chain on frst jabs

Briefs Bowlers get extension

The Takapuna Services and Social Bowling Club has been given an extension for vacating its leased council land by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. A lease renewal for the site at 2 Mary Poynton Cres was earlier declined, and the club and its assets required to be moved out by 28 October. It asked that the vacating date be at least one month after level 2 lockdown. Toni van Tonder voted against the extension.

Works to move crossing

Moving a pedestrian crossing on East Coast Rd will require roadworks until early November. Trafc queues have been common either side of the roadworks, between Kenmure Rd and Aberdeen Rd, during the day, with a one-lane stop/ go system in place. The works include a raised speed table, relocating the bus shelter, street lighting, line marking, footpath work and high-friction surfacing. Auckland Transport said last week its current date for completion is 7 November, but that is weather dependent.

Jenny Kirk remembered

Former North Shore politician Jenny Kirk, who died last month after a short illness, has been remembered by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. Kirk died in Whangarei on 30 September. Member George Wood acknowledged her contribution to the area, particularly around transport. Kirk was Labour MP for Birkenhead from 1987 to 1990 and later a North Shore City councillor. She brokered a meeting with then Transport Minister Mark Gosche which helped pave the way for the Northern Busway, Wood, a former North Shore Mayor and busway advocate, told the Observer. Central Takapuna remains the suburb with the lowest rate of frst-dose Covid vaccination in the wider Devonport-Takapuna area, according to fgures issued late last week.

Takapuna was on 88.6 per cent, while most lower North Shore suburbs had passed 90 per cent of the eligible population having had their frst dose.

Sunnynook North, Forrest Hill North, Forrest Hill East and Stanley Point are in front, with 95 per cent uptake.

Cheltenham has the highest number of second doses at 83.1 per cent, but with one of the smaller populations.

There were still local locations of interest visited by Covid-positive people earlier this week, including Milford New World (14 October) and Takapuna Countdown (16 October).

Several trips on bus 901 to and from Smales Farm on 16 and 18 October were also of interest. New World Devonport was still on the list from 8 October.

Health advice is on the Ministry of Health website.

Seven Covid cases were in North Shore Hospital earlier this week, of 35 being treated across Auckland.

Jabs by suburb

Sunnynook North eligible population: 2334 people. First dose 95% uptake; second dose 77.7%. Sunnynook South from 2104 people. First dose 93.8%; second dose 75.9%. Castor Bay 4054 people. First dose 93.1%; second dose 78.1%. Forrest Hill North 1971. First dose 95%; second dose 80.4%. Forrest Hill East 2906 people. First dose 95%; second dose 80.7%. Forrest Hill West 3502 people. First dose: 94%; second dose 79%. Milford Central 1830 people. First dose 92.6%; second dose 80.7%. Milford West 2627 people. First dose 91.7%; second dose 78.6%. Westlake 2519 people. First dose 94.2%; second dose 79.8%. Takapuna Central 2367 people. First dose 88.6%; second dose 77.1%. Takapuna West 4025 people. First dose 93.1%; second dose 78%. Takapuna South 1358 people. First dose 92.1%; second dose 79.2%

Tree-poisoning culprits still unknown

No progress appears to have been made in tracking down the people responsible for vandalising trees on the Takapuna beachfront.

Auckland Council told the Observer it had no update on the chopping-down and poisoning of native trees in Sacred Grove / Te Uru Tapu reserve in front of apartments at the northern end of the beach.

Arborists discovered the damage to 14 trees and additional shrubs, with most chopped down, including a tree around 5 metres tall. Drill holes indicated four of the trees had likely been poisoned.

An update on the fate of the grove may be provided to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board at its November meeting.

Auckland Council offcials have recommended that the reserve, closed for boardwalk maintenance several years ago, remain closed. They cited tree fragility, safety, cost and cultural factors. Around 1500 people petitioned for its reopening, with the boardwalk having formerly functioned as a high-tide access along the beach. The board wanted to hear more options, including the views of mana whenua, but with lockdown this has not yet taken place.

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The single-house zone is mostly confned to the coastal strip from Clifton Rd to Castor Bay, around Lake Pupuke, with a small patch of homes in Prospect Terrace, Milford.

Large swathes of Hauraki, Milford, Forrest Hill and Sunnynook are Mixed Housing Suburban.

Combined with the National Policy Statement on Urban Development released earlier this year, the government has effectively directed city councils to increase density in all urban areas, especially around major transport nodes.

In Takapuna this means multi-storeyed apartment blocks will be allowed between the commercial area and Smales Farm – which has already been rezoned for high-rise tower apartments.

Under the latest government announcment, housing will be allowed to be 11m high, with a building site coverage of up to 50 per cent.

The intensifcation policy – which is expected to become law by August 2023 – has been rammed through without any government commitment to help fund extra infrastructure or public transport, something which has infuriated local politicians, who felt broadsided by the announcement.

Heritage, natural hazards and open space provided for public use are included in mitigating factors where development can be limited. But the government said this does “not necessarily prohibit development”. Councils can “reduce the amount of development allowed so the feature is managed appropriately”.

North Shore councillor Chris Darby, who chairs Auckland Council’s planning committee, said the government announcement was ill-considered. “It’s a desktop exercise in a vacuum in Wellington... they have made signifcant amendments to the Unitary Plan and planning rules in Auckland without the expertise to do so,” he said.

Auckland Council had become aware that the government “was working something up”, Darby said, but had been rebuffed when it was asked to be included.

