NORTHCOTE NEWS. The newsletter of the Northcote Residents Association. FEBRUARY 2013 In this issue: Onewa Road T3 Lanes and proposed Z Service Station

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1 1 P a g e NORTHCOTE NEWS The newsletter of the Northcote Residents Association. FEBRUARY 2013 In this issue: Onewa Road T3 lanes and proposed Z service station Auckland harbour bridge pathway project Te Onewa Pa/Stokes Point update Additional harbour crossing Heritage issues Northcote War Memorial Hall Noise abatement barriers Civil Defence and the Northcote Community Response Plan Proposal to restore Shoal Bay waterfront Membership subscriptions Onewa Road T3 Lanes and proposed Z Service Station The NRA Executive has spent a great deal of time discussing with Auckland Transport (AT) and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) the way in which motorists using Onewa Road, the route used by about one third of vehicles crossing the Harbour Bridge to the city, are imposed upon by an existing T3 lane, and will be further disadvantaged by proposed T3 lane westbound, and a new service station and shopping centre proposed to be erected next to a school, a church and a pre-school facility. Z Service Station: All 56 submitters on the proposal to erect a Z service station on Onewa Road, including the NRA and the Kaipatiki Local Board (KLB), objected to the scheme, and the outcome of the hearings is awaited. Unfortunately, it seems from press reports that the BP service station currently on Onewa Road is taking advantage of a lack of competition and is recorded as having the highest fuel prices in Auckland. T3 Lanes: a. Eastbound Onewa Road has the privilege of having one of only two T3 lanes in Auckland. Strong representations by the NRA to have the lane changed to T2, at least for a trial period, have been declined. This remains unfinished business. b. Westbound The NRA joined with local residents and businesses to oppose plans to convert Onewa Road westbound from Church Street to Birkenhead Avenue to a T3 lane. Apart from the fact that any issues with westbound traffic in the late afternoon could be addressed by a clearway, the NRA is seriously concerned that the introduction of another T3 lane on Onewa Road could encourage motorists to seek alternative routes such as Stafford Road and Little Shoal Bay. A decision is awaited, and there are some indications that AT is reconsidering this proposal. Auckland Harbour Bridge Pathway Project The NRA has met with Auckland Transport to ensure the Council is aware of our concerns regarding the potential impact on Northcote Point - traffic, parking, security, noise, inadequate ferry/bus connections, along with the need to consult on the exit/ entry ramp at the northern end (we have been told that there has been no detailed design work done on this ramp). We have stressed that there needs to be a community impact study if this is likely to proceed.

2 2 P a g e Te Onewa Pa/Stokes Point We have been following this up with the Kaipatiki Local Board (KLB) and NZTA for a number of years. In December KLB and NZTA met and confirmed that they will jointly re-instate a suitable and permanent fence at Stokes Point. KLB have said this upgrade work can proceed at the same time as the (Transpower) cabling work. As well, a safety fence will be erected at the end of Queen St leading to Northcote Wharf and there will be a new path and landscaping. NZTA have confirmed that once the cabling work is completed by mid 2013, Te Onewa Pa/Stokes Point will be fully opened to the public again (except when maintenance work is being carried out on the bridge above). Heritage Issues Vigorous defence of Northcote s heritage character is one of NRA s major priorities. During the past 6 months this has involved NRA in two major inputs the first a proposed Rule Change (RC 38) on heritage classification, the second, preliminary inputs on the new draft Unitary Plan. Proposed Rule Change 38 (RC 38) As you will probably be aware, Northcote Point, along with Devonport and Birkenhead Point has blanket heritage protection (Residential 3 zoning) under the rules laid down by the North Shore City Council in the late 90 s. This means that all properties are subject to quite strict controls over renovations and especially, demolition, with the objective of maintaining the historical character of the Point. Within the blanket coverage there are also greater protections given/imposed on specific buildings Category A being classified as being of high historical significance, and being virtually untouchable and Category B where proposed changes must be supported by very good reasons. RC 38 claimed to be rationalising Categories A and B, adding new buildings, and deleting or downgrading others where Auckland Council (AC) heritage experts feel there is a case. NRA made a submission taking the view that since there were only 5 proposed additions, but 41 deletions from Category B and 3 downgrades from A to B this had to be seen as a dilution of heritage protection. Our submission opposed the deletions, supported the additions and argued for a more democratic and transparent process (the full submission is on our website). This position is consistent with that of the Kaipatiki Local Board (KLB). The issue is presently under consideration by Auckland Council and will be watched with great care by NRA. Preliminary assessment of the draft Auckland Unitary Plan This is a very important issue, since the plan will determine what you can and can t do with your house and property, and what development can happen, and where - potentially for the next 30 years. As with RC 38 our concern is with potential dilution of protection for heritage buildings. Along with Devonport and Birkenhead we are very fortunate in having blanket protection under Residential 3 zoning, but with pressure on for intensification constant vigilance is necessary. We have made our position known to AC and KLB and have joined the Character Coalition an Auckland wide group advocating for defence of heritage buildings and areas. Much of what is great about Northcote is our built history NRA is determined to protect this in a period of change.

