Three Kings Land Exchange decision Nov 2015 media coverage

Links covering the debate and decision of the Auckland Development Committee yesterday in relation to the Three Kings Land Exchange proposal.

• NZ Herald:  Controversial land swap approved in Auckland (immediately after land exchange vote)
• NZ Herald:  Controversial apartment development gets the go-ahead (broader article covering plan change and comment from Roskill Community Voice, Minister Smith, Penny Hulse)
• Roskill Community Voice media statement:  Local Board to fight...
• Auckland Live video clips of the Auckland Development Committee meeting - includes presentation from Three Kings Community Action (Public input), Michael Wood on behalf of Puketapapa Local Board (Item 13, part 1), officer presentations and questions, debate and voting from councillors (Item 13, part 2 onwards)

Save Liston Village media coverage

The Save Liston Village campaign coverage will be listed here, with links:

• Liston Retirement Village vital to Auckland - Central Leader on 27th August
• Battle to save retirement site - NZ Herald on 6th October
• Local Auckland group opposes demolition of pensioner village - Checkpoint (audio) on 7th October
• What's happening at Monte Cecilia Park - Our Auckland (Auckland Council website) on 7th October
• Petition ramps up campaign to save Liston Village - Central Leader on 14th October
• Puketapapa advocates to retain Liston Village - Our Auckland (Auckland Council website) on 14th October

NZ Herald: Warehouse gets approval for building on Pah Rd site

Coverage in the NZ Herald today including mention of the Public Meeting on Sunday 8th May at 2.30pm at the Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd, to discuss community concerns and decide on next steps.

Bob Dey reports on the Pah Rd Warehouse decision

Bob Dey's Property Report - Pah Rd Warehouse gets consent, locals consider appeal

(There was also a Central Leader article in late April, however it does not seem to be available online)

The Warehouse coming to Pah Rd?

A resource consent application for building a Warehouse store at the old Holeproof factory site on Pah Rd was publicly notified on November 5th.

There was some Herald coverage of the application, which rather oddly focused on concern that the big red shed-like building would be visible from the TSB James Wallace Art Gallery in Monte Cecilia Park. I'm not sure that will be the biggest worry local residents have about this project.   Michael is quoted in the article thus:

...Board member Michael Wood said the community had only till December 3 to submit views on the development, which infringed a number of District Plan controls and covered residential as well as business zones.

"A lot of residents have no idea about the proposal and we will do a mail drop in the area to encourage them to voice any concerns..."

We've put together a simple leaflet that makes people aware of the proposal and how to get more information, as well as encouraging submissions (for or against, or just raising specific issues).  I started dropping these in letterboxes today, however as we've had a problem with our phone line we probably won't be delivering anymore for a couple of days, in the hope that the phone number on the leaflet will be working by then!  Sorry if you have rung to discuss it with us and got a funny signal.

Puketapapa Local Board inauguration

Michael and I were sworn in as Local Board Members on Wednesday November 3rd at the Fickling Centre, in front of a crowd of around one hundred locals.  Many thanks to our families, friends and supporters who came along to celebrate with us.

Richard Barter (previous Chair of the Mt Roskill Community Board, C&R) was elected chair unanimously, and there was an election for Deputy Chair, between Nigel Turnbull of Citizens and Ratepayers and Michael.  Nigel was successful with four votes to our two, after speeches from both candidates.

There was also some controversy at the end of the meeting, around the removal from the agenda of an item to call at Extraordinary Meeting of the Board on November 9th to discuss Monte Cecilia School.  Michael and I moved and seconded a motion to hold the meeting as previously agreed but it was voted down four votes to two.  The discussion will now take place at the next Business Meeting on December 16th. 

Here are some pics of the event, many thanks to Arna for taking them.  Oh dear, can't currently upload the shots to the website, so here's a link to them on Facebook instead.

You can also read thecoverage of the inauguration meeting in the Herald and Central Leader (in print edition today,will put up here once online).

Herald coverage of Puketapapa Local Board inauguration

Part of an article covering a number of Local Board inaugurations, published in the print edition of the NZ Herald on Thursday 4th November 2010.

The inaugural Puketapapa Local Board meeting got off to a rocky start in Three Kings.

The swearing-in of its six members and the election of Richard Barter as chairman went smoothly in front of a crowd of more than 50 people.

Peter Muys even sang a modified Fred Dagg song before he read his declaration. He said he was inspired after seeing the city's new councillors sing at their inaugural meeting on Monday.

The tension began when both Nigel Turnbull and Michael Wood were nominated for the role of deputy chairman.

Both gave impassioned speeches about their commitment to the local community, with Mr Woods saying it "has been targeted by liquor and pokie merchants ... and yes, the eviction of Monte Cecilia School continues to cause division."

Mr Turnbull won the vote 4-2 - a division among the members which was a trend for the rest of the evening.

After the meeting was formally closed, Mr Wood was allowed to bring up an "extraordinary meeting" about Monte Cecilia School which was meant to take place next week.

However, the board ruled - once again 4-2 - that discussion of the matter be held over until next month.

This decision was met with outrage from some of the audience, with one man yelling "corruption" and having a heated argument with another man, who yelled, "Democracy works! Get over it!"

Click through for the full original article, with the reports on other inaugurations.

