Media Releases - June 2002

27 June
Art competition to draw young artistic talent

27 June
Waitakere City Aquatic Centre wins second environmental award

21 June
Council and Unitec focus on future

20 June
Village green completed

13 June
River work earns group environmental award

13 June
New executive office manager appointed

6 June
New complex to give sporting heart to Waitakere City

5 June
Mayor's book an award finalist

4 June
Submissions double

4 June
Council sends clear message on rail issue

27 June

Art competition to draw young artistic talent

Budding artists and fans of TV shows like Dragonball Z, Digimon and Neon Genesis: Evangelion, have until 26 July to enter Waitakere Libraries' Anime/Manga: Design a Trading Card art competition.

Entrants are asked to use their artistic skill to design their own comic character, or re-design a known character.

Meaning animation or cartoon, 'Anime' was a phrase coined by the Japanese in the 1930s during the reformation of animated film art. 'Manga' is the Japanese word for static graphic art, or comics.

Winners from each of the three age groups (5-12, 13-18 and 18+) will receive Manga comics, Anime videos and Anime/Manga trading cards donated by Gotham Comics and Manga Entertainment. 

Other free comic artistry events will also be held at two Waitakere City libraries during the school holidays:

From 1pm on 3 July, artists Ant Sang and Lars Cawley will be at the Glen Eden Library for a comic artists workshop, discussing drawing and comic layout techniques. The Massey Leisure Centre and Library is hosting the Auckland Anime Club at 1pm on 12 July, who will talk about animated film art and present a selection of their best videos.

For more information, visit any Waitakere City library or email the Children's and Teens' Services team at kidz@waitakerelibs.govt.nz

27 June

Waitakere City Aquatic Centre wins second environmental award

The Waitakere City Aquatic Centre redevelopment has won its second accolade this year, despite being four months away from completion.

The $14 m Aquatic Centre extension has won second place in the IPENZ (Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand) Arthur Mead Environmental Awards, announced yesterday. The winner was the Paeroa Sewerage Treatment and Disposal Facility, designed and constructed by Bruce Wallace Partners.

The merit award was presented to Waitakere City Council and Pacific Pool Consultants Ltd (who were contracted to design the aquatic centre's mechanical and electrical engineering features) for engineering that "best exemplifies sustainable management of resources and consideration of environmental values".

The redevelopment also won the Council and Pacific Pool Consultants a separate IPENZ environmental award in March. The engineering accolades also come hard on the heels of two recent architecture awards for the Council's New Lynn Community Centre and Massey Leisure Centre and Library.

Some of the environmental features being built into the Waitakere City Aquatic Centre include the use of roof rainwater for pool make-up and backwashing and re-use of backwash water from filters for the toilets, solar water heating (supplying almost 100% of heating requirements in summer and a substantial proportion in winter), heat reclaim coils (which extract heat from expelled air to heat incoming fresh air in the building's ventilation system), and the use of natural lighting and double glazing and insulation to avoid heat loss.

Aquatic Centre manager, Doug Guthrie, says the award recognises the Council's sustainable building policies, which have not been applied to the same extent in any other aquatic facility in the country.

The redevelopment - which incorporates recreational water features, spa pools, saunas, extra swimming lanes, a hydrotherapy pool, fitness centre, café and integrated art works - will also turn the Aquatic Centre into one of the biggest and best aquatic facilities in Australasia, with something for people of all ages, he says.

The project is due for completion in October this year. However, the fitness centre will be partially opened on 5 July and fully operational by the end of the month. 

For more information contact us.

21 June

Council and Unitec Focus On Future

Waitakere City Council is looking at options for re-housing its administrative centre.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the Council agreed, unanimously, that the current headquarters in Waipareira Ave, combined with leased offices elsewhere around the Lincoln Rd area, does not adequately serve the needs of ratepayers.

There are also a number of duplications and inefficiencies brought about by having staff scattered amongst 7 different locations.

Over the next two months, the Council will look at the costs and benefits of either extending the current Waipareira Ave building, or relocating nearer to the Henderson town centre.

Part of that work will see the Council working closely with UNITEC in assessing options around the Henderson commercial centre. Unitec has a satellite campus in Ratanui St, and this morning the Council agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding Agreement with the tertiary institute. Under the MoU (which is still to be ratified by the Unitec Council), the two organisations will look at the possibility of a joint venture to develop a library and civic headquarters somewhere in Henderson.

