18 February 2022 Rangitoto Observer

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Downsized Takapuna Market returns... p2

Issue 75 –15 February 18, 2022 Issue 1 –Issue 2019 March 2019 Issue 1 March – 115– 15 March 2019

Westlake Boys launches immersion classes... p3

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Locals wage war on weeds... p10-11

Cameras to focus on Forrest Hill lane cheats

New cameras will be used to catch motorists sneaking into bus lanes and solo drivers using the T2 lanes through Forrest Hill.

Monitoring will start along the busy commuter route in May or June. While it is unclear exactly where the cameras will be sited, it will be on the stretch along East Coast Rd from Sunnynook Rd down onto

Forrest Hill Rd and then through to Wairau Rd. Auckland Transport (AT) says one or two cameras will monitor bus lanes and up to four will be trained on transit lanes, with tickets to be issued to transgressors.

AT enforcement manager Rick Bidgood told a Devonport-Takapuna Local Board workshop last week that extending the

CCTV monitoring was “playing catch-up” on existing and new zones. The camera range would be about 70 metres, Bidgood said. “We need to be able to prove the vehicle travelled from point A to point B.” Board member George Wood welcomed the deterrent effect to help buses flow better, especially on weekday morning peak hours.

Waste busters tackle estuary edges

Green guardians... Minori Yamane (left) and Elisa Aihara, of Takapuna, at the Wairau Estuary clean-up organised by Conservation Volunteers last weekend. Around a dozen helpers picked up rubbish from the mangroves and young seedlings planted earlier. A lot of construction waste was found in the area, including polystyrene and polythene, said Andrew Hart from the organisation.

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Lake safety gear audit underway before drowning Investigations into how many lifebuoy rings are available at Lake Pupuke had begun prior to a man drowning in the Takapuna lake this month.

The man and his friend were swimming on 1 January about 9.15pm when one got into difficulty, police say. Despite efforts by his friend to save him, the man did not resurface and emergency services were called.

Due to rough conditions, his body could not be found that night. It was recovered late the following day.

The matter has been referred to the Coroner. Authorities have not named the man.

It is understood the family has requested the Coroner to not release his identity.

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Toni van Tonder told the Observer an Auckland Council audit of safety equipment around Lake Pupuke had already been under-way, with “an intention to ensure that there’s an appropriate amount of life-saving equipment around the lake”.

New life rings had been bought for Quarry Lake and Henderson Park prior to the drowning, she said. A life ring is usually located at the jetty near the PumpHouse Theatre, but it is understood this was found to be missing the morning after the drowning. It is not known whether it was used in the search efforts or had already been missing. An alarm system to monitor it is being considered.

“We can’t criticise what [safety gear] was there already until we see the coroner’s report,” van Tonder said. “The increase in popularity of our open spaces has led to a greater need,” she said.

Pupuke is more than 50m deep in places and sometimes murky. As a freshwater lake, it does not provide the buoyancy of salt water.

A number of drownings have occurred there in the last 20 years. In July 2011, Daniel Waata Stoneham, 33, and Tyrone North, 37, died during dive training and in December 2010 Raphael Alualu, 16, drowned after jumping from a cliff in Smales Quarry. Previous drownings occurred in 2008 and 2004.

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February 18, 2022

Sunday market back after long hiatus Takapuna Sunday market reopens this weekend, after six months out of operation due to Covid-19 concerns.

Many other markets had reopened so “we thought we would give it a go,” said co-operator Trish Keith. “We’re just going to hope for the best.”

Stallholders would have to hold vaccine passes and wear masks to set up, Keith said.

This meant she had lost a few unvaccinated stallholders.

Getting clarification on operating conditions had been difficult, she said, with government departments referring her from one to the other.

She had closed down with the August lockdown last year, after also being disrupted February and during the long 2020 lockdown.

Late last year, with the change from alert levels to the traffic light system, she decided to stay shut, despite some other markets reopening.

She said then that this was due to the size of the Takapuna market and its multiple access points meaning checking vaccine passports would be difficult.

“It’s been a one-sided thing. Across the

road, the Shore City mall, they’re not checking anything,” she said last week.

“Sylvia Park has thousands of people walking in” – many of whom were not scanning in.

Keith said returning stallholders were keen to get back to business. But numbers would be down on peak trading pre-Covid, The temporary market site fits 125 stalls, but with some operators taking double spaces, the total number of stallholders will be less than that. At its peak, the market could accommmodate nearly three times that number of stalls, she said, although generally in recent years capacity was only reached around Christmas.

Stalls will be positioned at the Anzac St end of the central Takapuna car park – away from where work to create a town square has begun.

The market will move further south into the completed Waiwharariki Anzac Square in around 18 months’ time.

The car park will then be completely closed to the public to allow the construction of highrise buildings to begin in development deals set to be struck soon by Auckland Council property arm Panuku.

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February 18, 2022

Westlake pioneers immersion classes on Shore

Westlake Boys High School has launched immersion classes in Maori – becoming the North Shore’s first mainstream high school to do so. The move coincides with the school’s naming Maori student Michael Wassell (pictured) as head boy for 2022.

