By the time Ponsonby News arrives we will have a new mayor, council, and local board for the 2016-19 period.
The Super City is now six years old. Twenty-one local boards bring local decision-making, and remain the democracy contact point for most residents and ratepayers. We can all see Auckland improve almost, daily, around us - we simply need to remember that it was only six years ago, before the 2011 Rugby World Cup, that Wynyard Quarter didn't exist, the magenta Lightpath cycleway wasn't contemplated, and the CRL wasn't even a project.
When reflecting on the last term of Council, it was amazing to look back at my inaugural meeting address of only three years earlier, where I ambitiously targeted certain regional outcomes for Auckland in this three year term, and I am quoting: "construction of the City Rail Link commenced; the Parnell railway station, set in its rail heritage precinct opened; SkyPath, the Harbour Bridge walking and cycling pathway opened; the trams returned to the Wynyard Quarter, and light rail to Britomart as a confirmed, planned project; Waterfront Auckland’s Westhaven walking and cycling boardwalk opened; and Auckland Transport commit to greater delivery of completion of the Auckland Cycle Network and the on-road component of local boards’ Greenways’ plans."
Three have been delivered, and all but light rail are confirmed projects in delivery phase, and even that has been committed to by our likely new Mayor.
At the local board level, I wished, amongst many other projects, to see us deliver the redeveloped Ellen Melville/Pioneer Women’s Hall opened as a vibrant community hub; the significant upgrade of Myers Park completed in time for its centenary in 2015; the Mayoral Drive underpass redeveloped as a safe open space entrance to Myers Park; a multi-board community-led local resource recovery centre opened for business; the 1.4km Weona-Westmere coastal walkway constructed; the Pt Resolution Reserve and headland developed as part of a Taurarua/Pt Resolution Master Plan; a village square or park in Ponsonby Road opened, as part of the Ponsonby Road Master Plan; a Waitemata heritage and character assessment of Grey Lynn and Westmere completed; and a Waitemata Local Area Plan, to build on the Unitary Plan, completed in full consultation with the community.
Whilst some may be taking a little longer to deliver than wished, all but an area plan post-Unitary Plan seem to be in hand. It pays to be ambitious.
We are also confident this will be another year of great achievements at the local level that will contribute to make Waitemata an even better place to live. The following weeks or months will bring some milestones such as the completion of the Western Park and Grey Lynn Park improvements, the opening of the Weona-Westmere costal walkway, the construction stage of the redeveloped Ellen Melville Centre progressed, the Teed Street improvements in Newmarket underway, and the Myers Park upgrade completed with the construction of the Mayoral Drive underpass, artwork and splash pad. We will continue to support the extension of the walking and cycling network, and the development of a new multi-use clubroom facility for the Richmond Rovers League Club at Grey Lynn Park. We will continue to work with Auckland Transport to finalise the roll out of residential parking zones in the inner city suburbs.
It has been a privilege to lead an effective, action-focused local board these last three years. I would like to thank Martin Leach and Ponsonby News once again for the opportunity to contribute this column each month; my local board members; my hard-working City Vision colleagues, deputy Pippa Coom, Christopher Dempsey, Vernon Tava, and Deborah Yates, and fellow members, Greg Moyle and Rob Thomas for all their respective contributions to the successes of the board and, last but not least, our engaged and active communities. Without your support the progress made to date would not have been possible.
There remains much to do, and I certainly hope to be a part of it. (SHALE CHAMBERS)
Contact me: shale.chambers@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz