Roskill Community Voice

by

Pylon Pollution Postcards to Put Pressure on Politicians

Roskill Community Voice is continuing its long-standing campaign to bury the high-voltage power lines that run through the Puketapapa community, with postcards to the two main candidates for the Mt Roskill seat in the general election.
“Our people and waterways deserve respect.  It’s time to responsibly bury the power lines that blot our landscape,” says David Holm, from Roskill Community Voice.
“We are asking people who agree the pylons need to come down to sign postcards to both the National and Labour candidates for Mt Roskill, so we can show this important local issue matters to voters,” says Mr Holm.
“We are seeking a commitment from those most likely to represent Mt Roskill in Parliament after September 23rd, that they will support the community and take action on pylon pollution,” says Harry Doig, also of Roskill Community Voice.
“I have written to both Dr Parmar and Mr Wood inviting them to receive a presentation of postcards, and the results of an online version through Facebook, on Monday September 18th at 5.30pm at Taylors Bay, Frederick St, Hillsborough.  We look forward to seeing them there, and welcome any queries from the candidates or others” says Mr Doig.
The postcard wording is as follows:

To Parmjeet Parmar / Michael Wood,

I/we the undersigned Mt Roskill voter(s), support the campaign to end pylon pollution on the Manukau harbour.  Transpower promised in August 2016 “to work actively through community and environmental programmes to mitigate the impact of their network.”

Our people and waterways deserve respect.  It’s time to responsibly bury the power lines that blot our landscape.

Will your party request Transpower to:

1. Undertake a cost/benefit analysis for a programme to remove pylons carrying high-voltage power lines from the Manukau harbour and the Auckland isthmus?

2. Provide ongoing long term funding for pylon removals?  In the five years to 2016, Transpower paid divides of over $1.12 billion to the government, so money is available.

3.  Allow for the removal of high voltage pylons in the way of the East-West Expressway project and the Panuku Auckland (Transform Onehunga) project?

More background on this long-running campaign can be found here:
Images of the postcard front and back are available on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/roskillcv and our website http://roskillcv.org.nz/end-pylon-pollution-postcard/
 
Contact:  David Holm daholm45@hotmail.com

by

Pylon Pollution Postcards to Put Pressure on Politicians

Roskill Community Voice is continuing its long-standing campaign to bury the high-voltage power lines that run through the Puketapapa community, with postcards to the two main candidates for the Mt Roskill seat in the general election.  
 
“Our people and waterways deserve respect.  It’s time to responsibly bury the power lines that blot our landscape,” says David Holm, from Roskill Community Voice.
 
“We are asking people who agree the pylons need to come down to sign postcards to both the National and Labour candidates for Mt Roskill, so we can show this important local issue matters to voters,” says Mr Holm.
 
“We are seeking a commitment from those most likely to represent Mt Roskill in Parliament after September 23rd, that they will support the community and take action on pylon pollution,” says Harry Doig, also of Roskill Community Voice. 
 
“I have written to both Dr Parmar and Mr Wood inviting them to receive a presentation of postcards, and the results of an online version through Facebook, on Monday September 18th at 5.30pm at Taylors Bay, Frederick St, Hillsborough.  We look forward to seeing them there, and welcome any queries from the candidates or others” says Mr Doig.
 
The postcard wording is as follows:

To Parmjeet Parmar / Michael Wood,

I/we the undersigned Mt Roskill voter(s), support the campaign to end pylon pollution on the Manukau harbour.  Transpower promised in August 2016 “to work actively through community and environmental programmes to mitigate the impact of their network.”

Our people and waterways deserve respect.  It’s time to responsibly bury the power lines that blot our landscape.

Will your party request Transpower to:

1. Undertake a cost/benefit analysis for a programme to remove pylons carrying high-voltage power lines from the Manukau harbour and the Auckland isthmus?

2. Provide ongoing long term funding for pylon removals?  In the five years to 2016, Transpower paid divides of over $1.12 billion to the government, so money is available.

3.  Allow for the removal of high voltage pylons in the way of the East-West Expressway project and the Panuku Auckland (Transform Onehunga) project?  