No community funding for local boards until July 2011

Published in Central Leader, print edition, Friday 29th October 2010

Last-minute spending dries future community funding pool

A last-minute spend-up by community boards before the supercity election has left newly-elected local board members with no discretionary funding until at least mid-2011.

Community boards were told they had to spend a year's worth of funding, valued at $51,000, in just three months before the election or risk losing the money altogether.

But that decision has left local boards with no discretionary funding to support community group events or other needs until next July at the earliest, when the Auckland Council draws up its new budget.

Even then, there's no guarantee the council will allocate discretionary budgets to local boards.
Puketapapa Local Board member Michael Wood says it's disappointing that money won't be immediately available for the benefit of the community. "It seems to fly in the face of assurances that local boards would represent local communities," the Roskill Community Voice member says.

"It goes to the heart of criticism of the supercity structure to begin with..."

 Click through for the rest of the article, from Stuff.

Central Leader on election result

Published in the Central Leader, print edition, Wednesday 13th October 2010.

Husband and wife win seats on local board

It's new beginnings all round for Michael Wood and Julie Fairey.

The husband and wife team have been voted on to the Puketapapa Local Board and have also just become parents again with the birth of their second child Daniel.

Mr Wood had run for election twice before but this was Ms Fairey's first foray into campaigning and the Mt Roskill couple is humbled by the win.

"I knew Michael would get in but it's been a bit of a surprise for me," Ms Fairey says.

"It's been exciting and the messages of support have been very touching..."

Click through for the rest of the article, on Stuff.

Michael and Lingappa on David Shearer's radio show

Roskill Community Voice candidates Michael Wood (left) and Lingappa Kalburgi (right) with the Member of Parliament for Mt Albert David Shearer (centre), during their radio interview with him for Planet FM. 

Picture from David Shearer's website.

Trying to get a link to the interview on the Planet FM 104.6 website, will update with a link if we can!

Herald on Albert-Eden-Roskill ward in 2010 election

Published in the Herald print edition, Tuesday September 14th 2010, including the following:

...The vast Albert-Eden-Roskill ward is facing dissection by two new powerful forces.

They are not political forces, but transport corridors. The Waterview Connection and the proposed Dominion Rd upgrade both cut through the heart of the new ward, and are the biggest talking points heading into next month's election.

With one councillor to 75,000 people in Albert-Eden-Roskill, candidates for the two local boards (Puketapapa, Albert-Eden) say they will have councillor-like status if elected. The competition is stiff, with 42 candidates competing for 16 seats.

...Puketapapa, commonly known as Mt Roskill, is also Labour territory but has traditionally voted for Citizens and Ratepayers on the strength of the Hay family and their conservative Christian vote. The territory is no longer the Bible belt of Auckland, and C&R face a challenge from a new political ticket, Roskill Community Voice, aligned with City Vision.

Roskill Community Voice are challenging Citizens and Ratepayers on two controversial proposals - the removal of the Monte Cecilia School in Hillsborough and the proposed upgrade of Dominion Rd. The $30 million relocation of the Catholic school to create space around the Pah Homestead has been called a "shameful" waste of money by the group.

The council has also proposed to make Dominion Road a T2 highway, which would require the removal of parking spaces on the road. Businesses at the Mt Roskill end say it would ruin their trade.

Roskill Community Voice wanted an end to the "neglect" of Mt Roskill's shopping centre, which is in stark contrast to the Eden Village at the other end of Dominion Rd.

C&R felt the most important issues were giving a voice to the diverse communities in the Puketapapa region, and lifting young people out of unemployment...

Click through for the whole article.

Herald on Roskill Community Voice & Monte Cecilia

In the Herald print edition, Tuesday August 10th 2010.

A political ticket has been formed to oppose plans by Auckland City Mayor John Banks and his Citizens & Ratepayers allies to spend millions moving Monte Cecilia School and Liston retirement village in Hillsborough.

Roskill Community Voice is contesting the Puketepapa local board and endorsing City Vision candidates Cathy Casey and Glenda Fryer for the two Albert-Eden-Roskill ward seats on the Auckland Council.

Roskill Community Voice spokesman Michael Wood said $30 million of public money was going to a "vanity project" for Mr Banks and his C&R deputy David Hay when other parks and facilities were being neglected.

Another candidate, Garth Houltham, said Mr Banks and the C&R-controlled Mt Roskill community board had ignored the community in forcing through their "grand plan" to relocate the school and Liston village to expand Monte Cecilia Park.

He said the ticket was concerned that pressure would come on nearby residents to sell their homes for further expansion, and would act as a "voice for the community on this issue".

The council has gradually been acquiring land for Monte Cecilia Park from the Catholic Church since 2000, but got offside with parents of the primary school and the local community for buying the 1ha site and planning to build a new school about 2.7km away on land at St John Vianney Church in Hillsborough Rd.

The plans have been opposed by City Vision councillors, including Dr Casey and Ms Fryer, who are standing against C&R's Christine Fletcher and Paul Goldsmith.

C&R councillors will be out in force at Monte Cecilia Park on Sunday for the opening of the Pah Homestead to house the $50-million art collection of businessman James Wallace.

The Wallace Arts Centre has been a pet project for Mr Banks...

Click through for the whole article.