community news, issues, arts, people, events ISSUE 218, SEPTEMBER 2022
Phone 021 353 614 Email mark.roberts@futurewest.org
Mark Roberts Future West – Labour I’ve enjoyed living in Titirangi for 39 years and play an active role in a number of local environmental and community groups. Following a career as Chartered Accountant, CEO and Company Director my emphasis will be on accountability and governance while supporting community development and environmental initiatives.
Email @gmail.comMarkallenwaitakereranges
Phone 021 154 6708
Sandra Coney QSO Future West – Independent I’ve lived, worked and represented Waitakere on councils most of my life. Piha is my turangawaewae and its where my heart is. I want to see people living in decent housing with great parks and community facilities, healthy natural environments and proud of our heritage.
Phone 021 446 370 s_coney@xtra.co.nz
Phone 021 378 791
2 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. We combine experience with new fresh faces. We offer experience in community development, environment, emergency management, commerce, urban design, education, arts and heritage. We all volunteer in our communities and stand with our communities in bringing the best for the West. For Waitakere Ranges Local Board Towww.futurewest.orgfindoutmoreandtelluswhatyouthinkplease go to Facebook www.facebook.com/futurewestnz Twitter https://twitter.com/futurewest Authorised by Greg Presland, 512 South Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland Ph: 021 998 411 Meet the Future West team
Phone 021 998 411
Future West – Labour I became involved in local government to achieve meaningful protection for the Waitakere Ranges. Served as a Waitakere City Councillor, four terms on Local Board. I’ve been a westie for 35 years, have raised my family and practised law here. Involved in many projects such as Lopdell House development.
Mark Allen Future West – Green
Jessamine Fraser Future West – Green I’m excited to join the Future West team and to bring my expertise in housing and urban form to the local board. I am an architect, and recognise the importance of working with our environment and local communities to build a resilient future for all.
Email greg@gregpresland.com
Liz Manley Future West – Labour I’ve lived in Titirangi for 25 years, as a community leader, member of advisory groups and champion for Enviroschools, was a local principal and former Piha lifeguard. I stand for connected communities and protecting our unique environment, for quality housing, facilities and services supported by wise council spending.
I was raised in Laingholm and now live in Te Henga. I have had 35 years local government experience and bring a solid knowledge of Council’s internal workings. I’m passionate about strengthening community resilience, future proofing our infrastructure, providing public and active transport options and ensuring value for rates.
Email lizforlocalgovt@gmail.com
Phone 022 1620 589 Email jfraser@rainstudio.nz
Greg Presland
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 3 Delivered free to letter boxes, post boxes, libraries and selected outlets throughout Tītīrangi, Glen Eden, Green Bay, New Lynn, Konini, Wood Bay, French Bay, Waima, Woodlands Park, Laingholm, Parau, Cornwallis, Huia, Oratia, and beyond. Published by: Fringe Media Ltd, PO Box 60-469, Tītīrangi, Auckland 0642 Editor: Bevis England 817 8024, 027 494 bevis@fringemedia.co.nz0700 Advertising: info@fringemedia.co.nz Writers and contributors: Moira Kennedy, David Thiele, Naomi McCleary, Fiona Drummond, Jade Reidy, John Goudge, Rebecca Manners. Advertising deadline for October 2022: September 16 www.fringemedia.co.nz Every issue of The Fringe (and the Tītīrangi Tatler before it) since April 2011 is on-line at www.fringemedia.co.nz. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FringeWest) to hear when each issue is available and get other updates. A living memorial ............................................. 4 – 5 Higher urban intensification on the way ............. 6 Local legend celebrates 100th birthday 8 Keeping it local: Drain Ranger 10 Art and about with Naomi McCleary ....... 12 – 13 OCTOBER-FEST-ival of films 13 “Traffic lights are okay, but not the speed bumps” .................................................................. 14 Letter; New Lynn Lions ......................................... 15 Out and About in the West 16 – 17 Tītīrangi Theatre; Tītīrangi Library 18 Glen Eden Library................................................. 19 New surf life saving club house for Karekare ... 20 Tītīrangi Painters: “We’re back” 21 Local Government Elections –special feature ............................................. 22 – 24 Rebecca’s Review 25 Contents On our cover: The face of our suburbs is set to change with many more high and medium-density projects underway. Photo by Bevis England . Our place: tree protection, environmental heroes, Tītīrangi tracks ......................................... 26 Community weed bins return to Waitākere Ranges 27 Naturally West with Fiona Drummond 28 Sustainable solutions with Fiona Drummond .... 29 Live @ the lounge ............................................... 30 Advertisers’ Directory 31 Going West Trust is looking for donations to support the further development of its online platform. Your donation will go towards a lifechanging experience for one of our local writers. Each commissioned poetry video brings new and exciting work to the fore – and employs young creatives to do what they love and do best. This is what Going West Festival's online platform aims to www.goingwestfest.co.nzsupport. takes you to a site overflowing with cultural treasures spawned in the west. This is an opportunity to 'make a difference' with the smallest sacrifice on your part. Visit the website to find out more. 20
“The hall is the primary place of remembrance for Tītīrangi,” says Graeme Burgess of Burgess & Treep Architects, “and we want to document how it has been used by the community over the years.”
It took over a decade to find a permanent site, in the playground of the School for the Deaf (Lopdell House), but
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Burgess and his colleagues, Boris Bogdanovich and Tania Mace, have been searching the archives to put together a history of the hall for the Conservation Plan, which will guide future repairs and physical management of hall. The project was initiated by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board which has budgeted a total of $1.7 million over three years to replace the hall cladding, refurbish and replace windows, install insulation and upgrade a small part of the roof. The hall currently has no heritage protection although that could be an outcome of the Conservation Plan.
Tītīrangi has always given priority to remembering the impact of war on the community with the hall, the Soldiers Memorial Church in Park Road and the obelisk – now at the hall –which once stood on the junction of Atkinson and Tītīrangi Roads. The parkland on which the hall stands is a War Memorial Park and the hall is the product of years of community effort. After World War II the government provided subsidies to build practical buildings for future generations rather than just commemorative sites. Tītīrangi formed a committee to work on a hall in 1947, led by local man Alec Bishop, former president of the Western Suburbs RSA. “With local fund-raising, the group was able to purchase a property in Rangiwai Road and build a temporary hall,” says Burgess.
The Governor General arrives to open the Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall, January 1965. JTDiamond Collection, Auckland Libraries
4 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. Our place Heritage architects working on a Conservation Plan for Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall have put out a call for photographs of former Anzac events at the hall.
“The basement of the hall became a library and from this time the hall and the library became intertwined as a community project. This original building is now St Mary’s Church.”
A living memorial: Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall
Anzac day 2017: the hall is an important community resource. Photo by Sandra Coney.
Graeme Burgess can be contacted at burgesstreep@gmail. com, www.burgesstreep.com – Sandra Coney
Time has only increased the value of the hall and library to the Tītīrangi community, but time has also wrought some ravages to the fabric of the building which was not built to today’s more exacting building standards. The primary cladding on the building is vertical cedar boards with battens. The boards are directly fixed to the framing, standard practice in the 1960s. Changes made at the base of the building, gardens and decks, have trapped moisture against the cedar leading to decay. At some stage the cladding was painted, which has also trapped moisture in the wood.
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 5 Our place the site did not become available until 1962. By then there was no government subsidy as the project had taken too long.
“Cedar is a remarkable timber, stable and rot resistant,” says Graeme Burgess, ”but it needs to be looked after, and, in time, replaced.“ That work, along with other restoration will ensure the building remains a central part of the Tītīrangi community for years to Graemecome.and his team will discuss the history and current project for the hall at the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Heritage Conference Trailblazers and Trouble-Makers of the West which will be held in the hall on Sunday, November 13.
Local architects Geoff Hole and Tibor Donner collaborated on the first plan of the hall building, but there were a number of iterations before the final design by Fred Whitehead. Throughout this time the RSA stayed involved and built their own premises on the same site in 1962. Finally, the hall was opened by Governor General Sir Bernard Fergusson on January 30, 1965.
6 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. Our place You Shop We Deliver Shopping delivered to your door 429 Titirangi Rd, Auckland, 0604 Owned & Operated by Locals Titirangi Supermarket
boundary.Thenew
Submissions on proposed changes close on September 29 and can be made on Auckland Council’s website. – Jade Reidy. Photos by Bevis England
New planning rules have just been publicly notified and owners of properties in many parts of Auckland can now build up and out. The medium density residential standards enable up to three, three-storey units on most properties without resource consent. Building consents will still be required. Out west the new rules cut a swathe from Green Bay through Kelston and Glen Eden as far as Glengarry Road. New developments in Massey and Henderson will still require resource consent because of inadequate water and wastewater infrastructure for intensified housing.
Higher urban intensification on the way
These ratios enable people to build higher closer to the rules are mandatory but there are important details yet to be finalised. These include what constitutes a ‘walkable distance’ and items referred to as matters’.‘qualifying Local boards are looking at a ‘qualifying matter’ concerning public open spaces. Plan Change 60 already allows the council to ‘rationalise’ its open spaces, selling off green spaces in areas of increasing intensification, to pay off debt. Trees on private land are also under threat. The public can ask the council to preserve any such trees in the intensification areas they consider large or special enough. If the council agrees, they can be nominated for inclusion in future plan changes. The Tree Council can do most of the work for you. Go to www.thetreecouncil.org.nz and complete the online form. (For more on this, see page 26.)
developmentsalsocentralTītīrangistartthatjumpbranchcentralaucklandcouncil.govt.nz/upviewer/orindex.html?id=df2ce24d0c3046598604c21c40fdd45caucklandcouncil.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/https://searchforyouraddressathttps://unitaryplanmaps.Askedwhetherthenewrulesmaytriggeraflightfromthesuburbstothewest,Barfoot&ThompsonTītīrangimanagerKevinLiusays,“possibly”.“TheUnitaryPlanalreadyallowedfordensity,sothetothisnextlevelisnotasbig,butwhatwe’veseeniswhenanewdevelopmentgetsunderway,neighboursselling.Propertydevelopmentdoesmakesareaslikemoreattractive,”saysKevin.“Andwe’reseeingAucklandersparticularlyattractedtoPiharightnow.”Kevinsayspeoplelivingintheaffectedsuburbsshould“belookingattheheighttoboundaryrulessoadjoiningminimisetheimpactonsunlightandprivacy.”
