The Fringe, March 2023

community news, issues, arts, people, events

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Contents On our cover: There are no words to express the devastation that the Anniversary Weekend floods and ex-cyclone Gabrielle have brought to our fragile land and communities. Photos by Bevis England.

www.fringemedia.co.nz Advertisers’ Directory ............................................. 2 Surviving climate chaos 4 Flood help available; residents rally for flood victims.............................. 5 Art and about with Naomi McCleary ................. 6 Wai wetlands? 7 Out and About in the West ............................ 8 – 9 Auckland Folk Festival in pictures 10 Local eco festival goes regional 11 Oratia community embraces greenway; Getting involved for the environment............... 12 Body & Mind ......................................................... 13 Live @ the lounge 14

There are certainly some speed bumps and blocked roads ahead.

Whether it’s the lack of long term action on climate change; our ill-informed building and resource consent regulations; our totally inadequate storm water systems (and Council is even planning to cut funding for these); the lack of resilience in our road, power and telecommunication infrastructure; or the lack of sufficient resources to clear our drains, pump out flooded properties, make our roads safe again and prepare for the next rains ... there are serious problems ahead.

As many of us have been saying for decades, we must do more to prepare for the changes we can no longer deny or avoid

This will cost money, and it will require both better leadership and a stronger commitment to our communities and the people who live in them than has been shown so far.

On a more positive note, we owe our first responders and the community organisations and volunteers who have done so much a huge vote of thanks! Well done everyone, and Thank You All!

– Bevis England

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 0700 bevis@fringemedia.co.nz

Advertising: info@fringemedia.co.nz

Writers and contributors: Moira Kennedy, David Thiele, Naomi McCleary, Fiona Drummond, Jade Reidy, Rebecca Manners, John Goudge, Karen McCarthy

Surviving climate chaos

Owing to past neglect, in the face of the plainest warnings, we have now entered upon a period of danger .... The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences. – Winston Churchill

Like the pre-WWII British, we can’t say we weren’t warned.

As we are forced to prepare for increasingly more frequent and severe floods, fires, and landslides, it is worth remembering that it didn’t have to come to this. The science of global warming has been well understood for a century, and, by the 1980s, even conservative icons, such as UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, were convinced of the looming threat. In a November 1989 speech to the United Nations, she spoke of “the prospect of irretrievable damage to the atmosphere, to the oceans, to earth itself ... It is mankind and his activities which are changing the environment of our planet in damaging and dangerous ways.” She also put forward the idea of “a vast international, co-operative effort” to address the threat.

We now know that Exxon, the world’s largest oil company, was also studying climate change. In the 1970s and 1980s it employed scientists to look into the issue, with an ambitious

in-house research programme. Unfortunately for all of us – and our children and grandchildren – the Exxon board decided that fossil fuel profits were more important than the warnings from its own scientists.

Since 1989, the company has spent billions of dollars on climate change denial, setting up front groups to lobby aggressively against any government action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including in New Zealand. We won’t get those decades of missed opportunity back again.

Although the reality of damaging heat waves, storms and fires destroyed the credibility of outright climate change denial, it was replaced by a second stage of political paralysis.

On his first day in office, Prime Minister John Key stated that climate change was real, yet took no action to mitigate it for the nine years the National Party was in government. In fact, his government’s policy of increasing the dairy herd led to an inexorable increase in water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. We won’t get those years back, either.

As the toll of climate disasters mounts, and New Zealanders become climate refugees in their own country, we have entered a third stage, wherein the government has created the legislative structure for action, but is still paralysed by vested interests. In particular, the farming lobby refuses to pay for the damage they are doing to our land and atmosphere, as well as threatening our overseas markets and our very future on a habitable planet.

After all, if New Zealand won’t meet its international commitments, why should we expect other countries to?

Sitting in the middle of a warming ocean, exposed to southern storms and northern atmospheric rivers and cyclones, we need all the help we can get to turn down the heat.

So, where to now? At a bare minimum, we must make climate change an election issue this October, and elect a government that will take real action to prepare for the warming to come, and to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as fast as humanly possible. The consequences of not doing so are staring us in the face.

– Robin Taylor

Flood help available

We all seem to have been affected directly or indirectly by the severity of the recent weather events but there is help available, writes FIONA DRUMMOND.

