De Boer Opposes Auckland Transport ‘Bullying’

Dirk de Boer has announced his candidacy for the ward of Manukau by voicing his concern at the treatment of Manukau residents Yiannis and Eva Koumaki. The twenty year old Affordable Auckland candidate says the manner in which Auckland Transport has attempted to purchase the property is “worrying” and that there is no real need to go ahead with the Mill Road corridor in the first place.

The Koumaki’s have been offered $730,000 for their property which could face being compulsorily acquired under the Public Works Act for the four lane highway which will stretch from Manukau to Drury. This amount is $120,000 higher than the properties CV rating but the couple are disatisfied.

Mr. de Boer says Auckland Transport need to rethink the way it determines compensation. “Clearly in Auckland’s over-heated property market, it will cost far more than $730,000 to obtain or build a similar property elsewhere in the city. Houses facing eventual compulsory bulldozing are not going to attract their true market value and AT’s offer to the couple should reflect this.”

Dirk de Boer is an opponent of the proposed highway project as State Highway 1 already serves the same function. “The council should be working with the NZTA to widen the Mt Wellington and Takanini bottlenecks, not wasting money on an expensive road that will require the forceful acquisition and bulldozing of 64 houses.

“I will be representing the residents of Goodwood Heights in their fight to prevent this highway going ahead and save their houses.” de Boer will be making a verbal submission opposing the project.

Submissions on the Mill Road corridor close 26 May 2015.

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