A National Policy Statement on Urban Development has been released for submissions, and this affects New Lynn. Because it is a metropolitan town centre, six-storye homes will be permitted within walkable distance of the station, once changes to the Unitary Plan go through in the next 12 – 18 Tītīrangimonths.and areas further west are not affected. If you are uncertain of the zoning boundaries, visit
021 440 281
• Making Regional decisions with the West at Heart • Getting a fair share of your rates $$$ spent in Waitakere • I will Champion our local communities • Keeping up the push for much needed fast, frequent and reliable public transport • Protecting our environment and improving water quality in our streams and harbours
Authorised by Linda Cooper - 41 Renoir St, West Harbour,
My track record is common sense decision making, practical solutions & always being available for my community. In my time on Council, we've delivered significant investment to re-open bush tracks, new and upgraded playgrounds, and a Climate Action budget that will deliver 7 new express bus routes in Waitakere and more trees on our streets and parks. In particular I have advocated for and worked collaboratively to secure $100m of shovel-ready funding for express bus interchanges at Westgate, Lincoln Road and Te Atatu for the Northwestern Busway, which is currently under construction, as well as continued community ownership of the former Waitakere Council chambers building, which has now been fully refurbished.
I've always worked in the West: previously I've been a Waitakere Communi ty Board member and Waitakere City Councillor, Chair of West Auckland Hospice, Ranui Action Project, McLaren Park GP Nurse; currently I am Chair of Waitakere Health Link, Chair of Family Action, a trustee of the Massey High School Foundation, President of Waitakere Licensing Trust, a local Justice of the Peace, and one of your two Waitakere Councillors on Auckland Council. I have dedicated my life to serving our community. I remain committed to giving you my best. I live in West Auckland with my husband Noel and am proud to be the mother of three adult daughters.
8 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. FOR THE BEST IN THE WEST ADJUSTABLE BED PACKAGES! NORTH WEST WESTGATE LIFESTYLE CENTER 57 MAKI STREET 09 837 7385 HENDERSON CORNER OF HENDERSON VALLEY RD 424 GREAT NORTH ROAD 09 837 0917 Queen Refresh Adjustable Base with King Koil Tekapo Plush Pocket Spring Mattress! Value $4594 Super King Split Refresh Adjustable Bed with King Koil Tekapo PlushValueMattresses!$7498 PACKAGE$2895!ONLYPRICE PACKAGE$4990!ONLYPRICE waitematabackcarebeds.co.nz
Iconic coaching legend Arch Jelley, CNZM OBE, who coached some of New Zealand’s finest athletes over six decades, celebrated his 100th birthday last month at his Green Bay home. Born in Dunedin on August 13, 1922, Arch took up running in his teenage years and after World War II, pursued a teaching career. In 1957, he moved to Auckland and began coaching athletics, taking legendary runner Neville Scott to the 5000 metres finals in the Tokyo Olympics. In 1966 he helped middle distance runner Ian Studd win bronze in the mile at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.Archcoached John Walker to gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the 1500 metres with Dick Quax taking the silver medal and Rod Dixon coming fourth in the same race. Since then he’s coached dozens of other leading athletes, until he first retired from coaching in 2000. He made a return five years later to coach middle distance runner Hamish Carson at the Rio Olympics in Brazil. He retired again in 2018. In 1982 Arch was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to athletics and in 2021, at the age of 98, was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for his work as a coach and an administrator in athletics and bridge, a card game. His first wife, Rachel, introduced Arch to bridge in 1990.
Rachel died in 2000 and Arch later married Jean who he had met playing the game. For the last 20 years they have lived at Pinesong Retirement Village in Green Bay, spending much of their time playing bridge. Arch also has a passion for lawn bowls.
– Moira Kennedy
Local legend celebrates 100th birthday
Arch Jelley and his wife Jean (right), with his daughter Su and her husband Neil Blayney during celebrations for Arch’s 100th birthday.
People
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 9 VOTE MAKEACTIONTRUSTSGROUPTHETRUSTSSERVETHEWEST PORTAGE LICENSING TRUST CHOICE. TRANSPARENCY. GENEROSITY. The Trusts were established to serve West Auckland, but they need to work much harder to deliver for the community including opening venues that serve the needs of a growing region. THIS ELECTION WE’RE STANDING FOR: • A choice of better bars and pubs serving our diverse community • Competitive pricing and range at Trusts retail outlets • More giving back to the community GoodaleBen Titirangi & Green Bay HutchinsonBarry Auckland City BerginJoe Glen Eden Tarplett-LeeJordan Kelston YOUR CANDIDATES Authorised by N J Smale, 689 Te Atatu Road, Auckland, 022 1506 993.
The Fringe makes space on these pages available for current advertisers and Septemberco.nzinfo@fringemedia.ourToorganisations.non-commercialbeincludedinnextissue,emailbefore16.
Water is taking too long to drain from your kitchen sink, shower or toilet Don’t plant trees near your drainage pipes. If you pour fat down the sink it will solidify in your drains. Run the hot water tap for 10 minutes, or tip at least one full kettle of boiling water straight after, every time. Drain Ranger can help by using CCTV cameras to assess the level of blockage and can then flush your drains using Hydro-Jett technology. It’s quick, safe, avoids big-scale digging and is surprisingly affordable.
10 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
The wet season is here and once again drains are blocked and gardens, garages and basements are flooding.
Drain Ranger’s CCTV and Hydro-Jett technology can help.
PRESLAND and CO LTD BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS EST 1989 09 818 1071 mylawyer.co.nz Presland and Co provide a variety of legal services including conveyancing, family law, criminal law, wills & estates. CMYCYMYCMYMCK FRINGEADLTD.pdf 1 15/11/16 16:33
Never put wipes down the toilet – no matter what kind. They take years to breakdown.
Kitchen or shower are smelly Use the hot water tip above and clean out the shower trap.
Broken stormwater systems and soakage pits that are full are the main culprits. Drain Ranger’s drain maintenance programme can help. Here’s a quick troubleshooting guide to the most common issues Drain Ranger are seeing, what you can do about them and when it might be time to call your local certifying drainlaying team.
You likely have a blocked drain and need a Hydro-Jett Looking to purchase a new home and wondering about drainage issues/costs or drainage issues on the LIM. Look around the driveway area, especially if it is steep. Check the outside and inside of Rain, rain, go away, come again another day…
Surface water coming from the ground. Check that your drain collectors, gulley traps, grates and mesh are free of debris
Drain Ranger’s CCTV and Hydro-Jett technology can help with this too. Send them photos or a video.
Some or occasional solid waste around your toilet, wastewater or kitchen drains
Keeping it Local
I work collaboratively, but also have the fortitude and determination to stand strong in the face of bureaucratic pressure.
After-school
Ken Experienced,Turner hardworking, committed to our communities.
Shawn Blanchfield
I’ll champion community free speech and steadfastly deliver the publics views to Council
I will oppose the misuse of targeted rates and challenge council’s costs.
I started my career as a Tradie, then Ships Master with a diploma in naut ical science.
I’m standing with Ken Turner and supporting the WestWards Team.
I’m very clear I’m here to represent the people.
I’ll ensure our local needs and aspirations are heard by the decision makers in Town.
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 11
I will support local businesses and their customers right to public parking, and I will advocate for initiatives that help keep small businesses afloat.
I will progress cleaner greener options for Public Transport but without throwing common sense and ratepayer money out of the window.
Fourth generation born and bred Waitakere: Tradesman, Business owner, Family man, Farmer
I’ll work to make our community centres safer and with less crime. I’ll make decisions that help our businesses prosper, grow, and build good fulltime jobs.
I’ll advocate for one department to oversee all core services, and for local boards to have more say in the delivery and maintenance of their areas core services.
I’ll oppose Three Waters. I’ll fight Council’s extravagant costs.
Now a successful Business Owner manufacturing products in NZ for New Zealand families
I will oppose Watercare asset being amalgamated into Three Waters
I will oppose monetising public access to beaches and open spaces.
I’ll campaign to reinstate minimum residential parking requirements for new housing developments and the return of sensible height to boundary rules that protect existing homeowners from being built out.
I grew up and raised my family in Titirangi, now living in the Nor -West, so still a Westie.
It is great to see Te Uru taking a leadership role in the creative sector out here. It is testament to the reputation they have built for excellence in all fields of contemporary art and culture. A visit to Te Uru is to step into a world of creative exploration in an award-winning architectural environment. It's balm to the soul to just experience the space.
As background, ArtsWest is a wider initiative developed by Te Uru that has plans beyond this first publication. Director Andrew Clifford says: Each organisation is doing amazing things but it’s not always easy to be individually noticed outside the immediate neighbourhood. By working together, we can demonstrate a mighty creative force and promote everyone’s mahi to show how much is happening across the West
Initiated and published by Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery, it has had buy-in from over 30 cultural precincts, organisations and venues. It is beautifully designed and illustrated, 'styley' in fact; the hard copy format is a pocketsized fold-out and there is a PDF version for online reading. Look out for these in all the obvious places; galleries, libraries, community centres and online from the Te Uru website. Use it to focus your own participation in our cultural community and share it with friends and strangers.
