Bupa Glenburn Retirement Village
Bupa Glenburn Retirement Village is a boutique village conveniently situated right next to a bus stop and just up the road from LynnMall and the New Lynn train station. Our affordable apartments are modern and light and there are a variety of community facilities for you to enjoy. Apartment living means you can lock up and leave with safety, security and peace of mind.
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
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Writers and contributors: Moira Kennedy, David Thiele, Naomi McCleary, Fiona Drummond, Jade Reidy, John Goudge, Karen McCarthy, Kerry Lee
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.
Takeaway | Dine in | Deliveries
Lunch 11am – 2.30pm; Dinner 4.30pm – 11pm (Takeaway & Dine in discount offer: Monday – Thursday)
Seating capacity for 50 people for special events, e.g. Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, Valentines, New Year’s Eve or any social events. Email: indiankitchentitirangi@gmail.com Website: www.titirangiindiankitchen.co.nz www.facebook.com/indian.kitchen.titirangi 2/421 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland (Behind Gull Petrol Station, Titirangi Village) Kia Ora!
Expect more airport noise and disruption
Auckland Airport is moving apace to become an aviation mega city by 2030. JADE REIDY asks what will bigger, better, more, mean for West Auckland?
The airport is spending $3.9 billion on its biggest-ever expansion, to almost double the number of annual flights to 260,000 in 20 years’ time. Some of the much larger jets being accommodated will have seating for 1,000 passengers.
The airport argues in its masterplan Airport of the future that land limitations in both Sydney and Melbourne make Auckland uniquely positioned to serve Australasia and the Pacific rim.
A new northern runway is part of the 250,000m2 of land under development. There is currently no night time curfew on flights, when aircraft noise is perceived as much louder. The airport has promised east Aucklanders that no flights to or from this new runway will fly over the east due to increasing residential growth there. The new jumbo airbuses will therefore have to head west.
The Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act aims to protect the airspace above the ranges from an increase in decibels. The particular focus is on the area’s quietness and darkness. It also calls for recognising and avoiding cumulative adverse effects. However, when the airport presented its plans to the local board in May, it said it had not considered the Act.
Auckland Airport did not make anyone available to The Fringe to talk to its masterplan and what we might expect.
John Palmer was a member of the Cornwallis aircraft watch group. His experience of attempting to talk with the airport has left him sceptical. “There’s no sound monitoring in the ranges,” he says, “but our experience is that some flights have caused houses and garage doors to shake and rattle, and it’s impossible to have a phone conversation outdoors.”
He says one of the biggest issues is altitude. “We noticed the planes began tilting right earlier and then tightening the turns – maybe for tourists to get better views – which means many flights don’t reach their legal altitude by Cornwallis. They should go to the harbour mouth before turning. I gave up trying to have a conversation with the airport about it.”
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The response to Auckland Council’s recent long-term plan consultation on selling all remaining shares in Auckland Airport gave Mayor Wayne Brown enough support that he claimed a mandate to sell them, removing any influence residents could have on airport plans via council ownership. Given the climate change impacts of long-haul travel, should New Zealand even be considering encouraging this growth?
Air New Zealand says it intends to start replacing the Q300 domestic fleet with either green hydrogen or battery hybrid systems. Either of these options will be significantly quieter and have zero emissions.
The work continues ...
Roadworks in the Tītīrangi area, as part of Auckland Transport's (AT) cyclone recovery programme, will continue until at least mid-October this year, .
During last year's floods and cyclones, more than 2,000 slips and other roading issues were reported. The stretch of Scenic Drive from the Village roundabout to Woodlands Park Road is one of these and this will remain closed until repairs are complete. There were initially only two underslips although a third was discovered later, extending the completion date to October.
Additionally, an overslip causing rocks to fall from a rockface above this section of Scenic Drive has been added to the repair programme.
Murray Burt, director of infrastructure and place at says Auckland Transport is focused on delivering a transport system that is resilient to the impacts of climate change and minimises impacts on the environment.
“We understand road damage from last year’s flood is causing inconvenience to residents, due to detours and road closures and we want to reassure the community, that we’ve deployed as many resources as possible (including additional contractors) to work on these sites, but they are complex slips that will take time to fully repair.”
Although 66% of flood-related issues were repaired by May 31 this year, over 800 sites still need both minor and major repairs. Other scheduled repairs include Huia, Takahe (currently in progress), Tanekaha and Paturoa Roads.
