275 Times July 2018

EDITION #43
JULY 2018
275 times
275
Māngere’s
times
Our stories, our people, our Māngere
Kōrero paki ō tatou, Tāngata ō tatou, Ngā Hau Māngere ō tatou
GETTING ABOUT
ONLY THE
BRAVE?
Cycling in Māngere
Free!
By Donna Wynd
Cycling in Māngere and
Ōtāhuhu should be easy.
The roads are relatively flat,
and most streets are wide
enough to accommodate
cars and bikes without
too much trouble.
The number of cyclists that
commute and cycle for fun has
grown over the last few years, and
it’s now common to see lycraclad
jocks and people in their hiviz
vests and workboots zipping
along in rush-hour traffic.
Our young people and family
groups are also riding bikes much
more than they used to. And why
not? It’s fun, cheap, and you don’t
have to stress about parking.
Room for improvement
It’s not all beer and skittles, though.
We sent our intrepid cycle reporter
out to identify the prime areas
for improved cycle safety.
The verdict is in! Great South Road
and Massey Road are scary. There
are few cycleways, the lanes are
narrow, and as main arterial routes,
they’re used by heavy trucks, carcarriers,
and oversized loads.
Māngere East cyclists Alan & Emily Worman take refuge
from Massey Road traffic at the Village Cafe. (Photo: Roger Fowler)
Technically it’s illegal to cycle on the
footpath, but that’s what many of us
end up doing. That might be OK, but
there are parts of Great South Road
where there’s no footpath, either.
Auckland Transport has talked up
a big game to get people out of
cars and onto bikes, but with the
main South Auckland commuting
routes dangerous to cyclists,
it’s only the truly brave that will
abandon the safety of their cars.
This is made worse by a prevailing
philosophy that appears to prioritise
the needs of the freight industry.
In suburbs such as Māngere and
Ōtāhuhu, with their container yards
and freight depots, the chances of
the roads being made safe for cyclists
any time soon is wishful thinking.
Connecting to Sylvia Park?
On the upside, Auckland Transport
has committed to putting in a
cycle path from Ōtāhuhu to Sylvia
Park. This is planned to run down
Church Street, across the footbridge
then up the hill to Atkinson Ave.
So far so good, at least for those
who want to ride their bikes to
Sylvia Park. In the meantime, the key
piece of infrastructure in this plan
– the footbridge at the bottom of
Church Street – has effectively been
blocked off by a pair of bollards.
SNAFU! You might be able to get
past in the daytime but don’t come
back in the dark after you’ve had
a few at a bar in Sylvia Park!
WHAT’S INSIDE:
P4: Keeping Māngere Beautiful P7: Make your own Maramataka

Parenting Facilitator Elaine Spark
will use Ohomairangi Trust’s new
7-seater electric van to transport
families to parenting courses.
Going electric
By Bob van Ruyssevelt
Ever more extreme
weather conditions, rising
sea levels and the new
fuel tax are all reasons
to consider a change to
Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Right now there are also extra
incentives such as exemption
from Road User Charges and the
ability to use some bus and truck
motorway on-ramps. There may
never be a better time to buy.
Ohomairangi Trust, which
runs parenting courses at the
Māngere East Community
Centre, has obtained a
generous 50% grant from the
Government’s Low Emission
Vehicles Contestable Fund
(LEVCF) to buy six EVs.
The new vehicles will be
based in Māngere East, and
will be used for making home
visits and transporting parents
to and from courses.
Appropriately-named parenting
facilitator Elaine Spark
(pictured with the Trust’s new
eNV200 seven-seater van)
was surprised to find how
easy an EV was to drive.
With duties all over Auckland,
Elaine is now busy locating
the city’s public EV charging
stations. The network of stations
is expanding rapidly, and while
some cost a small amount to
use, others are currently free.
The change to EVs will save the
Trust thousands of dollars in
vehicle operating costs such as
fuel, licensing, and servicing.
The new vehicles only need
a quick $100 maintenance
visit annually, and the
main consumables are
tyres and brakes.
The money saved can be
used to provide more valuable
services to the community.
Although EVs are not exactly
cheap at the moment, prices
will come down as they
become more common. Used
imports are available at more
affordable prices, and as the
big operators like Auckland
Council, Air NZ and Meridian
Energy turn over their fleets,
more NZ-new EVs will come
on to the secondhand market.
Companies such as Meridian
are offering their own incentives
with some free power and
the ability to take advantage
of cheaper off-peak power.
If you’re planning to replace
your car or van soon, perhaps
an EV might be for you!