Sometime in the 1990s I attended an event run by Creative New Zealand (CNZ). I remember nothing about it other than a speech by Peter Biggs, the then chair of the CNZ Board. It's a rare thing to hear someone who can so absolutely capture the essence of what the arts signify in a way that makes your heart sing. It was a 'Molly Bloom' moment; 'yes, yes, yes' I silently whispered. So to open the Sunday Star Times on August 14 and see his name heading an opinion piece had my full attention. Now, in his role as Chief Executive of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, he talks about the almost impossibility of measuring the essential benefits of the arts; that they cannot be reduced to numbers on a spreadsheet. He says: How can we hope to put a number next to the inspiration, solace, entertainment and joy our music brings to those from all walks of life - - - or to the value that comes with being part of a live audience, that profound sense of connection that comes from experiencing art in crowds We have all so missed this; the wonderful intimacy of strangers, in a theatre, at a gallery opening or an outdoor music event. In parallel, I am reading, with deep pleasure, Margaret Atwood's recent volume of essays, Burning Questions. She says: The arts – as we've come to term them – are not a frill. They are the heart of the matter, because they are about our hearts - - - - A society without the arts would have broken its mirror and cut out its heart. It would no longer be what we now recognise as human All this, to set the scene for a very practical expression of support for this unmeasurable voice of the heart; an online and hard copy roadmap of the arts in West Auckland: Artswest: The Great West Auckland Arts Guide.
Julia Vale, a Tītīrangi-based designer, undertook the guide’s design and layout and drew the very fine map. She was the designer of a book for local senior painter, Roy Good. Looking back, and amongst other things, there were publications for local artists (but with national and international reputations)
https://www.instagram.com/thisisalexscott/Instagram: Artist of the Month: Opening in late September, and harking back to her childhood memories of growing up on the fringes of the Waitākere Ranges, Cellular memory gathers works by artist Elizabeth Thomson. The exhibition takes inspiration from Showing the Way
Janet Lilo and Yuki Kihara. Plus all the Portage Ceramic Awards catalogues since 2015. And much further back, she designed John Edgar’s seminal Ballast Illustratorhttps://www.heliadesignnz.com/portfoliopublication.AlexScottfromAvondalehasrecentlycompleted her first graphic novel, Episodes, with support from CNZ. Many people will recognise her work from regular contributions to the NZ Listener. A lot of her own drawings are street scenes from around her neighbourhood. You can view some of her work on her
The Great West Auckland Art Guide , available now.
Your local MP
12 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. Art & About with Naomi McCleary MP for New Lynn Dr RussellDeborah Authorised by Deborah Russell MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington New Lynn Electorate Office 09 820 Avondale,1885newlynn.mp@parliament.govt.nz6245GreatNorthRd,Auckland
Mark Roberts Portage Licensing Trust and Waitakere Ranges Local Board
For over three decades, Elizabeth Thomson's art has engaged with issues to do with science, imagination, culture and, increasingly, what it means to live in Aotearoa/New Zealand in the 21st century. Her works attest to a life-long commitment to grappling with natural and human histories, fuelled by poetic imagination as well as assiduous research, field-work and long hours in the studio. The resulting works ask fundamental questions: How does humanity fit within the broader realm of nature? And to what extent are we a part of, or distinct from, our environment? In looking back over many decades, my abiding memory is of work, often on a grand scale, impeccably crafted, arrestingly beautiful and loaded with meaning. I had not realised how close her connection was, and is, to Tītīrangi.
Elizabeth Thomson (born 1955, Auckland) graduated with an MFA from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, in 1989. Since then her work has been exhibited widely throughout New Zealand and abroad.
I have lived in Titirangi for 39 years, raising a family and building a career as Chartered Accountant, CEO and Company Director, and for a few years Commercial Pilot. My passion for this Heritage Area has seen me get active with many local environmental and community groups. Currently, Pest Free Waitakere Ranges Alliance, South Titirangi Neighbourhood Network, Little Muddy Creek Rehabilitation Project, Kauri Rescue, Titirangi Residents and Ratepayers Association, Elected Member of Portage Licensing Trust and Director of West Auckland Trusts Services Limited.
OCTOBER FEST-ival of Films
If elected I will use my commercial experience and community connections to ensure accountability and good governance while supporting community development and environmental initiatives, helping create a better experience for all living, working, and spending leisure time in the Local Board area, with vibrant communities, swimmable beaches, safe tracks, and improved transport options. In this time of the supercity, I will be a strong advocate for the West and local decisions for local issues.
Huge thanks to Fergus O'Grady, director of Limelight, a local and a generous supporter of Flicks. The programme will include animation, drama, comedy and documentaries with an international flavour thanks to film makers in Mexico, France, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Canada. The festival ends on Sunday night with Roma, a modern classic that just has to be seen on the big screen. Described as 'life-affirming without irony or pretence' it reminds us of the potential for love, frailty, and the unbreakable bonds between people, just right for a festival finale. Tickets are just $10 from Tītīrangi Pharmacy, eventfinda and on door (if not sold out). Programmes can be picked up from Lopdell House with full details and trailers at www.lodellprecinct.org.nz and flickscinema.weebly.com.
Authorised by Greg Presland, 512 South Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland Ph: 021 998 411
the natural environment surrounding Te Uru – remembered by Thomson as breathtakingly beautiful and, at the same time, more than a little unsettling. Drawing on details of plant-life as well as broader vistas, Thomson’s works, across a variety of media, are shaped by the energies, forms and patterns of Tītīrangi and the adjacent harbour and bush.
Art & About with Naomi McCleary Tītīrangi from above , Elizabeth Thomson. The Lopdell Precinct Film Festival is back with a selection of new release and award-winning films. In collaboration with Flicks the event will run on the weekend of October 1 – 2 with a programme that will appeal to film buffs of all tastes and ages. Saturday morning starts with a free screening of films from the Pictorial Parade archives. Power to Piha, connecting Piha to the National Grid (1956), Guitar Boom, Auckland made electric guitars (1963), Dustie, rubbish collection (1971) and more make up this hour-long programme. Drop in, enjoy a selection of short films, pick up a programme, enjoy a complimentary coffee or tea and get your tickets for the weekend's feast of films. Several of the titles are new releases including Love of Fire, (right) a five-star documentary hot from this year's International Film Festival. Another great pick is Irish comedy/drama Redemption of a Rogue, which is screening five months before it goes to general release in New Zealand cinemas.
www.futurewest.org www.facebook.com/FuturewestNZ
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 13
Our place
14 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
JOHN GOUDGE talks to local business owners – this time in Glen Eden.
“Traffic lights are okay, but not the speed bumps”
Sapna Kemkar, owner, Organics Out West
Orlando Lobo, director, Glen Eden Dry Cleaners What’s the best thing about doing business in Glen Eden? It’s the vibe here, and also the customers. They are very patient, and very, very loyal. It’s like a second home to me. I live in Hillsborough but doing business in Glen Eden could not be any better for me. I fell in love with this locality the first time I saw it. I’ve been here for about a year now, but a family friend owned it for 16 years. For me it’s a circle coming full around, because my father owned a dry-cleaning business in India – where he met my mum and got married. When I told my mum I was taking over a dry-cleaning business she almost fell off her seat. She said, “I met your dad in a drycleaning business that he owned.” The coincidence is that the deal happened on my dad’s birthday. What is the most important improvement you’d like to see? Ever since I’ve come here there have been a lot of improvements anyway – I mean the roads have been done up, the pavements have been done up, and you’ve had the whole long speed bump with the red colour. I personally have mixed feelings about it, because every time the traffic light is on green, the traffic doesn’t realise there is a speed bump here, and when they are going full speed, all my windows start rattling. If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be, and why? It will always be my dad (Norbert) who I lost in 2009, because I miss him so dearly. I just wish he was alive so I could have one more dinner with him. He was a state athlete. He was number one from 1950 to 1960 in the track and field, 100, 200 metres and long jump. He was number one in India. Being the youngest in the family I was quite dear to him, and he was very, very close to me.
What’s the best thing about doing business in Glen Eden? Because I’m local, I’ve been here for about 18 years now in West Auckland and that’s why I want to serve my community –give it back to them. That’s why I love working in Glen Eden. What is the most important improvement you’d like to see? Changes are happening, but not at the pace that they should be. You see New Lynn has really grown quite a bit, and I’d like to see the same thing in Glen Eden as well. It needs to be beautified a bit more. It would be really nice if that happens as soon as possible. Frankly, I don’t like the speed bumps at all. Traffic lights are okay, but not the speed bumps. If you have traffic lights you don’t need the speed bumps. I don’t know why they’ve put all of them in at the same time. If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be, and why? My mother, Laxmi. Yeah, I would like to go out with her in this country. Mei Zhou, owner, Fiesta Kitchen What’s the best thing about doing business in Glen Eden? I think Glen Eden is a lovely small community. Most people here are local, and I feel most of my customers pretty much know each other. It makes me so happy, it’s like living in a big family. I like it. I’ve been here almost three years – just before Covid. What is the most important improvement you’d like to see? The traffic is very bad eh? Once they put all the ‘bumpers’ around and the traffic lights, the traffic is very bad. It’s worse! Especially when they have another traffic light just by the train. What’s the point? And the car parks too. People say it’s very hard to get a car park here – I know there are plenty of car parks at the back. If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be, and why? My old friends. I’ve been working in hospitality for 15 years, so I have a lot of friends. We want to get together, but most of them are working at night-time, so we can’t really go out for dinner.
Importantly, our use of herbicide does not adversely affect populations of native species; it is a vital tool in protecting them.
The Lions will be collecting donations for the Child Cancer Foundation and will match them dollar for dollar up to $500.
There will also be a fundraising sausage sizzle.
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 15 lopdellprecinct.org.nzFestivalFilm20221–2OctoberTickets$10Availablefromeventfinda.co.nz,TitirangiPharmacyandonthedoor–Enquiries8172583
The Lions encourage kids (and any brave adults) to get into the spirit of things and come along with a wig, a funky haircut or a funny hat. This month New Lynn Lions donated another $1,000 to the Lions Clubs Foundation for Ukraine relief, having already donated $1,000 a few months ago for the same cause. Local Lions in Poland are doing amazing work to help those who have left their homes and, in many cases, family members to get to safety with only what they can carry.
Dear Editor, In reply to Annette Fitzpatrick (August Fringe). Restoration Ruatuna had nothing to do with the Council roadside spraying. However, invasive weeds are killing our forests in Laingholm and Restoration Ruatuna is working very hard, with high levels of community support, to restore these degraded environments. Species such as jasmine smother and kill large trees along with all other native vegetation. If we do nothing, we condemn our forests to eventually die. We hand weed but we also use herbicide to protect the forest because some weed species, such as jasmine, grow faster than it can be dug out and its deep roots form underground mats that cannot be removed without killing native seedlings and substantially damaging the soil ecosystem.
