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Enforcement lacking to stop beach camping... p2
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Issue 1 –Issue March 2019 March 2019 Issue 73 –151January 21, 2022 Issue – 115– 15 March 2019
Shakespeare in Park set to sizzle lakeside... p15
Esmonde Rd merging options favour buses... p8
Developer closes in on town-square high-rise sites A developer is in late-stage negotiations over a deal to buy public land for five high-rise buildings around the new Takapuna town square. Auckland Council property arm Panuku told the Observer an agreement to sell sites around the square was likely to be announced within the next couple of months.
“We are still in negotiations, it is getting close,” said priority location director Kate Cumberpatch. The sale will set off detailed design work, consent applications and a staged building programme likely to take a decade or more. The project will produce five multi-storey
buildings with retail on the ground floors and apartments above. Preparation work has already begun on those parts of the public-carpark site that will be retained for the new town square, which will officially be known as Waiwharariki Anzac To page 5
New mural is loud and proud
Bright spot... Art student Emma Ormsby drew together the work of over 50 local schoolchildren for a colourful mural around the old Gasometer site in Takapuna. Story, page 14.
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January 21, 2022
Skeleton crew struggles to police beach camping Widespread illegal camping on North Shore beach reserves in recent weeks has prompted calls for beefed-up policing by Auckland Council staff. Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Ruth Jackson says only a skeleton crew of council enforcement staff has been available to deal with campers staying overnight near Castor Bay and at Narrow Neck and Cheltenham. She said the camping was a symptom of a lack of resources to enforce the rules prohibiting camping. “It brings up a wider issue of council’s ability to enforce our own bylaws which doesn’t seem to be very strong. The illegal camping is a symptom, not a disease. “These are issues that need to be addressed at council level.” Multiple reports of camping and parking on beach reserves have been received by board members or reported to council. Castor Bay resident Ian Revell said a large group of about 20 were camping when he arrived home from holiday on 2 January. Another group arrived the next day. One group stayed for six days, he said. He complained to the council hotline but was disappionted with the lack of follow-up. When he called the police, he was told they do not have the authority to enforce bylaws. Castor Bay Residents and Ratepayers’ Association chair Hamish Anderson said people were more than welcome to come and enjoy the beach as long as they played by the rules, but residents got frustrated when they rung
Setting up camp... Tents, gas cookers and bedding at Castor Bay Beach Reserve the council with issues and nothing happens, or a response took a long time. “It’s very hard to get the council to take action,” he said. However signage put up before Christmas had deterred the amount of illegal parking on Castor Bay beach. Jackson said council security contractors, who normally do tasks like locking park gates, have had their powers expanded so they can enforce bylaws. That was a start, but more actual enforcement was needed. “When you, as a resident, call the call centre you should be able to expect that something should happen. If you’re ringing to report, say, cars parked on a reserve, which is illegal, you should be able to expect that AT (Auckland Transport) will come and ticket them and get rid of them.”
Instead, people are getting told the council will get back to them within three days. “People in the community are angry. They ring the call centre and nothing happens. They do the right thing by reporting things online and nothing happens. “We just don’t have the resources and that’s an issue.” Auckland Council compliance manager James Hassall said the council received a number of reports of prohibited freedom camping. Staff attended to investigate and educate visitors, and security officers patrolled popular areas in the evenings. “However, due to the volume of complaints received, we were unable to attend all reports.” Most people were arriving early and using tents as shelter and not planning to stay overnight, but those that were asked to move on “for the most part, did so”. No referrals for prosecution had been made over the period. Hassall said education was the preferred approach. Officers had the powers to issue trespass notices or fines of up $5000 under the Reserves Act. The council’s compliance and investigations unit had two staff and an escalations manager on call over the holiday period, which is slightly down on the three team members generally on call after-hours and on weekends. (These numbers do not include animal management and noise control officers.) For investigations into freedom camping, compliance staff were supported by community facilities staff and security officers, he said.
Parts prove a bridge too far at Milford Beachgoers will have to walk the long way around the Wairau Estuary for up to six weeks as the lifting pedestrian bridge awaits repair. Auckland Council operations manager Sarah Jones said the safety gate and siren on the eastern (beach) side of the bridge malfunctioned two weeks ago, failing to operate when the bridge went up. “Due to the resulting safety concerns, the decision was made to hold the bridge in the
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raised position until it can be fixed. This ensures boats have access to the marina, with pedestrian access still available via the road,” Jones said, The part needed had to be ordered from overseas which could take six weeks, Jones said. “However, we will continue to explore other options to get the bridge back operational as soon as possible.”
