Media Releases

October 2007

 

31 October

Education and Anti-Violence Campaigns a Focus

Education and an on-going campaign against family violence will be priorities for Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey over the next three years.

Speaking at tonight's inaugural meeting of the council, Mayor Harvey - elected for an unprecedented sixth time - said that the special anti-violence project he established with MP Dr Pita Sharples would continue.

"Family violence is not OK anywhere so I, Dr Pita Sharples, the other members of the Mayoral Taskforce Against Family Violence and those people who work in their family violence are tirelessly will continue to take the lead in putting an end to this scourge," he told new councillors and around 150 of their family and friends who had gathered for the swearing-in ceremony.

Mayor Harvey said the other issue he wishes to address is education.

"Unfortunately the figures show we have a very low educational achievement level and an acute number of low achieving school leavers."

While Waitakere has excellent schools too many students - nearly a quarter - attend schools outside the city, Mayor Harvey said.

He noted that only 19 percent of school leavers in Waitakere leave with University Entrance (compared to 37 percent in the Auckland region) and that 14% leave school with little or no formal attainment.

"We also have a very low uptake on tertiary education," said Mayor Harvey.

"I know there are many people who are as concerned as I am and that there has been some significant work recently looking at how we might achieve better education outcomes in the city."

"I am looking forward to the Waitakere Education and Learning plan due for release in December.

The purpose of this plan is to initiate a whole of community approach focusing on the strategies and actions we need to put in place in order to achieve a top notch learning environment in the city."

"Once the plan is released the next step will be to prioritise action areas and develop a work programme for implementation and I am hoping I can be of some help in that regard which is why I am keen to set up a Mayoral Taskforce on Education," he said.

"Such an initiative will provide high level support and leadership and a way to bring the different strands of this work together."

"This is an incredibly important issue because without an education young lives are being marginalised."

The Mayor also pointed to two major projects which will "transform" the City.

"We are on the threshold of two of the biggest projects this city has ever seen - the undergrounding and redevelopment of New Lynn and the northern strategic growth area.

"The northern strategic growth area will transform Waitakere's competitive position in the Auckland region.

"By 2016 our population is predicted to be 223,000 which will make us bigger than North Shore City.

"Suffice to say the project and its success is imperative to this city's future not to mention incredibly exciting," said Mayor Harvey.

31 October

Experienced Councillor to be Deputy at Waitakere

Penny Hulse is Waitakere's new Deputy Mayor.

She was unanimously voted into the role at the official "swearing in" of the newly elected Council tonight.

Cr Hulse says she is both "delighted and humbled" to be asked to step into the job left vacant by Carolynne Stone, who did not seek re-election.

Cr Hulse was first elected onto the Waitakere City Council in 1995. Before that she was a member of the Waitakere Community Board and during the early 1990s was heavily involved in a community-based campaign to close the Council-run balefill site (rubbish tip) in her neighbourhood.

"So you could say I've had a pretty long apprenticeship. From the community activism around the balefill came a real interest in local body issues. And in the past 12 years I have worked hard to make a positive difference not only within the Waitakere ward, but also city-wide and regionally."

Cr Hulse is a strong supporter of the "Eco City" philosophy and the concept of sustainability. She is also an advocate of greater community involvement in Council decision-making.

"It is a constant challenge to get people engaged in Council issues and decisions, but just because that's difficult we shouldn't give up," she says. "We have to continually strive to be more creative in how we engage people and make Council issues more relevant to their everyday lives. Out of that community understanding and involvement come much better decisions."

Cr Hulse also pays a tribute to the former deputy mayor. "Carolynne (Stone) was a rock to me in the time we served on Council together. She was wise, considerate and articulate. I hope those are qualities I can bring to the job too."

Mayor Bob Harvey says Cr Hulse is one of the most respected local body politicians in the Auckland Region.

"She is cool, calm, and has an ability to truly listen and take on board people's concerns. She makes people feel at ease in the often uncomfortable and 'bitchy' world of politics."

