Further to that, I am well aware that Auckland Transport (AT) would like all of us to ditch our cars and travel everywhere on public transport.
Unfortunately, this organisation does not have the skills (and probably government funding) required to offer the public a reliable and consistent alternative to our own vehicles, as our experience on the weekend demonstrated.
We turned up for the advertised sailing of the Half Moon Bay to city ferry, along with others who had obviously viewed the same website as ourselves, only to find that the ferry was not scheduled to depart for another 45 minutes.
Upon ringing the AT helpline, we were all told that we shouldn’t have looked at that website because it is not updated and we should have used the journey-planner instead.
I got no response when I asked why the website that we all had used was even up there at all.
And they expect us to rely on the ‘service’ they are offering?
Retaining walls on the beach at Eastern and Bucklands Beaches are eroding, exposing the very cause of microplastics.
There are plastic mesh bags [filled with concrete], breaking down, some sort of polyester blankets, with long fibres detaching.
The UV rays and wave action are clearly causing disintegration for particles to be washed out to sea.
It’s been common knowledge for years now, how these plastics affect marine life.
More evidence was recently found at Antarctica.
I noticed an area, 37m long, at the north end of Eastern Beach, and 20m long at the north end of Bucklands Beach where these pollutants have been utilised.
How much more is under the banks waiting to be released?
I sent notification, with photos, to Auckland Council on June 10.
Do you also plan to run an article on the fact that Middlemore Hospital (Foundation?) is asking for warm new pyjamas to send home with needy child patients? I know Crawford Medical Centre in Howick is a collection centre and no doubt there are others.
Some people might not have been able to afford to donate a blanket but would like to donate pyjamas.
It’s been a strange 12 months atop the prior 12 months to that.
We’re away again (Covid permitting).
Grey Power is holding its AGM/public meeting at 9.45am on Friday June 17 at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, 11 Vincent Street, Howick.
The meeting starts with our AGM at a new time of 9.45am.
At 10.15am our first speaker will be Naisi Chen, the Labour list MP based in Botany who will be presenting some of what the Government has been doing/is planning. She is very interested in the public’s feedback and thoughts.
At 10.40am there will be a refreshment break. Our second speaker commences at 11am. She is Ayesha Verrall, the Minister for Seniors and Associate Minister of Health.
She will address housing, superannuation, health, elective surgery, the new two-tiered system of health care, the Covid vaccine, aged care and also the general direction that the Government is steering New Zealand.
There is a Q&A after each speaker. All welcome.
Peter Bankers President Grey Power Howick Pakuranga & Districts Association Inc
Rees Sutcliffe exhorts us to let the rest of the world go mad, believing sustainable carbon-neutral development is claptrap.
Sadly New Zealand is part of the madness. Earth simply cannot sustain the 8 billion humans on it now at the present rate of consumption and we are galloping headlong into climate disruption far worse than the droughts, heat waves, fires, hurricanes and floods we have witnessed already.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which governments and scientific institutions around the world accept as the authority, warns we have 10 years to change our ways. After that, we may be powerless to regain the climate that has nurtured our civilisation.
I don’t suppose anyone likes change, but it’s coming – ready or not. Earth is a complex planetary system not a private school playground – it will respond to forces as it always has, whether we are here or not.
Volunteers at McLeay Reserve in Mellons Bay for a planting bee on June 4.
We had a very successful planting bee for the McLeay Reserve in Mellons Bay on Saturday June 4.
Our big planting event is scheduled for this Saturday June 18 for the MacDonald Walkway (Mellons Bay beach).
Everyone is welcome so bring your friends, family, neighbours to plant a tree and assist with digging-in grasses to complement the plantings from the last two years.
The MacDonald and McLeay walkways follow a stream for 1.5km from Mellons Bay up to Cheriton Road and Haseler Crescent and Montressor Place. It is a beautiful and popular walk, the first half on a fairly flat well-formed concrete and timber path.
