June 2019

YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER |June 2019 | No.205

THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE Email coatesvillechronicle@gmail.com | ph 021 724 001 | online coatesvillechronicle.com

MP's mobile office

Mila McFarlane and Olivia Brockliss with their first Coatesville Pony Club trophies

Trophies for riders of all ages

C

oatesville Pony Club has hung up its reins for the season following the AGM and annual prize giving held at the end of May. Certificates and trophies were awarded to riders of all ages and abilities at the sunny afternoon event that started with a fun Great Race competition. Club president Janet Badley and committee member Nicola Webster were on hand to present the awards to some of the club's 142 members.

The two girls above, both 8 years old, were the youngest riders recognised on the day. While 16-year-old Ella Rutherford, shown right, who recently returned from representing New Zealand in an under-18 Eventing team that competed in Australia, was one of the most experienced.

Pony Club rallies will now cease for the winter but riders will still use the grounds and arena to exercise their horses and ponies. Registrations will take place in August before the season kicks off again on 9 October. The Club invites new members to sign up on registration day.

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Top: Coatesville Pony Club silverware on display; above: Ella Rutherford with some of her 2019 Club awards.

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Chris Penk, MP, has a new mobile office made from a converted horse float that he's taking on the road. Chris says, "The Helensville electorate is vast and I intend to use the mobile office to hold clinics and meet with constituents.

I'll be attending as many community events as possible.

So if you see me at a local event, market day, sports day or a parade, please stop and say hi. I’m here to help." Chris will be at Coatesville Market on 7 July.

JUNE CONTENTS June news 3 AGM speakers 4 get political Latest news from 5 the Settlers Hall Galapagos Island 6 adventure Garden club visits 8 Hospital centenary 9 Local Board update 10 Classifieds 11 Reflection & 12 Momentum

Feedback

Editorial

T

he Coatesville community fruit and veg stand is now open for business in the Playcentre carpark against the swimming pool fence. The signs read: 'Give graciously' and 'Take mindfully'. There are even buckets and containers on the shelves for people to place their produce in. A lot of thought and care has gone into building this public pantry. Thanks to the local called Chris who built it.

Wider community issues were on the agenda at the CRRA AGM last month.

Guest speakers and running mates John Tamihere and Christine Fletcher shared their campaign message and it was interesting to hear their views on the current state of Auckland.

But you have to wonder how many Aucklanders will bother to vote this time round. During the last local election, a dismal 38% of voters filled in and returned their postal ballots.

Surely this voting method is past its use-by date? In my opinion, with technology advancements being what they are, the voting process should have gone online by now. After all, democracy needs a majority to be representative of what the community wants.

On a lighter note, if you're planning a getaway to somewhere a bit different this winter, on page 6 you'll find an account of my family's holiday in the Galapagos Islands. I'm keen to hear from readers about their trips to interesting locations too, so please get in touch if you've got a story to share.

The Gardening Club have been doing their fair share of garden visits which you can read about on page 8, and the Coatesville Hall committee has funds to share with the community! Learn how to apply for funding for your community project on page 5.

Your editor,

Vanessa Johnson Email: coatesvillechronicle@gmail.com, Phone: 021 724 001

More bus stops needed I guess congratulations and

appreciation are due to Louise Johnston for at least getting a bus service on the road for the people of forgotten Rodney. But what a disappointment to see a total of only 10 bus stops along the 10km+ length of the Coatesville-Riverhead Highway and all of them essentially spread over 500 metres in Riverhead and Coatesville townships.

What about the rest of the residents of Coatesville and Riverhead, most of who are within reasonable walking distance of the highway but are likely to be kilometres from the two town centres. Many of us on the likes of Ridge Road looked forward to a stop perhaps at the bottom of Ridge or Wake to provide exercise and a service. Yet again we are expected to take the car to the bus – Crazy.

All of us in Rodney pay the RTTR, not just the residents of Riverhead and Coatesville townships – what are we getting for our money – NOTHING. Yet another failure of Auckland Council and Auckland Transport.

