Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors - Auckland City Council
For Immediate Release
28 July 2010

Agency’s Monte Cecilia School Decision Saddens

The decision by the Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) to confirm the decision of Auckland City Council to purchase the land currently occupied by Monte Cecilia School from the Catholic Diocese is profoundly disappointing say those councillors who have consistently opposed the school’s eviction.

Councillor Casey said “We made a strong case to the ATA outlining eight compelling reasons why this decision should have been declined and left to the new Auckland Council. That the ATA has not felt able to respond to the pleas of the Hillsborough community that they have had no real input into the Council’s decision to demolish the school is sad.”

Councillor Fryer said “I can’t believe that Auckland City Council is being allowed to spend up over half of its ten-year open space budget to provide breathing space around the new TSB James Wallace Arts Centre when other parts of the region are crying out for more parks for both active and passive recreation. Within the Eden -Albert Ward we have tried many times to purchase the vacant land on the corner of Mt Eden Road and Kelly Street for passive recreation and been voted down by Citizens & Ratepayers (C&R) each time.”

Councillor Northey said “I am saddened that the opportunity has been lost for the Monte Cecilia School community and the Auckland City Council to work out a win-win solution that would enhance Monte Cecilia Park abut allow this much-loved historic school to remain on its current site. I am aware of areas of residential growth such as Ellerslie, Glen Innes and Otahuhu which desperately need more parks and recreational facilties but are being denied by the block-voting C&R councillors and John Banks who are instead supporting just one pet project.”

“The battle to save Monte Cecilia School is not over. The school rebuilding project still has to get through the resource consent process. That will be quite problematic for the Catholic Diocese given the lack of consultation with the people most affected. We also learned just this week that the Saint John Vianney site proposed for the new school is an important headwater for Oakley Creek and thus there will be strong opposition from environmental groups. This ATA decision casts a shadow over the opening of the new TSB James Wallace Arts Centre in August” Councillor Casey concluded.

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