Latest news with #TorikaTokalau
Scoop
3 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Parent Calls For Better Playground Fencing To Stop ‘Runners'
Article – Torika Tokalau – Local Democracy Reporter The lack of fencing around a destination park in rural south Auckland, where 17,000 cars zoom by each day, has come under fire. After hearing the safety pleas from a local parent and principal, the local board has agreed to fence the whole of Te Pae Mahara Roulston Park. The upgrade of the historic Te Pae Mahara Roulston Park began last October, by Eke Panuku's Unlock Pukekohe High Level Project Plan. Once complete in mid-2025, Te Pae Mahara Roulston Park is expected to feature improved play facilities to cater for a wider age range. However, residents were unhappy that the playground on the corner of one of Pukekohe's busiest intersections, with a traffic volume count of 17,000 vehicles per day, was not going to be completely fenced. Valley School principal Roger Goulstone, speaking at the Franklin Local Board meeting on Tuesday, said barriers or fencing was needed to keep children safe. 'With the busyness there, and attraction of a new facility, it's going to quite a higher traffic area,' Goulstone said. 'With the high amount of families coming, they would like the security of a barrier going at least around the park to stop kids wandering from off … [It's] a very busy intersection.' The park, located at the corner of East St and Stadium Dr, is costing $1.5 million to upgrade. The local board considered three design options – initially going with the first option which included a 900mm-high wired fence at the top of the park, leaving multiple areas of the park with no fencing or gates. Option two included two additional gates with latches, including a sliding gate and a wired fence completely around the park. Resident Sam Ross said she was stoked the park was being upgraded but felt it needed to be safe and inclusive for all users. 'As a mother of two neuro-diverse children, I'm particularly concerned about the safety issue. 'My kids have a tendency to be runners as do a lot of autistic children, they're brilliant climbers so they can easily scale the fence as is.' According to Eke Panuku's overview of the project – the park was bordered by major arterial roadways that were expected to get even busier as Pukekohe grew, its website stated. The local board moved a motion to adopt option two for fencing – supported by five of its nine members. Member Logan Soole said the difference in design options was huge. 'They involve the addition of two more gates and extension of fencing,' Soole said. He said one of the main issues board members debated about was accessibility, and highlighted Auckland's only accessible playground in Weymouth. 'If we choose to retrofit later, it will cost more and the likelihood of that happening is not very high. 'The one thing I don't want to see is us opening this park, and something happens and it undoes all the good work that the Pukekohe Unlock programme has brought for our town.' Member Gary Holmes said they should upgrade the playground once, 'and do it right'.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Young Auckland Politician's Parting Challenge
Article – Torika Tokalau – Local Democracy Reporter One of New Zealand's youngest politicians has bowed out of politics, but not without a challenge to his local board, 'do not forget our commitment to Māori'. Logan Soole, 25, (Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa), was first elected to the Franklin Local Board at just 19 years old and served two terms with the south Auckland board. He resigns to join his partner in London, after years of a long-distance relationship. Addressing the other eight members of the local board in his valedictory speech, Soole asked them not to forget their partners, whānau, history, and future. 'Do not forget our commitment to young people and the generations that will follow, long after we are gone. 'Make mokopuna decisions—choices that always prioritise the needs of our grandchildren, ensuring they inherit a place where they can survive and thrive. 'Think climate change, future focused-infrastructure and mentoring the next generation.' The small local board meeting room filled with people on Tuesday, who came to see the Pukekohe-resident off. Also present was former Auckland mayor, Phil Goff. Soole's position would not be filled, with the local elections looming in September. 'I cannot help but feel some guilt for leaving at a time that is so crucial for our future. 'A time where things not just in our own backyard but internationally seem to be in decline.' He said the Franklin ward was not a perfect community, but one that cared and worked together to get things done. 'To my local board colleagues and staff, thank you for your tireless work for Franklin. Thank you for the disagreements, the compromise and a willingness to challenge the status quo.' Soole will spend his last day in office in early June. 'As I step away from this role, I carry with me a massive sense of pride in serving this place, lessons learned, and a few more grey hairs than I started with.'
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Planning For Auckland's Rapidly Growing ‘Vibrant' South
Article – Torika Tokalau – Local Democracy Reporter A strategy to help support one of Auckland's fastest-growing regions with housing and its thriving farming industry has been approved by Auckland Council. The southern rural areas, which includes the Franklin Ward, are expected to see an increase of 89,900 people, 37,500 households, and 16,500 jobs by 2052. Auckland Council recently approved the new Southern Rural Strategy, which supports the region to accommodate its growing population, while enabling industries like farming and food production to thrive. 'The southern rural area is expected to account for approximately 15 percent of Auckland's overall population growth over the next 30 years,' Franklin Ward Councillor Andy Baker said. The area was one of New Zealand's primary food production regions, with abundant natural resources and some of the most productive land in New Zealand. 'Its strategic location – close to airports, seaport and key export markets – helps to further cultivate these industries.' In a statement, Baker said the strategy provides direction for where housing choices, industries and employment opportunities will grow, 'in a way that supports the area to thrive economically and ecologically'. It includes strengthening the role of Pukekohe and Waiuku as rural service towns, focuses growth in existing urbanised settlements and avoid growth outside settlements, and minimises urban growth where it could have negative impacts on rural production and industries. The strategy also makes sure there is sufficient infrastructure to support new development, support safe access for residential and rural production users with transport and access needs, and celebrates the Māori and Pākehā heritage of towns, villages and other areas. The strategy covers the fullFranklin ward. It also includes some rural land from theHowick, Manurewa,andPapakuralocal board areas. The strategy does not cover the area's quickest growing towns – Drury, Ōpaheke and Pukekohe – which already have community-backed plans to guide their growth. Consultation on the Southern Rural Strategy took place in October to December last year. Deputy chair of Auckland's Policy and Planning Committee, Angela Dalton, said the strategy supports the southern rural area to grow well. 'This is a vibrant region, where traditional industries thrive alongside emerging sectors,' Dalton said. 'The strategy is about balanced growth that minimises the impact on the environment, while improving housing choices and socially connected communities.' By making the most of existing infrastructure, and focusing on projects that deliver multiple benefits, the council was helping set up the region for a resilient and sustainable future, she said.