Westlake head of Maori Johnny Waititi said the school had this year for the first time reached 10 per cent Maori on its roll, with its Maori programmes proving an attraction. A move had also been made to introduce bilingual signage around its site.

“Education is changing to be more inclusive,” he says. “Parents know their boys can come to Westlake, but be strong in their Maoritanga.”

Offering immersion classes, where students were taught in Maori, was a step on from bilingual programmes, said Waititi. The classes, initially for 25 students in Year 9 and Year 10s, were for now available in five subjects: social science, te reo, physical education, health and Maori performing arts. What is known as the rūmaki programme is envisaged to grow, with more resourcing for schools with immersion teaching having been signalled by government.

The Observer asked Wessell for a few words about himself and the role (following our earlier profile of other school leaders).

“Ko Michael Wassell tōku ingoa. I was a quiet, young, skinny little kid who grew up in the heart of Beach Haven. I went through the smaller, local, lower decile schools of Beach Haven Primary and Birkdale Intermediate, in and amongst, at most, 400 kids. I had average grades, I wasn’t achieving to the highest degree when it came to academic achievements and I

was content, in my own little bubble – everyone knew everyone and that’s the way I liked it.

“Then I reached the gates of a school I didn’t want to be at, the grand Te Kura Tuarua o nga Taitamatane o Ururoto, Westlake Boys High School. 2500 students, more than 200 staff and a campus that had to be, at the very least, double the size of any school I’d previously been at, and I knew, almost quite literally, no one.

“The skinny little quiet kid was way out of his depth. However, the more I become involved in school life, the more I wanted to be here, the more I felt at home, the more it felt like a whanau.

“I became more involved, I achieved excellence across the board, attempted a drama scholarship paper that doesn’t usually get picked up by a year 12, have been part of winning teams and stellar casts.

“I came so close to first places in many things, and that has brought me here today, to stand as the 2022 Head Boy of Westlake Boys High School. For me, participating and being actively involved in everything is key, because you never know what may come of it. Tūwhitia te hopo!”

Plants bid a frond farewell to ideal of beautification Panuku’s pricey potted palms on Northcroft Rd are dying.

The plants were installed as part of a $700,000 Innovating Streets project to trial measures to make more pedestrian friendly spaces and slow traffic in Takapuna. After public feedback about the cartoonish look and the loss of parking, its extent was modified last year, with some parks reinstated on Huron St and brightly painted road markings reduced there and on Northcroft St. Seven large striped pots and several smaller ones remain on Northcroft St, but their contents are looking decidedly drought-stricken. Huron Pot shot... Palms installed as part of a street upgrade are off colour St plants are in better condition.

Several of the Northcroft St palms are bowed waste of public funds and ask why they are not over, while others have badly browned off, lead- being tended to.

Panuku told the Observer that its project team ing members of the public to comment about the

had been on-site last week to inspect the planters in both streets and had asked the maintenance team to undertake more regular checks and watering based on the dry summer conditions that had been experienced.

“They will be replacing the damaged trees and maintaining the palm planters on Northcroft St this week,” a spokesperson said.

“They are also considering more robust planting options as the damage to the palms clearly shows that the wind-tunnel effect on this street has contributed to their current condition.”

The helfpul observations would be incorporated into the concept design process for the longer-term design for Huron and Northcroft streets, the spokesperson added.

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February 18, 2022

Giving it a go... North Shore MP Simon Watts (left) and DevonportTakapuna Local Board chair Ruth Jackson (in blue, above) tried out waka ama for the first time in the driving rain on Waitangi Day. “it was so much fun,” said Jackson. Two boats, including Moana Nui (below) headed out.

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February 18, 2022

Shore style... A warm beach welcome to a wet Takapuna Waitangi Day celebration, with kaumatua Pita Pou (right) one of the speakers

Hopes held for ongoing Waitangi Day event in Takapuna Waitangi Day was celebrated at Takapuna Beach with a relaxed gathering that community and iwi representatives hope will be the first of bigger events to come.

On a rainy morning, around 50 people gathered on Gould Reserve for a powhiri, followed by waka ama crews taking to the water. Hosting before and after was provided by the Takapuna Boating Club, with its Commodore, James Jordan, welcoming the “coming together” of invited guests. Those who lingered enjoyed a hangi.

Later, Jordan told the Observer that in future years he would love to see thousands gathering on the green overlooking the sea, for a special North Shore commemoration of the day.

Among attendees this 6 February were representatives from local and national government; sailing luminaries, including Olympian Tom Ashley and club president Ralph Roberts; and Monsignor David Tonks from St Joseph’s Catholic Church.

Among iwi speakers were Pita Pou from

Ngati Whatua and Tu Williams.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon attended with North Shore MP Simon Watts, Covid-19 having ruled out the national celebrations at Waitangi usually attended by senior political figures.

Luxon and Watts and Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Ruth Jackson threw themselves into trying waka ama for the first time, after some quick paddling tutelage from Bill Kapea and his teams.

Kapea, who is a driving force of waka ama at Takapuna, put Luxon in the front seat after a few warm-up rides. His steering cut across the path of an elderly woman swimmer, with the boat being brought to a sudden halt before she was towed back to shore clinging to the outrigger.

Footage filmed from afar of the incident was described as a “rescue” on the TV3 news.

