Arts & Community  and Events Portfolio

In mid-October Heritage Week and Art Week were terrific fun and very well attended. Huge congratulations to the organisers including council staff, Heart of the City, KBA and Grey Lynn and Around for organising such amazing events in such uncertain times. With art ranging from fungi, to architecture, sandpits to sculpture there was something for everyone. This was literally the case for Matt Higgins multi-player trivial pursuit. Get a question right and get a prize.

I have really enjoyed getting back into the Basement for the Off the Page series from Proudly Asian Theatre, and watching the wonderful Mary Poppins in a packed full Civic Theatre. I have attended a Sing In at St Matthew’s Church run by Auckland Live (it is free and very fun). I enjoyed the most rousing happy birthday song of my lie. I am getting used to signing in everywhere even as otherwise life returns to normal. By the time of reading we will have enjoyed the Festival Italiano on the 8th November and the Rose Festival on 15th November. Also delighted to attend the Kelmarna supper to talk about expanding regenerative agriculture into the meadows: a real community event.

Wearing both a planning and arts hat, the Karangahape Road community has been considering the streetscape outside the CRL station in Beresford Square that is currently under construction. Budgets are tight with regards art but opportunities are being considered around the service block and in front of the entrance (perhaps an empty plinth with a spotlight for now?) This may be the perfect moment for private philanthropists to enter the conversation . . . Despite these constraints the interior design of the stations, which have been very much influenced by Maori Design principles, and that have already won prizes internationally, are works of art in themselves. www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/wafx-2019

Herne Bay Issues

There are a number of ongoing local issues:

1. Street trees. Because of covid19, there has been insufficient planting of street trees in Herne Bay where trees have failed. They would like fast growing trees planted next year. 

2. Helicopters. The residents association have asked us to advocate that private helicopter pads be prohibited in residential areas. [We were assured by staff that it would be very unlikely for any new resource consent to be granted. It is unclear whether variations to existing resource consents that might increase flights are as unlikely. If this does seem to be a loophole then taking this advocacy position will be discussed further.]

3. Stormwater concerns. The residents make the case that budgets for stormwater maintenance are less now than when the city was amalgamated which is problematic. [I have emailed staff for details on budgets and their adequacy].

4. Plan Change 26. The desire to densify Auckland centre may mean that some older properties may be compromised as residents will not be able to do maintenance on them. They have asked us to advocate so that where an old property is by the boundary, the neighbour must continue to allow them access, to paint the side wall for example. [This has come up with a subdivision resource consent request (above) and the board has commented that access for maintenance needs to be considered if that consent is granted.]

These points all seem reasonable and the board will consider them as advocacy positions. The WLB already advocates for increasing the tree canopy, blanket protection of urban trees and for better water investment. We have also asked for more details on how to schedule more trees at once to reduce costs and better protect trees.