Waitakere groups protest to save city

Protesters against the Super City march through the streets of Henderson. Photo / Greg Bowker

Hundreds of people marched through Henderson yesterday in protest at the Government's aim to introduce a Super City council for Auckland.

The protest was organised by the new Community Coalition For Auckland: Voices of Tamaki Makarau, which 70 groups have joined.

Co-organiser Tony Mayow began the high-spirited rally by saying Local Government Minister Rodney Hide's reform proposals were horrendous.

"You are trying to gut our city and take our voice away," said Mr Mayow, who is chairman of the Community Waitakere trust.

"We have to stand up and say, 'No way are we letting you steal our city."'

Iris Donoghue, who heads the city's EcoMatters Environment Trust, called for people to sign letters to Prime Minister John Key and Waitakere MP Paula Bennett urging them to put the royal commission recommendations to a parliamentary select committee.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey and deputy Penny Hulse spoke as well.

Mr Harvey held up Mr Hide's 2007 book My Year of Living Dangerously.

"We are going to show him how the year of living dangerously is really going to happen," said Mr Harvey.

Mrs Hulse said the turnout showed Waitakere was a "real community".

In an email, Massey Community Board chairman John Riddell, the Act candidate for Waitakere, said groups leading the rally were controlled or funded by Waitakere City Council and were supporting their paymaster against its abolition.

He said reforms were about communities rather than groups and the Government's proposal of local boards would provide representation.

Community Waitakere manager Pat Watson said the groups were protesting on behalf of all people.