Saturday 18 June, 9am. Meet at the walkway entrance at the rear of the Mellons Bay beach carpark.
Bring a spade, gloves and strong footwear. Postponement date July 2, 9am.
For more information and updates, visit the “Walksouteast” Facebook page, www.facebook.com/WalksOutEast, or contact David Mallowes 0275 277 667 or MellonsBay@xtra.co.nz.
Former long-serving Member of Parliament for Pakuranga Maurice Williamson has announced he will stand for a seat on the Auckland Council at the local government elections later this year.
“I intend to stand for one of the two seats representing the Howick ward, an area that includes the entire Pakuranga Electorate that I represented for 30 years,” says Williamson.
“It was never my intention to stand for local government following my time in Parliament but public pressure has made me rethink that position. I am approached on an almost daily basis by ratepayers who are seriously concerned about the performance of the Auckland Council.
“Rates just keep on going up, as does debt, yet we seem to be getting less from the council by way of core services.”
Williamson says the Super City, which was formed by amalgamating seven city and district councils into one in 2010, has never delivered for the ratepayer.
“We were told at the time that the amalgamation would see huge efficiency gains, a rationalisation of operational units, and significant cost savings. We were promised the new regime would see a reduction in costs and total staff employed,” Williamson says.
“But in reality, the very opposite has happened. Rates have risen by over 150 per cent in real terms (that’s after correcting for inflation). Liabilities have more than tripled and debt servicing is now costing over a million dollars a day. And that’s while interest rates have been at all-time lows.
“And far from rationalising the number of staff, Auckland Council has experienced a massive increase in overall staff numbers, with at least one in every four of those employees paid over $100,000 a year.
“There has to be a day of reckoning. No organisation can just keep spending money that it hasn’t got and racking up debt.
“If the ratepayers of the Howick Ward are prepared to give me their vote, I will be fixated on reducing costs, staff, debt, liabilities and most importantly, rates.”
Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown says there are four tools National will provide police to better crack down on gangs if elected next year.
By Simeon Brown, MP for Pakuranga
Last week, National Party leader Christopher Luxon announced National’s plan to tackle crime and curtail the growth of gangs around the country should we be elected to Government at next year’s election.
Over the last five years under Labour, crime rates have increased and violent crime has become of increasing concern in every corner of the country.
In just the last few weeks we have had daily reports of gun violence with at least 23 drive-by shootings taking place in Auckland over a two week period including one in Howick.
This is leaving Aucklanders feeling unsafe and confirms that Labour’s soft-on-crime approach has completely failed. Their idealistic view that being nice to criminals somehow stops them from committing crimes has only put us at greater risk.
New Zealanders deserve to feel safe, particularly in their own homes and this just hasn’t been the case for far too many.
In the last five years we’ve seen an 11 per cent increase in homicides, a 21 per cent increase in violent crime, a 31 per cent increase in assaults and gangs recruiting at faster rates than police, with more than 2000 new gang members and only 1300 new police officers.
It’s clear that police simply do not have the resources or support they require from the Government to adequately keep us safe. Police are doing the best they can, but morale is low and we must do more to help.
National has always been tough on crime and it’s no fluke that lower crime rates and safer communities tend to coincide with National Governments.
If elected next year, there are four new tools we will provide police to better crack down on gangs:
We will ban gang patches and insignia in public spaces, removing a key tactic commonly used to intimidate innocent people.
We will provide police with the power to issue dispersal notices to anyone they reasonably suspect is associated with a gang, allowing them to break up gang gatherings more easily.
We will also provide police with the ability to issue Consorting Prohibition Notices, preventing gang members from associating or communicating with other gang members.
Finally, and most importantly, police will be given the tools they need to stop gang members from accessing firearms by issuing Firearm Prohibition Orders, something I attempted to introduce through a Members Bill last year only for the Government to vote it down.
