under scrutiny

The proposed design of the new playground to be installed at Nile Reserve, Milford, has been questioned.

“It’s functional, but it feels like a bit of missed opportunity to make it greater,” Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Toni van Tonder told fellow board members on seeing the plans.

“It’s a big orange plastic thing,” she said. While a playground upgrade would be appreciated in the area, for a similar budget the Kawerau Reserve in Devonport was getting a more natural-looking design. The Nile Reserve equipment was more cookie-cutter, similar to that at the Rose Centre, Belmont. Member Trish Deans said she thought the new design would turn the reserve into a “very cute little spot”. It was a traditional approach, but it would fit in and be fenced.

Van Tonder suggested guidelines might usefully be drawn up for playgrounds, with board members to get more input with Auckland Council staff on the style they considered would suit individual sites. This could include items such as shade, Maori design elements and extra planting.

A council official said one avenue board members could express their views was through play-space audits, with input to the council’s Community Facilities team. The board voted in support of more detailed preparatory work proceeding on the proposed design.

from page 1

Takapuna shows may be lost to Mission Bay

the support of then board chair Aidan Bennett and member Toni van Tonder that the event proceeded, he said.

Waterbourne had cost $1 million to put on and it had run at a considerable loss, with legal bills, resource consents and stage building running into “hundreds of thousands of dollars”, Carey said.

He had wanted to hold a Waterbourne event at Takapuna on a yearly basis, but this was now unlikely to be pursued.

“The new board chair is Ruth Jackson, who has made it pretty clear she does not want Waterbourne.”

Jackson told the Observer she had had initial concerns about the ticketing aspects of the Waterbourne events on Takapuna Beach Reserve. But after discussion the board had unanimously given the event landowner consent.

“I think everyone was looking forward to Waterbourne – a colourful event after the year we had.. but it was very badly affected by the Covid lockdown. It was terrible for him (Carey), I really felt for him…he poured two years of his life into organising the series of events.”

Carey said he was disappointed with the way his large Takapuna event was handled by the authorities. It had originally been planned for Mission Bay, but it was transferred to Takapuna after talks with local business association head Terence Harpur, but then ran into road blocks.

Takapuna was getting a reputation as a place to be avoided by major event companies, which was “a tragedy for Terence and Takapuna businesses and the community who want vibrant events happening”, Carey said.

It was easier to hold events without liquor, but to make them commercially viable “you have to sell something”.

In the Covid-affected programme, Waterborne was essentially a free event, but there were only “so many ice creams and fish and chips” you can sell to make money, Carey said.

While bruised by this year’s Waterbourne, Carey maintained he had “not checked out on Takapuna”. He was working on a smaller event in the town centre, and beach activities such as the paddle board nationals and World Paddle Boarding champs were still possible at Takapuna Beach, he said.

Jackson said Waterbourne would be welcome to apply to host another event. “I don’t understand his concerns about events in Takapuna... every application is judged on its merits.”

Takapuna and the wider board area would continue to host events “as it always had”, Jackson said.

Carey’s pre-event difficulties had centred on liquor licensing aspects of his application ahead of any perceived conflict with her or the local board, Jackson said.

Takapuna Beach Business Association chief executive Terence Harpur said over the last few years event organisers had “ expressed immense frustration” trying to hold events in Takapuna due to the Local Board needing to give landowner consent to use the beach reserve. (This is standard city wide).

“The Local Board and Auckland Council places huge restrictions on events that are often very prohibitive and make it not financially or operationally possible to stage it effectively,” Harpur said. “Many event organisers have said they won’t bother coming back to Takapuna as it’s a huge risk not to be given consent or have massive restrictions placed on the event, while other Local Boards around Auckland are very supportive of doing events and welcome them such as in Mission Bay, Orewa and Central Auckland.”

In the future, Harpur hoped the Local Board would be able to see the massive benefits events brought Takapuna, both to the community who enjoyed them and to businesses who benefited from people visiting and spending.

