Budget for volcanoes pitiful say critics

City Vision has called the volcano spending cutback

Auckland's volcanic cones are among its greatest assets but there is not the money to preserve them as they deserve, says Auckland City Mayor John Banks.

He spoke after City Vision-Labour councillors yesterday released details of an Auckland City Council meeting last week that earmarked $457,000 of the council's annual budget for maintenance of 23 volcanic features.

In its 2006-2010 long-term plan, the council had proposed to spend $8 million on the volcanoes.

City Vision - which includes councillors Glenda Fryer, Richard Northey and Cathy Casey - has called the cutback "pitiful".

Mr Northey said: "I have long lobbied for the summit and slopes of Maungarei-Mt Wellington to receive the attention it deserves to maintain its key features, rather than to degrade and eventually suffer the same fate as the Hopua crater on the Onehunga foreshore or Mt Smart in Penrose."

Dr Casey called the amount "pitiful and downright disrespectful".

Mr Northey urged the mayor and the council to restore the original amount.

But Mr Banks said that although he would very much like to putmore money towards maintainingthe cones, there simply was not enough money available.

"In a perfect world, of course we'd spend more money on preserving this natural heritage.

"We've got to do better. But it does cost a lot of money and it is a matter of ordering our priorities. There is no spare cash around."

This comes as the Government looks to make deals with several North Island iwi and hapu on the joint-ownership of the city's 11 volcanic cones. An agreement was signed on Friday in Auckland.

Mr Banks acknowledged that a lot of people had abused the cones over the years and said that also needed to be addressed.

He called the volcanic cones a "taonga" of Auckland and said that not enough had been invested in preserving them.

But cutting back on the initial budget was a must - otherwise ratepayers would have to suffer.

"We are running this council by affordable progress," said Mr Banks, "and we'd [have to] increase rates or something has to give."