This report covers the period 10 October until 11 November 2018 and is included in the local board November business meeting agenda
Penny Bright Acknowledgement
At our October local board meeting we formally acknowledged Penny Bright (photo right in one of her last campaigns against cycleways).
MOVED by Chairperson P Coom, seconded by Deputy Chairperson S Chambers:
That the Waitematā Local Board
a) acknowledges campaigner and activist Penny Bright who passed away on 4 October 2018. Our thoughts are with her family and close friends at this sad time.
Summary:
Transport
School safety
On 18 October I was invited to join a mum on her walk to school with five boys (not all her own) to experience the safety issues that have been raised with Auckland Transport by the school community.
The kids all enjoy using the Grey Lynn Greenway for part of the route (using it to get to the pump track before school too) but then have a really tricky section to navigate. Lots of local parents prefer to drive because of safety concerns.
Auckland Transport had resisted putting in a crossing or slowing drivers, but almost immediately Auckland Transport consulted on a new proposal to install a new raised pedestrian crossing on Kelmarna Avenue to serve the school.
Car transporters on Great North Road
For a frustratingly long time I have been following up with Auckland Transport on the issue of car transporters unloading illegally on Great North Road. There is a serious concern about public safety as the car transporters are blocking bus stops and the pedestrian refuge.
I’ve met with AT Group Manager, Parking Services who acknowledges that the “sticks” available to Auckland Transport are not working. The operators consider any fines to be a normal part of their business expenses. Even when the side street loading zones are available the operators continue to park illegally on Great North Road as it is more convenient and there is insufficient incentive to put in place appropriate traffic management.
AT has confirmed that as a next step a safety audit will be commissioned to be prepared by Christmas. AT will advise the main operators about the audit with a view to working with them on an appropriate response.
Freyberg Place pedestrian mall
On 15 October 2018 Freyberg Place officially became a pedestrian mall.
To do this the bollards (which are currently lowered to street level) at each end of Freyberg Place have been raised. This will prevent vehicles driving through the square and make it much safer for pedestrians.
Lime e-scooters arrive in Auckland
Auckland Council has issued the region’s first street trading licence to 
operate a dockless shared electric scooter (e-scooter) system.
The council has permitted Lime to operate systems for a three-month trial – like the initial trial licence granted to Onzo for its bike share service. Other operators of e-scooter systems can apply for a licence too.
Following the launch of 1000 scooters, Auckland Council’s community and social policy team is looking at the regulatory framework for e-scooters and the options that can be considered to mitigate any safety issues or concerns.
The scooters have provided a fun, convenient way to make short trips around the city, but also highlighted the poor state of footpaths and the inadequate space provided to people using small wheeled mobility transport.
Completed projects
The platform on Hopetown Street at the Western Park entrance has been refurbished.
Sackville Reserve Playground is now open. An opening event will be held on on 5 December (check out the board’s Facebook page for details). Photo left: Alfie enjoying the new equipment (as featured in my Ponsonby News November update)
Weona-Westmere coastal walkway
Featured in Metro Magazine NZ Best of Auckland 2018 Waitemata Local Board‘s Weona-Westmere Coastal Walkway. Described as “Perfect for city strollin’” (photo right in Metro)
Low Carbon Network Event – Trees
The Low Carbon Network event held on 8 November at the wonderful Sustainable Coastlines Flagship on the theme of Rākau (Trees). Waitematā Local Board tree loss report 2006 – 2016 shows 61.23 hectares (approximately 17 per cent) has been lost in last 10 years – 65 per cent of the urban forest clearance has occurred on private land. Details on what is being done in the Our Auckland story – Protecting Auckland’s urban trees (Attachment 3).
Meetings and workshops 10 October until 11 November 2018
- Catch up with Councillor Mike Lee on 10 October
- Franklin Road Community Liaison meeting on 10 October
- Monthly catch up with City Centre Residents Group representative on 11 October and 9 November
Local Board professional development workshop on 12 October Shining the light on placemaking (photo right: attendees with the speakers). An amazing opportunity to hear about placemaking locally, nationally and internationally and explore how local boards can work collaboratively to create places for community connection and innovation. With a stellar line up of speakers:
- Ethan Kent- Senior Vice President at the Project for Public Spaces. Ethan has been integral to the development of placemaking as a transformative approach to economic development, environment and transport planning, governance, resilience, equity and design. He has led high profile public placemaking projects around the world, for example in New York.
- Lucy Tukua – Kaihautu Native by Nature, He uri o Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Whanaunga. Lucy has been serving iwi for many years in numerous roles and has a strong presence in and around local and central government. She is a passionate advocate for placemaking and the sourcing of place-based potential and bringing through the cultural sense of place and whakapapa.
- Denise Bijoux – Network Director at Catalyse Denise has worked extensively in Auckland, as well as across New Zealand, to inspire, activate and understand locally-led urban transformation. She is a social researcher, evaluator, facilitator and project manager working in community-led development, urban sustainability, planning, health, social justice and government.
- Neil McInroy – Chief Executive at Centre for Local Economic Studies Neil is a commentator and strategist on economic development and public policy who has collaborated on a broad range of local, regional and national projects across the globe. He is currently involved with both ATEED and the Southern Initiative/ Western Initiative and brings a focus onto the importance of the economic side of placemaking.
