Latest news with #WaitematāLocalBoard
Scoop
15-07-2025
- General
- Scoop
Endorsement Secured For Karanga-a-Hape Station Project
Auckland Transport has found a way forward for plans to improve the area surrounding the new Karanga-a-Hape Station – a key part of the transformational City Rail Link project. It will ensure the thousands of people expected to use the station each day will find the surrounding streets easy, safe and welcoming to move through, while also allowing for future growth and development. The design of the Karanga-a-Hape Station Precinct Integration Project was revisited after an updated plan shared with the the Waitematā Local Board in April 2025 raised some concerns. It led to calls by key stakeholders for AT to reverse proposed design amendments and reinstate certain features. AT Group Manager Rail Infrastructure Jane Small says AT has listened and responded to feedback from the community. ' We take feedback from the community seriously, which is why we took time to revisit the design and engage widely,' she says. 'In a public project like this, it is challenging to satisfy everybody completely. We have worked hard to balance the different perspectives in the local community, and ensure the project aligns with plans and aspirations for Auckland's city centre, maximising the positive impacts of the City Rail Link.' Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'The changes more closely mirror an earlier Auckland Transport design which prioritises walking, cycling and pedestrianised areas, while still improving access for service and delivery – retaining loading spaces in areas where we've heard they are important. 'The best part about an engaged community is that we understand the full range of views. There have been a few compromises on some elements, such as keeping the one-way traffic lane on East Street, and on the approach to upper Mercury Lane.' When the City Rail Link opens, the new Karanga-a-Hape Station will become a focal point for public transport. This project delivers both permanent and interim improvements to the streets around the new station making it easier, safer and more welcoming for pedestrians to move through the neighbourhood, while also allowing for future growth and development. The latest recommendations were reached after Auckland Transport undertook another round of engagement with key stakeholders and elected members, including several site visits. Options were assessed to ensure they aligned with strategic plans, including the City Centre Masterplan. 'We'd really like to thank the local residents and businesses for their patience and time as we worked together to find solutions,' Jane Small says. The Waitematā Local Board has now accepted the recommendations which included: Mercury Lane: Upper Mercury Lane will operate as a pedestrian space with vehicle use only permitted for access to buildings on the lane (including e.g. emergency services, residents, maintenance/construction). This will be actioned as a pilot 'traffic filter' scheme for up to two years – with the opportunity for local input before being made permanent. Electronic bollards are being installed that can be lowered by authorised users. Cross Street: retaining the loading spaces required by local businesses but adding footpaths through a boardwalk design, adding further traffic calming at the Upper Queen Street entrance, adding more lighting, and replacing some paid parking spaces with loading spaces at the eastern end of the street. East Street: retaining the existing bi-directional cycleway and the single-lane northbound for vehicles, with devices to prevent vehicle use of the cycleway, and retaining the raised table pedestrian crossing linking to the new station access laneway. Notes: The Karanga-a-Hape Station Precinct Integration Project was initiated in 2022. Other streets in the project remain unchanged including cycleways on Canada Street, Mercury Lane and Pitt Street, footpath improvements, and new bus lanes on Pitt Street. Construction is already underway on a number of these improvements with all changes set to be completed before the City Rail Link opens. AT will continue to work with the local community, with opportunities to make further changes in the future likely, as the area around Karanga-a-Hape Station continues to grow and develop. The Karanga-a-Hape Station Precinct Integration Project aims to: Make it easier, safer and more intuitive for people to move through the neighbourhood on foot, especially when using the new station entrances Connect people arriving in the neighbourhood by bike to existing cycling facilities Improve connections between buses and trains Provide better connections for users with accessibility needs The full report and recommendations can be found here About the City Rail Link The City Rail Link is the biggest and most transformational rapid transit development for Tamaki Makaurau. When it's finished Auckland will have a better, more connected transport system, making it easier to connect with people and places. Alongside increasing the number and frequency of services across the rail network, it will also improve access to the city centre via its new and redeveloped stations. There will be big cuts in journey times, trains every 5-8 minutes at peak across most of the network, more reliable trains and new easier connections – for example direct services from west to east Auckland and simple transfers to busways. It includes underground rail tunnels up to 42 metres below the city, which connect downtown's Waitematā Station (Britomart) with the Western Line at the new Mangawhau Station (formerly Mt Eden). Before the City Rail Link can open in 2026, there is a lot of work to do across the wider Auckland rail network to get it ready. This includes KiwiRail's Rail Network Rebuild, integrating, testing and commissioning of new systems and all of the work AT is doing to be ready to provide a great customer service – from developing new timetables and driver training to safety assurances and practicing running the new timetable. Bus services are being significantly improved to increase connections to the CRL and this will mean better connections across the city, including to other rapid transit like busways.
