Council approach ‘haphazard’

Rethink the plan or rethink the council.

This was the unanimous message from 500 Aucklanders gathered at Takapuna Grammar School last night to discuss Auckland Council’s intensification plans.

The meeting was organised by resident-led group Auckland 2040 whose goal is to encourage 50,000 people to give feedback to the council on what they believe is a “haphazard, scatter-gun” approach to intensification.

Founders Richard Burton, a resource management consultant, and Guy Haddleton

argued that, contrary to what the council is claiming, 56 per cent of the residential area in Auckland will be zoned to allow apartments.

Following a city-wide resident revolt over the last fortnight Mayor Len Brown has already announced that four areas of the plan would be revised.

But those present at the meeting were unanimous in calling for the entire plan to be revisited and looked at from the “ground up”.

This would include investigating what areas are appropriate for intensification in terms of infrastructure and character.

“We have got to keep holding the mayor’s feet to the fire,” said Mr Haddleton.

“We need to slow this process down until we get it right.”

The lone voice in support of the plan, councillor Ann Hartley, was shut down by angry residents who booed her claims that council is willing and ready to listen to public feedback.

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