By ANNE BESTON
A West Auckland family have been evicted from two old Army huts they used as a holiday home, after a long-running dispute with the Auckland Regional Council.
The illegal huts at Anawhata, on the west coast of Waitakere Regional Park, had been used by the Vlasic family for more than 100 years.
Christine Vlasic said the family were devastated.
"There's a lot of history here but [ARC] don't care about that. They just want us gone," she said.
"It's such a remote place and we weren't hurting anybody."
Christine Vlasic said the family had no money for a legal battle.
When parks staff arrived to empty the huts late last week, her husband, Marin, refused to let them in.
But staff came back the next day and cleaned them out, she said.
ARC parks chairman Bill Burrill said the family's belongings, including furniture, a generator and children's toys, were in storage.
The family had been given an order to leave more than 16 years ago, he said. "They had no licence, no lease and no title."
The huts were moved onto the foreshore by Mrs Vlasic's grandfather. The land has been owned by various local authorities but when the ARC was formed in 1989, it took a tougher line with park squatters.
Mr Burrill said an order was posted on the huts two months ago telling the family to remove their belongings or the ARC would do it.
The huts would be demolished "on the first fine day."
ARC ejects family from huts in park
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