Scoop
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Project K Decision A Triumph For The Community Voice
City Vision elected members and candidates are proud to have played a crucial role in ensuring that Auckland Transport restores the people-focused outcomes of the Karangahape Precinct Integration Project (known as Project K). In April, community backlash erupted after backroom lobbying by a small number of people resulted in a large number of changes to the widely supported project which would have undermined the goal of a safe, inviting street environment for thousands of passengers using the new Karanga-a-Hape CRL station. These changes included removing a cycleway, leaving Cross Street with a deep trench on one side and only one footpath, and opening up the area to a steady stream of traffic outside the new station entrance. Today, the Waitematā Local Board endorsed plans that largely reinstate the original designs, while providing for loading zone access on Cross Street. Waitematā Local Board candidate Connor Sharp, who has been working in recent months to bring attention to the issue, is pleased Auckland Transport has done the right thing and fixed the project. 'While a vocal minority of people almost succeeded in destroying the core goals of the project, it's heartening to see Auckland Transport listen to the wider community. They've done a great job returning the project to deliver what was promised and, in the end, Aucklanders will get a pretty decent result,' Mr Sharp says. Waitematā Local Board member Alex Bonham has been fighting for a great, people-friendly public space around Karanga-a-Hape Station since 2021. She says, 'The original proposals for the streetscape on Mercury Lane and Pitt St were pretty dreary and I knew we could do better to leverage the investment in the CRL, and staff recognised that too. With the increased foot traffic coming, we needed to improve pedestrian safety and experience, boost local business while also celebrating the culture and spirit of Karangahape Road. It was great to see Project K evolve and be supported by the local board and the whole community. It was a shock to see AT's changes appear without widespread consultation, and it is great to be able to approve today's scope of works.' Patrick Reynolds, Waitematā and Gulf candidate for City Vision, sees this result as fantastic for getting the area ready for the CRL's opening. 'Project K, like the CRL itself, is a change programme. Both are intended to lead and support improvements to land use in the whole area by uplifting its accessibility, functionality, safety, and appeal for people. To help repair the decades of decline brought on by treating these streets as nothing more than official rat-runs for drivers to other places. It's great to see Auckland Transport's plans realigned to this valuable higher strategy.' A good result here was no accident. Thankful for the many people who made an effort to reach out to Auckland Transport, Connor Sharp says, 'This demonstrates the power we all have to prevent plans from being watered down or cancelled—if we speak up.' City Vision candidates look forward to the project's completion, and to working hard to ensure all projects are delivered as promised for Aucklanders.
Scoop
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
City Vision Opposes Helipads In Residential Areas
City Vision does not support private helipads in residential areas – the impacts on direct neighbours and wider neighbourhoods are too great. Julie Fairey, Councillor for Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa, and our team in Waitematā, are appalled that the consent for the new helipad in Rawene Avenue, Westmere has been granted in the face of council and community opposition. 'It was disappointing, and surprising, to see independent commissioners approve the new helipad in Westmere. Although it's outside my ward the noise travels to Pt Chevalier so has an impact on my constituents and I attended Helen White MP's meeting with Quiet Sky Waitematā in November. The discussion about the effects on neighbours and the environment were very concerning' says Fairey. 'It seems absurd commissioners equated the noise from a helicopter with that of a motorbike or a bus (assumedly diesel and we are phasing those out!).' City Vision is focused on working towards an enduring solution for the community on the broader issue of helipads in residential areas of Auckland, as well as identifying how to best support those who wish to oppose the specific approval given for the Westmere site. City Vision member on the Waitematā Local Board Alex Bonham has been working on this issue for some time, including presenting at the hearing to oppose the granting of the consent for Rawene Avenue. 'The impact of noise pollution on a growing urban population and all waterfront users is a problem that will only get worse' says Bonham. 'Impacts on neighbours and users of the beaches and coastline include rotor wash (down draught) and distressing noise. The environmental impacts on beaches, the foreshore and coastal bird habitats are irreversible. Once granted, helicopter consents in perpetuity will permanently destroy peaceful neighbourhoods, waterfronts and biodiverse habitats.' Bonham and Fairey have supported work already underway to tighten rules for helicopter use in residential areas, including a current plan change for operations in the Hauraki Gulf. Waitemata & Gulf ward candidate for City Vision, Patrick Reynolds, shares these concerns. 'City Vision will work to do what is necessary to fix the Auckland Unitary Plan during next year's review, working alongside the community and interested parties to protect residential areas and the environment' says Reynolds. City Vision representatives, including Bonham and Reynolds, will be at Quiet Sky Waitematā Public Meeting on Thursday 10th July at 7pm at Hawke Sea Scout Hall, 55 West End Road.