Mike Huddleston Ridge Road

AT's Reply Auckland Transport has worked closely with the Rodney Local Board to deliver new transport initiatives funded by the Rodney Targeted Transport Rate. The new 126 bus between Westgate and Albany via Riverhead and Coatesville is the third new bus service introduced within a matter of months.

In an effort to get the service up and running as soon as possible, the stops along the route between Westgate and Albany were chosen taking a number of criteria into account including safety (to passengers, traffic and the general public) and cost to install.

“We do need to allow a bit of time for things to bed in before we start making changes to the route,” says

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Rodney Local Board Deputy Chair Phelan Pirrie. “Any additional stops, as well as being in locations as accessible as possible to local residents, will have to take into account safety and cost.”

The Rodney Local Board has asked AT to review the location and number of stops after six months, and encourages local ratepayers and residents to provide feedback via https://at.govt.nz/about-us/contactus/feedback-form/

•

Diary Dates

7 JUNE, Friday, The Coatesville Chronicle is out today!

• 14-17 JUNE Fieldays at Mystery Creek.

• 19 JUNE, Wednesday, 5.30pm The CRRA meets today at the Settlers Hall.

• 22 JUNE, Saturday, Coatesville School's fundraising quiz night.

Get together a group of your friends or the brightest people you know, and buy a table at the quiz night. This is the school's major fundraiser for the year.

Tickets cost $20 per person or $200 for a table of 10. The quiz master is Aaron Ward from TV1.

The first three tables booked receive a free bottle of vino.

To purchase your tickets, email Julievwall@gmail.com • 30 JUNE, Sunday, 9.30 am till 11.30am, Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop Kaipara Coast Plant Centre. Tickets are limited and cost $20 per person.

For more information, email info@kaiparacoast.co.nz • 4 JULY, Thursday, 7.15pm CWI meets at the Settlers Hall.

• 5 JULY, Friday, The Coatesville Chronicle is out today!

• 5 JULY, Friday, End of term 2 at Coatesville Primary School.

• 7 JULY, Sunday, Coatesville Market, 10am till 2pm. Visit the Coatesville Market and come and have a chat with MP Chris Penk in his mobile office.

The Coatesville Chronicle is distributed free to homes in the RD3 postal area. Deadline for content is 20th of the month prior to publication. The opinions published herein are not necessarily those of the publisher, Cradle Publications Limited. © 2019 All rights reserved.

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JUNE NEWS

CRRA AGM Guest speakers get political It's business as usual for the CRRA following the 2019 AGM on 8 May, but there was some fiery talk from speakers at the event.

Firstly, the CRRA committee of 12 were voted back in with no one stepping down and no new members put forward. Based on the chairman's report, the group will continue to target local issues using their sub-committee structure to get things done and welcome contributions from any local people who want to get involved.

The CRRA's major achievement since the 2018 AGM was the completion of the Fitness Station on the reserve. And, although the community ANZAC Day commemorative service is normally a highlight on their calendar, events outside their control meant Coatesville Scouts took it over in 2019.

In the year ahead, they will continue to work towards positive outcomes for the community in roading through their successful partnership with Rodney Local Board member Louise Johnston and Auckland Transport, as well as their dedicated working group.

When Auckland councillor Greg Sayers addressed those gathered, the tone changed noticeably. Mr Sayers spoke critically of Auckland Council, telling the audience that 80% of Aucklanders don't trust Auckland Council to make a good

for Auckland and invest in the city's infrastructure because Auckland generates 44% of the country's GDP. "Auckland is New Zealand's only scalable city. Our issues are of national significance... Infrastructural investment in Auckland over the next 10 years is key," he says.

Postal ballots in the local elections will be mailed on 20-25 September and must be returned before 12 noon on 12 October to be included in the Project1_Layout 1 21/08/17 2:11 PM Page 1 2019 election.

VJ

John Tamihere's campaign truck

decision. He also criticised Council's overspending.

But things went to a new level when Christine Fletcher – an ex-Auckland mayor herself – explained why she is backing John Tamihere to run for Mayor in the upcoming local elections.

Ms Fletcher described Mr Tamihere as a 'forthright bloke' with the commercial nous and transactional experience needed to negotiate better deals for Auckland city.

