Parnell Train Station update
Don't hold your breath...

The issue of the Parnell train station came before Council's Transport Committee this week – but only as a status report revealing that little progress has been made to date. A report from Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) on the preferred location was expected in March, but this has been delayed while behind the scenes discussions continue between ARTA, ONTRACK and the ARC on two alternative sites.

Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) plans to develop a new station at Parnell, and they say it has the potential to become the fourth busiest on its network.

ARTA initially favoured locating the new rail station adjacent to the new Carlaw Park development. Parnell Mainstreet proposed that the station be sited on ONTRACK land adjacent to Mainline Steam, which could also provide good space for the old Newmarket train station building.

According to sources, both locations for the Parnell train station are problematic - the ONTRACK land site has what is considered an unacceptable gradient (1 in 40) and the Carlaw Park would most likely require a build-out over the train bridge, at high expense.

The Carlaw Park site is likely to be more viable IF it can be a co-development with the owner of the adjoining Stanley Street property. Gradient issues at the ONTRACK site could, however, be overcome if the city-side rail bridges were raised. This site, favoured by Parnell Mainstreet for its closer proximity to Parnell businesses, could therefore be viable if raising the bridges proved to be more economical than developing a station on the bridges.

Not getting pictures with your emails?
Here's how to get great looking Parnell Mainstreet newsletters!

If this email is arriving into your email box without photos and illustrations, you're not seeing it at its best!

Now it may be that you want your emails to arrive that way; but if you're using Microsoft Office Outlook for your emails and you're mystified why your emails arrive stripped of photos, here's what you can do to see your HTML emails in all their glory!

Open Outlook and go to Tools (tab in top menu bar) then select Options, then Security. Here, the third option down is Download Pictures. Click the Change Automatic Download Settings button. Then uncheck the box next to “Don't download pictures or other content automatically in HTML email.” Click the OK button at the bottom of this box, which will close this box. Click the OK button at the bottom of the Options box and this will close it.

And that should do it for you! Easy!

New Flexible employment law
Offering work / life balance for carers

Research has shown that flexible working arrangements can benefit most businesses. Flexibility for both employers and employees enable employers to recruit and retain skilled staff. In today's tight labour market, flexible working arrangements are an even more popular option for employers.

Since 1 July 2008, when the The Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007 came into force, employees with caring responsibilities have a specific right to ask their employers for flexible working arrangements. The new provisions are another option for employees who need to balance work with caring for others.

To be eligible for the right to ask for flexible working arrangements, workers must have worked for their employer for at least six months and be caring for someone. If they meet these minimum requirements, they can request flexible working arrangements that help balance their work and care. How these arrangements are worked out is entirely up to the employer and employee.

Employers, in good faith, must consider and decide if the flexible arrangements can be catered for. They must also respond to employee requests within three months and employees can only apply once in any twelve month period.

The new provisions will not have any effect on existing flexible working arrangements and this can be left in the hands of employers and workers to manage between themselves.

For further information visit: www.dol.govt.nz/flexiworking

Dedicated left turn lane requested at top of Parnell Road
Left lane for St Stephens Ave traffic only

Parnell Mainstreet has made a request to City Council's traffic engineers to have the left lane at the top of Parnell Road / St Stephens Ave become a left turn only for cars (and OK for buses only to go straight ahead).

Following changes to light phasing introduced last September to make the crossings safer for pedestrians, drivers wanting to take a left turn into St Stephens Ave have been frustrated at the seemingly reduced opportunities to do so. This situation is exacerbated when the green arrow to turn left coincides with a red light to go straight ahead - and a car wanting to do the latter is at the head of the queue.

Council will assess the issue and at the same time review light phasing at the intersection over the next month. In the meantime, most drivers are treating the left lane as a left turn only lane - if only everyone wuold!

And yet more rubbish
Great contractor deals for cardboard removal!

Please take note of correct fortnightly bin collection dates: Parnell Road's rubbish collection was last night and quite a few businesses had their new blue recycling bins put out on the curb for collection. Unfortunately last night was not a collection night - but next week will be. Please take note of the collection date reminders at the top of this email and communicate this information to whoever is responsible for placing your bins on the footpath for collection.