For information relating to flood-related repairs visit https://at.govt.nz/projects-initiatives/roadworks-anddisruptions/long-term-road-repairs-from-aucklandstorms/west-auckland-flood-recovery-progress. If the road disruption you are concerned about is not listed on this site, a second web page, https://at.govt.nz/projectsinitiatives/roadworks-and-disruptions, has a list of many of the roadworks and disruptions in Auckland including two local disruptions (at the time of writing). There is also a map at this link showing many more consented disruptions.
– Kerry Lee
The threads that bind
We joke about there being six degrees of separation but two degrees is about the best you can achieve in Aotearoa. Here it is perfectly played out.
Sir Bob Harvey has been deeply engaged in the film world in New Zealand for ever; or so it seems. He texts me to say that there is a talented young man who has made a film about author and poet Dame Fiona Kidman. Could the Going West Trust connect with him and help promote it? I immediately see threads tracking back into the festival years.
I meet Joshua Prendeville; writer, film director, producer at Sozo in Glen Eden. He spent his adolescence in Laingholm before heading off into the world; down and out in Paris; back here in the stalemate of the Covid years. He has a feature film In Passing (2020) and another percolating as we speak. But it is the story of his deep connection to Dame Fiona Kidman and the resulting documentary, that I am here to explore.
An impulsive email to her in early 2023, with no expectation of a reply, began an extraordinary relationship between this young man and our much-loved, 84-year-old, literary icon. Her fierce protection of her work and her privacy, (she has declined all previous requests to document her life) slowly over time and many long days of conversation, yielded to a mutual agreement to interview her in her home of 50 years. As Joshua talks, the intensity of this relationship is revealed in a quietly tender and beautiful way. That she would trust him to honour her is implicit in the telling.
So where are the ‘threads that bind’? In 2000 my partner Murray Gray invited Dame Fiona to give the key-note address at the Going West Writers Festival* for that year; the theme, interestingly, Friends and Lovers. Remembering that Going West was at that time the only literary festival in Aotearoa that exclusively starred our own writers, this was a big deal. As she began to speak, she laughed and said ‘I thought they would never ask me’! And, of course, a brilliant dissertation on friendship and love ensued. Fiona came back twice more; Once to be interviewed by Karyn Hay on her 2019 Ockham Award winning novel This Mortal Boy; and again, as part of a panel of feminist women to interrogate, with much passion, Women Then, Women Now. (see Going West Festival podcasts for both recorded sessions)
And so we come to the film. The House Within sets Fiona in her home; her place of writing; the scene of the highs
and lows of her long and generous life. It examines the way in which life and fiction collide and how, with time, they become inescapably braided together. It probes the inner world of a truly maverick writer who has overcome innumerable obstacles to establish her voice, and place, in the world of literature on a global scale. Fiona speaks for the first time about the private pains and losses in her life and art, and how these experiences were fundamental to the creation of the fictional worlds which have moved us so deeply.
The inaugural showing in Auckland, as part of the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), will be at the ASB Waterfront Theatre on August 18 at 12.45. Both Dame Fiona and Joshua will be there for a 40 minute Q&A after the film. This is, for lovers of her novels and her three-volume memoir, a not to be missed event.
Tickets available through www.nziff.co.nz.
Celebration
Another slim thread of connection. Fiona Kidman lived and wrote for 50 years in her Wellington home; Maurice Shadbolt for 40 years in his Tītīrangi home. Is there any synchronicity there? Maybe? The notion of a writer firmly grounded in place, but able to produce work that reaches out to a global audience.
Shadbolt House is a ‘slow burn’. Events have conspired to make it so. But that doesn’t make its progress towards a writers’ retreat less meaningful. In fact, I’ll go for ‘slow and steady wins the race’. But an event of huge import took place on July 11. On that day Heritage NZ formally placed the Maurice Shadbolt House and Studio at 35 Arapito Road, Tītīrangi, on the list as a Category 1 historic place. The implications of this are monumental for the project. It carries protection; mana; supports funding applications. The listing is firmly embedded in the cultural significance of Maurice Shadbolt as a 20th century writer, a man who broke barriers and contributed in his lifetime to our growing sense of identity. The New Zealand Wars Trilogy shaped new ground in challenging the received accounts of that tumultuous time in our history. He was novelist, journalist, playwright, protester; he engaged with the literary and artistic fraternity. 35 Arapito Road holds not only the story of his life and work, but a story of the social life of the arts community in the latter part of the 20th century. The vibe is palpable.
The final report by Martin Jones of Heritage NZ can be found on their website: www.heritage.org.nz. It can also be found on www.goingwestfest.org.nz.
Continued on page 7 >>
Joshua Prendeville: writer, film director, producer.
