Roskill Community Voice

August 26, 2019 by Julie

Our vision to Revive Roskill Town Centre

This vision document was released publicly on Monday 26th August 2019, as Roskill Community Voice’s next steps from the Big Ideas for Mt Roskill Town Centre campaign.  Printed copies will be distributed to businesses in the Roskill Town Centre and a summary leaflet produced for wider circulation too, as well as being available online.  

Introduction
The Roskill Community Voice team has produced “Our vision to Revive Roskill Town Centre” for the community because we think the Roskill Town Centre deserves some concentrated and integrated effort to turn it from a scruffy strip to an inviting hub – a place that reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our people.

Our Vision sets out policy in four key areas – planning for the Roskill Town Centre of 2030 and beyond:

  1. Supporting a thriving area for local businesses
  2. Developing a place that attracts our vibrant and diverse community
  3. Securing the transport future of Dominion Road
  4. Creating a safe and flourishing Roskill Town Centre

We want the Roskill Town Centre to have a future beyond the next five years; to be re-woven into the fabric of our community.  It’s vital that local people and organisations have a say in its future development.

Like you, we have been frustrated and concerned about the lack of progress in the Roskill Town Centre over many years now. Back in 2010, before the Super City, the Mt Roskill Community Board signed off on minor amenity improvements which still have not been delivered by Council or Auckland Transport, despite the best efforts of successive local boards.  The minor streetscape improvements due to happen later this year will help a little, but a more comprehensive and planned approach is necessary to really revive the area and give it a future as a place for people.

Change can bring opportunities and challenges – we have written this document after listening to your ideas and concerns. To bring it all together we recently ran the Big Ideas for Mt Roskill Town Centre campaign.  We have collated the feedback gathered from the public meeting in July, in person, through our Big Ideas postcards and online, and have developed this set of policies responding to key issues.

We believe that it is important for the local community to have capable representatives with comprehensive and well thought through policies on key local issues. We hope that this document helps you to understand the approach Roskill Community Voice members will take if elected to the Puketāpapa Local Board.

We are excited about our vision to Revive Roskill Town Centre and, with your support, hope to be able to implement this vision on the Puketāpapa Local Board. Please contact us with any questions or comments.

1. Supporting a thriving area for our local businesses

A town centre can’t work well without successful local businesses and willing landlords as part of the team.

As part of the Big Ideas for Mt Roskill Town Centre discussion you gave a lot of interesting ideas about shops and activities that could happen in the town centre. Food was a central theme, as the word cloud below shows  (the bigger the words the more often that suggestion was made).

In order to revive Roskill Town Centre we will all need to work together to support the private sector to make the changes we seek, in terms of filling vacant shops, temporarily and in the long term, to create a town centre we can be proud to go to.

You said:  “Clean up of shop fronts” “…more alive at night!”  “Shopping locally builds community, supports local businesses and creates vibrancy.”

Actions we plan to take:

  • Promote to local real estate agents opportunities for temporary uses of empty shops like a youth space, drop in centre for seniors, pop up shops, gallery, markets.
  • Work with local landlords on what to do about vacant shops in the medium and long term including investigating the viability of a food court.
  • Establish a local network group to discuss town centre issues regularly, supported by a dedicated Mt Roskill Town Centre portfolio position on the local board.
  • Support the local network group with an initial $20,000 fund to support promotion and small initiatives for the town centre, and investigate a sustainable long-term funding plan.
  • Work with Panuku Development Auckland and the Dominion Road Business Association on development and retail strategies.

2. Developing a place that attracts our vibrant and diverse community

Mt Roskill is the most diverse community in Aotearoa New Zealand, and one of the most multicultural in the world.  We deserve a town centre that reflects and celebrates that, and attracts people from all parts of our community to participate.

You said:  “Lots of native plantings and areas for sitting and chatting” “Nod to history, enhance the clock tower and area, lots of art!!”  “I love the little corner park in Sandringham shops and would love to see that replicated.”  “We need more people – some more residences, better shop fronts, nice-looking”

Actions we plan to take:

  • Set up a local art competition in shop windows, to temporarily brighten up the area and show the possibilities for future art that references our people and character
  • Work with existing groups doing exciting short-term activations to liven up our town centre through initiatives like public art, fun activities, and performance.
  • In the medium term, we will investigate a range of events to be held in the town centre which will attract people to visit and showcase the strengths of our community eg street festival like Sandringham
  • Encourage and support short term community efforts to bring local flavour to the village
  • Work with housing organisations such as Kainga Ora and developers to secure good quality mixed use development in and adjacent to the town centre, in line with the Unitary Plan
  • Connect with the design community to create opportunities for meaningful community involvement in future planning for the area, such as through community design charettes
  • Consider cost-effective short-term initiatives to ‘green up’ the town centre with attractive plantings

