Sandringham, Auckland

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639 days ago

Drinks Dispenser

Sharron from Morningside

Hi there,
Has anybody got one of these lying around at home that you don't want/need?

640 days ago

New late-night dining precinct plan for Auckland CBD

Brian from Mount Roskill

Auckland foodie revellers and insomniacs can look forward to a late-night food precinct right in the heart of the city.
Hospitality business owners are planning to turn Elliott St into a dining destination where eateries open late, and some operate from night to dawn.
Opening in early July, … View more
Auckland foodie revellers and insomniacs can look forward to a late-night food precinct right in the heart of the city.
Hospitality business owners are planning to turn Elliott St into a dining destination where eateries open late, and some operate from night to dawn.
Opening in early July, Elliott Stables will be turned into a bustling high-end street food and drinking hall reminiscent of those in the streets of Asia and Europe.
At Mid City mall, Lao Guangzhou (Guangzhou Hot Pot) opens next week as an all-night eatery in the CBD that will soon operate until 6am.
Towards the Victoria St West side of the street, there are plans for up to eight late-night “container restaurants” selling Asian street hawker-style food from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
Although the initiative is driven by the property and business owners, it has won the blessing of Heart of the City and the Auckland Business Chamber.
“This is exactly the sort of rejuvenation we need to see and keep seeing in the CBD,” says Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Simon Bridges.
Auckland’s city centre has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with foot traffic falling 95 per cent at one point and consumer spending falling 35 per cent.
Stakeholders who spoke to the Herald said they knew they had to evolve in order to survive and thrive following the pandemic.
Bridges said the central city “must keep reinventing itself to stay relevant and attractive” - and the entrepreneurs behind the initiative should be congratulated.
He believed having more people out and about at night would also make the central city safer, where reports of crime have risen significantly compared with pre-pandemic levels.
“I think if anything these sorts of initiatives can improve safety as they bring more law-abiding people in to crowd out the lawbreakers,” Bridges said.
“Contrary to what some think, 24-hour cities can be the safest.”
Paul Reid, managing director of Icon Group which owns Elliott Stables, said the pandemic had been an “incredibly tough time” for tenants and private landlords.
More people worked from home, and international students and tourists vanished. On top of that, City Rail Link construction had made access to the inner city impossible at times, said Reid.
Tenants at Elliott Stables who were not able to pay their monthly rents during the early stages of the pandemic got embroiled in legal battles with the Icon Group as they sought rent relief.
“Icon Group did the best it could to support tenants during the government’s Covid-era restrictions, including writing off more than $3 million in rent owed to support our tenants through the difficult time,” Reid said.
But he admitted this wasn’t enough to save some businesses - and the new plans aimed to turn Elliott Stables back to its “rightful place as Auckland’s premier food dining hall”.
Reid will be injecting about $2m into renovations to turn Elliott Stables into what he hopes will be the “focal point for nightlife in the future”.
He would not reveal specific tenants but confirmed that Paul Wong, a restaurateur behind the popular Mr Hao eateries and Lucky 8 bar in Ponsonby, will be an anchor tenant.
The range of offerings inside the new dining hall would also include cuisine from South America and Italy.
“The new tenants coming in will be more authentic and relevant to today’s taste while keeping Elliott Stables special for so many,” he said.
Wong has just returned from a trip to Vietnam and Singapore where he went to scope for ideas and “get a better feel for Asia’s nighttime street dining scene”.
He said the aim of the new project was to have “authentic chefs bringing their traditions and skills from their homeland”.
The interior decor of his Vietnamese-inspired fusion Jungle 8 bar and eatery at Elliott Stables will include hanging paper lanterns, street lights and styling that takes diners to the streets of Asia and Europe, he said.
“The 16 or so stalls will have flaming barbecues, steaming woks and the plan is also to have a DJ or live music every evening,” Wong said.
Jungle 8 will follow in the “noisy, busy and buzzy” style of Wong’s Lucky 8 bar in Ponsonby, serving Asian-style tapas food, cocktails and drinks.
Lao Guangzhou owner Harry Cai said he was confident the Cantonese-style hot pot and street food offerings would appeal to late-night revellers.
Opening next Tuesday, Lao Guangzhou will cook until 2am but Cai plans to extend this to 6am during winter.
Cai said his flagship restaurant In Newmarket is always busiest after midnight.
“It’s what people do in Asia - many places are open until dawn and people love to eat late into the night.”
“We are really excited to bring this to Auckland, and I know it will work for the CBD because it has worked for us in Newmarket.”
Yejun Shim owns and operates Yooa & Tako, a Japanese takeaway operating from a shipping container on Elliott St. There are plans for another six to eight containers to open.
“We will have tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken, kaya toast, dumplings, rice paper rolls, bao buns, just like the kind you find on the streets of Asia,” said Shim.
“I’m Korean and part-Japanese, and in Korea, we have a word for this late-night food culture called ‘yasik’ meaning ‘food eaten in the middle of the night after dinner’.”
He will be seeking consent for after-hours outdoor seating and heating to add to the street-dining vibe.
Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck said it was great to see Elliott St getting an injection of new eateries.
“It’s an iconic part of the city centre and its close proximity to the arts precinct makes it an ideal place for late-night dining,” she said.
“The city centre’s hospitality offering continues to be a real drawcard and there’s been a number of new openings in recent months.”
Overall spending in the city centre in December last year was close to pre-pandemic levels in December 2019.
“There’s some great leasing occurring and later dining options will give a welcome boost to our nighttime economy, especially with more international tourists and students around,” Beck said.
Beck said Heart of the City remained “committed to supporting safety day and night” and collaborates with NZ Police beat teams that include security patrols, Māori Wardens and City Watch.
“It’s important that people feel safe when they’re having a night out,” she said.
“Having more people around does help people feel safer too.”
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640 days ago

