Column: Parking in Auckland’s Inner-city

Verve magazine – June 2013 edition – By Rob Thomas – Candidate for Waitemata & Gulf Councillor:

Parking is the number one issue around Auckland’s Inner-City suburbs.

Every morning thousands of people from across the region, park on the surroundings streets of Parnell, Newmarket, Grafton, Eden Terrace and Ponsonby to make the most of free parking on their commute into the inner-city. To put the issue into perspective the surrounding streets of Freeman’s Bay have more free carparks than Aotea Centres’ Civic Carpark, that’s a lot of free carparking.

The Waitemata Local Board has been working closely with Auckland Transport to look at carpark occupancy rates throughout our business and residential areas. These results showed that during working hours the occupancy rates in some areas were between 90 to 100% and commuters are parking all day. The recent study undertaken in Parnell showed that some of the cars on residential streets were registered to inner-city apartments.

There are perverse consequences of unmonitored or unrestricted parking around the inner-city, having a direct negative effect on retailers, residents and adding to the costs of Auckland’s congestion.

The issue is about prioritisation. In mainstream retail areas there should be easy access to carparking that encourages high turnover and availability. While on residential streets all day commuters should be encouraged to jump onto reliable public transport to free-up these streets for residents and visitors. A permitted resident only parking trial is currently being trailed in St Mary’s Bay that could be introduced to other parts of the inner-city. Feedback from residents involved in the trial has been overwhelmingly positive.

As your elected representative on the Eden Terrace Business Association Board, recently named UPTOWN, I am pleased to announce that a new parking scheme is being introduced in that area, that will balance out the needs of retailers and residents. The process showed that a one size fits all approach doesn’t work but the tools are available should residents, businesses, Auckland Transport and your elected representatives are prepared to work together to find a win-win solution.

Column The Unitary Plan the St. James Theatre test

Ponsonby News – June 2013 edition – By Rob Thomas – Candidate for Waitemata & Gulf Councillor:

The hottest topic in Auckland at the moment is the draft Auckland Unitary Plan. Like the Lord of the Rings, it’s the one ring bound document to rule them all.

Similar to all best laid schemes of mice and men, plans are only as good as what they have delivered on at the end of the day. The litmus tests for our community might be the Arch Hill’s Bunnings Warehouse for land use, Newmarket’s Station Square for urban design and in the case of heritage saving the St. James Theatre.

The St. James Theatre is an iconic category one, heritage building ideally situated in the heart of Auckland’s lively arts, culture and performance quarter. The theatre has played an important part of our city’s rich cultural tapestry and, like many of you, wish the building continues it key civic duties. The St. James Theatre is at interesting crossroads. After the fire in 2007, the building lays derelict, suffering from a lack of investment and increasing decay. The estimated cost to restore, earthquake strengthen and reopen to its former glory, is tagged at $50 million. I’m sure this is a significant financial burden to the land owner and it is an unsettling feeling for many Aucklanders.

Last month one of my favourite heritage heroes and the president of the Civic Trust Auckland, Allan Matson held a community meeting on K’Road to discuss heritage in the Unitary Plan. Allan is a tireless campaigner for heritage and believes there is a lack of carrots and sticks in the draft Unitary Plan to protect our built heritage. Heritage protection can also be a polarising topic with one blogger responded to Allan’s post saying that heritage was a slow death sentence for a building with the burden of restoration, earthquake strengthening and rising cost of insurance.

The draft Auckland Unitary plan identifies heritage and has a blanket covenant over pre 1944 buildings but this does not prevent heritage listed buildings being demolished by neglect. The true test will be how the Unitary Plan triggers council mechanism of heritage protection. It’s my view Auckland Council should look into three key areas:

• Identification – work with the Historic Places Trust to undertake an annual survey to identify the most significant and at risk built, cultural and natural heritage sites.
• Rules – develop heritage building rules which include regular maintenance.
• Funding – establish a heritage fund that works as a catalyst to restore and preserve heritage.

Coxs Bay boardwalk re-opens

This month the Coxs Bay Boardwalk will re-open for everyone – including cyclists. The former boardwalk was a dilapidated, well-worn and narrow 1.2m wide path that was in urgent need of replacement. The new 2.5m bridge, which will open in early June, will significantly improve access through Coxs Bay and the bridge for future connections.

Thank you to the community for your support during the construction, to the contractors and council staff for all your behind the scenes work and my colleagues on the Waitemata Local Board for your forethought.

Last month Auckland Transport confirmed that they have started to undertake scope of a design for a walking and cycling highway that will connect Coxs Bay Reserve to Grey Lynn Park and the Western Cycleway.

Update on sewage free beaches

Following on from my article last month, I met with residents in Coxs Bay, at the newly refurbished Hawke Bay Sea Scout Hall, to discuss Watercare’s ten year plan to reduce sewage overflow. Long-time resident Christine Davis, I refer to her as our Kaumatua of the Bay, spoke about her experience swimming in the estuary as a child and watching the natural environment wane. Local residents raised a number of questions which include the duration of the project and looking at solutions to the run off from our road network.