Mayor Harvey says that over the years Waitakere City has been well served by "wonderful, strong, women" in the role of Deputy Mayor, pointing to both Mrs Stone and another former Deputy Mayor, Dorothy Wilson.

"Penny and I know each other well but more importantly we respect each other. She is a true, blue, westie who has a passion for this City. Together we will be a fantastic team."

31 October

Piha showcases latest sustainable water technologies

Piha domain will become a marquee 'village' on Saturday 10 November from 10am til 4pm as wastewater, stormwater and drinking water product and service vendors exhibit their wares and expertise to the public.

The main aim is to introduce rural communities to the latest technologies that will help minimise environmental and public health risks associated with old, aging and/or failing disposal systems and drinking water systems.

There are more than 5,000 onsite wastewater systems throughout the city

Suppliers of the latest in onsite wastewater management technologies and water conservation will explain how those technologies make easier for families to explore what options best suit their households.

Also in attendance will be suppliers of containment and storage systems, filters and solar solutions, botanical options, as well as the latest water and energy-saving techniques for the home.

Waitakere City Council in conjunction with the Piha Ratepayers and Residents' Association and the Karekare Ratepayers and Residents' Association, is sponsoring this event to support rural and coastal communities along the West Coast which are fully or partially serviced by onsite wastewater and disposal systems.

The event will also be an opportunity for families to come along to the beach and enjoy some family fun time with activities for the children, entertainment and displays by local community groups, refreshments on sale as well as surprises and giveaways. There is plenty of parking.

Visitors to the Technology Day should note that West Coast Road, and part of Glengarry and Shaw Roads will be closed on Saturday morning between 8.30am - 11am for an Oratia School parade, therefore access to Piha is via Forest Hill Road from Henderson or Scenic Drive via Titirangi.

30 October

Volunteers needed for adult reading programme

Volunteers are urgently needed to ensure the continuation of a successful adult reading programme in Waitakere City.

The 1, 2, 3 Repeat Read Aloud Programme, run by Culture Company Reading4U Inc at Waitakere Central Library in Henderson, involves a dedicated group of volunteers reading one-on-one to migrants who are eager to learn English. The programme is run every term for six weeks on Monday and Thursday mornings. A translator is always available to explain the method, answer questions and clarify meanings.

Culture Company Reading 4U spokeswoman Cecilia Lindsay says both volunteers and English language learners enjoy the cultural exchange.

"All our participants have told us that they have learnt so much through the programme and many are now recommending it to their family and friends who speak little or no English to help them integrate better into their local communities and life in New Zealand."

With a passion for "sustainable education and sustainable communities", Culture Company Reading 4U Inc aims to introduce this innovative reading programme in other Waitakere libraries once their volunteer base grows.

"Full of quality books, the library is the perfect place to bring people together through their love of reading," Cecilia says.

"However, at present, the demand for migrants wishing to improve their English outnumbers the supply of volunteers. We’d love to hear from members of the community who are keen to share their love of reading and the English language with our migrant community – and, in return, learn from and interact with people from different cultures."

If you are interested in joining the reading volunteer team, phone Cecilia on (09) 473 6251 for more details. No experience is necessary and training in the 1, 2, 3 Method will be provided free of charge.

29 October

Minister Parker to launch Project Twin Streams Sustainable Household-Sustainable Living Programme

A whole new era in housing in New Zealand could begin on Friday, 2 November when the Minister for Climate Change and Acting Environment Minister, the Hon David Parker visits Waitakere City to launch the new Project Twin Streams Sustainable Household - Sustainable Living Programme that day.

The Waitakere City Council demonstration project is designed to assist householders reduce their carbon footprint by reducing electricity and water consumption while gaining quality of life.

If every New Zealand household is energy and water efficient it will not only have a major benefit to the supply situation nationally, it can also contribute significantly to better health and consequent reductions in the cost of health services. Communities working together to achieve these benefits can massively improve social issues including crime and violence, through stronger neighbourhoods.

