Board calls for safety improvements for young pedestrians in south Auckland
Fears for the welfare of child pedestrians have grown from a boost in housing development around Walters Rd, Papakura.
More children are reportedly walking in the area prompting concerns about their safety.
The Papakura local board has called on Auckland Transport to investigate improving conditions near Pulman Park and neighbouring Kauri Flats School, a new school boasting nearly 300 students.
Board chair Brent Catchpole said there are a number of areas where driver behaviour is not as good as it should be, and that’s particularly concerning near major parks and schools.
Many people will tell you speeding is common, he said.
"Children are among our most vulnerable community members and they are entitled to our protection.
“If that means we have to get the police there to enforce things, and ask Auckland Transport to put in more permanent measures, we can’t shy away from that.”
The board has asked the agency to develop a concept plan for Walters Rd addressing health and safety issues for people, particularly children, trying to cross the road.
The board petitioned for a pedestrian crossing on Walters Rd outside Kauri Flats School and a 40kmh school zone speed limit.
It requested a slip road outside the athletic throwing net at Pulman Park, aligning crossing points with park entrances, creating defined twin lane exits at all points from the park, and urged AT to ensure all stakeholders are involved in any plan.
Papakura was not the only area of concern.
The board has also asked Auckland Transport to lower speed limits between Hingaia Bridge and the motorway, and at Harbourside Drive and its side roads due to increased housing development in the area.
Are you worried about safety for pedestrians in your neighbourhood?
Which roads could do with improvements?
*Please put NFP if you do not want your comments used by Stuff.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
-
52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
-
14.6% Critical thinking
-
30% Resilience and adaptability
-
2.7% Other - I will share below!
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Loading…
