It’s March again, only a couple of hundred more sleeps until Christmas. Sorry I missed last month, I extended my holiday in the beautiful Bay of Islands, watching cricket on the telly, reading a few books, swimming at Long Beach and catching up with old friends as I try to do every year.

Coming back to the North Shore, I was again inundated with stupidity. I thought we had done away with all these pedestrian crossings that are being forced on us by Auckland Transport. But no, how wrong I was. I see plans are in place to spend more millions both at the Narrow Neck Beach area and the Cheltenham shops. Again, millions of dollars’ worth of proposed works that could be done for a lot, lot less than the figures being bandied about.
If I’ve said it once I have said it a dozen times, these works really comprise less than a week of digger time, a couple of trucks and three to four truckloads of concrete, and some road painting. And if we make the road painting the same as the previous painting that AT put down, it will wear out within the year. Add in a bit of tar sealing, and the job is done. 

So how come there is a couple of million dollars budgeted to do these works that actually nobody wants anyway?
I see also there is a proposal for the makeover of the tennis courts on Mt Victoria, which has a budget of $2.2 million. This design was given by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority (TMA) and approved by them, and includes a combined tennis and basketball court, children’s play area, a games wall, and accessible toilets. Dear me, it just goes on and on. There is also a planned bus parking area downhill from the courts. Why do we need a bus parking area when there is no driving on the mountain?
I see this whole area will have a Māori theme, with a large sculpture, pou, and coloured patterned welcome mat surfaces. The art elements have been designed to reflect the Tainui waka landing. I hope they won’t use the same paint that AT used further down in Devonport which has worn badly in a short space of time.

I despair at the state of the once lovely old Esplanade Hotel. I pop in there occasionally for a zero alcohol beer. There are dead lightbulbs in the light fittings that have gone unreplaced for months, cigarette butts outside, the garden is unkempt, outdoor furniture is scruffy and broken, the attempted internal paint repairs leave much to be desired, the men’s toilets stink, and the outside is a sad, peeling paint shadow of its former glory. Sir Thomas Lipton would turn in his grave if he saw the state of it, but that is another story. This building is the gateway to Devonport and as such should be something to be really proud of. From what I can gather the building is owned by Chinese business interests and run by an Indian family. It would be great to see it restored to its former splendour.

Here’s some thoughts about the coalition Government that has been in power for 17 months now.  
Here we are in a new year, a familiar Government and the same old grumblings from every corner in our country. You can almost set your watch by it. The election of 2023 brought a coalition of National, Act and New Zealand First into power with great promises and a to-do list longer than Lake Road. Now, as we are round the corner into 2025, it is time to ask what has been done, what has been botched and what is still gathering dust.  
First up, the big-ticket items: tax cuts, which were promised with much fanfare. If I recall correctly a rather optimistic belief in an economic miracle, but here we are 17 months later, and no one has seen a cent of relief. The Government blames an economic slowdown, a widening budget deficit and the stubborn reality of governing, but for the average New Zealander all that matters is the money isn’t in their pockets. Inflation hasn’t exactly been kind and despite assurances, tax relief is still on the table, but it’s looking like a dog-eared menu item that never quite makes it onto the table.
However, in saying this I believe that the incoming government found a lot bigger problem with the economy than they were led to believe by the despicable outgoing shambles of the government before them.
There’s quite a bit to get through with these grumbles, so I will continue with these next month…