RICHARD NORTHEY, WAITEMATĀ LOCAL BOARD

Christmas in the Park

RICHARD NORTHEY: Waitemata Local Board Chair

It looks likely that provided the rate of Covid-19 infections do not spike we will be able to open up our businesses and visit our family and friends out of Auckland for Christmas.

I had my two vaccinations in June and July. I did it to ensure that I won’t spread the virus to anyone in my family, friends or my work. All of the Waitematā Local Board members are fully vaccinated, and we appeal to all of you to get double vaccinated as soon as possible. As well as getting vaccinated we all need to follow fully the rules set out by the doctors and health specialists who have the knowledge to make sure we don’t inadvertently catch or spread the Covid-19 virus.

Auckland Council and the Waitematā Local Board are starting to develop ideas for our work programme for the next financial year. We welcome hearing your views and will be consulting you on these in February. Both the mayor and the Waitematā Local Board want to take more effective action to combat climate change and would welcome your ideas and support for such initiatives.

At our 16 November Waitematā Local Board meeting, held entirely by Skype, we swore in, and welcomed Glenda Fryer to her first board meeting. We chose her because she was the top polling unsuccessful election candidate last time, has a wealth of Auckland Council and governance experience as a councillor and local board member who lives in St Mary’s Bay. She has hit the ground running and we will value her help with all our work over the next year.

At that November board meeting the board agreed to the building of an attractive public plaza and a commercial and residential development above the carpark at 2 Pompallier Terrace. This will greatly enhance the Three Lamps area as an attractive destination while retaining the public toilets and parking provision there.

Our December meeting will be at 1pm on 14 December and, because of Covid-19 restrictions, will be held by Skype or Microsoft Teams.

Please contact the Board if you want to make a presentation to that meeting: waitematalocalboard@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz At our October meeting, the board also decided to apply to Auckland Transport under its 'regional streets for people programme' to upgrade the Rose Road Plaza. In November we decided on a Greenway from Cox’s Bay through the reserve to Jervois Road.

Work continues on the design for the restoration and redevelopment of the Leys Institute buildings for a public library, gymnasium and meeting rooms. A project advisory group of local community people has been appointed to guide the project and we will meet for the first time this month. I will keep you informed and involved as this exciting restoration develops.

The board has decided to recognise some great volunteers who are making a positive difference within the community and are awarding them the Waitematā Local Board 'Good Citizens’ Award'. To recognise the time and contributions of these exceptional volunteers four categories of awards will be given out: individuals, children and young people, community groups, and for long service to the community.

The board members held a community clinic virtually on 13 October for those individuals and organisations who wanted to discuss a proposal or concern of theirs with us.

Please contact the Waitematā Local Board at waitematalocalboard@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz if you want to book in a time to meet us at our next clinic, which will be from 7pm on 8 December. Covid-19 means that the Waitematā Local Board office won’t be reopening until the new year. However, I can always be contacted at richard.northey@ aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or on mobile, 021 534 546.

The Waitematā Local Board members and staff wish you and all the community the very best for the holiday season, Hannukah, Christmas and the New Year. We very much hope that your health and economic and social wellbeing will be very much better and more secure in 2022. (RICHARD NORTHEY, CHAIR, Waitematā Local Board)

We wish all our clients a relaxing and safe break. It’s been quite a year...

Mike Simpson Sales Associate 021 605 354 mike.simpson@raywhite.com Keith Licensee Salesperson 021 877 905 keith.dowdle@raywhite.com

Bring on 2022 - we are ready!

Sandy Licensee Salesperson 021 877 804 sandy.dowdle@raywhite.com Preeti Kumar Operations Manager preeti.kumar@raywhite.com

LOSS OF CAR PARKING The potential loss of carparking in Auckland will have come as a shock to many residents and business owners, but the writing has been on the wall for some time.

Planning for future population growth and changing modes of transport is an essential role for Auckland Transport (AT).

Releasing a parking discussion document in November ahead of full consultation in March/April next year demonstrates that AT wants to ensure a process where those affected can be heard.

Hopefully this will be the case, but based on my past experience as an Auckland City Councillor and Waitemata Local Board member, I would not be surprised if AT has already decided what they intend to do.

In the past, the consultation process has often been a farce, with decisions pre-determined and a refusal by AT to consider alternative courses of action put forward by submitters. In some cases, what AT has proposed has been a solution looking for a problem.

The removal of carparking in our valuable historic shopping areas in Parnell, Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Grey Lynn and upper Symonds Street, where unlike Newmarket, off-street carparking is unavailable, will most likely be the last straw for some businesses already struggling to compete with the shopping malls.

