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Rodney projects may be deferred Auckland Councils Finance and Performance Committee has identified $28 million in Local Board projects to be deferred for at least a year to keep rate increases to 2.5 per cent. A report by Council manager of financial planning, policy and budgeting Mathew Walker said delays in completing projects had meant "a significant bow wave has built up" and Council could not afford to complete all project Page 2

Disappointment as local events strug.. After the story about the cancellation of this years Guy Fawkes event on Orewa Beach broke on Hibiscus Matters website and Facebook page on August 21, the response from the public was immediate. Most evident from the comments was the disappointment and anger felt by local families - and it appears more disappointment could be on the way, as other summer events struggle for funding. Organisers are Page 3

Warkworth commuter service a step cl.. A regular bus service from Warkworth to Silverdale in 2016 is a step closer, with public consultation due to start early next year. Auckland Transport (AT) is proposing the service runs every two hours during the day and hourly at peak times. Based on results from a public transport engagement survey completed last month, AT will develop proposed routes and timetables for public consultation in 20 Page 2

Beachcombers pick up slack for Counc.. The work of clearing beaches of rubbish in regional parks, including Shakespear and Wenderholm, will largely fall to volunteers due to a reduction in the service levels provided by Council contractors. The change has the potential to increase the amount of unsightly rubbish that can present a hazard to both people and wildlife. Cost savings to ratepayers, as well as "rationalisation of standards o Page 2

Rodney candidates quizzed on environ.. Getting excited about the General Election seems a bit of a stretch for many people this year, but that certainly doesnt apply to members of Hibiscus Coast Forest & Bird. Local Forest & Bird members were first to host five of Rodneys general election candidates in a public meeting held in Orewa on August 5, and about 50 people turned out to hear what the candidates had to say on environmental is Page 3

Noah-nonsense approach taken to buil.. A Mahurangi entrepreneur says he has found a solution to the problem of affordable housing by building an ark. Coll Bell has built an A-frame style house on pontoons, which he says is classed as a boat, to show how building a home can be affordable if you dont need to follow the building code or gain building consent. "It makes me furious to hear Councillors going on about affordable housing when Page 3

Community effort saves Coasts safe .. The future of a local safe house has been secured by the intervention of two community groups - Hibiscus Coast Community House and The Shiloh Trust. The two organisations have been working behind the scenes with Hibiscus & Bays Local Board deputy chair Greg Sayers to save the safe house since a story appeared in Hibiscus Matters five months ago alerting them that it was in jeopardy. The Council-ow Page 6

Roads dominate Local Board plan meet.. Auckland Council staff and Rodney Local Board members outnumbered the public at an information evening on the Local Board Plan in Wellsford this month. The plan sets out priorities for the Local Board for the next three years and invites residents to comment by August 6. Only about 10 people attended the meeting at the Wellsford Community Hall, which became tense as the issue of unsealed roads ecl Page 2

Freemasons secrets come out in the .. The Freemasons are casting aside a long-held reputation for secrecy, starting locally by opening their Lodge in Orewa to the public. As well as holding a free public Open Day later this month, the organisation is also supporting local schools by funding software that assists children with learning or behavioural difficulties (HM April 2). Publicity convenor Peter Packard says it is time that the m Page 5

New course fosters student curiosity A new programme has been launched at Mahurangi College aimed at extending students education and knowledge outside of the regular school curriculum. Coordinator Cath Lewis says its all about connecting students with opportunities to extend their knowledge in a field they are keen and curious to explore. Parents and teachers will connect students with experts and mentors in the community who will Page 3

Ratepayers fund Rodney Local Board s.. The Rodney Local Board is going to harness the power of social media to rev up its image and better engage with its constituents, particularly youth. The board has agreed to fund a social media pilot for six months, costing $16,800. The money will be used to employ someone for 20 hours a week, at $35 an hour, to post comments on existing community Facebook pages. If it is successful, the project c Page 3

Open workshops under discussion Moves to allow the public and media into Council workshops have stirred up local body representatives, with strong views expressed on both sides. Workshops, which include briefings by Council staff and the circulation of information relevant to decision making, are held almost weekly. No proper Minutes are kept and public access is not permitted. This year the Devonport Takapuna Local Board opened Page 3

Full ferry service ready for launch .. Commuters can expect better ferry services between Gulf Harbour and Auckland sooner rather than later, with the announcement last week that the final hurdle, obtaining funding, is almost over. The improved service is expected to begin towards the end of this month, with Auckland Transport (AT) and Fairway Bay developer Top Harbour ready to sign an agreement at the end of last week. The cloak of co Page 2

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Questions raised over how Rodney rat.. Auckland Council is collecting more than $60 million a year from ratepayers in the Rodney ward, new figures appear to reveal. A member of the Northern Action Group (NAG), Dennis Brown, says he has been leaked the figures, and has questioned whether the ward is getting value for money. He has also noted that the Rodney Local Board receives just $24 million of the total. The leaked figures for the l Page 3

Three nations share their knowledge .. A cross cultural exchange of a unique kind took place this month with the visit of three Native American Elders to Te Herenga Waka in Orewa. The Elders, Gil Aguilera, Ruben Saufkie and Gail Whitlow, came to Orewa as the guests of Marama Winder who invited them here after attending their workshop in Albany last month. Marama organised the day of teaching, healing and ceremony at Te Herenga Waka in Page 8

Matakanas Seagull Race hits its tar.. Hundreds turned out to watch the annual Matakana Seagull Race and about $8000 was raised for local emergency services. The Matakana Pub co-owner and event organiser Duncan Anderson says it was a great day with about 32 Seagull-powered craft taking part. "It went really well. Numbers were up on last year," Duncan says. The money raised will be divided between the Kawau Coastguard, the Matakana Rura Page 6

Employment loses out as housing take.. The opportunity for locals to work, as well as live, on the Hibiscus Coast, is being eroded, even as the population grows, as owners of land that was zoned to provide employment seek consent for residential housing. Auckland Council is processing consents for both Clayton Reids Highgate Business Park in Wainui Rd, Silverdale, and the 11.3ha site on Hibiscus Coast Highway, opposite the Park n Ri Page 3

Old batteries power new community fu.. Redundant batteries will soon be supplying power to young users of mobility equipment as a result of the latest Orewa Lions initiative, supported by Silverdale business Tin Men. - Lions new project involves volunteers collecting unwanted, dead batteries from around the Hibiscus Coast and taking them to Tin Men for recycling. Tin Men pays around $10 per battery, and this money will go towards the Page 5

Motorway decision likely to sneak th.. The new motorway between Puhoi and Warkworth is likely Mahurangi to get consent with just days to spare before this years election. It was originally expected the consent would be approved by August. At a pre-hearing conference in Silverdale this month, the chairman of the board of inquiry, retired High Court judge John Priestley, said it was possible a final decision might not be ready until Oct Page 3

Hill Street intersection delayed yet.. Motorists travelling through Warkworth will have to wait nearly a decade until the Hill Street intersection is revamped. The NZ Transport Agency has confirmed it will not be upgrading the intersection until after the new motorway is built from Puhoi to Warkworth. It says it is important that it has a reliable alternative route in place first before it begins work. Cr Penny Webster had raised the p Page 3

Redress sought for damage to Weiti p.. The location of power lines on a sensitive, protected natural area on the Weiti River has caused conflict between the power company Vector and Hibiscus Coast Forest & Bird. The salt marsh is on an Auckland Council reserve, designated a Significant Ecological Area, and protected as one of the last natural coastal areas left in the region. However, recent work to repair a fault involved line workers Page 3