Eden Terrace’s $380,000 upgrade gets the go-ahead

Eden Terrace business owners have agreed to stump up $380,000 for a plan to upgrade their neighbourhood. The Eden Terrace Business Association held a vote last month asking companies if they were prepared to pay a fee to establish the area as a Business Improvement District (BID), a partnership between the Waitemata Local Board and businesses to make the area more attractive. Sixty per cent voted yes, and at a meeting held this week the board formally accepted the proposal. The association has scheduled a general meeting on May 30, where it will discuss with businesses the spending of the $380,000 budget, and the appointment of a BID manager and executive committee to liaise with the council on businesses’ behalf.

Ron Harcus, association chairman and owner of Eden Terrace bookstore Ariel Books, says two primary issues the BID hopes to resolve are reinstating bus services that were removed from the area and making more short-term parking available. He adds that a lot of the improvements will be more gradual, such as creating a “brand” for the neighbourhood. “You’re talking three- to five-year things, rather than instant fixes. Long-term benefits would hopefully see an improvement in the general look of the area,” says Harcus. Rob Thomas, the Waitemata Local Board representative on the business association, says these enhancements are in traders’ best interest.

“That money that will be allocated with the BID will be able to be invested directly back into the area. “So it’s a unique opportunity for those businesses really to set the direction for the future of that community,” he says. Harcus says the BID should be beneficial to everyone. “At the end of the day what we’re hoping to do is improve the area all-round, not just for the businesses, but [also] for people who just live in the area.” The association is asking for nominations for the executive committee, which close on May 23.

Mayor welcomes economic boost for village centres

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13 NOV 11 18°C DEVONPORT (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/6342834187/) by Urban+Explorer (http://www.flickr.com/people/eyeonauckland/), on Flickr

The Mayor has welcomed a new Auckland Council policy to assist local business associations saying it will boost the economic growth of town centres and business precincts across Auckland. The new policy confirms council support for business improvement districts (BIDs). "This signals we're serious about building our local townships and getting funding behind them, whether their business associations are just starting or wanting to grow,” says Len Brown. BIDs are funded by targeted rates applied to commercial properties in a defined geographic area. The council collects the funds on behalf of businesses that use them to improve the business environment and promote business growth.

"We rightly focus a lot on having a successful city centre but we've got 187 villages and towns in the region and I’d like to see a BID programme operating in every one of them," said the Mayor. The new policy - which will be reviewed in two years - will look at supporting the establishment of new BIDs, exploring proposed BID boundary expansions and delivering targeted business development projects. There are currently 46 BIDs operating in the region representing over 25,000 businesses and up to 25 new BIDs could be established within the next 10 years. Sixteen BIDs wish to expand their boundaries.

Fears over Mt Eden Countdown extension

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17 APR 11 21 °C (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/5628369807/) by Urban+Explorer (http://www.flickr.com/people/eyeonauckland/), on Flickr

Mt Eden residents fear an art deco house and block of apartments will be demolished so the Countdown supermarket can be extended. Auckland Council will this month notify local residents that supermarket owner Progressive Enterprises intends to rezone two neighbouring properties - an art deco house, owned by Auckland Council, and a pre-1940 apartment block conversion, owned by the Melanesian Mission Trust. But a residents' group says the council should not be rezoning the properties without looking at what will happen to them. The council is also looking to sell the art deco house back to Progressive after it bought the property from the company to create a bus corridor through the Valley Rd intersection in 2004.

When the project was scrapped the council was contractually obliged to sell the property back to Progressive. The properties could be demolished to make way for a car park or supermarket extension if the company succeeds in changing the zone from residential to commercial. Auckland Council regional and local planning manager Penny Pirrit said the application states Progressive wants a business zone to allow for future improvements or expansion of the existing retail and commercial activities. Changing zones from residential to commercial gives the owner the ability to build to a height of 12.5m. Valley Road Residents' Association member Astrid Modrow said the community did not want the buildings to be knocked down.

''When you look into the options they could have after they have the zoning, they could have parking buildings, bars, pubs,'' she said. ''It's not what the community would like to see.'' Progressive has told neighbours and concerned residents that the land will be used for car parking. Modrow said ratepayers should have the right to say yes or no to what happens to council-owned amenities rather than go through a hearings process. ''If Countdown went ahead and increased parking and shopping the whole neighbourhood will suffer. It's not improving the quality of living of the area.'' According to the submission report, the Melanesian Trust supports the rezoning. Progressive did not reply to requests for comment.

17 LINK CRESCENT | WHANGAPARAOA

Plans for a mixed retail and apartment development for Whangaparaoa’s town centre were unveiled last week by real estate agents. The mixed-use development with on-site parking is proposed for 17 Link Crescent, Whangaparaoa (behind The Warehouse) – a site put up for sale by the former Rodney District Council. Last year The Family Centre trustees asked the Local Board to note their interest in the land as a possible alternative to the site they’ve been given at 20 Link Crescent, which has drainage issues. The proposed development consists of 44 residential apartments over two levels with 15 retail shops below. It was designed by GMC Consultants and is being developed by Valiant Holdings Ltd. Barfoot & Thompson agent Barry Masefield says a resource consent application is imminent and the developers hope to complete the project by the end of the year.

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Green light for V8 Supercars to return to Pukekohe

Auckland Council has today given the go ahead for the return of an annual V8 Supercars event at Pukekohe from April 2013. The Council’s Strategy and Finance Committee endorsed an Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) recommendation to host an annual V8 Supercars event at Pukekohe Park, which will be upgraded for the event. The proposal, backed by Auckland Council, will see the popular race secured for five years with an option to renegotiate for a further five years, after ATEED, the Ministry of Economic Development and Counties Racing Club joined forces to work with V8 Supercars and ensure the event stays in New Zealand. Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says Auckland has carried out extensive due diligence on the V8 Supercar event, which stacks up for the city and will deliver a significant annual economic return. “We’ve seen through Rugby World Cup 2011 and this year’s Volvo Ocean Race Auckland Stopover what major events can do for this city. The V8 Supercars will be a winner, not just for motorsport fans but for all Aucklanders.

” Penny Hulse says the V8 Supercar event clearly meets the robust criteria laid out in Auckland’s Major Events Strategy and furthermore, it is important for Aucklanders to understand that V8 Supercars will underwrite the annual, three day event in a deal which protects ratepayers from financial risk. “This will be circuit race at an existing venue not a street race. That means lower costs and fewer risks. Auckland’s due diligence on this event has included the learnings from Hamilton’s V8 Supercars experience and Audit New Zealand recommendations from its investigation into that event have been taken into account.” ATEED Acting General Manager Destination Jennah Wootten says the V8 Supercars event is expected to deliver a range of tangible benefits to the city. “To make the grade, any proposed event for Auckland needs to deliver a return on regional investment, visitor nights and international exposure while contributing to the city’s livability.”

“Our due diligence reveals that the V8 Supercars event is expected to generate a return on regional investment of $7 million per year. It is also expected to deliver approximately 50,000 visitor nights for Auckland in its shoulder season,” Ms Wootten says. International exposure for Auckland as a destination is assured with V8 Supercars events televised in 137 countries. Ms Wootten says an upgraded motorsport venue at Pukekohe Park will be a legacy for Auckland from the event and ATEED will explore the opportunities to gain further benefits from the event through business, school and community programmes. ATEED will invest approximately $21 million per year for five years in the event. This will include a one off capital grant of $2.214 million towards the $6.6 million upgrade of Pukekohe Park and a $1 million annual sponsorship fee. V8 Supercars is underwriting the event, while the Ministry of Economic Development and venue owners Counties Racing Club also have a significant stake in the event.

Good work Len Brown. The track's only four minutes away from my workplace. :)

Investment

All parties will invest in the event and upgrades to the circuit (V8 Supercars, the Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development, Auckland Council, New Zealand Government, and Counties Racing Club). These upgrades include:

• New safety barriers and debris fencing
• Resurfacing of much of the track
• A new chicane on the back straight
• Additional overhead pedestrian bridges
• Over-track signage
• Enhanced viewing areas
• A general upgrade of the venue’s overall presentation

Infrastructure from the Hamilton event will be transported to Pukekohe as part of the improvements. This infrastructure will be re-engineered and fitted at the circuit permanently for other events throughout the year.

V8 Supercars will be the promoter of the Pukekohe event from 2013 onwards and will thus assume the financial risk of the event. “This is a total commitment from all parties,” says Cochrane. “Then problems of the Hamilton event were unfortunately inherited by the Council and V8 Supercars. The extensive due diligence taken by all parties in this agreement is the right way forward from the outset. The benefit to Auckland and New Zealand is clear. ATEED and MED have done their homework and an excellent job over several months so all parties enter the agreement with eyes wide open.”

Pukekohe Park Raceway

“Pukekohe is an ideal and proven location. The circuit has an amazing history and heritage in New Zealand. It is a terrific layout, has plenty of available space and is just 35 minutes from the Auckland CBD and even closer to the international airport. Pukekohe is easily accessible from the highway and a short drive from the Auckland CBD, as well as having a direct rail link. With improved spectator and corporate facilities V8 Supercars has no doubt it will again be New Zealand’s premium motorsport precinct, and a boost for New Zealand motorsport year-round.”

Pukekohe last hosted the V8 Supercars Championship in 2007 after a span of seven years.

http://www.v8supercars.com.au/championship/newsarticle/v8-supercars-to-return-to-pukekohe/tabid/70/newsid/12621/default.aspx

• A general upgrade of the venue’s overall presentation

Thank fuck. About time.

Good stuff. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but its a big, colourful event which draws a big crowd and adds to the mix of events on offer in Auckland. Good to have something out of the CBD too.

Great that people can go by train. One person involved said they were looking at having a "fan trail" between the station and the course, like during the RWC for Eden Park.

Although I guess that will be no use to the train users of Manukau who, for some inexplicable reason, can't use their rail spur to go to/from the south.

Victoria Wharf to get $6m repair work

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13 NOV 11 18°C DEVONPORT (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/6343602408/) by Urban+Explorer (http://www.flickr.com/people/eyeonauckland/), on Flickr

A $6 million repair job is set for one of Auckland's most popular wharves for fishing and sight-seeing. The Victoria Wharf, next to the Devonport ferry terminal, was closed for most of last summer because of fears that parts of it were too corroded to take the weight of crowds. This followed a fresh inspection of the 1929 structure, which was closed to vehicles four years earlier after 61 per cent of its concrete surface was found to be damaged.

The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board reckoned about $10 million would restore all of the deck, beams and some of the piles and braces. However, Auckland Council's long-term budget provides only $6 million, which is the same as the former North Shore City council allocated in 2010. Board chairman Chris Darby said the budget would not mean "half a job" on fixing the wharf and stopping its collapse. Engineers were reviewing how to rehabilitate the whole of the wharf's deck and extend its life.

It would appear that this is back on the radar and might deserve it's own thread but until construction starts I will post it here:

PONSONBY BOWLING CLUB

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Situated at the transition between the commercial aspects of Ponsonby and the residential area of Herne Bay, The Ponsonby Bowling Club is a historic and important contributor to the local community. The contemporary look of the clubrooms adopts and modifies the architectural style of the Stichbury Building situated on the corner of Curran Street and Jervois Road. Having taken the decision that redevelopment of the site was the only way the Club would survive, they wanted a contemporary modern style that would establish a new presence on the site to reflect the culture of today's participants.

The contrast in facade treatment of the Penthouse apartments which sit above the clubrooms has been carried out to create a greater emphasis and differentiation of the apartments and clubrooms, thereby accentuating the difference in activities. Materials, textures and colours have been selected to create interest, while ensuring that no particular element dominates the streetscape. A high level of transparency is retained using extensive glazing to provide a visual connection with the bowling greens behind. Visual ties have been drawn from the surrounding neighbourhood, in particular the old Glu Pot Tavern and Stichbury Buildings which are both popular landmarks in this area. Close proximity to the bowling greens is a feature of the development and will provide a unique green outlook for an urban community

Prime town centre site in 'Gulf Harbour

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16 JAN 11 27°C GULF HARBOUR (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/5359646394/) by Urban+Explorer (http://www.flickr.com/people/eyeonauckland/), on Flickr

Plans for developing 20 retail outlets on corner development site in Marine Village community. A strategically located triangular corner site at the entrance to the heart of the Gulf Harbour retail and hospitality hub on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, has been placed on the market through a mortgagee sale process. The three-lot bare land site comprises about 1.5 hectares at the headland of the canal around which Gulf Harbour's main retail and residential blocks are located. It has three street frontages, bordered by Harbour Village Drive, Gulf Harbour Drive and Laurie Southwick Parade, and is the largest single piece of flat development land in the town centre precinct, which is governed by its own specific zoning policy.

In 2010 the Environment Court granted consent for intensive development on the 7059 sq m of space - including apartments, offices, food and beverage outlet, library and supermarket. The consent can be taken up over the next six years and limits building height to a maximum of 12 metres. The property block is being marketed for mortgagee sale by Bayleys through Michael Pleciak and Ian Inglis, with tenders closing on July 26. Pleciak says the three titles are being sold as one block or separate titles and have a 2011 combined capital valuation of $4 million. "Gulf Harbour is a long-term residential and lifestyle subdivision development which could be best described as currently being in its 'teenage years'," Pleciak says.

"The opening of Wentworth primary and high schools several years ago, along with members securing the future of Gulf Harbour Golf Course, have both gone some way to maturing the wider peninsula. "Over time, the surrounding residential developments throughout Gulf Harbour will continue to fill in, and will underpin commercial activity within the basin area." Pleciak says part of the three titles is already sealed, with parking for approximately 102 cars using either an existing boutique lodge-style hotel or for customers visiting the neighbouring food and beverage outlets. "The population of Gulf Harbour is growing as bare land sites are converted to residential dwellings. With the planned Penlink roading trunk identified as a Government infrastructure project - making Auckland more accessible for commuters - town planners are forecasting growth at Gulf Harbour to continue at a steady pace."

Pleciak says some Gulf Harbour residents would prefer to see the triangular corner site remain in its current "open park" state but the land's value remained in what could be done on the location. "One of the discretionary activities permitted for the site is the expansion of accommodation facilities. The Environment Court consent allows for the potential creation of an additional 191 accommodation units," Pleciak says. "During the last Rugby World Cup, the Japanese and South African rugby teams stayed in the lodge at Gulf Harbour. It is also a popular weekend retreat for Aucklanders wanting to get out of the city."

Plans exist for the development of about 20 retail outlets on the corner location, with a mid-sized supermarket on out the ground level adjacent to existing car parking facilities. Pleciak says the plans could be made available to any potential buyer. "The Marine Village Town Centre Policy zoning directs that activity should be appropriate to the commercial, social and cultural needs of the Gulf Harbour community retail and marine environment to ensure the aesthetics of development are in harmony with the waterfront position. "The development proposal approved by the Environment Court identified such commercial activities as a creche, doctor's surgery, pharmacy, gymnasium, shops, offices, and more car parking. "Landscaping concepts feature the installation of street furniture such as seating and planter boxes, pedestrian lighting, a water feature, pergola, and substantial planting of trees, shrubs and climbers."

V8 spending will leave legacy, critics told

The council-controlled organisation bringing the V8s to Pukekohe has hit back at suggestions the raceway isn't up to scratch. Auckland councillor George Wood has criticised the condition of the Pukekohe track and has suggested Hampden Downs would have been a better venue for the event Auckland Council is spending more than $10 million on. Wood believes it will cost far more than the predicted $6.6m to revamp the rundown track and its facilities. But Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) chief executive Brett O'Riley said Pukekohe raceway was the best option. O'Reily said in April Pukekohe, where the V8s raced from 2001 to 2007, was assessed as the preferred venue "by all parties".

He said its proven track record and good rail and public transport options added to its appeal. Hampton Downs was discounted because it couldn't host as many spectators. O'Riley said when the race was previously held in Hamilton the council's investment was only beneficial for the race's six days, where as the investment in the Pukekohe track would leave a lasting legacy. "Remember V8 is only using Pukekohe for six days a year which leaves 350 days a year for us to host other events. This investment creates the infrastructure which will have a long term economic impact." ATEED will invest an annual $2.1m over five years in to the event, while a designated capital grant of approximately $2.2m and a $1m annual sponsorship fee will also be received.

Moved from News Thread

Bold new plans for Parnell streets

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A new plan for Parnell which would see streets turned into cul de sacs, new buildings in the middle of narrow streets and more pedestrian plazas is causing a stir.

Members of the Parnell Community Committee have combined their skills to put together a plan outlining what they believe is the best way forward for New Zealand's oldest suburb. The document has been submitted to Auckland Council and the committee is hoping it will be included in the unitary plan. Council environmental strategy and policy department manager Ludo Campbell-Reid said his team was considering the proposal. "It's a really interesting, intriguing piece of work,'' he said.

The plan, Tomorrow Parnell, suggests finding new construction sites in the suburb instead of knocking down buildings with heritage value in an attempt to intensify.

Parnell-based planner Jenni Goulding said many of the suburb's narrow streets were rarely used by vehicles and could instead be used for new buildings. She has been working on the plan since her frustration came to a head at a meeting to set up a heritage society in 2005. "I didn't want to just be involved in heritage. I think it's really important that Parnell moves forward. We're very proud of our heritage but want to revitalise and go forward with stunning architecture.

"We want the whole suburb to be design-driven and we want community empowerment in design."

The plan identifies seven roads which could be turned into cul de sacs to create space for new development or recreation areas, including Augustus Tce between Fraser Park and Parnell Rd.

Architect Mike Blackburn has drawn up the concepts for the plan and said the many other entries to the area meant that section of Augustus Tce was rarely used. "It allows that creative thinking. It opens up ideas and it breaks the mould of that stymied thinking,'' he said.

The plan also identifies streets that could be turned into pedestrian plazas and shared spaces. It suggests Tilden St, Faraday St and the church side of Denby St could become permanent pedestrian plazas, while parts of Ruskin St, Heather St, lower Parnell Rd and Windsor St could become pedestrian plazas on weekends. Streets like Falcon St, Bradford St and Gibraltar Cres could become shared spaces permanently or on weekends. Goulding said changing the roads for the weekend could be as simple as moving a couple of pot plants or installing street-level fountains which are on a timer.

She said Auckland Council's policy of intensifying development around main roads often destroyed the character of suburbs. "We're saying it's better to intensify around a community," she said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/7295199/Bold-new-plans-for-Parnell-streets

New 'tree top' playground for Henderson

Henderson locals will soon get a new destination playground at Tui Glen Reserve. The Henderson-Massey local board has approved the concept plan for a new ‘tree top’ playground at a more central location in the reserve. The plan says Tui Glen is considered to be an ideal location for a destination playground because of its proximity to Henderson town centre, Falls Park and West Wave. It is also easily accessible by road and close to public transport. The playground’s new location will be on a raised central knoll in the reserve, surrounded by trees and ringed on all sides by a pedestrian pathway. There is good visibility from all directions, which is ideal for safety. Visitors to the reserve will have plenty of parking on all sides. The new playground will be specifically designed to work with the natural features of the knoll, which has a big collection of mature trees surrounding it.

Three large towers with connecting structures and an eagle’s nest will elevate people to eye level with the tree tops. There will also be slides and a flying fox which further takes advantage of the existing contours and landscape of the location. The new playground is seen as more physically challenging and will encourage outdoor recreation. Tui Glen Reserve has a long and colourful history as NZ’s first camping ground, established in 1925 before World War II. In its heyday, the reserve had donkey rides, a skate rink, maypole and fairy grotto. However, it lost its popularity in the latter part of the 20th century and became rundown. The campground was closed in 2002 and the council has been working on a major transformation including construction of a new access road and entrance, new car parks, bridge upgrade, cycleway linkages, toilet block and jetty, relocating the historic McLeod’s Cottage, restoring heritage cabins, planting and landscaping. As part of the upgrade, it is also proposed that the original maypole on the site from the 1920s be restored and a plaque installed which records the playground’s history.

Hub West opening soon

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A ten-year dream becomes reality next month when a new community facility is welcomed at McLaren Park in the Henderson south area. Hub West, complete with west Auckland’s first Computer Clubhouse, will give the community a heart and a place where young people will want to come. It is an important addition to McLaren Park Henderson South, which is one of the most disadvantaged communities in west Auckland in terms of socioeconomic status and access to recreational and social services. "There is no doubt that this facility will fill a glaring gap," says Henderson-Massey Local Board Chair Vanessa Neeson.

"Community hubs help build cohesive communities and this is a key priority for the board, especially in area like this where growth has outstripped amenity." The new centre includes a hall with capacity to seat more than 250 people, a commercial kitchen, and spaces for community organisations, service providers and events. The clubhouse has elements of an artist's studio, inventor's workshop, television newsroom, architect's office, robotics lab and music studio. It's an exciting environment, which will give young people the opportunity to work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills and build confidence through the use of technology.

Projects given go-ahead

A cool $184 million has been earmarked for spending on developments in West Auckland over the next 10 years. The plans have been released as part of Auckland Council's Long Term Plan. About $17 billion will be spent on new projects across the whole of Auckland. Of that about $9 billion will be for transport and $8 billion will be for Auckland parks, sports grounds, stormwater, water, wastewater and community facilities. Waitakere councillor and deputy mayor Penny Hulse is excited to see these projects progress after having been planned for so long. "We have a new community centre and new libraries being built, key environmental programmes will continue and we're forging ahead with developments in New Lynn and the northwest that will boost the region's economy and bring new jobs." Whau Local Board chairman Derek Battersby says while these plans are exciting for the region he worries that more money is being spent on the central business district and the areas further afield will lose out. "I think the west is getting a pretty fair deal in the plan. I worry about the funds being put into Queen St at the expense of smaller communities. The most exciting thing for us is the Crown Lynn development, if the council can spend the money on the infrastructure then that will mean untold economic benefits when the houses begin to be built," he says.

Crown Lynn public road work, costing $26.2m, will extend some roads and add new ones in New Lynn to cater for the estimated 2500 new houses and apartments.

Other projects planned for West Auckland include Massey North Community Centre and Library, to cost $18.3m. The site will be 3500 square metres with a library featuring a children's reading and storytelling space, community rooms, a cafe and Citizens Advice Bureau.

Te Atatu Peninsula Library will have a new learning centre for customers to learn computer skills, an $8.8m project. An interim premises is being finalised for the library to operate out of while the construction goes on.

Ranui Library will cost $5.7m and will include a new library and community centre four times the size of the current library. But the work has been delayed and is not scheduled to begin until next year.

A new Whau recreation centre and swimming pool gets $7.7m and is expected to be finished by the end of 2014. A location for the facility is still to be decided.

The Lopdell House redevelopment will soak up $11.7m. The upgraded gallery will provide purpose-built education facilities, climate-controlled exhibition and storage space and a secure loading dock area. The Titirangi building will also be upgraded to meet earthquake standards.

Massey North gets $18.4m for a large open plan town centre. Some of it will be a low-speed zone for cars. The area will incorporate the new library and community centre.

Brigham Creek Rd corridor improvements get $9.9m and will go towards upgrading roads to allow for the growth and development in Hobsonville.

Te Atatu Rd corridor improvements get $24.6m, allowing the widening of Te Atatu Rd and Edmonton Rd for a new median strip, cycle lane and wider footpaths. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2014.

New Lynn Transit Oriented Development stage five on Great North Rd will get $3.7m to provide a more pedestrian-friendly street with access to retail and the road surface will also be improved.

Wilshire Village redevelopment, $37.7m, is planned to be a retirement village in Henderson made up of more than 200 apartments

Government takes controlling stake in Auckland redevelopment

The government and Auckland City are jointly investing $8.5 million in a new commercial entity to guide the plans to transform the lower socio-economic suburbs of Glen Innes and Panmure over the next 20 years. Housing Minister Phil Heatley and Auckland mayor Len Brown have signed a heads of agreement to create the Tamaki Redevelopment Company, a facilitating entity in which the government will take a 59 percent share and Auckland City a 41 percent share, contributing $5 million and $3.5 million of establishment capital respectively. The company follows a three-year consultation process in which a Tamaki Transformation Plan was created, with delivery of all elements of the vision estimated to cost around $1.9 billion over 20 years, and with potential to create as many as 45,000 jobs over a 30 year period.

