Podcasts about auckland's cbd

Having spoken this morning to Auckland's Heart Of the City CEO about restaurant month kicking off, I'm hopeful it does indeed draw people into Auckland, because we're hearing reports Auckland's CBD resembles a ghost town these days.  During level 4 lockdown, foot traffic in Queen St was down 90 per cent on usual, but despite other places being up and running and thriving again now, Auckland's main street foot traffic is still about 20 to 30 per cent below normal.Yes, Covid and no cruise ships coming in is a huge factor, and people working from home still, won't help, but I also wonder about how attractive the CBD really is these days.Haphazard council plans and diabolical AT Transport moves to eradicate cars from the city has not really worked. If the goal was to increase foot traffic - it hasn't.Carving up roads and taking away parking, turning streets into shared spaces, punishing retailers with never-ending roadworks and footpaths being ripped up in front of their shops doesn't bode well.If you've already got fewer people in town, then you make it nigh on impossible for others to come in as a destination, then you're just not going to see an increase in numbers, are you?As a born and bred Aucklander who has lived in the city all my life, I can tell you town is not what it used to be. I've watched its demise over time. Having traversed the main streets as a uni student, picking up cheat eats at friendly cafes, dining in big groups at BYO restaurants, frequenting inner-city nightclubs, putting down laybuys on denim jeans at designer stores, town was a regular and safe hang out - which it now isn't.Too often we hear reports of late night fights and violence. Those welcoming cafes, BYO’s and designer stores have been replaced by empty windows and for lease signs.And in terms of accessing town - it's a nightmare. The Council might be anti-car and wanting everyone on a bus, but that theory doesn't match the reality.Why are malls like Sylvia Park so popular, despite being well out of the city centre? Because they offer free parking and lots of it. There are nowhere near as many bus routes there and I don't recall seeing a single cycle lane near the place, yet the shoppers are there. (You're not taking a bike to go shopping, let's be honest)So in Auckland's CBD, pedestrian count is down a quarter, spending down 20 percent.And you can't argue Covid has made everyone shy to spend because they're certainly spending other places.But if you thought this may be a lesson to our city planners that stripping cities of cars was effective, think again. They continue the crusade to have town as one big ‘shared space’.The problem is, apart from the theorists at the Auckland City Council, whose actually sharing it?

The brakes are going on traffic in Auckland's CBD - with new lower speed limits in effect for around 600 roads today. The new restrictions are part of efforts to bring down the number of pedestrian fatalities - but some businesses fear it will also limit the number of customers visiting the central city.

I like to think we're a pretty laidback country.We don't sweat the small stuff much, we have it pretty good here in our little slice of paradise. Most of the time. But lately, I worry about the vegans. The extreme vegans. What are they doing? Why so much aggression and angst?I get that their plight is serious and they're passionate about it, but read the room.I would have thought the best way to be effective is to work out who your audience are and target them appropriately.Packets of meat have been stickered with messages at supermarkets. Photo / FileThis current civil disobedience campaign they're running - putting stickers on Stop signs, adding the words "eating animals" - how is that effective? It's basically graffiti.They've quoted Extinction Rebellion as an inspiration.Their other recent target was the Santa parade. I mean honestly. Santa parades mean kids, fun and frivolity. Not angst.A group of vegans dressed in cow-print onesies holding placards saying "peace begins on your plate" crashed the Santa parade.The organiser of the protest said she thought that was in keeping with the parade festivities and wasn't too "in your face".Sure, it might've been but my bet is it went completely over the heads of those there, mostly small children and people more excited to see Santa than people in cow onesies holding signs.Vegan protesters at St Lukes Countdown in September. Photo / Delta WolfepineSecurity got wind of them and kicked them out apparently but that didn't stop supermarkets getting targeted again. This time in Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland's CBD.The protest organiser says the meat-aisle protests, featuring people with tape over their mouths, are to get people to reconsider eating meat and to think about the fact they have a choice.I hate to rain on the parade, but I already know I have a choice. I have a choice to eat meat, and I choose to.Yes, I get the point is the animals don't have a choice, but reminding people they have a choice, by being disruptive and judgy and annoying ... how is that going to stop people eating meat?Protesting your message about animals peacefully is your right, but it's also mine to eat meat, or to take my kids to a Santa parade or the supermarket without being told "it's not food it's violence".

