8 August 2016

Wood calls for Three Kings Negotiation

“Following on from the Three Kings Quarry Environment Court interim judgment, I am joining calls from the community and the Local Board for a negotiated settlement to the issue of development on and around the quarry site”, says Labour candidate for Mt Roskill Michael Wood.

“As a member of the Local Board I have been deeply involved in this issue for six years. The Board has consistently supported a high quality residential development that respects the volcanic landscape, and integrates with the local neighbourhood and town-centre. On the Board I have been part of the Roskill Community Voice majority who have produced the alternative Richard Reid plan for the site, and have supported the community in the court to try and secure a better outcome”

“The interim court judgment affirms exactly the points that the Local Board and community have been making for years. If only Fletchers and Auckland Council had listened earlier, a sensible solution could have been found without the delay and cost of legal proceedings. The court is very clear that the Fletchers proposal must be altered to better respect the volcanic landscape, bring the fill levels up to enable more accessible gradients, and create better connections with the surrounding community”

“I am a strong supporter of high quality intensified residential development as envisaged by the Unitary Plan. However, communities will react with anger if large developers, Council, and central government gang up on them to force through development with limited consultation and a tin ear to genuine concerns. The Three Kings site is an ideal site for a large number of houses to be built and could be an exemplar of quality intensification, but it must be done in the right way”

“Now that the court has issued its interim judgment, it is time for the parties to come together and negotiate a pragmatic solution that takes into account the community concerns that have been affirmed by the court. I am calling on Fletchers to come to the table and work with the community on a revised development plan that addresses all of the points made by the court. I will strongly support such a development if agreed with the community”, says Mr Wood.

ENDS

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