Ask Phoebe: Finding posh suburb boundaries

Photo / Janna Dixon

I am bemused by how sometimes real estate agents list properties in Rossmay Tce and Altham Ave as being in Mt Eden. Is this just a case of up-selling? These streets were in the City of Mt Albert. They are situated close to the old City of Mt Albert offices. They were never in Mt Eden Borough. Because of their position they could reasonably be listed as being in Kingsland, Morningside, or even Sandringham, but never Mt Eden. Because they are close to Kingsland train station, many rugby fans, overseas visitors and New Zealanders know this area as Kingsland, even though a number of websites put the streets in Mt Eden. I have been going round in circles trying to find the source of this misinformation. Can you help? Nigel Christian, Sandringham.

Mike Donald, managing director of Terralink, which provides location data to emergency services, says that it is not just a matter of locating these streets in so-called "vanity suburbs".

A map provided by Mr Donald placed both streets in the suburb identified as Mt Eden as defined by the adopted NZ Fire Service Localities.

The naming of suburbs is the responsibility of the local council. However, very few councils define the "official" suburbs in their area. In the absence of this, the NZ Fire Service, in consultation with other parties, determined a need to specify a set of localities. The Emergency Services as a whole, and many other organisations such as telecommunications and utility companies, as well as Terralink have adopted these "suburb definitions".

Real estate companies have taken up these suburb definitions, as have websites such as www.zoodle.co.nz and www.myaddress.co.nz. These NZ Fire Service localities may be known locally by different names, commonly adjoining or nearby suburbs. If you look at any address in www.myaddress.co.nz you can find examples of this.

The only practical way to change this definition would be for the Auckland Council to define the suburb as something else as they have the official responsibility to provide suburb naming.

I normally start work before the ramp signals operate but due to my son's swim training I have been queuing twice a week at the Constellation Drive onramp heading towards the city. I am amazed at the high number of single occupant cars that bypass the ramp signals by using the T2 lane. No one seems to be monitoring or policing the T2 usage. Is this common practice for all ramp signals around Auckland? What's the legal stance with regards to single occupancy cars using transit lanes incorrectly? Charles Maaka, North Shore.

Single occupant vehicles using a high occupancy vehicle lane (T2 or T3 lane) may be subject to a fine. The same applies to unlawful vehicles using truck-only lanes or bus lanes. The transit lanes are monitored as time and police staff numbers allow.

I recently had a need to get to Starship hospital urgently. Although I knew the way, I noticed that the signage, especially coming from the North Shore, was non-existent. Does the Transport Agency have any plans to improve this signage? Simon Watson, North Shore.

The NZ Transport Agency is arranging a meeting with Auckland District Health Board to consider a number of options. While the central motorway junction is already pretty much saturated with signs, NZTA believes there are probably good reasons for having a Starship hospital sign to assist people driving there from the North Shore.