General public

Chris Dempsey (Waitemata local board, Auckland Council) has posted this on Public Address...

Wearing my elected rep hat...

Mr Brown asked the following question:
"What powers does [Rob] Shields have, what policy was he acting under, what are the damn rules anyway?"

I asked officers and got the following reply from Mr Sheilds:

"Council contractors mistakenly painted over an aerosol art work on a wall in Poynton Tce after a complaint about it by a member of the public.

The authority of the property and business owners was not sought by council officers for the removal. Council is taking full responsibility to rectify the situation and install a new artwork as soon as possible. The relevant stakeholders including the property and business owners, the Karangahape Road Business association, and the original artist are being consulted during this process.

This incident is the first of its kind that we are aware of and has provided us with the opportunity to work more closely with business and property owners and our anti-graffiti volunteers to ensure murals painted with permission are not removed by council contractors."

What officers don't know is that I know the name of the member of public.

I'm aware that the reply doesn't actually address the questions ask. I'll try again."


So, the Mayor said the Poynton tce mural was removed at the request of an anti-graffiti Council volunteer. But Rob Shields says it was a complaint from a member of the public that led to its removal. Two different stories.

UPDATE: Russell Brown has told me via Twitter that the Mayor's statement is the correct one.

UPDATE TWO: Russell Brown posted this:
via the Mayor’s press officer...
"Tony Crampton is an Auckland Council officer and performs as part of his job graffiti education and volunteer project duties. He is not the Individual that Len referred to as an anti-graffiti volunteer and Chris referred to as a member of the public. Unpaid members of the public work in partnership with council as part of the council’s anti-graffiti programmes across Auckland."