Fallen tree for the chop after residents’ long battle
A giant pōhutukawa that fell on the lawn of the Sands apartment complex in Takapuna three years ago can finally be removed, a hearings panel has ruled.
The tree, taking up some 100sqm of the property’s open-space lawn area, is part of Te Uru Tapu / Sacred Grove, a stand of listed trees at the northern end of Takapuna Beach. In a decision issued this month, independent commissioners faulted the reasoning of Auckland Council staff in recommending
consent for the tree’s removal be declined.
Acknowledging competing interests, the decision from Richard Blakey (chair) and Nicholas Manukau found: “The rights and interests of the people and community most affected by the fallen tree, being the residents of the Sands, deserve the greater recognition.”
They were satisfied that the proposal incorporated mitigation to contribute to the long-term integrity and cultural and ecological values of the grove.
told the Observer they were waiting for the appeals deadline to pass next week, before proceeding with arrangements for the tree’s removal. This must comply with strict conditions for handling the tree, with cuttings to be taken from it, myrtle-rust management during disposal and development of a replanting plan after consulting with iwi and council.
To page 2
Branch out... Sands body corporate chair Graeme Marwick beside the tree that fell three years ago
Sands body corporate chair Graeme Marwick and committee member Tascha Rosan
Fight cost residents $100k, with $30k removal to come
From page 1
Residents have so far spent around $100,000 on the case. Marwick said he expected removal to cost at least $30,000.
They are keen to regain their only open green space, unblock paths and move on from a matter they say has caused tension among residents about costs and dealings with council. “Council’s first approach is to say no,” notes Marwick.
Broadcaster Murray Deaker – one of three residents whose apartment courtyard entrances are blocked by the tree – has said in an on-air interview that residents have been typified as “rich pricks”.
Rosan says residents, like council and iwi, are concerned with the health of the trees. Sands residents and those at the larger Mon Desir apartment complex, which also adjoins Te Uru Tapu, are keen to see maintenance inside the neglected, weed-infested grove, a closed-off council reserve. But she fears future tree failings. “[Council] don’t look after the trees,” she said.
The panel noted calls from the residents’ lawyer Bal Matheson for council to better consider precedent and be consistent.
When half the Sands tree split and fell on the reserve boardwalk in 2007, it was speedily removed by council, Matheson pointed out at a hearing in August. Trees that fell in the Mon Desir property in 2017 were also allowed to be removed.
The panel found the residents’ loss of amenity had been downplayed. Suggestions from a council arborist West Fynn and planner Helen Heard that the tree could be bridged or tunnelled or a boardwalk built to provide access were described as “somewhat fanciful”.
The panel rejected evidence from representatives of the Tree Council, iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki and Fynn, who all mentioned cases
Tangled web... Sands residents representatives Graeme Marwick and Tascha Rosan beside the fallen tree’s branches.
Grove propagation suggested by panel
The hearing panel has urged council to look at propagating more pōhutukawa from Te Uru Tapu. “This would be in order to respond to future tree failures and to provide some greater degree of resilience for this important feature in the future,” the panel said.
The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board – which supported the tree’s removal –had advised it was working with mana whenua on protecting and restoring the grove, while Sands residents said they wanted a role in its management. The panel encouraged the parties to
of previous damage to Te Uru Tapu trees. In its finding, the panel said although there were historical cases of interference with trees, this was irrelevant in a case where the subject tree
co-ordinate their efforts
Te Uru Tapu was both a significant cultural and ecological area, but also part of a coastal reserve environment adjoining a high-density residential area, the panel noted.
The board has a $1.1 million budget for grove upgrades that include fixing the seawall to protect tree roots. Upgrade options are being considered.
Sands resident Tascha Rosan told the Observer one possible idea she had was to lie the tree trunk in the grove to decompose.
had fallen naturally.
Nothing suggested Sands residents had been involved in earlier tree harming incidents.
Email: news@rangitoto-observer.co.nz sales@rangitoto-observer.co.nz
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MANAGING
EDITOR: Janetta Mackay
Our team also works on the long-standing and award-winning Devonport Flagstaff newspaper.
Noms-de-plume or unnamed submissions will not be printed. Email news@rangitoto-observer.co.nz
Takapuna Normal gymnast takes gold at Aims Games
Takapuna Normal Intermediate School gymnast Miu Sato (above) claimed gold at the recent Aims games in Tauranga, winning the floor routine in girls’ artistic gymnastics. This year’s games drew around 14,000 Year 7-8 athletes from more than 430 middle schools competing in nearly 30 sports. TNIS sent 71 students, 17 competing in individual sports and 54 in team sports, with the mixed hockey team placing third out of 54 teams.
• Rosmini College also had a champion – tennis player Sam James, the seventh seed, who won the boys singles Division 1 competition beating New Zealand age-group teammates. Patrick Moot from TNIS won Division 4.
John GILLON
Your guide to the North Shore’s best hot chocolate
While the colder temperatures stick around, there’s nothing quite like hot chocolate. It’s a simple pleasure. A good hot drink melts away the chill, one delightful sip at a time. Get ready to discover Takapuna’s best!
Sweetness is a choice: Hot take on hot chocolate, treat it like coffee. If you want it sweeter, add sugar to taste. This can help you tailor the flavour and appreciate the subtle notes.
Temperature is key: The ideal hot chocolate should be warm enough to be comforting, but not so hot it scorches your tongue. This depends on your personal preference but the right temperature (52-60ºC) allows the complex flavours of the chocolate to truly shine. Consistency is crucial: Is it thick and decadent, or light and milky? A good hot choccy finds that perfect balance. To marshmallow or not to marshmallow: Do you prefer the simple elegance of a plain hot chocolate or a cloud of fluffy marshmallows (toasted or otherwise)? Marshmallow in the drink or on the lid? Only you can decide, but we do like to keep an eye out for cafés with a jar of marshies on the counter.
Chocolate quality matters: Ask what brand of chocolate your local café uses. Don’t be shy! High-quality chocolate makes all the difference to the depth and richness of your drink.
Feeling adventurous? Ask your barista about different flavours and spices. Think cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of star anise, or even a touch of Chinese five-spice. Baristas are often passionate about their craft and may even have secret ingredients. P.S please don’t ask for special requests during a rush, wait for a quiet time of day.
Savour the experience: The way you drink your drink matters. There is an interesting study that says even the colour of your cup can influence your experience. What about the material of the cup; do you prefer glass, ceramic or paper takeaway? Take your time and ask (nicely) for what you really want.
Takapuna’s top spots for hot chocolates
Jam Organic Café Street Organics Majestic Café
Mimosa Café Takapuna Beach Café Starbucks
The art of the hot chocolate
Golf-and-more plan mooted for AF Thomas Park
An ambitious Golf Warehouse plan for a nine-hole course on AF Thomas Park in Takapuna, combined with other new sports facilities has raised the ante in the battle for use of council land not required for floodwater detention.
