Roskill Community Voice Media Release, 10 May 2011
“Local residents feel kicked in the guts by the decision of three un-elected planning commissioners to allow the Warehouse Pah Rd development to proceed, and they have decided to take action”, says Roskill Community Voice member of the Puketapapa Local Board Julie Fairey. Ms Fairey made her comments after local residents voted overwhelmingly to proceed with an appeal to the Environment Court at a well-attended public meeting on Sunday.
“People are angry that their legitimate concerns have been ignored. They are not anti-Warehouse in principle, but they have raised a number of serious and specific issues about the suitability of the site for a big box development, including:
· The impact on traffic congestion at an intersection and major arterial route that Council reports say is already at gridlock
· Pedestrian safety, particularly given the large number of children who use neighbouring Seymour Park at peak shopping times
· The impact on nearby and unconnected shopping areas, particularly Royal Oak
“Residents feel that these serious concerns have simply not been heard”, says Michael Wood, the other Roskill Community Voice member on the Puketapapa Board.
“At our public meeting we heard from Amanda Kinzett of the Onehunga Business Association, which has filed the Appeal in the Environment Court. Residents were talked through the process and it was explained that the Appeal would only proceed if it had the active support of the local community. Following this people were asked to vote on whether to proceed with the Appeal or not. The result was a near-unanimous vote to go ahead”, says Ms Fairey.
“The campaign to stop this badly placed development has strong support across the community, and from a number of Local Board members in Puketapapa and Maungakiekie-Tamaki. Local people are determined to have their voice heard and we will be supporting them however we can in the campaign ahead”, concludes Mr Wood.
ENDS
Contact: Julie Fairey – 021-287-9900, Michael Wood – 0275-471-926