$30 million plan to redevelop Chamberlain Park golf course has hit the rough. Photo / NZ Herald
$30 million plan to redevelop Chamberlain Park golf course has hit the rough. Photo / NZ Herald
Two hot issues at the local body elections in Auckland - Chamberlain Park golf course and Takapuna's Anzac St car park - have more or less been resolved.
A resounding win for North Shore councillors Chris Darby and Richard Hills means the redevelopment of the Anzac St car park and wider revitalisation of Takapuna can proceed.
However, the failure of City Vision to retain a majority on the Albert-Eden Local Board puts their $30 million plan to reduce the 18-hole golf course to nine holes and use the extra land as a park with walking, cycling and sporting facilities in the rough.
Save Chamberlain Park spokesman Geoff Senescall said the departure of Albert-Eden Local Board chairman Peter Haynes - "the driver of this project" - is very positive and the project will not go ahead as planned.
City Vision won a fourth seat after more votes were counted on Sunday, leading to a 4-4 tie between left-leaning City Vision and right-leaning Communities and Residents on the board.
Senescall said City Vision would be ill-advised to pursue the project, which Save Chamberlain Park has been fighting for several years. It has been ugly at times and subject to legal action.
Senescall said the time has come to commit to keeping the full 18 holes at the "people's golf course", but it doesn't mean more cannot be done to improve public access, build a bike track and restore the environment by cleaning up Meola Creek and increase native plantings.
Haynes said the future of the project would be determined by whoever is made chair of the board and has the casting vote, saying if C&R get the chair they are committed to stopping the project.
"I would be very disappointed for the people of Mt Albert and surrounding districts. They would be missing out on some very badly needed facilities.
"The logic is so compelling that the park is going to have to be opened up for wider uses sooner or later. You have increasing population, up to 10,000 people just up the road on the Unitec site.
"We already have a sports field crisis. That is only going to get worse. Sooner or later it is bound to happen. I'm sorry for the local people if we have to delay it," Haynes said.
An artist's impression of the redeveloped Takapuna car park. Image / Panuku Development Auckland
Meanwhile, the battle over the future of the Anzac St car park and plans to turn it into a new town square has backfired for the opponents and delivered a resounding victory for progress.
Darby said the so-called Anzac St/market square issue was hardly raised by opponents at candidate meetings, but used as part of an attempt on social media to beat him and Hills with deceit, which failed.
"We cannot afford the handbrake to be yanked on again on Takapuna," said Darby, who stood with Hills on a platform to develop a great market square and progress the Hurstmere Rd upgrade.
Takapuna Beach Business Association chair Tony Dench said the election result showed locals have voted to stay the course and get on with Takapuna's revitalisation.
The result gave businesses certainty and confidence to plan and invest in developments.
"This has been a pretty bruising local body election for Takapuna ... at times we felt we were caught in the middle," Dench said.
