Unelected Maori tip $30m whitewater stadium decision
Auckland Council will now sell the land adjacent to the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau – valued at about $20 million – to fund the project.
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Hawke’s Bay
Auckland councillor Dick Quax is fuming over yesterday’s council vote to sell land for a white water rafting stadium.
The two votes which got the project across the line were from unelected Maori statutory board members, he says.
The council’s strategy and finance committee decided stage 2 of the Wero white water rafting stadium would go ahead.
It will now sell council-owned land adjacent to the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau to fund the project. It is valued at about $20 million.
The Counties Manukau Pacific Trust, which also built the events centre, is to help raise the rest of the funds.
Mr Quax, who has been outspoken in his opposition against the stadium, says he is frustrated by the decision. The project never went through the long-term plan process.
“It was a very dodgy process that allowed it to go through the back door," he says.
The final cost of the project has not been determined, but the proposal will go for public consultation as part of the annual plan.
“Its going to public consultation, for what it's worth. But at least it will give us an opportunity to tease out more information," he says.
Counties Manukau Pacific Trust chairman Richard Jeffery says he did not expect much resistance from the public, except from “the normal CAVE people – Citizens Against Virtually Everything”.
“But there’s overwhelming support from the community, especially from the youth, who don’t normally get listened to.”
Mr Jeffery says resource consents are in place and he looks forward to developing the stadium by the end of 2015-16.
Victoria Young
Fri, 05 Oct 2012
Fri, 05 Oct 2012
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Unelected Maori tip $30m whitewater stadium decision
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