Takapuna Beach
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
5 day boarding at King’s. The best of both worlds. Takapuna, Milford, Castor Bay, Forrest Hill and Sunnynook kingscollege.school.nz DELIVERED FORTNIGHTLY Issue 1 – 15 March 2019 AN INDEPENDENT VOICE DELIVEREDDELIVERED FORTNIGHTLDELIVERED FORTNIGHTLY FORTNIGHTLY IssueY 1 – 15 MarIssuechIssue 122019 – Aug1 – 15Issue 16, Mar 2019 1ch – 152019 MarchAN 2019 INDEPENDENTAN V INDEPENDENTOICEAN INDEPENDENT VOICE VOICE Forrest Hill and North Shore Tales told of Takapuna’s Westlake orchestra wins football merger fails... p3 Frank Sargeson... p4 Australasian contest... p21 Takapuna Beach ‘one of city’s worst’ Takapuna Beach is one of the worst more often than the summer before, but only north end was swimmable for about 83 per beaches in Auckland for faecal pollution, because there was low rainfall, Safeswim cent of last summer, while the south end according to the council. manager Nick Vigar told a community was safe for 90 to 95 per cent of the time. Estimates for the most recent summer workshop. The beach behaves differently In the 2017/18 summer, the beach was show the beach was safe for swimming at the north and south ends, Vigar said. The To page 2 Westlakes wig out in Les Miserables Best seat in the house... Mini Clements-Levi (Madame Thenardier) sits on Colby Wilson (Monsieur Thenardier) in Westlake schools’ Les Miserables. Story and more pictures, page 22. THE RANGITOTO OBSERVER PAGE 2 AUGUST 16, 2019 From page 1 Takapuna Beach ‘often unsafe’ due to contamination unsafe for swimming, due to faecal contam- the SafeSwim programme, because it is one being relined. ination, for 30 per cent of the time. of the city’s most popular beaches. Any improvements to water quality will “It is well down the bottom of the [league] Over the past 18 months, money has been be picked up by regular testing by drone and table. It’s one of the worst in Auckland, poured into sampling to identify problematic fed into the modelling, based on five years which is why we have poured investment stormwater outlets, followed by dye and of data, that produces SafeSwim’s online into it,” Vigar told the community workshop smoke testing and the use of cameras to warnings. on water quality on 10 August. find out where sewage is leaking into the SafeSwim is largely funded through the Vigar shared the soon-to-be-released fig- stormwater system, Vigar said. targeted water rate. The team is prioritising ures in response to a question from the floor. Of around 40 issues identified, 30 were on North Shore beaches, because they are used Afterwards, he told the Observer, in an private properties and three-quarters were by thousands of people over summer. email, the data for all beaches across Auck- now resolved, Vigar said. Investigations have started on Milford land was being finalised before being shared These were mainly cases of stormwater Beach and Castor Bay, and identified faecal via a media release. flooding wastewater pipes, but two were contamination near the Milford marina, and The most contaminated part of the beach when wastewater was plumbed into the issues with contamination at times on both is below the Strand, near the children’s play- stormwater system, in one case a toilet. beaches. The programme has begun looking ground, Vigar told the meeting. One of the biggest issues has been ageing at the stormwater network of pipes to find Takapuna Beach has been a top priority for sewers along Hurstmere Rd, which are the causes. Hurstmere Rd $12 million upgrade gains consent The long-awaited $12 million upgrade which is falling apart, and completely divert Association, the local board and Auckland of Takapuna’s shopping strip, Hurstmere the stormwater and road run-off into rain Transport to decide on the best time to begin Rd, has passed a major milestone with the gardens instead of to Takapuna Beach,” construction, possibly avoiding the busy granting of resource consent. Hills says. ~ YOUR LOCALChristmas ~ trading period, a council memo The consent means the project can move The council’s project team is updating says. Construction management principles, ahead to the tender stage, then construction, tender documents to incorporate “small drafted with input from the business associ- North Shore councillor Richard Hills says. changes” resulting from the resource con- ation, will be incorporated into the tender to “It’s going to make Hurstmere Rd much sent decision. The team will continue to ensure disruption is well managed and kept more people-friendly and replace the road, work with the TakapunaFUNERALS Beach Business to a minimum. Letters to the Editor NELSON & SUSAN Topics should be local. WWII barracksELLIOTT Korean Gardens Noms-de-plume or submissions without a name will not be printed. Email to get green light [email protected] or post to to be restored Rangitoto Observer, PO Box 32 275, Devonport. Restoration of World