Author: Pippa Coom

Just please don’t call me a cyclist

My preferred mode of transport is on 2 wheels. My Victoria Classic sits by the front door ready for any trip I need to make – especially around Auckland’s “Zone 1”.  I’m fortunate that I don’t have the expense of a car and love the convenience of cycling.

But please don’t call me a cyclist. I would no more put “cyclist” on my CV than a person who commutes by car would put “motorist”.  I ride my bike every day just for transport and I’m involved with Cycle Action Auckland to improve cycling conditions in Auckland but I rarely go on purely recreational rides.

However over the last weekend there were a couple of special reasons to be out on my bike just for the sake of cycling. On Saturday I joined the  BIG Auckland Ride,  a lesiurely pedal around central Auckland in warm spring weather organised to profile the benefits of cycling in the inner city. Here is an account of the ride by Antoine (and more photos) on the wonderful cycling blog Cycling in Auckland.

One of the reasons I am motivated to stand for the Waitemata Local Board is a desire for better cycling infrastructure in Auckland. I’m on the City Vision team committed to prioritising  public transport and the provision of better bus and train services together with integrated ticketing and timetabling, cycleways and safer walking routes. Read more about City Vision’s policy here.

On Sunday it was necessary to dodge the rain showers to experience the only opportunity to cycle across the new Newmarket Viaduct before the switch next weekend.  As fellow Waitemata Local Board candidate, Chritopher Dempsey commented ” what a fantastic cycleway! Wide,  broad, smooth concrete – I asked if NZTA was planning to continue this  cycleway through to Orewa and south to Hamilton. Wry smile. There’s hope yet!”

Cycle Action’s chair Mark Bracey puts the ride in the context of Auckland’s burgeoning cycling culture on his Cycling in Auckland blog here.

Once in a lifetime cycle ride

I’m looking forward to walking and cycling over the Newmarket Viaduct this Sunday. There is the promise of stunning views and a festival atmosphere as people take over a stretch of motorway. Planning for the event and for the full closure the following weekend when the “switchover” occurs has highlighted our obsession with car travel and how much Auckland’s traffic planners struggle to embrace alternative options (but there are hopeful signs they are willing to make an effort).

We can thank Cycle Action Auckland for working with NZTA to  give cyclists as well as walkers the opportunity to cross the new Newmarket Viaduct.

Walkers will be able to access the bridge from 9am – 2pm, followed by  cyclists from 2:45pm – 3:30pm.  We will have 45 minutes to enjoy the 1.5km ride up and down the new viaduct.

In a media release from NZTA, Barbara Cuthbert from CAA says “Cyclists will love this ride in the sky, over the city, and its panoramic views. It has the added allure of being in easy cycling distance from the Newmarket train station. We are delighted the NZ Transport Agency has invited cyclists to help celebrate the project’s progress.”

The Newmarket Connection: Southbound switch is happening for 36 hours over the weekend of 4/5 September. There are major concerns about the disruption this will cause. NZTA’s advice is to switch the mode of transport or to keep it local.

A group on Facebook are calling for free public transport for the weekend to give Aucklanders the chance to “try out public transport for free to help encourage our city to get out of their cars and into more sustainable, less congestive forms of transportation”. Auckland Transport blog agrees. ARTA are preferring to encourage Aucklanders to take trains as an alternative with NZTA not convinced that free travel will ease congestion (Viaduct closure will hit bus services).  It is disappointing that ARTA, NZTA and the Auckland City Council weren’t willing to take this rare opportunity of a motorway closure to create a lasting impact on car use in Auckland.  A weekend of free travel can encourage a longer term switch to public transport.

Like  Unity Finesmith and thousands of others I plan to just carry on as normal and travel on my bicycle!

Auckland’s urban design makes us fat

“Build loose suburbs carved up by busy roads and without green spaces and you help to create a population of fat, lonely people plagued by criminals. Build dense, leafy settlements with mixed uses, protected from traffic, and you help to create safe, fit and friendly communities.”
George Monbiot

I love living in central Auckland and appreciate the beautiful nartural surroundings of the City but sadly the built environment is making us fat. Even in Zone 1 the design and lack of public transport encourages us to drive short distances and to feel unsafe cycling.

