YourOpinion

Not a knee-jerk

Thank you Roger White for your letter in Hibiscus Matters (HM March 6) which I totally agree with. The amount of wasted taxpayer money (yours and mine) over the so called consultations over what to do to ‘protect’ Ōrewa beach is a complete disaster. And the wasted money would be far better spent on sorting out the reasons for the Puhoi and Dairy Flat flooding issues - to name a few. Auckland Council’s reply from manager Kris Bird of the area operation section makes no sense in stating that rocks would compromise how people use and enjoy our beach. There are other considerations apart from cycleways and more children’s playgrounds which are only targeted to the young and fit and have no regard to the older population (lots of retirement accommodation here). Using rocks is not a knee jerk reaction, it is a system that works and looks natural, costs less and solves the current problem. Also now the debate is whether or not to keep our impressive Norfolk pine trees! To turn our lovely beach into a bland and characterless strip of sand and to get rid of the gorgeous natural aspects – indeed, to not appreciate what we have is a very narrow sighted view and I strongly object to it.

Sue Norwood and Peter Evans, Ōrewa (abridged)

Dunes needed

The sand dunes on Ōrewa Beach have been doing what sand dunes do for a thousand years – then we come along and build houses, carparks, mown lawn and surf clubs on the sand dunes, preventing the sand dunes from doing what sand dunes do. Then the affected owners want the rest of the residents to continually fork out and pay for protection, when any reasonably aware person should be aware of the risks of building on sand dunes, thus destroying the dunes that we so desperately need. The dunes should be restored, to work as nature intended. As a ratepayer, I don’t want to contribute to this never ending situation. I/we should be the ones getting angry at the cost of continually forking out for this absurd situation. Just a thought –how about bulldozing all the houses and letting nature do its job, as it has been for a thousand years.

Geoff Hansen, Hatfields Beach

Dunes reclaimed

Everyone can sympathise with the plight of the Ōrewa residents on the beachfront who want protection from encroaching seas (HM March 20). Their road is obviously something that should be protected. But ratepayers should not pay for homes on Ōrewa beach and other beaches to be kept safe. I don’t know what the often used term ‘managed retreat’ exactly means, but that surely has to be the way forward (or back!). That land, effectively sand dunes, was ‘borrowed’ from nature. And now it is time to give it back.

Martin Wilson, Stanmore Bay

Foreshore retaining

The latest ‘once in a hundred year’ event demonstrated the need to stabilise Ōrewa foreshore and bring the beach back to what it used to be. Other correspondents liken what could be done to other successful restorations/retaining efforts.The beach is the jewel in the crown to Whangaparāoa. One only needs to look at the south end of Milford beach to see that a promenade and sea wall that was erected by manual labour in the 1930s is still is doing the job it was built for. Auckland Council must get on and protect this valuable local asset. As Winston Churchill said “The further one can look back, the further one can see ahead”.

Peter Burn, Gulf Harbour

Thanks for clear up

I would like to say a huge thanks to a local family who took it upon themselves to clear the accessibility ramp at Moana Ave on Ōrewa Beach that had been piled up with shells after the recent storms. I spoke with the man who was filling a huge wheelbarrow, asking how many loads of shells he had cleared so far – the answer was 38. He mentioned that he had seen a woman struggling with her baby in a pram, trying to get the pram up the stairs because the ramp was full of shells. So he decided to tackle the job himself, saying that the Council was most likely “under the pump” due to the latest weather damage in the area. How wonderful to see such community spirit out there, with people who truly care and want to help. When I took my walk on the beach on Friday, I saw the ramp was clear of shells and the sea had once again claimed the shell piles put out there. All in all, a great effort, so thanks.

Nanci Stone, Ōrewa

Ugly intro to Coast

I live in Whangaparāoa, and I frequently come through Silverdale. Is it just me, or is the entry to Silverdale, from the motorway, one of the ugliest introductions to a place ever? A giant carpark (park and ride), with rows and rows of bland white box housing behind, not a single tree and a giant Botanic sign. How did this happen? Did anyone signing off this hideousness, probably in the name of “affordable housing”, consider the eyesore it would quickly become? It’s such a key location for the area. I really despair.

A sign along there says, ‘Welcome to the Hibiscus Coast’. I wouldn’t be surprised if, at that point, many drivers turned around and went back the way they’d come.

