April 04, 2019
Ihumātāo petition races bulldozer deadline
FULL INTERVIEW PANIA NEWTON CLICK HERE
Save Our Unique Landscape is pushing to get another 1000 signatures over the weekend on its petition calling for the Government and Auckland Council to buy land at Ihumatao before the bulldozers move in.
Spokesperson Pania Newton says the petition, which now has about 19,000 names, will be delivered to the council next Tuesday.
She says the SOUL campaign has opened Aucklander's eyes to the beauty and historical significance of the land, which is earmarked for a special housing zone.
But the clock is ticking.
"Auckland Transport and Fletcher Building Ltd plan to close the road on May 6 to prepare it for earthworks. We continue to prepare for mass occupation. If the bulldoers and police and Fletcher subcontractors do come here, we predict people will come to defend this whenua with us," Ms Newton says.
She says Auckland Council and the government created the threat to the land through their zoning changes and special legislation, so they need to step up now to fix the situation without cost to Fletcher Building.
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