The Council has already committed to providing state of the art library services in a major facility in Henderson and chief executive Harry O'Rourke says that taking a hard look at relocation options is a logical extension of that work.

"If we are going to invest in a new library, it makes sense to look at what else could be provided," Mr O'Rourke says. "UNITEC has major development plans of its own and there may well be mutual benefits if we can work together." 

Mr O'Rourke stresses that no final decision whether to relocate or to consolidate the Council offices in Waipareira Ave has been made. "But what the Council has done is to signal that it now wishes to explore the issues around our long term accommodation needs in depth."

For more information contact us.

20 June

Village green completed

Waitakere City's first "village green" has been completed on Te Atatu Peninsula.

More than 55 people, including Mayor Bob Harvey, councillors, project sponsors, contractors, artists, landscape designers, council staff and members of the public, gathered under an ink blue sky for the dawn blessing, conducted by kaumatua Wiremu Hetaraka.

The official opening, however, will be held during a community festival in October, when the weather is warmer and the plants and grass have had time to get established.

The Te Atatu Peninsula Village Green has a number of special features, including an innovative playground and several art works that were generously sponsored by the local Woolworths Supermarket and Waitakere Properties Ltd. The concept plan for the green was developed with the help of the local community.

The marine-themed playground is the first of its type in Waitakere City, with surfaces mounded to look like waves, rocking play equipment, a fake island, a jetty balancing beam and a large mosaic turtle. The sponsored art works include a ground maze by local artist Harriet Stockman and an entrance and pavilion on the main walkway by artist John Lyall. 

The entrance is off Te Atatu Road, creating a walking area between the Peninsula's northern and southern retail sectors, while a pavilion, situated near the RSA end of the Green, provides an area to sit and relax. 

Cr Carolynne Stone, chairperson of the Council's City Development Committee, says the new village green gives a heart to the Peninsula, binding the town centre's commercial and residential areas. 

"It is a 'people place' - a place that isn't dominated by vehicles and which has a great children's playground and integrated public artwork. It's a village green in the traditional sense - a place to idle away some time, watch the passers by and relax in pleasant, safe surroundings," she says.

"It's a great public space that can be enjoyed for generations to come."

For more information contact us.

13 June

River work earns group environmental award

Local community organisation - Friends of the Whau - has won a national Green Ribbon Award for its work in cleaning up the Whau River environment.

The award marks three years of clean ups, planting, water quality testing and community education. Last April, for example, the group and local scouts removed 4120kg of rubbish from the river and its surrounds. 

It was deeds like this that helped to win the group the 'Caring for the Urban Environment' category, announced by Environment Minister Marian Hobbs on World Environment Day. 

"I am continually impressed by the work that is going on quietly around New Zealand where people and organisations are making a very real and positive impact on the ground," Ms Hobbs said. "In many cases projects have been underway for years and are showing tangible results.

Introduced in 1990, the awards recognise important environmental work undertaken by community organisations, businesses and individuals.

The group has strong links with Waitakere City Council, which is represented on the Friends of the Whau steering committee by New Lynn Community Board member Ray Kernaghan and the Council's senior water quality technician, Graham Leonard.

Friends of the Whau was a pilot group of the Council's Wai Care programme, set up with the aim of restoring the ecological habitat of the Whau River through community action and education. It now boasts 250 members, produces a monthly newsletter and plans to move into new headquarters in New Lynn's Olympic Park in July.

Friends of the Whau has since established sub-groups through the Wai Care programme to provide the Council with water quality information. In return, the Council provides the group with up-to-date information on waste and stormwater projects in the Whau catchment. The group has also assisted the Council with planting in New Lynn's Shadbolt and Olympic Parks.

Waitakere City Council and neighbouring Auckland City Council both provide the funding for Friends of the Whau to carry out their projects.

For more information contact us.

13 June 2002

New executive office manager appointed

Andrew L. Cawston has joined Waitakere City Council as the executive office manager.

He will head up the team that provides administrative support and strategic advice to the City's Chief Executive, as well as undertaking special projects on his behalf.

This will be a key position as the Council adapts to the environment signalled under the new Local Government Bill.

Andrew previously held a risk management assurance role with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Andrew graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 1984 with a national diploma in Information Systems. He worked in grain trading and exporting, records management and technology consulting.

