Mahurangi Matters, Construction Feature, 6 July, 2016

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Local builders are swamped with work as the region continues to expand, but shortages in materials and labour are causing delays for construction projects in Mahurangi. According to Statistics New Zealand, the number of people employed in the construction industry increased by 36.7 per cent between March 2013 and 2016, going from 178,700 to 227,200 people. According to local builder Ryan Bridgens of Bridgens & Thomson Builders, that still isn’t enough and they are struggling to find skilled workers to keep up with demand.“I know I will busy for the next four or five years at least, but getting staff is really hard,” Ryan says. “No one seems to be promoting the area for people wanting to work in the industry. There is also a nationwide shortage of tradies.” The Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) works to encourage more people into the industry. BCITO chief executive Warwick Quinn says they aware of the shortage. They are using industry data to predict growth within specific trades. This means that school leavers will be

Staff shortage slows Mahurangi construction boom

aware which trades have the highest skills shortage.“We call this the 4 ‘R’s’ – the right number of apprentices, in the right place, at the right time, to the right standard. The key to this is promoting our industry sectors into schools so that career seekers can have up-to-date information at their fingertips,” Warwick says.

“We regularly engage with Mahurangi College and Rodney College providing pathways into employment.“Our skills broker visits the schools to offer advice regarding the right pathway to gain employment in the industry.”At just 24 years old, former Mahurangi College student Scott Yearbury already owns and operates his own company,

Nailed-It Construction, and employs 12 builders. He says he decided to choose building as a career while still at school.“I did a pre-trade course in East Tamaki for three days a week when I left school,” Scott says. “They gave me a scholarship so my training was subsidised. Because it was three days a week I was getting paid as an apprentice for the other two.”Scott employs two apprentices and says he enjoys teaching them the trade. But he is concerned that young people don’t realise the construction industry is a good career with competitive pay rates.“A lot of people get bullied into going to uni, but do you need to? Who says you’re not going to get paid well unless you go to uni?”Both Ryan and Scott agree that apprentices have to be closely supervised by skilled qualified workers and they need fully qualified builders to do this. “Bridgens & Thomson Builders could do with endless qualified guys at the moment,” Ryan says. “I’m getting phone calls about more work. I now have multiple advertisements year round to try and get staff.”

Ryan Bridgens from Bridgens and Thompson Builders at work in Rodney Road.

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The construction of a roundabout at the base of Neville Street in Warkworth is causing more problems than anticipated for surrounding businesses.Supermarket trucks have been having difficulty negotiating the tight turning space, a water pipe connected to the Tahi Bar burst, street parking was lost and communication from Auckland Transport (AT) was deemed poor by some.Rodney Local Board member Greg Sayers suspects that the project, which was designed three years ago, was a “desktop job”.“It’s been a public relations disaster,” he says. “I asked AT chief executive David Warburton to appoint a liaison person but this was refused.”The roundabout is being created to improve pedestrian safety and reduce traffic accidents.Owners of the Tahi Bar and Seafood N Eat it takeaways, who have been present for 11 years, say they have never witnessed an accident there, but statistics show there had been three in the past decade. It is one of a number of Warkworth CBD improvements, set to cost between $350,000 and $400,000.The original design included a roundabout with a garden in the middle, two pedestrian crossings and three traffic islands.However, part way through the construction process this had to

The original roundabout design proved more than a test for drivers of large vehicles trying to turn right from Neville Street into Baxter Street.

Swings and roundabouts for Warkworth intersection

be altered to accommodate large vehicles, including buses and the New World trucks, which couldn’t turn right from Neville Street without hitting the structure.A truck driver brought the problem to the attention of Local Board member Beth Houlbrooke who then alerted Rodney Councillor Penny Webster to the issue.“I phoned AT and said this has to stop now,” Cr Webster says.“They had already had a meeting with the New World owners, who they claimed were satisfied with the design, but they weren’t.”AT’s initial solution to the problem was to have the trucks come through the intersection from Queen Street rather than Neville Street.“There is no way those large vehicles are going to go through the centre of town,” Penny says.As a result, AT met with the New

World owners at the intersection to watch a large vehicle go through it.After assessing the difficulties faced by the truck, they designed a new roundabout which won’t have a centre garden and will be built so that vehicles can ride up over it if necessary.The water pipe which was put under the road at the start of construction to irrigate the now non-existent garden bed, has been made redundant.“It should never have got this far,” Cr Webster says. “It’s been very badly designed and handled, and I have had an apology from AT who admit they dropped the ball on this one. This has been a complete waste of money when so many other things in Rodney could have done with this money, like Hill Street.”The cost of the setbacks is not known yet. On the issue of parking, Mr Sayers asked AT to suspend all traffic warden activity during the construction process.

