Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors - Auckland City Council
For Immediate Release
Wednesday 11 March 2009

C&R Slam Onehunga Community’s Vision Twice in Two Weeks

At the Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee today and at last week’s Auckland City Council meeting, Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) councillors have continued to ensure the Onehunga community’s preferred option for restoration plans of the Onehunga foreshore cannot be achieved.

Councillor Richard Northey said, “C&R has consistently refused to contribute any more than $10 million to this to once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rectify the disgraceful situation which resulted when State Highway 20 was originally built across the Onehunga Bay in the 1970s.”

Councillor Richard Northey continued, “Last week, at the meeting which set draft budgets for the next ten years, City Vision-Labour argued strongly for Auckland City Council to contribute an additional $6.6 million towards the Onehunga foreshore restoration project, which, when combined with the New Zealand Transport Agency’s (NZTA) $18 million, would have ensured Onehunga would have a 3.8 hectare coastal reclamation and 2 sandy beaches.  We also argued for Council to continue discussions with other government and private interests to try to obtain further funding which would enable a coastal reclamation of up to 15.3 hectares with up to 5 sandy beaches, more in line with The Onehunga Enhancement Society’s (TOES) preferred option.  Unfortunately we were knocked back when the whole C&R team block voted against this proposal, with the exception of C&R Councillor Sam Lotu-Iiga, of course, who wasn’t present for the entirety of the all-day meeting.”

Councillor Leila Boyle said, “Today, at the Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee meeting, City Vision-Labour councillors again tried to ensure the Onehunga foreshore restoration project has a sufficient contribution from Auckland City Council and once again, C&R block voted against the proposal.  The time is now to make sure we have adequate funding to do a good job of restoring to Onehunga what was taken away when State Highway 20 was built in the 1970s.  We can piggyback on the NZTA contribution and rearrange our priorities to make sure we grasp this once-in-a-generation opportunity.  We suggested delaying the Judges Bay project in Parnell by at least two financial years so we can seize this opportunity to do right by Onehunga.  After all, almost everyone who comes from Auckland’s domestic and international airports will drive by the Onehunga foreshore when they arrive for the Rugby World Cup in 2011!”

Councillor Boyle concluded, “With the current combined $28 million funding commitments from Council and NZTA, we will lose of about a third of the proposed 3.4 hectares and we will get an inadequate connection between the Onehunga town centre and the foreshore.  I think this is unacceptable and I urge the Onehunga community to tell Auckland City Council to fund this project properly by making a submission to Council’s draft 10-year plan from April 17.”

ENDS

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