December 2015 – January 2016 Local Board Member Report

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Vernon Tava

Logo croppedPurpose

This report covers my Waitematā Local Board Activities during December 2015 – January 2016 as Deputy Chair of the Waitematā Local Board Finance Committee; Deputy Chair of the Waitematā Local Board Hearings Committee; Lead of the Parks and Open Spaces portfolio; Heritage, Urban Design and Planning portfolio co-holder; Local Board representative on the K Road Business Association; and member of the Auckland Domain Committee. 

Executive Summary

  • This report covers the months of December 2015 and January 2016 as Council has been in recess over the Christmas and New Years’ break and the first business meeting for the 2016 calendar year is in February
  • Auckland Domain Committee met on 2 December to discuss Event Guidelines, Tree Management Plan, a consultation update on the Domain Masterplan, Auckland Bowling Club and adjacent parking, the naming of Pukekawa and a WWI Steering Group update
  • Opening of Nelson Street Cycleway | Lightpath | Te Ara I Whiti on 3 December
  • Local Board Business Meeting held on 8 December 2015
  • Gave feedback by resolution WTM/2015/214 at 8 December to the Regulation and Bylaw Review Committee to endorse the retention of the grading provision of the Auckland Council Food Safety Bylaw 2013 and require the display of food safety grade certificates for food businesses registered with Auckland Council pursuant to the Food Act 2014
  • On 16 December The Auckland City Centre Advisory Board voted to endorse a proposal intended to deal with High Street retailers’ concerns about the removal of Freyberg Lane in the course of the Freyberg Square upgrade by leaving the road in place and phasing out its use over time. Sitting as an alternate for Chair Chambers and with the unanimous support of the Local Board, I called for a division in the meeting and voted against the proposal with Cr Lee.
  • The K Road Cycleway and public realm enhancement community reference group had its first meeting on 17 December 2015
  • On 22 December 2015, I sat as the Local Board member on the four-commissioner panel to decide on the non-notified resource consent for the proposed development at 80 St Lukes Road, St Lukes, R/LUC/2015/529 and R/REG/2015/530, the Westfield/Scentre shopping mall expansion. The consent was granted with extensive conditions.
  • Stage One of the Weona Walkway was completed on 22 December 2015. Stage 2 commences in February 2016
  • Attended LGNZ Young Elected Members (YEM) Workshop in Wellington on ‘LGNZ 2050’, a sustainability-focused project led by the YEMs, on 22 January 2016
  • I keep track of resource consent applications as they are received by Council, requesting further information, plans and Assessments of Environmental Effects for applications of interest. Significant applications are referred to the relevant residents’ associations for their input which I then relay to planners as part of the Local Board’s input. Reporting of resource consent applications, planning portfolio input, hearings and decisions in the Local Board area for this month is detailed in the Heritage, Urban Design and Planning section of this report under the headings ‘Planning’: ‘Resource Consents’

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November 2015 Local Board Member Report

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Vernon Tava

Logo croppedPurpose

This report covers my Waitematā Local Board Activities during November 2015 as Deputy Chair of the Waitematā Local Board Finance Committee; Deputy Chair of the Waitematā Local Board Hearings Committee; Lead of the Parks and Open Spaces portfolio; Heritage, Urban Design and Planning portfolio co-holder; Local Board representative on the K Road Business Association; and member of the Auckland Domain Committee.

