Unelected members swing whitewater facility vote

An Auckland Council member says unelected members on a council committee have pushed through a decision to sell land to fund a whitewater rafting facility in Manukau.

Dick Quax says the 11-9 vote got over the line with the support of two unelected members of the Maori Statutory Board on the council's Finance and Strategy Committee.

He says they don't have a mandate and they are not accountable to the community.

"It's a travesty to have an asset that belongs to the ratepayer of the Auckland region plucked from under their noses and given to a group to put up a whitewater rafting course."

The land is expected to be sold for around $20 million to fund the $30 million project near the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau.

The Event Centre management will run the facility.

Chief executive Richard Jeffrey says the dispute they had over the land with the previous Manukau City Council has been resolved.

"It was just getting a judicial review on who owned the land and the council owns the land, and the council has now decided subject to conditions and public consultation, that it will sell the land to contribute to the project."