If you need urgent assistance, visit https://www. civildefence.govt.nz/.

The Waste Wise Team of Auckland Council have information on how to dispose of storm-related waste at https:// ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/.../disposing

Information about the Auckland Council Emergency Relief Fund can be found at https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil. govt.nz/.../auckland.../

VisionWest have compiled a list of agencies that can help with flood relief and social support. Visit http://www. communitywaitakere.org.nz/index.cfm/noticeboard/floodsupport-across-tamaki-makaurau-resources-compiled-byvision-west/. You can also phone the Visionwest Flood Support Coordination Hub on 0800 990 026 or email whanaucentre@visionwest.org.nz with your queries.

The Student Volunteer Army is actively assisting with the response to the flooding across the North Island. For assistance with non-urgent cleanup visit https://sva.org.nz/ auckland-flood-support-request-form/. To join the volunteer response, visit http://bit.ly/svafloodvolunteer.

Residents rally for flood victims

Residents of Bupa Sunset Village in Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, have rallied together to gather donations for victims of last month’s flooding in Auckland.

Led by resident Helen Caldwell, the village was able to donate a van load of household items.

Helen, a Bupa Sunset Retirement Village resident of seven years wanted to support the flood relief efforts in her local community.

“We were watching the flooding unfold and someone asked what we could do to support the victims. I thought ‘let’s make it happen’,” she says.

“We’ve wrangled together bedding and blankets, and also an assortment of kitchen wares,” says Helen.

Barbara Sangster, General Manager at Bupa Sunset Village and Care Home says, “It’s impossible to watch this happen in our community and not want to contribute in some way. It’s incredible to see the residents pull together like this and pitch in.”

Art & About with Naomi McCleary

Trouble-shooting

We are in trouble. From the global to the local, things are not looking good. We can feel the weight of it: war, famine, flood and plague. I can hear the thunder of hooves. I weep for the people of Turkey and Syria and know not what to do.

That background of pain is the wallpaper to our local and immediate distress. As I write, Cyclone Gabrielle is bearing down on us. We have borne the brute force of flooding and the aftermath continues. As one turns towards the skyline of our loved and familiar Waitākere Ranges, it looks as though a giant wild animal has clawed the slopes; great torn streaks of raw clay damaging homes and roads. Covid is still out there but, perhaps unwisely, taking less of our attention, and there is economic stress everywhere; as always, hitting our poorer communities more harshly.

With all this Auckland Council has a budget hole of some magnitude which it proposes to fill, in part, with some draconian cuts to local board funding. What does this mean? My understanding (and keeping well clear of bureaucratic language) is this: A five or 10 percent cut is not shared evenly across a board’s expenditure. There are core commitments that are legally binding, and then there is discretionary funding, and it is this that will have to bear the brunt of the cuts. Arts, environment and community projects and programmes sit within this category. This is crazy!

In the face of all the distress and disadvantage our communities are dealing with, this is NOT the time to cut the very things that keep hope alive. In fact, a wise council would be increasing spending in the arts. That may be a stretch too far, but we must fight the current proposals.

The good news: there are fine people on our boards and within council that understand the critical part that the arts play in building and sustaining resilient communities. They are seriously working at finding other solutions. Our part is to engage fully in the consultation process during the month of March. Submissions can, of course, be made online. We need the weight of numbers. That means thousands of individual and collective responses.

Don’t leave it to others.

As a demonstration of the vital role of arts and culture and of the infectious vitality it brings, a couple of examples.

The Corban Estate Arts Centre (CEAC):* A cluster of buildings both heritage and industrial, set in hectares of open green space, it is home to a complex ecology of creativity. It sits in an area where, alongside some pretty amazing communities and a thriving film and gaming industry, there are areas of extreme deprivation. The fact that Corbans is not too shiny and has a domestic scale allows it to be welcoming and comfortable. Inside the walls coexist artist studios, education programmes, performance organisations and galleries. It is home to the Pacifica Arts Centre which has to be one of the most embracing and holistic cultural communities in the country. As a microcosm of the macrocosm that is

Corbans, it sees its work as a spiritual, physical, emotional and cultural expression of all things Pacific. It is home to the Mamas, who have been passing on their traditional skills in a modern context here for nigh on 40 years. Thousands of school-age children transit through both Pacifica and CEAC learning new ways to feed their creativity. The studios nurture artists from the newly fledged to senior practitioners. Te Pou Theatre opens its first show this month. As a home for Maori-led performance development, it is unique in Aotearoa. In this highly nuanced community there is an easy flow of people and a place for almost anyone who wants to find solace, explore creativity, make new friends, step outside their everyday cares and feel a sense of welcome. All this is under threat if our council fails to recognise the sustaining relevance of the arts.

