After a marathon Auckland Council meeting, investigations are under way to see if three groups can purchase a property at 7 Waitai Road in Ostend with the hopes of creating a health hub and community housing.
The Auckland Council land has been used a works depot for years and the site, which is valued at around $2.45 million, is contaminated. Council needs to sell the asset as a result of the Covid-19 emergency budget and the Waiheke Local Board has been pushing for it to be retained for social housing.
At council’s Finance and Performance committee meeting last week, the site was removed from the list of immediate asset sales for the second time in three months, which local board chairperson Cath Handley says was a great relief. The Waitai Rd property was one of only two sites reprieved from 14 that Auckland Council aims to sell off in order to claw back some of the $750 million black hole in its “emergency budget”.
“The meeting ran all day – presentations were shortly after 10am and the final decision was made after 5pm. It was a marathon with few winners.” • Sophie Boladeras
Full story in this week’s Gulf News… Out Now!!!