Stuck up... Milford’s pedestrian bridge will remain raised until it can be repaired
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January 21, 2022
There’s nothin’ like a Lake Pupuke-paddling Dame
Keeping it local... Shore resident Lisa Carrington training on Lake Pupuke Forrest Hill’s favourite kayaker is back training now with a title in front of her name. Dame Lisa Carrington was born in Tauranga but has lived on the North Shore for 12 years, training regularly on Lake Pupuke. After a golden year, Carrington was the only local resident to receive major recognition in the New Year Honours, being made a Dame. In 2021 she won three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, in the K1 200, K1 500, and K2 500 with teammate Caitlyn Regal. Carrington said the damehood was a huge honour. “I feel incredibly humbled to be named alongside so many other amazing New Zealanders. It’s special because not only is it an acknowledgment of the work I’ve done and things I achieved so far in my career, but it’s also a tribute
to all the people who support me in what I do.” The 32-year-old spent Christmas with her family in Ohope but is back in the boat training. “Life on the North Shore is great. I love being close to so many great beaches and restaurants.” In December she told singer and jewellery maker Boh Runga – whose huia bird feather earrings she wore in Tokyo after her fiance Bucky gave them to her as a departing gift – that when she first moved north to Auckland she did stints waitressing. “I didn’t grow up having eggs benedict and flat whites so when I began as a waitress I struggled to take orders because I just didn’t know what customers were asking for,” she said. Eggs were eggs, but she soon “became very well adapted” to enjoying cafe culture.
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January 21, 2022
Hurstmere Rd upgrade celebrated... as town-square Kate Cumberpatch spent her teenage years hanging out in a lively Takapuna so looks forward to seeing the town centre revitalised. As the Panuku official driving its redevelopment, the former Westlake Girls High School student, back living on the North Shore with children of her own, is confident the tide is turning. “While it may seem like a lot of vacancies down Hurstmere Rd, there have been a lot of changes,” says the property specialist. Franchise businesses have already shown confidence in the vision for the future, taking up large sites, she says. Bringing in more people with central apartment living would be a further boost. “It’s what Takapuna needs to keeps things growing and for retail.” North Shore councillors Chris Darby and Richard Hills welcomed the completion of the Hurstmere Rd upgrade before Christmas, gathering with key Auckland Council project workers and business leaders, including Takapuna Beach Business Association chief executive Terence Harpur. Despite Covid interruptions and battles to retain the budget, the disruptive project came in near on time. Although street parking spaces have been lost, it has delivered a more pleasant shop-
Under way at last... Kate Cumberpatch has spent six years getting the $14.6 million Takapuna town-square project to the starting gate ping street, with wide pavements suitable for al fresco enjoyment. Hard-hit retailers are hoping it will help entice visitors to stroll and spend. Hills emphasised the Hurstmere Rd
Finish lines... North Shore councillors Chris Darby (left) and Richard Hills spoke at a gathering on Hurstmere Rd in December to mark the completion of a major upgrade
upgrade was more than cosmetic, sorting long-delayed stormwater issues and also adding cabling to shops to future-proof connections. And Darby is buoyant that after years of planning, including community consultation, the Waiwharariki Anzac Square is starting to take shape. Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Ruth Jackson and members Jan O’Connor and Trish Deans were elected on a ticket that opposed selling the central car park, which was originally bought by local businesspeople. They have lost that battle, but could claim a small win over the square’s naming, the board voting unanimously to add ‘Anzac’ to the te reo name Waiwharariki. The board also wants to secure the Takapuna war memorial a permanent place in the square. Its inclusion was of “the highest priority... it is a driving factor, not an added extra”, Jackson’s motion noted. Jackson said the memorial was currently on private land currently. Relocation to public space had always been the intention, with Panuku paying for the move. Cumberpatch says Panuku’s plans for the square (see opposite page) have a “placeholder” for this, towards the Lake Rd side of the site. The RSA will be consulted. O’Connor wants the memorial more centrally located, questioning why a water feature has this spot, so expect jockeying for position to continue. The members continue to want more detail from Panuku on matters such as bus shelter positions and shading from high rise buildings. Panuku says it has answered these satisfactorily as best it can to date. Bus stop space meets Auckland Transport needs, it says. After six years on the project, Cumberpatch says sometimes seeing is believing.
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January 21, 2022
‘cone zone’ looms From page 1
New square given double-barrelled name Square. Its budget is $14.6 million. The te reo name – used historically for the area of Takapuna that is central and beachside – emerged from a mana whenua group and was “gifted” by the Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust. The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board accepted the name with thanks at a meeting in mid-December, but recommended combining what was envisaged by iwi to be a standalone name with ‘Anzac’ a reference to the site often being known as the Anzac St car park. It reinforced the board’s desire to move the Takapuna war memorial from private land at 1 The Strand to the new square. Cumberpatch, who walked the Observer through the site last week, said it was expected the public space would be built in around 18 months. “We’re doing the public space first to allow things to continue ahead of development.” Contractor JFC, which completed the Hurstmere Rd upgrade in December, has been retained for the square work. An outline on the ground in pink paint shows the approximate perimeter of the public space, which will total around 3700sqm including a service lane. Between 3500 to 4000 people would fit in the finished square for events, said Cumberpatch. An early morning blessing of the site was to be held this week, ahead of ground works beginning this month. Panuku’s wider plans to reorganise the provision of Takapuna community services, including the library – possibly moving them into leased space in a privately owned mixed-use building on the new square – are set to prompt more local-board debate once indicative business-case options are presented mid-year.