In addition the programme will explore ways to reduce solid waste (refuse) from households and also reduce dependence on private cars

The pilot launched by Minister Parker will work at a community level and involve 200 households having water and energy audits with some households then being retrofitted with cylinder wraps and low flow shower heads. Other households will be assisted to implement other sustainability initiatives.

The Sustainable Household - Sustainable Living Programme is an extension of Project Twin Streams - a stream bank restoration program which has been running since 2003 and aims to replant 56km of Waitakere stream banks.

Project Twin Streams is funded by Auckland Regional Holdings (a division of ARC), and since it commenced in 2003, over 10,000 volunteers have been involved in planting and maintenance. A total of 309,671 trees have been planted alongside the Oratia, Waikumete, Opanuku, Pixie and Swanson streams. Throughout their lifetime, these trees will absorb the carbon from 13,458 cars doing 15,000km per year

Programme for Minister’s visit

10:00 Powhiri.at Birdwood Rd School, Karepo Cres, Ranui, Waitakere.

Followed by a streamside walk where local children and youth from Te Piataata Trust will talk to the Minister about their involvement in Project Twin Streams

Location: Birdwood Rd School, Karepo Cres, Ranui, Waitakere

10:45 Retrofitting demonstration of cylinder wrap and low flow shower head.

Location: 2/208 Waitemata Drive, Ranui, Waitakere City

11:10 Launch of the Project Twin Streams Sustainable Household-Sustainable Living Programme

Welcome from Mayor Bob Harvey

Official launch by Minister Parker

Location: Ranui Action Project (RAP) House, 476 Swanson Road, Ranui, Waitakere

12:00 Minister Parker leaves

26 October

Waitakere rolls out the red carpet for business

Waitakere City Council has launched a campaign to attract more business to the city.

Waitakere is undergoing a major transformation, with more business land becoming available, infrastructure projects connecting the city better to the rest of the region and a 'business friendly' council wanting more jobs for its people.

Until recently starved of business land, Waitakere has watched many of its people join the motorway queues to and from jobs in other cities, but the tide is changing dramatically.

Not only does the city expect to have more business land available, but its environmental and sustainable development policies are now firmly aligned with business values, and new motorways and new public transport initiatives will make the city easier to get around and better connected to the rest of the region.

'Look West" was the message given by Mayor Bob Harvey to leading businesses and developers at a function to launch Waitakere's campaign.

"Waitakere was the cradle of many early Auckland businesses from timber to flax milling, to bricks, ceramics and winemaking', says Mr Harvey. "Today we're about fostering a superyacht cluster and international filmmaking, the home of major pharmaceutical manufacturing and international baggage handling companies and a host of small to medium enterprises.

'We want more business, we want more jobs for our people and we have much to offer. We are rolling out the red carpet, and business can be assured of a great welcome and practical help from our Council," said Mr Harvey.

Releasing a special report on Waitakere City, Mr Stephen Saul, head of research for Jones Lang LaSalle, said all the stars were lining up for Waitakere.

"Over the next decade, Waitakere is poised to assume a more significant role in Auckland's regional employment growth, "says Mr Saul. "The expansion of the metropolitan urban limit in the northern strategic growth area and the pending completion of the Western Ring Route will alter the landscape in terms of current business location decisions".

•  The completion of the Western Ring Route (SH-18 and SH-20) will provide improved access to the North Shore, the CBD and Auckland International Airport. Once these roading projects are in place, it will more obvious than ever that Waitakere's distance from the CBD is less than Manukau's.
   
• The critical shortage of business zoned land which has held back employment growth in Waitakere is finally being addressed with the addition of over 200 hectares of new business zoned land at Westgate and the Hobsonville corridor. This newly designated business zoned land will accommodate over 14,000 employees at full build out.
   
• Waitakere's existing centres (New Lynn and Henderson) have adopted comprehensive planning rules which encourage higher density residential and business development. These existing centres will also benefit from the completion of roading initiatives now underway as well as the upgrading of the rail line.
   
• Waitakere City Council has already made significant investments in completed public projects which provide a framework to support further private development including Waitakere Central, the new library,  the stadium and new roads at the Henderson Vineyards Business Campus.
   