Luxon might have been in need of that himself when in informal conversation with waka ama participants he went into election

mode, tallying up what he said was wrong with the country. This included rising costs, such as that of a new public holiday, which this year is being introduced for Matariki, the Maori New Year.

Jackson said the original intention had been for up to 300 people to attend on the day, with this number being dropped to 100 to meet regulations. The rain further reduced turnout, but those present were keen for a repeat.

The aim was for something that was not official or political, said Jackson, but to create a chance for the community to be together and celebrate the day in a way that looked forward, she said.

“Today is a special day,” said Roberts.

He outlined a little of the boating club’s 102-year-old history and accepted an art work from iwi that incorporated nautical and natural themes.

Jordan noted: “The club needs to be more engaged with the community and part of that is engagement with iwi.”

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Briefs

Stormy weekend woes Power cuts and strewn branches from gusty weather were the main effects locally of the tail end of Cyclone Dovi last weekend. The area seemed to be spared the worst of the damage as fire and power company crews scrambled to assist people across Auckland. Power cuts were reported around Becroft Dr, Taharoto Rd, Bracken and Burns Aves and several smaller streets on Sunday.

Vector said extra crews were working “as fast as they safely can”. Tree debris blew onto streets but no major road blockages were reported.

Hills staying Shoreside North Shore councillor Richard Hills has decided against running for the mayoralty, but says he will contest his Auckland Council seat again at the local body elections this year. With a new baby, he said the time was not right to vie for the top job he had been keen on.

Path upgrade ongoing The $1.9 million upgrade of a little-known walkway in Takapuna is running behind schedule. The first section of the Patuone Reserve path, from Auburn Reserve to Greydene Pl, due to be finished over summer, is now likely to open in early April. Delays were down to lockdowns and material supply issues, Auckland Council said. Stage two will run from Greydene Pl to Esmonde Rd, with work scheduled from March until October.

Car crashes in Milford One person received moderate injuries after a crash in Milford last Saturday, police say. A spokeswoman said they were notified of a single-vehicle crash on Shakespeare Rd at 1.21pm.

February 18, 2022

North Shore hospital set to double special beds for virus cases Thirty-seven beds are available for Covid patients at North Shore Hospital, but that is set to nearly double in the next month.

The Waitemata District Health Board, which oversees the North Shore, has two Covid-ready wards – ward 11 and the Cullen ward – with up to 37 negative pressure beds. “We will increase to almost 70 beds over the next few weeks as remedial work is completed and other areas of the North Shore Hospital are made available for the treatment of Covid-19 patients,” the DHB said.

Negative pressure rooms are in place in Covid-ready zones for acute cases who present to the hospital, with four beds in the emergency department and two each in the assessment and diagnostic unit and the high-dependency unit.

But “these numbers should not be interpreted to reflect the maximum number of beds

available at any one time”, the DHB said.

Operating models help the daily management of patients by allowing the “flexing” of beds to meet demand. Flex beds are physical beds which are not always required but are available for use as demand goes up and down.

The metropolitan Auckland DHBs also work together to support each other and manage ICU bed capacity across the region.

Waitemata DHB is also bringing in an extra 150 positions, on top of existing vacancies, across nursing, allied health and administration.

More than half of those staff are already on board it says.

The Ministry of Health is coordinating national management of coronavirus in the community and any surge of case numbers, the DHB said. This includes logistics and supplies, staffing, and testing.

Hospitality feels red-light bite Business in the hospitality trade in Takapuna is down 30 per cent compared with the same time last year, latest data shows.

Traders under the Covid red-light setting noticed an immediate impact from its introduction on 24 January, said the chief executive of the Takapuna Beach Business Association, Terence Harpur.

“If extra government support is not given in the coming weeks and months, we’ll sadly see more business closures and job losses,” he said.

In the week ending ending 6 February, total retail spend in Takapuna was down 21.8 per cent compared with the same week in 2021. The drop for cafes, bars and restaurants was more pronounced, he said, with figures showing trade across the hospitality and accommodation sector down 30.5 per cent. Clothing and footwear sellers were also badly impacted, with food, liquor and pharmacies doing a bit better, but still down

15.7 per cent as shoppers stayed away.

Harpur called for the reintroduction of government support packages for businesses showing a 30 per cent or more loss, saying as the Omicron variant swept through the country more patrons and staff would be forced into self-isolation.

“The coming months will be the toughest time for businesses since the Covid pandemic started two years ago. Let’s not forget businesses have still not recovered from Auckland’s four-month lockdown.”

As well as the revenue drop, businesses were also finding it tough due to lack of staff, supply issues, office employees working from home, and inflationary costs.

The short-term absence payment and leave support scheme helped, but did not go far enough, he said.

“I’d like to see our political leaders talk more about Kiwis needing to return to life as usual, albeit with restrictions,” Harpur said.

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February 18, 2022

Coping with Covid: a local family’s story A Hauraki family of four isolating with Covid-19 say they are happy to talk about it to help normalise the experience for the rest of the community – many of whom may well catch the virus as Omicron spreads. Janetta Mackay reports.

Omicron has had a domino effect on the Corbetts, since younger daughter Hannah, aged 17, returned from the Soundsplash music festival unknowingly carrying it.

