Unitec land at Mt Albert

No new school says ministry

The Prime Minister and the local politicians may disagree, but the Ministry of Education is adamant: there is no need for a new school on the Unitec land. The Government deal to buy 29ha of the huge block for housing offers an opportunity for at least a primary school within a development that will create…

Unitec land at Mt Albert

Unitec land deal on the horizon

Unitec’s development company seems poised to make a major announcement on the land it doesn’t need for its education precinct, perhaps triggering the physical start of the project to create a new “town” of around 3000 homes within Mt Albert. Unitec’s Wairaka Land Company has confirmed to Mt Albert Inc that “we are talking to…

Chamberlain Park Golf Course in Mt Albert

Fresh blows in golf course battle

As a High Court judge weighs the merits of a case designed to interrupt the plan to change the shape of Chamberlain Park, the two main combatants continue to trade blows away from the courtroom. The Save Chamberlain Park group, representing golfers from across the city, has challenged the Albert Eden Local Board’s right to…

Mt Albert trees butchered because they grow too big

When will we go underground?

The answers to the questions of why “the authorities” would plant big trees beneath power lines and why Mt Albert streets can’t all have underground reticulation remain elusive. Seeking straightforward answers when four agencies are involved has ended up in a convoluted version of pass-the-parcel. Mt Albert Inc raised the issue last month, wondering why…

Mt Albert's prang alley

‘Prang alley’ views set aside

Auckland Transport’s “solution” to the traffic problems at the intersection of New North Rd and Asquith Ave is moving to the detailed planning stage after engineers considered around 40 proposals from locals – opting to set most of them aside. The major improvements to “prang alley” – as Mt Albert Inc referred to the intersection…

Architect drawings of the new MAGS centre

Big boost for MAGS farm centre

The ambitious $14m plan to create a world-class primary industries education centre at Mt Albert Grammar School has taken a major step forward with a substantial grant allowing the appointment of a manager to lead the next stage of the project. The grant from the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust (Agmardt) has allowed…