• If the regional airport at Whenuapai is approved, the centre of gravity in the region will shift to the west. As the region moves to a population of 2 million from its current size of 1.3 million, Waitakere has provided the framework to capture a significant share of Auckland's regional growth.
   

25 October

Cemetery safeguards funeral goers

24 October

Building for a sustainable future

The Waitakere City Council's new building, Waitakere Central, has received another award for its state-of-the-art architectural design at the NZIA Resene Auckland Local Awards for Architecture 2007.

Waitakere Central was an award winner in the community and cultural section and was handed to the building's designers Architectus.

In announcing their decision the judges said that Waitakere Central is a dynamic collection of civic council buildings which contain innovative forms that "combine references to local cultural heritage and refreshingly extend our expectations of the typical office slab with widely deployed environmental and structural design technologies".

"They give full credence to both the consultants' and client's commitment to a sustainable future," the judges said.

The award means that the Waitakere Central entry will now progress to the northern-region section of the competition and then, if successful there, to the NZIA Supreme Awards.

The Waitakere Central building recently received another award for its world-leading vibration-damping system, which allows the building to be comfortably located beside a busy double-tracked railway.

This award was presented by the Association of Consulting Engineers of New Zealand to the system's designer, Alan Reay Consultants.

Newly elected Waitakere City Councillors Mike Jolley (left) and Paul Mitchell (right) talking shop with Councillor Peter Chan at their first get-together today.

17 October

New council gets on with the job

Waitakere City's new Council got straight down to business.

The preliminary election results were released on Sunday and the newly elected Councillors had their first get-together today (Wednesday).

Whilst they will not be officially "sworn in" until October 31, Councillors met informally to discuss possible committee structures before a series of half-day induction sessions later this week.

The induction sessions will cover issues such as City finance and the direction set out in the Long Term Council Community Plan, legal obligations and representation on external organisations.

Mayor Bob Harvey - re-elected for a record sixth time - says the election results are a "ringing endorsement" of the direction the City has taken in recent times.

"We have a solid core of experienced Councillors, so clearly the voters thought they had done a good job. And in Paul Mitchell (Waitakere ward) and Mike Jolley (Henderson ward) we have new faces and, hopefully, some fresh ideas and a fresh perspective."

Mayor Harvey also welcomed the return of Henderson ward Councillor Brenda Brady, who missed out at the 2004 elections.

Community Boards will be formally sworn in on November 1.

North Shore position on Whenuapai will not affect Waitakere

Mr Harvey says that the resource consent process for establishing the special Airport Zone will go ahead soon and people would be surprised by the facts that will emerge.

“There has been a great deal of misinformation about the proposed airport. The most recent example was a map that showed the whole of the North Shore under flight paths to Whenuapai. That was utter nonsense. Unfortunately it was typical of the dishonesty we have had to contend with.

“A lot of technical work has been done on the effects of the airport. These facts will be supplied in support of the resource consent applications. They will tell the truth of the matter,” says Mayor Harvey.

“Most of the opponents conveniently overlook the fact that Whenuapai is already a functioning airbase and they chose to live close to it. It has far more movements than they’ve ever been prepared to admit to, often in noisier aircraft than are run by modern airlines.  

“Furthermore, these people conveniently forget to mention that the North Shore is already under the flight paths for Auckland International Airport,” he says.

12 October

Councillor Penny Hulse helping towards a sustainable future

Waitakere City Councillor Penny Hulse has been appointed to the board of New Zealand’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NZEECA).

The NZEECA is a government body set up to promote a sustainable energy future by changing the way New Zealanders think about and use energy.

Councillor Hulse says that she is looking forward to championing the environment at a national level – just as she is doing in Waitakere now, and for the last 15 years.

The new work will fit well with some of the measures Councillor Hulse has been promoting while working in Waitakere, such as: renewable energy pilots, healthy home retrofits and public transport.

NZEECA works to raise community awareness of energy efficiency issues and provides businesses and individuals with the tools to make changes.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act was passed in 2000, establishing NZEECA as a Crown entity.

