Land meeting postponed

Press, 9 March 1982, Page 6

Land meeting postponed

PA Auckland A meeting between the Minister of. Housing (Mr Quigley) and' Bastion Point land protesters was postponed last evening, apparently on the advice of both the police and protesters. Mr Quigley had planned to attend a meeting organised by land protesters opposed to Housing Corporation plans to sell 1.6 hectares of Bastion Point land for private housing. Inspector R. I. Chadwick said that it had been agreed with the organisers of the meeting, to have .been held on the Auckland Trade Union Centre, that uniformed and plain-clothes police would be ■ •present, in line with normal procedure to. protect-. Minis-. ters of the Crown? < But when the police and ,Mr Quigley arrived for the meeting last evening, thev j"found, the venue had been changed to another complex, next door to the Trade Union Centre.

It was estimated that about 400 people were present and that entry and exit could be more difficult than expected. . j.. Mr Chadwick said a member of the organising committee, Mrs Renee Hawke, had told the police that she felt Mr Quigleyi. should not enter the meeting at that time, but asked that a deputation meet the Minister later. ■- This was agreed,.to and talks with a deputation were to take place later at. the Minister’s hotel. . The meeting adopted a resolution to reoccupy-Bas-tion Point this week-eiid, from midday on Saturday .to midday on Sunday, unless .the Government dropped its plans to sell the 1.6 hectares?. The Auckland*- Trades' Council promised- support. The president, Mr G. H. Andersen, said that the-coun-cil was studying ways ■of preventing the reticulation of power and water to the proposed sub-division. *