AT refused, saying there was not enough loss of parking to allow this and that the work vehicles parking outside the shops were helping to prevent dust from hitting shop fronts.“I found this response bizarre,” he says.Tahi Bar owner Ian Marriott says an AT spokesperson has referred to those who complained about the parking situation as “a vocal minority”.“The work has definitely cost me money because I had to close when a water pipe burst on the first day of construction,” he says.AT confirmed that some utilities were not where they had expected them to be.Rippa Patel, owner of the Corner Cafe and Pizzeria, says the loss of parking spaces has been “very painful” for his business as the parking situation was already terrible.Warehouse Stationary owner Richard Jansen said he had had a financial downturn but couldn’t attribute it directly to the works.Many of the other surrounding businesses confirmed they had received a letter from AT prior to the start of construction, but Cr Webster said there had not been enough discussion with New World or the Local Board.“They should have gone to the Board and asked what were the safety issues,” she says.“I don’t think that that intersection is a pedestrian safety issue.”The project is due to be completed by July 13.

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Auckland Transport (AT) has agreed to review designs for major improvements to the Hill Street intersection, but it could still be a decade before any work starts.The limited commitment comes after a meeting at Rodney MP Mark Mitchell’s office, which included representatives from NZTA, AT, the Rodney Local Board, Warkworth Area Liaison Group, Warkworth Area Business Association and Matakana Coast Tourism.In a joint statement from AT and NZTA, the agencies say the work is occurring ahead of the road being transferred to AT when the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway opens.“In anticipation of this, AT has agreed to collate and review current and previous design solutions for the Hill Street intersection.”But no commitment has been made regarding construction or funding of any future upgrade, the statement says.However, local representatives insist work must start earlier.Retired transport engineer Roger Williams says traffic studies show the new motorway won’t reduce traffic at Hill Street, as the majority of the vehicles are local traffic, moving within Mahurangi, and won’t use the motorway.But he is encouraged by the response from AT and NZTA.

Planning starts on Hill Street but the blues continue

“This is the first positive response we have got,” Mr Williams says. “Up until now AT didn’t want to know anything about the intersection – they would sit with their mouths shut during meetings.”A group of determined Mahurangi residents has been working on a range of plans to improve traffic flows at the intersection and is planning a petition calling for work to start at Hill Street, which it will take to Parliament.

Mr Williams and planner Grant McLachlan have been using the computer programme which NZTA uses to model traffic levels, and other software which enable desktop tests of different road layouts.One of the leading designs is “The Pill” (pictured), which includes an oval-shaped, double-lane roundabout, which is one of the options AT is considering.

But AT and NZTA say they still believe constructing an alternative road layout will only be possible once the new motorway has been built.“A variety of solutions have been investigated, however the challenges lie in how it would be implemented and constructed,” the agencies say. “Consents, approvals and then construction on even a simple design would take time to complete and would cause a considerable amount of disruption to the both traffic and the surrounding community.“Ultimately the best solution to the current difficulties in Warkworth is to reduce the amount of traffic through the town centre by building the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway, allowing state highway traffic to bypass Warkworth.”But, Mr Williams says a large portion of the construction could take place off SH1. The level of construction traffic for the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway will also put extra pressure on Hill Street, he says.NZTA is expected to announce the preferred consortium for the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway construction this month. This should provide more information on where materials for the construction will come from and how they will impact traffic in Mahurangi.The contract will be finalised by October with construction starting towards the end of the year.

The latest plan for Hill Street is “The Pill”.

30

25

20

15

10

5

02014 2015 2016

Monthly dwelling consents for Mahurangi

Building consent figures are for the year to April.


