Tangata Whenua, Waitakere City Council and Unitec representatives joined in prayer and celebration as the "first sod" was turned at the City's new library, tertiary campus, carpark building and public plazas at Ratanui Street, Henderson. Unitec CEO Dr John Webster said the partnership between Council and the institution had got off to a good start. He complimented the Council as being a "dream to work with". Dr Webster said the venture represented a "future for all the people of
Waitakere. We have the will and the capacity to serve this region". * Council and Unitec are sharing the cost of the Library and carparking building. The Council's share of the cost is budgeted at $11.8 million and Unitec's at more than $20 million.
Mayor Harvey condemns racial intolerance and grave desecration in WellingtonWaitakere Mayor Bob Harvey today
condemned the desecration of Jewish graves at the Bolton Street and Makara
cemeteries.
Go-ahead for heart and hub of Summerland Drive/Western Heights
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An artist's impression of the Summerland Drive/Western Heights community facility. |
Passionate, committed people of any age are sought to become involved in the volunteer management of the facility.
The much-looked-forward-to facility is expected to be the heart and hub for young and old in the community. Building is due to start early next year with a completion date of around July 2005.
The result of a successful partnership between community and Council over the past four years, the facility is expected to be named when the full Council meets on 25 August.
An integrated indoor-outdoor design for the community house and grounds was created with extensive consultation from the community represented by an advisory board.
"Basically we said to the community, 'What do you want?' The answer came back clearly that people want a community facility that serves a multitude of purposes - with an indoor-outdoor flow, using natural materials," says Waitakere Community Board Chairperson Christine Shepherd.
The idea of a community house next door to the Summerland Primary School grew into a model partnership between the community, Council and the Ministry of Education. The Council bought five sites in 2001 adjacent to Summerland Primary School, with nearby linkages to the many walking tracks along the Paremuka Stream and surrounding areas.
As a central meeting place for the community, the new facility will embrace the community's multi-faceted needs. Prospective features include a large kitchen that will allow for catering and also for cooking demonstrations which may call upon the skills of the strong migrant presence in the area, "Kiwi Culture" classes, a staffed IT Learning Centre, enclosed playground, drop-in lounge, room for groups to meet.
"In this relatively new community, people have welcomed the chance to create a sense of heart, share in each other's cultures and learn new skills. This is a walking community and the building design with its outdoor flow and park-like feel, is the perfect link to establish networks," says Mrs Shepherd.
The community facility will be managed by a volunteer management committee.
Bob Harvey has two opponents for Waitakere mayoralty 47 seek election as Waitakere City Councillors
A total of 47 people have offered themselves for election as Councillors in
Waitakere City and 49 have sought election as Community Board members in the
city's four wards.
Incumbent Mayor Bob Harvey is seeking his
fifth term. Two candidates are standing against, him. One is sitting councillor
Vanessa Neeson who has stood against Mr Harvey several times in the past. The
other is a newcomer to the race, Steve McDonald, who is also standing for
election as a Councillor (in the New Lynn Ward) and to the Henderson Ward
Community Board.
The 47 Council nominees will be contesting 14 seats and 49 nominees will be
seeking one of 22 community board seats.
The biggest contest will be in the Massey Ward where 14 people are vying for
four Council seats and 16 are contesting 6 Community Board places
There are 14 candidates for the three Councillor seats in Henderson Ward and 15
for the five Community Board places. There are 12 candidates for the four New
Lynn Council seats and 11 for the five member Community Board while Waitakere
Ward has seven people contesting three Council seats and seven contesting six
Community Board places.
Only one current councillor is not seeking re-election,
Owen Hoskin, the principal of
Henderson High School, who is standing down from the Councillor position but is
seeking one of the Henderson Community Board places.
There are seven tickets: Team West (35 candidates), Independent Ratepayers and
Residents (4); Residents and Ratepayers Massey Ward (5); Massey Community Team
(8); Residents and Ratepayers Henderson Ward (8 ); Save Our Ranges (2);
Community Independent (1). The rest are independents or have not declared an
affiliation.
Among the candidates are westie comedian Ewen Gilmour, former MP Tukoroirangi
Morgan, Dennis Finn (statutory manager of Cambridge High School) and former
investigative journalist Pat Booth.