3. Securing Dominion Road’s transport future

Mt Roskill Town Centre has been held back for years by indecision about the future of transport infrastructure down this busy arterial route. We know that buses will soon be at capacity again, and that light rail along Dominion Road will provide the mode shift we need to move people and create a vibrant hub at our town centre. But the needs of locals have had to wait for decisions from local and central government about what transport investments will be made. Certainty is also important for landlords and tenants to invest in their properties.

You said: “Pedestrian priority is vital to give a sense of village and safety” “Can’t compete with shopping malls on abundant free parking” “Nobody wants to invest money til the decision is made re rail” “Separated cycleways and lots of bike parking” “More accessible and safe [car]parking spaces”

Actions we plan to take

  • Ensure a community advisory group, including local residents, organisations and businesses, is established and supported to give input to the development of light rail stations and infrastructure in our community, giving priority to creating:
    • A friendly pedestrian environment, including connections across Dominion Rd
    • Opportunities for people to use different modes of transport that suit their lifestyles
    • An open street frontage that invites activity like al fresco dining, busking and a street festival
  • Work with Auckland Transport on designing a neighbourhood interchange, for current public transport, that meets the community’s needs
  • Seek urgent clarity on the likely time-frame for the development of light-rail to enable clear short, medium, and long-term planning for our town centre.

4. Creating a safe and flourishing Roskill Town Centre

A friendly vibrant town centre is safe and green, both by including nature and by reducing the environmental impact of local activities, as well as making it a place children and young people want to be.

You said:  ““Without the town centre the community becomes disjointed with no sense of belonging.” “We have lived in the area for nearly 5 years and would love to see the town center become a vibrant, clean, safe and fun place to visit.”  ““People will come to the area if they feel safe”

Actions we plan to take

  • Start a Keep Mt Roskill Beautiful campaign focused on cleaning up the town centre on a regular basis
  • Support for local businesses to undertake green audits, in particular our takeaways and food businesses
  • Working with local police, Mt Roskill Community Patrol and Neighbourhood Support to increase safety, and look at a local wardens/street ambassadors programme
  • Work with social service agencies and draw from the Healthy Puketapapa Action Plan to reduce homelessness and begging by providing vulnerable people with the support they need.

Next steps

We’ll be spreading the word about our vision to Revive Roskill Town Centre, and if elected as a Roskill Community Voice majority we’ll be able to follow this plan on the Puketāpapa Local Board in the new term.

In the meantime we will be continuing to engage with the local community to refine these ideas and progress them where possible. Reviving our Roskill Town Centre will take all of us getting involved.

If you’d like to help us out, please get in touch.

The Roskill Community Voice team would like to thank everyone who contributed to Big Ideas for Roskill Town Centre campaign – it would not have been possible without your input.

You’ll see our team out and about around Puketāpapa so feel free to talk to us: Harry Doig, Julie Fairey, Anne-Marie Coury, Shail Kaushal, Bobby Shen and Jon Turner.

 

Authorised by R Gallagher, 15 Torrance St, Royal Oak

Filed Under: Big Ideas for Mt Roskill Town Centre, CCOs, Dominion Rd, housing, Local economic development, Mount Roskill, planning, policies, Policy, Revive Roskill Town Centre, Town centres, Transport, Unitary Plan

July 17, 2019 by Julie

Media Release: Seeking Big Ideas for Mt Roskill Town Centre

For immediate release

“It is time for action to turn the Mt Roskill Town Centre from a scruffy strip to an inviting hub – a place that is safe and inviting, supports our local businesses, and reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our people,” says Bobby Shen, architectural designer and Roskill Community Voice candidate for the Puketāpapa Local Board.

“It’s one of the top issues constituents raise with me,” says Michael Wood, Member of Parliament for Mt Roskill. “There’s a real frustration that our town centre is so much less than what it could be, and so I’m working with Roskill Community Voice to host a public meeting on the matter, Sunday 28th July, 3.30pm at Winstone Park Tennis Club.”