Greg Moyle, Herne Bay

THE WYNYARD QUARTER DOCK LINE TRAM “From a child’s first tram ride, to the nostalgia experienced by older generations, a tram ride is a fantastic way to experience the joys of Auckland’s spectacular waterfront and the exciting events and activities happening over summer.” That’s what Auckland Council was saying at the start of this year; yet by November the mayor and councillors had voted 13-6 to discontinue the much-loved dock line tram around the Wynyard Quarter (the 6 councillors voting to preserve this transport heritage of the inner city ironically enough all coming largely from the outer suburbs of Auckland).

The ‘trial’ period to judge patronage was little short of a sham – conducted through the Covid-19 lockdown with a depopulated and shut-down city; the tram unable to run for much of the time. No tourists, no businesses, not much in the way of locals even, so ran just 38 days this year by order of AT (the tram only ran on Sundays and public holidays, yet remarkably still attracted 6509 people for the $2 all-day pass - $1 kids, seniors and under-5s free). The so-called ‘review’ was little better than the trial and carried out by Panuku, the very entity that has been trying to get rid of the tram for years – a bit like the prosecution lawyer doubling up as the judge. In my view a case of large development interests prevailing over those of Auckland’s heritage and use of the public realm.

How ironic then that this should all occur at the very time the government announced a $15 billion price tag for Auckland’s light rail to the airport project, yet Auckland Council can’t (or rather won’t) keep a single tram service going in the busiest and most attractive destination on the waterfront. It certainly had $80 million previously to upgrade the amenity of streets around Wynyard adjacent to expensive developments, but nothing to extend the short link through to Britomart for the tram and the large number of Aucklanders and visitors it would inevitably serve. All up, a woeful lack of vision and one we will all pay for dearly in the future.

John Watson, Albany Ward councillor

BOARD VOTES TO STOP CHAIR CENSORING MINUTES Was it the articles in the October Ponsonby News on censorship by the Chair? Was it sharing that article on Facebook? Was it Mayor Phil Goff's 'like' of that post? Was it pressure from community advocates? Was it all of the above?

Chair Richard Northey refused to attach notes from presentations to the WLB November meeting, and later backed that in an email with, 'because it did not contain matter that would assist future Board decision-making'. In my understanding, meeting minutes are kept for a 'true and accurate record of the meeting'. I'm pretty sure the Public Records Act would back that.

Then during Item 18, Waitematā Local Board (except for Adriana Christie) voted to a) agree that information that has been formally received as tabled information by the local board be attached to the published minutes, noting that staff will review and redact or omit any material breaches of LGOMIA, other legislation or Standing Orders. b) request that staff develop an appendix outlining the principles, criteria and process for minute attachments to the Standing Orders for local board consideration and approval c) increase the time allotted for each public forum item to a maximum of five minutes. That's a win! Public get longer to present and the experts, rather than the Chair, will decide what is kept in the public records, only redacting private information.

Hopefully Chair Northey won't try to control staff. Several of us community advocates will keep an eye on this.

Gael Baldock, Community Advocate

LETTERS CONTINUED P60

SINCE 1996

CHERYL REGAN: MY FAVOURITE ROOM

Emigrating from Canada 35 years ago, Bayleys real estate agent Cheryl Regan has seen the greater Ponsonby area develop and change through the years.

Always ahead of her time, Cheryl has been living the apartment life for decades, initially buying off plans and taking up residence in a spacious residence in Hopetoun Street overlooking Western Park and out to the ocean.

Are you a long time Ponsonby resident? For as long as I’ve been in New Zealand I’ve lived across the central suburbs. Our first apartment was a mix of residential and commercial and it was a very exciting time to be living in the city. My late husband and I spent many hours walking the dog through Western Park and strolling K Road.

We walked everywhere together, hosted some pretty outrageous parties, made incredible lifelong friends, and generally embraced everything about the colourful Ponsonby area. It’s incredible when I think back to how much the area has changed but I am pleased that people have been kind to the historical fronts of the villas, retaining that unique Ponsonby visage.

Which is your favourite room? I now live right on the Viaduct where my favourite room is my open living area that flows seamlessly out to my deck. I can observe all that is happening over the water, and my love of sailing is fulfilled watching the various vessels - from luxury yachts to fishing boats.

I especially enjoy it on a Wednesday night when the ocean is full of young children learning how to sail. There is nothing like the salty smell of the sea with birds flying overhead and the terns diving for fish.

What are your favourite things in the room? Not technically ‘in’ the room, but the sunsets here are incredible; the way the light shifts and changes is totally mesmerising. I love that my deck is reminiscent of a sailing boat; my husband and I used to sail a lot and my son sails professionally, so staying close to the ocean keeps my heart close to my family.

Looking out at my view fills my soul with happiness and I think what a lucky girl you are Cheryl, and feel very grateful for living in beautiful New Zealand.

www.facebook.com/CherylReganBayleys/