Why has so much bad urban planning been allowed to happen in Auckland? Why is our CBD cut off by motorways and many of our shopping streets welcoming only to cars?  I think the problem has been a lack of visionary leadership in Auckland, weak planning and developments driven by the desire to make a quick buck.

Barb Cuthbert, spokesperson of Cycle Action Auckland, sums up what we could be aiming for:

I see scope to make our one way street system less forbidding torrents of cars, and more alluring entry points to our city. Our city could be home to more distinctive businesses, walkable, colourful streets, connected with cycling and frequent public transport routes, lively markets, active places full of people, rather than voids full of cars.

I am hopeful that the new Auckland Council structure, with a requirement to put in place an overall spatial plan, will mean that Aucklanders who want the city to be liveable and supportive of a healthy lifestyle  will define the design of the city rather than property developers and car obsessed traffic planners.

Strong Local Boards crucial for an effective Auckland Council

Strong local boards are going to be crucial to the effective governance of the Auckland Super City. If the boards across the Auckland Region don’t work well with each other, the CCOs and the Auckland Council we are going to end up in a complete mess of parochial decision making.

The structure is intended to give the local boards and Auckland Council complimentary and non-hierarchical decision making functions. However much of the decision making will be delegated or allocated from the Council as the governing body. Through the select committee process, my community group Grey Lynn 2030, like many others, argued that the local boards should have powers and responsibilities prescribed in legislation so they could act as a counter balance to the powers of Auckland Council.

The lack of prescription could in fact end up being a good thing if the first mayor sets the framework for local boards that provides for real local decision making functions. Len Brown’s policy document on local democracy &  local boards gives a clear commitment on the extensive role he would like for the local boards.

Local boards should be involved in planning and policy related to their communities. They should develop long term community plans and annual plans, as well as contributing to regional policy-making and giving effect to regional plans. They should then develop local policy within the regional framework in areas like, for example, dog control, gambling and gaming machines, licensing of cafes, bars and liquor outlets, brothels, and the development of town centres.

Local boards should be responsible for local decisions on local roads, footpaths, pedestrian zones and bus stops, speed limits for local roads, public transport, crime prevention (where CCTV cameras should be sited, for example), community engagement, beautification schemes, building consents, local economic development, animal control, environmental protection, local parks, recreation and sports facilities, libraries and pools, community houses and advisory services, town centre promotion, galleries and museums, beaches, camping grounds, liquor licensing, and more. I also want local boards to be involved in resource management hearings for their areas. Read the full document here.

It is a big list of responsibilities, which are potentially far wider that we could have hoped for from the Super City legislation. We just have to make sure Len Brown is elected so that strong Local boards become a reality.

A voice for young people

The Auckland City Youth Council was set up in 1984 by Dame Catherine Tizard as a forum for young people following the Queen Street riots. I’m trying hard to remember back 26 years ago so that I can contribute to the history of the Youth Council that is currently being documented. I was one of the founding members who used to meet every Friday at the former Youth Resource Centre on Wellesley Street under the guidance of Ted Jones. We started off as a small group with big ideas about what we could do as a voice for young people.

It is great to see that the Youth Council has continued to grow and provide young people with an opportunity to develop leadership skills and learn more about their community. I strongly support mayoral candidate  Len Brown’s proposal to seek advice from a Regional Youth Council. The super city legislation doesn’t require the new Council to provide a forum for young people so it is vital to vote for a mayor and councillors who are committed to setting up a new Auckland Youth Council for the whole region.

Anyone with information about the Auckland City Youth Council over the last 26 years including photos and details of former members can contact Zaria Sleith, Youth Programme Assistant, Auckland City Council, ph 354 2078 Email: Zaria.Sleith@aucklandcity.govt.nz.

Online Community Management at Wordcamp

Since joining the Steering Committee of Grey Lynn 2030 18 months ago I have been impressively up-skilled.  I put in a lot of voluntary hours into Grey Lynn 2030 but have been rewarded many times over through learning and networking opportunities, contact with inspiring people and a range of new skills. In particular I have been serving my apprenticeship in online community management.  Suzanne Kendrick and Jason Kemp have been wonderful trainers in the dynamics of social media and how it can be used as an effective tool to further the aims of a community group.