New Lynn Lions supporting Wig Wednesday Wig Wednesday is set down for Wednesday September 7 but New Lynn Lions will be running its fundraiser for Child Cancer Foundation on Saturday September 17, the day of its September book sale _ 8am-4pm, New Lynn Friendship Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn (down the driveway by the traffic lights and Cover Decoration Hire).
We welcome all new volunteers and there's always plenty of work for those who want to pull weeds by hand. Volunteers can commit to hand weeding a particular track, creek bank or roadside and work at their own pace.
Nau mai, haere mai, Len Gillman, Professor of Conservation Biogeography and Evolutionary Ecology Letter
Places to go – Things to do
16 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
September
w 9, West Auckland Men’s Rebus Club, guest speaker and morning tea; Friendship Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 10am-12noon. Phone Laurie 820 2234. w 9, Ladies’ Probus Club, fellowship, fun, speakers, and a monthly day trip; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 9.45am-Noon. Phone Betty 09 832 0484. w 10, Fashion Rebellion Aotearoa HQ Official opening celebration with DJs, drinks and nibbles. Celebrating saving fabric from landfill; The Upcycle Collective Aotearoa, 1/22 Islington ave, New Lynn; 1-4pm. w 10, Tītīrangi Poets with a guest poet and readings by members; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 2-4pm. Phone Ron Riddell 021 181 6698. w 10, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club AGM with guests Terry Free and Janet Thomson; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road (Livestreamed if meeting not possible); 8pm; $12, members $8, under 18 free. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289. Vaccination Pass and mask required. w 13, West Auckland Historical Society Family History Group meeting; Henderson Central Library West Auckland Research Centre; 10-11.30am. Phone Gary Snow 832 5098, 021 618 434 or email gary@snofam.co.nz. w 15, Combined Waitākere Rebus Club; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatu South; 10am-Noon. Contact Philis on 838 5361. w 17, New Lynn Lions Book Sale: books, CDs, DVDs, LPs and jigsaw puzzles for $1; New Lynn Friendship Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn (down the driveway by the traffic lights); 8am-4pm. w 17 – October 16, The journey continues, mixed media paintings by Irina Velman; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha; Thu/Fri 10am-2pm, Sat/ Sun 10am-4pm. Phone 812 8029. www.westcoastgallery.co.nz. w 18, Antiques, Vintage and Retro Fair, proceeds towards the upkeep of Armanesco House; Blockhouse Bay Community Centre, 524 Blockhouse Bay Road; 9.30am-2.00pm; Admission $2.00. Stall bookings and info: phone 445 1227. w 20, Henderson Falls Combined Friendship Club – fun, friendship and fellowship with monthly speakers and frequent outings; Henderson Bowling Clubrooms, 2/20 Alderman Drive, Henderson; 10am-noon. Contact Joy 837 4646 or 021 267 3544. w 21, SeniorNet West Auckland, speaker, morning tea and chatting about Event organisers: Do you have an upcoming event you’d like listed in The Fringe? Send the details, including a contact person and number, to info@fringemedia.co.nz.
w 8, Learn to play bridge, the first in a series of 12 lessons; Waitematā Bridge Club, 56 Covil Ave, Te Atatū South; 7-9pm. Email waitematabc@xtra. co.nz or phone Ken 021 615 626 for more information.
Out and About in the West
Readers: While we take care to ensure listings are correct, errors may occur. Check with the contact person wherever possible. Covid precautions: All events and gatherings in these listings will require full compliance with relevant Covid regulations.
w – 4, Otherwise-image-worlds brings together five newly commissioned artworks from artists working in animation. Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Juliet Carpenter, Tanu Gago, Ary Jansen and Sorawit Songsataya expand and reconfigure the conventions of image-making; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087. w – 11, Motutapu, the conclusion of a four-year journey by artist Benjamin Work and photographer Brendan Kitto, this exhibition looks at the shared history of motutapu (sacred islands) throughout Moana Oceania as places of sanctuary, reconnection and reconciliation; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087. w – 11, In Return, a wānanga exchange by artists Cora-Allan and Marita Hewitt; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. Phone 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz. w – 11, Bodies of Woven Code, a dialogue between a diverse group of multidisciplinary artists curated by Trixi Rosa and Ed Waaka; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. Phone 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz. w – 11, Jasmin Canuel Coasting – paintings; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha; Thu/Fri 10am-2pm, Sat/Sun 10am-4pm. Phone 812 8029. www. westcoastgallery.co.nz. w – 18, Matariki Ring of Fire – Emily Karaka follows her 2021 McCahon House residency with an exhibition centring on the festival of Matariki, the Matariki star cluster, and the fourteen Tūpuna Maunga of the Tāmaki Makaurau region; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087. w 4, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732. w 5, Tītīrangi R&R Association 2022 AGM; via Zoom; 7pm. Register your interest at https://tinyurl.com/w36ynexd and a link for the Zoom meeting, agenda and papers will be sent to you.
Chapman from Kidscan, and refreshments to follow; Te Atatu South Community Centre, 247 Edmonton Rd, Te Atatu South; 1.00pm. Phone 09 838 5207.
w
w 23, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk, an informal gathering of musicians and singers; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 8pm; $5. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289. Vaccination Pass and mask required.
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w 28, Waitākere Greypower General Meeting with guest speaker, Julie
There is so much happening in and around our community, including many weekly events, that we can’t fit everything into these listings. If you can’t see the event you’re interested in, visit: www.fringemedia.co.nz/ourplace October Places to go – Things to do + Authorised by Derek Battersby, 56 Exler Place, Avondale. Ph 021599672
w 24, New Lynn Repair Cafe organised and run by DEANZ (Doughnut Economics Advocates NZ) with funding from Whau Local Board, New Lynn Community Centre, Totara Avenue, New Lynn; 11am - 2pm; Koha. Enquiries to shi@doughnuteconomicsnz.com.
ClowRossforPortage INDEPENDENT EXPERIENCED
w 23, Glen Eden Combined Probus Club: company and fellowship, interesting speakers, morning tea and monthly outings; Ceramco Park Function Centre, 120 Glendale Road, Kaurilands; 9.45am. Phone Brian Holt 838 5857.
w 25, Tītīrangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Titirangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact Tess on tvm.manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436. w 27, Tītīrangi U3A – informal learning for people 60-years plus, guest speakers, study groups; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact 818 8809, 027 699 5480 or heathertanguay@slingshot.co.nz. www.u3a.nz.
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October 8, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Martin Curtis, songsmith from the South Island. Floorsingers in first half; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road (Livestreamed if meeting not possible); 8pm; $12, members $8, under 18 free. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289. Vaccination Pass and mask required.
Please support our advertisers they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 17 computers; RSA Henderson, Poppy Restaurant, 66-70 Railside Avenue, Henderson; 10am. Phone June 021 179 3635.
w October 8, Tītīrangi Poets with a guest poet and readings by members; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall, 500 South Tītīrangi Road; 2-4pm. Phone Ron Riddell 021 181 6698.
October 2, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.
Places to go – Things to do JANET CLEWS
• Workshop. Join The Re-Creators and make your own bokashi bin and zing. $5 fee and registration required. See the library’s Facebook page for more details.
• Local ‘eco-heroes’ involved in pest-free networks, Ark in the Park, Kauri Rescue and the Arataki Visitor Centre will also be involved.
Got
INDEPENDENT
• Shopping for recycled clothing and ‘upcycled’ earrings.
18 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. We’re back! Or have I already said that, and been proved wrong? Our first production for 2022 at Tītīrangi Theatre was to have been in June, The Homecoming, by renowned playwright Harold Pinter. It was a professional production in the city, when Covid struck. The cast asked if we could provide a venue, and we were delighted to be able toUnfortunately,help. the bug struck again, a week out from opening night, and that was that. We are now keeping our fingers crossed for a season of short pieces and one-act plays, to run from September 10-17. The billboards for Short Shorts are up and bookings are open, at www. titirangitheatre.co.nzAndfingers,legs and eyes crossed that the pantomime Jack and the Giant Kauri Tree will go ahead in late November. But in these uncertain times, who can tell? This is my last newsletter as President of Tītīrangi Theatre. After six years (I think) it is time for me to step down and pass the baton to someone else. To everyone who supports local amateur theatre, especially ours, thank you for helping us keep on keeping on. We need you, and you need us. Without you there is no theatre. And, as always, keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for news and updates and, best of all, opportunities! Keep well and keep safe.
There will also be activities for the kids with a library scavenger hunt and colouring activities, and the Steiner School will be there for the afternoon with a zero-waste bake sale so bring someThere’llcash.be something for everyone!
On Saturday September 17, from 12.30-4pm Tītīrangi Library is hosting a special event for the whole community with guest speakers, workshops, activities and displays all based on living in a lighter way.
• Presentations covering various aspects of life with local sustainability heroes: The Electric Bike Team, Refill Nation, the Vegan Society, White Cloud Skincare, the Green Bay Toy Library and West Auckland Woodturners
– Phoebe Falconer
• EcoMatters will present simple ideas for healthier homes
to Say? Let
• Tiny houses. New Zealand author Catherine Foster discusses how the harnessing of architectural design principles for smaller, smarter dwellings can contribute to a sustainable future.
• Don't trash it. Bring your broken items to the Repair Café to be fixed for free rather than throwing them into landfill.