Sarah Bradley, Army Bay Editor’s note: East Coast Heights subdivision extends for 26ha (behind the park and ride) and will eventually have around 500 homes. Here’s a quote from one of the site’s consent applications – “The buildings have been designed in general compliance with the development standards of the Residential – Mixed Housing Urban zone along with the associated Aucklandwide rules. Where infringements do occur to either development standards or Aucklandwide rules the proposal has been designed to minimise and mitigate any potential adverse effects...” In other words, this type of subdivision is what is envisaged by the site’s zoning. The developers are seeking consent for the next couple of stages under the Government’s Covid-19 fast tracked process, so those decisions will be out of Council’s hands (HM March 6) but Council did consent all the other stages.

No permit needed

I refer to the story in Hibiscus Matters’ March 6 edition re the Ōrewa Reserve pine trees. I have lived in Ōrewa for over 86 years and the pines have been there most of that time and are considered iconic. Around 45 years ago, I was a builder and built a house on the waterfront, including a retaining wall (pictured) made of 200ml concrete blocks, put in place by a builder and blocklayer – no engineering, no permit, just common sense. That wall is still there and looks tidy. Before the channel was put in place, to make it safer for swimmers, the reserve was sand dunes and lupin plants. The beach was dry from end to end. We have lost millions of cubic metres of sand at the northern end of the beach. If the Norfolk pines were removed, and no rock or retaining wall built, with a naturalistic approach with sand dunes and green spaces – that would have been alright if the channel had not been diverted. I would like to see the Norfolk pines left in place to help eliminate the loss of any more beachfront land.

Stuart Flexman, Ōrewa (abridged)

Thanks to the many protestors who sabotaged the Ōrewa meeting on cogovernance on 18 March. In one hour of their extremely noisy and constant yelling, singing and intimidation, they succinctly demonstrated what people can expect from co-governance. One protestor said she believed in freedom of speech, but their behaviour ensured only their voices were able to be heard. Disappointingly, the police also seemed to think one-sided freedom of speech was acceptable too. The official speaker, Julian Bachelor had just started welcoming the audience when protestors streamed into the Council venue, encircling the audience and stormed up the centre aisle, yelling at him. The audience then had to endure the separatists’ racket and intimidation for the entire hour that Mr Batchelor persevered. I have little idea of what he said as I could rarely hear him. I believe anyone controlling public funds or resources must be elected, accountable and challengeable, to ensure a peaceful, prosperous corruption-free country. Bullies having free rein will not deliver the same.

Fiona Mackenzie, Stanmore Bay Kereama Nathan of Te Herenga Waka o Ōrewa [one of the protestors] responds (abridged): Tēnā koutou katoa. I also thank the many protestors who sabotaged the anti-co-governance meeting on March 18. To allow Julian Batchelors’ racist and discriminating message against Māori (and the media, and others) to go unopposed would have been a travesty of justice. Further to this, his presentation is fraught with conspiracy theories and blatant misinformation about Māori participation in co-governance, which is the crux of his argument. To blame Māori for the cogovernance model proposed, overlooks the democratic process taken to arrive at this juncture. It absolves the non-Māori that participated in the process, whilst offering up Māori-in general, as the sacrificial lambs! I reiterate the message I gave Julian Batchelor in person on Saturday: “Your discriminatory, biased presentation on co-governance is not welcome in this community”. My statement was validated by representatives from Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Whātua, Te Herenga Waka o Ōrewa Marae, Ngā Tāngata Tiriti and numerous community members of various ethnicities. There were no experienced protestors in our group but rather, local community residents reacting to an event that should never have been allowed in the first place. The week following the meeting, I received several emails from people who were there and objected to the way the protest was conducted. These are all valid opinions that I can appreciate. Not one of them indicated that they supported Julian Batchelors’ message. That leads me to suggest that we are, really, all on the same page.

Road rage rude

On March 5 we lost all power in our car as we were turning out of Pinecrest onto Gulf Harbour Drive. We managed to turn the corner but ended up in the bus stop area where we were stuck for many hot hours waiting for the AA and tow truck. Only one very kind driver stopped and offered assistance and a few hours later a lovely lady asked if we needed water or anything to eat and said she would keep an eye on us. I believe they were husband and wife. So thank you so much for your kindness, it meant a lot to us. For those of you who sped past ,or came extremely close to hitting us, those who offered a finger because we were in your way and for those who swore at us and called us names because we were “parked” in your way and on a bus stop –shame on you, it was disgusting behaviour.

Linda Jones, Red Beach

The Community Patrol is looking for people in our area who are prepared to stand up and do their bit to support a better community.......to be the ‘eyes and ears’ for the Police a few times each month. A shift is only four hours, reporting anything suspicious to help detract, deter or reduce crime in our community.

You would join a team of enthusiastic likeminded residents, who are kitted out and trained to assist in making our patch a better place to live in. We even have the occasional social get together which helps bond that positive team spirit focused on the one outcome...’a better place to live in’.