City Vision Media Release

2 October 2013

Berms – City Vision offers solution, not rhetoric

“It is time for a practical solution to the berm mowing issue, not rhetoric designed to purely harvest votes”, says Cathy Casey, Albert-Eden-Roskill Councillor.

“Berm mowing ceased across the Auckland Isthmus recently, but the communication from Council to residents has been appalling. Because of this many local residents have been unaware of the change, resulting in our streets looking scruffy and unkempt.”

“Parts of Auckland outside of the old Auckland City have never had berms mown and we know that it is unrealistic for ratepayers from those areas to subsidise the service on the Auckland Isthmus, or to raise rates by 1% to fund the service across the whole region. We have to find our own solution”

“City Vision has already taken action on the issue. Cathy Casey has formally written to the CEO of Auckland Council to ask that berm mowing be continued until the end of the year in recognition of the poor communication from Council to residents. This will ensure that our streets get tidied up and give Local Boards the chance to consult with their communities about whether they wish to continue berm mowing, funded through a targeted rate”

“We also believe that if residents have the responsibility to mow berms that Auckland Transport must allow people greater flexibility in tending them. Many residents want to plant flowers and street trees but are stifled by AT’s overly bureaucratic approach. If residents are given the responsibility to mow, the quid-pro-quo should be the right to look after the area as they wish, within reason".

“Our opponents are attempting to make political capital out of this issue but have nothing to say about how they would actually fix the problem or fund the service. Only City Vision and Roskill Community Voice are offering a solution to get berms tidied now, and to allow local communities to make their own decisions about the issue into the future”, says Cathy Casey.

ENDS

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