Once introduced, Mr Tamihere never minced a word. Auckland Council, Mayor Phil Goff and CCO's generally, were roundly criticised. He claimed to have already identified a leakage of $470+ million in Council's excessive spending that he plans to address. He also stated that if he is voted in, he will make central government stand up

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Congratulations

Mobile vet news

Talented Tanya Ankersmit, president of the Coatesville Country Garden Club, is studying Fine Art full time. Recently Tanya entered a piece of her art called Graze in a the Number 8 Wire competition in Hamilton. Tanya's work, shown below, was chosen as a finalist in the contest which also attracted submissions from international artists.

Graze is on display at Artspost in Hamilton until 9 June.

Mums raise funds

Coatesville School held a Mother's Day morning tea to celebrate the special wahine of the family at Fernielea cafe in May. The fundraiser included a high tea-style breakfast with bubbles and coffee which got the day off to an awesome start!

The next school fundraiser is the Quiz Night on 22 June. This is the main event of the year and replaces the Casino Night.

See below for details and book early because the first three tables booked get a free bottle of wine!

Two years into their business and Your Mobile Vet is in a growth phase. Vet and business owner Jono Pollard tells us a second vet is being recruited and two expert vet nurses now work in the practice.

Although Jono and the team look after patients in Coatesville, their fully-equipped veterinary vehicle is a mobile surgery which means they can take care of animals all over Auckland.

By bringing the vet surgery to the pet, either at home or at the owner's work, Jono says it reduces stress levels for animals who experience anxiety with trips to the vet, "Clients are more relaxed and pets are happier too," he says.

See the ad on page 5 for contact information.

Below, vet nurse Anna Bell with Vandal the Eclectus Parrot

Coatesville School

Tanya's artist statement:

Quiz Night ??? ? ? ? ???

Graze is a work focused on one of the Fundraiser key elements in the farming industry, ? pasture. Utilising the deconstructed fence as the parameter for the Where: Settlers Hall materials, I have sought to establish When: 22 June, 7.30pm start the value of pasture and the rigours to How Much: $20 for a ticket, maintain such on the farm. Ecological $200 for a table of 10! and seasonal conditions play a large Why: Raise funds for our school! role in the growth and preservation Ever had mess Prizes! Great night out! of pasture represented by the lineal Who: YOU! demarcations left behind?alluding not only to For tickets, email Julievwall@gmail.com the fragility of the pasture but to the management technique of break feeding or strip grazing.

One kilometre of fencing wire was used to construct the sculpture, with some 6,000 holes which were Lynley K McDonald, planted with the varying lengths of Podiatrist wire. The tension of the wire naturally No mess, no dodgy products &155 Tawa Road Kumeu reproduces the curve of mature pasture. no run around. We guarantee 0274 it. 828 683, 412 9058

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Flower Power A Takapuna-based floral art group are seeking new members. The group meets monthly to compete, display or just enjoy each other's company.

Demonstrations and workshops are held throughout the year for inspiration. For more information, contact Brenda Curtis-Garcia, ph 021 063 0638, or email brendacurtis@xtra.co.nz

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Apparently there were plenty of birds' nests under there.

SUBDIVIDING?

Happenings at the Hall The Coatesville Settlers Hall Committee is nearing the end of another financial year (June 2019) and again it has been a very successful year.

Altogether we have had 231 bookings for the hall. 178 of these (77%) have been for community groups ranging from pilates to scouts and cubs, Garden Club, CWI, spinners, community meetings and a number of art and craft activities.

This year we have had 25 private events (almost exclusively weddings) from people outside Coatesville while the hall has been booked by 28 locals for activities ranging from parties to engagements and weddings.

The venue has become extremely popular for weddings and our income has been every bit as good as the previous year even though we have reduced the number of private bookings for those outside Coatesville, making more availability for our locals.

During the year the Coatesville Settlers Hall Incorporated was registered as a charity with Charities Services. This means that anyone making a donation to the society will be able to make a personal tax deduction claim, and we no longer pay withholding tax on our investments.