140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0Wellsford Warkworth Matakana Omaha Omaha Flats Snells Beach Leigh

Total Mahurangi consents per township

The number of building consents issued in Mahurangi has remained relatively steady, despite significant growth in other parts of the region.Figures provided by Auckland Council show the number of building consents issued for new dwellings has increased by 10 per cent over the past two years, from 159 in 2014/15 to 174 in 2015/16. However, the monthly figures show no significant upward trend (see graph above).Warkworth had the most activity by far, with 118 consents issued over the two year period, followed by Snells Beach, 77, Matakana, 59, and Omaha, 52 (see graph top right). By contrast, the number of consents issued in the Rodney Local Board area increased by 52 per cent, going from 622 to 948 (see graph right).

Steady as she goes for Mahurangi construction industryDwelling consents for Rodney

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Local builders are embracing new health and safety laws as the Government tries to reduce accident rates in one of New Zealand’s most dangerous industries.Construction has been the most deadly workplace in the past 12 months, with four fatalities in the year to April.According WorkSafe New Zealand, since 2011, 30 people have been killed in the construction industry, making it second only to agriculture for overall deaths. Sweeping changes to the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASWA) last April were designed to make workers more accountable for safety in the workplace. Fines for failing to comply with the new laws range from $50,000 to $3 million. Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) found guilty of reckless conduct also face a five year jail sentence.WorkSafe New Zealand project team leader Vadim Spice says the most important part of HASWA is not the punitive measures, but raising awareness.“When we say to builders, ‘did you know that 35 people have died from falling off ladders in the last five years’, they say they knew it was dangerous, but when you quantify it, that’s when the penny drops,” Vadim says.

Safety conscious roofing contractors Julius Ivar, Rodeo Ragudo and Dylan Martin take a break.

Builders combat industry’s woeful health and safety track-record

According to a local builder, who doesn’t want to be named, the culture of risk taking used to be an inherent part of the industry.“We used to jump from roof truss to roof truss. It was stupid, but we had done it loads of times. It was quicker than going back down and using the scaffold. I did it one day and must’ve missed. The next thing I know I’m hanging upside down from the hammer on my tool belt. I tried to reach up and grab onto the timber framing but couldn’t. The metal claw on the hammer bent under the strain and I fell two storeys bouncing off the

timber framing and down on to the concrete slab. I was lucky, but it was a bloody serious wake up call.”Vadim Spice says that type of risk taking culture is coming to an end.“I’m a scaffolder by trade,” Vadim says. “I grew up with that bravado and I don’t believe in ‘she’ll be right’. That generation of builders are now responsible because they are business owners and managers. They are now more mature and genuinely care about their workers.”Former paramedic Simon Townsend operates the Mahurangi and northern area of Triple One Care, which runs

approved courses in workplace first aid. He believes the message of being proactive with safety is finally getting through to the construction industry.“In the six months I have been running this business, the vast majority of people coming through the course have been from the construction industry.” The courses teach the latest first aid techniques, accompanied with developing and practicing systems for dealing with emergency situations.“Irreversible damage happens in the first 10 minutes of a medical

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A new playground will be built on Warkworth’s waterfront in the park at Baxter Street in a collaboration between Rodney Local Board and Warkworth Lions.The Local Board has allocated $100,000 to the project. The Lions will design and build the playground in consultation with the community and support from Auckland Council staff.Warkworth Lions president Peter Henderson says the playground will cater for children aged between 11 and 14.“Three years ago we had a think-tank group that went around the town to find out what people wanted and a playground was one of the top priorities,” Mr Henderson says. “The other playground at the waterfront is only for children aged up to about 7, and the skatepark is for children a bit older again, so we found people wanted something for the other kids.“In the next couple of months we will consult with children in that age group at Mahurangi College to see what equipment they would like and we will come up with a plan in collaboration with Council.“Where we can, we will do the building to make sure as much of the funding goes on new equipment as possible.”The project will be completed by June next year.Beth Houlbrooke says it is the first time the Board has worked with the community to deliver a playground.

Warkworth Lions president Peter Henderson and members Bruce Clegg and Lynn Jones.

