"Why Are We Waiting?" Clevedon Residents Ask

CLEVEDON CARES

For release: 31 August 2007

"Why Are We Waiting?" Clevedon Residents Ask

Council decision on high density housing still pending

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Residents of Clevedon, to the South-East of Auckland, are concerned that Manukau City Council still hasn't announced its decision concerning a controversial intensive housing project, proposed for their area.

The suggested development would see 297 new homes, accommodating up to 1,000 residents, built on man-made canals close to the mouth of the Wairoa River.

"We've been waiting for a decision for a considerable period of time and understood there would be an announcement by August this year. But August is nearly up and we're still waiting!" says Mary Whitehouse, spokesperson for Clevedon CARES, the local community group, formed to fight the canal housing complex.

"Council adopted a District Plan Change to facilitate the proposed development as far back as June 2005. Subsequent submissions from local residents showed a six to one majority against the change. A Council committee commenced hearing these submissions in November 2006. Although this process was expected to be over by last Christmas, the hearings committee reconvened in March and April 2007 and then told us to expect a decision in August.

"The proposed plan change would have a huge and deleterious impact on the character of Clevedon and of its beautiful rural surrounding. These changes would affect everyone living in or around Clevedon and people are understandably concerned over the lack of definite information," she says.

"You would expect Council to declare itself against this misconceived and unpopular proposal. Certainly, with elections due, it would be reasonable to hope that the current Council would dispose of so long-outstanding an issue one way or the other rather than leaving it to its successor.

"We would like to know how much longer we have to wait to learn what Council is planning for our local area," Mary Whitehouse adds.

According to Clevedon CARES Chairperson, Lindsey Britton, the addition of nearly 300 extra households would effectively double the Clevedon area's population, putting a huge strain on schools, shopping, health and other facilities and infrastructure.

"The development would be quite out of keeping with the surrounding area, jeopardising its rural character and generating significantly greater levels of motor traffic on our winding and potentially dangerous country roads.

"In addition, the proposed Plan Change is of dubious legality, as it fails to give effect to the relevant planning instruments, as required under the Resource Management Act," she says, adding that there are also concerns over the large-scale dredging and sediment disposal required by the project.

"The canal housing project is opposed not just by the vast majority of local residents but also by the Auckland Regional Council, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and several other organisations of significance.

"Council would be very well advised to drop this nonsensical proposal and to do so quickly. We are aghast that, at this late stage in the current Council's existence, the proposed Plan Change should still be hanging over us," says Lindsey Britton.

ENDS