Anyone read 'Canvas' today?

New Zealand Herald insert thingy about the bypasses? I don't think I'll be sending it to my Mum, she'll have a fit when she see's what I was quoted saying. Ooh err Ha Ha Ha

At least Kim had something worthwhile to say on the matter.

Yakut

We haven't subscribed to the "dead tree" version of the Herald for close to 10 years now.

Care to enlighten us as to what the "Bypasses" story is about?

Bypass as in a new road, or bypass as in stomach?

The bypasses are mainly about Mangatawhiri, Pokeno and One up north of Auckland.... .basically, small townships that have had a bypass built around them have become 'ghost towns'..... apart from, it seems, Pokeno.
One of the oldest residents fought for two on ramps instead of just one so now people can drive into Pokeno from either end and continue on their way after a stop for icecream, bacon or a cafe or fast food stop and not have to retrace their steps to get back onto SH1

Plans for 2500 homes to be built in Pokeno when the sewerage system in put in will turn a small village into a mess of high density housing, tagged as 'a urban living in a rural setting', an oxymoron which when pointed out to the developers caused a lot of clearing of throats and a bit of "ah well".

An open day was set up in the local school to show locals just what was being planned and there were a lot of idealistic drawings bandied about. These were so unrealistic they were laughable.
The little creek that runs along one side of us was drawn to look like some peaceful wee river with a wharf, a small boat tied up to it.
It's a bloody creek! The most you could float down it would be a toy boat and even that would get beached on the shallow bits. Certainly no room for a wharf/jetty, whatever they want to call it.

The developers (and council?) were planning on sections of 200 sq metres per property and had planned on low cost housing.

All I know is, they want to turn Pokeno into some dire little over built slum area and one of the developers wanted to build big retail buildings around us. Makes me sick!

Yakut

Thanks for posting the details Yakut. You have every right to be upset. Pokeno is a lovely little village with great access from the motorway as we saw recently when we visited HP's house nearby. It is the perfect place to stop for refreshments before you hit the madness of the Auckland motorways.

The developers should take their ill-conceived plans and start again from the drawing board -- somewhere else!

Yakut, I know this isnt the right topic BUT
since its up the m'way.. Carrots are only 8.99 /20kg at the place on the hill above you on the way out.. on the way in they are $12.99.. if your gals are needing night vision..
I had already got mine on the way up.. but still happy

Thanks BeeDee, I might call in on my home at some stage. Sometimes their prices are good, sometimes not. I remember my parents stopping at little stalls on the way to Kaiteriteri to pick up fresh vegetables before we got to the camping ground, some were overflow from someones garden, others were sold by people with small market gardens but they were usually pretty cheap and had honesty boxes. Very few of these sorts of places anywhere any more. Sad really.

You knew the vegetables, berries and fruit were grown there, now the road side places sell things like mushrooms out of season and bananas etc so you know they haven't been grown on the property... well not produce that obviously needs a different climate to the one where they are located.

The trouble with wishing the developers would go somewhere else is that they will do the same thing to some other place that is happy just as it is.
I wish they would dry up and blow away.

I am so angry with developers, the Government and their taxes and increases on everything and what really rubs salt into the wound are these revelations on the MP's spending sprees at the tax payers expense.

They are squeezing people so hard that they will be drawing blood from their wallets soon. The road tax, acc increases, registration fees, fuel taxes...... It's doing my head in!

Yakut

From memory werent they trying to turn Pokeno into a little city about 20 yrs ago??, then came the bypass fiasco.. I am so glad the icecream shop dug its heels in etc.
keep fighting, I have a friend fighting for her community in australia as they are pulling down her apartment 3xstorey block and putting up a 20... why dont they read the history books

Ha they don't even need to read the history books, look at the ASBO's they have in England now. It seems to be some sort of status symbol amongst the ratbags to have an ASBO. Too many people living far too close and you get trouble. Too many sealed areas and roof run off and the storm water drains can't cope, nowhere for the rain to soak into the ground! There are so many problems associated with high density housing and the boffins THINK they have all the avenues covered but they can't realise the outcome of jamming families one on top of the other, no one has any peace and quiet and something or someone, snaps. How come normal people can see this but not the ones with the consent forms and the money and the big ideas of the developers, they never factor in these things, probably because they won't be living there so they won't have to deal with the results, the police have to deal with all that and who the hell would want to be on the police force with that to look forward to?

Yakut

I'd just like to make it clear to all who have read this article, it was not Kim who stated the words "Like a cup of cold sick" it was me but the reporter didn't clarify who said it and the way it reads, makes it look like Kim said it.

Yakut