With our solid revenue stream, the hall committee is satisfied that it has sufficient funds that it can make some available to community projects – one of the original purposes in setting up the society.

Last year saw the committee providing $3,500 towards the Fitness Station sponsored by the Coatesville Residents & Ratepayers. This year the committee is making a further $8,000 available and is seeking applications.

Applications should be made in writing (a letter is fine) stating what the project entails, what the benefits will be to the wider community and of course how much is requested. Generally the committee would expect that applicants would already have been able to fund around 50% of their project themselves.

If we have more good projects than we have funds available we may need to prioritise them or only make a partial contribution.

Coming shortly are two significant upgrades to the hall. Auckland Council have agreed to replace the roof and this work has recently been completed. The hall committee has also obtained quotes to repaint the interior of the hall as it is felt it is a little tired. Normally Council would undertake this work, however we are too far down their priority list so we have received approval to undertake the work at our own expense. This project is scheduled for late July.

Hope to see you at the Annual General Meeting on 10 October.

By Alan Curtis, Chairman

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GALAPAGOS: Our Eco-tourism Adventure Bucketlists the world over contain exotic holiday destinations that people want to visit in their lifetimes. And for many, the Galapagos Islands are high on the list.

W

e recently spent a week aboard the Endemic, visiting the islands that make up the Galapagos archipeligo.

It was our first experience of eco-tourism which is the only way to visit this remote and special place.

The islands are part of Ecuador and lie roughly 1,000kms off the country's west coast and are unique in many ways.

Firstly they're formed by mantle plumes of hot volcanic rock; they are situated between two major sea currents, the Humboldt and the Cromwell, and they straddle the equator.

These factors all contribute to the ecosystem which includes a variety of endemic species; unique birds, reptiles and sealife found only in the Galapagos.

The travel required to get there makes this a place you have to want to visit. You could never accidentally find yourself there. We flew into Buenos Aires, stayed overnight then took a 7.5 hour flight to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, stopping briefly in Lima on the way. Quito is 2,700 metres above sea level so you do feel the altitude, at first as breathlessness if you run upstairs or walk up a hill. A day or so later, we flew to Guayaquil then on to Baltra Island, the port on the Galapagos Islands where our eco-tourism adventure kicked off.

Pretty much everyone who's heard of the Galapagos Islands has heard of Charles Darwin, HMS Beagle, Darwin's finches and the theory of evolution, but once you get to the Galapagos, to understand what you're looking at you need an expert. Our's was Ruly Menoscal, a veteran naturalist with 30 years experience who was assigned to our "expedition".

He met us at the airport and escorted our group of 16 family and friends to the port where we boarded the boat that would be our home for the next week.

Eco-tourism has escalated in the Galapagos Islands since the 1980s. The daily flight into Baltra is full of tourists, and just like our group, they're all going out on a boat tour.

Each boat's itinerary must be offically approved by the Galapagos National Park authority before they set off, which is one of the efforts made to control the impact of tourism on the fragile ecosystem.

Our days on the Endemic quickly fell into a rhythm. Up early for breakfast followed by the first excursion, either a walk or a panga ride (zodiac). Back to the boat and into wetsuits for deep water snorkel. Then lunch around 12 and siesta time during the hottest part of the day. At 3pm we'd head out for our next snorkle and walk. Drinks and snacks, dinner and then we would travel for up to eight hours during the night to the next day's destination.

During our week-long journey, we travelled from the

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Zodiac trip at Buccaneer's Cove, Santiago Island

Our guide Ruly explaining this lava field's history

centre of the islands, west to Fernandina Island where the water is cooler, then north to Genovesa. One of the highlights was a visit to the Sierra Negra volcano on Isabela Island. We walked to the rim of its crater and looked into the vast caldera; 9km long by 6km wide. It last erupted in June 2018. Although it's cold hard rock now, the occasional ribbon of steam shows it's still active.

