Conservationists and locals living near Manukau Harbour’s Port of Onehunga want a new independent entity, like the Hauraki Gulf coalition, set up to protect its failing health. New Zealand’s second largest port is an uninspiring, silt filled, polluted, wasteland. Despite years of disapointment and competing agendas Jim Jackson, the Chairman of the Manukau Harbour Restoration Society, is hoping that a success story in the US – could help spark a transformation. He joins Kathryn Ryan with Rich Batuik, who shares his 30 year experience of the US EPA Chesapeake Bay Program.
Auckland is a public transport mess. The very serious transport failures that are occurring daily in Auckland display the extreme difficulties and frustrations that travellers face: frequent breakdowns causing serious motorway delays, bus and rail services not coping or cancelled. The introduction of regional taxes, fuel surcharges, reduced speed limits in the CBD, stopping red light running and whatever other measures not yet even conceived are just ad hoc sticking plasters that are unlikely to make much impact on the short term problems.
There is a stunning silence on how long this situation may continue whilst planned upgrades to road and rail are being constructed, but it is certain that the distress the Auckland travelling public will have to endure is years of waiting and even when completed the planned upgrades are likely to be severely stretched due to population growth.
Auckland is a “water” city, a city that physically is extremely unsuited to land based transport systems, being long and skinny, but conversely has excellent access to harbours and waterways. Similar and much larger cities around the world such as New York, Hong Kong, Sydney and San Francisco amongst many other “water” cities all operate excellent ferry services that are growing, are constantly under review and are being extended by public demand. Ferries are not, and cannot be, the remedy for all transport problems but they certainly offer a considerable contribution to ease the glitches and frustrations of land based travel. When asked by the author, the Director of NY City Department of Transport Planning, Carl Weisbrod (now retired) said: “Ferry services are always an important and integral part of our public transport planning and services”.
Auckland Transport statistics regularly confirm that ferries have the highest reliability and punctuality rating of all public transport modes. In the environmentally conscious world of today and in the future the impact of water ferries is likely to be much less than that of road and rail transport systems.
In recent years since 2016, and as part of, the Auckland Transport Alignment Plan (ATAP) the potential for developing ferry services as a fundamental part of the Auckland public transport system has been badly neglected, to the point of being barely mentioned. Ferries were not even included in the ATAP terms of reference.
Compared to other “water” cities the deficiency of developing ferry services in Auckland is both a mystery and censure of the planning process: more importantly, the Recommended Strategic Approach document derived from the ATAP, in 48 detailed pages contains no reference whatsoever to ferry services, only investment in road and rail. The proposed upgrade expenditure of $28 billion is a massive investment; in the interim funding tranche of some $16.5 billion announced in June 2018, only $50 million was tagged for ferries, less than 1% of the total amount; at the same time some ferry essentials, such as funding for future terminal development, were specifically excluded.
The widespread failure of Auckland MPs, Auckland Councillors and Auckland local boards to question what has happened is an indictment in itself, and their apparent ready acceptance of the planning situation is likely to be to the detriment of those who elected them in good faith. In this criticism must be included Phil Goff as the Mayor of Auckland and Simon Bridges, Minister of Transport in the previous National government, who jointly signed off the original Auckland Transport Alignment Plan.
The most basic question remains, and must be: if so many similar other cities can successfully operate ferry services, why can this not be done in Auckland? READ MORE: click to download PDF
FREE Assistance on making your submission on the East West Link
FREE Assistance on making your submission on the East West Link
Help us stop NZTA and make them RETHINK the EAST WEST LINK. Have your say! Drop in sessions for FREE Assistance on making your submission will be held on the dates below Thursday 9 March 6pm – 8pm at Onehunga Community Centre, Henderson Room, 83 Church Street, Onehunga, Auckland.
Saturday 11 March 1:30pm – 3:30pm at Ponsonby Community Centre, 20 Ponsonby Terrace, Ponsonby, Auckland.
Tuesday 14 March 12pm – 2pm at Auckland Central Library, Te Marama Room, 44-46 Lorne Street, Auckland Central.
SEAWEEK 2017 – GOODBYE GODWITS Sunday 26 February 2017 from 11am to 2pm at Ambury Regional Park, south Auckland.
Bar-tailed Godwits are long haul champions with the longest known flight of any migratory bird traveling 11,000 km non-stop return from Alaska to New Zealand. Come and join us to wish these frequent flyers goodbye and good luck.
Event includes a walk and talk, suitable for all ages, and family activities. Bring binoculars if you have them, suitable walking shoes, camera, water, sunblock and bring a friend!
Steam & Vintage Country Festival @ Glenbrook Vintage Railway
Steam & Vintage Country Festival @ Glenbrook Vintage Railway
Steam & Vintage Country Festival @ Glenbrook Vintage Railway
Steam enthusiast’s heaven!
This unique event only comes around every 4 years, so bring the whole family and find something to fascinate all!
Experience the charm of earlier times, when the Glenbrook Vintage Railway, in conjunction with the Franklin Vintage Machinery Club, stage their Steam and Vintage Country Festival 2017 at Glenbrook.
