Author: Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

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

July ’14 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking

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Up two places to 40th for July with some solid runs in the second half of July. Also seems August is going to be a solid month as well.

Again I would like to thank readers for visiting and commenting at Talking Auckland. As always guest posts and feedback are welcome 🙂

Ken's avatarOpen Parachute

 get-1000-visits-a-dayImage Credit:Learn Blog Tips

There are now over 300 blogs on the list, although I am weeding out those which are no longer active or have removed public access to sitemeters. (Let me know if I weed out yours by mistake, or get your stats wrong).

Every month I get queries from people wanting their own blog included. I encourage and am happy to respond to queries but have prepared a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) people can check out. Have a look at NZ Blog Rankings FAQ. This is particularly helpful to those wondering how to set up sitemeters.

Please note, the system is automatic and relies on blogs having sitemeters which allow public access to the stats.

Here are the rankings of New Zealand blogs with publicly available statistics for July 2014. Ranking is by visit numbers. I have listed the blogs in the table below, together…

View original post 1,672 more words

Changes to the City Rail Link [updated with video from Auckland Transport]

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LGOMIA request to go in for Post-CRL Operational Plan

 

Bit of activity around the changes to the City Rail Link this morning in order to scale back costs.

From the Office of the Mayor

Mayor announces 20 percent cut in cost of City Rail Link

Auckland Mayor Len Brown has announced a significant reduction in the cost of the City Rail Link (CRL) from $2.86 billion to less than $2.4 billion lowering the price of Auckland’s number one transport infrastructure priority by about 20 per cent.

A significant part of that cost reduction is an Auckland Transport (AT) decision to redevelop the existing Mt Eden Station and connect it to the CRL rather than build a new underground station at Newton.

That design change will save more than $150 million, improve the reliability and journey time of train services, minimise construction disruption and reduce property purchase requirements.

The other significant saving is a decision that additional electric trains will not be required as part of the core CRL project, saving more than $330 million.

Len Brown says the ongoing review of the design and costs for the project shows we can get the CRL operational using the existing fleet. It is expected new units will be required for the CRL’s future developments, as the network expands.

“This is an exciting development and makes a 2016 start date for the construction of the CRL even more realistic, especially at a time when more and more people are choosing to get out of their cars and travel by rail*,” says Mayor Brown.

“Aucklanders are behind this, the business and investment community are behind this, we just need to get on and get it done.”

Mayor Brown said he expects more good news on the cost of the project to come as optimisation, value engineering and advances in tunnelling technology are taken into account.

*The year to June 2014 saw a 13.9% increase in Auckland rail patronage, to 11.4 million trips.

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More coverage can be seen at the following:

Auckland transport project overhauled

AT drops Newton Station for cheaper CRL

And from Todd Niall at Radio NZ this morning

The text version can be seen here: $500m cost cut in Auckland rail plans

 

More on this later today including sending in a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request on the post CRL operating plan

 

UPDATE: Auckland Transport has a video on the Mt Eden Station Changes

 

5:16pm and 5:46pm Britomart – Onehunga Services running – as Electric Trains

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Good news. Lets hope this holds up

 

I received my usual updates on Twitter about whether the electric trains are running or not after facing Day 11 of being grounded since power infrastructure faults became significant two Sunday’s ago

And this is what greets me

The 5:16pm main peak service from Britomart to Onehunga coming out of the Newmarket tunnel heading towards Britomart

 

And just a few moments ago as I write this

 

The second main peak service the 5:46pm also got away on time as well.

 

So our electrics are back after 10.5 days being grounded. The catch is will they hold out or will that fault return? We wait and see.

 

New By-Laws Coming into Effect

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Aucklanders helped shape new By-Laws

 

From Auckland Council

Aucklanders help shape new bylaws

 

Community feedback has played a major part in the final content of two new regional bylaws adopted by Auckland Council’s Governing Body today.