The sports scheme, into which Golf Warehouse says it will put $20 million, includes a driving range and room for a new, expanded and raised Eventfinda Stadium, busy home of North Harbour Basketball and North Harbour Gymnastics.
Golf Warehouse founder and chair Eric Faesenkloet is a North Shore resident.His company’s vision, revealed last week, drew positive comments from Mayor Wayne Brown.
Operators of the existing 18-hole Takapuna golf course are keen to stay on site, reconfiguring the existing course, but their commercial lease has expired.
Golf is in competition with other recreational possibilities for the future use of remaining public park land. But Golf Warehouse says its scheme provides for both, adding 12 covered pickleball courts and mini golf alongside two nine-hole courses – one full size, the other a short course of par-three holes.
Kaipatiki Local Board chair John Gillon, whose board will determine what is done with around two-thirds of the park that council’s Healthy Waters does not want for a wetland, says public feedback will guide decision-making.
This will be sought in October and November, when people will be asked what they want to see done with the land.
“We have been acutely careful, as the body that will hear expressions of interest [EOIs], in not picking favourites,” Gillon said.
Once feedback was considered and board decisions made, EOIs would likely be con-
Sports central... Golf Warehouse’s plan for AF Thomas Park shows a covered pickleball facility next to a mini-golf course across Northcote Rd from Netball North Harbour at the right of this image. Beside these is a floodlit driving range, with adjacent clubhouse. The par-three course is closest to the motorway, while a full-sized nine-hole course runs up to the Eventfinda Stadium at left. Wetland occupies the park’s north-eastern corner.
sidered in March or April next year.
Gillon said he was somewhat surprised to see how well advanced the Golf Warehouse plan was, although he had heard a proposal was expected.
He understood the company had presented to Brown and Planning Committee chair and North Shore ward councillor Richard Hills.
Both Gillon and his board deputy Danielle Grant, who are each seeking one of the two North Shore ward seats on Auckland Council, have acknowledged strong public support for golf having a future at the park.
Grant went further last week, describing the Golf Warehouse scheme as “exciting” in an online post.
Neither golf operator had formally presented various recent schemes to the board, he said. But Gillon said the board had granted a request from the existing course operators to speak at a board meeting this week. This was on the proviso that comments were limited to what it would like to see in the upcoming public consultation. It would not be able to present or lobby on its plans. “I will stop them if they try to sway us either way,” he said.
Healthy Waters has indicated a nine-hole option could fit with its plans.
“We should be a bit neutral,” Gillon cautioned in talking to the Observer.
Both council and Waka Kotahi have ruled out the existing course operators’ “Shoal Bay Solution” to drain water to the sea near Esmonde Rd as a way to allow retention of an 18-hole course.
Owen Melhuish
Plan to help rough sleepers draws
Efforts to help deal with homelessness in Takapuna are slowly gaining momentum, finds Janetta Mackay
People camping out on the steps of the Takapuna Methodist Church on Lake Rd are a reminder to church administrator Cathy Fraser of the need for care outreach in the community.
“Because we’ve had people using our building we’ve had to tread a fine line between compassion and managing things,” she tells the Observer.
It’s a similar story outside the Takapuna Library and Community Services Building, where homeless people have become regulars. Then there’s the bus stops and other sheltered corners around the town centre.
“There are people living cold, under duvets, under trees in Takapuna right now,” says Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Mel Powell. “They gather under the eaves of the library and sometimes set
People have been trespassed and drug implements found in the library car park.
Numbers of homeless people, although small compared with some parts of Auckland, have grown noticeably this year, she says, since emergency housing in Takapuna
A dozen or more homeless people, some
with complex needs and mental health issues, frequent the area, their numbers swelled by more mobile individuals, who live in cars, parking at various spots along the North Shore, including at Milford Beach Reserve, and ranging as far north as Orewa.
The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board last month agreed in principle to put $10,000 towards a 12-month trial of a North Shore “navigator” role to better connect homeless people with services.
Community and church groups behind the initiative have met since then.
Powell said fundraising efforts had secured around $40,000 from philanthropic sources.
The target is $100,000 for the trial to go ahead.
Powell has high hopes that at least some of the other local boards on the Shore will match the DTLB funding pledge, with decisions expected to be made at meetings this month, before the election.
It’s a political hot potato – the DTLB’s pledge was opposed by board members George Wood and Gavin Busch.
Wood said it was a central government matter and he thought the issue was being
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support – and some scepticism
overplayed locally. “If you provide sustenance and help to them they gravitate to your area.”
Busch did support several further recommendations that Wood opposed, which were for council staff to look into venues for a daytime drop-in centre and for investigations of wider funding to continue.
The board unanimously called for council and its homelessness team to be made aware of the growing problem on the North Shore. It will also approach North Shore government MPs to lobby for funding for emergency housing.
The board representative at Takapuna Beach Business Association meetings, Peter Allen, said businesses had definitely been concerned and were considering spending more on security.
Deputy chair Terence Harpur said there was an emergency need that should be responding to, although he hoped this would not be a permanent call on resources.
“We spend money on youth and seniors and disability, so why not homeless?”
Fraser, who is involved in the Onewa Christian Community, part of the North Shore Church Networks group which is working with service providers on how churches and their volunteer might best help, said a Shore homelessness centre was likely
Camping out... A rough sleeper on Northcroft St near Burns Ave recently and (right) a couple outside Takapuna Library
to be somewhere other than Takapuna.
A mobile shower and laundry scheme was one suggestion. She is also keen to see a directory compiled and brochures made available on what help is available already.
The groups involved are looking at running a workshop with experts in the field to help people understand homelessness issues.
“It would be good if next winter something more was happening on the North Shore.”
Meet the woman conquering great walks at 67
Meet the woman conquering great walks at 67
Six months ago, 67-year-old Kathy watched her walking group leave without her. Today, she leads the pack.
“I thought my serious tramping days were over,” she admits. “My knees were complaining with any elevation or distance. It was really tough watching friends go walking without me.”
For decades, Kathy had explored New Zealand’s trails, weekend DOC tracks, South Island summer holidays. Giving up felt like losing part of herself.
She tried everything: rest days, stretching, different shoes. Nothing helped.
Then a newspaper article about Koru FX caught her eye. Well-known Kiwis credited it with keeping them active. Seeing it shortly after at the pharmacy, she decided to give it a try.
“Other gels worried me long-term,” she explains. “This was different, all natural and New Zealand-made.”
She started applying it morning and night. “The cream absorbs quickly. There’s initial warmth, then cooling relief that lasts ages. Within weeks, I was moving more confidently.”
The cream’s 16 natural compounds
create a triple-action formula. Warming oils like black pepper help ingredients penetrate the skin, while peppermint and eucalyptus provide cooling relief. Mānuka, arnica and calendula offer lasting support.
Now Kathy’s back on the trails, even exploring bush walks with grandchildren, teaching them about native birds, sharing favorite spots.