The EECA board reports to the Minister of Energy.

11  October

Government Strategy Applauded

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey has congratulated the Government on the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NZEECS), launched today.

"It is great to see the government taking a lead role on reducing the nation's emissions and improving our energy efficiency in a bid to combat climate change," Mayor Harvey says.

Among the highlights of the NZEECS are plans to improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, $8 million in funding for energy efficiency programmes for business, and funding for housing projects.

"Not only will these measures reduce energy wastage but vitally, they will improve the health of people," Mayor Harvey says.

Waitakere has been implementing similar energy efficiency and conservation measures the Mayor says.

"For the last five years the Waitakere City Council has been investing in an insulation retrofit project, delivered by the EcoMatters Environment Trust, which has seen over 1000 homes in the city insulated," Mayor Harvey says.

"This service has been targeted at our most vulnerable citizens, typically our low-income earners who suffer from health problems - particularly respiratory illnesses."

There has also been ongoing funding in Waitakere for behaviour change, at both an individual and corporate level, in relation to energy efficiency.

The Waitakere City Council also helps funds the Sustainable Living Centre - a free public resource offering residents information and support on a range of urban sustainability issues.

Mayor Harvey says that Waitakere dedication to energy efficiency and conservation can be seen at every level in the city.

"For example, early next month we are hosting the 2007 New World Netball World Championships - an event that will be zero waste."

Waitakere has employed caterers who will only sell food in environmentally friendly (biodegradable) packaging and will have on hand an array of recycling options for players and spectators.

"Waitakere will be reinforcing New Zealand's clean green image on the international stage," he says.

11 October

Getting the latest election results

Members of the public and members of the media will be able to obtain initial Waitakere City Council elections results on Saturday 13 October sometime after 12.30pm. These will not be complete but a progress report only. They will be available on the council website. From the home page click on the VOTE logo to go to the elections 07 section. A full list of candidates for each issue can also be found there.

We expect to have preliminary results published on the council website as soon after 4.30pm as they are available.

The Waitemata District Health Board STV results will not be available until sometime soon after noon Sunday 14 October.

11 October

Waitakere decides its ideal New Lynn transport concept plan

Waitakere City Council has signed off on its concept plan for the New Lynn bus and rail development project, and it is due to start work by the end of the year.

The project – called the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) – calls for the railway and station to be placed in a trench, to have a new bus terminal located right alongside, new road connections and a variety of other improvements.

The concept plan represents Waitakere City Council’s project scope designed to help develop a world class town centre, to serve Waitakere and the Auckland region, until at least 2060.

New Lynn is identified by Waitakere and the regional Growth Strategy as a major sub-regional growth centre whose population and commercial sectors are expected to double within the foreseeable future.

The main part of the project is being carried out by ONTRACK - owners of the rail tracks and corridor.

“ONTRACK is funded to duplicate and lower the track into a trench and to build the station platforms. However, there is a huge amount of detail that must be resolved to determine how well what is built serves New Lynn. We are building for a big and busy future and so it is critical we get that detail right,” says Mayor Bob Harvey.

“We have had many experts working on a painstaking analysis of exactly what should go where, and how it will function and what will make people want to use it,” he says.

“That is all covered in the concept plan which we’re offering to ONTRACK and our other regional partners such as ARTA and the ARC, saying that this is our view of how the project should be built in detail,” he says.

The exact location of the station is considered critical to user convenience and safety, with entrances outside the intersection of Memorial Drive and Totara Avenue.

Station location is also vital to developing an effective bus/rail interchange, with bus stops immediately outside the station.

This meant having sufficient road room to accommodate a large and busy fleet of buses providing feeder services to and from the New Lynn ward area, and other parts of the region.

Many of these buses would coincide with train services in both directions, running at 10 minute intervals.

To avoid unnecessary congestion, bus layover locations will be taken to the edge of town and the current bus station in New Lynn will cease to function and become available for commercial or retail development.

This project is the centrepiece of a much larger revitalisation plan for the town centre and the location and aesthetic of the new amenities is considered vital to the development of a town centre people want to live in, establish businesses in and socialise in.

