We've reached Issue 250!
Ever since Rene Bridges launched The Tītīrangi Tatler back in December 2002, the magazine has worked to cover the news, stories, events and people that make our community special.
Rene passed away while the 100th issue was being produced and the publication was also required to change its name with the last Tatler appearing in November 2012. Despite these, and other, challenges, the publication has continued to reflect what is important about our community. The small selection of covers on this issue's front cover hint at what makes our community so special.
People have always been important whether they are participating in Trash to Fashion competitions, enjoying our festivals, sharing their hobbies or just getting dressed up to celebrate the opening of a new op shop.
There have been important news stories to cover including responses to natural disasters and pandemics, the arrival of kauri dieback, and the redevelopment and restoration of Lopdell House.
The publication has always been proud to support and assist with the major events our communities have come to enjoy including Tītīrangi Festival of Music, the Bright Lights Little Village Glow Festival, Eco Day and the EcoWest Festival, and many more.
Above all, the magazine has always believed that Our Place is a special place with a wide variety of unique locations and environments from the wild West Coast to innovative urban architecture, from stunning natural flora to imperious local bird life.
To produce the last 250 issues of The Fringe (and The Tītīrangi Tatler before it) has required the help and support of many people and organisations. Over 35 people have helped with production and distribution since it began, along with countless local organisations from local government down to the smallest community networks. And underpinning the work of all these individuals, organisations and networks is the commercial support of our local companies, retailers and service providers. Without the financial support of well over 100 advertisers, the publication could never have lasted this long. We are very grateful to all our advertisers..
Editor: Bevis England 817 8024, 027 494
Advertising: info@fringemedia.co.nz
Every issue of The Fringe (and the Tītīrangi Tatler before it) since April 2011 is on-line at www.fringemedia.co.nz. Like us on Facebook (www. facebook.com/FringeWest) to hear when each issue is available and get other updates. Delivered free to letter boxes, post boxes, libraries and selected outlets throughout Tītīrangi, Glen Eden, Green Bay, New Lynn, Konini, Wood Bay, French Bay, Waima, Woodlands Park, Laingholm, Parau, Cornwallis, Huia, Oratia, and beyond.
As it starts on its next 250 issues, The Fringe will continue to cover what is important to our community – and it will continue to welcome the support of local advertisers and the contributions of local residents and organisations. This is Our Place and The Fringe is committed to telling our stories, sharing what is important to us and working to improve our community. Thank you for your support. – Bevis England
A Tītīrangi love story
The suburb of Green Bay didn’t exist. Mr La Rosa (for whom La Rosa Street was later named) had a dairy farm in the area and was renowned for his fresh milk deliveries.
It was the 1930s and according to local man John Roche, his parents had a holiday home in Tītīrangi which he remembers as a “pretty, isolated village with green fields and farms” between the Village, New Lynn and Blockhouse Bay. Their property was in what is now Rangiwai Road, except that it wasn’t a real road then and access to the holiday home was from Park Road. Rangiwai Road was put through in the 1940s. John’s family lived in Mt Eden, travelling to “the country” for holidays and sometimes staying at the Tītīrangi Hotel, a luxury international tourist resort promoted as a ‘Castle on the Fringe of Heaven.’ That is now Lopdell House and John “vaguely” remembers his mother bathing him and his sister, Mary, in the “big bath” which is still in the bathroom next to the Upstairs Gallery.
on engine design for Mack Trucks in Plainfield, New Jersey. On a blind date he met a young woman called Anne, a research assistant at Harvard Business School. They married in 1961 and honeymooned in New Zealand. John took up a sixmonth contract in Wellington and Anne became one of the original staff members at Consumer magazine.
“I had to write a story on children’s shoes, which at that time were very expensive. My introduction to New Zealand was travelling all over the place and interviewing 25 shoe manufacturers,” she says.
Around the same time Mr La Rosa delivered milk to residents in the area from urns on the back of his truck. “You’d put out a saucepan, bottle or other kind of receptacle and Mr La Rosa would ladle the milk out into them as he drove along.”
After University and with a degree in engineering, John went to England and later to America where he worked
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With John’s contract completed, they moved to Auckland and went house hunting. The first area on their list was Northcote but the agent Anne called said he was booked up that day so she simply moved to her next choice: Tītīrangi. They came out west, saw three homes in one day and said ‘that’s it’ to one in South Tītīrangi Road. That was 63 years ago and they’re still there because they “love it and Tītīrangi is a special place.”
Their new home was originally a railway house moved to that site about 1929. They wonder if it was perhaps two railway cottages put together as when they were putting new lino down in the kitchen, they found railway sleepers underneath. “A builder had to come and put in a proper floor,” says Anne.
“We were really welcomed into the community. People were now living in the area, not just holidaying, and a lot of action took place at MacAndrew Hall on Tītīrangi Road.”
Built in the 1930s for and by members of the Country Women’s Institute, MacAndrew Hall was the hub of community life in Tītīrangi for more than seven decades. It saw thousands of people pass through its doors for workshops, classes, meetings, plays and all manner of social activities before becoming a private home. Anne and John were among them, loving the joys and kindnesses in their new community.
The pair have many memories of their early days in the Village. “The telephone system was landlines with party lines. It was a toll call into Auckland that cost six pence for three minutes and an operator in Tītīrangi would make the connection for you. If you didn’t have a phone then you’d just have to go on a waiting list and it might take a year to get a connection,” says John.
Many of the roads were unsealed. Park Road was sealed
Anne and John Roche; loving their South Tītīrangi Road home for 63 years so far.
The "big bath" is still in Lopdell House.
sometime in the 1960s followed by Otitori Bay and Tītīrangi Beach Roads. Lopdell House was then a school for the deaf and the post office was on the corner beside it before moving to the other end of the Village.
“There was a little grocery store beside the Toby Jug [a popular bar and restaurant that closed in 2024 after 100 years in business]. We ordered our groceries there and the bread man delivered to our door too. An old couple at the bottom of the road kept us well supplied with flounder. John was an engineer working in the city and commuted by bus,” says Anne, who made quite a name for herself in the community, firstly for being American and then for her energy.
Turned down for a role as a qualified social worker and researcher because she had three young children, she did a diploma in town planning and spent the next 30 years working as town planner for Mt Eden followed by Takapuna and then New Lynn/Glen Eden until the amalgamation with Auckland City. She’s been active as a private consultant, convenor of various community music groups, as a CAB volunteer (for 11 years), helped set up the first Plunket rooms in the Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall and was active in the first play centre in the Village. A talented artist, she gives most of her work away. Anne’s 87, doesn’t think she’s ready for retirement and loves reading stories and playing the ukulele for children (and adults) on a Friday at the Tītīrangi Baptist Church. “The doors are open to anyone. They call me Granny Annie,” she says.
At the age of 95 John plays tennis weekly and is involved with several local groups. The pair have walked all the major tracks around New Zealand. Their memories are sharp and they’re wonderful company with more stories of times past than The Fringe can accommodate here.
“We’ve had a lovely life here for 63 years so far. There’s something special about Tītīrangi. It’s a real community and that’s pretty wonderful,” they agree. – Moira Kennedy
Zig Zag track reopens
A popular local track connecting Tītīrangi Village to its local beach is now open again, as Auckland Council continues its work to restore safe public access, while protecting precious native ecosystems.
Chair of the Parks Committee, Councillor Ken Turner, says the reopening of Zig Zag Track is a welcome milestone for the community.
“We’re really pleased to see much-loved tracks like Zig Zag opening again – it’s a sign of the steady progress being made across the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park to get things back to normal after the extreme weather events of 2023,” says Ken.