“I’m not running marathons, but I’m creating memories,” she reflects. “That’s what matters.”
Takapuna Q4 on The Boulevard, Smales Farm 09 486 1588 Mairangi Bay 429 Beach Road, Mairangi Bay 09 442 1266 Browns Bay 13 Bute Road, Browns Bay 09 478 5050
Local Body Elections
Countdown on for candidates – and your vote
Voters will need to make some fresh choices about who they want to represent them on the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and Auckland Council for the next three years.
Six seats need to be filled on the board in the 2025 local body elections and just three sitting members are standing in a field of 20 candidates.
Five candidates are contesting the two seats on council representing the North Shore Ward, with interest in this race high after four-term councillor Chris Darby decided against running again.
With voting closing on 11 October, we hope to make the task of choosing a little easier with our eight-page guide.
The pages that follow include profiles submitted to the Observer by the candidates and our coverage of them in action to date.
For voters wanting to judge what they offer in the flesh, we strongly recommend getting along to public meetings in Milford at the end of the month. (Details, page 15).
The meetings are bound to have a focus on topics of local interest, such as flood remediation and housing intensification. Candidates will have a chance to lay out their priorities and questions will be taken from the floor.
They said it...
“Being a councillor is just staying up to midnight answering questions on the community Facebook pages – it will probably get me divorced.”
–
Richard Hills
“This neighbourhood is where I first learned to like myself.” – Kaumosi Opie
“I moved to Belmont 20 years ago, or upper Devonport as I like to call it.”
– Lewis Rowe
The meeting coverage in this issue is from a Devonport event preceding those in Milford, which in the case of the final board candidates meeting also falls too late for our next print deadline. But the candidates’ main points remain relevant to voters in the Observer circulation area.
We hope our overview will be helpful –before you do your own due diligence and make your choices.
– Janetta Mackay
Outside issue echoes at local meeting
Board candidate Karin Horen was put on the spot when questioned about her pro-Israel social-media postings.
Devonport restaurant owner Sam Bratton challenged her over stories she had shared online, which he said were pro-settler and anti-Palestinian, and included the inflammatory words of an Israeli general.
Horen, at first surprised, got to her feet to say, yes, she was born in Israel and “I am a proud Jewish woman”, adding she had children who were Māori and she wanted to represent the local board, not geo-political problems.
The candidate on the A Fresh Approach ticket continued: “Leave politics aside. I’m pro people coming into this country and contributing.” Horen wound up by saying she would be happy to have one-on-one discussions.
It was a smooth reply to a question she later said she expected, but didn’t explicitly answer.
Brown gives Grant a mayoral boost, but will it sway voters?
North Shore council candidate Danielle Grant has won a late endorsement from Mayor Wayne Brown to run as part of his Fix Auckland team.
Grant let the cat out of the bag at the public election meeting for local candidates held at the Devonport Community House on 3 September, ahead of a release from Brown.
“Grant is exactly the kind of clear-thinking, action-oriented councillor North Shore needs,” Brown said.
He cited her proven leadership and com-
mitment to financial responsibility.
At the Devonport meeting, Grant made it clear she hoped to join sitting councillor Richard Hills at the council table.
She was seated between Hills and John Gillon, her colleague from the Kaipātiki Local Board who is also running for council.
Board chair Gillon and deputy chair Grant have worked well together on the board in the same grouping, but he is standing for council as an independent while she was under her own The Shore Choice banner before winning Brown’s endorsement.
In 2022 she ran for council unsuccessfully as a Communities and Residents (C&R) candidate, finishing third behind Hills and Chris Darby, who is not running for another term.
Grant, who moved to Milford from Glenfield several years ago, has previously supported Brown’s priorities.
His backing for her will add extra interest to the five-horse race for two North Shore seats on council.
Grant and Gillon have hedged their bets by also seeking re-election in Kaipātiki.
Local Body Elections
Priorities on parade at first big candidates’ meeting
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board candidates were given 60 seconds to introduce themselves in Devonport this month. In speaking order, here are their main points. Some will front up again in Milford on 30 September. (Meeting details, page 15.)
Trish Deans spoke of her heritage advocacy, roles in community emergency planning and leading Grey Power North Shore and work on the Harmony Hall reroofing project in Devonport. “I want to protect the things we value.” Notably, she did not mention her term on the previous board. To the next one, she hoped to bring “heart and head”.
Pete Cronshaw said he saw challenge and change on the horizon for Devonport, his home of 30 years. Wasteful spending and poor decision making were concerns and better infrastructure and safe footpaths were needed. After years in Lake Rd traffic, the broadcaster had decided: “It’s time to put Negative Nelly to bed and put up or shut up.”
Kimberly Graham spoke of her experience as an advocate for accessibility, sparked by having a son in a wheelchair. The Devonport resident said barriers to inclusion needed tackling: “I see things a lot of things council and the local board miss.” Making sure everyone’s voice counted would be her focus.
Terence Harpur gave his governance and business credentials and said as current board deputy chair he had worked collaboratively and fought funding cuts, which would be an ongoing focus. He would lead with integrity, collaboration and future thinking.
Karin Horen said her journey as a solo mother, cancer survivor, author and in various jobs had underscored the value of community. Being on the board was about legacy, protecting the environment, spending wisely and showing compassion.
Scott MacArthur said his work as a town
planner, including in past roles at council and AT, meant he had a useful skill set. The Belmont resident wants better design standards and says he will bring a “can-do attitude” and advocacy to a board role.
Lewis Rowe, the youngest candidate, said he comes from a family of service, and wanted to provide this for all. Through his Belmont car business he said he sponsored community groups, sports and schools. Encouraging opportunities for youth would be one aim. “I want people to stay here, buy homes, build families and open businesses.”
Garth Ellingham introduced himself with, “I’m Garth and I love the ocean”. From learning to sail at Wakatere Boating Club he went on to sail professionally and then work as an engineer. Realising he was lucky, he wanted to contribute. “It’s time for young people to step up.” Real value would come from protecting the beach, parks, community facilities and improving transport and stormwater, even if the job meant you couldn’t please everyone.
Paul Cornish spoke of his long involvement in sport in Devonport and desire to retain green space and heritage and to enhance the town centre – along with a cyclist’s wish to see the Francis St-Esmonde Rd link built. This was his second go at the board, after missing a seat in 2016, but he said he was aiming at “third time lucky”, counting for this purpose his father having failed to win a seat on a parish board in the UK. He wanted to “save the family honour”, he joked.
Mike Single played up his time on the board of Takapuna Grammar and in rugby coaching. Running through professional credentials, the Bayswater resident said he had the background and skills to listen and advocate for deliverable outcomes. Standing up for and listening to the community needed to be done better.
Infrastructure: speed up investment in flood protection and safe drinking water.
Sport and recreation: greater investment focusing on youth wellbeing, improved facilities.
Economic development: grow our town centres and increase local employment.