Accordingly the concept plan calls for attractive buildings, structures and open spaces to encourage people to use the area. People using the area not only add to the bustle of an attractive town centre, but being able to over-look rail and bus platforms adds to their safety.

“Right now New Lynn is cut in half by the railway. Not only is that inhibiting development, but road and rail traffic are in conflict resulting in road congestion. That will get much worse as the town centre grows and train services become more frequent.

“Using the TOD model, which we have seen working to good effect at Subiaco in Perth, we can rejoin the two halves and get rail and road out of each other’s way. Better bus and rail services will promote the use of public transport and free up the roads for commercial traffic.

“More people living in higher density housing adds to the economic viability of the town centre as a business location – offering more jobs; it also provides patronage for public transport. So the benefits are circular,” says Mayor Bob Harvey

The council will provide the concept plan to ONTRACK, ARTA, the ARA and other major players in the development of Auckland infrastructure – and recommended for adoption.

The Government has already committed $120 million to the project, and council is providing funding of $20 million.

8 October

Waitakere, Christchurch and Hiroshima launch Global Peace Pals concept for children

Some 120 children in Waitakere, Christchurch and Hiroshima in Japan, today pledged themselves to the cause of peace in a historic video link up between the three cities.

The event was held to celebrate the launch of One People One Planet, a new New Zealand organisation focussed on assisting children to promote world peace.

One People One Planet is creating ways for children around the world to use the Internet to form alliances and share visions that will foster peace and international understanding and goodwill.

The organisation contacted schools – and the mayors - in Waitakere, Christchurch and Hiroshima (all Cities for Peace) to launch the Peace Pals concept.

Founder, Auckland woman Vivienne Wright, says Peace Pals is a unique initiative for kids, by kids, with kids, with no imposed adult agenda.

"It is about creating a global community of children: one they will directly develop and control, where through better communication and therefore, better understanding, significant, real and enduring change is possible. ' Peace Pals' is essentially a frontier-less, virtual club," she says.

Today the children in all three cities discussed their hopes for peace in their lives, how that might be achieved and what it will mean for them.

Mayor Bob Harvey in Waitakere, Mayor Garry Moore in Christchurch and Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba in Hiroshima, all joined in the three hour video conference and spoke about their own hopes for peace.

At the end of the session, Mayor Akiba suggested that today’s event should become the beginning of a new tradition between the three cities and the two countries.

 

4 October

Voting closing soon

Waitakere City voters must cast their votes now as there's barely a week to have votes in to be counted in the 2007 local authority elections. This election uses the postal voting system and completed voting papers need to be posted back to the Electoral Office so that they are received by the Electoral Officer by noon Saturday 13 October 2007. Voters are cautioned not to put off doing it or they will miss out.   Vote now, post now.

Completed voting papers may also be dropped off at voting boxes at Waitakere Central (including one in the drive-by) and designated local libraries in Waitakere City, up to noon on Saturday 13 October.

People who have not received their papers by now should immediately contact Waitakere City Council's Electoral office at 836 8000 ext 8290.

"Although the voting period has nearly closed it's not too late - people can still enrol and vote. However, they will need to complete special voting papers," Electoral Officer Darryl Griffin says.

"The last date to enrol is Friday 12 October. I would encourage anyone who has not yet registered to do so and cast a special vote. It's their opportunity to have a say on how Waitakere is run over the next three years".

Voter turnout is well down on the last elections in 2004. It's currently standing at only 10.52% (13,262 votes) compared to the same period in 2004 which was 16.61%. While this is disappointing in view of the increased effort Waitakere City Council has made this year to increase public awareness, there are signs that potential voters could simply be leaving things to the last moment as there has been a noticeable increase in special votes this year. The Electoral Office is currently processing 70 requests per day.

For last minute enrolment forms, advice and information visit the electoral office at Waitakere Central, 6 Henderson Valley Road, Henderson or call us on 836 8000 ext 8290 or email ElectoralOffice@waitakere.govt.nz.
 

