Councillors make last-ditch appeal to save school land

Monte Cecilia School. Photo / Martin Sykes

A group of Auckland City councillors have put out a last-ditch effort to save Monte Cecilia School in Hillsborough.

Cathy Casey, Glenda Fryer, Richard Northey, Graeme Easte, Denise Roche and Leila Boyle last night sent a letter to the Auckland Transition Authority, calling on it to refuse Auckland City Council's plan to acquire the school's land for a park.

The 200-student Catholic school has occupied the site behind the Pah Homestead for more than 50 years.

The council has been acquiring land from the church for Monte Cecilia Park since 2000 and has first right of refusal to buy the school land. The six councillors said last night that they had been strongly opposed to the idea since last August, for several reasons.

"There is much discontent in the community about the insufficiently democratic piecemeal fast-tracked process that Auckland City Council has used with regard to purchasing separate parcels of land," a statement said.

"[The council] has failed to ensure ... adequate consultation with affected parties." The councillors' call comes after parents and students made a final plea at a meeting last month, asking that alternative ideas be considered.

Buying the 1ha site from the Catholic Diocese is estimated to cost between $25 million and $30 million.