Residents Say “No” to 10-Storey Fletcher Quarry Development

Residents Say “No” to 10-Storey Fletcher Quarry Development

Alternative Options Preferred to Protect the Maunga And Enhance the Area

Residents around the soon-to-be-developed Three Kings Quarry turned out in their hundreds on Tuesday night to unanimously reject 10-storey apartment blocks and other plans by landowner Fletchers.

One of several controversial issues put to the meeting is a planned reserve land exchange between the Auckland Council and Fletchers which the meeting agreed was unequitable, restricted community and green space, and impacted on public access to Te Tatua a Riukiuta/Big King volcanic cone (Maunga) and surrounds.

Meeting chair and local resident Greg McKeown said the land swap to the south of the quarry only facilitates the development and financial aspirations of Fletchers at the expense of the Maunga, ratepayers, the community and current users of the Three Kings domain.

Included in Fletcher Buildings plans are up to 1500 residences, including 11 huge apartment blocks, some of which cascade down the quarry faces.

Puketapapa local board acting chairman Harry Doig said there was a “fantastic” turnout which demonstrated that Fletchers, in conjunction with the Council, needed to re-think their development strategy for this area. More than 250 people attended the meeting.

Doig added: “This is probably the most well attended community meeting ever held on a local issue. The board has been frustrated that it has been unable to get Auckland Council and Auckland Councillors to look at the wider view and to support us in obtaining an independent report.”

The local board has engaged Richard Reid, an independent expert landscape architect, to come up with alternative options which focus, in particular, on better rehabilitation of the quarry and long term outcomes for the surrounds. These include meeting community and local board wishes for a suitable integration of the Three Kings town centre with the Maunga while leaving plenty of opportunity for development.

Reid is due to report back to the board soon.

Community groups in the neighbourhood are not opposed to development of the site but say they are “sick and tired” of Fletchers “running roughshod over the community.”

Two local neighbourhood groups, Three Kings United Group Inc and South Epsom Planning Group Inc are promoting their campaign under the banner of “There is a Better Way”.

Jon Bridges, a local resident new to the Three Kings area, said there were a lot of stark, simple facts that opened people’s eyes at the meeting.

“It’s a land swap that is weighted in favour of Fletchers no matter how you look at it,” said Jon. “This is a development that is cramming high density townhouses and apartment blocks in a 15-18metre deep hole that Fletchers dug against one of our treasured volcanoes. Unfortunately Auckland Council seem to want to let a company destroy a Maunga and a community, and just walk away with their profit.”

“What’s hard to understand is why the council aren’t busting a gut to drive a better bargain for Auckland and better outcomes for Three Kings.”

As the producer of 7Days television programme on TV3, Mr Bridges said he was used to dealing with some pretty edgy jokes, “but what Fletchers want to do at Three Kings is beyond a joke.”

ENDS

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