Cars to Continue Destroying World Treasure

Despite 2007's Maungawhau Management and Conservation Plan requiring the removal of cars from the summit of the archaeologically significant volcanic cone, Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) members of Auckland City Council's Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee decided yesterday to request a report that deals only with the removal of buses from Mt Eden and ignores the removal of cars.

Eden-Albert Councillor Glenda Fryer says, "C&R councillors ignored Council's own statutory document when they voted in favour of an investigation of transport options for Maungawhau contrary to officers' recommendations. C&R are undertaking yet another report when they have a cupboard full of reports which all say the same thing – remove both cars and buses from the maunga."

At yesterday's committee meeting, Councillor Fryer moved amendments which requested officers to investigate the provision of mini-vehicles for disabled and older people to enjoy the cone and a timetable for all cars and buses to be removed from the summit road. Both amendments were defeated and officers will instead only investigate the replacement of heavy vehicles using the summit road by 'shuttle buses'.

"After ten years of consultation and discussion with local people and the wider Auckland community as well as two public hearings in 2006 and 2007, this David Hay-led C&R Council has listened only to car owners along with bus companies who are only interested in how they can continue to drive tens of thousands of visitors up the mountain. The whole vision of people honouring this heritage mountain during their walk up to the summit appears to have been dumped in favour of C&R's car- and bus-centric view of the world," concludes Councillor Fryer.

ENDS

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