The Panuku Development Board has prioritised 9 areas around Auckland for urban development programmes. One of these, is the carpark on Anzac St in Takapuna. The proposal is to pedestrianise the block and build a large green space for the public to hang out at and walk along towards the beach. However, there is fierce backlash from one group, ‘Save the Carpark’. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and councillors Richard Hills and Chris Darby were invited by the group to a public presentation in Takapuna on Sunday, however there was little room for them to talk and they were met with a lot of yelling. Mary-Margaret spoke to Richard Hills about the proposal and the backlash it has brought, and started by asking him where the Council’s vision for this area first came from. Submissions for the build close on Friday, so if you visit Panuku.co.nz/Takapuna you can have your say.
Riki Bennett and Rewi Spraggon are hosting a Urban Forage event as part of American Express Restaraunt Month's 5th annual Wine and Food Celebration happening in the city. OnSaturday the 18th of August they’ll be taking people on a guided walk to find different types of edible things in the environment around us. Then you get to eat it. Given we’ve been talking about land this week and our relationship to it, I thought this also fit in terms of how we operate in the environment around us and how we consume things sustainably. Riki Bennett is a park ranger with the Auckland Council of Te Arawa and Ngati Porou descent. He was raised on the shores of Lake Rotoiti. He runs guided walks looking at the forest environment from a traditional perspective and how Māori people used the forest for food and medicinal purposes or rongoa. Lillian Hanly spoke with Riki to find out more about the event, and started by asking what they actually do on the day.
First up on the our Wire Worry Week topic is whenua as a legal entity. News Director Lillian is speaking with Riki Bennett, a park ranger, about his urban foraging event Andrew Little joins Lachlan for their regular chat, this week discussing freshwater rights and our relationship with Australia. Oscar speaks to Daniel and Amiria from A New University about their rally against Don Brash’s inclusion in a debate on free speech at the University of Auckland. Finally, Ben brings us this day in history on the watergate scandal.
Oscar spoke to Pippa Coom, the chair of the Waitemata Local Board about the proposed planning for the potential reinvigoration of Te Wai Orea Western Springs Park. Focussing in on it as the intersection of urban planning and democratic participation, We looked more into the processes than the details of the project itself, discussing the involvement of public in these processes, the health of our natural public spaces and the importance of holistic planning moving forward.
Reporter Oscar Perress talked to Lena Henry, a lecturer at University of Auckland, about whenua and its place in the context of urban planning, development and design and how it differs significantly from the colonial view of land as property. They also then discussed the implications of these differences on Aotearoa.
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