Local transport projects prioritised by local board

Turning Bakehouse Lane in Ōrewa into a one-way road and providing improvements for pedestrians on parts of Whangaparāoa Road and Hibiscus Coast Highway are priorities for the local board’s transport capital fund.

The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board has around $2.8m to spend on local transport projects – this is the total amount for the board’s three-year term.

The first stage in allocating this money is when the local board puts forward some suggested projects.

Auckland Transport (AT) then comes back with costings so that members can make final decisions on which projects they want to action, to work within the budget. AT brought rough costings for the suggested ‘long list’ of projects to the board’s June 13 workshop.

The report presented to members stated that, at this stage, rough cost estimates only would be provided (rather than full feasibility studies) due to “a direction to all CCOs to be more fiscally responsible”.

“Full investigation is only possible on shortlisted projects,” the report said.

On the Coast, the projects removed from the long list included creating a right turn ban from Moana Avenue onto the Hibiscus Coast Highway – as AT has a project to signalise this intersection.

A suggested raised zebra crossing across Laurence Street between Manly Park and the sailing club also didn’t make the cut, with local board members pointing out that there are already seven speed bumps in Laurence Street.

Shortlisted transport projects

Local board members were keen on all the following local projects (as well as some in the Bays subdivision) going forward for more detailed costings. The final decisions as to what projects are actioned will be made at a business meeting.

• Raised zebra crossing, driver sign and new footpaths at the Hibiscus Coast Highway, Whangaparāoa Rd and Millwater Parkway intersection – at a rough cost of $1.3m. On the southwest corner of the intersection, there is no footpath at the traffic island to connect to the Whangaparāoa Rd slip lane. The project would provide this, a pedestrianfriendly crossing treatment on the slip lane (shorten the crossing distance) and also a new footpath that connects to the existing footpath that stops outside 57 Hibiscus Coast Highway. A footpath between Titan Place and the existing footpath is also included in this project.

• Bakehouse Lane, Ōrewa – one way (northbound) treatment. Rough cost $450,000. Bakehouse Lane is narrow for two-way traffic and pedestrian use, and the local board see this as a safety issue. Suggested changes required would be building out the kerb at both of the intersections, making it tighter to physically restrict the traffic, realigning the parking, marking changes and new signage. Stormwater upgrades might be required.

• Pedestrian refuge island on Whangaparāoa Road near the Manly Fire station to increase safety for people crossing. Cost estimate $150,000.

Crime prevention money allocated in equal shares

By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter. Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.

Local boards in Auckland will get an equal share of crime prevention funding, after Mayor Wayne Brown rejected a recommendation from staff to allocate it according to need, using crime data. A total of $2 million was given to Council by the Ministry of Social Development to invest in community safety initiatives. The Regulatory and Safety committee voted on May 30, to allocate $1 million to local boards, and $1 million through council affiliated Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).

This option was put forward in a resolution by Mayor Wayne Brown – it went against council staff’s advice that $1 million should be put into a contestable grant and $1 million to local boards with the use of crime data to decide the distribution of funding.

Originally staff suggested distributing 75 percent of the $1 million go to local boards based on based on crime data each area and 25 percent split evenly across all 21 local boards.

But the Mayor was reluctant to use crime data to distribute the funding amongst local boards, suggesting that the difference in crime in some areas could be put down to which BIDS have spent money on crime prevention.

Committee chair, Cr Josephine Bartley, encouraged the Mayor to use the crime data as it was staff’s preferred option and the seconder of Brown’s motion, Cr Ken Turner, also appeared reluctant to exclude the data. Data between February 2019 and January 2023 across Auckland’s wards shows that Waitematā had significantly higher rates, with more than 50,000 victimisations over that period.

However, the Mayor’s resolution was passed and Cr Bartley said while the $2 million would not make much difference to addressing crime, it was at least a drop in the bucket.

Crime figure data for local board areas shows that the Coast is well down the list. Data sourced from NZ Police. Chart, courtesy Auckland Council.

The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board supported the idea of allowing local boards to allocate the money in their areas for crime prevention initiatives.

Jake Law, Hibiscus & Bays Local Board jake.law@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

More money in local board pot

Not long after I was elected to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, I requested an assessment of our stormwater infrastructure in the Hibiscus Coast area, as I understood our system to be underequipped to handle the impacts of a storm or flooding event. I was worried that any significant climate related event might impact our communities, and what followed were the unprecedented Auckland Anniversary weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. These emergencies revealed the need for active planning and communication regarding a localised civil defence response, as well as the need for a dramatically increased investment in our local storm water system.

I am pleased to share that the local board has started the investigation and planned implementation of official local civil defence shelters. This is being organised with the Whangaparāoa Community Response Group, so that when the next weather event arrives, our community knows where they can go for help and shelter.