Zig Zag Track is primarily used by locals heading down to the harbour and has undergone significant upgrades to improve drainage, stabilise the path, and protect the surrounding ngahere (forest).
CEO of Te Kawerau Iwi Tiaki Trust, Edward Ashby, acknowledges the importance of the ngahere being protected and respected as access is restored to Waitākere Ranges tracks.
“We support the reopening of these tracks in a way that safeguards the health of the whenua and kauri. This land carries deep cultural significance, and we appreciate the partnership approach with Auckland Council to managing its future,” says Ed.
The work is part of Auckland Council’s ongoing programme to reopen tracks across the Waitākere Ranges with stronger safeguards to protect kauri and provide better experiences for walkers.
Smyth Ridge, Kuataika and Zion Hill Tracks are all set to reopen in coming months.
Oratia Orchard disc golf proving popular
There’s a gap in the hedge on the last bend on Shaw Road before Oratia School with a sign saying The Orchard
But this is not just an orchard, it’s a golf course with a difference. This golf game is played with a Frisbee. And judging by the number of cars parked in the vicinity in the weekends, it is clear that this is a popular sport, with players coming from all over Auckland.
Disc golf gets people out into nature, and brings friends and families together exercising and having fun. New Zealand is ranked as the 13th best disc golf country, with an estimated 20,000 recreational disc golfers and 119 courses nationwide. It is now one of the fastest growing sports in the world. New Zealand’s first course was installed in Queenstown Gardens in 1996.
The sport originated in California in 1975 with the invention of the metal basket. The game is wildly popular in the US, where one disc maker estimated more than 5000 people were joining the sport every day. It’s also hugely popular in Finland, where there are more than 600 courses.
Here in Oratia The Orchard course has been developed by local Simon Feasey, an Ultimate Frisbee competitor from way back, turned disc golf enthusiast. He is now a professional player who often competes internationally.
The Orchard is the second course he has created in Oratia. The first is at the Bella Rakha Retreat Centre, where he lives. The Bella Rakha 20-hole course is available to the groups who rent accommodation at Bella Rakha so the course is seldom available for Simon and his disc golf mates.
Having established a relationship with close neighbours, the Sundes, Simon was offered the opportunity to create a course on the Sunde orchard, in return for a monthly tenure and maintenance of the land. Like regular golf, the course needs to be kept mown and free of obstacles. The land was covered in long grass and weedy when Simon first considered the idea but he could visualise how it would shape up, once cleared and mown.
The catalyst for development of the site was to create one of the three venues needed for the Disc Golf New Zealand Nationals in 2024 which involved 240 competitors.
The Orchard is now an attractive, undulating 18 hole course, with the first tee pad being a typical orchard trailer. Summer holds the added bonus of plums for the eating, as you navigate the course. It’s classic Oratia.
Watching Simon tee off the trailer, I was staggered by both the distance to throw and the technique required to curve the disc towards the first basket across the valley. This technical course isn’t for rookies.
Simon is keen to increase participation in the sport and has plans for fun days when beginners can have lessons and learn some techniques. A smaller, less technical course is also planned.
The Orchard has annual or monthly subscriptions, or payment by day or by round (https://udisc.com/courses/ oratia-orchard-disc-golf-course-0zTj) and players have to be members, or accompanying a member when on the course.
You can also choose to pay a $30 subscription to join the Auckland Disc Golf Club (https://aucklanddiscgolf. com/#contact-us) and keep abreast of local happenings by joining the ODGC Facebook page (https://www.facebook. com/groups/762160572242064)
If you fancy your flair with a Frisbee, you could also try one of the free courses around West Auckland. Visit https:// udisc.com/courses to find out more.
– Fiona Drummond
A community effort: Seabird rescue, rehabilitation and release
You may be familiar with the distinctive calls of seabirds, circling over our wild west coast at dusk. The sounds burst over crashing waves, and are particularly obvious during late summer and early autumn.
The “kek-kek” clacks, highpitched whistles, and low moans are petrels. “Ka-hek-ka” are shearwaters.
Every spring, over 85 protected species of seabirds fly home to Aotearoa from across the world.
BirdCare volunteer Ash Jackson (hairdresser at Haxan Tītīrangi) releasing a Tīti/Cook’s Petrel.
During nesting season, adults use the Tasman Sea as feeding grounds, returning to their burrows and their hungry, fluffball hatchlings. Once the babies are less dependent, parents leave the burrows on their long, overseas migrations. Young fledglings have to be fast-learners, and test their hunting and navigation skills to and from the Tasman, before also embarking on long-haul journeys. These young nocturnal navigators are the most vulnerable to disorientation across our dazzlingly-lit city.
Every autumn, locals at BirdCare Aotearoa admit hundreds of juvenile seabirds, rescued from across the city. They are typically found under brightly-lit buildings, towers, the port, street lamps, and sports fields. Auckland CBD is a rescue hot spot, as is Lincoln Road.
Scientists are trying to decipher why the birds crashdive into infrastructure. Does the lighting distract from natural navigational cues (the moon and stars)? Do they see flickering lights as prey? BirdCare’s admission records indicate a steep rise in seabird rescues from 2021 onwards, correlating with the rise of white LED lighting across the city.
Because of their wing anatomy, seabirds need elevation and gusts of wind to take flight. Once grounded, they are unable to feed, drink, or escape from predators. This autumn, BirdCare admitted 140 grounded petrels and shearwaters.
The charity’s rehabilitation programme is extensive. Birds need pain relief, tube feeding, health checks, and physiotherapy to restore feather water-proofing.
The recovered birds are released along the cliffs above Mercer Bay or along the Piha shoreline, to match their native ecology. The darkness of the sky within the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park areas provides a safe sanctuary for these juveniles to return to the moana.
BirdCare is engaging the wider community in the recovery and release effort. While clinical rehabilitation requires specialists, the profound experience of returning taonga to the wild presents wonderful, collaborative opportunities to raise awareness of these vulnerable species. Birdcare invites
many local organisations and interested volunteers to be part of these release events.
Grace, a student from Kōnini School was at one such event. “The dark sky was magical as I looked into the crate full of taonga," she says. "The rain stopped as the first bird flew off into the distance. I felt as if I would fly away with it. All I want people to remember is the dark of the sky is just as precious as the glow of the sun.”
The migratory seabirds have now departed but BirdCare continues with its rehabilitation of its more regular patients – cat-attacked tūī and kōtare; window-strike kererū, ruru and kākā; wind-blown or entrapped pīwakawaka.
The charity seeks environmentally-conscious business partners to help sustain their year-round recovery efforts.
– Dr Rashi Parker, fundraising manager, BirdCare Aotearoa.
"It's about turning hunger into hope."
The cost of living is continuing to rise but charitable trusts like West Auckland’s Visionwest are lending a helping hand, writes KERRY LEE.
Visionwest began in 1982 when members of the Glen Eden Baptist Church gathered to explore ways to support their community. Their vision for a drop-in centre offering care and support became something much bigger. The organisation now offers in-home care, community housing, and a well-being centre, as well as working to alleviate poverty in West Auckland.
A 2022 report, The One Hundred Whānau Food and Financial Hardship Report, found that 62 per cent of respondents faced food insecurity at least once a week, forcing them to eat less, skip meals, or limit their food choices.
Visionwest’s food support programme, Whai Manaaki Kai, provides food to people experiencing a tough time. It provides a social supermarket called Manaaki Kai which opened in 2023, the first of its kind in West Auckland, and Pātaka Kai, a food bank that delivers an estimated 13,500 donated emergency parcels annually to families in need.
