Category: General

Everything else

New Service Centre Designed For Customers First

·

Bledisole Service Centre has customers in mind

 

From Auckland Council:

New service centre puts the customer first

 

Opened today, the new Bledisloe Lane service centre – the first of its kind for local government in New Zealand – offers Aucklanders a state-of-the-art approach to meeting their customer needs.

With a focus on making it easier to do business with council, it features the latest technology and services not previously available and offers enhanced face to face interaction.

Customers are greeted by a concierge who can direct them to the service they require or they can do it themselves at one of the easy to use self-service kiosks.

There is also free wifi, people can order property information, and be connected by phone to other council departments for further assistance, or talk to staff in comfortable seated areas.

The challenge was to de-mystify complex council processes. The changes follow extensive research into what customers wanted and follow the latest retail industry trends and best practice here and overseas.

“Providing customers with options is at the heart of what we are trying to do,” says Councillor Christine Fletcher. “Depending on your individual needs, you can choose to use self-service kiosks for easy-to-understand information on council processes, making payments and doing research, or you can talk face-to-face with knowledgeable staff,” she says.

Becoming easier to deal with and raising customer service levels is key to meeting Aucklanders’ expectations of their council, according to Cr Fletcher.

The décor is far cry from what some might expect from a local authority – with bright colours and themes which reflect Auckland’s diverse communities and lifestyle.

This is council’s flagship service centre, serving not just central city residents and ratepayers but thousands across the region who visit the city daily for work and pleasure.  An estimated 90,000 people are employed in the central city.

The visit is made more welcoming by the ongoing changes to the Bledisloe Lane walkway, linking to the shared space of Elliott Street. When complete the new Bledisloe Lane will feature new paving, additional seating and cycle parking and a re-modelled canopy to make it a lighter and more inviting place.

More light and removing the alcoves will improve the lane’s safety with less opportunity for anti-social activity.

A pocket park at the Wellesley Street entrance will also open in the new year.

“The changes are good news for the many customers of the lane’s businesses such as the NZ Post, Kiwibank and the Metro Centre,” according to Cr Fletcher. “We are very grateful for the patience shown by both the businesses and their customers during construction,” she says.

The new service centre replaces the one in the Civic Building, which has now closed.

 

Further Information

The improvements to the customer service centre represent a long term investment and will inform changes elsewhere in the region, as and when other service centres require upgrading. The cost of the new service centre, including all the new customer touch points was $800,000.

During the holiday period, the new service centre will be closed from midday 24 December until 8am 5 January 2015.

—ends—

 

Unitary Plan Hearings Update (15/12/2014) – UPDATE #1

·

Council Nutted Over Greenfield Releases

 

I am observing the Unitary Plan hearings currently under way in which the Panel is covering ‘Urban Growth.’

Currently the full panel is hammering Auckland Council over both the Rural Urban Boundary itself as well as Greenfield releases. Specifically around how the releases would be done and would the releases mitigate against land banking.

But the big revelation came from Council after Panel Member Shepard (http://www.aupihp.govt.nz/profiles/#panel) finally managed to get out them this:

Council to the Panel: “we’ve (Auckland Council) always been reactive and not having the budgets to service development”

 

Council was long warned on both those particular matters especially being reactive rather than proactive around infrastructure provisions. I distinctly remember early in the Unitary Plan debates in 2013 that we should be proactive rather than reactive with infrastructure provisions (amongst other things) but our Deputy Mayor, and Chief Planning Officer didn’t want a bar of it for being afraid of running into infrastructure surpluses rather than deficits as current.

In my opinion being proactive would not result in an infrastructure surplus. To get that you need a total economic collapse like the USA went through with the Global Financial Crisis which killed off many new Greenfield developments still sitting idle today and giving rise to that surplus. Auckland right now is not teetering on such collapses so we should be getting proactive rather than be reactive which proves to be more expensive as the Council is commenting now on not having the budgets.