Several of the candidates are believed to be in their 20's. A significant number
of the names also suggest that increasing numbers of Waitakere's many different
cultures are seeking to become involved in their local government.
'Central Bark' drive top dog venue
New Zealand's top dog event gets underway at Waitakere's new Trusts Stadium later this month - at Central Bark Drive.
Over 3000 pedigree dogs will compete in the 2004 Pro Plan New Zealand Kennel Club National Dog Show. The Trusts Stadium will be transformed into series of show rings where 136 breeds of dogs vie for gold in breed showing, obedience and agility from Thursday 23 September to Saturday 25 September.
This is the first time the championship event has been held in Auckland says Ray Greer, President of the NZKC
"It's the first time the event has ever been out of Wellington in 50 years. We've chosen Waitakere because we see the dog control policies there as the best practice model out of 60 local authorities," says Mr Greer.
Five overseas judges are expected from the UK, US, Finland, Holland and Malaysia. The Best in Show will be judged by Finland's Anike Moe.
Each day's events run from 9am to 5pm. Tickets can be bought in advance from
Ticketek or can be bought from the door. Adults will cost $10, children $5, family tickets $15.
Following the championship event, on Sunday 26 September, there will be a chance for every dog in Waitakere to get together at the Trusts Stadium at Woofs Day Out which is being organised by the Lions Club of Ranui-Swanson
New portal a hit with visitors
Waitakere Online, the city's
new electronic gateway for residents, businesses and visitors, has attracted a
lot of visits in its first month.
Launched at the Wellbeing Summit
on 16 July, 1500 visits have been recorded in the past thirty days, making
an average of 50 visits per day.
With an average stay of 12 minutes, the statistics indicate people are using the
site on a daily basis. People were also more likely to visit during the week,
with over 1300 visits occurring Monday to Friday.
Those 12 minutes may be to check the weather, pick a restaurant, find a local
business or look up tourist attractions, all of which are some of the services
offered on the new site.
Chair of the Editorial Board for the website,
Councillor Greg Presland,
says the success is due to the involvement of the community in its creation and
design. "This portal has, with the benefit and assistance of input from local
people experienced in IT, been designed to provide a simple yet elegant
electronic gateway into Waitakere City. I hope that for many local residents it
will become their homepage of choice."
Libraries auction encourages reading
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Michelle Maitland set a blistering speed for the auction. |
The Waitakere Libraries Odyssey Challenge finished on a high note last
Friday, with the annual auction attracting over a hundred teens and their
parents bidding for jumbo teddy bears, sleeping bags, a TV, tennis racquet, and
the highly coveted satin silver Sony Playstation.
With some prizes sponsored, the Don Buck Room at the Massey Leisure Centre was
filled to capacity with those eager to find out what their two months of reading
could get them.
Teens had to read books in order to earn "Odyssey dollars," which then allowed
them to bid on items at the auction.
Guest auctioneer Michelle Maitland from George Walker Auctions dispensed the
goods to the teenage bidders at a blistering pace, with the Playstation being
the first to go for $340 "Odyssey dollars. Waitakere Libraries and Information
Services Manager Su Scott, like many others the event, was encouraged by the
ability of the children to keep up with the speed of the auction. "It's amazing
to observe how savvy the kids are with the auctions, even with the speed
Michelle was going," she says.
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Just one of the items that was up for grabs at the Odyssey Challenge auction. |
Funded by the Waitakere City Council, the Odyssey Challenge is an incentive based reading programme for 13-17 year olds developed by Manukau Libraries and adopted by Waitakere's Kidz Team.
In just its second year of operation, the Odyssey teen challenge auction has
seen registrations triple, along with a greater range of ages taking part, from
13 to 19 years old.
Those in attendance didn't go hungry either, with a typical teenage dinner of
pizza and coke provided by the organising team.
People urged to help save native plants and creatures
Community groups and individuals dedicated to protecting native plant and
animal species are being urged to contribute to Waitakere's Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan.
Information sharing between Council and volunteer groups is essential for an
integrated approach to the future well-being of the area's biodiversity says
Councillor Penny Hulse, Chair of the Environmental Management Committee.