“Not one more acre!”
At sunrise on 14 July 1863 the British
invasion of the Waikato began.
The war that had the most devastating
effect on New Zealand society
continues to the present day.
We remember and will not forget.
Join SOUL for a dawn service on Saturday,
14 July this year at Monument Corner, Great
South Rd, Ōtāhuhu, followed by a short hikoi
to Fletcher Building’s HQ to challenge the
new invaders of Māori land at Ihumātao.
All welcome from 6:30am. Speeches
at 7am. Hikoi begins at 8am.
(“Not one more acre” was the slogan
of the Māori Land March of 1975.)
Right:Marchers prepare to join the hikoi
at the Nixon monument in Ōtāhuhu in 2017.
2

Library
knitting club
celebrates
3rd birthday
By Lyndsey Smith
Every Thursday for the past
three years the Māngere East
Library Knitting & Craft Club
have been meeting up for a
cup of tea and a chat over their
knitting and craft projects.
This friendly group of knitting and
craft enthusiasts have been busy
creating beautiful knitted and
crocheted baby beanies, booties,
jackets and blankets to donate to
the babies at Middlemore Hospital.
On 7 June the club celebrated their
third anniversary of meeting every
Thursday with a special morning tea.
Over a cuppa, the members shared
stories of how they first learned to
knit. Mary explained that her father
Above:Members of the Māngere East Library Knitting & Craft Club with clothes they’ve
made for babies born at Middlemore Hospital. Clockwise from left: Sylvia, Naomi, Aria, Mary,
Jean and Selwyn. (Photo: Lyndsey Smith)
had originally taught her to knit on
6-inch nails! She progressed from
there to meat skewers. Others often
had to learn through necessity or
by being around older people.
Mostly taught by older family
members, the enthusiastic
knitters have produced countless
garments for the new little
babies in the maternity ward
at Middlemore Hospital.
The knitting club provides a warm,
friendly space at Māngere East
Library for anyone who would like
to come along and learn a new
craft, share their knowledge and
skills with others, or simply have a
chat over a cup of tea and biscuits.
Positive outcomes from the local board’s advocacy
Tēnā koutou, tafola lava and greetings from our Local Board.
Local Board
chair Lemauga
Lydia Sosene.
As many of you will know,
we take our responsibilities
seriously to consider what’s
good for the community.
The proliferation of offlicences
is one such issue
which has a detrimental
impact on our people,
particularly on our youth.
We have been at the forefront
of this issue over many years
and so it’s heartening to see
the owners of the Curlew Bar
withdraw their application
for a liquor licence after
local community groups
such as the Māori Wardens
voiced their concerns.
This follows Grace’s Place
in Māngere having its onlicence
application declined
by the District Licensing
Committee in 2017.
These decisions can give us
hope that we can curb the
spread of these venues.
You may have also seen two
other recent consent issues
in the news. The first being a
refusal of a resource consent
application to use an Ōtāhuhu
building as a boarding house
following community and local
board opposition. And secondly,
we lodged our concerns
over the potential health and
environmental impacts from
the operation of a factory
to be built on Tidal Road.
I raise these matters to highlight
the great advocacy work
being done by all our local
board members in ensuring
our community is safe.
It’s also important you let us
know about issues that you
see so we can raise these
issues through the channels
we have available to us.
Lastly, can I let you know
about an exciting project
that will greatly impact our
area, particularly those in
Māngere East. Thanks to our
local board’s advocacy, the
Auckland Council Governing
Body has agreed to allocate
funding for the development
of the Māngere East precinct
and Walter Massey Park.
The plan is to improve access
and connectivity in and around
Māngere East and Walter
Massey Park, so keep an eye
out for further updates as more
detailed plans come to light.
Manuia,
Lemauga Lydia Sosene
Chair of the Māngere-
Ōtāhuhu Local Board
3

TALKING RUBBISH
Plastic
pollution
revolution
By Justine Skilling
Talking Rubbish, ME Family Services
“What’s the biggest environmental
problem facing us at the moment?”,
I asked a group of young leaders from
Southern Cross Campus last year.
“Litter”, was the overwhelming
response.
While climate change might be the biggest threat
to our continued existence on the planet, the
rubbish in our streets, parks and waterways is the
issue that we all see and deal with every day.
