Auckland Council and Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board have made submissions to the government on the Point England Development Enabling Bill.
The council has submitted that the Point England reserve is highly valued by Aucklanders, in particular the Tāmaki community. Auckland Council firmly believes that the impact from the loss of reserve land must be offset by reinvesting the entire proceeds of the sale in improved public open space in the Tāmaki area. As the region grows, it is important that it is able to preserve public open land for its communities.
The council accepts the government has the sovereign right to sell the land and it is not opposed to a Treaty settlement with Ngāti Pāoa. However, it remains concerned about the use of special legislation to lift reserve status outside normal statutory processes, as it sets a concerning precedent.
The Auckland Council submission can be found here and the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board submission here.
