Thanks to you all for your support, your ideas and for working with me to follow up your concerns over the past three years. I have really enjoyed my first term on the Auckland Council, representing the North Shore. It is a privilege to meet so many great people through this role and I look forward to meeting more of you in the future.
Voting papers will be in your letterbox: September 20th to 25th. Make sure you vote and encourage others to vote too, then take your envelopes to a local library or send it back through the post before October 8th. Post them as soon as you can so they make it back on time, remind your family and neighbours too, if you can.
During this term we have dramatically increased public transport capacity on the Shore, especially on our buses. We worked with Auckland Transport to add 40% capacity to the new network last year and we are seeing around 10% growth in passengers each month. We also rolled out double deckers across many local neighbourhoods.
Another step forward to celebrate is Skypath; Chris Darby and I have worked for a long time to secure Skypath and Seapath projects for our local community and we finally have funding for both. The Government is now funding these projects through our ATAP agreement and all going well, we will see these projects started next year.
We will work hard to ensure these crucial links connect with our communities, so that many of you can walk and cycle easily across the harbour bridge and/or back and forth between Takapuna, Hauraki and Devonport to Birkenhead, Northcote and Glenfield. This will give you choice to commute safely by bike, and will give you and your family more recreation opportunities off peak, in the weekends and holidays.
Water quality has been a big priority for me, and we’ve heard loud and clear from our community you want action on improving it and cleaning up our beaches. We recently opened the $30m pump station in Fred Thomas Drive, and stormwater upgrades are underway across the community.
Last year we added hundreds of millions of dollars to our 10-year budget to clean up our harbour, streams and beaches. Forensic analysis of the water infrastructure near Takapuna Beach has been completed, and around 30 of the 40 identified issues have already been solved. Wastewater pipe upgrades are underway, and the $12m upgrade to Hurstmere Road is still to come and will bring more improvements to the area plus a new pedestrian-friendly space.
We have now got work started in the Wairau Estuary, Milford and Castor Bay catchments to identify issues and work with the community to improve the water quality there. Consultation has started already and funding is in place to continue the complex work.
The $100m Northcote and Takapuna town centre upgrades are much-needed, and will be a big investment for the Shore. It will make those areas more people-focused, and will create new public spaces, community facilities, homes and jobs. The $47m Lake Road upgrade is currently in detailed business case stage and we look forward to spades in the ground on that project too.
There has been a lot done this term but I hope you can support and vote for me again at the end of the month so I can continue to be your Positive Voice for the Shore on Council and get things done for our community, with our community.
