Labour has rather unhelpfully pointed out that the land Nick Smith is promising to open up for development in Auckland includes power substations, public reserves and even a cemetery …
On Budget day, the Government announced building on public land would get underway, saying it “owns approximately 500 hectares of land in Auckland with the potential for residential development”.
But Labour claims the Government is hiding what land is actually being opened up.
“Can he confirm that no parcel of land in his 500 hectares contains the following on it – power substations, pylons, a cemetery, a fire station or school playing fields?” says Labour housing spokesman Phil Twyford.
“There are thousands of sites,” says Dr Smith.
He refuses to release any of the sites included in his 500-hectare stocktake of public land until they have been confirmed.
He also refused to comment on whether he was now forming policy on the basis of watching Poltergeist a few too many times.
Stephanie Rodgers 