Agenda of Waitākere Ranges Local Board

1 Welcome

2 Apologies

At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.

3 Declaration of Interest

Members were reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.

Specifically members are asked to identify any new interests they have not previously disclosed, an interest that might be considered as a conflict of interest with a matter on the agenda.

At its meeting on 28 November 2013, the Waitakere Ranges Local Board resolved (resolution number WTK/2010/5) to record any possible conflicts of interest in a register.

Board Member	Organisation / Position
Sandra Coney	· Waitemata District Health Board – Elected Member · Women’s Health Action Trust – Patron
Neil Henderson	· Portage Trust – Elected Member · West Auckland Trust Services (WATS) Board – Trustee/Director · Weedfree Trust – Employee
Greg Presland	· Portage Trust – Elected Member · Lopdell House Development Trust – Trustee · Titirangi Residents & Ratepayers Group – Committee Member · Whau Coastal Walkway Environmental Trust – Trustee · Combined Youth Services Trust - Trustee
Steve Tollestrup	· Waitakere Licensing Trust – Elected Member · West Auckland Trust Services (WATS) Board – Trustee/Director · Waitakere Task force on Family Violence – Appointee
Saffron Toms	NIL
Denise Yates	· Friends of Arataki Incorporated – Committee member · Ecomatters Environment Trust – Trustee · Charlotte Museum Trust – Trustee

Member appointments

Board members are appointed to the following bodies. In these appointments the board members represent Auckland Council.

Board Member	Organisation / Position
Sandra Coney	· Friends of Arataki Incorporated – Trustee
Neil Henderson	· Friends of Arataki Incorporated – Trustee · Living Cell Technologies Animal Ethics Committee – Member
Saffron Toms	· Ark in the Park – Governance Group Member

4 Confirmation of Minutes

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) Confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Thursday, 10 September 2015, including the confidential section, as a true and correct record.

5 Leave of Absence

At the close of the agenda no requests for leave of absence had been received.

6 Acknowledgements

At the close of the agenda no requests for acknowledgements had been received.

7 Update from Ward Councillors

An opportunity is provided for the Waitakere Ward Councillors to update the board on regional issues they have been involved with since the last meeting.

8 Deputations

Standing Order 3.20 provides for deputations. Those applying for deputations are required to give seven working days notice of subject matter and applications are approved by the Chairperson of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board. This means that details relating to deputations can be included in the published agenda. Total speaking time per deputation is ten minutes or as resolved by the meeting.

8.1 Glen Eden Youth Providers Network

Purpose

In appreciation of the support that the Waitākere Ranges Local Board has provided, Kyle Turner, Coordinator for the Glen Eden Youth Providers Network would like an opportunity to present to Board members a brief update on what the network has achieved this year and its plans for 2016.

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) Receives the deputation from Kyle Turner, Glen Eden Youth Providers Network and thank him for his presentation.

Attachments

a Glen Eden Youth Providers Network..................................................... 55

9 Public Forum

A period of time (approximately 30 minutes) is set aside for members of the public to address the meeting on matters within its delegated authority. A maximum of 3 minutes per item is allowed, following which there may be questions from members.

At the close of the agenda no requests for public forum had been received.

10 Extraordinary Business

Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“An item that is not on the agenda for a meeting may be dealt with at that meeting if-

(a) The local authority by resolution so decides; and

(b) The presiding member explains at the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public,-

(i) The reason why the item is not on the agenda; and

(ii) The reason why the discussion of the item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.”

Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:

“Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting,-

(a) That item may be discussed at that meeting if-

(i) That item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and

(ii) the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but

(b) no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.”

11 Notices of Motion

At the close of the agenda no requests for notices of motion had been received.

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

24 September 2015

Waitākere Ranges Local Board Quick Response Grants: Round One 2015/2016

File No.: CP2015/17025

Purpose

1. The purpose of this report is to present applications received for round one of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Quick Response Grants 2015/2016. The local board is required to fund, part-fund or decline these applications.

Executive Summary

2. The Waitākere Ranges Local Board has set a total community funding budget of $23,000 for the 2015/2016 financial year.

3. Ten applications were received in this round, with a total requested of $16,965.

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) Considers the applications listed in Table One and agree to fund, part-fund or decline each application in this round.

Table One: Waitākere Ranges Local Board Round One Quick Response Applications

Organisation Name	Project	Total Requested	Eligible/ ineligible
Safer West Community Trust - Keep on Keepin on	Funding towards health and safety, entertainment and advertising for "Keep on Keepin on - Carnival for a Cause"	$5,000	Ineligible due to the event being held outside the local board area and amount requested exceeds the maximum for the Waitākere Ranges Local Board quick response grants programme.
Titirangi Community Arts Council. TCAC	Funding towards petrol, venue hire, music, advertising for the 'Momentum Exhibition"	$1,270	Eligible
Glen Eden Baptist Church	Funding towards a bouncy castle for the "Light Party"	$1,500	Eligible
Titirangi Community House Society Incorporated	Funding towards advertising to raise awareness of the Titirangi Community House and services available	$1,200	Eligible
Ann-Margaret Campbell-Strickland (individual)	Funding towards food for participants taking part in a five day Whariki Wananga to learn the traditional knowledge of flax mat weaving and use.	$1,000	Eligible
Raukautauri Music Therapy Trust	Funding towards room hire at the community house, for six months, from November 2015 to May 2016 to hold the "Titirangi Music Therapy Outreach Programme"	$1,500	Eligible
Royal NZ Plunket Society Waitemata Area	Funding towards venue hire of the Titirangi Memorial Hall to hold the Plunket playgroup gatherings	$1,500	Eligible
Waitakere Arts and Culture Development Trust	Funding towards catering for "Summer arts science experience forum" on the 3 November 2015	$1,500	Eligible
Bepen Bhana (individual)	Funding towards creating a professional display for painted canvas depicting Waitakere landscapes and South Asian film images.	$995	Eligible
Auckland Regional Migrant Services Charitable Trust	Funding towards team salaries for the WISE collective project, a weekly programme for refugee women.	$1,500	Eligible
	Total	$16,965

Comments

4. The implementation of the new Community Grants Policy commenced on 1 July 2015. The policy supports each local board to adopt a grants programme for 2015/2016 and the Waitākere Ranges Local Board adopted its grants programme on 23 April 2015 (see Attachment A).

