Mall’s neighbours slam lack of say

Residents unhappy at council decision to allow St Lukes expansion to go ahead without public input

Locals affected by Westfield St Lukes’ expansion have lashed out at a decision to go ahead without public input. Scentre (New Zealand), which owns the 4ha mall, yesterday won the right for its resource consent to be processed on a non-notified basis.

Elaine Gallagher of the St Lukes Community Group was unhappy to hear of Auckland Council’s hearings committee’s decision.

“We are not anti-progress, we are not anti-Westfield, we are not antiexpansion,” she said of the group and residents of Aroha Ave. “All we ask is that they work with the residents of Aroha Ave to ensure our needs are met, in the process of doing this.”

Quiet Aroha Ave, alongside the mall, is to become an accessway.

She said Scentre had considerable resources and could work with the community if it chose to.

Cathy Casey, an Auckland councillor, was angry about the decision.

“What planet does the hearings committee live on? If you asked 100 people in my ward at random if they think that almost doubling St Lukes would have any major effects, they would all say yes. Why does the committee think otherwise?” she asked, citing traffic effects in an already woefully congested area.

David Drew, Scentre development executive, welcomed the decision but said a building start date had not yet been set. “We are still master planning.” Linda Cooper, the hearings committee chairwoman, acknowledged public feelings were running high.

“A level of public interest in the expansion of St Lukes is acknowledged in the notification considera- tion of the committee,” said the report which she signed.

But Scentre had already won the right to expand the centre in 2011 and the non-notification is just the latest step in the process.

The council said the latest appli- cation “makes some amendments and additions to the already consented proposal, including the replacement of rooftop parking above the consented mall and expanding retail areas”.

Linda Cooper said the effects of the application were considered less than minor.

“The proposal is in line with the St Lukes Concept Plan, which was developed following extensive public consultation.

“The proposal will have a height and separation distance to neighbouring properties that will avoid dominance, amenity or shadowing effects for neighbours.

“There is an existing resource consent in place to extend the shopping mall which was granted in 2011.”

The expansion of St Lukes, shown here in an artist’s impression of its face on the corner of St Lukes Rd and Morningside Drive, was granted a resource consent in 2011.

Picture / Jason Oxenham Aroha Ave residents (from left) Felix DrissnerDevine, Meleseke Nightingale, Sahra Smith and Elaine Gallagher are upset at the lack of public consultation on the mall project.