Reorientation... This artist’s rendition of a design for Waiwharariki Anzac Square shows a planned water feature in the foreground with a planter and informal stage beside it, created around an existing Queensland box tree. The yellow spiral sculpture (to the left side in the middle of the image) denotes where the relocated war memorial may be sited. Connection to Potters Park and an existing lane are at the top of the view, with Lake Rd accessed past an existing pin oak to the left and Hurstmere Rd to the right by the Eat Street sign.
What’s happening, when the Takapuna market on Sunday mornings • To allow site-preparation work to begin, the when the lease-holders choose to reopen, southern end of the car park has been fenced which they have said will not be until greenoff, and 38 Hurstmere Rd site most recently light Covid conditions are reached. In 18 used for a skate rink. Concrete there will be months, when the public space is finished, removed, crushed and recycled. this becomes available to the market. New • A pedestrian pathway will remain from Hurstlease terms will be agreed for this, involving mere Rd, past the public toilets on the left, the local board. over the vehicle service lane, around a tree that will remain and then across the car-park • The service lane running behind the Hurstmere Rd shops will shut soon, but is expected to Lake Rd and Shore City. to reopen by September. • The new town square will not have steps up from its Hurstmere Rd side, as at present, in- • The events space off Hurstmere Rd should be available again by next summer, with the stead it will be designed with a gentle gradient main square area ready by mid-2023. across the site. • Public parking will remain at the northern • Public toilets near Potters Park will be demolished by winter, but temporary ones provided. Anzac St end of the site for now, with develA link will be created from the main square opment there at least two to three years away. through to the park. • The northern part of the site is available for
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January 21, 2022
One still critical after Forrest Hill crash
Multiple call-out... the scene on East Coast Rd after a two-car crash on the night of 7 January One person remained in critical condition early this week after a serious crash in Forrest Hill on 7 January. Multiple emergency units, including at least 10 police cars, attended the scene on East Coast Rd, after police were called about 10.25pm. Two vehicles were involved, with varying degrees of injury suffered by the occupants, a police spokesperson said. Five patients were treated and taken to
Auckland City and North Shore hospitals, with injuries varying from critical to minor. A nearby resident described hearing “a horrific screeching of wheels followed by a crash”. After the crash, East Coast Rd was closed between William Souter St and the Sunnynook Rd roundabout until at least midnight while the Serious Crash Unit was on-site investigating. “Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are continuing,” the spokesperson said.
The crash came as New Zealand’s holiday road toll (calculated from pre-Christmas to 5 January) hit a five-year high of 17 people killed, the most since 19 people died in the 2016-17 Christmas period. A total of 319 people died on the road in 2021. AA policy manager Simon Douglas told RNZ it signalled that New Zealand was not doing what it could to take decisive action on road safety.
A move in the light direction at Sunnynook A new skatepark in Sunnynook could be equipped with floodlights. The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board is investigating the possibility of lights for the facility, due for construction late this year, although the cost will create a funding shortfall of $87,675. Support for the idea was registered in community feedback on the project, and from the Sunnynook Baptist Church next to the site of the new skatepark. Community feedback largely supported both moving the skatepark to Sunnynook Square and building a new BMX/pump track
in its place in Sunnynook Park. The board has multiple options for allocating funding across the two projects, with the recommended option being to give $69,325 to the square skatepark, $30,000 for side-projects such as paths, seating, and planting, and $30,000 towards the community-led BMX park on Sunnynook Rd, which will allow some design and possibly to get a contractor involved. The total budget is $449,325, which includes $350,000 in the next financial year (2022-23) of pre-existing maintenance money for the old skatepark site.
The board said the skatepark should be done first and completed well before the new pump track. “The people of Sunnynook have waited so long,” board chair Ruth Jackson said. The board is set to approve the concepts and budgets for the skatepark at a meeting next month. It also wanted more information on how the pump track will be managed by the community. A detailed design will then be drawn up during the year, with construction slated to start in November. Design for the pump track is scheduled for the 2023 financial year.
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January 21, 2022
Police brass admit traffic failings after complaint from ex-cop The Waitematā district police commander has accepted rates of breath testing and speed enforcement need to be higher after Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member George Wood – a former police chief – complained to the police commissioner. Wood wrote to police boss Andrew Coster outlining his road-safety concerns. One was that Waitematā East, which covers the board area and a large chunk of the North Shore, missed out on digital speed cameras when old analogue cameras were phased out. Wood then received a letter of reply from Waitematā district commander Naila Hassan, who said the police were just one part of road safety, but admitted that “our performance around breath testing and speed enforcement could have been better in previous years”. Police were committed to improving breath testing and speed enforcement with their road safety partners, Hassan said. “We accept that we need to focus on breath testing and on enforcing speed. Other operational priorities include targeting high-risk drivers; and working with communities to prevent road harm.” Hassan noted Wood’s concern about the lack of static cameras in Waitemata East.
