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One of Wellington’s most famous activists has been banned from expressing her views to the council on the Shelly Bay development, while the developer has made a last minute request to councilors to vote “yes.”
Wellington city councilors meet Wednesday afternoon to decide whether to sell or lease 0.9 hectares of waterfront land in Shelly Bay, Miramar, to allow a $ 500 million development to proceed as planned.
Developer Ian Cassels already owns most of the land in the bay. The development has long been touted as a joint project between him and Wellington iwi Taranaki Whānui.
But repeated attempts to Things To find out how iwi is still involved, as well as having the option to buy back 10 businesses from Cassels, they have been turned down.
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* The Complicated Saga of Shelly Bay, Explained
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* We are not united: board member breaks ranks ahead of Shelly Bay vote
If the council votes on the land deal, the land will be sold and leased to a yet to be identified entity chosen by the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust (representing Taranaki Whānui) and The Wellington Company of Cassels.
Although Cassels apologized for not being able to attend Wednesday’s meeting, an email to activist Valerie Morse shows that she has been banned from running for council. There were so many people wanting to run that it would have taken “almost five hours” for all of them, a council staff member said.
The current execution sheet for Wednesday afternoon has three hours and 35 minutes of public presentations.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
Veteran Valerie Morse has been told that she cannot appear for advice on Shelly Bay development.
The council’s email to Morse confirmed that it was Foster, as chair of the meeting, who declined his request for a presentation.
“[Foster] has decided on the list of public participants that will cover a cross-representation of views, ”said an email from council staff.
He said he could still pass information to the council, which would be shared with councilors.
Morse said Wednesday that he was part of a group supporting Mau Whenua, who opposed the sale and lease of municipal land to Cassels and argued that the iwi lands there, most of the inner bay, were sold to him without the approval of the members of Taranaki Whānui. That land deal is currently before the Superior Court.
ROSA WOODS / Things
Developer Ian Cassels has made a last minute request to councilors to vote in favor.
Last week, the group handed out leaflets to arriving councilors stating their reasons for opposition.
Morse, a veteran protester and activist, had a postcard last week that she wanted to present to Foster, signed by various opponents. They told him that this could not happen, but that he could probably submit to the council.
Only later did they tell him he couldn’t do it. She believed that the council should have extended the presentation time so that everyone could do it.
Meanwhile, Stuff has obtained an email from Cassels to councilors sent at 7.42 am Wednesday seeking a “proper decision today based on permitted evidence.”
FELIX DESMARAIS / Things
Shelly Bay, a former Air Force base, had a $ 500 million development project.
“We have suffered a series of accusations and misinformation that should not be at stake.”
“We are not going to build Soviet buildings, there will be 350,000 truck movements, we are not involved in any dubious legal matters,” Cassels wrote.
He spoke of his proud association with the settlement trust, saying he “expects that to grow significantly in the next few years.”
“We are not being judged here. Because there is so little reason to argue against this development, only flimsy false statements are offered. Demonization is not an acceptable strategy, ”he wrote.
“Without a doubt, there will be more court cases, petitions, judicial reviews, [Official Information Act requests] and noise. Most good developments attract fierce opposition. Most of the big developments do even worse. “