Father, Blair – who collected her and some Takapuna Grammar School friends from the weekend event near Hamilton on 23 January – was next to succumb. Sister Georgia, 21, was next, followed by her mother, Rachel, at the beginning of February.

“It’s good for people to know it can happen to everyone,” says Rachel, a nurse.

“And not to be too frightened of it,” adds Blair.

Hannah says that counting herself she knows 15 young festivalgoers who got Omicron. A number passed the virus on, mostly to family. While the initial official local case numbers were said to be just a few TGS students, the vaccinated Corbetts say the wider cluster they know of had soon grown to more than 30 people from families in the Devonport-Takapuna area.

Several weeks after Hannah picked up the virus at Soundsplash she was still feeling the after effects. “I’ve still got all the symptoms,” she says “but it’s a lot more mild than at the start.”

The Year 13 student says she was initially “super tired” when the festival ended. She put this down to the nights away camping with her school friends. They mixed with a handful of other students from Westlake Girls High School and Rosmini College.

“I had a cough, which I didn’t think anything about,” she says. After all, older sister Georgia had attended three other, smaller festivals over summer and been fine.

Back home on the Sunday and after feeling sick and not sleeping well, Hannah took a Covid-19 test on Tuesday. By then some in the camping group had already started testing positive.

While Hannah was stressing for the two days it took to get her result, her father, an IT specialist who was working from home, began to feel unwell. Blair says it was like having a bad cold and a sore throat for a few days – although his wife says it was more like a nasty flu. “They had a couple of days in bed, achy and tired and with high temperatures.”

Rachel was thankful that as she was already isolating at home due to Hannah, she didn’t go into the Takapuna skin clinic where she works. “I could have put everyone there into isolation,” she says. Another relief is her mother and brother have now been cleared, after having to isolate as close contacts.

Both Rachel and Georgia – who is in her final year of studying nursing at AUT – have

Isolating at home the new normal… Omicron spread through the Corbett family: (from left) Blair, Rachel, Georgia and Hannah, with cat Bella had vaccination boosters. The women think this is why when they too got sick they did not feel as bad as Hannah and Blair, who were double vaxxed, but not boosted.

“We hoped we would get a milder form and get back to real life faster,” says Rachel.

“We realised the isolation was going to be 24 days for us if we didn’t get it.” (a sick person needs to isolate for 14 days, with a close contact needing the extra days to show they too are clear).

Omicron can happen to anyone – don’t be too frightened by it say the Corbett family Although some people say if Omicron is coming let it rip, the Corbetts attempted to stave off its spread in the house, by using separate bathrooms and keeping their distance.

As a nurse, Rachel is wary of risk-taking, being mindful it exposes vulnerable people in the community and can be unpredictable.

For her and Georgia, Omicron was like a cold, but Hannah, who had childhood asthma, felt ongoing headaches and joint pains.

Georgia had to miss a friend’s 21st birthday party. Instead, it was long, hot summer weekends cooped up at home, with the beach out of reach down the road.

“Even to just go out for a walk,” Rachel says wistfully.

The family has had to wait for a staggered series of permissions from the Ministry of Health to leave isolation. They were

provided with pulse oxymeters to monitor themselves. Other than some “really conflicting advice” about when isolation periods are counted from – the onset of symptoms or a positive test – they have been happy with health support, including daily phone check-ins.

Online supermarket deliveries, supplemented by drop-offs from friends have kept them well fed. They are pleased they had stocked up on Panadol and Throaties. “And wine,” adds Blair.

When people learn of their situation, most feel sorry for them. But Rachel says firmly: “There’s plenty of people worse off than we are.”

Blair points to colleagues with family in the United Kingdom who are suffering nasty effects from the Delta virus, including lung damage, hearing loss and long Covid.

“We almost eradicated Delta,” Rachel notes. Omicron is different. “It should be everywhere soon,” Blair predicts.

When the Observer checked back with the family early this week, Hannah had been allowed back at TGS. She is again playing volleyball and working part-time.

Hannah says she is thankful she got sick at the beginning of the school year, rather than later when study and sport may have been more interrupted. And she is not too worried about being singled out as the Omicron kid, given plenty of other students in her age group will be in the same boat.

Her mother, however, adds with a resigned smile: “We’ve already been called the ‘Covid Corbetts’.

Rachel is last in line awaiting her all clear to return to work any day, after what feels like “forever at home”.

“The numbers are definitely getting up there now, we will hear more and more people we know getting it,” she says.

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February 18, 2022

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“A"er such a long lockdown people have had the freedom to enjoy what’s on offer here, and there have been so many things,” says Sco!.

“Right now there’s a cello concert going on which is a retelling of Katherine Mansfield stories via the cello, with everyone socially distanced of course.

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Adds Dell: “We’ve noticed both established and new residents are wanting to get involved in activities.”

A recent booster vaccination clinic held in the village provided more camaraderie too.

“There was definitely a sense of bonding, that people were doing something together to protect each other and themselves,” says Sco!.

Not surprisingly, COVID-19 is still top of mind for people, and

Sco! and Dell believe that’s the reason behind the exceptional surge in enquiries in the New Year, particularly for serviced apartments.

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“It’s something that people are really thinking about now.”