The area involved covers the Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure districts, including the Tamaki campus of the University of Auckland and associated nearby new residential developments. The plan gained early negative publicity when Housing New Zealand evicted tenants in state housing to make way for what the plan described as a "first stage mixed ownership redevelopment", in which old state houses were cleared for a mixture of new state housing and private owners. The plan envisages the creation of "more mixed communities" to accelerate the economic prospects of the area, which is forecast to grow swiftly in coming years, being close to both the Auckland and Manukau city centres. Population is expected to double by 2046, the plan says. Today's announcements contained no detail on how the proposed vision would be funded, or how private sector capital could be involved.

"The TRC will lead the transformation, undertaking some projects itself, procuring delivery of other projects, and influencing the direction of others," said Heatley, who last year suggested it could be produce New Zealand's first "urban development agency" and a blueprint for other urban redevelopment projects. Its chief executive will be Debra Lawson has been chief executive at Queenstown Lakes District Council, a post she left two months shy of her three year contract, on June 30. Prior to that, she spent 20 years in urban redevelopment initiatives in the United Kingdom, particularly south London. "She has worked at the leading edge of public private partnership initiatives, delivering large-scale and complex urban regeneration programmes within the diverse communities of South London, with a strong focus on accountability to local people," Heatley and Brown said in their joint statement. An interim board is expected to be replaced with a combination of government, city council, local and private sector interests.

Has anybody heard of the "Alpers Ave Redevelopment Group" in Newmarket. It sounds as if they are planning something big: 5 star Hotel and 3 apartment blocks with retail. I can't seem to find anything about it. Work has started.

A quick google turned up a plan change decision from Council talking about multi level development:

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/district/updates/t196/PM196_27_BandCShawLimited.pdf

Hub West opening soon


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A ten-year dream becomes reality next month when a new community facility is welcomed at McLaren Park in the Henderson south area. Hub West, complete with west Auckland’s first Computer Clubhouse, will give the community a heart and a place where young people will want to come. It is an important addition to McLaren Park Henderson South, which is one of the most disadvantaged communities in west Auckland in terms of socioeconomic status and access to recreational and social services. "There is no doubt that this facility will fill a glaring gap," says Henderson-Massey Local Board Chair Vanessa Neeson.



This is much needed. A neglected area of Auckland. Will hopefully boost the area but along way to go.

Projects given go-ahead


Te Atatu Rd corridor improvements get $24.6m, allowing the widening of Te Atatu Rd and Edmonton Rd for a new median strip, cycle lane and wider footpaths. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2014.



Still not sure on this. The area needs a solution but not sure this is it. Would rather see a bridge at Hepburn Rd, Glendene to Avondale or a public transport solution. Just seem to want to destroy suburbs in the favour of cars and pump more traffic through this point.

A quick google turned up a plan change decision from Council talking about multi level development:

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/district/updates/t196/PM196_27_BandCShawLimited.pdf

Thanks, I want renders !!!! ;)

Early works start on Albany community pool

Preliminary work is beginning on the Northern Recreational Facility in Albany, which is to include a community swimming pool. A geotechnical survey is underway at the proposed site at North Harbour Stadium. The project is likely to take three years to complete. The Upper Harbour Local Board has agreed to invest $571,000 over the next year for preliminary work in its local board agreement. "The northern recreation facility has been a huge priority for the Upper Harbour Local Board,” says Upper Harbour Local Board chair Margaret Miles. "Our community has been asking for a swimming centre in the Albany area for 20 years, and the local board is relieved that this project will finally proceed.

"We have advocated for this project since the beginning of our term as Upper Harbour Local Board members, and we are very pleased that funding has been included in the Long-term Plan to make it happen,” says Mrs Miles. The Long-term Plan includes a budget of $17.8 million over the next three years for the project. “The Northern Recreation Centre will become a shining example of what can be achieved in the new Auckland and I am thrilled for the residents of the Upper Harbour and surrounding areas who will get so much use from the facility,” says Mayor Len Brown. “However the best news is that, come completion date, the pool will be free for kids 16 and under.”

If they want to become more familiar to their resturent then they must be provide a proper place for car parking. Because Often I face this problem when I go for the picnic.

If they want to become more familiar to their resturent then they must be provide a proper place for car parking. Because Often I face this problem when I go for the picnic.

Which restaurant are you talking about?

Plans to replace Mangere's old bridge

Plans are afoot to replace the old Mangere bridge across the Manukau Harbour from Onehunga before it turns 100 in 2015. The Transport Agency yesterday said it would replace the bridge - which was closed to motor traffic in 1983 but is still used by hundreds of pedestrians, cyclists and anglers each day - with a "higher quality and safer connection". It did not say what it would do about the existing structure, which is believed to be the oldest reinforced concert harbour crossing in New Zealand. But Onehunga Enhancement Society chairman Jim Jackson hopes elements of it can be incorporated in its replacement or some nearby development. He said his organisation was keen for the new bridge to include a lifting section, to allow for future inner-harbour development which may attract large vessels.

Not even small boats can fit under the old bridge at high tide, and it has warning signs about falling debris. The Transport Agency says it will retain the existing clearance "as a minimum" and investigate providing a higher structure for all-tide access for boats. Its predecessor, Transit NZ, intended demolishing the old bridge in association with its $230 million Manukau Harbour motorway crossing duplication project, which was completed in 2010, but it ran out of cash. Transport Agency acting highways manager Steve Mutton said yesterday he hoped construction of a new bridge could start late next year or early in 2014, so it could open on the centenary of its predecessor.

Mr Jackson said a cost estimate of $12 million under the earlier plan was increased by $5 million to make the new bridge strong enough to withstand marine collisions. He believe a lifting section would be included for no more $1 million - which he believed was reasonable considering the bridge should last another 100 years. Given that more than 600 people used it on some days, he said it should be wider than six metres proposed by the Transport Agency. That is less than half the width of the old bridge, which was built for four lanes of traffic. An agency spokesman said it was too early to give a precise cost estimate, and the community would be asked its views before designs were developed. The Historic Places Trust would be on the project team.

*
Public information sessions will be held from 10am to 2pm on August 11 and 12 at the Waterfront Road Reserve, Mangere Bridge.

Zoning issues leave builders 'scared'

The developers of a major shopping centre planned for near Karaka are ''too scared'' to start building because of fears the council will stop them in their tracks if there are zoning issues. But Auckland Mayor Len Brown has met with Karaka Lakes developers Frank and Juliet Reynolds and told them the council will ''make provisions'' for the development. The Reynolds own a 15-hectare plot north of Hingaia Rd where they are keen to start building a shopping centre. The land, now leased to onion growers, is zoned mixed-use 1. That allows for a combination of residential and commercial use, with a maximum of three hectares of intensive retail and one small store. That is not enough to service the 30,000-plus population eventually expected to live to the west of the Papakura interchange, Juliet Reynolds said.

The developers want certainty from the Auckland Council on zoning and how far they'll be allowed to expand before they start building. Brown told the Reynolds that council discussions over the next 12 months would ''make provision'' for their zoning requirements. The Auckland Plan's vision is for retail and job opportunities to keep pace with population growth, especially in the south. The Karaka development fits that bill, Brown said. The plan denotes Hingaia as an emerging local centre - a step below town centres like Papakura. But the Reynolds say that underestimates Hingaia's potential, with upwards of 10,000 people expected to move there in the next decade. The centre's strategic location close to the motorway and a growing population mean Hingaia could eventually become a town centre, Brown said. The developers say they've so far pumped at least $60 million into the local economy through building and job opportunities.

The council is backing ''good quality developers'' like the Reynolds, Brown said, and he wants them to be ready to go when the economy picks up. Councillor Calum Penrose also gave the developers' plans the thumbs-up and believes the Papakura Local Board approves. But he expects some ''initial push-back'' from Papakura town centre as many retailers would find the Hingaia retail space more attractive. The Reynolds have been patient, despite wrangles with the old Papakura District Council putting them five years behind schedule, and it's now time for Auckland Council to work with them, Penrose said. The Draft Auckland Unitary Plan will be out for public consideration in mid-2013 and the mayor wants ''a high level of public buy-in'' so that plans like the Karaka shopping centre can be fast-tracked. He has also asked to see the Reynolds' plans for an ''affordable family housing'' development in Kingseat Village, which could house 5000 people.

Golf course approval angers locals

Auckland Council is letting a developer build an 18-hole links-style golf course before settling a stoush over a 46-lot subdivision proposed for Te Arai Beach, south of Mangawhai. The consent for earthworks over 100ha to form the greens has upset residents and environmental groups who say they werenot consulted, despite the planned course being next to the Mangawhai Wildlife Reserve. The landowner is removing pine trees from the site, which is in a commercial forest that runs along 5.3km of white sandy beach. Te Arai Coastal Lands Trust said yesterday a course had always been one of the permitted activities in the forest. "It's always been under consideration so no one should be surprised by the earthworks consent," said spokesman David Lewis. "But no final decision has been made on use of the land for a golf course."

He said the subdivision application, which calls for a change to the Rodney District Plan, was "on hold" so the company could talk to some opponents. The plan change bid is to create 44 rural-residential lots of one to two hectares and two larger balance lots. As a sweetener, the developer will give the council 172ha for a coastal and wetland reserve north of its Te Arai Pt park. A total of 2255 submissions were made on it - 1671 of them against. Te Arai Beach Preservation Society spokeswoman Chris Wild said a non-notified consent was a shock because of the high public interest in use of land next to to the nesting grounds of the critically endangered New Zealand fairy tern. The battle against housing at the unspoiled beach would continue. "Five of the holes encroach into the plan's 'outstanding natural area' section of the coast," she said.

"The birds are about to start breeding - from August for the NZ dotterels, from October for the fairy terns - and no work is allowed closer than 500m from the nests." The earthworks cover 1 per cent of the total site, and were classed as a restricted discretionary activity. This meant the council could consider only a limited range of matters when deciding to grant consent, said northern consenting and compliance manager Julie Bevan. It was concluded that adverse effects on the environment were less than minor, which meant the application fell into the non-notified category. Court cases had shown that public interest did not comprise special circumstances for it to be notified. Chris Wild said from her home 2km from the site that locals would demand a say about the developer's application for resource consent to use bore water for irrigation of the course. The council said it had not decided whether the application would be notified.

Progress on Albany pool

A 20-year dream for a community swimming pool in Albany is about to become a reality. Survey work is beginning at the North Harbour Stadium site for the Northern Recreation Facility, including a pool. The $17.8 million project is expected to take three years to finish. The swimming pool proposal was bogged down in controversy for years under the former North Shore City Council. The Andrew Williams-led council ordered a third review into the Albany pool site, despite two earlier reviews in 2006 and 2008 backing the stadium over Massey University. The North Shore Times broke the news in 2010 that the third review also backed the stadium, a major setback for Mr Williams. The stadium site was chosen as having room for future expansion and with good linkages to an existing recreation facility. Auckland Council has budgeted for the project in its long-term plan and the Upper Harbour Local Board has agreed to invest $571,000 over the next year for preliminary work.

Long-time pool supporter and local board chairwoman Margaret Miles says the community has been asking for a pool for 20 years. The board is "relieved that project will finally proceed", she says. "We have advocated for this project since the beginning of our term as Upper Harbour Local Board members," she says. "We are very pleased that funding has been included in the long-term plan to make it happen.” She also advocated for a pool as a former city councillor and backed the stadium as the best site. Mayor Len Brown says he's thrilled for residents in the Upper Harbour area who will get great use from the new recreation centre. “However the best news is that, come completion date, the pool will be free for kids 16 and under.” All council-owned pools will also be free for children this age from early 2013.

$10m transport boost for local boards

Auckland's local boards were yesterday granted access to an annual $10 million funding pool to improve transport in their areas. The Auckland Council funding will be divided among each board, with the exception of Waiheke and Great Barrier, according to the population of the respective areas. The funding can be used for any local transport capital works, provided they are technically deliverable and meet transport safety requirements. Mayor Len Brown advocated for dedicated local board transport funding during the Long-term Plan process and welcomed yesterday's the decision by the Strategy and Finance Committee. "Although Auckland Transport will retain responsibility for the budget and delivery, it will be up to the local boards to decide how the funds would best be used," he said. Boards can carry its budget into later years and access future funding. The council hoped this would mean local boards could work on a number of smaller projects or save up funds for larger initiatives. "This funding is flexible and that reflects both the faith we have in our local boards and the complexity and variety of projects across different parts of the region," Brown said. "The scope is for local boards to prioritise local projects they believe will benefit their community and I look forward to seeing these projects eventuate in the coming years."

Hindu temple plans take shape

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1344543129/212/7452212.jpg

A new community centre will be key to linking West Aucklanders with the local Indian community, says the president of the Shri Ram Mandir Charitable Trust. About 500 people witnessed the ground breaking and blessing ceremony at the site of the future community centre and temple on Brick St in Henderson. The trust's president Pravin Kumar aims to build a place where people can pray in the temple and learn about Indian culture as well as creating a place where the community can congregate regardless of race or religion. The two-storey building will include a temple and hall on the top floor and a community centre on the ground floor. The basement will be a parents room. "This will be a place for the youth to come and learn about leadership and public service. We will have services for the seniors. We want to create a centre that can do some good for West Auckland," he says. The project is expected to cost $3.5 million, with $1m going toward land acquisition and consents. The community centre will be able to cater for around 500 people and is expected to be completed within 18 months.

Mr Kumar says they have funds for the first half of the project and the rest will be acquired through donations, sponsorship, fundraising events and borrowing. "We want to show potential funders that we are serious about our plans by getting under way. "We have already put our money where our mouth is by buying the land and beginning the foundation work." Mr Kumar is set to hold another prayer day soon, inviting local iwi and members of the public. For the blessing ceremony last month 350 bricks, donated at a cost of $101 each, were buried in what will become the foundations. It's part of the Vastu Shastra practice which Mr Kumar says prescribes desirable characteristics for sites and buildings based on flow of energy. Community Waitakere chief executive Pat Watson says there's a lack of places like the centre in Henderson.

1880s Three Lamps gets its name from the large Gas lamp standard at the intersection of College Hill Ponsonby & Jervois roads. This was altered in 1902 and removed in 1951. In the 1970s it was recreated at the side of the intersection.

1902 The lamp-post at Three Lamps was removed and the 3 gas lamps mounted on the new tram pole. These lights were electrified in 1920. The pole was removed in 1951, after which the lamps were attached to the façade of the nearby pub. In the 1970s a new Lamp-post was built with the same three circular steps as the original.

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/HeritageImages/images/photos/a18f/img0051.jpg

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/HeritageImages/images/photos/a18f/img0090.jpg

David Gilbert is excited to be a part of an historic event. The Three Lamps after which the Ponsonby shopping area is named will again light up on August 10.

His company, Wrought Iron Product, made the replica of the post.

"My mother found a historical Ponsonby book. There was an original photo of the lamps from the 1800s, so I made a hand-drawn sketch based on that photo," he recalls.

The photo was that of the original 1873 lamp standard at the corner of Ponsonby, Jervois, College Hill and St Marys roads. As the shops, post office and hotel (which later became the famous Gluepot) grew around the intersection, it became known as Three Lamps.

"I was stoked," Mr Gilbert, 45, says of being asked to make the replica.

"I was really quite proud to do it. I spent a lot of my misspent youth around the Three Lamps area, seeing various punk bands in the Gluepot. I knew the area well."

There's a family connection, too. Cyril Callanan, great-grandfather of Mr Gilbert's wife, used to light many of the gas street lamps in Auckland and may have even lit the Three Lamps on his evening rounds.


The reinstatement is a legacy project from the former Western Bays Community Board, completed by the Waitemata Local Board. Its heritage leader, Tricia Reade, says residents wanted to bring back a sense of history.

"It was a fabulous meeting-place for all sorts of people in the 19th century. It was where they gathered and talked," she says.

In the late 1800s, Three Lamps was the starting-point for horse-drawn buses from Ponsonby to the city. People would sit on the lights' stone base; and politicians would use it as a platform for fiery speeches. The lamps were eventually removed in 1934 to the corner of the Ponsonby Club Hotel, later known as the Gluepot. The move drew opposition from residents who felt the lamps deterred reckless motorists in their old spot.

In 1937, the lamps were moved to the hotel veranda. In the 70s, the Gluepot became Auckland's most celebrated tavern and music venue; in the mid-90s, however, it was closed and rebuilt as apartments and offices.

"The residents felt when we lost the Gluepot, we lost a little bit of our history as well. So from a historical point of view, we are putting the lamps where the old Gluepot used to be," says Ms Reade, adding that the Cossar family, who donated funds for research into the Three Lamps history, have been instrumental in the project.

Ponsonby architect Philip Jones gave his time and talent, choosing Mr Gilbert's design.

The lamp replicas were made by a Christchurch company based on Mr Gilbert's sketch, but every component of the post was made by hand.

"Our company built the lamp from scratch; staying true to the era we were replicating rather than laser-cutting components," he says.

The post has been handpainted rather than spraypainted so it doesn't look too glossy. Drips of paint have been allowed to dry to make it more authentic. Basalt stones saved from the original base will be used as the new foundation. Two plaques will be attached to explain the lamps' significance.

"It's something I would be proud to take the kids to show once it goes up," says Mr Gilbert.

Lamps' timeline
1873 Lamp erected at junction of Ponsonby, College Hill, Jervois and St Marys Roads
1890 City Council gives decides to cut cost and light only one lamp
1892 Gas Company gives concessions and lights all three
1902 Lamps replaced by electrical lights
1924 Lamp shades removed
1934 Lamp standard was removed from intersection
1935 A new standard was erected on the corner of College Hill and Ponsonby Roads, outside Ponsonby Club Hotel later known as (The Gluepot)
1937 Hotel is demolished and new one constructed. The head of the lamp standard is incorporated in the verandah where they remain today.

Old lamp

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7752241148_98e6b9b661_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752241148/)
Three lamps Ponsonby (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752241148/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7752242146_b1cbc1e307_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752242146/)
Three lamps Ponsonby (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752242146/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7752242898_476105dce6_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752242898/)
Three lamps Ponsonby (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752242898/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

New Lamp

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7752132008_4c80981cf4_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752132008/)
Three lamps Ponsonby (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752132008/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/7752132246_761fa3b643_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752132246/)
Three lamps Ponsonby (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7752132246/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

^^ YAY :applause:

Should have been in the middle of the intersection, not bunged in the middle of the footpath which is tiny as it is.

Bridge gets revamp

Some eye-catching new infrastructure will soon be visible in Parnell. Plans are afoot to rebuild Point Resolution bridge and the Parnell Baths walkway could get a facelift too if the Waitemata Local Board has its way. Parnell Community Committee chairman Roger Cole-Baker says the design is a good one. "We were concerned that the new bridge should be something that Aucklanders can be proud of and make a statement. Taurarua headland is very fragile so building on it should be done with extreme care. If the council can ensure the build will maintain the long-term conservation of the headland, the committee is all for it," Mr Cole-Baker says. Ngati Whatua heritage and resource manager Malcolm Paterson shares the sentiment. "It's a site of quite some significance to us and has a great korero, history, to go with it. It's a former defended pa, which is why it later became a European fort.

"In a way we'd prefer the headland did not suffer any more modification because every new cut into the cliff poses some risk to those heritage elements. "Having said that, council and the local board engaged genuinely with us early on in the project's development." Different options for where to rebuild were explored but the decision was made to keep to the original bridge site because of cost and engineering issues. "We were prepared to compromise and the solution that was reached was acceptable to us," Mr Paterson says. A structural inspection in February 2012 recommended urgent repairs and the replacement of the bridge within the year. The bridge was closed to the public for three days in early March while corrosion of the steelwork in the spans of the old section was fixed. Waitemata Local Board supported a recommendation for funding and a $3,577,884 budget was approved. This figure is subject to change as the project is in the process of being tendered.

The decision was made to erect a modern bridge after consultation with community groups, Waitemata Local Board chairman Shale Chambers says. The new bridge will sit one metre higher than the existing bridge due to KiwiRail's requirements for electrification. Its structural elements will be lifted over the Christmas period while the railway line is closed to the public. The alteration means the new bridge will not connect directly to the existing Parnell Baths boardwalk and steps leading up to Point Resolution. The Local Board would prefer work on the Point Resolution to Parnell Baths walkway took place at the same time rather than building a temporary structure to join the two walkways. This would reduce costs and the overall closure period for the route. "We wanted to take the opportunity to have an integrated look and feel to the bridge on a single design basis," Mr Chambers says.

The impact on users of Parnell Baths is a key consideration. "Ideally work wouldn't be taking place over summer when the baths are open but we've got no choice as to when electrification occurs," he says. Parnell Baths Support Group chairwoman Sue Monk says users appreciate that Waitemata Local Board wants to replace the bridge and the walkway at the same time. But the timing will make things difficult. "We are sorry that it hasn't been undertaken over the winter period. If all this construction is done over summer, access will be compromised and people will only be able to get to the baths from Judges Bay," she said. "People will have to be considerate because access really will bottleneck, but we just accept that that's the way it's being done." Funding for the Parnell Baths walkway is not in the current annual plan. The estimated cost is $750,000 and this will be funded from the reprioritisation of projects within the local board budget. Completion of a new Point Resolution bridge is expected by early 2013. The Point Resolution renewal forms part of Waitemata Local Board's plan to build a coastal walkway from Parnell to Meola Reef.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7899190684_8a8ae415d7_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7899190684/)
Three Lamps (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7899190684/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8041/7899192366_0451d4b1f7_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7899192366/)
Three Lamps (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7899192366/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/7899194160_e53e8c88b9_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7899194160/)
Three Lamps (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/7899194160/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

Boss ready to transform eastern suburbs

The chief executive of the country's first urban regeneration programme takes the reins today to begin a 15 to 25-year programme to transform Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure. Auckland Council and the Government formed a company - Tamaki Redevelopment Company - earlier this year to deliver the Tamaki Transformation Programme which aims to create a thriving, attractive, sustainable and self-reliant community through a series of "interlinking and complimentary" economic, social, urban space and housing projects. The Tamaki community is working towards better education and health, more people in jobs and business opportunities, a better urban environment and improved housing in the area. Debra Lawson, who has more than 20 years' experience leading urban regeneration programmes, including delivering affordable and social infrastructure in the UK, will lead the project.

"I am fortunate to be coming into a programme that has a big legacy - so many people have already contributed their ideas, passion and energy to get us to this point. I am looking forward to continuing that journey and helping to bring the Tamaki vision to a reality," she said. Lawson said the Tamaki community had played an integral part in "developing the vision" for the project and the Tamaki Redevelopment Company was committed to working on behalf of that community to "further develop that vision and to identify the necessary transformational activities". "In my experience, the most successful urban regeneration programmes are those that fully engage the local community. Although I will have plenty to do, one of my early priorities will be to get out and about as much as possible in the coming months to meet people and listen to their views about Tamaki."

Lawson said the first task was be to bring all the current and future initiatives and projects together into a single strategic framework. This will include projects to improve education, employment, health, environment, and safety. The Crown and the Council will approve the over-arching plan and business cases before they begin. The Tamaki Transformation Programme was announced earlier this year by Housing Minister Phil Heatley. He said East Auckland was chosen because it was an area with ''significant potential''. ''It is close to the Auckland and Manukau central business districts. It has a young population, a sense of history and community, green spaces and near-coastal location. ''Tamaki is a key growth area for Auckland and its future prosperity will have a flow-on effect for the rest of the country."

Yay the three lamps are back!!