It’s important too that we tackle the long-term drivers of crime and not just the day-to-day threats that criminals and gangs pose to public safety.
National will bring back the long-term social investment approach to ensure resources are targeted where they can do the most good, instead of just throwing money in the general direction of every problem like the current Labour Government.
We will also address slipping education standards and better manage our stagnating economy, to give all Kiwis greater opportunities to succeed and thrive.
It is a long-term challenge and it will take time and hard work to show results but National is ready to get New Zealand back on track.
Auckland High Court. Times file photo Wayne Martin
A man has been found guilty of manslaughter for his role in a fatal vehicle crash in east Auckland in 2019.
Adam Speir was driving his Holden Commodore vehicle over the speed limit on Botany Road heading toward the intersection with Ti Rakau Drive when it collided with another vehicle waiting at a red light at about 5pm on January 28.
An occupant of the vehicle that Speir’s Holden struck, Zhengwen “Alan” Hu, 50, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The collision involved four vehicles, three of which were stationary at the intersection waiting to turn right.
The fourth car collided with the third, in turn shunting all three vehicles forward.
Another driver involved in the incident was hospitalised as police appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Officers asked for people who saw, or had dash camera footage of, an older model Holden Commodore vehicle being driven prior to the crash.
Police said they believed the vehicle may have been in the nearby east Auckland areas around Botany Road, Ridge Road, Bleakhouse Road, Pakuranga Road, and Aviemore Drive.
Almost $170,000 was raised through a Givealittle page online for Hu’s family following his death.
It was set up by one of the first people on the scene after the crash.
“Alan leaves behind his devoted wife and two daughters aged 8 and 11,” the page said.
“They went from a perfectly happy, healthy family to utter devastation in the blink of an eye.
“Their lives have been torn apart and it’s hard to imagine how long and arduous the journey to recovery will be.
“On top of the sorrow of losing her husband and their dad, they are now in financial hardship from the loss of his income.”
After Hu’s death, his wife Hua Yang thanked everyone who donated to the fundraising page.
“Our blissful family of four was completely unprepared for such a tragedy,” she said.
“Alan was our rock. It has literally felt like our sky has fallen.
“The public’s generous support has been incredible.
“In addition to the funds, which will be a tremendous help to us as we try to navigate our lives from now on, the kind messages have been a ray of light in our darkest hours.”
Police investigated the crash that claimed Hu’s life and charged Speir, of Pakuranga, with manslaughter.
He first appeared in the Manukau District Court on February 5, 2019, with his case subsequently being transferred to the Auckland High Court.
The Crown’s case at trial was presented by prosecutor Luke Radich while defence counsel Andrew Speed represented Speir.
Following a jury trial in front of Justice Ian Gault, Speir was found guilty of Hu’s manslaughter on June 7.
He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in August.
Golden Gloves winners, from left, Wendell Stanley, Haransh Singh and Kheva Potatau all fight out of Revill’s Boxing Gym in Pakuranga.
Three boxers from Revill’s Boxing Gym in Pakuranga have come away with three golds from the prestigious Golden Gloves in Taupo over the Queen’s Birthday weekend.
Haransh Singh [63.5kg Youth Male, currently ranked #2 in New Zealand for his age and weight] is an up-and-coming amateur boxer and is proving to be a force to reckon with since starting to box in 2020.
Singh won both his bouts, defeating the New Zealand Champ in the final to claim his first Golden Gloves title.
Wendell Stanley, currently the 71kg New Zealand Champion and on the short list for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in July, won both his bouts knocking out his opponent in the first bout and winning the second bout with a point shut-out decision, claiming his sixth North Island Golden Gloves title.
Kheva Potatau [63.5kg Elite Male, currently ranked #2 in New Zealand for his age and weight], who narrowly missed out on a National title in April, had the fight of the day with an outstanding bout that secured his third North Island Golden Gloves title.
The Revills team was led by head coach Lance Revill accompanied by assistant coach Jonathan Nevin.
