Just a heads up: Selwyn District now have a “Parking Safety team” and from 19th September 2022, are currently authorized to go around issuing infringement notices to vehicle operators.
See Selwyn District’s parking announcement here.
For some time, Selwyn District were unique among New Zealand’s local councils in not having an active regime of issuing parking tickets (instead preferring an educational approach).
Personal opinion as a layman / ordinary member of the Public.
It is in my view that much of the buck stops with BRANZ (Building Research Association of New Zealand) of the time for approving the products and construction methods associated with the leaky homes crisis in the first place. Particulary pertaining to the period starting around the mid-90’s and ending around ~2005.
I am surprised back then that not more scruntiny were directed towards BRANZ and their appraisal process of the time.
It’s also in my personal opinion that some commercial players in the industry later milked the situation for what it’s worth for their own financial gain adding insult to homeowner injury by employing fear and resulted in my view, needless regulatory capture so much so that Homeowners were no longer afforded the self determination nor the right to reclad a given place themselves, significantly increasing both the bureaucractic and financial burden of getting their own homes up to a better more durable and livable standard on their own accord.
Is it is further to my opinion that a lot of needless reclads have occured when more targeted solutions for certain situations could have sufficed.
Pertaining to some monolithic cladding methods… Given New Zealand’s climate, in particular rain full and use of under-treated timber, there was insufficient ability for moisture to escape at sufficient volume to avoid damage from moisture build up over time. This was in my view particularly the case due to insufficient specifications regarding protecting window flashings and protecting penetrations for services (such as pipes) allowing additional moisture to seep through into the building envelope with no means to escape but to effectively settle and accumulate at the bottom of the timber wall framing there by rotting out the bottom plate member.
While some cladding manufacturers had specified an air gap at the bottom edge (slight overhang of the wall frame over the foundation), it is in my opinion this alone was not sufficient to allow enough moisture to be removal. It was also the case that builders did not even bother to leave this gap as per mandated by the cladding manufacturer.
Now it would be easy to blame homeowners / home buyers (“Consumers”) in this situation but give the prevailing industry wisdom of the time, the public were assured by those that were entrusted with protecting the public that things were OK.
Tried searching for what the roadworks are on the southern end of Highbrook Drive and why they appear to be taking so long. This comes up…
Project Name: TSL(SC)P-2409 173 Highbrook Drive, East Tāmaki
Worksite Name: Highbrook Drive, Otara – Construction of new intersection
Searching for either The Project Name or the Reference number brings up very little information about these works
With things down to a single lane (one side) and given that it’s a major link to one of Auckland’s major Employment and business zone, some more publicly accessible information about the project I feel from the government agencies involved with overseeing this project is in order.
Update 19th December 2023: I never got a response to this. Have now sent an enquiry to the Office of the Ombudsman to discuss taking this further.
Letter I sent off to Auckland Transport early this morning (I suffer from sleep maintenance insomnia). While I reiterate I’ve yet to personally receive a fine, I feel a strong moral objection with how Auckland Transport are going about this and have strong concerns how an agency that is supposed to be acting in the interest of the public are rolling out enforcement cameras to use against the very people they are supposed to be serving.
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Good Morning,
Sorry to have to raise this issue again. I am continuing to hear and read about people getting fined on the bus lane section of Khyber Pass (East bound) between Kingdon and Broadway.
Given the obvious and ongoing confusion this is causing, It’s now at the stage where I request Auckland Transport to please provide me with at least a high level plan or overview as to how they propose to mitigate the ongoing confusion for the motoring public (by Close of Business Friday 5:00 pm NZDT, 7th October 2022, please)
I remind Auckland Transport again that since they insist that it’s not about revenue, AT in my mind have a clear obligation to the Auckland public and Auckland Residents / Ratepayers to minimize confusion and address the issue of signage and guidance surrounding bus and transit lanes. I will also further remind AT they are there to serve the public, not wage an ideological war (through setting up an ever increasing array of automated enforcement cameras to use) against the very people who AT are supposed to be serving and those who ultimately pay AT’s wages.
Given the individual financial impact each infringement incurs, Auckland Transport I firmly feel could be doing a lot more, Including but by no means limited to setting up a comprehensive and up-to-date bus and transit lane map online as a public service and running ads on the back of say buses advising motorists to please check for the latest SVL arrangements prior to heading out. (There may be an opportunity to promote public transport use such as “Avoid the stress and confusion. Let AT take you there”)
Please refer to prior case numbers CAS-521169-X3C4G3 and CAS-545044-D9D8D1 for previous correspondence on this matter.
If I could please receive an initial acknowledgement of the receipt of this request by Close of Business Friday 5:00 pm 16th September 2022, this would be appreciated, along with the an overview of what Auckland Transport are planning to do to aid motorists in these situations (be it advertising, public advisory campaign, more comprehensive guidance videos, better signage, or otherwise) by Friday 5:00 pm NZDT, 7th October 2022, please.
If I do not hear from Auckland Transport by 7th October 2022 pertaining to the above I will be proceeding to take this matter further as a civic concern.
Thank you.