Media Releases

April 2003

25 April 

Haunting, candle-lit Dawn Parade largest yet for ANZAC Day

Several thousand people of all ages gathered in the pre-dawn darkness at Waikumete Cemetery, on ANZAC Day, for a haunting candle-lit ceremony to honour the service men and women who fought and died in more than a century of wars. The candle-lit ceremony has continued to grow in support since it was introduced six years ago - and this year's attracted the biggest crowd so far.  People, ranging from the elderly to young children - often in family groups - were pouring into the cemetery at least 45 minutes before the 6 am start. They were greeted by the sight of several hundred candles glimmering in the darkness, along row upon row of headstones of the veteran's section of the cemetery, next to the Cenotaph.  Each was handed a candle provided by Waitakere City Council, a programme and a poppy - for which they could make a donation.	Santha Holland (12) of Henderson
By the time the parade of several hundred veterans and supporters - led by the Waitakere City Brass Band - marched onto the court of honour in front of the Cenotaph, the surrounding area was packed with on-lookers.
Mayor Bob Harvey read the ANZAC Dedication - "At this hour, upon this day, ANZAC received its baptism of fire and became one of the immortal names in history" and Mr Len Johnson, President of the Glen Eden RSA, gave the Act of Remembrance, just as dawn broke. Wreaths were laid by Mr Johnson (for the Return Services Association), the Mayor and Mayoress (for Waitakere City Council), Wing Commander Stuart McKenzie (for the Armed Services) and the Hon Chris Carter, the Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt, Lyn Pillay MP laid a wreath for the Government, assisted by John Keys MP for the Opposition. A smaller crowd attended a second ceremony at 11am. This ceremony was addressed by Councillor Janet Clews, a former Mayor of Glen Eden and honoured with a fly-over by an RNZAF Orion aircraft.	Mayor Bob and Mayoress Barbara Harvey with a wreath to lay on the cenotaph

Footnote: Waikumete Cemetery has the largest burial ground for service personnel in New Zealand, with some 10,000 veterans' and war graves.

The ANZAC Dedication

At this hour, upon this day, ANZAC received its baptism of fire and became one of the immortal names in history. 

We who are gathered here think of the comrades who then and since fought for freedom on land, sea and in the air, but did not return. We feel them still near us in the spirit. We wish to be worthy of their great sacrifice. Let us, therefore, once more dedicate ourselves to the service of the ideals for which they died. 

As the dawn is even now about to pierce the night, so let their memory inspire us to work for the coming of new light into the dark places of the world. 

The Act of Remembrance
They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them......we will remember them.

23 April 

Library development plans approved

Glen Eden's new library, Citizens' Advice Bureau and service centre is a step closer to reality with the Council's approval of its second design phase - which adds detail to the design concept approved in March.

Work on the $2.7m community facility - to be built on the corner of Glendale and Oates Roads - is expected to start in October. 

The design is a collaboration between Waitakere City Council, architects Warren & Mahoney, landscape architects Boffa Miskell, local artist and set designer John Parker and local iwi representative and architect, Saul Roberts.

In keeping with the Council's Eco City principles, the building will be designed to minimise energy and water consumption, with natural light and ventilation, passive solar heating, environmentally-friendly building materials, water management systems and energy-efficient lighting.

The single-level development will also include magnificent views of the Waitakere Ranges, public meeting spaces, 27 new carparking spaces, several outdoor seating areas, integrated artworks, a carved pou whenua in a grove of kauri trees and a public plaza fronting Glenmall Place and Glendale Road. 

Covering 900 sq m - twice the size of the previous library - the library will be the first in Waitakere City to have an integrated learning centre, focussed on information technology and free Internet access. When fully stocked, the library will have about 47,000 books.

"The development was always intended to be much more than a library and service centre. It will be an important link between Glen Eden's community buildings and shopping precinct and will provide a springboard for future development of the town centre," says Councillor Janet Clews, former Glen Eden Mayor and chair of the Council's Finance and Operational Performance Committee.

The facility is scheduled for completion by mid-2004. The Glen Eden Library will remain at its temporary premises on West Coast Rd until then.

16 April 

Big crowd expected for ANZAC dawn ceremony

More than 2000 people are again expected to descend on Waikumete Cemetery this ANZAC Day to participate in the City's increasingly popular candle-lit dawn ceremony.

Located on the corner of Great North and Glenview Rds, Glen Eden, Waikumete is the country's largest war graves cemetery. Some 10,000 veterans from the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korea, Malaya and Vietnam conflicts, are buried there.

Candles will flicker as the parade of returned servicemen and women walk down a cemetery path to the gathering. National anthems and hymns will be sung, prayers read and the Last Post and Reveille played before wreaths are laid by representatives of Waitakere City Council, government and opposition parties, RSAs, armed forces, emergency services, schools, community organisations and the next of kin of those who fought for their country.

The dawn service is organised by the Waitakere City Council and hosted by the Glen Eden RSA. Participants are asked to assemble at 5.45am for the 6am ceremony. Candles will be provided.

Other local RSAs are also holding their own services throughout the day.

16 April 

MOU on Whenuapai

Waitakere City Council and Infratil have entered into a Memorandum Of Understanding aimed at assessing the viability of commercialisation of Whenuapai Airbase. 

The Government has announced that it will downsize its defence operations at Whenuapai over the next five years.

