Resource consent submissions overwhelmingly oppose development on Te Raekaihau Point and Wellington's south coast.

SAVE THE POINT INC is absolutely thrilled about the numbers of people who want to save Te Raekaihau Point from the controversial, Wellington City Council sponsored proposal to build the Aquarium of New Zealand -Marine Education Centre on it.

Provisional results obtained today from Wellington City Council show 1101 oppose

the proposal while 288 support it and 10 provisionally support it.

We are pleased but not surprised by these results as we know there is large scale opposition to this proposal and we have huge community backing for our campaign.

Supporters of Save The Point Inc as well as individuals in the community have been busy giving out information and submission forms. During the past three weeks they have set up information centres in Cuba/Manners Mall, Lyall Bay and Te Raekaihau Point.

What struck them most was the large numbers of people who were unaware that their wild and undeveloped southern coastline was under threat from major development and that the City Council was a major sponsor of the proposal.

Save The Point Inc was formed by a group of Wellington residents concerned about the proposal to develop Te Raekaihau Point by locating the Aquarium of New Zealand on it. Originally proposed as a marine education centre the proposal has now grown into a full-scale tourist facility for which resource consent is currently being sought. The group is opposed to any change to the Open Space designation at Te Raekaihau Point.

This development will in fact take away from public use and ownership most of the current space protected as Open Space. It will also permanently alter the natural character of the south coast of which Te Raekaihau is a prominent constituent element. The development will fragment the continuous uninterrupted views, wildness and isolation it currently has. Interest in the protection and restoration of this area is high in the community.

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