North Shore City to further consider Island purchase
May 13, 2003
North Shore City Council will wait to hear more from residents before it decides how much it will contribute towards the
purchase of Kaikoura Island.
Last week the Minister of Conservation, Chris Carter, announced the Government, the ASB Trust and the Auckland Regional
Council had combined resources to buy the island for $10.5 million. The Minister indicated he expected territorial
authorities in the region to also contribute to the deal.
North Shore City's community services and parks committee today resolved to write to Mr Carter, congratulating the
government on the deal and advising of the council's support in principle for buying the island.
However the council will also advise the minister that as the purchase of Kaikoura Island was one of the issues it had
asked for public feedback on as part of its draft long term council community plan (city plan), it will hold back on
making a final decision until that process was complete.
Chairperson of the council's community services and parks committee, Margaret Miles, says the council has a commitment
to hear fully from its residents on the matter before it made a decision.
"We have seen the written submissions, but there are several people who have indicated they wish to speak to us directly
on the issue, and we need to hear from them before we make our decision."
Public hearings for the city plan will be held over the next two weeks. There are 173 people scheduled to address the
committee chaired by Mayor George Wood and comprising all councillors.
ENDS