NPDC Council Meeting 25.03.25

Shane spoke at another council meeting today, enduring 2 hours of endless bureaucracy to make a simple decision. Max Brough tried to fight for seriously affected homeowners who had spoken at the last council meeting. These people are to lose car parking outside their homes on Devon St West. People who will no longer be able to have elderly visitors, tradespeople, let alone emergency services, anywhere near their homes. People who have not been able to sell their homes, without personal losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars, due to this project.

Councillors asked straight up for council staff to talk to this, rather than making a decision based on what the people are crying out for. Council staff talked about the money it would cost to consult with the public, which was then mitigated with ‘costs could be covered within the current project’. They also had concerns that they could possibly lose funding if the project wasn’t completed on time. Public consultation was sketchy at best at the start of this project, and maybe they should lose funding for running out of time. There was no definitive reason not to go through with public consultation to save these car parks. There was no talk on the effects it was having on people, and they were more concerned with it setting a precedent going forward rather than addressing a genuine public concern.

The vote to save 3 car parks on Devon St West was voted on, with the following results for and against saving the car parks.

Against - David Bublitz, Amanda Clinton Gohdes, Harry Duynhoven, Dinnie Moeahu, 

Anneka Carlson Matthews, Bali Haque, Tony Bedford & Marie Pearce

For - Max Brough, Gordon Brown, Murray Chong & Bryan Vickery

Absent - Neil Holdom, Sam Bennett, Te Waka McLeod