Bryan Mogridge, Chairperson of the city's Economic Development Agency (Enterprise Waitakere) says that continued use of the Base as an airport facility would go along way towards replacing several thousand jobs and up to $60 million spent in the local economy by the Air Force. He says the agreement with Infratil, a New Zealand company which operates airports both here and internationally (and which is the majority shareholder in Wellington Airport) will enable a robust analysis of whether continued use of Whenuapai as a commercial operation is viable.

 "Ultimately the decision about what will happen at Whenuapai is the Government's. However we want to ensure that if a commercial airport, or perhaps a mix of civilian and ongoing defence use is possible, that it is one of the options they look at."

For further information contact Bryan Mogridge, Enterprise Waitakere phone 021 931 355.

10 April

Amended bylaw to lift City's food safety standards

Deciding where to eat out in Waitakere City will be easier as a result of the Council's new system for grading food premises.

The Council's Environmental Management Committee decided this week to amend its existing food safety bylaw and introduce grading of food premises.

The amended bylaw will ensure that the grading of every food-related premise is available to the public and that premises publicly display their grade. 

"This will provide a strong incentive for operators to achieve and maintain top standards and therefore a top grading. That means an improved level of food safety throughout the City," says Environmental Management Committee chair, Cr Penny Hulse."

"Currently, the public has no practical means of knowing what standard of hygiene and food safety is to be found in food premises they visit, particularly where food preparation, manufacture or storage areas are not accessible or visible."

The grading or numerical rating system looks at compliance with Food Hygiene Regulations, the degree of staff training and whether systems are in place to ensure the premise is maintained in a clean condition. Emphasis is put on components that, if not controlled, have been implicated in outbreaks of food related illness. These include temperature control, cockroach infestation and insanitary conditions. During an inspection, each of the components is scored according to the degree of compliance and weighted against the risk associated with the type of food outlet being inspected.

Food grading will operate in conjunction with the Council's current food premises inspection programme. The system will include A, B, D and E gradings. No C grades will be awarded so as to clearly delineate between premises that are acceptable and those that require improvement.

The available grades are defined as follows:

A Grade: During the last grading inspection the premises were assessed to exceed statutory food hygiene requirements, displaying a high standard of cleaning and hygiene and superior food handling practices.

B Grade: During the last grading inspection the premises were assessed as displaying a satisfactory standard of cleaning and hygiene condition with good food handling practices.

D Grade: During the last grading inspection the premises were assessed to be below the minimum statutory food hygiene requirements, for which the Council has issued a minor requisition.

E Grade: During the last grading inspection the premises were assessed to be in a poor condition, with deficient cleaning, maintenance and food handling for which the Council has issued a major requisition.

9 April

Bowling club gifted to City

Cr Brenda Brady accepts the specially engraved key on behalf of the City from Te Atatu Women's Bowling Club members (from left) Agnes Bethridge (club president), Vivian Goh, Lucy Riddell (club secretary) and Edna McAneaney.

The Te Atatu Women's Bowling Club has gifted its Covil Park clubrooms to the City after steadily declining membership forced it to close its doors. The club is transferring ownership of all its buildings surrounding the bowling green and lawns to the Council, which has been leasing the land to the club since 1959. The club will be donating its remaining funds to the Te Atatu Peninsula Bowling Club and various charities, including the local volunteer fire brigade. The handover ceremony was attended by Councillor Brenda Brady, Henderson Community Board members Helen Jones, Bill Postlewaight and Barry Shaw and bowling club patrons and members.  Cr Brady thanked the club for its contribution to the local community and accepted the clubrooms on the City's behalf. Club members then presented a specially engraved key to mark the handover, which will be hung inside the building.

 The Henderson Community Board has recommended that the clubrooms be leased to a community group and the surrounding land redeveloped into park area. Redevelopment work is expected to start after July 2003.

9 April

Super scaffolding for West Wave refurbishment

The largest freestanding scaffolding in Auckland has been erected at Waitakere City's West Wave Aquatic Centre for the $1.2m refurbishment of its original pool areas, built for the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Erecting the 28,400 cubic metre structure has been one of the largest indoor scaffolding jobs ever undertaken by the Henderson-based contractors, Acrow Ltd. The company employed 14 local people to erect the 93 tonne of scaffolding, which took a week to assemble.

The project also has a spotless health and safety record. Not so much as a sticking plaster was handed out during the 1840 man hours required to erect the structure.

The refurbishment will include removing old ceiling panels and installing a new suspended ceiling, removing and replacing old tiles in the dive pool, high pressure waterblasting of paintwork, repainting and acid-washing of all surfaces. 

The refurbishment project is expected to be complete by June. In the meantime the new leisure pool and hydroslide is open and the wave pool is available for water walking and lap swimming at designated times. 

For more information, see West Wave Aquatic Centre.

7 April

Waitakere marks Workers' Memorial Day

Local residents who have died in work-related accidents will be remembered at a special event in Henderson on Sunday 27 April.

Featuring memorial plantings, guest speakers and a barbecue lunch, the event will take place at 12 noon at the City's Workers' Memorial Garden at the Corban Reserve in Henderson Valley Road. Organised by Waitakere City Council and the Council of Trade Unions, the event coincides with International Workers' Memorial Day (observed on 28 April) and is open to all.

The garden was established last year in memory of Michael Aherne, who was killed while working at the old Corban Reserve landfill. However, it is now being developed by the Council, unions and the community as a larger memorial garden, with the aim of raising awareness of health and safety issues in the workplace.

Last year, the New Zealand Government investigated about 74 work-related deaths, but it is believed that the true workplace death toll could be much higher.