In a meeting packed with tearful parents and children, the Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee of Auckland City Council yesterday voted by six votes to two to remove Monte Cecilia School from its current site to acquire the land to extend the park, despite pleas from the Board of Trustees to reposition the school on its current site. Members of the committee Cr Cathy Casey and Cr Glenda Fryer moved amendments to try to delay the decision to allow the school and church community to properly respond to the Council report which was issued to them on 23 December. Says Cr Casey "This rushed decision is totally undemocratic. Today six councillors (Cr David Hay, Cr John Lister, Cr Greg Moyle, Cr Ken Baguley, Cr Toni Millar and Cr Bill Christian) have issued a death sentence to a much-loved historic school. I believe - as does the Board of Trustees and the school community - that there is no need to evict the school from the site. There is ample opportunity for the school and the park to co-exist as they have done for many years. But both Mayor John Banks and Deputy Mayor David Hay have stated publicly that they wanted the school removed from Monte Cecilia. As usual, the Citizens & Ratepayers leadership get what they want by block voting." Says Cr Fryer "The Council has highhandedly made a decision to close a well-loved historic primary school. They have every right to feel gutted that Auckland City Council has effectively closed their school and will leave parents, children and staff in limbo. The St John Vianney Parish has not voted to accept the school in their Parish, and the site the Catholic Church has chosen for the relocation is very steep and quite unsuitable for the school."

Both Cr Fryer and Cr Casey have pledged to the parents and children of the school that they will make the decision an election issue and seek to have it overturned by the incoming Auckland Council. The two current Mt Roskill councillors, Cr David Hay and CR John Lister both voted to close the school. Cr Lister did not speak during the debate.