Friday, May 26th, 2006

Comments of ARC parks chairman out of line

ARC parks chairman Sandra Coney has added to the gathering storm over the ARC by the use of ratepayer's money to fund a belated objection to a building consent approved by the Environment Court. (A2, NZ Herald, 25/5/2006)

"The politics of envy is driving Ms Coney and her ARC associates by continuing to oppose the consent given to Mr Rae Ah Chee to build his retirement house at Pakiri," said Alasdair Thompson, chief executive of the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern).

"This comes hot on the heels of ARC chairman Mike Lee's objection to the special zoning sought for a canal village at Clevedon.

"It's another case of councillors abusing the powers of the ARC to carry out their personal agendas; councils must follow due process, and councillors should not descend to deceit and undemocratic behaviour.

"Ms Coney's attitude to Mr Ah Chee is anti-success and anti-development.

"Her derogatory description of the plan as a 'trophy house' shows she is unable to think of a serious environmental objection to it.

"The Environment Court is no pushover in environmental matters and it has approved the subdivision and the house being built on it.

"A former ARC Councillor has drawn our attention to a survey by the council, which won an international award, and which clearly showed the region has an abundance of green space per person and will have for decades to come. It seems the ARC has quickly forgotten it.

ENDS

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