Roskill Community Voice

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Media Statement: Monte Cecilia ‘Blank Cheque’ needs review

“A new Council is an opportunity to look afresh at the divisive issue of Monte Cecilia School. We have written to every incoming Councillor to put the issues in front of them and to urge them to urgently review the situation”, says Roskill Community Voice member of the Puketapapa Local Board Michael Wood who is campaigning against the old Auckland City Council’s plan to pay for the demolition and re-building of Monte Cecilia School because it is too close to a new art gallery.

“We know that the incoming Council is keen to open the books, and ensure that all expenditure is prudent. In the case of Monte Cecilia School there are serious questions to be answered. Estimates of the cost of the total project vary between $30-$100 million”, continues Wood

“Most importantly there has been no public scrutiny of this planned expenditure. There is not a single publicly available document that can tell a ratepayer how much might be spent on this project. Effectively the old Auckland City Council signed a ‘blank cheque’ with the expectation that the new Council will pick up the tab”.

“Expenditure of this magnitude makes Monte Cecilia a regional issue. If the project proceeds, then other open space projects around the region will not be able to occur because the budget will be drained”.

“The project was rammed through in the months before the old Auckland City Council was dissolved and consultation was minimal We are calling on the new Council to do the right thing by ratepayers and the local community by opening the books, reviewing the project, and looking at alternative options that meet everyone’s objectives while saving millions of dollars of public money”, concludes Wood.

ENDS

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Media Statement: Monte Cecilia 'Blank Cheque' needs review

“A new Council is an opportunity to look afresh at the divisive issue of Monte Cecilia School. We have written to every incoming Councillor to put the issues in front of them and to urge them to urgently review the situation”, says Roskill Community Voice member of the Puketapapa Local Board Michael Wood who is campaigning against the old Auckland City Council’s plan to pay for the demolition and re-building of Monte Cecilia School because it is too close to a new art gallery.

“We know that the incoming Council is keen to open the books, and ensure that all expenditure is prudent. In the case of Monte Cecilia School there are serious questions to be answered. Estimates of the cost of the total project vary between $30-$100 million”, continues Wood

“Most importantly there has been no public scrutiny of this planned expenditure. There is not a single publicly available document that can tell a ratepayer how much might be spent on this project. Effectively the old Auckland City Council signed a ‘blank cheque’ with the expectation that the new Council will pick up the tab”.

“Expenditure of this magnitude makes Monte Cecilia a regional issue. If the project proceeds, then other open space projects around the region will not be able to occur because the budget will be drained”.

“The project was rammed through in the months before the old Auckland City Council was dissolved and consultation was minimal We are calling on the new Council to do the right thing by ratepayers and the local community by opening the books, reviewing the project, and looking at alternative options that meet everyone’s objectives while saving millions of dollars of public money”, concludes Wood.

ENDS

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Media Statement: Monte Cecilia School first on agenda

“The election of two Roskill Community Voice Members on to the Puketapapa Local Board has brought the fate of Monte Cecilia School to the top of the local political agenda,” says Roskill Community Voice member of the Puketapapa Local Board Michael Wood.

“We campaigned hard on this issue and now we have made it our first order of business. We have called for an extraordinary meeting of the Board on Tuesday 9 November, at which a motion will be put urging the Council to review the current proposal to uproot Monte Cecilia School, and to consider other more cost effective options to re-locate the school within the park,” says Wood.

“The local community remains furious about the way they have been treated, with consultation throughout the process being farcical. More broadly, Aucklanders are concerned about the massive unfunded cost of this pet project. Cost estimates of between $50 – $100 million mean that ratepayers from around the region will be stung, and there will also be less money available for other open space projects across Auckland.”

“It is our hope that a new Council and a new Board can look at the whole project with fresh eyes, and arrive at a win-win solution that meets the needs of all parties, and saves Auckland ratepayers tens of millions of dollars. We are discussing the issue with elected members across party lines and believe that a reasonable compromise can be agreed upon,” continues Wood.

“Our motion at the first business meeting of the Puketapapa Board is a moderate one that simply seeks to open the books on the current proposal and to look at the options. We strongly hope that the Board supports this reasonable approach and that it can be the start of a process that heals the rifts created by the Monte Cecilia project,” concludes Wood.

ENDS

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Media Statement: Roskill Community Voice straight to work

“The election of two Roskill Community Voice candidates to the Puketapapa Local Board represents an historic shift away from C&R dominance in Mt Roskill. We intend to use our two Board positions to speak up loudly on behalf of our community”, says newly elected Board member Michael Wood.

“Our ticket was formed just six months ago, so to win two positions on the Board is a real achievement, and a testament to the hard work of our whole team of candidates and supporters. We would also like to thank the people of Mt Roskill for putting their trust in us. We will work hard on the issues we were elected on”, says newly elected Board member Julie Fairey

“First off the blocks we will be taking the fight up for the Monte Cecilia School community. We campaigned to take all lawful steps to stop the wasteful and shameful forced eviction of the school, and that is what we will now do. There is a new Council and a new Board and we are confident that a solution can be found that maintains the school on the site while meeting the objectives of other parties. We will be taking steps on this issue within a week”, continues Wood

“We will be fighting hard on many other issues too, including the spread of unwanted bottle shops, improved access to early childhood education, and ensuring that our community gets a fair share of the Supercity cake”, says Fairey

“We will be pro-active Board members who will actively campaign on the issues that matter. We will also be constructive where we can, and plan to discuss a number of matters with our C&R colleagues over the coming weeks. We want all residents to be actively engaged in the new Board and encourage them to contact us with any issues”, concludes Wood.

ENDS