Public purse funds Springs court appeals

Taxpayers have coughed up another $30,375 to help aresidents group in their battle against Auckland's Western Springs Speedway.

The handout, from a Government fund set up to help non-profit groups take cases to the Environment Court, is the second given to the Springs Stadium Residents Association.

It brings the total amount the association has received to almost $60,000, after a $28,687.50 grant last year.

The second grant has been given to the association to defend a speedway appeal in the High Court.

Figures revealed to the Herald on Sunday also show the Government is helping to foot the legal bills of another group which is against development at Eden Park.

The Eden Park Neighbours Association has received $19,125 from the controversial Environmental Legal Aid scheme, which it used in a successful court challenge to the stadium's bid to hold three evening concerts last year.

News of the grants, and others made to similar organisations, has angered National MP Murray McCully and other Auckland leaders.

But Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said the scheme was essential so the "small person" could have their voice heard in cases where often big businesses or Government departments were on the other end.

Only issues affecting the wider environmental public interest qualified, and no judgement was made on whether the applicants were right or wrong. "It can't be just about not liking the style of fence someone's putting up ... and most cases it isn't actually win or lose."

But Mr McCully, whose party promises to abolish the scheme if elected, says it does not make sense for the Government to help private property owners stymie events it backed.

He said the grants to the Eden Park Neighbours Association, who he believed would use the scheme to fight improvements to Eden Park needed if New Zealand was to hold the 2011 World Cup, was simply "nuts".

"It's like the Government sees this as a giant game with taxpayer's money. They need to make up their minds what side they're on."

Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard said he thought the Ministry had been poorly advised over the first grant to the Springs Stadium Residents Association, and to find out it was double the amount quadrupled his concerns.

"I do think it's inappropriate. I do have concerns that a small group of residents ... are receiving direct government funding. Where does the government stop?"

Springs Stadium Residents Association president Kim Farr said the association was entitled to apply to the Ministry for funding which helped "the little people stand up to big business".

"We all pay rates and we all pay tax. And, believe me, a lot of money has come out of our pockets as well."

Eden Park Neighbours Association president Gayatri Jaduram said the association did not want to comment on "political electioneering".

McCully also singled out the Auckland Volcanic Cones Society Incorporated, which got $42,500 in two grants for their fight against Mt Albert's Highway 20, and the Friends and Community of Ngawha Limited, whose fight against the controversial Ngawha Prison was also aided by taxpayers to the tune of $20,000 in 2001.

"It's a critical piece of roading and here we have the Government funding the opposition. The Corrections Department has been spending a fortune getting it through the approval process and here we have another arm of the Government funding the opposition."

- Herald on Sunday