Places to go – Things to do
Playing With Fire
“Don’t play with fire!” Isn’t that the message from all parents to their children? Blockhouse Bay fire performer and tutor Josh Bourgeois obviously didn’t listen. He teaches fire dancing to children as young as three.
In 2022 Josh became National Coordinator of Te Ahi Ora, a fire performance programme. Te Ahi Ora has worked with more than 80,000 kids and parents from 164 schools across Aotearoa, including 16 West Auckland schools.
Central to Te Ahi Ora is the power of fire performance to build confidence, physical coordination, and a sense of accomplishment. Through workshops and performances, participants learn the techniques of fire spinning while gaining skills such as teamwork, focus, and resilience.
>> The threads that bind, continued from page 6
Another document for aficionados, brimming with information, is the Conservation Plan, written some years ago by Graeme Burgess and Lucy Treep. (Burgess Treep & Knight Architects) This is also on the Going West website.
Along with all this (refer to the ‘slow burn’) the Going West Trust is making good progress with securing the foundations of the house. This is not sexy work, but vitally necessary. Twentieth century homemakers took liberties with DIY that are questionable to 2024 eyes. The builder undertaking the work comments that by the time it is finished this house will be more secure than at any time in its life!
In partnership with Heritage NZ there will be some celebratory events in the months to come.
Finally, from the Going West Trust, huge thanks to those readers who made submissions in support of the heritage listing. It made a difference and warmed our hearts.
1 15/11/16 16:33
* The writer is chair of the Going West Trust.
Typically, Josh will run training sessions with most or every class at a school. Then there will be an evening performance where whanau will come to watch, and can join in. But is it safe? “I often compare fire dancing to rugby or even basketball,” Josh says. “Fire performance, if you do it the right way, is safer than any of these. In the three years we’ve been running this, we’ve had zero significant incidents.”
On Matariki evening, Te Ahi Ora provided public fire dancing tuition for anyone at the Blockhouse Bay ‘Village Green’ next to the library. Queues of children lined-up, all wearing the prerequisite trousers and hair tied back, waiting for their turn to twirl the two-headed flaming sticks. Some looked barely old enough to go to school. Each obeyed Josh’s instructions calmly and with concentration, sticking to their designated spot on the lawn. Even the parents seemed relaxed as they watched their most precious play with fire.
“It’s a big trust exercise,” says Josh, “and a lot of kids these days aren’t trusted. I give them the tools to manage the situation, and I trust them. And of course, I’m right there if they need any help.”
Occasionally Josh will have a child who is scared of fire because of a past experience – a house fire for example. He has witnessed the power of confronting that fear.
“You have to practice bravery. On paper it sounds crazy, but after five minutes of seeing it, people understand it’s a rite of passage. The parents are stoked.”
Josh says fire and dancing are positive and engaging activities that bring people together, promote social cohesion, and reduce screen time.
Classes run at Blockhouse Bay Community Centre on Monday evenings. Visit teahiora.co.nz to learn more.
– John Goudge
Photo by Ignacio Nabulen.
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 if possible, especially over the festive and holiday season
Exhibitions
w – 4, Making do rhymes with poo: a new multimedia installation with video and live performance by Justene Williams (Australia); Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – 4, Eternally Temporary: Landscape paintings from the Kelliher Art Trust Collection; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – 18, Toi Whakaata/Reflections: surveying the work of sculptor Fred Graham (Ngati Koroki Kahukura, Tainui); Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – 25, Rehutai: works by Shannon Te Ao, Arapeta Hakura and Ngahuia Harrison; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – 11, Desmond Burdon Solo Show. Creating art is the craft of bringing life to a canvas, and for Desmond Burdon, life has been extraordinary; Upstairs Gallery, Level 1, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 4278.
w 16 – 1 September, A Book of Hours, an exhibition by Steve Tollestrup, is an artistic journey into a mythic and elemental realm of deeper organic time beyond a fabricated measure counted in increments of productivity and schedule; Upstairs Gallery, first floor, Lopdell HOuse, 418 Titirangi Road. Phone 817 4278.
August
w 3, German Winter Market – German food and music, stalls, craft grotto, face painting, pretzel and bouncy castle; The Crossing Community Centre, 30/44 Kaurilands Road; 3-7pm. Phone Katrin Staugaard 021 403 792.
w 4, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.
