Public meeting: Pylon Pollution - what next?

Where to now in the battle against pylon pollution?

HAVE YOUR SAY AT A PUBLIC MEETING ON SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER AT 2PM

AT SAINT DAVID'S IN THE FIELDS CHURCH  202 HILLSBOROUGH ROAD

Speakers:            

Hon. Phil Goff - MP For Mt Roskill

Jim Jackson – Chair of the Manukau Harbour Restoration Society, CEO of Jackson Electrical

David Holm - Member of the Puketapapa Local Board

Simon Randall - Chair of the Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board

In August 2013, Roskill Community Voice, a team contesting the Puketapapa Local Board Election,launched a petition aimed at progressing the undergrounding of the high voltage electricity transmission and removal of pylons which blight many areas of Auckland and some other urban areas. This followed from a discussion document by the national electricity grid operator Transpower  in April 2013 on undergrounding.

Two identical petitions, one centred on Onehunga led by Carol Beaumont and the other in Hillsborough and Mt. Roskill led by David Holm, now a Board Member, received widespread support with a total of 2816 signatures verified. It was presented to Parliament's Commerce Committee in December 2013 by Phil Goff , M.P. For Mt. Roskill.

The petitions sought a commitment to “undergrounding high-voltage transmission lines through urban areas over a reasonable period of time having regard to the resources this entails” using money set aside from Transpower's annual dividends to meet the long term costs. It also asked for  investigation of technology, planning requirements and resourcing to achieve cost effective solutions to undergrounding.

The Commerce Committee conducted hearings into the petitions in April 2014 and May and June 2015. Transpower responded to the petition in a letter dated 5 December 2014 which was provided to the petitioners for a response made in April 2015. The Electricity Authority and the  Commerce Commission also presented responses to the petitions.

The Committee Report on the petitions was released in Sepember 2015. The majority stated that “We do not believe that a Government inquiry could add much more value at this point.”  The three Labour members of the Committee provided a minority report stating that “Transpower and the Government majority on the committee ignore the overwhelming views expressed by local people. They do not want transmission lines and pylons over their properties or to damage sensitive environmental areas like Onehunga and Hillsborough Bays.”

WHERE TO NOW?

The recently opened  Onehunga Foreshore restoration and the tunneling of the Waterview Connection shows that concerted public advocacy for environmental restoration can persuade government infrastructure providers to invest in improvements.

Transpower has ceased using pylons for new projects in urban areas.There are opportunities to engage with their Environment Manager and the Transpower Community Care Fund which assists communities affected by Transpower assets or projects.

The petitions were supported by Chairs of five local boards and more are sympathetic.

The 2016 local elections offers opportunities to gain support for undergrounding through pledges from candidates for Mayor, Auckland Council and local boards.

The new Auckland Council development agency Panuku Development Auckland is keen on unlocking opportunities in Onehunga including the port area and may be encouraged to help investigate the benefits from more efficient land use without pylons.

Please come along and give us your responses to these suggestions and any other ideas for future actions. You can also reach us by email at roskillcv@gmail.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roskillcv

Championing the Manukau Foreshore

The Manukau Foreshore is an ecological and recreational gem. We love the native bush, the picnic spots, the track network, the hidden beaches, and the wonderful bird life.

On the Puketapapa Local Board we have been champions for the Foreshore, Michael has overseeen

work in this area as the Board's Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio-holder. He has also been a keen rat and possum trapper along the foreshore over the past eight years. 

We've been able to achieve a lot over the past three years, including:

• Overseeing extensions to the track network at Waikowhai, Hillsborough Cemetery, and Cape Horn.
•  Leading the project to develop a new coastal walkway linking Onehunga to Taylors Bay.
•  Developing a community-led vision for the Foreshore to guide our priorities in the years to come.
•  Securing a ten year funding programme to control weeds along the coastal reserves, now in action.
•  Pushing for the development of the new walkway through Lynfield Reserve (under construction).
•  Taking action to protect and preserve the historic Waikowhai changing sheds.
•  Launching the campaign to Bury the Pylons that blight our Foreshore and neighbourhoods.

