Media Releases

August 2008

28 August

'Watered down' Waste Minimisation Bill disappoints

Waitakere City Council today expressed its concern the Waste Minimisation Bill passed by Parliament is not taking account of the important role of Territorial Local Authorities in waste reduction.

The council supported the original bill that went through the select committee process but was disappointed when it was amended to what it says is a much watered down version.

"The bill was amended to supposedly protect the recycling industry on the basis of high commodity prices and following scare tactics by the Scrap Metal Recycling Association," says Finance and Operational Committee Chairman Ross Clow. "When those market prices decline and the recyclers walk away councils will be expected to pick up the scraps without obligation."

Councils have a statutory obligation to plan for collection, recovery, recycling treatment and disposal services to meet current and future waste management and minimisation needs whether provided by the council or otherwise.

But Mr Clow says they now have no powers to obtain any information from private recyclers to enable them to plan for future demand as required under the act.  And without that information - which councils rely on - they may be less likely to introduce waste reduction / minimisation initiatives such as cleaner production programmes.

Councils will now only have a responsibility for waste that goes to a landfill however no TLA in Auckland owns or manages any landfills and only contributes to about 20 percent of what goes to those privately owned landfills.

Depending on how some councils interpret the definitions this may also have an impact on the proposed green / food waste collections and processing schemes of councils.

Mr Clow added Waitakere did not have confidence the new legislation would stand the test of time.

"Basically this takes away councils' ability to gain crucial information on waste flows and license private recycling operations. And that means it takes away our ability to provide meaningful waste minimisation in our districts and for any council, especially one running an eco city, this is unacceptable. We are definitely disappointed."

28 August

New Voting System For Waitakere City

Waitakere City Council has voted to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for the next local body elections.

Waitakere City will have its next Council chosen under the new system in 2010 unless a poll of electors demands otherwise.

Until now Waitakere City has used the First Past the Post (FPP) system.

STV sees all candidates able to be ranked, in order of preference, by the voter, rather than placing ticks for the candidates selected up to the number of vacancies that exist.

Mayor Bob Harvey says the system will reduce the number of wasted votes and provide for more equitable representation. The Council and the health boards will now be elected in the same way which will, hopefully, reduce voter confusion. "In recent elections we have used FPP for the Council and on the same voting paper the STV system for our health board," he says.

"Anecdotal evidence and the number of invalid votes cast suggest that the different systems may have confused people."

The Council has also decided not to introduce separate Maori wards at the next election. It will however continue to have a member of its Te Taumata Runanga (Maori Standing Committee) appointed to the City's Policy and Strategy Committee.

Waitakere's chief electoral officer, Darryl Griffin, says that the proposal to change to STV will now be publicly advertised.

If more than 5% of eligible voters (around 6,400) wish to change that decision then a poll must be called for.

He expects public notification to be made next week.

28 August

Forest Hill Rd Slip

Motorists are urged to care on a section of Forest Hill Rd, Waiatarua, which has been reduced to one lane following a slip.

 Part of the road near number 227 has been temporarily narrowed to a single lane by the Council for safety reasons.

 Waitakere City Council spokesperson Wally Thomas says whilst much of the road is intact, cracks have appeared in one lane.

A geotech assessment was undertaken yesterday and the recommendation was to close the road off to a single lane.

Traffic control is now in place which includes water-filled barriers, and temporary traffic signals and associated signage.

However Mr Thomas says that there is limited visibility at the location due to the bends in the roads on both approaches, which is compounded by the lack of street-lights in the vicinity.

 So motorists and local residents are advised to drive with caution.

The Council is unsure how long the temporary measures will be in place but it is monitoring the site for any further ground movement.

26 August  2008

National award recognises Waitakere library service's contribution to race relations

Waitakere Library & Information Services has won a national award for its contribution to improving race relations in its community.

New Zealand Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres and Australia's Social Justice and Race Relations Commissioner Tom Calma jointly presented the service with a Human Rights Commission New Zealand Diversity Action Award at New Zealand Diversity Forum in Auckland on Monday night. It was one of 11 recipients presented with awards on the night.

The accolade recognises the efforts of the Waitakere Library & Information Services' multicultural and migrant team in promoting diversity through the range of programmes it offers.

Waitakere Library & Information Services was the originator of the national forum on libraries and diversity, which attracts librarians from throughout New Zealand. In the three years since the inception of the programme Waitakere has played a key part in organising this annual forum.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey paid tribute to the council's library staff in particular who have embraced the diversity of Waitakere.