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 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, 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 presents The Sinnott Family, 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 15, Waitākere Forest and Bird presents Adriana Cornelissen, a senior keeper from Auckland Zoo, speaking about the Zoo’s wētāpunga (giant
wētā); Ranui Community Centre, 474 Swanson Road, Ranui; 7:30pm; koha appreciated. For further information phone Liz 027 476 2732 or email lizanstey@hotmail.com
w 17, New Lynn Lions Club $1 Book Sale: Books, Magazines, CDs, DVDs, LPs and jigsaw puzzles; New Lynn Friendship Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn (down the driveway by the traffic lights); 8am-4pm. Contact Mary Hibberd on 027 487 0639.
w 19, Henderson Falls Combined Friendship Club; Henderson Bowling Clubrooms, 2/20 Alderman Drive, Henderson; 10am-noon. Contact Joy 837 4646 or 021 267 3544.
w 21, Combined Waitākere Rebus Club; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 10am-Noon. Contact Philis on 838 5361.
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 23, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk, an informal gathering of musicians, singers and listeners; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 7.30pm; $5. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.
w 23, Tītīrangi U3A – informal learning for people 50-years plus, 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.
w 24, Well Being Economy Aotearoa presents Outgrow the System, a film by Kate Raworth, followed by discussion with Gareth Hughes and Greg Presland; Seminar Room, first floor, Lopdell House, 418 Titirangi Road; 3pm; Tickets $10-$20. Contact laurie-ross@xtra.co.nz, 818 0696.
w 24, Waitematā Country Music Club presents its Annual Concert with guest artists: Kylie Austin and Carleen Still; Playhouse Theatre, Glen Eden; 2.00pm and 7.30pm; $20, under 15s free. Phone Tom 818 7556 or Kathy 027 290 5230.
w 25, Tītīrangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact tvm.manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436.
w 28, West Auckland Historical Society presents Hochstetter’s Journeys, a talk by Bruce Hayward; Waitākere Gardens, 15 Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson; 7pm. Phone 836 5917.
w 31, New Lynn Repair Cafe organised and run by DEANZ (Doughnut Economics Advocates NZ). Bring your broken items and work with skilled volunteers to fix them; New Lynn Community Centre, Tōtara Avenue, New Lynn; 11am - 2pm; Koha. Phone Surbhi Gupta 022 507 0905.
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
Places to go – Things to
At the Libraries ...
Tītīrangi Library
August 8, 11am-12.30pm: Amanda’s Love Food Hate Waste workshop. Tips and tricks for what to do with left over citrus, including whole orange muffins and orange-peel cleaner. You’ll also get advice on how to store fresh food and leftovers, to help them last longer.
August 10, 10 am-12pm: Welcome to the world of microgreens, sprouts, and home-grown salads in this interactive workshop. Learn how to cultivate these nutritious greens at home, from seed to harvest, as well as how to cook and preserve fresh harvests. Composting will also be discussed. Hosted by Love Food Hate Waste tutor Amanda and proudly brought to you by EcoMatters, thanks to Auckland Council.
Tītīrangi Library regular children’s programmes have returned with Music with Mark, Mondays 3.30-4.00pm; Rhymetime , Wednesdays 9.30-10.00am; Lego Club , Wednesdays 3.30-4.30pm; Minecraft Club, Thursdays 3.304.30pm; and Wriggle and Rhyme: Fridays 9.30-10.00am.
Glen Eden Library
Glen Eden’s regular children’s programmes include Lego Club, Tuesdays 3:30-4:45pm; Wriggle and Rhyme, Wednesdays 11:00-11:30am; Rhymetime, second Thursdays 10:30-11:00am; Friday Crafternoons, second Fridays 3:305:00pm.
August 16, 10.00-11,30am: Shared Reading Group in partnership with The Reading Revolution. Discuss short stories and poetry, August 7, 10.30-11.30am: Book Chat Group. Come along and share what you have been reading.
When life gives you (excess) lemons, donate them to Fair Food. The Westie charity is asking for any seasonal citrus fruit that will otherwise go to waste, including grapefruit. You can drop off bags at Fair Food, 624 Rosebank Rd, Avondale, or c/- Maia at Iti in Tītīrangi Village.
There are also Pataka Kai food pantries in your area that would welcome any contributions you may have. See patakai.co.nz/auckland-pantries for more details
The Tītīrangi Soldiers Memorial Church (116 Park Road, Tītīrangi) invites the community to use its beautiful building as a community venue for weddings and small gatherings for music, poetry, pottery, meetings, small church groups, contemplation meetings or any other gatherings. To make your bookings contact Beryl (021 256 2563 or email sweetingberyl@msn.com) or Shirley (022 450 3198 or email anton6j@gmail.com).
Join the Matuku Muster
The Great Matuku Muster is taking place across New Zealand and help is needed in the Whatipū wetlands.
