I have been writing this column for the Channel Magazine for close to 15 years and all I’ve received from the bunch who keep their wallets very close to the bottom of their pockets over those years are two cheap awards given to me for Columnist of the Year, and that was over a decade ago. The awards they gave me looked like something they got from Temu. I’ve been asking these guys to do a couple of flags for the North Shore Rugby Club, but do you think I can get it out of them? No way.

I see with great interest that the government has finally upped the speed limit between Orewa and the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels from 100km to 110km. That stretch of road has been open for well over 15 years now, and it has taken them that long to up the speed limit by 10km per hour. When the stretch opened from Johnstone’s Hill tunnels to Warkworth, I remember seeing speed limit signs of 110km in the early weeks of the opening, but these were soon removed and the stretch of road has been policed at 100km per hour. About a year ago, the Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, at a morning tea in Warkworth, made the big announcement that that stretch of road will be increased to 110km. That still has not happened. Why does it take us so long to get things done? It is absolute madness.
I still can’t believe the amount of high-density housing that has been allowed to happen in the peninsular, an area of the North Shore south of Esmonde Road which takes in Hauraki, Belmont, Bayswater, King Store, Stanley Bay and Devonport. It is just ridiculous what has been allowed to happen. I am not against intensive housing; in fact, it is to be encouraged in the right areas. But when it comes without infrastructure upgrades, there is the problem. There are literally dozens of new houses being built in this area with no upgrades to sewerage or stormwater facilities. Where two houses used to be flushing two toilets, 16 houses are now flushing 32 toilets. All the rain that used to fall onto lawns, gardens and orchards is now falling onto concrete, pavements and driveways. No wonder we have flash floods occurring. Some blame global warming - I blame infrastructure changes. It’s just the council trying to get as much rates intake as they can. Where it was two properties paying rates, there are now 16 properties paying rates on the same area of land.
I heard there was a concrete company that recently did a concrete pour at an unspecified area within the Auckland metropolitan area. It was for a project where they had been helping a disability service provider build a new complex on their property. It was quite a tricky job, and they had to get 15 truckloads of concrete from the road up a right-of-way to the concrete pump to enable them to pour the concrete floor. They got a quote from a temporary traffic management company to organise the movement on the roads. The price quoted was going to cost this disability service provider nearly $18,000 for a day’s work. The company involved in pouring the concrete decided against any road management and quietly and efficiently (with high-vis jackets on) directed the 15 concrete trucks off the road and up the drive without any problems at all. It just makes me wonder how much is added on to construction costs with these stupid road management rules.
It is quite interesting seeing a couple of barges and a drilling platform between Westhaven boat marina and Barry’s Point Road, the last couple of months. I’ve been told on good authority from my men on the coalface that these are drilling rigs for geo-tech engineers drilling down 30 meters or more to get core samples of the subgrade, for I believe a new proposed harbour crossing. Whether it be a tunnel or a bridge, god only knows. But I am sure that these drilling rigs sitting there for the next couple of years will satisfy the curiosity and thirst of the people of Auckland for a second harbour crossing. Maybe Fullers, in their wisdom, could do weekly spectator charter trips out into the harbour to observe the progress of these drilling rigs. It could be a good way of raising some money to pay for the crossing. Once these core samples have been taken and there has been a couple of years of investigation, that should take it out to 2030. The consultation with the various affected parties, including residents of the affected areas overlooking the proposed construction sites, local Iwi, etc., would take the consultation period out to 2035. Plan drawing and engineering would take it all the way out to 2040, and maybe get a spade in the ground by 2045. With fit-out, testing and signalling, the new crossing would be opened by the Mayor of Auckland somewhere around 2050, all going well. Thinking about it, maybe 2050 would be a bit ambitious.
 
Message from publisher: Don’t believe everything you read. We’ve been showering Mr G with free flags for years. Temu wasn’t around when Mr G last picked up one of our prestigious awards.