New playground for Warkworth waterfrontBuilders combat industry’s woeful health and safety track-record

emergency. It’s about having systems and procedures in place. Learn from experience, not during an emergency, because by then it’s already too late.”Minister for Building and Housing Dr Nick Smith was in Warkworth last week speaking to National Party members and said that while new health and safety legislation had pushed up the cost of building a house, the rules would save New Zealand money in the long run.“Building is a big killer and falls are one of the big issues. When you look at the savings in ACC costs, it does stack up.”

from previous page

Triple One Care manager Simon Townsend.

“Getting the community to deliver projects will be the way of the future to reduce costs and bureaucracy and increase community involvement,” Ms Houlbrooke says.Meanwhile, Council is installing new swings beside the skatepark on Cumberland Street in Leigh.The $25,000, 4-metre high Serious Air Swing is expected to open this month.

Council is also working to install new playground equipment in Point Wells. The Local Board resolved to install a new rope swing and an obstacle course after Council removed a historic Lullaby Swing due to health and safety concerns.It is working with the Point Wells community to agree where to place the new equipment. The community are also considering whether to fundraise for a third piece of equipment.


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Watercare plans multi-million dollar investment in MahurangiA new multi-million wastewater project could start in Mahurangi next year as Watercare is about to lodge a consent for a massive sewage upgrade.Watercare’s preferred option is to decommission the Warkworth wastewater treatment plant and pipe sewerage to a new hi-tech plant in Snells Beach, where sewage will be treated and pumped to the existing outflow at Martins Bay.This will cater for predicted population growth, as the area serviced by the Warkworth and Snells Beach treatment plants is expected to grow from 8400 to 35,000 by 2040.Watercare environment and consents manager Mark Bourne says the new plant will be vastly superior to the existing Snells Beach plant and will be much better for the environment (see opposite page).The treatment plant will be built in stages over 35 years as the population grows. The total project is expected to cost $135 million.The consents for the new treatment plant and wastewater discharge will be lodged in the next month. The document will include extensive detail of how Watercare has developed its preferred option, including technical studies and a summary of public consultation.Mr Bourne says Watercare expects the consents to be granted early next year and construction on the first phase would start soon after that and be completed over about five years.

Watercare did extensive investigation into whether a land-based discharge would better serve the area, rather than discharging to the ocean, but the geology of the area made it unviable, he says.“That was a very real option up until the final stages of our investigation,” Mr Bourne says. “At Omaha, we have a land-based disposal treatment, but the difference is that the area within 10km of Snells Beach and Warkworth is significantly steeper and the clay

soils are far less absorbent, so there would be a higher level of runoff and more land would be required. But we may still look into using a land-based discharge in the future.”Mr Bourne says people don’t need to be concerned about pumping treated wastewater into the ocean.“I firmly believe that the proposed ocean outfall will have very minor environmental effects. The concentration of nitrogen will be

significantly less than what currently exists.”The goal is to have the new system up and running by 2022, when up to 290-hectares of land will be live-zoned for development in Warkworth.About 25 people attended an open day on the proposal in Snells Beach on June 14. Consultation will continue as Watercare refines its proposal.

continued next page


The pipeline between Warkworth and Snells Beach will follow the road corridor.

The existing Snells Beach treatment plant.

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The new treatment plant will be a significant upgrade from the oxidation ponds currently used to treat sewage in Snells Beach. Watercare environment and consents manager Mark Bourne says the existing treatment plant relies on bacteria and sunlight to treat sewage, by storing it in large oxidation ponds. The solids and liquids slowly separate in the ponds and the process takes several days.The new plant will be far more controlled and efficient by controlling the amount of sewage and oxygen in a series of enclosed tanks to give the perfect environment for micro-organisms to treat the wastewater.Any foul odors from the treatment

will be captured in the process and treated, so there will be no smell.“It gives us much more control and only takes about 12 hours to treat it and gives a much higher quality end result.”The footprint of the facilities will also be far smaller. “The proposed treatment plant will be much more like a commercial and industrial processing plant.”The sewage is then filtered through a fine membrane which removes all remaining material and the water is finally put through a UV treatment. The treated wastewater is then stored in a large holding pond and piped to the Martins Bay discharge site on an out-going tide.All of the solids that have been

removed through the process are compressed and put into a commercial landfill.“It is mixed with other landfill material. Because it is highly decomposable it assists in helping other matter decompose and generates methane. That methane is then captured and used to generate electricity which is sold back to the grid.”By contrast, the solids from the existing Snells treatment plant sit at the bottom of the oxidation ponds and the sludge is removed about once every 10 years.Mr Bourne says the proposed plant will cost a lot more to operate as it is far more intensive, but the environmental gains from superior treatment are worth it.

