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

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 Transport

We must ensure that people are able to move around our community safely and efficiently. There must be a greater focus on public transport, safe walk and cycle routes, and making existing roads safer for all users.

Specific local policy includes:

• Ongoing support for better public transport including better bus stop facilities along the successful Dominion Rd and Mt Eden Rd routes, and advocacy for improved cross-town routes. 
• Investigation into local park and ride facilities 
• Ongoing support for advancing the Puketapapa Greenways Network so that people have safe and pleasant routes to walk and cycle around the community. 
• Strong advocacy for Rail to Roskill to be the next major regional project after the Central Rail Link as part of building a congestion free network. 
• Work to review pedestrian safety issues, particularly around known problem areas such as Mt Roskill Campus and Mt Albert Rd at Three Kings.

RCV Policy on Planning

Our community has been the victim of a lack of planning and vision for too long. We want to see thriving neighbourhoods, exciting town centres, quality urban environments, and appropriate affordable housing for our families. This will only happen through wide-ranging community involvement and strong local leadership.

Specific local policy on planning issues includes: 

Three Kings Issues The implementation of our comprehensive ‘Vision for Three Kings’ policy platform, including: 

• Creation of a dedicated 3 Kings planning spokesperson on the Board. 
• Removal of the reservoir on Big King to return our maunga to a more natural state. Prior to this, the restoration of an attractive mural on the reservoir such as ‘Grumpy Cat’ 
• Advocating for the quarry development to include: 
• Restoration of Maunga and better open space as priorities 
• Affordable housing and social housing 
• High quality housing integrated into open space and town centre 
• A reduction in the proposed 8 storey height limit. 
• Protection and promotion of Three Kings heritage. 

Unitary Plan Issues 

• Providing appropriate capacity for growth around our town centres and key transport routes, while ensuring quality development and protection of open space and heritage. 
• A stronger focus on affordable and social housing for our community. 
• Advocating for well-considered intensification in Wesley, and Roskill South, with more distribution along main transport routes. 
• Strongly advocating for community input and better notification of developments. 
• Dealing with flooding. Advocacy for improved stormwater infrastructure, and better planning rules to prevent inappropriate development. 
• Strong protections for our local environment, heritage, and volcanic cones (including viewshafts)

An index of our released policy can be found here, we are continuing to release policy through-out the campaign.

Aircraft Noise - locals speak up

Roskill Community Voice candidate Harry Doig went to a very revealing public meeting on

Thursday night called to discuss the new aircraft flight paths over Auckland. 

Auckland Airport, Airways NZ and Air NZ are trialing new routes (SMART Approaches) into the Auckland airport with the aim of reducing the miles flown by aircraft, reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and (supposedly) better managing noise for residential communities!   

300 residents were present at the meeting - very impressive. Not so impressive was the attitude of officials from Auckland Airport and Airways NZ who were there. "Very arrogant" and "patronising" were the words used to describe their stance. People reporting increased noise levels were accused of "imagining things" and being "led on" by articles in the Central Leader. Comment of the evening came from Judy Nichol (Auckland Airport) "We didn't tell anyone about the trial because we wanted to see whether anyone noticed any difference in noise levels." What! "But we do want to consult with the community now." A bit late Judy. The trial finishes in October this year.

Intriguingly what developed during the meeting were questions about what other changes are being trialed alongside the SMART Approaches?   The officials were quick to put down many noise complaints because they weren't part of the new approach routes.  If this is the case then something else is going on because thousands of residents are being affected by increased aircraft noise from aircraft evidently on the old routes as well as the new routes .

What we want is meaningful consultation including information that hasn't been massaged to suit the proposed changes.  And a cost benefit analysis that includes the impact on our communities. We could do without the green-washing as well. 

  

Thank you The Plane Truth Action Group for organising the meeting and all the work that you are putting in to try and get some real information out about what is going on. Sign their petition!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/328/998/681/stop-the-auckland-airport-implementing-a-new-flight-path/

 

and visit their face book page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Auckland-The-Plane-Truth-Action-Group/579257782136756?ref=profile

Media release: Bury the Pylons Petition Cracks 1000!

“We have been overwhelmed by the supportive response of the community to our Bury The Pylons campaign and petition,” says Garth Houltham, Roskill Community Voice candidate for the Puketapapa Local Board.

“We never dreamed we would collect over 1000 signatures in just six weeks, for what started as a small local campaign for us in Lynfield, Hillsborough, Roskill South and White Swan.”

Roskill Community Voice launched the Bury the Pylons campaign with local MP Phil Goff, on July 20th, with a packed out public meeting of over 120 concerned locals. Petition signatures have since poured in from around the community and further afield, amassing over 1000 as at the start of September.

“We thought it was a good idea to acknowledge the huge contribution the community has made to get us to the first 1000 signatures, and so we are going to have a celebration at Taylors Bay Reserve on September 21st. We will also outline the next steps in this community campaign at this gathering”, says David Holm, Roskill Community Voice candidate for the Puketapapa Local Board.

“Petition signatures collected to date will be presented to Phil Goff MP at the gathering at 2pm and we hope that other members of the community concerned about this issue will come along to mark the occasion”, says David Holm.

New Playground at Keith Hay Park

 The new playground at Keith Hay Park is now mostly open and well worth a look. It is tucked in behind the changing rooms at the northern end of the Keith Hay Park carpark so takes a bit of finding.

As these pictures show it is a real step-up from the standard module playgrounds we are used to, with many innovative features including an amazing climbing frame, in-built tramplines, and a fun astro-turf ramp leading up to the slides.

On the Board we strongly pushed for a more interesting design for this playground and it has certainly paid off. More generally, we have initiated a review of all upcoming playground renewals in Roskill to ensure that we get good outcomes that meet local community needs.