“It’s disappointing when you have been sitting around the table with ministers and offcers taking part in working through the issues and then one party does it in isolation.”

Darby said on a national scale the development fast-tracking would not add that many more homes. Auckland was already processing record consents.

The wider problem was funding the infrastructure and public transport to support the growth, he said. Other issues included the cost of building materials and the shortage of tradespeople to do the work.

Initially it was believed the changes were to be made by “edict”, Darby said. But council had at least been given a few weeks to provide feedback.

Land banking and developers targeting large residential sites around the North Shore are likely as the implications of the new government intensifcation strategy sink in, says a property valuer.

Murray Pelham of NH Valuers said the government’s announcement last week was a surprise for the property industry and it would take a while to “consider the ramifcations”.

The two zones primarily affected appeared to be the Single House Zone and Mixed Housing Suburban Zone, he said.

In the Mixed Housing Suburban Zone, buildings are usually one or two storey, mainly stand-alone, and are set back from site boundaries with landscaped gardens.

In the government’s plan three homes of three storeys are allowed on a site.

Pelham said this would effectively spell the end of the mixed suburban zone and had more in common with the urban zone, which allows

three or four homes on a 700 sqm site. Land banking predicted by valuer Residents’ groups speak out on news Land bankers were already “knocking on The Milford Residents Association says a doors” trying to buy three or four houses in a “centralised knee-jerk reaction” to solve a street, he said. housing shortfall puts neighbourhoods at This made it hard to value individual prop- risk. “It appears that the Medium Density erties, he added. A house may have a value to Residential Standards are more about boxes a private purchaser, but for a developer it all in the air and not about well-being and a hinged on what could be built on the site, or in quality environment,” it said. some cases several combined sites. The Sunnynook Community Association “It depends on the land value content.” says it will discuss the new rules at its next If developers managed to buy a number of meeting. Having seen signifcant building in its sites together, more intensifed development suburb, it had pre-lockdown been considering a was possible, he said. design hui to advocate for better builds. Pelham expected substantial push-back from The Castor Bay Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Auckland Council on the government bill, Association wants any solution to balance the especially given the years of work to create need for quality housing with the need for parks, the Auckland Unitary Plan. tree canopy, and open space. These were what Another valuer told the Observer much of made Castor Bay such a great place to live. the fner detail needed to be worked through, Takapuna Beach Business Association wants such as whether each home would be sold as growth kept manageable, by focusing it near an individual title. transport nodes and metropolitan centres. WAVESHADES | UMBRELLAS EXTERIOR LOUVRES | INSECT SCREENS DESIGNER SCREEN DOORS

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Dual-naming for parks takes next step

Nineteen locations across the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area will soon be divided among iwi to be given te reo names to accompany the English version.

Under Auckland Council’s Te Kete Rukuruku programme, a hui will be held to determine which iwi names each site, with sites to be allocated by December.

Naming research will then begin, a process likely to take at least two to three months.

The board, which has allocated $20,000 to the process, heard in a progress report that its suggestions would soon go to mana whenua, including the idea of combining the Milford Beachfront Reserve and Milford Reserve under one name.

Kennedy Park was a notable exclusion, but board chair Ruth Jackson said it was already also known as Rahopara Pa, so did not need a further name.

One site, yet to be determined, will get full bilingual signage, an interactive panel explaining the background of the name, and a QR code to scan to hear pronunciation of the name.

Other parks will not automatically have new signs as part of the change, the report to board members said. “With a view to spending Aucklanders’ money wisely, existing signs will be reskinned, unless the signage is damaged or worn and needs to be replaced.”

Spare council cash to be shared about after Sunnynook project under budget

Cash left over from upgrades at Sunnynook Park has been reallocated towards other community projects, including a BMX/ pump track at the park and work on a dilapidated skate park in Devonport.

Just over $200,000 of Auckland Council renewals-budget money and $100,000 of Locally Driven Initiatives funding was left unspent when the playground and public space upgrade, fnished behind the community centre in July, came in under budget.

The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board last week approved staff recommendations for redirecting the surplus money. These included: spending $100,000 developing a wheel-sports plan in Sunnynook Park; $100,000 for work on Devonport’s Ngataringa Park skate facility; and $20,000 to the Takapuna Library and Service Centre to

renew its guttering and downpipes. Board members were told the library work would ensure the building was watertight. The Sunnynook work includes bringing forward design of the BMX/pump track, along with providing paths, signs, bollards, seating and planting at Sunnynook Square. A $120,000 donation from Takapuna locals Chris and Jackie Reeve meant funding towards renewals at Gould Reserve at Takapuna Beach was also surplus, leaving an unexcepted $80,830 unspent there. (The Reeves were key funders and driving forces behind the playground at the reserve and planned disabled toilet facilities) Auckland Council policy analyst Roma Leota was asked by the board to look at any other projects that needed extra cash.

Submissions open on skate park and BMX plans

Public submissions are open on the new skate park proposed in Sunnynook Square, near the basketball court, on Sunnynook Rd.

It will replace an old and isolated skate bowl in Sunnynook Park. A design was developed by Auckland Council offcials after consultation with community representatives that dates back to 2016.

A BMX bike pump track may be installed in the park, south of the existing skate bowl, near exercise equipment. But council offcials told the Local Board several months ago that there was not enough funding yet for both facilities, with the skate park to be frst to get rolling. The council wants to hear from residents on the skate bowl concept design and on the proposed location of the BMX track. Submissions are open until 12 November, with information available at akhaveyoursay. aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/

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