NEWS Thread

[SYDNEY]

Originally Posted by AK-Sam

But is it over the height that is allowed the Beaumont Quarter Master Plan?

I'd be rightly upset if had paid top dollar for an apartment with a beautiful view, only to find it replaced by the back end of a hotel block 5m from my balcony. I'd probably want to fight it to the bitter end.

Council do need to recognise that views, sunshine, airspace and visual privacy are critical for healthy apartment living. These amenity values need better protection or at least more certainty about future development.

It is exactly the same height as the heritage building next door. It was always planned that a building will be built over the road on that specific site - back then it was a proposal for an office building which most of us will be happy with but a hotel will cause traffic problems and noise problems. The apartments directly behind the proposed hotel will be affected most i.e. shading. They don't have views facing onto the park side so their views aren't affected at all.

[bear28]

Originally Posted by AK-Sam

But is it over the height that is allowed the Beaumont Quarter Master Plan?

I'd be rightly upset if had paid top dollar for an apartment with a beautiful view, only to find it replaced by the back end of a hotel block 5m from my balcony. I'd probably want to fight it to the bitter end.

Council do need to recognise that views, sunshine, airspace and visual privacy are critical for healthy apartment living. These amenity values need better protection or at least more certainty about future development.

One should never buy a unit expecting to keep amenity that relies on a neighbour not developing their site according to the plan. Traffic / loading sounds like a reasonable complaint, but objecting to a bulk that has always had potential to be there isn't.

There is provision in zones like Mixed Use for first in to get best development potential - if you put a residential window near the boundary you can reduce the neighbours opportunity to develop (and reduce value of their site).

[Chinesekiwi]

The render of the Quest hotel looks ok - my objection would be that the end product would be as cheaply made and as ghastly looking as most other Quest hotels - namely that tacky monochrome looking one on Ponsonby - the one wedged in between old character buildings so entirely out of character. Speaking of ghastly buildings i saw the renders of the two buildings off Queen St proposed by Conrad. Is this the same company responsible for the raft of architecturally stunning monstrosities on Hobson St such at the Harvard etc etc - perhaps this company's motto should be 'the slums of the future today' if it is the same company I feel very wary.

[Chinesekiwi]

Oh and congrats to the Mayor and council for - despite Brewer and fletchers objections, for their successful outcome today. It feels as though we have progressive leadership and forward momentum in this great city of ours now and that the future is being well planned and systematically achieved. The goal of being the 'Worlds most liveable city' is a very achievable goal I think - we already deserve our current rankings in and around the top 10 - the push higher is a great long term goal and as we push onwards to two million residents things will only improve as we gather critical mass. I do feel more positive about Auckland than I have done for many years and am increasingly likely to stay here long term (was thinking about leaving again)

[HavanaClub]

Originally Posted by drosophila

Also great to see that $9 million has been budgeted for starting the Waterfront Boulevard project which will link into cycle lanes connecting to the southern side of the Harbour Bridge where the new harbour bridge cycle way will begin.

It's more than a relief that we have a council at the moment who have a vision to improve Auckland rather than a focus on doing nothing except cut rates and let infrastructure rot.

Amen. Although to be fair, the most expensive item on the list is 154x more expensive than the second most expensive item on the list. And 107,000 times more expensive than one of the 5 cost savings items agreed on the list.

This is pretty much all about the rail loop and nothing more. It better deliver the goods.

[cambennett]

$10m city art transformation
JESSICA TASMAN-JONES


Neon lights zig-zagging through a downtown alley, temporary artworks in Wynyard Quarter's silos and a bronze duck hiding in a Queen St park are among $10 million of art to be added to the Auckland landscape over the next year.

The council has this month been considering 53 projects across Auckland - although almost half are in the Waitemata area which covers the CBD.

Most projects are new art pieces, but some involve maintenance or alternations to existing works, such as Molly McAllister's iconic Maori Warrior which will be moved to a new spot within the CBD.

Highlights from the programme, covering the 2012/13 financial year, include a series of photographic exhibitions on the back of billboards at Henderson train station, beautification of the Papatoetoe RSA, library and Burnside Park to celebrate the district's 150 year reunion, and "artistic treatment" for the exterior of a new car park by artists Reuben Paterson and Lonnie Hutchinson.

The $230,000 Eyelight Lane by artist David Svensson is described as a "meandering red neon line mounted on buildings on either side of Fort Lane that crosses [the] alley at three points".

Meanwhile Critters, by Rachel Walters, completes a trio of animal sculptures "hiding in plain sight" in Myers Park.
The $73,000 bronze duck will sit atop a manhole cover hiding in a bubble wrap envelope.

The programme was endorsed by the culture, arts and events forum last week but will not be approved until it goes before it's put to a vote at next month's regional development and operations committee.

Of the $9.88m budget, $2.68m will come from the public arts fund. The rest comes from the Auckland Art Gallery, local boards, art trusts, libraries, council controlled organisations and private donors.

Manager public art Carole Anne Meehan said public art supports Mayor Len Brown's vision to make the city the world's most liveable, as outlined in the Auckland Plan.

"Public art enlivens spaces and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.

"Managed well it can have huge economic and social benefits to a city and create places that can be enjoyed by all Aucklanders."

A single policy on public art has not yet been adopted by the new Auckland Council.