In this part 2 episode Zakk opens up about the night he was the victim of a homophobic assault in Auckland's CBD, we both discuss the fall out between us, all the shade and beef that occured, friendships, Dress to Express, Douche to Impress and Taste My Pop. Follow Zakk http://ZakkdLarte.com http://twitter.com/ZakkdLarte http://instagram.com/ZakkdLarte http://facebook.com/ZakkdLarte Become a Patron to support the continuation of this podcast

I notice with the introduction of 30 k speed limits in Auckland's CBD and other streets, that the peddlers of this policy believe that what will make it work, is more people getting out of their cars.I spoke to former Wellington mayor Celia Wade Brown yesterday, she pushed for lower speed limits in Wellington.Her view was that lowering speed limits might encourage more people to walk, or perhaps take public transport.But what proponents of this kind of thing forget, is two things; one, that New Zealanders love their cars.And two, that our public transport is just not good enough.The car love affair can't just be chalked up to older New Zealanders either, younger generations, the 'I want to save the world' generations are still enamoured with their cars. Despite the fact they're paying more than ever before for petrol.We know this because of the latest census data which showed more than half of students opt to drive themselves, or get a ride in a private vehicle.Back when I went to school, it was on my bike or on the bus.That wasn't a save the planet thing, that was because my parents weren't remotely interested in dropping me.Parents are different these days. The queue of SUV's at the school gate tells you everything you need to know about modern parenting.And given that sort of comfort growing up, it's no wonder that once kids are able to drive, they do.But also, the younger generations who should be the target market for public transport, often don't take it because they can't rely on it.It's a convenience thing.Getting literally from A to B instead of having to walk to a bus stop or a train station and then walk again at the other end.Especially if you’re carrying stuff, or it’s bad weather.And especially if when you get there, the train's been cancelled, or delayed, or the bus doesn't turn up.How many times do you think students will put up with that before they say, 'actually flag it.'Which is why I think we need to do better with our public transport, make it more appealing, more reliable.Double decker buses and free wifi is great, but the bus needs to actually arrive and leave on time. And regularly.It's also counter productive i think, to be punitive about the roads by turning them all into slow crawling routes overrun with bus lanes and cycle lanes, leaving very little possibility for a car to make any headway.Surely it's better to use carrot rather than stick?Make public transport work, make it reliable, affordable, trustworthy and efficient, so people are keen to use it over and above their car.Only then I reckon will you break the habit, and get people out of their cars.

So a so called high powered group has come out with their suggestions for port reform.It’s an extremely important thing to think about because the 3 ports involved are the major conduit for our stuff going abroad to earn money and for bringing in other stuff we need.  And the way they work together is part of a logistical exercise called the supply chain which is a complex and massive beast that affects all New Zealanders and our economy.  It’s not just an idea to pretty up Auckland’s waterfrontThe second interim report of the Government's Upper North Island Port Strategy recommends closing the used-car and container-port operations in Auckland's CBD. Developing Northport at Marsden Point as a modern, world-class, deep-water alternative and expanding the Port of Tauranga as planned.Now this is actually a good idea.  Matthew Hooten says that if Jacinda Ardern can get this over the line it is a true transformational idea that will future proof our exports for years to come.But the way this port argues the obvious is disingenuous to me and the reason is because it appears to be written from Northports point of view and not with the nationwide interest.  This would be no surprise because Shane Jones and Winston Peters and New Zealand First have been driving the discussion.  They’ve also got their Far North mate Wayne Brown to chair it.The reason I say it’s disingenuous is because it wildly understates the cost of the operation to the nation.The report details a number of options and the costs vary between 10 and 14 billion dollars. That’s the cost to the various port companies and not the actual cost of such a project.If cars and containers moved to Northport you’ve got to get them to the rest of the country.  As Wayne Brown said that would mean 4 laning the state highway to Whangarei in the first case and then improving the rail link.Well there’s 83 kilometres of road to build between Whangarei and Wellsford and 4 years ago a back of the envelope calculation said that would cost 2 billion dollars.  You could double or even triple that.  What’s even more concerning is that all these trucks with cars and containers would need to cross the Auckland harbour some way which means either a new bridge or congestion out west. Speaking of congestion once the 4 lanes were in they’d be almost immediately full of trucks.  The rail link is imperative.  At the moment it’s just a single line in dodgy condition.  A single line means trains either going up or down but not both ways all the time.  You’d have to fix the track up and then double track it.  But to make it future proof I’d suggest you’d need at least 4 tracks. That cost will make the City Rail Link look like chickenfeedAnd then when trains full of containers and trucks hit Auckland they have to share the tracks with passenger trains so actually you’d have to build a dedicated freight network through the city. See the picture I’m painting?So don’t get me wrong.  This is a good idea.  But it’s got a lot more implications than this report alludes to.  It won’t happen in 10 years.  And if you think it’s going to cost 10 billion dollars, you’re dreaming.  I doubt there’d be much change out 50 billion or more.  And that money has to come from all taxpayers in the country. And that’s why I think this report is disingenuous.

