Media Release
Labour Councillors, Tamaki Community Board - Auckland City Council
For Immediate release
Wednesday 13 February 2008

C&R Council savagely cuts Tamaki projects

The Tamaki community will be shocked and dismayed that David Hay's Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) grouping have broken Auckland City Council's social contract with the people of Glen Innes, Panmure, Mt Wellington, Sylvia Park and Otahuhu by savagely cutting a number of projects today.

Tamaki-Maungakiekie ward councillor Leila Boyle, said "Residents of Tamaki will be extremely disappointed to hear about the slash and burn of projects delivered by C&R today. Our Tamaki Edge area is expected to accommodate growth of an additional 30,000 people (the population of Gisborne) over the next twenty years. Council's social contract with our community was to provide community facilities and infrastructure to compensate for the additional growth in population and today C&R decided to rip it up!"

Tamaki-Maungakiekie ward councillor Richard Northey said, "I am very disappointed that a number of projects have been canned, such as upgrading the parks and public space in the Glen Innes area between the town centre, Auckland University's Tamaki Campus and the Mt Wellington Quarry development which would have enabled economic development and job growth. Another frustrating loss is the deletion of a project which would improve access to our coast and provide a park at Ann's Creek at Southdown."

Tamaki Community Board Chair Kate Sutton attended the meeting to advocate for the Tamaki projects. "We have succeeded in keeping a number of projects on the books but all of them have been significantly delayed. The postponed projects include the second stage of the Glen Innes Town Centre upgrade, buying and developing parks and reserves around Sylvia Park/Mt Wellington to improve their safety and quality as well as the long proposed Glen Innes Music and Arts Centre."

ENDS

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