5. The local board grants programme sets out:

· local board priorities

· lower priorities for funding

· exclusions

· grant types, the number of grant rounds and when these will open and close

· any additional accountability requirements.

6. The Waitākere Ranges Local Board will operate five quick response rounds for this financial year. The first quick response round closed on 14 August 2015.

7. The new community grant programmes have been extensively advertised through the new council grant webpage, local board webpages, local board e-newsletters and Facebook pages, council publications, radio, local newspapers and community networks. Staff have also conducted a series of public workshops in local board areas, which have been attended by approximately 1000 people across the Auckland region.

8. For the 2015/2016 financial year, the Waitākere Ranges Local Board set a total community grants budget of $23,000.

9. Ten applications were received for this quick response round, requesting a total of $16,965.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

10. Local boards are responsible for the decision-making and allocation of local board community grants. The Waitākere Ranges local board is required to fund, part-fund or decline these grant applications against the local board priorities identified in the local board grant programme.

11. The board is requested to note that section 50 of the Community Grants Policy states “We will also provide feedback to unsuccessful grant applicants about why they have been declined, so they will know what they can do to increase their chances of success next time.”

Māori impact statement

12. The provision of community grants provides opportunities for all Aucklanders to undertake projects, programmes, activities that benefit a wider range of individuals and groups, including Maori. As a guide for decision-making, in the allocation of community grants, the new community grants policy supports the principle of delivering positive outcomes for Maori. One individual applying in this round has identified as Maori and has indicated their project targets Maori or Maori outcomes.

Implementation

13. The allocation of grants to community groups is within the adopted Long Term Plan 2015-2025 and local board agreements.

14. Following the Waitākere Ranges Local Board allocating funding for round one quick response, Commercial and Finance staff will notify the applicants of the local board decision.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Waitākere Ranges Local Board Grants Programme 2015/2016	13

Signatories

Authors

Fua Winterstein - Community Grants Advisor

Authorisers

Marion Davies - Community Grants Operations Manager

Jennifer Rose - Operations Support Manager

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

24 September 2015

Auckland Transport Update Report - September 2015

File No.: CP2015/19554

Purpose

1. The purpose of the report is to respond to Waitakere Ranges Local Board requests on transport related matters and to provide information about Auckland Transport’s activities in the board area.

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) Receives the Auckland Transport Update Report - September 2015

Comments

2. The Waitakere Ranges Local Board Plan 2014 - 2017 provides direction to Auckland Transport on the views and preferences of the local community. It has three main themes, with a number of key initiatives, relating to transport and the enhancement of public space along the road corridor.

The Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area is protected

§ Developing a Road Corridor Design Guide for the Heritage area.

§ Implementing Local Area Plans (LAPs). The five existing LAPs for Oratia; Henderson Valley-Opanuku; Waiatarua; Muddy Creeks; Te Henga (Bethells Beach) and the Waitakere River Valley have transport related actions for each area.

Our Unique natural environments are healthy and restored

§ Implementing the Waitakere Ranges Strategic Weed Management Plan.

Public transport, cycling and walking are easy, safe and connected

§ Support rail electrification and improvements to bus services.

§ Work with our communities on a proposal for a connector shuttle service for coastal / rural areas, similar to the Kowhai connection in Warkworth.

§ Support the development of park and ride in Glen Eden.

§ Working with Auckland Transport to improve the road corridor in Glen Eden.

§ Develop a greenways plan for walking and cycling.

§ Investigate options for a cycleway from Project Twin Streams pathway to Glen Eden town centre.

§ Support the development of a cycleway alongside the Western Rail Line.

§ Advocate for rural road safety improvements – including sensible speed limits and provisions for walking and cycling.

LOCAL BOARD TRANSPORT FUND APPLICATION UPDATE REPORT

MOUNTAIN ROAD WALKWAY - Detail Design Stage

Project scope

3. A footpath design and construction on Mountain Road from 6 Mountain Road to the Opanuku Pipeline Track.

Status

The draft design will be presented to the Local Board on the 17th September to seek the Board’s feedback on design and costs and, get approval to go ahead with detailed design finalisation and construction.

ORATIA PROJECTS: IMPROVEMENTS TO WALKING & CYCLING FACILITY –

Investigation/Preliminary design stage

Project scope

4. A new footpath on the Northern Side of West Coast Road starting from outside 543 West Coast Road and ending outside 515 West Coast Road.

5. The widening of the existing footpath into a 3m wide shared path on the southern side of West Coast Road starting from the Oratia kindergarten and ending near the intersection of West Coast Road and Parrs Cross Road.

6. Improvement to the pedestrian crossing facility opposite Oratia Kindergarten and the Settlers Hall.

7. Improvement to the pedestrian crossings on Shaw Road and a planted kerb build-out to slow down the turning traffic.

Status

8. Public consultation has been completed; feedback summary will be presented to the Local Board to seek their advice on future works at the next available workshop.

WALKING & CYCLING CONNECTION FROM ORATIA TO TWIN STREAMS WALKWAY AND SUNNYVALE TRAIN STATION THROUGH PARRS PARK - Feasibility Studies

Project scope

9. The project scope includes investigation of options for improved active transport connections with a continuous safe off-road cycling and walking link from Oratia to the Project Twin Streams walkway and Sunnyvale Train Station, including:

§ A safe pedestrian/cyclist road crossing to connect the shared path from the southern side of West Coast Road to Parrs Park, and;

§ Options for a shared path through Parrs Park to connect to the Project Twin Streams pathway and to Sunnyvale Train Station.

§ Investigating options to improve pedestrian and cycle safety across roundabouts

§ Engaging with the Hoani Waititi Marae over pedestrians’ safety crossing the road, in particular with regards to school children.

Status

10. Draft Feasibility study report has been completed; it will be presented to the Local Board at the 17th September workshop to seek the Boards advice on future works.

CAPTAIN SCOTT ROAD (NEAR ITS INTERSECTION WITH WEST COAST ROAD) – PEDESTRIAN & STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS - Investigation Stage

11. Draft preliminary design will be presented to the Local Board on the 17th September workshop to seek the board’s advice on future stages.