See Clydesdale horses ploughing, ancient steam traction engines, vintage tractors and machinery in action, ride on a genuine steam train, view steam locomotives from around the country, sail on the lake in a classic steam boat, experience the silent power of steam cars, the fascinating sights and sounds of vintage engines operating, dance to Big Band music, watch rare vintage aircraft perform overhead, cuddle farm animals, enjoy a range of refreshments and children’s activities, and much, much more! A truly informative and fun event for the whole family, not to be missed!
Entry $10 for adults, with all accompanied children under 14yrs FREE. Parking is also FREE. Steam train and other rides are optional and are not included in the entry fee. Further details at www.gvr.co.nz
We are launching a community connections plan. The Community Plan is an alternative East West Link designed to the current NZTA preferred plan. Maunkau Harbour Restoration Society, Aotea Scouts, OBA,TOES and many others support the community plan and we are seeking the support and input from local businesses and residents to stop the Aotea Scouts, Onehunga Port, Manukau Harbor and Onehunga Foreshore from being cut off from future use and development. NZTA may not think the highly efficient community plan is worthy of further consideration but the question is do you agree? Community groups and many others have drafted their own Option X style Community Plan and are holding a community meeting to launch the plan, get local feedback and gather support from you. The event is on 14th of November at Onehunga RSA. If you don’t come to the event we can all sleep walk into another NZTA design disaster. For further information see www.toes.org.nz and www.savethebasin.org.nz
A new city blueprint allowing for apartment living could be delayed after a late flurry of appeals in the lead up to a 5pm deadline on Friday.
More than 100 appeals were lodged in the Environment and High Courts against different parts of the Unitary Plan, which was passed by Auckland Council on August 15 and due to come into effect by September 29.
The plan takes Auckland into a new era of intensification on a scale never seen before. It turns towns like Kumeu and Pukekohe into small satellite cities and allows for 422,000 new houses to accommodate another one million residents by 2041.
Last night, Housing Minister Nick Smith said the large number of appeals was going to make implementation of the Unitary Plan quite complicated.
He said his officials would be working with Auckland Council this week to get an understanding of the significance of the appeals. Some would be site specific and have little impact.
Another information evening will be held in Waiuku next Tuesday 14th June to discuss the final few options for wastewater servicing in West Franklin.
The options being considered directly affect the Awhitu Peninsula and we would urge anyone with an interest in the ongoing health of the Manukau Harbour to take an interest in what is being proposed, as whatever is decided will affect many generations to come.
Watercare are giving communities every oppportunity to ‘have our say’ and have helpfully sent out a newletter with an excellent diagram, which sets out the different options very clearly on the second page.
The Manukau Harbour Forum is pleased to confirm the speakers for its inaugural Symposium on Friday 10 June. Jill Naysmith – Chair, Manukau Harbour Forum Symposium Dame Nganeko Minhinnick – Ngati Te Ata (by video presentation) Bronwyn Turner, Manukau Harbour Restoration Society Hero Potene, Ngati Tamaoho Lucie Rutherford Clinton Duffy, Department of Conservation Kowhai Olsen, Te Ahiwaru Waiohua Trish Rea, Legasea Gareth Williams, GWE Consulting Mark Bourne, Watercare Lincoln Jefferson, Manukau Beautification Charitable Trust Sam Judd, Sustainable Coastlines Charlotte Graham, Mana Whenua artist Awhitu Peninsula Landcare Trust Mesepa Edwards, Roots Collective Willie Wright, Kaipara Harbour Management Plan
Once the Manukau Harbour was a ‘food basket’, a pristine and productive treasure. But what is the true state of New Zealand’s second largest harbour today, and what are the visions to return this taonga to a state of wellbeing for future generations?
The Manukau Harbour Forum Symposium is focused on the harbour’s future, and on real actions that can contribute to the restoration of its mauri. It considers proposed and current projects, innovative approaches, and smart ways of acting to create a new reality. It aims to will identify key issues and outcomes that will impact and restore the mauri, or life-force, of New Zealand’s second largest harbour, the Manukau.
Hear from scientists, thinkers, mana whenua, and active community groups who will identify visionary direction that aims to restore the Manukau Harbour’s mauri.
THE SPEAKERS ARE:
Jill Naysmith – Chair, Manukau Harbour Forum Symposium Dame Nganeko Minhinnick – Ngati Te Ata (by video presentation) Bronwyn Turner, Manukau Harbour Restoration Society Hero Potene, Ngati Tamaoho Lucie Rutherford Clinton Duffy, Department of Conservation Kowhai Olsen, Te Ahiwaru Waiohua Trish Rea, Legasea Gareth Williams, GWE Consulting Mark Bourne, Watercare Lincoln Jefferson, Manukau Beautification Charitable Trust Sam Judd, Sustainable Coastlines Charlotte Graham, Mana Whenua artist Awhitu Peninsula Landcare Trust Mesepa Edwards, Roots Collective Willie Wright, Kaipara Harbour Management Plan