A discussion document is currently before local boards, key stakeholders and council-controlled organisations before a draft policy is prepared for public feedback.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

The Fort Street eyelight is waaaaaaaay overdue...

[drosophila]

Has the shared space at the end of Elliot Street been finished off yet?

[Matt L]

Originally Posted by drosophila

Has the shared space at the end of Elliot Street been finished off yet?

Almost, I was there on Thursday and it is very close. Definitely need that crossing installed to countdown though

[geoff_184]

Originally Posted by Matt L

Almost, I was there on Thursday and it is very close. Definitely need that crossing installed to countdown though

Would they provide a crossing so close to the existing crossing though? I would be surprised if they did. Two crossings 50m apart would be highly unusual.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

Queen Str has the Durham street crossing which is about the same distance to Victoria street. No reason why not. Devonport has about 4 pedestrian crossings in about 800m and they work extremely well.

[Bealzebubbles]

Originally Posted by geoff_184

Would they provide a crossing so close to the existing crossing though? I would be surprised if they did. Two crossings 50m apart would be highly unusual.

They have two on Albert Street outside the ASB Building and two in close proximity on Wellesley.

[Matt L]

Looks like Westfield are trying to drive up the value of the downtown shopping site so they can get as much money as possible from the Council/Auckland Transport.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=10808892

[master_klon]

There's a crossing on the other side of Elliott St so there is no issue in proximity and it would be a great link to have.

Tepid Baths re-opening date is 23 June http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/E...reopening.aspx

[geoff_184]

A crossing at Elliot St itself would be ok, particularly on the north side of the intersection, but I was thinking Countdown is further along, closer to Queen St. Could be wrong about that though.

[drosophila]

Originally Posted by geoff_184

Would they provide a crossing so close to the existing crossing though? I would be surprised if they did. Two crossings 50m apart would be highly unusual.

One is going to be installed, they are in the consenting process or whatever they have to do before they can install it at the moment from what I read a month or so ago. They're doing it in response to the increase in people crossing the road here to get access to Countdown.

[cambennett]

V8 Supercars may return to city

Auckland Council is deciding this week if V8 Supercars will return to the city.Relevant offersAuckland councillors will this week decide whether to bring the V8 Supercars back to Auckland after a turbulent four years in Hamilton.

The proposal, put forward by the event's Australian owners, was received in March by Auckland, Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) which has been assessing the purported benefits and economic impacts of having the V8s back at Pukekohe.

Due to commercial sensitivity the public are to be excluded when the item is discussed at Thursday's Governing Body meeting and councillors have been coy about whether or not they will give their support to the proposal.

Councillor Des Morrison, who represents the Franklin ward where the event would be held, said there are three outcomes from the governing body meeting - the event gets the go ahead, it gets turned down, or councillors request more information.

"After the problems they've had in Hamilton - and I was on council for six years when the Australian V8s ran at Pukekohe - I am particularly interested in the due diligence which has been carried out and the business plan."

Councillor Cameron Brewer said ATEED had been assessing the feasibility of the event but was "keen for the full council to make any final decisions".

Brewer didn't know why details were being kept private.

"I can't understand the extreme secretness and sensitivities given there is just one V8 Supercars Australia and just one likely venue in Auckland so where are the competitor or commercial sensitivities? Who are we trying to protect and from whom? After all this is ratepayers' money and we don't want to start going down the slippery slide Hamilton went down," he said.

Brewer believes Audit New Zealand's report in the "Hamilton fiasco" should be made public to ensure the council doesn't fall "into the same hold as they did".

Hamilton ratepayers were left $40m out of pocket from the event and an Audit New Zealand review found chief executive Michael Redman had spent millions of that without authorisation.

Brewer said one of Audit New Zealand's key concerns had been Hamilton's council officials were "wheeling and dealing" behind closed doors and not bringing politicians into the decision-making process soon enough.

The future of the touring car race in New Zealand has been up in the air for the past six months.

Last September Hamilton City Council announced it had accepted a $1.25million offer from V8 Supercars Australia for the city's race assets and the event would leave the city after the 2012 race.

Ad Feedback V8 Supercars Australia blindsided Hamilton City Council with a compensation offer to let it renege on the balance of its seven-year contract.

The 2011 race, the first organised by V8 Supercars Australia after the previous promoters went broke, is understood to have made a huge loss, prompting the offer which included race assets and which cost the city $9m.

Redman, who had since become chief executive of ATEED, was forced to resign from his new position following the damning review, which came out in October.

- © Fairfax NZ News

[master_klon]

Originally Posted by drosophila

One is going to be installed, they are in the consenting process or whatever they have to do before they can install it at the moment from what I read a month or so ago. They're doing it in response to the increase in people crossing the road here to get access to Countdown.

I thought so. I walked past today and thought it was strange that the curb had been adjusted and yellow rubber pads installed on the Elliott St side in preperation for a crossing.

The shared space looks ok, but I hope they plant something in the planters because the big carpark is a bit of an eyesore for a public space. Its good that plenty of bike racks have been installed and that there will be a small area for more motorcycle parking.

[drosophila]

Any pictures per chance?

[master_klon]

Originally Posted by drosophila

Any pictures per chance?

If I had a camera I would. Hopefully someone here would be so kind to get a few once the shared street is fully open.