Scoop
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Government Decision To Axe Housing Is Short-Sighted And Destructive
Quietly and with little publicity, Kāinga Ora has axed 328 much-needed new homes that were to be built across the Albert-Eden, Puketāpapa and Waitematā Local Board areas. Across the same area there are 795 applicants on the Housing Register waiting for a home, families whose hopes for secure housing have been dashed by the coalition government's policy to sell rather than build. 'This is not the city Auckland should be. The timing of this short-sighted decision is particularly bad, with ever more people unable to access affordable housing, and the construction sector desperate for work,' says Patrick Reynolds, candidate for the Waitematā and Gulf ward. Kāinga Ora moved families out of their state-owned homes with a promise that they could move back to their neighbourhoods once more new homes were built in our communities. Homes that were to be built from the City Centre to Grey Lynn, Pt Chevalier to Morningside, and Mt Roskill to Waikōwhai have now been erased. These new, warm, dry homes were promised to tenants and Local Boards alike to meet the burgeoning wait-list for Aucklanders, to provide for Auckland's complex housing needs, and to address the growing number of people without homes. Puketāpapa Local Board candidate Soraiya Daud says, 'There is a great need for more affordable housing in Central Auckland. The decision to stop these builds is short-sighted and actively harms our social fabric.' City Vision stands for more housing choices, including state-provided homes. Our city desperately needs more homes nearer to where people want to live, and we need those homes to be affordable, stable, healthy and secure. That's exactly what the axed Kāinga Ora homes would have been. Auckland needs affordable housing on the isthmus to build a fairer, more inclusive city, and the current Government has shown that it has no commitment to building enough Kāinga Ora homes on the isthmus. In June, Kāinga Ora also announced the sale of sites that were acquired with the promise to build a mix of market, affordable and social housing. On that list is a key site 100m from the new Maungawhau CRL station. Albert-Eden Local Board Deputy Chair and Local Board candidate Margi Watson says, 'This site is perfectly placed for transit-adjacent development, with easy access to jobs and education.' In Mt Roskill, the Wesley West project has been 'indefinitely postponed', after hundreds of millions have been spent preparing the infrastructure and up to 80 homes have been demolished. If that doesn't seem bad enough, an additional, undisclosed list of tenanted Kāinga Ora properties are being planned for sale with tenants in some central Auckland homes currently being advised that their homes will now be sold. In Waitematā, 155 planned new units will not be built, twelve existing homes will be sold off, and opportunities to utilise the Crown land close to the new CRL stations abandoned. 'The market does not deliver decent affordable housing. We need more family housing in central areas, and homes for seniors to age in place,' says Waitematā Local Board member and candidate Alex Bonham. Margi Watson says, 'These cuts are destructive to the fabric of our city. The Government is a key player in building housing and community, and they are failing.' City Vision wants better, and we encourage Aucklanders to contact their MP, Housing Minister Hon Chris Bishop, Kāinga Ora Board Chair Simon Moutter. Note: City Vision is an alliance of Labour, Greens and community independents working together for progressive change in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Since 1998, City Vision has championed policies that support a liveable, safe, connected, healthy, economically and environmentally sustainable city for all Aucklanders. City Vision stands candidates in the Waitematā, Puketāpapa and Albert-Eden Local Board areas, and the Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa and Waitematā and Gulf Wards.
