The Talking Auckland Summer Series The Talking Auckland 2013/2014 Summer Series, a collection of photos, quips, and light stories from around Auckland over the Christmas–New Year run. Normal Talking Auckland commentary will resume … Continue reading 2013/2014 Summer Series #6
The Talking Auckland Summer Series The Talking Auckland 2013/2014 Summer Series, a collection of photos, quips, and light stories from around Auckland over the Christmas–New Year run. Normal Talking Auckland commentary will resume … Continue reading 2013/2014 Summer Series #4.1
The Talking Auckland 2013/2014 Summer Series, a collection of photos, quips, and light stories from around Auckland over the Christmas-New Year run. Normal Talking Auckland commentary will resume from 13th January, 2014.
Looking at Auckland from Te Atatu North on a Summer’s day
The Talking Auckland Summer Series Introducing the Talking Auckland 2013/2014 Summer Series, a collection of photos, quips, and light stories from around Auckland over the Christmas-New Year run. Normal … Continue reading 2013/2014 Summer Series #1
Some releases from the Council on matters happening around the City, starting with alcohol…
Alcohol law changes begin next week
Major changes to New Zealand’s drinking laws come into force next week in an aim to reduce alcohol harm. The reforms, introduced under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act (SSAA) 2012, focus on changing our drinking culture through the responsible sale and supply of alcohol.
Passed by Parliament in 2012, aspects of the new law have been phased in throughout the year with the final changes taking effect 18 December 2013. For the alcohol industry this now means:
For the public, the alcohol law reforms not only affect when they can purchase alcohol from bars or the local wine shop but how alcohol is served to minors in the home. As of 18 December, it will be illegal to supply alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 unless you are their parent or guardian or have express consent from them. The penalty for breaching the law is a fine of up to $2,000.
Auckland Council, Hospitality NZ, Auckland Transport and Police have worked closely together in preparing for the changes that will occur next week including a campaign on the new restriction requiring on-licences to close at 4am which will affect up to 300 operators in central Auckland. Being the busy Christmas season, extra transport has been provided for Aucklanders to get home safely.
In future, maximum trading hours for Auckland will be determined by the region’s local alcohol policy (LAP). The SSAA now gives all districts the ability to develop LAP to govern the sale, supply, or consumption of alcohol within its area. Auckland Council is currently developing its policy with a draft being released for full public consultation in early 2014.
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Further Information
The new hours, as prescribed by central government effective from 18 December 2013, are:
Auckland Transport has the following transport options available to late night patrons in the city:
For more on Alcohol Licensing Changes visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/liquor
For a full copy of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act and additional fact sheets visit
www.justice.govt.nz/policy/sale-and-supply-of-alcohol
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Everyone likes a nice Christmas-New Years break
Auckland Council Christmas Hours
Auckland Council wishes all Aucklanders a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Services that will continue over the Christmas break include:
Pools and recreation centres http://www.aucklandleisure.co.nz/
Rubbish and recycling collections with the exception of collections on 25th, 26th December and 1st and 2nd January which will be collected the following day.
Animal management services will run normal business hours.
The Auckland Council 24-hour call centre and the written communication response team will remain.
Other Auckland Council departments including service centres and local board offices will be closed over the holiday period from midday Friday 20 December until Monday 6 January.
For more information visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or call 09 3010101.
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And there are extra staff to process those consents – which is good if anyone is planning to kick start a major project this summer
Consent teams gear up for development bonanza
Auckland Council’s building and resource consents teams are gearing up to meet an increase in consenting volumes in tune with the improving Auckland economy.
Teams are achieving 95 per cent approvals of non-notified consents and 98 per cent for building consents within the statutory timeframes.
Both departments are preparing to meet the increased demand through additional resources. The two teams have a total staff of 1100 across council service centres with additional external consultants to provide overflow capacity when required.
Both building and resource consent teams have fast track processes to streamline low-risk applications, delivering services within five and 10 working days. Currently 11 per cent of resource consents are processed within 10 working days.
Resource consents currently in progress or issued in the last five months will permit over 20,000 new residential dwellings or lots to be built over the next five or so years. A further 10,000 units/lots are in discussion at pre-application stage.
Finance and Performance Committee chair, Councillor Penny Webster, said even higher demand will result from the Auckland Housing Accord’s ambitious targets for new residential lots and dwellings.
“It’s a sign that Auckland is on the move on the housing front with construction likely to flow through across Auckland including the new Special Housing Areas,” she said.