More details are on the library’s ‘Titirangi Community Library’ Facebook page. Something the The Fringe know... info@fringemedia.co.nz
PORTAGE LICENSING TRUST GLEN EDEN
Among the highlights:
Authorised by J. Clews, 09 818 7262. 4 Live Lightly: Tītīrangi Library’s Sustainability Afternoon
Email The Fringe on info@fringemedia.co.nz Now
Spring Flowers Paper Craft, Friday September 16, 3.305.00pm Westside Sounds – Saturday September 17, 11am and 12pm. Enjoy a special instrumental performance by Westside Sounds consisting of string and woodwind players, this is the perfect way to complement your Saturday at the library. There will be two recitals of approximately 20-30 minutes each. Rhyme time – Thursday September 22, 11-11.30am Rock Painting Session – Friday September 30, 3.305.00pm. A cool rock painting session after school and let your creative juices flow. Age 5+ Job Café – Every Tuesday during school term, 12.302.30pm. Whau Ace Adult and Community Education offer free support and advice in the library. The drop-in session includes preparing a CV, career guidance, job search, online job applications and cover letters. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided.
Have you got something on your mind?
Wriggle and Rhyme – Wednesday September 7 and 21, 11-11.30am Special Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Themed Rhyme time – Thursday September 8, 11-11.30am Hand Made Paper 2 with Ekarasa, Saturday 10 September, 1.30-3.00pm. Unleash your imagination on your handmade paper with visual poetry using images, letters and words from magazines and books to create your unique visual poem. Adults and children aged 5 years and above are welcome. Registration required at https://bit.ly/3QU3vWq or in the library.
Lego Club – Every Tuesday, 3.30-5.00pm Places to go – Things to do
Available
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Events at Glen Eden Library Board Game After School Session – Friday September 2, 3.30-5.00pm. Come and enjoy your after-school time playing board games with your parents or friends. Age 5+ Hand Made Paper 1 with Ekarasa – Saturday September 3, 1.30-3.00pm. Join Ekarasa to learn how to make unique handmade paper using recycled newspaper and other natural materials. Adults and children aged 5 years and above are welcome. Registration required through at https://bit. ly/3QU3vWq or in the library. Book Chat – Wednesday September 7, 10.30-11.30am. Glen Eden Library’s Book Chat group welcomes everyone to share what they have been reading.
Two of the club house’s decks face the surf for after-hours surveillance as members were finding that with long hot summer evenings many swimmers and surfers were coming out to the coast after patrols closed. The spacious basement is used for storage of IRBs, surf boards and rescue equipment. It has a fully equipped first aid room which opens onto the forecourt pad for ease of access and patient recovery. Auckland Council has partnered with the club in the project and added a new access way from the car park to the club Fundraisinghouse. was a major undertaking but the club has been able to call on West Auckland businesses, the Licensing Trusts and major sponsors to raise the $4.2 million needed. It was built by Cassidy Construction. A beautiful pouwhenua (below) greets visitors. It depicts the history of Karekare and its Māori heritage and acknowledges Tāne-mahuta, god of the forest, and Himiona who climbed down the Watchman Rock surviving the battle that destroyed the pā during the musket wars. Local Ranui carver Mihaka Marikena completed the work over a two-year period. The building is an architectural statement of stunning design honouring the beach, its history and its people. – Sir Bob Harvey, patron and life member of the Karekare Surf Life Saving Club, and active life guard of 66 years. (Photos by Ted Scott.)
20 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. Our place 213 – 215 Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604 Phone: 09 817 8495 or 09 817 www.kenturnermotors.co.nz6188
After 20 years of planning and 10 years of fundraising the Karekare Surf Life Saving Club will open its brand new, stateof-the-art Trusts club house on September 24.
The club house spans three floors with accommodation on the second for members and visitors with many of the seven bunk rooms named after famous Karekare life guards. There is a large Dean Buchanan painting and an historic mural tells the rich history of the area and the club. It has superb facilities with a full kitchen, meeting room, lounge and wood burner, and is available for hire for local and community meetings.
The clubhouse nestles comfortably in the shadow of the Watchman Rocks. The main common room flows easily into the kitchen dining area.
New surf life saving club house for Karekare
Thehouse.landwas originally given to the club in 1947 by the Farley family (who ran the Winchelsea Guest House) to acknowledge the club that had started patrolling in 1935 with members of the Manukau Cycling Club who used to bike out to Karekare and stay in the Guest House. All the club members signed up as a unit and their service is commemorated with a plaque on Watchman Rock which towers over the surf club and the beach. The club house was designed by local architect Richard Priest who donated his services on a brief from members and the locals who asked that the new club fit into the landscape. The building tucks into the rich vegetation on the Watchman and blends seamlessly into the rugged west coast landscape.
The Mayor of Auckland, Phil Goff, will cut the ribbon on his last weekend as Mayor and Te Kawerau ā Maki will bless the building and bestow upon it a Māori name to acknowledge their significant relationship to Karekare and the club
Tītīrangi Painters: “We’re back”
“The surging wave formations that catch the highlights of the setting sun capture both the ruggedness and beauty of our West Auckland beaches in a single dramatic scene.”
This year’s show was the first winter exhibition since 2019.
Judge Mark Walters said that: “From a distance this work is immediately eye-catching with its disc-shaped frame and vivid colour palate, enhanced by the thick lacquer finish. Up close, it reveals a variety of brush techniques that give the piece depth and movement.
The runner-up prize, sponsored by the Tītīrangi Post Shop, went to Victoria McNaughton for Time to Reflect (below right), a portrait of a young girl standing in the rain with her image reflected by the water on the ground. McNaughton uses an unusual technique, painting the image in reverse on a pane of glass.
Thomas & Co: West Auckland’s Law Firm
Out & about
LAWTITIRANGICENTRE INCORPORATING TITIRANGI
CENTRE DAVID
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“The people of Tītīrangi really supported the show,” Mike said. “In fact, Saturday was one of the best show days in the exhibition’s 30-year history. There was an electric feel to the atmosphere. We’re back and we’re looking forward to 2023.”
Two painters won awards in the exhibition’s other contest, The Public’s Choice, in which visitors select their favourite by secret ballot. Sharon Mann took the prize for the show’s most popular painting, New Zealand Jewel, a portrait of a tūī (top right). The award was sponsored by the French Art Shop.
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A mixed media painting entitled West Coast (left) painted by artist Irina Velman won the major prize at the Tītīrangi Painters’ winter exhibition held in the Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall last month.
Founded in 1966, Thomas & Co Lawyers is West Auckland’s leading law firm, proudly serving our community for over 50 years. Our experienced team of lawyers and legal executives deal with all areas of property and business, including buying and selling, trusts, financing, estates, and conveyancing. We’re also specialists in litigation and can provide advice or representation for any employment, civil, or family law matter.
Irina won the Reflections of the West section, sponsored by Frames by Daniel.
ASSOCIATES
“We were determined that this year’s show would go ahead,” says club President Mike Stock. “In the weeks leading up to the exhibition there were plenty of crossed fingers. And there was a collective sigh of relief when we opened the doors to the public on Saturday morning.
Over the last few years we’ve merged with two other trusted law firms in West Auckland (Ray Ganda and Tītīrangi Law Centre and David J Brown & Associates) to grow our team and expand the range of services we offer. Our offices are in the main New Lynn township. Give us a call or pop in to have a chat. We’re always happy to assist. Floor Two, 3 Totara Avenue, New Lynn (09) 827 5907 LAW J BROWN &
The Fringe offers all election candidates free editorial space to complement their campaign advertising. Get in touch to find out more.
Exhibition Drive is another reminder of how special our area is. Future West is determined to ensure that it continues to be a stunning walkway that we all can enjoy.
The introduction of the Liquorland franchise was a positive step. Likewise paying staff the Living Wage was a positive step. The very real benefits of ongoing financial support for many schools, sports clubs and arts/culture organisations is well appreciated. But The Trusts must be more transparent and open to public scrutiny if they want to retain their privileged position. Unlike the rest of Auckland, our community can manage the proliferation of unsuitable liquor/gaming outlets in our suburbs, whilst also gaining direct community benefit from the business profits of these problematic industries. These are good things to preserve, but maybe it is time for another referendum to let the public decide what is best for the West.
22 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
While I am supportive of our public community ownership of alcohol retailing and taverns, The Trusts must lift their game. The bottom line is we need better, more modern bars and hospitality venues. We only need to think about the Hallertau Craft Beer Garden or Little Creatures at Hobsonville Point and ask why don’t we have venues like these in New Lynn and Avondale. Why don’t we have any cosy intimate bistro wine bars in West Auckland?
Ross Clow – Independent for Portage Trust I’ve lived in Tītīrangi for 55 years, co-raising the Pearl clan, loving our beautiful bush environment and warm community vibe. I am an experienced Independent candidate and able community advocate with a proven track record of achievement in Waitākere community affairs. Community service includes serving on a school board, sports club committees, as well as numerous arts organisations. Previously I have been a city councillor for 12 years and Finance Committee Chair at both Waitākere and Auckland Councils. I have also been a long-serving Portage Chair. I am a socially-responsible businessman who expects profitable financial management of The Trusts businesses.
22 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
Future West Exhibition Drive is a stunning walking and cycling track and if you have not walked or cycled it we recommend that you do. Originally it was a tramway for laying pipeline that brought water from Nihotupu Dam to the city. It was then widened to become a road. After the construction of Scenic Drive, it remained a road to provide access to water assets and to the few houses situated on the Moredrive.recently it has become a pleasant exercise area. The terrain is relatively flat and the views of Tītīrangi and the Manukau are stunning. It terminates at the start of the Beveridge Track which then takes you to Arataki through recovering forest. The land is currently owned by Watercare. As part of a reorganisation process there is a proposal that it is vested in Council ownership and added to the Regional Park. Future West supports this. Currently there is no protection stopping the land from being sold. If it is added to the Regional Parkland then the level of protection is improved. The future of the Nihotupu Filter Station, which has heritage status, needs to be decided on. Potential plans for its future include refurbishment as a cafe, bike hire centre, a water supply museum or an education centre. With budget and determination it could be made usable again and add to the vibrancy of the area. The future of the area is of course heavily linked to the success or otherwise of Watercare’s application for consent to construct the Waima Treatment Plant. This proposal is currently at mediation. The original decision of Commissioners was, by their admission, finely balanced with the threat of washing kauri dieback through a valley with significant groves of kauri almost causing the application to fail. Future West opposed this application for this reason.
