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Mahurangi Matters
March 5, 2014
localmatters.co.nz
OFF THE RECORD Council on hold According to the Whangateau R&R Committee, Auckland Council is having a few problems with its phones. While trying to contact an officer, the committee kept getting his answerphone message which said he was on leave until April. Apparently it was last year’s message but no-one knew how to remove it. The minutes concluded: “The Super City at its best!”
Wesay
Viewpoint
Karyn Scherer, Editor, Mahurangi Matters
Tracey Martin, NZ First MP
editor@localmatters.co.nz
traceymartinmp@parliament.govt.nz
Jobs, not roads
Testing times
Why do people choose to live in small towns such as Warkworth, Wellsford, and Matakana? Invariably, the answer is “lifestyle”. Or something to do with “community”. But achieving the perfect lifestyle in Mahurangi is not always easy. As the region’s population swells, so do the number of commuters who clog the highway. While some enjoy the best of both worlds, living here and working elsewhere many would prefer to work locally. As the authors of a new study on the costs of commuting quite rightly point out, earmarking Warkworth for massive residential growth makes no economic sense if it means having to spend nearly a billion dollars on a new motorway that will simply add to Auckland’s congestion. Better public transport is one obvious solution. Providing decent broadband so people can work from home is another. But more jobs also need to be created locally. It is true that you can’t force businesses to move to small towns. But you can certainly ensure there is commercial land available for those who want it. And that the rules encourage new businesses. It is absolutely crazy that at least one local firm has been threatening to leave town because it can’t find the right type of industrial land on which to expand. Council also appears to be lukewarm about the prospect of a Pak’NSave, and possibly other retail, at Hudson Rd. Cr Penny Webster says there are concerns that Warkworth will end up with ad hoc growth and that the town will be “split in three”. Ironically, Council also opposed a major retirement village for central Warkworth that has since been approved. Without more local jobs, Mahurangi could become one giant retirement village. Some might not see that as a bad thing, but we owe it to the young people now growing up in the region to at least try to offer them a future here.
Everything that goes on in Parliament affects people in Rodney in some way. An example would be the changes made to the driver’s licence. The extended timeframe to gain a full licence, coupled with higher fees, means that many of our young people are being shut out of the job market. While the Kowhai Connection has definitely been a help, after-hours transport is still an issue. So what am I doing about it? In partnership with the local BLIS co-ordinator, a local driving instructor, the local Bluelight co-ordinator, and a local business, we are bringing together a low-cost programme to support our young people from theory to the practical licence. I am lobbying NZTA to allow our young people to sit their on-road test in this area instead of having to travel to Orewa. I have also alerted the Minister responsible to the fact that there is a three-month waiting list to sit the practical test locally. I am also looking closely at the cost. Another example would be being able to question the Tertiary Education Commission about Youth Guarantee courses. These are the fees-free courses where 16- to 19-year-olds can access certain vocational training, from childcare to building and all in between. While city kids have a multitude of options, this isn’t the case in Rodney, and because most have NCEA level one they can even be shut out altogether. This is not good enough. Our young people leave this area before they should because they can›t train to get local employment. We need to demand these opportunities are given to our kids just like their city peers. On another note altogether, this time last year I hosted the NZ Representative of Taiwan. I was able to show him around our magic region and local businesses. Mahurangi College provided him with his first taste of a traditional welcome with a powhiri before we crossed the road to check out Mahurangi Tech’s eelbreeding programme. NZ and Taiwan have since signed a Free Trade Agreement and the Taiwanese Government has now invited me to spend a week in their country discussing local trade and school relationships, education in general, and to look at health initiatives. What a shame I can only fit three bottles of Matakana wine in my suitcase. But you can rest assured that I will take every opportunity to showcase our region on my travels.
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