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June 2010 There's a saying in America that you can't fight City Hall. But a group of concerned residents from Auckland's rural hinterland has done just that....and won! For the last five years, Clevedon CARES has been fighting a proposed change to Manukau City Council's District Plan, aimed at allowing more than 270 houses to be built on a canal development near the mouth of the scenic Wairoa River. This month, the Environment Court rejected the plan change. As a result, the canal project can't go ahead. Matter of Fact Communications has helped Clevedon CARES keep the issue in the public eye. We've also publicised a range of fundraising concerts, featuring top line artists, such as Don McGlashan and the Topp Twins. We're delighted that Clevedon CARES' efforts have finally achieved success. As the group's spokesperson, Mary Whitehouse, explains, the plan change had significance beyond the potential impact of the canal development. "It would have opened the way for further developements, eroding the overall rural character of the Clevedon Valley and placing a huge strain on its infrastructure," she says. "It's not easy for a community organisation to take on both commercial developers and one of New Zealand's largest territorial authorities. There were those who expected us to role over at an early stage. But, five years down the track, we're still here and we've won! "We're very grateful to Matter of Fact for helping us keep up the momentum and for presenting our case through the media. We had a very small budget but Matter of Fact managed to do a lot with it," Mary adds. Here's just a sample of the media coverage Clevedon CARES has received:
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