It has been another busy year for the committee of the Grey Lynn Residents Association (GLRA), with one big project in the middle of implementation, others progressing apace, and planning matters being monitored and submissions made.
Planning
Going for Housing Growth Discussion Document, August 2025
GLRA submitted the Going for Housing Growth consultation document. This is part of central government’s wider resource management reform programme – something that will have a major effect on city planning in Auckland.
We raised concerns about the government using extremely high household growth projections that would require councils to zone large areas for high density housing. We fear that this will lead to inefficient, poorly-planned, haphazard development – and urban sprawl through the rural hinterland.
We submitted in support of measures that promote a well-functioning, environmentally friendly city, with a range of housing types – including well-defined, attractively-planned high density neighbourhoods in appropriate areas.
Western Springs Stadium, June 2025
GLRA submitted on proposals for the future of Western Springs Stadium. We supported option 2 – an enhanced version of the existing Western Springs Stadium set-up, maintaining a 50,000 capacity concert venue by adding a permanent stage and additional seating to the existing stadium, and allowing Ponsonby Rugby Club to remain at Western Springs.
We thank Tania Mace for her ongoing work on preparing and making GLRA’s submissions.
Transport
Great North Road Improvements Project – underway
This long-awaited project, championed by Brandon Wilcox and David Batten since securing initial Waitematā Local Board funding nearly a decade ago, has moved steadily from planning to construction, which is well underway and scheduled for completion by Christmas 2025.
The journey from our original community-led vision to today’s reality involved substantial community consultation, ongoing dialogue with AT (frequently alongside Grey Lynn Business Association), and the development of our comprehensive Great North Road Community-led Vision document.
While budget constraints meant AT couldn’t deliver our complete vision, we adopted a pragmatic approach – supporting their revised plan while continuing to advocate for the best possible outcomes for Grey Lynn residents.
After navigating years of delays including project pauses, reviews, the pandemic, devastating 2023 Anniversary weekend floods, economic pressures, and shifting political priorities that threatened the project’s very survival, construction crews finally broke ground earlier this year and has maintained strong momentum.
Construction is progressing at pace with intersection remodelling nearing completion. This will be followed by road repairs, primarily on the southern side, while tree planting has commenced as new and remodelled tree pits become available.
Recent engagement with AT project manager Steve Willis addressed several overlooked community priorities, including:
- Loading zones for retail and apartment deliveries.
- A small net increase in on-street parking numbers.
- Remediation of hot-mix footpath sections.
- Traffic management around the Bunnings entry.
- Beaconsfield Street bus stop positioning for No. 20 bus patrons wanting to travel west towards Grey Lynn shops.
- Brisbane Street footpath remediation to remove the temporary vehicle access route across the footpath.
We particularly want to acknowledge AT’s efforts, especially Steve Willis’ exemplary communication throughout the preliminary works phase. His responsiveness to address both strategic concerns and practical day-to-day impacts on individual residents and businesses set a high standard for community engagement that we expect will continue through to project completion.
Surrey Crescent Road Resurfacing Project – construction commences
Following extensive advocacy from GLRA alongside Grey Lynn School, Kāinga Ora, Cohaus and Bike Auckland, Auckland Transport has finalised plans that deliver genuine road improvements rather than simple like-for-like resurfacing.
Our campaign achieved the integration of cycleways with the road maintenance program, connecting the K’ Road and Great North Road cycleways closer to the Point Chevalier and Meloa Road networks. The ultimate aim is to create safe cycling passage from Point Chevalier through to the CBD and Auckland Hospital.
This approach avoided the wasteful “dig twice” scenario we fought against, where improvements would have been deferred indefinitely.
Auckland Transport’s final design incorporates several enhancements based on community feedback:
- The design includes an on-road cycle lane along the north side from near Bullock Track to Stanmore Road, created by removing the flush median while preserving kerbside parking. Standardised parking restrictions around the Garnet Road and Surrey Crescent shops will improve customer access, while kerb build-outs at side roads will reduce pedestrian crossing distances and encourage safer turning speeds.
