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Family desperate to escape motorway construction zone in their backyard
A stressed-out south Auckland family is calling on Waka Kotahi to “do the right thing” and buy their property before their backyard becomes a motorway construction zone.
Three generations of the Munaf family live in a property that borders State Highway 1 in Papakura.
They have been served with a notice indicating that a small grassed area where the two children play will be required for an expanded six lane motorway.
Last year a car flew off the existing highway, crashing into their fence and taking out a tree – metres away from a paddling pool. Now the motorway is set to get bigger and closer.
But, what really worries Ashna Munaf is that a larger section of their land will also be required temporarily for a construction zone to provide access for work crews.
Waka Kotahi’s resource consent application shows the Munaf’s property could be subjected to 80 decibels of construction noise until the first stage of the project is complete.
That’s the equivalent of an in-sink garbage disposal, or about twice the noise of a vacuum cleaner.
The Munafs never had their say on the resource consent or any potential conditions, because it was not publicly notified – instead being submitted under the controversial fast-track consent process.
Munaf has a business importing fragile decorations, which she keeps in a cottage that will be adjacent to the new boundary, and she’s convinced the constant vibration will crack her curios.
“It’s hard enough to get them in the country without them breaking.”
In 2019, in nearby Conifer Grove, a group of about 20 homeowners alleged that vibrations from similar roadworks on the motorway near their houses had caused hundreds of thousands worth of damage.
Stuff understands Waka Kotahi settled with at least some of the homeowners, despite it not publicly acknowledging fault.
The Munafs bought the Papakura property with their parents. It’s their first time owning a home in New Zealand after emigrating from Fiji and having rented.
“It was our dream to leave the landlord inspections behind and provide a space for our kids. They’ve grown up here.”
Despite the work they’ve put into making their home, including a chicken coop and extensive vegetable garden, Munaf believes staying would be detrimental to their health and quality of life.
Having workers and trucks in their backyard is also deeply unsettling for the family, who hold Muslim beliefs and place importance on women’s privacy while they are home alone during the day.
The transport agency has been reluctant to put a timeframe on how long the work will take – only adding to the list of stresses.
However, a consultancy firm and lawyers appointed by Waka Kotahi to handle property acquisitions has been refusing to consider purchasing the whole property, in favour of a “partial acquisition”.
“They haven’t taken into account the effect it will have on my family. It just dollars to them,” Munaf said.
Lawyer Adina Thorn is representing the Munafs. She said making them stay was “mean and unreasonable”.
“Waka Kotahi just needs to acquire the whole property and use it as a construction site, then they can sell it, but don’t make this family prisoners in their own home.”
She’s called for the governing board of Waka Kotahi to visit the site for themselves and stop hiding behind a consultancy hired to do the agency’s “dirty work”.
“They need to come and spend the night here and see how noisy it is. I’ll even pay for their sleeping bags.”
A Waka Kotahi spokesperson refused to comment on negotiations with the Munafs, but said it worked with property owners on a case by case basis to get “the best possible solution”.
“Waka Kotahi understands that the Public Works Act (PWA) process for acquiring land can be unsettling and a stressful time for property owners.
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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