Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Fixing Auckland

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  • Venetia King,

    Probably too late as usual but just wondering how bad the litter was at Eden Park (or the cake tin for that matter)?

    I won't be going to any rugby, but was lucky enough to get to one of the Football Ferns' matches at the Women's World Cup in Germany last month, and I thought the RWC folks could learn a few things from the organisation there.

    Drink prices at the stadium included an extra euro that you could get back by returning the cup afterwards (I'm pretty sure the cups were reusable). Enterprising types picked up any abandoned cups after the match - must have reduced the cleanup costs as well as cutting down the amount of waste from the event. I'd love to see something like that happen here.

    Plus the ticket allowed us to ride free on pretty much all public transport to & from the match within a pretty big region; that was quite a bonus for us with a 45 minute train journey to the stadium. Also meant matchgoers weren't clogging the ticket buying queues, bonus for the locals.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 117 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Excellent news. And reinforces my faith that people choose where to live for reasons other than headline personal tax rates.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Sacha,

    I've never heard of tax rates being a reason for people to move to China. In my case it's the simple fact it is much easier for a person with my education, skills, and experience to get a job here than in NZ. I'm hoping Auckland proves better than Wellington in that respect. As for moving back - environment and our daughter's education would be the two big reasons, and there are others. Tax rates? Never considered them, and happy to pay them if we're (as in society) is getting good stuff back for the privilege.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    It has been a bit of a theme that our tired local righties trot out whenever they want to whine about the unfairness o taxes.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    The idea is a fine one, but a typical apartment in Auckland is poorly built with little or no sound proofing or even installed air conditioning – and no one in their right mind wants to open a business where the most trivial noise complaint can send them broke.

    Wearing my elected rep hat: Sort-of. The building code specifies 55LbA (don’t ask me what the LbA means and I may even be using the wrong ‘symbol’ for decibels) between apartments, but nothing for exterior walls i.e. those that are on the outside of the building. What that means is you theoretically can’t hear your neighbour’s moans, but you will definitely hear street noise loooud and clear.

    There is a historicity to this situation. Those that specify the code have never lived in apartments, and the code was drawn up quite a few years ago, before the apartment boom-rush of the mid-late 2000s. And they never suspected that apartments would be built, you know, downtown. They were meant to be built in the suburbs and fringe areas.

    So, I’m not surprised that those that live in poorly soundproofed apartments would stomp all over any noise, but they can hardly be blamed for something that really, was out of their control.

    Or they are living in apartments constructed without double glazing and sound proofing – apartments presumably approved by the same council that wants a vibrant street life…

    Council doesn’t control the building code. Central government does. So those apartments built without double glazing and sound proofing actually met the building code. What Council should be doing is lobbying the Ministry of Housing – which is what Council didn’t do in the past because all those apartments were, well, invisible to those in power frankly. Now that I’m around I’ll be giving the officers a push and encouragement to lobby, and that should produce results.

    Think of the situation as a dysfunctional ‘free market’, only except the ‘free market’ creates more problems that it’ll ever solve in this situation.

    I actually thought when the two ends came down that they were going to hold the people on the CBD side for 5 minutes while the WQ side came over and emptied out a bit, but nope, it was a go for it free for all.

    I think the bridge is about 2-3 metres too narrow, especially considering possible future growth, expansion, development, and the potential events that there could be. They almost need another raising bridge closer to the harbour where it narrows for the boats to come through. As an emergency backup as much as anything.

    At last night’s Local Board meeting I asked Mike Lee about the chances of the trams running through to Britomart. In his answer he explained that the Te Wero bridge actually had piles that could take trams, but the width is obviously too narrow, and thankfully things had worked out as they had because C’n’R wanted to put, as is their wont, a road across that bridge, you know, so they could drive to Karanga, and then through to the Wynard Quarter.

    Doffing said hat.

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,

    Council doesn’t control the building code

    It does however have other means of influence like the District Plan, etc. Glad to hear your encouragement of advocacy though.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey, in reply to Sacha,

    It can have influence through the District Plan but a) that's a cumbersome and costly way to fix a relatively straightforward problem and b) developers have control of the District Plan. The evidence is all around you.

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I'm sure Aucklanders would prefer a result even if it's 'cumbersome' to get there - and I am unconvinced that the existing planning instruments are being used to their fullest.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Stephen Knightly,

    My pet topic with regards to waterfront redevelopment: rip down the Red Fences and donate them to MOTAT.

    +1 there
    And... While we are on the subject of MOTAT and associated things. Trams have arrived back in Auckland, not from MOTAT as you might have thought but from Melbourne. OK, you might think, MOTAT needs its trams for display and their own Tramway but they do have 25 of the damned things including 3 from Melbourne, 2 of which happen top be newer than the 1920's ones we are leasing, yes, that's right, leasing, we pays our money and never own them. I mean Jeez we could have even borrowed some from Christchurch

    Christchurch was hit by a powerful earthquake on 22 February 2011 which caused significant damage to the heritage tram circuit. Services are currently suspended and it is expected that it will be between 6 to 18 months before they can resume.

    But hey, to sensible eh?.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    TOO sensible... grrrr

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    And we have the Chch tram folk running the new Wynyard loop. I presume there's a public record somewhere of the decision process about that and the leasing.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I have no problem with {Auckland Dockline Tram, trading as Auckland Tramway Limited a Company of Christchurch Tramway Limited.} running Auckland Trams, I am presuming local people will be used for day to day running but if people come up from Christchurch for the job I have no problem with that either, who up here has the professional knowledge to operate the service? (MOTAT maybe?)
    and it seems that MOTAT trams were considered...

    ARC group subsidiary Sea+City, which will receive $6.3 million to $7.4 million from Auckland Regional Holdings to develop a 1.5km tram circuit by July next year.

    Future developments, such as an extension to Britomart across a future Viaduct Harbour bridge, will be left to the new Super City council.

    Sea+City expects to initially use two heritage trams from the Museum of Transport and Technology (Motat), although the regional council is also discussing with Victorian state government officials a possible long-term loan of some Melbourne trams as the service grows.

    As the service grows eh?.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

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