He immigrated in 1994 and worked as a management consultant for Unisys New Zealand Limited. He then moved on to Coopers and Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), where his first introduction to Waitakere City Council was as a Y2K risk advisor. That role later evolved into key account management.

"It's been my dream to live and work here since I first visited in 1989. I fell in love with the Waitakere Ranges in particular," he says. "When you find a place that feels like home, you should stay there, so I'm delighted to be working for Waitakere City."

Andrew lives in Waiatarua in the Waitakere Ranges with his wife and two children.

For more information contact us.

6 June 2002

New complex to give sporting heart to Waitakere City

Construction of Waitakere City's new multi-million dollar sports complex will commence in November - with an opening date set for March 2004.

Developed by the Waitakere Regional Sports Trust, with Waitakere City Council as a key partner, the $21 million complex on Henderson's Central Park Drive will be the City's biggest community facility, suitable for a wide cross-section of the community.

The Council today (June 6) ensured the project would go ahead by unanimously deciding to provide $10.5 million to the project over the next three years. The remainder of the budget will be sourced from sponsorships and donations (more than $7 million already secured). In addition, the Council will provide a $250,000 a year operating grant.

Artists impression of the new Waitakere Sports Complex.

A development board, set up by the Waitakere Regional Sports Trust, comprising local sporting, community and business leaders such as Ross Dallow (chairman), Don Buchanan, Rex Davy, Colleen Pearson, Paul Thomson, Steve Watt and Ivan Yukich, will oversee the project.

Covering some 11,000 sq m, the complex will feature indoor seating for up to 5000 spectators, six basketball/netball courts, a gymnasium, café, crèche, an international standard all-weather athletics track and three playing fields. It will also be able to host trade shows, exhibitions, conferences and other community events.

In line with Waitakere's Eco-City principles, the facility will also incorporate a number of sustainable building features, such as natural heating and lighting and on-site stormwater treatment. It has been designed by engineering firm Alan Reay Consultants Ltd, in association with Architecture Warren & Mahoney.

The multi-purpose complex will provide a base for a number of sporting codes including netball, basketball, athletics, rugby and volleyball. It will also house a number of sports administration bodies, foundations and trusts, including Sport Waitakere and the Don Oliver Youth Sports Foundation.

Other user groups lining up to use the complex include gymnastics, trampolining, badminton, dance, weightlifting, cricket and schools. A mid-week league and business house, a health and fitness centre and a crèche will be incorporated.

High profile rugby, soccer, netball and league matches are expected to draw large crowds to the complex once it opens in 2004.

Waitakere Sports Complex Development Board Chairman, Ross Dallow, says although the complex is set to attract a number of large sporting events, the complex is first and foremost a community facility aimed at growing sporting talent in the city.

"Waitakere City has always suffered from having no sporting heart or home base and it's been a tragedy to see so many of our top sportspeople travel outside the City for their sporting needs. This complex is set to change that," Mr Dallow says.

"Not only will the Waitakere Sports Complex provide a much-needed breeding ground for our top sporting talent, but it will give us a top class facility that attracts high profile sporting events to our City. The community benefits of this project are very significant, both socially and economically. It will be a facility we can be immensely proud of."

The Development Board has already raised some $7 million through generous funding from the ASB Charitable Trust, Waitakere Licensing Trust, Portage Licensing Trust, Hillary Commission, Heron Coaches Foundation, Sport Waitakere and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission.

Mayor Bob Harvey says the building itself will be an "iconic" architectural statement, and is a milestone for Waitakere, which is the fifth largest City in the country. "It will give this City and this community a sporting "heart", which is long overdue," he says.

"It's also a signal for further development of the Central Park Drive area. This facility will be a hub of activity, which local businesses in particular can feed off. It is more than just a sports complex - it is a foundation stone in the City's social and economic growth."

The Mayor also says that he is delighted that the Council is working with the development board and Sport Waitakere collaboratively. "It is a partnership approach that will deliver a facility that we should have had years ago."

5 June 2002

Mayor's book an award finalist

Waitakere City Mayor, Bob Harvey, has achieved what few authors have.

His first two books have both been finalists in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.

His latest book, Rolling Thunder: The Spirit of Karekare is one of three finalists in the Environment category of this year's awards. His first book, Untamed Coast, was a finalist in the 1999 awards.

Writing Rolling Thunder was a labour of love for Mr Harvey, who has spent more than 25 years researching and writing the history of his beloved Karekare Beach with the help of friend and photographer, Dr Phil Morton of Titirangi.