 
More background on this long-running campaign can be found here:
 
Images of the postcard front and back are available on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/roskillcv and our website http://roskillcv.org.nz/end-pylon-pollution-postcard/
 
Contact:  David Holm daholm45@hotmail.com

by

Environment & Parks

Updated for 2019

Our local environment is a treasure, and we will work to protect and enhance it. Parts of our extensive park network are ideally suited to conservation, and others to a multitude of uses such as dog walking, sportsfields, playgrounds, passive recreation and more. We will balance investment across our area and across the many different needs our parks meet for our community.

What We’ve Done

  • Delivered stage 1 of the Waikōwhai Coast boardwalk, with funding and resource consent secured for stage 2 and construction due in 2020.
  • Got a commitment from Transpower to take down two of the three high voltage power lines running through our community in their long term plan.
  • Consulted on improved playgrounds across our park network, creating a range of play spaces around the area, with new playgrounds coming at Keith Hay Park south and Waikōwhai Park soon.
  • Supported the Manukau Harbour Forum to raise the status of the harbour, and the remediation of the landfill at Waikōwhai Park, as well as funding SafeSwim beach monitoring for our area for the first time.
  • Worked with local communities on concept plans for Arthur Faulkner Reserve, Keith Hay Park, Freeland Reserve, Mt Roskill War Memorial Park, Waikōwhai Park, Monte Cecilia Park, Harold Long and Fearon Parks, Margaret Griffen Park and Hillsborough Cemetery.
  • Put local flavour and expectations into the Te Auaunga Project in Wesley, resulting in the transformation of Walmsley and Underwood Parks with important new amenities, local jobs, and more.
  • Upgraded many local park facilities such as improved three of Keith Hay Parks carparks making them safer and better, improved lighting and fields to increase playing hours at Keith Hay Park and Mt Roskill War Memorial Park, connected Harold Long Reserve and Fearon Park, and continued track improvements along the Waikōwhai Coast.
  • Begun to implement the Te Auaunga Oakley Creek Vision for the upper catchment, in particular at Walmsley and Underwood Parks, with works coming soon at Freeland Reserve and plantings at the Roskill Campus.
  • Completed Puketāpapa’s first Low Carbon Action Plan
  • Funded a long-term programme to remove pine trees from the Cape Horn area
  • Supported organisations working directly with our community on initiatives like Tread Lightly, teaching children about the environmental impact of what we put down the drains, and Healthy Rentals to improve the warmth and dryness of rental housing in the area.
  • Delivered accessibility audits for all major parks in the area, so that people can more easily plan their visits and know what is available to support their activities.

What’s Next

  • Continue to implement the Te Auaunga Oakley Creek Vision for the upper catchment, in particular at Keith Hay Park, Arkells Reserve, and Mt Roskill War Memorial Park.
  • Continue collaborating with other Local Boards through the Manukau Harbour Forum on the next steps after the hydrodynamic modelling for the whanga is complete.
  • Secure a win-win outcome at Monte Cecilia Park the retains seniors social housing and expands the park entrance on the current Liston Village site.
  • Continue developing and improving the track network along the Waikōwhai Coast, with the ultimate aim of providing a connection off-road from Onehunga to Blockhouse Bay at all tides.
  • Get funding for a new playground at Monte Cecilia Park.
  • Continue building infrastructure and community capacity to shift to active low-carbon modes of transport to move around our community, through the Puketāpapa Greenways Plan (reviewed in 2017).
  • Undertake a catchment vision for Wairaki Stream in Lynfield, followed by a concept plan for Lynfield Reserve
  • Support community efforts to improve our local environment through volunteer plantings days, pest control and Friends groups for parks.

by

Bury The Pylons

Our neighbourhoods and harbour have been despoiled by huge power pylons for too long. The pylons would never have been erected in suburbs along the Waitemata Harbour, and our community should not have to bear the brunt.

It is possible to Bury the Pylons from the dividends that Transpower earns (over $200m per year) and forwards to central government. We know it won’t happen overnight but we are pressing for a responsible plan to be developed.

We worked with local MP Phil Goff to get the issue raised to a parliamentary committee through a community petition. David then worked hard on the submissions to the Commerce Committee, succeeding in getting the Puketapapa Local Board to support the campaign and submit. The Commerce Committee decided not to carry out the investigations we asked for, but a minority report from that committee supported us.

We’re in this one for the long haul!