Shadbolt House: I doubt very much, despite the support of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, that the lease of Maurice Shadbolt’s house would have passed muster under the present regime. A long task is ahead to turn this site, once home to one of our greatest story tellers, into a writers residency. The house in Arapito Road and adjacent reserve is massively weed infested. Last year two weeding and planting days began the battle, co-ordinated by a community worker from council with the Going West Trust* and literary-minded supporters, folks from the South Titirangi Community Network and a scattering of interested locals thrown in. This was arts, environment and community in a perfect dance.

All this is under threat if our council fails to recognise the sustaining relevance of the arts, environment and community.

Development of Shadbolt House into a contemporary writer’s residence is finally underway, following a dedication event at the house on Saturday, February 11, led by gifted orator and artist Pita Turei representing Te Kawerau ā Maki. The property in Arapito Road, Titirangi, was unaffected by recent flooding, and vital work to strengthen the foundations of the heritage-listed house and land will future proof the residency at Maurice Shadbolt’s home of 40 years. Pictured (right) are Naomi McCleary with Bob and Barbara Harvey, and (left) members of the Shadbolt whanau who travelled to be there and honour the celebrated 20th century writer whose legacy lives on.

* The writer is the chair of the board that governs the Corban Estate Arts Centre and is on the Going West Trust.

Wai wetlands?

Wetlands have long been recognised to have many values of benefit to humans.

Water quality is improved as nitrogen and other harmful compounds, as well as silt and mud, in the water is trapped by wetland plants resulting in clearer, cleaner, healthier water. Wetlands are net carbon sinks and some absorb more CO2 than a tropical rainforest. Coastal wetlands can protect some of our human infrastructure from storm surges. And they support a greater diversity of native birds, fresh water fish, invertebrates and plants than most other habitats.

Yet perhaps the most topical value that wetlands have is their ability to absorb large amounts of storm water. The recent devastating deluges were compounded by blocked drains and inferior storm water systems but the need to reduce our impermeable surfaces and increase wetland sites to absorb the deluges that will become more common as an effect of global warming has also been recognised. Creating wetlands can be good for biodiversity and human enjoyment and function as a safety valve during massive rainfall events. The wetlands being created along motorways not only

Maintenance has failed

Last month’s flooding once again shows the costly results of not keeping our drains and rivers clear. We have been ‘sweating’ our roading and drainage assets for too long. We must return to spending on core services first and foremost.

Moreover, the maintenance of our storm water assets must be the responsibility of a single entity with systemic understanding of the infrastructure and full control of maintenance management and funding.

In October 2018 heavy rain caused the Piha Stream to burst its banks and flood several properties on Glenesk Road. Then in August 2021 serious flooding happened again primarily in West Auckland, with Henderson Valley, Waitākere and Kumeu worst hit.

Each time residents complained that blocked drains and debris in streams and river systems had caused increased levels of damage to their properties. Council took little or no practical action to remedy their complaints and here we are again with blocked and clogged drainage systems not alleviating flood waters but compounding flood damage.

So, why is the maintenance of our drainage systems failing so badly?

Well firstly, we (Council) have lost sight of the importance of maintenance and prioritising budget to this purpose.

But the biggest reason for failing maintenance is how this work

benefit our fauna but also soak up some of the toxic metals and oils from highways. Local and national governments must finally recognise that consents to build in flood plains or past wetlands will lead to more disasters and communities already in such sites will need a rethink of how storm water will be handled: more wetlands restored or created can be the answer!

At Matuku Link in the Bethells valley, work to enhance and expand our largest local wetland is already well underway. Volunteers have planted some 30,000 trees, sedges and rushes and their ability to hold back silt and debris is evident, reducing what would otherwise end up at the beach.

