Road hazard at 102 Millbrook Rd : A task for our local councilors and board members
The genius at Auckland Council that gave consent for the units at 102 Millbrook Road to have no off street parking should be bought down and shown the mess they have caused and be held accountable for their ineptitude. When travelling along Millbrook Road from Henderson, prior to 102 the road is narrowed by the pedestrian islands in the middle for the school crossing. This guides traffic to the left. Immediately after this now, the residents of these units are constantly parking their vehicles on the road at the first available spot. Even with the smallest of cars parked there this creates a narrow channel for traffic to navigate and even the smallest of cars can’t go through without having to cross the median strip line in the middle of the road that approaches the pedestrian island. This situation may be fine in a quiet suburban street but this is a major thoroughfare with a high traffic flow.
As soon as I could see there was no off street parking I knew it was an accident waiting to happen and sure enough since the start of the year when people started moving in there have been 3 parked vehicles hit from behind. The attached photos show two of the damaged cars and the third got moved before I could photograph it. The other photos show the narrow path vehicles have to negotiate – and that’s with a small car parked at the side of the road. Sometimes it’s a large four wheel drive.
Some may say it’s still large enough to drive through but the sheer volume of traffic down that road means that sooner or later someone will make a mistake.
Note: Since I first started penning this a month ago, a 4th car (which I haven't been able to photograph) has had it's wing mirror clipped and it is only hanging by the wiring.
To me (and probably most people) it was so obvious what was going to happen but some pen pushing bureaucrat at the council couldn’t see it and they should be held accountable. Surely the developers could foresee this too but I wouldn't expect them to give a stuff. I’ve noted that some residents now aren’t confident parking on the road anymore and are parking on the grass in front of the units.
The flow on effect from this is that vehicles are now parking further down the road from the units, closer to Awaroa Road which in turn limits visibility when turning right out of there. (Well done genius, two hazards for the price of one!) More accidents to come? You bet.
So councilors and board members, show us what you get paid for and find out what can be done about it please.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.1% Yes
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15.2% No
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2.7% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️