The Bittern Conservation Trust is coordinating the nationwide survey of matuku (bittern) and booming males have been heard in Whatipū.
Matuku are highly mobile so counting at multiple sites
throughout the country on set dates will give an accurate number of this rare and special wetland bird.
The plan is to survey on September 14th, October 19th and November 16th and volunteers are needed to listen for matuku on these dates. The Whatipū Lodge and bach are available for those wishing to stay. Contact Friends of Whatipū on friendsofwhatipu.treasurer@gmail.com or belindaharveynz@gmail.com to volunteer. Training will be provided.
Volunteers are also invited to the Huia Hall on August 31 at 2pm to hear John Sumich of the Bittern Conservation Trust talk on matuku/bittern and the survey.
HELP BUILD A WELLBEING ECONOMY
It’s now West Auckland’s chance to view the incredible film:
Panel and Public Forum is on Transitioning Business for Wellbeing MC’d by Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chairperson Greg Presland, "What is a Wellbeing Economy for Communities in West Auckland?"
Panel Speakers
Gareth Hughes, Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa Kath Dewar, GoodSense Ethical Marketing Excellence Jewelz Petley, (Te Rarawa, Ngati Kuri) MA Social Change
TITIRANGI LOPDELL HOUSE
Tickets $20 from Humantix, scan to book. Coordinator: Laurie Ross (09-8180696) email: laurie-ross@xtra.co.nz
Dark skies: good for Waitākere’s wētā
The Waitākere Ranges Dark Sky Project – an initiative designed to reduce light pollution and raise awareness about its impact – could significantly increase wētā numbers, according to University of Auckland entomologist, Dr David Seldon.
Supported by Waitākere Ranges Local Board, the project – currently in the initiation stage – will support the nocturnal ecosystem and promote biodiversity within the region.
Research has shown that artificial light significantly disrupts the natural activity of nocturnal species like native wētā, particularly affecting male wētā, which exhibit strong avoidance behaviour. This makes them more vulnerable to predators and reduces their foraging opportunities.
“Wētā are vital to the health of our ecosystem,” explains Dr Seldon. “Among other things, they provide nutrients to the soil through their waste and are a vital link in the food chain. Without them we’d lose many important native plants and animals which would cause significant issues for our environment.
“However, establishing a Dark Sky Park and restoring the natural night-time environment should go a long way in supporting wētā and other nocturnal species to thrive,” he says.
Once underway, the project will involve implementation of guidelines for outdoor lighting to minimise light pollution, as recommended by Dark Sky International.
The guidelines lay out a range of recommendations including the use of shielded and motion-activated lighting, reducing unnecessary illumination and preserving the darkness that nocturnal species rely on.
“This is not about policing light sources across the area,” says Waitākere Ranges Local Board member Dr Liz
Manley. “It’s about raising awareness and understanding the impacts of light pollution on our environment and wildlife.
“And it’s not just wildlife that will benefit. Reduced light pollution can also improve human health, reduce energy consumption, preserve heritage and provide better opportunities for astronomical observations.”
According to Dr Manley, residents and businesses will be encouraged to adopt dark sky-friendly lighting practices and participate in conservation activities.
“By working together, the community can help create a sanctuary for nocturnal wildlife and promote sustainable living practices,” she says.
The project will also include monitoring and research programmes to track the impact of reduced light pollution and help measure the success of the initiative.
You can help support wētā and other nocturnal species by minimising outdoor lighting, creating wētā-friendly habitats, supporting conservation programmes (e.g. the Pest Free Waitākere Ranges Alliance, https://pfwra.org.nz), and spreading the word about the importance of wētā and why we need to keep them safe.
Visit https://www.livingintheranges.nz/weta/ or https:// darksky.org/ for more information. Get involved through https://pfwra.org.nz/find-your-people/.
Period Product Partnership
Thanks to a special partnership, local trust Visionwest is now able to supply free period products through their food support service, Whai Manaaki Kai.
The Period Place has teamed up with the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) to provide millions of donated period products nationwide. As one of NZFN’s partnering food hubs, this means Visionwest will be able to help West Auckland whānau who are finding things financially tough.
Period product poverty is a significant problem with a large and growing number of students unable to access period products due to their cost, often missing school as a result..
This latest partnership will bring some help to West Aucklanders who are struggling.
Providing free period products helps reduce barriers to school attendance and sports involvement, improves child and youth wellbeing and reduces strain on families and whānau.
If you or your whānau is affected, contact Visionwest’s Whānau Centre, phone 0800 990 026.
A West Auckland wētā. Photo by Greg Lokes.
“I need other men to support me, challenge me ...”