The best way to experience a wetland is in a kayak. Matuku Link’s annual fund raising Kayak Day is on Saturday April 1, and offers the opportunity to explore the wetland and spot its special inhabitants including pāteke (brown teal) and the elusive matuku (bittern). All instruction and gear is provided. Sold out every year, tickets are $65 per person via www. matukulink.org.nz/shop or call 0212207136.

– Dr John Sumich, trustee, Matuku Link

is structured. For example, the drainage of storm water from our roads is divided into several separate actions. Auckland Transport is responsible for maintenance of curb and channelling, all cesspits and the first length of discharge pipe connected to each cesspit. In most cases more than one length of pipe is required to pipe storm water away from a cesspit and in these cases the maintenance of all subsequent pipes falls to Council’s Healthy Waters Department. So, there is a hand-over of maintenance responsibility under the middle of the road. Not to finish there, removal of leaves, sticks or other debris clogging steel grate on top of cesspits is the job of Council’s Community Facilities department.

When it comes to renewing drainage infrastructure (often the result of long overdue maintenance) the department responsible depends on where storm water is coming from.

If rainwater is flowing off the road it remains AT’s problem. But if the water is flowing from the surrounding area primary responsibility swaps to Auckland Council.

In part this complication has come about by creative accounting. For instance, declaring that the cesspit and first discharge pipe is part of the road justifies Auckland Regional Fuel Tax money being spent on what is arguably drainage.

Understanding the complexity is one thing, winding it back to effective simplicity is another. Mayor Brown’s civil engineering background gives me high hopes.

– Ken Turner, WestWards

Places to go – Things to do

Out and About in the West

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.

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.

March

w – 5, Portage Ceramic Awards, showcasing the diversity of contemporary clay practices in Aotearoa; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087. w – 5, Earth Posters, a collaborative merging of text and clay by writer Courtney Sina Meredith and artist Fiona Jack; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w – 12, Screensaver, jeweller Moniek Schrijer presents an exhibition influenced by the ecology of the McCahon House garden, local climate, lunar events, and the distinctive light at this historic residency; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w – April 6, Oasis/Respite 2.0 a selection of works by artists, and creatives from the trans community, the wider LGBTQIA+ communities and their friends, families and allies; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455.

w – April 8, Kei whea te Aute, Arapeta pays tribute to knowledge holders and reciters of the acclaimed Mooteatea (Māori lament or chant) by continuing their legacy in exhibition form; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455.

w – May 28, Still life, new works produced during Ayesha Green's residency at Parehuia-McCahon House. They mark a shift into still-life painting and the negotiation of the conventions of this historic genre; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w – July 2, Cellular memories and planetary designs: three works by Elizabeth Thomson who has devoted much of her career to exploring both the order and randomness she finds in the physical world, and in the fabric of human life and thought; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w 3, Flicks presents Corsage (M), 112 minutes. Faced with a future of strict ceremonies and royal duties, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Vicky Krieps) rebels against her public image; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10-30am, 6pm and 8.15pm; $15/$12/$10 from eventfinda and on door. Text Bookings to 0210 222 5558.

w 3 – 12, Te Pou theatre presents Hemo is Home by Tainui Tukiwaho (see page 11). https://www.tepoutheatre.nz/

w 4 – April 30, Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist | He Ringatoi Hou o Aotearoa, 20 works by one of New Zealand’s most iconic 20th-centry artists; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.

w 11, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents The McClennans floorsingers in first half; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 8pm; $15, members $10, under 18 free. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.

w 11, Flicks presents Moonage Daydream (R13), a cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie’s creative and musical journey from visionary filmmaker Brett Morgen with footage never seen before on the big screen. Davy’s Cottage, 37 McEldowney Road, Tītīrangi; 8pm; Tickets $20 (limited to 40) includes refreshments. Text 0210 222 5558. All profits go to the Turkey/Syrian earthquake disaster relief fund.

w 16, An Upstairs Gallery Artbeats event Open at Page 100, an award winning film about art teacher Robin Child, presented by the film-maker Robin Kewell; Seminar Room, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 6.30pm reception drinks and nibbles, film starts at 7pm; Tickets $20 inclusive. Bookings 0210 222 5558 or book with the Upstairs Gallery Lopdell House. w 18, Iona Church Fair, bargains galore; 38 Donovan Street, Blockhouse Bay; 8am-12 noon. Phone Robert 027 625 9342.

