National Party Silences Community to Sell Sports Fields

The National Party is planning to pass a Bill that silences the local community so it can sell sports fields and a large section of Reserve land at Point England.

“We are trying to protect our rights” says the group protesting at the sale of the Point England Reserve. “The National Party has ignored all input and is forcing this dreadful Bill into law without any changes. Protest is the only thing left that we can do” says spokesperson Tsz Ho.

The Point England Development Enabling Bill being forced through by National in the coming weeks sidesteps the Reserves Act, which protected the Reserve from development and forces the Council to rezone the park and sports fields as residential. It ignores the Unitary Plan open space zone for the Reserve.

Point England Reserve was given to the people of New Zealand for use as open space in 1945, after being owned and farmed by European settlers since 1841. The Reserve is also a sanctuary for shorebirds including a nesting area for endangered dotterel. It is the major public recreation reserve in Tamaki, Auckland whioh serves the largest urban redevelopment scheme in New Zealand.

“Save Our Reserves” is a grassroots non-political movement with the single purpose of preventing the sell-off of public open spaces for housing and preserving them for future generations. It is especially protesting about the process used by National at Point England which will be a precedent for selling off other reserves throughout New Zealand outside the Reserves Act.

“The way the government is going about this is appalling ‘says spokesperson Tsz Ho. “This is a land grab by the National Government. Five thousand houses are already being built in this area. Open space is being taken away from us and our children and grandchildren. Where will they play in the future? It is simply needed; there is no other space like it. We were locked out of the decision and are stunned."

The Point England Development Bill is due to be passed by the National Government in the next weeks. It rezones the land residential to prepare it for sale in part of a commercial deal being offered to an Iwi planning to develop it as housing in partnership with private developers.

“One thing is for sure, if this goes ahead our community will never ever again see this government as fair or reasonable. We can only hope they do not do this to anyone else” said Ho.

ENDS

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