In the next term we want to build on this work, and in particular we are keen to help support the newly formed Waikowhai Forest Restoration Network, and to make further progress on completing the track network, including the provision of useful, integrated signage, and appropriate facilities.

With your support we can further enhance this very special place in our community.

Bury the Pylons campaign marches on

Following on from reaching our first 1000 signatures on the Bury the Pylons petition, the campaign is

pushing on to build  even greater momentum.

At last week's gathering at Taylor's Bay, the Roskill Community Voice team handed over the first 1000 petition signatures to Phil Goff MP. The petition will be formally tabled for consideration in Parliament - an important part of getting our case heard. At the gathering we announced the next steps in the campaign:

1) We are aiming for 5000 petition signatures by the end of 2013. We have a solid start and a lot of community interest. Achieving 5000+ signatures will make it much harder for the issue to be ignored.

2) Establishing a community working group to oversee out campaign and petition collecting. This will simply be a small group of local people who will work together to ensure we reach our goals and plan our activities. If you are interested please contact us.

3) Setting up a Facebook page as a source of promotion and contact for the campaign. Coming soon!

The Bury the Pylons campaign has generated huge community interest. The pylons need to go, but it will take a strong campaign that combines community pressure with political leadership to achieve our objective. We have made a great start - let's keep going!

Bury the Pylons - First 1000 signatures handed over!

David Holm has written a short update on the Bury The Pylons campaign, reporting on the handover of the first 1000 signatures on the petition on Sautrday 21st Sept.  

The first 1000 signatures on the Bury the Pylons petition were presented last week to Phil Goff , M.P. for Mt. Roskill, at Taylors Bay near some of the most unsightly pylons in the Manukau Harbour. 

Phil told a group of local supporters about how his father, now aged over 90 had swum in the area when young. He pointed out that the $20 million plus improvements to the Onehunga foreshore would be hugely enhanced if the adjacent pylons were removed. All new Transpower lines in urban areas in New Zealand are now undergrounded.

At the latest count, petition signatures are well past halfway to the second thousand. The offer for places to display  "Bury the Pylons" signs is well in excess of the number of signs available. 

At a public meeting in Onehunga, Transpower representatives stated that they are receptive to opportunities to underground lines, provided funds are available from government or other sources. The petition points to the dividends being paid by Transpower to the Government which this year reached $295 million.

RCV Policy on Environment and Parks

We treasure our local environment. Our maunga, foreshore, streams, and network of parks give us space to roam, a sense of identity, and recreational opportunities. We will work to protect and enhance our environment and open space.

Specific local policy includes:

• A strong focus on environmental restoration including: 
• The Manukau foreshore 
• Our local streams particularly Oakley Creek and Wairaki Stream 
• Our maunga – Puketapapa/Pukewiwi/Mt Roskill and Te Tatua-a-Riukiuta/Big King. 
• Establishment of a dedicated Local Board budget line to undertake restoration initiatives on our maunga. We will work with iwi and community to ensure that the mana of our cones is restored. 
• Driving forward the vision for an Onehunga to Blockhouse Bay continuous walkway network and ongoing stewardship of foreshore, working with the newly formed ‘Friends of the Foreshore’ group. 
• Our campaign to Bury the Pylons. We will continue our advocacy to remove these unsightly lines that blight our neighbourhoods and harbour. 
• Development of a playground strategy that gives local communities the opportunity to help shape their local parks and provides a comprehensive approach to renewing our local playgrounds. 
• A strong focus on restoration of the Manukau Harbour including advocacy to keep Watercare honest, continuing to remove Pacific Oyster shells from our beaches, and resolving stormwater run-off issues. 
• Oppose further wasteful acquisitions around Monte Cecilia Park, and instead focus resources on quality development of the existing park. 
• Advancing stream naturalisation projects, and ensuring that naturalised areas have ongoing budgeted maintenance to ensure they are kept in good condition.