UPDATE #1

Well this is interesting:

Fuller: Has there been a detailed economic study on house price on the compact urban form?
Fairgray No

No wonder why Council has at the moment buried the Cost of Growth Study until next year after it was meant to be released this month. It seems Council has NOT done any detailed economic studies on house prices via the compact city model….

 

Lessons for Sydney here as it embarks on its own Sydney Plan (A Plan For Growing Sydney)

 

Auckland to Celebrate 175 Years

· 2 Comments ·

Come celebrate all things that are – well Auckland

 

From Auckland Council:

Launching Auckland’s 175th birthday weekend

 

Come and celebrate the 175th anniversary of Auckland, from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 January. 

Auckland Council and ASB are partnering to transform Shed 10 and Queens Wharf to give Aucklanders a glimpse into our past across the three days of Auckland Anniversary weekend 2015.

Mayor Len Brown says “Auckland is coming of age, and you can feel a renewed sense of pride in our place and ourselves. The 175th anniversary is an important milestone for us so we’re looking forward to celebrating with an event reflecting who we are and what makes Auckland proud.”

The centre-piece of the event is a large-scale, never-seen-before, immersive multimedia exhibition which is a tribute to Aucklanders who have played a significant part in the region’s history. The exhibition, produced by acclaimed Creative Director Mike Mizrahi, features stories told on screen about the people who have shaped Auckland; and stories of Tamaki Makaurau will unfold in a live story-telling zone.

Quay Street will be closed to traffic, and as people arrive on Queens Wharf they will walk through an historic archway designed to mark this significant moment in the city’s history. Then the wharf – including Shed 10 and The Cloud – will come alive with entertainment and historical displays that will take people back in time.

A highlight of the weekend will be Sunday evening’s free concert from the HMNZS Otago – berthed alongside Queens Wharf. Curated by Tama Waipara, a selection of bands will bring a local flavour to the celebration. The concert will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display from barges in the harbour and from the Sky Tower. All three days will feature buskers, a waka display in the harbour, photographic exhibition, vintage cars lining Quay St, markets, food vendors and more.

“Since Sir John Logan Campbell and James Dilworth opened New Zealand’s first savings bank in Auckland in 1847, the histories of ASB and Auckland have been inexorably linked,” explains Barbara Chapman, ASB’s Chief Executive.

“Given ASB has been a key part of Auckland for over 165 years, we are proud to be working with Auckland Council to celebrate with everyone Auckland’s amazing journey to becoming the world-class city it is today.”

Mayor Brown adds; “We want everyone to come join the celebrations as we look back at a rich history, celebrate our diverse cultures and acknowledge some of those who have made Auckland great.”

……….

 

Further Information

  • Queens Wharf events are FREE to the public from:

o   Saturday 24 January: 10am – 6pm

o   Sunday 25 January: 10am – 10pm (approx.)

o   Monday 26 January: 10am – 6pm

 

  • Shed 10 multimedia exhibition opening times:

o   Saturday 24 – Monday 26 January: 12pm – 6pm daily

o   Exclusive ASB customer access: daily 10am – 12pm

 

  • HMNZS Otago open Saturday from 10am – 6pm / Sunday from 10am-3pm.
  • HMNZS Otago concert, Sunday 25 January, 5.30pm – 9.30pm.
  • Harbour/Sky Tower Fireworks display, 9.30pm Sunday 25 January.
  • The Auckland 175th Anniversary weekend event on Queens Wharf and Quay St will be alcohol-free.
  • Quay St will be closed to traffic from lower Albert St to Commerce St across the whole weekend.
  • Other events happening at Auckland’s waterfront over Anniversary Weekend include; Auckland Regatta, SeePort, ASB Auckland Seafood Festival, International Buskers Festival, and St Jerome’s Laneway Festival.

The Auckland 175th Anniversary weekend event is also supported by a family of sponsors including:

  • ASB
  • Downer
  • Imersia
  • Oceania/Spyglass
  • Image Centre Group/Aaque Graphics
  • Ports of Auckland
  • RNZN

 

————————————

 

Providing the weather holds that weekend it should be a ball celebrating Auckland’s 175 years – young!