Watercare plans multi-million dollar investment in Mahurangi Hi-tech wastewater plant proposed in Snells Beach

Watercare is currently replacing a section of the outfall pipeline near Snells Beach as it has become past its useful life.“A property development is underway and it makes sense to do work before the development takes place, rather than once houses are in the area. We had to upgrade the pipeline in any case, regardless of what future wastewater system is put in place.”

from previous page


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Mahurangi College will start its fifth and final leaky building project this month.Renovation of the school’s S Block will round off the $6 million fix, which has run over the course of two years. Classes have been held in prefabricated rooms during the work.The S Block repair will involve re-cladding, as well as a new roof design and better materials to prevent leak issues.Asbestos sheets located in the roof will be removed during the July holidays to keep children away from the material.Mahurangi College principal David Macleod says this process has been

Mahurangi College principal David Macleod hopes the school’s S Block renovation will be completed by November.

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done before when asbestos was removed from the old hall during its renovation.Part of the work will involve reinforcing the foundation with concrete, as the block sits on soft soil and small movements have caused the lift to get stuck part way up. A new lift will be installed as part of the build.Mr Macleod says although the S Block work is now two months behind schedule, he is happy with the standard of work from the contractors, Legacy Construction.“Ideally, we would like the project finished by the start of November in time for the end of year exams,” he says.“Otherwise, we will need to use

continued next page

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An architect’s impression of the renovated sports building.

E Block which would have some administration implications.”David says it’s been an enjoyable process made easier by the work of the Board of Trustees.“Everyone has been so good about relocating classes and seeing the bigger picture. I haven’t had one complaint from a parent.”Meanwhile, the school will start a $40,000 renovation of its media department in September.This will include a 4x4 metre green screen, soundproof audio recording booth and investment into quality video equipment.“Media is just getting so much bigger at the school,” Mr Macleod says.Next year, the school hopes to have Ministry of Education approval for a

renovation on its sports department. The project will include making the area between the new and old gym two storey.Mr Macleod says the project requires a growth in the college roll, but he is confident that with its steady increase construction will start next year.The project will be done in two stages. The first will involve creating a circuit room to replace the old weights room and two upstairs physical education classes.The second stage will involve renovating the upstairs office and the lower changing rooms.“It’s going to be phenomenal,” he says.In addition to these projects, the art block was recently revamped and there are plans to add another storey to A block.

from previous page

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When it comes to construction and management, few could rival the knowledge of Kaipara Flats project manager Dave Stott.Dave, aged 68, has a degree in civil engineering from Auckland University and is managing the retirement village project in Warkworth on Neville Street.During his career he has worked on projects all over the world, including Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, the motorway from Jedda to Mecca in the Middle-East and the Thames Barrier project in England, which cost a quarter of a billion pounds in 1972.He returned to NZ from the UK in 1974 and headed a committee for government subsidised aid projects and helped set up Oxfam in New Zealand.He then became involved in project management and managed construction of the first Montessori School in New Zealand called Wa Ora, in Wellington.He became president of the Montessori Association New Zealand and set up two degrees for Montessori teachers training at AUT.He also helped set up the major Montessori congress held in Sydney in 2007.One of his biggest challenges was his involvement in a legal battle with New Zealand Rail and Westinghouse UK.After delays on electrification of the railway from Palmerston North to Hamilton, Westinghouse had its

Even experienced project manager Dave Stott is finding the retirement village project in Neville Street a challenge.

