Your Council

New Zealand’s first Busway – its here: On Saturday Prime Minister Helen Clark and the North Shore City Mayor Mr Andrew Williams led more than 1000 people down New Zealand’s first Busway as part of the opening celebrations. Many people, including several North Shore’s Walking School Buses, walked the 1.7km section between Smales Farm and Akoranga Stations. On arrival at Akoranga Station the crowds were treated to music and entertainment along with an opportunity to explore the new station. The overbridge linking Akoranga Station with the AUT campus was a popular feature with many people taking photographs of the harbour view. More information

Housing rent rise: Rent at North Shore City Council’s 458 Housing for Older People properties will be going up in April this year. North Shore City’s community liaison manager, Lisa Tocker, says the move is necessary to ensure housing can be maintained to an acceptable level. “This is the first increase in three years, but it is absolutely necessary because of increasing maintenance costs,” she says. The increases will take effect in April at the 22 rental complexes across the city. Depending on the type of unit, most people will be paying between $10 and $15 more a week. More information and background to the increases. More information

What's On in North Shore City

Get in2 the new year: In2it’s 2008 activities got off to a great start last week with some great slip’n sliding action at Stafford Park. Hot weather brought out loads of kids for some great fun on a 50m long slide. 2008 is going to be a really exciting year for in2it with lots of new ventures underway. Organisers are grateful to have Youthtown on board this year, its $40,000 donation to the project means they can invest in vehicles and support new projects. In2it is looking forward to celebrating summer with a beach party in association with City Impact Youth on February 8 at Browns Bay Beach Reserve. This will be a fantastic night out with the skate bowl under lights, beach volleyball and basketball competitions. There will be Frisbee, tug of war, sumo suits and jousting gladiator style. More information

Devonport Festival 2008: The iconic Devonport Food, Wine & Music Festival has been a highlight of the North Shore calendar for the past 18 years. This year the event is going to be an even more enjoyable experience with a stronger emphasis on quality music. Some of New Zealand’s best loved musicians will take to the two stages, including Hello Sailor, Hollie Smith, Greg Johnson, Nesian Mystik, The Lady Killers, Midge Marsden and Peter Urlich. The event kicks off at 11am each day, ending at 7pm on Saturday 16 and 6pm on Sunday 17 February. More information

Warriors at North Harbour Stadium: The North Shore will play host to the Vodafone Warriors first and only pre-season match next Friday 15th February against the Newcastle Knights, as they warm-up for their 2008 NRL title bid. Despite an early exit from playoffs last year the Warriors ended 2007 strongly and are confident that they will carry that momentum into 2008. The Vodafone Warriors are expected to name a full strength, injury-free side early next week. The Newcastle Knights were only two wins short of making the top 8 play-offs in 2007 and are primed to take on the Kiwi side. The pre-season game is the first event to take advantage of the newly opened Northern Busway. To celebrate its opening all pre-purchase tickets include a free return trip from Britomart to North Harbour Stadium. More information

Looking for youth talent: The North Shore City Council is putting up prize money to encourage young people between the age of 12 and 24 to get involved in the city's cultural activities. SHORE GOT TALENT is an opportunity for young achievers in any performing art or entertainment style to be assessed for the North Shore City Council Entertainment Awards of $1500 and $500 for first and second prizes.

Schools are being asked to promote the event to their students and to encourage those with the skills to be involved. The entertainment awards are open to anybody within the age group to perform either individually or in a group of up to five people, as long as they live on the North Shore. An elimination event will be held on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13th April to select finalists to perform in a concert at the Bruce Mason theatre on April 20. More information

Bikewise Breakfast: To celebrate Bikewise week we're holding our annual Go By Bike day biker's breakfast on February 27. Bikewise is a nationwide campaign, managed by Land Transport New Zealand, with the support of the Ministry of Health, aims to encourage cycling for both transport and recreation. ‘Go By Bike Day’ on the North Shore features a free bikers’ breakfast, goody bags, spot prizes and more. You could be up for the grand prize of a $500 voucher from Avantiplus Wairau Park. There will be police escorted rides to the Takapuna breakfast from Devonport Wharf and Windsor Park, East Coast Bays. For both rides meet at 6.45am to begin the ride at 7am. More information

Free beginner bike sessions are back: If you’d like to get into cycling and haven’t been on a bike for a while these sessions are for you! These sessions are focused on practical riding skills while covering basic road safety. We’re running three sessions:

Thursday February 21 at North Harbour Stadium 6-7.30pm
Tuesday February 26 at Onepoto Domain 6-7.30pm
Tuesday March at 4 at Takapuna Primary School 6-7.30pm.

The sessions cover basic road safety and are focused on practical cycling skills and at the end of each session there will be an on-road ‘follow the leader’ ride. Bikes and helmets are available for use but you will need to contact us first. For registration details go here.

Free movies draw crowds: North Shore’s free Movies by Moonlight Open Air Movies programme got off to a great start this week with big crowds at Browns Bay Beach. Around 450 people attended the first movie on Thursday, 1000 on Friday and an amazing 2000 on Saturday for “Surf’s Up”. Next week’s programme is at Fort Takapuna at Narrow Neck Beach. A great line-up of free movies has been secured to screen in eight North Shore City parks and reserves between now and April 5, 2008. Still to go are Casino Royale, The Bourne Ultimatum, Blades of Glory, Oceans 13, King Kong, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Piano and the Simpsons Movie. More information

Your Neighbourhood

Blessing for wastewater outfall project: A Maori blessing was held at dawn this week prior to work commencing on the start of construction for the Rosedale wastewater treatment plant outfall project. Mayor Andrew Williams and councillors joined council staff, consultants and contractors for the ceremony, which took place at wastewater treatment plant grounds off Atlas Place, Mairangi Bay. The $116m outfall is North Shore City's biggest wastewater project, with construction scheduled for completion in 2010. Once completed, a 2.7m diameter pipe will carry high quality treated waste from the treatment plant to the Mairangi Bay foreshore - a journey of 2.6km, running deep beneath streets, parks and reserves, and a few commercial and residential properties. From beneath the foreshore, the journey continues under and then along the seabed to a point 2.8km offshore in the Rangitoto Channel, where a series of diffusers will disperse highly treated effluent to meet consent conditions.

Help the graffiti busters: North Shore City is mounting an all out attack on graffiti in the city. Graffiti is seen as a community issue which can lower property values, encourage vandalism and lead to other types of crime. The city has appointed a former police officer to lead the drive to identify and deal with graffiti vandals and he is appealing to all citizens to identify those responsible and to report instances of graffiti when they are observed or as soon as they are discovered. Advice is being given on ways to deal with graffiti vandalism. More information

Writer Appointed to Michael King Centre: Prominent New Zealand writer Chris Price will be the writer-in-residence at the Michael King Writers’ Centre at Devonport for the first half of 2008. The residency is a joint venture between The University of Auckland, Creative New Zealand and the Michael King Writers’ Centre. The residency allows Chris Price to live at the Michael King Writers’ Centre in Devonport and work in the writer’s studio for six months in the first half of 2008. More information

Views sought on forest park plan: North Shore Residents are being asked to comment on plans for development of an important forest area on the northern outskirts of the city. The Three Stream conservation reserve links to two other important bush areas adjacent to Albany Hill and contains three important streams which drain to Lucas Creek. A draft development plan has just been released and residents have two months to give their views. More information

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