Ask Phoebe: Library one of 3 centres serving NZ schools

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Q. I notice that the new building at the corner of Parnell Rise and Stanley St houses the National Library of New Zealand. Is this a branch? What does it do? Is it open to the public? Sidney Smith, Auckland.

A. Yes, it is a branch, one of three school services centres for the National Library. The others are in Christchurch and Palmerston North.

The centre in Auckland, which used to be in Remuera Rd in Newmarket, has spaces where teachers can plan lessons and areas where members of the public can scan the Alexander Turnbull Collection.

The centre is open to the public, from 10am-6pm on weekdays. You may not borrow books there, as the point of the place is schools' supply.

But if you see something you would like to borrow from the Turnbull Collection, you can request it through your local library and the National Library in Wellington will supply it, if it is available for public use.

Q. Is there a time frame for the completion of the demolition work on the old concrete sewer across Hobson Bay, and the adjacent temporary road? It all looks rather random in its progress to observers on the nearby hillsides. Sheila Graham, Auckland.

A. Demolition began last month, and is due to take four months to complete.

Crews are breaking up the old pipeline into lumps and diggers are loading the lumps on to trucks using the temporary road.

But nothing is being wasted. The 4000cu m of rubble is being carted 25km to the Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant to form roads needed for the rehabilitation of the No 2 oxidation pond in the Manukau Harbour.

The pipes holding up the old pipeline will be cut off below the seabed, but a 20m stub of pipe will be left, near Ngapipi Rd, as a heritage object.

The pipeline was built between 1908 and 1914 to carry untreated wastewater to Okahu Pt, where it was released on the ebb tide. Later the load was diverted to Mangere for treatment.

Q. The intersection between St Paul St and Symonds St in the CBD was recently redesigned. Now, when exiting St Paul St, the car at the front of the queue has to stop on a pedestrian crossing, as the crossing is right at the intersection yellow lines.

A month or so ago I was abused by a pedestrian for stopping on "his" crossing. Is he right - are cars not allowed to stop on pedestrian crossings?

If so, what options are there for motorists here? If, as the pedestrian told me, I stopped on the other side of the crossing, that would put me two metres back from the intersection, and in peak times I would never be able to get out. Molly Anderson, Auckland.

A. Whoops. Since the completion of the Central Connector bus route between the CBD and Newmarket a few little problems such as this have arisen.

The zebra crossing is to be moved away from the limit line in St Paul St so there will be room for a vehicle to stop and wait at the limit line without hindering pedestrians. But generally, a vehicle may not stop on a pedestrian crossing.