The daily snorkeling trips were challenging for those of us who felt anxious in deep water. On my first deepwater snorkel in choppy water, close to a rocky cliff face, I hyperventilated so badly I couldn't breathe through the snorkel until I calmed down. This wasn't helped by having watched Discovery Channel's Shark Week whenever I could over the years. I knew that sharks are attracted to volcanic islands like the Galapagos. And there were plenty of sharks to see – even from the boat – including bronze whalers and Galapagos sharks, mostly at night when the boat lights were on. When we snorkelled we occasionally saw white-tipped reef sharks but they were calm and I felt guilty that our noisy group of explorers had disturbed them. It was funny to hear

Shark spotting before a snorkel

Land iguana

Frigate bird

Tortoises cooling off. Covering themselves with mud helps protect them from mosquitoes.

someone yell out "Shark!" and for the rest of the group to hurry over to see it instead of heading for the boat.

A special snorkeling highlight was swimming with a Galapagos sea lion. We had seen many sea turtles, fish and marine iguanas and they all tolerated us for a time but soon moved away. But the sea lion was curious and swam right up and under us, stopping to look us in the eye and then darting away and coming back. It was like playing with a puppy.

Amazing to think a creature could be so interactive without being tame.

On land we saw birds like the male frigates who sit looking skyward, their wings outstretched and red goular pouches inflated, literally hoping to 'pull a bird'. The famous blue and red-footed boobies are everywhere and seem clownish until you see – and hear – them dive into the sea at around 60kms an hour.

The well-camouflaged black marine iguanas are an amazing site. They seem indifferent to human visitors as they lie jumbled together; so still you might miss them if they didn't squirt sea water out of their nostrils.

We visited the Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Center in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island and learned about these ancient reptiles who give Galapagos its name. We also came across a stunning bright yellow land iguana. Every one of these creatures is a natural wonder.

After seven nights, it was time to head home. We obeyed the rule of taking nothing but photos and leaving nothing but footprints, except for a tummy bug that we all took home.

We left with a new perspective on the importance of conservation and with some myths dispelled. For instance, my biggest fear used to be sharks, but I found something far more scary. Having a tummy bug and being stuck inside a full-length wetsuit that zips up the back, that's the true meaning of fear!

VJ

Update from Chris Penk, MP Widespread power outages following a major storm event in April 2018 left many West Aucklanders facing days without essential household needs.

Since the storm I have held meetings with many groups, including ratepayer groups, police, power companies, welfare groups, church groups and local board representatives. The purpose of these meetings has been to use the knowledge gained from last year’s storm and discuss ways to avoid or mitigate similar problems in the future.

We are currently working with Vector on a pilot to develop a response plan in the Helensville township for future extremes. This will detail key contacts in the community to enable information to be delivered to the wider population in the event of another weather extreme such as the one we experienced last year.

My office has also been compiling information and key contacts in all areas of the electorate along with local heroes, in readiness for just such another storm.

It was heart-warming last year to witness just how many local people/ local businesses were quick to respond and make offers of hot tea, hot showers, phone charging and even hot meals to their neighbours.

This year I can advise that I will be one of these responders. My new ‘mobile office’, which you will soon see out and about around the electorate, is equipped with its very own generator.

In the meantime, as winter fast approaches it’s a good time to check that you have a standby plan. This can be as simple as checking that you have working torches and spare batteries, along with ample supplies of fresh water.

The Auckland Emergency Management site www. aucklandemergencymanagement.org. nz gives information on formulating a ‘home’ plan as well as a ‘community plan’.

THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | JUNE 2019 | 7

Gardeners go to Chelsea

Gardeners in their pink protective gear

T

he road down the hill to the Chelsea Sugar Refinery wound through pleasant parkland of grass and trees, passing the three heritage duplex houses that were originally built in 1909 for Chelsea tradesmen and their families.

The factory buildings are very different from how they were ten years ago. Now they are all painted salmon pink with contrasting window frames, and surrounded by attractive lawns and gardens. It is a beautiful setting, on the shores of the harbour, with lakes and dams and bird life.

