After the disruption and challenges of recent Covid restrictions, local business associations are back up to speed serving their members.

Avondale Business Association (ABA) is starting to see the fruition of a lot of planning and preparation. They are upgrading the under-veranda street lighting which they own and operate. New shop signage on the veranda canopies is eligible for a subsidy.

Local MP Deborah Russell was the speaker at a recent meeting hosted by ABA. She spoke about the effects of the budget.

New Lynn Business Association (NLBA) has done a lot of work to survey members about how they are doing after Covid and how best to help them. They followed up by hosting small meetings of business owners to share the results of the survey.
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NLBA also hosted a networking event where four members spoke about their organisations. It was great to get insights into people’s business journey. Rueben Sharples from the Aussie Butcher shared candidly about his roller coaster experience over the years. Then everyone present had what was called a ‘speed dating’ experience where they swapped tables and shared a short profile about their business. Everyone left with a better understanding of their colleagues after some genuine networking.

The New Lynn to Avondale Shared Path (NL2A) has now been opened. This magnificent pathway seems to make the two areas become closer and more united. It is also a key part of a far wider cycling network that now links New Lynn to the CBD and the NW cycleway. It was over two years in the construction phase and cost $43m.

The opening of the shared path was on a beautiful day Saturday 4th June. Mayor Phil Goff, Minister of Transport Michael Wood, AT CEO Shane Ellison, Cr Tracy Mulholland, Whau Local Board members along with other dignitaries, the proud AT/Dempsey Wood project team, enthusiasts, and neighbours converged on New Lynn for the official ribbon cutting and inaugural ride and walk along the new path.

The new shared path is 2.9km long. Starting at the Northern end of the new path, an elevated boardwalk traverses down from Blockhouse Bay Road to just behind the Avondale Station.  The new path runs along behind the Avondale Station, separate to the Station itself. Here it is quite narrow and bike riders are asked to dismount.

Between St Jude Street and Chalmers Street, a steel frame bridge sits snugly alongside the rail line enabling access through this narrow spot. A concrete path providing connection between the two streets.
At Chalmers Reserve, a timber bridge crosses a small overland flow area and provides a unique entry into the Reserve section of the shared pedestrian and cycle path. Within Chalmers Reserve, a concrete underpass provides passage under the rail line.  The underpass is made up of 25 concrete segments, each weighing over 38 tonnes. 

The new path travels along St Georges Road for a short section, traveling on a newly separated section of cycle lane.  It then ducks in alongside the rail line and heads towards New Lynn.

Between Arran Street and Portage Road, an elevated boardwalk carries pedestrians and cyclists to a new purpose build bridge over a Whau River tributary.  The new bridge has unique bow waka features visible when approaching the bridge.
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The southernmost portion of the path crosses Portage Road and Veronica Street, running behind the New Lynn RSA to connect into New Lynn Rail Station.

Blockhouse Bay Community Centre are stoked with the result of their inaugural Bay Art Exhibition – a free family and community event for all ages held in June. Over 40 individual artists exhibited a total of 162 artworks.

With live performances from Avondale College and Move Dance Co, and the Cut Above Academy offering glamourous or gruesome special FX makeup, visitors enjoyed a wide range of entertainment. Jan Smith, Garden Club president, catered the event in a delicious high tea style.
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Special thanks and acknowledgment to Jody McMillan and Janet Lilo (Whau Arts Brokers and curator), Jason Khun (curator), Bev Mossop, Heather Chamberlain, Hannah Pronk, Taylor Rogers, TJ Snow, Francois Basson, Stephanie O’Hanlon, and Hannah Honey.

The inaugural Whau River Paddle Day held Sunday 19th June was graced with perfect weather to explore the Whau by water. Many of the 68 participants who joined for the day had never paddled on the Whau before.

During the event which was run by Experiencing Marine Reserves, paddlers wove their way through mangrove channels on kayaks and paddle boards, joined by schools of mullet, flocks of kāruhiruhi (pied shags), with matuku moana (white faced heron) soaring overhead.

With expert instruction from Auckland Sea Kayaks, participants practiced their paddle strokes and got comfortable with their vessels before heading out on the water. Koha Kahui-McConnell and Brendan Doogan led water talks, sharing knowledge of the river ecology and biodiversity, as well as some of the challenges facing the Whau. 

When not on the water participants enjoyed a raranga (weaving workshop) led by the talented Hugo and Arahi, creating their own decorative star to use for Matariki celebrations. Then they had a guided walk along the Kurt Brehmer walkway led by his granddaughter Freya Brehmer-Hine, supported by local experts Sandra McClean, Paris Phillips, and Stephen Thorpe from the Whau River Catchment Trust (WRCT).

Experiencing Marine Reserves are grateful to their event partners, Auckland Sea Kayaks, Te Whau Pathway Environment Trust, WRCT, Para Kore Ki Tāmaki, Whitebait Connection, West End Rowing Club, plus generous funders The Bobby Stafford Bush Foundation and the Auckland Activation Fund (distributed on behalf of the government by Auckland Unlimited) and their epic Experiencing Marine Reserves volunteers that helped make the day run so smoothly. 
​Photos: Shaun Lee

 Auckland Council's use of the herbicide glyphosate to kill weeds was scrutinised at the recent Weed Management Political Advisory Panel meeting. Panel members questioned how glyphosate could impact public safety and the environment.
 
