Author: Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Admin and author of Talking Auckland Blog ( http://voakl.net )

Auckland Development Committee – December Meeting

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Area Plans, Mill Road, and Special Housing Areas

 

Tomorrow for the last time this year the Auckland Development Committee meets in Town Hall. The agenda items cover:

  • Public Input around the Mill Road Corridor, and Special Housing Area Tranche 4
  • Adoption of a couple of Area Plans including the Otara-Papatoetoe Area Plan
  • Takapuna Centre Plan
  • Updates around various items including housing, infrastructure, and a growth study

 

The Agenda and Addendum Agenda for December

 

 

Podcasts on a walk through of Manukau, plus why the Auckland Development Committee has attracted my ire will be going up today and tomorrow

 

Helping the Homeless Needed

· 1 Comment ·

More help and coordination needed

 

From Auckland Council

Council wants more Government help with homelessness

 

Auckland Council, in a briefing to the new Government, is asking for more help as it tries to deal with the growing issue of homelessness and the need for emergency housing.

The briefing paper asks the Government to recognise homelessness as a significant national issue and to take a multi-sector approach to addressing both the short and long term issues facing the voluntary sector that supports the homeless.

The council already works in partnership with Government, the business community and voluntary agencies to fill the gap in emergency housing.

Albert-Eden-Roskill Councillor Cathy Casey says homelessness is a serious social issue where services are under severe pressure.

“In Auckland added pressure comes from high rental and housing costs, reductions in philanthropic support and long waiting lists for access to social housing,” she says.

Dr Casey, who is the chair of Auckland Council’s Community Development and Safety Committee, says the help so far has been welcome.

“We are already working closely with the government to increase the amount of available emergency housing.

“Council also wants to ensure that Housing New Zealand works closer with council, local boards and communities in developing Special Housing Areas so the best outcomes can be achieved for tenants and for supporting a sense of a local community,” says Cr Casey.

Cr Casey is among those who have slept rough for a night as part of the Lifewise Big Sleep Out campaign to draw attention to homelessness as part of seeking more government involvement in the issue.

She says young people are especially vulnerable and she worries that more youth will fall through the cracks and end up on the street.

“This is a social issue, not a crime. We are talking about society’s most vulnerable who are often trapped in poverty, addiction and deprivation.”

 

What Auckland Council is doing about the issue 

Auckland Plan: The Auckland Plan has a target to end sleeping rough on city streets by 2020.

The Auckland Plan notes there are about 160 to 320 rough sleepers in the city centre. There is a serious lack of emergency housing in Auckland, especially for women, young people and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (GLBTI) people. This gap must be filled, to ensure adequate emergency housing across all population groups. More urgent, multi-agency collaboration is required, such as the Auckland Homeless Action Plan, in which the Auckland Council is a partner. The council will seek central government support in dealing with homelessness and in adequately resourcing agencies dealing locally with homelessness issues.

Auckland Homeless Action Plan: Auckland Council has a role in the Auckland Homeless Action Plan, a partnership with other government and non-government agencies involved in supporting the homeless focussing on better interagency collaboration on initiatives and improvements to services to assist rough sleepers. Council contributes $50,000 a year to the Homeless Action Plan.

New Beginnings Court: With its partner agencies, the council also contributes funding to the New Beginnings Court which deals with homeless people’s minor offending. Instead of traditional sentencing, the Court works with individuals on a monitored plan to facilitate recovery, obtain accommodation and prevent repeat offending. The aim is to assist people off the streets and back into society.

Auckland City Mission: The council also part funds the Auckland City Mission to routinely provide Outreach services to rough sleepers and provide people with information and support, including housing, financial assistance, mental and physical health care, and other social needs.  Council continues to play a lead advocacy role with central government to recognise the need for increased funding to assist with providing effective wrap around services.

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Tips for our DIYers This Summer

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Some safety tips

 

If you are like me and Rebekka you might be spending some of your Summer time doing renovations and/or landscaping around the property. And so Auckland Council has some released some tips so you don’t end up in A&E on ACC over the Summer break….

From Auckland Council:

Tips and traps for holiday DIYers

 

Home DIY projects are as much part of the Kiwi summer as jandals or barbeques, but they need a bit of planning.

While some rules around home renovation have been relaxed in recent times, Aucklanders are being reminded to check before they get the tools out.

Councillor George Wood says DIYers should find out if the planned work needs either building or resource consent and check what you can do versus what needs a qualified tradesperson.

“With the better weather and longer evenings Aucklanders may be spurred on after watching ‘The Block’ on television. We just need to remind people to take the simple steps to make sure that the project is safe, they are going to be within the law and their work isn’t going to harm the environment,” Councillor Wood.

“It’s always best to ask first, and remember that building is covered by both the Building Act and Resource Management Act so both need checking.”

Ensuring DIY work is compliant will also help property owners ensure they don’t compromise any future property sales. To learn more about what does and doesn’t require consent, visitwww.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz  or contact 09 301 0101 to find out more.

“It’s also important to think about how we build, especially how we clean up afterwards, as building activity can have a real impact on our environment,” adds Councillor Wood.

“What goes down drains will end up in the sea via the stormwater system, so it is important to keep the drains for the rain,” he says.

Concrete waste, paint, and even soil particles can have a devastating impact if they get washed into the stormwater system, streams or the sea.

Paint brushes should be washed with running water onto open ground which will absorb the waste water and prevent the chemicals from reaching more vulnerable stream or marine environments.