Gavin Busch, an incumbent member, was keen to bring his experience back to the board. Budget cuts were a threat to work in progress. The Narrow Neck resident highlighted being a Rotarian, a volunteer fireman and his involvement in sports. Serving was a humbling experience, he said, citing the 2023 floods.
Kamini Schoonbee said after 17 years in New Zealand she wanted to give back. The small business owner and accountant said her skills would be in asking the right questions as the board faced the threat of cuts to its allocated spend. She valued the Devonport Library, Plunket services and the PumpHouse, all of which she had used.
George Wood, another incumbent, stood on his long record in local politics, harking back to the Northern Busway and other successful projects. The job was an important responsibility, requiring attending at every meeting and “being present, reliable and doing the work for community every day”.
Neil Zent, an engineer, said he offered the ability to deliver sustainable solutions, not just quick fixes. He spoke of having lived in Forrest Hill and Sunnynook for 26 years and having raised a family there. As a cyclist, he wants safe connected routes.
Kaumosi Opie gained warm applause in saying her time going through local schools with “curly hair and brown skin” helped her as a young girl from Tuvalu find a sense of purpose, self-acceptance and belonging. After marrying into a Devonport family and raising her family in Hauraki, she wanted to protect the services – including arts and community spaces – that she valued.
• Karlene Reeve, Helena Roza, ,Mary-Anne Cooper, James Rohloff and Kent Tregonning were not at the meeting. Reeve (who was overseas) and Roza (who was unwell) lodged their apologies.
Support Mayor Wayne Brown’s priorities to ‘Fix Auckland’: Stop Wasting Money, Make the Most of our Environment and Manage AT.
Local Body Elections
Down the line... Mike Single (left) speaks for C&R as other board candidates wait while the eyes of the council candidates at right (John Gillon, Danielle Grant and Richard Hills) are drawn to the camera
North Shore ward contenders lay out prime concerns
Richard Hills said as a sitting councillor he wanted to continue his collaboration on Auckland Council, which had included convincing the mayor to halt funding cuts for environmental groups. Delivering water improvement and boosting bus and ferry services were other highlights. He would work against any future cuts to spending on water, flood remediation and the environment.
Building relationships across the table and political divide was vital. Government kept 95 per cent of tax revenue, with just 5 per cent going Auckland’s way, yet council was expected to pay half for roading and faced taking 300 years to renew the city’s footpaths using ratepayer money.
“We need them to come to the table.”
Danielle Grant emphasised her community links in addition to local-board service, including being on the boards of North Harbour Rugby, the regional gymnastics body and Westlake Boys High School. “I’m a proud mama bear,” she said.
Council needed to push back on Wellington and renegotiate expensive maintenance contracts. Community-based deliverers were best, and the role of boards needed upholding through devolving responsibilities to them.
“My super power is collaboration.”
Council needed to push back on Wellington and renegotiate expensive maintenance contracts. Community-based deliverers were best, and the role of boards needed upholding through devolving responsibilities to them. .
John Gillon highlighted that $200 million was collected in rates from the Shore, yet the DTLB faced a $460,000 “fairer funding” cut in an allocation that did not consider the assets it had to maintain. Stormwater was also underfunded. Too much power was delegated to staff, that should sit with elected members. He would work collaboratively, and had good links with councillors
“I will put the North Shore first in all of my decisions.”
Gillon, whose parents live in Devonport (his father Grant was a former local-board chair), said he wanted action on Lake Rd, protection of heritage and no sales of parks. • Eric Chuah and Helena Roza (unwell) were not at the meeting.
Suppor t local spor ts and community clubs
Protect our unique area and environment
Advocate for better stor mwater solutions
Maintain and upgrade community facilities
Greater Funding Spent More W isely
Meet and talk with the C&R candidates: Saturday 20th September
Good Hood Eatery 9.30am followed by Milford Mall from 10.30am
Authorised by David Hay, 73 Carr Rd, Mt Roskill.
Candidates for Devonport-Takapuna Local Board
MARY-ANNE BENSONCOOPER
INDEPENDENT
I was raised in Devonport, Bayswater and later Milford. I am a local and I believe it’s my turn to take action on what us locals need and want. This is our local country and we must do our best for the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and upgrade roads.
GAVIN BUSCH
C&R NORTH SHORE
I am a current local board member and proud of the work and advocacy I have undertaken in the last three years. With experience in governance, and as a financial adviser for over 25 years, I am active across our community within Rotary as well as a volunteer firefighter. I will work in your interest, our community interests, always pushing for the best possible outcome, not just any outcome. For a connected, professional and focused team making sensible decisions, vote C&R.
PETE CRONSHAW
INDEPENDENT
Our community is facing challenges and change. Cuts and closures are not the answer. Once we lose community assets – they are gone for good! My priorities are rates affordability, stopping financial wastage, better infrastructure, clean parks and beaches, protecting heritage, saving community facilities, reinvigorating our town centres and supporting local events and activities. I’m extremely proud to call the Shore home. A vote for me ensures independent decision making that’s driven by a vision for a better future.
TRISH DEANS
INDEPENDENT
PAUL CORNISH
KEEP OUR OPEN SPACES
A resident for 32 years, I helped revitalise the Victoria Theatre and Devonport Squash Club, managed North Shore RFC for four years and continue to organise the Devonport JETS run. Community group governance is my forte and I now look to transfer my skills and energy to the local board. My priorities are easing road congestion, pushing back on housing development and improving seawater quality. Alternative cycling routes are needed as safer alternatives to Lake Rd.
My leadership is independent, transparent and financially responsible – focused on practical outcomes. We can protect what matters and shape a future we’re proud of. I’m committed to an urgent solution for the flood plains of the Wairau, Milford and Sunnynook, progressing the stalled Takapuna Library project, protecting our heritage and environment. As co-chair of Devonport Heritage, president of Grey Power North Shore and assisting many groups, I have built a reputation for building respectful relationships within the community.
GARTH ELLINGHAM
INDEPENDENT
I care deeply for this place. Growing up in Narrow Neck, the sea and community shaped my life and gave me incredible opportunities. As a professional sailor and civil-environmental engineer, I’ve seen firsthand the damage to our oceans and the cost of inaction. That’s why I started LUCKE Apparel, building sustainable solutions with transparency and care. I’m driven by the lack of progress to protect our beaches, push bold transport improvements and ensure spending truly benefits people and our environment.
Local Body Elections
Candidates for Devonport-Takapuna Local Board
KIMBERLY GRAHAM
A FRESH APPROACH
I’ve lived in Devonport for over 20 years, raising three children, including one with severe disabilities who uses a wheelchair. I work to advance accessibility legislation. I have contributed to Auckland Council’s universal design guidelines and, for Waka Kotahi NZTA, developed guidance to ensure three-wheeled cycles are included. I’ve also worked on trail accessibility guidelines. I want to bring this experience to the local board, champion active transport, and deliver safer footpaths, stronger public transport and inclusive facilities.
