Centrepoint community homeless

Press, 8 June 1985, Page 1

Centrepoint community homeless

PA Auckland The police want the public to help 85 members of the Centrepoint community who spent last night in a Takapuna shopping mall. Group members were evicted by the police yesterday morning from a Ministry of Works and Development barn where they had spent two months. The Auckland Savings Bank in Takapuna gave the community permission to spend last night in its mall.

The northern divisional police commander, Chief Inspector John Perring, said he was disappointed that no community group had offered the Centrepoint people assistance. “I am disappointed there are no caring groups in the community that could come forward and offer genuine assistance to these people,” he said.

Early last evening the 85 Centrepoint members began to arrange beds in a Takapuna car-park, but minutes later they were moved by the police at the request of the management. The community members packed their mattresses back into old Centrepoint

buses and moved to the A.S.B. mall where they planned to be settled late last evening. Eighteen months ago 120 members of the community spent a night in the mall after the local council refused their demands for emergency accommodation. The community leader, Mr Bert Potter, said last evening that he had no idea where the group would spend tonight. “I have run out of ideas,” he said. He called the Ministry’s action “persecution.” “I think it is totally irresponsible on the part of the Ministry of Works,” he said. He said the community hoped the Takapuna City Council would decide to allow the evicted people to move to the community’s land at Albany, north of Auckland. He would challenge in court the validity of the group’s eviction. The Centrepoint members who were arrested when they walked back on to the Ministry land after being evicted will appear in the District Court at Takapuna in groups of 10 on alternate Mondays to face charges under the Trespass Act.