RESPONSES AND PROGRESS REPORTS

CORNWALLIS SLIP

12. Physical works will start on 22 June and will be completed by the end of September.

13. The traffic lights on Huia Road will stay until the works are complete, as Auckland Transport has no other option, as the road is too narrow to have lanes in both directions.

CORNWALLIS SLIP UPDATE

14. The physical works started on Monday, 27 July. The work that is being carried out at the slip is as follows:

§ Auckland Transport contractor Fulton Hogan Limited excavated and carted away the unstable material, working from the top down. At the same time the face of the slip was drilled 10m deep, 32mm diameter steel soil nails were inserted and cement grout was put on to hold them in place. Once the excavation of the unsuitable material and the installation of the soil nails is completed (1m below the existing road) they will put in subsoil and drains. This will be followed by placement of the first layer of reinforced fill. The backfill will be completed in 200mm thick layers to reinstate the driveway access that was lost with the original slip. The site will then be top-soiled and planted.

15. The works are expected to be finished at the end of September 2015.

LITTLE HUIA FOOTBRIDGE

16. The consent has been submitted to Auckland Council. Auckland Council Consents have determined that an archaeological assessment is required, and this is currently being prepared. Auckland Transport understands this is the final outstanding matter for the consent to be processed.

SARONA AVENUE, GLEN EDEN - PROPOSED NO STOPPING AT ALL TIMES (NSAAT) RESTRICTION

17. A number of concerns have been raised by local residents with regards to the visibility issues experienced by drivers when exiting Sarona Avenue at the intersection with Glenview Road.

18. At present vehicle parking is allowed on both sides of Glenview Road and Sarona Avenue, in the vicinity of this intersection. During the site visit it was observed that visibility for drivers exiting Sarona Avenue is restricted mainly due to parked vehicles on the eastern side of Glenview Road.

19. Therefore, to help improve visibility at this location, we are proposing to install No Stopping At All Times (NSAAT) ‘Broken Yellow Lines’ at the location indicated on the attached aerial photograph.

Response from the Local Board

20. The Local Board Transport Portfolio holder was supportive of the proposal.

FRESH CHOICE SUPERMARKET - CORNER OF WEST COAST ROAD AND BOWERS ROAD - KEEP CLEAR ZONE REQUEST

21. Auckland Transport has visited the site and undertaken an initial review of the issue raised. Further detailed investigation now needs to be undertaken to ensure a comprehensive review of this issue. This investigation has been prioritised and programmed for review, following which Auckland Transport will be able to provide the Local Board with the outcome and recommendations of the assessment. The Local Board can expect to receive an update from us by early November 2015.

O’NEILLS ROAD SPEED

22. The Local Board has received a complaint requesting Auckland Transport to investigate reducing speeds on O’Neills Road.

Update

23. While Auckland Transport had hoped to provide an update by this time, our investigations are taking longer than anticipated. You can therefore expect an update by the beginning of October 2015.

TRAM VALLEY ROAD SPEED LIMIT

24. The Local Board has received a complaint requesting Auckland Transport to investigate reducing on speed on Tram Valley Road.

Update

25. Auckland Transport is investigating this request.

HUIA ROAD SPEED LIMIT

26. The Local Board has received a complaint requesting Auckland Transport to investigate requesting to extend the 50 km/h speed limit up to the hill in Parau.

Update

27. Auckland Transport (AT) has visited the site and undertaken an initial review of the issue raised. Further detailed investigation now needs to be undertaken to ensure a comprehensive review of this issue. This investigation has been prioritised and programmed for review, following which Auckland Transport will be able to provide the Local Board with the outcome and recommendations based on AT’s assessment. The Local Board is expected to receive an update from Auckland Transport by early October 2015.

DRAFT DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE

28. Update on timeline for the Local Board:

· The draft document with images is due to be completed by end of September, early October.

· Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Project Coordination Group to be held on 21 September

· Consultation on draft document October-November with Local Board, Residents & Ratepayers group and in-house AT teams

· Final draft for review November/December 2015

· Publication Jan/Feb 2016 (Provisional)

KAREKARE ROAD POHUTUKAWA TREE

29. Auckland Transport identified a pohutukawa tree on Karekare Road as a potential hazard for users of this road due to the vertical clearance above the road carriageway. Following discussion with Park’s Arborists the decision was made to commission an arboricultural assessment of the tree. The arborist’s report identifies that this pohutukawa tree is very old and will progressively decline but potentially has many years of life left. It is also 3.25 metres at its lowest point above the carriageway and the generally permitted maximum vehicle height clearance is 4.5 metres. Auckland Transport has decided not to remove the limb of the tree but instead have now installed further warning signage to alert road users to the potential hazard and a monitoring programme is being introduced. Additionally, the option of propping the limb as a means of preventing the limb from lowering further is currently being investigated by staff. AT and AC staff met recently with the Waitakere Ranges Local Board to provide a briefing and seek feedback.

30. If the propping option is not viable then the issue is likely to be revisited.

MOUNTAIN ROAD, HENDERSON VALLEY – SIGNAGE

31. The ward Councillor and Local Board Transport portfolio Lead have been contacted by a local resident about roading issues on Mountain Road. The resident would like Auckland Transport to investigate installing signage.

Update

32. Auckland Transport is investigating this request.

ISSUES PENDING
Subject Name	Description	Due Date
Huia Road Speed Limit & Footpath, Parau	A request has been received from the Local Board Portfolio Lead to look at the speed on Huia Road with a view to speed restriction being introduced.	Early October 2015

ISSUES COMPLETED
Subject Name	Decision Description	Date Requested	Completion date
Anawhata Road Roading Issues	Auckland Transport has attended to the potholes. Pothole filling occurred on 14 July 2015.	July 2015	August 2015
Arama Avenue, Titirangi - Proposed No Stopping At All Times (Nsaat) Restriction	The Local Board Transport Portfolio holder was supportive of the proposal.	July 2015	August 2015
Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi – Raised Zebra Crossing	The Local Board Transport Portfolio holder was supportive of the proposal.	July 2015	August 2015
Simpson Road And Metcalfe Road – Intersection Safety Concerns	Auckland Transport is proposing to install traffic islands and kerb extension islands. The installation of these islands will help reduce the speed of vehicles using this intersection as well as improving facilities for pedestrians. It is hoped to have these installed during this financial year.	July 2015	August 2015

REGIONAL UPDATES

Survey for Warkworth results in continued Kowhai Connection service

33. During July and August 2014 a survey was conducted to investigate the public transport requirements for the residents of Warkworth. 396 submissions were received.

