Concern Over Future Of Waitakeres

in General by Jon C — February 23, 2010 at 4:00 pm | 1 comment

It’s inevitable there will be some conspiracy theories floating around over the new super-city and some concern the Waitakere Ranges. Is there really a worry they will governed by Wellington?

I hope the government clears it up quickly as the voices are getting louder.

West Auckland groups rang the alarm bells about the future of the Waitakere Ranges at today’s Auckland Governance Select Committee hearing public submissions on the third super city bill.

The Waitakere Ranges Protection Society and West Auckland lawyer Greg Presland challenged the Government’s line that the Bill poses no risk to the Waitakere Ranges.

Labour ‘s Phil Twyford says the concern is over a provision which repeals section 77 of the Local Government Amendment Act 1992 where it relates to the ownership of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park by the Auckland Regional Council.

“The Government claims this is simply a technical tidy up of an unnecessary provision and that Waitakere parkland is fully protected, but evidence and legal argument from the Waitakere Ranges Protection Society today challenged this view.

“The society argued that the loss of s77 will weaken protection of the Waitakeres, allowing boundary changes and administrative re-organisation that could see the end of local control of parkland that has been built up by generations of Aucklanders,” Phil Twyford said.

“They argued that the Bill should replace the words ARC with Auckland Council. “Aucklanders don’t want to see the Waitakere Ranges lost to Auckland control, especially with the current moves by Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee to press for mining in national parks.”

Tags: Auckland City Waitakere ranges