New school on Unitec site confirmed as Kiwibuild v playgrounds fight erupts

Andrea from Eden Terrace

Who should decide on how communities are built...the people living around them, or the developers living off them? Since when did these decisions get taken away from the community?
Waterview School chair Margi Watson with a petition signed by 617 people asking Parliament to add land in Great North Rd to the Waterview School site. "There was no consultation as to that land being turned into massive apartments," she said.
"If that is delivered, there is a very small area of open space left for children," she said.
"The [Ockham] land could be used for a sports field or running track or outdoor play area."
But Ockham director Mark Todd lashed out at the protesters, saying the apartments had building consent and two-thirds have been sold.
"Just because they are a little white middle-class community, they think they can shake things around," he said.
"This is a political issue and an iwi issue that was raised not under this Government but the previous one. I'm sick of hearing about it for two years."
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