Executive Summary

  • Fukuoka Friendship Garden Advisory Group met on 3 November
  • The Auckland Domain Committee met on 4 November and approved the draft Auckland Domain Masterplan for public consultation
  • Local Board low carbon action plan launched at Auckland War Memorial Museum on 4 November
  • Salisbury Reserve playground re-opened on 7 November
  • St Stephen’s WWI Commemoration Service on 8 November
  • Local Board Business Meeting on 10 November
  • Pines had to be removed from the Western Springs bush when they were assessed by Council arborists as being at risk of imminent collapse, posing a risk to public safety
  • Made enquiries on behalf of Parnell Community Committee about possible non-compliant signage erected by a fence hire company in Parnell
  • K Road Business Association Annual General Meeting held on 17 November. I attended as the Local Board representative
  • Attended the Herne Bay 1021 Annual General Meeting on 19 November
  • Extraordinary Business Meeting to approve Local Board Annual Plan on 24 November
  • White Ribbon Parade held on 25 November. I was on the organising committee with Member Deborah Yates
  • Attended the City Centre Advisory Board Meeting on 25 November at which we farewelled the Deputy Chair, Barbara Holloway, who is stepping down from her position as Precinct Manager of the K Road Business Association – a position in which she has done an outstanding job for the last 11 years
  • Finance Committee met on 26 November
  • The Ellen Melville Centre and Freyberg Square re-development will be reported to the City Centre Advisory Board to confirm funding and final design in December
  • I keep track of resource consent applications as they are received by Council, requesting further information, plans and Assessments of Environmental Effects for applications of interest. Significant applications are referred to the relevant residents’ associations for their input which I then relay to planners as part of the Local Board’s input. Reporting of resource consent applications, planning portfolio input, hearings and decisions in the Local Board area for this month is detailed in the Heritage, Urban Design and Planning section of this report under the headings ‘Planning’: ‘Resource Consents’

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Radio Live Panel: 29 November 2015

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Vernon Tava

radio liveListen to my RadioLive panel with Mark Sainsbury and Bill Ralston. We talk about the Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms that are about to go to Select Committee. The discussion turns to what we should do about the port in Auckland and whether the RMA really is a handbrake on economic development and housing development in New Zealand.

Labour leader, Andrew Little, and Phil Goff went to Australia to petition the Government on the recent detention of New Zealanders for minor criminal offences. Was this just grandstanding or is there a valid case to answer?

Are there lessons for Bill English in the Autumn address of George Osbourne in the UK?

We reflect on the rise and rise of Donald Trump. Establishment conservatives have even gone so far as to brand him a fascist; is this just hyperbole or a valid thesis?

Now that the flag referendum voting papers have gone out, we have a talk about how we voted (we both did) even though we are all underwhelmed by the choices available.

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Park[ing] Day 2015

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Vernon Tava

Auckland Council made this video  [I’ve cued it up to a part in which I’m speaking] about Park[ing] Day 2015.

On 18 September, High St and Lorne St were colonised by tiny enclaves of tranquility taking up between one and three car parking spaces. This activity is described on parkingday.org as follows: ‘PARK[ing] Day is a annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into “PARK[ing]” spaces: temporary public places.

The project began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since 2005, PARK[ing] Day has evolved into a global movement, with organizations and individuals (operating independently of Rebar but following an established set of guidelines) creating new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts around the world. The mission of PARK[ing] Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat … at least until the meter runs out!’

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Paul Henry Panel: 23 November 2015

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Vernon Tava

logo-paulhenryA panel with former National Party President, Michelle Boag, on the Paul Henry Show. We discuss Phil Goff’s announcement that he is standing for the mayoralty of Auckland and scan the distant horizon for any genuine competitors. This is interesting to watch in retrospect as Victoria Crone would announce less than a month later but Boag couldn’t say so.

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Heritage Demolition in Auckland: it is easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Vernon Tava

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In February 2015, resource consent was granted for additions and alterations to the villa at 23 Albany Road, Herne Bay, a heritage building in a Res 1 zone in Conservation Area C and Category B Historic Heritage area (PAUP). The works included lifting and excavating the house to create a basement garage and living accommodation, partial demolition of the roof, demolition of the existing sleep out and garage, and the construction of ground floor extensions.

A Conservation Area is defined in the District Plan (at 5C.7.2) as ‘one where the built form or landscape character predominates and is finely articulated or united historically and aesthetically by form or physical character. Its primary purpose is to preserve the unique character and fabric of an area.’ Albany Road is in ‘Conservation Area C’ which also includes Ardmore Road, Wanganui Avenue and part of Trinity Street. There are only seven Conservation Areas in the former Auckland City Council area. The others are A: Renall Street, Ponsonby; B: Part of Herne Bay Road; D: part of Elgin Street, Grey Lynn; E: Cooper Street, Arch Hill; F: Burnley Terrace and part of King Edward Street, Mount Eden; G: Monte Cecilia Park.