Camera placement was based on identified crash risk or research revealing a history of serious crashes. “Thorough evaluations” were done before cameras were installed, Hassan said. “Should the opportunity to place additional fixed speed cameras arise, I will keep in mind your concerns about the lack of cameras in Waitematā East. However, this always needs to be balanced with ensuring that the cameras are placed in locations that will have the greatest impact on reducing death and serious injury crashes.” Wood said he was pleased to note the police will work hard to get testing and speed enforcement back on track, but expressed his disappointment over the speed camera requirements. “I just don’t accept that. I think that we deserve static cameras just like any other part of Auckland or part of New Zealand has them.” Wood’s letter to Coster referred to the 69 deaths on Auckland roads in the 12 months to 6 December 2021 and a report from road safety consultant Eric Howard which discussed fewer random breath tests across the region. “His recent report indicates that there should be 750,000 tests administered in this region but only half that number is actually administered.”
Covid bites local board’s budget The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board was $95,000 short of its budgeted operational income in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year, which started in July. Its income of $335,000 was lower than predicted due to Covid-related closures of facilities such as venues and libraries. The board had spent $3.3 million of operating money – 88 per cent of its budget – by the end of September.
A total of $2.6m was invested into new projects. The main spend was on Hurstmere Rd ($2.1m) and the Patuone Reserve walkway, both in Takapuna. Council staff are continuing to monitor the ebbs and flows of the budgets due to Covid restrictions. A new quarterly update to the end of December is due shortly and will update the board’s financial situation.
Briefs
Patrols winding up Takapuna Beach surf-lifesaving patrols will end this weekend, on Sunday 23 January. Long Bay patrols will continue until 7 February and those at Mairangi Bay will run weekends only until Easter. The beach access mat at Takapuna remains in place to make it easier for those in wheelchairs or with strollers to get onto firmer sand from the car-park at the end of The Strand.
New Shore vax centre A drive-through vaccination centre at Eventfinda Stadium in Wairau opened this week to deal with anticipated demand for Covid-19 adult booster shots and vaccinations for newly eligible 5 to 11-year-olds. It will be open seven days a week, 9am to 4pm.
Vast majority jabbed Most suburbs in the DevonportTakapuna Local Board area have at least 95 per cent of the eligible population double vaccinated against Covid-19. Figures released last week show that the entire board area has passed the 90 per cent target and all but two suburbs are at 95 per cent, at which figures are capped. Those above 90 but below 95 per cent double vaccinated are Milford west (94.6 per cent) and Takapuna central, which has 93.7 per cent with first doses and 92.8 with second doses.
Fire permits required Aucklanders need a permit to light an open-air fire anywhere in the region. The restriction, imposed on 10 January follows all Hauraki Gulf islands being made subject to a total fire ban from December.
Missing gate still not an open and shut case
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An unlucky Sunnynook family hopes their large black gate is not far from being returned after it was stolen on New Year’s Day. Matt Turnwald put out an appeal for sightings of the motorised sliding gate which was taken from Tonkin Dr about 5pm on 1 January. He, his wife and three children were on holiday when a friend rang him to see if he wanted his gate shut given he was away. “I thought the house had actually been burgled,” he said on receiving the call. The friend investigated and found nothing was broken, but when he went to close the gate, it wasn’t there. “I’ve never heard of a four-metre gate being stolen from anywhere,” Turnwald said. He understand the gate may be close to being found. Police say they are still investigating. “While we are not immediately aware of a trend in this type of item being stolen, police do receive a range of reports of many different
Gapping it... This black gate was stolen from a Sunnynook home items being stolen,” said a spokesman. It’s been a bad time for the family after a non-suspicious house fire at the property on 1 November. “It set off the kids again,” Turnwald told the Observer. We’ve done a lot of work since the fire trying to get them all settled and everything. But yes it has been a rough few months that’s for sure.” Neighbours rallied to help after the fire.
