Promoter of sailing centre at Takapuna Beach told to stop using tick-this-box form

NZ Herald

21 May, 2015 07:21 AM4 mins to read

The plan for the Yachting New Zealand sailing centre, now called the Community Marine Activity Hub (CMAH), depends on the 80-year-old holiday park being removed. Photo / NZME.

The promoter of a national high-performance sailing centre at Takapuna Beach has been told to stop using a tick-this-box form in a brochure bound for 15,000 North Shore households, because it breaches Auckland Council copyright.

Harbour Access Trust has already printed the brochures and had them delivered to some letter boxes.

It is trying to garner residents' support for the $8.3 million centre while the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board runs a poll on four possible future uses of the beach reserve where the camping ground has been for 80 years.

Trust chairman Peter Wall said the council's belated objection meant taking steps to tear out the offending flyer from brochures which were either at the printers awaiting delivery, or stacked in supportive firms' reception areas.

So far, the local board has more than 1000 responses to calls for feedback on the Takapuna Beach northern reserve by June 7, via its feedback forms and the Shape Auckland website.

An objection to the form on the grounds that it was misleading was made by Jan Gopperth, of the Save Takapuna Beach Holiday Park Facebook, which has 11,277 likes.

The plan for the Yachting New Zealand sailing centre, now called the Community Marine Activity Hub (CMAH), depends on the 80-year-old holiday park being removed.

Local board chairman Joseph Bergin said the board noted at its Tuesday meeting concern over the use of the brochure and had asked for legal advice on the implications for its process.

"I just want to emphasise that the board is out for informal feedback, this is not a referendum nor a proper survey," he said.

Local board relationship manager Eric Perry said the trust's form was not in line with council's copyright statement and it was told to stop using the form immediately [Thursday].

"We have asked the trust to direct people to shapeauckland.co.nz to fill out the [local board's] original form on feedback preferences."

Mr Wall said that removing the page would not affect the point of printing a brochure - to make a statement of facts about the proposal.

"It's far from trying to confuse and manipulate ... it's really an endeavour to clarify some of the myths and the misunderstanding that's out there."

He said the council officials were unhappy with the trust amending the official form.

"We said to make sure you fill in the back of this form, and secondly, showed where you could tick boxes to support which ever option. We indicated that to support the [centre] application, this is where you should tick."

Mrs Gopperth said the trust's latest tactic in the fight for public support of the hub and public reserve option over the holiday park, had back-fired, because it made residents angry.

The brochure promoted the CMAH and prompted people to vote for it, giving the impression that it had been endorsed by Auckland Council by use of council logos.

Takapuna resident Ann Perry told the Herald she was outraged after reading the brochure that was in her letterbox.

"I thought it was from Harbour Access Trust but it looks like it is from the council and the local board," said Mrs Perry.

"It seems like propaganda, such a massive brochure with all the pro sailing centre details at a time when we Takapuna people are fighting to keep our quintessential campground."

Mr Bergin said complaints had been made about misleading statements and material from both sides of this political campaign.

"The board will consider both the quality and quantity of all the feedback it receives.

"Personally, I will consider all the feedback in the context of this process and where it has come from.