By George, there'll be big trouble

By REBECCA WALSH and BERNARD ORSMAN

Goran Lucich has been cooking fish and chips at his Ti Rakau Drive takeaway bar for 24 years and is not happy about being booted out to make way for a motorway.

"I'm not angry yet but I will become very angry if I can't sell what I have got here."

Mr Lucich, known as "George" to the locals, is among those who could be forced to shut up shop or sell their properties.

Up to 200 homes at the Pakuranga end of Ti Rakau Drive as far as Gossamer Drive could be demolished to make way for the planned $460 million Eastern Corridor expressway linking Manukau with downtown Auckland.

Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis said it was unclear whether houses would be taken from both sides of Ti Rakau Drive, or just one side.

All the houses might be taken on the southern side of the road, which was relatively flat.

"Manukau City Council has a record of thorough public consultation with all people affected by any public work," he said.

"This is an important work and we will not move forward until we have satisfied ourselves that everyone has been involved in the consultation process."

The council would first try to buy the homes, many of them rental properties, at a market price agreed between the parties. If that was unsuccessful, the council would seek a compulsory order to buy the remainder.

One possible option was to move the houses, and the community, to another site. The council has been exploring this idea on the Waiouru motorway project at East Tamaki.

Mr Lucich, who leases his fish and chip shop, had no idea of the council's plans, although he did become suspicious when the landlord started "dollying up" the building recently.

He was worried he could be left "high and dry" and planned to start a petition opposing the scheme.

The owners of the Ti Rakau Superette next door, who did not want to be named, were pondering the future.

"This is our livelihood. Everything we have got is in here. We are worried - there's already a sort of tension. We can't plan anything."

Across the road, Dawn Eddy, 76, did not want to be uprooted from her home of nearly 22 years.

"I'm elderly now ... I'm in an ideal spot. I'm very sheltered, I've got a view and it's quite private."

Mrs Eddy said she did not trust the council and questioned whether residents would get market value for their homes.

"They don't take any notice of us. We don't like things but they just override everything."

If her home was not one of those to go Mrs Eddy did not know whether she would want to remain in the neighbourhood.

"I wouldn't be keen on staying for the pollution factor. My health has got to mean more than that."

One resident, standing outside his house as rush-hour traffic hurtled along the four-lane road, said the area was "already buggered".

"If you turn it into eight lanes, God help us."

The 75-year-old, who has lived in his brick home for 18 years, said when he moved in cows were grazing across the road. Now there was no pleasure in being outside to tend the garden.

Tony Walton, who has lived in the street for five years, was philosophical about moving given the present noise and pollution levels.

"If they offered me market value for the house, determined by current house valuations and real estate agent valuations, not council valuations, I would be happy to go."

Map: Planned Eastern Corridor route

Feature: Getting Auckland moving

Rideline Auckland public transport information