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Government bullying over Three Kings now plain to see

Government bullying over Three Kings now plain to see

“Yesterday’s extraordinary announcement from Nick Smith that central government will join legal proceedings in the Three Kings development case brings central government bullying and stand-over tactics into plain sight”, say Harry Doig and Michael Wood, representing the majority Roskill Community Voice group on the Puketapapa Local Board.

“Senior Auckland Councillors have told us that for some time that central government has been threatening the Council with action unless it agreed to the developer’s proposal, and now it is clear that the government wishes to also intimidate local residents who are utilising their legal rights through the courts”

“It is important to remember that in this case, the proposed development is not simply a private concern. It involves the use of large holdings of publicly owned reserve land. Given this, it is entirely appropriate that local residents have the right to have their case heard without heavy-handed government intervention”

“We also find it utterly extraordinary that Minister Smith and the government would take this action at the same time as another government Minister is supposed to be considering the critical and related question of whether an exchange of public reserve land should proceed. The Minister, Maggie Barry is supposed to make that statutory decision with an impartial mind, only taking into account the best interests of the Reserve. How can she possibly do that when the cabinet she has collective responsibility within, has now taken an entrenched legal position on the development?”

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“A responsible and competent Housing Minister who actually wished to advance the situation, would use his influence to broker a mutually agreeable outcome. Local residents have championed an alternative development plan from a leading landscape architect that would see a significant medium-density apartment development, integrated with the neighbouring town centre, and in sympathy with the adjacent Big King volcano. An opportunity for an outstanding, integrated residential development is here, but it will languish in the courts while the developer, Auckland Council, and the Minister collude to ram their preferred plan through. Our Local Board is willing to sit down and work through an agreeable compromise, but the Minister will need to move into a more constructive mode”, say Doig and Wood.

ENDS

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