Location City Rail Link (CRL) Visitor Centre at Te Manawa, 1 New North Road, Eden Terrace
Presenters & representative s Link Alliance: Helga Sonier, Thibaut L’Hopital, Nick James, Julien Charnay, Opeti Prescott
City Rail Link Limited (CRLL): Rachel Blundell, Kumaran Nair, Lily Boyask
Eke Panuku Development Auckland: Kate Cumberpatch, Marty Jones
Auckland Transport (AT): James Wickham, Siobhan O’Donovan, Joel Rowan, Shane Hartley, Shane Bradbury CLG Members 14 CLG members attended in person: Kelvin Lau, Brian MacCormack, Martin Van Zonneveld +1, Clara Puglia + 1, Kathleen Eagle, Graeme Scott, Brent Kennedy, Richard Bull, Sanghun Yeo (Jeff), Megan Ottley, Councilor Julie-Fairey (AELB), Neighbourhood Support AKL representative.
9 Auckland Transport update James Wickham, Siobhan O’Donovan, Shane Hartley, Shane Bradbury
CLG MEETING MINUTES
1. Welcome and overview:
Helga Sonier, the Community Manager welcomed attendees to the meeting and opened with the Link Alliance Karakia. Helga introduced the agenda and the presenters for the evening.
Welcomed members joining and suggested the Q&A session should be held after all the reports had been presented.
2. Communications and Engagement (C&E) update:
Helga shared recent activity and highlights from the C&E team, - Including note about upcoming BOL – mid-March.
Helga noted special events coming up for Maungawhau Station:
- Coffee catch up opportunity on 17 March at Delissimo to share update on urban realm works and respond to community questions.
3. Maungawhau Station construction update: Thibaut L’Hopital, Maungawhau Station Manager
Spoil Shed is starting to come down in the next few weeks
Preparation on site includes focus on tunnel lane preparation.
Future demolition of some buildings (Mt Eden Rd)
Commissioning of signs and audio speakers around the station exterior
4. Maungawhau Station architecture update: Nick James, Tunnel Systems Delivery Manager and Station Fit-Out Manager
Inside main foyer – finishing touches, skylight, battens, escalators getting commissioned, glass and basalt triangle inlays going into the waterwall.
Cladding and signage and paving around the platforms installed.
Main Foyer: Gate lines are in, wiring in ceiling complete – awaiting bespoke ceiling panels.
5. Systems and track building update: Julien Charnay, Dynamic Testing Lead and Signaling Manager.
Energisation tests have been successful and train testing progressing well. Alternating between daytime and nighttime testing.
Exciting milestone for the project.
CLG MEETING MINUTES
Q: Are you going as far as Porters Bridge?
o A: Yes, sometimes up to Kingsland for the purpose of testing the signals.
6. Urban realm and utilities update: Opeti Prescott, Project Engineer
Ngahura St – utilities and pavement completed, moving into landscaping and planting phase.
Nikau St – streetlights have been installed, work on footpaths and roading continues.
The planting season begins in April and will see landscaping work unfold across the precinct, working from Ngahura up towards Station Building.
Utilities in Nikau, Flower, Shaddock area; we are awaiting confirmed dates from Watercare to complete the final connection works.
On Nikau/ Korari St all shallow utilities are done, and streetlights are installed.
In May/June we are working towards installing the final surface layer on the roads surrounding the station precinct.
Shaddock/Flower St, we are working with Watercare/Vector to complete the final connections.
Resurfacing of Mt Eden Rd scheduled for April, with works to be staged across night shifts.
Q: What’s happening with the land next to Frequency.
o A: This section is one of the parcels of land to be handed back to Auckland Council, for future development.
7. City Rail Link Limited update: Rachel Blundell, Head of Communications & Engagement
Trees for planting across the site, including the new tunnel lane area are being grown at Black Bridge, Project will also reuse some of those relocated from Quay St.
Planting season is in April/May and June.
New renders show the look and feel of the garden areas around the new station building.
8. Eke Panuku Development Auckland update: Kate Cumberpatch, Priority Location Director
10 Maungawhau Station properties to be developed, one at Karanga-a-Hape Station.
Working with CRL property team.
Project sponsors are Council and Government.
Map: Yellow and Blue sections to be developed first and pink will be developed later.
CLG MEETING MINUTES
The council has assessed wider area for access to parks and other amenities
9. Auckland Transport update:
James Wickham, Siobhan O’Donovan, Shane Hartley, Shane Bradbury
Resurfacing of roads across wider Mt Eden area, from Nikau to Bellevue in April.
This maintenance renewal plan is in anticipation of the additional construction that will happen following station completion.
Included in this stage of work will be relocating buses and installing and commissioning the new traffic lights on Mt Eden Bridge.
