Move to Delete Budget to Evict Monte Cecilia School

At tomorrow’s Combined Committees, City Vision Councillors will move to delete the budget for the purchase of the land under Monte Cecilia School and the cost of rebuilding the school in another location.

Cr Fryer said, “In the same week that John Banks publicly demanded a business case from Eden Park over their funding shortfall, this council passed a resolution to evict a primary school and rebuild it with only a ballpark estimate of cost and absolutely NO financial analysis.”

“I am hoping to persuade Mr Banks and his Citizens & Ratepayers cronies that this decision is just plain wrong. We cannot expect greater Auckland ratepayers to fund the closure and rebuilding of a Hillsborough Primary School when the school can be repositioned on the Monte Cecilia site for a fraction of the cost.”

Cr Cathy Casey said, “The reason we do long-term plans and annual plans is so the public know what Council’s plans are. Nowhere in our plans is there a statement saying Monte Cecilia School is to closedown and re-built away from the park. It is no wonder that the school community and the parish are shell-shocked by the recent decision and absolutely disgusted by the behaviour of their elected representatives.

“In all our documents, Council states that land at Monte Cecilia will be bought “as it becomes available”. At the Committee, we heard from the Catholic Diocese that they were forced to sell – if they had not agreed, Council told them the land would be taken under the Public Works Act. That is not land that has “become available” this is more like the Highland Clearances - sell us the land or else.”

Crs Fryer and Casey say they have had many emails and phone calls from people who cannot understand the reasons for the school's eviction from the land. “One parent told us he recently had a lengthy discussion with James Wallace (whose art collection will be housed in the Pah Homestead at Monte Cecilia) and says Mr Wallace was totally unaware of the school’s plight.”

ENDS

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