Scoop
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
C&R Announces Strong Team For Waitematā Local Board
Press Release – Communities and Residents Communities and Residents (C&R) is pleased to introduce its strong team of seven candidates standing for the Waitematā Local Board in the 2025 Auckland Local Body Elections. Incumbents Sarah Trotman ONZM, Greg Moyle and Allan Matson, have been re-selected, and are joined by new C&R nominees Michele Wade, Leo Grachev, Muy Chhour, and Anne Batley-Burton. The challenges facing the Waitematā Local Board are significant – from transport, intensification and crime; to the Hauraki Gulf, city parks, and the future of Auckland's City Centre. C&R's team is committed to representing you openly and effectively, ensuring your voice is heard. Each of C&R's candidates brings a wealth of experience – ranging from business and heritage preservation; to social services, environmental protection, and animal welfare. This broad-based team has the transferable skills and community insight that have been missing from an ideologically driven board. 'We are committed to work hard for the people of Waitematā, restoring accountability and putting the local community first. With fresh ideas and a strong local focus, we will put our community and residents at the centre of our decision making – you can count on it,' says the C&R Waitematā Local Board team. Candidate Profiles: Michele Wade – A Herne Bay resident for over 25 years, Michele's experience has ranged from being a secondary school teacher to running her own successful fashion business. Having decided to ' stop complaining and get in the action ', her focuses include financial prudence and environmental protections, and she believes in proactive, practical local governance. Michele supports removing wasteful spending, delivering projects on time and budget, accountability to ratepayers, heritage protection, reducing congestion, and protection of the Hauraki Gulf. Michele's whakapapa connects her to Tainui, Ngāti Mahuta, and Ngāti Pūkeko. Sarah Trotman ONZM – First elected in 2019 and rated, in that term, as the most effective Waitematā Local Board member, Sarah is a strong community advocate, ensuring core services and infrastructure are delivered with intergenerational sustainability and value to ratepayers. She has lived locally for 20+ years; her children attended Marist Herne Bay and Ponsonby Intermediate. Sarah is an effective business leader, director and celebrant. Sarah was recognised with a Queen's honour for services to business and community. She brings the ability for robust discussion, keeping organisations accountable and authentic consultation. Greg Moyle JP ED – A lifelong Waitematā resident, Greg has served on the Auckland City Council and three terms on the Local Board. A former policeman and now a successful financial adviser, he is involved in numerous community organisations and is passionate about strong local body representation for residents and ratepayers; and promoting a community in which we can all enjoy living. If re-elected, Greg will fight to abolish crime and anti-social behaviour in the CBD and to protect our recreational and community facilities, iconic shopping precincts and our built and natural environments. Allan Matson – A City Centre resident, current Waitematā Local Board member and heritage expert, Allan transitioned from merchant banking to architecture. He has served as President of Civic Trust Auckland and has held roles on Council's Heritage Advisory Panel and the boards of NZ Historic Places Trust and CBD's Heart of the City. With over 20 years' experience in heritage consulting, Allan is focused on better governance, more prudent public spending, greater protection of our built heritage and character, and responsible guardianship of our environment for the benefit of all Aucklanders. Leo Grachev – Passionate about making Waitematā the best place to live and work, Leo is a next generation leader. The son of hardworking immigrants and with experience in supporting business development, he champions small business owners. Leo recognises the need to address antisocial behaviour and make our city centre and suburbs safer. Leo believes council can do better to deliver more cost-effective, democratic solutions and that something must be done to get Auckland out of gridlock. ' There is a responsibility to deliver for those who call this place home '. Muy Chhour – Having been involved in business most of her life, from serving customers at the family dairy to managing 11 Asian supermarkets around Auckland, Muy brings deep business experience to the team. For 5 years, Muy served as Chairperson for the Karangahape Road Business Association. She is passionate about making our city more live-able and safer not only for businesses but for all who travel in it whether by car, public transport, bike or foot. Muy's experience brings a balanced, common-sense approach to resolving issues in our city. Anne Batley-Burton – A Parnell local who has been involved in business from an early age, as the first credit card manufacturer in Australasia to importing Champagne and wine barrels, Anne brings decades of entrepreneurial experience. She is known for her integrity, determination, common sense and getting things done. Her major concerns surround crime and congestion, which are destroying the fabric of our city. A leading voice for animal welfare through educating the community about care and responsibility for their pets, Anne is the Founder of The New Zealand Cat Foundation. About C&R: Existing for over 85 years, C&R is a voluntary grass-roots association of members and is the longest-standing political group in Auckland's Local Government. We believe Auckland has the potential to be one of the world's greatest cities and are proud to stand for responsible spending, intergenerational sustainability, accountable local representation, and putting people before politics.
