Guerrilla gardeners take over local roundabout

An Auckland roundabout has been hijacked by the community after it was left a "mud pit".

The new roundabout at the intersection of Verran, Birkdale and Rangatira Rds, in Birkdale, was supposed to be topped with a garden. But the community got there first, dubbing it Verran's Island and putting decorations on the vacant ground.

North Shore resident Adrian Rowe said it featured a pink panther on a deck chair, flamingos, gnomes and other garden decor. It has its own sign, and a Facebook page, which started on Saturday and had already received 500 likes.

"Somebody has gone up there and put a couple of pink flamingos, then somebody else has gone up there with a deck chair and someone else put up a couple of signs," Mr Rowe said. "It's kind of just grown from there."

He said Auckland Transport built the roundabout then left it.

"They've filled the roundabout with earth and there's just nothing on it. Grass has grown up in patches, but it's a bit of a mud pit."

Kaipatiki Local Board chairwoman Kay McIntyre said AT was able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars by putting the roundabout in early, but that information wasn't relayed to the council's parks department.

"Parks probably wouldn't have had it on their schedule early. They would have got it quite late on to their schedule so that's probably what's caused the delay."

An AT spokesman said planting on the roundabout at Verran's corner would happen during planting season in August/September.

"Auckland Transport is happy for 'Verran's Island' to keep its community decor ... as long as it doesn't get out of hand and cause any issues," he said. "The decorations aren't a worry for AT currently."