“I think there was an article recently about how much food goes into landfills, so it’s great that we’re able to intercept some of that through donated items," says Rāwiri Auty, director of whānau services. "We even have someone in Oratia who is giving up some of their garden to help grow fresh fruit and vegetables for our Pātaka Kai. We really appreciate this kind of support from the community, and it makes a huge difference.
"Last year we provided the equivalent of $1.9 million worth of emergency food parcels, which is huge. There’s such a big need for it,” says Rāwiri.
One of the biggest hurdles for many people is the stigma attached to admitting they need help, but at Visionwest, everything they do is to enhance a person’s mana.
“You will always find a smiling face at the door, and once people have met our staff, they’ll refer their friends and say, ‘it’s not that bad’ and then they come and get greeted, they get more assistance than they’ve asked for. It helps to take away the stigma.
"I understand that people may feel a little embarrassed to ask for help, but in reality, I think everyone’s struggling right now because of the cost of living and the change in prices. We’re seeing a change in the demographic that’s coming to us, so I’d say the stigma’s dropping slightly because people desperately need help.”
Visionwest also offers tailored support to people based on specific needs; by speaking to them and their families, staff can work out what help is needed. This might be counselling or budgeting assistance.
“We’ve learnt that through budgeting, people can get a handle on their finances and their debts, and everything becomes easier. We’ve had some great examples of people leaving their debts behind because they’ve been given the proper support," says Rāwiri.
Giving Day, a special Visionwest fundraising day is to take place on July 29. On this day, every donation to Visionwest will be matched by generous sponsor organisations. That means if you donate $1, it will become $2, doubling the impact of your donation.
“Giving Day is one of our main fundraising opportunities in the year. We raise funds for food because there is so much need for it, especially in the winter when it’s colder and you’ve got more of a decision to make around either heating your home or feeding your family," says Rāwiri. "It’s about turning hunger into hope.”
To find out more, visit visionwest.org.nz or for more information about Giving Day, visit givingday.org.nz.
Renee Manga manages Manaaki Kai, Visionwest's social supermarket.
Settebello wins prestigious award
Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana in New Lynn has placed second in the Caputo Cup.
The Caputo Cup is a professional pizzamaking competition held under the official regulations of the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani (APN). For the first time ever, The Caputo Cup has been held in New Zealand as part of the recent Fine Food New Zealand 2025 exhibition. Its purpose is to honour the authentic craft of Neapolitan pizza while celebrating innovation and technical excellence.
"There are three key features that make our pizza authentic Napoletana and irresistible," says Alberto Sala. "Our dough, our finest quality ingredients and our wood fired oven.
"Our pizza dough is left to rise for at least 20 hours. Pizza made from dough that has reached its maturity this way is light and tasty without leaving you feeling bloated.
"We are proud to use the best and freshest local ingredients for our toppings and some of our ingredients such as our mozarella fior di latte, cured ham, peeled tomato, etc. are imported from Italy leaving our pizza authentic in every way.
"And we are very proud of our wood fired pizza oven. It's imported directly from renowned Ambrogi oven makers in Milan, Italy. The temperature inside the oven is kept at 450500℃ so the pizza gets cooked in less than two minutes."
The cup Settebello won is on display in the New Lynn Pizzeria at 9 Totara Avenue.
www.settebello.co.nz
Where Style Meets Purpose
Hospice West Auckland has launched Flair, a high-end second-hand store in Westgate, building on the traditional charity shop model by introducing a curated retail experience focusing on premium goods.
The new store specialises in quality fashion, accessories, home wares, furniture, art and collectibles, targeting consumers seeking unique items while supporting Hospice.
Unlike conventional op shops, Flair emphasises careful product selection and upscale presentation. "We believe second-hand shopping can still feel special, so we’ve created a space where you can enjoy the experience, discover beautiful pieces and treat yourself," explains Blanka Schuster, Chief Operating Officer at Hospice West Auckland. The emphasis on quality over quantity means visitors can expect to find genuinely special items that would typically command premium prices in traditional retail settings.
Protecting the Waitākere Ranges
Are you passionate about the beauty and grandeur of the Waitākere Ranges? How about joining the Waitākere Ranges Protection Society (WRPS)?
An Auckland-based voluntary group, WRPS was formed in 1973 to stop part of the Ranges becoming a rubbish tip. Since then its vision has expanded to include protecting and conserving the whole of the Ranges from any environmental impact that threatens the area's biodiversity, and environmental and aesthetic values.
The Society supports the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008, restoration planting, weed and pest control, and has fought many legal battles, intervening on planning matters and in public and private works that could threaten the area.
Today, the Ranges face unprecedented pressure from climate change, development, invasive weeds, pests, and unmanaged visitor numbers. There will always be more work to do to ensure that this 30,000-hectare west coast forest, once devastated by logging, will recover its former wonder and beauty.
The Society depends on donations, membership fees, and fundraising to cover its legal and administrative costs and would welcome your membership, or donations, to ensure the sustainability of its work.
https://waitakereranges.org.nz
Located in the shopping heart of Westgate, Flair represents more than just another shopping option – it's an opportunity
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to embrace sustainability while supporting local healthcare services. The circular economy model allows beautiful, pre-loved items to find new homes while generating crucial funding for Hospice care. In time the premises will also act as a community hub to offer regular events, such as fashion evenings, art showcases and Remembrance Services.
Like all Hospice West Auckland stores, Flair welcomes donated goods – this is a place where designer items are given an encore. Special pieces are valued to their worth, finding homes where they’ll be treasured just as much the second time around. (All donations are accepted and items not suited for Flair will be redirected across Hospice's network of stores.)
Whether you're hunting for a vintage designer handbag, a unique piece of art, or that perfect furniture piece to complete your home, Flair invites you to treat yourself while making a difference.
Flair – open 9am-5pm, seven days a week, at 7B Topere Way, Westgate.
Settebello's Alberto Sala at the Caputo Cup presentations.
Small is essential
This is my recipe for keeping sane. Not to ignore the global, national, or even local – but to nourish my head and heart with small moments of beauty; the people creating meaning out of heartache or joy; places where history comes to life; folk who patiently over time clear just one more area of pests and hear the bird song return.
Cliché it may be; but Small Is Beautiful.
I was so vividly reminded of this watching a news item about the Sistema music group in South Auckland. Sistema provides classical music instruments to children in economically stressed communities and creates a learning and performing environment. I’m living with those images of young, almost exclusively Pacifica and Māori, kids; their tiny hands and fingers moving so deliberately over their instruments; faces a study of concentration; moments of joy as they talk about this magic world they have entered. In the scheme of things this is but one tiny pocket of transformation, but it gives hope and refocuses me when I think of the impact on all those families taking pride in their children and wanting them to have access to a creative world.
so check out the website and register for the regular email newsletters and maybe donate?
Note: The best monetary support you can give to this, and any other small organisation you value, is a modest but regular monthly gift.
So I look around me at the small but significant places and people who give their all to ‘change the world’.
The Upstairs Gallery is a perfect example. I see them as a conduit between an expanding community of people who paint, sculpt, print, weave, photograph; most often for the joy of it, or from some inner compulsion; and a place to show that work to the world. It takes hard work and a dose of selflessness to run such a home for community artists, but it is so important. It is where small moments of beauty and transformation occur. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of small galleries spread over Aotearoa; each one a point of local pride; The Upstairs Gallery is our point of pride!
McCahon House is certainly small in size, but it is the vector of a national and international programme of residencies and relationships. One small trigger, that it was the home of our greatest 20th century painter, has generated a programme that feeds our emerging and mid-career artists into professional careers.
