Mangere and Otahuhu Homes Under Threat But Kings College to Be Spared

A huge swathe of Mangere and Otahuhu homes are under threat from council plans for yet another motorway Auckland doesn’t need.

The road is part of the AMETI (Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative) highway from Onehunga to Manukau. (see map)

Two months ago the Minister of Tarseal Transport Gerry Brownlee asked planners to fast-track AMETI so it could get ahead of the Auckland Central Rail Loop in the funding queue.

Council planners have come up with four options with their preferred option being the destruction of hundreds of homes in Mangere and Otahuhu while taking the road in a tunnel under Kings College to avoid tarsealing the school cricket pitch.

This $1.5 billion motorway itself is an outrage which Auckland does not need but the proposal to destroy hundreds of homes for families on low incomes while saving Kings College with a hugely expensive tunnel is sickening. It’s a case of double standards – one for the rich well-connected mates of the Prime Minister – another for low-income families.

We don’t need the road or the government’s double standards. Auckland Mayor Len Brown needs to stand up for this community and denounce this council proposal.

“If we put in place free public transport we will gridlock-free the roading network within 12 months at less than half the cost of these new roads.”

Mana will not let the tarseal addicts get away with this. Our Mana Mangere team will announce plans to fight the new road at a campaign launch this Saturday 2pm at East Mangere Hall (Metro Theatre) on Massey Road.

Mana is standing candidates for the council’s Manukau Ward (Roger Fowler and Joe Trinder) and the Mangere Otahuhu Local Board (Roger Fowler, James Papali’i, Joe Trinder and Kayla Filimoehala) to fight the government’s new road.

The two existing Manukau Ward councilors, ex National MP Arthur Anae and Alf Filipina have been silent on this attack on Mangere and Otahuhu – they are asleep at the wheel.

The Mana team won’t be.

John Minto

Mana Movement Mayoral Candidate

ENDS

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