- On parking retention – a key community concern – we achieved significant success in preserving spaces while accepting necessary safety improvements. Some parking reduction was unavoidable to install dotted yellow lines around side streets and driveways, providing essential sight lines for vehicles to safely exit onto Surrey Crescent and Old Mill Road.
Construction begins this month and will continue through December 2025, covering Surrey Crescent from Grey Lynn School to Bullock Track, plus Old Mill Road cycle lane upgrades.
Auckland Transport has thoughtfully scheduled the most disruptive work outside Grey Lynn School during September school holidays, demonstrating genuine consideration for the community.
The project aligns with Mayor Brown’s directive to focus on “low-cost opportunities to complete the network with minimal disruption” – delivering infrastructure improvements alongside planned maintenance.
We thank Brandon Wilcox who continues to represent the community’s interests as the project moves into its construction phase.
Parks & Reserves
Grey Lynn Park & Hakanoa Reserve
Friends of Grey Lynn Park, a group that involves some GLRA members, has been very active all year in the Rose Road gully and also assisting the great team working on the Hakanoa Reserve. There have been monthly planting and weeding bees and some new fronts have been opened up. Dozens of plants have gone in.
Jo Hurst has also been the liaison point over the future of the council bought-out properties at the foot of Dryden/Cockburn/Hakanoa.
We thank Nicola Legat and Jo Hurst for their tireless work in the park.
Defence Force Pocket Park Proposal – progressing
Progress on the NZ Defence Force land pocket park is slowly progressing. Cr Mike Lee made representations to both Helen White MP, which came to nothing.
The Hon Judith Collins Minister of Defence responded that the NZDF intends to create a car park on the site ‘to alleviate pressure on adjoining streets’.
We attempted to facilitate a meeting with list MP Melissa Lee, which was ignored. It has been noted, though, that she was happy to show support for a resident recently evicted from a Kianga Ora rental property in Westmere and moved to a more appropriate Kianga Ora rental property.
We thank David Batten for his ongoing work on this project.
Arch Hill Advocacy
David Batten continues to advocate on behalf of the residents of Arch Hill on such matters as…
- Presentation to the Waitematā Local Board (WLB) re the retention of the Arch Hill 30km/h zone given the proximity of the local primary school, 3 preschools and the narrowness of our streets. The WLB voted to NOT support the retention of the 30km/h zones. Comments by member Sarah Trotman after the vote where she voiced support for “the removal of parking on one side of each street in Arch Hill” to get traffic flowing reflects a mentality of prioritising cars over the safety of children and at the cost of residents’ on-street parking, which as we know is the only parking available for most of the old workers’ cottages on small sites in historic Arch Hill.
- Canvassing local businesses and residents re the 30km/h reinstatement now that there is some clarity from central government re community consultation.
- Successfully campaigning for replacement of dead trees behind the NZ Defence force complex.
- Liaising with AT re Brisbane St footpath remediation to remove the temporary vehicle traffic route across the footpath, as noted in the Transport section of this report.
Quiet Sky Waitematā – Coxs Bay helicopter application
We have been active in supporting the Quiet Sky Waitematā group and submitting on the 38 Rawene Ave, Westmere helicopter Resource Consent application.
The Environment Court hearing date for the application has been set for 2 October 2025. The appeal, filed by Quiet Sky Waitematā, challenges the Independent Commissioners’ decision to classify helicopter movements in residential ares as a permitted activity under specific noise standards.
They assert that the application is a non-complying activity under the Auckland Unitary Plan and is not ancillary to residential use. The council planners also agree with this view.
It should be noted the determination made by the Independent Commissioners in their decision is at odds with evidence of Council officers on activity status tabled at the Council hearing.