- Weekly chairs catch up held on 15, 29 October and 5 November
- Regional Cluster Workshop for local board elected members on 15 October
- Meeting to discuss the achievements report on 15 October
- Meeting to discuss the high level 2019/2020 work programme on 16 October
- Waitematā Local Board business meeting on 16 October
- Monthly transport portfolio catch-up on 17 October
- Meeting with Mark Lambert, AT’s Executive GM Integrated Networks on 17 October
I took former Mayor Len Brown on a tour of the Ellen Melville Centre on 18 October. Len Brown was instrumental in securing a budget for the restoration of the Centre. (photo right of the former Mayor talking to Ellie Craft who we bumped into at the centre)- Albert Park tunnels update meeting with Nicholas Reid, Cr Chris Darby and Rory Palmer from the Mayor’s office
- Waitematā Local Board workshops on 23 and 30 October and 6 November
- Trafinz executive committee meeting on 24 October
- Meeting with Jill Kayser, Spice and Julia West, Lifewise at Merge Café on 25 October
- K’rd business association AGM on 25 October
- City Centre network meeting and lunch at Ellen Melville Centre on 25 October
- Auckland Transport quarterly briefing on 29 October
- Ponsonby Business Association AGM on 29 October
- Meeting with John Strawbridge, AT Group Manager, Parking Services on 31 October
- Domain Committee agenda run through meeting on 31 October
- Planning Committee workshop on Downtown spaces and City Centre Masterplan refresh on 1 November
- Meeting with Auckland City Mission on 1 November to discuss the City Mission’s HomeGround project
- K’rd Business Association annual BID presentation to the board on 8 November
- Meeting with Waitemata Local Board / CRL / Auckland Council & Auckland Transport on 9 November to discuss concerns raised by the Waitemata Local Board regarding a number of issues including the Board’s opportunity for input into placemaking and the development of Beresford Square, public toilets, bike parking, and coordination between the organisations.
Events attended 10 October until 11 November
World Homeless Day on 10 October at Aotea Square 
(Attachment 1 Helping Hand for the Homeless)- Community morning tea for the Mt Albert Electorate hosted by the PM on 11 October
- Brake annual reception and awards night on 11 October
- Kelmarna Gardens plant sale on 12 October
- Tour of the Shortland Flats (1923) for Auckland Heritage Festival on 13 October at the invitation of Michael McKeown. The residents opened up their homes to show off the many original features. Interesting fact: There are only 7 cars and 7 car parks between 40 residents in 23 apartments (photo right).
- Fukuoka Gardens picnic for Friends of the Garden on 14 October
- Visited the OMG Symonds Street Community Garden on 14 October
- Biketober event at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market on 14 October
- Joined the school run on 18 October to Marist School at the invitation of a parent concerned about the safety of students walking and wheeling
- Bikes and Beers hosted by Bike Auckland on 18 October
- Grey Lynn Business Association Block party at the Grey Lynn Library Hall on 18 October
Fields of Remembrance Official opening at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on 19 October (photo at the beginning of my report)- Diwali Festival official opening in Aotea Square with the PM on 20 October including a walkabout with Mayor Phil Goff, MPs Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Deborah Russell and Puketapapa Local Board member Shail Kaushal (photo right)
- Popped by The First Great Big Jumbly Bumbly-Bumbly Jumbly Sale organised by the City Centre Residents Group on 20 October at Griffiths Garden
- Opening of the Italian Festival at Non Solo Pizza on 23 October
- Bike Rave event on 24 October
- Opening of Te Paki o Matariki – 160 Years of Kiingitanga. This ground breaking exhibition at Auckland War Memorial Museum on 27 October the exhibition features important taonga selected from the royal collection of Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, the present Maaori king.
Spoke at the Grey Lynn 2030 10th birthday celebration and book launch at the Grey Lynn Community Centre on 28 October (photo right).- Spoke at the official opening of Festival Italiano in Newmarket on 28 October
- Thriving urban places breakfast seminar hosted by MADE Group Ltd with speaker Tim Stonor, Managing Director of London-based Space Syntax
- Enviro Schools celebration at Western Spring Community Centre on 1 November
- Maritime Museum opening on 1 November
- Merge Café Spring pop up fundraising dinner on 1 November
- John Elliott’s 80th birthday celebration on 5 November. John brought together community leaders who he wished to acknowledge on his birthday. He ended his speech “Finally, I’ve had a longstanding interest in environmental issues, and value Gus Speth, a main stream American environmentalist, who said recently. ‘I used to think the top E problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. But I was wrong. The top three E problems are selfishness, greed and apathy and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation”
On Track for the Living Wage launch event at Britomart station on 6 November calling on Auckland Council to become an accredited living wage employer. If Wellington City Council can do it then we can too! (Photo credit: Jason Fell.)- Patrons Night at Basement Theatre. Invite to attend a performance of Bad Mood
- Officiated at the Citizenship Ceremony at the Auckland Town Hall on 9 November
- Richmond Road School gala on 10 November
- T Whites bikes 10th anniversary on 10 November
- Armistice Day commemoration service and Roaring Chorus at the Grey Lynn RSC on 11 November (photo below).