Having your recyclables collected commercially is cheap!
Parnell Mainstreet has spoken to Waste Management about their recycling collection deals and they are surprisingly cheap. Because there's money to be made in recycling your cardboard and other recyclable waste, all you pay for is the monthly rental of a bin. Bin hire ranges from $8 per month for a 660L bin (a compact size, easy to handle and find a home for) to $20 a month for the 3 cubic metre bin. We have a number of brochures in the Parnell Mainstreet office if you're interested!
Call Loren Walker at Waste Management on 027 217 6537 or email lwalker@wastemanagement.co.nz

Alternative collections
Parnell Mainstreet will be investigating various solutions to help member businesses conform to new Council requirements - and avoid fines for placing cardboard waste at the curbside. Remember this is no longer an option! Either it goes in your new blue recycling bin, or a commercial removal solution must be found.

On your marks cyclists
Ready set ... rain check

City Council has given Parnell Mainstreet the thumbs-up, in principle, to hold a very exciting new event in the Auckland cycling calendar - a 2 kilometre hill sprint challenge up Parnell Rise and Parnell Road to St Georges Bay Road.

In last week's newsletter we were working towards a July 26 date for the event, in order to coincide with the Tour de France. We've had second thoughts .... to give ourselves more time to prepare a great event, get greater buy-in, generate more buzz and attract more cyclists, we're going to hold this later in the year. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, if you'd like to be part of this event in any way, please contact Parnell Mainstreet (ph 379 0606) or iBike (contact Michael Glynn on 307 9400).

The initiative is part of a strategy to encourage sport cyclists to take in Parnell as part of their training route - and stop off at Parnell Road cafés for coffee/brunch of course for a caffeine boost! Parnell Mainstreet has a proposal to create temporary parking, which interested cafes could provide for cyclists. We'll be working with Council on this initiative to bring the lycra-clad set to the area!

Do you have too much rubbish for your blue bin?
Commercial solutions for volume recycling

Recycling using Auckland City Council's new bins starts in two weeks, from June 30. Details on the new regime were attached on the outside of the recently-distributed bins, and info on material that can be put into the bins can be found inside the bin lid.

Rubbish collection along Parnell Rise and Parnell Road is on Thursday nights. Your blue bins will be emptied only every second week, starting July 3. Parnell Mainstreet will include a reminder of these dates at the top of this newsletter to help ensure that these exceedingly large bins do not end up living on the pavement.

Commercial collections: Council's new recycling collection regime is unlikely to work for businesses that generate large volumes of recyclable waste - and dumping your boxes on the footpath each night will no longer be an option as this will incur a fine! Council advises that businesses whose paper and cardboard waste exceeds the capacity of the recycling bins provided should make other collection arrangements with private operators.

There are a number of commercial waste collection options available to businesses. If you need to make arrangements for regular collection of recyclable waste here are some of the larger operators in this area:

• Waste Management - ph 527 1300 (all recyclable materials) web
• Full Circle (Paper Chase) - ph 0800 732 925 (cardboard & paper only) web
• Paper Reclaim - ph 571 0242 (all recyclable materials) web
• Metrowaste - ph 0800 422477 (all recyclable materials) web

Other rubbish contractors can be found in the Yellow Pages under:
•  Waste disposal •  Waste paper collection •  Rubbish Bin Hire

For further details about the new blue bins and your options (including having the bin taken away or swapped for a smaller one) see Parnell Mainstreet news here or on City Council's website.

Blue recycling bins bring new rubbish management regime
Go private for bulk recycling collection or face $400 fines

Auckland City Council has done some more thinking about the new 240litre recycling bins and how these might work for businesses.... it's agreed to provide additional recycling bins to eligible isthmus businesses and residential ratepayers at a modest cost, expected to be between $50 to $60 including GST annually.

The offer of extra bins is for businesses and residents currently paying the annual waste charge. The additional recycling bins will only be provided IF they can be stored on the premises prior to collection day. And that's the problem - the new bins are so large, most businesses will have a problem finding a place for even one of them on their premises.

In fact, the bins really aren't meant to be a solution for business-scale recycling at all. According to a press release put out by Council yesterday: "The 240-litre recycling bins are for household quantities of recyclable material only they have been provided to businesses so that staff can recycle everyday household recyclable items such as newspapers, milk containers and aluminium cans." Great....