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Re-Opening of Salisbury Reserve Playground

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Vernon Tava

IMG_3113Saturday 7 October 2015: We couldn’t have asked for a better day to re-open the Salisbury Reserve playground in Herne Bay.

This is the fourth playground upgrade that the Waitematā Local Board has completed this year. The design is created to evoke children’s imaginations – to take them on a journey from the coast, through the trees and to space. The playground sandpit has some hidden secrets for discovery by children: there are ‘fossils’ in the concrete base which they can dig to find.

These openings are one of my favourite parts of my local board role: classic, core council business that ratepayers are generally happy to see their rates go towards.

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Waitematā Local Board Low Carbon Action Plan

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Vernon Tava

Logo croppedWaitematā is set to become a low carbon community.

I’m proud of this initiative from my Local Board: Becoming a Low Carbon Community: an Action Plan. Kudos to former-Local Board member, Jesse Chalmers, and current members, Christopher Dempsey and Pippa Coom, who got the ball rolling back in 2011 and to my colleagues, Members Deborah Yates and Rob Thomas, for bringing it to fruition in 2015.

The Plan was launched at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on the evening of 4 November to the most auspicious of natural occurrences, seen as we viewed one of the arrays of photovoltaic cells on the eastern rooftop of the building.

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Statistics NZ population estimates show dramatic growth in Waitematā

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Vernon Tava

Last week Statistics NZ released the latest population estimates for the year ended June 2015. Waitematā Local Board stands out significantly among Auckland’s local boards, growing by the largest number of people (8,300) and also having the highest percentage growth (9.7% in a single year). Almost one fifth (19%) of Auckland’s growth occurred in this local board area, and just over 55% of the growth in Waitematā occurred in the city centre.12105995_902183886523899_5009367968164759398_n

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October 2015 Local Board Member Report

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Vernon Tava

Logo croppedPurpose

This report covers my Waitematā Local Board activities during October 2015 as Deputy Chair of the Waitematā Local Board Finance Committee; Deputy Chair of the Waitematā Local Board Hearings Committee; Lead of the Parks and Open Spaces portfolio; Heritage, Urban Design and Planning portfolio co-holder; Local Board representative on the K Road Business Association; and member of the Auckland Domain Committee.

Executive Summary

  • The Port Future Study scope was released on 2 October
  • Governing Body vote on the TPPA motion at the Regional Strategy and Policy Committee on 8 October carried two parts of the motion asking for wider consultation before ratification and response to the concerns raised in the 2012 resolution of the same committee. This follows on from this Local Board’s resolution WTM/2015/130 of 8 September requesting the same
  • Auckland Domain Committee meeting on 14 October. Draft Masterplan for public consultation to be signed off in early-November
  • Newmarket shortlisted as a potential ‘Type 1’ Strategic Priority Area by Panuku Development Auckland on 15 October
  • Confidential briefing on the PAUP heritage survey results on 16 October
  • Spoke at the AUSA ‘Debt Sentence’ Rally against further fee rises at University of
    Speaking at the AUSA 'Debt Sentence' Rally in University of Auckland Quad.

    Speaking at the AUSA ‘Debt Sentence’ Rally in University of Auckland Quad.

    Auckland alongside David Cunliffe MP, Gareth Hughes MP, Marama Fox MP and Professor Susan St John on 19 October

  • Outhwaite Park path renewals begin on 2 November with a target end date of 30 November
  • I keep track of resource consent applications as they are received by Council, requesting further information, plans and Assessments of Environmental Effects for applications of interest. Significant applications are referred to the relevant residents’ associations for their input which I then relay to planners as part of the Local Board’s input. Reporting of resource consent applications, planning portfolio input, hearings and decisions in the Local Board area for this month is detailed in the Heritage, Urban Design and Planning section of this report under the headings ‘Planning’: ‘Resource Consents’

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