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SOS Three Kings Quarry

  • Three Kings Agreement between a rock and a hard place

      16 June 2017
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    An agreement has been reached between Fletcher and the two Societies who have campaigned for improvements to the original plan for the former quarry. Details are provided below.

    The Societies would like to thank all donors who have supported the Three Kings cause. Donations have been used to engage experts and there have been significant results as outlined below.

    The main changes are summarised here http://bit.ly/2rj45ln

    (you may need to copy this link to your browser)

    You may recall the first case in the Environment Court. The decision included raising the level in the quarry, taking houses off the Western Reserve, protecting volcanic features and more. Then came the Unitary Plan, which made none of those changes, and provided limited opportunity for appeal in the High Court. The Societies pursued every avenue possible to lock in the Environment Court gains.

    One of those avenues including the Societies opening the door for negotiations with Fletcher. That started last December and continued through to last week. A long process but worthwhile. Instrumental along the way have been Mayor Phil Goff who has taken a more active approach than his predecessor, our Local Board Chair Harry Doig, our MP Michael Wood, and Fletcher’s Steve Evans.

    Some of these changes will be subject to Council approval, Ministerial approval, and a public notification process. Council has already indicated general support and Minister Nick Smith, as you will hear below, speaks supportively of the significant compromise agreement.

    Listen to Minister Nick Smith and the Mayor who gets it right http://bit.ly/2suMviq

    Agreement between a rock and a hard place - Media Release - http://bit.ly/2rxT7Yt

    With thanks and regards

    Three Kings Community Action

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  • Fletcher and Council Folly

      30 August 2016
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    The Herald has just published an article here http://bit.ly/2bzuvqV

    (you may need to copy and paste the link to your search engine).

    Despite the interim Environment Court decision and commonsense, Council is pushing the Fletcher proposal through the Unitary Plan. It's unclear what will prevail, but we now have two plans and processes to contend with:

    1. The interim Environment Court decision which indicates some improvements - raising the level, sloping the contour up toward the town centre to improve connectivity, removing the proposed apartments on the western playing field, better recognition of volcanic features, and more ... and then ...

    2. The (near finalised) Unitary Plan, where the Council has just dropped in the Fletcher proposal, without the improvements above. Council

    The two societies, South Epsom Planning Group Inc and three Kings United Group Inc, have responded to questions raised in the interim decision of the Environment Court, and are taking legal advice on other matters.

    Thank-you for your support. We'll keep you posted.

    PS The picture shows the first apartments underway on Mt Eden Road. This is approved as a Special Housing Area and is not part of the case. It does show 3-4 storey apartments. Later stages will include 8-10 storey "plinth and tower blocks" down to the quarry floor.

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  • Thank-you

      8 April 2016
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    To our givealittle supporters

    Thank-you for donating to our cause. So far we’ve raised over $10,000, with $5,000 of that coming through givealittle. Fantastic.

    These funds have been used preparing expert evidence for the Unitary Plan hearings and the Environment Court case in June, and that work continues.

    One way you might help some more would be by phoning or emailing groups of your friends and spreading the word that way … or just mentioning it to them over coffee. “Word-of-mouth, friend-to-friend” will make more people aware and also help us reach our fundraising goal.

    Could you take just a few minutes to do that?

    This is about more than Three Kings. It’s about better rehabilitation next to a volcanic feature, and about opposing the way this is being bulldozed through.

    Thanks again for your help.

    Three Kings Community Action

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  • Local Board - Interim Report on Alternative

      8 April 2016
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    The Puketepapa Local Board has received an interim report from urban design and landscape architecture expert Richard Reid. From the report:

    1. The Fletcher proposal uses land inefficiently

    2. Alternative road layouts and design could achieve the same number of apartments on the quarry site while leaving more land for passive use and sportsfields

    3.The Richard Reid design includes more communal open space for apartments (better for their owners), more open space (better for the wider public) and no adverse effects (better for the maunga)

    4. There is no need for the Council to undertake the land exchange. It can retain our parks and not build roads across them, and still get many new terrace houses and apartments.

    Landing on final housing numbers requires more research and should take into account transport and social infrastructure capacity in the area.

    Richard Reid's interim report is here http://bit.ly/1ZU4KoC (cut and paste link to your browser). It includes more diagrams and a concise easy-read comparison table.

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