War II barracks A plan for Korean Gardens in Barrys Point disguised as a state house at Castor Reserve has taken a big step forward, with Bay’s Kennedy Park has been the council granting a resource consent. confirmed. The plan was originally approved by the Earlier this year, a report on the state of the historic building found it was North Shore City Council a decade ago, after Delivered to 10,000 homes earthquake-prone, borer-ridden and a Korean trust had spent 12 years finding the contained asbestos, raising doubts right location. DELIVERED FORTNIGHTLY Issue 1 – 15 March 2019 AN INDEPENDENT VOICE about its future. The garden will have a memorial for New Takapuna-Milford paper ‘Sacred’ pohutukawa trees Fears locals short-changed hits the streets... p2 turn into a menace... p4 by new town square... p7 Preserving coastal track no walk in the park The future of a hugely popular coastal People have been walking through Paul require a coastal consent, which required ap- track between Takapuna and Milford is set to Firth’s garden since 2011, when a wooden proval from all affected landowners. be secured as Auckland Council negotiates bridge was washed away in a storm. Firth, now 74, withheld his consent because Korean and New Zealand war veterans, as with a property owner over purchasing his At that time, the council found it had never Now the council has confirmed it historic bach. been an official bridge and rebuilding would To page 3 Oarsome costumes make waves at Beach Series finale will spend $1.1 million restoring the well as traditional gardens, offering space building, starting with concept plans, for cultural activities. Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair The consent regarded low the risk of earth- In the pink… Jason Herriman was among entrants who got into the spirit of a retro-themed final night of the Beach Series summer races at Takapuna Beach last Tuesday. More pictures p12-14 George Wood says. works disturbing a capped landfill to be low. from the Award-winning Team ~ ~ at the Devonport Flagstaff YOUR LOCAL Devonport Publishing Ltd Level 1, 6-8 Milford Road Telephone: 09 445 0060 Email: [email protected] [email protected] FUNERALS Website: www.rangitoto-observer.co.nz MANAGING EDITOR: Rob Drent NELSON & SUSAN PUBLISHER: Peter Wilson EDITOR: Jodi Yeats ELLIOTT ADVERTISING: Liz Cannon REPORTER: Emelia Lake Information in the Rangitoto Observer is copyright and cannot be published or broadcast without the permission of Devonport Publishing Ltd. NEXT ISSUE: Aug 30 ADVERTISING DEADLINE: Aug 23 AUGUST 16, 2019 THE RANGITOTO OBSERVER PAGE 3 Clubs’ marriage abandoned at altar Bereft... While members of Forrest Hill Milford United football club, led by commercial manager Andrew Diver (left) and chairman David Crombie, voted to merge with North Shore United, the Devonport club’s members shot down their hopes The proposed amalgamation of Forrest now are less able to help as volunteers and of North Shore United or the value senior Hill Milford United and North Shore United more willing to pay for professional man- members place on it. I am not surprised, just football clubs has been rejected by North agement, Diver says. disappointed.” Shore members. The club sees potentially doubling in size The club is struggling financially and When votes on the proposal were held as a way of providing a pathway for juniors operationally, he says. “People say they will at meetings at the respective clubrooms on to progress to the national league, as well as volunteer but the reality is different.” 6 August, Forrest Hill Milford members having more influence with funders. Under the merger, managers’ roles could voted 110-16 in favour, while North Shore Meanwhile, North Shore United’s chair- have combined, with four coaches across the members were 106-30 against. man, Steve Browning, is disappointed by clubs, a high-perfromance area for children “It’s disappointing, but in a democratic the result. and a more robust girls’ section among other process that’s how it has turned out,” Forrest “I didn’t ever underestimate the history aspirations. Hill Milford commercial manager Andrew Diver says. “Both boards believed strongly this was the best option to secure the future and im- Beauty and functionality prove what we offer to our members.” – essential in your Forrest Hill members have given the board new kitchen. a mandate to amalgamate with another club, so the board will now consider that, Diver From initial consultation says, adding there’s no particular club in to inspirational design, mind at this point. superior manufacture and Forrest Hill Milford United was formed in quality installation, we offer 1975, while North Shore dates back to 1887. you a committed and Diver believes the newer club has general- comprehensive service. ly younger members who are open to change, while the Devonport club may have older members with more entrenched views and Ph.