Now we just need the trams to complete the Ponsonby renaissance. :)

Now we just need the trams to complete the Ponsonby renaissance. :)

That would be my dream project along with SkyPath :cheers:

Render of the new Point Resolution Bridge in Parnell ... I like :cheers:

http://www.robthomas.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Parnell-Bridge-replacement-Rob-Thomas-1024x768.jpg

Newmarket has a spring in its step

Auckland's second largest retail centre is shrugging off the worst effects of the global economic downturn. At this week's AGM, Newmarket Business Association Chief Executive Ashley Church said recent research has indicated a consistent improvement over the past couple of years in Newmarket's fortunes as a major shopping destination. "Newmarket is holding its own and pushing ahead, against the odds" says Mr Church. Despite suggestions that it might have lost its crown, retail sales in the area have grown by 6.5 per cent over the past year. Newmarket has also maintained its position as New Zealand's premium shopping destination. Compared to its major competitors, the average spend or transaction value in Newmarket was over $69, well ahead of Ponsonby ($49.75), the CBD ($47.50) and Sylvia Park ($50.39). Outgoing Association Chairman Jonathan Macdonald says he's leaving the Association in very good hands and has confidence in the CEO and management team to achieve positive results for Newmarket. "Although we are still in the midst of a significant downturn and uncertainty in the global and national economies, Newmarket is still in good heart and achieving growth against the trend" While Newmarket's branding as the 'Fashion Capital' of New Zealand has been a huge success, the move to adopt a more inclusive strategy - which focuses on the concept of 'experience' - is already getting results. "Recent trends in retail foot traffic confirm that while we aren't exactly in a boom we're holding our own under some of the toughest conditions in a generation" says Mr Church. The Association's comprehensive Events Strategy has also played a major role by creating a series of high profile events and promotions which generate spending outcomes for members. Interestingly, a recent Association membership survey indicated that 36 per cent of the businesses in Newmarket had chosen the precinct for their head office or flagship stores indicating the high regard which is held for the business district. With a new-look brand, new premises and a new Board, the Newmarket Business Association is confident that it will continue to build on the foundations which have been established.

Not to sure about the bridge; design is good but maybe needs some colour. Maybe I just have bad taste. :ohno: Overall it looks quite nice so I can't wait until they release more renders of it.

Looking at the render it seems they'll complete it before electrification ;)

Uni plan linked to brewery property

Auckland University may be about to buy the vast Lion Nathan site in the heart of Newmarket. Real estate insiders said the university's big Tamaki campus would be sold and the engineering faculty would leave the university's existing CBD site and shift to Newmarket. Speculation is also rife that the university could sell its Epsom education site as part of a 100-year growth plan. The university is spending more than $1 billion upgrading and expanding its facilities. Staff were unwilling to discuss the deal yesterday, saying it was only speculative. The site - on Khyber Pass Rd - is built like a fortress and dwarfs neighbouring buildings. It is situated near the university's Grafton campus and the Grafton train station, which students use frequently.

In September 2010, the site was given back to Lion Nathan after previously being sold to AMP Capitol Investors NZ Ltd. It was agreed that a $50 million deposit with the balance of $162 million would be paid for the 5.2 ha site. Meanwhile a new plant in East Tamaki was being built. AMP Capital Investors managing director Graham Law said then that the ongoing recession had played a key role in the company's actions. "The investment in the Khyber Pass site was made in 2007. "Since that time the prolonged financial crisis has had a dramatic effect on the economics and value of development land, in particular on multi-use blocks such as the Khyber Pass site," Mr Law said. The strategy for the Khyber Pass site had been to attract new equity and project finance, he said.

^^

Makes good sense, and connection is fantastic..

Uni plan linked to brewery property

Auckland University may be about to buy the vast Lion Nathan site in the heart of Newmarket. Real estate insiders said the university's big Tamaki campus would be sold and the engineering faculty would leave the university's existing CBD site and shift to Newmarket. Speculation is also rife that the university could sell its Epsom education site as part of a 100-year growth plan. The university is spending more than $1 billion upgrading and expanding its facilities. Staff were unwilling to discuss the deal yesterday, saying it was only speculative. The site - on Khyber Pass Rd - is built like a fortress and dwarfs neighbouring buildings. It is situated near the university's Grafton campus and the Grafton train station, which students use frequently.

In September 2010, the site was given back to Lion Nathan after previously being sold to AMP Capitol Investors NZ Ltd. It was agreed that a $50 million deposit with the balance of $162 million would be paid for the 5.2 ha site. Meanwhile a new plant in East Tamaki was being built. AMP Capital Investors managing director Graham Law said then that the ongoing recession had played a key role in the company's actions. "The investment in the Khyber Pass site was made in 2007. "Since that time the prolonged financial crisis has had a dramatic effect on the economics and value of development land, in particular on multi-use blocks such as the Khyber Pass site," Mr Law said. The strategy for the Khyber Pass site had been to attract new equity and project finance, he said.

This could be amazing for the area. Four large university campuses along the Central Connector and within walking distance of the City Rail Link.

It is a fantastic idea - both for the Grafton Train Station and the shops in the area :cheers:

The only thing is would it not be an ideal place for more quality apartments as well. Being that close to town, the Domain and Newmarket is pretty desirable. The only concern with a Uni campus is it would be largely deserted at certain times of the day.

The only thing is would it not be an ideal place for more quality apartments as well. Being that close to town, the Domain and Newmarket is pretty desirable. The only concern with a Uni campus is it would be largely deserted at certain times of the day.

I am sure that they will throw that into the mix. Even if it is just student accommodation we are not going to get those horrors that were allowed a decade ago, it will be good stuff. There is also mention of a convention centre for the site - anybody heard anything about this ?

I am sure that they will throw that into the mix. Even if it is just student accommodation we are not going to get those horrors that were allowed a decade ago, it will be good stuff. There is also mention of a convention centre for the site - anybody heard anything about this ?

How many convention centre sites does that make?

How many convention centre sites does that make?

I have lost count :lol: It could probably be one for the Uni and will be quite small - who knows :colgate:

The only thing is would it not be an ideal place for more quality apartments as well. Being that close to town, the Domain and Newmarket is pretty desirable. The only concern with a Uni campus is it would be largely deserted at certain times of the day.

The Engineering Building in the CBD campus is open till midnight every single day and there is constant activity with students working in the underground labs. Would be great for Newmarket :cheers:

Although I'm not sure how it would work out because the university announced new building works for the Engineering department in the CBD campus recently with construction starting next year.

I am assuming the sale of the Tamaki campus would fit in with the council's long term project for that area. And the re-opening of the Tamaki station has been mentioned as part of that.

Though as some have pointed out, that is starting to clog the Eastern line with stations, thereby impacting travel times.

The Engineering Building in the CBD campus is open till midnight every single day and there is constant activity with students working in the underground labs. Would be great for Newmarket :cheers:

Although I'm not sure how it would work out because the university announced new building works for the Engineering department in the CBD campus recently with construction starting next year.

Students aren't exactly big spenders though meaning we are unlikely to see things like interesting cafes/restaurants or speciality retail stores etc. so yes it would be handy for students but not really give an interesting new area of the city.

^^

There is enough of that 200m up the road.........

Whatever goes in the Lion site, there is scope for some Skycraper apartments...such an awesome location with so many amenities right on the doorstep!

Very hip cafes and bars are opening up in the area and this development will help stimulate the local economy - if not that it will definitely be more vibrant. I would love to see shops and apartments built above Grafton Train Station.

^^ any news on what is happening with that little bit of land next to it, something needs to be done with it.

^^ any news on what is happening with that little bit of land next to it, something needs to be done with it.

No news on that, that's the little piece of land that I would like to see apartments built on - building over the train station and incorporating that triangular wedge will be fantastic.

Whatever goes in the Lion site, there is scope for some Skycraper apartments...such an awesome location with so many amenities right on the doorstep!

Pretty sure the site is subject to Volcanic Cones height controls

A university campus sounds like a great idea.

Lopdell Precinct redevelopment progress | TITIRANGI (http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/newseventsculture/OurAuckland/News/Pages/lopdellprecinctredevelopmentprogress.aspx)

Good progress is being made on the Lopdell Precinct redevelopment with some exciting milestones expected to be achieved before the year is out. The new parking deck above the existing car park next to the Playcentre in South Titirangi Road is due for completion in October, creating 23 new parking spaces for community use. The next project will be the upgrade of Lopdell Hall (The Treasure House) in the car park across the road. This work has been brought forward and is scheduled to start this month so that the Titirangi Theatre Company can use the space for storage and rehearsals after moving out of Lopdell House. The expected completion date is early November. Detailed design for the seismic upgrade and heritage restoration of Lopdell House is complete and building consents have been lodged. The work will go to tender this month with the contract being awarded in October. The aim is to carry out the necessary earthworks this summer. Design work on the new gallery is complete and will be jointly tendered with Lopdell House, although work will not start on the gallery until full funding is available. Waitakere Ranges Local Board has provided funding for the relocation of Lopdell Gallery, Upstairs Gallery, Titirangi Theatre Company and McCahon Trust, all of which have interim tenancies in New Lynn. Local board chair Denise Yates says the redevelopment project is exciting and will create a fantastic arts, theatre and cultural centre. "We are pleased to be part of this redevelopment, which will give Titirangi a new arts precinct and cement its place as an important arts community in Auckland."

Island community a step closer (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/7662446/Gated-island-community-a-step-closer)

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1347479364/648/7666648.jpg

A plan to build an exclusive gated community on Pararekau Island in the Manukau Harbour has moved a step closer after the Environment Court approved an agreement between developers, local iwi and the Auckland Council. After initial concerns about the environmental effects, legality and cultural impacts of the development the three parties came to an agreement on the proposal after a series of meetings over the past two years. The 20-hectare Pararekau Island was bought 10 years ago by Karaka Harbourside Estate Ltd, the development company of Ian and James Ross. For the past 80 years Pararekau, the second largest island in the harbour, has been used to graze stock, degrading the ecological value of the island. The developers say farming Pararekau is no longer financially or environmentally viable and they plan to subdivide the island into 11 lifestyle blocks with a shared recreation area, wetlands and extensive coastal planting ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/7662446/Gated-island-community-a-step-closer)

Warehouse centre breaks new ground (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10834105)

About 300 permanent new jobs have been created at Silverdale after The Warehouse built a $60 million hilltop retail centre where 150 construction workers have been employed for the past two years. While the West Coast and Kawerau suffer big job cuts, the rapidly growing suburb north of Auckland is enjoying boom times and offering rich pickings for job hunters. Fiona Shilton, property general manager for The Warehouse, said her company's new 35-shop centre on the 7.2ha Silverdale site would open on October 18 and had drawn many national retailers who had then employed staff for their new shops. The Warehouse alone had taken on between 100 and 130 people, she said, and construction workers had been busy on the land since 2010 after Naylor Love won the main building contract ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10834105)

Living on that island would be so awesome

If living in a gated community with no amenities suits you then maybe it would be awesome...

wtf ^

If living in a gated community with no amenities suits you then maybe it would be awesome...

Wow... Surely hes entitled to comment and his own tastes... not everyone has to live in apartments next to a train station you know..

Frankly I live down the road from the island and it would be a shame for them to carve it up.. but then again it isnt my land so what the hell. Also it is no tropical island whatsoever.

5mins drive to the local shops (not yet built) and just over 10mins to the Manukau Mall. Good enough I would think.

5mins drive to the local shops (not yet built) and just over 10mins to the Manukau Mall. Good enough I would think.

+1 ! yes

Victoria Wharf Closed Until Repair Works Are Complete (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1209/S00457/victoria-wharf-closed-until-repair-works-are-complete.htm)

Victoria Wharf in Devonport was closed to all public access on Wednesday 19 September and will remain closed until repair and renewal work is complete. In the last 12 months investigations into the structural condition of Victoria Wharf have showed a steady decline. This includes deterioration of the pilings, beams and decking and is due to marine exposure over time. Earlier this year Auckland Council carried out a significant amount of research, planning and preliminary design, which resulted in the allocation of a budget to make the necessary repairs to the wharf. Devonport-Takapuna Local Board Chair Chris Darby says Victoria Wharf is an integral part of Devonport’s historic fabric and Auckland’s harbour landscape, and the local board advocated strongly for funding to repair the wharf ... MORE (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1209/S00457/victoria-wharf-closed-until-repair-works-are-complete.htm)

If living in a gated community with no amenities suits you then maybe it would be awesome...

Yeah it does suit me :lol:

$1m church with sea views for sale (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10835743)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201238/SCCZEN_210912SPLCHURCH1_460x230.jpg

A million-dollar church is being sold as religious groups around the country grapple with a decline in the number of worshippers. The Castor Bay Presbyterian Church on the North Shore is being disposed of after its dwindling and ageing congregation accepted it was impractical to keep it. The church, which has ocean views and sits beside a separate hall on a 1133sq m block of prime real estate valued at $1.125 million, could be turned into a family home or removed for a new building. The minister, Don Hall, said the Seaview Rd church would essentially amalgamate with another Presbyterian congregation at nearby Mairangi Bay. "Membership at Castor Bay were getting elderly. They didn't want to just simply the last person standing to turn out the light; they wanted to exit positively ... [B]MORE (http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201238/SCCZEN_210912SPLCHURCH1_460x230.jpg)

Residents celebrate planners' change of heart (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10836099)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201239/SCCZEN_A_300712SPLMILFORD5_460x230.jpg

Residents opposing a plan to build high-rise apartments at the Milford shopping centre are celebrating a "shift in position" by city planners that supports their concerns about preserving the village's character. But the change of heart midway through the hearing process has prompted a lawyer's letter from the developer to the commissioners' panel, expressing serious concerns. Milford Centre Ltd is seeking a district plan change to enable the mall to take nine apartment buildings from four storeys to 16 storeys, or 63m high. The panel heard evidence from 60 submitters last month and will sit again on October 2 to hear council officers' comments on the evidence and Milford Centre Ltd's right of reply. The council planning team's pre-hearing report recommended the plan change be approved subject to several amendments. But in his new comments, team leader Ewen Patience said that after reflecting on the evidence, he had been persuaded to shift from the original position he thought was appropriate at the time ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10836099)

I wish the Residents' Association would just Fuck Off!

^^ N I M B Ys

Council planners make about-turn on Milford intensification

Published 28 September 2012
The hearing on intensive development proposed for the Milford shopping centre goes into its final stage next Tuesday with the Auckland Council’s planning staff completely reversing their position, previously one of support.

The intensification proposal – 3 residential towers containing 235 apartments to be built above the existing shopping centre – is a likely benchmark for how Auckland could develop to accommodate an extra million residents over the next 30 years.

The council itself has voted to allow only up to 40% of new housing development to be outside the new rural-urban boundaries, lines based on the metropolitan urban limit as it was in 2010. The council aim is to get 70% of development inside the boundary (10% leeway for flexibility), which would require more apartments & other tighter accommodation options to replace much of the quarter-acre traditional style.

But if the council itself backs off the scheme devised by Milford Centre Ltd (part of Mark Gunton’s NZ Retail Property Group), the whole intensification campaign would be set back.

Intensification is central to development of the city rail link, extending the commuter rail line through Britomart and back round to the western line at Mt Eden, with a connection from a new Aotea station to a later North Shore line.

And that city rail link is integral to the notion that future development can be based on nodes around transport points.

Milford Centre opened its case for private plan change 34, the Milford intensive residential development overlay area, on 30 July and the hearing ran into the following week. The resumption next Tuesday is for the hearing panel to hear council officer responses to submissions & evidence.

Leading that response, the council’s principal planner, Ewen Patience, has told the panel: “As it became clear that there were differing views between council’s key experts, it was determined, in consultation with team leaders Peter Vari & David Sanders, that the hearing report should reflect those differing views, hence alternative decisions were set out in the hearing report in respect of certain matters.

“A key issue has been, and still is, the height & bulk of buildings within certain of the ‘footprints’. But a plan change does not only require an effects assessment, as in a resource consent application, but something broader than that, particularly in the context of a regional growth strategy and the vision of a ‘centre’ that is intended to play a major part in that strategy and in Auckland’s sustainable development.”

Mr Patience said that after hearing all the evidence & submissions, “Those submissions, generating further reflections on the applicant’s case and that of the community (as represented primarily by the Milford Residents Association & a number of supporting submissions) have persuaded me to shift from the position I considered appropriate at the time of ‘approving’ the hearing report.”

Mr Patience said it had become necessary to investigate further various questions pertaining to the Auckland growth model: “A key question is, to what extent are the figures able to be relied on and/or represent council policy? What are the key inputs to the model that have a bearing on the outputs and thereby on the applicant’s case? What is the relationship of the Auckland Plan to these figures and how should the Auckland Plan be interpreted for plan change 34? In order that the hearing panel is fully informed on these questions, I have obtained statements from 3 key officers pertaining to the Auckland growth model, the Auckland Plan and the legacy planning documents & ‘growth’ figures…..

“Given all the questions & issues this plan change has generated, it is recommended that a precautionary approach be adopted to the setting of building heights & ‘bulk’, by way of a discretionary activity status for buildings above a certain height or ‘width’. This in turn creates the possibility of - but not automatic - public notification, or limited notification.”

Milford Centre counsel Bronwyn Carruthers has written to the hearing panel about her client’s concerns, starting with the quality of Mr Patience’s statement and the assessment undertaken for it.

Ms Carruthers said Milford Centre wanted the panel chairman, David Hill, to direct that council urban design expert Sarah Lindsay – who supported the development proposal but whose views weren’t included in the staff response for the closing hearing stage – to provide some statement in response, even if only to confirm her previous position.

Among many criticisms of the about-turn, Ms Carruthers wrote: “There are a number of irregularities in how the council has approached its planning response to the plan change. The most apparent oddity is that, while Mr Gerard Thompson prepared the pre-hearing report (albeit that it was reviewed by Mr Patience), the primary planning report in response has been provided by Mr Patience. It is quite unusual for the reporting planner to change in the middle of the process and is particularly concerning when the opinion of the later planner not only cuts across the earlier planner's recommendations but ignores those reports prepared by the council's own expert team which support the plan change.

“Changing reporting planners midway through the process also creates confusion around what the council's actual position is. For example, in his statement in response, Mr Thompson proposes a number of policies and supports his earlier recommendation. However, Mr Patience suggests that these policies are merely a ‘good start’ but require ‘further consideration’.

“In his statement, Mr Patience claims that the submissions & evidence presented by both Milford Centre & the submitters has ‘persuaded [him] to shift from the position [he] considered appropriate at the time of 'approving' the hearing report. However, it seems highly unlikely that the matters raised by Mr Patience are as a result of information or material that has come to light during the hearing. It appears that it is as a result of either:
Mr Patience failing to realise at the time he reviewed & signed the pre-hearing report the matters at issue. It is difficult to see how a competent planner undertaking a review and who is fully abreast of all the relevant information could not understand the relevant issues, or
Mr Patience attempting to introduce at a later stage in the process views that were held within council prior to the issuing of the pre-hearing report but which the independent planning consultant, Mr Thompson, did not support. If this is the case, it would be a complete abuse of process on the part of the council.
“In addition, his statement appears to be selective in its consideration of the advice of his own expert team and in his summary of the reports on the Auckland growth model attached to his statement.

Mr Patience's statement makes no reference to the council’s own urban design expert, Ms Lindsay, choosing instead to rely on the urban design evidence of Tracy Ogden Cork – provided on behalf of the Milford Residents Association – and Mr Leo Jew, who is referred to in the statements in response as not only the council’s landscape architect but now also its urban design expert, to provide support for his position.”

^^ The Milford Centre people must sue the Council .... for what ever they can :(

the more towers or high rises on the shore the better! look how easy it is to see Takapuna from the waterfront now. .Bring it on Milford

More green spaces out west (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/7743832/More-green-spaces-out-west)

Around 50 plots of land in Henderson, Sunnyvale and Glen Eden are set to become a reserve as part of the Twin Streams project. Twin Streams is an environmental restoration project aimed at improving water quality in Waitakere streams by planting native trees and shrubs and purchasing land within flood plains. According to the council's Anil Karan, bits and pieces of land have been matched up in West Auckland to form one big reserve. "On Henderson Valley road, several properties have been combined to make a significant block of land," Karan said. "The little scrappy bits of land will join up to make a connection." Some 28 properties in Glen Eden will become a reserve, including nine on Glendale Rd, seven on West Coast Rd, and four on Lucinda Pl. Six slices of land on Henderson Valley Rd will switch to reserve land, and four on Millbrook Rd. Sunnyvale will also see a handful of changes, with five properties on Serwayne Pl and six on Seymour Rd marked for change. No houses are being bowled to make the reserve. Karan said some blocks of land may need some maintenance and management, but the extent is not clear at the moment. Around 20 of the properties will form part of a cycleway. Karan said the council has been juggling options for the cycleway-designated land, having been involved in talks about putting them alongside the rail tracks, but these plans fell through. Submissions can be made on the plans until October 29.

^^ A lot of the houses, particularly around Sunnyvale were brought by the council a while ago and turned into a cycleway, I guess this is just formally turning them into a reserve. I remember they had flooding problems with some of them and that after buying them out and knocking them down for the cycleway, one part of the WCC took another part of the same council to court for not following the consent process properly.

Centre set to open for patients (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/7755920/Centre-set-to-open-for-patients)

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1349116843/949/7755949.jpg

The "bones" of Silverdale's new $15 million health centre are in place and the centre is due to open for patients by early November. Site works for the two-storey, 3857 square metre health centre on the Hibiscus Coast Highway began in late January. It's a partnership between Southern Cross Hospitals and Silverdale GPs. Silverdale Medical GP and accident and emergency services and other health tenants, including a pharmacy, physiotherapy, X-ray, and specialist consulting rooms, are expected to be the first to open on the ground floor. The centre will be clad in "Moeding" terracotta tiles, chosen for strength, weather-resistance and insulation properties, as well as being cost-effective and attractive. Silverdale GP Dr Warren Groarke says the design aims to create a functional, inviting building in keeping with the local environs. "When we started out on this process, we knew we didn't want it to look stark and clinical." Dr Groarke says the new facility aims to create a convenient one-stop health hub for the community. "Moving to larger premises means we can provide patients with a whole range of complementary health services on one site," he says. "We also expect the facility to be something of a magnet, as the existing strong group of health tenants and modern building attract other medical practitioners wishing to provide services here." Once relocated, Silverdale GPs also plan to extend their opening hours in the evenings and through weekends. Staffing includes about eight to 10 doctors and nine nurses. Parking will be available for 77 cars.

“Change is bad” – ground for the intensification debate laid at Milford (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18424&SID=486356107)

Starting from the stance that change is intrinsically bad, it would be easy to understand the revised position taken by Auckland Council principal planner – and longtime North Shore City Council senior planner before that – Ewen Patience on the private plan change to add blocks of apartments above the Milford shopping centre. But neither of those 2 councils has started from that position, not for 13 years. Nor has the independent planning consultant appointed to write the council report on Milford Centre Ltd’s proposal, Gerard Thompson. After outlining the proposal and taking the views of the applicant & submitters into account, Mr Thompson wrote a 79-page report – reviewed by Mr Patience & signed off by 2 council team leaders - recommending the plan change be approved. Plan change 34 went to a hearing at the end of July and resumed yesterday for final advice from council staff and closing submissions from the applicant. Presentation of the staff reports was completed - including a 31-page statement from Mr Patience, accompanied by statements from 2 other council strategic planners, and a brief confirmation by Mr Thompson that his view was unchanged (but with further recommendations on balcony sizes). Closing submissions from the general manager of Milford Centre parent company NZ Retail Property Group Ltd, Campbell Barbour, and 2 planning consultants for the applicant were also completed. Closing submissions of counsel Bronwyn Carruthers were held over to a final hearing day, expected to be in a fortnight. Mr Thompson’s basis for accepting the proposal, with a few amendments, was that it would facilitate residential intensification at Milford in accordance with the strategic direction set out in the regional policy statement & the Auckland Plan which achieved a balance between providing for intensification while managing potential adverse effects on the environment ... MORE (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18424&SID=486356107)

the more towers or high rises on the shore the better! look how easy it is to see Takapuna from the waterfront now. .Bring it on Milford


I think there might be a little more thought that goes into urban planning and densification other than 'you can see towers from the waterfront'.

Whimsical treehouse to be sold (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10840227)

http://www.pacificenvironments.co.nz/images/treehousecollage.jpg

An award-winning Warkworth treehouse that has been used as a restaurant is for sale. The 14m tall pod structure wrapped around a redwood tree was opened in 2008 as part of a marketing campaign for the Yellow Pages. It was built for $600,000 on forestry businessman Ken Holmes' SH1 property near Warkworth and access to it comes via a walk. The property is being offered for sale by tender and includes the treehouse, four titles and three houses. Mr Holmes was in Africa and could not be contacted yesterday. The restaurant was previously open to the public, but the business shifted focus and it now takes bookings only for corporate or private functions. Difficulties in safely turning into the property from the highway resulted in the restaurant closing temporarily in 2010. Resource consent for the property depends on bus or coach access for guests, as it is deemed too dangerous for private vehicles not familiar with the property. Peter Eising of Pacific Environments designed the Redwoods Treehouse, which won a number of domestic excellence industry awards as well as being a finalist in the World Architecture Festival award and ArchDaily building of the year. Judges for the New Zealand Institute of Architecture Award said: "Structural inventiveness has played a key role in the creation of the whimsical, lantern-like organic form. Evocative and imaginative, it happily fills the role of architect as event." The structure generated international attention for similar projects in China. A film crew from South Korea and an American treehouse enthusiast have also expressed interest.