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Issue 1 – 15 March 2019

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE

New Takapuna-Milford paper hits the streets... p2 ‘Sacred’ pohutukawa trees turn into a menace... p4

Fears locals short-changed by new town square... p7 Preserving coastal track no walk in the park

The future of a hugely popular coastal track between Takapuna and Milford is set to be secured as Auckland Council negotiates with a property owner over purchasing his historic bach.

People have been walking through Paul Firth’s garden since 2011, when a wooden bridge was washed away in a storm.

At that time, the council found it had never been an official bridge and rebuilding would require a coastal consent, which required approval from all affected landowners.

Firth, now 74, withheld his consent because

To page 3

Oarsome costumes make waves at Beach Series finale

In the pink… Jason Herriman was among entrants who got into the spirit of a retro-themed final night of the Beach Series summer races at Takapuna Beach last Tuesday. More pictures p12-14

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MANAGING EDITOR: Rob Drent PUBLISHER: Peter Wilson CHIEF REPORTER: Janetta Mackay

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

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When Castor Bay resident Peter Cosse- “On a global level, they’ve been an inboom broke his wrist last year it led to the novator that’s ahead of the curve.” unwelcome news that the active 56-year- The fracture liaison service is led by old had osteoporosis. endocrinologist Dr David Kim, with spe-

But thanks to North Shore Hospital hav- cialist nurses Julia Spinley and Michelle ing a world-recognised fracture screening Cowley. They identify and intervene in programme, his condition was identified around 1500 cases per year of people who for preventive treatment. report to emergency services.

The keen ocean swimmer is now back Falls are the most common cause of competing and thankful the signs were injury for people aged over 65. The Acpicked up early. cident Compensation Corporation (ACC)

“In some ways it’s a bit comforting,” he says up to 60 per cent of older people says. “You know you’ve something that’s suffer falls each year, with 10 to 20 per not ideal, but it’s better to find out in your cent of them injured, hospitalised or even mid-50s and you can do something about dying as a result. it, rather than breaking your hip at 80.” ACC spends nearly $200 million a year

The actuary had no reason to suspect he helping that age group recover. Treatment was at risk. Both his elderly grandmother costs are expected to balloon as the popuand his mother in Hamilton had had falls lation ages. with no breakages. His own break, which ACC’s manager of targeted investment, followed a minor ankle fracture 20 years Paul Kennedy, says: “Fracture liaison earlier in a twist to avoid a car, came about services play a critical role in identifying on a visit to a friend when Auckland’s long the underlying issues that could lead to a Covid-19 lockdown lifted. He remembers fracture and putting individualised plans the time well because he was looking for- in place to reduce the risk.” ward to getting back in the ocean, resum- Cosseboom has advised to add weighting regular 4km swims from Castor Bay bearing exercise to his fitness routine as along Milford Beach to the Thorne Bay Back in the water... Keen swimmer Peter an osteoporosis preventative measure. reef marker and sometimes to the south Cosseboom is back competing after being He now tries to fit in gym visits on top of end of Takapuna Beach. treated for osteoporosis swimming, which included all 18 weeks

Cosseboom slipped on some grass. of the Takapuna Beach Series. “I put my hand down, as you do, and while. While this is now common across the His most recent organised swim was thought, ‘that hurts’.” country’s district health boards, the Waitemata this month’s Devonport Masters event from

From there it was off to hospital, an X-ray, DHB was the first to set up a dedicated fracture Cheltenham to Narrow Neck. In 2018-19, he and then a referral for a scan. He was told it liaison service at North Shore Hospital in 2012. won Global Swim Series Champion recogniwas not uncommon for signs of the degenera- It has since advanced its treatment, with the tion, in the male non-wet suit category for tive bone disease to show up in people his age. level of care recently winning a Gold Standard amassing points over 11 races.