SCOTT MACARTHUR
A FRESH APPROACH
A Belmont resident and qualified town planner with more than 20 years of experience, I am passionate about, and have the necessary skills to ensure we get, the correct rules put in place to control new development and intensification. These must ensure high quality architecture and protection of our special character areas. I love our beautiful coastline and want to see the green walking and cycling link completed, connecting Devonport through to Takapuna along the western side of the peninsula.
JAMES ROHLOFF
INDEPENDENT
As a Devonport local, I’m driven to provide my young family the same great community experiences and environment I enjoyed growing up here. I will push back at threats to heritage overlay and development of our green spaces. Once lost we will never get them back. With a degree in Psychology & Criminology, my career spans start-ups and publicly listed companies. I bring a creative approach to problem solving, finding “smarter” ways of working to maximise return on every dollar spent.
TERENCE HARPUR
A FRESH APPROACH
Current deputy chair of the local board, I am seeking your vote for another term. I bring expert governance and business skills, careful financial management and an evidence-driven approach to decisions. I am positive and future focused. My priorities include: securing more funding for our local area, improving transport, clean environment, sensible upgrades to facilities, supporting our economy, local events and activities, protecting heritage, enhancing our community wellbeing and ensuring people feel proud of our area. Vote ‘A Fresh Approach’.
KAUMOSI OPIE
C&R NORTH SHORE
Community safety is a priority I will work hard to strengthen. I want to reinstate community policing so residents see officers regularly in town centres like Devonport, Takapuna and Sunnynook, building trust and reducing crime. I will push for improved services for our elderly, such as safer footpaths, accessible transport and programmes to reduce isolation. For youth, I’ll support sports, arts and training initiatives that give positive outlets and help prevent antisocial behaviour.Safety means care for every generation.
LEWIS ROWE
A FRESH APPROACH
A proud local business owner and Belmont resident of 20 years, I am standing to bring a young and energised voice to the local board and continue to support the community I love. With real-world experience in common sense decision-making and value-for-money outcomes, I will listen, engage and work for you, our business owners and be a much-needed voice for our younger generation.
Vote with your children and grandchildren in mind. Vote A Fresh Approach.
KARIN HOREN
A FRESH APPROACH
Published author, entrepreneur and Mindset Coach with over 12 years leading cancer rehab initiatives. With a BA in Communication and Political Science, a Diploma in Psychology and Counselling, and a background in sales and recruitment, Karin brings lived experience and insight. A passionate paddle-boarder, solo mother, and twotime cancer survivor, Karin champions youth empowerment through outdoor activities, mental health, ethnic diversity, inspiring resilience, informed decisionmaking and connection to the coast and ocean. Six Ticks for A Fresh Approach.
KARLEEN REEVE
A FRESH APPROACH
I’m a Devonport local, passionate about our community and championing the environment. I chaired the Devonport Community House for five years, founded North Shore Bluegreens, and have led stream cleanups, conservation forums and Hauraki Gulf advocacy. With 15 years governance experience, plus a background in environmental science and business, I offer a strong record of local action and will bring fresh leadership to protect waterways and coastline, restore marine life and support town centres. Six votes for A Fresh Approach.
HELENA ROZA
ACT LOCAL: REAL CHANGE LESS WASTE
I’m Helena Roza, ACT candidate for the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. I live and work locally, raising my family while running a small business. I’m standing to bring fresh thinking and financial discipline so ratepayers get real value. My priorities are protecting and improving public spaces, keeping beaches clean and safe and ensuring fair parking and accessibility in our town centres. Together, we can achieve practical and affordable improvements that respect our community’s character.
Vote Helena Roza.
Local Body Elections
Candidates for Devonport-Takapuna Local Board
KAMINI SCHOONBEE
C&R NORTH SHORE
I am a small business owner and an Associate Chartered Accountant with a postgraduate certificate in Forensic Auditing. I bring a practical, strategic mindset to problem-solving and take an environmentally conscious, common-sense approach to everything I do. Experiencing the 2023 floods first-hand showed me the pressures our community faces. I believe in making thoughtful, responsible decisions that balance community needs with long-term sustainability. I will advocate for resilient infrastructure, support community facilities and ensure ratepayers’ money is spent wisely.
GEORGE WOOD
C&R NORTH SHORE
Experienced. Effective. Committed to Devonport-Takapuna.
With 24 years of elected public service, I deliver results. This year, in seven months, I’ve lodged 359 requests for service to Auckland Transport plus many for parks and public areas—fixing problems and improving our community. I’ll fight for fairer funding, push Lake Rd upgrades and demand storm water investment. I’ll also restore certainty on the Milford–Takapuna coastal walkway for permanent public access. Proven leadership, action and commitment—what the DevonportTakapuna area deserves.
MIKE SINGLE
C&R NORTH SHORE
I am an active member of our community through sports clubs and coaching rugby and served 12 years on the TGS school board. I am passionate about our area. We need a board that will work with the community to promote sports clubs and encourage youth participation. We need more basketball courts and playing fields. We need better decisions on our environment, roads, public transport, footpaths and cycling tracks. With business and board experience, I bring governance and leadership skills
KENT TREGONNING
INDEPENDENT
Briefs
HEAR THEM IN PERSON
Several chances remain to hear candidates speak, including in Milford.
• Friday 19 September, 1-3pm: Grey Power public meeting with mayoral and council candidates at Netball North Harbour.
• Tuesday 23 September, 7pm: Mayoral and council candidates questioned on local topics at a meeting jointly organised by Milford and Castor Bay residents associations at Milford Baptist Church, 3 Dodson Ave.
• Sunday 28 September, 3-4.30pm: Localboard candidates quizzed on community, environment and arts at the Rose Centre.
Tuesday 30 September, 7pm: Local board candidates get a final turn on the spot at Milford Baptist Church, 3 Dodson Ave.
Have you got Natural Gas or LPG?
Precision Plumbing and Devonport Electrical have come up with a solution for our local clients Many clients are choosing to remove gas in favour of electric HOT Water
When it comes to a replacement hot water many clients are wanting to convert to electricity So we have teamed up to offer our clients a special offer!
A Devonport resident, I have background in Civil Engineering and IT Telecommunications. As my children have now grown up, I feel it’s a good time to put some of my business knowledge towards helping the community. As a ratepayer I am concerned about the seemingly endless call to spend money without any consequence and ability to audit or validate what the money is being spent on. I believe we need to get back to basics.
(Note: Profile not submitted, information taken from council’s election website)
NEIL ZENT
C&R NORTH SHORE
Experienced graduate engineer with the ability to generate permanent solutions to local problems. Committed to preserving and enhancing our neighbourhoods, cut wasteful spending, keep rates low and fix the things that matter. Flood Risk: I will fight for long-term solutions. Lake Rd: I will champion more intelligent traffic strategies that integrate roads, buses and ferries into a cohesive system. Crime prevention: I will push for a return of the Community Constable. Proud resident of Forrest Hill / Sunnynook for 26 years.