Metlifecare to build at Unsworth Heights next year (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18533&SID=577207002)

Metlifecare Ltd has completed the acquisition of 2 adjoining sites in Unsworth Heights, Albany. The company is planning to develop a 250-unit retirement village on the 4.4ha site on Unsworth Drive, offering a high-quality retirement lifestyle option. A 40-bed care facility is planned as part of the village. Metlifecare expects to start construction in 2013. The village will include the usual modern retirement village facilities including a community centre, library & swimming/spa pools. Managing director Alan Edwards said the company had been planning this acquisition for some time: “Auckland, with its large & increasing older population, is a key market for Metlifecare and Unsworth Heights will complement the development site at Glenfield acquired in April. These 2 sites will add to our portfolio of 12 operating villages in the region.”


Also, huge jump in leases:

Bayleys’ commercial leasing up 77% on Shore & Silverdale (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18535&SID=759856160)

Silverdale retail centre opens (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/7838557/Silverdale-retail-centre-opens)

The $60 million Silverdale Centre retail project has opened with a bevy of dignitaries doing the honours on Thursday. "It's a proud moment," The Warehouse founder Sir Stephen Tindall says in officially opening the centre and The Warehouse Silverdale store. "This is truly magnificent. It was 30 years ago today I would have been in Wairau Rd putting up the first Warehouse store." Sir Stephen praises former property director Glen Inger, also at the ceremony, who decided in 1994 to purchase the 7.2 hectare Silverdale block. Mr Inger says it's great to see the vision accomplished. "There was a huge hill here which had to be cut down and I was told it could not be done," he says. "But that's a word I won't allow to be used. We didn't give in and here we are 18 years later." Silverdale Centre property general manager Fiona Shilton says it's awesome to have the centre now open. The first customer through the checkout was Ross Upton of Titirangi who stopped on his way to work to get a PlayStation 3 for his 14-year-old son. Scores gathered to get their hands on the PlayStation consoles and XBox 360s that were offered $200 cheaper than normal. "He spotted the sale and asked if I would get it for his birthday," Mr Upton says. The 36-unit shopping precinct's other co-anchor store, Countdown Silverdale, was officially opened minutes later by Olympic boardsailing medallist Barbara Kendall of Stanmore Bay. The Countdown Silverdale opening followed hot on the heels of its $24.6 million Warkworth store opening two days earlier. Rodney MP Mark Mitchell then opened the first $1.2m ANZ branch in Silverdale at the centre's Barrington Mall. KFC Silverdale also opened at the same time with first customer Diane Winters of Stanmore Bay getting a meal. "My husband and I were talking last night about Supercheap Auto and KFC coming to Silverdale," she says. "A friend asked if I wanted to come to lunch with her and get some KFC. We were looking forward to having the restaurant back after the Orewa one closed a while ago." The KFC store is also partnering up with the Red Beach Surf Life Saving Club, helping with surf fundraising events such as Jandal Day. Surf club junior committee member Michelle Kavanagh says the kids will be customers too. "They already talk about coming down here after practice at the Northern Arena." The retail hub at 61 Hibiscus Coast Highway is expected to service the shopping requirements of about 48,000 people, mainly in the Silverdale, Millwater, Dairy Flat, Wainui and the wider Orewa and Whangaparaoa area. It is expected to provide up to 300 new jobs. The centre's main access is from Silverdale St. Other retailers at the complex include Warehouse Stationery, Beds R Us, ANZ, Walker and Hall, North Beach, Macpac, t&t Childrenswear, OPSM, BNZ, The Design Store, Storage Box, Supercheap Auto, Number One Shoes, Postie, Stirling Sports and Noel Leeming. About 1000 square metres is dedicated to food outlets, including KFC, Hollywood Bakery, St Pierre's Sushi, Dizzy Lizzy's Ice Cream, Jamaica Blue, Rib'n Roast, Mozaik Cafe and Pita Pitt.

A New Waiheke Eco-Tourism Experience (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1210/S00883/a-new-waiheke-eco-tourism-experience.htm)

TR7RRYc-LoM

A tourism venture on Waiheke Island combines spectacular vistas, high flying adventure and interpretive walks through pristine native bush. EcoZip Adventures provides adventure and education with a new zipline eco-tourism experience at the top of Waiheke’s scenic Trig Hill. EcoZip Adventures managing director Gavin Oliver says the experience will fill a gap in the Auckland tourism scene and give visitors another reason to stay longer in Auckland and include a trip to Waiheke Island as part of their stay. “Auckland Mayor Len Brown noted last year that on average tourists spend only one-and-a-half nights in Auckland,” says Oliver. “Overseas visitors head to other centres to find adventure or immerse themselves in New Zealand’s incredible outdoor environment. We know you can do those things right here in Auckland and have created a new opportunity for outdoor adventure”. Three dual ziplines each spanning over 200m in length, will allow two people to ride side by side on soaring journeys above vineyards and the tree top canopy, down into pristine native bush featuring mature indigenous trees and ferns and natural streams surrounded by birdlife. Visitors will then make their way via the boardwalks and walking tracks, with interpretive information boards about the flora and fauna, back up through regenerating and original 300 year old bush to the purpose-built visitor centre. The experience will last between two and a half and three hours, including shuttles from the ferry and appeals to a wide audience, from age eight to 88. Oliver says EcoZip Adventures Waiheke Island is more an environmental adventure experience than a thrill-seeker’s ride, “There are countless exhilarating adventure attractions around New Zealand from bungee jumps to jet boats. What EcoZip has created is a chance for anyone to get up close and personal with our native bush, to see it literally from new angles”. Ziplining has gained huge popularity in the tourism sector in the US and other countries during the past few years. However EcoZip Adventures has chosen to partner with Kiwi businesses to design, engineer and build the Waiheke attraction which is now open for bookings .

A cross-post from the Public Transport thread ....

Dominion Rd bus lane and village centres upgrade approved

A major upgrade of Dominion Rd to create peak hour bus lanes along most of the road and upgrade its three village centres has been approved by Auckland Transport. The $47 million project also includes new cycle routes through quieter roads either side of Dominion Rd. Construction is expected to begin in early 2014, subject to NZTA funding approval. Dominion Rd is one of the few transport corridors in Auckland where there are more bus passengers than drivers in peak hours. It carries about 2.2 million bus passengers a year, three per cent of the entire region’s public transport trips. Dominion Rd’s current piecemeal sections of bus lanes will be joined up to create continuous lanes in peak hours between State Highway 20 and View Rd. The bus lanes will also extend through intersections, which they do not at present. On-street parking will be retained at other times. The bus lane operating hours of 7am – 9am for the northbound lane and 4pm – 6pm for the southbound lane will not be changed as part of the upgrade. However they will be reviewed as part of a planned region-wide review of bus lane hours. The project will help improve the reliability of buses on Dominion Rd and increase its capacity so it can deal with an expected growth in travellers. A 30 per cent increase in transport trips is predicted along Dominion Rd. A review of the project allowed Auckland Transport to reduce the potential cost of the project by about $50m. This will be achieved by keeping the bus lane widths at 3m north of Mt Albert Rd, meaning expensive service relocations are not necessary.

Between SH20 and Mt Albert Rd, which requires widening to create new bus lanes, they will be 4.5m. Auckland Transport board member and Albert-Eden Cr Christine Fletcher says at this stage the benefits of widening the bus lanes were not great enough to outweigh the significantly higher cost. “This upgrade will still deliver big improvements to bus reliability and travel times, as most of those come from having continuous bus lanes. It also means much needed upgrades for village centres and safer routes for cyclists. “There is huge demand for the funding available for transport projects in Auckland, so the savings from this project will be able to be put to good use elsewhere.” Albert-Eden Cr Cathy Casey says: “I am delighted that Auckland Transport’s board has listened to the people on Dominion Road and that the village centres of Mt Roskill, Balmoral and Eden Valley are to get their long awaited upgrades including new footpaths, trees, street furniture, pedestrian priority, and lighting improvements.

Footpaths along the length of Dominion Rd will also be upgraded. “It has been a long road to hoe for Auckland Transport but it is worth it to get Dominion Road right!” The village centres of Mt Roskill, Balmoral and Eden Valley, will get upgrades, including new footpaths, trees, street furniture, pedestrian priority, and lighting improvements. Footpaths along the length of Dominion Rd will also be upgraded. Albert-Eden Local Board Chair Peter Haynes says the board is pleased that a start to the long-awaited work on Dominion Road is finally within sight. “The uncertainty caused by delays over the years has held back the development of the road, it has the potential to be one of Auckland’s great thoroughfares. “We welcome the upgrading in the village centres and of footpaths, pedestrian crossings and refuges between the centres. We are pleased that there will not be wholesale widening of the road, and that the plans to make the road into a highway like Balmoral Road are buried in the past.

“The board will work with Auckland Transport to see that local people are fully consulted on these plans, and to determine safer alternative routes for cyclists.” Puketapapa Local Board Chair Richard Barter says the board is pleased with the outcome. “The board acknowledges that the goal for the project is to improve bus services so appreciates the Auckland Transport Board’s support for the streetscape upgrades along Dominion Rd. This will further encourage the use of public transport and will be a boost for local business as the villages along the route will become attractive destinations. “The decision will create certainty for local residents who have been waiting for many years for the upgrade of the Mt Roskill Village. A commuter cyclist, Mr Barter says the safe cycle routes planned to run parallel to Dominion Rd will encourage local people to try commuting by bicycle.

Public information days to update the community on the plans will be held on Saturday 17 November in Mt Eden and Wednesday 21 November in Mt Roskill. More information, including a video showing concepts for the upgrade, is at www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz.

Street's Christmas lights plan fantastic (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842934)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6451329383_50a6e3c941_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/6451329383/)
03 DEC 11 24°C FRANKLIN ROAD CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/6451329383/) by Urban+Explorer (http://www.flickr.com/people/eyeonauckland/), on Flickr

Plans are under way to make sure the opening night of Franklin Rd's annual Christmas light display will be bigger, better and brighter this year. Each December residents of the Ponsonby street deck their homes with Christmas lights and decorations and an opening night "event" is held where someone well-known flicks the switch to light up the street. Thousands of people flock to the display, always complete with live music and a sausage sizzle or two. This year residents decided to mark the 20th anniversary of their festive handiwork with a bigger opening night party on December 1. Some were dismayed to find out they would require a permit from the council. They are planning to open the event at the bottom of the street, opposite Victoria Park. As it is a public space, a permit is required. But Auckland Council will not be charging residents for that and has promised to help make the event happen. A spokesman said the council was "fully supportive" of the Franklin Rd lights display. "The council welcomes this year's plan to boost the event, which it considers one of Auckland's special annual Christmas treats," he said ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842934)

Footbridge to Parnell Baths to cost $3.5m (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842933)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201243/SCCZEN_251012SPLBRIDGE_460x230.jpg

Access to the Parnell Baths on Auckland's waterfront will be restricted through summer, while its footbridge link to Tamaki Drive is replaced at a cost of $3.5 million. Auckland Council and the Waitemata Local Board yesterday unveiled a design for what they promise will be a striking new bridge from Pt Resolution to the waterfront. Its design will feature rippling water (puungarungaru) patterns to acknowledge Pt Resolution's significance to local iwi. The project follows an engineer's recommendation that both sections of the existing bridge, which spans the main trunk railway line as well as Tamaki Drive and was closed temporarily in March for interim repairs, needed urgent replacement for safety reasons. Despite the repairs, steel corrosion is such that the bridge - part of which is 85 years old - was judged safe for only six more months. Board chairman Shale Chambers said the replacement would be a simple but elegant structure, enhanced by the renewal of an adjoining walkway to the pool and steps down from St Stephens Ave in Parnell at an additional cost, yet to be confirmed, against his board's budget ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842933)

Footbridge to Parnell Baths to cost $3.5m (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842933)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201243/SCCZEN_251012SPLBRIDGE_460x230.jpg

Access to the Parnell Baths on Auckland's waterfront will be restricted through summer, while its footbridge link to Tamaki Drive is replaced at a cost of $3.5 million. Auckland Council and the Waitemata Local Board yesterday unveiled a design for what they promise will be a striking new bridge from Pt Resolution to the waterfront. Its design will feature rippling water (puungarungaru) patterns to acknowledge Pt Resolution's significance to local iwi. The project follows an engineer's recommendation that both sections of the existing bridge, which spans the main trunk railway line as well as Tamaki Drive and was closed temporarily in March for interim repairs, needed urgent replacement for safety reasons. Despite the repairs, steel corrosion is such that the bridge - part of which is 85 years old - was judged safe for only six more months. Board chairman Shale Chambers said the replacement would be a simple but elegant structure, enhanced by the renewal of an adjoining walkway to the pool and steps down from St Stephens Ave in Parnell at an additional cost, yet to be confirmed, against his board's budget ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10842933)

you would think to plan building this in the off season..winter..?

^^ From the project page (http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/PLANSPOLICIESPROJECTS/COUNCILPROJECTS/Pages/pointresolutionbridgereplacement.aspx):

There is an urgent requirement to replace the footbridge. The 1927 section over the railway line and tidal channel is at the end of its design life. The second section extended the bridge over Tamaki Drive in 1972, and is also in need of refurbishment. Engineering reports identified corrosion of the steelwork in the old section that was judged to only to be safe for a further six months. The bridge was closed in March 2012 for repairs to allow continued use of the bridge while a long-term solution was identified.

The best time to replace the bridge is over the summer period before the KiwiRail electrification project begins.

^^ From the project page (http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/PLANSPOLICIESPROJECTS/COUNCILPROJECTS/Pages/pointresolutionbridgereplacement.aspx):

There is an urgent requirement to replace the footbridge. The 1927 section over the railway line and tidal channel is at the end of its design life. The second section extended the bridge over Tamaki Drive in 1972, and is also in need of refurbishment. Engineering reports identified corrosion of the steelwork in the old section that was judged to only to be safe for a further six months. The bridge was closed in March 2012 for repairs to allow continued use of the bridge while a long-term solution was identified.

The best time to replace the bridge is over the summer period before the KiwiRail electrification project begins.

TBH it should've been done winter just gone.. Sooooo many people use this bridge over summer.. oh well lol..:ohno:

^^ I don't think they found out how bad a condition the old one was in until earlier this year so there wouldn't have been time to do it and if they waited till next winter the wires would already have been up and that would likely have added a lot to the cost. Its not easy when they have to work around a busy rail corridor.

Good on him, we (and everybody that we know) will definitely support a business that opens up in the new developments at St Heliers.

St Heliers developer hits back (http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/st-heliers-developer-hits-back-ja-131308)

The owner of a contentious Auckland seaside property dubbed "the Maheke Monster" is speaking out to dispel rumours no one will tenant it. Developer Robin Sheffield has been criticised by local residents for building a three-storey property in Auckland¹s Tamaki Drive at St Heliers. The Save Our St Heliers association (SOS) opposed the beachfront complex and warned of a boycott when it opened. Mr Sheffield told NBR ONLINE residents of the seaside community had yelled at him on the street in disgust at the building. "There has been a lot of misinformation. People have been making assumptions of what may or may not have happened," he says. SOS chair Sally Hughes told NBR ONLINE it is sad the building has been empty for almost a year. "The fact the Sheffield building has been empty for so long is a salutary lesson for developers that you offend your local community at your peril." However, the owner insists there are tenants. The lower floor has had Westpac bank as a tenant since last year and a bank spokesman says there has not been a drop-off in clientele. The developer confirmed two out of four second-level office spaces had been leased. The three apartments on the top floor were also sold, with Mr Sheffield living in one of them ... MORE (http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/st-heliers-developer-hits-back-ja-131308)

Huge store part of Bunnings' Auckland expansion push (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10843531)

DIY hardware chain Bunnings plans to build one of its largest New Zealand stores in West Auckland. A vast new shop covering more than a hectare is planned at New Lynn where Bunnings sees big potential from the growing home improvement, building, garden and renovation market. Jacqui Coombes, general manager of the business in New Zealand, said Bunnings had resource consent to develop the 12,700sq m store on the corner of Great North Rd and Titirangi Rd on a 2.2ha site it owns. About 300 undercover carparks in a multi-level development, garden centre, DIY retail and trade sales areas are planned. Bunnings has earmarked Auckland for big expansion and Coombes said the business was well established in Botany, Manukau, Mt Roskill, Mt Wellington, Glenfield and building at Silverdale and Takanini. Preparation was being made to start building at New Lynn, she said. Rival Mitre 10 has opened new stores at Hornby and Rotorua and is also on a big expansion drive but has more of a national presence because it is longer-established.

Fantastic! the more development with the biggest stores the better.. it will deserve the 300 carparks planned i guess..

Fantastic! the more development with the biggest stores the better.. it will deserve the 300 carparks planned i guess..

It will be getting the 300 car parks because that's what the minimum parking requirements require, whether they are wanted/needed or not.

Hibiscus & Bays area plan far less useful than it ought to be (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18559&SID=714913602)

You would want a council plan for your area to be useful. Primarily, the second of these 21 Auckland Council plans, for the Hibiscus & Bays ward, avoids being nearly as useful as it ought to be. Once you have passed the many generic cut-&-pastes (a clue: the reference to rail in physical infrastructure) and got over the many environmental exhortations, you will find the plan doesn’t do the job it could. That is, for existing residents, to explain what kinds of change they can expect. And for potential residents, what kind of place they might move to and why they should take that step. There are some generic answers which can be put: expected population growth, expected jobs growth, changes to the provision of education, improvements to amenities & facilities. Those answers are slim. Specific answers rely first on defining the subject area. The Hibiscus & Bays Local Board has members elected for 2 distinct areas – the southern Bays, which is the northern residential stretch of the old North Shore city, and the northern Hibiscus Coast. They’re divided by the Weiti forest and by farmland. They are not one community and until there are houses all the way from Okura to Silverdale they’re not going to be. They are, as one person described it to me at the plan launch between the 2 sets of entry doors at the Browns Bay library on Tuesday, like North & South Korea. The plan document says the “allocation” of population growth to the “urban north & west” – an area which runs from Hatfields Beach down to the Waitakere Ranges coastline – over the 30 years of the plan period will be 95,000 households. Of that, 25,000 homes & 18,000 jobs are likely to be in Hibiscus & Bays. At 2.7 residents/household, that would mean a population increase of 67,500, maybe one job for every 4 extra residents. But the plan doesn’t give you the detail of even that last sentence or high/low permutations. It could be very different, depending on the kind of housing offered, whether the 2 areas become predominantly old communities or young families continue to move in, whether enough local jobs are offered or the 2 areas remain dormitory suburbs dominated by commuters to Albany, Takapuna & the Auckland cbd ... MORE (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18559&SID=714913602)

Aid groups link in new hub (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10844014)

A derelict fire station in Papatoetoe has been transformed into one of New Zealand's biggest youth work centres. The national helpline service Youthline has moved part of its phone counselling team out of its Ponsonby head office into the old station at 145 St George St, creating a "mirror" facility that can keep the phone service operating if anything happens to Ponsonby. "We particularly wanted to strengthen this hub after our Christchurch experience," said Youthline chief executive Stephen Bell. The agency's southern centre was wiped out in last year's earthquake. And the legal advice agency, Youthlaw, will move nine of its 10 staff from central Auckland into the former fire station next week. Managing solicitor Vanushi Walters said Youthlaw's lawyers and Youthline's counsellors would combine to give young people a "wraparound" phone service, and would be well placed to represent in court some of the most vulnerable children and young people. "We do some representation work targeted at young people with particularly complex matters, or what we call public interest cases," she said ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10844014)

Auckland’s Latest All-Access Playground Opens In Long Bay (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1211/S00005/aucklands-latest-all-access-playground-opens-in-long-bay.htm)

The final stage of Auckland’s latest all-access playground for children of all abilities opened on Sunday 28 October in the Long Bay Regional Park. The Variety – The Children’s Charity playground is designed to be accessible by children, parents and caregivers of all abilities. The playground was officially opened by Auckland Councillor and Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Forum, Wayne Walker, and Variety New Zealand President, Joe Moodabe ONZM. Former Variety Gold Heart scholar and Paralympian swimmer Rebecca Dubber was the MC. In addition to the swings, hammocks, see saws and flying fox that children have been enjoying since the playground opened last year, stage two features a nature trail providing unstructured play in a natural discovery setting. The trail includes a wavy path, rumbles and judders which make a fun ride for children in wheelchairs. Along the trail is a music station with huge musical instruments and two trampolines built into grass mounds that appear to be hills. Binoculars and a telescope are set up so children can take in the surroundings, and there is even an “in ground tube talk” system so a conversation can take place between children at different points on the path. The redevelopment of the playground is a partnership between the Auckland Council and Variety – The Children’s Charity ... MORE (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1211/S00005/aucklands-latest-all-access-playground-opens-in-long-bay.htm)

55,000 homes for South Auckland (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/7907934/55-000-homes-for-South-Auckland)

Housing for a city bigger than Tauranga could be wedged between Drury and Pukekohe. The council's Auckland Plan committee is expected to approve plans tomorrow for development of the rural-urban boundary in South Auckland. Plans for the "southern cluster" of towns, which includes Pukekohe, Karaka, Drury and Paerata, are the first to get underway as part of the council's growth strategy to accommodate an extra million residents in the next 30 years. The area is expected to boast about 55,000 new homes and will create 35,000 jobs. There is about 5000 hectares of land around Drury and Karaka, and 3500 hectares in Pukekohe and Paerata, to be investigated for development. There will also be a "western cluster" which includes Whenuapai, Kumeu, Huapai and Riverhead, and a "northern cluster" which includes Warkworth and Silverdale West. Ian Bayliss, the council's principal strategic planner, has asked the council to approve four options that would be used to consult with ministers, tangata whenua and local authorities. Each option aims to create the same number of houses and jobs, but has different development approaches. Option one would expand to the east of Drury, and avoid coastal margins and elite soils. Under option two, coastal land around the Pahurehure inlet would be developed. Karaka North Peninsula could be turned into urban land under option three - but could face environmental challenges on the sensitive coastal areas, the meeting agenda says. Option four looks to Pukekohe's northeastern boundary, at an area of more than 650 hectares - but its rolling, less stable land could add to development costs. According to Bayliss, weighing in the southern cluster's favour is its mostly flat land, access to the main trunk railway line and State Highway 1. He also highlights the area's "attractive rural, coastal and countryside living environments" and its rural productive sector.

Prices likely to soar once derelict state houses go, experts say (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10845613)

The removal of 19 state homes on a street in the "up and coming" Auckland suburb of Sandringham may see property prices soar, experts say. Six of the homes are untenanted and have boarded windows, broken fences and graffiti-covered walls. Housing New Zealand told the Herald yesterday it hopes to re-home the tenants by January and the houses will likely be knocked down before the land is sold. Anne Duncan real estate agent Jamie Morrison says he has been struggling to sell a home at the lower end of Haverstock Rd as it sits so close to the corporation's stock. A three-bedroom rear property on a 412sq m section at the other end of Haverstock Rd sold for $1 million this year. And the company had recently sold a two-bedroom "do-up" on 695sq m one street over on Hazelmere Rd for $710,000 and a four-bedroom home on 696sq m on nearby Fowlds Ave for $1.16 million. But he was struggling to reach offers of higher than $600,000 for a three-bedroom home on a 771sq m section on Pickett Ave, a cul-de-sac off the lower end of the road ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10845613)

Newmarket Festival Weekend (http://www.newmarket.co.nz/newmarket-festival/)

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/SiteCollectionImages/Events/PageImage/newmarketfestivalweekend442.jpg

Newmarket Festival Weekend presents over 40 multi-sensory experiences and free events for one whole weekend, Newmarket wide. Bring a friend or bring the family - the Newmarket Festival has an experience for everyone. There will be opera and high tea, treasure hunts, market day, cricket in the park, art tours, a parade of fast cars, flamenco dancing, bookclubs and much more.