"The report provides a framework so that we can share resources and work
together, but to do this we need to know what people want. It's not just a case
of the Council saying this is how it is and that's that. The protection of our
environment needs to be an interactive process," she says.
The strategy, just adopted by the Council's Environmental Management Committee,
discusses the challenges to maintaining biodiversity in the Waitakere region,
giving details of current practices, and evidence of the state of fauna and
flora.
There are many examples of how community groups, Waitakere City Council,
Auckland Regional Council and Department of Conservation are helping to repair
Waitakere's biodiversity.
Here's a few:
- One of the better-known initiatives is the frog-tunnel below the Scenic Drive.
Purpose built by the Council to save the rare Hochstetters frog from extinction.
- Community dune planting at Te Henga and Piha.
- Eco-sourcing for re-vegetation projects, particularly with regard to strains endemic to Waitakere City, eg West Coast kowhai.
- See also under 'Action Plan for Waitakere's Diversity'.
Arts and heritage at Swanson park
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Swanson Station Park East's option one shows the Heritage Art Wall. |
Council-community consultation since March has resulted in two options which incorporate traditional heritage elements with post-modern design.
The plans for Swanson Station Park East will be subject to a formal two-month submission period after approval from the Waitakere Community Board. All residents will be mailed details of the concept plan and invited to contribute.
Both design options feature a heritage art wall showing the story of Swanson through art with heritage art themes throughout the park.
Groupings of native and exotics will be planted in the gardens which will include ramped access, whanau space, pavilion and a labelled nature trail.
Swanson Station Park East is expected to become an extension of the community hub at the railway station. The park's diverse facilities will also include seating and a viewing platform with fabulous views to north and south.
Both options include a half court for ball games and one option features a skate area.
Development is planned to start in late 2005.
Bilingual reading at Henderson
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Students of Henderson and Nga
Kakano Christian reo e rua kura hua schools were treated to a double
delight after a visit to Henderson library for a bilingual book reading
yesterday, as part of National Library Week. Robyn Campton, library assistant, read Oh hogwash sweetpea to the group, followed by Veronica Allen, a local teacher, reading the same version in Maori, entitled Tekiteroa, Kei Hea O Hu. The event was held simultaneously at 10: 45am nationwide by guest readers such as Philippa Boyens, scriptwriter for Lord of the Rings, who read in Wellington. |
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As well as readings at libraries throughout the week, there is the
opportunity to win a laptop
computer, sponsored by Thomson Gale. Libraries Aotearoa-Your Window to the Wide World runs from 9-15 August and has a uniquely New Zealand theme promoting the role of libraries in communities and organisations. Waitakere Libraries offer a range of multicultural services including an international languages collection, international newspapers, magazines, tapes, videos and study materials such as dictionaries in many languages. |
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Progress at Tui Glen
Work is about to begin at the Tui Glen Recreation Reserve on the banks of the
Opanuku Stream, implementing a Concept Plan adopted by the Council in 2003.
The Concept Plan is part of the
Henderson Creek Corridor Reserves Management
Plan and includes a shared cycle/walkway linking with the rest of Henderson
Creek, a hard court for tennis and netball, new paths, lighting, an upgraded
footbridge into Cranwell Park and signage.
One of the key projects will be building a new jetty on the site of the
original. Work has begun on the preliminary design and construction is expected
in February-March 2005.
Another jetty will be built further downstream on the opposite bank, below the
new sports stadium in Henderson Creek Esplanade Reserve. These two jetties will
allow pedestrian access to the creek for viewing the stream and launching kayaks
and dinghies.
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The historic Tui Glen Reserve between Cranwell Park and
Falls Park in Henderson, was New Zealand's earliest motor camp, opening
in 1925. For many years it was operated as a privately-run,
pleasure/picnic ground, said to be the finest motor camp in the country. During its heyday in the 1930s, visitors to the park had a choice of 60 different amusements, including donkeys, wallabies, goldfish, trout, birds, gardens, games, 21 boats and canoes and a fairy grotto. |
| After the Second World War, Tui Glen was
used as a transit housing camp for immigrants. After it became run down,
it was purchased by Council in the 1960s, finally closing its doors to
caravans and temporary homes in 2002. In recent years extensive public consultation showed strong support for retaining the park with an area set aside for quality, short-term tourist accommodation. The majority of the work shown in the Concept Plan will be staged over the next few years. Funding was allocated in the 2004/5 budget to begin the work. |
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Youth Transition package for Waitakere City
Waitakere is one of the first five cities chosen as a Youth Transition City
by the Mayors' Taskforce for Jobs, a government scheme aiming to steer young
people towards education and training.
