Urban Designer - Vernacular Architect - Maritime Planner - Owner-Builder - Servant of Piglet - Educator - Author - Revolutionary - Peacenik - Tour Guide 

Tony Watkins

 ~ Vernacular Design 

Bush Lawyer
Vexatious complaints Print E-mail

Cedric, a founding member of the Headhunter Gang, used the Council complaint system all the time. It gave him complete anonymity and police protection. The Council did all the work and the ratepayers paid the bills. All Cedric had to do was laugh.

 

 

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Murdering Mavis Print E-mail

Mavis Yarall was murdered by the Auckland City Council.

 

 

 

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Beyond the law Print E-mail

ImageDoug Armstrong, Chair of Auckland City Council Finance Committee, openly advocates city violence rather than a peaceful city, nuclear war rather than a nuclear-free city, exploitation of the poor through unfair trading practices rather than a fair-trade city, the encouraging of profligate waste rather than zero waste, and the destruction of the planet through unsustainable patterns of growth rather than sustainability. (Panache 7, December 2009)

 

 

 

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Undeclared interest Print E-mail

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Herald photo by Dean Purcell
Dog review provokes hot debate

A council committee reviewing dog bylaws is being accused of favouritism

by Angela Gregory

 

 

 

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The protection racket Print E-mail

ImageWhen the jury retired we took a straw vote. Eleven jurors said "guilty" while I said "not guilty". I was Chairperson. I knew I had to convince everyone else to change their mind, and they were not particularly interested. They just wanted to go home.

 

 

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The private boat ramp Print E-mail

In the old days the Mayor always had the road sealed outside his house. No one complained. The Mayor gave a lot of his life in community service and it only seemed fair that he should get something in return.

 

 

 

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The Geo-tech Report Print E-mail

I must have looked dismayed when the building inspector asked for a geo-tech report. "Don't worry." he hastened to reassure me. "My brother and I run a little geo-tech business and we will be able to provide exactly what you will need over the coming week-end."

 

 

 

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Getting the story Print E-mail

The reporter rang up to ask if he could come to Court to report on the hearing. I assured him that it would be extremely boring and was almost certainly going to be adjourned. "If you want a story" I suggested "then I have a much better idea as to how you might spend your afternoon."

 

 

 

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