North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Flyers protesting SkyPath dropped in Northcote Pt
A new and somewhat mysterious community group has emerged, as the fight against Auckland’s SkyPath heats up again. Despite Northcote Point residents dropping their appeal against the proposed harbour bridge crossing more than a year ago, a group calling itself ‘‘Friends of Northcote Point’’, has dropped flyers in letterboxes in the area in the past two weeks.
The flyer urges residents to take action against SkyPath, based on cycle lanes taking up road and footpath space, cost, a reduced left turn into Onewa Rd, and concerns for the ‘‘heritage ambience’’ of Queen St, among other points. It urges action, including petitioning the local board and writing to the North Shore Times, but carries no contact details for the group.
Northcote Residents Association chairman Chris Wargent said the association doesn’t know who these people are. Expected to open in 2019, the SkyPath was granted resource consent in mid2015 but the consent was appealed by several community groups, including Northcote Residents Association. Privately funded, the SkyPath itself is not the issue, but potential parking issues in the area have angered locals.
Wargent said his group was taking one thing at a time and was now concentrating on what the traffic back-up would be like for commuters coming from Birkenhead and flow-on effects of this.
Resident Catriona Colven said: ‘‘[The SkyPath] would be very cool. As long as they didn’t take out the street parking and make all the current ones P120.’’
Bryant Douglas has lived in Northcote Point for more than 20 years and thinks SkyPath is a good idea. ‘‘A huge amount of thought needs to be put into how to deal with the foot traffic. It shouldn’t be built at the expense of the residents. With an expected
‘‘It's good to see the community stepping up to get answers about what can be done’’
Bryant Douglas
14,000 [people] visiting and walking across each weekend, there needs to be somewhere they can park. It’s good to see the community stepping up to get answers about what can be done.’’
Northcote and Birkenhead MP Jonathon Coleman said he supported the concept of walking and cycling over the bridge. However, he said, any such crossing needed to link to SeaPath, as Northcote Point couldn’t cope if the south end of Princes Street was the sole exit point.