Jason is the technical guru behind the Grey Lynn 2030 website (currently organising Wordcamp) and Suzanne, Grey Lynn 2030 steering committee member (“internet original”), was the driving force to get the website established and working effectively to build a large supporter base. In a short time I’ve gone from a deluded critic of Facebook, twitter and blogging to fully embrace these tools. The conversion came for me once I understood that social media isn’t just about communicating mindless information with close friends but is another means of broadcasting through which it is possible to build an online community that translates into real results. Grey Lynn 2030 is now connected to over 1200 people on Facebook and Twitter with many more linked through our website. We have these “friends” because they are interested in what we communicate, want to support us in pursuit of our vision of a sustainable community and like to know that they can join in and take action too.

I am still very much a novice and have lots to learn about the online world so I feel very privileged that I have been asked to speak at Wordcamp with Suzanne about Grey Lynn 2030’s online community management. WordCamp New Zealand is a 2 day conference focusing on and around the WordPress platform. It is a global event that was held 49 times last year everywhere from California to China. I’m looking forward to being part of this exciting event (definitely not just for IT geeks!) and sharing the online story of  Grey Lynn 2030.

Cycle Style Auckland: the video

Earlier in the year Melanie Turner from the Road Safety Team at Auckland City Council called me about funding they had available for a cycle event. Was I interested in applying for the funds?  It was the perfect opportunity to build on the idea for a “Cycle Chic Fashion Show” (I had worked on a proposal with Jasmine Cargill and Stephanie Fill last year as a fundraising idea for the NZ Youth Delegation) combined with a bigger version of a Try my Bike event that Frocks on Bikes hosted with North Shore City Council in March as part of Bikewise month.

From the initial funding provided by Auckland City Council and with additional support from North Shore Council, Frocks on Bikes and Cycle Action Auckland were able to host the inaugural Cycle Style Auckland held on 1 July 2010. A cycle-centric evening of gorgeous bicycles, fabulous fashion and an opportunity to try out a huge range of stylish bikes.

The video has really captured what an awesome evening it was and gives credit to the large number of supporters and sponsors (watch the video here). Myself and co-organiser Jenny Marshall (aka Unity Finesmith of Auckland Cycle Chic) were also really fortunate that so many talented and willing volunteers came together to make it happen. There is big demand to make Cycle Style Auckland an annual event.

Making it count – Vote Local Auckland switches on young people to democracy

Local government elections have traditionally failed to spark voter interest which has been reflected in the low voter turnout. Only 39.7% of eligible voters returned their postal ballots in the Auckland City Council elections in 2007 (down from 48.4% in 2004). It was a worse turn out in Waitakere with only 33% and 35.2% on the North Shore.  Across New Zealand there are no sitting mayors who have been elected by a majority of voters.

I’m really hoping that young people will make a big difference in the first Auckland Council elections by voting.   There is much at stake in these elections, the first for the new ‘Supercity’. Who is elected will determine whether we have a city that values people and their communities while recognising that there are limits on what ratepayers can afford, and ensures that rates are spent on items that are important to, and support, Auckland’s diverse communities.

350 Aotearoa and the ReGeneration network are co-hosting a series of workshops around New Zealand to explore ways that young people can get involved in local politics and make a real difference in these important elections.

Vote Local Auckland is happening this Saturday 17th July

9am – 3pm
PHAB Building, Auburn Street, Takapuna
$5 on the door which includes lunch
To register for this event, please contact Amanda on 021-045-7573 or email:
votelocalauckland@gmail.com
Please register by Friday 16th July

The event on Facebook here

Sheds are a great place to party

Shed 1, (ex Team NZ shed)  was the perfect place for Cycle Style Auckland last week. In organising the event, we were concerned that it might be too cold and lacking in facilities but on a clear winter’s night, crammed with 400 plus people and hundreds of bikes the shed was inviting and hot with excitement created by this unique event. It was also special to be so close to the Harbour when so often we are cut off from Auckland’s best feature. We look forward to working again with Keith William’s the event manager and hosting another event at the Sheds.

So as a big fan of organising events in Sheds I am really relieved to hear that Shed 10 on Queens Wharf is going to be saved (Joel Cayford writes a good blog about the events leading up to the ARC decision). Well done Mike Lee for recognising the historical value of the sheds before it was too late.