Puna Arere from the Tararata Stream Team is
concerned about the littering and dumping going
whanau
oha
love
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Community Playgroup
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201 Buckland Road, Mangere & 18A Mervan St, Mangere
goodseedtrust www.goodseedtrust.co.nz (09) 275-1065
Staff from Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Pool & Leisure Centre take a break
during their recent clean up of the Tararata Stream in Māngere.
on in her part of Māngere. During a recent
presentation, Puna explained that rubbish
dropped on our streets ends up in our streams,
and flows into the Manukau Harbour.
“Once it’s in the ocean, our rubbish will eventually
join one of the enormous rubbish gyres [islands]
floating around in the sea, some of which are bigger
than six times the size of New Zealand!”, she said.
Building community pride
Toni Helleur (Crime and Safety Prevention Liaison
for Māngere Town Centre) notices lots of litter
dropped around the Town Centre – mostly cigarette
butts and food packaging. “There’s a feeling of a
‘lack of pride’ in our community”, she says. “We’re
discussing this as a Town Centre, and looking
at introducing new bins to encourage people
to take more ‘community pride’ in this area.”
Mucking in to clean up our rubbish
Groups from around our community are
responding to the problem and giving their
time and effort to cleaning our place up.
º º Friends of the Farm in Māngere Bridge
organises regular community clean ups along
the Manukau Harbour foreshore, filling dozens
of bags with discarded packaging from takeaway
meals and late-night drinking sessions.
º º A group of young leaders from Do Good Feel
Good are currently cleaning up and monitoring
an alleyway between Deborah Place and Imrie
Ave. “It’s not healthy and safe to be surrounded
by all this rubbish”, says TOP SKWAD leader Laila.
º º Recently, the staff from Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa
Pool & Leisure Centre dedicated their staff
team-building day to cleaning up the Tararata
Stream in Māngere. “This year we wanted to do
something to help our local community”, says
centre manager Waitangi Mika. The group pulled
four shopping trolleys and lots of household waste
out of the stream during their morning’s clean up.

E hara i te para
he rauemi ke
It is not waste, but a resource
Looking at the bigger problem
Where does all this rubbish come from and what can
be done to stop it ending up in the wrong places?
It’s clear that this is a complex problem, which needs
to be addressed on different levels. While clean ups are
great for raising awareness of the issues and removing
rubbish from our environment, they don’t stop people
from continuing to litter and dump their waste.
Frustrated whānau in Ihumātao have recently started
their own group to tackle the issue in this area. Their
group ‘Para Patrol’ is monitoring and reporting illegal
dumping. “This is a fight for our entire whenua, to get
people stop filling our lands with rubbish”, say Para
Patrol rangatahi Ceejay Maitai and Honey Olsen.
Businesses doing their bit
Businesses in the area also need to start taking
responsibility for the rubbish they’re bringing into
Māngere. Hammer Hardware in Māngere Bridge is
showing leadership in this, going plastic-bag free
from 1 July, and Countdown has pledged to get
rid of plastic packaging from its own products.
Other shops in our community need to start thinking
about the packaging they’re using and what impact
it’s having on our environment. Imagine a plastic
bag, plastic straw and polystyrene-free Māngere!
Other options
Having somewhere local to take our waste and
unwanted stuff would give people options other
than dumping in local parks and streams. And
when it comes down to it, we all need to think
about whether we need to be buying all this
stuff that creates rubbish in the first place.
For help with reducing rubbish at your place and
getting rid of unwanted stuff, check out the Talking
Rubbish website, or get in touch with us directly:
http://www.mefsc.org.nz/whatwe-do/talking-rubbish/
By Ceejay Maitai
& Honey Olsen
Kia ora, we are two Te
Ahiwaru rangatahi from
Makaurau Marae who have
sadly witnessed illegal
dumping here in Māngere.
In the ’80s, sustainability was
pushed aside, and because
of that we’ve had to re-learn
and re-teach the younger
generations about it.
Our tupuna were taught
to use our land as their
supermarket, the sea as
their deli and the native
bush as their pharmacy.
They never had a choice
to travel in a car or shop
at a supermarket, where
food is distributed in plastic
packaging. They used
kete made from flax to
hold almost everything,
hue or gourds for water
bottles, and waka carved
from quality wood as their
main mode of transport.
Para Patrol is an initiative
driven by us as frustrated
whānau in Ihumātao. We
were brought together
by our Aunt to ‘red-light’,
name and shame illegal
dumping around our
papakainga and whenua.
Our whakapapa (identity) is
Ihumātao, where currently
we are fighting for our
whenua. This is a fight
for our entire whenua, to
get people to stop filling
our lands with rubbish.
