An Auckland City Council public notice today indicates that at its regular meeting on 28 February it will consider a motion to sell 138 of its general residential properties.

‘This shows a complete lack of consideration to tenants, avoids legal obligations to consult with the public as part of the annual plan process, and will reduce opportunities for people on low and moderate incomes to continue to live in the inner city,’ said Auckland City Councillor Dr Bruce Hucker leader of the City Vision team.

He said that there was considerable stress among tenants over what was happening and that many people were worried about the future of their homes, especially those who were pensioners.

‘The Birch Report indicated, said Dr Hucker, that the value of 132 of the Council’s general rental properties was $29.2 million. To contemplate a move of this magnitude at an ordinary Council meeting was in clear opposition to the compulsory consultation required under the Local Government Act, in developing a new Annual Plan.’

He said that is was a disgrace that the Council was circumventing these procedures and pointed to a serious threat to democratic values and to opportunities for public scrutiny.

‘Decisions so far in the Council on possible sales of general rental housing have been part of direction setting meetings that provide the basis for preparing a draft annual plan for consultation with the public’, said Dr Hucker. ‘Now there is to be no consultation on what amounts to a major policy change. This is a sign that the
John Banks, David Hay, Auckland C&R Now axis is not prepared to listen to people.’

A public meeting especially for Auckland City Council tenants has been called on Monday 18 February 2002, in the Leys Institute in Ponsonby at 7.30pm.

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