04 October 2007

Winners of pilot campaign announced

Information on current offers is being sent to ratepayers with their water rates.

Information on these pilot promotional campaigns and ways to save water can be obtained by calling the call centre.
 

4 October

Waitakere’s first Park and Ride caters for rail commuter increase

Travelling to work by train has been made easier for many Waitakere residents with the opening of the city’s first dedicated park and ride facility in Sunnyvale today

With a 100-car capacity, the Seymour Road facility has been built to complement recent rail improvement projects, such as double-tracking of the Western line, and the proposed electrification of the rail network.

The $2 million facility also caters for a 130% increase in rail patronage over the last four years and a 40% increase in rail services per week since 2005.

The Sunnyvale Park and Ride was formally opened at 10am by MP the Hon Chris Carter, who is expected to arrive by train with Waitakere Mayor, Bob Harvey.

Waitakere City Council hopes that the park and ride will encourage more residents to use public transport to commute to and from work to reduce traffic congestion and associated environmental pollution – in keeping with its EcoCity vision. The facility itself was built with the environment in mind and includes a number of stormwater treatment features. It is also expected to relieve parking pressures in the nearby Henderson town centre by providing some commuters with a more convenient parking option.

A number of other projects to improve public transport infrastructure will be undertaken in Waitakere over the next 12 months. These include:

• Construction of park and ride facilities at Sturges and Swanson rail stations, providing 280 carparks
• Completion of the Henderson transport exchange
• Improvements to central Henderson to provide a more walkable town centre and enhanced bus services
• Installation of real-time passenger information signs
• Free shuttle buses from Henderson to the Trusts Stadium during the Netball World Cup
• Construction of walkways and cycleways
• ‘Travel plans’ for schools and businesses to reduce motor vehicle dependency

The long-term work programme includes lowering the rail line through New Lynn to improve traffic flow and provide impetus for the redevelopment of the town centre, the building of park and ride facilities at West Harbour and Henderson, the provision of busways and bus advance signals on major roads and improvements to bus shelters. These initiatives are being undertaken as part of the Council’s Long Term Council Community Plan with support from central government, ONTRACK, ARTA and the Auckland Regional Council.

4 October

Waitakere City leads new initiative to achieve water savings

Waitakere City is actively working with suppliers of water-effficient products to assist ratepayers to reduce water demand in the city.

During October and November the Council, in conjunction with Caroma Industries and Chesters Plumbing & Bathroom, are providing special discounted prices on Smartflush second-generation dual flush toilets. The purpose is to encourage ratepayers to upgrade from their old water-wasteful single flush or older dualflush toilets to newest technology toilets which can save households up to 35,000 litres each year. Older style toilets use up to 11 litres per flush whereas the new toilets on offer use only 4.5 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for reduced flush. That’s a significant saving on water supply.

Waitakere City Council, has a goal to reduce mains water demand by 25% by 2025. A series of social marketing campaigns have been planned to assist residents wanting to purchase appliances and devices which use less water to find information and a choice of suppliers. Information on current offers is being sent to ratepayers with their water rates.

Those who purchase during the toilet promotional period will go into a prize draw to win one of three new toilets and a refund of their installation costs or one of 10 refunds on toilet installation only. Consumer incentives to save water are a new initiative to stave off the looming increases for bulk water and future infrastructure costs such as new dams.

The water-saving goals are very achievable if a good proportion of residents make even small changes to daily water-use behaviours such as installing water-efficient toilets and washing machines, low-flow shower heads and tapware, raintanks and rainbarrels. Council is also looking at various packages which would give our residents options on what WaterWise steps they’d like to take in future which would fit in with their budgets.

Contact us for information on these pilot promotional campaigns and ways to save water.

1 October

Partnering Statement and Anniversary Reasons to Celebrate

The Waitakere City Council and the EcoMatters Environment Trust both have plenty of reasons to celebrate this week.

Representatives from both parties will sign a Partnering Statement on Friday, 5th October while jointly celebrating EcoMatters fifth successful year of operation.