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The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 9

February 18, 2022

having that structure in the day,” says Sco!.

“I have seen the improvement in the wellbeing of residents as they se!le in, they actually seem to grow a few inches taller and get an extra spring in their step!”

Dell agrees, adding that the village team play a vital part in that se!ling in process.

“Knowing that there’s always someone to talk to and something to do, and not always realising that was what was missing

until they’re experiencing it here.”

There has been plenty of interest in independent apartments too, especially with the Stage 4 Patuone block rising out of the ground.

“We’ve been watching that go up really fast and that will be fantastic to complete this part of the village which we expect towards the end of the year,” says Sco!.

“It’s on the highest part of the property so it will have amazing views.”

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February 18, 2022

War on weeds in seasonal full flight

Cut it out... Tabitha Becroft (left) and Hilary Miller deal to moth plant at Barrys Point Reserve. Its seed pods are shown below. Alligator weed at Lake Pupuke, shown flowering by the water (above, right), is being targeted by Michelle Morrison (opposite page).

A group of volunteers is trying to rid Takapuna of moth plant, a “smotherer” that can kill natives.

The Society Totally Against Moth Plants (STAMP) held an information session last month to educate the public about the white-flowering weed. Few people turned up on a summery evening, but Hilary Miller gave a rundown on what to look for – its white flowers and green fruit-like seed pods – and how to tackle the fast-growing vine.

“It’s a smotherer and grows over and above the native plants,” Miller said. It is best to pull it out, including its roots, or if

it is too big, to cut the stem just above the ground and apply picloram. The vine can be left to dry out and die, but any seed pods must also be removed to prevent spread – they carry 600-800 seeds each, Miller said.

The plant’s sap can cause a rash, so gloves and long sleeves are recommended.

It is a myth that the plant is good for the caterpillars of monarch butterflies, Miller says. She had never seen them on it, but she has seen an adult monarch stuck in its sap.

Tabitha Becroft from environmental group Pupuke Birdsong said the plant is a problem across Auckland.

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February 18, 2022

Teeth needed to tackle this alligator Alligator weed (pictured) spreading around Lake Pupuke is worrying determined reserve guardian Michelle Morrison The volunteer co-ordinator of the Friends of Henderson Park has been finding increasing amounts. She wants more public awareness of its creep and for Auckland Council to do more to eradicate it, especially around the lake edge.

“I think residents around the whole lake should know about the risk,” she says.

Morrison has spotted alligator weed between Henderson Park and Sylvan Park and she suspects it is more widespread. She worries about it at the water edge, where it might be picked up on water craft and carried across the lake.

The weed is currently in flower. It spreads easily and once established has long fibrous roots, making it difficult to get rid of.

Morrison says she was surprised it was not on a pest plant list the council provides volunteers who work in its reserves. Pupuke Birdsong Project co-ordinator Tabitha Becroft first alerted her to its incursion and is encouraging the environmental group’s volunteers to look out for it in conjunction with council staff.

But Morrison says it is frustrating trying to get action. Although the council’s local park ranger had arranged for lake-side spraying last September, a contractor had not got all the weed, says Morrison. In another job she reported, just one end of the stretch of weed Stamp it out... Michelle Morrison worries alligator weed is spreading had been attended to.

Until they became aware of the alligaonto natives and under the grass

tor weed problem, volunteers themselves may have been unknowingly transporting it on tools and gadgets they bring along to help in their wider weed clean-up efforts. Morrison even found it outside her garden shed at home.

“We feel a bit miffed that’s a risk we weren’t told of and we were put at risk.”

Volunteers could remove the weed from parks and on the lake strip back from the water-edge, but were hindered by council safety rules requiring the actual lake edge to be tended by the council or its contractors.

West from Henderson Park, Morrison pointed out a large clump of alligator weed in a flax bush by the lakeside. It was also spreading under the grass.

While keeping on the council’s case, she hopes locals will become more aware of the weed and do their bit to keep it in check.

Some residents who mowed or got contractors to mow the lawn between their properties and the lakeside “because the council was not so good at it” might be spreading the weed with their grass clippings without realising it, she said.

Morrison was also aware of a case of a developer having shifted dirt from the bottom of a Hurstmere Rd lake-edge property up to the top of Henderson Park, where the weed spread.

With housing intensification she says the importance of local reserves as places where people can walk and recharge will become more important – as will looking after them.

Boards want enforcement beefed up

Forrest Hill gardeners get to dig in at last

Three local boards fed up with lack of enforcement of council rules around issues such as parking and illegal camping are calling for urgent action and a review before Easter.

Campers caused problems over the summer long weekends with particular issues at Castor Bay and Narrow Neck. Only a skeleton crew of Auckland Council staff was on hand to manage compliance, despite numerous complaints.

But the lack of bylaw punishments was a much bigger issue, Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Ruth Jackson said. “That’s a good example of bylaws that we’re just lacking enough staff and enough legal teeth to enforce.”

The local board, together with the Hibiscus Coast and Kaipatiki boards, wants compliance teams to be urgently provided greater resources, updated training for call-centre staff, and for council chief executive Jim Stabback to order an enforcement review before Easter.

