The Jury Is Out

Bunning's proposed and now resource-consented building on Arch Hill is as popular as rotting fish. Residents are organising meetings and the media are responding to the Arch Hill residents' concern. The scribes are busy, too, and letters and articles are being published. This letter of mine was published today Saturday 23, November, 2013 in The New Zealand Herald entitled Lost Treasure

Is the super city really working for local communities?

We are being done-over like a dog’s dinner. Many are concerned about the pace that things are moving and that we are losing control over the things that we treasure. Who can or will stand up our communities and who will take the fight?

We are losing precious gems. The infamous Aurora hotel decision saw the owners being given a green light to super profits and a bonus knocking shop on Karangahape Road.
If this council and our local board are at all serious about our built heritage, they should have imposed ten year moratorium on the Chow brothers’ development. This would have sent a clear message to the opportunists and cowboys who care little about are how we live in this city.
Ponsonby residents have lost in resource consent hearings to the development at 221 Ponsonby Road, and also are fighting for the proposed public park at 254 Ponsonby Road.

Now we have Bunning’s development forced on to the Arch Hill community. This is a travesty and makes a mockery of our mayor's dream of Auckland being the most liveable city. Will the mayor stand up this time?