"Since the early days of Croatian and Dalmatian gum-diggers through to Dutch immigrants in the 1950s and 60s, the Pacific Island communities in the 70s, 80s and today, we have always been a welcoming, all-inclusive community," he says.

"In many ways Waitakere is a microcosm of what this country will look like in 20 years time; a wonderful melting pot of cultures all contributing to a vibrant and welcoming city.

'Waitakere Library & Information Services' multicultural and migrant section provides new migrants access to the library and its services as well as information on other services in Waitakere to help them in their settlement process.

For those missing a slice of home, the service has an extensive collection of adult and children books in more than 40 different languages from Afrikaans and Albanian to Tamil and Vietnamese.

The service also organises regular cultural events to promote literacy, reading and learning English and recognises significant cultural and religious events through displays at libraries.

26 August 2008

Teens wild about reading

Waitakere secondary school students are on the hunt for a good read.

Year 9 and 10 students across the city are invited to register for Books in the Wild 2008, an innovative teen literacy programme run by Waitakere Library & Information Services.

In the first week of September, 450 popular teen titles will be released into Waitakere secondary schools and students encouraged to take up the challenge to hunt down, read and register the titles online, before releasing the books into 'the wild' for others to find and continue the process.

Each book contains a unique identifying number, and individual students can only register each of the 10 titles once.

Titles included in the programme are a mix of non-fiction and fiction, such as Northern Lights, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Reaching the Summit. Works by New Zealand authors, such as Maurice Gee, also feature. Books in the Wild titles from 2007 can be re-released this year.

"The programme aims to generate excitement about reading among teenagers and encourage them to read and enjoy good quality literature," says Waitakere Library & Information Services' Children's and Teens' Librarian Robert Baigent.

"The online registration process is also designed to make young people aware that the library is about more than just books and magazines. Libraries offer DVDs, CDs, games, study guides and other resources as well."

Trialled at a limited number of schools in 2007, Books in the Wild proved extremely popular among the more than 200 teens who took part.

Books were found in a range of wild places from parks and remote bus stops to school grounds and on public transport.

Of the 180 books released last year, most were registered two or three times, with the exception of a dozen individual books that were captured between seven and 13 times.

There are some great prizes on offer for Books in the Wild 2008. Each time a student registers a book online, they go in to the main draw for an XBOX 360 Arcade pack.

Other prizes include an iPod Nano for the person with highest number of book registrations and Whitcoulls vouchers for the school with the most Books in the Wild members. Each time a student registers a book online they receive a $5 virtual library voucher to spend at their local library to hire CDs, DVDs and electronic games.

Books in the Wild 2008 runs until November 28.

22 August 2008

Totara Ave to go one way from August 25

Click to enlarge image

Map detailing Totara Ave one way system from August 25

Most of New Lynn's Totara Avenue will soon be reduced to one lane as ONTRACK prepares to start the main construction of the New Lynn rail trench.
 
From August 25, Totara Avenue will run one way from Veronica Street to Memorial Drive until the trench is completed in 2010.
 
All entrances and exits to the New Lynn RSA and LynnMall remain open. However, there will be some changes to the LynnMall carpark; most notably the Farmers up ramp will become a down ramp.
 
There will also be minor changes to the bus station and pedestrian crossing. As part of this work, the bus-rail replacement stop has moved nearer the bus station kiosk and the taxi rank will shortly move to nearby McCrae Way.
 
Motorists are urged to drive with caution when navigating central New Lynn during the trench construction period as there will be road closures and layout changes and heavy vehicle movements.
 
There are changes to weekend rail services continuing until mid-September. For more details, check the MAXX public transport information website, phone 366 6400 or text 3666.
 
For more information about the New Lynn rail trench, visit www.ProjectDART.org.nz

20 August 2008

Waitakere Central wins New Zealand Institute of Building Award

Waitakere Central project manager John Schermbrucker with the award of excellence

Waitakere Central, the city's sustainable civic centre has notched up more national recognition with an award from the New Zealand Institute of Building.

John Schermbrucker, Waitakere City Council project manager, and Nick Page, the construction manager of Canam Construction Ltd, won the Holmic Projects $15million to $50million Excellence Award for their work on the project at the institute's annual awards in Auckland.