w 19, Embroiderer’s & Lacemaker’s Have a Go Day, learn about the timeless hand crafts of lacemaking and/or embroidery. Bring some lunch, hot drinks supplied; 39 Fairfax Avenue, Penrose; 11am to 2pm. Visit Embroiderer’s & Lacemakers’ Facebook page or email Diane Dunkin (President) on dndagie16@gmail.com.

w 21 – April 1, Tītīrangi Theatre presents Father Ted, based on the television series and directed by Ben Tunnicliffe; Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Titirangi Road, titirangi. Tickets and informaiton at https:// www.titirangitheatre.co.nz/.

Places to go – Things to do

Tītīrangi Library events

w 22, Waitākere Greypower General Meeting with Guest Speaker Carolyn Cooper, Aged Care Commissioner; Te Atatū South Community Centre, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 1pm. Phone 838 5207.

w 24, 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. w March 28, Tītīrangi U3A – informal learning for people 60-years plus, guest speakers, study groups; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact Jan George, 027 478 4119 or jan@jangeorge.co.nz. www. u3a.nz.

There is so much happening in and around our community, including many regular 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

The inaugural Last Stand Music Festival is set for Sunday April 2. This community event, in the form of a boutique festival, will feature a mix of local and national acts, including Lawrence Arabia, Arjuna Oakes and Carnivorous Plant Society. The organisers hope that even if you haven't heard of any of the acts you will find something you like.

The idea is to bring the community together after a tough few years. The name was inspired by the 1940 remake of Rewi's Last Stand which was filmed in Waima and the fact that it will be one of the last festivals of the season.

Tickets for this whānau friendly event are minimally priced and are available from Moshtix. If you'd like to help out email David on mdoakes1@gmail.com.

Last Stand Music Festival, Sunday April 2, 12-8pm. Waima Reserve, Waima, Tītīrangi.

WAR ON WEEDS POSTPONED

NEW DATES: 1-30 APRIL 2023

For more info: ecomatters.org.nz/war-on-weeds

March 13, 10-11am: Confused by Internet and phone banking? Sheree Tiatia is a community banker and will run a no-stress session on how to set up, use, and protect yourself with Internet banking. Registrations required, email titirangi.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

The library will be part of EcoFest, running four events: March 18, 2-3pm: Follow a simple recipe to make a nourishing lip balm. Bring your own clean container to fill, or a small pot to take home a sample. Recipes and all ingredients/materials provided. Registration required, email titirangi.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

March 21, 11-12pm: Make your own reusable makeup pads either knitted or sewn (or make one of each). Only basic skills required, assistance available, all materials supplied, no registration needed.

April 1, 10.30am-2.30pm: Make your own no-sew bunting or garland using recycled fabric scraps. Suitable for adults or children (with supervision). All materials supplied, no registration needed.

The library is also celebrating Auckland Council’s World of Cultures project with two special after school activities: African drum making on March 28, 3.30-4.30pm, and Sushi making, March 31, 3.30-4.30pm. These workshops are suitable for children aged 5+. Registration required, email titirangi.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

Caring is key ...

Little did I know in December that our part of paradise would be hit by two storms the likes of which I have never witnessed before.

The cause of the storms is clear. Increased temperatures result in increased water evaporation and warmer air holds more moisture. This trend will continue given current greenhouse gas emission levels. These trends have been predicted by scientists for some time. Climate change is no longer a possible future crisis, it is happening now.

The consequences are painfully clear. In Tītīrangi multiple slips have affected people’s lives, their homes, the supply of water and power and the ability to travel.

I recently managed to get to Paturoa Road when it was sealed off by two large slips, one involving the sea wall, the other by a large Kauri toppling over. The people I met with were clearly stressed by their situation, but they were very supportive of each other. There were many local heroes, like one local who had obtained power and water through improvised means and was happy to share it around.

Cyclone Gabrielle has had a particularly dramatic effect on Piha, Karekare and Te Henga, where destroyed houses, washed out roads, slips and flooded streams are far too common. We are now in a new reality where environmental devastation is becoming the norm. We need to learn to care for our environment and each other to get through this.

