TUESDAY 26 MARCH 2015

Council's Cultural Heritage? a Rubbish Dump

Responding to the Auckland Council's media release confirming the Council's support for the controversial Cultural Impact Assessment regime in the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, Democracy Action Chairman, Lee Short, says:

“The cost of Cultural Impact Assessments is imposed by Mana Whenua, the decisions are made by Council and property owners are left to pick up the bill.”

"The 3,600 designated sites of value to Mana Whenua have, to date, not been verified by the Council."

“The Council appears completely unwilling to verify if these sites of value to Mana Whenua even exist. The designation of these sites as being of value simply has no basis in fact. Many sites have been disturbed, destroyed or no longer exist.”

“Our volunteers recently exposed a designated site in the middle of an old rubbish dump in East Tamaki. How can the Council and Dr Blakeley honestly say that these provisions are about maintaining cultural heritage?”

“Duncan Garner recently exposed the cost that consultation with a multitude of Mana Whenua groups imposes on property owners. It’s time for central government to sort out this mess.”

ENDS

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