Options could include hiring more compliance staff, routinely contracting out work during peak times, warranting more staff to

enforce rules and addressing council turf wars with Auckland Transport (AT).

One of the more common complaints board members get relate to lack of enforcement when someone reports a problem, Jackson said.

“We are receiving ever-increasing feedback that residents who have taken time to do this have been disappointed, frustrated, or even outright angry that no council staff are available to attend, that response timeframes are too long, and that the issues they have reported – sometimes on multiple occasions over extended time periods – do not get resolved.”

The frustration became more pronounced over long-standing issues – noise, dog control, fly tipping and illegal car parking.

“Frustrated residents ask us, ‘What’s the point in having bylaws if they’re not enforced?’”

The enforcement campaign was not a criticism of council staff, Jackson emphasised.

It was a matter of giving understaffed and overwhelmed teams extra resources. The pressure of the workload had become an identified wellbeing issue for the staff.

Volunteers will converge on Seine Reserve this weekend as the Forrest Hill Community Garden takes shape.

It’s been around three years in the planning, including gaining Auckland Council permission, navigating Covid lockdowns and preparing the site, but volunteer coordinator and local resident Phoebe Atkinson says: “The time has finally come to pitch in and get our hands dirty!”

Residents are invited with, gumboots and a spade, to the inaugural working bee on Sunday, 20 February at 2pm, Soil donated from a local building site will be spread to level a rear section of the reserve ready for planting.

Neighbours helped prepare the site for soil delivery last Sunday. Vaccine passes will need to be shown this weekend.

Those attending are asked to email Atkinson to gauge numbers at communitygardenforresthill@gmail.com

The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 12

February 18, 2022

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February 18, 2022

Replacement of old pipe in Milford will take months

RENOVATING? CONTACT US FIRST! Call 0800 764 846 or visit smithandsons.co.nz

PLAY FOOTBALL AT NORTH SHORE UNITED!

Alma Rd residents will endure roadworks for weeks as Watercare replaces a 60-year-old pipe at a cost of $3 million.

Work will then move onto busy Shakespeare Rd and is set to last until the end of June.

Watercare is replacing 750 metres of 500mm-wide concrete wastewater piping on Alma Rd with a high-density polyethylene pipe which will last longer.

Preparations have started, with underground drilling scheduled from the end of February for around four weeks.

The road will be down to one lane with a diversion option in place. It is a well-used route, often taken by staff at North Shore Hospital to get to parking on nearby residential streets.

It is also a feeder to Carmel College and a thoroughfare to Nile Rd. The second phase of the project on Shakespeare Rd will follow, but the main road will remain open to two lanes of traffic through to its expected completion before July.

“The pipes are being laid using an underground ‘pilot boring system’ which is safer and less disruptive than open-trench excavation,” Watercare said. Drilling will happen in staggered sections.

The project forms part of a wider infrastructure upgrade programme in the area.

NORTH SHORE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB Notice is hereby given that the 148th Annual General Meeting of the North Shore Rugby Football Club Inc. will be held in the Clubrooms, Cambridge Tce, Devonport on Tuesday 1st March 2022 at 7pm.

AGENDA: 1. Apologies 2. Obituaries 3. Confirmation of 147th AGM minutes

EVERYONE WELCOME FROM AGE 4 YEARS

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8. Constitution update

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The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 15

February 18, 2022

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Year 7 Information Evening Thursday 10 March 7-8pm Year 9 Information Evening Thursday 17 March 7-8pm Register to attend at kristin.school.nz or call our Admissions Manager on 09 415 9566 ext 2324.

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February 18, 2022

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Letters

February 18, 2022

Square should be named plain ‘Anzac’

The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 17

Beautiful but dangerous upgrade SUV or a delivery truck were to walk out in front of a car, even travelling at the slow speed of 30km/h.

It is no good writing to council bureaucrats. It would take far too long for anything to be done about this. I know that Devonport-Takapuna Local Board members George Wood, Trish Deans, Ruth Jackson and Jan O’Connor, and Auckland Councillor Chris Darby – Takapuna movers and shakers – read the Rangitoto Observer and can be relied upon to have this fixed before the next issue.

Alex Witten-Hannah

The Hurstmere Rd upgrade is beautiful and was worth waiting for. Sadly, presumably through ignorance, the designers have built in serious dangers for pedestrians.

It is basic Road Code that vehicles should not park immediately before a pedestrian crossing. Why? Because they impair driver vision of pedestrians about to step out on the crossing.

Hurstmere Rd has parking spaces and gardens with plants obscuring motorists’ view of the crossings. I shudder to think what would happen if a child or adult of smaller stature hidden from view by a large

I was shocked to read (Observer, 21 January) that the new Anzac Square in Takapuna is now to be named Waiwharariki Anzac Square.

The Ngāti Pāoa tribe [part of a mana whenua grouping and the lead iwi that gifted the name] was based around the Hauraki region and had little impact on the North Shore. The Waiwharariki district was nowhere near Anzac St. It included Esmonde Rd, Napier Ave and Harley Rd. That is almost to Hauraki Corner.

The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board should consider using the “gift” to rename this area Waiwharariki Hauraki.

As the impressive Anzac war memorial is being relocated from the Strand it would be inappropriate, some would say blasphemous, to name the Square anything other than Anzac.

