LOCAL NEWS
THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR ABUSE I've just been up against the 'machine' of Auckland Council and it's still not done, yet I feel as though I've been spat out the other end. I've been outnumbered in a 'David and Goliath war of words' in court. I've been threatened by the senior council member leading the project and even falsely accused of faking a heart attack by a local board member - to name just a few of my experiences. To add insult to injury, I have been bullied by Auckland Council staff and local board members, yet Council have launched a campaign - "treat our Auckland Council whānau with respect" - that disregards their behaviour to us. Absolutely, everyone deserves respect. Shouldn't Auckland Council staff also treat community with respect? Here's my story... Since 2014, I have advocated for saving Western Springs Forest, a ’significant ecological area', from the destruction wrecked upon it last month. Community are in a state of mourning over the loss of the canopy trees where the birds lived, and the huge amount of unnecessary annihilation of the native under storey. Mountains of resin filled chip were made to destroy the evidence of the good healthy trees. More than shovel depth of chip remains under the planted area, with several metres deep in a large area.
30 PONSONBY NEWS+ September 2021
I submitted to the notified resource consent, as did 40 others. Alongside the Society for the Protection of Western Springs Forest, I was an appellant to the environment court mediation that mandated a community liaison group (CLG), consisting of myself, representatives of the Zoo, MOTAT, the Stadium and four Council members. The mediation was intimidating, with Council flanking either side of us with the full weight of their ratepayer funded resources including highly paid experts and legal council. Conversely, we were represented by one lawyer, a member of the community as second chair, and community advocates and experts in a voluntary capacity. As well as time and stress, that legal action cost one member of the community $60,000. The intention of the CLG was for Auckland Council representatives to liaise (hence the name) with the community. But engagement is NOT what Council does best. Council changed representatives a number of times until at the critical part of the project an ex-police officer had the main
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