The City's supportive infrastructure and proven ability to deliver youth
strategies are factors in Waitakere's selection.
The government is establishing services in 14 communities across New Zealand
over the next three years to follow up school leavers and engage with young
people at risk of prolonged disengagement from work, education or training.
Funding of $26.9m has been provided in the budget for individualised services
which are likely to be contracted to existing community-based organisations to
provide customised support and career planning, working with local employers,
and training and education providers.
Mayor Bob Harvey, a core member of the
Mayors' Taskforce, will take a major leadership role in the Waitakere project.
"This is an absolutely fantastic project that comes with a large funding
package.
As a Youth Transition City, we will provide a forum for strategic planning and
co-ordination of services for young people - not doubling up on existing youth
projects. We're a young city with 39 per cent of our population under 24 and one
third of our population under 20," he says.
"We will provide youth with customised support and guidance to ease them into
appropriate work, education or training.
"Waitakere's staff will identify and support development of labour markets,
education and training opportunities for young people," says Mayor Harvey.
Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey says the Mayoral
Taskforce will be part of a national advisory group overseeing the youth
transitions services.
Youth projects currently underway at Waitakere:
- The Waitakere Employment and Skills project - Connect Waitakere DVD and Website - an initiative to stamp out unemployment before it happens.
- Waitakere Interagency Group
- Waitakere Education Sector Trust
- West Auckland Secondary Schools Principals Group
Early Hobsonville homes shift to create 'historic precinct'
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Turn of the 20th Century dwellings will be shifted to
make way for the new Upper
Harbour Motorway - and create a historic precinct. Three historic homes at Hobsonville will be re-located by Transit New Zealand on private land in Clark's Lane. |
| These include Ockleston House
and two cottages built to house workers at the nearby Clark's Pottery
Works. There is no firm date for the removal of the homes from their present sites, but the shift will pre-date the motorway construction by Transit New Zealand over the next 18 months. The Hobsonville area holds historical significance for its association with the City's original clay works. J.S. Ockleston is remembered as one of the ceramic pioneers, along with Rice Owen Clark, Joshua Carder and R. Holland. An earlier plan proposed to shift Ockleston House to reserve land, but it will now be shifted, along with the two other homes, at Transit New Zealand's expense, to private land to establish a "historic precinct" at Clark Lane. Waitakere Council's Finance and Operational Performance Committee today approved the move.
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Biosecurity award goes West
Kerry Bodmin won the Rob McGuiness award for the best presentation at the New
Zealand Biosecurity Institute conference last week with a presentation entitled
"Wild Willows & Other Weeds in Te Henga Wetland, Waitakere City."
The conference was attended by delegates from a wide range of organisations;
central and local government, contractors, consultants, research entities, iwi
groups, industry groups, non governmental organisations, local care and
community groups plus guest speakers from Japan and Australia.