Shadbolt House in Arapito Road has the same potential, but as we battle the mud and challenge of foundations and barrier walls, upstairs a programme of small (but perfectly formed) workshops and seminars is emerging. Writing workshops have capacity limits, seminars less so,
Many people remember, with some nostalgia, the glory days of the Going West Writers Festival. Having recently worked on the 25 year photo archive with James Littlewood, I can confirm that they were indeed glorious; but that was then, and this is now. The workshop programme may be minor in scale, but the individual lives introduced to the joys of the written word are transformed.
And so it goes. I want to stop and savour each and every ‘small moment’ that comes my way; bird song, kindness, a slow movie, a great meal with good friends, people who exhaust themselves to serve our struggling communities. (Bernie and Turtle from Give a Kid a Blanket comes to mind – another website where donations are not just welcome, but crucial).
There is such beauty in people who can hold on to that compulsion to serve in the face of such overwhelming need.
Artist of the Month:
Coincidentally, this month I want to celebrate the work of local artist Jill Perrott, who had her first exhibition at the Upstairs Gallery in 1997. Her love for the drama and uniqueness of the West Coast drives and informs her work. Her landscapes and seascapes are held in homes and collections around the country and her main focus is on commissioned works. But the generosity with which she shares her love of art and landscape makes her a perfect exemplar of small acts that cumulatively grow to be a major contributor and influencer to so many lives.
Jill Perrott, exhibiting at West Coast Gallery, Piha, from August 16.
Art & About with Naomi McCLeary
Consider this: murals and art classes in local schools, teaching at the Corban Estate Art Centre and in her studio, judging art awards, village ‘ambles’ promoting other artists and businesses, supplying four Auckland Galleries with work and shared in other public places (library, hospital, etc.). Currently you can view her work in Street Feast, Tītīrangi and in an upcoming exhibition, Edges and Fringes West, at the West Coast Gallery in Piha; opening on the August 16 and running to September 20.
In Jill’s words:
Edges and Fringes West explores more than just geography – it engages with thresholds. These are transitional spaces: where ocean meets land, where permanence dissolves into erosion, and where stillness gives way to elemental movement. .... These works are encounters with a place that is still raw, still resisting, still alive.
Book of the Month:
Grabbing a book at random from my library and making a marvellous discovery, has prompted me to start a short, sharp review section. We’ll stick with books by New Zealand authors, not necessarily current publications; suggestions welcomed.
In 2005 Nigel Cox, newly returned from a curating position at the Jewish Museum Berlin, gave the keynote address at the Going West Writers Festival. Called Before I went blind, it was a funny and erudite response to coming home after five years in Berlin. We were not to know that in less than a year he would succumb to cancer at age 55. I knew he was highly regarded and that his novel Tarzan Presley was both marvellous and controversial (copyright issues had it effectively withdrawn from overseas publication and never reprinted here). So, happening upon Phone Home Berlin: Collected NonFiction (published 2007) has opened my eyes to a most marvellous ‘voice’ Many of the essays cover his time in Berlin and the incongruity of a non-German, non-Jewish guy from the bottom of the world holding a position of such influence. There are so many layers to that ‘voice’; piercingly funny, tender, insightful, sometimes shockingly honest; a brilliant observer and a fumbling participant, especially in his inability to get with the language. I feel that I’ve shared a conversation with someone I would truly like but will now never know. Tarzan Presley (I have a copy) here I come!
Spring is on its way Quality Fashion
(opposite the Library)
Paulo Garcia MP for New Lynn
3069 Great North Road, New Lynn, Auckland 0600
Phone: 09 826 2170
paulo.garciaMP@parliament.govt.nz
Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 November 10am–4pm
Register to be involved before 31 August
To register email
phone 021 149 6707 or register online: openstudioswaitakere.co.nz
561 Blockhouse Bay Road Blockhouse Bay Village
Engage with your MP Scan the QR code to connect, follow, and stay informed
Authorised by P Garcia, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.
Nigel Cox delivers his keynote address at Going West, September 2005. Photo by Gil Hanley.
Places to go – Things to do
Out and About in the West
Event organisers: Do you have an upcoming event you’d like listed in The Fringe? Send the details, including a contact person and number, to info@fringemedia.co.nz.
Readers: While we take care to ensure listings are correct, errors may occur. Check with the contact person if possible, especially over the festive and holiday season
Exhibitions
w – 27, Life in forms, works by Pauline Yearbuiry (Ngaphui); Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – 4, Whetūrangitia, a presentation of works by West Auckland rangatahi including Kākano Youth Arts Collective, Kelston Boys’ High School and Liston College; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; Phone 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz.
w – 10, Matariki – Artworks by Lone Kauri School; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha; Thursday/Friday, 10–3pm. Phone 812 8029. www. westcoast.co.nz.
w – 24, Differences in kind and rhythm, a dialogue exhibition pairing the practices of Italian abstract painter Giorgio Griffa (b.1936, Turin) and local sculptor Peter Robinson (Ngāi Tahu, b.1966, Hakatere); Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w – September 7, Ngā Ringa Whetū, an exhibition of whatui and rāranga (weaving by students from Elam School of Fine Arts; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w 2 – 17, New Winds, Te Uru Art Auction Fundraiser including works in various media by Te Uru alumni artists; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
w 16 – September 20, Paintings by Jill Perrot; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha; Thursday/Friday, 10–3pm. Phone 812 8029. www.westcoast. co.nz.
w August 24 – November 23, Ifs, an exhibition of paintings and works on paper by Anoushka Akel; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
August
w 1, Flicks presents When Fall is Coming directed by Francois Ozon (M, France, 102 minutes), a new thriller/comedy release from Rialto with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10.30am, 6pm and 8.15pm; $16 and $12. Text bookings to 0210 222 5558. www.flickscinema.weebly.com.
w 2, West Lynn Garden Club. Learn new skills, meet new people, monthly speakers, day-trips; West Lynn Gardens, 73 Parker Ave, New Lynn; 9:3011:30am. Contact lynne.hunter@xtra.co.nz, 0210 245 5120.
w 2, Sashiko Stitching Workshop with Lorna from Stitch and Chat. Sashiko is a traditional Japanese form of decorative stitching. All skill levels welcome. Materials supplied or bring your own; Glen Eden Library, 12/32 Glen Dale Road, Glen Eden; 12.30-2pm. Book by phone 09 377 0209 or email Gleneden.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
w 2, German Winter Market - Food carts and stalls, two bouncy castles and lots of family fun; The Crossing Community Centre, 30/44 Kaurilands Road, Tītīrangi; 3-7pm. Contact Katrin Staugaard 021 403 792
w 3, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.
w 4, Banking Workshop with ASB: learn how to recognise and avoid online frauds and scams to keep your money safe; Glen Eden Library, 12/32 Glen Dale Road, Glen Eden; 10.30am-12pm. Book by phone 09 377 0209 or email Gleneden.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
w 8, West Auckland Men’s Rebus Club, guest speaker and morning tea; Friendship Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 10am-12 noon. Phone Vince 021 189 6822.
w 8, Ladies’ Probus Club, fellowship, fun, speakers, and a monthly day trip; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 9:45am-12 noon. Phone Betty 09 832 0484.
w 9, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Michael Young, floorsingers in first half; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 8pm; $15, members $10, under 18 free. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.
w 13, Soup Day. Enjoy hot home-made soup, then take home a goodie bag of ingredients and the recipe to enjoy later; Green Bay Community House, 1 Barron Drive, Green Bay; 12-1pm; Free. https://www.facebook.com/ share/1GD6Lb663g/ Phone 827 3300.
