AUCKLAND Residents of a Catholic retirement village are upset that the Auckland City Council is determined to buy it to enlarge a park. The council wants to add the Liston Memorial Village and Monte Cecilia School sites to the 12.5-hectare Monte Cecilia Park in Hillsborough.

A council master plan for the park sees it needing better access, visibility and frontage, so more land is needed. Historic stables are also on the village site.

The park, which includes the Pah Homestead, was created after the council put a notice of requirement a council designation about future land use changes on other Church land in Hillsborough in 1998. It bought 11 hectares from the diocese and the Marist Brothers between 2000 and 2002.

There is no formal notice on the village, which is owned by the Auckland Catholic diocese. But council reports show it could happen.

Auckland Mayor John Banks recently announced his 10-year vision to acquire all the properties between the homestead and Hillsborough Rd.

A Liston Village resident, who did not want to be named, told NZ Catholic the council had trampled over residents peace of mind.

Residents, who have a licence to occupy a unit until they die, are incapacitated or voluntarily leave, have had a recent meeting about future plans with a diocesan representative. There are 24 right-to-occupy units at the village.

Mr Banks told NZ Catholic he doesn't want residents alarmed and the present focus is redeveloping the homestead, which will house a $50 million art collection.

We do need to plan for the future and we have a long-term strategy which would secure tenancies for the present residents, Mr Banks said.

The process of change will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Auckland diocese general manager Kerry Coleman told NZ Catholic that an absolute requirement is that residents rights are protected.

When the diocese