Greg Presland, Chairperson Waitākere Ranges Local Board

Advertisement

Auckland Folk Festival 2023

The weather warnings came too late As we gathered from far and near To sing our songs and celebrate Auckland Folk Festival’s 50th year

It wasn’t safe to leave the site So we stayed to share good cheer To make new friends and celebrate The Festival’s 50th year

The rain came down, the lakes they grew An Anniversary Weekend to remember But the music and the warmth we shared Mean we’ll all be back next year

Letter

When it comes to submissions on Council’s budget plans, it should be remembered that it is not just Local Board funding that is under threat but also the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (which is funding all the kauri dieback work and track upgrades in the Ranges) and the Water Quality Targeted Rate (which is funding all the storm water upgrades). Protecting the forests and upgrading the storm water system is exactly what we should be doing more of in the face of apocalyptic climate change!

These are not just nice-to-haves any more. They are must haves – and we need the Mayor and Council to understand this.

– Mels Barton

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War On Weeds postponed

The War on Weeds will be shifted to April this year, instead of the usual March dates, to give the community time to focus on clean-up and recovery after the recent floods and storm.

From April 1 – 30, extra weed bins will be provided around West Auckland to help locals to dispose of invasive weeds from their own backyards.

“We welcome any opportunity to help West Aucklanders do their bit to help keep invasive weeds out of the native bush we all love. But we know many of us have other things on our minds right now,” says Melissa, from EcoMatters’ Nature Team, who manages the bins.

Making the bins available during April will also help reduce traffic on the roads, so repairs can continue.

“Our community always pulls together, whether that’s helping each other in challenging times or helping keep invasive weeds from spreading into the native bush we love,” says Melissa.

Invasive weeds accepted at the bins include climbing asparagus, Japanese honeysuckle, jasmine, moth plant, wild ginger, woolly nightshade and more.

Some weeds are already starting to form seed pods in March, so Melissa is also encouraging those who can do so, to bag up the seed pods/heads from moth plants and wild ginger, to stop these from spreading. Thanks to the Henderson-Massey and Waitākere Ranges local boards for supporting this project.

Places to go – Things to do

Local eco festival goes regional

After more than a decade a local festival is going regional this year, giving more Aucklanders the opportunity to learn new skills and share practical ideas to make sustainable living easier.

Starting on Saturday, March 18, the month-long EcoFest 2023 programme will be packed with events, activities, installations and workshops for people of all ages and at any stage of their sustainability journey.

There will be more than 100 events to choose from in West Auckland alone, from composting workshops to silent disco clean-ups. EcoFest’s aim is to make sustainability fun and accessible; inspiring people to make simple changes to reduce their impact on the environment.

Started in 2012 as EcoWest Festival by EcoMatters Environment Trust, the annual festival quickly became a popular way to experience hands-on environmental action, connect with neighbours and learn new skills.

“EcoFest has always been a grassroots festival, offering local change-makers a chance to share their skills and ideas, championing our local environment, supporting collaboration and celebrating the importance of community,” says Carla Gee, CEO of EcoMatters Environment Trust. This year, three other Auckland eco hubs have joined EcoMatters to host EcoFest 2023, expanding the festival’s reach right across Tāmaki Makaurau.

“It’s been a long-held dream of ours to see EcoFest continue to grow and expand,” says Carla.

“The need for us all to step up to combat the climate crisis is increasing. It’s vital we provide more opportunities for Aucklanders both to make simple changes in their own lives and to contribute to a bigger conversation about our future.”

Find out more, including the awesome line-up of events across Tāmaki Makaurau, at ecofest.org.nz.

Oratia community embraces greenway concept

Simon Oosterman, an Oratia local, environmental advocate and climate campaigner, recently offered two hectares of his land to Auckland Council, free, to help minimise flooding. His offer was turned down, writes FIONA DRUMMOND.

Simon believes that the preservation of existing wetlands and floodplains and the creation of greenways, strips of native planting, often alongside streams or floodplains, with a shared walking and cycle path, could help minimise the flooding that has affected so many Westie families.

“Auckland Council wants to extend existing greenways and create more stream corridors but it's a 20-year plan that needs more funding,” says Simon.

“One of our local greenways doesn't even connect with its namesake, Oratia. While the council plans to join them, the connection would go through private land – land owned by my family and the Oratia Bowling Club.