Here in Māngere not
enough people are
managing their waste
correctly. But is everything
we purchase necessary in
our lives? We are digging
through our mountains,
mining our sands and
drilling for our oils to
produce unnecessary items.
As Para Patrol rangatahi,
we’re also trying to stop
the production of plastic.
We think manufacturers
should at least think about
what they’re distributing.
We’ve heard that milk used
to be delivered in glass
bottles, and the ‘empties’
were collected and recycled.
Our shopping used to be
bagged in paper made
from a renewable resource
(trees). We think these
practices should return.
Soon we’ll be asking
local small retailers to
support Para Patrol’s
“Kirihou Coup” where
plastic bagging becomes
a choice rather than the
norm. We hope retailers
and our communities will
support this initiative.
We’d really appreciate
endorsement of our
mahi from Māngere-
Ōtāhuhu Local Board
and Auckland Council
and we’re only too happy
to share our initiatives
with our community.
“E hara i te para he
rauemi ke”. (It is not
waste, but a resource).
If you would like to know
more or to help our
efforts please contact
justine@mefsc.org.nz
5

Left:Some of the first
children to attend the
Māngere East After School
Centre. Kahu and Maia (third
and fourth from left) went
on to work at the Centre.
Below:“Kermit” the
Māngere East After School
Centre’s first bus.
Serving the
community
for 21 years
Twenty-one years ago,
a group of Māngere East
parents got together
around their pressing
need for after-school
care for their children.
Recognising that many other
families in the area shared the
same problem, the group set up a
Trust, and in April 1997 the Māngere
East After School Centre opened
its doors for the first time – inside
what was then the Māngere
People’s Centre in Massey Rd.
Initially, parents Roger Fowler and
Piu Autagavai’a drove their families’
minibuses to pick up the children
from the neighbouring schools,
but as more families enrolled in
the programme, the After School
Centre purchased a 22-seater bus –
and built an outdoor playground.
Education for all
When the People’s Centre moved
its medical services to Manurewa
in 2003, the After School team
stepped in to keep the Centre’s
adult education classes going.
To reflect this broader mission, they
also changed names, becoming the
Māngere East Learning Centre.
Since then, the community classes
have expanded to include a range
of parenting courses in partnership
with Ohomairangi Trust – and the
Centre’s name has changed again.
Now known as the Māngere East
Community Centre, the vibrant
community hub offers weekly
Zumba, Tai Chi, salsa and siva
Samoa classes, as well as driverlicence
tuition, and literacy and
numeracy, te reo Māori, Samoan,
and English language courses.
Korowai, Taniko and ethnic craft
classes are also enjoyed by many,
and yoga and computer literacy
are recent additions to the raft of
learning opportunities at the Centre.
Other activities include community
workshops, two big community
festivals each year, night markets,
and the ‘Village Café’ at the front
of the Māngere East Hall, which
provides valuable work experience
and healthy food options.
The Māngere East After School
Centre is still going strong too. It
now runs a before-school service
and popular holiday programmes,
catering to over 50 local children.
Plans for a new centre
The local community has been
strongly advocating for the old
Centre buildings to be replaced
with a big, purpose-built modern
community centre, with multiple
classrooms, early child care facilities,
a gymnasium and community café.
The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local
Board have got in behind this
endeavour that will transform life
in the Māngere East community.
Celebrate the 21st
anniversary of the Māngere
East Community Centre
this Matariki: 6pm – 9pm,
Saturday 11 July at the
Māngere East Hall (Metro
Theatre), 362 Massey Road.
All welcome.
ENROL
NOW
FREE PARENTING PROGRAMMES
Hoki ki te Rito
O – ranga wha _ nau
Mellow Mums & Dads
Mellow Bumps
Antenatal sessions
Incredible
Years
For Parents
Wh – anau
4Wh – anau
Whakat – okia
te Rongomau
6
Day & evening programmes begin in July/August 2018
Ma _ ngere East Community Centre, 372 Massey Rd, Ma _ ngere East
ph. 09 263 0798 | e. admin@ohomairangi.co.nz | www.ohomairangi.co.nz

MARAMATAKA: TE RUA HONGONGOI – JULY
By Ayla Hoeta
The moon is shining
bright this Matariki!
Known as the Māori New Year,
Matariki is also the name of
a star that rises around
June each year. It’s
one of seven sister
stars that can all
be seen around
the same time:
• Matariki
– eyes of
Tāwhirimātea
• Tupuā-rangi
– sky
tohunga
• Waipuna-ārangi
–
sky spring
• Waitī
– sweet
water
• Tupuā-nuku
– Earth
tohunga
• Ururangi
– entry to
the heavens
• Waitā – sprinkle
of water
Make sure you head
down to one of the events
around town this month to
find out more about Matariki!