A retail advocate hopes an opening day controversy won't overshadow the latest addition to Auckland's CBD.French make-up giant Sephora is under fire for washing confetti down the drains on Queen Street after its opening on Saturday.Auckland mayor Phil Goff has asked the council to investigate the issue.Chris Wilkinson from First Retail told Kate Hawkesby the brand shouldn't be defined by a single faux pas."It is culturally and environmentally out of step, however, let's not take this away from the fact that this is going to be important for the city centre."He says that this is a net win for Auckland."It's providing jobs and skills training and it's answering a demand for getting people back into city centres and interacting."It's believed that over 800 people queued down Queen Street for the opening. Wilkinson says that it is a big deal for the Auckland CBD."It strengthens that midpoint. We've got exciting stuff going on with Commercial Bay and Britomart in the lower part, but that mid-part is one area we'd like to see strengthened further." He says that the brand is already set to expand throughout the city and further down the country.  

New data showing that more than 43,000 Aucklanders are directly threatened by rising seas has prompted warnings that home insurers may be forced in future to hike prices - or withdraw coverage altogether.An Auckland Council report gauged the region's exposure to varying scenarios of climate change-driven sea level rise – notably the 25cm projected for 2045, 50cm by 2060, 1m by 2100, 2m by 2160 and up to 3m beyond next century.Already, between 1.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent of the city's land area now sat in low-lying coastal areas that could be vulnerable.And the report found how, over the past decade, the population boomed in those areas vulnerable to sea level rise more than in the region overall, now leaving about three per cent of Aucklanders exposed.That equated to about 43,000 people - up from 34,700 people in 2001.By the end of the century, the report warned, up to 2.5 per cent of the Auckland region might be affected, with a further 3.7 per cent at risk being swamped by inundation from storm surge, high tides and large waves.It wasn't just peoples' homes in the firing line: up to six per cent of council-owned greenspaces were threatened - including 55 cemeteries – as were three per cent of buildings and dozens of public facilities.One Civil Defence building was exposed to two metres of sea level rise, while another building at Middlemore Hospital sat within the three-metre band.While less than two per cent of Auckland's CBD was at risk of what is projected for this century, the affected area jumped to 30 per cent with the 2m predicted for next century.On top of that, about one per cent of roads in the region were threatened by a sea level one metre higher – and some areas of Auckland International Airport were affected under every scenario, as was one wastewater treatment plant and pipes and manholes across the city.This graphic shows localised sea level rise projections over different time scales. Source / Auckland CouncilThe picture was also dire for rural coastal areas – and there was a risk that five per cent of the region's most fertile land could be at risk as early as the middle of the century.There were further obvious threats to many coastal ecosystems, and mangroves, which have ironically long offered protection against the sea, were singled out as the worst affected.It was a taste of what faced the rest of New Zealand, and which the insurance industry was acutely aware of.As house insurance was typically offered out 12 months ahead, the effects of climate change, 20 years down the track, weren't being signalled today, Insurance Council chief executive Tim Grafton said."What we can say is that if we ignore sea-level rise and permit more and more property to be at risk from climate change, then there will inevitably be a day when losses due to sea-level rise, storm surges and flooding become more and more frequent," he said."If we continue to do nothing, then insurers will respond by deciding whether they want to accept those risks and if they do, they will price to reflect the higher risk or increase the levels of excess or the initial amount an insured will have to pay when losses occur."Grafton said the sector was a strong advocate for society taking a long view of climate change risks and applying a risk framework, much like insurers long had."That means we need to assess the risk to people and their property, calculate the probable losses, make decisions about what level of risk we are prepared to tolerate," he said."We then need to assess what risks we will retain, what risks we can viably reduce and what risks we want to transfer to others, like insurers. By doing this, we can assess the full impact of climate change."Auckland Council's chief sustainability officer, John Mauro, said planning and consideration of sea level rise in Auckland had been happening for some time, from the development controls in the Auckland Unitary Plan to the SH16 causeway upgrade."The stark reali...