Local Government Elections - special feature
SEPTEMBER
The Glen Eden town centre is well overdue an upgrade. I am committed to keep pushing it on the Council’s agenda. A vote for me is a vote for a solid independent voice, with a determined and sensible approach to solving complex local issues that affect us all. To find out more and tell me what you think please go to the Westwards FB page or email michelleclayton48@yahoo.co.nz
The Fringe offers all election candidates free editorial space to complement their campaign advertising. Get in touch to find out more.
As our area intensifies, I am committed to fixing and futureproofing our infrastructure to meet our growing population. This means pushing AT to fix the pavements and potholes in our roads and advocating for sensible public transport options that get you to where you and your family need to go.
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Climate change is a problem for everyone and we need a plan that we can all get behind. But we can’t be anticar when we have little public transport and live in the Waitākere Ranges with a beautiful natural environment but little employment or amenities for our families.
The outdoors is important for our health and wellbeing, and we need to upgrade our small local parks to create facilities that our young people want to use and push for the rapid development of the tracks so that people can return to the bush they love without compromising the environment.
Local Government Elections - special feature
Michelle Clayton, WestWards I am re-standing as an Independent with the Westwards team. I offer practical solutions and am tenacious as I navigate Auckland Council and CCOs for escalations and answers. I am also known as a strong advocate and voice of the Community.
Having lived in the West for 18 years I am extremely passionate about this community. I work for a charity in Henderson but live in Glen Eden with my family. I am a committed volunteer, sitting on a variety of local volunteer groups, including Glen Eden Community House, Te Wahi Ora retreat, and Waitākere Cogs.Asa volunteer I know how important it is to support our local clubs and groups whether it’s tackling the weeds in the Ranges, providing after school programmes at community houses or being a community patroller. Volunteers provide the backbone of our area.
The Trusts are owned by you, the community, and profits return to the community. Since April 2019, $6 million dollars has supported over 200 West Auckland schools, community groups, sports clubs, and charities. No profits go to Australian-owned supermarkets.
Council’s costings are breath-taking. Take Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall: Council estimates it will cost $1.7M to re-clad this building. I know a similar size private building for which the cladding cost is less than 10% of this figure. Then there’s the Captain Scott Road Pop-up Cycleway. This project cost over $200k but the physical construction component was less than $50k. So how do we reduce these top-heavy costs? We start by stopping Council’s practice of having its decisions reviewed by external consultants and peer reviewers.Council staff are hand-picked through a rigorous recruitment process, which selects them for their specialist skills, training, and knowledge. In most cases they are paid very well for these attributes. So why do their jobs need doing all over again by external consultants who, in many cases, once worked for Council doing the same type of work. Here’s 50% savings. Next, Council has set in place two layers of management through the way they have contracted out the delivery of maintenance for public spaces. Auckland Council’s ‘Preferred Suppliers’ policy gives ‘Super Contractors’ (who are mostly multi-national companies specialising in providing council services) a monopoly and management overview of their work delivery, to the point of self-checking quality. But then Council has retained its original management structure to check the Moreover,checkers.toensure local people do not lose employment in the face of these monopolies, Council agreements with Preferred Suppliers stipulate they must employ local people and contractors. Which is what council did in the first place.
24 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
A recent survey showed 48 liquor retail outlets across West Auckland. There is room and a plan for more, including new franchises, but we do not need the 296 that the North Shore has, the 498 in Central Auckland, or the 260 in South Auckland. Nor do we need 24-hour liquor sales.
The balance between rates versus service-levels is not a two-sided calculation, cost structure is the third and critical component. Voting against rate rises is not irresponsible, it's imperative, to force council to change its cost causing structures.
Council must supply its services at a cost every ratepayer can afford to pay. Until this happens any attempt to grow our way out of deficit by adding more ratepayers, will only worsen Council’s budget imbalances.
24 SEPTEMBER
Ken Turner, WestWards
LOCAL PEOPLE MUST BE EMPLOYED, but the circular way in which these contracts have evolved proves that the real change is an additional layer of management and associated costs. This needs to stop, again there is substantial savings available here. These are two of many ways I see real savings being made.
The present elected members of Trust Boards come from the progressive coalitions of Future West and City Vision, the Labour Party, Independents and one WALTAG representative. On most matters we are united. We share common aims of running an efficient operation, responsibly, transparently, and giving back generously.
Local Government Elections - special feature
The Fringe offers all election candidates free editorial space to complement their campaign advertising. Get in touch to find out more. – It’s who we Mark Roberts, Future West
Last month WALTAG candidate and my friend Ben Goodale outlined significant positive changes at The Trusts in the last three years. These changes have been driven by progressive and Labour members of the Trusts over several terms, particularly those regarding transparency and the Living Wage, and I acknowledge Ben’s enthusiastic support of those changes.Where we and WALTAG part ways is their wish to see an end to the Trusts model, the most likely consequence being open slather on new liquor licenses in West Auckland. This is at odds with public opinion at a time when there is greater recognition of the harm caused by alcohol abuse and growing calls for tighter restrictions on alcohol sales across the country.
All 348 employees are paid at least the Living Wage with training and career pathways available. How many other hospitality or liquor retail outlets can say that? We are working hard to create the hospitality venues the community wants, but others can and do operate bar areas. Toby’s has a very good selection of craft beer as does Churly’s, and you can enjoy a wine at Deco’s bar. Sensibly and responsibly, food is close at hand, as it is at Trusts’ venues likeWALTAGIti. has been unable to raise sufficient signatures to force a referendum and the last referendum held in 2003 voted to retain the Trusts model because the community recognises the model is good for the community. Vote for candidates who will make the model work better, not seek to destroy it.
Zoe lived an ordinary life, working parttime as a cleaner in a lab at Pope Pharmaceuticals and attended regular sessions with a therapist to help keep her on the straight and narrow. The sudden and mysterious appearance of an ancient-looking pottery jar in her apartment, throws her. No one saw it delivered and she doesn’t know where it came from or what it means – but it frightens her. I could examine the jar, lift it from the floor and move it away from here. But some things, once touched, can never be untouched. I am a product of every B movie I’ve ever seen, every superstition I’ve ever heard, every tale old wives have told. – White Horse ‘Now’ Zoe is fighting for survival in a world destroyed by man’s attempt to forcibly control weather conditions, while
the human population is being decimated by a mysterious disease, ‘White Horse’. The disease kills many; some humans mutate and survive, while a small number of others appear to have a natural immunity. As Zoe loses those closest to her she must draw on a strength she never knew she had, to follow her heart to Greece, and her only source of hope. Although it has an abrupt cadence which can take a bit of getting used to, I found Adams’ writing style engaging, and the parallel story lines between past and present keep the story galloping along. The ending is a little trite in my view, but as the first of a trilogy, I am looking forward to seeing where Adams goes with this.
Rebecca’s Review
Fans of horror/apocalyptic fiction should definitely give this one a try. Look for it in the YA section, although this is definitely an adult novel. Alex Adams was born in Auckland. She lived in Greece and Australia, receiving a BA from the University of New England in Armidale, before settling in Portland, Oregon which she describes as, “a whole lot like New Zealand, minus those freaky-looking wētā.”
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 25
White Horse by Alex Adams
RAVI NYAYAPATI ANNE DEGIA-PALA SANDY TAYLOR HOWIE YIN YOUR LOCAL AND EXPERIENCED TEAM VOTE C&R WHAU LOCAL BOARD Our priorities: Crime prevention & making our neighbourhoods a safer place to live Better value for your rates & spending that addresses priority needs Environmental investment to get cleaner beaches faster & supporting local initiatives Authorised by Kit Parkinson, info@c-r.org.nz
Kiwi author Alex Adams’ debut novel is an apocalyptic novel that has been touted alongside other notable examples of this genre such as The Road (McCarthy) and The Passage (Cronin) writes REBECCA MANNERS. This first person narrative flicks between the ‘then’ and ‘now’ of the main character, 30-yearold‘Then’Zoe.
Leigh Hunt Track in Tinopai Reserve and Mahoe Walk are closed indefinitely.
Local tracks reopening
26 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
Volunteers, businesses and schools working to help preserve the unique environment of the Waitākere Ranges were recognised at the 2022 Love Your Place Awards early last month.
Use the online form at https://treecouncil.org.nz/ to let The Tree Council know the address and species of big, rare and special trees on private land. (Trees on public land are already protected.) The Tree Council will then do the work of completing the nomination forms for all those trees likely to qualify and pass them onto Auckland Council for processing and addition to the Notable Tree Schedule 10. (If you are an arborist, landscape architect or ecologist able and willing to assist The Tree Council with its assessments, please make contact with them.)
The awards are held every second year with funding from the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and are organised by EcoMatters Environment Trust.
Work on Arama and Arapito Reserves was to commence last July and is awaiting contractor availability. Three tracks that are currently closed but due to be reopened this spring are the Rahui Kahika Reserve, Tītīrangi War Memorial and Okewa Reserve. These are currently being tendered.TheEric
The Karaka Award, for a school or school group, was won by Woodlands Park School, a Green-Gold Enviroschool involved in litterless lunches, worm farming and composting, bee-keeping, food growing, sustainable fundraising, native bush regeneration and tree planting.
Trees are increasingly the victims of urban development infrastructure and it is estimated that around one-third of Auckland’s tree canopy has been destroyed since general tree protection legislation was removed in 2008, writes FIONA DRUMMOND.
In one well-publicised incident (Canal Road, Avondale), an irreplaceable stand of more than 40 rare, mature, native trees was felled for a housing development, despite the community taking significant action over a period of eight months to protect the rākau (trees).
Environmental heroes celebrated Our place
Work is underway on the Kaurimu Walkway.
Work is progressing on community tracks in the Tītīrangi area with many being upgraded to provide better protection for kauri and improved all-weather access. Tracks that have been upgraded and reopened to date include: Seibel Scenic Reserve, the Bill Haresnape Walk, Opou Reserve, Paturoa Way and Wood Bay Reserve.
The Nīkau Award, for a business or social enterprise, went to Sustinnoworx, a social enterprise which diverts textile waste from landfill.
