January 31, 2017
Green space threat alarms mayor
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Auckland mayor Phil Goff doesn't want to use of land at Point England for housing to set a precedent for other reserves in the city.
The Government has agreed to sell a council-administered reserve beside the Tamaki River to Ngati Paoa for a 300-home development.
That's sparked opposition from residents, which Mr Goff says is driven by concern over loss of two playing fields and other green space rather than any negative reaction to the iwi.
There is also disquiet that it comes on top of the Tamaki Regeneration project that will put an extra 20,000 people into the area.
"I am against the principle of reserve land suddenly being used for housing and not wanting the Government to use this as a precedent doe elsewhere. I feel strongly about this because we have a million more people coming to this city and what we don't want to lose is our public open space," Mr Goff says.
He supports Ngati Paoa getting a fair settlement and developing economically, but the Government should do that by allocating it land already earmarked to the Tamaki Regeneration project rather than cutting into green space.
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