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contract terminated. “I had to travel with barristers to the UK seven times as an expert witness before finally the company received a $39 million payout in 1990 after claims and counterclaims.”Another difficult project for Dave was the reconstruction of Mt Eden prison, from 2008 to 2011.“That was interesting,” he says.“We had to operate in high security

areas on many occasions and at one stage we had to cut a hole through a wall into a high security unit.”One of Dave’s favourite projects was the restoration of the Regent Theatre in Palmerston North, which had closed in 1991.“The restoration retained the original grandeur of the building, but we also fitted modern technologies so we were extremely proud of the finished

job,” he says. “I like to have an inclusive approach to every project I undertake,” he says.“Projects often involve big complex ideas coming together so a lot of it is about managing people.”The Oaks retirement apartments in Warkworth has presented a number of challenges.“We’ve struck some major water issues which are well and above what we originally anticipated,” he says.“There are 119 conditions in our resource consent including checking the levels of surrounding buildings which is very costly.“Because it is quite a small site, you tend to solve one problem and find there are two more.“It’s very hard to get traction.”The other major part of his management career has involved setting up dairy factories for Fonterra and Tetra Pak.He says getting the equipment inside the buildings is the real challenge.“The projects are often in remote places and you have to coordinate things well to manoeuvre fittings inside, which is about 75 per cent of the construction cost normally.” Dave currently has no projects lined up after the retirement village is complete but isn’t bothered.“I have always been lucky really,” he says.“I have never had to advertise; people have just come looking for me.”

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Ahuroa residents will be able to access high-speed wireless internet following the construction of a new communications tower along West Coast Road.The tower is the first in Rodney to be built under the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), a partnership between the Government and Chorus. The project will bring faster, more reliable wireless broadband and mobile coverage to rural areas. The new communications tower will reach around 600 homes and businesses. Communications Minister Amy Adams says faster broadband will bring economic and social benefits to the Ahuroa area. “Better coverage where you are means better business tools, more ways to connect with customers and suppliers, new technologies for precision agriculture to explore, as well as more incentives for young people to stay in the area,” Mrs Adams says.Vodafone technology director Tony Baird says wireless broadband will enable the rural residents to have connection speeds as fast or faster than town broadband.“We’re continually investing so our rural customers gain access to the same benefits as those living in urban areas, and have done so since the Rural

The new communications mast will provide high-speed rural broadband coverage for Ahuroa.

Rural Broadband Initiative rolled out in Ahuroa

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A group of Sandspit residents are concerned a local beach will be left as a “mud bath” once the construction of the marina wraps up this month, but the Sandspit Marina Society claims it won’t be an issue.The Marina Society has applied to remove resource consent conditions which require it to restore and enhance a beach adjacent to the marina.Northern resource consent manager Ian Dobson says the application will be notified and people will be able to make submissions on the proposal when it is lodged in the near future.Members of Sandspit SOS Inc (SSOSI) say the Marina Society made the application without any consultation with the community and the area will be left worse off.SSOSI member Jo Haswell says the 200-metre beach has been turned into a “mud bath”.But marina superintendent Graham Maker disagrees.“The beach is exactly the same as it was,” Mr Maker says. “It’s a beach that nobody ever used as a recreational beach. It’s got stormwater drains from the carpark draining onto it and the coastguard uses it to drive its boat to a launch site. It would be a wasted exercise to restore it.”The society originally intended to restore the beach using sand dredged for the marina construction, but the sand was too soft and muddy to use for the job and all the sand was barged

off site, Mr Maker says.“We would like to have restored it, but it would have been irresponsible to do it with poor quality material. We would have made it a lot worse.”SSOSI has also raised concerns about an unconsented wall which it believes is having a significant impact on marine life in the area. The wall runs across Brick Bay Drive Stream and Jo says it blocks the path of fish in the intertidal area.The wall was supposed to be removed once the marina was completed, but the Marina Society has applied for a retroactive consent for it.Mr Maker says the wall helps stop sediment from Brick Bay Drive Stream and a culvert allows water in and out of the stream. The Marina Society has commissioned an ecologist report, which found the wall will not adversely impact the stream.Mr Dobson says the concerns will be thoroughly examined once Council receives a consent application.“While initial observations of the unauthorised wall have not shown any immediate significant adverse effects, we acknowledge the concerns raised about the potential effects of the wall,” Mr Dobson says. “We expect the application to be accompanied by a full assessment of effects on the environment that will address these matters in full. Once received, the consent will be processed in accordance with council practice.”