3 Civil Defence and the Northcote Community Response Plan Do you know what to do in a state of emergency? Civil Defence and Auckland Council have been supporting communities Auckland wide in forming emergency response groups (ERG) to build community resilience to emergencies and disasters. At a public meeting in October last year volunteers from our local community, including a representative from NRA, formed the Emergency Response Group (ERG) for Northcote. The responsibility of the ERG is to liaise with emergency services and Civil Defence to initiate and assist in response to a civil defence emergency. Meetings took place from October to December 2012 with the aim of creating a community based response plan to be activated in a civil defence emergency. Details of the final plan are due for completion and publication in February. Be on the lookout for information in the local newspaper and your letterbox. The objective of the plan is to sustain the community until outside agencies are able to respond. The ERG suggests that in preparation for surviving a civil defence emergency individuals and households should undertake to be personally prepared by: a creating and practicing a household emergency plan b assembling and maintaining household emergency survival and getaway kits, and c aiming to remain self reliant for at least three days without any external assistance d creating a contact tree to warn others For more information you can visit the Auckland Civil Defence website Proposal to Restore Shoal Bay Waterfront Garth Falconer from Reset Urban Design presented his proposal to the NRA Executive at their October meeting. The proposal aims to improve the Shoal Bay coastal edge and develop a walkway and cycle path between the Harbour Bridge and Takapuna. The Executive sought some modifications to the concept design to show that any new harbour crossing (tunnel) arises from Esmonde Road and has sought that any links to the current Harbour Bridge are well away from the northern end of the bridge and on the harbour side of the motorway. We have also made a deputation to the Kaipatiki Local Board seeking assurances that consultation with residents occurs as this is further developed. Northcote War Memorial Hall The Community Facilities Trust finally vacated the hall late last year. Since then the Auckland Council has given the hall a deep clean, but the $30,000 renovations to toilets etc, which were deemed necessary in November 2011 when the Trust was in occupation, have yet to be finalised. The Council have taken complete control of the building and its management, declining the NRA s and RSA s offers to be involved and assist, and it now just sits vacant, waiting on the Council s next move. The hall was originally built with considerable financial support from the local community, and it has the potential to again become the focus of local activity. It is expected that the 2013 ANZAC Day celebrations will be the first occasion for the public to return to their hall, and it is hoped that all the scheduled renovations will be completed before then. In its endeavours to regain the hall for public use, the NRA sought expressions of interest from anyone keen to use it. There was quite a lot of interest at the time, but these expressions are probably out of date, and new expressions are now being sought. You can register your or your organisation s interest on the website via the contact us section P a g e

4 Next Harbour Crossing The NRA and the St Marys Bay Association (SMBA) have been working closely together on a co-ordinated approach on the need for, type and location of another harbour crossing, and a joint meeting was held with NZTA and Auckland Transport prior to Christmas. Based on the survey responses from members in 2011 which demonstrated strong support for a tunnel, the NRA along with the SMBA are pressing for a tunnel crossing from Esmonde Road to a point in the city which will take traffic well away from the Victoria Park area with access to SH1, Britomart, the wharves and any Eastern Corridor development. It appears that timeframes for another crossing have been shortened, and the two associations are now pressing for a greatly accelerated timetable for the route finalisation and construction commencement. More information on this subject is expected shortly, and the Associations will continue to work together to achieve an acceptable outcome. Some members of the Executive have studied the proposals provided by NZTA and others, in some depth. As a consequence, the NRA website includes papers dealing with the differences between the various harbour crossing proposals, for your information. Although those papers plainly take a different line from that which the Executive has pursued to date, you are invited to review them, in the interests of advancing informed opinion on this important matter. Noise Abatement Barriers NRA has sought the installation of noise abatement barriers at Northcote Point, by submitting a proposal to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). The proposed barriers are similar to those installed recently at St Marys Bay. NRA s submission established that noise abatement barriers at Northcote Point would be acoustically effective, cost-effective and readily practicable. It also established that the barriers would comply with the policies, intentions and objectives embodied within NZTA s Environmental Plan and the new Road Traffic Noise Standard NZS 6806: The levels of traffic noise coming from the Bridge make Northcote Point eligible for NZTA s Strategic Plan Initiative funding for retrofitting noise abatement barriers. Such funding is far from automatic and its deployment is at NZTA s discretion, which is why our submission set out to be as powerful and compelling as possible. Complaints about traffic noise are important and recognised triggers, for gaining NZTA s installation of noise abatement barriers. NRA already has more than 50 signed bridge noise complaint forms (which also support NRA s noise barrier initiative). We could do with more. If you wish to support this initiative, please refer to and sign NRA s form attached to this newsletter. If you wish to read our submission, please visit the NRA website. Although the submission was produced by our executive without cost to the NRA, we did incur costs in having it reviewed by independent acoustic experts. NRA would be grateful of contributions towards those costs. We have a form on the website to facilitate such contributions. Subscriptions for the year ended 31 March 2013 are now due It is evident that your Executive has been very active on your behalf, and your subscription is important to enable them to continue this work. 4 P a g e

5 If our records show that your 2012/13 subscription is unpaid you will receive a separate invoice, and prompt payment will be appreciated. Join Us/ Make a Donation If you are interested in the work of the Northcote Residents Association and would like to make a donation or join us, visit our website for more information or contact our Membership Secretary, Fiona Driver, on fd@drivenevents.co.nz 5 P a g e