Being invited to a ‘courage to be a man’ retreat in the Coromandel 15 plus years ago was a transformative experience for Jeremy Beale (right), one that would lead him to set up something similar in Tītīrangi years later.
“I don’t know if it saved my life, but it helped me with the emotional baggage that I was carrying around.
“Sitting in a safe, secure space, listening to other men tell their stories enabled me to do the same thing. I’ve learned and seen that it can be life-changing, particularly in a culture where it’s like men don’t cry, men don’t feel things.”
Jeremy formed the Kauri Brotherhood Tītīrangi Men’s Circle to do for other men what the retreat in the Coromandel had done for him: provide a forum where men could discuss things they felt they couldn't share with anyone else.
Topics can include issues between the men and their fathers while others may stem from a culture that increasingly celebrates individualism over the collective good. Jeremy believes we have erased the idea that success depends on the whole society, not just a few or the one.
“It’s well proven empirically that a relationship with one’s community is the healthiest way to lead societies. Community values lead to healthier outcomes for individuals, but a society where the individual is king is destined for failure.
“It’s horrifically evident in our young people, the lack of
Protecting our coastlines?
Council staff have been working through all the feedback they have received on Council’s shoreline adaptation proposals and have now released draft plans for further feedback and comment.
The plans build on responses from local communities, iwi, asset owners and infrastructure providers. They are being developed to help Council manage Council-owned land and assets in the face of increasing environmental threats but the plans will also affect our roads, services and the future of our homes and communities. If you enjoy living near the coast, anywhere in the West, these plans will be very important to you.
The draft plans for the north coast of the Manukau Harbour and the coastline from Whatipū to South Head are now available for a further round of consultation.
For more information, and to have your say, go to https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/ topics-you-can-have-your-say-on/Pages/default.aspx. Consultation closes on August 12.
direction and hope experienced by our youth, for a bunch of reasons, for example.”
While the circle is only for people who identify as men, many women have made contact to put the men in their lives forward.
“One of the beautiful outcomes I’ve seen when the programme’s over is the man’s partner saying ‘he returned the man I married 10 years ago’. They notice the difference.
“One problem our society has is that if you’re in a committed relationship, sometimes we look to each other for everything, and it’s not always feasible. You know there’s never enough time. I’m at work, I’m at home; if there’s kids, I’m parenting. And either we don’t unload, or we unload too much,” says Jeremy.
“I don’t think it’s fair or feasible for my partner to meet all my needs, I need other men to support me, challenge me, and to help me grow.”
To find out more, email jerry@radicalalice.com.
– Kerry Lee
Board role on emergency forum
Waitākere Ranges Local Board has welcomed the opportunity to appoint members to the new Local Board Emergency Readiness and Response Forum.
Members Mark Allen, Sandra Coney and Linda Potauaine were nominated as the board leads to the forum, with member Liz Manley as an alternate.
The forum has been created following the 2023 floods and Cyclone Gabrielle and will be coordinated by Auckland Emergency Management (AEM).
Local board members will work together to strengthen their role in emergency readiness and response.
Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chair Greg Presland says that the forum is a welcome step for local boards to be involved in the planning for, and response to, emergencies.
“The impact of the 2023 floods and cyclone Gabrielle was significant in the Waitākere Ranges area,” he says.
“There were many lessons learned, one of which being the importance of local board members during a response.
“Our members were on the ground, with access to communities that other parts of the response couldn’t reach and provided an important information conduit.
“Creation of this forum is welcome because the more prepared we can be, the better.”
All local boards have been invited to appoint up to three members to the forum. The first meeting of the forum was held last month.
Birdcare Aotearoa gets new general manager
Carl Ashworth brings a wealth of bird expertise to his new role as the general manager of BirdCare Aotearoa.
He started his conservation journey as a 14-year-old volunteer, in his hometown of Southport, a seaside town in the northwest of England. As fate would have it, the town’s birdkeeper left his position as Carl finished school, and he was appointed to the role.
After a couple of years, Carl moved to Chester Zoo, and gained specialist training in the tricky task of raising baby birds, hand rearing Bali starlings, azure wing magpies, tawny frogmouths, pekin robins and more.
Following travel to Asia, Australia and Aotearoa, Carl took on more roles in conservation including Europe’s first successful relocation project. As part of this project Carl hand-reared 385 Cirl buntings over five years before their successful release into the wild. Carl worked at ZSL London Zoo as the lead keeper of the bird department for seven years, before moving to New Zealand where he led the bird department at Auckland Zoo for six years.
