Big win for cycling in Auckland!

It’s like all my dreams have come true, well almost.

Over the next three years the Government and Auckland Council have committed to spending $90m on cycling infrastructure. The inner-city is a big winner. There are some notable projects that include the Grey Lynn Greenway, K’Rd, Victoria Park and Hobson Bay.

One project missing from the list which needs to be addressed is the Parnell Rail Trail. This is our once in a lifetime chance to open up the former rail tunnel, former home to the glow worms, before the land is developed and the opportunity lost forever.

Auckland Transport have a major challenge ahead of them with their current project management capacity to deliver all projects in three years. Time will tell but the direction looks good.

There is more information on Auckland Transport’s website.

 

Minister gives support for Newmarket Playspace

They say don’t count your chickens before they hatch but I’m certainly lining up all my eggs in a row.

Newmarket has the highest concentration of school age children in the country with 8,000 registered pupils. However there is no recreational playspace. As the population continues to grow in and around Newmarket there will be increased pressure on public open space.

Late last year an opportunity arose to negotiate land from NZTA under the Newmarket Viaduct. Last financial year the Waitemata Local Board committed $4k to investigate a design for the space. With the assistance of our new Local MP David Seymour the design was presented to the Minister of Transport Simon Bridges who in principle supports the idea. The idea has also been presented to the Minister of Youth Affairs and Local MP Nikki Kaye and to the Waitemata Youth Collective. Negotiations are underway with NZTA.

These are the concept plans for the playspace.

To download the PowerPoint presentation click here Newmarket Playspace.

 

Helsinki – What makes a liveable city?

Nokia, Sauna and Santa Claus Village are words you might associate to Finland but what makes Helsinki, Finland one of the top five livable cities of the world?

On a self-funded trip to Finland I wanted to find out what makes Helsinki unique. I had the awesome opportunity to meet Marko Karvinen the Head of Strategy for The City of Helsinki. In 2011, Helsinki was voted the most liveable city in the world and continues to be recognised as one of the top five cities in the world.  As an Elected Member of Auckland Council these are learnings I can take back to help improve the quality of life for our own community. My note book is packed with great ideas that are likely to be a big hit in Auckland.

Now there are some fundamental differences between Helsinki and Auckland:

Delivering outcomes

Helsinki is proud to have “basic services” and have a broader responsibility for education, health, social services, housing and transport for their 600,000 residents. Through this holistic approach to governance they are able to heavily influence the mechanism of creating a liveable city. This includes the provision of a large portfolio of housing. These are policies and outcomes shared between local government and central government.

Funding

There are also two major differences in city funding and economic development:

There is no property tax but 18% income tax (half of all personal tax) which generates 53% of all city revenue. The outcome of this approach is that if salaries are strong so is the city. This creates huge city competition in Europe to compete attract and retain large business.

In Helsinki there are 100 companies owned by the Council with the strategic and political intent to regenerate areas. Their approach is centralised and creates a social system of expectation for service as opposed to a western approach of decentralisation. Public Private Partnerships are almost unheard of due to this social expectation. One of the major challenges of their centralised approach is the level of bureaucratic cost which they cap through budgeting so that funds are directed to delivery services – a big challenge for most Councils!

Projects

When asked, what was the number one change you made? He said “Light Rail”. The large investment in city infrastructure has been in Light Rail which has improved the livability of the city providing people with easier access through and across the city. He mentioned that other European cities had made that investment to improve the quality of livability.

Thank you to the City of Helsinki for your warm welcome and sharing your experience.

Costley Reserve – One person can make a difference

Tucked away from the bustling streets on Ponsonby Road you will find the tranquil respite of Costley Reserve. The reserve is inconspicuous to many but a huge asset for local residents who walk their dog or release their kids on the playground.

In 2012, local resident and Walk Auckland advocate Andy Smith took me through the reserve highlighting concerns; a treacherous narrow stairwell leading to the park; the overgrowth creating safety issues; the rotting wooden fence and high retaining wall; poor lighting; and the dilapidated and mouldy play equipment. It was clear that the playground and park had been neglected.

There’s only so many times you can duct tape a broom handle before it needs to be replaced. In the case of Costley Reserve it had undergone maintenance work over the years but the visual signs of the ongoing bandages were starting to show. One resident told me how he leaned on the fence and broke it. This wasn’t simply a case of the squeaky wheel getting the oil because when Costley Reserve was ranked against other projects it was a high-priority for safety reasons.

The local neighbours on Wood Street and Costley Street rallied behind the need for Costley Reserve to get a do-over. The initial concept design was pulled apart by residents saying that they didn’t want to see a grand design but an affordable and simple solution. The design was scaled back and Auckland Council took the playground design in-house using its own experience and expertise to save on project cost. The Waitemata Local Board approved a renewal budget of $114k and a top-up of $142k through our local improvement budget. This would enable a high-quality urban park for our every growing inner-city population.

The Costley Reserve playground and entrance renewal was officially opened on Saturday 27 June 2015. Unfortunately Andy Smith was unable to attend the opening so we handed the honour of cutting the ribbon to one of our youngest residents and playground users Oliver.

The revitalised park now boasts safer entrances and a significant re-grading of the slope and footpaths for easier access for prams and wheelchairs. The new wooden play equipment includes a basket swing for children with disabilities, and a fort with climbing ropes, swing-bridge and slide.

Thank you to local residents, Council’s Parks Team, contractors and the Waitemata Local Board for your support. It was John F Kennedy who said “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try”. In the case of Costly Reserve, we need to thank Andy Smith for his pragmatism and fortitude. Its local leaders like Andy who pick up the reins and make all the difference.

Previous blogs

10 September 2013 – A promise delivered

4 April 2013 – New plans for Costley Reserve, Freemans Bay

27 March 2012 – Costley Park review