The pair was one of five finalists in the category, taking the accolade ahead of those involved in the Meridian Building in Wellington, Queenstown Airport, the gaming floor expansion at Sky City in Auckland and the Queen Street Streetscapes in Auckland.

The judging panel described the Waitakere Central project, which combined a commercial office building, council chambers and pedestrian overhead rail link bridge in Henderson, as a "masterful and leading edge addition to Waitakere's civic centre".

In the delivery of this complex building project, the panel said Mr Schermbrucker and Mr Page demonstrated outstanding excellence in their collaborative process, shared vision and creative approach to the construction of the quality building.

"The civic centre showcases Waitakere's eco city vision and features leading edge building services such as an innovative displacement ventilation system and a New Zealand first, green roof," the panel said.

Establishing an onsite pre-casting facility that saved both money and time was just one example of how the two parties worked together to achieve alternative construction methods.

"The outstanding working relationship that developed between the Council and Canam Construction played a pivotal role in the successful outcome of this project," said Chief Executive Officer of Waitakere City Council Vijaya Vaidyanath. "This partnership showcases how together public and private bodies can deliver world-class infrastructure."

"As with most projects it is the quality of the people involved that dictates the outcome and this award recognises the tremendous commitment and vision of two such people."

The award is the 12th won by the Waitakere Central project since it opened in 2006. It has been recognised for its architecture, sustainable and urban design concepts and process management.

For Mr Schermbrucker the latest award has been particularly satisfying.

"To most people what they see is a building going up, they don't see the process management aspect to a project, which is what this award recognises."

"The fact that we opened a building of this stature and innovation on time and budget is a testament to those processes."

He said to work with a contractor with a shared commitment to excellence and willingness to come up with solutions to meet the specific requirements the council had, such as leading edge and sustainable design, was key to the project's success.

The project developed a strong working relationship between the pair which sees them currently collaborating on other projects, including the now completed Trusts Stadium and grandstand.

20 August 2008

Competition for young comic book fans

Henderson High School students are manga mad.

Graphic novels featuring the Japanese art of manga have become so popular among Waitakere's young readers that Waitakere Library and Information Services has launched its own Make a Manga competition.

Manga (pronounced mahn-ga) is the Japanese term for comics and a significant portion of the libraries' growing graphic novel collection is made up of manga titles. Demand for these is extremely high and library shelves dedicated to graphic novels are often stripped bare.

The collection now numbers more than 3600 items and it is constantly expanding.

"Importantly, manga books have proven popular with more reluctant readers, the types of children who would never consider reading a short novel yet are happy to devour a 300 page graphic novel," says Children's and Teen's Librarian Robert Baigent.

"Many of the teenagers who read them also aspire to draw and write their own comics or manga, which is reflected in the popularity of our 'How To' guides on the subject."

The Children's and Teen's Library Services launched the competition to schools earlier this month, inviting young people to produce a manga or comic of between four to 16 pages long.

Entries can be in black and white or colour and can be hand drawn, made from photographs or computer generated. However, they must feature Waitakere as a setting or as a word in the story. They must also contain at least one of the following phrases: "You can't save me" "These books are out to get me" or "It's in the library".

There are two age-group categories, 11-14 and 15-18, with two iPod shuffles up for grabs in each. Other prizes are provided by the Heroes for Sale comic book shop, which is also donating books to libraries of participating schools.

Entries close October 13 and winners will be announced October 20. The winning entries will feature on the Waitakere Libraries and Information Services website.

For inspiration on producing your own manga, see the wide range of manga and comic-related titles at Waitakere libraries.

18 August 2008

Putting fathers in the picture

A photographic display of fathering as seen through the eyes of Waitakere's children is a central feature of this year's Focus on Fathering Week.

Held September 1-7, Focus on Fathering Week aims to highlight the positive aspects of fathering and to celebrate fathering roles in the community.

It is organised by the Promoting Positive Parenting initiative of Violence Free Waitakere (VFW) with support from the Ministry of Social Development's SKIP (Strategies with Kids - Information for Parents) programme and the Waitakere City Council.

The week of activities kicks off on September 1 with a launch in the Waitakere Central civic wing with a host of special guests and performers, including entertainer Pio Terei.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey has thrown his support behind the event.

"Fathering is one of the most important activities in the community," says the father of five.

"It's about celebrating men in their role as a father, offering them support and ensuring they have good back-up when the times get tough.