Local Body Elections
North Shore ward council candidates
The five candidates seeking two places on Auckland Council make their pitch
ERIC CHUAH
INDEPENDENT
Greetings everyone. I live in Glenfield. Will ensure transparency/ accountability in contract tendering process and staff recruitment with appropriate systems of management implemented. ‘Reacting to situations with ad-hoc solutions resulting in long-term problems’ can be seen by the lack of preventive and preemptive flood mitigation measures in 2023, causing tragic unnecessary loss of lives in Wairau Valley. Auckland Council debt has increased $3 billion to $14 billion (3 years). Advocate for Auckland Futures Fund paltry 5.8% yearly to be reviewed.
RICHARD HILLS
POSITIVE LEADER
SHIP FOR THE SHORE
I build strong relationships to deliver results – better bus services, record investment in environmental and water quality projects, neighbourhood upgrades, new ferries, and restored ferry reliability. I action your requests, supported our community during the floods and secured funding for buyouts and flood mitigation projects. I’m also working with government to stop inappropriate development in flood zones. Your support ensures a strong, experienced voice at council to protect our environment, improve local services, and invest in the infrastructure we need.
Long
JOHN GILLON
PUTTING THE SHORE FIRST
Leadership, experience and commitment to the North Shore. Truly independent.
I will prioritise: cleaner beaches/streams; safer neighbourhoods; fixing Lake Rd and upgrading green route; retaining parkland; restoring slashed local board funding; improving park/facility maintenance; protecting heritage; increasing compliance enforcement; free public transport; keeping rates low. I will fight against: building in flood zones or where there’s insufficient infrastructure; breaching of Unitary Plan rules; congestion charges; downgrading roads to loose chipseal.
ELECTION FACTS
In the last local government elections in 2022, council figures for the DevonportTakapuna Local Board area show there were 43,567 potential electors. Of those, 18,903 (43 per cent) voted, up from 40.9 per cent in 2019. And 3132 of them returned a vote on the last day.
VOTING DEADLINES
Voting closes on Saturday 11 October at noon. Postal ballots were to have been distributed to enrolled voters between 9-22 September. People returning their votes by mail are advised to do so by 7 October. Ballots may be dropped to libraries and supermarkets up to noon on Saturday 11 October. Preliminary resuts announced on Monday 13 October.
environmental
DANIELLE GRANT
THE SHORE CHOICE
After 12 years on the Kaipātiki Local Board, I will stand up for the Shore while collaborating with Mayor Brown on the big issues.
We must control rates, fix infrastructure and manage Auckland Transport. I want to secure flood protection, grow our town centres for local employment and invest in school sports facilities for community use.
meeting tests crowd’s stamina Briefs
It was hard to see the wood for the trees – much less the underlying ecosystem – at Forest & Bird’s public meeting for mayoral and council candidates at the Takapuna Community Services Building.
Event MC Nicholas Mayne spent an inordinate amount of time scene-setting to underline the environmental protection group’s key issues and aspirations when he posed his questions, at times leaving the audience grappling with what was to be answered. The evening meeting held early this month went well over time, meaning that by the time questions from the floor were invited, half the room of about 40 people were ready to head home to bed.
City politics’ tallest timber, Mayor Wayne Brown, didn’t make it to Takapuna for the occasion, but his chief challenger from the centre-left, sitting councillor Kerrin Leoni, presented personably. She made calls to bring back council’s environment committee and put climate change at the forefront of decision-making.
Four other mayoral hopefuls, ranging from newbies to repeat tryers in academic and businessman Eric Chuah and lawyer Ted Johnston, came with a range of messages. Product designer Ryan Pausina was at least on topic, repeatedly waving a picture of a rat trap he had invented
I live in Milford with husband Dave and our two teenagers. Having run my own business, I will make better decisions with your money.
HELENA ROZA
ACT LOCAL: FOR REAL CHANGE | LOWER RATES
I’m Helena Roza, ACT candidate for North Shore Ward councillor.
As a mum, wife and small business owner, I’ve built my life here from the ground up. The council has lost sight of fiscal responsibility, and rates are rising while wasteful spending continues. I’ll deliver real value by lowering rates, fixing roads and footpaths, keeping our beaches safe and backing local businesses. I’ll also defend property rights and push back on anti-car policies. Vote Helena Roza for Real Change.
Johnston and Chuah, who is standing for both the mayoralty and as a councillor for North Shore, largely repeated stump speeches, heavy on budget control and devolution. Chuah noted that Brown was a year older than Joe Biden ahead of the last US election and boldly predicted: “Wayne Brown will not be the next Mayor of Auckland”. Of the three attending who hope to be councillors for North Shore, John Gillon talked of the value of funding local environmental groups and the need to back eco-corridors and monitor sedimentation runoff. He spoke against council selling parks and strips of road reserve to balance budgets
Danielle Grant also spoke of the importance of volunteers and working with mana whenua, but she called for more collaboration across arms of council. “The birds don’t care about a local board area.” The Blue-Green Network for flood remediation was great, she said, but the Wairau catchment work needed certainty on delivery. Richard Hills played up his council achievements, including keeping regional environmental grants funding and helping secure the council deal with government for Auckland flood buyouts and remediation work, and to allow “downzoning” and tougher building conditions in at-risk areas. – Janetta Mackay
Tours and talks aplenty mark Heritage Week on Shore
Auckland Heritage Festival has an “Auckland at Play” theme this year, celebrating sport and recreation in a nod to this year being the 75th anniversary of the city staging the 1950 Empire Games.
The annual festival, which runs from 20 September to 5 October, features new activities across the city and on the North Shore, including a talk on the 20th Century history of sport in Takapuna and an outdoor session on Māori play implements in Devonport.
The Lake House in Takapuna hosts an art exhibition exploring the history of colonial-era collecting and will next month launch a book about its own back-story.
Repeat events from other years include the chance to take a guided tour of the Takapuna Fossil Forest or learn more about the military fortifications on Maungauika / North Head.
A notable omission from previous popular guided tours is the Kennedy Park World War II military tunnels at Castor Bay. These are usually a drawcard, but pending decisions on the funding of maintenance, council is keeping them closed.
But there is plenty more to do, including talks and other tours.
Festival organisers point to the 1950 Games, which attracted nearly 250,000 proud Kiwis to watch world-class athletes in Auckland, as helping propel national en-
thusiasm and confidence. New Zealand won 10 gold, 22 silver and 22 bronze medals as one of 12 competing nations.
Key events in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area, starting with those in Takapuna, include:
• Lake House arts centre hosts The Collectors , an art exhibition by Jacqui Wilkinson in its heritage building. Daily from Saturday 20 September to 9 October. Several artist talks are scheduled, for times see lakehousearts.org.nz
• Takapuna Fossil Forest Walk, with geology expert Bruce Hayward, explores one of the world’s best examples of fossilises forest on the volcanic foreshore between Takapuna Beach and Thorne Bay on Wednesday 24 September, 2-4pm. Will proceed in all weathers.