“When we bought a five-acre floodplain in Oratia, one of

the biggest out West, we wanted to stop the land from being developed, to protect it, and then replant it. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford the last bit, so we offered some of the land to the council for free.”

But Council recently told Simon that they didn’t want the land, despite the support of Council staff and local board members. He is now offering the land to the local community.

“The flooded Sunnyvale homes downstream from us can't wait for another 20 years for Council to help,” says Simon.

Simon put out a plea to the Oratia community via their community Facebook page asking for donations of trees and help to plant them. In response, dozens of people have pledged multiple trees and others are offering to help plant them. People are clearly excited about the idea, and it seems they realise that it is up to communities to make things happen in these unprecedented times.

Have you got other skills or ideas on how to build a greenway? Contact Simon at simon.oosterman@proton.me.

Getting involved for the environment

A community environment champion is encouraging other locals to care for their neighbourhood reserves and parks, saying it’s a great way to learn more about our native plants, writes FIONA DRUMMOND.

Kay Millar (pictured) is passionate about native plants and volunteers as a weed coordinator in her local Kawaka Reserve.

“I went to several weeding bee sessions with EcoMatters and they helped me realise the importance of protecting our indigenous plants so I decided to volunteer in the Kawaka Reserve,” says Kay.

“I then spoke to my friends and neighbours about volunteering here, and shared our weeding events on social media, so we’ve got some keen volunteers in the reserve too.

“I’d like to see more join us in the future.”

Kay says the EcoMatters Nature Team has been very supportive and helped her get started running her own working bees.

“EcoMatters helped our volunteers understand what we’re here to achieve and how to identify the pest plants that we’re going to take out,” says Kay.

EcoMatters Environment Trust provides opportunities for hands-on environmental action and encourages more people to get involved.

“I know many people in West Auckland are willing to help but aren’t sure where to start,” says Pamela Gill, from EcoMatters’ Nature team. “Get in touch with us if you're interested in volunteering for your patch of paradise.”

Find out more at ecomatters.org.nz/volunteer

An existing shared path is shown in purple, bottom right, running along West Coast Road. The proposed greenway (in yellow) runs along land offered to Council (green) through the floodplain (blue). Oratia Bowling Club is bottom centre.

A peaceful quiet clinic ...

After years of working within a professional clinic

I decided to create my own clinic environment in my garden at home in New Lynn. The clinic room is peaceful and quiet, perfect for relaxation and rebalancing the body.

Having trained at the New Zealand College of Massage 2007, I am a Certified Massage Therapist offering relaxation, deep tissue and therapeutic treatments and working with my clients to improve functionality.

My goal is to assist my clients achieve the results they want, either for relaxation or working at a deeper level to restore and improve function and mobility to overworked, strained and tired muscles.

Please contact me to book a treatment that best suits you and your needs. I look forward to hearing from you.

Vouchers available for special occasions.

Passionate about good health

The white rose is the emblem of Yorkshire in the UK where osteopath Jonathan Warin was born.

After graduating in 2003 from the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, he worked for several reputable clinics before setting up White Rose Osteopathy in New Lynn in 2018.

Known as the ‘streetwise osteo’ (because of his wide ranging life skills), Jonathan is passionate about getting his patients back to good health quickly, incorporating a variety of complementary techniques in his treatments. He treats sports injuries, back and neck pain, headaches, joint pain, asthma and respiratory conditions.

White Rose Osteopathy was awarded Best Professional Services runner up by the New Lynn Business Association in 2021.

Janet Patchett

Ph 021 269 7018

139 Seabrook Ave, New Lynn

Successful treatment for pain

Rosah has been practising acupuncture in New Zealand for over 15 years. She has extensive experience in treating pain which encompasses all muscular aches and injuries. She provides post operation care which involves acupuncture to encourage quicker recovery.

Aside from muscular pain, she has been successful in treating headaches, migraines and most stress related disorders which include digestive issues.

Rosah has had experience working at Yueyang Hospital, China’s top ranked integrated Western and Chinese Medicine hospital. She has also had five years experience teaching acupuncture at the New Zealand School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Rosah’s hobbies include, gardening, swimming, surfskating and spending time with family and her pets.

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Awarded Best Professional Service

Welcome to Auckland’s leading massage and soft-tissue therapy clinic, established over 23 years ago.