"It's also about reminding them how enjoyable fathering can be," he said.

Project managers Elaine Dyer, Nigel Pizzini and Chris Mullins are visiting local primary schools and pre-schools to issue disposal cameras and talk to children about how to take photographs "to capture the moment".

"We want photos of men fathering - whether it's a dad, stepfather, granddad, uncle, coach or trusted mentor. They are all moments to treasure."

The images will feature in a photo display at Henderson's WestCity shopping centre from September 2-6.

During Focus on Fathering Week, a health bus will be parked on Railside Avenue from 8.30am and 4.30pm, to enable men to have a series of health checks. The week also includes a series of Waitakere workshops and seminars about fathering,

The week ends with a Dad's Day Out and Big Clean Up event on September 7 at the Tui Glen Reserve (9.30am-2.00pm), followed by a Father's Day remembrance service at the West Auckland Hospice at 52 Beach Road, Te Atatu Peninsula (3.00pm to 4.00pm).

14 August

Library Week celebrates your library stories

Storytime with bro' Town star Oscar Kightley and a 'Library Lockdown' event are among the highlights of national Library Week (August 18-24) celebrations at Waitakere libraries this month.

Kightley is celebrity guest for the Kiwiana-themed storytime at Waitakere Central Library on August 20 at 7.00pm, where he will read his own short story, Sione's First Day at School. Children of all ages welcome.

Jane Bissell, author of The Pink Party and Welcome to the Amazon Club, which document a woman's journey and experiences with breast cancer, is speaking at Waitakere Central Library on August 20 and at New Lynn Library on August 21. Both sessions run from 10.00am to 11.00am.

Titirangi, Massey and New Lynn libraries are participating in New Zealand's Biggest Storytime on August 20 at 10.30am. Children are invited to join in reading Diana Neild's picture book, Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig, children at other libraries throughout the country will also read the book at the same time.

On August 23, Massey Library hosts the popular Library Lockdown event for 7-10 year-olds. Between 6.30pm and 9.30pm, children are "locked" in to the library and participate in a fun-filled evening of games and activities. Spaces limited.

Library Week is a national event aimed at celebrating libraries and librarianship in public, school, tertiary and special libraries.

This year's theme, is What's your story?

People are invited to provide stories about some of the activities they participate in at their local library via the Library Week website.

12 August

Revised Western Line timetable for next five weekends

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) advises that a revised timetable will be operating on the Western Line on Sunday 17, 24 and 31 August, and 7 and 14 September, and on Saturday 13 September.

ARTA's General Manager of Customer Services, Mark Lambert says: “The bus replacement services support continuing work on the development of Auckland's rail network by ARTA and ONTRACK. “The work being undertaken over the next five weekends includes ONTRACK™s ongoing construction of a new bridge and preparation to lay a new track at Whau Creek as part of the duplication of the Western Line.

To allow for this work to take place, bus replacements between Avondale and New Lynn will be in place on Sunday 17, 24 and 31 August, and 7 and 14 September.

The RAIL BUS stops for these Sunday bus replacement services will be located at:

• New Lynn: Transport Centre, Platform 3 (directly outside the kiosk on the railside)
• Avondale: Rosebank Rd

On Saturday 13 September, a bus replacement service will be in place between Waitakere and Avondale.

The RAIL BUS stops for this bus replacement service will be located at:

• Waitakere: Township Rd
• Swanson: Swanson Rd
• Ranui: Ranui Station Rd
• Sturges Rd: Sturges Rd
• Henderson: Railside Ave
• Sunnyvale: Seymour Rd
• Glen Eden: West Coast Rd
• Fruitvale Rd: Arawa St
• New Lynn: Transport Centre, Platform 3 (directly outside the kiosk on the railside)
• Avondale: Rosebank Rd.

Where buses replace trains, normal train fares will apply for the entire journey.

Passengers are advised to check timetables carefully before travelling.

"We understand that the bus replacements may cause disruptions to passengers. The support and understanding of passengers while this important work is taking place is greatly appreciated,” Mr Lambert says.

For more information about the bus replacements on the Western Line, visit MAXX or call (09) 366 6400 or

12 August 2008

Swanson Stream Slip

A 50 metre wide land-slip, which brought down some 1000 cubic metres of debris into the Swanson Stream, will have to be cleared at an adjoining land-owners' cost.

