Indoor cricket facility opposed

Opposing sides are going in to bat over a private indoor cricket training facility on the public Shore Rd Reserve in Remuera.

The Parnell Cricket Club, with the unanimous support of the Hobson Community Board, wants to build the indoor facility alongside the existing clubrooms for its 800 members and local schools at the only sports grounds in the ward.

Park staff from the Auckland City Council oppose the development and former community board chairman Troy Churton believes the public space is being taken for "elitist" private use.

Last week, the matter went to the community board, where many club members and supporters wearing cricket jerseys convinced elected members that there was much support for the privately funded facility.

The chairman of Parnell junior cricket, Alastair Lawrence, yesterday said there was no basis for the "elitist" claim by Mr Churton.

The facility would be used by cricket club members and local schools for a range of sports including netball, basketball, volleyball and indoor soccer.

Children would be the biggest users.

"It is a community asset, not a private asset, because we are going to ensure it is used by all elements of the community and not for one particular body."

Mr Lawrence said the land was zoned for organised recreation. The 40m long, 13.2m wide and 4.6m high indoor facility would occupy a wasteland area on the west side of council-owned changing rooms.

The building, costing up to $350,000, would be well-designed and landscaped to fit in with the environment.

Mr Churton said the reserve was a lovely coastal park next to mangroves at the end of Hobson Bay that the club had "shrewdly" been chipping away at to create a private sports ground.

Having built clubrooms and cricket nets on the reserve, the club had an "on-going thirst for infrastructure that diminishes a sense of public space".

A report by senior recreation planner Sharon Rimmer said council officers had discussed other options for an indoor training facility with the Parnell club and Auckland Cricket Association, including building on private land, another park and going into partnership with other cricket clubs, recreation organisations or a local school.

None of these met the club's preference to have its clubrooms and training facilities together.

Ms Rimmer said Shore Rd Reserve was one of only four sizeable expanses of continuous open, green space in the city, the others being Purewa Creek, Hillsborough Manukau foreshore and Meola Reef through to Western Springs.