One of the youngest deputations to appear before Howick Local Board has won praise for the quality of its presentation.
Ormiston Senior College students were appearing before the board to appeal for safety improvements on the roads around the college, particularly as that relates to student drop-off and collections, and congestion in the general area.
The students presented the findings of work they had conducted alongside Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi, outlining safety concerns as residential growth continues around the school, already one of the country’s largest.
Board chair Damian Light says a copy of the presentation was placed on the official minutes.
“The quality, depth and insight provided in the presentation impressed members, and we believe it’s important when we constantly call on young people to engage with us, to show that their efforts haven’t been wasted.
“We’ve asked staff to liaise with the necessary contacts to implement the students’ recommendations.
“Referring the matter on to the agencies involved will mean some concrete advice around the suggestions the students have provided will come back to the board.”
The students outlined concerns over road configurations that caused poor pedestrian behaviour from arriving and departing students, such as jaywalking, but also pointed out delays around signal timing that were causing drivers to execute illegal u-turns, and drop off students while double-parking.
“One of the most remarkable things was the students did not arrive with a litany of complaints, but with possible solutions to them,” Light says.
“It is clear the amount of thought that went into their work before they came to us was substantial.
“The proposed solutions included moving bus stops, using different footpath paint treatments, and working to ensure amenity values from things like gardens weren’t compromised.
“They had even looked at international trends in traffic management and it was clear that they took having a vested interest in improving the safety of their fellow students very seriously.”
Stay connected
Want to stay up to date with all the latest news from your area? Sign up for the Howick Local Board E-News and get it in your inbox each month.
