GUNDRY'S GRUMBLES with Simon Gundry
Back to Bureaucracy
Simon Gundry is a Devonport and North Shore identity, and character, who is known for calling a spade a spade. He is a director of contracting company Gill & Gundry, is an enthusiastic and active sailor (past crew-member of Ceramco New Zealand and Lion New Zealand in Whitbread Round The World races and Shockwave in Admiral’s Cup) and is a life member of the North Shore Rugby Football Club. This is his regular and lively contribution to CHANNEL.
Here we are, back at work again, after the summer vacation – about to dive headlong into 2012. Within the blink of an eye, it will be Christmas time 2012 though.
I had a wonderful Christmas vacation; all the boys came home from overseas at some stage. Such a nice place to be, the Auckland International Airport, seeing families welcoming whanau home from over the seas, the shrieks of joy, the tears, the laughter and the love and hugs. All sorts of New Zealanders, coming home for Christmas and New Year – New Zealand would be a very interesting place, if every New Zealander came home all at once.
Over the holidays I have spent most of the time round and about the North Shore, quietly consumed by its natural beauty, the beaches and parks and the Hauraki Gulf. I went to the Bay of Islands and again bathed in its splendour. I drove to Wellington and met up with an old sailing mate, who is taking part in the Global Ocean Race, which is a two man race around the world with three stops in Open 40 type yachts. I met him during the Whitbread days in the 1980’s and there began a long firm friendship. So indeed I had a wonderful diverse break.
Just on going back to Wellington, I must admit it is a wonderful waterfront.
I haven’t been there for a long time, but I was quite struck by the beauty of
the city.
All my sons were pleased to be home for their short breaks, one returning from his surveying job in a diamond mine in Australia, one returning from his sailing in Newport, Rhode Island, and one coming back from California from his job with the Holland America Shipping Line where he is undertaking his cadetship in marine engineering. As a family we barbecued a lot, talked aplenty and had a few nice cold beers together, did a little bit of sailing and generally chilled out as a family. It was such fun, but so short. As suddenly as they appeared, they disappeared again to their various corners of the World.
But just when we think our country is relaxing, I read in a local paper of some more Council stupidity.
Oh God, I thought this one had gone away. A perfectly adequate boat ramp for the Wakatere Sailing Club at Narrowneck Beach is going to be replaced with a permanent construction.
The Auckland Council, in their wisdom, is currently designing a suitable replacement for the current ramp – which Holy God, doesn’t seem to have a consent. Nobody told the workers at their working bee back in 1945 or so that they needed a consent to build a boat ramp. I thought this had all gone away, but no.
While we’re at Narrowneck Beach, I see investigations are underway to build a sand based volleyball court, this is to be built at Woodall Park adjacent to the beach at the cost of $28,575.00. How the hell can you spend that sort of money building a sand based volleyball court? If you work out the costings on the back of a paper napkin, at breakfast at the Sierra Coffee Bar somewhere, it should be about this:
Nice poles to take the net x 2 = $500
One volleyball net bought from a reputable sports goods supplier (like my old mate Simon Ostick’s company), say $500;
Excavation out of suitable sized area for the regulation sized sand volleyball pit, approximately $1000.
Put a suitable mowing strip around the whole court in tanalised timber, flush to ground level, say another $1000.
Then, we fill it up with high grade sand from some sand and metal supplier, approximately 40m of sand delivered - $2000?
So there we have a total of $5000 – so say $6000 to round it off to a nice even figure. How the hell can you put a budget of $28,575 on it?
I suppose the majority of the money is again spent on Engineers, Geotech engineers, Advisors and Consultants, and of course Resource and Building consents. Then, doing a feasibility study of how the sand volleyball court will impact on the cockles and pipis that are to be found at low tide at Narrowneck Beach. Finally, I suppose the iwi will need to be consulted, to see if the volleyball court on an old tip site is culturally sensitive or not.
While we’re in Devonport, wait for this one, there is another little project about to happen; this is the replacement of the coastal stairway from First Avenue to the beach. A Resource and Management consent has been obtained, and now the Council is going through the tender process. The projected cost of these new stairs is some $300,000. How the hell could a set of stairs cost this much, it has me mystified.
Another thing, while we’re still in Devonport – consultations with property owners in Jubilee Avenue have so far failed to carry favour for a pedestrian walkway linking Torpedo Bay and Fort Takapuna. The council have set aside $210,000 for the design concept and consultation process. This is before they start the whole process of consents etc. The whole exercise will be a couple of million before you know it. I just hope the whole thing doesn’t turn out to be a Mon Desir steps debacle, which happened on Takapuna Beach a few years ago.
Another thing I picked up, on my vacation while reading idly on the boat, was the 250-page report that was put out just prior to Christmas about the impact on Auckland of the Rugby World Cup. Does it really take 250 pages to report on the social impact of the Rugby World Cup in Auckland? Most of it centred on the investigation into the transport issues on the Opening Night. I believe I could sum it up in half a page – basically it was a beautiful day leading into an equally beautiful evening with clear skies and very balmy, with the Rugby World Cup celebrations about to start. Our City fathers encouraged us all to come into town to enjoy the celebrations, and don’t take the car. As good law abiding citizens we all obeyed – hence the crush in downtown Auckland, and hence the bursting gridlocked public transport system. That doesn’t take 250 pages. As for the social impact, I could also sum that up in just a sentence: “It was absolutely wonderful”. I wonder how much this 250 page report cost?
Anyway, enjoy the rest of your Summer!
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