8 July 2013

Govt must not override Auckland Council process with SkyCity deal

The Government must not bypass the normal resource consent process for the Auckland convention centre it wants to build with SkyCity, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.

The final contract between the Government and SkyCity has been signed.However, the final agreement is conditional on the legislation being passed by Parliament, and SkyCity securing the appropriate resource consents.

“Aucklanders, and the Auckland Council, must be given the chance to make the decision about the SkyCity convention centre through the processes of the Resource Management Act,” Mrs Turei said.

“It would be entirely inappropriate for the Government to ‘call in’ this application.

“The Government has a contract with SkyCity and therefore has a vested interest in pushing this deal through.

“The consent applications for the convention centre therefore need to be considered by Auckland Council and not ‘called in’ by the Minister for the Environment so that she can appoint the board of inquiry.

“Sadly, given the shoddy process in which this dirty deal has been stitched together it is likely the Government will look to push this deal through no matter what the cost is to normal democratic processes.

“Other aspects of this deal that need the utmost scrutiny involve how the acquisition of the land from Television New Zealand meets the required criteria for the Overseas Investment Act.

“The Government also needs to make absolutely certain that there are no outstanding Treaty of Waitangi claims on the land purchased for the convention centre,” Mrs Turei said.

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