An infusion to help strengthen his bones citation from the International Osteoporosis Dietary advice is another part of the profollowed, and his status will be monitored with Foundation. gramme. Cosseboom was told to increase his appointments every few years. “I’d rather find “Waitemata is a beacon of best-practice calcium levels by consuming more milk and out now than later” is how he looks at it. across the country,” says Associate Professor cheese.

His case is an example of why screening Paul Mitchell, a steering group member of the “I’m having enough trouble with keeping fractures from people aged 50-plus is worth- foundation’s Capture the Fracture initiative. weight off,” jokes the trim swimmer.

New ward opens at Southern Cross

Southern Cross North Harbour Hospital has opened a new ward, adding to surgical capacity on the North Shore.

Designed to provide enhanced infection protection, the new ward at the hospital in Wairau Rd supplies 10 additional rooms with accompanying ensuites, and includes a quieter nurse-call system. It also uses smartbuilding technology to maintain room temperature and monitor energy consumption.

The development at the only private surgical in-patient hospital on the Shore helps meet demand for orthopaedic and general surgeries.

The expansion follows Waitemata District Health Board announcing a new block at North Shore Hospital, to add 150 more beds and eight endoscopy suites to the facility by 2023. It will connect to the main hospital building via a sky bridge.

Takapuna ice-skating rink proves a drawcard

Up to 10,000 people visited the temporary ice skating rink in central Takapuna over its two-and-half weeks stay which finished at the end of the last school holidays.

A debrief had yet to be held with rinkprovider Paradice, but Takapuna Beach Business Association chief executive, Terence Harpur, said around 6000 skaters had been on the ice, with numbers swelled to between 8000 and 10,000 people when parents and caregivers were included.

The flow-on to Takapuna businesses was immense, Harpur said. “Parents were taking their kids out for lunch after a skating session or meeting up for dinner prior to the night skating.”

It was a great shot in the arm for Takapuna business, Harpur said.

“I was really happy to see people with asmile on their faces after the year we’ve had.”

Parking issues fester

Takapuna workers are still nabbing parks off Auburn St intended for dropping off disabled people and young children, says Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Jan O’Connor.

Around 50 to 60 cars took spaces early each day, making parking tricky for those visiting the PHAB organisation, Takapuna playcentre and the other groups based in the reserve area that also borders the Takapuna Croquet Club and leads to Patuone Reserve walkway.

“People are getting fed up,” O’Connor said.

She had raised the matter in 2019 and since, asking for Auckland Transport to better police the situation.

Parking permits should be provided to the clubs and organisations, she suggested.

May 14, 2021

Pest patrol: Residents making a difference in reserves

“I had no idea of the extent of the problem in our parks,” says volunteer weeder Michelle Morrison.

As a member of the Friends of Henderson Park group, the Takapuna ratepayer has been helping to tame pest-plant growth along the north-eastern edge of Lake Pupuke. She decided to dig in after gaining an insight into the problems through her involvement with the Pupuke Birdsong Project and its predator-control efforts.

“It’s obvious the council is not effectively maintaining our public green spaces,” Morrison told the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board at its latest community forum.

She came to the monthly session with a message that more resources were needed for the project’s environmental co-ordinator and for the wider battle to keep both plant and animal pests in check.

Morrison is one of hundreds of environmentally aware residents who are quietly championing reserves across the local board area. The number of volunteer groups in reserves in the north of the board area (from Takapuna to Sunnynook) has grown from nine to 25 in just over a year.

School and work groups are among those helping by adopting a reserve. Some garden, others set traps for rats and a few have possums in their sights (see opposite page).

From pocket parks to larger reserves, community-minded people are pitching in to make these more appealing places for native birds and for people to enjoy. Gaps in the network of reserves that are cared for by volunteers mean more helpers are always wanted.

“There is just too much to do,” Morrison told board members. She is one of a four-member group, including husband David, tending to Henderson Park.

