National and Maori Party to carve up playgrounds
26 March 2017
National and Maori Party to carve up
playgrounds
The Labour Party remains resolute that Auckland’s parks and playgrounds are not to be carved up for housing development and that Auckland’s public reserves remain public reserves, says Labour's Maori Development spokesperson Kelvin Davis
“National and the Maori Party are trying to get Labour to back their plan to carve up the Point England reserve for a housing project. Labour will not back a plan, which would set a precedent for other public reserves such as Cornwall Park, Potters Park, Albert Park, and the local playground to get carved up to fix the National and Maori parties' housing crisis.
“As Mayor Phil Goff has said, this sets a dangerous precedent.
“Because the developers in this instance are local tribe Ngati Paoa, the Maori Party expects Labour to agree to carving up parks, reserves and playgrounds.
“Literally on the other side of the fence from the Point England reserve is the Tamaki Redevelopment project, which, with even the slightest bit of sensible thinking, National and the Maori Party could have set aside land for Ngati Paoa to achieve its goals. Instead, the National and Maori parties prefer to carve up our mokopunas' playgrounds and condemn the children of the future to playing in concrete jungles.
“Within one generation, another one million people will live in Auckland. That generation will have the Labour Party to thank for protecting the city’s green spaces.
“Labour is committed to building 50,000 affordable
houses in Auckland under our Kiwibuild programme. These
developments will be medium density and preserve green
space,” says Kelvin Davis.