34. “The survey was undertaken as part of a network review that’s happening for all of Auckland,” says Anthony Cross, Public Transport Network Manager.

35. Information was gathered on what journeys locals would use a public transport service for, and how often they would use it.

36. “We’ve analysed the feedback received, and the result is that Warkworth will continue to be served by the Kowhai Connection service, which provides transport around the local area.

37. “At present we did not find that there is a strong demand from the community for a public transport service to the Hibiscus Coast, however we recognise that Warkworth is a rapidly developing area therefore we will re-look at Warkworth’s public transport needs in 2016-17,” says Mr Cross.

38. “In October we’ll be extending the popular Northern Express service from Auckland City up to Silverdale, which in the next few years will be supported by a new Park and Ride facility. This could provide a future option for Warkworth residents needing to commute to Auckland City.”

39. For a detailed summary of the survey results, and to find out about New Network changes for other areas of Auckland visit AT.govt.nz/NewNetwork.

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a View	Sarona Avenue, New Windsor proposed NSAAT installation	3

Signatories

Authors

Owena Schuster - Elected Member Relationship Manager - West, Auckland Transport

Authorisers

Jonathan Anyon, Elected Member Relationship Team Manager

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

24 September 2015

Community Environmental Services Work Programme 2015/2016

File No.: CP2015/15788

Purpose

1. To seek approval from the Waitākere Ranges Local Board for the allocation of $86,000 for the community environmental services work programme to be delivered by the Infrastructure and Environmental Services Department (I&ES) in the 2015/2016 financial year.

Executive Summary

1. The Waitākere Ranges Local Board committed $313,000 in total to local environmental development projects in their Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) budget for 2015/2016. This included a budget of $90,000 for community environmental services.

2. On 14 May, 2015 (resolution WTK/2015/78) the board also provided a transitional grant to Ecomatters Environmental Trust (EcoMatters) of $40,000 for business and service continuity, as it was anticipated that funding for 2015/2016 was not going to be confirmed for some months. This amount has remained with Ecomatters, who confirmed to support the delivery of community and weed projects to be scoped through further discussions with the board.

3. Based on discussions with the board portfolio holders and workshops held with the full board on 20 August 2015 and 27 August 2015 regarding the allocation of this community environmental services budget, and the scope of projects to be delivered through the transitional grant, a proposed community environmental services work programme has been developed and is outlined in Table One below.

4. This programme draws on $10,000 of the Ecomatters transitional grant and a further allocation of $86,000 from 2015/2016 budgets. This programme will be delivered by EcoMatters as part of the board’s partnership with this community organisation.

5. The remaining $30,000 of the Ecomatters transitional grant will be used for the delivery of weed management projects, scope to be defined through further discussions with the board.

Table One: Proposed community environmental services work programme 2015/2016

Community environmental services work programme	Budget
EcoMatters Environment Centre and Sustainability Hub	$35,000
EcoWest Festival	$10,000
Environmental Champion Recognition Awards	$5,000
War on Weeds	$16,000
Operation Spring Clean	$5,000
Little Sprouts	$5,000
Homewise	$5,000
Plastic bag campaign	$5,000
Total to be allocated from 2015/2016 budgets	$86,000

Community planting/nursery development	$10,000
Total funded through transitional grant approved in May 2015	$10,000

6. $4,000 of the community environmental services budget remains unallocated.

7. It is recommended that the board approve the above listed community environmental services work programme and associated budgets for delivery in 2015/2016.

8. In addition to the work programme outlined above, the board has already approved the scope of three projects to be delivered through their local environmental development budget with a total value of $109,000. These include:

· Kauri dieback community co-ordinator - $47,000 (resolution number WTK/2015/71)

· On-site wastewater subsidy scheme - $50,000 (resolution number WTK/2015/70)

· Support for Manukau Harbour Forum - $11,889 (resolution number WTK/2015/93)

9. Further discussions will be held to confirm the scope of projects to be delivered for the board using their remaining local environmental development budget of $118,000 and $30,000 transitional grant to Ecomatters, as highlighted in Table Two.

Table Two: Remaining budget to be allocated to 2015/2016 projects

Remaining budgets	Amount still to be allocated
Community environmental services	$4,000
Māui dolphin awareness	$10,000
Weed and pest management	$83,000
Weed Control	$21,000
Ecomatters transitional grant (flexible funding)	$30,000
Total	$148,000

Recommendations

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) Approves the allocation of budgets for community environmental services projects to be delivered by the Infrastructure and Environmental Services department in 2015/2016 as detailed in this report and summarised in the table below:

Community environmental services Budget	Budget
EcoMatters Environment Centre and Sustainability Hub	$35,000
EcoWest Festival	$10,000
Environmental Champion Recognition Awards	$5,000
War on Weeds	$16,000
Operation Spring Clean	$5,000
Little Sprouts	$5,000
Homewise	$5,000
Plastic bag campaign	$5,000
Total	$86,000

b) Requests that $10,000 of the $40,000 transitional grant provided to EcoMatters in May 2015, be used for a community planting and nursery development project.

c) Notes that the remaining $30,000 of this transitional grant will be used to deliver weed management projects, scope to be confirmed through a future report.

d) Notes that the board has a local environmental development budget of $118,000 that remains unallocated. This includes $4,000 of the community environmental services budget and $114,000 for Maui dolphin awareness and weed and pest management projects.

e) Requests that any significant changes identified during programme delivery will be brought to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board for approval.

Comments

10. The Waitakere Ranges Local Board has identified an aspiration in their Local Board Plan 2014-2017 that ‘our unique natural environments are healthy and restored.’

11. To give effect to this aspiration the local board committed $313,000 in total to local environmental development projects in their Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) budget for 2015/2016. The board allocated this budget into seven main budget lines as shown in Table Three below.