• Sports in Takapuna in the 20th Century, with North Shore historian David Verran, who will delve into the history of local rugby, football, tennis, bowling, croquet, golf and other sports on Thursday, 25 September, 11am-noon at Takapuna Library’s Rangitoto Room.
• The Vic – A Love Story , short film telling the story of the saving of the oldest purpose-built cinema in the Southern Hemisphere on Devoport’s main street. Showing at the Vic Cinema, Devonport, on 20, 24 and 27 September and 1 October, from 10-
10.30am. Tickets $6, book at thevic.co.nz
• New Zealand toy production and children at play, a talk by author Dave Veart at the Devonport Museum to be held on multiple days between 20 September and 5 October at varying times. Entry by koha. Check devonportmuseum.org.nz for the schedule.
• Guided two-hour weekend walking tours of the gun emplacements and tunnels of Maungauika / North Head, Devonport on Saturdays and Sundays 20, 21, 27 and 28 September and 4, 5 October, between 10am and 2pm. (Wear walking shoes, bring a torch and dress for the weather.) Book through the Navy Museum, ph 09 4455186 or info@navymuseum.co.nz
• Daldy steam tug tour from Victoria Wharf, Devonport. Climb aboard for a look around this 90-year-old vessel, the last of its kind in the world, with its volunteer crew. Tours available for koha between 10am2pm on Saturday and Sundays, 20, 21, 27, 28 September and 4 and 5 October.
• Bricks to Swans: The Crown Lynn Story is recounted by the ceramics museum’s director, Louise Stevenson, on Sunday 28 September 2025, 11am-noon at Devonport Library. Attendees are welcome to bring an item (or photo) to find out more about the story behind a treasured piece from the company’s back catalogue.
Milford / Takapuna Tides
Local board continues support of environmental initiatives
• Devonport-Takapuna Local Board has allocated $217,400 towards environmental programmes.
• Community groups Pupuke Birdsong Project and Restoring Takarunga Hauraki will be continuing their operations with $80,000 each for the next financial year.
• Planting in the Wairau Estuary and the educational group Noughty Wasters will also be funded.
The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board is continuing its support of trusted local environmental groups to the tune of $217,400 for the 25/26 financial year.
The largest part of the funds goes to green heroes Pupuke Birdsong Project and Restoring Takarunga Hauraki each receiving $80,000 towards their environmental programmes for the year ahead.
Both groups play a huge part in organising residents, volunteers, landowners, community groups, schools, iwi and hapū to protect and enhance native biodiversity in the local board area, providing guidance, support, and resources to remove pest animals and plants, increase native urban ngāhere (forests) and organise conservation education initiatives.
“Thanks again to the DevonportTakapuna Local Board for continuing to support the work of community volunteers and our small team of staff to protect these unique natural areas and diverse wildlife.
“The board has been our foundational supporter from the start, and we are excited to have another year of community-led initiatives ahead of us,” says Restoring Takarunga Hauraki Programme Lead Lance Cablk.
More details on the board’s environmental programmes are available online at tinyurl.com/dt-environment.
CONTACT US: aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/devonporttakapuna FOLLOW US: Facebook.com/devonporttakapuna
The board’s environmental funding is also supporting the following projects in the 25/26 financial year:
Wairau Estuary Enhancement
Planting – $30,000
Part of the wider Wairau Estuary Enhancement Plan the board developed to address community demand to improve the health of this highly degraded body of water, this funding will go toward native planting and weed management to improve the overall water quality and biodiversity of the estuary.
Noughty Wasters Zero Waste Makerspace – $27,400
Based in the recently upgraded Devonport Community Recycling Centre (CRC) since 2024, this educational initiative offers workshops to local school groups to “inspire zero waste practices through the power of play, community, and creativity” often incorporating industrial waste that would have otherwise gone to landfills.
On a Curiosity in Motion Day at Takapuna Primary School, students explored scientific concepts such as push and pull forces and Newton’s laws of motion. Mila Edwards (left) and Maia Villanueva played with a board game they designed involving circuits, based on the movements of frogs.
Adelaide bound… the Westlake Girls High School sailing team after winning the New Zealand secondary schools teams racing championship earlier this year
Westlake sailors take on the Aussies
Jess Handley will captain the Westlake Girls High School team at the Interdominion trans-tasman secondary schools regatta in Adelaide this month, with the boost of having a recently crowned world champion in the squad – her sister Charlotte.
Charlotte (14) and Zofia Wells (13) won the RS Feva class world championship in France in August.
Jess said Charlotte’s win would give the Westlake team added impetus to do well in Australia, but having team members overseas at various regattas meant training for the event had emphasised quality rather than quantity.
Racing in Australia would be in Pacer class yachts, different boats to the 420s in
which WGHS won the girls’ division at the national secondary schools teams-racing champs earlier this year.
The girls had managed to source some Pacers to train in.
“They are quite a bit more challenging to sail and manoeuvre,” Jess said.
The Westlake Girls team of Kiera Dimock, Charlotte Handley, Emily Turner, Jess Handley, Julia Nguyen, Bella Jenkins, Danielle Robertson and Gretel Satterthwaite leaves New Zealand on 26 September and returns home after the last day of racing on 2 October.
The top three girls’ teams at the New Zealand secondary schools nationals will race against the top three Australian girls’ teams.
WBHS duo
in Baa-baas
Two Westlake Boys High School first XV rugby players, lock Harry Cornelius and prop Kaiva Tulimanu, have been selected for higher honours following the school’s fourth placing in the national secondary-school playoffs. Cornelius and Tulimanu were chosen for the New Zealand Barbarian under-18 team. But no Westlake players made the New Zealand Schools team or the New Zealand Māori under-18 sides – the two other NZ Rugby highperformance pathway teams. The teams will play each other and a Chiefs selection in Hamilton from 16 to 25 September. Following that, a NZ secondary schools team will play two matches against an Australian under-18 side in Canberra.
Pair make schools squad
Westlake Girls High School netball defender Imani Rasmussen and midcourter Talia Chatfield have been selected for the national secondary schools squad. The pair will attend final trials over Labour Weekend, after which the squad’s 24 players will be split into the top NZSS team and a NZSS A lineup. Both teams will then be involved in a three-day quad tournament, involving opposition from Australia. The top Westlake side is due to play at secondary nationals, where the top 16 school teams compete, in Dunedin from 30 September.
SPRING CLEAN YOUR PROPERTY
Obvious flaws in quick-fix plan include absence of open spaces
Your article “Milford, Sunnynook eyed for high-density housing” (Observer, September 5) exposes real concerns with Auckland Council’s quick-fix reaction to the trade-offs offered by Housing Minister Chris Bishop.