Bury The Pylons petition cracks 400 signatures!

Between the online petition and the paper one we now have over 400 signatures supporting Bury The Pylons.  Great stuff! 

The campaign is getting picked up by other areas of Auckland too - there is a Bury The Pylons public meeting in Onehunga, 3pm at St Peters Church, corner Onehunga Mall and Church St, this Saturday, to launch the petition in the Maungakiekie-Tamaki area.

We've also had a lot of donations for Bury The Pylons signs and hope to have those organised soon. Plus coverage in the Central Leader several times now.

Thanks everyone for your support.

Media release: Huge Public Meeting Launches Bury the Pylons Campaign and Petition

Roskill Community Voice Media Release

24 July 2013

Huge Public Meeting Launches Bury the Pylons Campaign and Petition

“Saturday’s Bury the Pylons public meeting in Hillsborough was so overwhelmed by support from the local community that the meeting room had to be changed to accommodate the crowd”, says Roskill Community Voice candidate and Roskill South resident David Holm.

“Over one hundred and twenty people filled St Davids in the Fields Church hall to hear about the campaign and have their say. People spoke up about the fundamental unfairness of our community carrying the burden of massive high voltage power pylons through our nieghbourhoods and across the Manukau Harbour. We know that this simply wouldn’t be accepted in suburbs along the Waitemata Harbour”, says Roskill Community Voice candidate and Hillsborough resident Garth Houltham.

“Working with local MP Phil Goff we have now officially launched the Bury the Pylons petition. It is a formal parliamentary petition that asks all of the relevant stakeholders to come together and develop a responsible plan to bring down the pylons. Over the next three years Transpower will give central government over $500 million in dividends, so we know that it can be done”, says David Holm.

“This campaign is fundamentally about fairness. Our community should have the same right to enjoy our properties and environment as any other. We believe that Roskill has been overlooked in many ways over the years, and we are saying that it is time for our community to get a fair go. We urge people to join the Bury the Pylons campaign and sign the petition”, says Garth Houltham.

ENDS

Contact: Garth Houltham - 09 624 2331 and 027-236-7777 David Holm - 09 620 4434 and 027 627 9433

'Bury the Pylons' Online petition.

Bury the Pylons Online Petition Now Available.

Following on from the launch of the Bury the Pylons petition over the weekend, we have now also
posted the petition online:

http://www.change.org/burythepylons

Please sign the petition and forward on to people who you think also support this issue. Just make sure that you only sign once, on either the paper or online version of the petition.

The huge response at Saturday's public meeting means that it has taken a few days to process all the offers of help. An email has now gone out to all people who offered help, and we will be in touch to provide petition forms, and offers to have Bury the Pylons signs on people's fences.

If you want to support the campaign but are not yet on the Bury the Pylons email list then please let us know at roskillcv@gmail.com.

Media release: Campaign & Petition to "Bury the Pylons" Launched

Campaign & Petition to 'Bury the Pylons' Launched

"Ugly", "Intimidating", and "Over bearing" are just some of the ways that Mt Roskill residents describe Transpower's huge high voltage transmission lines that despoil local neighbourhoods and the ecologically sensitive Manukau Foreshore. This coming weekend the Roskill Community Voice team will be holding a public meeting to launch a campaign and petition to 'Bury the Pylons'.

"Fundamentally, we don't think that our community is being treated fairly. Three separate lines of these large steel monsters cross the Mt Roskill area. They ruin views, lower property values, despoil the beautiful Manukau Harbour, and degrade the quality of our neighbourhoods. We know that this would not be accepted along suburbs bordering the Waitemata Harbour, so why along Mt Roskill and the Manukau Harbour?", says Roskill Community Voice candidate and Hillsborough resident Garth Houltham.