Siobhan O’Donovan
Fare zone changes are being introduced across the network, to resolve discrepancies.
Shane Hartley, Shane Bradbury
Wayfinding plans – holistic approach across city, city allocated into catchment boundaries.
The hierarchy of signage needs decided to organise the type of signs and what goes on them.
E.g. 1. iconic destinations
2. major parks
3. important local destinations and amenities – toilets, art, parks
Room for conversation around what can go onto the signs.
Flow diagrams have been created to show the various journeys in, out and around the station that need to be supported by signage.
10. Questions and Answers:
1. Testing of new trains, have noticed they are quiet, is this what we can expect?
o Not necessarily, we are still testing at low speeds but working up to 60/70kmH so we can expect the noise to occur.
2. How can we address (screeching) this issue with KiwiRail? What’s happened to the special lubrication process that KiwiRail mentioned last time they presented?
o KiwiRail is testing this, we believe there are plans to install these new lubrication devices during an upcoming BOL (potentially Easter).
3. Will we be able to use Fenton Bridge steps as access to the station?
o There are no plans to open the stairs for public access. They are only for emergency egress. To set them up for expanded public use in future they
CLG MEETING MINUTES
would need to be widened to allow for pedestrian movement in both directions, and gate lines would need to be added.
4. Can the Fenton Street Bridge be opened before the station?
o This will be Auckland One Rail (AOR) decision. They are who will be responsible for operating the stations.
5. Based on the timelines described and the preferred planting season, could the station open without trees?
o Tunnel Lane work will be completed after the ideal 2025 planting season but there is planting across other areas of the site including station frontage and along Nikau Street that will be taking place this autumn/ winter.
6. How do we get more engagement with the signage decision making and planning – signage needs to show visitors how they can connect with wider businesses in the area? How can we encourage some sort of landmark signage that will draw visitors to engage with Uptown and the businesses in them?
o Orientation is mainly focused on major fixed landmarks – mountains, parks, iconic destinations.
o There is local board consultation meetings scheduled, recommend UBA attend Albert/ Eden meeting.
UBA clarified; they want to see council engaging directly with businesses more widely.
o Auckland Transport keen to work with UBA to help involve Uptown businesses in this, UBA to help facilitate.
7. If community engagement had been factored into the original design of the Fenton St Bridge, the stairs would have been designed wider and capable of being an accessway to the station, if genuine community engagement had occurred then those in charge would have known that the community wanted this accessway into the station from this major residential area. Please implement genuine community engagement and consultation.
8. How steep will Flower St be once it is completed/ reinstated? By the looks of the kerb and channel going in, it could potentially be steeper which would make it an even more dangerous and undesirable pedestrian accessway.
o It should return to something very similar to what it was. It is a steep street and will still be a steep street?
9. Do you have an opening date?
CLG MEETING MINUTES
o 2026, with the date becoming clearer and more specific as this year progresses.
10. Why do we have to wait for all the stations to be completed?
o Because the implications for the wider timetable would be too significant to adjust and then re-adjust.
o Auckland Transport are looking to prepare a document which would outline all that needs to occur before opening to the public, to help show what the constraints are.
o Example of delays in opening of the recent Sydney Rail project given to explain why major projects are often reluctant to give long advance notice of opening.
11. Who has designed the pocket park? – why can’t there be a diagonal pathway installed that gives a direct pedestrian accessway from the station to Nikau?
o It’s a very steep planted bank; we will undertake to send actual width of route in images since aerial view doesn’t do justice + design due to topography.
12. How will you create a greater sense of green/ desirability in the space to live and work.
o The scale of the development spaces are great, with wide accessways. Aerial maps don’t display the best and most accessible routes.
13. Will the pocket park direct people to businesses?
o More engagement with Eke Panuku required on this.
14. When will local people be able to use Ruri St/ Ruru Lane accessway...
o There’s a lot to weigh up around safety given the work site surrounding the station and the work still to be done, so this wouldn’t be happening that soon, but this is a good idea so watch this space...
15. How do we ensure there are an interesting mix of businesses, retail, hospitality within the new development areas?
o Development plans are being drawn up, keeping to regulations and advice around the number of active frontages, and the needs for back of house access. These are all considerations in the mix with a new development.
16: What about Parking? Will there be residents permit parking around Korari and Ruri?
CLG MEETING MINUTES
o The Auckland Transport design team are looking at this now, will most likely be a paid parking model.
11. The meeting closed at 7.10 pm
The accompanying CLG PowerPoint presentation to these minutes is available on the CRL website with all the other Maungawhau CLG presentations and minutes. The next CLG meeting date is confirmed for 11 June 2025.
