ATEED Should Butt Out of Hobsonville Point

Auckland Council’s economic arm ATEED wants half of a 20 ha section of land at Hobsonville Point put aside for the building of a film studio, putting itself offside with the Council’s property arm which would like to see the section used for houses, apartments and a shopping and commercial centre.

Affordable Auckland’s Albany candidate Stephen Berry agrees with Auckland Council Property Limited saying ATEEDS proposal is stupid. “It is cases like this which demonstrate why politicians and bureaucrats should have absolutely nothing to do with economic development and why I support cutting ATEED’s $250 million budget.”

“The Council should allow all of the 20 hectares in question to be used for residential and commercial purposes rather than attempting to pick winners by building a film school. Clearly nobody who is willing to risk their own money has put forward the idea so ATEED’s assertion that building a school will create jobs is superfluous.”

Should a private company put forward a request for consent to build a film school in the area, then Mr. Berry has no problem with one being built there. “If a private company has applied for permission to build a film school then they have clearly done their homework, researched whether there is sufficient demand for a school and determined they have a good chance of making a profit building one. If a bureaucracy is the only organisation putting this idea forward then it is likely building one will only result in a subsidised white elephant.”

ENDS

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