Lifestyles Neuromuscular and Massage Therapy (LNMT) in New Lynn are specialists in chronic pain, stress management and exercise rehabilitation.

The clinic offers a wide variety of treatment options including clinical neuromuscular therapy, sports massage and training support, exercise rehabilitation, therapeutic massage, relaxation massage, pregnancy massage, hot stone massage and manual lymphatic drainage.

LNMT was awarded New Lynn Business Association’s Superb Business Award for Best Professional Service 2021/22.

Phone 826 5516 or visit www.lifestylestherapy.co.nz 3121 Great North Road, New Lynn, Auckland.

Where did the French come from?

Yeah gidday. Lizard here.

Crazy times weather wise, eh! Once upon a time, when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, God successfully drowned all the evil on the earth. There was so much water in fact, Noah had to rush about gathering enough lumber to knock together a floating vessel large enough to be occupied by two of every species. Why he allowed the Tsetse fly on board is anyone's guess!

And because everyone drowned except Noah, his missus and the kids, he had to live for over 600 years to repopulate the planet. Exhausting.

Shaz said, "So if we all descended from Noah, was he a Māori? Mrs Noah Chinese? Where did the French come from?”

Gay Gary said,”It’s a fable. Sort of like when politicians say it’s good for the economy. They really mean we're gonna be made redundant.”

Me, I love a good slip. When the caravan went down with this latest huge landslide off Laingholm Point, it was so big we now live 20 feet out into the Manukau Harbour. Our new island even has a giant plum tree, a grapevine and the neighbour’s outdoor pizza oven. I’ve named our new spot 'Seen Isle'.

Lizard Junior and me knocked up a causeway back to the mainland and Mopey Jesus welded an old bulldozer blade onto the front of Whitevan. We now cruise around the district scraping back clay and mud and that off people’s driveways. We don’t get paid or nothing for doing it. It’s what they call koha. Folks give what they can.

Yesterday we got three crates of Lion Red! Junior scored a cool-as old denim jacket. Old Mrs Wilson, her on the corner, who, as you know, had the massive slip, gave us a lasagne.

I first learned how to operate a bulldozer from my Uncle Walter Lizard. He had a tip-truck and bobcat business. I’d sit on his knee after school and give him a hand with the controls.

He’d lost an arm at a Monster Truck rally. He was in the

portaloo when the giant front wheel came off the awesome truck called The Undertaker while trying to do a massive wheel stand and flattened the toilets.

Uncle Walter Lizard was in the loo with his mate Jocko’s wife Marlene. She was trying to sell him some t-shirts and they were trying on different sizes. Jocko’s brother Jacko was keeping guard so he was right there to pull them out. Saved their lives really. Marlene didn’t have a scratch, but Uncle Walter Lizard’s arm couldn’t be reattached and he never found his watch – his Grandfathers' from the war.

Aunty Trish Lizard, Walter’s wife, had to raise their daughter on her own. They named her ‘Baby' and as luck would have it, she became a paediatrician. Baby the baby doctor.

Aunty Trish said she turned out so good it just goes to show how drinking and smoking doesn’t do any harm. She said a happy mum is a happy baby and that it’s the government trying to sell us mothers really expensive fruit and formula that’s the real problem.

Aunty Trish Lizard never really trusted the Apple & Pear Board.

She always maintained that, “as soon as the little darlings cut their first tooth, get them onto kidney gravy.”

She was quite famous for her gravy. “The secret’s to skin the roadkill before you mince it and add plenty of cracked pepper.”

Well, me and Lizard Junior are still going about scraping and finding stuff stuck in the clay. The cops said we could keep a trailer wheel and tyre we dragged out of the mud. Boy was it stuck. Turns out they were firmly attached to a trailer that was attached to a Haines Hunter SF535 hull with a 115hp Mercury outboard. It’s on Trademe if you’re keen. $59,999 ono. Needs a water blast which we can do for a bit extra.

Anyhoo. Stay dry. Stay safe.

See ya when the mud dries. Later, Lizard.

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Funding of $1 million available

WECONNECT &BELONG FUND 2023

Apply between 10th February & 10th March 2023. Support connection and belonging in our community with up to $10,000 per application. Learn more at thetrusts.co.nz/west-support-fund