Outcry over $400,000 office plan

Mayor Of Rodney District Penny Webster. Photo / Supplied

The Super City's founding agency has been sent packing from Warkworth after proposing that ratepayers spend $400,000 on new offices for local politicians.

The expense was only part of the reason for local outrage.

The proposed riverbank site had already been claimed for a new community centre and Warkworth residents are fundraising.

Auckland Transition Agency said it wanted local board offices in each ward of the new Auckland Council, wherever possible.

"We are continuing to work with Rodney District Council on several options," an agency spokesman said.

However, Rodney Mayor Penny Webster said the agency was showing ignorance of local feeling and geography in choosing Warkworth as the meeting place, despite the district council being based in Orewa for 20 years.

"They were going to spend $400,000 on a facility on the Warkworth riverbank.

"When I saw the plans I thought, 'This is ugly' and I hit the roof."

"Now, they've come back and said they want to put up a relocatable behind the service centre, on the staff parking area."

Mrs Webster said her alternative suggestion was to hold board meetings in the service centre, or the old Masonic Lodge next door.

"But they said there needed to be areas for reception, the PA and the board chairman."

Resident and district councillor Dave Parker said it was a cheeky move by the agency, which is preparing for the Auckland Council to take over Rodney on November 1.

"Over my dead body will they put something like that construction in the centre of town, and on our heritage riverbank.

"It's ludicrous to suddenly propose this and to ask council officers to sign off planning consents without any public consultation."

Mayor Webster said holding board meetings at Warkworth - to the north of the board's area - would alienate residents of the western part, in Coatesville, Kumeu and Helensville.

"The agency is ignoring the geographical spread - most of the board area is in the present Rodney District, which is served by the council headquarters in Orewa.

Two years ago, the council opened a $13 million extension in Orewa.

"There's an abundance of meeting rooms there," the mayor said.

The agency said Warkworth expansion plans did not affect existing council service centres at Huapai and Helensville.

However, Helensville Residents' Association chairman Michael O'Neill said holding meetings at Warkworth would be a step backwards for residents.

Councillor Pat Delich, of Kumeu, said: "It's a nutty idea. Why can't meetings be held in Orewa?"

Alan Curtis, a Coatesville resident who is standing for the Rodney Local Board said: "Why spend a lot of money if you don't need to. I thought the Super City was about saving money."

ROAD TO DEMOCRACY

* Helensville to Warkworth 55.4 km, to Orewa 34.6km.
* Kumeu to Warkworth 59km, to Orewa 36.8km.
* Wellsford to Warkworth 18.1km, to Orewa 29km.