w 18, Henderson Falls Combined Friendship Club – fun, friendship and fellowship with monthly speakers and frequent outings; Henderson Bowling Clubrooms, 2/20 Alderman Drive, Henderson; 10am-12 noon. Contact Joy 837 4646 or 021 267 3544.
w 18, Tītīrangi Ladies Friendship Club, speakers, outings, afternoon tea and friendship; Green Bay Community Hall, Barron Drive, Green Bay; 1.30pm. Phone Diane 817 2239.
w 19, Tītīrangi Library presents a Fun Bead Weaving Workshop. Learn to use a mini loom and try a different type of weaving with beads and yarn. Suitable for ages 8+; Seminar Room, First floor, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 3.30-4.30pm. Bookings required: https://events.humanitix.com/funbead-weaving-workshop.
w 19 – 30, Tītīrangi Theatre presents The 53rd Victim, based on a true story. Written by Pip Hall and directed by Catherine Falstie-Jensen; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road. Bookings at https://www. titirangitheatre.co.nz/.
w 20, Combined Waitākere Rebus Club; St John’s Hall, 247 Edmonton Road, Te Atatū South; 10am-12 noon. Contact Philis on 838 5361.
w 23, Waitematā Country Music Club presents its Annual Concert; Glen Eden Playhouse Theatre, 15 Glendale Road, Glen Eden; 2pm and 7.30pm; $20 or $15 per person for bookings of 10 or more, children free. Contact Kathy 09 817 4994
w 26, Tītīrangi U3A – informal learning for people 50-years plus, guest speakers, study groups; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact Irene Pearcey ipearceyu3a@gmail.com. www.u3a.nz.
w 22, Glen Eden Combined Probus Club: company and fellowship, interesting speakers, morning tea and monthly outings; Glen Eden Recreation and Community Centre, 44 Glendale Road, Glen Eden; 9:45am. Phone Brian Holt 838 5857.
Places to go – Things to do
w 22, Tītīrangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk, an informal gathering of musicians, singers and listeners; Tītīrangi Beach Hall, bottom of Tītīrangi Beach Road; 7:30pm; $5. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.
w 27, Book Launch: Ooey Gooey Louis & Nudie Rudie Boodie by Kirsty Roby and Nikki Perry; Glen Eden Library, 12/32 Glen Dale Road, Glen Eden; 3.30pm. Phone 09 377 0209
w 27, West Auckland Historical Society meeting with co-chair Fiona Drummond introducing movies from the Pictorial Parade archive and a short presentation about Danny Lenditch of Lenditch Construction who passed away earlier this year; Waitākere Gardens, 15 Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson; 7:00pm. Phone 027 496 8382
w 30, New Lynn Repair Cafe organised and run by DEANZ (Doughnut Economics Advocates NZ). Bring your broken items and work with skilled volunteers to fix them; New Lynn Community Centre, Tōtara Avenue, New Lynn; 11am-2pm; Koha. Phone Surbhi Gupta 022 507 0905.
w 30, Book Launch: Precious by Anna Soppet. Anna’s poems focus on special people, places and experiences that make life meaningful. Anna loves the rhythm and flow of poetry, music, and her ideas are woven into lighthearted fiction that brings her readers on joy-filled adventures; Glen Eden Library, 12/32 Glen Dale Road, Glen Eden; 11.30am-12.30pm. Phone 09 377 0209.
w August 31, Tītīrangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall car park and the Titirangi RSA; 10am-2pm. Contact tvm.manager@gmail.com.
September
w September 5, Flicks presents Mr Burton (M), a new drama release from Rialto, the true story of a working-class boy destined for greatness and the teacher who saw it first, setting him on the path to becoming Richard Burton, one of the greatest actors of the 20th century; Tītīrangi Theatre, Lopdell House, 418 Tītīrangi Road; 10.30am, 5.30pm and 8.15pm; $16 and $12 . Text bookings to 0210 222 5558. www.flickscinema.weebly.com
w September 6 – November 9, Campbell Patterson, a survey of video works over 20 years; Te Uru, 420 Tītīrangi Road. Phone 817 8087.
l a i r
Auckland’s New Premium Op Shop
Introducing Flair - our new high-end store in the heart of Westgate, bringing you designer and quality fashion, accessories, homewares, furniture, art and much more.
There is so much happening in and around our community, including many regular events, that we can’t fit everything into these listings. If you can’t see the event you’re interested in, visit: www.fringemedia.co.nz/ourplace
9 Totara Avenue, New Lynn Open Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm to 9pm. For bookings, take aways and deliveries: www.settebello.co.nz Phone: 09 826 0777
Facebook: settebello pizzeria napoletana ... Instagram: settebelloauckland
2B Topere Way, Westgate I Open 9am - 5pm, 7 days
Out & About
550 plants go in the ground
EcoMatters Environment Trust recently collaborated with Mai FM and Auckland Zoo on a community Matariki celebration that saw 550 native plants being put into the ground along the Waitahurangi Stream at Olympic Park, New Lynn.
Over the course of the day, EcoMatters led groups out on stream restoration activities, where they experienced planting and mulching. Attendees also got to know some of the plants used in rongoā Māori, thanks to a guided rongoā trail and tasting session by Emma Haslam.
“It was lovely to see so many whānau bringing their tamariki along, so they could learn first-hand about the stream and how we can work together to care for it. The stronger our relationship with our urban streams, the more we’re aware of how our actions can impact our awa,” says Pamela Gill from the EcoMatters Nature team (pictured above).
Part of the experience included a talk about the way that water flows through our neighbourhoods, and what we can do to ensure our communities are more resilient in times of changeable weather.
“During heavy rain, green spaces like Olympic Park can play a big role in holding more water and taking pressure off our homes and buildings. The plants we planted have been specifically chosen for their ability to stabilise stream banks and withstand wet conditions,” says Pam.
“Of course, they add to the native biodiversity of the stream as well, and play a big part in transforming this area into a thriving haven for our native birds and fish.”
The stream restoration experience was made possible with the support of Auckland Council Healthy Waters and Parks, Emma Haslam (Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāti Hauā) from Love Papatūānuku, Whau Local Board and Whau Wildlink.
To find out more about EcoMatters events, subscribe to their newsletter at www.ecomatters.org.nz/subscribe.
Tītīrangi Library Book Bus
While Tītīrangi Library and the Tītīrangi War Memorial Hall are closed for refurbishment, the new Tītīrangi Book Bus will be operating from the library car park.
The Book Bus is open 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturday but is closed for lunch 12.30-1pm every day.
The library bus will continue to provide a variety of services, including:
• Pick-Up Requests: Pre-ordered items are available for easy collection.
• Browsing Collection: A small selection of popular books and materials for both adults and children are available to browse.
• Returns: Customers can return items during operating hours. Please note there is no afterhours return available.
The library will also run several programmes at nearby venues. Term-time preschool programmes including Rhymetime (on Wednesdays) and Wriggle and Rhyme (on Thursdays) will take place at Tītīrangi Community House, 9:30-10:00am.
Book Chats, a great way to connect with other book lovers, will be held on the first Saturday every month, 2-4pm in the Seminar Room, first floor, Lopdell House and first Tuesday every month, 2-4pm, Tītīrangi RSA Museum, 502 South Tītīrangi Road.
The library will also run a mix of programmes for children and adults at Lopdell Precinct including afterschool activities and special events linked to regional celebrations. For details of upcoming events check the library Facebook page or the Auckland Libraries website.
Full library services are available at nearby libraries in Glen Eden, Blockhouse Bay and New Lynn.
Glen Eden Library children's events
Wriggle and Rhyme, Wednesdays, 11-11.30am. Active movement and brain development for babies and toddlers aged two years and under.