Table Three: Local environment development budget lines 2015/2016

Budget Line	Budget
Community environmental services	$90,000
Maui dolphin marine environment	$10,000
Weed and pest management	$83,000
Kauri dieback community co-ordinator	$47,000
On-site wastewater subsidy scheme	$50,000
Manukau Harbour Forum	$12,000
Weed control projects	$21,000
Total	$313,000

12. The board has already confirmed the scope of three projects to be delivered through these budget lines with a total value of $109,000. These are:

· Manukau Harbour Forum ($12,000) – The board agreed to allocate $11,889 to enable the Manukau Harbour Forum’s work programme for 2015/2016 to proceed on 28 May 2015, resolution WTK/2015/93.

· On-site wastewater subsidy scheme ($50,000) – The board approved a ‘West Coast Lagoons Septic Tank Upgrade Subsidy’ scheme with a total budget of $50,000 to be delivered in the 2015/2016 financial year on 14 May 2015, resolution WTK/2015/70. This means any eligible home owner living in the catchments of the Karekare, Piha, North Piha and Te Henga (Bethells) lagoons and wishing to upgrade their septic tank could apply for a subsidy of up to $2,500 from 1 July 2015 onwards.

· Kauri Dieback community co-ordinator ($47,000) – The board approved allocation of $47,000 of their 2015/2016 budget to a project to raise awareness of kauri dieback through the appointment of a kauri dieback community coordinator on 14 May 2015, resolution WTK/2015/71.

13. The board has a total budget of $204,000 remaining that has not been allocated to environmental development projects. This includes a budget of $90,000 for community environmental services.

14. The board also approved a transitional grant to EcoMatters on 14 May, 2015 (resolution number WTK/2015/78) to provide transitional support to EcoMatters for business and service continuity and also to support the delivery of community projects that align with the outcomes of the board, specifically the board’s aspirations around their weed plan. The scope of these projects was to be confirmed through further discussions with the board.

15. Council staff met with Member Toms and Chair Coney at environmental portfolio holder meetings and held workshops with the full board on 20 August 2015 and 27 August 2015 to develop a community environmental services work programme for 2015/2016 and to discuss the best use of this transitional grant.

16. Based on these discussions, it is proposed that nine projects be delivered by the I&ES department in collaboration with EcoMatters as part of the board’s community environmental services work programme in 2015/2016. These projects will be funded through $10,000 of the transitional grant and require a further allocation of $86,000 from 2015/2016 budgets. A brief description of each of these projects is provided in Table Four below.

Table Four: Proposed community environmental services work programme to be delivered by I&ES in 2015/2016.

Community Environmental Services - Budget $96,000 (including $10,000 from transitional grant)

EcoMatters Environment Centre and Sustainability Hub – $35,000

Project summary: This funding will support the delivery of EcoMatters education programmes and provide baseline funding to the trust. The EcoMatters Environment Centre provides information and displays on solar hot water, energy efficiency, green building and renovating, organic gardens, permaculture, solid waste and composting. It has reference materials and runs sustainable living workshops with a focus on practical advice and information. The Sustainability Hub also provides a drop in a place for the community to access information and advice on environmentally appropriate practice methods for removing pest plants and species as well as the dissemination of materials allowing for pest plant identification.

Links to Local Board Plan objectives: ‘Partnering with community organisations’ & ‘We will encourage environmentally responsible lifestyles, including promoting volunteering, conserving water and energy.’

EcoWest Festival – $10,000

Project summary: A month-long festival of diverse events from March-April aimed at creatively engaging people in environmental action and sustainable lifestyles. The festival programme features over 40 events hosted by innovative environmental organisations, businesses, sustainability experts and creative entrepreneurs who embrace eco ideas through their work.

Links to Local Board Plan objective: ‘We will encourage environmentally responsible lifestyles.’

Environmental Champion Recognition Awards – $5,000

Project summary: This event will be held annually to recognise voluntary work in the environment. It would be specifically for board constituents and it is anticipated that it will be dovetailed onto the EcoWest festival for this financial year. EcoMatters will look to attract additional funds to this seed funding. The board has expressed a desire to have this event coincide with conservation week (November) in the following financial year.

Links to Local Board Plan objectives: ‘Connecting with nature and people adopting responsible lifestyles.’

War on Weeds - $16,000

Project summary: An annual campaign to target pest plants that threaten our native bush. Every March, in partnership with WeedFree Trust, jumbo bins are provided at key sites in participating local board areas for community disposal of weeds.

Links to Local Board Plan objective: ‘We take an integrated approach to the control of weeds and pests.’

Operation Spring Clean - $5,000

Project summary: An annual month of community organised clean ups and events that aim to increase awareness about waste in the environment and encourage action to clean up our streets, parks, beaches and reserves. Each spring schools, service organisations, sports clubs, churches and community groups, businesses and individuals take an active role in cleaning up our environment.

Links to Local Board Plan objective: ‘We will encourage environmentally responsible lifestyles’

Little Sprouts - $5,000

Project summary: Little Sprouts is for community projects that promote environmental education in not-for-profit early-childhood education centres. It provides resource for projects that include edible gardening, composting and water reduction.

Links to Local Board Plan objectives: ‘Connecting with nature and people adopting responsible lifestyles.’

Homewise - $5,000

Project summary: Project HomeWise engages specifically with ethnic communities within the board area on ways to minimise waste and reduce their water and energy consumption. The board’s support will enhance this project through enabling workshops to be provided to communities on topics such as:

· Waste minimisation (how to sort your household rubbish, including home composting, options and demonstration)

· Water saving (how to reduce your water consumption and bills)

· Energy efficiency (cut your power bill)

· Sustainable living

This level of funding will enable approximately three workshops to be undertaken.

Links to Local Board Plan objective: “We will encourage environmentally responsible lifestyles, including promoting volunteering, conserving water and energy.’

Plastic bag campaign - $5,000

Project summary: This will provide seed funding for EcoMatters to work with the community on an awareness campaign around the use of alternatives to plastic bags – to support the establishment of a plastic bag free Glen Eden. EcoMatters will work to attract additional funds to support the board contribution.

Links to Local Board Plan objective: ‘We will encourage environmentally responsible lifestyles.’

Community environmental services projects funded through transitional grant

Community planting/nursery development - $10,000

Project summary: This seed funding will be used to support the establishment of small community nurseries, potentially on “pocket parks,” in the board area and provision of advice to the community on how best to establish these.