An Invite to Our Past

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

He iwi tahi tatou. Together we are one nation, united by Te Whare Rūnanga, standing tall next to the Treaty House and built by the hands of my whānau for not only Māori and Pākehā, but all New Zealanders. I invite you to come and share in their story.”

Pita Tipene is the Chair of the … View more
He iwi tahi tatou. Together we are one nation, united by Te Whare Rūnanga, standing tall next to the Treaty House and built by the hands of my whānau for not only Māori and Pākehā, but all New Zealanders. I invite you to come and share in their story.”

Pita Tipene is the Chair of the Waitangi National Trust. He, and all of those all of those at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, invite you to come and feel the stories that shaped Aotearoa.
Find out more

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640 days ago

Meanwhile at our Waitamata local board

Adam from Westmere

With all that's going on at the moment we still have local politics.,

I think our local board should save the council the $72 Million they want to spend on bike tracks in the Westmere area. Yesterday Gen Sage, chairperson and 3rd ranked C&R caucus member again whipped with City Vision … View more
With all that's going on at the moment we still have local politics.,

I think our local board should save the council the $72 Million they want to spend on bike tracks in the Westmere area. Yesterday Gen Sage, chairperson and 3rd ranked C&R caucus member again whipped with City Vision and voted yes to bike tracks in the full knowledge that the budget committees at council will cull them. Not a very astute political move by Gen Sage to cross the floor for nothing. We still have two years of this nonsense.

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640 days ago

Free Artwork Freight or Storage Boxes

Greg from Mount Eden

We have two heavy-duty custom artwork freight boxes created by www.framesbydaniel.co.nz... to give away.

These are:

1). 1100mm x 915mm Internal size
2). 1000mm x 820mm internal size

I can deliver.

Free

640 days ago

Flash flooding possible in Auckland, residents urged to be prepared

The Team from Auckland Council

⚠️ Auckland Emergency Management is urging Aucklanders to be vigilant and to have a plan in place as heavy downpours start to cross the region.
➡️If your life or property is in immediate danger, call 111.
➡️To report flooding, call us on 0800 22 22 00.

