KEY POINTS:
The latest phase in the trouble-plagued development of New Zealand's first state senior high is under pressure from more opponents.
Albany Senior High School establishment board chairman Simon Russell said yesterday that Auckland Regional Council, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore Domain and a residents' group called The Landing Neighbourhood Group had appealed against plans.
It was already known North Shore City Council had appealed.
The case is going to the Environment Court.
It follows a series of delays in the development of the school, forcing it to open in a makeshift, "interim" campus next year on the Albany Junior High site.
It will take students in their last three years of high school, and has been held up as an example of a new model of schooling in New Zealand.
Mr Russell said he was confident issues such as the "reverse sound" woes of the stadium - concern the school would complain about noise coming from the venue - could be solved relatively simply.
But he was angry at the North Shore City Council's "unexpected" and "bizarre" decision to appeal, and said the school community felt "betrayed".
He said Mayor Andrew Williams appeared to have back-tracked from promised assistance to gain the necessary approvals from the council.
"The North Shore City Council has an opportunity to help get this school built. But at the moment the community is suffering because of the approval delays."
The council's finance and strategy committee chairman, Grant Gillon, said the council appealed over real issues relating to the environment and traffic safety.
He said Mr Williams was working hard, "as we all are, to try to make sure that it's on track".
"Even if the council hadn't appealed we have now at least three other appellants, so the process would have been followed whether we appealed or not."
In March, the council commissioners recommended significant modifications of development plans to Education Minister Chris Carter. But the minister rejected key elements of the recommendations.
The council's appeal is against that decision by Mr Carter.
