Auckland Archive

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  Nail in the coffin of state housing in Sandringham - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Last month I blogged about the sale of Housing New Zealand land in Haverstock Road, Sandringham, where – instead of redeveloping its land into a groundbreaking mixed housing development – Housing New Zealand was flogging off a huge parcel of land to the highest bidder. I visited the site on 25 March, and this is [...] read more
  April 17, 2013 1:53 pm - 3 Comments
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  Will Auckland’s housing price bubble be different this time round? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Maybe. Yesterday, the Reserve Bank signalled enough concern about rising house prices in Auckland that they spooked commentators with the possibility of early rises in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) and a more certain resolve to use complementary tools, like loan-to-value ratios. I have more hope following this statement that the Reserve Bank has learned [...] read more
  April 10, 2013 10:25 am - 12 Comments
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  Reflections from the ‘False Economy’ tour - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  Below is a presentation that was part of our ‘False Economy: The high cost of a low wage economy’ meeting in Auckland this week. I was really moved by what Darryl had to say and wanted to make sure that other people had a chance to see what he shared with us. Please have a [...] read more
  April 5, 2013 12:29 pm - 25 Comments
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  Another state housing sell-off in Sandringham - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Just like it is all around the country, Housing New Zealand is busy demolishing state houses and selling off the land to private developers in Sandringham. It’s a tragedy, not only for those who have now lost their homes in the area, but also a tragic missed opportunity to invest in more of the affordable, [...] read more
  March 14, 2013 1:57 pm - 5 Comments
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  A tour of Auckland’s housing challenges - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Housing affordability has been a hot topic lately, especially in Auckland, so I spent yesterday touring various Auckland suburbs, looking at some great – and some not so great – examples of affordable, efficient housing and discussing potential solutions to the exploding crisis in housing cost and quality. read more
  January 23, 2013 4:12 pm - 2 Comments
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  Take the Step – Auckland! - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  After spending Wednesday in the House on that crazy, toilet free, golf course plentiful Planet Key, I landed smoothly in the real world at Edmund Hillary Primary at Papakura on Thursday; a decile 1 school with a volunteer breakfast program and a community garden. You might have seen them on Campbell Live in August. Anyway, [...] read more
  September 21, 2012 11:55 am - No Comments
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  Round(ing)Up Auckland’s weeds? Who decides? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  A couple of recent articles in the Aucklander  reveal that we might once again have to fight a battle that we thought was  ’won’ more than a decade ago.   The old Auckland City and North Shore City councils had a largely chemical-free regime in place to manage roadside weeds, following many years of public concern and [...] read more
  May 18, 2012 12:26 pm - 4 Comments
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  All’s not well in Auckland - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Poor Auckland! I hate it when the Government meddles in our city. It was bad enough that we had a forced amalgamation of our local councils to create the supercity. Now we have the Prime Minister selling our law to increase the number of pokies at SkyCity casino in exchange for a mega convention centre. read more
  March 28, 2012 1:55 pm - 5 Comments
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  Transport news round-up - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  So much is happening in transport that it’s a bit hard to keep up and put out an informed post on each happening, so here’s a round-up: First, the bad news: The Napier—Gisborne line is hanging by a thread after being washed out. This is a huge blow to the regional freight line, which thanks [...] read more
  March 27, 2012 6:09 pm - 34 Comments
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  On housing affordability and transport: it’s the parking, stupid. - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  There are two parallel debates going in Auckland that really need to be combined. On the one hand, we have a housing affordability crisis. The solution, we are told, in the very disappointing  Productivity Commission draft report, is to free up more land for development on the fringes of the urban area. This will presumably bring down [...] read more
  March 7, 2012 10:52 am - 53 Comments
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  Odds against women in the Pay Equity Wheel of Fortune - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  On Saturday, I went to the Grey Lynn festival to talk to people about our women’s policy, and draw attention to the inequities between women and men when it comes to paid work. We invited festival goers to spin the Pay Equity Wheel of Fortune – Show Me The Money! read more
  November 22, 2011 12:43 pm - 12 Comments
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  Park the urban sprawl – how parking shapes our cities - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Herald reports the government has been criticizing Auckland Council for it’s new spatial plan. The government says the spatial plan places too much emphasis on improving public transport and creating a compact urban form (as if they’re bad!). read more
  October 27, 2011 9:18 am - 7 Comments
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  Citizen engagement at Occupy Auckland - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  I got a buzz out of visiting the Occupy Auckland camp again this sunny afternoon. Seventy tents have mushroomed on the grass in Aotea Square  right next to the Town Hall. Hopefully the Auckland Council will continue to tolerate the camp as a venue for citizen engagement with politics. It’s not just the ‘occupiers’ discussing [...] read more
  October 25, 2011 4:43 pm - 17 Comments
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  Cycling for Habitat - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Last Saturday I went to Botany for what I thought would be a ‘routine’ event, speaking to members of the public and saying some nice things about Habitat for Humanity.  I’m always happy to support this group, who do great work helping people into decent affordable homes. They managed to build about 50 homes for [...] read more
  October 5, 2011 4:45 pm - No Comments
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  Motorways: the best thing to happen for biodiversity since…the time before motorways? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I had to check it wasn’t April 1st, when I saw this press release from the New Zealand Transport Agency: ‘NZTA’s Auckland motorway network a haven for NZ’s rare plants.’ read more
  October 4, 2011 1:53 pm - 3 Comments
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  Why won’t National listen to Auckland on CBD rail link? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I was astonished that a few weeks back Auckland MPs voted against inviting the Auckland Council to submit on the CBD rail link debate. I can only talk about it now because the report containing my minority report was tabled in Parliament today. The Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee was discussing my petition to [...] read more
