Award winner • Best Community Involvement Over 20,000 Circulation • NZCNA Awards 2014
JUDGES
Post TS
COMMEN
2014
Tuesday • JuLY 15 • 2014 PHONE: 09 235 78 35 FAX: 09 235 78 34
FRI
INSIDE THIS WEEK: PG 16 - 17
SAT
SUN
kitchens & design
HAITSMA
VOL 26 • NO.27
Fiona Young, Andy Young and daughter Kayla were among the participants at a Pink Ribbon fund raiser held at Barb’s Bar & Diner in Waiuku on Sunday. More pictures page 20 this week.
A & T Haitsma Ltd,
17 Martyn Street, Waiuku Phone 09 235 7793 E.mail: Haitsma@xtra.co.nz
Icy challenge taken up It’s a craze which is sweeping through the country - and on Friday afternoon it arrived outside the Kentish Hotel. PAGE
3
Special anniversary When you are celebrating your anniversary for the 65th time, that’s really something!
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8
Busking her way to fame
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Local shoppers were being serenaded last week by a young Franklin songstress who is busking her way to the nation’s biggest country music event next year.
L SCHOOLS SUPPORTING LOCA
WE WILL DONATE $1 for every $10
per transaction you spend with us to the School of your choice. Mon - Fri: 8am - 5:30pm • Sat & Sun: 9am-3pm• Closed Public Holidays.
6A Court St, Waiuku Ph: 09-2352769
Meeting announced over Waiuku zoning changes The Franklin Local Board has confirmed it will hold a meeting for those residents affected by proposed zoning changes to what was formerly ‘Large Lot’ sections in Waiuku. The meeting will be held at the Civic Centre, (the library building) at 6.30pm this Thursday evening. Recently, owners of over 500 properties in Colombo Road, Millbrook, James Bright Lane, some parts of Kitchener Roads, and a number of other areas, discovered their properties were the subject of a submission by Auckland Council to change the designation of their land to ‘Single House Zone’ - a designation under which activities such as grazing cattle become a non-complying activity. Local Board chairman Andy Baker moved to quell concerns over residents being asked to pay for resource consent applications or certificates of existing use, saying last week that
now at GARY PYES
he has been told existing use can continue for as long as the residents want. However, landowners still have concerns. One of the reasons stated for the change of designation was to allow for medium density housing, with Single House Zoning meaning sections could be subdivided down to 600 square metres. This has raised a number of issues, not least the fact that many people have bought ‘rural residential’ sections to have a rural lifestyle, not to have their neighbours subdivide into four or five sections right beside them. A further complicating factor is that the Auckland Council has made two submissions on the same zoning change, with residents making submissions only on one point, and uncertainty as to whether they need to submit to further Council comments. Further, residents say, suggestions that the zone
change will allow subdivision is pointless in some areas, as a lack of sewerage services means existing homes have septic systems installed with drip fields, which mean those areas cannot be subdivided. Adding to the issues for local residents has been conflicting information from council offices when people have contacted them to ask about the plan, and what appears to be confusion within the Local Board itself, with some members saying the changes were planned, and others suggesting the announcements were not clear even to the Local Board members. With only a few days following the meeting until submissions close on July 22, it is to be hoped council staff can deliver clear and unequivocal answers to local concerns, as well as providing advice on how to make submissions to the appropriate points.
43 QUEEN ST, WAIUKU • PH 235 9711 • SAT: 9 - 4 • SUN: 10 - 3
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