The Tree Council welcomes donations to support its work. Visit https://treecouncil.org.nz/.
John was also the founding Chairperson of Waitākere Branch Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society and was instrumental in the purchase of Matuku Reserve (off Jonkers Road) and the wetland restoration project known as Matuku Link.
The Kahikatea Award, for an outstanding individual volunteer, went to John Staniland, a former Kelston Boys classics teacher (Latin and Greek) of 40 years, who inspired his students not just on his topic but also on ecology, biology, botany, conservation and everything involved with New Zealand flora and fauna. In 2006 he was awarded a Fellowship, which he used to research hihi (stitchbirds) in the Ark in the Park project, of which he was a joint-founder.
The Denise Yates Award, for youth (under 16), was won by Jay Leighton, a keen conservationist who designed his own pest traps to protect New Zealand's native species.
The Tree Council challenged the decision of the Planning Committee (in November 2020) not to allocate any resources to the addition of trees to the Notable Trees Schedule and lodged judicial proceedings in November 2021. In July this year The Tree Council announced that they had reached an out-of-court agreement with Auckland Council and is confident that Council will now take a more proactive approach.
Protecting significant trees
The Rātā Award, for an outstanding volunteer group or organisation, was won by Pest Free Piha which is targeting invasive weeds and predators across Piha.
The Tree Council’s Chair Sean Freeman says “It is a disgrace that The Tree Council had to resort to court action to force Auckland Council to recognise its legal obligation to actively manage the Schedule of Notable Trees.“The Tree Council requests that the public now let us know where the biggest and best trees on private land in the Auckland area are located so that we can assess their suitability for nomination to the Schedule. It is vitally important that we identify these heritage assets now and get them legally protected because they are highly threatened by the intensification and development that will accelerate over the next few years.”
Part of the problem was the then government’s removal of general tree protection from the Resource Management Act in 2012. This meant the Notable Tree Schedules in council district plans became much more important but Auckland Council did not add a single new tree to its Schedule in the following nine years and actively discouraged the public from nominating trees.
The locations and dates for the community weed bins are as follows: Permanent Weed Bin Locations
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 27 WEED WEEKENDSBIN Got invasive weeds? Get rid of them at your local community weed bins. ♥ Bins onsite from 9am Saturday ♥ EcoMatters staff member onsite for weed advice Saturday 9am-3pm ♥ Permanent weed bins available at Huia Domain and Piha Domain ♥ Check which weeds are accepted at www.ecomatters.org.nz/weedbins FREE forresidentsWaitākere 2022 SCHEDULE Aug 13-14 Swanson Glen Eden Sept 10-11 Waiatarua Laingholm Oct 15-16 Swanson Glen Eden Nov 12-13 Waiatarua Laingholm Dec 10-11 Swanson Glen Eden 2023 SCHEDULE Jan 21-22 Waiatarua Laingholm Feb 11-12 Swanson Glen Eden March Multiple locations for War on Weeds May 13-14 Waiatarua Laingholm BIN LOCATIONS Glen Eden Kōwhai Reserve, 28 Withers Rd Laingholm Laingholm Hall, 69 Victory Rd Swanson (9am-4pm) Central Landscape Supplies, 598 Swanson Rd Waiatarua Waiatarua Hall, 911 West Coast Rd Community weed bins have returned to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area to help residents in their efforts to protect against one of the forest’s major biodiversity threats.
“Community members have been extremely supportive over the last 12 months. We’re very pleased to see the weed bins have been well used to dispose of the right types of invasive weeds,” says Mel.
On weed bin weekends, the bin will be on site by 9am on the Saturday. An EcoMatters team member will also be there to provide weed advice on Saturday, 9am-3pm. Weed bin weekends will take place at Swanson and Glen Eden on August 13-14, October 15-16, December 10-11 and February 11-12. For Waiatarua and Laingholm weed bin weekends will take place on September 10-11, November 12-13, January 21-22 and May 13-14. To find out more visit ecomatters.org.nz/weedbins.
Funded by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and supported by Auckland Council, the community weed bins provide opportunities for people with invasive weeds in their backyard to get rid of them free of charge.
Waiatarua: Waiatarua Hall, 911 West Coast Road Laingholm: Laingholm Hall, 69 Victory Road Glen Eden: Kōwhai Reserve, 28 Withers Road Swanson (9am-4pm): Central Landscape Supplies, 598 Swanson Road Weed Bin Weekends
“We’re excited to see the return of very pleased to be helping our local weeders protect the Waitākere Ranges,” says Mel Ward (right) from EcoMatters Environment Trust, who administers the bins.
The invasive weeds accepted at the weed bins are Chinese privet, climbing asparagus, honeysuckle, jasmine, moth plant, plectranthus, tree privet (small branches only), tradescantia, wild ginger (rhizomes and seed heads only), and woolly nightshade.“Weencourage people to use the bins for wild ginger seed heads and roots only as these are the parts that will regrow. Wild ginger stems and leaves can be composted at home and don’t need to go into the bins. This will help us use the bins in the most efficient way,” says Mel.
weed bins with confirmed dates and locations for this year. We’re
Piha: Piha Domain, Seaview Road Huia: Huia Domain, Huia Road Pop-up Bin Locations
Community weed bins return to Waitākere Ranges Our place
AUT’s New Zealand Trees app enhanced
Fiona Drummond
A key feature of the app is that it works offline, so it doesn’t matter if your bush walk takes you out of mobile coverage.
The funding is “not enough, but it is a start”, says Green conservation spokesperson, Eugenie Sage. The funding for a national strategy is just a fraction of the $107 million Auckland Council is spending from 2018 to 2028, from a natural environment ratepayer levy.
It will be the first National Pest Management Plan which impacts a species considered taonga by Māori. The plan involved extensive consultation, but was delayed for a year by the government’s Covid-focused 2020 budget.
The first week brings scattered morning showers, the second week has most sunshine and the coolest nights, the third week is driest with highest pressures, and the last week is the wettest, cloudiest and warmest. Two significant rain events may occur; around the 13th and 25th. Atmospheric pressures could average 1020mbs. The best weekend for outdoor activities should be the 10th/11th. For fishermen, highest tides are around 11th. Best fishing bite-times in the West are around noon on the 9th-11th and 25th-27th. Bite-chances are also good for dusk on the 3rd-5th, and 17th-19th. For gardeners, planting is best (waxing moon ascending) between the 1st-4th, and 26th-30th; and pruning is best (waning moon descending) between the 10th-17th. For preserving and longer shelf-life, pick crops or flowers around the neap tides of the 6th and 20th. Allow 24 hour error for all forecasting. For future weather for any date, visit www.predictweather.com.
28 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are.
National Pest Management Plan update
The plan aims to control the spread of phytophthora agathidicida, the fungus-like pathogen causing incurable kauri dieback, by compelling people to clean their shoes before and after entering kauri forests, report sick kauri, not release animals in kauri forests and apply management plans for high-risk activities.
AUT’s popular New Zealand Trees app, the brainchild of Laingholm local Len Gillman has been updated, with more than double the number of native plants now included, making it a useful tool for anyone with a smart phone who wants to learn more about the trees around them.
© Ken Ring 2022.
New Zealand Trees has an identification wizard that allows users to tick plant characteristics like leaf shape, leaf arrangement on the stem and fruit colour that match the tree
Ken Ring’s Weather by the Moon September may only deliver half the average monthly rain, with more than average sunshine.
Coinciding with the recent kauri health monitoring survey (see the August Fringe) The National Pest Management Plan, first mooted five years ago, will finally be implemented this month. It will help protect kauri by replacing the problematic voluntary compliance with 12 rules, backed by fines of up to $5000 for an individual or $15,000 for a company.
AUT Professor of biogeography Len Gillman says many native plants look similar at first glance. “New Zealand Trees is designed to help sort your mānuka from a kānuka, or a pōhutukawa from a rātā. It is a wonderful tool to encourage curiosity for our wonderful natural environment in Aotearoa.”Lenhas been cataloguing images and adding additional detail over the past year, with 130 species added in the updated version, bringing the total to 230 species, including all mainland New Zealand nativeTheretrees.is further information about the tree species, including Māori, common and Latin names, and its traditional medicinal use or poisonous properties.
NZ Trees also features an A-Z species list and the option to capture and save your own sightings.“Beingaware of the plants around us helps forge a connection with Aotearoa’s unique natural environment, and will hopefully spark the desire to protect that environment,” says Len. The app was developed in collaboration between the School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and altLAB at Auckland University of Technology. It is available in the Google Play store and Apple App Store.
In May 2021, the government announced $32 million over five years to implement the plan, with Tiakina Kauri, a newly formed kauri protection agency, allocating the funding to on-the-ground workers, including mana whenua.
Naturally West with
to be identified. Any feature that the user is unsure of can be left out of the keying process, so it is not dependent on any one feature such as flower colour when the species is not flowering, or there is only a branch, or just a single leaf to help identify the species.
The Green Party wanted $50m over two years, and Eugenie wants to see the funding increased in Budget 2023. The amount needed will become clearer once the plan is implemented, she said.
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• Connect with people you love, in person rather than remotely. Try to reach a different friend or family member every day.
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Email info@fringemedia.co.nz or phone 817 8024 to find out more.
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Here are some personal suggestions:
But there are many things we can do to make the present feel better and keep us looking forward.
• Round up a group for quiz night at the R.S.A. By caring for ourselves and connecting and contributing in our neighbourhood, we can build a strong and resilient community, part of our heritage in Tītīrangi.
• Ditch your phone for the weekend
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• Adopt an older person through Age Concern www. ageconcern.org.nz, or a grandparent or grandchild through GrandFriends www.grandfriends.nz
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 29 Sustainable solutions with Fiona Drummond •
There isn’t even a ‘new normal’; it’s evolving all the time.
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The last few years have taken their toll on many but there are things we can do to help us feel better, as FIONA DRUMMOND writes.
search/places/new_zealand/https://www.ancestry.com/ •
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The affects of Covid have led to an increase in anxiety and mental health problems. People have become more insular, it seems we are heading into a recession, the cost of living has escalated and mortgage rates are rising.
