May 31, 2023
Scrap metal fire disrupts south Auckland
Green Party co-leader co-leader and South Auckland resident Marama Davidson says today’s fire in Favona shows how the urban layout is built on inequality.
Schools told pupils to stay home and an emergency alert has been issued after smoke from a large fire at a scrap metal yard on James Fletcher Drive covered the area.
Ms Davidson says is an example of how poorer communities pay the cost of commerce.
“This is part of how inequities have been built into the way we build cities and the poorer suburbs are often in a mix with the industrial areas. You would never see the factories next to Remuera, for example,” she says.
Ms Davidson says the National Party’s flip flop on housing density rules shows it’s not willing to get behind efforts to create more equitable cities.
The fire disrupted train services across Auckland.
KiwiRail chief operations officer Siva Sivapakkiam says the Auckland Train Control Centre at Westfield had to be evacuated shortly after 9am due to toxic smoke from the fire, and trains were stopped at the nearest station.
Train control was transferred to the Wellington Train Control Centre and services began resuming shortly after 10am.
Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail are working hard to try and ensure services have returned to normal in time for the afternoon peak.
Otahuhu Station has been closed due to toxic smoke in the area.
Auckland Transport is running replacement buses to help move passengers from stations between Otahuhu and Papakura.