Rhymetime, Thursday, August 14 and 28, 10.30-11am. Songs, movement and finger rhymes for pre-schoolers. Suitable for ages 18 months to three years.
Lego Club, Tuesdays 3.30-4.45pm. Calling all brick builders! Bring your construction skills and join in the LEGO building fun. Suitable for ages 5+
Crafternoon Sessions, Friday August 8 and 22, 3.305pm. Relaxed after-school craft sessions, occasionally games, cooking and STEM activities suitable for children and teens ages from 5 to 16.
Code Club , Thursdays, 3.45-4.45pm. Code Club Aotearoa encourages students to use their imaginations creating games, designing websites, and more. Registration required by phone 09 377 0209 or email Gleneden.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.
Places to go – Things to do Whānau Day – A day of free creative fun in Tītīrangi
Saturday September 13 is Whānau Day in the Village, a fun-filled, free, community event for all ages. From 10am–2pm, organisations across the village are offering creative, hands-on activities for tamariki and their caregivers to enjoy. No bookings required – just drop in any time. Activities are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, but there will be plenty to explore all day long.
Here’s what’s happening around the village:
McCahon House Museum
Take part in an engaging art worksheet designed to spark imagination and creativity as you explore this iconic space.
Te Uru Learning Centre
Join the Tītīrangi Potters to paint your own ceramic heart, or be inspired by the stunning natural landscape to create art with Te Uru educators.
Tītīrangi Community House
Get crafty in an up-cycling workshop using old fabric to make your own fabric flower brooches or colourful bunting.
Tītīrangi Theatre
Go wild in the dress-up bunker! Pop on fairy wings, dance under the lights, and take centre stage in a space made for fun and imagination. Or join an ever-changing line up of guest readers for Story Time as they read aloud some old favourites, and some great new finds.
Tītīrangi Library
Create a vibrant family collage using old magazines, colourful paper, and a treasure trove of crafty embellishments.
Lopdell House Foyer
Keep your energy up with a sweet treat – grab a scoop from Mister Gelato, available for purchase throughout the day.
Finish the Day with a Free Movie
At 2pm, head to Tītīrangi Theatre for a free whānaufriendly movie, thanks to Flicks Cinema.
For full details and updates, visit teuru.org.nz
SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2025 10AM – 2PM TITIRANGI VILLAGE
JOIN US FOR A FUN-FILLED DAY OF FREE CREATIVE ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE VILLAGE. TAMARIKI AND THEIR CAREGIVERS CAN EXPLORE HANDS ON WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS TOGETHER. VISIT TEURU.ORG.NZ FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Meet the Future West team
Future West is pleased to announce its candidates for the 2025 Local Government elections.
Firstly, we wish to acknowledge Sandra Coney, who has decided after 24 years working for Waitākere to retire from active politics. She has served the West as Regional Councillor, Councillor for the Super City, Chair and member of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, as well as Portage Licensing Trust trustee. Dedicated to the West, her passion for protecting and enhancing the environment, and respecting and restoring the West’s unique heritage is a legacy we will continue. She will now have more time for her other passion which is writing. We wish her well and thank her for her mahi.
We have a stellar team standing for election in 2025 who hold a wealth of community and governance experience.
Greg Presland and Mark Allen are seeking re-election to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board. They are joined by Mark Roberts, Michelle Hutton, Hannah Slade and Jess Rose, who is also standing for Councillor in the Waitākere Ward.
Mark Allen has extensive experience in Local Government and previously worked at a management level at Waitākere City Council and Auckland Council. He is a Te Henga resident and has a deep commitment to environmental protection. He was previously the Chief Executive of Community Waitākere and has a thorough understanding of the Community sector. He has served two terms as a Local Board member. Mark has also served on the Waitākere Licensing Trust for two terms including recently as a Director on the management company and is seeking re-election to the Waitākere Licensing Trust.
Greg Presland is a lawyer with 40 years experience and has practiced law in Glen Eden since 1988. He previously served as a Waitākere City Councillor and has been on the Local Board since its inception and is the current Chair. He is particularly proud of his involvement in the passage and management of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act, and his work for the Lopdell House Development Trust, which oversaw the renovation and earthquake strengthening of Lopdell House and the construction of Te Uru Gallery.
Mark Roberts is again seeking election. He has a wealth of business experience and has worked as a Chartered Accountant, CEO and Company Director. His passion for the Heritage Area has seen him be active with many local environmental and community groups. Currently he is working with Pest Free Waitākere Ranges Alliance, South Tītīrangi Neighbourhood Network, Little Muddy Creek Rehabilitation Project, Kauri Rescue, and the Tītīrangi Residents and Ratepayers Association.
Jess Rose is a fresh face for Waitākere, but having served two terms as a Local Board member, is no stranger to Council. She has held governance roles on the Manukau Harbour Forum, Women in Urbanism, and The
Climate Advisory. Jess has an excellent reputation and is well known around the Council table for working collaboratively with others to get good outcomes for the community. With her settling in Waitākere, we are thrilled to have her experience on our team. She has a business degree and an anthropology degree, and has worked in both the private and public sectors across education, housing, transport and conservation.
Michelle Hutton is a Glen Eden resident and a mother of two. She has extensive governance experience in the not-for-profit sector and across the education sphere, including the early childhood, school, and tertiary fields. She currently serves as Presiding Member of the Woodlands Park School Board and has held governance roles at local, regional, and national levels within Playcentre Aotearoa, including serving on the national board and as Co-President. Professionally, she has worked in a range of technical and leadership roles spanning the science, technology, and education sectors. As well as running for the Local Board, she is also seeking to represent the people of Glen Eden on the Portage Licensing Trust.
Hannah Slade is a long-term resident of Piha. She began her career working for the Auckland Regional Council, has been the manager of the Piha Community Library, and has more than two decades of experience working in grassroots community groups, with new migrants and refugees and the disability community. She has worked in programme management and community engagement roles, with a focus on participation and inclusion. She is currently the Accessibility Programme Coordinator for the Auckland Arts Festival. She is also a musician.
Dr Rashi Parker is seeking election with Michelle Hutton to the Portage Licensing Trust representing the Glen Eden area. Rashi’s background is a combination of academia and community work. Previously, she worked as an academic researcher at the University of Auckland, investigating how brain circuits develop, and training upcoming neuroscientists. More recently she has worked in fundraising and advocacy for BirdCare Aotearoa and the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi. She has also performed in leadership roles for community organisations.
BJ Partridge is standing with Greg Presland seeking election to Portage Licensing Trust. He is a lawyer specialising in immigration law. He is eminently qualified for the role and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Laws (Hons), and a Master of Public Policy (First Class Honours). He understands how the law works, and how public institutions should serve people over profit. He also has extensive involvement in sporting organisations, including Rugby clubs and the Welsh Society.
Please vote Future West candidates when voting begins in September.
For more information visit www.futurewest.co.nz
Local Government Elections
What Do You Want from Your Local Elected Representatives?
Linda Cooper, Candidate for Council and HendersonMassey Local Board, shares her opinion:
When we vote for our Auckland Council representatives whether for the Ward Councillor or Local Board members we’re choosing more than names on a ballot. We’re selecting the people we trust to stand up for our communities, protect what we value, and make smart, fair decisions with our resources.
So what should we be looking for?
First, integrity. We need representatives who are honest, transparent, and accountable. People who own their decisions, communicate openly, and put community ahead of personal or political agendas.
Second, experience and understanding. Local issues are complex, from transport and planning to community safety and climate resilience. We want leaders who know how Council works and can hit the ground running, not spend years learning the ropes.