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January 21, 2022
Draft concept option: Subject to further design
Future thinking... Waka Kotahi is modelling options for merging Esmonde Rd traffic onto the motorway, with the bus lane (bottom) to have priority and how to carry vehicles with two or more passengers through to the on-ramp separately from single occupancy ones still be to be finally determined
Motorway merge options will favour shared vehicles Traffic lane merging options being developed for Esmonde Rd through to the motorway will be designed to give people using high-occupancy transport the best possible run. “We want to get the maximum number of vehicles through to the motorway that we can, but we want to get the maximum number of people in them,” said Auckland Transport’s manager of strategic projects, Daniel Newcombe. Outlining options for how bus and T2 vehicle occupancy lanes would flow from the planned Lake Rd upgrade, down Esmonde Rd, to merge before joining State Highway 1 heading towards the city, Newcombe told the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board that Waka Kotahi, rather than AT, would make the decisions at the motorway end of the project, but both the national and the regional transport bodies were working together. “There’s more work to do with them on the best arrangement,” he told the board in a briefing late last year. No changes were envisaged for traffic
entering the motorway heading north, travelling across to Akoranga, or in the other direction towards Takapuna, he said. But the lanes heading south were the focus of tricky design consideration. This ranged from a combined bus and T2 lane continuing from Lake Rd; how to allow for an entrance, traffic signalling and bus stops to service the Amaia apartment development on the site of the former Harbourside church; and the optimum on-ramp configuration, including how to best funnel buses off to the left so they get straight onto the motorway, while working out where to start merging the two vehicle lanes which must then reduce to one lane to enter it. Newcombe indicated one of the two vehicle lanes might be be designated for T2 use only. This would allow the buses a clearer run peeling off, while still rewarding higher occupancy vehicles with improved journey times. Board member Jan O’Connor said she considered it “would be a miracle if you can find room to do it”. She was concerned
buses would be held up by T2 cars trying to exit their initially shared lane. George Wood said the draft plans Newcombe had shown members were “a great improvement on what we’ve got”. It would be a step towards encouraging greater occupancy. He wondered if T2 vehicles could be given an early light to assist their access. Newcombe said the intention was to keep the buses flowing freely. Light phasing could help with this. If car-pooling grew in popularity over time, the T2 lane might become T3. The relatively short merge space to the motorway constrained options, he said, compared with other entrances such as at Constellation Dr. Cost was also a factor. Cycle safety was part of the project, he said. Tweaks would be made to the shared lane in the Barrys Pt Rd vicinity. Around the Amaia development, there was room to install barrier protection, he said. Discussions will soon be held with the developers.
Lake Rd cycle lanes set to be extended into Takapuna Separated cycle lanes continuing north towards Takapuna beyond Esmonde Rd are planned as an add-on to the Lake Rd project. This emerged in a briefing by Auckland Transport (AT), which said it had added the work to the scope of the $48 million upgrade. Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Ruth Jackson asked AT if this would fall within the existing budget and was told it would. Strategic projects manager Daniel Newcombe said the intention was to align work with AT’s separate Safe Speeds project, which is currently looking at lowering speed limits to 30km/h in parts of the Takapuna town centre and its approaches. “We want to do it as a single consultation,” he said. The aim was also to limit disruption from any changes made. This would likely include installing raised tables at the side-street entrances to Lake Rd, which help slow traffic and make it easier for pedestrians to cross. Newcombe said the Safe Speeds project was still looking at how parking along Lake Rd would be impacted. “We will retain it if at all possible,” he said. Given the Lake Rd traffic was in a single lane once it travelled north over Esmonde Rd there should be room to fit cycle lanes as well, he said.
Newcombe said AT needed to do detailed work on space and design. What would happen nearer the shops in terms of both parking and cycle lanes is not clear yet. At the same briefing session held in mid-December, Newcombe was quizzed about the design of the cycle lanes running from Esmonde Rd south, which are to be kerbed off from traffic as a key feature of the safety-driven Lake Rd upgrade. This also extends cycle lanes along Bayswater Ave. It emerged the Lake Rd lanes won’t be wide enough to allow cyclists to easily pass each other. Board member and daily e-bike user Toni van Tonder first asked about overtaking space on Bayswater Ave, where the intention is to have a two-way painted-on lane on the road’s southern side. Newcombe said this would allow for passing, but he then said: “On Lake Rd probably not – they could squeeze past.” Cyclists might need to carefully look to use driveway space to get round others in the lanes. The issue constraining a lot of work on Lake Rd was the narrowness of the carriageway, he said. Bike Auckland has lobbied for separated lanes for safety’s sake on busier roads, but some speedy cyclists prefer to spread out.
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January 21, 2022
Hospital opening new wharenui in June North Shore Hospital will this year open a dedicated Maori cultural area including a meeting house. Waitematā DHB, which runs the hospital, is creating a community area, including marae, on its campus after its previous wharenui (meeting house) was lost due to expanding clinical services. A DHB spokesperson said there was strong support for the project from the community, local iwi and senior doctors. The DHB has a memorandum of understanding with Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua. The area will be built in two stages. The wharenui, set to open in June, will accommodate 100 people or 70 people sleeping. It will include store rooms and a 50sq m deck. The second stage will be a kitchen and dining area that would service the new medical education centre, Whenua Pupuke. Design for stage 2 was set to get under way this month with completion in December this year or in early 2023. The DHB spokesperson would not say how much the project would cost, but private donations have already funded about half of the build costs of the first stage. After the closure of the previous wharenui, North Shore Hospital was the only public hospital in Auckland without a marae.