KEY DATES FOR
TE RUA HONGONGOI:
26, 27 & 28 June – Oturu,
Rakaunui & Rakau Ma Tohi:
Highest-energy days. Great for
planting, sports and other things
that require a lot of energy.
30 June, 1 & 2 July – Korekore Te
Whiawhia, Korekore Te Rawea
& Korekore Piri nga Tangaroa:
Low energy days. Good for quieter
activities like reflecting, planning
and relaxing with whānau.
3, 4 & 5 July – Tangaroa A Mua,
Tangaroa A Roto & Tangaroa
kiokio: Fruitful days. There’s lots of
ika to catch, and kai flourishes when
planted on these days. There’s also a
greater chance of positive outcomes,
so now might be a good time to
ask your boss for that day off!
7, 8 & 9 July – Orongonui,
Omauri & Mutuwhenua: Good
for planting all types of kai.
10 July – Whiro: Lowest
energy day and darkest
night. A great time to
reflect, rest and plan.
15, 16 & 17 July –
Tamatea a Ngana,
Tamatea a Hotu
& Tamatea a Io:
Moderate energy
days. Great for fishing.
Good ‘all round’ days.
Make your own
MARAMATAKA
1. Cut out the two circles on this page.
2. Place the small circle inside the big
one. Put a pin through the middle of
both circles, then push the pin into the
wall to hang up your maramataka.
3. Set the month. (Each month starts
on Rakaunui, which falls a day
before the full moon (West Coast)
OR on the full moon (East Coast).
4. In July this year, the full moon is on
the 27th, so turn the small dial
until the number ‘27’ lines up with
‘Rakaunui’ on the big dial.
Thanks whānau! If you
need more copies of the
maramataka dial or help
setting it, email me: ayla.
hoeta@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
7

Community Notices
MANUKAU SOCCER HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
July 16–18 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). For juniors /
youth aged 9 to 19. Walter Massey Park, corner Massey &
Buckland Rds, Māngere East. $20 per day (includes free t-shirt
and bootbag). To register, call Hone: 021 299 0210 or email
manukauunitedfootballclub@gmail.com
MA – NGERE EAST HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
Make the most of the school holidays at Māngere East
Community Centre. Get into our great local facilities, as well as
trips to activities such as Bounce’n’Beyond, Ōtara Fresh Gallery,
Skateland, rock climbing, Mumuland, beaches and more! For
school children aged 5–14. WINZ subsidies are available. Ellina
and Mat can assist you with your application. Don’t miss out –
register today: oscarcoordinator@mangereeast.org.
ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT (A2E)
Get assistance with your CV and connect with people who
can help you in your search for a job. The A2E programme is
a relaxed, informal, FREE session held in the Māngere Town
Centre Library at 10:30am on Fridays. Meet other locals and
hear from employers and training agencies. All ages and
backgrounds welcome.
CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
Time to spare, or skills to share? Volunteer for Citizens Advice
Bureau (CAB) in Māngere, Ōtāhuhu or Papatoetoe. The CAB
is all about the client – making sure individuals do not suffer
through ignorance of their rights and responsibilities. CAB
especially needs volunteers who are available 12.30pm–4pm.
To apply, ph. 09 275 6885 (Māngere), 09 278 5191 (Papatoetoe)
or 09 216 9813 (Ōtāhuhu) for an appointment. You can also
email mangere@cab.org.nz or apply online at www.cab.org.nz
FREE CLASSES IN MA – NGERE EAST
Māngere East Community Centre runs FREE & low-cost classes
in parenting, te reo Māori, Samoan, korowai, drivers licence
theory, tai chi, zumba – and more! Visit www.mangereeast.org,
email: fiona@mangereeast.org, ph. 09 275 6161 or drop in to
372 Massey Rd (behind the library) Māngere East to learn more.
VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTORS WANTED
Have you got a story to share? Would you like to write, take
photos, edit, proofread, deliver or design for the 275 Times?
Do you want to contribute to your community magazine in
some other way? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at
www.facebook.com/275times or email 275Times@gmail.com
Community Notices are FREE for community groups.
To list your group or event in the next issue, email
us a 50-word summary by 15 July 2018.
275 times
275
Māngere’s
times
Editor: Roger Fowler Design: Belinda Fowler
Publisher: Māngere East Community Centre
275times@gmail.com
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