In adopting the final Navigation Safety and Cemeteries and Crematoria bylaws, Regulatory and Bylaws Committee Chairman Calum Penrose says both are excellent examples of how the consultation and hearing process can have a positive outcome for the community and council.

“With both bylaws we came up with a series of proposals aimed at managing a particular issue – such as public concerns over the number of drownings involving people not wearing lifejackets – and how to protect public health and safety in both situations.

“By the community getting involved in these decisions through the submission process, we could see that in some cases we didn’t quite get it right.  So we listened, we considered and we made changes that the council and the public can work with – it’s been a great outcome.

“I think with navigation safety in particular it has transferred the responsibility for keeping people safe back to the skipper,” he says.

Also at today’s meeting, councillors agreed the proposed Animal Management and Alcohol Control bylaws and that an amendment to council’s Health and Hygiene Bylaw are ready to be released for public consultation.

Auckland Council inherited 158 bylaws from Auckland’s former legacy councils and, under the Local Government Act, is required to review all of these by October 2015.  The council has now implemented 12 of 30 region-wide bylaws, all of which introduce a fairer and more consistent experience for our customers, no matter where in Auckland they live or own a business.

Reports included on all these bylaws are in the Governing Body agenda, available on the council’s website. 

 

Information on the new and proposed bylaws below:

 

Navigation Safety Bylaw

 

Will replace the current Auckland Regional Council Navigation Safety Bylaw 2008 and includes new regulations as follows:

  • Everyone on a vessel of six metres in length or less will have to wear a lifejacket at all times unless the skipper says it can be removed.   This is a change of the original proposal which did not include skippers’ discretion
  • That on board every boat there must be some form of communication to enable persons on board to contact the shore if they get in to difficulty.   Changes from proposal requiring carrying of a communication device such as a phone or radio.
  • That people in charge of a vessel should not be intoxicated by drugs or alcohol.

The new bylaw will come in to effect at Labour Weekend and council is developing an awareness and education programme to ensure people are aware of the new regulations and their responsibilities.   It will also write to the Minister of Transport to review the Maritime Transport Act to allow the council to issue infringements for breaches of the new regulations.

 

Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw and Code of Practice

 

This bylaw and code of practice will replace eight bylaws inherited from former councils and replace with a single approach to managing facilities across the region.  It will come in to effect from 1 November 2014.

Changes made as a result of consultation including added a series of explanatory notes to the code to provide clarity.

Other changes include

  • Giving cemetery managers discretion on how many people can be in the immediate area during a cremation
  • Continuing to support family and friends’ desire to be able to fill their loved ones’ grave, but ask that they give cemetery staff notice so that provisions can be made, including having equipment available
  • That floral tributes and adornments on graves will be moved to the concrete berm to allow grave maintenance to be carried out

Changes were also made to clarify that approval is not required for the scattering of ashes in public places but that information will be provided about this activity in sensitive areas such as playgrounds and sportsfields.

 

Proposed bylaws being consulted on from later this month: 

Animal Management

 

Will replace 18 bylaws relating to the management of animals with a single region-wide approach to minimise nuisance and risks to public health and safety.

Includes proposals relating to the keeping of stock (including chickens) and bees and  in urban areas and on public places and horse riding in public places.

 

Alcohol Control Bylaw

 

Will establish a process for the review of the region’s alcohol control areas (liquor bans).  Also proposes that local boards are given delegation to make review the those bans located in their areas.

New legislation requires that all alcohol control areas must be based on evidence of crime and alcohol related harm before a control can be put in place.

 

Amendment to the Auckland Council Health and Hygiene Bylaw

 

We propose amending the bylaw to exempt pharmacies from needing a licence to carry out ear piercings as they are already licenced under the Medicines Act 1981 and undergo regular audits by the Ministry of Health.

The bylaw requires health premises piercing the skin (including commercial ear piercing) to get a licence from council.

 

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