• Grow a garden – house plants, flowers or veggies, whatever brings you joy Learn a new skill or craft
• Spend time in nature: revisit places you love
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• Move your body – exercise lifts your mood
(For all our rates, download our media kit http://www.fringemedia.co.nz/Rates.html.)from
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Animal-Welfare-West/306548006049013https://www.facebook.com/pages/ •
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Personal sustainability in uncertain times pets
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Almost every year St Francis Church in Tītīrangi holds a special “Blessing of the Pets” service. “It has certainly become a community event,” says church member Christine Nash. “We have held it most years and many people who do not go to any church bring their dogs and cats for a blessing. One year a little boy brought his hedgehog and another brought ducklings in a shoebox. We will also bless a child’s favourite soft toy if they wish. Last year we had nine dogs and it’s always surprising that they’re well behaved and rarely fight with each other!”The2022 event is to take place on October 9 from 10am and everyone is welcome. St Francis Church is on the corner of Park and Tītīrangi Beach Roads. This space is being seen by up to 50,000 local residents. It could be yours for as little as $240 + GST, or 0.33 cents per reader.
There have been some positive changes with greater acceptance of technology in our lives and work, more stable house prices, and changing travel patterns (rediscovering our own backyard) but this is not enough for many of us. Will we ever return to the ‘old normal’? My feeling is no.
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Carry out a random act of kindness every day Read a book – best escapism ever Catch the sunrise and the sunset Practice meditation Dance to your favourite music Eat a balanced healthy diet and take your lunch break Be kind to yourself and others Put your thoughts and feelings into poetry. (Join the Tītīrangi Poets group at the library.) Get involved in your community and find new uses for your rubbish, join a protest march, get involved with a local conservation group, start a petition, start composting, host a clothes swap, volunteer with a local charity or join a local club Fill your tins with home baking Take a trip to the hot pools Take a mental health day Take a wander through Te Uru Gallery Get a puppy or other pet. Animal Welfare West is bulging with dogs Get into genealogy –Smile and say hello when out and about, mask or no mask Check in with your neighbours – see who needs help in your neighbourhood Go to a Flicks Tītīrangi night – https://flickscinema. weebly.com/ Arrange a girls or guys weekend – nothing like a same sex gathering to solve the world’s problems
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Blessing the
Shaz here again.
to keep you abreast,
Everyone assumed Lizard and I would get married but I overheard Mum saying to Grandma. “Sharon is too clever for marriage. (Marriage blunts one so.)”
30 The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 Advertise with The Fringe – It’s who we are. Property Lawyer For prompt and efficient advice... • Conveyancing • Business Agreements • Subdivisions • Wills & Estates • Trusts • Public Works Land Compensation (16 years experience) Contact Bill Korver LL.B. Barrister & Solicitor Ph: 816 8363 Fax: 816 8963 8 Judith Place, Green Bay Email: BillKorver@xtra.co.nz Live @ the lounge E ye examinations • Glaucoma Checks Contact Lenses & Solutions • On Site Repairs • Sunglasses Prescriptions • Drivers Licence Screening TITIRANGI VILLAGE 517 South Titirangi Road Ph 817 4380 Fax 817 4383 MT EDEN 3 Walters Road Ph 630 3785 Fax 630 3746 eyecare‘yourcentre’ www.forestandbird.org.nz Bequests can be made to “Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc”. For more information on how to make a bequest contact: Fundraising Manager, Forest & Bird PO Box 631, Wellington Freephone: 0800 200 064 Leave a gift to nature. Your Local Drain Repair Experts, We Offer Solutions For All Your Drainage Needs 021 709 www.drainranger.co.nzhello@drainranger.co.nz783 Hydro Jett & CCTVavailableservices Drain unblocking specialists Watkins Plumbing Services Ltd For all your plumbing and drainage requirements – big or small – give us a call. All work guaranteed Free Quotes West: 818 sales@watkinsplumbing.co.nz4683www.watkinsplumbing.co.nz
I’m driving Whitevan, which, just like Lizard’s stoned raves, seems to go on for ever. Inside, Whitevan absolutely reeks of Lizard. His so called ‘dream catcher’ hanging off the rear view mirror is actually a Lion Red beer coaster tied up with fishing line he nicked from the Huia Fishing Club. The only two knobs on the boom box stereo he installed himself say ‘off’ or ‘up loud’. I put in a CD with ‘compilation’ scribbled in black felt and pushed ‘up loud’ only to be asked by Elvis if I was lonesome tonight? Next, Ricky Valance telling Laura he loves her and Roy Orbison declaring that only the lonely know how he feels. I’m heading in to the Auckland University. Yep. You heard that right. The University. I’ve decided to finish my masters in molecular biology. You see, before falling for Lizard’s just-dropped-out-of-art-school good looks (truth be known, he never actually dropped in to art school, or any school for that matter), I was fascinated by science. I think that’s one of the main reasons I love living in the Waitākeres so much. I see algae that, billions of years before broad-leafed trees had crawled out of the swamp on to dry land, knew how to turn molecules of light into food. The oxygen released by this process allowing the creation of life as we know it: Mosses. Fungi. The Silver Ferns. “What?” said Lizard once. “Mother Nature invented netball? No way. How cool is that?” Very cool Lizard, I thought. Very, very cool. I told Grandpa the other day that I had spotted Brian Tamaki crossing the Quad. ‘’Diagonally I suppose?” asked Grandpa. “That’s probably why the call him Bishop.” Oh Grandpa. Really? Well, I’ve arrived on campus. Teehee. I parked Whitevan using Lizard’s disability sticker. I feel a bit guilty but it’s hard finding a park. Lizard convinced a doctor that he suffered from Ambulophobia.
Back then I was Sharon. Sharon Rachel Witherberry. Named after Ozzie’s wife. Dad was a big Black Sabbath fan. I’ve been Shaz ever since we arrived from the UK back when I was six. Apparently from Yorkshire but I can’t remember much. Something about peat moors? And pudding?
Hello. It’s I thought I’d drop a line so to speak, on what’s been happening.
“It’s a fear of walking, Shaz,” he explained. I thought, just like getting Covid, but in his case, he’d lost the taste for exercise.Gosh.Auckland University. I feel like the oldest bird here.
I guess there’s no time like the present
you
James Ussher (Archbishop) calculates that God made heaven and earth on Saturday, October 23, 4004BC. Other people are less specific and date it to some four billion and a half years ago. So I guess there’s no time like the present. The present. What a gift! Wish me luck. In I go. Shaz.
I got a postcard, of all things, from Lizard. It had a photograph of a dinosaur having a cuppa wearing a tee-shirt that said ‘Tea Rex”. He’s up north somewhere and is fine. Sends his regards to you all. In fact, we’re both doing fine. Funny word, 'fine'. Grandpa would say, ‘let’s get out the fine china’ when the priest would drop by. When I told him I was pregnant he said, ‘well there’s a fine state of affairs’.
Please support our advertisers – they support us. The Fringe SEPTEMBER 2022 31 Ra y Percival and Son Painters & Decorators Specialists in all aspects of painting & decorating interior & exterior • domestic & commercial mobile: 021 436 900 • a/hrs: 814 9124 email: Rayperci@xtra.co.nz PO Box 60526 Titirangi, Auckland HOSPITALITY The Trusts: Christmas functions at Iti 28 HOUSE & HOME Waitematā Backcare Beds ................................................................. 8 LEGAL SERVICES Bill Korver, lawyer 30 Presland & Co, barristers and solicitors 10 Thomas & Co, lawyers 21 LEISURE & LIFESTYLE Ryman Healthcare: Murray Halberg Retirement Village 19 POLITICAL Allan Geddes, Westwards 14 C&R, Communities and Residents 25 Deborah Russell, MP for New Lynn ........................................... 12 Future West 2 Janet Clews............................................................................................ 18 Labour Party, Whau 23 Linda Cooper, Councillor for Waitākere ...................................... 7 Mark Roberts, Future West 13 Michelle Clayton, Westwards 20 Ross Clow 17 West Auckland Licensing Trusts Action Group 9 Westwards ........................................................................................4, 11 THEATRE & ENTERTAINMENT Lopdell Precinct Film Festival 15 APPAREL ‘Proud to be a Westie’ t-shirts 31 ART & CULTURE ArtsWest: The Great West Auckland Arts Guide .................. 17 TRANSPORT & AUTOMOTIVE Ken Turner Automotive and Auto Electrical 20 BUILDING & PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Drain Ranger ........................................................................................ 30 Ray Percival & Son, painters and decorators 31 Turners Drainage & Contracting 31 Watkins Plumbing Services 30 BUSINESS, FINANCE, INSURANCE GSI Insurance 5 COMMUNITY EcoMatters Weed Bin Weekends ................................................ 27 Forest & Bird, bequests 26 FOOD & WINE SuperValue supermarket, Tītīrangi............................................... 6 GARDENS & LANDSCAPE Gordons Nurseries 31 Stihl Shop............................................................................................... 16 HEALTH & WELLNESS Mold Physiotherapy 10 Hunt & Gaunt Optometrists .......................................................... 30 These advertisers support our community and make this publication possible. Please support them. Opinions expressed in the The Fringe are solely those of the writers and are not necessarily endorsed by the publication or its publisher. Fringe Media Ltd is not responsible in any way for the contents of any advertisement, article, photograph or illustration contained in this publication. While every reasonable care will be taken by the Editor, no responsibility is assumed for the return of unsolicited material. © Copyright 2022 by Fringe Media Ltd. All content in this issue is the property of Fringe Media Ltd and may not be reproduced in any way or form whatsoever Directory Quality plants at Openpricesreasonable7days 159a Scenic Drive, Titirangi 817 3498 --- 021 113 www.gordonsnurseries.co.nz0987 Proud to be a Westie NowT-shirtsavailable from Corban Estate Arts Centre 426 Great North Rd, Henderson Ph 838 4455 Reach 50,000+ readers... ...for as little as 0.003c each.* Something to advertise? Email info@fringemedia.co.nz *based on the discount rate for a classified display ad
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