Third, collaboration. Lone wolves don’t get results. We need team players who can work with others, across Council, the Local Board, and the community — to make things happen. Respectful, constructive leadership builds bridges, not barriers.
Fourth, accessibility. Your representative should be someone you see at local events, who returns your emails or calls, and who takes the time to listen, even when it’s hard.
And finally, vision. We deserve leaders who think beyond the next pothole, who care about the long-term well-being of our children, environment, and community identity. They need to be brave and make the hard decisions that may not be popular now but preserve what we value, and make it better.
Strong local leadership isn’t about making noise. It’s about making a difference. When you vote, choose people who reflect your values, know the community, and are ready to serve — not just be seen.
Vote Linda Cooper
Whau Local Board: the Labour team
In this year’s local elections, vote for a Councillor and a Local Board that work for you – the residents of the Whau Ward.
We believe that everybody should have equal opportunity to enjoy living in a harmonious, vibrant Whau local community. We have a strong record of positive results, including funding and expanding community hubs, community safety initiatives, library hours and programming, environmental initiatives, emergency resilience and recovery, and accessibility for tangata whaikaha.
Continued on page 18 >>
Community First
I am Michelle Clayton, your Independent candidate for the Waitākere Ranges Local Board.
I have a background of nursing and social service management but for the last six years I have been a proud representative on the board working with many groups to help them achieve their aims and helping navigate the complexities of council.
I stand for Community First: Prioritising local voices in Council decisions.
• Action on basic maintenance
• Initiatives to make our town centres safer
• Protecting the natural environment
• Funding for community facilities, improving parks and walking tracks
• Community resilience – Champion our Volunteers
• Better public transport and infrastructure
• Parking solutions
I believe in genuine representation and leadership from the grassroots that helps protect the unique character of our area whilst ensuring our community thrives.
If you want me in your corner, Vote Clayton Authorised by Michelle Clayton, 37A Shetland Street, Glen Eden.
Local Government Elections
>> Whau Local Board: the Labour team, continued from page 17
With your support these elections, we can continue our work towards a youth space, retaining essential green spaces, constructing the Whau pool, completing Te Hono, and improving accessibility for disabled residents. Accessibility is a particular passion for our Council candidate, Sarah, who has spent a decade working in the disabilities sector, alongside her passionate and effective advocacy within the Whau Local Board since 2022.
Labour’s 2025 Whau Local Board team is a talented and diverse group of dedicated community leaders. We come from a range of personal and professional backgrounds, bringing both local governance experience and fresh perspectives to this important mahi.
Let’s work together to create strong and safe communities, a sustainable environment, and an inclusive Whau.
Local Government matters for all of us! Make sure you’re enrolled to vote and support Sarah, Kay, Fasitua, Valeria, Aadil, RJ, Fania, and BJ these local body elections.
Future West – Connecting Our People and Championing Our Place
Future West is a coalition of Labour and Green Party members alongside community-minded independents, united in our commitment to protect and enhance the West.
We're open about our political allegiances – they reflect our values – but we are not committed to any one party or ideology. Our focus is always on what’s best for the community.
We stand for reliable, resilient infrastructure; protecting our environment; supporting our communities; and promoting arts, cultutre and thriving town centres.
Out West we all need everyday infrastructure to allow us to connect with our neighbours, our jobs and the greater Auckland Region. We will advocate for safe, low-cost, and
sensible transport options and push for better maintenance of our roads, footpaths, and drains
The West is defined by its natural beauty, and we are committed to preserving and enhancing it. We will protect the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area / Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa and implement the Local Board's Climate Action Plan. We will also improve community resilience to climate change, advance the establishment of a Dark Sky Sanctuary in the Waitākere Ranges and work to ensure our beaches are swimmable year-round
Stronger communities need strong local voices. We will support the construction of Te Henga Marae and deepen our partnership with Hoani Waititi Marae. We will amplify the voices of local residents, community groups, and environmental advocates, advocate for localised Council spending and oppose the sell-off of strategic Council assets. We will also ensure value for money in the use of rates.
Promoting Arts, Culture and Thriving Town Centres
The West’s identity is shaped by its diverse communities. We are committed to supporting local arts, culture, and heritage groups, funding community events and facilities, progressing the long-promised upgrade of the Glen Eden town centre and enhancing the design of growth areas like Swanson and Glen Eden to reflect strong urban design and community values.
Kerrin Leonie – the new energy Auckland needs
Kerrin Leoni is a proud Aucklander, dedicated public servant, and experienced leader running for Mayor to be your voice at the top.
With deep roots in both local communities and international leadership, Kerrin brings a unique blend of heart, heritage, and hard-earned experience to the role.
Elected as Whau Ward Councillor in 2022, Kerrin represents an area including New Lynn, Avondale, Kelston, and beyond.
G o t h e W h a u !
Dr Sarah PATERSONHAMLIN for Council
Valeria GASCOIGNE
Fasitua AMOSA
Barrie-John PARTRIDGE
Authorised by Fasitua Amosa , 022 170 2054, c/o 2 Gilmer Tce Wellington
Local Government Elections
Kerrin's leadership is grounded in her identity: she is of Māori (Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāti Kurī) and European (Italian, Irish) descent, and brings a bicultural, inclusive perspective to everything she does.
A mother of 8 year-old twins, she holds two Master’s degrees – one in international politics and economics from King’s College London, and another in Māori development and Social Services from Auckland University of Technology.
Kerrin’s experience spans:
• Running her own quality assurance consultancy in the UK
• 20+ years in property and small business, building deep expertise in budgeting, governance, and smart investment
• Social services in South Auckland
As Deputy Chair of the Council Controlled Organisations (CCO) Committee, she leads oversight of Auckland’s critical infrastructure and economic development arms including Watercare, Ports of Auckland, and Eke Panuku. She also serves on the Revenue, Expenditure & Value-for-Money Committee, working to ensure smart, transparent spending for better services.
Kerrin is running for Mayor because she believes in an Auckland that works for everyone; where every voice is heard, every neighbourhood is safe and thriving, and your rates are spent wisely.
Kerrin Leoni — The new energy Auckland needs
Don’t Read This
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Contact The Fringe today. Email info@fringemedia.co.nz
Meet the Candidates standing for the Local Board and Waitākere Ward
Forest & Bird’s Waitākere branch is calling on local election candidates to prioritise protecting nature – from rivers and wetlands to coastlines and native wildlife.
“With climate change, extreme weather, and biodiversity loss accelerating, our councils play a huge role in shaping the places we live,” says branch chair, Annalily van den Broeke. “We want all councillors to understand that clean water, resilient coastlines and healthy ecosystems matter and to be willing to act. We’re not backing candidates, we’re backing nature”.
Effective council regulation means cleaner rivers, healthier ecosystems, less erosion, and healthy coasts. Poor council regulation results in unswimmable rivers, toxic shellfish, polluted beaches, more damage from erosion and flooding, and diminishing what remains of our natural areas. The choices elected councillors make over the next three years will affect everyone's quality of life and the environment.
Forest & Bird Waitākere invites you to get to know the position of the candidates for the Waitākere Ranges Local Board as well as those standing for Waitākere Ward. There will be a chance to ask your burning questions in regards to nature, as well as pre-set questions for the candidates. The evening will be chaired by Carl Morgan, Forest & Bird’s Regional Conservation Manager for Tāmaki Makaurau.
We will conclude the formal part of the meeting at 8.30pm and during supper candidates will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with those attending.
Forest & Bird Meet the Candidates evening:
• Ranui Community Centre, 474 Swanson Rd, Ranui.
• Non members welcome.
• Free but koha appreciated to cover hall hire.
• For further information phone Liz on 027 476 2732 or email lizanstey@hotmail.com.
