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1007 days ago

Kāinga Ora Update - Bolton Street / Marlowe Road - 17/03

Benji from Blockhouse Bay

Good morning whānau, for those that don’t know Kāinga Ora are planning a new development in Blockhouse Bay getting rid of what was Pensioner Housing gifted by Mr Thompson. Yesterday I spent some hours reviewing the Council Archives in regards to the gifting of land from Roy Thompson to Auckland Council. As you can see highlighted in the agreement documents (bullet point 3.) "The council shall hold the land for pensioner housing as a memorial to the late wife and parents of the donor". As you can also see highlighted in the blue transaction document is "Price: Gift, Purpose for which being acquired: Pensioner Housing".

Additionally the Auckland Star on the 12th of May 1973 published the article attached.

Here is a snippet from it and Mr Thompson's or 'Darby's' words himself - "Sixty-five-year-old Mr. Roy Thompson, or "Darby" as he is known to his friends, owns four acres of residential land at Avondale, has eight cats, a horse and lives in a house which is not connected to the power and has most of the windows broken. But last week he put on a white shirt and went into the city to have afternoon tea and cakes with city councillors. The reason? He had just donated 1¼ acres of his land to the council for pensioner housing. "It was in memory of my late wife and family." said Mr Thompson….

Mr Thompson wanted to do something for the elderly people, who he says have not been as fortunate as himself. ”I am determined to do something good before I go. So last week after months of negotiating, the council and Mr Thompson finally signed the documents necessary."

Kāinga Ora must honour 'Darby'. They have made it abundantly clear there is no plans for pensioner housing in their proposal. We need them to stop and re-plan this development. I am still awaiting information from them as to the next steps for engagement.

Here is a link to a petition with more information - chng.it...

More messages from your neighbours
22 hours ago

Neighbourhood Challenge: Who Can Crack This One? ⛓️‍💥❔

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

What has a head but no brain?

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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7 hours ago

Want a Cosier Christmas Night? Neighbours, Read This

Beds4U - Avondale

Hey neighbours,

Quick question - have you given your bedroom a little Christmas love yet?

If not, you’re going to love this! We’ve put together some easy, feel-good DIY ideas to help turn your bedroom into a cozy Christmas retreat - think festive bedding, twinkling lights, handmade pillows, and warm holiday scents. Simple touches, big Christmas vibes.

Get inspired here:
beds4u.co.nz...

And while you’re getting into the Christmas spirit, our Boxing Day sale is still ON - a great excuse to upgrade your bed and enjoy better sleep heading into the new year.

Find your nearest Beds4U store:
beds4u.co.nz...
Or browse all Boxing Day deals:
beds4u.co.nz...

Don’t wait, neighbours - cozy nights and great deals don’t stick around for long!

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2 days ago

Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”

We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?

Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.

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Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
  • 40.8% Yes
    40.8% Complete
  • 34% Maybe?
    34% Complete
  • 25.1% No
    25.1% Complete
517 votes