This is a friend of ours new house in Freeman's Bay, I would love to see more of the same in the area. The density is great and with plans for more high density in the area it is going to be a great little neighbourhood.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7127/8169736938_0fe37d9a2d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/8169736938/)
09 NOV 12 19°C (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeonauckland/8169736938/) by Urban+Explorer (http://www.flickr.com/people/eyeonauckland/), on Flickr

This is a friend of ours new house in Freeman's Bay,

This monster is a private house? Or your friend owns an apartment in this under construction block?

Anyway, great to see the Auckland forum popping. Lots of positive developments happening. Still waiting on that tower though... :lol:

^^

It's a house, - lower level is a shared space with a business and garages - the rest is all house :)

the whole thing is one house? That's massive, I thought they were apaprtment..isn't the whole point of density to house more people though, not just to give people bigger houses :)

The house is a wedge shape, so it does looks larger from the street. Still it is a very nice size and it looks great too.

that whole Freemans bay area around Vic Park is perfect for those 5-7 floor Euro style apartments.

This monster is a private house? Or your friend owns an apartment in this under construction block?

Anyway, great to see the Auckland forum popping. Lots of positive developments happening. Still waiting on that tower though... :lol:

If you have a look at the site you can see they are making great use of quite a little triangular space, I think this sort of filling in the gaps around the city is exactly what we want to see more off. In sites that are less constrained we will definitely be seeing more higher density such as just around the corner where two villas are being replaced by probably a dozen apartments.

From above
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm228/rytc1980/ScreenShot2012-11-11at53746PM.png

From the street
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm228/rytc1980/ScreenShot2012-11-11at53823PM.png

Now that's infill housing.

It's brilliant, it reminds me of Tokyo where they squeeze housing into any little bit of space that they can find ... more of the same please :colgate:

$1m church sold to Buddhist group (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10847211)

It was not a hard decision for a Presbyterian Church to hand over its million-dollar church to a Buddhist group, its parish clerk says. The Castor Bay Presbyterian Church on Auckland's North Shore was put on the market in September after its dwindling and ageing congregation accepted it was impractical to keep it. The church has ocean views, and sits beside a separate hall on a 1133sq metre block of prime real estate valued at $1.125 million. It was marketed as a property which could be turned into a family home or removed for a new building. It ended up being sold to a Buddhist group for $1.55m. Seven tenders were received for the premises, but parish clerk Stewart Milne said the decision to sell it to a Buddhist group was not difficult. "The Buddhist group was the more satisfactory proposal from our point of view, in terms of money and in terms of use; where the buildings weren't going to be removed." The Buddhist religious education society, which already owns various sections of land in New Zealand, told the Castor Bay Presbyterian Church that it did not plan to remove either the church or the hall which sat on the property, Mr Milne said. Nor did they have any immediate plans to develop the section. "I think they're quite happy with it. In the future I guess they might make changes to the buildings but ... their intention was just to use the buildings as they were." Other tenders proposed commercial development of the site, or residential development. The Castor Bay Presbyterian Church will hold its final worship sessions over Easter in April next year. "It is a celebration of what the church has meant to so many families, and the community too," Mr Milne said. The Seaview Rd parishioners would amalgamate with another Presbyterian congregation at nearby Mairangi Bay.

:lol: .... the Granny Herald is definitely out to stoke the fire ....

Residents fear loss of lifestyle (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10848287)

More than half a century ago Toni Geux moved to the other side of the world for more space. She swapped the crowded terraced housing of Amsterdam for the quarter-acre paradise of New Zealand, eventually settling in the South Auckland community of Mangere Bridge. "I came here so I could have some space, so I could have a bit of a garden," Geux, now 81, said. She fears that way of life could be lost. Council staff and a working group which includes Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board members have been developing a draft plan for future land use within the board's boundaries. The draft includes proposed mixed housing of buildings up to four storeys high around central Mangere Bridge village and mixed housing of buildings up to three storeys high in other parts of the village - including along the waterfront street of Kiwi Esplanade. The move has left some Kiwi Esplanade residents, including Geux, flabbergasted. "Does the city have to grow? We've got a unique community. I don't want it to turn into Mission Bay. "People come here to walk their dogs, because it's quiet. I'm 81, but I feel very strongly about this." ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10848287)

I wish that older generations would consider younger generations when having opinions.

The poor dear - if she wants nothing to change perhaps she should go live on mars......

^^ a real pull the ladder up behind me kind of person. Probably won't even be around to see the change happen anyway. Good to see the local board member standing up and saying that there is no point being a NIMBY about it.

Did anyone go to the talk by Hank Dittmar the other day? One of the things he stressed was that we need to turn NIMBYs into QIMBYs which means getting people not to oppose development but ensure it is done in a quality way that will also benefit them which seems to be the approach being taken by that local board member. There was one old guy who tried to say that we didn't have NIMBYs in Auckland :lol::lol::lol:

Sydney - I drove my little scooter to see you friends place being built - what a great use of existing space.....also I want friends like this (taste in architecture and money to express it) so can I please apply to be their friend too :)

It's okay guys, she's 81. She'll be carted off to a rest home soon. :lol:

Now she's done grumbling, on with the densification! :banana:

Sydney - I drove my little scooter to see you friends place being built - what a great use of existing space.....also I want friends like this (taste in architecture and money to express it) so can I please apply to be their friend too :)

omg.. lol..what a crack up dude..

Sydney - I drove my little scooter to see you friends place being built - what a great use of existing space.....also I want friends like this (taste in architecture and money to express it) so can I please apply to be their friend too :)

:lol: Very cute, driving a scooter will get you into the front door, they are very progressive ;)

As for the old nimby's - yes, concentrate on bridge, bingo and knitting - leave these decisions to the younger generation who are going to live there for decades to come.

About time :cheers:

Officers' mess returns to dining roots (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/7970364/Officers-mess-returns-to-dining-roots)

It has been a long road for Auckland restaurateur Jeremy Schmid who hopes to bring Fort Takapuna's officers' mess back to its roots as a dining institution. Schmid, who owns the award-winning bistro Two Fifteen in Mt Eden, teamed up with North Shore teacher Fiona Bias two years ago to investigate turning the historic officers' mess hall into a restaurant and reception venue. Last month the Department of Conservation granted them a 10-year lease, but only after a process which was dragged out for almost a year because of opposition from Paul Majurey on behalf of the Marutuahu iwi. The opposition from Majurey centred on the grounds that the Crown was in direct Treaty of Waitangi negotiations with the Marutuahu iwi over the area. "Everything has taken a lot longer than I thought," Schmid said. "Because it's DOC they're having to do everything by the book." DOC decided to go through with the lease, pointing out that to date there is no agreement in principal or any other public milestone document between the Crown and the iwi relating to the Fort Takapuna Historic Reserve. A report says it has been a priority for DOC to find a suitable party to run the officers' mess as a cafe and functions venue for several years. DOC's acting Auckland area office manager Phil Brown said the partnership offered the chance to secure the long-term preservation of a unique piece of the North Shore's history. "After carefully considering a wide range of local points of view, we've entered an agreement that will see the building restored and renovated, and historic values of the building maintained and enhanced." Public access to the reserve and the buildings will be increased through events such as SculptureOnShore and use of the officers' mess for community events. Schmid and Bias are hoping to turn the historic mess hall, which had a long history of feeding army and navy personnel, into a family-oriented restaurant and weekend cafe. The building will also be available for weddings and functions. The pair are working through the process of gaining the required consents from council with a tentative opening date of next autumn.

Festive light display marks 20 years (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/8004397/Festive-light-display-marks-20-years)

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1353984560/411/8004411.jpg

Franklin Rd's annual light display promises to be bigger and brighter this year as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. The display will be a key feature in a central city Christmas trail which will wind its way down Franklin Rd, cross over to the Telecom Foundation Christmas tree in Victoria Park and to a new advent calendar at Wynyard Quarter. Franklin Rd resident Amy Calway, who is co-ordinating this year's event, said the annual display will not lose its community vibe. The attraction draws thousands of onlookers each December from all around the city who come to see the elaborately lit and decorated homes. ''We want to be a part of it but we want to do it our way. ''In the past it's always just been about a bunch of neighbours getting together and putting on a wonderful display.'' Residents will be marking the start of the festive season on December 1 with the street's biggest opening night party yet outside the newly-renovated Rob Roy Hotel at the bottom of Franklin Rd. The street party will coincide with the lighting of the Telecom Christmas tree and the opening of the advent calendar. In the lead-up to Christmas Day windows in the waterfront's 12-metre-high calendar will open one by one to reveal displays created by artists and schoolchildren. Some Franklin Rd residents were surprised to find organisers had to apply to the council for a permit for the opening street party this year. But an Auckland Council spokeswoman said the council fully supports this year's plan to boost the event and has no plans to make residents obtain a permit for their individual displays. Franklin Rd resident Hamish Keith has lived on the street for 11 years and said this year would be a good chance to see how a bigger event will work. ''I guess most of us want to keep it as a street event and not an organised, commercial event,'' he said. ''It might work out, it might not. We'll have to wait and see."

Waitakere tramlines to reopen (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/8015486/Waitakere-tramlines-to-reopen)

For the past year the tramlines through the Waitakere Ranges have sat unused. But from next Sunday the tracks will reopen and the public will once more be able to experience the spectacular views over the ranges. The tramline was closed after a washout left six metres of track dangling mid-air and it has taken until now for 198 tonnes of reinforcing material to be built into the side of the hill. Waitakere Tramline Society member Jim Eyre said reopening the track had been a long and difficult job. "Fixing the slip was a huge job. By the time we got the plans sorted it was the end of June and the gap had widened to 12m due to ongoing erosion. "We removed the track and its scaffolding before excavating 30 cubic metres of soil and 27 cubic metres of rock to create a horizontal ledge. A reinforced concrete slab was poured on it to create the base for a retaining wall. "We also had a freak accident when a rimu tree just toppled over and crushed a car in the parking lot. It was pretty lucky no-one got hurt." The tramline was completed in 1907 as a way to bring materials from the Swanson train station up to the construction site of the dam. Today the tram's journey starts at a 700m long tunnel then continues through 1.8km of bush up to the dam, past the 107m Waitakere Falls. The tram will run four trips every Sunday. Go to waitakeretramline.org.nz

Eco-tourism experience takes Waiheke Island to new heights (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1212/S00031/eco-tourism-experience-takes-waiheke-island-to-new-heights.htm)

TR7RRYc-LoM

Auckland Mayor Len Brown became one of the first to enjoy a high flying environmental experience at Waiheke Island’s new EcoZip Adventures today. The activity – the only one of its kind in Auckland – combines spectacular vistas with adventure and education. Visitors ride on three 200 metre ziplines over a vineyard and mature tree canopy and finish with a guided walk through 300-year-old pristine native bush. The Mayor flew down the first zipline and was impressed with the experience, saying it exemplifies what is so special about Auckland as a destination. “It’s an absolute blast! It makes the most of our amazing natural setting, with the bush, harbour and city in the distance. The zipline really shows off everything Auckland has to offer,” he says. Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) Acting General Manager Destination, Jason Hill, says the new eco-tourism venture is a welcome addition to the popular visitor destination of Waiheke Island, which is renowned for its excellent vineyards. “It’s great to see this unique activity launch on Waiheke to complement the island’s outstanding food and wine offering. EcoZip’s combination of fun, adventure and nature is something that will resonate with many visitors from our key markets of Australia, China, North America and the United Kingdom,” he says. “We are working to encourage both domestic and international visitors to stay longer in the Auckland region and new tourism activities help add to our destination’s appeal.” Since opening in November, EcoZip Adventures has attracted people of all ages from around New Zealand and offshore. EcoZip Adventures Managing Director Gavin Oliver says the experience is more an environmental adventure than a thrill seekers’ ride. “There are countless exhilarating adventure activities around New Zealand. What EcoZip has created is a chance for people to experience and learn about our native bush – to literally see it from new angles,” he says. Waiheke Island is located 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. Known as the ‘island of wine’ for its 30 boutique vineyards, Waiheke also attracts visitors for its olive groves, sandy beaches and thriving arts scene. ATEED works to help drive Auckland’s visitor economy and contribute to making Auckland the world’s most liveable city. www.ecozipadventures.co.nz

It would appear that North Shore is fast becoming NIMBY CENTRAL :ohno:

Tension over shore site's future (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10852011)

The future of the last big Auckland Council-owned commercial site in Devonport is up in the air, as city officials ponder its future. Auckland Council Property wants 27 Lake Rd to be sold, but the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board is concerned about future traffic congestion in the area if the land is redeveloped and wants a plan for its best use. The site on the main road from Takapuna houses Devonport Timber, the Devonport Garden Centre with enclosed outdoor plant area, Central Landscape and Garden Supplies, the local transfer or refuse station, and the old Claystore building. Interests associated with Progressive Enterprises recently bought the neighbouring Firestone site at 25 Lake Rd, and speculation is that Progressive has a long-term intention to buy the land for a new Countdown. Local resident Roger Brittenden wants the community to speak out against the sale of 27 Lake Rd. He was "astonished" that the issue to sell the council site had arisen, yet few people knew about it. The local board wants the land to be a high-value employment site, and its chairman, Chris Darby, said he did not consider a supermarket fitted into that category. The board wants a full master-plan developed for the site, and Mr Darby said a resource recovery centre was an appropriate use.

It has always been Nimby Central :lol: Look at George Wood's Facebook page for example. I remember there was this old bat complaining about the Hurstmere Green upgrade and how it wasn't needed and was a waste of her money.

It has always been Nimby Central :lol: Look at George Wood's Facebook page for example. I remember there was this old bat complaining about the Hurstmere Green upgrade and how it wasn't needed and was a waste of her money.

They need a cracker up their arses, I hope that it is the older generation that is so narrow-minded and that the youngsters feel differently - in that case there might be hope for the future ;)

It would actually be better if the older generation were more open minded. Given they are, in the main, the decision makers. But what sort of person would you expect to be on George Woods FB page

I don't think it's so much about age to be honest. The younger generation are just as bad. It's always disappointing when you find perfectly intelligent young people who try and find all the justifications in the world to oppose things that their political party doesn't support.

Development company brings experience to Northern Glen Innes (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1212/S00214/development-company-brings-experience-to-northern-glen-innes.htm)

Housing New Zealand has named a group of three experienced development companies, Creating Communities, as the partner for the Northern Glen Innes redevelopment project. The Creating Communities group is made up of Arrow International, Hopper Developments and Southside Group which joined forces to deliver upon Housing New Zealand’s redevelopment plans for the area. “We are very pleased to confirm Creating Communities as our partner for this key project,” says Sean Bignell, General Manager Asset Development, Housing New Zealand. “The group has the capability to make the vision for the project come to life. Over the next six months we will be working closely together to progress the project. “The Northern Glen Innes redevelopment project will help meet demand for more affordable housing options, as demand continues to rise across both Auckland and New Zealand.” The announcement paves the way for the physical redevelopment work to begin by mid-2013. “We are looking forward to working with Housing New Zealand and the local community to get this exciting redevelopment project off the ground,” says Murdoch Dryden, a director of Creating Communities. Housing New Zealand will keep its tenants and the community informed as the project progresses. All of those tenants who will be affected by the redevelopment have been informed and supported by Housing New Zealand staff ... MORE (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1212/S00214/development-company-brings-experience-to-northern-glen-innes.htm)

Weiti village development on track (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/8059443/Weiti-village-development-on-track/)

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A new village of 550 houses at Weiti has resource consent and construction is due to start soon. The village south of Stillwater is part of the 860 hectare Weiti Block, purchased for $163 million several years ago, and is being developed by Williams Land. With surrounding forestry and farmland retained, the block will act as a green belt. The village comprises three different-sized residential clusters. Clearing of some pine trees in the pre-construction stage has been under way for about two years with 70 per cent of the property staying green, developer Evan Williams says. There will be two clusters of 200 homes, not visible from the sea, and a separate, gated 150-lot community in Karepiro Bay. Plans include a yacht club, golf club and mountainbike club for the forestry, stables and riding trails. The village is designated mixed use and will see buildings of two to four storeys and include offices, retail and cafes as well as a hotel. While acknowledging the lack of hotel accommodation in the northern area, its size will largely be dictated by the Auckland Council, Mr Williams says. No heavy industry, manufacturing or bulk retail are included in the development. Housing will run from a low end of about $400,000 to $500,000 right up to luxury housing on the coast, he says. The first stage of construction in Karepiro Bay was due to start in November, but with work still being done on pine removal Mr Evans is reluctant to set a new construction start date just yet. Initial development to accommodate Auckland's expected million new residents during the next 30 years is planned around Orewa, Silverdale, Whangaparaoa and Browns Bay, with about a third of these areas redeveloped over time, with townhouses, apartments and two-storey units. Red Beach, Mairangi Bay and Torbay will also likely see more development, as will Gulf Harbour. Around the main centres and suburbs there will be more rural land cut up into lifestyle blocks. The surrounding countryside including what is now Weiti station and around Okura village becomes solid lifestyle block territory, down to a minimum size of two hectares. Changes coming to the northeast coast are expected mainly after 2022. Hobsonville Point and Westgate are also key development areas.

Very interesting.

I think that, with the extension of the Northern Busway up to Silverdale (and then Orewa?) we are going to see alot of (appropriate) development like this in the north-eastern corridor, particularly between SH1N and the east coast bays.

Probably a nice place to live. Travel to/from the CBD to work each day on a approx 30min commute, but being able to enjoy the coastal lifestyle early morning/evening and on Sat/Sun. Work from home Mon or Fri -perfect.

I'd prefer Takapuna, but that's getting a little pricey...

Very interesting.

I think that, with the extension of the Northern Busway up to Silverdale (and then Orewa?) we are going to see alot of (appropriate) development like this in the north-eastern corridor, particularly between SH1N and the east coast bays.

Probably a nice place to live. Travel to/from the CBD to work each day on a approx 30min commute, but being able to enjoy the coastal lifestyle early morning/evening and on Sat/Sun. Work from home Mon or Fri -perfect.

I'd prefer Takapuna, but that's getting a little pricey...

We went for a drive through Silverdale and it is unrecognisable, the areas popularity will just grow with all the investment and public transport infrastructure is key.

North Shore bucks vacancy trend (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10853384)

Vacancy rates are heading down across all three sectors of the commercial and industrial market on the North Shore, with retail having the highest occupancy level. Sarah Davidson, analyst for Bayleys Research, says the latest vacancy data is showing an improvement in the North Shore retail sector, bucking the slowing recovery trend experienced in the Auckland region. The annual Bayleys retail survey analyses the three major types of retail in the North Shore - strip, bulk and shopping centre - with this year's survey showing an overall vacancy level of just 1.8 per cent, a reduction on the 3 per cent rate in 2011. The increase in overall occupancy is a consequence of reduced vacancy in both strip retail and shopping centres, while an increase in bulk retail vacancy hasn't made a marked difference, says Davidson. "Strip retail vacancy has generally had a strong influence on the North Shore vacancy rate, peaking at over 10 per cent in 2009 which pushed the overall vacancy to close to 6 per cent. "However, strip retail's vacancy reduction to 3.2 per cent in the last survey has helped pull the North Shore vacancy rate down again, in conjunction with negligible empty space in shopping centres." New developments on the North Shore have been of particular interest to tenants, says Nick Howe-Smith, a director of Bayleys North Shore Commercial. As many as five new retail projects are under way on the North Shore, with keen interest resulting in some being almost entirely pre-let prior to completion ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10853384)

High-rise heart for Orewa in city's new plan (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10858410)

Seaside Orewa could get more high-rise apartments under the Auckland Council's moves to write a new planning rule book that encourages more living in town centres. Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse, who is heading the Unitary Plan preparation, said yesterday she would talk to Hibiscus and Bays local board leaders about their nominated plan for 30 years' growth, which caps centres' living heights at three or four storeys. "There's a lot of pressure coming from many Orewa landowners saying it's crazy to stick to three or four storeys and when you look at similar areas that have seven to eight storeys, height is still an issue for negotiation and discussion with the board." Mrs Hulse said questioning now whether Orewa remains a one-tower town - its 12-storey Nautilus apartment building appeared a decade ago - was timely with its link to the new Silverdale Centre. The centre is in the midst of 48,000 residents, tipped to rise to 110,000 by 2031. "I think we have to look at Orewa and say have we got it right and how do we provide for the future without ruining the area? "We have heard two distinct things: we don't want it turned into another Gold Coast, blocking the beach for people to enjoy; but we heard there are some good opportunities - on some of the very large properties - to go up beyond the four storeys." ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10858410)

Good to see some of the locals embracing the concept of intensification and, in some cases, extended height.

To be honest, 4 storeys would be fine for here and many places in Auckland, especially near the coast - not a lot of need to go higher. That would be quite a change from the 1-2 storey dwellings which dominate the region and especially so in a coastal village setting like Orewa. Save the big towers for Silverdale.

Would be a good place to live now that the Busway is going to be extended up that way.

Good to see some of the locals embracing the concept of intensification and, in some cases, extended height.

To be honest, 4 storeys would be fine for here and many places in Auckland, especially near the coast - not a lot of need to go higher. That would be quite a change from the 1-2 storey dwellings which dominate the region and especially so in a coastal village setting like Orewa. Save the big towers for Silverdale.

Would be a good place to live now that the Busway is going to be extended up that way.

I agree, 4 to 5 storeys is considered good urban design. Brown's Bay has a few along the beach front with cafes at ground level - I don't understand why there hasn't been more development to fill up those hideous car parks on prime land in Brown's Bay - I am sure that it will be very popular considering the amenities around there.

Beach on the menu (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/8174791/Beach-on-the-menu)

A new-look Browns Bay is staking its claim as the North Shore's top spot to wine and dine by the sea. A hub of restaurants and bars with open courtyards face Browns Bay beach at its northern end, separated from its golden sands only by the narrow Beachfront Lane. But Takapuna, the Shore's other main beach destination, is struggling to connect itself with the sea. Kim Odendaal, who manages The Velvet Gypsy bar, hopes Browns Bay will become even more of a destination. "Instead of ‘Let's go to Takapuna', people might say ‘Let's go to Browns Bay'," she says. She moved to the area 18 months ago after doing similar work in the central city. Part of the attraction of Browns Bay was the community feel. "You can walk to the beach and say hi to five people on your way down but in town you're lucky if you see the same face twice," she says. She estimates the number of bars and restaurants in Browns Bay has quadrupled during her time there. Two doors down from The Velvet Gypsy, J San manages Japanese restaurant Nagisa. She says the sea view was a key attraction and Browns Bay is a nice place which is becoming more popular. "The local people are very kind and friendly," she says. Deep Creek Brewing Co is based between Nagisa and The Velvet Gypsy. Manager Scott Taylor describes Browns Bay as a fantastic environment. "It's quite obvious when you look out to sea. The outlook is something you don't get in many suburbs in Auckland." When the bar opened in 2011 there was an incredible reaction, Mr Taylor says. "We were busy from the get go. It was like we let the dogs out and then we were trying to catch them all." He says numbers continued to increase during winter which is unheard of ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/8174791/Beach-on-the-menu)

While I agree that Brown's Bay has upped its performance and also that Takapuna is badly disengaged from the beach frontage, Browns Bay bar owner says Browns Bay is the place to drink is hardly a shocking revelation.

Browns bay really has come a long way - it was a nothingsville before, now its a destination - and apartment values are climbing steadily.

I hope the trend continues. I've always been amazed that the east coast of the North Shore has 16 spectacular beaches. However, it is sad that the adjacent strip of land contains only about 1000 mansions (many impeding public access).

If instead these were low rise apartments or terraces (with supporting amenity such as boardwalks, kiosks, etc) we could have 200,000 people living immediately adjacent to the coast instead of 5000.

The planning rules have to change, imo (though its probably already too late).