“The team were not alone for this tournament with a large support crew from the gym coming to cheer the team on,” said Nevin.
“With parents, gym members and supporters it was great to see so many come to cheer on the Revill’s Boxing Gym.”
Revill couldn’t be more proud of the talent on display from his boxers.
“They were outstanding…couldn’t have asked for anything more, these lads train hard and the results are showing in buckets loads,” said Revill.
Delivered! From left to right, Olena (Lviv volunteer), Taras (Dnipro volunteer), Andriy Boyko, Quinton (Canadian volunteer), and military units with unloaded equipment. Photo supplied
A sports medicine registrar has returned from his three-week journey to Europe which saw him deliver three tonnes of medical equipment and medications to health services dealing with the displaced and injured in central and southern Ukraine.
Born in Ukraine, Dr Andriy Boyko, who attended Macleans College and Howick College, was passionate about using his contacts and connections in Ukraine to organise a medical supply chain through Europe to bring medicine to those in need. In his fundraising efforts, he has so far raised A$120,156 on GoFundMe.
With the aid of the Australian Federation of Ukranian Organisations (AUFO), who organised freight forwarding into Ukraine, Boyko’s first shipment of $20,000 acute traumatic first aid supplies left Australia in early April.
The second shipment of general medicine/humanitarian aid departed a month later on May 16 with Boyko on board. He arrived in Germany to pick up the medication and medical equipment, took several trips to and from Germany and Poland because of the sheer volume of the load, and delivered it to Lviv, a city in Western Ukraine, where it was distributed to Odessa, Kyiv and Dnipro.
From there it went further east to war-affected regions. Through this process, he worked closely with NGOs Ukranian Guardian Angels and the Volunteers of Dnipro or TAPS Ukraine.
A lot of refugee camps have now closed down because displaced Ukranians have been placed in foster families and various accommodations, Boyko says. The Polish town of Wroclaw has a population of one million and 200,000 refugees.
“When you walk down the street, you hear as much Ukranian as you do Polish,” Boyko says. “Poland went out of their way to help these people and give them homes and jobs and taking them in.”
In Lviv, the sight is quite deceiving, Boyko says. Outside of the occasional air-raid siren, its business as usual – coffee shops are open, streets busy, but when spoken too, the city’s inhabitants will show pictures of destroyed homes and stories of family members fighting on the front and friends killed.
“It’s quite amazing how resilient Ukranians are,” Boyko says. “They’re looking for help, but not necessarily for pity. There’s a sense of pride and resolve.”
Boyko says that fighting has increased dramatically on the south eastern fronts “where there is a shortage of equipment for those volunteering to defend Ukraine”.
“They are short on food, clothes and boots but yet are resisting the whole Russian army.”
Boyko returned to his home in Australia over a week ago. His father, Valeriy Boyko, will be travelling with another shipment to Ukraine soon.
“As long as people continue to support me, I’ll continue to do what I can through my contacts in Ukraine,” Boyko says.
Work was being carried out to repair a Northpark fuel station after it was ram-raided. Times photo Wayne Martin
Police are investigating after a vehicle was used in a ram-raid burglary of an east Auckland fuel station.
A police spokesperson says the vehicle was used to force entry to the BP Connect on Chapel Road in Northpark just after midnight on June 14.
“Offenders have begun stealing cigarettes from the store before the fog canon has activated and forced them to flee the area.
“Our enquiries are ongoing into the burglary.”
A BP spokesperson told the Times the company is assisting police with their investigation.
“None of our team were at the site at the time.
“At BP, the safety of our customers and team members is our first priority.
“We work closely with the police and have CCTV technology at all our BP Connect sites.
“The site will reopen later this morning [June 14].”
Video footage of the scene following the ram-raid shows police officers looking at a white Toyota hatchback vehicle in front of the fuel station’s store.
There’s a large amount of glass on the ground and part of the entry doors have broken off.