 

No Sunday BBQ Today

·

Final for 2014 next Sunday

 

Apologies folks but no Sunday BBQ podcast today.

 

The final Sunday BBQ podcast for 2014 will be next Sunday and we will be taking a look at the year that was for our Mayor.

 

Tomorrow I will look at the new Sydney Plan (http://www.strategy.planning.nsw.gov.au/sydney/) which again Sydney has pretty much left Auckland for dead again after it did so with a transit orientated development recently.

Put it this way while Sydney’s plan is ambitious it can be delivered and it recognises a few realities that Auckland missed with her own.

 

More tomorrow

 

Glenora Road Station?

·

And what about Te Mahia and Westfield

 

I saw in the Auckland Transport Board Meeting closed agenda for this month as well as the forward program sheet that three stations are up for discussion and possible decisions.

They are:

  1. Whether to close Te Mahia and/or Westfield Stations
  2. Allow Glenora Road Station to be built next to the Takanini Village

 

The Agenda and Forward Program papers that caught my attention

 

 

Comments

I note that the discussion around all three stations is behind closed doors under the justification of frank and free discussion to which a decision will be noted (rather than actioned by the looks of it). All three stations have stirred up the emotions with Manurewa Local Board roping in the Mayor to get Te Mahia to stay open while Papakura Local Board and Councillor Calum Penrose are fighting to get Glenora Road Station built and operation (rather than Auckland Transport’s favoured Tironui Station).

What could be indicative around Westfield and Te Mahia is that they are on the Auckland Plan Transport Network funding program for upgrades. Meaning if full funding is available the stations would be upgraded within the next 10 years otherwise not at all under the current Basic Transport Network scenario. However, that APTN and BTN could change depending how the Governing Body treats the final version of the Long Term Plan next year.

That said Glenora Road Station is not on either the APTN or BTN but if Auckland Transport give it the green light then somehow the Council will need to get funding for it.

 

The agenda paper notes that the decisions around those three stations will be released in due course. It will be VERY interesting to see which way AT fall over these stations.

 

Coming Up on The Weekend Analysis

·

End of the Line?

 

For my last Weekend Analysis for 2014 I was going to look back at the City Rail Link debate that happened on Tuesday. Well Kane from All About Auckland who was there when the Governing Body failed in their one job (Council: You Had ONE Job! UPDATED) delivered this promotional piece for his show on Monday:

The End of the Line?

The Governing Body convened for an Extraordinary Meeting on Tuesday to debate the City Rail Link for the 7th time. Quite why they were required to perform yet again remains unclear.

Most likely reasons being that a letter arrived on the Auditor General’s desk from some Councillors which may have had an unsettling effect on her.

Another reason being that the last meeting to discuss the CRL, at the Budget debate, saw a spilt decision on allowing a road tolling option to be included in the Transport Funding consultation document.

Len could not afford the political risk inherent in a decision that saw the far left and far right join forces against the centrists so when the opportunity for another vote loomed up in the form of the Auditor General rejecting the Budget while it included Central Government funding for the CRL, rather than quietly negotiating through it, he used the chance to improve his mandate.

The debate, which was a good one, marks the sorry end to Len’s political career as the Mayor with the Mojo. The Mayor in waiting said it all when,  part way through the debate, she took careful aim and explained to him exactly how he should do his job. And all the while those on the left and the right giving him the benefit of their advice

—-ends—-

 

Ouch!

Kane’s piece certainly delivers enough material to work on as does Bob Dey’s piece as well.

So tomorrow on The Weekend Analysis I look back at the CRL debate as well as my picks for Councillor(s) of 2014 – both good and bad!

 

Promo piece

All About Auckland Show

On This Week’s Show:

The End of the Line?

Episode 47

SkyTV Channel 83 FACETV

Monday at 9pm – repeats Tuesday 12.30pm

Facebook Like Button

………..