Consent applications show a shift away from property alterations and additions to large scale applications for apartments, greenfield developments and infrastructure projects.
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Speaking of Special Housing Areas there is a further update of that coming through on Monday. Tuesday morning I should have the latest on the SHA’s and what does it mean for Auckland.
I see two particular people are pushing a barrow against Auckland Transport this morning (well one was last night looking at the Scoop release). Affordable Auckland’s Stephen Berry and the NZ Herald‘s Bernard Orsman seem to be pushing the barrow around Auckland Transport holding a family orientated, no-alcohol based event at The Cloud last weekend.
From the NZ Herald:
$40k Auckand Transport do draws flak
By Bernard Orsman 5:30 AM Tuesday Nov 12, 2013
Cash-strapped Auckland Transport criticised for ‘enormous’ staff party at the Cloud.
A financially troubled council body has splashed out about $41,500 on a party for 1700 staff and family at the Cloud, including entertainment from X Factor NZwinner Jackie Thomas.
Auckland Transport held the One Team party at the waterfront venue on Saturday – the first time in three years staff across the organisation and their families have got together.
As well as Jackie Thomas, a juggling group and ethnic dancers entertaining party-goers, four food trucks served food and soft drinks at a combined cost of about $20 a head.
Auckland Transport paid another council body, Waterfront Auckland, $7500 for the hire of the Cloud.
Last night, Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton – whose organisation is forecasting an $18 million shortfall for next year’s budget – said the council body was concerned about the wise use of ratepayers’ money but believed the event was a sound investment and good for organisational culture.
Staff had requested an opportunity to meet more of their colleagues and it could never been done in work hours for operational reasons, he said.Mr Warburton said the $20-a-head cost was less than the budget of $30-$35 a head for Christmas functions, there was no alcohol and some activities for the children.
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You can read the full article over it in the NZ Herald
Essentially the event came to $20/head which is pretty cheap and quite prudent for again what was a family orientated mass party. I am quite sure the children would have not minded Jackie Thomas putting out a few hits knowing X-Factor had a quite a few followers at the beginning of the year.
The saying goes there are Christmas Parties and there are Christmas Parties with the latter often being booze-fuelled events and often terrible hang-overs that go beyond the traditional hang-over. This Christmas bash would have not been the latter but rather a wind down and for staff from AT’s large empire, to see each other and just relax.
Especially after not an easy year which is still on going (Future of grace period for old bus cards uncertain) and could be easily pinned to senior management not being on the ball <_< with the entire AT-HOP saga and buses.
I did Tweet this earlier this morning:
@sudhvir no alcohol, family event, close to public transport, good night out, $20/head This should be retweeted for all positive reasons
In saying that probably “bad timing” on the event owing to what I alluded just earlier not being an easy year for Auckland Transport and their staff. However, I am not going to be the Grinch that stole their Christmas either, just hope the people at the party had a very good time 🙂
The BR:AKL Summer 2012-2013 Summer Series BR:AKL is just not all about commentary and analysis into all things Auckland, the blog also gives an insight into its webmaster – … Continue reading Summer 2012-2013 Series – #Intro
Summer is here, Christmas is three weeks away and 2013 now being four weeks away. And as so businesses and civic institutions close down and people go away on holiday.
Apart from Christmas day itself I will be working through the holiday season and will be taking Annual Leave again in March next year as Rebekka and I head to Australia for our holiday. But in that regard BR:AKL will also be on Summer holiday too from December 21 until Wellington Anniversary weekend (somewhere mid January) before firing up again next with more of that commentary and analysis, plus the campaign to Papakura Local Board 2013.
However before we all go, just a couple of things cropping up at the moment as the year winds down:
First being tomorrow’s Auckland Council Transport Committee in which you can go read all 220 pages in the embed down below. I shall be present at that Committee meeting keeping an eye on proceedings and hopefully catching up with a couple of Councillors and wishing them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
The second thing being is that I still have one Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request outstanding in the Manukau Parking Building that I am awaiting the information from Auckland Transport. I am also in the process of writing up another LGOIMA request on a particular issue I have been keeping a close eye on.
And the last thing being is that I have finished reading the report into our Upper North Island Ports (including Port of Auckland). I shall write commentary up on that in the New Year including continued pushing for having the port moved down the South East coast.
So hope your Christmas preparations are all going well – and here is the 220 pages of all things transport in Auckland (seeming most of us are going to be stuck on the roads one point or another in the run up to these holidays)
Talking Southern Auckland 