Letter from the Editor

Despite the growth of the huge, cumbersome Auckland Super City, Ponsonby News, after 30 years, is still servicing a group of small villages.

The population intensification and new apartments have made it inevitable that commercial businesses like auto services, electricians, panel beaters and plumbers have all moved away to more suitable locations. Hugh Stevens & Sons Panelbeaters has bucked the trend and are still in Blake Street.

Unfortunately, we’ve also lost some convenience stores – Jervois Road no longer has a fruit and veggie shop and at one time there were eight butchers along the Ponsonby strip; now there are none.

In an era of fake news, Ponsonby News has always told honest, positive, constructive and optimistic stories about local businesses and residents. Unlike some other media, we have never tried to be journalistically clever or sought to catch people out. We have embraced our founder John Elliott’s philosophy of sending a draft copy of an editorial for correction or clarification in good faith.

With so much media these days online, we are always pleased to know that so many readers like to receive (print copies) of the Ponsonby News in their mailbox every month. Climate change has made weather unpredictable in Auckland and we know readers hate their magazine to arrive wet and unreadable. Therefore, we flow wrap our copies in eco-friendly, degradable plastic.

In this issue we’ve discussed the past and speculated on the future – much has happened since our launch in 1989 until this month – our 30th birthday. Our cover takes a futuristic look at Ponsonby 30 years from now and we would welcome your feedback on what changes you think we can expect in 2049.

Meantime, we are in the process of electing local body politicians who will govern Auckland – hopefully setting out sensible goals which will lead us to be one of the world’s most liveable cities by 2050, or before. (MARTIN LEACH)

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