“Mt Roskill Town Centre has faced many years of decline owing to the pulling power of the malls, the loss of major businesses that generate foot-traffic, uncertainty over transport planning, and a lack of private and public investment. The forthcoming footpath and streetscape improvements due to happen later this year will help the town centre, but a more comprehensive and planned approach is necessary to really revitalise it and give it a future as a people-place in our community,” says Harry Doig, current Chair of the Puketāpapa Local Board.

Roskill Community Voice is seeking “Big Ideas for Mt Roskill Town Centre” through a local postcard campaign, where people can drop their ideas into Copies Plus in the main shops, Foxie Hair at 887 Dominion Rd, or give their thoughts online at www.roskillcv.org.nz/bigideas.

“We need some community ideas and community action to turn our town centre around, and make it a real heart for our people. I’m looking forward to hearing what locals think and working together to make a real difference,” says Bobby Shen.

Contacts:
Bobby Shen – ph 0211725235
Email bobbyshenpuketapapa@gmail.com

Harry Doig – ph 0272412209
Email Harry.doig@gmail.com

Michael Wood MP – ph 0226506360

Filed Under: Big Ideas for Mt Roskill Town Centre, Community, Crime, Cycling and walking, Development, Dominion Rd, environment, Heritage, housing, Local economic development, Media statements, Mount Roskill, NZ Herald, planning, Rail, Town centres, Transport, Unitary Plan

October 3, 2013 by Julie

Big King & surrounds – photo essay

This has been put together by our candidate Harry Doig, who lives in Three Kings and took his camera up the mountain one day recently.

The maunga that we love.

But it could be better!

Spot the weeds.

How about some interpretive signage?

And then we must grasp the opportunity when the quarry is decommissioned to not only ensure high quality housing but also to enhance the reserve.

They and us deserve better.

To find out more about our Vision For Three Kings, have a look here.

Filed Under: CCOs, Development, environment, Gallery, Grumpy Cat, housing, Maunga, Parks, planning, Restore Big King, Three Kings, Unitary Plan, Vision for Three Kings

October 3, 2013 by Julie

Big King & surrounds – photo essay

This has been put together by our candidate Harry Doig, who lives in Three Kings and took his camera up the mountain one day recently.

The maunga that we love.

But it could be better!

Spot the weeds.

How about some interpretive signage?

And then we must grasp the opportunity when the quarry is decommissioned to not only ensure high quality housing but also to enhance the reserve.

They and us deserve better.

To find out more about our Vision For Three Kings, have a look here.

Filed Under: CCOs, Development, environment, Gallery, Grumpy Cat, housing, Maunga, Parks, planning, Restore Big King, Three Kings, Unitary Plan, Vision for Three Kings

September 25, 2013 by Sunil

RCV Policy on Planning

Our community has been the victim of a lack of planning and vision for too long. We want to see thriving neighbourhoods, exciting town centres, quality urban environments, and appropriate affordable housing for our families. This will only happen through wide-ranging community involvement and strong local leadership.

Specific local policy on planning issues includes: 

Three Kings Issues The implementation of our comprehensive ‘Vision for Three Kings’ policy platform, including: 

  • Creation of a dedicated 3 Kings planning spokesperson on the Board. 
  • Removal of the reservoir on Big King to return our maunga to a more natural state. Prior to this, the restoration of an attractive mural on the reservoir such as ‘Grumpy Cat’ 
  • Advocating for the quarry development to include: 
    • Restoration of Maunga and better open space as priorities 
    • Affordable housing and social housing 
    • High quality housing integrated into open space and town centre 
  • A reduction in the proposed 8 storey height limit. 
  • Protection and promotion of Three Kings heritage. 


Unitary Plan Issues 

  • Providing appropriate capacity for growth around our town centres and key transport routes, while ensuring quality development and protection of open space and heritage. 
  • A stronger focus on affordable and social housing for our community. 
  • Advocating for well-considered intensification in Wesley, and Roskill South, with more distribution along main transport routes. 
  • Strongly advocating for community input and better notification of developments. 
  • Dealing with flooding. Advocacy for improved stormwater infrastructure, and better planning rules to prevent inappropriate development. 
  • Strong protections for our local environment, heritage, and volcanic cones (including viewshafts)


An index of our released policy can be found here, we are continuing to release policy through-out the campaign.

Filed Under: 2013 election, CCOs, Grumpy Cat, Heritage, housing, Infrastructure, Maunga, planning, Policy, Restore Big King, Roskill South, Three Kings, Town centres, Unitary Plan, Vision for Three Kings, Wesley

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Authorised by Robert Gallagher, 15 Torrance St, Auckland
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