December 2014 – January 2015 Local Board Member Report

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Vernon Tava

Logo croppedPurpose

This report covers my Waitematā Local Board Activities during December 2014 and January 2015 as Deputy Chair of the Finance Committee, Deputy Chair of the Hearings Committee, Lead of the Parks and Open Spaces portfolio, Co-holder of the Heritage, Urban Design and Planning portfolio and Local Board representative on the K Road Business Association.

Executive Summary

  • This report covers the months of December and January as Council has been in recess over the Christmas and New Years’ break
  • Fukuoka Gardens work is progressing with a dinner at the house of the Consul-General, a blessing of the old and new sites, and a report back on progress all in January
  • Western Park toilets at the northern end of the park have been re-sited and replaced
  • Controversy continues around the decision to remove six pohutukawa trees at 820 Great North Road

Continue reading →

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Radio Live Panel: 25 January 2015

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Vernon Tava

Radio_Live_logo.svgListen here to my Radio Live panel with Mark Sainsbury and Deborah Coddington. After Mark checks in with me to see that I’ve been watching plenty of television over the summer we move on to a discussion of whether David Bain should receive compensation for wrongful imprisonment now that he has dropped judicial review proceedings; whether charges should be laid over the administration of the Tuwharetoa trust;  is education free? Should it be? We also talk about whether it is appropriate to make overtly political statements at Ratana as Metiria Turei recently did and whether Gareth Morgan is helping or hindering discussion of the Treaty of Waitangi.

You can check out past appearances here.

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St Luke’s Pohutukawa Consigned to Removal by NoR Hearing Panel

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Vernon Tava

St-lukes-intersectionToday the Waitemata Local Board was informed that the hearing panel on the Notice of Requirement (NoR) for the Pohutukawa trees (I’ve written about this in detail at the link) at 820 Great North Road has recommended that Auckland Transport (AT) be able to cut down the six grand, old trees.

We are disappointed if not entirely surprised. The Local Board was the lead submitter in opposition to the NoR.

This is a loss that cannot be remedied by the proposed new plantings and is the product of a tragic lack of vision on the part of AT.

AT have 30 working days to decide whether or not they will accept the recommendation of the panel.

Let them know what you think! Email david.warburton@aucklandtransport.govt.nz

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Governing Body Extraordinary Meeting on the City Rail Link in the LTP

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Vernon Tava

I attended a meeting of the Governing Body on 9 December 2014, about the response to the Auditor-General’s refusal to sign off the LTP (2015-25 Long Term Plan) with the start to the City Rail Link in 2015-6 when the government will not contribute funding until 2020.

The response from Council is to move the date to 2018-19. This is promising. It means that the difference between the government’s and council’s preferred start times will be only 18-24 months apart.

CEO (and acting-CFO), Stephen Town, presented on the fundamentals of the amended proposal. The interest to revenue ratio will not exceed 12%. There will be no impact on rates increases. Council will assume $416 million debt for 18-24 months  but this will have no impact on rates as the government will begin contributions which will cover the debt servicing and part of the principal in 2020.

scenario 2

Source: Open Agenda of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Governing Body on 9 December 2014, p. 11

Councillors raised concerns about the fact that the Auditor-General has rejected the 2016 start date. The CEO observed, in answer to prompting from Cr Webster, that it is not at all uncommon for there to be a back-and-forth with the Auditor-General’s office. These are “fluid and dynamic” discussions. This has simply been more public because it is to do with the CRL and is therefore widely reported on.

The government’s targets for employment have been routinely criticised by council and this meeting was no exception. Cr Lee pointed out that although patronage targets are valid and achievable, the employment target for the city centre would only be possible with the CRL operating. An officer noted that the area around Britomart has gone from being something of a blackspot in the city centre to having the highest productivity increase, employment growth and rent increases because of the connectivity of Britomart. It is reasonable to assume that this effect will be replicated where the CRL stations emerge.