The Mayor has announced a $20 million annual storm response fund, and we will be actively advocating for a share of that fund, and for Auckland Council to invest in notable improvements to our storm water infrastructure. Communities like Red Beach and Stanmore Bay are at considerable risk of continued inundation if council refuses to act.

I am incredibly pleased that the local board has supported a significant upgrade to our

Ōrewa Library. This will add another upper level and increase the floor space and usable areas of our fantastic library and improve the services on offer.

Significant repair works are currently being carried out on the northern end of Ōrewa Beach, to replace stairs and restore the geography – this work is expected to be finished next month.

The Auckland Council annual budget meeting on Friday, June 9 produced a budget with a much smaller reduction in local board funding than we had previously been told to prepare for – resulting in a welcome bump to our annual budget. This is great news and will allow us more options to support the many community groups and organisations that rely on contestable grant funding.

Our local board will now have more funding available to support the many excellent environmental groups that operate in our area – such as Pest Free Hibiscus Coast. You may have read in Hibiscus Matters (HM June 12) that Pest Free Hibiscus Coast have recently conducted a feasibility study, to see if pest elimination is possible along the Hibiscus Coast, and this study produced exciting results. We are already seeing more native birds such as the tui, grey warbler, kereru, and (my favourite) the kingfisher increasing in populations locally. If you want to add a trap to your backyard to keep native birds safe and thriving, please get in touch with Pest Free Hibiscus Coast.

Eggs or cheese?

Should you buy eggs, or cheese – which to choose when the budget won’t stretch to both at today’s prices?

(By the way, it defies logic that 1kg of NZ cheese can cost $18 in a dairy producing country.)

Those supermarket choices are hard to make, especially when times are tight and in the same way, Auckland Council had to prioritise within a limited budget for the coming year. How much to put up rates, how much would need to be borrowed, and how much of an asset like the shares in Auckland airport should be sold, were all questions that were finally thrashed out over the Council table in a two-day marathon meeting.

In total, coming up with a budget for 2023/24 involved 29 workshops and more than 90 hours of formal discussion.

Two budgets were proposed as alternatives to what Mayor Wayne Brown had put forward, and they were voted on. Neither got the majority needed.

The councillors had to work together, and while many compromises were made on what their various constituents wanted, agreement on a budget was eventually reached.

It’s the first time that I can remember in all my years as Hibiscus Matters’ editor that such a lot of stress, public concern and media interest was taken over a one-year budget.

The final 2023/24 budget is to be agreed on this week and some of the potential local impacts are looked at on page 3 of this paper.

As with any compromise, not everyone will be happy. Any rates rises will be felt, along with any cuts to community services.

And now the attention turns to the Long Term Plan (10 year budget). If a one-year budget can be this difficult, let’s brace ourselves for what lies ahead.

Terry Moore, Editor

The love of books

I would like to reply to Andrew Westaway’s letter (HM. June 12) regarding his experience with Ōrewa College’s library, and present my view as an Ōrewa college student. I believe that one of the safest places in the school is the library. It is accepting to all and has helped create my growing passion for reading.

I was invited by a librarian to join a competition called Readers Cup, which is when you read a selection of six books and then go to a quiz night to answer six questions of each. This has only pushed me further into the depths of my passion for books. I have read classics – albeit not many – and have discovered that I personally prefer to read modern books more, as they are more relevant to the times and I feel I can learn something from them. The classics are certainly favourable books, and I do enjoy reading of the past, but I want to read more of the present and future. I aspire to become a writer, and dream that one day one of my books will become a classic.

I appreciate, as many others will, your donation to the school’s library. I look forward to checking them out.

When I read your letter my impression was that it was quite presumptuous that you connected that simple action to the opinion that students of Ōrewa College do not read at a high level. Although this is only my opinion, and I am only 14.

Eva Miseriaux, Stanmore Bay

Spray concerns

I notice your article (HM May 29) regarding weed killing drones does not mention the spray Glyphosate. And what of spray drift?

Ian Harrison, Hatfields Beach

Auckland Council’s Senior Ranger Open Sanctuary, Matt Maitland responds: “The herbicide used was haloxyfop which is grass-specific to target the pampas. There is some spray drift resulting from using drones for aerial applications, but they do allow for a closer proximity to target areas than helicopters do. Any drift falling on non-grasses will not harm those plants.”

Police lip service?