Marae with a view... The new North Shore Hospital marae will be located to the western side of the hospital site
Board members second-guess AT on speed and safety Speeds on streets near Sunnynook School should be reduced to 40km/h rather than the 30km/h limit Auckland Transport wants, the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board has recommended. Board chair Ruth Jackson drew up recommendations deviating from AT’s Safe Speeds initiative, which is for a consistent 30km/h limit to be progressively rolled out around schools in the city. This prompted an amendment from member Toni van Tonder to stick with the programme. “We’ve had workshops on the Safe Streets initiatives and the reason why AT is doing it,” she said. This included evidence that lower speeds saved lives. “We’ve heard from schools that they really want to slow traffic down.” The board had been asked for feedback
from AT on Tranche 2A of its proposed changes which affects two schools in its area, Sunnynook and Hauraki Primary. Bennett asked Jackson: “Where did 40km come from?” George Wood, who backed Jackson’s motion, said people in Sunnynook had told him they would prefer a 40km/h limit, to be more consistent with other limits, rather than introducing another step. Compliance would be more likely. Jackson’s motion noted that 40km/h was already the existing speed limit outside schools. Lowering speeds further meant people were less likely to die, said Bennett, supporting van Tonder’s “fact-based” but unsuccessful amendment for 30km/h and to include extra streets.,
AT wants 30km/h to become the norm both immediately outside nominated Safe Speeds schools and on their feeder roads. Van Tonder said the Sunnynook Community Association had asked for a catchment to cover the school’s entrance from Tobago Pl at the top of the field. Business owners had also expressed concern about children’s safety crossing Sycamore Pl, she said, in suggesting that part of the road between Juniper Rd and Sunnynook Rd be slowed also. Jackson’s succcessful motion noted that community feedback when the matter went for public consultation late last year had been limited and without clear consensus. Bennett and van Tonder asked for their dissenting votes to be recorded. Board feedback will go to AT which wants Tranche 2 implemented by mid-year.
Castor Bay residents put case for new access to beach Castor Bay residents want the old stone steps to the beach replaced. Chair of the area residents and ratepayers association Hamish Anderson says some people instead use the busy and at times slippery boat ramp for access because of the state of the stone steps to the sand. Others clamber down from the beach wall onto the sand, a drop of around 75cm, he told the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board when putting the case for an upgrade. “The height makes it hard for children, the elderly and people with mobility issues,” he told board members before Christmas.
Anderson said there was strong community support for stairs in the current position, with the association having received around 50 emails in feedback. Improvements would make “a big difference to use of the beach”, he said. The steps were well sited close to the public shower, drinking fountain and beach reserve. Board member Aidan Bennett quizzed Anderson on sand build-up and whether steps or a ramp would be the best option. Anderson said with king tides sand did build up against the wall reducing the drop, but council and contractors graded it back
down the beach to prevent it blowing down the street. Steps had the advantage of not protruding out onto the sand, but either steps or a ramp would meet the need for access, Anderson said. Board members were sympathetic to the request and have asked staff to provide more information for the board to consider in deciding its future works programme. “The reality is we don’t have any money in the budget to build new things and I don’t know when we will,” board chair Ruth Jackson cautioned, though maintenance could be considered.
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January 21, 2022
Local high schools name their 2022 student leaders
Westlake Girls High School
Takapuna Grammar School
Head Girl: Ivy Mitchell Ivy enjoys languages and has immersed herself in various clubs and activities during her four years at the school. She is a member of the school’s Amnesty International group, Model United Nations Assembly, UNICEF Committee, debating teams, Service Committee, Student Council and Language committees. She also volunteers after school in the school library. “Being in the position to represent the school community has been a goal of mine since Year 9. “I want to empower students to step outside of their comfort zones and grab opportunities that define who they are.”
Head Boy and Girl: Rohan Sherlock, Maia Davidson Rohan said he was really looking forward to leading his peers. He is in the school’s first XV rugby team and in their premier water polo team. “In 2022, I hope to contribute to our already great school culture.” Maia said she was still taking in the privilege of being head girl. “Both my parents and two aunties were educated here and I am proud to keep the family heritage alive.” She said she had had a quality experience at TGS “with being both motivated to reach my absolute potential and helped to define the person I am today”.
Carmel College
Head Girl: Lina Jang Lina’s vision is to guide a school and Catholic life that reflects the core mercy values while also being inclusive. “As a leader, I aim to actively immerse myself in all areas of school life to uplift my peers and motivate them to strive for success.”
Rosmini College
Carmel College
Head Boy: Rupert Carter Rupert is a real all-rounder, Rosmini headmaster Nixon Cooper says. Rupert is a capable academic, involved in community outreach, a member of the first XV rugby team and one of the leading drama students at the college.
Head Girl: Emilie Gordon Emilie said being one of Carmel College’s two head girls was about showing involvement in the community and empowering others to become the best version of themselves. “Showing mercy is one of the most important aspects in my life.”
Westlake Boys High School’s head boy will be named at the start of the school year
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January 21, 2022
Permanent Teacher and Relievers
Retail Pharmacy Assistant
The Learning Space is looking for a permanent teacher and relievers at both Belmont and Takapuna.
We are a community pharmacy in Takapuna looking for a highly motivated, customer focussed Retail Assistant to join our locally owned business.