The celebrations will take place at the Western Bowling Club in New Lynn, near the home of EcoMatters, the Sustainable Living Centre and the Now Home (a tenanted sustainable home built by the Beacon Project), and commence with a powhiri at 4pm.

The Partnering Statement will be jointly signed by Waitakere City Council Mayor, Bob Harvey, Waitakere City Council chief executive officer, Harry O'Rourke, EcoMatters Environment Trust Board Chairman, Kevin Healy and EcoMatters' chief executive officer, Gretchen Schubeck.

The statement acknowledges the relationship between EcoMatters and the Council and recognises that both organisations are committed to the creation of an environmentally sustainable city and working together to achieve this objective. It also outlines how both organisations will work together, their roles and responsibilities, how the relationship will be managed, dispute resolution and resourcing.

This statement is only the second of its kind that the Council has signed, the first being Community Waitakere.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey says EcoMatters has made a hugely positive contribution to the city since forming in 2002 and he is delighted its fifth anniversary coincides with the signing of the Partnering Statement.

Ms Schubeck says the Partnering Statement acknowledges the close strategic partnership between EcoMatters and the Council and will be beneficial for residents and both organisations.

"Until now we have had a memorandum of undertaking with our other key partners - Keep Waitakere Beautiful, the WeedFree Trust and the Tag Out Trust - but no formal agreement with the Council. This new Partnering Statement outlines how we agree to work with each other going forward and it will be great for the community as well.

"There is a really good symbiotic relationship around what we want to achieve between the Council, the residents and ourselves. More and more people are engaging with the work that EcoMatters is undertaking. They start out by reporting graffiti, then get their home retrofitted, then get involved in tree planting. And that is ideally what we want to happen."

EcoMatters is believed to be the only organisation of its kind in New Zealand having formed in 2002 after consolidation of the expertise and experience of three separate community-based trusts (Keep Waitakere Beautiful, the Tag Free Trust and the WeedFree Trust). It plays a key role in engaging with the community of Waitakere on urban environmental issues.

A key area of the Trust's work is retrofitting homes with insulation across Waitakere City and making them more comfortable for residents to live in. Since 2002, EcoMatters has retrofitted nearly 1750 homes with 600 homes alone being retrofitted in the past year.

"We have three teams doing our retrofitting work and they do a fantastic job," Ms Schubeck says. "We get a huge number of letters from people saying how courteous the guys were when they were working at their home and what a difference retrofitting has made to their lives. They get a lot of thanks for the work they do and are well looked after with home baking!"

Among the many local residents to have written to EcoMatters over the past five years is Mrs Elaine Schultz of Titirangi who contacted EcoMatters earlier this year regarding the 'Water Wise-Up Programme', which EcoMatters delivers on behalf of Council.

Mrs Schultz utilised the advice of EcoMatters' sustainability advisor (Jacob Rawls) when looking to reduce the water flow in her showers. She says it was "a great experience" from the initial call to EcoMatters, to the visit by Jacob and installation of Satin-flow shower heads by a registered plumber.

"I'm very glad Council is offering this to ratepayers. One of our showers has reduced from 27 litres per minute to two! The other from 17 to seven! I've had excellent advice regarding a variety of things including watering my garden property, avoiding evaporation, the best type of hose and covering the garden in bark. My water usage wasn't excessive in the first place but it all helps and it's made me much more interested in an eco-sustainable life."

Eighty-two-year-old Glen Eden resident, Christine Howell, was thrilled when the team at EcoMatters installed insulation in her home. Earlier in the year she wrote a thank you letter to EcoMatters saying she was pleased to be able to enjoy the benefits of a much warmer home. A West Harbour resident was equally pleased with the insulation work carried out by EcoMatters saying her home is "much warmer" and that the moisture levels have been greatly reduced.

EcoMatters opened its neighbouring Sustainable Living Centre in 2004 and, the area, combined with the Now Home, has become a recognised sustainable and environmental hub across wider Auckland. The Sustainable Living Centre stages regular workshops, seminars and open days. For more information visit www.ecomatters.org.nz.