Senior ecological advisor Sarah Gibbs presented to the panel on June 14 and said that additives to glyphosate solutions played the greatest risk, and that the major impact glyphosate could have is on water life.
 
“Everything in road corridors runs into waterways,” Gibbs said. “Sometimes we do get a bit of pushback from our suppliers. They say they need to use higher toxicity formulations because they are more effective.” Gibbs said using glyphosate was like driving a car, if people knew how to use and manage it, they were allowed despite the risk.  
 
Member Trish Deans said she had seen workers spraying glyphosate not using proper safety gear and continuously spraying rather than spot spraying. Chair Richard Hills said he was aware of the instance Deans spoke about and that the employee had been retrained.
 
Cr Wayne Walker said glyphosate posed a threat to bees and skinks and there was increasing evidence overseas of its effect on birds. “When glyphosate is applied to flowering plants there is an impact on bees… there is a fairly colossal reduction in bee populations,” he said.
 
“Am I to understand we are just looking at toxicity around POEA (polyoxyethylene tallow amine) rather than glyphosate?” Walker asked.
 
Gibbs responded that additives put into weed killers would raise the risk rating. “The study on lizards, the impact was through the POAE. Impacts in these studies are not because of the glyphosate, it’s because of the additives.” Gibbs said she would be very concerned if glyphosate was being applied to the street.
 
Member Sandra Coney said the concern she heard most frequently was around the safety of kids and dogs playing in areas after they had been sprayed. Gibbs responded that while she could not say the risk was zero it was still considered very low, adding that blue dye was added to the glyphosate solution to make the public aware areas had been sprayed. “If one of my children was playing and got the blue dye on them I would wash it off but I would not take them to the doctor,” Gibbs said.
 
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently deciding whether to reassess glyphosate and looking at existing channels to reinforce safe use.
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I could not support the recent annual budget rates increase; we are already facing a challenging time and council does need to do more to save costs.  The most talked about item was the climate action targeted rate. Funds from the rate are to be ringfenced to support projects that help reduce our impact on climate change. This was a hard balancing exercise between increasing costs to ratepayers and investing in future initiatives.

Despite a 3.5% rates hike, there is still $230 million in capital deferrals, this will hurt our community facilities. The community pool planned in the Whau ward deferred just like that, despite it being talked about in the long-term plan and the opportunities I put forward seemingly ignored.

I do not support Three Waters reform:  Despite on-going opposition to Three Waters reforms, the proposal put us in a “fire sale scenario”, where just to balance our budget, we are having to go cap in hand to the government asking to draw down the better off payment. I hope this is not a poisoned chalice that we have committed our future council to.  Our community needs to be heard. I have had hundreds of emails from unhappy residents and ratepayers who want to have a referendum and be listened to by government.

As deputy chair of the Value for Money committee, I want to highlight some of the council savings achieved:

• Council exceeded the $120 million savings target in 2020/2021
• $90.7 million saving achieved at 31 May 2022 (100.8% of target)
• $52 million of savings have been achieved towards the 2022/2023 target

Council continues to work through the challenges of the government’s urban development (note: Government’s ruling, not Council) and housing intensification reforms. Qualifying matters continue to be a point of debate. Much of the robust discussion relates to the practicality of the intensification, infrastructure, and service provisions including emergency service provisions.

I have given years of advocacy and support to see the completion of some major infrastructure projects in the area. The New Lynn to Avondale shared path opening, which has many local benefits.

A major local project that I have consistently supported is the Wolverton culverts, a multimillion dollar upgrade of our stormwater system, improving network resistance to the impact of severe flooding events in the area.  
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I continue to be available to discuss constituent queries and concerns. I am always keen to hear your views on items before council committees, as this is a vital part of shaping which way to vote. 

The past couple of years have been challenging, but the New Lynn Lions have continued to support many charities from the proceeds of their regular monthly book sales.
 
In July 2021 the Club pledged to raise $10,000 towards the Lions Starship PICU fundraiser for more beds in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, reaching their pledge goal in April 2022.
 
Throughout the year the Club also donated $1,500 to the New Lynn branch of the Salvation Army and around $1,900 of groceries to Kai Avondale, also helping deliver food parcels for Kai Avondale.
 
New Lynn Lions welcome new members so if you would like to do some community service please contact Lianne on 0211419323.

June saw the long-awaited opening of Avondale Primary School’s Fale and awesome new bike track.
 
The school staged a fabulous opening event with waiata and siva, and Reverend Asora Amosa spoke passionately about the need for our tamariki to establish themselves in health, wealth, and happiness.
 
Principal, James Williams, the staff, and families have created a beautiful haven in the heart of Avondale. It’s certainly something to be proud of!

The new ANZAC mural at 63 Rosebank Road was commissioned by Avondale Business Association and painted by local business owner and artist, Chris Amosa. The painting is a memorial to remember our fallen ANZAC soldiers.

The symbolism of the mural is important: the poppies are a symbol for our older veterans; the rifle is a NZDF-issue Seyr AUG, and the helmet is desert coloured - the modern rifle and helmet represents new, contemporary veterans, and are arranged as a battlefield cross.

The lone soldier walking into the sunset aims to capture the lonely feeling veterans have when remembering the fallen. Especially on ANZAC Day when the nation remembers the symbols of the day, many veterans will be recounting personal memories.
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ABA thanks Tag Out Trust for securing the mural with graffiti-guard, and to the building owners for saying yes!