Are you looking to be valued? Want to be part of something special? We strive to enact our philosophy, which is born from relationships – equal partnerships between children, caregivers, whānau, community, and the environment. These relationships are established within a culture of kindness, through caregiving moments, rituals and our daily interactions. We are a privately owned centre whose centre owner is very much involved and has many years of experience. We are passionate about the philosophies of Reggio Emilia and Emmi Pikler. We are looking for qualified, registered early childhood teachers, the successful candidate will: • Role model our values within their practice • Be authentic, respectful and joyful
• Have some working knowledge of the Reggio and/or the Pikler philosophies • Have the ability to make learning visible to all stakeholders • Be able to have open dialogue and collaborate with your team • Love to reflect, learn and collaboratelearning is a journey. In return we offer: • Trust and kindness • A brilliant supportive management team • PLD and support in your learning journey • The opportunity to work in a truly collaborative team • The opportunity to work in a centre whose mission is to empower and inspire everyone to learn together • An environment that feels like a homeaway-from-home and a centre that lives and breathes its philosophy.
Contact Yvonne on 0274879 116 for a chat to see if we have similar views on early childhood education, or email your CV to yvonne.groot@thelearningspace.co.nz
You will be responsible for: • Greeting and welcoming customers into our store • Providing outstanding customer service • Recommending health care solutions • Maintaining stock and store presentation Skills and experience: • Flexible, adaptable, with good customer empathy • Excellent verbal and written communication skills • Previous experience within a retail pharmacy and/or knowledge of pharmacy products This is a permanent full time position. Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa. For further information please contact Jenny on 021510902 or by email medplusphar@xtra.co.nz
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The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 12
January 21, 2022
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Letters
January 21, 2022
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Beach access and Sacred Grove I support Lyn Potter’s letter in the November 26 issue of the Rangitoto Observer pointing out that the beachbox (pictured at right) in front of the planned multimilliondollar home [located next to the Takapuna Boating Club] obstructs high-tide strollers. Hopefully this will be temporary. In the same issue several pages were devoted to the Sacred Grove, including the boardwalk. The closure of the boardwalk through the grove has also made life worse for those who walk at high tide. It is also depriving people from enjoying walking beneath wonderful trees and enjoying the fauna. Reopening the boardwalk would bring pleasure to thousands of people each year. Neil Pollock
Waive the al fresco fees, please
Bike-lane plan spells trouble
Fantastic news, Hurstmere Rd’s attractive upgrade is finally complete. Local businesses have been absolute stalwarts to persevere through the two-year upgrade, not forgetting the lockdowns they’ve endured. They’ll be heaving a collective sigh of relief. The newly installed street furniture complements the relaxed beach vibe which is welcoming to locals and visitors alike, perfect for al fresco dining on balmy days. Hopefully Auckland Council will waive its usual “al fresco” dining fees for the foreseeable future to acknowledge the huge losses many of Takapuna’s businesses have endured for such a long time. On that note, there are a few paved spaces adjacent to Hurstmere Rd that have been left completely vacant of rain gardens or street furniture. Unfortunately some vehicles are being illegally parked in these areas thereby endangering pavement users. Perhaps for a more “finished” ambience and a safer environment, Auckland Council could install a small amount of street furniture in these last few spaces? Anne Stack
We are very concerned at the proposal to provide separated bike lanes on Lake Rd too narrow for cyclists to pass safely [reported in the Devonport Flagstaff of 17 December]. We have, for many years, cycled to Takapuna three to four times per week and hope that our experiences may be helpful to the planners. Cycling speeds on this road mainly range between 15 and 50 km/h. There is also a wide disparity in the age, experience and rider numbers. Many bikes now have wider handlebars while electric bikes produce a pattern of riding quite different to standard bikes, particularly producing higher speeds up hills. At present a cyclist, with regard to other traffic, can pass safely, but the new proposal will cause frustration and danger, often resulting in the option to ride in car lanes. Perhaps the better solution would be to provide a two-way bike lane on one side of the road only, with sufficient width for safe cycling. Mike and Jan Martin
Write to the Observer
We welcome letters. Please limit to 300 words on local topics. Noms de plume or submissions without a name will not be printed. Email news@rangitoto-observer.co.nz or write to Letters, PO Box 32 275, Devonport.