The fuel station was closed to customers when the Times visited the scene at about 10am on June 14.
Yellow tape had been placed across the entrance and timber had been used to board over damage caused to the store.
Work to repair the extensive damage began shortly afterward.
The incident comes amid a spate of such crimes across the city and locally including several recent ram-raids carried out at Ormiston Town Centre in Flat Bush and at liquor and jewellery stores in Howick.
People with information on the incident can phone police on 105 quoting file number 220614/6615 or phone the free and anonymous Crimestoppers tip-off line on 0800 555 111.
Botany MP and National Party leader Christopher Luxon’s call last week for Poto Williams to be removed as police minister has eventuated. File photo supplied
A call by Botany MP and National Party leader Christopher Luxon for Poto Williams to be replaced as police minister has come to fruition.
On June 8 Luxon publicly released a statement about Williams’ performance saying it’s “clear she’s not equipped” for the role.
It came amid escalating tensions between several gangs in Auckland and a spate of ram-raid burglaries of commercial retail premises across the city.
“Poto Williams may have skills better suited to other portfolios, but it is clear she is not equipped to be police minister, especially at a time when gang activity and violent crime are increasing,” Luxon said.
“Police officers across the country tell me there is a serious lack of leadership from Poto Williams, and they simply do not have confidence in her.
“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should replace her immediately.”
Luxon said many Kiwis will feel less safe in their homes and communities after the recent spate of gang-related shootings and the “rise in violent crime”.
“Police have the capability and determination to combat the problem, but the Government has failed to give police the powers and tools they need to combat the increase in gang tensions and violent crime across New Zealand.
“We need to empower police to combat rising crime, but … Poto Williams won’t even acknowledge there has been a rise in gang tensions under her watch.
“The prime minister needs to remove her from the portfolio.”
On June 13 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed she was doing just that as part of a Cabinet reshuffle.
Ardern says she’s made the decision to change Williams out of the police portfolio.
Williams is being replaced by Chris Hipkins, who has served this Parliamentary term as the Minister of Education and Covid-19 Response.
“We both share the view that at this time it’s critical our focus is on supporting the police, implementing our record investment in the front line, passing our further gun law reforms and developing additional measures to deal with the current escalation in gang tensions and violence,” Ardern says.
Williams will serve as Minister of Conservation and Disability Issues.
Ormiston Stage 2 by DDL Homes at 397 Ormiston Road.
Buyers of homes in a new development in Flat Bush have been told by receivers their deposits are safe and that their contracts with the property development companies DDL Homes Ormiston and DDL Homes Ormiston 2020 are not affected.
Receivers have been appointed to the companies leading the development of the Maison Dórmiston, Ormiston Stage 2, Mission Heights and Ormiston Heights developments located at 370 and 397 Ormiston Rd, Flat Bush.
The receivers are Neale Jackson and Brendon Gibson of Calibre Partners.
The receivers were appointed on June 3 after the developments’ financer became concerned about construction progress.
Decisions about what happens next will be made by the receivers.
“Buyers have been assured that the receivership does not affect their contracts and their deposits are held in a trust account that is also unaffected by the receivership,” Jackson confirmed in a media release.
“The receivers intend to provide buyers with further information as soon as they can and regular updates throughout the receivership.”
A rendering of homes at 397 Ormiston Road Stage 2.
The DDL Homes website said it was founded in 2012.
“DDL Homes has completed multiple projects, and many are also in the pipeline – priced affordably to give Kiwi’s the chance to own their very own home in Auckland,” the website said.
“With a highly experienced team and an eagerness for building and materials innovation, DDL Homes has earned the trust of Kiwis in delivering lifelong, quality homes, making the dream of homeownership a reality for many.”
The website said the 370 Ormiston Road development is located “barely an intersection away” from Ormiston Town Centre. “With some 4-bedroom homes available, this is your last chance to get into 3SEVEN0 Mission Heights! It said homes were available in 3 and 4-bedroom terraces.”