The quartet put in 30 to 40 voluntary hours a month. They tear up ivy, trim back bamboo and root out pesky Chinese windmill palms in the hope of getting these invasive species under more control so council contractors can better maintain the public spaces.

“Pest plants should not have been allowed to get this bad,” Morrison told board members. Just

Lady of the lake... Michelle Morrison is watching the weeds along the north-east walkway of Lake Pupuke

that morning, the group had removed 10 smaller palms. There were hundreds more to deal with around the lakeside reserves, including lots at the bottom of Pierce Rd in Milford.

It did not make sense, said Morrison, that the council could spend on additional planting, yet was not properly controlling the spread of what was already there.

Along the lake, at the larger Sylvan Park, more volunteers regularly toil away. A new area of focus is the adjoining and lesser-known Kitchener Park reserve, home to the Milford Tennis Club. It can be accessed from a path that runs between Pierce Rd and Dodson Ave.

The Milford Residents Association arranged for surplus nikau palms to be transferred to a glade there, and now Rotary members are mulching and helping with a tidy-up.

Milford Residents’ Association co-chair Norma Bott, who also attended the community forum, called on the board to push for the council to improve the Kitchener Park path and to cut back growth on fences along it.

Improved park entrances and signage acknowledging that the land with established native trees had been gifted by early resident William Rushbrook would emphasis its history and separate identity from Sylvan Park, she said.

Residents wishing to donate a park bench in memory of a loved one might consider the park, she said, given that Milford Reserve had been over-subscribed with such requests.

Both women’s reports were received, with board thanks for their efforts. “We have heard you,” said member Trish Deans.

Morrison was told provision for more funding for the work of Takapuna North’s environmental co-ordinator, Fiona Martin, was included in the board’s yet-to-be-signed-off work plan. Kitchener Park was “on the list for maintenance”, an official reported, but meeting chair Aidan Bennett cautioned Bott it would remain a challenge for the board to get extra funding from the cash-strapped council for any new projects.

“The more we get people on board [to help] the more we exercise our own responsibility in our area or backyard,” said member Toni van Tonder.

For voluntary helpers such as the Morrisons, this is what they do already, but Michelle told the board: “While it is satisfying to see what we have achieved, there is a fine line between the goodwill of volunteering and the expectation that volunteers will carry out tasks for which the council is actually responsible.”

Anyone wishing to find out more can learn about the Pupuke Birdsong Project at www. takapunatrust.org.nz or email about volunteering to enviro@takapunatrust.org.nz

Tree massacre along the golden mile

The loss of more big trees on the North Shore has prompted a plea to the DevonportTakapuna Local Board for better protection of important individual trees.

Along 750m of Takapuna’s golden mile – the blue-chip residential stretch of Hurstmere Rd leading into Kitchener Rd – nine large trees had been felled on six properties, said concerned local Michelle Morrison.

These included an oak, a large karaka, a totara and a number of older pohutukawa trees.

One pohutukawa was chopped from a roadside verge, breaching a development resource consent, she said.

“Most of these properties had recently changed ownership and the trees were destroyed soon after purchase. And this is just a small selection of what is happening on a larger scale across our community.”

Morrison said specimen trees of such size and age were irreplaceable. “We also need this ‘corridor’ of established trees for the birdlife.”

Their loss was changing the environment that made the North Shore what it was, she said.

Members were sympathetic to Morrison’s call for specific trees to be more easily protected.

She said “appropriate meaningful consequences” where needed for those who felled trees in breach of rules.

Incoming board chair Ruth Jackson said councils were no longer able to impose general protection for trees over a certain size and it could cost thousands per tree to get them back on a schedule.

She understood that widespread national concern about the loss of trees had led to a remit to be put up at the upcoming Local Government Association conference of council representatives which she was attending. This would call on the government to enable councils to reinstate greater tree protections.

The protections were overridden under Resource Management Act changes instituted by the last National-led Government.

Planning provisions that allow building within 1m of a property boundary are also having an impact.