Roskill Community Voice

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The Great Puketapapa Bus Survey 2018

The Great Puketapapa Bus Survey 2018

After the New (Bus) Network was rolled out in the central Auckland area by Auckland Transport, we were hearing a lot of concerns about how it was working. So we surveyed the local area and produced this report summarising the around 300 responses. It includes recommendations for Auckland Transport to consider, some of which are site-specific improvements and others are changes people would like to see to frequencies and so on.

On the whole people liked the increased frequencies, the simplicity of the network, and double decker buses. Concerns remained, after a few months of operation, about several changes in particular the loss of two express routes (267x and 258x) and the 299 link to Newmarket.

At the moment we are awaiting Auckland Transport’s response to the recommendations and report.

We’re also considering making the survey an annual campaign, so that we can see how things are improving (or not!)

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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

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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

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Public meeting: Pylon Pollution – what next?

Where to now in the battle against pylon pollution?

HAVE YOUR SAY AT A PUBLIC MEETING ON SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER AT 2PM

AT SAINT DAVID’S IN THE FIELDS CHURCH  202 HILLSBOROUGH ROAD

Speakers:

Hon. Phil Goff – MP For Mt Roskill
Jim Jackson – Chair of the Manukau Harbour Restoration Society, CEO of Jackson Electrical
David Holm – Member of the Puketapapa Local Board
Simon Randall – Chair of the Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board

In August 2013, Roskill Community Voice, a team contesting the Puketapapa Local Board Election,launched a petition aimed at progressing the undergrounding of the high voltage electricity transmission and removal of pylons which blight many areas of Auckland and some other urban areas. This followed from a discussion document by the national electricity grid operator Transpower  in April 2013 on undergrounding.

Two Petititions

Two identical petitions, one centred on Onehunga led by Carol Beaumont and the other in Hillsborough and Mt. Roskill led by David Holm, now a Board Member, received widespread support with a total of 2816 signatures verified. It was presented to Parliament’s Commerce Committee in December 2013 by Phil Goff , M.P. For Mt. Roskill.

The petitions sought a commitment to “undergrounding high-voltage transmission lines through urban areas over a reasonable period of time having regard to the resources this entails” using money set aside from Transpower’s annual dividends to meet the long term costs. It also asked for  investigation of technology, planning requirements and resourcing to achieve cost effective solutions to undergrounding.

The Hearings

The Commerce Committee conducted hearings into the petitions in April 2014 and May and June 2015. Transpower responded to the petition in a letter dated 5 December 2014 which was provided to the petitioners for a response made in April 2015. The Electricity Authority and the  Commerce Commission also presented responses to the petitions.

The Committee Report on the petitions was released in Sepember 2015. The majority stated that “We do not believe that a Government inquiry could add much more value at this point.”  The three Labour members of the Committee provided a minority report stating that “Transpower and the Government majority on the committee ignore the overwhelming views expressed by local people. They do not want transmission lines and pylons over their properties or to damage sensitive environmental areas like Onehunga and Hillsborough Bays.”

Where To Now?

The recently opened  Onehunga Foreshore restoration and the tunneling of the Waterview Connectionshows that concerted public advocacy for environmental restoration can persuade government infrastructure providers to invest in improvements.

Transpower has ceased using pylons for new projects in urban areas.There are opportunities to engage with their Environment Manager and the Transpower Community Care Fund which assists communities affected by Transpower assets or projects.

The petitions were supported by Chairs of five local boards and more are sympathetic.

The 2016 local elections offers opportunities to gain support for undergrounding through pledges from candidates for Mayor, Auckland Council and local boards.

The new Auckland Council development agency Panuku Development Auckland is keen on unlocking opportunities in Onehunga including the port area and may be encouraged to help investigate the benefits from more efficient land use without pylons.

Please come along and give us your responses to these suggestions and any other ideas for future actions. You can also reach us by email at roskillcv@gmail.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roskillcv