1,000 signatures reached
To: Auckland Council
Remove Double-decker buses From Waiheke Island
We want Auckland Council to immediately remove the Fuller's double-decker buses from Waiheke Island and that 'pruning' of protected native trees on Waiheke, by Auckland Council cease immediately pending a comprehensive public consultation and an urgent community meeting with Mayor Goff, Auckland Transport and our Local Board representatives.
Why is this important?
LATEST UPDATE
The petition was formally presented to the Waiheke Island Local Board (LB) in the last week of February, in two submissions – to read about how these submissions were presented, what they asked for, and how the LB responded, go to http://infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/
In essence, the LB were strongly supportive of both submissions and quickly arranged to meet with Fullers’ CEO, Doug Hudson. At that meeting, Hudson said that Fullers might “consider” either smaller buses to replace the double-deckers or running double-deckers only at peak tourist times. Fullers has now come back to the LB and requested a follow-up meeting to respond to the Board’s requests. That meeting will be held on Tuesday 28 March. To hear about the outcome of that meeting, and the march planned for Sunday 9 April at Matiatia, keep your eye on the local newspapers or the Waiheke Community Facebook page. The LB will also formally present both the petition, and the submissions through which it was presented to them, to both the Mayor and the CEO of Auckland Transport ([email protected] ). In addition, members of the LB and other concerned locals, including representatives from Whakanewha Regional Park and the native nurseries, will be meeting on 22 March with senior staff from Auckland Council to discuss the pruning of protected natives on the roadsides, with the intention of preventing or minimising that in future and mitigating damage already done to many trees and the fauna that live in and near them.
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Waiheke park rangers advise that there are, in the manuka and kanuka branches over the roads on the double-decker bus route, some of the largest known populations of Pacific, Forest and Common Geckos in the Auckland region, whose habitat is threatened by any pruning. Moreover, pruning natives when they are flowering puts the life of the tree itself at risk, as does removing significant branches so that the inherent balance of the tree is threatened.
The 'pruning' is being undertaken using ratepayer funds with no benefit to residents or ratepayers.
The Fullers' double-decker buses provide no service nor benefit whatsoever, to Waiheke residents with damage to the roadsides due to the weight of these buses to be - presumably - also paid for from ratepayer funds.
These buses are creating a major traffic hazard to residents, ordinary uses of the roads and quiet enjoyment of neighbourhoods.