Scoop
12-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Memorial For Unmarked Graves ‘Place Of Healing And Unity'
Article – Torika Tokalau – Local Democracy Reporter Families and loved ones of those resting in unmarked graves at a south Auckland cemetery want a memorial to be a place of peace, reflection and love – where all are welcome. The unmarked graves at Pukekohe Cemetery, many of them Māori babies, have long been a source of pain to many in the rural south Auckland community. The decision to build a memorial came in the wake of the publication of Dr Robert Bartholomew's 2020 book No Māori Allowed, which detailed historic racism in Pukekohe, and the subsequent Reikura Kahi documentary of the same name. In the documentary, it revealed that Māori were barred from public toilets, segregated at the cinema and swimming baths, forced to stand for white bus passengers and barred from schools from 1920 until the early 1960s. Children, who died from measles, diphtheria, whooping cough and tuberculosis, were buried in unmarked graves. Pukekohe Cemetery Committee Manu Taiiko and chair, Makere Rika-Heke, said multiple hui have been held, starting with the whānau of those resting at the unmarked graves, seeking views on the memorial. 'The over-riding message was that despite the graves marking a bleak time in our history, a memorial should be a place of healing and unity,' Rika-Heke said. She said whānau with loved ones in the urupā were struck by the recurring calls for any memorial to be for everyone. All hui were centred on sharing whānau stories and histories, and how families wanted to feel and connect during visits to place, space and site. Rika-Heke said participants recognised the grief associated with having whānau in unmarked graves, recollecting a strong relationship between their stories and the market gardens – so prominent in the area at the time, and where many of the families involved worked and lived. 'Many questions and requests arose. Some, like putting signs up to tell people about the project, were simple, but others remain more complex, such as balancing differing perspectives around naming those resting in the urupā, how to collectively acknowledge them, and how to respectfully address information access. 'These are sensitive issues that underline why it is important to consider all views, and to treat them with respect.' A Facebook page and a website will be launched soon to keep people informed about the kaupapa/project, so those living outside the area are included and can engage, she said. 'Hearing from whānau that they heard only snippets from their own parents and elders, because it was too painful for them to talk about, was deeply moving. 'We want others to have the chance to share.' She said people told them the lack of sharing from their parents and grandparents was to protect them. 'They wanted them to dream big, do anything they wanted, and live lives unburdened by the past, but there are still feelings of trauma and harm left behind.' Rika-Heke said calls for a memorial to be inclusive suggested a desire to recognise what happened. 'This kaupapa is about acknowledging the past but doing better in the now and for our future – our children and grandchildren, about advancing together on common ground and finding an accord so that all our communities can flourish.' The committee will soon focus on the development of a concept design for a memorial, for feedback.
Scoop
29-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Fresh Push For New Bottle Store In ‘Worst' Location
Article – Torika Tokalau – Local Democracy Reporter A third attempt to set up a bottle shop near three schools in south Auckland is being strongly opposed by the community and advocacy groups. Russell Road Liquor has made an application to the District Licensing Committee (DLC) to operate a new off-licence bottle shop at 70 Russell Road, Manurewa. The site is the old Black Bull Liquor Manurewa – which failed to reestablish a licence twice, the most recent last year. Communities Against Alcohol Harm (CAAH) secretary and lawyer Dr Grant Hewison said they were prepared to do all they could to stop it from opening. 'This is the worst place to want to have a liquor store and a thoughtless proposal from the applicant,' Hewison said. 'This is the third time the alcohol industry has tried to open a store here since Black Bull Manurewa failed to renew their licence in 2023.' According to Auckland Council's Local Alcohol Policy (LAP), the site for the proposed shop was in a Neighborhood Centre Zone, which has added protection against new off-licences. Under their application, Russell Road Liquor applied to sell alcohol from Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm. Their application notice was posted in community papers on March 27. The site for the proposed bottle shop was located close to three schools – the closest, Manurewa Intermediate, was just 130m away. There were also five alcohol outlets within a 1km radius. 'It is clear from the Auckland Local Alcohol Policy that this is absolutely the wrong place to open a liquor store, in a small set of neighbourhood shops, right next to Manurewa Intermediate, and a few doors up the road from Manurewa West Primary School,' Hewison said. He said the CAAH have set up an online petition for objections, and organised a community protest outside the store. 'There have already been dozens of objections submitted from the community using our easy online Jotform tool. 'I would also expect the official agencies to be strongly opposed too, given the vulnerability of the locality, the proximity to sensitive sites, and the inconsistency with Auckland's Local Alcohol Policy.' Hewison said the policy on Neighbourhood Centres in the LAP was set up to protect vulnerable communities. '[It] was in response to community concerns about liquor stores on every corner, increasing the availability of alcohol to members of the community who are generally more at risk of alcohol harm, especially in residential areas of higher deprivation.' The previous bottle store closed in 2023 after it failed to renew its liquor licence. Two attempts after that to get a renewal were withdrawn after strong community opposition.