I had to laugh at that article, sea views - yeah right ! More like car park views. Just imagine that entire road being a beachfront boulevard - now that would be something to crow about ;)

City fringe sales on firm ground (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10859374)

A resurgence of interest in the Auckland central city fringe is being driven by investors looking for strategically positioned properties with good cashflow and added value potential in the longer term, says Alan Haydock, senior commercial broker with Bayleys Real Estate. Haydock is a specialist in the Auckland central and city fringe commercial sales markets and he has recently been involved in the sale of more than $20 million of property in Kingsland, Grafton, Newmarket and Eden Terrace. "Now that there is clear evidence that property values are on the rise again we are seeing a broader range of buyers in the market and, in particular, the re-emergence of more entrepreneurial investors looking for properties with upside potential." The largest of his sales was a 1.06ha industrial site in McDonald St, Kingsland, with frontage on Altham Ave and Collins St, which sold by tender for $9.95 million at an 8.95 per cent yield. The property, six buildings totalling 8797sq m, is predominantly medium-stud warehousing, assoc-iated offices and amenities plus a gymnasium and a commercial studio ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10859374)

Waiuku has got itself a River Waterfront called RIVER LANE

River Lane is the third stage of this project. Garth Falconer, Reset’s director, says this stage of the development was part of a “strategy to better connect this former maritime settlement with its harbour and estuarine edges, providing new recreational, social and economic opportunities.” River Lane is a neat piece of work; a long-time in the making, as you might expect in a small town with limited resources. Back in 2009, the first phase of the riverside work included armouring the banks of the river with riverstones, upgrading the stormwater system, building “gabion and riprap edges to the inlet”, and installing the weir which, at 300mm below mean tide level, provides “a larger, more-permanent water body”. This rise in water level, on the right tide, does wonders for this setting and wooden piers, or lookouts, which are firmly planted on the large rectangular gabion plinths, allow you to get right out over the water. Tying both sides of the river together are a series of artfully placed poles – wharf-like piles that hark back to the days of the port. Similarly, custom-made lightbox seats recall this historical aspect. Each is detailed with the name of a ship that once frequented the town’s wharf.


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SOURCE (http://architecturenow.co.nz/articles/river-lane-waiuku/)

Cafe too big for St Heliers? (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/8189292/Cafe-too-big-for-St-Heliers)

The opening of a cafe on the corner of Maheke Rd and Tamaki Dr has brought mixed reactions in St Heliers. Property developer Robin Sheffield met strong opposition throughout the consent and construction process from Save Our St Heliers, a group that advocates for the preservation of the heritage and character of the village. The group objects to the style and size of the three-storey building and chairwoman Sally Hughes says public opinion has not softened over time. "We still feel the building is out of place at a seaside village." The group regularly sets up a stand where passers-by are asked what they think of the building and what they want for the future of St Heliers. "Overwhelmingly people say they still aren't happy with it and they don't want to see any more buildings like it." St Heliers Bay Village Association manager Wendy Caspersonn disagrees, saying having the site occupied is good for the community. "Just having it open and something happening there is fabulous. "People seem to have accepted the building and are very happy to see some life in it." The East & Bays Courier asked shoppers in St Heliers what they think ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/8189292/Cafe-too-big-for-St-Heliers)

Hospital do-up plan hears calls for do-over (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10860345)

A property developer's plan to turn the former Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital into a countryside living estate has triggered a row over what proportion of the 1930s buildings and their park-like surroundings should stay as a reminder of its past. Built in a secluded part of South Auckland, the former hospital with its English-style buildings is now in the middle of an Auckland Council scheme to rezone land from rural to urban and establish a Kingseat town centre, taking the village's population from 600 to 5000 people by 2050. Kingseat Foundation's initial plans for 450 homes on the 58.6ha site has prompted pleas from the Historic Places Trust for better protection of heritage values of buildings and mature specimen trees. However, some residents have called for a clean slate - demolishing all, or most, of the 58 structures - saying they represent a sad period that should not be perpetuated and highlighted as heritage. Farmer John Dotchin recalled that the hospital was a good neighbour before it closed in 1999, buildings were well kept and it was like a home to patients who visited the farm to chop firewood and go fishing. "But there was another section where mentally ill men, women and children were locked in villas 24 hours a day. The fear, insecurity, degradation and horror experienced is well documented," he said ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10860345)

Ponsonby Central is already having a knock-on effect ....

Grey Lynn strives to keep local flavour (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10860342)

A herbal tea garden, beehives on roof spaces and laneways are among ideas for revitalising the Grey Lynn shopping centre where the community values are being challenged by gentrification and intensification. "We don't want to be a McBrand. We want to be Grey Lynn. Bring on intensification and public transport but allow the shopping precinct to respond to that in a sustainable way," says Kris MacPherson, the author of a report on the shopping precinct. The Grey Lynn shops, around the busy Great North Rd-Chinamans Hill intersection, have a gritty edge, Pacific heritage and arty vibe - a dynamic yet fragile environment. Under the Auckland Plan, the area is listed as a "local centre" with low and medium density apartment buildings planned along Great North Rd and Surrey Cres. With this in mind - the Auckland Council is beginning work on the rulebook to roll out the Auckland Plan - the Grey Lynn Business Association has prepared a document on the needs and high value of the shopping precinct. It was produced after 4000 flyers and leaflets were circulated throughout the suburb and feedback that included pop-up meetings hosted by local businesses ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10860342)

I think if they can engage communities and show that with increased density come advantages like more money for local improvements then we could see those communities become advocates of density.

Mangere town centre gateway plan change approved (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18815&SID=143527378)

Auckland Council planning commissioners Harry Bhana (chairman), Ian Munroe & Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board chairman Simon Randall have approved plan change 54, which will create a gateway to the Mangere town centre. Their decision, dated 19 December, was made without a hearing because none of the 5 submitters wanted to appear. The plan change rezones a 5346m² site at 141R Bader Drive, also known as Paynes Island Reserve, from the public open space 2 (amenity) zone to the business 2 (suburban centre) zone, extending the business 2 zone. The modifications include a maximum height requirement of 15m, a 5m front yard along Bader Drive, a maximum building coverage of 50%, a retail floor space limit of 500m², a requirement that retail development be accessed off Mascot Rd or Canning Crescent, and special provisions relating to parking. Proposed roads are also identified on the site to allow for improved street alignment & pedestrian linkages. The related plan change 26 was deferred last June, when the Auckland Council decided to hold back some plan changes until the unitary plan had been processed. Plan change 26 was an innovative venture in town planning by the Manukau City Council, which involved developing new roads, a wider range of housing and a strong focus on community needs in a set of stand-alone district plan provisions specific to the town centre & its immediate surrounding residential neighbourhood.

St Heliers hasn't been a "seaside village" in 100 years. Pretentious twaddle.

I think if they can engage communities and show that with increased density come advantages like more money for local improvements then we could see those communities become advocates of density.

Hank Dittmar put it well when he talked about turning NIMBYs into QUIMBYs (Quality In My Back Yard).

New Centre for Takanini (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/papakura-courier/8212282/Warehouse-plans-to-move)

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The Warehouse is set to leave Papakura's town centre by the end of this year. The store in O'Shannessey St will close when a new shop opens in Takanini with the changeover forecast for before Christmas, company spokeswoman Gretchen Lowe says. All employees will transfer to the Takanini store. The new premises will be part of a 5.4-hectare village-style development at 30 Walters Rd, owned by James and Robert Wallace's company Tonea Investments. Most of the building consents have been issued for the first 2.9ha stage of the development which incorporates the Warehouse as anchor tenant along with a number of smaller convenience and retail stores. Takanini is seeing huge residential growth and the developers say that needs to be matched in the retail sector. The site is zoned mixed use to provide a buffer between the Addison housing development and Southgate. Robert Wallace says they are trying to avoid replicating the box stores of Southgate which lies directly across the railway line and are instead aiming for "something a little bit more intimate". An upmarket centre would service the steady influx of Addison residents, with a heavy emphasis on food and drink including, potentially, a bar similar to Garrisons in Sylvia Park. James Wallace says they want to provide "a place that people can come to every day, they're going to have a coffee, they're going to go the bank, they're going to pick up the few bits and pieces that they need, they'll meet their friends so it is that all-round family-friendly vibrant town centre". But he says they are not intentionally trying to draw business from Papakura's town centre to Takanini. A 2008 McDermott Miller report commissioned by the company showed the influx of new housing in Takanini more than justified the additional retail space the development would provide, he says. The Wallaces plan for the 2.5ha second stage of the project to incorporate convenience businesses like childcare, gyms and a GP clinic as well as plenty of open green space.

Homes to spring up on golf course when members leave (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10861066)

More than 700 members of one of Auckland's best-known golf clubs are upping sticks and moving south. The Manukau Golf Club, off Great South Rd near the Southern Motorway at Manurewa, is shifting 8km away to Alfriston-Ardmore Rd near Ardmore Airport, after more than 80 per cent of members voted to leave their 45ha site. Fletcher Residential is understood to be paying more than $40 million for the site, which could take 500 to 800 houses and is already zoned residential. Men's club captain Colin Tilley said the offer to buy the new site had been accepted and financial reasons prompted the move. "We, like many other clubs, were just managing to cover our operational costs, and then trying to service debt on top of that again was a bit over the top. There is a real buzz of excitement around the club now that the decision has been made." The move is not due until September 2016 and general manager Stewart Halligan said all-weather covered driving bays, short game practice facilities, a stand-alone function centre and multi-purpose clubhouse were planned ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10861066)

..members voted to leave their 45ha site. Fletcher Residential is understood to be paying more than $40 million for the site, which could take 500 to 800 houses and is already zoned residential.

This is why Auckland doesn't have enough units for people to live, a huge section opens up and 500 measly houses are built! Fill it with terraced housing or apartments 3-4 levels and you'd probably have 10-20 times the number of people living there and maybe even create a nice little suburb. Instead it's more boring tract housing, great.

TBH I don't think that that location is that suitable for 3-4 level apartments. the closest corner is a good 1.4km away from the nearest train station and town centre (as Te Mahia is rightfully meant to close) so unless you are proposing a brand new town centre on the site to provide amenity for future residents then intensification by itself isn't really going to work. As someone on the blog pointed out today, once you take roads parks etc. out of that land you are probably looking at average section sizes of 400-600m2.

Changes to the unitary plan may mean it becomes easier for them to develop smaller sections

PUKEKOHE TOWN CENTRE REVITALISATION

The town centre revitalisation group consists of a range of representatives from different organisations some of which among others, include members of the Franklin Local Board, Auckland Transport, Pukekohe Business Association and the Pukekohe Citizen and Ratepayers Association.

The town centre revitalisation group meet on a regular basis to discuss initiatives to improve Pukekohe Town Centre. Various projects they have initiated include various improvement projects in Pukekohe like the upgrade of pavements around the Farmers building as well as updating the town square. The plans for the update of the town square can been seen below and work on the town square will commence in late January.

http://www.pukekohe.org.nz/edit/library/images/TownSqaure.jpg

http://www.pukekohe.org.nz/edit/library/images/KingStreet3.jpg

http://www.pukekohe.org.nz/edit/library/images/KingStreet2.jpg

http://www.pukekohe.org.nz/edit/library/images/KingStreet.jpg

http://www.pukekohe.org.nz/page.php?ref=revitalisation

That looks great, is it designed by the same people who did Hurstmere Green ?

TBH I don't think that that location is that suitable for 3-4 level apartments. the closest corner is a good 1.4km away from the nearest train station and town centre

Without density you can't support village centres. Without village centres you can't support density. And so the cycle of urban sprawl on greenfields land will continue.

But you can go from 20dwellings/hectare to 50dw/ha across a site by going from 500m2 sites to a mix of typologies including 6 storey apartments. That makes a quite a big jump in population; enough to support a new village centre (and a cycleway to the train station).

But, as this excellent paper (http://www.landcom.com.au/downloads/uploaded/Density%20Guide%20Book%20V9LR_0880.pdf)on density points out.....

.....Good medium-density mixed-use developments evolve over time, ie 10-20 years. Unfortunately that's just not a model that most developers will work to.

Affordable housing estate on radar (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/8229074/Affordable-housing-estate-on-radar)

The largest affordable housing estate in Auckland could be built in Otahuhu if plans are approved. Property developer Redwood Group is negotiating with Auckland Council to build 450 to 500 townhouses at 33 Panama Rd. The houses, which would sell for between $350,000 and $450,000, are aimed at addressing a lack of affordable housing in the region, Redwood Group director Andrew Showler said. "In a few years time there's going to be a 20,000 shortage of housing units in New Zealand and house prices are going up because of the shortage. Unless more housing units go up, the prices are going to keep going up." A recent report shows Auckland's housing is among the most unaffordable in the world, with the median price topping $500,000 in the past few months. Each three-bedroom unit will cover about 130 square metres and be of "high quality and design", Showler said. The architecture firm Studio Pacific, which also designed the Beaumont Quarter buildings near Victoria Park and the Halsey Apartments at the Viaduct Basin, has designed the units. The 10.3 hectare Panama Rd site is listed by property valuer Quotable Value as having a $16.5 million valuation, of which $15.5m is land. It is currently used by Zealandia Horticulture as a seedling nursery. The plan "at this stage" is to move the nursery next door to another Zealandia nursery on Phillip Rd in Alfriston, director Graham Windross said. Redwood Group has not yet sought consent from the council and said it intends to undertake public consultation in coming months. "Our target market is potentially people in the local area who are trying to move from being renters into first-time home buyers, such as young families," Showler said.

Devonport Library architect announced (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1301/S00552/devonport-library-architect-announced.htm)

Athfield Architects Ltd has been named as Auckland Council’s architectural partner for the new, modern Devonport Library project. Construction work on the current Windsor Reserve site is due to begin later this year. The selection of Athfield Architects followed a robust proposal and tender process during November and December 2012. Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Chris Darby says the appointment of the award-winning architects of the stature of Athfields is welcome news. “They have emerged from a competitive process which attracted outstanding architectural talent from across New Zealand. Athfields has proven itself capable of taking library design in a dynamic and innovative direction while honouring historic settings. “They are a standout firm led by one of New Zealand’s finest architects, the internationally acclaimed Ian Athfield. I’m confident we will see Devonport’s reputation for its literary heritage, environmental protection and technological innovation reflected in the new library design when the concept is revealed for public feedback in February,” he says. Service Delivery Manager for the Pohutukawa Coast Libraries, Marion Read, says building a new library for the Devonport community is a priority for the local board, made possible by the community working with, and providing feedback to, Auckland Council and the local board ... MORE (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1301/S00552/devonport-library-architect-announced.htm)

Beachlands town centre plans head to court (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10862216)

Progressive Enterprises' plans to develop an entire new town centre precinct at Beachlands in southeast Auckland heads to the Environment Court today. The supermarket business which owns Countdown has big plans for the 12ha site at the gateway to the settlement. Paul Hebditch of Harcourts Beachlands said demand for sections and houses in the Beachlands/Maraetai area was largely unsatisfied, partly because of prices but also due to the area's popularity. Hebditch said 275 housing lots of 800sq m each as part of the Progressive scheme would be popular although the court is yet to decide. Spinnaker Bay 700sq m lots were going for $320,000 to $370,000, he said, compared to Flat Bush 350sq m to 400sq m lots on the market for around $400,000. "We've got a huge amount of interest in the area and unprecedented demand with constant inquiries. "We've been a bit of a backwater but we've been very much discovered. Some of the locals here are resisting change but I'm enjoying it," he said. Beachlands and Maraetai had been growing because people were attracted to its laid-back lifestyle and proximity to the city, he said ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10862216)

Residents in rough over course (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10863421)

Max Byrnes, a Manukau Golf Club neighbour, fears for the Conifer Grove area when Fletcher Building puts up hundreds of houses. As the owner of a Keywella Drive house overlooking the course, which the club is selling for more than $40 million, he is worried about the effects of a growing population on the roads, schooling, the extensive native shore bird population and residents' quality of life. "The motorway is already chocked," he said, estimating another 1800 cars could arrive when up to 2000 people shift into 600 to 700 planned upmarket houses. "It's like a bird sanctuary here," he said of the spoonbills and godwits in the area where he has lived for a decade. "It never occurred to me that golf course would sell." But the land is zoned residential so he realised the project could not be stopped, but fears Keywella Drive might be the main new entranceway into the new estate. That street was already congested. Conifer Grove Residents' Association chairman Jan van Wijk said people had enjoyed beautiful views across the greens for many years but this would soon change. Keywella Drive, Chippewa Place and Aristoy Close would be worst affected. Residents were not thrilled about the changes but could not object because the housing was allowed as-of-right, he said, although traffic and other negative effects might be grounds for consultation ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10863421)

$70m retirement village for Karaka (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/8265904/70m-retirement-village-for-Karaka)

A new $70 million retirement village is being planned for Karaka. Operator Summerset wants to build the village on 3.6 hectares of vacant land next to the existing Karaka Lakes development on Hingaia Rd. It will have 160 dwellings and a 50-bed care centre. The resource consent process is about to start. The company already has a presence in Auckland, with one facility in Flat Bush, a partially finished village in Warkworth and others planned for Hobsonville and Ellerslie. Summerset chief executive Norah Barlow said the company had a particular focus on South Auckland because of its increasing elderly population. And she expects plenty of interest in the area. "A retirement village attracts people from five to 10km away. Eighty per cent of people come from that area. They either live there, holiday there or their children live there." Other residential and commercial developments are also proposed to go up nearby, she said. "Karaka is identified as one of the key areas for Auckland growth. There are beautiful tracts of lovely land, which you don't have in many places. "Auckland's growing like mad, people need places to live." It is hoped the facility will complement what is already there, rather than dominate it. "It's got that existing infrastructure and community feel. Hopefully the development will add to the vibrancy of it." Summerset is expanding its presence into Auckland after focusing on the central part of the North Island. Facilities at the new village could include a bowling green, communal gardens and a hair salon and Barlow would like to see construction at Karaka start this year. Papakura Local Board member Michael Turner said the village would be a welcome addition to the area. "Looking at the ageing population of Papakura, having an alternative is a good idea. There are a number of people who have been on waiting lists for places like Longford Park." Turner, who is also a real estate agent in the area, said he knew of older people living in family homes who would like to go somewhere smaller but wanted to maintain semi-rural living.

Library plan gives best view to loos (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864067)

A proposal for a new Devonport Library boasts a fireplace "snug" for readers and a 24-hour space for youthful Wi-Fi users - but its toilets will block the view of the Waitemata Harbour from the main street. Last week, Auckland Council chose award-winning Athfield Architects to design the $7.8 million North Shore project to be built on the Windsor Reserve site of the existing library, which will be demolished. Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Mike Cohen said concept plans so far had not respected local concern to get views from Victoria Rd through the reserve to the sea. "If you were building a $3 million house with a view of Rangitoto Island, you wouldn't put a toilet in the middle of the view like we've done here," he said. If views had to be blocked, another site should be found. A group of six architects, who live in Devonport, also said Windsor Reserve was the wrong location. One of them, Tony Koia, said the board was after an iconic building ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864067)

Senior village proposed (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864038)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/20136/SCCZEN_030213SPLOAKS_460x230.jpg

A plan to build a multi-storey retirement village in the heart of Warkworth is based on research that found that older people want apartment living in a country town but do not want to be reliant on a car. The retirement village site is behind a historic hotel in the town's main shopping street. Resource consent is being sought for 83 retirement residential units, an aged-care facility of 28 units and 10 shops. The applicant company is Oaks on Neville, whose shareholders Chris Murphy and Greg Kasper have owned and operated retirement villages since 1985. Mr Murphy said he had several calls a week from people interested in the project during a year of talks with Auckland Council and urban designers, which resulted in a number of changes. He said people sought to retire to places where facilities were within 2.5km. "People want a living situation in central Warkworth where they don't need to be reliant on their ability to drive," he said. The town's three supermarkets, cafes, banks, medical centres and waterfront would be within 200m walking distance of the site between Queen St and Neville St ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864038)

Historian and long-time resident Beverley Simmons said she opposed such a concentration of buildings on that site.

"I would not have a bar of it myself. Who wants to be cooped up with 160 other old people?"

Why do people think apartments are like prison cells. It's often easier to leave an apartment than a house as everything is a short walk away.

^^ And it's another 'I don't want it, so no one could ever possibly want it whatsoever'. Sigh.

sigh

Cold reception to Ponsonby 'fridge' (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864577)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/20137/SCCZEN_100213SPLPONSONBY2_460x230.jpg

A proposed three-storey retail and apartment building on Ponsonby Rd is sparking debate about the merits of modern architecture along the famous character strip. Developer Neil Salter's plan for the empty site on the corner of Ponsonby Rd and Pember Reeves St has two shops at street level and three apartments above. The site is zoned residential but he is seeking consent to overturn a number of residential controls, including maximum building coverage of 35 per cent and a minimum of 40 per cent landscaping coverage. Through his company, Ponsonby Road Ltd, Mr Salter wants 100 per cent coverage over the 480sq m site for building and carparking - and even then the proposal has a shortage of four parking spaces. But it is the modern, rectangular design of the building, with concrete panels and metal screens, that has upset the Western Bays Community Group and others. "This really is an awful piece of work and has no place on Ponsonby Rd," said community group spokesman Geoff Houtman. He said there should be a building on the site but the proposal was "synthetic, inappropriate and unsympathetic to its surroundings". Another heritage advocate, who did not want to be named, said the design "looks like a fridge". Mr Salter could not be reached for comment, but a report he commissioned by urban design consultant Clinton Bird said the building would be "unashamedly of its time and will appropriately avoid being a 'pastiche' of historic architectural styles". Mr Bird said the building would exhibit a particularly "human scale" and bring high-quality contemporary architecture to the mix of ages and styles that characterise Ponsonby Rd. It was appropriate, he said, to build right up to both the Ponsonby Rd and Pember Reeves St boundaries to ensure the shops' commercial viability. Mr Bird has previously advised on another Ponsonby project - in 2008 he was hired by the developer Marlin to review the controversial Soho project, which came to grief. He called it a "worthy and exciting new development". Mr Salter's plans have attracted 27 submissions, of which 19 were opposed and eight in favour. ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864577)

^^ I heard that the plan has been revised to 4 storeys which is an even better idea. Lot 3 isn't exactly an old fashioned building and there are many examples of modern buildings in the area - get over it whingers.

New life in old Papatoetoe (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10865308)

Townhouses priced from $350,000 are part of an Auckland Council project to revitalise the once bustling middle-class suburb of Papatoetoe. Papatoetoe was booming in the 1960s and 1970s, offering aspiring home owners a slice of Pavlova Paradise - brick-and-tile houses in new subdivisions on quarter-acre sections. But since those days the social and economic dynamics of the South Auckland suburb have changed, bringing hard times for the 120 or so businesses in the old town centre on St George St. The brick-paved main street is a mixture of the old - the Town Hall built in 1917 and refurbished train station - and the new - a Chinese medical centre and ethnic restaurants catering for an immigrant population of mostly Indians and Fiji Indians. Papatoetoe has a lot of positives, says David Rankin, the head of the council's property arm planning to convert council land into affordable housing near a new railway station on the southern line. In the next couple of months, Auckland Council Property will release two blocks of land under a new public-private arrangement where private developers will be required to meet design objectives but can stagger payments to avoid holding costs ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10865308)

No surprises here, it only makes sense that valuable land is developed and camping sites are located on the periphery of the city ...

City camping options shrink again (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10865525)

The closest camping ground to the Auckland CBD, where you can pitch your tent for $20 a night, is heading for a future as a housing development after it was sold for $7.9 million. Soaring land values of $669 per sq m and Auckland Council rates of $55,000 a year prompted the sale of the long-established motel and camping ground in Minto Rd, Remuera. The 1.2ha property was advertised for sale as one of the last large development sites left in Remuera. But its park-like setting only 7km from the city centre had a golden appeal to visitors too. A director of the family-run company which sold Remuera Motor Lodge, Trevor Ripley, predicted business as usual for "another year or two" before any plans emerged. The lodge's 15 motel units were refurbished in 2010 and it also has sites for 50 caravans and 20 tents in a setting of trees and shrubs and a swimming pool. Customers included tourists in camper vans and people staying a month in a unit until they bought a house. Mr Ripley's association with the lodge goes back to 1980. "It's a shame but eventually it's going to be bowled over. The problem is the value of the land is becoming so much that the return for the value doesn't stack up." ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10865525)

Yeh agreed. Camp sites makes sense to be located on the friges, or at least on the coast.