  September 8, 2011 4:52 pm - 11 Comments
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  Smarter transport - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Over the last 2 days I’ve co-hosting the Smart Transport conference at Parliament with Labour MPs Phil Twyford and Jacinda Ardern. We’ve had some amazing speakers, especially Paul Mees who did a fantastic job opening the conference. read more
  August 20, 2011 7:53 pm - 1 Comment
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  Round up of transport news - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I’ve been whipping around the country a lot lately visiting students at Orientation. So I haven’t had a chance to post much. But here’s a bit of a round up of the big transport stories of the last few weeks and my reaction. More funds for rail upgrades in Wellington. The government has announced an [...] read more
  August 2, 2011 6:59 pm - 10 Comments
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  Why Metiria and I are sleeping rough tonight - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Tonight, Metiria Turei and I are sleeping rough in Auckland as part of the Lifewise Big Sleepout, to raise funds and awareness on homeless issues. read more
  July 7, 2011 3:08 pm - 8 Comments
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  Is urban sprawl inevitable? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Advocates (like Steven Joyce) of removing Metropolitan Urban Limits and allowing lots of low density growth around our cities like to present their case as if urban sprawl is the natural result of market forces. Their narrative is pretty much that people like to live in spread out suburbs with their own back yard and [...] read more
  June 21, 2011 2:43 pm - 45 Comments
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  Pedestrianise Queen Street? Hell yeah! - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Auckland Council is consulting right now on a discussion document called the City Centre Master Plan (PDF). It almost slipped under my radar but I’ve managed to draft up a quick submission to go in before the closing date – this Friday, the 17th of June. I encourage you to make an online submission [...] read more
  June 16, 2011 11:51 pm - 14 Comments
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  Growing in a way that makes us happy - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  According to a piece in the Herald today, people with longer commutes are less likely to be healthy, happy or stay married. The study found that if you commute for 45 minutes plus then your chance of getting divorced is 40% higher than for those with shorter journeys. This is good news for me (and [...] read more
  June 8, 2011 6:42 pm - 17 Comments
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  People-powered train - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I’ve just alighted from a 100-person walking train I organised down Queen St in Auckland, travelling the route of the proposed, but as yet unfunded, CBD Rail Loop. We stopped at the site of the possible Aotea Square rail station for speeches next to the statue of Mayor Dove Myer-Robinson, which was appropriate considering this [...] read more
  May 14, 2011 7:49 pm - No Comments
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  The real costs of Hide’s mismanagement of SuperCity - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Usually we are all a bit pleased if our predictions are proved in time to be right.  But in this instance I would have been happier to be wrong!  Last December I blogged about the train wreck that was already in progress within Auckland City’s staffing, as good skilled people the Council could ill-afford to [...] read more
  May 12, 2011 12:24 pm - 2 Comments
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  Flash mob for CBD rail loop - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Budget is fast approaching and so far the government has shown no sign that they will fund the CBD rail loop. In fact, their latest Government Policy Statement on transport funding shows that over the next 10 years they’re planning to spend $7 on roads for every $1 they spend on sustainable transport options [...] read more
  May 10, 2011 1:00 pm - 19 Comments
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  Submission guide for Auckland Spatial Plan - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I’ve prepared a submission guide on Auckland Unleashed, the discussion document that Auckland Council released recently to guide their spatial plan. The spatial plan is extremely important because it will guide Auckland’s development for the next 30 years. The Council’s discussion document isn’t perfect – in some areas it’s pretty vague and in others it [...] read more
  May 9, 2011 10:00 am - No Comments
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  Will Auckland ever get new trains? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  While Auckland’s public transport systems are getting seriously overcrowded, we are still waiting to find out which company has been awarded the $500 million contract to build the new Auckland electric rail cars (aka Electric Multiple Units or EMUs). The trains, themselves, won’t be operational until 2014 at the earliest. As motorway, after motorway, finishes 6 months [...] read more
  April 19, 2011 5:00 pm - 28 Comments
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  Restoring the Kaipara Harbour - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I was really inspired when taking part in a hui at Puatahi Marae on Sunday, an open day for the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group.  The group’s title is a mouthful, but there is nothing complicated about the vision they share, which is to restore the Kaipara, its mauri, its quality and its ecosystems back to what [...] read more
  April 18, 2011 5:58 pm - 1 Comment
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  Paying for CBD rail and Christchurch - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Lately I’ve had quite a few people ask me whether it’s realistic to continue pushing for the government to fund the CBD rail loop in the after-math of the Christchurch earthquake. I can understand what they’re thinking. After all, the CBD rail loop is an expensive project and the reconstruction of Christchurch will also cost [...] read more
  April 13, 2011 11:05 am - 1 Comment
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  Leave oil before oil leaves us - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  ‘Auckland Unleashed’ is the catchy title of the draft discussion document that will inform the proposed Auckland Spatial plan.  In an earlier blog post I indicated the political battle looming between Auckland’s elected councillors and central Government, who have very different visions for the city’s future. Auckland City’s discussion document makes the case for a compact city, [...] read more
  March 28, 2011 2:34 pm - 29 Comments
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  Who will determine Auckland’s future? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The cabinet papers that Rodney Hide has released relating to Auckland’s Spatial Plan make for interesting reading. It is obvious that this government will attempt to call the tune on Auckland’s development, despite the substantial mandate that Auckland voters gave to their mayor and council just a few months ago. A  discussion document that will in part inform the Spatial [...] read more
  March 21, 2011 4:56 pm - 7 Comments
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  A balanced approach to transport funding? - by frog