“My appointment at BirdCare Aotearoa draws inspiration and expertise from decades of work in conservation,” says Carl. “Beyond caring for birds, I also manage the hardworking team. I know that BirdCare has a long legacy, and I am excited to continue its incredible work, while also upgrading our operations.”
BirdCare is New Zealand’s largest wild bird hospital and admits more than 6000 birds a year, rehabilitating 175 different species according to each species’ unique needs. It is permitted by the Department of Conservation to rehabilitate rare and native birds – including tūī, kererū, rūrū, pīwakawaka, kākā, and sea birds like the Cook’s petrels.
BirdCare aims to inspire the next generation of kaitiaki (nature guardians) and is delighted to help local rangatahi (youth) learn rehabilitation skills through hands-on volunteering programmes. It recently received fundraising
support from Glen Eden Intermediate, Lynfield College, and Remuera Intermediate, and is excited to work with the next generation of toa tiaki manu (wild bird champions). A kid’s club is to be launched soon.
There will be challenges ahead including the ongoing threat of bird flu. BirdCare has been preparing for this, but there are extra costs involved, with the disinfectant that protects birds, staff and volunteers costing around $30,000 a year. The team also needs to upgrade the aviaries.
BirdCare Aotearoa is a charity, and depends on donations to cover the $850,000 in annual costs. It does not receive any government funding. It is seeking corporate partners, who share its passion, and welcomes discussions on possible collaborations. BirdCare is also looking for volunteers to support the hospital through a wide range of tasks, from site maintenance to administration. If you wish to get involved, visit https://birdcareaotearoa. org.nz/.
– Fiona Drummond
Transforming the economic system
Weall Aotearoa is a relatively new organisation working to transform our present economic system into a ‘wellbeing economy’.
The organisation has four main objectives: community wealth building, putting the wellbeing of future generations at the centre of government and public service decision making, working to shift power from corporations and lobbyists back to people through more participatory approaches, and challenging the myths of ‘infinite growth’ and ‘trickle-down economics’.
Together these objectives aim to change our present economic system so that it better serves social and environmental wellbeing for the country as a whole.
Local Laurie Ross is organising an event in Tītīrangi to introduce the concept of a wellbeing economy. This will take place in Lopdell House’s seminar room from 3pm on August 24.
The event will feature the film Outgrow the system with Kate Haworth, author of Doughnut Economics, sharing business and political models that might better serve the health and wellbeing of people and the environment. This will be followed by a public forum facilitated by Weall Aotearoa director Garth Hughes and Waitākere Ranges Local Board chair Greg Presland.
To find out more about Weall Aotearoa and its work, contact email Gareth Hughes: Gareth@weall.org.
Carl Ashworth holding an injured kingfisher.
Keeping it local
Hospice West Auckland opens rongoā garden
Hospice West Auckland, in partnership with CHT St Margarets, have developed a rongoā garden at Hospice House in Te Atatū for patients, whānau and the wider West Auckland community.
The garden contains a wide range of New Zealand native flora, herbs and other edibles, and a cleansing water feature. It is a space where people from all walks of life can rest and reflect, reconnect with papatūānuku (mother earth) and feel culturally, physically, spiritually and emotionally strengthened.
Rongoā Māori – traditional Māori healing – is one of the many holistic support services that Hospice West Auckland offers to patients and whānau. The garden will provide opportunities for education about Te Ao Māori and Rongoā Māori practices, as well as the ability for Hospice’s Rongoā Māori practitioner to grow and harvest rongoā rākau (native plants).
The garden has been in planning and development for over a year and was officially opened to the public during Matariki. It is located at 52 Beach Road, Te Atatū Peninsula and was made possible thanks to the generosity of many sponsors, supporters and volunteers.
Roots and resilience, a drainage drama
Picture it: a subterranean world where drains slumber, and roots – those unruly botanical adventurers – plot their takeover. Welcome to the Chronicles of Drain Ranger!
Deep in the shadowy depths of your drainage system, a silent battle rages. Tree roots, mischievous green fingers, inch their way into the heart of your pipes. Why, you ask? Because they’re opportunists. They sense weakness – the tiniest crack, a broken joint, a misaligned drain – and they strike. It’s a botanical heist, but instead of jewels, they’re after water and nutrients.
“But surely,” you protest, “can’t we just ignore them?” Alas, no, left unchecked, they grow – nay, flourish – until they resemble full-blown trees. These roots are stubborn house guests. They won’t leave without eviction notices.
Enter Drain Ranger, Sherlock Holmes with a hydro jet, CCTV camera and pipe wrench, the Drainlayer of Destiny!