Meanwhile, the website said Ormiston Stage 2 at 397 Ormiston Road had sold out.
“Stage 2 consists of walk-up apartments. There is a range of 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom options in this release. Stage 2 of this project has fully sold out!” the website said.
In a timeline, it said in early 2020 Covid hit, the company grew to 50+ staff and had 6+ major projects underway.
“Late in 2020 DDL Homes Kitchen Studio was launched. The company introduced an in-house plumbing and drainlayers team,” it said.
“In early 2021 it had finished its Nelson Street and Butterworth Avenue projects. DDL Homes had more than 80 staff by this point after launching an in-house window company.”
The New Zealand Companies Office lists the sole director and shareholder of DDL Homes Ormiston Limited and DDL Homes Ormiston 2020 Limited – both now in receivership and voluntary administration – as Baljit Kaur Dheil of Flat Bush.
The Times has contacted the companies for comment.
Are you one of the buyers in these developments? If you wish to offer your thoughts email us here.
Lexie Palmer-Gapper is making her mark as the new general manager at Howick Historical Village. Times photo Wayne Martin
Lexie Palmer-Gapper brings extensive international experience and a desire to ensure her team members are happy and fulfilled to her latest role.
Originally from the United States, Palmer-Gapper took over as Howick Historical Village’s new general manager late last year.
Before moving to New Zealand she and her husband were living in the State of Washington.
Her prior role was a four-year stint as director of the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village, named for the city it’s located in.
Palmer-Gapper says her husband, who’s a Kiwi, lost his job in the plant science industry at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He was offered a new position in Auckland and the couple decided to move to New Zealand.
Palmer-Gapper says her background is in art history and she’s held numerous positions in the arts and museum sector.
They include roles at the prestigious Whitney Museum of American Art, Sotheby’s, and the Herbert F Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University.
“The one thing that connects all of my work experience has been collections, archives and handling and researching objects,” Palmer-Gapper says.
“All of those things together created a situation and a set of skills that prepared me to lead the Cashmere Museum and then move here.”
Palmer-Gapper says her work as general manager is being guided by the historical village’s 2021-2024 strategic plan.
She’s focusing on three main areas, being the staff, its collections, and education programmes.
“I care very deeply about the staff and their success and happiness.
“I want to make sure they stay, they’re fulfilled and to limit turnover.
“That’s a very big thing for me.”
She says every member of her staff is outstanding in their role and the village’s board president Marin Burgess has been “incredibly helpful”.
Palmer-Gapper is particularly grateful for the institutional knowledge of those who are not new to the team, including heritage gardener Luke Southern, marketing and social media co-ordinator Annaliese Lines, educators Kate Hallam, Sarah Cartwright, Ellen Holliss, Richard Giles, and Kathy O’Connor, and facilities manager Phil Sutton.
“Luke has been here for about three years and he’s done a magnificent job with the gardens.
“He has a very special approach and wants them to look like what village life would have looked like in the 1840s, so things aren’t going to be manicured.
“He’s creating a living museum, a living space, for these buildings to sit in and feel at home.”
She says taking care of the village’s collections is also a top priority.
That includes its buildings and “all the items in the buildings and making sure they’re cleaned properly with proper conservation tools and materials and solutions and methods”.
“I want to make sure things can be viewed to their best advantage and stay in their best shape for the next 100 years.”
Her third area of focus is to restructure the village’s education programmes.
“We have a fantastic new education manager in Rosie Grant and have great educators who stayed with us from the previous general manager,” she says.
“They have insightful, engaging programmes with the kids and I’m hoping we can expand those to be more inclusive of Auckland in 1840-1880 and not just [focus on] the Fencibles.
“We want to contextualise why we’re here and what we’re responding to with this space.”
Retaining walls on the beach at Eastern and Bucklands Beaches are eroding, exposing the very cause of microplastics.