The recommendation was accepted 14-6 (Cr Filipaina was absent) and the councillors voted as follows:

For

Brown, Lee, Webster, Hulse, Anae, Casey, Cashmore, Clow, Darby, Fletcher, Penrose, J. Walker, W. Walker, Watson.

Against

Brewer, Wood, Quax, Cooper, Stewart, Krum.

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Radio Live Panel: 7 December 2014

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Vernon Tava

Radio_Live_logo.svgListen to my Sunday morning Radio Live panel with Mark Sainsbury and Deborah Coddington.

Talking about Wellington’s proposed council amalgamation; Discussion of match fixing legislation and terror legislation being rushed through the house. Should mothers who smoke and drink heavily whilst pregnant be liable criminally for the harm to the child (or is it more sensible, as I argue, to allow a civil remedy)? Parliament opens with a Christian prayer, should we change it to remove the reference to God? Destiny Church and the stage covered in money.

You can check out past appearances here.

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November 2014 Local Board Member Report

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Vernon Tava

Logo croppedPurpose

This report covers my Waitematā Local Board Activities during November 2014 as Deputy Chair of the Finance Committee, Deputy Chair of the Hearings Committee, Lead of the Parks and Open Spaces portfolio, Co-holder of the Heritage, Urban Design and Planning portfolio and Local Board representative on the K Road Business Association.

Executive Summary

  • This month marks one year that I have been a member of the Waitematā Local Board.
  • This has been a great month for cycling advocacy. Chris and Melissa Bruntlett of Modacity Consultancy in Vancouver presented an Auckland Conversations talk on 4 November and also participated in a Generation Zero-organised ride, ‘Blending with the Bruntletts’, on 2 November.
  • I attended the two-day foundation course for RMA independent commissioners, funded from the Local Board professional development budget.
  • The Local Board submitted against the AT Notice of Requirement to remove a row of eighty year-old pohutukawa trees from the side of Great North Road opposite MOTAT.
  • Work is progressing on the re-establishment of the Fukuoka Friendship Garden at Western Springs. A video-conference between the Steering Committee (including myself and Member Yates) and the Fukuoka City Greenery Department team was held on 2 December.
  • Lighting in Western Park became a controversial topic in the last two weeks of the month with reporting in national media on a proposal to remove lighting from the park on a public safety basis. This will be consulted on as part of the Western Park Development Plan in early-2015.

Continue reading →

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Franklin Road Christmas Lights

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Vernon Tava
(l to r) Vernon Tava, Shale Chambers, Greg Moyle, Cr Mike Lee, Pippa Coom.

With the Waitematā Local Board team (l to r) Vernon Tava, Chair Shale Chambers, Greg Moyle, Cr Mike Lee, Deputy Chair Pippa Coom.

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Launch of Public Transport Users Association of New Zealand

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Vernon Tava

ptuaI am pleased to be a part of the founding of New Zealand’s newest transport advocacy group, the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA). I was elected Deputy Chair at the Initial General Meeting on 20 November.

The purposes of the PTUA (from its constitution) are to:

  • Represent current and future users of public transport in New Zealand
  • Be a politically independent and critical voice on public transport issues
  • Hold public transport providers to public account; and
  • Advocate for better, more efficient public transport on behalf of users

Continue reading →

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Achievement Unlocked: Internationally-Cited as an Example of Cycle Chic

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Vernon Tava

Bike Chic

Taken on the Grafton Gully Cycleway on 2 November. Riding my Gazelle ‘Toer Populair’ in the Generation Zero-organised ride, ‘Blending with the Bruntletts’. This is a tweet from Chris Bruntlett of Vancouver-based consultancy, Modacity.

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Is This A City That Needs More Motorways?

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Vernon Tava

Today I’ve been following the debate in Auckland Council’s Governing Body about a referendum (defeated) and consultation (passed) on funding the city’s transport funding gap for motorways. I came across this beautiful image and it prompted the question in my mind: Is this a city that needs more motorways?

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Having spent the last six months working on the K Rd Plan, the severing effects of the Central Motorway Junction can’t be overstated. Motorways are land-hungry creations.

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