To learn more about minimising potential pollution from home renovations and landscaping visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

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Stay safe and some common sense please people 🙂

 

Public Transport Users Association Launched

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To ‘represent’ public transport users

 

From the Public Transport Users Association

Public Transport Users to get a voice

On Monday 1st of December, the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) will be launched in Auckland.

Jon Reeves, Co-ordinator of the PTUA said “Until now, bus, train and ferry users had no independent group they could approach over their issues or concerns. Our Association will look at issues and developing trends which affect the actual users. We want all decisions to be focused on one core question, is this in the best interests of the actual public transport user.”

The Public Transport Users Group is chaired by Christine Rose, a former Councillor from Auckland Regional Council. Deputy Chair is Vernon Tava, Councillor on the Waitemata Local Board. The Committee is made up of public transport users covering nearly all points of the Auckland region.
Raise issues instantly
Users will be able to raise issues instantly via the facebook site, via twitter or by simply emailing the PTUA. Reeves said “We will use the power of the people to ensure public transport users come first with transport authorities and operators. To that end, we have set the membership fee at just $5 which we use to help fund our voluntary organisation.
National aspirations
The PTUA has already been approached via the facebook site by public transport users wanting to set branches up from Whangarei and Wellington. Reeves said “Once we roll out in Auckland I am confident we can help public transport users around New Zealand”.
First campaign to be announced
The first campaign will be announced at the official launch on Monday morning. Passenger liaisons and a public meeting are planned in West Auckland this week.
While the PTUA will represent the coal face of public transport, the users, it will work with other pro-public transport groups in the mission of promoting and improving public transport.

Further Information

About us
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) is a politically independent, voluntary incorporated society and is run by a committee. The PTUA represents current and future public transport users. It promotes public transport use to ensure councils, transport agencies and central Government listen to bus, train and ferry users.

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Contact/SM Listings

Facebook/Public Transport Users Association
Twitter: @ptuaNZ

Excellence Awarded

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Two awarded for community excellence

 

And some good news today from Auckland Council:

Two West Wave staff win leisure awards

 

Cindy Stewart and Romina Veseli from West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre have scooped prizes at the 2014 New Zealand Fitness Awards held in Auckland on Saturday night.

Cindy won the Community Excellence Award while her colleague Romina took out the Outstanding Club Support Person title.

The West Wave pair were among four Auckland Council staff who were recognised at the annual awards. The other two were Matt Nash (Marina Fitness) and Barbara Joseph (Otara Pool and Leisure Centre), who were both finalists in the Gym Instructor of the Year category.

Auckland Council Pools and Leisure Manager Rob McGee says to have two winners and two finalists is a superb achievement for the council’s network of leisure centres, and shows that they are delivering not only top quality programmes but some ground-breaking initiatives.

One of those initiatives is the West Wave Wellness Long-Term Programme, driven by Cindy.

The senior fitness instructor has been at the Henderson-based centre for 12 years, and for the past eight has worked closely with Health West and the Green Prescription programme opening doors to referrals from the community.

“To achieve our vision of getting people into exercise we needed to illustrate the benefits of physical activity, which has improved our clients’ motivation and self-belief,” says Cindy.

Recently she has also been able to deliver hydrotherapy and aqua aerobic classes to help people with health issues such as stroke, arthritis and cardiac problems.

Her colleague Romina has worked at West Wave since 2009 and is currently the Fitness Team Leader. She helps run the club’s events and special initiatives such as the weight loss club, running club and the wellness programme.

Auckland Council is committed to increasing individual and community wellbeing through participation in recreation and sport.

Now in their 10th year and coordinated by industry association Fitness New Zealand, the awards celebrate the dedication and success of the country’s world-class fitness leaders and the important role they play in the health of our society.

 

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Congratulations and well done indeed

What Do We Want at Waterfront Auckland

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What we want

 

From Auckland Council

Fun, sun and a run – what Aucklanders want from their waterfront

 

Fun and quirky spaces, sunshine, sea views, places to eat, public gatherings and events, areas to swim, walk and run, and children’s play space.

These are some of the recurring themes on the list of what Aucklanders want from new downtown spaces.

Auckland Council’s City Centre Integration team is seeking feedback on what people want to see in the downtown spaces, from outside Britomart train station to the waterfront areas between Princes Wharf and Captain Cook Wharf. The survey runs until 12 December 2014 and has elicited a variety of responses since it began earlier in the month.

Waitemata Local Board Chair Shale Chambers says: “We’re seeing a range of requests coming through; basically we are finding that Aucklanders want a lot of different things.

“There are some trends emerging from public feedback, for example, we can see that people want views of the water rather than the city, they want sun rather than shade options, they want to be able to run and walk, to attend events and gatherings and free play space for their kids.”

The survey asks people to rank a variety of options under different headings. It also asks what else they would like to see, with ideas put forward so far including bike parking, family sporting events, places to swim, improving transport connections and an outdoor cinema.

From feedback received to date the top two options under each heading are:

Environment and setting:

–       Looking at harbour views

–       Relaxing in sunny, open spaces

Community, Arts, Culture and Heritage:

–       Spaces that are fun and quirky

–       Attend public gatherings, demonstrations, events, performances and celebrations

Hospitality and retail:

–       Eat or drink at café and restaurant tables

–       Picnic at freely available eating spaces

Recreation activities:

–       Walk and/or run

–       Playspace for children in a natural area (trees, rocks, grass, sand etc)

 

Findings from this public consultation will help to inform the design and planning processes. The survey is open until 12 December 2014 and can be accessed through shapeauckland.co.nz.

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I have done the survey have you?