Heading north

E

arlier this year the Garden Club headed north to visit gardens in Whangaparaoa and Whangarei The peninsula of Whangaparaoa is today home to beaches, parks and a burgeoning population that has seen the once holiday destination of yesteryear become a satellite town to the sprawling Auckland city. Nestled amongst the infill were two unique properties secluded geographically by their cliff top positions, with the Hauraki Gulf dominating their viewpoint. One at Stanmore Bay was modelled on Thai and Singaporean gardens; lush with big bold foliage typical of the sub-tropics. A zig zagging path leading down to the water’s edge provided access for regular swims and gathering of seaweed for the garden. Despite

While we waited for our group tour, we watched one of the three finalist cakes for the Seven Sharp Rugby World Cup competition being iced. Those who watched Seven Sharp the next night would have seen that it came second. We also saw Hilary Barry in the flesh, presumably coming to offer moral support to the bakers.

A wonderful place to take grandchildren if you ever have an hour or so to fill, is the interactive zone, where you learn how to bake a cake. It was hilarious, although we were occasionally a bit slow to work out what you had to do. It would be a breeze for a five year old.

We began our tour of the factory decked out in pink protective gear, right down to the pink hard hat on board a little train (keep your elbows inside, Peter) and chugged past a the steep gradient, the owner welcomed the challenge the garden’s contours provided, proving to have multiple benefits.

The second garden at Army Bay included mature sprawling Pohutakawas, a profusion of exotic hibiscus and stunning views of the gulf.

Our members also headed further north to Whangarei, home to some not-so-ordinary gardens; Rockhoppers, a private Mexican styled garden resplendent with exotic specimens, the Whangarei Quarry Gardens and the Whangarei Fernery.

The Quarry Gardens was transformed by a determined group of volunteers, removing the old car bodies and spent waste back in 1990. Today its walls provide shelter for its extensive and diverse sub-tropical gardens.

The Plumeria, New Guinea Figs and

8 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | JUNE 2019

derelict wharf with enormous old loading buckets. A high shed held a mountainous 40,000 tonnes of the raw, uncleaned sugar product.

Disembarking from our train we climbed a few of the advertised 180 stairs. Our guide took tours up to six times daily, but seemed to be able to retain his enthusiasm and fresh approach all day. We discovered he was an actor, which explained a lot.

For the rest of the time, we followed the pink line on the floor, learning about the numerous cleaning processes, which seemed very complicated. Heat was used to keep the sugar in a liquid state as it went through the various procedures. The different sorts of sugar were isolated during this time and we learned that they all have the same constituents, none being any healthier than ordinary white sugar.

It was an impressive, well-thoughtout tour that held our interest right till the end. Thank you, Owen Sprosen for your efforts in putting it together this masterpiece of organisation.

By Jan Overington

A sunny trip to Whangaparaoa

Ficus contrast to the vast collection of New Zealand ferns in the Whangarei Fernery. Here you will find the largest variety of native ferns endemic to our shores. Worthwhile taking a visit and exploring a region none too far from our Coatesville environs.

Tanya Ankersmit & Liz Rosie Coatesville Country Garden Club

Designer returns

Jason Ward, a Kiwi architectural designer who has won a number of international design awards while overseas for 15-years has returned home.

While overseas Jason worked in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur. His earlier design experience served him well and he lead a number of high profile international projects, including Shanghai’s 5-star Novartis R & D Campus where he worked with 2016 Pritzker Awardwinning architect Alejandro Aravena, and world renowned architect Kengo Kuma.

Jason is now lead designer and director at KiwiDesigNZ, which services the local Coatesville market, along with the rest of Auckland. He believes that good design influences and enhances a sense of well-being, and this is the inspiration behind all of his projects.

See the Kiwi DesigNZ ad on page 11 for contact information.

Jason with Coatesville client Nathan King

Firewood for sale

If you would like to place an order please email friendsofcoatesvilleschool@ gmail.com or call Jace Steele on 021 331 733 All money raised supports out school

Some of the NZ soldiers' graves at St Nicholas Church, Brockenhurst

Centenary of NZ hospital closing

A

t the end of April we were lucky enough to be on holiday in the south of England, and on Sunday, 28 April, a very special service was held at St. Nicholas Church, Brockenhurst, a village in the heart of the New Forest National Park.

