Yesterday was a crap day for protesters in the Auckland seaside suburb of St.Heliers.
The three 1930s Art Deco Spanish Mission-style houses they'd been fighting to save were torn down.
On Thursday in the Environment Court, the 'Save Our St.Heliers' protest group lost its bid to stop the destruction of the houses on Turua St. To the very end, the war of words - and blame - raged... but in the end, big business won.
However the demolition may not have been in vain. Local councillor Cameron Brewer says the protestors' efforts will have a lasting impact across the city: "They’ve given the new council a huge wake-up call. This issue so early on in the council’s existence has demonstrated that a much greater priority must now be put on heritage. The public has had an absolute gutsful." 
Meanwhile the protestors have a warning for council - though the cottages are no more, the society is working on a publication about recent events. It wants to get to the bottom of the secretive arrangements leading to the wanton destruction. "We're going to publish the whole sorry story of the council's failure to protect our heritage. This is just another in a long line. Almost weekly we are losing a building in Auckland and we're given a disgusting edifice instead." Pay attention, Mayor Brown (he who stood for the mayoralty on a pro-heritage ticket): you are on notice.
PS: 29 Jan.2011 - Mayor Len Brown says "This must not happen again." Ok, Lennie, what are you gonna do about it??
The three 1930s Art Deco Spanish Mission-style houses they'd been fighting to save were torn down.
On Thursday in the Environment Court, the 'Save Our St.Heliers' protest group lost its bid to stop the destruction of the houses on Turua St. To the very end, the war of words - and blame - raged... but in the end, big business won.
However the demolition may not have been in vain. Local councillor Cameron Brewer says the protestors' efforts will have a lasting impact across the city: "They’ve given the new council a huge wake-up call. This issue so early on in the council’s existence has demonstrated that a much greater priority must now be put on heritage. The public has had an absolute gutsful." 
Meanwhile the protestors have a warning for council - though the cottages are no more, the society is working on a publication about recent events. It wants to get to the bottom of the secretive arrangements leading to the wanton destruction. "We're going to publish the whole sorry story of the council's failure to protect our heritage. This is just another in a long line. Almost weekly we are losing a building in Auckland and we're given a disgusting edifice instead." Pay attention, Mayor Brown (he who stood for the mayoralty on a pro-heritage ticket): you are on notice. PS: 29 Jan.2011 - Mayor Len Brown says "This must not happen again." Ok, Lennie, what are you gonna do about it??
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