September 2021 Board Member Report

1^st  September – 30^th September

General / assigned roles update

• Transport portfolio:
  • The board approved the allocation of the Local Board Transport Capital Fund at our September business meeting. The projects funded include the completion of the Greenway from Frost Road through to Monte Cecilia Park, a pedestrian refuge outside Monte Cecilia Park, a signalised crossing on Hillsborough Road near Goodall Street, a pedestrian refuge on Melrose Road at the shops, pedestrian safety improvements at the Hillsborough/Mt Albert Road intersection. There is a small sum of money left which the board may choose to allocate to bus shelters, roadside seating, or other minor improvements. The majority of these projects were shortlisted by the previous local board but were held up by the reduced budget last year due to Covid-19.
  • Auckland Transport have begun a public consultation about small pedestrian changes at the corner of Lilac Grove, Frederick Street and Carlton Street. While it is good to see some attention being paid to the area, I feel it doesn’t go far enough in enhancing pedestrian safety.
  • With the shift to level three, operations were able to resume on the works for the Greenways project from Frost Road through to Monte Cecilia. This is “stage 1” of the project, with stage 2 to be implemented afterwards.
  • Auckland Transport is consulting on speed limit changes across the region. An area of streets in our rohe is around Wesley Primary School, which would see the speed reduced to 30km/h to make it safer for pedestrians and other modes of traffic.
  • I spoke at an online event hosted by Auckland Transport looking at parking issues across the area. One of the significant issues our area faces is people parking on footpaths and limiting access to those in wheelchairs, with prams, or who have walking difficulties.
  • Auckland Transport moved their consultation for the Safer Communities online. There were lots of questions around the poor provision of cycling infrastructure at and between the intersections.
• Manukau Harbour Forum:
  • The Forum is very lucky to have secured the services of Dr Julie Chambers as the Forum’s new coordinator. Dr Chambers has co-chaired the Tamaki Estuary Environmental Forum and has bought some excellent energy to the role. Julie has five ‘focus areas’ – Strategy and planning to achieve the vision of the Forum, collaboration with friends of the Forum, building the knowledge base of the Forum, building relationships with mana whenua and administration. I look forward to working with her over the next year.
  • I was pleased to be able to connect members of the community with the correct council staff to get navigation lights in the Harbour fixed. These lights have an interesting list of owners, with a mix of private and public ownership, meaning a fix is not always easy.
  • I presented an update to the Southern Local Board Chairs Forum on the Forum’s work programme and the highlights of the first half of the term.

Meetings / events attended

n.b – for this month, all meetings were held online either on Skype or MS Teams.

• 1^st September – Meeting with Community Facilities and Chair Fairey.
• 1^st September – Meeting with Local Board advisors and Chair Fairey.
• 2^nd September- Puketāpapa Local Board workshop.
• 3^rd September – Three Waters discussion hosted by Local Government New Zealand.
• 3^rd September – Elected Member Discussion hosted by Auckland Transport.
• 5^th September – Three Waters hui with the LGNZ Young Elected Members network.
• 8^th September – Finance and Performance Committee workshop
• 8^th September – Meeting with Local Board advisors and Chair Fairey.
• 9^th September – Puketāpapa Local Board workshop.
• 13^th September – Local Board Chairs Forum.
• 13^th September – Puketāpapa Local Board agenda run through.
• 13^th September – AT-hosted Mt Albert Road Safer Communities consultation.
• 15^th September – Environment and Climate Change Committee workshop on Water Strategy.
• 15^th September– Catch up with advisors and Chair Fairey.
• 16^th September – Puketāpapa Local Board Business Meeting.
• 16^th September – Puketāpapa Local Board workshop.
• 21^st September – Joint Governance Working Party conversation.
• 22^nd September – Meeting with Chair Fairey and the Local Area Manager
• 22^nd September – Environment and Climate Change Committee Workshop.
• 22^nd September – Catch up with advisors and Chair Fairey.
• 23^rd September – Integrated Area Plan meeting via SKYPE.
• 24^th September – Presented to the Southern Local Board Chairs on behalf of the Manukau Harbour Forum.
• 27^th September – AT’s Cycling Single Stage Business Case update with Chair Fairey and member Doig.
• 29^th September – Catch up with advisors and Chair Fairey.
• 29^th September – Finance and Performance Committee workshop
• 30^th September – Puketāpapa Local Board workshop.