"Our campaign calls for central government, local government, and Transpower to advance plans to 'Bury the Pylons'. We accept that this is a big job, but there is a clear solution. Over the next three years Transpower will pay $542 million in dividends to central government. It is only fair that a portion of Transpower's profits be diverted to solving this problem, rather than subsidising other government services", says Roskill Community Voice candidate and Roskill South resident David Holm.

"This Saturday we will be holding a public meeting to launch our campaign and petition demanding action. Residents can get directly involved by signing our 'Bury the Pylons' petition that will be launched at the meeting. We know that local people are sick of being taken for granted and we already have lots of support from the community on this issue. We encourage local people to get involved so that we can win our campaign to 'Bury the Pylons', says Garth Houltham.

Contact:

Garth Houltham - 027-236-7777

David Holm - 627-9433

Facebook event with map, more photos and background information.

'Bury the Pylons' Public Meeting Details:
Saturday 20 July, 2pm - 3.30pm

St Davids in the Fields Church, 202 Hillsborough Rd, Hillsborough

Guest speaker: Phil Goff MP

Public and media welcome

Roskill Community Voice is the progressive team contesting the Puketapapa Local Board for the 2013 Auckland Council elections, and is currently represented on the Board by Julie Fairey and Michael Wood.

Waikowhai Park, Auckland Anniversary Day 2012

Photos taken on one of the new Waikowhai Park bush tracks, January 30th 2012.  For the full album of 24 photos see our album from this walk on Facebook.

The old signage, not looking so great....

Flash new signage, providing information as well as other new signs that help you find your way.

The start of the short coastal walk from the eastern end of Wesley Bay around to Aldersgate.  Being well used by fishers and walkers alike, and just as a nice spot to look out at the Manukau.

Inspecting the flotsam and jetsam on the beach at Wesley Bay.  In the background you can see the packed carpark at the western end of Wesley Bay - hundreds of people there just enjoying the park, the sun and the BBQ.

And the view back along the busier part of Wesley Bay (during a calmer moment!)

The track we went on took us from near the playground right through to the eastern part of Wesley Bay (linking up with the Aldersgate access point when the tide is low enough).  We were there at about low tide.  This track is not quite complete - there was some machinery on the tracks and it is still unsuitable for those who have difficulty walking and/or are pushing a buggy.

Media Statement: Supercity an opportunity to end neglect of Manukau

“The signing of a new funding agreement for coastal restoration across Onehunga Bay is most welcome, but further steps are needed to end the neglect of the Manukau Harbour”, says Garth Houltham, a spokesperson for Roskill Community Voice, a ticket contesting the Puketapapa Local Board.

“With the removal of the sewerage ponds from Mangere, there is a real opportunity to revitalise the Manukau Harbour. The Supercity must be a catalyst for real action. If elected, the Roskill Community Voice team will work hard to improve access for our residents to the harbour, and for the ongoing revitalization of the Manukau”, he continues.

“For this to happen we need to push for the new Auckland City Council to recognize that Auckland has two harbours and that equal funding needs to be allocated to both. For too long the Manukau Harbour has come off second best to the Waitemata.”

“Mr Houltham said the establishment of the Auckland Waterfront Agency once more, will see huge amounts of ratepayers money being spent on the Waitemata. However within the new supercity 572,200 voters live in the nine local board areas that have Manukau Harbour foreshore. These voters and their communities deserve a fairer share of the cake”, he says

“A Roskill Community Voice Board will approach the other eight Local Boards, iwi and user groups to set in place a management plan to cover the entire harbour and it’s associated foreshore. We will develop a long term plan that covers beach management, restoration, mangrove control, navigation, passenger ferries, wharves, ferry car parking, haul out areas, all tide ramps, and marinas. We will end the neglect of the Manukau”, he concludes.

ENDS