Puketāpapa Local Board resolutions on Liston Village

This will record resolutions and similar position statements made by the Puketapapa Local Board in relation to Liston Village, in chronological order from oldest to newest.

From the Puketāpapa Local Board Plan 2014
Under Key Initiatives for Healthy, Safe People and Places, p44:

Investigate options for increasing supply of affordable community and social housing, including advocating to retain existing social housing at Liston Village.   

From the Minutes of the 28th August 2015 Puketāpapa Local Board business meeting, pp10, 11

Item 16 Puketāpapa Local Board Small Local Improvement Projects (SLIPs) Programme 2014- 2015 
Resolution number PKTPP/2014/163
MOVED by Deputy Chairperson HAJ Doig, seconded by Member MP Wood:

That the Puketāpapa Local Board:
a) acknowledges receipt of the Puketāpapa Local Board 2014/2015 SLIPs funding summary programme
b) delegates authority to the spokesperson to provide guidance and advice to the SLIPs team regarding their allocated proposals and delegates authority to the spokesperson and chair of the board, to be exercised together, to make additional funding decisions where a variation to a project scope is needed due to unforeseen circumstances
...
q) allocates $10,000 SLIPs Operational budget towards a study to establish the feasibility of retaining community social housing for the elderly at the Liston Village site in Hillsborough (when it transfers to Council ownership) and to provide advice about the ownership and governance options for preserving the village as community social housing for the elderly through a partnership arrangement between Auckland Council and a third sector housing provider.

r) request that expert advice on the community social housing sector is sought as part of the report.

s) delegates Member MP Wood to act as spokesperson for this project and to consult with affected stakeholders about the Board’s approach.

t) agrees to advocate to the Governing Body for additional social housing in Puketāpapa
...

CARRIED



From the Minutes of the 27th August 2015 Puketāpapa Local Board business meeting, p8-9

Item 14.2  Board Member report - Michael Wood 
Resolution number PKTPP/2015/170
MOVED by Member MP Wood, seconded by Deputy Chairperson HAJ Doig:

That the Puketāpapa Local Board:
a) receive the report for August 2015.
...
c) receive the “Liston Village Housing for the Elderly Scoping Report” dated 26 August 2015 and:

i) note the findings of the report including information concerning the high level of unmet need for social housing in Hillsborough, and a general growth in demand for social housing for the elderly.

ii) authorise further detailed work to be carried out in line with the recommendations on page 20 of the report, utilising LDI funding for “Affordable and social housing options”.

iii) authorise release of the report to the public and authorise Member Wood to present the report to the Seniors Panel, the Community Development and Safety Committee and any other relevant Council bodies.

CARRIED

A copy of the Liston Village Housing for the Elderly – Stage One: Scoping report will be placed on the official minutes and is available on the Auckland Council website as a minute attachment.


Article "Monte Cecilia Park: Puketāpapa advocates to retain Liston Village" on Auckland Council news website Our Auckland - October 7th 2015

Media release: Stretched Council Budget should not be used to demolish Liston Village

Ahead of this weekend's public meeting to oppose the demolition of Liston Village, the fiscal costs of the plan are being questioned.

"We believe that it is wrong to demolish a successful social housing community for Seniors in the middle of a housing crisis. We also believe it is the wrong priority for Council to spend its stretched budget on the unpopular demolition plan", says Roskill Community Voice member of the Puketapapa Local Board Michael Wood.

"Multiple industry sources have indicated that demolition of the twenty five units could cost up to one million dollars, based on broad standard costings. Any plans to develop the space as parkland over and above grass would require additional funding"

"We all know that Council budgets are under enormous pressure. Why would such a large sum be spent on a project that removes desperately needed social housing for Seniors when there are other pressing needs in our city? This is not a project that the local community wants"

"The plan to demolish Liston was agreed by the old Auckland City Council just before it was amalgamated. Our campaign will call on the new Auckland Council to re-visit that decision. We believe that a strong community campaign can convince Council to move away from the wasteful demolition plan it has inherited"

"The campaign to save the village will be formally launched at a public meeting on Sunday 11 October from 2pm at the Fickling Centre, Three Kings. Phil Goff MP, Councillor Cathy Casey, Local Board member Michael Wood, and Anne-Marie Coury from Grey Power will all be speaking in support of the campaign. All are welcome", says Michael Wood.

ENDS

Contact:

Michael Wood – 022-659-6360

Event page: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/935572809844061/

Save Liston Village media coverage

The Save Liston Village campaign coverage will be listed here, with links:

• Liston Retirement Village vital to Auckland - Central Leader on 27th August
• Battle to save retirement site - NZ Herald on 6th October
• Local Auckland group opposes demolition of pensioner village - Checkpoint (audio) on 7th October
• What's happening at Monte Cecilia Park - Our Auckland (Auckland Council website) on 7th October
• Petition ramps up campaign to save Liston Village - Central Leader on 14th October
• Puketapapa advocates to retain Liston Village - Our Auckland (Auckland Council website) on 14th October

Media release: Campaign to Save Liston Village launched

“In the middle of a housing crisis, how can it be that Auckland Council is planning to demolish a thriving social housing community for Senior Citizens?”, asks Roskill Community Voice member of the Puketapapa Local Board Michael Wood , who is organising a community campaign and public meeting to save Liston Village.

“Liston Village is a community of Senior citizens in Hillsborough. There are twenty five good quality units and it has been a part of the Puketapapa/Mt Roskill community since 1983. Under a deal between Council and the Catholic Diocese struck in the dying days of Auckland City Council, the Village will be purchased by Council. The current plan is to demolish the village to increase the entrance-way to Monte Cecilia Park”

“This plan made limited sense in 2010, and even less in 2015 during a housing crisis. Independent research commissioned by the Puketapapa Local Board confirms that there is a growing population of ‘financially stressed’ Seniors in Puketapapa/Mt Roskill, and that Hillsborough has the highest unmet need for social housing in Auckland”.

“How can it be that the benefits of widening the entrance-way to Monte Cecilia Park outweigh the benefits of retaining a functional social housing community for our Seniors? How can it be that it is a good use of Council funds to demolish the village in a tight fiscal environment?”

“We are calling on Auckland Council to take the required policy steps to stop the demolition and retain Liston Village. A broad community coalition is coming together to support the campaign, and a petition will be launched at our public meeting on 11 October. Speaking at the meeting will be:

•        MP for Mt Roskill Phil Goff
•        Albert-Eden-Roskill Governing Body member Cathy Casey
•        Auckland isthmus Grey Power President Anne-Marie Coury
•        Puketapapa Local Board member Michael Wood

“All are welcome to the public meeting which will be held at 2pm on Sunday 11 October at the Fickling Centre, Three Kings. Working together we can stand up for our Seniors, and convince Auckland Council to save Liston Village”, says Michael Wood

ENDS

Contact:

Michael Wood – 022-659-6360

Event page: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/935572809844061/