Aucklanders will be able to have their say on a proposal to lower the speed limit on 10 per cent of the city's roads.Reducing speed limits will help towards ending Auckland's "road safety crisis".Auckland Transport is proposing to drop speeds on the majority of the streets in the central city from 50km/h to 30km/h.Chief executive Shane Ellison said safety was the primary concern for them."In 2017, over 800 people were killed or seriously injured on Auckland's roads. These are real people and the human cost of these tragedies are real as well."The proposed bylaw will be put out for public consultation from Thursday, February 28 until March 31 and could be in place by August.Hundreds of streets are on the list and the majority are in or around Auckland's CBD, including Wynyard Quarter and surrounding areas such as Freemans Bay and St Heliers.AT chairman Dr Lester Levy says lowering speeds is one of the quickest and most effective tools the organisation has to reduce road trauma."Auckland is facing a road safety crisis and our top priority is to address this," he said.While the Automobile Association supports efforts to bring down speeds on high-risk roads, it will be calling on AT to dial back its proposal.Spokesman Barney Irvine said the clear message from Auckland AA Members is that, in its current form, it's a step too far."People are pretty open to the idea of safer speeds in the central city, but a blanket 30km/h limit just doesn't pass the credibility test," he said."On top of that, the Transport Agency and its Speed Management Guide recommend 40km/h for most roads in the CBD, and AT has shown no evidence to say we need to go below that."The AA will therefore be calling on AT to instead opt for a 40km/h CBD limit.Ellison says if you are a pedestrian and you are hit by a car travelling at 50km/h your chance of dying is 80 per cent."If that speed is reduced to 30km/h and you're hit as a pedestrian - your chances of dying drops to 10 per cent."Levy said recent research from Monash University in Melbourne showed a significant difference between 40km/h and 30/km/h."In a trial they've undertaken in Melbourne, where they were going to do 40 - they've now reduced it to 30."He said the World Health Organisation also recommends 30km/h when there is a high residential population and high pedestrianisation."This is very much in line with research and international practice."There are also changes proposed outside of the central city.Rodney Local Board member Louise Johnston said they did not have footpaths, traffic lights or pedestrian crossings - but they have 80km/h roads next to schools.A crash on the motorway last year still haunts her.She says a year 12 girl is lucky to be alive after she was hit by a truck at the Coatesville and Riverhead Highway intersection.After that accident, she said AT changed the speed to 60km/h and there have been significantly fewer accidents there."I'll remember that, and everyone who was there and heard the screams will remember that for the rest of their lives as well."Public consultation on the proposed plans is open for submissions tomorrow until Sunday 31 March.

Firefighters have been working overnight to contain a devastating blaze in the Tasman district which has burned large tracts of land, destroyed homes and killed livestock.The fire had spread to 1900 hectares at two sites near Nelson — about four times the size of Auckland's CBD and a greater area than the devastating Port Hills fires in Christchurch two years ago.Tasman District mayor Richard Kempthorne told Kate Hawkesby the fire crews have been doing an "incredible job"."They worked through the night last night, I think. The night before they couldn't because quite a bit of the fire was simply too dangerous to be in but with the change of wind direction yesterday and a cooler day, it has made quite a difference."However, he said their work is far from over."We have had 1900 hectares burnt, so there is now a lot of smouldering trees which could reignite if the conditions worsen, so that's what they are going to be working on with helicopters and ground crew."The conditions are similar to yesterday with moderate winds and a high of 20°C expected in Nelson today.Kempthorne said the change of wind direction will hopefully help fire crews.About 235 homes had been evacuated, mostly in the Pigeon Valley region southwest of Nelson, and residents were told they would not be able to return for two or three days.He said the fire has been alarming for the 400 people who have been evacuated."If you're in a rural residential area...where the fire is burning and it's burning a lot quicker than people thought and then suddenly it's on the top of the hill behind your place, it is very scary.""People have responded really well to that if they have been asked to leave, they have left."He said it is still too early to know when the fire will be out but the fire crews are doing their best.Both fires are being investigated to find out what started them.

Andrew Dickens has exposed fellow ZB host Larry Williams and political editor Barry Soper as Lime e-scooter enthusiasts.The two were spotted by ZB staff zooming about Auckland's CBD during the break, and reportedly were big fans.Andrew confronted Barry about the incident, and how the two left their wives behind."You were supposed to double the wives, but you and Larry left them behind!"Barry admits that got "so excited by it". "Larry was such a curmudgeon when it came to Lime scooters., he didn't wasnt to have anything to do with them. But by the end of the day, did he enjoy them?"Barry says that he can see a time where congestion forces more people onto transport initiatives like this.It comes after Mike Hosking last year admitted his enjoyment for the e-scooters after taking one for a test spin. Larry has not yet commented on his newfound love for the Lime. LISTEN TO THE CHAT ABOVE

Local historian Lisa Truttman uncovers the story behind the Wai Horotiu stream, a waterway that once ran largely exposed through what is now Auckland's CBD. From a place where children fished playfully with broken pins, to the notoriety of being "Ligar's Canal", finally channelled, bricked and covered, undergound and out of sight -- the story of Wai Horotiu and its disappearance from our landscape is part of the foundation of the city of Auckland. Recorded on 11 October 2017 at Auckland Central Library

Does Auckland's transport system work? Warren Schutte went around Auckland's CBD to find out what people thought about the current transport system.