Someone asked on 27 July about Alpers Ave Development co. It was set up by George Bernard Shaw as a vehicle to collect various properties along Edgerley Ave and Alpers Ave in Newmarket, including the former Carlton Bowling Club. GBS has since sold the properties in two lots, the larger group including the bowling club and Alpers Ave properties to Runcorn Hotel Development Co, a company with Chinese based shareholders. He then sold three other properties from this group on Edgerley Avenue to Highgate Development co, another NZ co with Chinese shareholders. Both companies have got demolition consents for the buildings on their sites and Runcorn has announced, in a display with both Councillor Cameron Brewer and Prime Minister John Key in attendance, that they will be spending NZD75million on a five star hotel, three apartment blocks, a retirement home and some kind of deal with a local school. but the legal requirement for foreign investment are apparently holding him up.

Someone asked on 27 July about Alpers Ave Development co. It was set up by George Bernard Shaw as a vehicle to collect various properties along Edgerley Ave and Alpers Ave in Newmarket, including the former Carlton Bowling Club. GBS has since sold the properties in two lots, the larger group including the bowling club and Alpers Ave properties to Runcorn Hotel Development Co, a company with Chinese based shareholders. He then sold three other properties from this group on Edgerley Avenue to Highgate Development co, another NZ co with Chinese shareholders. Both companies have got demolition consents for the buildings on their sites and Runcorn has announced, in a display with both Councillor Cameron Brewer and Prime Minister John Key in attendance, that they will be spending NZD75million on a five star hotel, three apartment blocks, a retirement home and some kind of deal with a local school. but the legal requirement for foreign investment are apparently holding him up.

Sounds like a massive scheme - any renders yet ?

Six storeys for Orewa? (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/8322205/Six-storeys-for-Orewa)

Hibiscus and Bays Local Board is holding to four while the Auckland Unitary Plan Committee is pushing for six. Local board members are confident their Draft Local Area Plan has met the growth expectations given by the overarching Auckland Plan and hope it is enough to keep height limits low in the Unitary Plan. The Unitary Plan is a second document, in association with the Auckland Plan, which contains plans to distribute predicted growth in Auckland. It has to fulfill Auckland Plan and also include recommendations made by the Local Area Plan being drafted by the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board. Only one other Local Area Plan has been requested, for Mangere. "The Auckland plan asked that we make capacity for 29,000 new homes in the Hibiscus Coast and East Coast Bays area," local board chairwoman Julia Parfitt says. "We believe we can meet the density requirements of the plan without the need for six-level developments. "But the Unitary Plan Committee is putting a huge emphasis on height. They suggest a minimum of six storeys is needed in town centres. The local plan suggests no more than four storeys." Mrs Parfitt met Unitary Plan Committee chairwoman Penny Hulse to discuss the issue. "One of the main issues with growth that is being suggested is our need of investment in infrastructure. "Even some of the council's own engineers and planners say we shouldn't target some areas such as Red Beach for growth as they will need upgrades with stormwater first," Mrs Parfitt says ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/8322205/Six-storeys-for-Orewa)

Milford development plans stopped

A huge intensification of the North Shore suburb of Milford that would have seen the development of up to 250 townhouses and 16-storey-high apartment blocks has been turned down.

A hearings panel appointed by Auckland Council were considering plan change 34, which sought intensive residential development around Milford Mall.

The applicant was mall owner Milford Centre Ltd.

The application was first made in 2008, and so pre-dates current intensification plans by the council.

In its report, released yesterday, the panel said: ''From the evidence given by residents (in the main) we are persuaded that the change proposed to the character of Milford is likely to be significant and could have adverse consequences in terms of how people use their neighbourhood, the utility they derive from their living environment, and the community's response to future intensification prospects.''

The commissioners were careful to point out that their decision was not a precedent for other high-rise projects.

''At the head of this decision we noted that this plan change is not a test case for Auckland's intensification.

''We reconfirm this at this point. The issue here is not whether Milford should be an intensified town centre but whether this plan change appropriately facilitates that end.

''Overall we find that the proposed plan change fails to meet the statutory purpose and principles of the RMA and its particular plan change requirements."

The panel members were chairman David Hill, Councillor Noelene Raffills, David Mead and Janine Bell.

Ad Feedback - © Fairfax NZ News

Unbelievable !!!!!! This decision has now set a precedent for the minority to throw a little hissy fit and stop any plans for densification. I have said it before and I will say it again - the Auckland Council has no balls.

Apparently its just the 16 storey towers that have been ruled out, but the rest is OK. Is that correct?

If it is, its not a bad outcome - provided that towers can still be incorporated at a lower height, say 6 storeys like what is proposed for Orewa.

16 storeys is pretty high. I'd leave those (and higher) for now for the CBD or above major traffic nodes like the northern busway stops and rail stations.

Let's win the battle on intensification first and then work our way up.

Apparently its just the 16 storey towers that have been ruled out, but the rest is OK. Is that correct?

If it is, its not a bad outcome - provided that towers can still be incorporated at a lower height, say 6 storeys like what is proposed for Orewa.

16 storeys is pretty high. I'd leave those (and higher) for now for the CBD or above major traffic nodes like the northern busway stops and rail stations.

Let's win the battle on intensification first and then work our way up.

I understand it as everything is out of the window ? What I have read is the whole design is "bad" for the area. In fact it is probably the best apartment designs that Auckland has ever seen.

More HERE (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=100471128#post100471128) ... I will read through it properly when I have more time.

^^The townhouses are already consented so they could be built. It's just a case of if it's worth it without the apartment towers.

Beachfront highrise argument revisited (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=18904&SID=724873864)

Hibiscus & Bays Local Board member Gary Holmes said yesterday Auckland Council’s unitary plan proposal for apartment buildings of 4-8 storeys at town centres such as Browns Bay & Orewa was a “back to the future” suggestion. As a North Shore City councillor for 9 years until 2007, Mr Holmes fought against a proposal for medium-rise development on the Browns Bay beachfront. He also chaired hearings in 2008 for plan change 19, which created a new zoning to encourage mixed-use development in small & appropriate areas of Browns Bay. The agreement reached in 2007 was for a height limit of 14m in Browns Bay, except along the beachfront, where the 12.5m height limit was retained. “The East Coast Bays community has been debating the issue of appropriate heights in our town centre for more than a decade and I, for one, won’t accept Auckland Council bureaucrats & politicians trying to stamp their mark on our turf,” Mr Holmes said. “This is an example of the negatives of the super-city, when you have politicians who are not familiar with the local area & history making decisions without key information. Mr Holmes said the local board was in the finishing touches of finalising its area plan, one of the first to be completed in the Auckland region, which had again confirmed that local residents & businesses didn’t want to be surrounded by 6-storey apartment blocks: “How many times will we have to revisit the same arguments?” he asked.

Unitary Plan stomps on Orewa's wishes (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/8347571/Unitary-Plan-stomps-on-Orewas-wishes)

Despite major opposition from residents Orewa is to become a six-storey development town. A heated discussion during an Auckland Plan Committee meeting last Wednesday concluded with a disappointing result for Orewa in the Draft Unitary Plan, Albany ward councillor Wayne Walker says. "It was a very contentious meeting. The results were disturbing. "The Hibiscus and Bays Local Area Plan was completely disregarded," Mr Walker says. "The accepted Draft Unitary Plan promotes a level of high rise development in Orewa that is unacceptable." The Draft Unitary Plan has zoned Orewa township for developments of up to six storeys. It has also zoned most of Orewa to the north and south of the town centre, between Hibiscus Coast Highway in the east and Centreway Rd in the West, for developments of up to five storeys. The Local Area Plan recommended four storeys for the town centre and low density for surrounding areas. "The local plan was widely publicised and included a lot of engagement with the community," Mr Walker says. "The local plan that would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars was meant to plug into the Unitary Plan. But it was literally overlooked. They didn't include any of the recommendations made in it." Mr Walker says infrastructure concerns didn't phase the Unitary Plan Committee, let alone environment issues such as flooding, stormwater and transport. "The Unitary Plan Committee have this notion that one size fits all. That just doesn't work. You've got parts of Auckland that have special characteristics. It just won't work," Mr Walker says. "We will have a wall of buildings along Hibiscus Coast Highway if this draft gets finalised. Thankfully it is still a draft, people need to get their heads together and put in submissions."

Waiheke Island marina takes step forward (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/8353315/Waiheke-Island-marina-takes-step-forward)

The bid to create a marina at Waiheke Island's Matiatia is a step closer after a year's hiatus. Investigations into a revised design are now complete and have been drawn up by a new company. The resource consent application for the 2011 design was withdrawn in response to concerns about the ferry wake and wind-driven waves affecting the marina. Navigation and safety issues surrounding ferry and recreational craft movements near the marina were also of concern. The main changes to the new design include two rock breakwaters, project co-ordinator Graham Guthrie said. "These will mitigate the effects of ferry wakes and wind waves on berthed vessels." The marina entrance has also been moved to the north, away from the main ferry channel. The revised design contains the same number of berths - 160 - although the mix has been changed to accommodate some longer, deeper and wider vessels in line with boating trends and registrations of interest. The parking layout will still have 55 spaces but has been altered to fit an electricity transformer and refuse and recycling facilities. Guthrie said existing mooring holders in the bay will have first dibs on the 17 proposed pile moorings, an increase from seven in the previous application. He said all material for the rock breakwaters will be brought by barge from Thames. And the breakwaters will contain small holes to encourage the area's population of small blue penguins to nest. The primary breakwater will be built in two stages, with a period of 12 to 18 months allowed for consolidation of the first stage. The total marina construction period is expected to be 20 to 26 months. Guthrie said the new resource consent application would be submitted to the Auckland Council within the next week. A 21-day period will follow for public submissions. ''Once we get the go-ahead, we have to prepare a legal prospectus to all the 250 people wanting a berth.'' The cost of the project will be covered by the costs of purchasing a berth. They are expected to cost between $50,000 and $200,000.

Church graves may be dug up (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/8359359/Church-graves-may-be-dug-up)

At least five historic graves may need to be dug up to pave the way for a national chess centre in Auckland. The 100-year-old St Paul's Presbyterian Church in Devonport was put on the market after congregation numbers began to dwindle in 2011. Chess grandmaster Murray Chandler hopes to buy the church to create a national chess centre but is hampered by controversy over old graves surrounding the site. The vendor, Northern Presbytery, hopes to subdivide the property to legally separate the church and and an adjacent hall from the adjoining cemetery. But its plans have hit a snag. A new geomagnetic survey of the area has identified what may be four more unmarked grave pits on or close to the church building and human bones are visible at one location. The graves will have to be pinpointed exactly and the human remains disinterred and re-interred within the graveyard before any subdivision goes ahead. An initial ground radar investigation of the area may have also turned up another unmarked grave on the edge of the community hall. Presbytery lawyer Stewart Milne said the cemetery would be gifted to the Auckland Council if the subdivision does eventually proceed. Latest developments will be discussed during a public meeting at St Paul's on April 7.

Oh God ! can't we just load them all up and ship them to Tasmania ? ..

High-rise plans are flawed says councillor (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-harbour-news/8363368/High-rise-plans-are-flawed-says-councillor)

Residents will have to again fight battles they thought they had won to stop beachfront high rises, Albany councillor Wayne Walker says. And in what will be a blow for those intent on pushing through plans to intensify housing in the city, Mr Walker says Auckland Council's plans are flawed. Browns Bay, Milford and Orewa are among communities threatened by the council's proposed new development rules, Mr Walker says. "The last thing you want is a band of high buildings close to the beachfront that effectively block views and enjoyment of the beach." Mr Walker, usually a key Len Brown supporter, says that from the start of talks on the draft Unitary Plan he has spoken up against high rise for Orewa and Browns Bay. People in Milford, Orewa and Browns Bay have already won battles against high rise and will not like the draft Unitary Plan, he says. Milford Residents Association has only just celebrated winning a fight against a 16-storey development in Milford Village. Now, days later, they're rallying to oppose eight-storey development under the Unitary Plan. In Browns Bay in the late 1990s a beachfront action committee successfully fought an eight-storey, 25m development all the way to the High Court. The draft Unitary Plan proposes similar height development up to six storeys high. Terraced housing zones on the edges of town centres will allow up to five storeys, Mr Walker says. Multi-storey apartments would dominate town centres as people vie for beachfront views, he says. Mr Walker says those who lose their views and cannot afford to redevelop will sell to people who can. High apartments will affect views, privacy and sunlight, and create wind tunnels, he warns ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-harbour-news/8363368/High-rise-plans-are-flawed-says-councillor)

One stop for families (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/papakura-courier/8387669/One-stop-for-families)

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1362509223/705/8387705.jpg

A long-awaited family service centre will be built in Takanini by the end of this year. The Takanini Child and Family Centre will house an early childhood centre with space for 96 children and an additional 20 playgroup spaces. It will be run by the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association, which owns the land. From the attached family service centre the Great Potentials Trust will run programmes including Hippy, budgeting, parent education, literacy, counselling and playgroup. Space has also been allocated for an orchard and community garden. Great Potentials, which is based in Papakura, runs its programmes out of Takanini School but space is at a premium and the trust has been looking for somewhere to build a centre for at least five years. Along with Takanini School principal Linda Kelly, the two groups have a vision of providing wrap-around social services to the most vulnerable families in the area. Eventually, says Mrs Shields, the intention is for those families "to become independent and positively functioning, with parents and children who are able to develop lifelong learning skills to reach their potential". The land at 8 Oakleigh Ave borders an industrial area but is also bounded by houses on two sides. It sits across the road from the Manuroa Rd shops and 750 metres from Takanini School ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/papakura-courier/8387669/One-stop-for-families)

Grafton villa a community space (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/8393954/Grafton-villa-a-community-space/)

http://static.stuff.co.nz/1362605178/042/8394042.jpg

Rosy Armitage believes in supporting the local arts through a social profit rather than financial profit framework. People before profit is the philosophy behind the social enterprise Hum Salon, based in a formerly derelict villa in Grafton. "We are for community profit rather than financial profit," one of Falling Apple Trust's founding members Rosy Armitage says. "Our priority is the stakeholder not the shareholder." There's a coffee shack on the front lawn and inside there are plans for a restaurant and bar. Staff will be paid but the profit will be fed back into the trust to sustain a myriad of arts, music and educational projects based in the villa. Ms Armitage was looking for an older house with plenty of character and the heritage building at 123 Grafton Rd fitted the bill perfectly. Among its former occupants was Auckland City engineer W E Bush who supervised the building of Grafton Bridge in 1910. The building was also used by the Salvation Army as a halfway house for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. The group was able to strike a deal with the owner to renovate the villa rent-free and take a long-term lease until 2033 with first right to purchase. The fact the villa had lain derelict for eight years did not put members off because they had what others did not - people power. The first phase of works was estimated to be worth around $500,000 but costs were kept low with help from more than 250 New Zealand and international volunteers. This approach fosters a sense of community, Ms Armitage says ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/8393954/Grafton-villa-a-community-space/)

Hopefully somebody picks it up and builds the apartments, that is exactly what the high street needs.

Institute sells HQ as rebuild plans dropped (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10870387)

The Real Estate Institute (REINZ) has abandoned controversial plans to rebuild its headquarters and will sell the multimillion-dollar building after 27 years to "take advantage of a confident market". The prime land at 202 Parnell Rd already has council-approved plans for an apartment building at the rear of the building, and is also ripe for a new block of shops at ground level, the real estate agent says. Bayleys is opening up the sale to overseas buyers through an international tender process as the REINZ looks to relocate to a building on the city fringe, as well as buy an investment property. The 758sq m building sits on a 1813sq m section, which has a capital value of $6.1 million. The REINZ occupies part of the building and leases part of the lower floor to a trust administration company which generates an annual rental income of $59,624. REINZ chief executive Helen O'Sullivan said it was difficult choosing a real estate agent when it had 11,500 agents as members but it had shortlisted several and granted the sale based on experience ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10870387)

I can already see these old crows - arms folded, cheeks down to their knees and dressed as if it is still 1973 :lol:

Battle lines drawn (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/8412367/Battle-lines-drawn)

Mayor Len Brown is out of touch with reality if he thinks North Shore residents want high rise apartments, MP Maggie Barry says. "People want to buy a house. They want a section. That's the great New Zealand way. It's close to our hearts," Ms Barry says. "I would hope he does not try to impose high rise on the North Shore." Intensification - through apartments and town houses - is central to the Auckland Council Unitary Plan that will guide development. The council wants a compact city and to keep 60 to 70 percent of new development inside existing suburbs. It says it already has the public on board through its Auckland Plan consultation. But beachfront communities in Browns Bay and Milford are among those already gearing up for battle. Up to six storeys is proposed for Browns Bay village and up to eight in Milford. The Unitary Plan is due to be released on Friday for public comment. National's new Housing Minister Nick Smith has already waded into Auckland's housing debate vowing to force the council to allow more development outside the city limits. Ms Barry says there will be a lot of tension if the super-city continues to push for apartments and infill for the Shore and the mayor needs to start listening ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/8412367/Battle-lines-drawn)

And on the other side of the fence ...

Wood wrong on plan: Hartley (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/8412366/Wood-wrong-on-plan-Hartley)

Ann Hartley is angry with her fellow Shore councillor's criticism of Auckland Council's intensification plans. George Wood's comments are disappointing when the council is "working so hard to bring the community with us", Mrs Hartley says. Unitary Plan concerns raised by Mr Wood include apartment heights proposed for areas such as Browns Bay and Milford and that he has been kept in the dark as much as the public. Mrs Hartley strongly defends the council's plans, due to be publicly released on Friday, and says some of Mr Wood's comments are inaccurate. She says any councillor could have been part of the Unitary Plan working party but "it depends how hard they want to work". Reports were also passed to the Unitary Plan Committee, Mrs Hartley says. "To make the allegation it's in the dark is just an outrage." The public is also getting the chance to comment much earlier than ever before through the release of a draft plan on March 15, she says. Mrs Hartley says normally it is a much more formal process with only a final plan released for submissions. Auckland Council plans another round of public submissions to its notified plan in September. Mrs Hartley says all development rules are tighter with more emphasis on urban design to prevent the mistakes of the past happening again. Auckland is littered with buildings out of context in suburbs, she says. The highest apartments are proposed for metropolitan centres such as Takapuna and Albany and town centres with "medium rise" of four to eight storeys, Mrs Hartley says. She believes Milford town centre heights will come down from a proposed maximum of eight to six, partly because of the extent of development proposed for neighbouring Takapuna.

Southern Corridor top office area (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10870863)

The latest vacancy survey by Bayleys Research reveals that the Southern Corridor running from Greenlane to Penrose has the lowest vacancy level of the main office markets in the Auckland region while the city fringe reported the highest vacancies. The results of the survey, conducted earlier this year, show that the Southern Corridor had a vacancy rate of 6.8 per cent and the North Shore 11 per cent. The Auckland CBD recorded a 12 per cent vacancy while the city fringe exhibited a vacancy rate of 15 per cent. Writing in Bayleys' latest Total Property publication, Sarah Davidson, analyst for Bayleys Research, says demand for office accommodation in the Southern Corridor has grown significantly over the past year, pushing the vacancy rate down over three percentage points. "Total net absorption of 3300 square metres of space and very little completed new development, proved a positive combination for the precinct," Davidson says. "The Southern Corridor area continues to be popular with tenants because of its central position, excellent motorway access and attractive parking and occupancy costs." The positive absorption in the Southern Corridor was mostly spread across smaller tenancies, says Davidson. The limited uptake of big tracts in floor space included 1500sq m leased in Unisys House at 650 Great South Road and the tenanting of 900sq m in Goodman Property Trust's Central Park development ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10870863)

State housing revamp unveiled (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10871111)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201311/SCCZEN_130313SPLHOUSING_460x230.jpg

Two-storey townhouses and stand-alone houses expected to sell from $400,000 to $700,000 have been unveiled in the first stage of redeveloping 156 Housing NZ sites in Glen Innes. Tenants were briefed yesterday on the plans to build 23 terraced homes and 26 stand-alone houses to replace 18 state houses in Eastview Rd, Apirana Ave and Castledine Cres. Families still living in nine of the homes will have to leave before July 1 and will be offered other state houses. The other nine houses have already been removed or are empty. Murdoch Dryden of Creating Communities, Housing NZ's development partner, said most of the terraced homes would be priced between $400,000 and $500,000, although some three-bedroom units "might stick their heads above $500,000". Housing NZ will keep 10 of the 23 terrace homes. Housing NZ will also take 14 of the 26 stand-alone houses, including seven large four- and five-bedroom houses. The other 12 houses will be sold to private buyers for up to $700,000 each. Mr Dryden said the share of state houses in the first stage was higher than in the total redevelopment, which will include 78 state units and about 200 homes for private sale in a 13ha area that has had 156 state houses. Eastview Rd tenant Cameron Kanuta, 23, said his mother had lived in their state house for 48 years and the whole family felt sad to be leaving.

I find it odd people are protesting about being forced to move out. It sucks when it happens to you. I know. I was forced to move when my landlord sold the apartment I was living in. It's always a risk when you rent.

I find it odd people are protesting about being forced to move out. It sucks when it happens to you. I know. I was forced to move when my landlord sold the apartment I was living in. It's always a risk when you rent.

Yeah, that's life.

Luxury apartment sales reflect growing confidence (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1303/S00551/luxury-apartment-sales-reflect-growing-confidence.htm)

http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/1303/d6443f7df40a12df4ddb.jpeg

Seven apartments at the Ocean Point Beach Residences in Orewa have already sold “off the plans”. Some 25 percent of million-dollar-plus apartments in a seaside residential complex have been sold – even before the first sod of earth has been turned in building the development. Seven units at the Ocean Point Beach Residences overlooking Orewa Beach just north of Auckland have sold off plan in less than a year. Construction work on the 28-apartment complex to be built on the Golden Sands Motel site is scheduled to begin within the next three months and should be completed by early 2015. The units have been marketed at prices ranging from $1.095million for a 190 square metre three bedroom first floor unit, through to $2.98million for a 299 square four bedroom penthouse suite. All units have been sold with secure underground parking and communal use of outdoor recreational facilities including a BBQ area, swimming pool, and landscaped gardens. The units have been sold by Lynnette Thomas of Bayleys Orewa. Ms Thomas said the seven buyers so far were a mix of ‘mature’ Orewa locals looking to relocate to a low maintenance apartment in close proximity to the beach, and Aucklanders working in the city’s northern suburbs – predominantly around Albany. “Interest levels have certainly intensified since the third quarter of last year as the Greater Auckland property market begun surging ahead again, and the marketing has obviously been bolstered this year with what has been an exceptional summer to showcase coastal living,” she said ... MORE (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1303/S00551/luxury-apartment-sales-reflect-growing-confidence.htm)

Green belt battle going to hearing (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10871892)

A battle over whether job growth should come at the expense of the South Auckland countryside will go to a hearing by Auckland Council-appointed planning commissioners next month or early May. A quarry operator's plan to turn its farmland buffer into business sites has drawn more than 330 objections from people who predict it will spoil the rural character of their homes east of the Southern Motorway. However, Stevenson Group said its bid to rezone 361ha in Drury South - beside the region's biggest quarry - will create capacity for business and job growth. The company estimates the land could host businesses employing 7000 people in 20 years' time. This would support the Auckland Council draft Unitary Plan, which suggested growth of housing between Drury and Pukekohe for 100,000-plus people. The company projects a benefit of $2.3 billion a year to the regional economy following the project's completion as well as a $620 million contribution during construction ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10871892)

Currently a parking lot, 217 Great North Road in Grey Lynn will be a lovely little "filler" :)

http://images.customresidential.ps1.co.nz/property_full_image/2EB5/CR5137.jpg

http://images.customresidential.ps1.co.nz/property_full_image/2EB3/CR5137.jpg

http://images.customresidential.ps1.co.nz/property_full_image/2EB4/CR5137.jpg

Hobson Bay plans taking shape (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/east-bays-courier/8454782/Hobson-Bay-plans-taking-shape)

There are big plans ahead to make Hobson Bay and the surrounding areas more accessible and user-friendly. Public consultation on the proposed Hobson Bay Action Plan will take place in early June after a draft Action Plan has been developed by Orakei Local Board and key stakeholders. The plan is expected to provide a vision for the area to guide investment. It is also intended to help enhance public access, utilising the coastal environment while respecting the area's biodiversity and cleaning up waterways. There are a number of projects under discussion. These include Orakei Pt development projects, Shore Rd sports field capacity investment, Hobson Bay and Orakei Pt to St Kentigerns walkway and cycle paths, Waitemata Local Board's Parnell to Pt Resolution walkway and the implementation of the Orakei Basin Management Plan. The Hobson Bay Action Plan has been identified in the Orakei Local Board Plan and its development is funded through the 2012/2013 Annual Plan.

