The St Mary’s Bay Association says only Councillors can save the heritage of some of Auckland oldest suburbs at their meeting today.

The Auckland Planning Committee, chaired by Councillor Chris Darby, will vote on whether to reduce the Walking Catchment from the proposed 1200m to 800m under the proposed implementation of the intensification legislation (Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act).

Trevor Purkis of the St Mary’s Bay Association says the Government guidelines for Councils put forward by Ministry of Environment allow a minimum of 800m.

“Any increase over 800m is at Councils discretion and so today only the City’s Councillors can stop the wrecking ball from destroying Auckland’s heritage. If they vote to reduce the Walkable Catchment then many of Auckland’s unique historical suburbs will be preserved for future generations,” says Purkis.

Purkis says Auckland residents have been mobilised to submit petitions to protect the historic character of Auckland’s oldest heritage areas.

“Auckland’s heritage is our precious taonga which as custodians we have a duty to protect. It seems ironic that the Auckland Unitary Plan which already provides the opportunity for an additional 900,000 homes for the region is now being ignored for the sake of a rushed, poorly thought through piece of legislation that will not deliver solutions but destroy the unique character that defines who we are as New Zealanders. Once it is gone it is lost forever. Where’s the sense in that?”

About St Mary’s Bay Residents Association

The St Mary’s Bay Association was established in 1975 and evaluates and lobbies on developments which impact on the unique character of St Mary’s Bay and its environs, including Westhaven marina.

The St Mary’s Bay Association committee is a voluntary group who give their time to researching issues, writing submissions and meeting with local and government bodies and agencies to discuss and lobby on behalf of our community. This work has become more demanding since the formation of the Super City in 2010 and the resulting spate of consultations. Many of these, such as the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (PAUP) are highly complex and require paid advice from lawyers and town planners.

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