This is a major issue that needs to be addressed, including with the RSA. The Observer should keep residents informed until the decision is reversed and the sacred name Anzac retained.

Denis Trotman

Give Hurstmere businesses your support

Box of surprises Regarding the box below a development site on Takapuna Beach (Observer, 4 February), it surprises me that the owners seem to have got permission to encroach more on the beach.

This property might have riparian rights, but I thought this was only to mean high water. High water already reaches the current wall.

The Queens Chain also restricts development, but if the land titles are not being altered this is perhaps again not applicable I think others would be interested in what’s happened here.

Blair Thorpe

Al fresco... Enjoying the ambience in made-over Hurstmere Rd Great article about the Hurstmere Rd upgrade being celebrated (Observer, 21 January). It is so good to see people around, enjoying the ambience and the excellent coffee and food from cafes such as Leaf and Loaf, where we can sit comfortably outside.

The outdoor seating there complements sensibly that provided by Auckland Council.

We want a thriving main street – this attracts potential businesses as well as enhancing the atmosphere, and we certainly need to support our local business who have, as a previous letter writer, Anne Stack, said been

“absolute stalwarts to persevere through...” the trials of the last couple of years.

Please, no more businesses having to close. Haven’t they suffered enough?

Many of these local businesses have given so much – in loyalty, constancy and resilience.

Let’s get in behind businesses which are encouraging customers, providing excellent service in a safe, relaxed manner and ensure that we all continue to be proud of Hurstmere Rd. Heather Bell

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www.ofu.co.nz

The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 18

February 18, 2022

Engage Engage y next next hom ho

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What do you reckon is your best home so far? No, not the best sale you’ve ever made or the happiest customers you’ve ever had. What about the office and the brand that works best for you?

An o ce where people genuinely get on with each other, support one another and like hanging out together. An agency where the Principal has heaps of experience, is honestly always accessible, and genuinely loves helping you grow your usiness. A place where your ‘team brand’ is supported and enhanced by the overall brand, not su ocated y it. A place in fact where the level of support you get is almost certainly beyond anything you’ve experienced so far.

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Private, Private, unique unique andand nestled nestled in outstanding in outstanding beauty beauty Wawata Wawata Estate Estate is aishigh-end a high-end gated gated estate estate on on Waiheke Waiheke Island Island – the – the ultimate ultimate blank blank canvas canvas to build to build your your dream. dream.

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The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 20

February 18, 2022

Takapuna cricketers secure spot in T20 final Takapuna Premiers crushed Cornwall last Sunday to book a place in the Auckland T20 cricket final against Auckland University.

In a weather-shortened 17-over match Takapuna bowled Cornwall out for 77.

Captain and left-arm spinner Matt Jones took 3 for 8 in his four overs.

Takapuna then made 82 off 84 balls in 13 overs. Guy Harley scored 36 off 38 balls.

Coach Neil Fletcher said he was “pretty happy” with the result. “We fielded and bowled really well.”

The team travels to Colin Maiden Park for the final which starts at 3pm this Sunday (February 20), with live-streaming. Fletcher is optimistic his side, which won the title two years ago, can strike again.

“We have a strong batting lineup and bat pretty deep…we’ve been in good form since Christmas.”

In the Auckland one day competition Takapuna is first equal with four rounds left, going into Saturday’s match with Eden Roskill at Onewa Domain.

Simon Watts MP for North Shore

National Party Spokesperson for Local Government and Associate Finance & Associate Infrastructure

Your local MP, supporting you and our community 1 Earnoch Avenue, Takapuna northshore@parliament.govt.nz 09 486 0005

Authorised by Simon Watts, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.

Spin doctor… Takapuna captain Matt Jones put in a brilliant spell in the Auckland T20 semi-final.

Support your paper for the price of a cup of coffee.

Go to rangitoto-observer.co.nz and click on ‘Become a supporter’ at the top of the page.

The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 21

February 18, 2022

Local jobs for people living on the Shore Live local. Work local. ShoreJobs.co.nz

Gardener required e’re loo ing for someone to oin our team at Mu y ellies ar ening a local evonport usiness e role involves e ge trimming c ainsa operation planting an general gar en maintenance f you li e eing outsi e ave an interest in plants an gar ening an ant to get strong an fit t en e oul love to c at to you perience is preferre ut not essential as training an gui ance ill e provi e Please call Robin on 0210 060 6260

Lighting Consultant & Stock Controller Full-time f you’ve got e cellent attention to etail appreciate esign e cellence an no lumens from atts you mig t e t e person e’re loo ing for e require an ent usiastic lig ting consultant / stoc controller to oin a small team in our evonport s o room ealing in esigner uropean omestic lig ting ma e furniture an ot er iconic pro ucts or ing full time your primary uties oul e • ealing it customer sales enquiries offering informe lig ting a vice • nventory management to inclu e r ering elivery toc control toc ta e • p ating content on t e ire yn com e site f you li e t e i ea of or ing in a professional retail / service environment an ave an interest in lig ting an esign e’ love to ear from you For further information email jake@fireflynz.com or call 021 471 808

Soft Landscaping Gardener required e’re loo ing for someone to oin our team at Mu y ellies ar ening a local evonport usiness e role involves gar en maintenance an planting le i le or ing ours are availa le to elp accommo ate for sc ool ours or ot er commitments f you li e eing outsi e ave a een interest in plants an gar ening an are loo ing for a frien ly or ing environment t en e’ love to c at to you perience is a ig a vantage ut training an gui ance ill e provi e Please call Robin on 0210 060 6260

Medical Receptionist We are looking for an experienced medical receptionist to work on a casual basis. We are a small medical practice in the heart of Devonport. We offer a friendly, supportive environment with a competitive hourly rate.