About 200 people gathered to mark the 100th anniversary of the closure of the No.1 New Zealand General Hospital, which was opened in June 1916. By the end of WWI, about 21,000 New Zealand troops had been treated there and the 93 who did not survive are buried in the peaceful graveyard at St Nicholas Church. Their graves, shown above, are meticulously maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Among those attending the service were the Deputy High Commissioner in London, David Evans, and Brigadier Chris Parsons (NZDF), as well as defence force personnel from Australia.

During the very moving service, wreaths were laid and afterward young people from Brockenhurst groups such as Scouts and

Brownies laid garden flowers on each of the 93 graves.

Following the service, afternoon tea was held at the “Barn (Outdoor) Activity Centre on the old hospital site just up the road from the church, and David Evans (NZDHC) presented the Mayor of nearby Lymington (Anne Corbridge) with a New Zealand flag – to replace one gifted one hundred years ago, but had been lost.

For more information, go to: http://Ngatapuwae.govt.nz and follow “Western Front” and Brockenhurst”.

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THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | JUNE 2019 | 9

Rodney Local Board Update by Louise Johnston

Rule Changes for Clean and Managed Fills

I

n the rural area, clean and managed fills have always been an issue with residents. Many fills are not consented and with the relaxed earthworks provisions in the Unitary Plan, this is causing more of a problem. Since I have been on the Local Board there have been three consented cleanfills in Coatesville and Dairy Flat that have been contaminated with asbestos that has had to be removed.

Council compliance operates under the assumption that operators will follow the consent conditions, which many local residents will know is not the case. Locals are often concerned about what is actually dumped in their neighbouring property and many contaminants are not visible to the naked eye and require sample testing to be undertaken. Therefore, I think it is very important that we provide feedback on the Proposed changes to the Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw.

Currently, as part of this bylaw

review, Council are proposing to align the definition of cleanfill with the version used in the Auckland Unitary Plan. As a result, some cleanfills which previously did not require to be approved/licensed, will now be classified as managed fills and require approval.

Cleanfills that receive inert manufactured material such as bricks, ceramics, concrete, tiles and the like would be classified as managed fills and would require an approval from the Council. Cleanfills that receive natural material that consists of soils, sand, rock and other natural resources would continue to be exempt.

The approval process requires the sites to have insurance and health and safety plans. This is a separate process to resource consenting.

My concerns with the proposed bylaw changes are that cleanfills will continue to be exempt, this is still waste and I believe that these sites should be licensed/approved. I am also concerned that under the current

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bylaw there are a number of managed fill sites in Rodney that are operating without a licence/approval and there are no real penalties for doing so.

I think that as part of the approval process, operators that have a history of breaching consent conditions at other clean/managed fill sites, should be taken into account. The approval process should not just be about ticking the boxes.

You can have your say about the Proposed Changes to the Waste Management and Minimisation Bylaw before 16 June. Please go to: https://www.aucklandcouncil. govt.nz/have-your-say/topicsyou-can-have-your-say-on/ proposed-waste-managementminimisation-bylaw-2019amendments-trading-events-publicplaces-bylaw-2015/Pages/default.aspx On another note, if you would like more bus stops added to the new 126 bus route from Westgate to Albany via Coatesville, please provide feedback to Auckland Transport via https:// at.govt.nz/about-us/contact-us/ feedback-form/. Feedback on the new bus service will be reviewed in six months.

Lastly, for the new roundabout at the intersection of CoatesvilleRiverhead and Dairy Flat Highway, I was hoping to be able to report who has been awarded the contract for the construction. However AT has informed me that “the tendering phase for the roundabout took a little longer than anticipated because of the complexities of the project, but the good news is that work should still begin in July/August”. While I understand that construction takes time, I am seriously not impressed! louise.johnston@auckland.govt.nz.

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Classified advertising A1 Sure Services Tree Care All aspects of tree work, stump grinding and land clearance. Qualified arborists. Full Insurance. Free quotes. 446 1258 or 021 175 8660 Agricultural contractor mulching/ gorse clearing, mowing (& lawns), rotary hoeing/seeding, stump grinding, Graeme 027 533 3114 Albany Fences and Retaining Ph Mike 021 635 021 Lifestyle specialist and advice Ph Mike 021 635 021 Busy DebBee Home Organisation $35hr, min three. Debbie Skillcorn 021 169 9656 Carol’s Beauty Therapy & Spray Tanning At 86 The Avenue, Albany.

