An East Auckland reserve will be stripped of its reserve status despite fierce support from many Auckland councillors, the local community and board.
It was the third vote over the much-fought over reserve at Sunnyhills' Fortyfoot Lane, which residents have banded together over the past two years to protect.
Howick Ward councillor Sharon Stewart drafted a notice of motion to reverse both the 2020 and 2022 decision to revoke the reserve status, but Auckland councillors voted 13 to 8 against the motion.
Stewart called it a "loss for future generations".
"This was an appalling decision which showed no concern for future generations and the preservation of public reserves. We had overwhelming support from the local board and the community - they would have seen first hand the poor leadership that exists in this council."
Councillors met on Tuesday at the Town Hall. Those who voted to reverse the revocation of the reserve status were: Sharon Stewart, John Watson, Paul Young, Wayne Walker, Greg Sayers, Christine Fletcher, Daniel Newman and Tracy Mulholland.
Those who voted against the motion were: Mayor Phil Goff, Bill Cashmore, Pippa Coom, Chris Darby, Efeso Collins, Richard Hills, Linda Cooper, Shane Henderson, Angela Dalton, Josephine Bartley, Cathy Casey, Alf Filipaina and David Taipari.
Coom suggested the local community could "get together" and buy the land themselves "because it's for the benefit of a very small neighbourhood".
"I would absolutely be willing to be support those options," she said.
Watson, an Albany Ward councillor, said: "It was discouraging to see the manner in which the overwhelming views of the local community, local board and councillors were so casually ignored today."
"Certainly a slap in the face for any notion of local democracy. Those responsible have just agreed to hock-off a much-loved and used public reserve to a developer at the very time Auckland is about to undergo unprecedented levels of intensification, courtesy of the Government’s new housing impositions.
"They ignored the heartfelt pleas from locals attesting to the importance of this particular reserve to the fabric of their community."
Fortyfoot Lane resident Steve Stickland told 1News he thinks "the council has lost their moral purpose and is not listening to the community".
He said in a question and answer time at the meeting that Coom's idea that local residents buy the land was "offensive" and that it was already owned by the council.
Rohan and Bernie Jessiman, also locals, said it was a disappointing outcome.
"Despite compelling arguments from concerned citizens, Councillors appeared blind to reason – and stood their political ground rather than admitting to the value that one, small, individual park has to the people of the community.
"Not once did Council talk about selling the underperforming port rather than valuable greenspace, or that the open-space policy they base their decision on was discounted by independent commissioners as only fit for acquisition of more green space – never for supporting disposal."
Significant submissions were made in the lead-up to the vote. A group of residents banded together, even creating a website to raise awareness.
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