Consent controversy as marina construction finishes

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Omaha Beach locals have finished building a new ‘Welcome to Omaha Beach’ sign after the original was written off in a car accident almost two years ago. The first sign was built in the 1990s by Mr Crooks, father of long-time Omaha resident, Judy Crooks. For more than 20 years it was the first welcome to Omaha after crossing the causeway, its bright aqua blue wording greeting returning residents and visitors alike.In 1999, the sign suffered its first major traffic accident, the posts and rock base were badly damaged, but the sign itself survived.Finally, in 2015, an errant motorist succeeded in finishing off the demolition job and the base was unusable.The sign itself quickly disappeared

from the rubble. Reports followed of it appearing at the Warkworth Police Station, and a local hostelry. Finally it was returned to the site, and then promptly stolen again, never to reappear.Last year, Omaha residents David Hanson, Ron McMahon, and a team of volunteers made a new sign and it was installed last month. The timber was supplied by the Matakana Sawmill and machined by Matakana Kitchens and Joinery. Omaha Beach Community President Peter Hooper says they are indebted to the team of volunteers.“We’d like to extend our thanks to David, Ron and the team from Omaha Beach Golf Club for doing an awesome job. We have our identity back, and can again welcome thousands of visitors to the beach from around the region every year.”

Welcome ‘back’ to OmahaThe new macrocarpa sign at the gateway to Omaha Beach.


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The owners of the old school building in Wellsford are refusing to divulge their plans for the building. The building, which the Aronui Trust has owned for about 20 years, has recently undergone major renovations. Trust chief executive Dean Grace says it will not make its plans public, saying “it’s a private matter”. The school had been left empty for a number of years and had become overgrown with weeds before

renovations started earlier this year. The Aronoi Trust operates tertiary courses throughout the North Island including business, IT, hospitality, trade and construction. The school was originally built in 1875 and was moved to the School Road site in 1911. It was used as a school until 1990, when students relocated to Wellsford Primary School further down the road and the Ministry of Education sold the site.

The Z Energy petrol station in Warkworth, on the corner of Whitaker Road and Mill Lane, was scheduled to close on July 4, while the new Z station on the corner of Hudson Road and SH1 was set to open the following day.Z Energy spokesperson Jonathan Hill says Wilmot Motors did not renew its contract with Z when it expired in March. Z had been running the

station in the interim until the new station opened.The new $3.5 million station will have four pump islands with eight vehicle lanes and a retail site with food and barista coffee, employing about 10 staff. The station will only have access from Hudson Road.Tenders for the Wilmot station were due to close on July 6.

School’s future under wraps

End of era for Warkworth station

The old school building on School Road in Wellsford.

• Kowhai Festival Society – $10,000 towards costs of Huge Day Out.

• Warkworth Agricultural & Pastoral Society – $10,000 towards the cost of the 150th Warkworth Annual Agricultural and Pastoral Show.

• Leigh Ex Services and Community Club – $10,000 towards upgrading the walking track between Wonder View Road and Kyle Street in Leigh.

• T&M Stazyk Partnership, CUE Haven – $10,000 towards planting trees at 2704 Kaipara Coast Highway, Araparera.

• North Rodney Blue Light – $10,000 towards the wages for a community youth coordinator.

• Omaha Beach Bowling Club – $9836 towards repairing the retaining wall at 1-7 North West Anchorage Road, Omaha.

• Wellsford Agricultural and Pastoral Society – $8963 towards costs of the Wellsford Country Show.

• Matakana Community Group – $8750 towards upgrading the pathway near Takatu-Tongue Farm Road.

• Warkworth Lions – $8730 to upgrade the Kowhai Park walking track.

• North Shore Hospice Trust/Warkworth Wellsford Hospice – $5000 towards waterproofing Tui House, Glenmore Drive.

• Mahurangi Presbyterian Church – $5000 towards the costs of painting the Mahurangi Presbyterian Church at 5 Pulham Road, Warkworth.

• Literacy North Shore Incorporated – $4965 towards running learners drivers licence groups and digital literacy groups in Wellsford Library.

• Baddeleys and Campbells Ratepayers Association – $2250 towards replanting Baddeleys Beach Recreation Reserve.

• Leigh Volunteer Fire Brigade – $1500 towards printing 200 books on the brigade’s history.

• North Rodney Community Arts Council – $1147 towards holding its annual art competition in September

• Port Albert Temperance Hall Lecture & Reading Room Association – $1000 to hold events for the hall’s 100th anniversary.

