Media Release: 18 April 2013
Manurewa Youth Council

Manurewa Youth Concerned With Speed of Unitary Plan Consultation

The Manurewa Youth Council is concerned with the process Auckland Council is pursuing with the implementation of the Unitary Plan.

The Unitary Plan is the rule book for the development of Auckland over the next 30 years and will be the key tool which will implement the Auckland Plan which was decided on by Auckland Council last year.

Last weekend the Manurewa Youth Council held a forum focussed on engaging young people on the Unitary Plan which was attended by over 100 young people from around Manurewa.

"At this forum young people shared with each other their perspectives on how they believe Manurewa should be shaped over the coming years." says Acting Manurewa Youth Council Chair, Mel Ngata.

"The message was clear, young people are concerned about the impacts this plan will have on their communities and on their future opportunities as it contains a strong focus on the intensification of our town centre in Manurewa without dealing with the social needs of our communities.

"We are also concerned with the lack of engagement with young people in the Unitary Plan consultation. Engaging young people through Facebook or Twitter only goes so far, and it is naive to think that these are the only mediums that young people communicate through," Continues Ms Ngata.

"Young people are the ones who will be paying for this plan over the next 30 years as we are the ones who it will impact. We should be properly consulted, and it shouldn't be left up to organisations like the Manurewa Youth Council to lead that process. Auckland Council should see it as a top priority to be consulting with young people across our city, and letting them be the ones whose feedback counts when this plan is put together.

"Until that is properly done, this plan should not be approved. There is no need to rush this process, but there is a need to engage all the sectors of our community so that this can be a plan which we all own together," says, Ms Ngata.

ENDS

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