An average of 60 people attended the Age Concern workshops.

A group on Chinese social-media platform WeChat, which currently has over 1000 members, has been started so word of the workshops can be spread.

Becroft said that she would like to extend the programme in the future to the Korean community, who also make up a large portion of the North Shore population.

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• WATER BLASTING - MOSS TREATMENTS

• SWIMMING POOLS - REPAIR - REPAINT • TILING SERVICES - BATHROOMS - KITCHENS - EXTERIOR • DECKS CONSTRUCTION

Best of summer snapped in I Love Takapuna photo contest

Takapuna’s sunny charms have been showcased in a photography competition that drew more than 260 entries.

Many shots focused on the beach or Rangitoto, reflecting the theme of summer in Takapuna.

The winner was Angela Barlie, who lives in Herne Bay, but is a frequent summer visitor to the Hauraki end of the beach, where she took a picture-postcard image complete with her favourite tree, the pōhutukawa. It was only later she heard about the competition and decided to enter.

Barlie won $500 of vouchers to spend at local businesses.

The competition was organised by the Takapuna Beach Business Association. The images will be used to promote the area.

The judging panel awarded second and third prizes to Justine Atkinson and Jason Carr, after narrowing entries down to a Top 20 selection.

Inventive shots recognised in the selection include views framed from inside play equipment on the beach reserve and well-lit sunrises, alongside warm-weather staples of people enjoying ice creams and the outdoors.

• See the winner and other shots online at ilovetakapuna.co.nz/whats-hot/takapuna-summer-photo-competition

Spectacular sandcastle... This creation on the beach captured by Jason Carr gained third place in an I Love Takapuna photography competition. The image below by Joanna Simonetti (slightly cropped to fit) was in the Top 20.

Jackie Clarke takes on one-woman show at Pumphouse

Kiwi entertainer Jackie Clarke (pictured) turns mid-life divorce on its head in a one-woman show that finds the funnier side of heartache.

Clarke returns to the PumpHouse Theatre next week, in her first outing in a Tadpole Productions Takapuna show for three years. She plays Angela in the New Zealand première of My Brilliant Divorce, a role taken by Dawn French in the West End –an indication of the sort of larger-than-life comedic talent needed to pull off the part. Multi-talented Clarke has the chops to do just that, in a show directed by Janice Finn and written by Geraldine Aron.

Her contributions to the entertainment industry over more than 35 years were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2018, when she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. She is equally at ease on stage, making music or working the room as a comic raconteur, having first found fame in all-female singing group When the Cat’s Been Spayed.

In My Brilliant Divorce, her character is a Kiwi living in London, with an unsympathetic Irish mother and a wealthy and unfaithful English husband she met on her OE, who has run off with a younger woman. Dotty Angela is left stranded with her dog and middle-age loneliness.

The humour is sharp and insightful as Angela learns to navigate her new life.

The show’s pace and variety is aided by the diverse characters who offer advice on the end of Angela’s phone.

• My Brilliant Divorce runs from 16 to 26 May, including weekend matinee sessions. Tickets from the theatre box office or at pumphouse.co.nz

SHOWING

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (M) 145min

Back to Black (R13) 123min

Fremont (M) 92min

Golda (M) 101min

The Moon is Upside Down (R16) 100min NEW

Joika (M) 112min Preview 12 MAY

IF: Imaginary Friends (PG) 104min Preview 12 MAY

Cinema Italiano Festival 2024 7-19 MAY COMING SOON

IF: Imaginary Friends (PG) 104min 16 MAY

Joika (M) 112min with Director Q&A 19 MAY

Copa ‘71 (E) 91min 23 MAY

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (TBA) 140min 23 MAY

The Garfield Movie (TBA) Previews 24-26 MAY

events@thevic.co.nz

Est.1984

TAKAPUNA | 2402/3

NORTHCROFT STREET

Gateway To Spectacular Living | The Sentinel

Experience 270-degree views of Waitemata Harbour and Auckland’s skyline from this renovated two-bedroom home near Takapuna’s beaches, cafes, and shops. Features include a walk-in wardrobe, laundry with builtin cabinetry, and a wine fridge. Luxury amenities include electric blinds, a gym, pool, spa, sauna, BBQ area, and concierge service. Excellent parking and storage available. Own a breathtaking unit at 2402 Sentinel, where every moment is a masterpiece.

VIEW | SUN 1 - 1.40 PM OR BY APPOINTMENT

premium.co.nz/80534

SET DATE OF SALE | 29 MAY 2024 AT 4 PM UNLESS SOLD PRIOR

ALISON PARKER 021 983 533 OFFICE 916 6000

TAKAPUNA | 164 HURSTMERE ROAD

Unique Apartment & Investment Opportunity

TAKAPUNA | G02/8B LAKE PUPUKE DRIVE

You Are My Sunshine | Garden Haven

Sunny garden apartment at Lake Pupuke Drive. Private, with one bedroom, modern kitchen, appliances, underfloor heating. Lounge opens to terrace, garden. Includes study nook, Astro turf, laundry, near amenities, beach, motorway access. Pet-friendly, with parking, storage. In Willis Bond development, ideal for pet owners. Blends convenience, style for discerning buyers. Unmissable opportunity, priced to sell.

VIEW | SUN 2 - 2.30 PM OR BY APPOINTMENT

premium.co.nz/80540

PRICE | $895,000

ALISON PARKER 021 983 533 OFFICE 916 6000

Located at 164 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, discover a unique freehold property featuring a private, 3-bedroom apartment on the first floor, complete with a spacious open-plan living area, dining space, charming balcony, lawn, and garden. Below, two ground-floor retail shops generate income. Located just minutes from Takapuna Beach, amidst bustling shops and close to upcoming developments, this property offers an exceptional investment opportunity in a sought-after area.

VIEW | BY APPOINTMENT

premium.co.nz/80535

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST | 16 MAY 2024 AT 4 PM

ROBERT MILNE 022 011 2494

UNLESS SOLD PRIOR

RICHARD MILNE 021 770 611 OFFICE 916 6000

TAKAPUNA | 6/258 HURSTMERE ROAD

Architectural Gem | Takapuna

Architecturally designed by Leuschke Group Architects, this villa features a timeless layout with open-plan living on the ground floor, leading to a private northern patio with retractable awning for year-round alfresco entertaining. It includes two living areas, three bedrooms upstairs, two full bathrooms, a powder room, and a double garage with internal access. Positioned in Takapuna’s Golden Mile, the complex offers extensive common areas, a swimming pool, and a gym. This must sell—make an offer.

VIEW | SAT/SUN 1 - 1.40 PM OR BY APPOINTMENT

premium.co.nz/80514

PRICE | BY NEGOTIATION

JELENA FREEMAN 021 65 65 63 OFFICE 916 6000