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Ph Angela 021 0832 9352 Clothes from Shellz Design, made to order, and my range of designer clothing plus alterations.

Michelle 027 472 9080.

Coatesville Handyman All building work and odd jobs around the home, fast and efficient.

Call Mark 022 195 5746 Coatesville Mulch Mowing 1 to 50 acres, local contractor, affordable rates. Phone Warren and Brenda Mills on 415 6503 or 021 191 4195 Connect Electrics For all your electrical solutions, Phone Kris 022 332 6663 or 412 6066 Drapes, Blinds, Shutters: For the perfect fitting window treatments call Linda 09 416 0408, 021 914 121 Alterations & Repair service available. www.interiortailor.co.nz English Tuition Individual or group lessons for NCEA, Cambridge, IB, IELTS, English conversation and grammar. Any level.

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Maths & Physics Tuition. NCEA, IB, Cambridge & Tertiary. Contact Martyn Smit 021 170 9059 msmi042@aucklanduni.ac.nz Pilates in Coatesville Hall, Thursday @ 6pm. Special – 2 free lessons for new clients. $12 school term, $15 concession card and $20 casual class.

Contact Abraham on 021 122 1530 or abrahampardo@gmail.com Scout Marquee for hire, 6m x 8m, $250 per day. Call Garth 447 1863 Who’s your caterer? Beautifully presented, great tasting food, at competitive prices. Phone Helen Cato 415 7771 or 021 211 8223.

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Phone Debbie 021 110 9169 GET IN SHAPE Local private gym for one-on-one training or small group sessions, specialising in weight loss, general fitness and rehabilitation.

Call Debbie 027 4418769.

House/pet minder available Honest and reliable, excellent references. Ph Claire 027 516 1371.

Jenny Armstrong Dog Grooming, 021 053 1609 / 09 426 9904 LAWN MOWING, You Grow & Joe will mow. Lifestyle, commercial and residential. Ph Joe 021 624 494 / joseph@propertyfit. co.nz Garden Maintenance from $300 Local Shearer, + gst per month Kevin Abel, 021 223 Ride on Lawn Mowing from $150 5033 + gst per month

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THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | JUNE 2019 | 11

Reflection and momentum

W

e are well into autumn with an unusual trend seeing Coatesville real estate enquiry increasing. Looking back this is probably no surprise. At the end of 2018 we were given tighter restrictions on lending with bridging finance nonexistent. This was reflected in the number of purchasers that could offer on an unconditional basis with a longer settlement which had been a successful strategy previously.

The majority of contracts at the end of 2018 had to be subject to their house sale. Moving into the first quarter in 2019 we had further speed bumps halting any action from purchasers i.e. there was a lack of confidence with the Government and constant talk of the proposed Capital Gains Tax which, particularly in our lifestyle market, had a big effect on the unknown for purchasers.

There was the welcomed break with Easter which has been the turning point into our second quarter which historically sees a slowdown in the market leading into winter. However, in 2019 this has had the opposite effect with both sellers and purchasers wanting to move on with their lives and the opportunities that they want to grab.

As a result, I have been listing a number of new properties over the last few weeks as well as successfully negotiating offers and in some cases bridging has been approved which shows that we are getting more confidence and support from the banks. Moving forward, the strategies I am implementing are different from two to three years ago. Fundamentally, the number of days your property will be on the market, so there is a definite need for property-specific strategies rather than the cookie-cutter method.

Just released are the lifestyle statistics compared to year to March 2018, shown below which make interesting reading.

(Statistics sourced: REINZ.) Call me and let's develop a property-specific strategy that's right for you so we can get started.

Coatesville Lifestyle

Dairy Flat Lifestyle

Median Sell Price

$2,175,000

$1,785,000

% Change

4

-17

Properties Sold

32

38

% Change

-3

-37

Days On Market

105

78

% Change

-6

4

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12 | THE COATESVILLE CHRONICLE | JUNE 2019