I hope you are all feeling refreshed after a break over the festive period and enjoying our wonderful Kiwi Summer. Even though Council meetings were in recess I stayed in touch assisting with constituent queries including an urgent issue for one St Heliers resident on Christmas Day. With overseas travel being a ‘no go’ it was wonderful to spend time at various NZ locations, a reminder as to what a great part of the world we live in. My holiday included time on Waiheke with my family, especially my 3 wonderful grandchildren whom I love but some days definitely tyre-ed me out! I’m missing being at the beach, but happy to be back in the office and raring to go - our official council meetings start up again next week.
The next few months will be busy as we enter the consultation and deliberation phases of the Long-Term Plan 2021-2031 (10-year budget) process. Public Consultation will be open from 22nd February until 22nd March and will involve a series of public meetings; webinars; drop-in sessions across the region as well as the opportunity to Have Your Say online. I’ll provide details of those events in my next newsletter. In the meantime, you can read over the Mayor’s proposal here and consider how we might best respond to the impact of COVID-19; climate change; water quality issues and our options for rating and regional investment. I’ll also update you on my amendment to the mayor’s proposal to assist water quality next time too.
I’ve received a lot of feedback from cyclists about the uneven surface on the new cycleway on Tāmaki Drive between Ngapipi and Solent Street. Owing to the width of the path, the asphalt was laid by hand rather than by machine. This has worked successfully in other locations but in this case the delivery was not up to standard. The contractor will be fixing this, obviously at no extra cost to the ratepayer. Auckland Transport acknowledged that the path was slightly uneven before Christmas and after confirmation that the undulations did not pose a safety risk for cyclists made the decision to allow it to be used and delay its repair until after the festive period to prevent the chaos of a new holiday period traffic management plan. I find it unacceptable we didn’t get this right the first time around, however I’m pleased to hear improvements will be made - at no extra cost.
In terms of the broader Tāmaki Drive project (which as you know isn’t just a cycle lane project), work between the Ngapipi Bridge and Solent Street intersection will be completed in May 2021. Work will commence on the next section – between Solent Street and the Strand – and be completed in August of this year. At this stage I have managed to keep tidal flows for peak hour vehicle traffic to somewhat mitigate the considerable inconvenience this project causes to regular Tāmaki Drive users.
Sticking with Auckland Transport news – they announced last week that Off-Peak fares will become permanent on 7th February. Anyone using an AT-HOP card between 9am and 3pm and after 6.30pm during the week; and anytime at weekends will receive a 10% discount on their fare! They’ve also introduced a daily cap of $20 for all buses, trains and inner harbour ferry services no matter how far you travel.
KiwiRail are in the midst of some vital track improvements meaning that rail closures will continue into February. Buses will replace trains on the Eastern Line this weekend – full details of which lines are operational and when are available here. Again, this is an inconvenience, but one they are not able to avoid.
I know those of you not able to watch cup racing live at one of our local vantage points or on the water, have been glued to the television following the exciting Prada Cup races – what a great opportunity to show the world our beautiful Hauraki Gulf! I’ve also been down to visit the America’s Cup Village and the big screen at Summer in the Square. One thing to remember though is that ferry timetables will be slightly altered on race days. If you’re planning on taking a ferry anytime soon, best to double check if your sailing will be impacted here
Did you know you can also purchase a limited edition 36th America’s Cup AT HOP card? These can be purchased online or at your nearest location – a great memento!
You will no doubt have heard about New Zealand’s first community case of COVID-19 since November. As of Wednesday 27th January, it appears the infected person has not passed the virus onto anyone else, included to 15 close contacts who have all tested negative. While important questions are being asked regarding how the woman contracted the virus in a managed isolation facility, we can consider ourselves very lucky that she did everything right – she used the COVID Tracer app everywhere she went, and she was tested when she showed symptoms. A big thank you to her for doing her bit to keep us all safe; and a fitting reminder of how important using your COVID Tracer app is when you are out and about.
Although most of us are back at work, we can look forward to some public holidays including Auckland Anniversary this Monday 1st February. Below are just some of the events being held this weekend:
· Vector Lights show on Auckland Harbour Bridge every 15minutes from 9pm until midnight between 29th January and 1st February.
· New Zealand Folk Festival in Kumeu Showgrounds
· The Auckland International Buskers Festival across the waterfront and Viaduct Harbour
· The Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day will be held on Saturday 30th January at the ASB Showgrounds
· The Auckland Anniversary Regatta will be held on February 1st – you can watch from Westhaven or various other locations across the city.
· The SeePort Festival will be held Sunday 31st January at Captain Cook Wharf
The following weekend, head down to Ōrākei Domain next Saturday 6th February from 10-3pm for Waitangi Day ki Ōkahu hosted by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. This is a free day out involving delicious food, arts & crafts stalls and health screenings and is a smoke-free, alcohol-free and zero-waste event!
Best wishes to you all and lets hope 2021 is a better year for everyone
Desley