At yesterday's City Development Committee meeting, Council made it clear that it is not in the business of recyclables collection from commercial activities. Council advises that businesses whose paper and cardboard waste exceeds the capacity of the recycling bins provided should make other collection arrangements with private operators.

Paper and cardboard must now only be put in the recycling bin for collection – not left loosely on the kerbside. Businesses and residents leaving loose material on the kerbside will be contacted by council waste officers as part of an education programme. Persistent offenders could face a $400 fine for illegal dumping if they do not comply with the council's tidy streets policy.

(At present, businesses habitually dump boxes on the footpath every night of the week. This has never been legitimate! Paperchase is only contracted by Council to pick up boxes on official rubbish nights - once a week. On other nights, boxes are collected by City Council to clear footpaths. This unofficial Council service has led most to believe that cardboard waste can be legitimately dumped on the footpath every night. So, thanks to Council's generosity, we're now in for some real trouble as businesses are "retrained." )

If you do not want your blue bin (you may have private rubbish collection, for example) you may have Council take it back! Phone 379 2020. Your bin should be collected within 5 working days.

Opt for a smaller blue bin: Council will now let people opt for smaller, more manageable 120-litre blue-lidded recycling bins if they have difficulty with the 240-litre bin, at no additional cost. Contact City Council on 379 2020.

Parnell Mainstreet will arrange for City Council to remove any blue bins still on the footpath at the end of next week (from June 21).

Read all about the new Blue Bin recycling service on City Council's website.

Repairs to The Ridge
Three months to fix leaky building frontage

Businesses (and residents) at the top end of Parnell Road are in for an estimated three months of inconvenience as the exterior of The Ridge is completely reclad to deal with "weather tightness" - a new term for leaky building syndrome. Our sympathies for the property owners in The Ridge, who are up for a total bill approaching $5 million.

While work is in progress, parking spaces have been blocked from 381 to 395 Parnell Road to make way for scaffolding and parking for the project. The bus stop, previously located outside Esque at 381 Parnell Road, has been relocated just down the hill , outside Pan Asia and Murdoch McLennan Antiques for the duration. Businesses behind the scaffolding are to get some temporary signage to improve their visibility in the meantime.


Last day for Alpha Books & Stationery
Ephraim Nelapati is closing his business at 395 Parnell Road today. Ephraim wants to sell a much stock as possible by the end of today and is offering bargains of up to 50% on his remaining stock. Help him out (and yourselves) by visiting the shop today!

Pronto Print's computer station provides fast, secure Internet access with Internet time sold on pre-paid cards - so customers can come back and use up their balance.

Cards are sold in 15 min/30min/60min denominations
15 mins = $2.00; 30 mins = $4.00; and 60 mins = $6.00

Pronto Print also offers a memory stick if any printing of internet info/email messages is required.

Contact Pronto Print, at 122 Parnell Road, phone 373 5557 (opposite Mink - corner Heather St and Parnell Road).

Council makes progress on Heard Park
A number of issues being worked on

Council is well aware of a number of issues needing further attention following the recent upgrade of Heard Park - the neighbourhood park at 170 Parnell Road. Parnell Mainstreet was pleased to receive the following update from Council this morning:

Litter Bins
A new litter bin will be installed on the footpath next to the mail boxes.  This will be one of the new Ponsonby-style bins replacing existing Parnell Rd bins soon.  The two bins in the back corner will remain as they are.  Presently they are emptied three times per week.  This will be monitored and if required increased to meet demand.

Park cleaning
Currently the loose litter is picked up weekly, this is being increased to twice a week and will include butts being picked out of the gardens.  Parnell Mainstreet invites your feedback if the park continues to look unkempt and needs additional cleaning.

Missing Trees
The two tree-less tree pits within the steps have a water issue - the pits keep filling up with water.  Council is currently trying to find where the water is coming from and resolve the issue before any trees are planted.  10m holes have been drilled in the bottom of the pits to allow for the water to drain out and discussions are being held with council's arborist to determine the most appropriate species to be planted if the water issue cannot be resolved.

Lawn
The current level of the lawn is unacceptable and is being worked on.  Instruction has been given to the contractor that this must be leveled and brought up to the hard edges before final payment will be released.

Seating
There is scope for additional bench seating, to be funded by Parnell Mainstreet, to replace comfortable benches previously located on the footpath boundary.