Latest news with #CommunityBoard
Scoop
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Enrol To Have Your Say On Who Makes The Big Decisions For Our District
If you want to have a say on who will set rates and make decisions on roads, rubbish and water services for New Plymouth district for the next three years – make sure your enrolment details are up to date. People who have moved house or turned 18 since in the past three years, will need to update their details on the electoral roll by 1 August. And if you want to switch between the Māori and General roll, you need to do that by 10 July. For New Plymouth District Council, there will be elections for: Mayor 14 Councillors 20 Community Board members. Whether you are a home owner or renter, the decisions our elected members make on things like rates, roads and rubbish services to playgrounds, parks, libraries and local facilities, impacts everyone. Additionally, there are also choices to make for positions on the Taranaki Regional Council and a poll on whether to retain our Māori ward for future elections. Go to to find out how to update your enrolment details or phone 0800 36 76 56. Fast facts Nominations to stand in this year's local election open 4 July and close midday 1 August Voting papers will start being delivered from 9 September with voting closing midday 11 October. In 2022 – 77 candidates put their hands up to stand for positions in our district. NPDC voter turnout for the last election was 45.1 per cent – just behind the 45.3 per cent for previous election but ahead of the national average of 40.4 per cent.
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
OneLIC's comprehensive rezoning plan divides Queens community
Some say new Long Island City development proposal doesn't go far enough Some say new Long Island City development proposal doesn't go far enough Some say new Long Island City development proposal doesn't go far enough When Daniel Taylor was a kid, he spent countless hours at a Queensbridge, Queens playground that no longer exists. "We literally almost lived in this park. I learned how to ride a bike, skate, everything," he said. Taylor likes what he hears about a development plan called OneLIC, which pledges to bring parks and better infrastructure to Long Island City. "This recent rezoning, I notice they are speaking about this space," he said. What OneLIC's redevelopment entails Council Member Julie Won says she's working with the Department of City Planning to deliver expanded waterfront access as part of OneLIC. In addition, she aims to convert DOT storage areas beneath the Queensboro Bridge into community spaces. "This is not the old warehouse industrial area of Long Island City like it used to be," she said. In rezoning for new construction, the DCP promises schools, sewers, and more than 4,000 units of affordable housing. Hundreds attended a joint Community Board 1 and 2 hearing at LaGuardia Community College on Wednesday, where supporters expressed eagerness for new housing as part of a more vibrant and livable Long Island City. "The OneLIC rezoning presents a rare opportunity for our community to receive much-needed investments in public space and arts and culture," MoMa PS1 director Connie Butler said. Some question the comprehensive plan But others insist OneLIC isn't what it seems. "I think, when it comes to who wins with this plan, only the developers win," Lashawn "Suga Ray" Marston said. Members of the Western Queens Community Land Trust say the touted neighborhood improvements are not guaranteed. "A lot of us are starting to feel like those are just talking points and empty promises," Jenny Dubnau said. "This doesn't really seem to be a true comprehensive plan." They fear the proposal will greenlight more luxury towers with rent caps falling short of true affordability. "Market-rate housing makes it harder for everybody to live here, even if they do throw a few affordability crumbs," Memo Salazar said. Won says negotiations with DCP will continue. She expects to secure meaningful benefits for the community. Otherwise, she says, she will withhold her stamp of approval. "Until those needs are met, this project cannot move forward," she said. The public review process is expected to continue until the fall before a City Council vote. You can email Elle with Queens story ideas by CLICKING HERE.
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- Climate
- NZ Herald
Severe rain breaks records in Northland, closes highways and floods areas
Weather systems from the north were behind the downpours. They brought warmer, moist air and heavy rain that caused slips and floods throughout Northland. Floodwaters caused by heavy rain closed State Highway 1 at Cape Rēinga for five hours on Tuesday afternoon. Later that evening, State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge closed after a slip blocked the main route north to Kaitāia. The closure was the second in three days. The first was during Sunday's torrential rain. NZ Transport Agency Northland and Auckland regional manager for maintenance and operations, Jacqui Hori-Hoult, said minor overslips were expected from time to time because of the gorge's challenging geology and varying terrain. She said they were generally easier to manage than the more complex underslips that were repaired after severe storms closed the gorge in 2022. The road was still closed yesterday afternoon with SH10 an available detour. The Mangamuka Gorge was not the only portion of SH1 to suffer from April's weather. Ex-tropical Cyclone Tam caused a slip on the Brynderwyn Hills on Easter Sunday, briefly closing the southbound lane. A vehicle was hit by falling debris, leaving the driver shaken but unhurt. However, rural roads appeared to bear the brunt of April's rains. Many, especially in the Far North, flooded as rivers swelled from three weeks of rain. Winter was still a month away, but already people were feeling the strain of the unusually heavy downpours. Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board member Roddy Hapati Pihema said the wet weather was particularly stressful for people in rural areas. ' ... As they can often become cut off from the main towns and family, not to mention resources. 'No roads often means there is no way to see doctors or do shopping. Children can't make it to school or course, then there's the fact that they can't get to their place of employment.' Pihema said communities were working with Civil Defence to prepare for different weather events. Locals with a strong knowledge of their areas, such as Pihema, regularly checked river levels, culverts, and made welfare checks at freedom camping spots. He said while residents were a 'strong breed' who knew how to sustain themselves, more could be done to provide future resilience. Pihema believed a lot of stress would be relieved if more funding for capital works was available to seal and lift roads in rural communities. Hori-Hoult said NZTA planned to undertake resealing and resurfacing at a large number of sites, as well as drainage improvements. She said crews would monitor the network for potholes and damage and respond as quickly as possible. Pihema praised local government's efforts to ensure resilience, saying it was doing 'exceptionally well'. . Research commissioned by AMI, State and NZI Wild Weather Tracker showed more than half of New Zealanders have experienced anxiety over storms and heavy rainfall. The research showed Northlanders had lodged the fourth-most claims for natural hazard events nationwide between last September and February. Otago lodged the most. Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesman Zachary Woods said many areas in Northland had flood-prone roads and farms. He encouraged people to know the risks and have a plan, plus keep up to date with the weather. Woods said there were community-led Civil Defence centres and other Civil Defence centres that opened during adverse weather if required.
