Community and council combine to oppose Government proposals

April 17, 2009

Waitakere community groups and Waitakere City Council have vowed to work closely together to put the local back into local government.

More than 300 people crammed into the council’s chamber this evening for an extraordinary meeting called to provide an update on a meeting held yesterday between the local government minister and Auckland local government representatives.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey, who is on the Minister of Local Government’s working group, welcomed the growing groundswell of community support.

“This is a battle and it’s a battle that needs to be taken to the streets of Waitakere and I salute you for doing that,” he told the meeting.

“Democracy is at stake here.”

A group of community organisations, called the Community Coalition for Auckland – Voices of Tamaki Makaurau, says the government’s preferred model of one Auckland council and up to 30 local boards will see the demise of a city people have spent years building.

“We didn’t work for 20 years for the gains of the eco city to be stolen away from our communities,” said Tony Mayow, chair of the Community Waitakere and co-spokesperson for the coalition.

“After only three weeks, we now have over 70 organisations in our coalition – with over 30 others from across the region.

“We are not going away. We embrace meaningful change and that’s why the Royal Commission was formed. In fact we demand that the Royal Commission report be used as the basis for discussions at select committee.”

The coalition has organised a rally and march in Waitakere on April 22 and councillors have vowed to join them. Meet at 3pm at the Corban Estate Arts Centre.

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