Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration.

“Thousands of Aucklanders supported years’ worth of campaigning to revive the St James Theatre - and we won - but manufactured paper-pushing has been holding up the start of construction work this year,” says Auckland Central MP and Green Co-Leader, Chlöe Swarbrick.

“The new Government was ready to reconfirm funding and get shovels in the ground before a direct intervention from Mayor Brown, who has since asked Council officials to draft up new papers about the project.

“To be clear, this is an unnecessary, invented, bureaucratic exercise that has created immense delay. Every day funding is delayed from release, its value is eroded, construction times pushed out and city centre confidence undermined.

“I have formally asked the Mayor to bring his desired papers to Auckland Council’s Governing Body meeting on 12th December to end the nonsense so we can get the real work started. No more excuses. No more delays.

“There’s never been a lack of ferocious support for the St James, but bureaucracy and box-checking have consistently undercut action. Enough is enough. The funding has been supported by three Mayors - including Mayor Wayne Brown in formal letters last year - and two Governments. Time to get it done,” says Chlöe Swarbrick.

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