The Council's Planning and Regulatory Committee today resolved to require the owners, Gayle and Ross Britten, to clear the debris which slipped from their Church St property.

The cost of the clean up could be as high as $125,000.

The Council has engaged geo-technical engineers who state that the slip was caused by fill coming from the Britten property. It is the second slip in the vicinity in three years.

Meanwhile, the City Council is urging the Auckland Regional Council to review the appropriateness of a consent it issued in 1991 for clean fill to be brought onto the property.

The Council is also looking into options it has available to it under provisions of the Resource Management Act.

8 August 2008

Taking charge of a changing future

Waitakere seminars to tackle global issues at local level

Inspiring a community to face the challenges of the future and to be part of creating change is the focus of a series of seminars and workshops being held in Waitakere this week.

The Waitakere Inform Challenge Inspire (WICI) series aims to give participants food for thought on local and global issues. It brings together a host of inspiring New Zealand and international speakers who will share their ideas on a range of topics, from ways to create more liveable cities and new thinking on climate change to building communities that people want to live in and dealing with the rising costs of oil and food.

"It's about being exposed to fascinating people from New Zealand and around the world who have experiences with, and views and ideas on, a wide range of global issues," says Mayor Bob Harvey, who is giving the opening address at the first seminar.

"The series aims to give us an insight into what to expect in the future, challenge our ideas and perceptions about how the future might look and inspire all of us to deal with global issues at a local level.

"Everyone has a part to play in making Waitakere a great place to live, work and do business and we need to harness the knowledge and ideas that are out there to help us 'create' the kind of future we want for ourselves and our communities. It will not happen without a conscious effort to do things differently."

The WICI series is supported by Waitakere City Council and Unitec. Seminars will be held at Waitakere City Council Chambers from 6.45pm-9.00pm on August 12-14, while Unitec Waitakere will host a series of workshops from 9.00am-1.00pm from August 13-15.

Bookings are essential.

4 August

Waitakere mothers latch on to national record

Waitakere mothers partipated in the Big Latch On event held on August 1

Twenty Waitakere mothers played their part in setting a New Zealand record for the most women to breastfeed at the same time.

The Waitakere City Council hosted the West Auckland Parents Centre and the Kelston La Leche League by providing a room at its Waitakere Central Civic building for the 1 August record attempt.

The Big Latch On was organised by the Women™s Health Action Trust and held at various sites throughout the country. At 10.30am the number of women who had children ‘latched on™ was 1111, beating the old mark of 937.

Waitakere Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse invited the group to Council for the event and congratulated them on participating in such a worthwhile cause.

“Waitakere Central was purpose built to accommodate the community™s needs, which includes allocating a special room for breastfeeding, something we absolutely support. It is great to see our mums and babies making most of our facility,” she says.

The Big Latch On marked the start of World Breastfeeding Week.

1 August

Innovative company moves to Waitakere

Philstic Labels owner Phil Fewings, right, shows Mayor Bob Harvey, left, and Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral Ross Bay, around the company™s new Te Atatu building.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey has praised the initiative of label print firm Philstic Labels for its shift to Te Atatu from central Auckland.

More than 70 percent of Philstic Labels' 40 staff lives in Waitakere and the shift will now save them the daily trip to Mt Eden.

"This company is clearly ahead of its time. The decision to move came before the oil price hikes, so the staff at Philstic must be hugely grateful they are now saved the costly and time consuming daily commute."

Costly central city rents were also a factor in Philstic's move to Te Atatu.

Mayor Harvey, who today opened the company's premises in McLeod Rd, Te Atatu, said Philstic Labels is an innovative business, especially so because it's thinking 'local' with the move closer to where staff live.

He said Philstic Labels was just the sort of business Waitakere needed more of and that other businesses were thinking along similar lines in that Waitakere was a great city in which to live and do business.

Waitakere Enterprise also provides high level client management from the time an inquiry regarding Waitakere as a place to set up comes in through consents to connection to key local people and networks. In some cases companies are given business advice and market information.

Philstic Labels provides labelling for companies such as Fonterra and have developed E Commerce services that enable clients to have labelling for export goods custom-made on line. It has grown from being a print firm making labels to a business providing a range of innovative solutions for manufacturers.

The company's renovated building in Te Atatu is more than 10,000 square feet bigger than its former premises in Mt Eden to allow for further growth. Last month the company installed a new $1m printing press. As well as 40 full time staff the company regularly employs local casual workers.