Links to Local Board Plan objective: ‘We will encourage environmentally responsible lifestyles.’

17. Any significant changes to this proposed environmental work programme will be discussed with the environmental portfolio holders. Updates on project implementation will be provided to the local board through quarterly performance reports and meetings with the environmental portfolio holders.

18. In summary, it is recommended that the board allocate $86,000 of their local environmental development budget and $10,000 of their transitional grant to EcoMatters in May 2015 to be used for the delivery of nine projects by Ecomatters in 2015/2016 as part of their community environmental services work programme.

Allocation of remaining local environmental development budget lines

19. As noted above, $4,000 of the community environmental services budget remains unallocated and including the further $114,000 the board has for three budget lines focused on Maui dolphin awareness and weed and pest management projects, there remains a total of $118,000 of the board’s 2015/2016 LDI budget that remains unallocated.

20. The scope of projects to be delivered through these budget lines is still being confirmed through discussions with the board.

Consideration

Local Board views and implications

21. This report seeks approval from the Waitākere Ranges Local Board for the allocation of budgets for the 2015/2016 financial year to be delivered by the I&ES department.

22. As detailed above, this work programme was developed based on direction given by board members at portfolio meetings and at workshops and delivers on the local board’s aspirations for the environment as outlined in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2014-2017.

Māori impact statement

23. This report provides information for anticipated environmental programmes, it is recognised that environmental management, water quality and land management has integral links with the mauri of the environments and concepts of kaitiakitanga.

Implementation

24. Implementation of projects will be regularly reported to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board in the quarterly performance update reports from I&ES. A more detailed report on project outcomes will be presented to the local board at the end of the financial year.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors

Matthew Foster - Relationship Advisor

Authorisers

John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

24 September 2015

Chairperson's Report - September 2015

File No.: CP2015/19540

1. Another big job was ticked off with final decisions made about the dog bylaws. This was a major effort for the local board, ably chaired by Denise Yates.

2. We had over 170 written submissions and about eight verbal submissions. Te Henga and Piha were the most difficult, balancing big crowds during the summer and wildlife to be protected with the needs of dogs and their owners.

3. To help make decisions, we consulted our parks staff, stormwater/coastal team, biodiversity experts and our local surf clubs. Protecting wildlife has become a more important aspect for several boards such as Waiheke Island and ourselves.

4. There’s more and more news of a resurgence of some species on our coast. After being hunted to near extinction in the 19^th century, New Zealand fur seals seem to have turned the corner in a big way and are turning up on city streets, harbour beaches, and even at the door of Middlemore Hospital recently, to a good deal of public delight and curiosity.

5. On our west coast beaches, adults and pups are appearing - at Piha last week, and Karekare this week. A grown seal can look after itself, it travels faster than a human, and has sharp teeth. A pup, however, is quite vulnerable, especially to dogs. So we all need to stay our distance and keep dogs on a lead, and ring DOC if concerned about a seal’s welfare.

6. Bird species that have been on the decline are appearing back on the coast. On headlands at Te Waha (North Piha) and at Bethells and Karekare, Grey-faced Petrels are breeding. These gorgeous birds nest in burrows in the ground, so dogs have to be kept away and humans can crush their nests if they walk over them. Local communities (eg White’s Beach) and park rangers are keeping an eye these birds, so please help by observing rules such as not walking off-track and not taking dogs into prohibited areas.

7. My family had the adventure of having a petrel fly into the kitchen at Piha one night last summer. It was looking for food in our outside safe and ended up on the kitchen bench. With its huge wings, it had trouble leaving. Bird experts said it was probably a Pycroft’s Petrel which normally only nests on the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, but they fly over the West Coast on their way out over the Tasman Sea. It’s possible if numbers get large on the East Coast it will look for new areas to colonise, wouldn’t that be something!

Probable Pycroft’s Petrel at Piha. The matter around its beak is cobwebs from my safe.

8. There are now Dotterels at Te Henga and last week there was a photo of a Dotterel at Karekare in the Western Leader. These lovely birds nest in a scrape on the sand and their babies are like little grey pompoms on sticks, and so easy to miss on the beach. Dogs, human feet and vehicles can be fatal. The Local Board recently signed off on a Dotterel Management Plan for Te Henga to help make sure filming activity doesn’t harm these birds and we’ve made the dunes at Te Henga where they nest prohibited to dogs, and the beach in front on-leash only.

9. Finally, there’s the Little Blue Penguins, which are all up and down the coast, though there are only thought to be 600 breeding pairs in the whole of NZ.

10. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say, I’ve never seen one and doubting they exist. However, talk to the rock fishermen at Piha and they will tell you about seeing little webbed feet marks on the sand in the bay between the land and Taitomo Island.

11. Apparently Puaotetai Bay (the name for the bay between the mainland and Taitomo Island) is one of the most popular places for penguins to come on shore. They arrive from dusk to dawn and make nests in dunes or rocky crevices, up to 200 metres inland. During the day, they are mainly at sea so it’s not surprising we don’t see them. But they come ashore during the months June to March, and are especially vulnerable during December to March when they moult and cannot swim.

12. Puaotetai Bay is of course not the only place on the Coast where penguins live. They are all up and down the coast and we are privileged to have this world’s smallest penguin in the place we live.

13. Wildlife protection is the reason that The Gap, from Pakiti Rock south, and the far north of North Piha are prohibited to dogs by regional parks. Lion Rock is too, including the areas adjoining it to north and south.

14. Previously, the bit of Piha beach in between was prohibited during summer – October to April – but accessible during winter.

15. The Board had had many reports and complaints about dogs at Piha, and also at The Gap, and our park rangers reported widespread misunderstanding of the rules. When found with their dogs in the wrong places, people told our rangers they didn’t understand the rules.

16. So we have gone with a very simplified version – no dogs at any time on Piha Beach. This also has the effect of protecting The Gap and Lion Rock as previously people moved into those areas on the beach, missing the dog signs in carparks.

17. To compensate, we have created a very large daytime off-leash area on North Piha beach, from just north of Lion Rock to Monkey Rock where Regional Park jurisdiction starts. This includes the flagged patrol area, as we had submissions saying it was a bit of a tradition that owners swam with their dogs at North Piha, and the United North Piha patrol did not object to this.