A Great Team For A Big Job
I recently announced Sunil Kaushal as my running mate for the two Waitākere Ward Council seats. I'm now proud to present the 2025 WestWards team contesting the six Waitākere Ranges Local Board positions, led by long-term and well-known team members Linda Potauaine, Angus Cathcart, and Allan Geddes. They are now joined by Penelope Miller, Roman Thomas, and Kevin Murphy.
Penelope Miller moved to West Auckland as a child and "immediately fell in love with the place." She raised her son here, and now some grandkids and great-grandkids. She was among the first female volunteer firefighters in the Huia Fire Brigade and an inaugural member of the Huia/Cornwallis First Response Team. Penelope’s whole life has been about community and working with and for people.
Roman Thomas is born and bred Waitākere. Son of the Nihotupu Dam caretaker, Roman spent his childhood and youth in Parau helping his father and exploring the tracks of the Waitākere catchments. As soon as he could, he volunteered on the Rainforest Express, which in 2009 became his full-time job as a train driver. When the Rainforest Express shut down, Roman moved to
Coromandel and worked maintaining tracks and rolling stock for the Driving Creek Railway, then moved back to Auckland six years ago. Roman is passionate about sharing the nature and heritage of the Waitākere Ranges.
Kevin Murphy is your classic Kiwi, born and raised in Invercargill. Kevin moved to West Auckland 30 years ago, where he met his wife, and raised their children. Kevin has a background in manufacturing industrial instruments and was in partnership in his own business for many years. Kevin now works as a sales rep and has more time on his hands, which has led to an interest in local politics. With his technical background in precision and process, and driven by a belief in openness and transparency in local government, Kevin is a valuable asset to team decisionmaking.
With deep roots in the area, this team understands its heartbeat, values, history, and the aspirations that make it special. They know people want their park restored, tracks open, drains clean, roads maintained, and communities heard. It’s a great team for a big job.
– Ken Turner, WestWards
Naturally West
Anawhata siblings lead community effort
What started as a familyled conservation project among siblings in Anawhata has grown into a wider community effort to restore bush health and protect native wildlife, including mātātā, one of the Waitākere Ranges’ most elusive species.
Formed in 2020, the Friends of Anawhata group, which began with five siblings managing pest control on their shared family land, now involves 14 households in the Anawhata area, with more showing interest.
According to founding member Sara Rishworth, several households were already carrying out pest control independently before the group formed.
“Friends of Anawhata has helped bring those efforts together, motivating and connecting the community not just through conservation work but through neighbourly support in many ways – something that became especially important during the cyclone in 2023,” she says.
As part of their conservation work, the group maintains a network of bait stations and trapping lines targeting rats, stoats, weasels, possums and wasps. On some properties, Goodnature trapping techniques, which include humane selfresetting traps, have been successfully implemented, helping to significantly reduce pest numbers further.
Each year, the group also runs organised wasp control days, setting protein-based baits across the area during peak wasp season (spring/summer) to help knock down nests.
According to Sara, these events have become a wellestablished part of the community’s conservation calendar, drawing a strong turnout from both permanent residents and holiday homeowners.
While the group’s pest control work supports a wide range of native species, the discovery of mātātā (aka fernbird) in the area has given their efforts new focus.
The mātātā is a cryptic, ground-nesting bird found only in specific wetland and scrub habitats across Aotearoa. Once widespread, they’ve disappeared from large areas of New Zealand with populations continuing to decline.
“Finding out mātātā were present several years ago during biodiversity monitoring really strengthened our motivation to keep going because it’s proof that what we’re doing is making a difference,” says Sara. “We’re keeping pest numbers down and slowly building conditions where native birds, like the mātātā, have a better chance of survival."
The group is learning more about the mātātā and exploring where else it may be present in the area, as part of growing efforts to support the species alongside broader habitat restoration work.
“Our hope is that in another five or 10 years, we’ll hear more birdsong in the bush again.”
Friends of Anawhata collaborates with Auckland Council, Regional Parks rangers, and the Pest Free Waitākere Ranges Alliance, receiving support and resources for their work.
You can help mātātā by keeping dogs on a lead and out of wetlands and scrub areas, trapping predators like rats, stoats and weasels, planting native shrubs and grasses to help create safe, sheltered habitat and staying on marked tracks to avoid disturbing nesting sites.
For more information, please contact Michelle Swanepoel on 0274 994 596 or michelle@pfwra.org.nz
The elusive mātātā or fernbird. Photo by Jacqui Geux.
"Shaz is thrilled to be orange. I'm indigo."
Yeah gidday. Lizard here.
I woke up this morning with the aim of going to the toilet. I half pulled open the blinds to see a sea fog was blanketing the Manukau.
Shaz asked, "What kind of day is it gonna be, Lizard?"
I said, "It looks more picturesque than useful."
I then accidentally stood on the remote causing the telly to loudly invade our morning with words like, 'brokering the best peace deal in history', 'expecting heavy rain' and 'scientist says paper bags cause deforestation. Are plastic bags the answer?' I thought, the Gods shouldn’t be worshipped, they should be blamed.
As I was about to turn the bloody thing off (Shaz’s words, not mine), we heard, ‘Mushroom Lady found guilty.’
“Remember that time we did mushrooms Lizard?” Remember? How could I forget.
Back in the day, Shaz and me were a street performing duo. She played the bagpipes and I did the harmonies. One fateful day we met an Australian poet who just happened to be busking in the village at the same time. He really dug our sound. He said,”I really dig your sound.”
He then raved on about how words of truth and sounds resonating from the heart will bring us together through a universal magical vibration. In fact he had a gig that night, and would we like to join his band? I asked him how many were in his band? He said, “At the mo it’s me. The band's called Gil-Ar and the Raw Prawns."
We’d made enough between us to score a crate, so we shot in to the bottle store then piled into Whitevan and headed down to French Bay to work out what we would play at the gig. It turns out that the bagpipes sound groovy with the didgeridoo and it was easy as to find my harmony. You just www.forestandbird.org.nz
treat a kazoo like a clarinet. Gil-Ar, his actual name, said we were on at midnight so we should get in the mood an hour before. Getting in the mood entailed drinking a cup of ‘spiritual tea’ which Gil-Ar assured us, "really helps with vocal improv."
“When I lived in Arnhem Land, these black fellas taught me how to make it. It’s important to only pick the mushrooms facing Uluru. This will free your tongue.”
On stage, it not only freed my tongue, it tied it in such knots it refused to say any nouns, just adverbs, so I sang ‘please’ and ‘quickly’ a lot. Shaz did a mind blowing 40-minute bagpipe solo to R.E.M’s Losing my religion. Most of the time I thought ‘?’ Or was it ‘!’
Shaz reckons we were pretty good but never found her striped pants. In fact, she can’t remember taking them off.
‘’Let’s never do that again, Lizard.”
This afternoon we are going to La Rosa Garden Reserve to celebrate Maori Phil and Gay Gary’s 10th wedding anniversary. We have each been assigned a colour of the rainbow. Shaz is thrilled to be orange. I’m indigo. Is that like purple? Even Whitevan is thrilled. He’s heard that Mavis, the Mazda Bongo van, will be there. He also reckons, white is actually all the colours of the rainbow combined, so refuses to be painted yellow.
Well, that’s about it for now. Since I’m up I may as well put the jug on.
Have fun. If you’re near La Rosa this avo, drop by for a gander, or a goose. Rumour has it, Maori Phil and Gay Gary will be performing Blue Mink's Melting Pot, which I know for a fact goes fabulously with the bagpipes. Hint hint, Shaz.
Be kind.
Later, Lizard.
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