The Fringe makes space on these pages available for current advertisers and non-commercial organisations, at no charge. To be included in the September issue, email info@ fringemedia.co.nz before August 16.
And Drain Ranger has a plan. First, to blast away debris, roots, and existential doubts. Second, to sneak into your drains, peek inside your pipes, spot trouble, and find the root cause. And third, to roll up his sleeves and do the dirty work to keep your drains refreshed and ready to face the rain.
Our drains are unsung heroes, protecting our homes from smells and floods: Drain Ranger is their ally, helping them fight the threats to your wellbeing. They work to ensure those stubborn roots don’t hang around and the drains run free.
Summon a Drain Ranger. Your friendly neighbourhood drain whisperer will report the issues, provide a quote (obligation-free, of course) and keep your pipes flowing smoothly.
Call Drain Ranger on 021 709 783. www.drainranger.co.nz
Hospice West Auckland staff at the opening of the new rongoā garden.
Introducing Day and Night Boudoir Apparel
Hello. Sharon here, or Shaz, as Lizard calls me. I hope you’re well and keeping warm.
At the beginning of winter, Lizard got his career path sorted. He was finally old enough to go on the pension.
As a family, we had all been looking forward to this day since way back in December 1995 when Lizard walked out of the Crown Lynn factory saying, “working is for mugs.”
With this regular income stream coming in fortnightly and most of the kids safely on the dole, I found myself at a bit of a loose end there for a while. That was until, quite by chance really, I happened to be absent-mindedly looking at the public notice board near Waima dairy. One notice in particular caught my eye:
Personal Growth Mentoring.
Mind and Body Realisation.
Marketing True Inner Pathways.
Qualified Perceptionist. Ph. 0800GARY
I thought what the hell and rang the number. He had a nice sounding voice on the phone and luckily had a space that very afternoon. So, a bit nervous, I jumped in Whitevan and headed out to Huia. That first meeting, I decided to take along Lizard. Just in case. That turned out to be a bit of a disaster.
On our second meeting, alone this time, I asked Gary if there was anything he could do to guide Lizard. He said, “you can’t blow a golf ball through a straw.”
At that session, I happened to be wearing my reversible dressing gown.
“Wow. What an amazing coat,” Gary said. “Where on earth did you get it?”
I told him that I had sewn it up myself. I was sick and tired of getting up on these cold mornings and putting on my cosy dressing gown, only to have to change into cold clothes to go out. So I bought a beautiful thick fleecy pink dressing gown and stitched a puffer jacket on the inside. That way I could just turn it inside out when I went to the shops.
Ra
y Percival and Son
Painters & Decorators
021 436 900 • a/hrs: 814 9124 email: Rayperci@xtra.co.nz
’That’s brilliant!” said Gary. “We could really absolutely market those. We’d need a catchy phrase to sell the concept. Give me a minute. Got it! Sexy in the bedroom to misbehave, then smart and sleek at Pak n Save. It’ll go off. Trust me.”
Well, that was several months ago.
Since then, I did trust Gary and we have teamed up and formed a company. We are Day And Night Boudoir Apparel And More Ltd.
Coincidently, Gary’s grandmother, back in Wales, had her own cottage industry sewing for the war effort so I guess the garment business was in Gary's blood. His grandmother crocheted condoms for the troops. As a mother of 11 children, she had plenty of experience in these matters. She sounds like a lovely woman.
So far we are only selling online but hope to be at the local markets or one day, even open a shop. Fingers crossed. Or as Gary says, “listen to the sounds of the ocean. Success is like the tides.”
If you want to, you can go online and check out our apparel. Our biggest seller so far is the Salt Water-filled Pillows. These osmotic pillows have proven health benefits while they form to your face. Another feature of these amazing pillows is the built in pressure pad that, when your head hits the pillow, quietly plays the Shortland Street theme song. Just imagine drifting off to the gentle voice of Tina Cross singing "Is it you or is it me? Lately I’ve been lost it seems. I think a change is what I need. If I’m looking for a chance or to dream. Shortland Street."
Our twin-sided sheets have sold out but we still have a few celebrity sleeping masks available. Imagine waking up next to Jennifer Aniston or Jason Momoa. Anyway. Thanks for reading this. I hope to see you online. By the way, in the pipeline is a Sleepwell Bra with attachable book holder and reading torch. So far this has eliminated ’slap’ but the solar panel looks out of place on a bra somehow.
Stay warm. Later, Shaz.
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 4683 sales@watkinsplumbing.co.nz www.watkinsplumbing.co.nz
have received their share of 29 schools and organisations $250,000 from the