We are committed to building a child-friendly Mt Roskill.


Update:  You can see an album with loads more pictures (and lots of people using the playground) via our Facebook page.

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.

Bury The Pylons campaign launched!

Today we launched our Bury The Pylons campaign and petition, along with Phil Goff MP, at St Davids in the Fields on Hillsborough Road.

We were quite overwhelmed by the turnout - over 120 people came along and many also volunteered to help further.

We heard from Phil Goff MP about the fairness issue behind it all; that this simply wouldn't be acceptable in St Heliers or on Takapuna Beach, and it shouldn't be in our area either.  He spoke about his intention to approach all the MPs who represent communities with pylons running through them to make this a national issue, but he will not forget that our area should be the priority, as one of the worst affected.

Carol Beaumont MP also spoke about the impact of the pylons on the Onehunga community, and her plans to have a similar public meeting there in support.  Jim Jackson talked about the more technical side of why and how it needs to be done, and his own experiences winning the restoration of the Onehunga foreshore.  Councillor Richard Northey addressed the impact the lines could have on people's ability to build on their own land, if proposed changes are adopted for the Auckland Council Unitary Plan.  Our own Michael Wood MC'ed and outlined the next steps for the campaign.

We'll be back in touch with the 50+ people who offered further help in the next week to make sure they have petition forms, know how to get more, and can return them for collation.  We're also looking into producing simple Bury The Pylons signs, so if you want one for your fence, can help out by sponsoring one, or want to help in other way please email us roskillcv@gmail.com to go on the campaign email list, or contact us in another way if that's easier.


More photos.

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.

Media Statement: Boards must take control of Dominion Rd shambles

“We are thrilled by C&R’s limp back down on their shambolic Dominion Rd proposal, but we are concerned by what will happen next”, says Michael Wood a spokesperson for Roskill Community Voice, a team contesting the Puketapapa Local Board.

“From the beginning C&R’s plan was a shambles. They purposely tried to force it through in a rushed timeframe to get it in place before the October elections. So flawed was the plan though, and so great was the resistance from local communities, that they had no choice but to back down”, continues Wood.

“The tragedy of the botched process is that it has obscured the fact that there are real issues on Dominion Rd. It is not pedestrian friendly, traffic is often heavily congested, public transport requires further improvements, and cyclists face real peril. We have always agreed that Dominion Rd needs changes, just not in the way that C&R proposed.”

“Following on from that undemocratic process, we are now really concerned that Auckland City is sending the issue to Auckland Transport, the new CCO that is run by unelected government appointees. What we really need is for the issue of Dominion Rd to come back to the communities of Dominion Rd.”

“Our position is that a new plan for Dominion Rd needs to be developed at the grassroots. A Roskill Community Voice Local Board will hold public hearings about the future of Dominion Rd, and we will include all of the stakeholders from the start. We did not accept C&R hijacking the development of this Auckland icon, and we will not accept an unaccountable CCO doing the same”, concludes Wood.

Ends

Media Statement: New survey shows Mt Roskill sick of being ignored

"A new survey reveals that Mt Roskill residents and shopkeepers are sick of their main shopping area being ignored", says Michael Wood a spokesperson for Roskill Community Voice, the new team contesting the Local Board elections in Puketapapa.

"Our survey shows that our run down shopping strip on Dominion Rd is in desperate need of attention. We have hit the street to survey local shopkeepers and shoppers, and their verdict is overwhelming. 73% say that the Council has not done enough to support the area, while 91% say that more people would shop on Dominion Rd if the area was improved," says Garth Houltham, another Roskill Community Voice candidate.

"Local shop keepers are also fuming about the C&R Councils plans to remove street parking. They are genuinely fearful that this move will kill their businesses. Roskill Community Voice is committing to stopping the process if elected, and going back to the drawing board with full public hearings on the Dominion Rd plans", continues Wood.

"All in all, local residents and businesses have had a gutsful of being ignored. We are a humble suburb, but we pay rates and we deserve some attention and support too. We want to see a proper precinct plan developed for Mt Roskill so that we can plan for a vibrant future that is good for business and local residents," continues Mr Houltham.

"Mt Roskill needs to be listened to, and we need some investment in our town centre. We need to support local businesses, and give the community a centre that it can be proud of. C&R have failed to deliver, and are now ramming through a poorly thought through plan. A new team is needed to give our community a voice", concludes Wood.

ENDS

Media Statement: Shambolic Dominion Rd proposal must stop

“Another example of shambolic consultation”, is how Roskill Community Voice spokesperson Michael Wood describes Auckland City’s plans to significantly change one of Auckland’s busiest roads, Dominion Rd.

“Once again, we see a major proposal that will cost a lot of public money being rammed through. Our sources tell us that the proposal is being deliberately rushed through by the C&R majority, ahead of the Supercity elections. Even the current rushed process only came about because Councillors Fryer and Casey demanded an extension”, he continues.

“Critically, the rushed process means that the community has not had a real say. We have talked to nearly every single shopkeeper at the Mt Roskill shops, and they feel totally out of the loop. People support better public transport, but this support will be lost if they feel like their voice is not being heard”.

“This feeling is increased by the fact that C&R candidates have already come out saying that they know what the solution should be, inclusive of daft ideas like abolishing the bus lane and turning it into a T2 lane. We doubt they’ve talked to anyone in Mt Roskill before making these pronouncements”.

“We are calling for the consultation to be halted until the new Council and Local Boards are elected. If Roskill Community Voice wins control of the Mt Roskill Board we will demand full public hearings on the proposals so that everyone in the community has a voice. We are sure that such a process can lead to some sensible outcomes that balance better public transport and cycling options with local business needs”, concludes Wood.

ENDS