The Herne Bay Residents Association, The Tree Council and Urban Auckland are joining Quiet Sky Waitematā to challenge the decision. They are currently preparing planning evidence and legal submissions for the upcoming hearing.
The Environment Court hearing will be held at 10:00 AM on 2 October 2025.
Western Isthmus Stormwater and Wastewater Upgrades Community Liaison Group
Work on the 4.5 metre diameter tunnel from Māngere to Grey Lynn, known as the Central Interceptor, continues at pace.
The Central Interceptor tunnel will collect wastewater from the existing network and take it to the Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant. The aim is to improve water quality by reducing overflows by storing wastewater in the tunnel prior to treatment. The 219 places currently affected by overflows will reduce to 7 once it comes online.
Big thanks to Paul Shortland for standing in for us as a community representative on this project.
Website and Facebook
The website is maintained by Brandon Wilcox and has been well used, with a number of blog posts on key issues during the year.
David Batten has maintained our GLRA Facebook page as well as the Arch Hill Matters Facebook page. Thanks to both Brandon and David.
David reports that over the last 12 months both Facebook pages have shown positive engagement. GLRA has 668 followers; Arch Hill Matters has 384 followers.
Brandon reports that the top 5 most viewed pages on our website this year are…
- Home page
- Blog post “Surrey Crescent Road Upgrade: A Long and Winding Road” [published June 2025]
- Blog post “Waiōrea Community Recycling Centre” [published August 2024]
- Blog post “Residential Parking Zones Proposed for Grey Lynn & Arch Hill” [published November 2017]
- Blog post “Hakanoa Recovery Group – What’s It All About?” [published February 2025]
We have 409 active email subscribers and our average open rate is between 50% and 70%. Our open rates are exceptionally high compared to the 21% average email open rate for all industries, and 25% for non-profits.
Constitution – new legislation for incorporated societies
Grey Lynn Residents Association Inc was incorporated under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. In order to comply with the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 we need to reregister under the 2022 Act if we want to remain as an incorporated society.
There are a few things we need to do before we reregister, such as preparing a new constitution and adopting some new processes to comply with the 2022 Act.
The 2022 Act modernises the way societies operate. It is more comprehensive than the 1908 Act and is designed to integrate best practice processes into all societies (for example, ensuring societies have good mechanisms in place for handling internal disputes and prepare financial statements to a consistent set of standards).
The 2022 Act places a stronger emphasis on officers acting in the best interest of the society, not its members.
Our first task was to prepare a new constitution that meets the requirements of the 2022 Act. That was approved at the 2024 AGM.
We have revised the clause relating to the quorum number at committee meetings, which is being tabled for approval at the 2025 AGM.
We have also instituted an Interests Register and a Register of Members, as required by the Act. We are now going through the process of properly registering our members as Members of the Association.
We thank Brandon Wilcox for his ongoing work on this important project.
Finances
Thanks to sponsorship from Marc Collins of Barfoot & Thompson Grey Lynn we are able to continue providing membership to our members at a $0 annual membership fee.
Marc’s sponsorship also covers the hosting and support costs of our website and our Xero subscription.
The 2025 Annual Financial Report has been circulated amongst the committee and will be presented at the AGM.
- A surplus of $135 has been recorded for the year to 31 March 2025.
- The only expenditures for the year are the Xero subscription of $221 and website hosting and domain renewal of $444.
- Cash at Bank is $826, an increase of $135.
Many thanks to Paul Shortland for his time in preparing the reports for us, and Tania Mace for stepping in as not-the-treasurer while that position is vacant. If you would like to join the GLRA committee and help out in this regard, please step forward!
Thanks
Thanks are due to all the GLRA committee members, who have worked so hard this year for the neighbourhood despite their own busy working and family lives.
Special thanks to Tania ‘not-the-treasurer’ Mace and Dan ‘not-the-secretary’ Salmon for stepping in to support the committee while these positions are vacant.
Thanks also to Paul Shortland for his off-the-committee work and support.