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A 'stook' is one part of Kerry's award, described as a
cross between a stick and a book. Each recipient's name is engraved into
it and it is kept until the next conference. As the Parks Ecology and Policy Co-ordinator for the Waitakere City Council, her current work involves combating the problem of invasive willows at Te Henga, Bethells. The Waitakere River Willow Control Project has involved treating all willows from Bethells Bridge down the centre of the river to allow kayak access, with a kilometre already cleared of all willows. |
| The majority of willows are treated using a
drill and inject system whereby a mix of herbicide and dye is directly
injected into each tree, eliminating any spray drift and reducing the
amount of herbicide used. Herbicide is only sprayed on smaller saplings
whose trunks are not big enough for the drill and inject technique. Left to die, the injected willows are not removed as they provide an ideal habitat for native plants to sprout and grow underneath while keeping invasive weeds at bay. The progress of the willow programme is not visually apparent at first. However kayaking down the river reveals the wetland is becoming healthy from the inside out as progress moves from in the centre of the river, through the wetland, to the river banks and beyond. |
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Pedestrian mall for New Lynn
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New Lynn's Todd Triangle will become a pedestrian mall
after the New Lynn Community
Board approved the concept plan at its latest meeting. Modifications to the plan include provisions for 10 car parking spaces, after concerns were expressed by local businesses about patronage. Amendments also include extra parking along Totara Avenue and adjacent the Triangle. |
| Further discussion on issues of parking, lighting, facilities and
landscaping between Council staff and the local community will see the
area become a focal point for the edge of the New Lynn town centre. The historic brick clock will be retained and accompanied by deciduous trees, sheltered seating and performance areas. |
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Tyres shredders on the right Track
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Tyres shredded at Waitakere are ending up as surfaces
for horse arenas, land erosion control, sports turf management,
children's playgrounds, sound proofing and thermal barriers. When Glendene company J & J Laughton started recycling tyres seven years ago there was virtually no market for recycled tyre products; it had to create its own markets, using US and UK models. |
| The practice of using shredded rubber mixed
with layers of sand on a solid, well-drained base, for horse arenas has
become very popular with horse trainers, says J & J Laughton's
administration manager Christine Waters. "The rubber lessens the impact
on the horse," she says. The company shreds tyres from Wellsford to Cambridge. J & J Laughton and the Waitakere City Council are working with Tyre Track, a new tyre management system set up to improve the management of old tyres and to help discourage unauthorised type storage and dumping. Tyre Track is operated by the Motor Trade Association on behalf of the tyre industry and is supported by the Ministry for the Environment. Tyre Tracks links tyre dealers with collectors/transporters through a website www.tyretrack.co.nz or 0508TYRETRACK (0508-897-387). Disposing of excess tyres is a growing challenge which Waitakere City deals with by recycling. For the past five to six years, Waitakere has not taken old tyres to landfills. Instead, the Refuse Transfer Station receives them and stores them for removal. J & J Laughton collects the tyres from the Refuse Station once a week and delivers them to the shredding plant at Glendene, which supports Tyre Track. Each year between three to four million end-of-life tyres are disposed of New Zealand. Some end up with backyard operators who charge people to get rid of their tyres, and then abandon their stockpile. The Ministry for the Environment says in many areas tyres in landfills can be a problem because they are bulky and trap air. If badly stored above ground they have the potential to cause toxic fires. A recent fire in the Waikato cost over $90,000 to extinguish. The Ministry says that tyre piles can also be a "breeding ground for vermin and are unsightly." To dispose of tyres responsibly, the standard procedure at Waitakere is to take them to the Refuse Transfer Station at The Concourse, Henderson, (which charges $3 for a normal tyre car to $45 for earthmoving tyres) or to a Tyre Track outlet. |
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Waitakere gears up for climate-friendly programme
Waitakere Council is gearing up to reduce the effects of climate change
through a new greenhouse gas reduction programme funded by the Environment
Ministry's Climate Change office.
Waitakere is one of the first four councils in New Zealand to join Communities
for Climate Protection (CCP-NZ), an internationally recognised programme that
empowers 500 councils throughout the world to cut greenhouse gas emissions in
their own activities and in their communities.
The New Zealand programme was officially launched last week by Pete Hodgson,
convenor of the Ministerial Group of Climate Change, at the LGNZ National
Conference in Auckland.
"This programme highlights the enormous potential for business opportunities,
financial savings and local gains from climate change action," said Mr Hodgson.
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Members of the CCP-NZ programme will work through a series of
'milestones' to assess their local greenhouse gas impact, set goals and
put an action plan in place to reduce emissions, implement
climate-friendly projects and monitor the results. Wayne Wescott, CEO of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, the international organisation that delivers CCP in Australia and now New Zealand, says that simple actions such as reducing waste and increasing energy efficiency, through to improving air quality and reducing traffic congestion make a significant contribution towards greenhouse gas reductions. |
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"These councils : are demonstrating that action of climate change makes
good economic, environmental and political sense," says Mr Wescott. Mayor Bob Harvey says that Waitakere looks forward to working with the CCP-NZ programme to implement a greenhouse action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage the City's energy use over the next decade. "We are particularly interested in how this programme will assist us to make significant cost savings to Council and the community as demonstrated by the many Australian CCP council examples," says Mayor Harvey. |
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