Creating our Local and Regional Future

Candidate seminars for the Auckland Council elections

The seminars are designed for potential candidates for Auckland Council roles to provide information about:

  • The new local government structure in Auckland
  • Roles and responsibilities of elected representatives
  • legislative processes relating to elected representatives
  • Decision-making – meetings, agendas etc
  • Remuneration
  • Expectations – time commitment, personal and family impact, impact on work
  • Conflict of interest
  • The electoral process and timetable.

The seminar I attended last night (after Jan Gehl’s brilliant presentation at the Aotea Centre) was really informative and highlighted just how much there is to get to grips with under teh new Auckland Council governance arrangements.

More information here on the new Auckland Council website.

Auckland’s first 21st Century Cycle Event

Cycle Style Auckland

Conventional thinking says you can’t ride a bike without looking like a dork. Conventional thinking is wrong.

The streets are filling up with cyclists and one reason it’s happening is that people have realised that it is entirely possible to look very good on a bike- stylish, in fact.

Not only that but if you haven’t been in a bike shop in the last few years, you will not believe how much things have changed.

The bikes themselves are now considered fashion items and very desirable accessories. Designers are using bicycles to convey a chic, urban stylish city lifestyle.   You can still get yourself a perfectly good basic bike for a few hundred dollars, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can spend thousands to buy yourself something quite breathtaking. In car terms, bikes today are on offer in models and looks that range all the way from a Toyota Corolla to a Mini Cooper and on to a Lamborghini.

What this means is that the streets are changing. Aucklanders, in their thousands, are taking to their bikes for every day transport in every day clothes.

On Thursday 1st July, Frocks on Bikes in association with Cycle Action Auckland responds to this worldwide trend with a unique event called “Cycle Style Auckland” – an evening of gorgeous bicycles, fabulous fashion and this season’s ‘must-have’ cycle accessories.

A highlight of the evening will be the first Cycle Style Fashion Show to be presented in New Zealand, featuring local fashion designers, bicycle retailers and street style.

Frocks on Bikes (Auckland) Co-Coordinator, Pippa Coom says “Cycle Style Auckland is a perfect opportunity to showcase the stylish side of cycling. Cycling in stylish street wear is considered the norm in many cities around the world where there has been investment in cycle-friendly facilities. Women in particular are put off cycling when it is associated with sweaty lycra and unattractive clothes.  Frocks on Bikes is committed to showing that it is possible to use a bike for every day transport and look stylish.”

“Cycle Style Auckland” will include the glitterati of the cycling world, transport policy makers and the politicians who can commit funding to improving Auckland’s cycling infrastructure. However, the evening is promoted strongly for new cyclists, and also existing cyclists looking for a change of pace, who will be able to test ride a wide range of stylish gents and ladies bicycles and be up for winning a range of fabulous prizes.

The evening starts at 6pm at Shed 1, 101 Halsey St, Viaduct Harbour (ex-Team NZ shed) with drinks and nibbles. Valet bicycle parking and free maintenance check are available for those arriving by bike.

RSVPs are essential – tickets to Cycle Style are free but limited – by registering at Frocks on Bikes – Auckland page. (http://frocksonbikes.wordpress.com/auckland/)

Frocks on Bikes Media Release

Renumeration rates for Local Board members

As one of the City Vision candidates standing for the Waitemata Local Board I, like the other 6 candidates, put myself forward for selection before the Remuneration Authority released its determination on elected member salaries for the new Auckland Council. It demonstrated a commitment to public service and a willingness to do the job regardless of the financial benefit. We were able to do some guess work which suggested that the Local Board responsibilities would result in renumeration more than the current Community Board members of around $10,000pa.

The Authority has now determined that the new Auckland Council mayor will be paid $240,000, and councillors will receive a base rate of $80,000. The base rate for Local Board members will be between $20,100 (Great Barrier) the minimum base rate and $37,100 (Howick), the maximum base rate. Waitemata Local Board members will receive a base rate of $35,000.

I’m fortunate that, if elected, I will be able to serve as a Local Board member without needing an additional income and will be able to make a full-time commitment to the role (thanks to my supportive partner).   It is a concern, however, if the salary on offer is an amount that will potentially put off  candidates who do not have the financial independence required to give up work commitments for a big pay drop. The Remuneration Authority needed to find a balance between recognising the responsibilities of the Local Board members and a fair cost to ratepayers. At the current salaries levels ratepayers will be getting an incredibly good deal from their elected respresentatives, especially at  Local Board level where the  range of member responsibilities will be significant.