There is a real danger in producing broad-brush plans without full consideration of – or with complete disregard for – all of the issues, on the basis described by Councillor Richard Hills. Experience would indicate that what is produced publicly in print is difficult to change from a community’s perspective.
One can observe obvious flaws in the plan, as the following examples indicate.
1) With the move to much higher density in residential areas around town centres, one would expect the council to plan for and indicate designated open green spaces that in any well-planned high-density urban developments are essential to achieving a quality visual and healthy environment for the well-being of residents. This plan shows no proposed open spaces, in spite of the council being currently in the process of purchasing homes affected by the flood waters – properties that could form the basis of an open-space plan.
2) There were many submissions made on the [previously] proposed Change 78, that in many instances do not seem to have been considered (e.g. concern about three-storey development in narrow streets, and in flood
plains). It also ignores earlier technical reports prepared by both the University of Auckland and the former North Shore City Council on the hydrology of the Wairau Creek, that identified the consequences of excessive urban development in the catchment.
A good example is Stratford Ave, off Shakespeare Rd. This street has only a 12-metre legal width with a carriageway of 6 metres, making it a one-way road with parking allowed on one side. It runs up to the Wairau Creek and was heavily flooded in the 2023 floods. Yet it is zoned on the new proposed plan for Terraced Housing and Apartment Buildings.
The Council has already committed to buying at least nine homes in this street (all now proposed to be within the high-density zone); one reason given is that these residents have no safe escape route. These displaced residents are either elderly or have young families attending the nearby Milford Primary School, and most are struggling to find a suitable replacement home in the area. Would it be reasonable to assume that a six-storey building will not offer a better escape route?
There has not been a great deal of public debate and no consultation with affected residents on the proposed draft at this stage, so thank you for providing information in your articles.
Bob Lang, Milford
Great news that the racquet-sport operator Pacific Padel is to be given a three-year lease over the 1403sqm Block D of the former Anzac Street Carpark in Takapuna Central.
Unfortunately, Auckland Council still plans to sell this area, which includes the bus terminal, for an 8-10-storey high-rise.
Passengers to the CBD, Devonport and Hauraki will then need to queue on the narrow footpath, the former Eke Panuku told me.
A simple re-survey of the plan, which has yet to be registered, would allow the bus terminal to remain in public ownership.
Further, the tiny grassed Block E, (281sqm) adjoining the Lake
Wetland planned as mosquito threat rises
I have returned recently from Italy. While there, probably due to climate change, there was a mosquito emergency, with serious health risks, there and in many other countries of Europe.
It is concerning that here, Auckland Council wants to create a wetland [on AF Thomas Park] in the middle of a large residential area.
I believe that the [drainage to] Shoal Bay solution and improvement of the discharge into the Milford estuary should be implemented as soon as possible even if this is more expensive than creating the wetland. What is important is to avoid any future flooding, but the outcome has to be effective and completed quickly.
With the Shoal Bay and Milford estuary solutions, the council won’t need to spend extra money to widen or straighten the Wairau Creek.
In a newspaper article, Richard Hills referred to the Shoal Bay solution giving “false hope” to the golfers, but with the wetland Richard Hills is giving “false hope” to the Milford community, because the so-called Stage 3 of Healthy Waters will never occur or in any case not for the next 10 years and probably only after another serious flooding.
It is important for the council to review their decision on the golf course.
Franco Belgiorno-Nettis
Rd pedestrian crossing must be re-zoned as a reserve. It looks beautiful but is zoned for a six-storey high-rise.
And the proposed Takapuna Library/Hub? The planned third storey for a 300sqm meeting room and a viewing platform is still on hold. The total cost at mid June for consultants to advise the board about this enormous project is $141,800.
These are two major Takapuna issues which the 20 candidates for the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and the four Auckland Council candidates need to address.
Jan
O’Connor
Veteran artist
North Shore painter Graham Downs is a master of capturing the allure of the local coastline, and which in his latest exhibition looks forward to the slow summer days ahead.
“It’s a beautiful place and my whole thing is about making beautiful paintings,” he says. “I don’t need to go far to do that.”
But he says his seascapes – though they mostly start from life as sketches or gouaches – are less a snapshot of reality than a fleeting impression.
“They’re not really reality – when I paint water I’m not painting what’s naturally there. You never get it like it is, even if you draw it from life, because the tide goes out in two hours. Instead, you’re trying to paint that feeling.”
Downs, whose latest exhibition, At the Water’s Edge, is on at Art by the Sea gallery in Takapuna this month, paints a lot around Maungauika / North Head, handy to home in central Devonport, and the wider Hauraki Gulf.
The fascination with the sea is in the play of light upon it, reflections from the sky and how the light cuts through the water revealing glimpses of what is below. “And it’s constantly moving.”
Being out in nature is a boon. He likes to paint nearly every day, either outdoors or in his home studio. “I paint very intuitively.
Mamils return to Takapuna, older and grumpier
Middle-aged men in lycra (Mamils) should brace themselves for GOMIL, the sequel to one of New Zealand’s most successful stage plays.
The latest acronym stands for grumpy old men in lycra and it is the name of a second play gently lampooning the two-wheeler brigade so often seen racing through suburban streets at dawn.
GOMIL is coming to Takapuna this month, with top-flight actor Mark Hadlow reprising his role as Wayne, cycle-group sidekick to friend Brian from hit play MAMIL
Ten years down the track, now retired and adjusting to family loss, Wayne must deal with a crisis of cycling confidence and new cyclemates who grind his gears. Through this uphill ride he tries to rediscover his love of freewheeling.
Both comedies were written, directed and toured by Gregory Cooper, with the first having been seen by more than 70,000 people.
GOMIL is on a national run and making a one-night stop at the Bruce Mason Centre on Saturday 27 September at 7.30pm. Tickets, $79, from eventfinda.co.nz
captures coastal environment the way he likes it
I don’t think about what I’m painting.”
Downs has been drawing since childhood, which he says has built up the foundation which he calls on for his works today. He advises younger artists that practice is key to finding your flow. “Everything starts with the sketchbook – I tell young people: ‘You just have to draw all the time’.”
He remembers painting his father’s car at age nine. Unfortunately, the “pretty good” first result isn’t in his collection, thanks to the kid from next door throwing up on his pad.
Over the years of exhibiting he has also painted garden and street scenes, but is always drawn back to the ocean.
Downs says he aims to make people’s lives more joyful through his works. At 77, he finds things that were difficult in his younger years have been overcome, but there are new problems with ageing, such as in the flexibility of his hands. But the need to paint and what he describes as the privilege of exhibiting still drives him.
“You come down to the wire with the last few pictures.” Sorting the dozen or so paintings on show meant finding new favourites from among his contenders.
“I paint nature the way I want it to be.”
• Graham Downs: At the Water’s Edge is on until 30 September at Art by the Sea gallery, 162 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna.
Pottering about... Graham Downs’ painting Memories – Yellow Bucket is redolent of summer
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