18. We’ve made dogs off-leash in the Domain, though Fiona can set her own rules for the campground. We heard the requests of locals especially those getting older, who said they valued the opportunity to exercise their dog on the grass.

19. Te Henga proved to be a challenge. The wildlife requirements there are complex. Dotterels nest in the dunes so that area has been made prohibited, and the area to the south of the beach is also prohibited to protect wildlife such as seals and penguins.

20. In response to submissions we made Waitakere Bay a daytime off-leash area, as our bird expert reassured us that the rocky cliffs effectively provide a barrier to dogs going any further. Dogs are prohibited north of Waitakere Bay, including O’Neills Beach and the neighbouring DOC land.

21. The main area of the beach and the lagoon are on-leash.

22. For the Manukau Coast beaches, we’ve made some off-leash but most on-leash, including Huia which boasts a large colony of variable oyster-catchers. Most parks in the urban areas are on-leash, but some are off-leash. All parks will be marked with their dog status later in the year.

23. The new bylaws come in 1 October.

Karekare pohutukawa

24. After much asking, we have finally found out about the 4.25 metre road corridor height. We kept on being told it was the law that road corridors must be this height, thus allowing Auckland Transport to remove any vegetation within that envelope.

25. It turns out that the rule is actually that vehicles on the road can be up to 4.25 metres in height. There is no rule that says a roading authority must provide a road corridor of that height everywhere, and I’m sure many of us can think of places where the road height is marked as being lower.

26. Great sigh of relief! AT has been keeping an eye on the pohutukawa over the Cutting at Karekare and can report it has lowered itself about half a metre in the last 10 years. This of course is what pohutukawa do naturally as they age, and Karekare pohutukawa is getting on in years.

27. We had a productive meeting with AT managers last week. They, like many in the community, are thinking about a prop for our venerable tree.

28. Currently, they are not sure whether this will be a prop on the inside edge of the road, the outside edge or a bridge. They are looking into it, and we are relieved that any idea that this iconic and loved tree would be face the chop – which would have promoted a riot out West - has died a death.

Recommendation/s

That the Waitākere Ranges Local Board:

a) Receives the Chairperson’s report.

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Signatories

Authors	Tua Viliamu – Democracy Advisor
Authorisers	Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey, Waitakere Ranges, Whau

Waitākere Ranges Local Board

24 September 2015

ANZCCART Conference 2015 on the Gold Coast -“Animal Ethics - The Gold Standard.”

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated

Mahatma Gandhi.

In late July this year I had the privilege to attend the ANZCCART conference held on the Gold Coast of Australia, as a representative of Auckland Council :( I am presently the Governing Body rep on an Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) for Diatranz Otsuka at their facility in South Auckland.)

In case anyone should wonder just how much “Conferencing “one might actually do on the lush, glamourous and sunny Gold Coast, I should make it clear that the conference itself was some fifteen kilometres inland from the sea, such that way in the distance I could just make out the tops of the famous high rise buildings, but even this glimpse was soon taken away from me with the arrival of low cloud, drizzling rain and a decided chill to the weather. Indeed the one time I played hooky and caught a bus to the beach, it was so miserable that only two hardy swimmers were in the water and the life guards were so despondent, they moved the swimming flags to within about three feet of each other so they could sit up in their cosy little tower out of the pelting rain.

Great weather for being inside however and there was certainly a full agenda at the conference to keep me happy.

ANZCCART is a joint Australia /New Zealand organisation and the conferences alternate between the two countries .The conference provides an opportunity for some osmosis between not only one country and another but also between the various States in Australia. One of the first things that became clear to me once the conference got underway, was that each state has its own legislative “take” on animal ethics rules and thus some different interpretations of the animal ethics code.

The topic of the conference this year was “The Gold Standard” with the underlying question “Just what should we be trying to achieve when we consider the conditions under which experimental animals are maintained both before and after experimental manipulations are performed .”

Margaret Rose , from the Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, kicked off the first session by discussing aspects of Refinement ,one of the three R’s that make up the backbone of animal ethics. Her presentation threw down something of a gauntlet to those gathered there by emphasising that the wellbeing of animals was of increasing importance and by well-being, we do not mean that they simply have enough to eat and enough room to move around comfortably. There is increasing evidence to suggest that the relationship between mind and body in animals has been (wilfully?) neglected and some researchers in this field are going back to older works such as that done by Russell and Burch in 1959, as outlined in their “Principles of Humane Experimental Technique”, such that the “psychosomatics of experimental animals” was probably the single most important area by which Refinement would be advanced.

I think that the implications of Dr Roses first presentation created some degree of awkwardness amongst some of the conference participants, as there were also many representatives of the industry there, alongside those independent reps from AEC’s. Enhancing the mental well-being of small white mice might still be a while away yet, especially if there looks to be any significant costs associated with this!

From small mice to Herding small cats!

The second speaker, Bridget Brox, outlined some research she had undertaken at Wellington zoo with two small wild cat species, Serval and Caracal cats. By the way, Caracal cats, on the left, have almost 250 muscles at play when they move their ears!

At the Wellington Zoo, due to the ongoing work to create a new “Grasslands Cats facility” the two pairs of similar but quite different cats were housed next door to each other in temporary enclosures. While they were under the temporary set up, Bridget studied them to see how well they reacted to the changes imposed on them and also how well they dealt with the proximity of the other pair so close to them. Later, when the cats were finally transferred into the newly completed facility, she was able to look at the differences in behaviours to see if any negative behaviour patterns had developed as a result of the changing environments.

It is not surprising (considering also the topic of the first talk) that her findings indicated that every animal, even those of the same species, can be dramatically different in temperament, health, behaviour and individual needs. Due to this heterogeneity, she said it is essential to take a multifaceted approach to achieve positive out comes in animal welfare for each animal. Mind you, just ask any domestic cat owner and they could have told her that for free! It certainly does however, once again, raise the issue of why we would want to put certain animals in zoos?

After these presentations, there was a slew of more technical treatments aimed at aspects of the current Australian Code that required (in the presenters eyes at least) some changes and modifications. For example Paloma White broached the subject of regulation and monitoring and noted an increasing neo liberal trend in State politics that may end up taking us away from any “Gold Standard” of animal ethics in favour of increasing deregulation.