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$100k for Mahurangi projectsSixteen Mahurangi projects received a total of $108,153 in the latest round of Rodney Local Board community grants.The Board received 47 applications, requesting a total of $321,156. It allocated $170,281 in funding to groups across Rodney.

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The Government will spend millions on safety improvements on State Highway 1 between Warkworth and the Brynderwyn Hills.The work is part of a $95 million package to improve the most dangerous roads in Northland and Auckland.In the past decade there have been 26 deaths on the 27km stretch of road, including nine deaths and 24 serious injuries between Wellsford and the Brynderwyns and 17 deaths and 42 serious injuries in the Dome Valley.The safety upgrades will include realignment of corners, side barriers, median barriers, rumble strips, wide centrelines, road marking and improved signage. Speed will also be addressed.Work in the Dome Valley is due to start in 2018 and cost about $25 million.Planning for the Wellsford to

Brynderwyn section will start in the next year and work is expected to start in 2018. The costs will be confirmed once investigations and design are complete.The work is part of the Government’s Safer Roads and Roadsides programme which will see $100 million safety improvements each year for six years.The programme targets more than 90 high-risk sites on rural state highways, including nearly all roads where there have been five or more fatalities in the last five years.NZ Automobile Association motoring affairs general manager Mike Noon says the investment will save lives.“We know that upgrading roads with things like barriers, wide centrelines, rumble strip and better road markings makes a huge difference in reducing crashes, but this programme will see them used on a much greater scale,” Mr Noon says.

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The road between Warkworth and SH16 is one of the most dangerous in the country.

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Recent media attention has drawn a number of enquiries from concerned landlords and home buyers regarding the effect methamphetamine contamination has on property values, and there is little doubt this is a growing problem across all of New Zealand.My research has indicated that upwards of 35 per cent of meth tests are returning positive with a large proportion exceeding Ministry of Heath guidelines of 0.5ug/100cm2 requiring decontamination. Typically, 75 per cent of P-labs uncovered by police have been in rental properties, and in 2014, Housing New Zealand tested 196 homes finding 51 per cent contaminated.Knowing whether or not you have an issue is not easy, as often the presence of meth contamination is difficult to see or smell and dangerous levels of contamination can come not just from the manufacture of the drug, but also heavy usage.You may be fortunate and see some evidence of chemicals, but often you can get a good insight from asking the neighbours what the tenants or current home owner is like.Meth testing kits are also available, but like store bought pregnancy tests, you are best to consult an expert to be really sure! Professional testing is generally a two-stage process with the first being a “composite test” that involves testing several areas using swabs to check for the presence of meth. If meth is detected, there is a second test that is more thorough (and costly) to determine the level of contamination.If this second test records a result greater than 0.5ug/100cm2 this is considered as uninhabitable/dangerous as set out in the Ministry of Health department guidelines and decontamination is required. This should also be recorded on the property’s LIM report held by the Council.

Heavy use of meth can push contamination to levels similar to that found when there has been manufacturing of the drug. Therefore, in practice they do not separate between “use” and “manufacture” to classify meth contamination, but rather focus on the positive/negative first test result and the level of contamination, if positive, from the second test.Decontamination can vary from triple cleaning every surface through to complete removal and replacement of all contaminated linings. This can even extend into the roof cavity framing if there is evidence of ventilation of fumes into this area. Further testing after decontamination is then required to ensure all dangerous levels of contamination are removed before the tester can state that the house is safe for habitation.There is increasing compliance on landlords and real estate professionals to disclose meth contamination, and prospective buyers and homeowners should seek advice from their lawyers regarding protective clauses in Sales & Purchase Agreements and Rental Agreements.Sales values can also be affected for known meth contaminated homes, as the cost of remediating the problem has the potential to see prospective purchasers negotiate with the vendors. As with all property purchase transactions, buyers should complete full due diligence on their purchase before the unconditional date and before they sign any Sales & Purchase agreement. The costs of remediation can vary depending on the level of contamination and the method of decontamination needed to return the dwelling back to safe levels and safe habitation.I’d like to thank Matt Mason from Betta Inspect It for his input into this article.

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The meth house crisisWith Vicki Phillips of Valuation Rodney

Documents

Mahurangi Matters, Construction Feature, 6 July, 2016