  
  
  
  Graphs of the day.. This graph shows the  growth in traffic on state highways over the last 20 years as reported by the transport agency. The pink line is heavy traffic (trucks) and the blue is all traffic. As you can see it grew pretty steadily up to about 2005. It then plateaued, dropped a bit in 2008 [...] read more
  March 19, 2011 11:07 am - 11 Comments
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  Wider motorway or marine reserve? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Last weekend I visited the Motu Manawa Marine Reserve as part of Sea Week. I was there to help Forest and Bird and Friends of the Whau with a boat based clean up of the marine reserve. As you can see from the photo below we collected a lot of rubbish – especially given that [...] read more
  March 9, 2011 9:52 am - 8 Comments
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  Māori statutory board needs funding to work - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  There have been some predictable howls of outrage about the operational funding approved for the Māori Statutory Board set up under the ‘Super City’ legislation rammed through Parliament by Rodney Hide last year. Apparently the Auckland Transition Agency estimated a budget of $400,000 for the Board’s operation, which has in fact been set at a [...] read more
  February 9, 2011 1:02 pm - 5 Comments
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  Auckland Bridge walk and cycleway – $10 a pop! - by frog

  
  
  
  The latest proposal for a walk/cycle way across Auckland Harbour Bridge would involve charging tourists $10 a pop. Seems a little crazy to me… read more
  February 9, 2011 11:11 am - 17 Comments
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  Cool animated video of Auckland transport - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a cool video doing the rounds on the blogosphere right now which shows the Auckland public transport network working over a 24 hour period. An animated map of Auckland’s public transport network from Chris McDowall on Vimeo. Watching it really highlights to me how radial the public transport network is. There are a lot of [...] read more
  January 25, 2011 1:53 pm - 20 Comments
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  The fair Wairoa needs some cleaning up - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  On a rainy Sunday I embarked on stage 3 of my Rivers Tour, on the Wairoa River in Clevedon (just east of Auckland). The Wairoa is threatened by agricultural runoff and poorly maintained septic tanks. Around three quarters of tests on the Wairoa show faecal contamination above safe levels for swimming or contact recreation. Disturbingly, [...] read more
  January 25, 2011 12:03 am - 3 Comments
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  Before the holiday season ends send a submission on the Holiday Highway - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  It’s almost Christmas time and I’m sure most of you are ready for a holiday. But before you go, if you live in Auckland, Rodney, Whangarei, or anywhere else and want smart transport decisions please take a few minutes to make a submission on the New Zealand Transport Agency’s latest proposal for the Holiday Highway – [...] read more
  December 22, 2010 1:45 pm - 2 Comments
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  New Auckland motorway causes congestion - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Herald has carried another story today about how building a motorway has made congestion worse in Auckland, not better. Suprised? The New Zealand Transport Agency has admitted that they seriously under-estimated how much traffic their upgrades of State Highway 16 (SH16) to form the Western Ring Route would create. Motorists are now experiencing delays of up [...] read more
  December 21, 2010 1:10 pm - 47 Comments
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  Sprawling housing not really cheaper - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  As promised, some further thoughts  about the way Auckland should or could grow. One of Auckland’s biggest problems is housing affordability and any plan to grow the city must address this.  While housing affordability is a serious issue for all NZers, it’s particularly bad in Auckland. Recently I asked the Parliamentary library to do some research which [...] read more
  December 15, 2010 12:08 pm - 20 Comments