Trust Demands Auckland Council Sells Land to Develop White Water Rafting Course
 
The Auckland Council is being asked to contribute to the funding of a white water rafting course at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau three years after the Manukau City Council voted against funding the $60m scheme.
 
The Counties Manukau Pacific Trust, which runs the PEC, claims it has the right to sell land, previously owned by the MCC and now the property of the Auckland Council and use the estimated $20 million proceeds from any sale towards the white water rafting scheme.
 
The Trust had already received about $12 million funds from the sale of the same piece of land to help fund Stage 1, the PEC.
 
That sale included conditions, which if not met within a specified time, would entitle the MCC to buy back the land at the original sale price. The purchaser did not meet the conditions of the sale agreement and as a result, the land reverted to the MCC at the price paid by the purchaser.
 
When the land reverted to the MCC the Trust advised the Council that it was entitled to the land, an assertion rejected by the Council.
 
It now appears that the Trust is arguing that the Auckland Council, which by virtue of amalgamation of the Manukau City Council has inherited the land and that the Trust should benefit for the second time from any sale – something never agreed to and needs to be rejected by the Auckland Council.
 
This matter was tested in the High Court, which found that there was no basis for giving proceeds from a second sale to the Trust.
 
The Court also found that the MCC had never agreed that it would fund Stage 2 of the project – the white water rafting course.
 
This project had no buy-in from the people of Manukau and was rejected by the Manukau City Council which voted 11 – 5 against funding the project despite the Trust resorting to all sorts of chicanery.  

ENDS

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