I read with interest the recent article regarding the public meeting about Law and Order on the Hibiscus Coast. After attending this meeting, it was clear that lip service was being paid. There was mention of Whangaparāoa Police Station not manned due to no staff, yet their front carpark would say otherwise. If you are going to use this excuse, at least have the staff park off site. Crime is on the increase; youths are blatantly shoplifting and disrespecting store staff. Many managers are no longer reporting the theft due to no action taken by Police. Our youth know all this. Come on Police, you can do better. Time for some accountability and take back the lead!

Robert Clarke, Red Beach Editor’s note: Police advised the paper last week that the Whangaparāoa Station is fully staffed which includes a front counter service between the hours of 8am and 4pm.

Thorny issue of cats

How timely was Margaret Western’s letter in today’s edition of Hibiscus Matters (HM June 12)? Disappointing again today, to see a neighbourhood cat on our lawn, killing and making off with a small bird. A regular occurrence, sad to say, and the same cat has been emboldened by the absence of our bird friendly dog recently dying of old age. The pest free article on page 24 this same week tells the great success story of potential possum elimination on the Whangaparāoa peninsula. Well done all concerned. The problem of cats killing local birds is however a thorny issue. Any ideas readers?

Keith Wilkinson, Manly

Toilet access

A few residents asked Hibiscus Matters to look into the policy around toilet use at the Auckland Council owned Stanmore Bay Pool & Leisure Centre. Some were concerned that anyone who identifies as female can use the female toilets and changing rooms there, which they considered could be unsafe. Auckland Council’s customer and community services director, Dr Claudia Whyss, responded: “We recognise the importance of having facilities that are accessible to people of all gender identities. While Auckland Council does not have a policy on this, each facility is managed by the council in accordance with guidance from the Human Rights Commission. Many of our public facilities provide unisex or accessible toilets and private cubicles within changing rooms to ensure everyone can feel safe and comfortable. Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre has accessible toilets and private cubicles on the poolside. As per the Human Rights Commission guidelines, where gender neutral bathrooms are available, transgender people are not required to use them. People have the right to use a bathroom that matches their gender and that they feel most comfortable in. It is important that our public facilities are accessible and safe for all members of the community. Our teams conduct regular inspections of toilet and changing room facilities to ensure that building compliance, privacy and security are maintained for all users. Where any incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct occur in our facilities or leisure centres, we refer these matters to the Police. We are not aware of any such incidents involving transgender people in our facilities.”

Young netballers playing at Hibiscus Coast Netball Centre in Manly were treated to a visit by Northern Mystics defender (and Whangaparāoa local) Mikaela Sokolich-Beatson on Wednesday, June 14. She brought along the ANZ Premiership trophy won by the Mystics in convincing style early this month. Many photos were taken with the trophy and the chance taken for a chat with the local netball star that so many look up to. Mikaela said that this season with the Mystics has been a lot of fun, and the win capped off a great season. Pictured with Mikaela, from left, are Ōrewa Beach School netballers Freya Gibbons, Sophie Bowater and Isabel Hampton.

Sociology expert at Rebus

This month’s meeting of the Rebus Club of Hibiscus Coast welcomed speaker Emeritus Professor Paul Spoonley from Massey University, pictured. His talk was entitled “The rise and rise of hate speech/politics locally – and the influence of US MAGA and QAnon politics on our online worlds”. Professor Spoonley is well-known as a commentator on population and social issues, and is now working with community groups, including the NZ Police, to address these concerns. The Rebus Club of Hibiscus Coast meets monthly and has a varied range of activities for members, partners and invited friends. Info: email Paul Robinson hibiscusrebus@gmail.com

The Chatty Barber

The popularity of barbers is on the rise, with customers enjoying a sociable experience along with their regular haircut.

Cutting and clipper skills are key and barber Sheree Schedewy loves that part of her work.

The qualified hairdresser first took a job as a barber while doing her OE in England when she was in her 20s.

“I learned from three old Englishmen, who knew barbering inside out,” she says. “I had always wanted to do it, and I found my happy place, cutting hair all day long.”

Recently, Sheree set up her own business, The Chatty Barber, in Cammish Lane, Ōrewa.

“People tell me I talk too much – that’s where the name comes in,” she says. Now that Sheree’s three children are in college, she felt it was a good time to commit to having her own business.

The fun began with turning an old, tired office space into an inviting and pleasant barber shop. She brought in a range of products from NishMan and set about making the space her own.

But what makes the barber shop really sing, she says, is the clients.

“We have a laugh in here,” Sheree says.

“Everyone, including families is welcome. I have all ages, but everyone gets comfortable and chats as they enjoy a haircut. With regular clients, I know their cats’ names, and they know a lot about me – it’s very social.”

Sheree has always wanted her own barber shop and says the new adventure has given her even more enthusiasm for her work.

“I am enjoying it so much with this new adventure. I have achieved something I’m proud of.”