Ruth Dyson Great news for Lucas Lane, now for rest of Port Hills

It’s great news that Lucas Lane residents are a step closer to safely returning to their homes but mitigation needs to begin for other Port Hills residents, says Labour Port Hills MP Ruth Dyson.

“The use of mitigation to get Lucas Lane re-zoned green is fantastic news for the residents but it will increase the frustration of other Port Hills residents for whom similar mitigation has been refused. 

“Gerry Brownlee has tried to fudge this issue by saying that this mitigation for Lucas Lane cannot be compared to mitigation for rockfall risk that affects other parts of Port Hills. 

“This is a nonsensical statement.  We know from geotechnical engineers who have been working in the field for months that protective measures are possible and cost effective for some homes.  This is the solution that CERA should have been driving. 

“Instead, they have looked only at area-wide mitigation and have rejected these and rezoned many homes that could be made safe.

“Gerry Brownlee has taken an option which is wrecking communities and stressing families. If he took a small step back and had another look at the options, many more homes could be made safe and green-zoned, families returned to their homes and communities kept intact.

“I would like to see the ‘can do’ approach for Lucas Lane applied across the Port Hills.”