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640 days ago

Auckland Emergency Management urges residents to be vigilant

The Team from Auckland Council

⚠️ Auckland Emergency Management is asking Aucklanders to be vigilant, with further rain forecast for the remainder of today.
👀 Check out today's written update by clicking on 'Read More'.

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641 days ago

Turning the tables

The Team from Resene ColorShop Mt Eden

Give a dull brown table a fresh light look using a modern chalk paint style effect.

Find out how to refresh your table with this handy advice.

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641 days ago

TV Studio Audience Invitation - The Best Free Entertainment in Town!!

Tania from Eden Terrace

Grab your free tickets to be in the studio audience of The Project! Join our Hosts Jesse Mulligan, Kanoa Lloyd & Jeremy Corbett - watch the show and see behind the scenes of LIVE TV!
What: The Project - TV Studio Audience
When: Every Weeknight
Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: The Project … View more
Grab your free tickets to be in the studio audience of The Project! Join our Hosts Jesse Mulligan, Kanoa Lloyd & Jeremy Corbett - watch the show and see behind the scenes of LIVE TV!
What: The Project - TV Studio Audience
When: Every Weeknight
Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: The Project Studio, Boston Road, Eden Terrace
FREE!
R13
Just email Tania at audience@discovery.com to book your free seats! Discounts for lovely local restaurants also available.

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641 days ago

Greenview Park Village & Terence Kennedy House

Highgrove from Neighbourly Nz

Did you know that Greenview Park has multiple indoor and outdoor spaces perfect for afternoon tea or a cuppa?

These spaces are communal, and all are welcome, including visitors and family.
Find out more

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641 days ago

Auckland's West Coast beaches closed

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Auckland Emergency Services are asking people to stay away from West Coast beach communities which are trying to recover from last week’s storm.

What you need to know:
- The affected beaches are Piha, Karekare, Bethells, Muriwai, Huia and Little Huia
- The beaches have been closed to … View more
Auckland Emergency Services are asking people to stay away from West Coast beach communities which are trying to recover from last week’s storm.

What you need to know:
- The affected beaches are Piha, Karekare, Bethells, Muriwai, Huia and Little Huia
- The beaches have been closed to non-residents only
- The closures are for safety and to ensure road repairs can take place

“While there is road access into Piha, it’s limited and we’re asking people not to go to Piha to go surfing or picnicking, I know we may have a fine weekend coming up but to stay away out of respect for those communities,” Duty controller Mace Ward says.

If you are wanting to check swimming conditions in other areas of Auckland, check the SwimSafe site.

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641 days ago

Planning and Housing books

Dory from Mount Albert

Box of housing and planning books theory and practice from UK and US.

Free

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641 days ago

International urban planning material - box of plans and documents

Dory from Mount Albert

Anyone interested in urban planning and how it works in different parts of the world, London, Ireland, Scotland, Japan, China Europe etc

Free

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644 days ago

Poll: Is our government making the right decisions?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

We've seen the devastation of flood waters, yet the Government backed down on plans to protect wetlands (which help soak up heavy rain) after they received complaints by property developers.
Are you confident we're making the right decisions to protect us from future disasters? … View more
We've seen the devastation of flood waters, yet the Government backed down on plans to protect wetlands (which help soak up heavy rain) after they received complaints by property developers.
Are you confident we're making the right decisions to protect us from future disasters? Let's discuss!

Share your thoughts in the comments below - add NFP if you don't want these shared in the We Say You Say column of your local paper.

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Is our government making the right decisions?
  • 2.4% Yes, I back the decision to build over wetlands
    2.4% Complete
  • 88.3% No, we need to focus on preventing future flooding
    88.3% Complete
  • 7.2% Sort of - we can't always cater to the 'what-ifs'
    7.2% Complete
  • 2.1% I don't know
    2.1% Complete
4257 votes
642 days ago

Clearing pine needles off roof

Marg from Grey Lynn

Looking for someone to climb onto my skyline garage roof and clear pine needles. Probably about 30 minutes work.

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