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Arts / Entertainment Pages
January 21, 2022
Hoarding adorned with kids’ art WHAT’S ON @
Takapuna Library
Kia pai ngā hararei Happy holidays Your summer reading is calling! Let us help you relax, escape and be entertained whether you’re in your deck chair, on the boat or in your hammock. Top 100 Not sure what to read on the beach this summer? Prefer non-fiction? Graphic novels? Teen fiction? No problem! Our expert librarians have curated an interesting mix of the hottest books of the year to cover just about every taste. Check out our eagerly anticipated annual Top 100 book list on our website and pick up a printed copy from Takapuna library now. And remember, we waved goodbye to overdue fines for good this year! Summer hours Pop in to visit and browse our shelves or pick up your click and collect order this summer. Visit our website for our summer holiday opening hours. And if you’re leaving town and have a car full of gear already, our eCollections are always available and take up no space! Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, Kia tere kãrohirohi i mua i tãu huarahi. May calm be spread around you, may the sea glisten like greenstone and the shimmer of summer dance across your path. PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
Kathryn Robertson
Residential Sales
021 490 480
E: Kathryn.robertson@bayleys.co.nz W: kathrynrobertson.bayleys.co.nz LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
Former Westlake Girls High School student Emma Ormsby has tapped into the talent of local schoolchildren to help transform a plain hoarding in Takapuna into a colourful artwork. The vacant corner site beside the Toka Puia car park is now wrapped in around 60 metres of a vinyl transfer showing native flora and fauna. The work is derived from drawings from nine local primary, intermediate and secondary students that 20-year-old Ormsby has digitally colourised and linked with kowhaiwhai patterns. The art-school student, who works part-time as an art technician at her old school, was asked by a former teacher if she could help with the project. “She asked me to come up with ideas for local schools to get involved in. “It was a way of beautifying the space and bringing Maori art to the community and involving tamariki,” said Ormbsy. The property on Auburn St is being sold by Auckland Council’s property arm Eke Panuku, which wanted to temporarily enhance its fence around what was the old Gasometer site. Panuku place maker (north) Roxie Haines said the idea was to provide the opportunity for youngsters to “see themselves reflected in Takapuna”. “Everyone was very excited about it,” said Ormsby of working with the Pupuke kahui ako grouping of Forrest Hill, Takapuna, Milford, Sunnynook and Sunnybrae primaries, Takapuna Normal and Wairau intermediates, and Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools. More than 50 students from Year 5 to Year 10 did line drawings of natural scenes and Maori designs with guidance from Ormsby in workshops. Combining a range of art from different skill levels was a challenge, she said, but the linked themes tie the mural together. Work began mid last year and continued remotely through lockdown, with installation of the finished product before Christmas. Haines said it was unfortunate that Covid conditions had prevented Panuku getting the children together for an opening, but with the work likely to be up for at least six months something may be arranged. Imagery has been saved as digital files, so once the fence is removed for development the mural could be installed again elsewhere. The schools also have digital images, meaning they too might look to use portions of the work.
Tapping young talent... Artist Emma Ormsby has combined work from schoolchildren to create a mural for Takapuna “The kids got files of their own work as a sort of koha,” Ormsby adds. She hopes the experience inspired them. Ormsby previously worked on a 20-metre painted mural at Westlake Girls, but says the Takapuna one is the largest art work she has been involved in. She hopes to be an exhibiting artist and attract commissions. As well as studying at the University of Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts, she is doing media studies and screen production papers, and training through Te Wananga o Aotearoa in whakairo (Maori wood-carving). Ormsby is of Ngati Maniapoto and Ngati Porou descent. “I enjoy everything I do, it doesn’t feel like work,” she says.
Movies at Takapuna Beach Al fresco movie nights at Takapuna Beach are back for Anniversary Weekend. Entry is free, but vaccine passes are required. Two movies will show on each of 29 and 30 January and 5, 6 and 12 February from 5pm. The first weekend sees Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Dirty Dancing screened on Saturday, with The Lion
King (from 2019) and Daffodils shown the next night. Over Waitangi Day weekend the lineup is different. On Saturday 5 February first up is Raya and the Last Dragon and then The Wedding Singer, with Sunday featuring Zootopia and Chicago. A further screening will be held on Saturday, 12 February, with the programme not confirmed by Observer deadline.
January 21, 2022
Shakespeare fan buzzing over roles in summer season A Forrest Hill mum who has attended Shakespeare in Regent Park in London is loving her experience of the Takapuna version. Cassandra Atkinson (inset picture above) plays Lucetta in Two Gentlemen of Verona, a waiting-woman to main heroine Julia. She is also the second outlaw. “It’s quite a small cast so a lot of us are doubling up,” she says. The 41-year-old Shakespeare fan is thrilled and excited but also terrified. She did her dissertation on him in her English Lit degree but has not done any performing since high school. “People are actually going to pay money to come and see me.” Atkinson loves the production’s setting next to Lake Pupuke. “Every time I come to rehearsal I can’t believe my luck that I live here.” The play was something for her to get into for herself, rather than something for her husband or kids. Shakespeare in the Park is a summer institution in Takapuna. This year The Merchant of Venice is also being staged. The season starts on 22 January in the outdoor theatre at the PumpHouse and runs until 19 February. Tickets are $27 for an adult. Attendees must be vaccinated.
Arts / Entertainment Pages
The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 15
Rehearsal time... The Merchant of Venice features (from left) Mark Wilson as Bassanio, Meg Andrews as Portia and Adele Tunicliff as Nerissa. PHOTO: MATTHEW DIESCH
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January 21, 2022
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