A development in Mt Eden that might have gone under the radar (Forgive me if it's already featured): a refurbished heritage building with what appears a small addition.

Esplanade Road:
Old (http://goo.gl/maps/4n32r)
New (www.barfoot.co.nz/52778)

Prized inner suburbs buck trend for rent rises (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10873413)

Homeowners looking to cash in on the skyrocketing prices of their central Auckland properties could be the reason for a levelling off or fall in rental costs, a property commentator says. Figures from property management company Crockers show the cost of renting a three-bedroom home in trendy central Auckland suburbs is levelling or falling while nearly all suburbs in Manukau City and on the North Shore have seen rises. Crockers has calculated the average of six-month rolling median prices of new bonds received each month - supplied by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand and the Department of Building and Housing - for one, two, three and four-bedroom homes over two years. The figures show that the area defined as Ponsonby/Herne Bay/St Marys Bay remains among the most expensive places to live but rents for three-bedroom homes there of $703 a week have levelled out. In Grey Lynn/Westmere the rental cost of a three-bedroom home has fallen from $503 a week to $494 - a decrease of 4 per cent. Remuera has seen a drop of 6 per cent with rents falling from an average of $661 to $620 ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10873413)

Housing approval likely (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/8469296/Housing-approval-likely)

A 156-page report by Auckland Council consultant engineer Robert Scott says the plan change from Future Urban to Residential M (medium intensity) should be approved, provided certain conditions are met. This means up to 520 mixed density homes can be built at Red Beach's Peninsula Golf Club site at 65 Hibiscus Coast Highway, after it is rezoned. In exchange, the club gets a custom-built course on 81 hectares at Wainui. A hearing to consider a private plan change request (Private Plan Change 159 - Peninsula Golf Course) will be held from April 9 to 11 from 9.30am at the Orewa Service Centre, 50 Centreway Rd. Chairwoman Pamela Peters and commissioners Bill Smith and David Mead will make a final decision on the plan change after the hearing. "The golf club is happy with the Auckland Council planning consultant's report which recommends the plan change be approved," Peninsula Land Development planning consultant Ian McAlley says. "We are looking forward to the hearing." Peninsula Land Development has a contract with the Peninsula Golf Club and will make their application on the first day of the hearing. About 621 submissions were received. About 35 submitters were in favour of the plan change and 586 asked for it to be declined ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/8469296/Housing-approval-likely)

Under-fire plan for golf-course housing now up to city panel (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10874816)

A controversial plan to turn an Orewa golf course into 520 lots for homes goes before Auckland Council commissioners next week. In 2009, members of the Peninsula Golf Club voted to accept a developer's offer for the land - in return for building a free course in the Wainui countryside and giving the club $10 million cash. Formed in 1956, the club has 44ha overlooking Red Beach. Its lakes, mature trees and flowerbeds are like a scenic tour over 18 holes. Chairman Patrick Kennelly said the club could not afford to improve its present course, which was closed for 15 to 20 days a year because of flooding. The club hoped for an October start on an 18-hole facility to be developed by Canada-based course builders and architects Puddicome Golf, he said. The 81ha Wainui site would allow the club to cater more for families, with facilities such as a gym, tennis courts, a nine-hole, par-3 course and a clubrooms suitable for hire to community groups. However, the deal was conditional on PLDL Ltd getting approval for a medium-intensity residential zoning ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10874816)

Mixed-tenure Onehunga project scaled back (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/8497562/Mixed-tenure-Onehunga-project-scaled-back)

Developers behind a project that could be a model for how Housing New Zealand land is used have gone back to the drawing board following a backlash from those living next to the first site. Housing New Zealand and property developers Saltburn Ltd are in a public-private partnership to build "mixed-tenure" homes on land at the end of Yates and Maria streets in Onehunga - an area characterised by heritage cottages. The land is owned by Housing New Zealand and comprises three large sections with houses which will be demolished. The original plan was to replace them with 26 units of varying sizes, a third of which would be privately sold and the rest used as state and social housing. The plan is the first of its kind for the country and Housing New Zealand spokeswoman Marie Winfield says it is a model for how the 69,000 properties the corporation owns throughout New Zealand - 32,000 of which are in Auckland - could be redeveloped to provide better state housing and help ease the housing crisis. But it hit a snag when residents of Maria and Yates streets objected to the scale of the development and the lack of consultation with the community. Their complaints included inadequate provision of car parking, out of character construction materials and concerns over a three storey apartment block ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/8497562/Mixed-tenure-Onehunga-project-scaled-back)

So they're complaining about something being 3 stories and that the development is doing too little to encourage people to drive? Jesus if 3 stories is too high in Auckland what hope do we have.

Interestingly in the unitary plan this wouldn't be allowed as that particular site is zoned for single houses only.

Interestingly in the unitary plan this wouldn't be allowed as that particular site is zoned for single houses only.

Which seems a little silly as Onehunga is ideal for denser housing, good transport connections and a nice walkable town centre.

Just reconfirms what I believe - nimby's are Neanderthals.

Came across this on trademe (http://www.trademe.co.nz/property/commercial-property-for-sale/auction-576258744.htm) - Brown Rd Ponsonby

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8618032849_7dec632ee5_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8618032849/)
249303210 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8618032849/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

Streetview (https://maps.google.co.nz/maps?q=43+Brown+Street+Ponsonby&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x6d0d47976c2fc46f:0x2d870cd23d5706d1,43+Brown+St,+Ponsonby,+Auckland+1021&gl=nz&ei=kUpdUeW3N8n_iAfl94DACg&ved=0CC8Q8gEwAA)

^^ Its hideous... WTF...

^^

I like it, it ties in well with what's happening further along at Ponsonby Central.

I also like it, fits in with the warehouses in the same street :cheers:

Ugly. Doesnt look very stable either.

The heart of the city (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/business/8513701/The-heart-of-the-city)

For shoppers, farmers' markets are a chance to buy organic heirloom tomatoes and artisan ciabatta. To suburban developers, these produce markets mean much more - an unbeatable sales pitch. The traditional new-build suburb of identikit homes with immaculate, identical gardens, so often parodied on our television screens, may be dead. In its stead, a step back in time to the rural village, with the farmers' market a suitable substitute for the butcher, baker and greengrocer. The trendy terminology, says urban designer Greg McBride, is "placemaking". That's why, when developers began the 3000-home settlement at Hobsonville Point, West Auckland, they put in a cafe, herb gardens, playground and yes, the farmers' market before a single house was finished. It's designed as a "comfort" to purchasers, explains Hobsonville Land Company director Richard Didsbury. "The public are cynical about the promise of developers," says Didsbury, who hates to be called one himself. "Everyone promises the world, you will see pretty pictures, and no-one ever bloody delivers them." New suburbs are springing up everywhere, Auckland especially but also on the peripheries of Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/business/8513701/The-heart-of-the-city)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8399/8624864795_3414ef499e_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8624864795/)
Hobsonville Markets (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8624864795/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8382/8624865213_d9b9e57c7b_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8624865213/)
Hobsonville Markets (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8624865213/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

Came across this on trademe (http://www.trademe.co.nz/property/commercial-property-for-sale/auction-576258744.htm) - Brown Rd Ponsonby

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8618032849_7dec632ee5_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8618032849/)
249303210 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8618032849/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

Streetview (https://maps.google.co.nz/maps?q=43+Brown+Street+Ponsonby&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x6d0d47976c2fc46f:0x2d870cd23d5706d1,43+Brown+St,+Ponsonby,+Auckland+1021&gl=nz&ei=kUpdUeW3N8n_iAfl94DACg&ved=0CC8Q8gEwAA)

i like it too except for the steel/metal poles down the bottom

i like it too except for the steel/metal poles down the bottom

I agree, the base does look cheap but I love the rest of it.

Court approves Beachlands residential extension plan change (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=19067&SID=609801927)

Environment Judge Melanie Harland has issued a consent order requiring Auckland Council to make the final amendments to plan change 30 for the New Avenues subdivision at Beachlands. Judge Harland made the order settling all 6 appeals last Thursday. However, Nawa (NZ) Ltd (owned by Nawa Corp Pte Ltd, Kwee Yong Paul Chin & Sit Yeong William Chin of Singapore) filed an application concerning its land within the plan change area and the order doesn’t affect Nawa’s rights under that application, which has been adjourned sine die. The New Avenues extension to Beachlands Village will add about 750 new homes in a 122ha special zone bounded by Jack Lachlan Drive to the south, Beachlands & Karaka Rds to the north and Whitford–Maraetai Rd to the east. The plan change is based on a grid street pattern, generally with 800m² sites. The conflict there was between advocates of low or no growth and affirming “the integrity of the extensive community consultation process”. Judge Harland said several provisions in plan change 30 referred to the new business area proposed at the corner of Whitford-Maraetai & Beachlands Rds in Progressive Enterprises Ltd's private plan change 30A (Beachlands Village business centre zone), which is still subject to appeals recently heard but not decided. In case the court rejects the application for that business zone, it’s retained the power to extend the Beachlands Village residential zoning over the business zone land.

I agree, the base does look cheap but I love the rest of it.

I like it, I really like what looks to be a roof top terrace and I also like the industrial struts at the bottom, interesting, I look forward to see it built. Fits in nicely with what is a cool little cluster of medium-density apartments in the area.

A New World coming to Kumeu (http://www.foodstuffs.co.nz/media-centre/news--media/a-new-world-coming-to-kumeu)
Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited is delighted to confirm New World is coming to Kumeu.

Foodstuffs (Auckland) General Manager - Property Development, Angela Bull says resource consent for the New World has been granted and demolition of the existing buildings on the site has begun. The New World will be located on the site of the former Placemakers at 110 Main Highway. "We are delighted to bring New World to Kumeu," says Angela Bull. "We have great support from the Kumeu community for a New World and we are excited to be getting underway with the new store. The New World supermarket will be approximately 2800sqm in size, with a modern bright look, easy access and plenty of car parking. Construction of the new store will commence shortly and we will confirm an opening date for the New World closer to the time."

This is a good example of when I agree with Residents Associations - the site in question should be for mixed-use purposes and not light industry ...

Residents take on retail giant over store plan (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877751)

Residents of the small inner Auckland suburb of Arch Hill are taking on hardware giant Bunnings over its plans for a warehouse store on the former Summit House site in Great North Rd. Clothing manufacturer Ambler & Co, known for its Summit shirts, based much of its business there from the 1960s but moved to a new complex in Rosebank Rd, Avondale, in December. Bunnings bought the site at 272-302 Great North Rd, which is on the border of Arch Hill and Grey Lynn. A company spokeswoman said Bunnings was seeking resource consent to build and operate a warehouse store. The proposed development would have three levels - two basement levels and the main warehouse level, with primary public access fronting on to Great North Rd. Auckland Council commissioners ruled the consent be processed on a limited notification basis and notified parties have until May 3 to comment on the proposal. The development covers both the Summit House and former Wattyl Paint trade centre sites ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877751)

Is Sandringham the area that is becoming Little India ? If so I recently went there and I loved all the smells, colours and Indian music blaring from inside the shops. I also noticed that a lot of villas were being refurbished.

State houses go as sections sold to developer for $8.7m (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877991)

A formerly state house-dominated street in Sandringham is set for major redevelopment after seven large sections were sold to a developer for more than $8 million. Housing New Zealand, in announcing the sale of Haverstock Rd land yesterday, said selling the old state house properties will allow it to build at least 40 new homes in more affordable areas of Auckland. "Land prices have increased significantly in Sandringham in recent years. We sold the land because it was too costly ... to redevelop within this highly-valued suburb," said Sean Bignell, Housing NZ's general manager for asset development. High quality houses would be built elsewhere in Auckland, he said. "Including suburbs nearby where redevelopment is financially possible - such as Three Kings where Housing NZ is currently building a 22-unit complex." The freehold land, in zone for Mt Albert Grammar and on seven sections spread across 10,629sq m, was for sale by tender by Bayleys with potential buyers able to purchase one or all sections ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10877991)

Why would it be too costly? They own the land, build a medium density mix with some private units and they'd probably recoup all the costs. This is simply National policy playing through of Housing NZ slowly selling off its housing stock but failing to actually replace any of it.

Nice little section of land running from 99 College Hill through to Dublin Street.
Looks like a great site for a medium density development - perhaps 3 -4 levels :)
Goes to Auction 16th May 2013

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8259/8667518374_f9ddd0876a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8667518374/)
99 College Hill St Marys Bay (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8667518374/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8262/8666434979_cc9af5e008_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8666434979/)
99 College Hill St Marys Bay (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8666434979/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8263/8666435099_6772a8642b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8666435099/)
99 College Hill St Marys Bay (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8666435099/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8258/8666435531_94b9f59793_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8666435531/)
99 College Hill St Marys Bay (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8666435531/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8667550868_84ae88382e_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8667550868/)
99 College Hill St Marys Bay (http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigsyd/8667550868/) by craigsydnz (http://www.flickr.com/people/craigsyd/), on Flickr

If I had money I'd be buying sites like this and redeveloping them, there's a massive demand for good quality developments of higher density in the city and it's a demand that's going unfilled.

Sales soar beyond ritzy areas (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10880351)

The number of sales in Auckland suburbs typically considered less desirable are growing at a faster rate than their usually sought-after neighbours. The Real Estate Institute has compared sales data from the past four years for Remuera, Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Mt Eden and Pt Chevalier with the areas around them. As the prices skyrocket in those suburbs - considered the city's most desirable because of school zoning, proximity to town, views and calibre of housing - Aucklanders are settling for houses just outside the boundaries in areas not so much favoured. The biggest difference was between Ponsonby and Kingsland, with the former decreasing in sales by 30 per cent and the latter increasing by 75 per cent. In the country's most expensive suburb of Herne Bay, the number of sales grew by just 3.1 per cent in the past four years, while neighbouring Western Springs grew by 16.6 per cent. Pt Chevalier saw a 22.4 per cent rise, while Mt Albert grew 32 per cent. The number of sales in Remuera grew by just 9.1 per cent, compared with its neighbours Meadowbank and Ellerslie, which grew 34 and 30 per cent respectively ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10880351)

Court approves new Beachlands centre, doesn’t force early main-street development (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=19207&SID=300810419)

The Environment Court has approved Progressive Enterprises Ltd’s plan change for a supermarket & commercial area at the start of the road into the Beachlands village down the Hauraki Gulf coast from Auckland. Environment Judge Melanie Harland and Commissioners John Mills & Anne Leijnen issued their decision rejecting the appeal of the Pohutukawa Coast Community Association last Friday. Importantly for both Progressive and the villages existing smaller commercial area, the court also ruled that the supermarket company didn’t have to start developing the new commercial centre’s main street in the first stage. The result is confirmation of Auckland Council’s plan change 30A, but with modifications resulting from the court hearing. Judge Harland wrote in the decision that, if the plan change was approved in its current form, there could be significant effects on the community function associated with the new centre going beyond trade competition. “We have considered the provisions of the staging rule, and we have reached the view that if the requirement to build the main street floorspace is delayed, the market will determine when the effect could no longer be described as significant. This is because a population base will have established sufficiently to support the additional retail floorspace, thereby reducing the risk of an immediate & significant depletion of the existing resource, and the effect this would have on the community ... MORE (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=19207&SID=300810419)

Takapuna holiday park looks doomed (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10884181)

The iconic Takapuna Beach camping ground is doomed and an $8 million high-performance sail training centre proposed in its place faces an uphill struggle for resource consent. After months of hot public debate, a panel of commissioners will put its recommendations on the Takapuna Beach Reserve Management Plan to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board on Tuesday. Future use of the northern end of the reserve for a marine hub has been a major issue for the members of the hearings panel - Greg Hill (chairman) and local board members Chris Darby, Dianne Hale, Jan O'Connor, Kevin Schwass and Joe Bergin. A draft of the management plan went out for public consultation last July. The panel received a petition with 2037 signatures seeking retention of Takapuna Beach Holiday Park and 245 submissions through Yachting NZ supporting a National Ocean Water Sports Performance Centre on 40 per cent of the camping ground. The panel said Takapuna was tipped to become a metropolitan centre and there was pressure on the reserve because of its increasing popularity and growth in sailing regattas, waka ama, and swimming events ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10884181)

^^Great news bring on a green seaside reserve. The trailer park can move elsewhere. Everyone should be able to enjoy this prime spot.

Swanson set to grow after 13-year wait (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10886624)

A rural village in West Auckland is set for a boost of 330 new homes which were first planned 13 years ago but became caught in a battle between the developer, a residents' environmental group and local authorities. Auckland Council has approved a change to the Waitakere District Plan to allow intensified residential development around the Swanson Railway Station. This follows a successful Environment Court mediation of appeals on a council commissioners' decision last June on the so-called Penihana North plan change. Swanson is a former sawmilling centre and orchard area. "It's a nice little village and it will essentially have a doubling of the population," said a resident of 40 years, Paul Robinson, who has been concerned for a decade on how the land is developed. Swanson's role in Auckland's growth was sealed in 2009, when the former Waitakere District Council accepted an area of 22.5ha for urban development. In 2010, the former Auckland Regional Council moved the metropolitan urban limit to include farm land in Penihana North ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10886624)

Plant nursery targeted for cheap homes (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10887187)

http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201322/SCCZEN_S290513SPRINGPARK5_460x230.jpg

Auckland's first mass affordable housing project, with homes priced from $320,000, could rise soon on a plant nursery site between Mt Wellington and Otahuhu. Charles Cooper, managing director of real estate consultants Colliers International, said Springpark would have 440 apartments and terrace residences on a 10.3ha site at 33 Panama Rd. "Aucklanders are struggling to get a reality grasp on the housing market," Mr Cooper said of first-home buyers whose expectations, he felt, were often out of kilter with prices. "But these places will be of such a high standard that they will set the new code." He said he had 375 buyers registered. The site is home to Zealandia Horticulture which plans to move further out of the city. A resource consent application was lodged on May 20 which Mr Cooper said was notified because only 347 places could be built on the land as of right. "We're trying for 440 but it's still only 22 per cent site coverage so it's not massively dense," he said, predicting construction to start later this year with the first places finished later next year ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10887187)

Marae plans $4m upgrade (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/8736503/Marae-plans-4m-upgrade)

A $4 million upgrade is in the works for a marae left largely unaltered since the 1960s. Te Puea Memorial Marae in Mangere Bridge is about to embark on the first stage of an upgrade that will take about four years to complete. The "massive" project should also make the marae more accessible to the community, project manager Anthony Ruakere says. Government departments and the Maori Land Court often use the marae for meetings and hearings but when there's a tangi or other tikanga-based activities they can get crowded out. Renovating and opening the empty memorial building - the first stage of the project - should fix that problem, Mr Ruakere says. "When it's finished it will almost double the usability of the marae." Stages 2 to 6 include upgrading the kitchen areas, the wharekai (dining hall) and the wharenui (meeting house), building an administration block and resurfacing the marae atea (courtyard). On the wishlist is a caretaker's residence and a garden where visitors can learn about traditional Maori medicine, Mr Ruakere says. The marae committee is keen to get the project under way in time for the marae's 50th anniversary in 2015 ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/8736503/Marae-plans-4m-upgrade)

YAWN ....

A hearing committee of 2 independent commissioners & one elected member is proposed to consider the application by Ponsonby Road Ltd (Adarsh & Darpan Patel & Neil Salter) to build a 3-level retail & residential building at 221 Ponsonby Rd, Freemans Bay. The makeup of the hearing panel will be decided on Friday by Auckland Council’s hearings committee. It’s attracted 8 submissions in support and 20 in opposition. Submitters in opposition include the NZ Historic Places Trust & Westmere Heritage Protection Association. The property, zoned residential 7a, is on the corner of Ponsonby Rd & Pember Reeves St and is vacant. The proposal is for 2 ground-floor retail units & 3 apartments above, wi9th parking at the rear accessed from the side street. Council resolutions team manager Rob Andrews said in his report on the application key assessment issues included the potential effects on amenity values, particularly visual amenity & appearance in relation to streetscape & character effects, and traffic safety & parking effects arising from the increased density of development proposed. He said the proposal hadn’t been reviewed by the council’s urban design panel. The apartments would have interiors of 68m² with an 8m² deck, 139m² with a 17m² deck and 177m² for the top unit, with a 78m² roof deck, above shops of 61m² & 74m². The building would have a 261m² foot print, plus 87m² for garages on the 480m² site.

Matiatia marina proposal notified (http://www.bdcentral.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8338&idBobDeyProperty_Articles=19304&SID=572777047)

Application detail: The proposal is to construct & operate a 160-berth marina & associated facilities immediately north of Matiatia Wharf, within the northern corner of Matiatia Bay. A 3020m² reclamation would provide a 55-space parking area. A boardwalk would connect an adjoining coastal reserve.

Access to the reclamation would be from the end of Ocean View Rd. The marina would have 5 floating piers & associated finger jetties & gangways, a floating marina administration office, 2 rock breakwaters & dinghy racks. 5025m³ would be dredged to form the marina basin. There would also be up to 20 piles for up to 17 craft to moor outside the marina.

Who would have thought, a 6 level apartment block has been approved for the town centre in Warkworth ...

The proposal to build three accommodation apartment blocks plus 10 retail shops, a rest home/hospital facility, café and leisure facilities including a private gym and swimming pool behind the Warkworth Inn in Queen Street was submitted to Auckland Council for resource consent in June last year. Council received 161 submissions on the Oaks resource consent application, of which 138 were in support of the proposal, 22 were opposed and one was neutral.

Leg up on cards for low-income areas (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10891194)

Auckland's low-income suburbs of Glen Innes, Pt England and Panmure will roughly double in population under a draft plan for more intensive housing to be unveiled today. The urban "regeneration" project, which could add up to 6000 new homes to an existing 5050, is expected to be one of the first "special housing areas" with fast-tracked resource consent processes under a housing accord signed last month by Housing Minister Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown. The target of 6000, included in the accord, makes it the biggest housing development scheduled in Auckland and twice as big as the 3000-unit Hobsonville development. It covers the area between West Tamaki Rd in the north and the Panmure Basin in the south, including 2880 Housing NZ homes, about 1160 owner-occupied houses and just over 1000 private rental properties. Unlike other developments, the draft Tamaki strategy also includes 11 other social, economic and environmental elements, as well as housing, designed to make the area more liveable despite doubling the population density ... MORE (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10891194)

New World store proposed for Howick (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/eastern-courier/8809340/New-World-store-proposed-for-Howick)

Howick will have supermarket competition if a new proposal gets the green light. The National Trading Company of New Zealand has applied for resource consent to build a 2992 square metre New World with 163 car parks. The supermarket on the corner of Wellington St and Union Rd would offer shoppers a choice to the four Countdowns that now service the area. It would replace the abandoned Manukau Knitting Mills factory and adjoining buildings. The application is publicly notified. Vaughan Smith of Bentley & Co wrote the application and in it says the development would be positive for Howick residents and those visiting or working in the area. It would meet demand from a growing population and improve competition and choice. "It is concluded that any adverse social or economic effects generated by the proposal on centres within the study area will be less than minor and there will be no impact on the community focus of any centre," he says. If the New World goes ahead, many shoppers will travel a shorter distance to buy food as the site is located between supermarkets. Mr Smith says Auckland Council is not allowed to take trade competition into account when it considers the proposal. A Covec Ltd report prepared for the applicant estimates the New World will take 10 per cent of Countdown Howick's turnover, 8.6 per cent of Meadowland's and 6 per cent from each of the two Highland Park Countdowns. But it would not cause any of them to close ... MORE (http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/eastern-courier/8809340/New-World-store-proposed-for-Howick)

I wonder if they have planned for an upgrade to the intersections of Wellington St & Andrew Rd then? I live just up the road from the proposal and traffic can be a nightmare as it is at times.

That said, I'm keen on seeing some competition back in the area to break the Progressive monopoly.