Following these presentations we heard from some eminent scientists who gave us something of a rousing and decidedly more gungho, PR session from the researchers and experimenter’s side. Prof Ian Fraser from the Translational Research Institute in Australia, for example, discussed at great length the successful use of transplantable tumour models in mice to create models for some cancer forms that affect humans, in particular human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the skin and epithelial cells of the cervix. This was followed by a discussion on animal use with a focus on how much more work was being done these days on dogs .Dogs with cancer.

Why do so many dogs get cancer?? I just thought I would throw that one out to you.

Followed by :

Does a bandicoot die in a trap if there is no AEC member present? Or Why did the koala cross the road?

Towards the end of the first day ,we were treated with a more freewheeling example of Refinement in action with a presentation by Daryl Jones who explained work he and his colleagues had been doing to facilitate animal movement across roads in Queensland ,similar to the work leading up to the implementation of the Compton Rd Landbridge ,built from huge concrete pipes to allow free movement above the traffic for koala bears .Landbridges are not a new idea ,there being almost 380 in France alone but it is certainly a new concept in Australia and I dare say in New Zealand. The only one I can think of in Auckland that serves this sort of purpose is the Hochstettors frog tunnel under the road on scenic drive.

Daryl discussed the difficulties of even finding the right place to put a landbridge, if one was viable and the need to get samples of various animals’ movements through the landbridge, without putting them through the unnecessary stress of capturing and then recapturing them. Some of the approaches included a very interesting tracking collar for koala that eventually falls off the animal, thus removing the requirement to recapture the beast. The tracking device naturally has a homing signal that allows the researcher to pick it up again from the ground where it has been dropped. For koala at least, already carrying a high burden of disease as they do ,additional stress like being captured and manhandled by humans can easily lead to a fatal outcome. One of the subsidiary things that came up in Daryl’s talk, is that when they were capturing animals to assess how well they used a land bridge ,they often have by- catch in the form of noxious animals like cane toads and rats. Although Daryl said that he was required by law in Australia to humanely kill all noxious by- catch, he did not follow this protocol because he felt it had the potential to interfere with the outcomes of his study ,possibly by making the area either more or less desirable for his main study animals .It is of note that in New Zealand ,we have the same requirements from DOC ,such that if any noxious animal is caught as by catch, it needs to be killed and not released.

Day Two

The morning sessions opened with a presentation by Virginia Williams, the outgoing president of the New Zealand National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee. She discussed the new changes to animal Ethics Regulation in New Zealand, especially the changes to the meaning of “Manipulation” to now include the processes followed when any animal is killed for research. This means that even the breeding and husbandry period is now open to AEC scrutiny. She also discussed the ability of AEC members to have free access to research facilities for auditing purposes and noted that unlike in the US and the UK, in New Zealand we do not have a process of spontaneous unannounced audits but allow for some institutional buy in by giving fair warning instead. So far this seems to be a fruitful approach.

Following Virginia, we heard from Ali Callum and Jim Webster from AgResearch Ruakura in New Zealand. They discussed the dark side of human ethics and gave a brief history of how this has been abused in the past. One of the classic examples they chose is the story of Henrietta Lacks whose malignant tumour cells were to become an immortal cell culture line called HeLa, sent around the world and manifesting in thousands of laboratories, all without any permission being given by the long dead Henrietta or any of her surviving family members.

Remote Snot sampling and the problem with whales

Jan-Olaf Meynecke from the Griffith centre for Coastal management loves whales and wants to find out as much about them as possible. It is critical that he does so because his Phd depends on it but the big problem with whales is that they are too big to catch, especially of you want to get a sample of some part of their insides. Traditionally researchers had to wait around for some whale crap or if they were bold, they might shoot a small dart into the side of a whale to get a biopsy sample. Unfortunately, whales have a very thick layer of fat and that’s mostly all the researchers get: a lump of fat. Jan-Olaf however is nothing if not resourceful.

After watching his precious humpbacks day after day he suddenly realised that all of the voluminous spouting coming out of the blow holes must be rich in mucous and if so ,it would have DNA and all sorts of other goodies a budding young physiologist could play with back in the lab. Along with his support crew and a fast zodiac, Jan-Olaf proceeded to launch his remote controlled, modified drone, snot collector, manoeuvring the craft through the air, trying to get it to pass through the expelled liquid so as to catch samples in the petri dishes suspended underneath. As you can imagine this was no easy task and so far the results have been mixed but he is young, persevering and he WILL get there.

3D printable rats from South Africa

The final example of ingenuity around animal ethics and the last presentation I will discuss, came at the end of the second and last day, with a talk by a member of the Animal Ethics Unit in South Africa, Erika Vercuiel.

Erica has been working to improve Animal Ethics in South Africa for years and one of the ways they have made a real impact on reducing the use of animals in schools, but still allow students to get a good idea of the placement of internal organs by way of dissection, is their creation of the first South African 3D printed dissection rat. They have also invented an artificial skin that allows students to experiment with suturing techniques, without needing to have animals to work on to do this. The 3D rats will also allow the phasing out of many of the small animals that currently find their way from the wild into schools for dissection purposes and help to reduce this impact on often threatened species.

The conference ended without there being any resolution to the question: “Is animal ethics gold plated”. This is not surprising because it is very much a moveable feast and there are naturally tensions between the researchers and the animal ethics committees, that will shift and change, depending on the political environment. What was useful for me, however, was the opportunity to meet and interact with so many dedicated professionals, from both sides of the fence and pick up on a few ideas that might be fruitful to explore on this side of the ditch .The landbridge for animals for one, is something that we could definitely be looking into, especially for some of our native birds that are greatly disadvantaged by roads and highways when trying to move through green corridors in fact we have one such “natural” land bridge on Karikari Road but it is currently in danger of being lost unless we give it, literally, some support.

By the way, I did get to go to one of those fabulous seaside towers on the Gold Coast. Right up to the 65^th story of one of them in fact but it was at night and it was cloudy and rainy and I couldn’t see much so I might just as well have been on the first floor having fish and chips with the Hoi polloi for all the good it did me.

Chairperson	Sandra Coney, QSO
Deputy Chairperson	Denise Yates, JP
Members	Neil Henderson
	Greg Presland
	Steve Tollestrup
	Saffron Toms