News

We are sad to announce that our Chairperson, Ruth Mackintosh, will retire after this year’s AGM on June 20.

Ruth was the driving force behind creating the Association (see Chance for Meadowbank residents to have their say, East and Bays Courier, 10 October 2012). “It’s been nearly four years since we started the Meadowbank and St Johns Residents Association. We’ve grown from a handful of locals to a network of connected neighbours and groups. Starting the group from scratch has been so satisfying” she says.

Since its inception, the Association has held 12 events locally, ranging from open days of local landmarks to educational evenings, and made over 20 submissions advocating on behalf of Meadowbank & St Johns residents to organisations like Auckland Council, Housing New Zealand and Auckland Transport.

“I’m most proud of how we’ve teamed up with other community groups” says Ruth, “especially Orakei Local Board who have been instrumental to our success. They provided financial support and the knowhow to get things done.”

Ruth has been a gregarious leader, master networker, and tireless worker and she will be very much missed by many both inside and outside the Association. “I’m stepping down because I’ve done it for four years. I’ve loved it. It’s been a great opportunity, but it’s time for new blood.”

Ruth is pictured at our Keep NZ Beautiful Pourewa Valley Clean-Up event in September 2015 

Maintenance will be carried out on Waiatarua Footbridge (also known as Duck Bridge) from 30 May until 19 June, 2016.

For full details, see the Waiatarua Road Footbridge Works Notification information flyer from Auckland Transport.

UPDATE 23 June 2016: The work will involve closing the bridge for two days on Thursday 30 June and Friday 1 July.

UPDATE 2 August: Pedestrian refuge has been approved outside St Johns College. See our news article ‘New pedestrian refuge approved for St Johns Rd’ 4 August, 2016.

UPDATE 29 June: AT advised no work will go ahead at the Truman St intersection on either the bus stop or pedestrian crossing. We are still waiting to hear about 181 St Johns Rd.

Auckland Transport (AT) is seeking feedback on new pedestrian crossing facilities and bus stop relocations on St Johns Rd. Feedback is required on both proposals by 9 June 2016.

1. 181 St Johns Rd

One of the proposals is to install a pedestrian crossing facility and relocate an existing bus stop at 181 St Johns Road (outside the main entrance to St Johns Theological College). In summary, AT are proposing to:

• install new pedestrian refuge islands for improved visibility and to assist pedestrians crossing the road safely.
• reconfigure the existing bus stop which will allow pedestrians to access the crossing point behind the bus and avoid crossing in front of the bus.

For more information, please view:

• Drawings of the proposed crossing and bus stop realignment at 181 St Johns Rd
• Consultation letter from AT about the new pedestrian refuge and change to bus stop
• Feedback form (PDF, you can print and send Freepost)
• Online feedback form at https://at.govt.nz/trafficsafetyconsultations.

2. St Johns Road and Truman Street intersection

The second proposal is to install a pedestrian island crossing facility and relocate an existing bus stop on St Johns Road near its intersection with Truman Street, St Johns.

AT proposes the following:

• Introduce a pedestrian crossing facility outside No. 142 and No. 127 St Johns Road.
• Relocate the existing bus stop from St Johns Road near its intersection with Truman Street, to outside of No. 125 St Johns Road.

More information:

• Drawings of the proposed crossing and bus stop realignment at the St Johns Rd/Truman St intersection
• Online feedback form at https://at.govt.nz/trafficsafetyconsultations.

Update 19 August 2016: The Unitary Plan was passed by Councillors on August 19 and shows Purewa Driveway (between St Johns Rd and Parsons Rd) rezoned for housing (mixed housing suburban, in yellow), as per the image below:

More than 9,400 submissions were made to the Auckland Council on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (PAUP) in 2013. Among these was a submission made by the Purewa Cemetery Trust Board (PCTB) to rezone their driveway from Public Open Space to Mixed Housing Urban. The submission states that the driveway is no longer required for cemetery purposes and that rezoning would allow for residential development.

In March 2016, locals became aware of the submission. As a residents’ association, we heard about the issue via Neighbourly. It was added to the agenda of our April 5 meeting. A large number of people turned out to share their concerns. The key objections were the loss of cultural heritage, the increase of cemetery traffic along Dorchester, Fancourt and Blackett routes, and the loss of green space.

When asked about the plans, Clifton Thompson, general manager of Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium pointed out that private land should never have been zoned public in the original PAUP. He also said that there were no immediate plans to sell the land, and that any sale would likely coincide with the cemetery reaching capacity in around 20 years.

Letters have been written on behalf of residents to the PCTB and to the Auckland Council. The cultural heritage aspects of the driveway are also being explored. If you have special knowledge or interest in the driveway, or would simply like to receive updates specific to this development, please email .