The role involves: • Booking appointments using MyPractice and CIR software • Receiving and welcoming patients • Ensuring charges are accurately processed and receipted • Maintaining accurate patient records • General administration We are looking for someone who has the following attributes: • Experience as a medical receptionist • Excellent communication skills • High attention to detail • Works well under pressure • A team player • Warm, professional manner Immediate start welcomed.

To apply please email your curriculum vitae and cover letter to manager@dfmdoctors.co.nz.

Factory Position We are looking for a person to join our team at our business in the Wairau Valley, Auckland. We specialise in the Marine Industry and we are wanting a person who is reliable and keen to learn our products and services and to do packing and processing of orders. Training will be given, but a knowledge of Marine products/Industry would be a help.

The position is full time Mon-Fri 8.00am to 4.30pm. Immediate start would be a plus but not essential.

Please send through your CV to o fice@c a n ro e an anc or .co.nz or call 09 444 8212

Front Door Receptionist e are loo ing for a confi ent ell spo en an frien ly receptionist to oin our general practice me ical centre in Haura i is is a full time position requiring ours per ee Mon ay to ri ay am pm e position is li ely to e in place for up to si mont s ut ill no longer e require once t e ovi out rea eases e receptionist ill e responsi le for meeting an greeting our patients as t ey arrive at t e me ical centre an performing ovi screening processes inclu ing as ing questions ta ing temperatures an scanning vaccine passports ere may e ot er a ministration tas s as e of t e receptionist to complete in quieter times of t e ay is ill e a great opportunity for a sc ool leaver or someone anting to gain e perience in customer service an me ical centre a ministration ull training ill e given to t e successful applicant Please send your cover letter and CV to practicemanager@medplus.co.nz

by Sunday 27th February 2022.

The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 22

Arts / Entertainment Pages

February 18, 2022

Gallery sets up show to help artists find a market

Pick and choose... The Great Arts Sale is back at the Lake House in Takapuna, with this year’s version aiding struggling artists sell their work to the public. “Covid-19 has been so disruptive to our exhibition programme and to sales of art generally everywhere,” said manager Grae Burton. By waiving commission fees, Lake House was looking to help artists get money in their pockets. More than 100 pieces have been submitted so far, with works on show until the end of March. Artists have until 24 March to submit works which are replaced as they sell. A submission fee applies and slow sellers may be discounted over time.

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February 18, 2022

Arts / Entertainment Pages

The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 23

WHAT’S ON @

Takapuna Library

Hightailing it around Takapuna Public art is adding a vibrant touch to local spaces. The Auckland-wide Whale Tales trail includes three works in Takapuna: (from top left, clockwise) I Am the Water and the Water is Me, by Gabriela Nuri Baron, at the beach playground; Just Fowlin Around, by AJ David at the north end of the beach; and Guardian Kaitiaki, at Smales Farm, painted by Isabelle Russell. Photographs still on dispay in town centre store fronts are also worth checking out.

NOW SHOWING C’mon C’mon (M) 110min Licorice Pizza (M) 134min Uncharted (M) 116min The Worst Person in the World (R16) 128min Death On The Nile (M) 127min Marry Me (PG) 112min

NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW

LIVE AT THE VIC

Exhibition: Apertures Angela Morton Room Te Pātaka Toi Art Library Level 1, Takapuna Library 12 February – 25 March

Apertures is an exhibition of poetry, botanical printmaking and book arts by Makyla Curtis. Makyla has been traveling around the country to the places where her ancestors arrived, lived, worked and worshipped, taking impressions from the plant-life and the landscape along the way. The impressions are printed in fabric books recording her journey to find family and belonging, including the hard edges of land theft, sham deals and settlement that has overwritten the landscape and its people. Makyla prints with botanical specimens, sliced driftwood, threads and letterpress moveable type. A collection of poetry printed using risography accompanies the exhibition detailing the different perspectives and ways of looking at family stories via archival research, experiential geography, and print.

Makyla will hold two events to enable visitors to open and handle the books at 2pm on Saturday 12th February and Friday 4th March.

COMING SOON Cyrano (M) 123min 24 FEB Flee (M) 89min 24 FEB Open Mic Night at The Vic 24 FEB The Godfather Part I (1972) 50th anniversary (R16) 175min 27 FEB DC Presents The Batman Fan First Premiere Screening (TBA) 176min 2 MAR The Great Dictator (1940) Rerelease (G) 125min 3 MAR Facing Monsters (E) 90min 3 MAR Skies of Lebanon (PG) 91min 3 MAR Monster Family 2 (PG) 103min 3 MAR

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The RangiToTo obseRveR Page 24

February 18, 2022

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