The idea of producing a book on Karekare was born in the mid-70s when Mr Harvey wrote an article on the area for Metro magazine. After the success of Untamed Coast, which has sold over 15,000 copies, he decided it was time to complete the Karekare project.

"Rolling Thunder was a real work in progress - and the amount of research involved meant I was always too busy to finish it," he says. "Accuracy is everything. You have to cross check so many things. I found it fascinating though, speaking to old families and pouring over historical records. I'm absolutely delighted that the book has been selected as a finalist."

Twenty-nine finalists have been selected from a record 203 books submitted for this year's awards. Judging the eight categories has been a huge challenge for the judging panel, comprising Witi Ihimaera, Lindsey Dawson and Bill Ralston.

Convenor Witi Ihimaera says selecting the finalists was "really difficult".

"The most overwhelming feeling, after reading over 200 entries, is one of gratitude that so many writers are contributing to the narratives we tell about ourselves, our country and our place in the world. Our writers are the best and the finalists are a list of the best of the best," Mr Ihimaera says.

The 2002 Montana Book Award's non-fiction category winners will be announced on June 28.

For more information phone  Bob Harvey, Mayor, Waitakere City on (09) 836 8000 ext 8003 or 818 5629.

4 June 2002

Submissions double

More than 730 written or email submissions - covering about 1360 separate issues - have been made to Waitakere City Council's 2002/03 draft Annual Plan. This is twice the number received last year.

The number of Internet submissions also continued to grow, with 111 received this year, compared with 52 last year. 

In keeping with tradition, many submissions were also last minute - with more than 200 received in the last two days of the month-long submission period ending on May 31.

The single largest issue was chemical-free weed management of the City's reserve and roadside areas.

A small number of submissions (about 3%) related directly to the proposed 9.19% rates increase to fund the Council's depreciation shortfall. Of those, roughly two-thirds accepted or supported the decision to fund depreciation with a rates rise, although a few were concerned about the size of the increase and its effect on those with fixed or low incomes.

Submissions were predominantly to do with local concerns such as footpaths, roads, walkways, parking and recreational facilities. 

There was a variety of views on recreational spaces, particularly the 'People's Park' on Te Atatu Peninsula and a number of submitters support faster, more frequent, rail services.

Public hearings will be held on June 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, and 27 to enable people to speak to their submissions. The Council will then finalise its 2002/03 Annual Plan.

For more information contact us.

4 June 2002

Council sends clear message on rail issue

Waitakere City has sent a clear message to the Auckland Regional Council about the future direction of rail in the region. 

At its last meeting (subs: 29 May), the Council resolved that old rolling stock, pulled by old diesel locomotives, should not be considered by the ARC and that it should be looking to new, high quality rolling stock instead.

"Totally unacceptable", is how Waitakere City Mayor Bob Harvey describes the proposal to bring 30-year-old diesel trains into commission on Auckland's rail network.

"The Government has already paid Tranz Rail (Limited) $81 million for its rail track assets," he says. "And now, not only is there a proposal to buy Tranz Rail's old, disused rolling stock, but there is every possibility that Tranz Rail may win the tender to operate them. That's totally unacceptable."

Waitakere City Council has asked that the new generation of "hybrid" vehicles, that can run on both road and rail corridors with either diesel or electric propulsion, be considered in the tender for new rolling stock. These new vehicles can be delivered with the timeframe and budget the region has allocated. 

Mr Harvey says: "Smart Rail is my term for a new generation of rail vehicles perfectly suited to Waitakere and Auckland. They are more than trams and more flexible than trains; they can run on tracks and on roads, have the option for electrification, are high quality and can be delivered inside the timeframe and the agreed regional budget.

"Because the vehicles have no steps, low floors and wide doorways and aisles, they are ideal for those with prams, strollers, wheelchairs and shopping parcels. They're also quiet, air-conditioned and more environmentally friendly.

A Sydney Metrolink tram.

"We should not accept cast-offs that have sat gathering dust and cobwebs in rail yards for the past 30 years. We need a fast, smooth, modern alternative to our congested motorways - and only Smart Rail can give us that." For more information: Cr Carolynne Stone, Deputy Mayor and transport spokesperson, Waitakere City Council. Phone: 818 8057.  Email: carolynne.stone@waitakere.govt.nz