LETTERS & EMAILS

WAITEMAT A BOARD MEETINGS Since constituents can now dial-in via Skype for Business to the monthly Board meetings, there is a growing number who are doing so - 18 at the most recent meeting. In addition, there were 22 members of the public who attended. The sections that are most popular are the Deputations and the Public Forum. Unfortunately, the reports that the members present, are scheduled at the end of the meeting by which time most constituents have left.

In order to improve transparency and accountability, all members should be required to include written reports in the meeting papers, which are available two working days prior to each meeting. The members’ reports should be scheduled immediately after the Public Forum and members of the public should be allowed to ask members questions which they should answer on the spot, or if they can’t, to include the answer in their following months report.

Additionally, the Board meetings should be held at a larger venue so that more people can attend in person. This should be in a location that is readily accessible with videoing facilities so that the meetings can be broadcast live and immediately uploaded to the website (just as Council meetings are).

Doing this would increase the Board’s engagement with the community, overcome much of the criticism that the Board’s business is “conducted under the sheets”, and demonstrate that the Board is accountable to constituents. Keith McConnell keith@keithforwaitemata.com

UPDATE ON WESTERN SPRINGS FOREST The resource consent to fell 200 canopy trees, when they are 2/3 of the way through their life expectancy, instead of allowing them to age gracefully, is expected to start on site about 6 April, just after Easter.

The plan is to start with a 4m wide road from the stadium, clearing native bush from their side of the wall. When the road enters the forest, an area of 10m either side will be cleared of native forest, cut into the bank and covered with wood chip from the tops of the trees being felled and left in place - all 200 trees about 40m high. That’s a fire hazard! This road is meant to be reinstated to the ‘significant ecological area’ after all this work is done... yeah right!

Over 200 trees won’t leave a lot of room to plant the native seedlings after the existing native forest is killed. Why kill a native forest, to plant a native forest?

There are designated “priority areas of protection” (PAP), where the native forest is even more valuable, yet the plan is to put security fences and silt fences through them and fell canopy trees to lay on the ground in there. The 24m wide area is unlikely to be able to be reinstated, especially the waterways.

The health and safety of the whole hillside is questionable: Asbestos has been found on site and in neighbouring area by the stadium. Furthermore, there’s an open stormwater line that could be interrupted by felled trees if the stumps are left to rot out and possibly fill with water in extreme weather events. All these issues are a far bigger risk than a branch falling on the track in a storm.

The silt from these earthworks is likely to be highly detrimental to the endangered eels in Motions Creek. After all this area has been called ‘Te Wai Orea’ - Water of Eels, long before it became ‘Western Springs Lakeside Park’, when the Lake was expanded in 1970. PONSONBY ROAD - STREETS FOR PEOPLE PROJECT I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in the three workshops for this project - as a resident for six years, Ponsonby Road is my neighbourhood. I have a background in urban design so have seen many of these consultation processes roll out and it’s heartening to see that the facilitators are striving to embed the community in the design decisions, and have gathered a wide range of voices.

It’s important that these voices are translated through to the finished product. Even as a ‘tactical urbanism’ approach, a trial - it’s been really clear through the process what people want to improve - expanding on safety, bringing together the community, and enhancing the vibrancy of Ponsonby Road.

No one wants their livelihood ‘trialed’ with. This has set a pretty clear mandate to the team and steered towards outcomes that will have a real benefit. It’s fairly exciting to see some of these changes could be implemented this year.

It’s fair to say that the trial itself has been more in this community lead design process - which hasn’t been done before. It’s better than any process I’ve been involved in to date yet there are some things that could be improved upon. What has been really encouraging is getting such a spectrum of voices, ideas and some really great knowledge from the Ponsonby Road community. Cory Manson, Ponsonby

JERVOIS STEAK HOUSE LOCATION I am wondering whether you are able to help us discover the name of the restaurant that was on the site of the Jervois Steak House, Jervois Road back in October 1993. We were not living in the area at the time but went there several times as it was popular. We now live close by and pass the Jervois Steak House regularly but have been unable to find out what the name of the restaurant was in 1993.

I had hoped your archive of past issues of the Ponsonby News may have helped us, but of course the archive doesn’t go back that far. Also I have asked at the Jervois Steak House when I have been walking past, but staff there have been unable to help.

We enjoy the Ponsonby News each month and realise you have been producing the magazine since 1989 and therefore you may be able to help. Or perhaps your wide readership may be able to recall the name of the restaurant. Alister Benvie, Ponsonby