Council in firing line for volcano damage

Work at Mt Wellington Domain. Photo / Steven McNicholl

The Auckland City Council has been accused of hypocrisy after ignoring the rules designed to protect the area's volcanic cones.

Parts of Mt Roskill, Mt Albert, Mt Hobson, Mt Taylor and Mt Wellington have been damaged by workers using tractors or graders to level areas to make it easier for them to erect new fences.

"If they employ contractors then they should supervise what they do," Auckland Volcanic Cones Society chairman John Street said.

"It falls back on the council ... The council bureaucrats seem to ignore the rules,"

Mr Street said it was "absolutely hypocritical" and if anyone other than the council had done the same thing they would be "in deep trouble".

Mr Street told the Herald he doubted the council was serious about protecting the cones.

Auckland City Council arts, culture and recreation committee chairman Greg Moyle said members of the public should look at what action was being taken against the contractor involved.

He said the contractor had suffered financially from having to stop work, probably wouldn't get council work again - and still could face other penalties or prosecutions.

"The contractor hasn't done what the council expected the contractor to do ... Instead of replacing the fence [they have] basically put in a new fence inside the old fence.

"But to do that, they have got in there and almost terraced along the side of part of the mountain with a grader or tractor."

Mr Moyle said the contractor was aware of the protocols of working on a significant site.

But the council had to take responsibility for not managing the project manager. He promised a review of procedures.

The contractor had been told to stop work and probably wouldn't be used by the council again.

"Commonsense would tell you can't bring a tractor to start levelling things off so it's more convenient to fence. That you would be trying to be as unobtrusive as you could be."

The damage was "disappointing, but not a disaster". Only one part in Mt Wellington was significant but he believed it could be repaired.

"The lesson out of this is the council in representing the people of Auckland has the ultimate responsibility."

Ngati Whatua o Orakei leader Ngarimu Blair said the council should stop blaming the contractors.

"Really from the highest level of council they should be treating these places as places of national and international significance, which they are, and start funding them because they are being managed on the cheap."

Mr Blair said the fact council-appointed contractors were doing the damage wasn't setting a good example.

Historic Places Trust northern general manager Sherry Reynolds said the trust was still reviewing information relating to damage to archaeological sites on Mt Wellington and other volcanic cones.

Taking court action, had not been ruled out.


UPHILL STRUGGLE

*Parts of Mt Roskill, Mt Albert, Mt Hobson, Mt Taylor and Mt Wellington have been damaged by workers.

*An action group says rules that protect the volcanic cones are being ignored.

*Work being carried out includes putting in new fences.