21 Nov 2013

Ridiculous and devastating - anti motorway campaign

11:21 am on 21 November 2013

Angry South Aucklanders are mobilising to oppose plans for the East-West motorway that they fear may mean Wymondley Road School in Otara is ripped down.

Anxious parents and community leaders met on Wednesday night to try to learn more about the proposed billion dollar road which will link State Highways 8, 1 and 20 to reduce congestion and help move freight.

Four possible routes have been drawn up, most of them going through residential areas, but Wymondley School says three of the four routes also go through its land, meaning it would have to be relocated or demolished.

Principal Pelu Leaupepetele said he was trying to answer questions while knowing very little because he had not been contacted by neither Auckland Transport nor the Transport Agency.

He said the community felt there was a lack of respect from the agencies and an approach from them would have been common courtesy.

Roger Fowler from the Respect the Community campaign told the meeting the plans were "ridiculous, devastating and damaging".

"We have to be loud, we've got to be clear and we've got to be united. That is the only way we have got any hope of rolling this crazy idea back."

Those at the meeting resolved to join South Auckland together into one force against the project.

Auckland Transport had earlier said the four potential routes were only ideas and the plans could go out for public consultation next year once formal proposals have been made.