Response from STBHP on YNZ's proposed hard stand area at Takapuna

by .. on 3 Aug 2016 A response to the Sail-World piece about the on going efforts of Yachting NZ trying to obtain land at Takapuna Beach Northern Reserve:

To read the original commentary/editorial click here

To: Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor.

Dear Mr. Gladwell,
I have read your article, with total amazement, about the on going efforts of Yachting NZ trying to obtain land on the Takapuna Beach Northern Reserve.

Your unbridled bias toward YNZ’s goal and their overall sense of self entitlement, is not to be unexpected, but your total trashing of the Save Takapuna Beach Holiday Park group is completely inaccurate and bagging people who enjoy camping is just plain out of order.

I’d like to point out that our group is not called “Lets Make Yachting Extinct”, nor is it “Lets Burn All Yachtsmen At The Stake”. It is called “Save Takapuna Beach Holiday Park”. A simple title that I thought would be completely self explanatory. We are here for one purpose and one purpose only. To Save the Holiday Park.

We have actively encouraged YNZ to relook at the original site for their proposed Elite Training Centre on the Strand in Takapuna and to look at other far more suitable sites too. Joining the Takapuna Boating Club site; accepting the Royal Akarana’s offer of joining them in their awesome purpose built facility; looking at purchasing property adjoining Takapuna Boating Club; looking closer at sites in Milford, Torbay, Long Bay, Narrow Neck and Gulf Harbour; these are but a few of the obvious alternatives.

No one will convince us that along the hundreds of kilometres of coastline on the Hauraki Gulf, that there is not one other suitable site for the training centre and hardstand.

Our objective is solely to preserve and upgrade the Holiday Park for the 24,000+ visitors who enjoy it each year. These people bring a mountain of money to our community, a much needed boost to our local economy. The holiday park has an historical aspect also, as it has been around for 100 or more years and has served generations of families, all enjoying the perfect urban beachfront location. Its value to overall tourism is irreplaceable, as it is the sole provider of family friendly & affordable accommodation on the North Shore, or most of Auckland, for that matter.

I agree that our fight has been escalated somewhat, from our original task of just saving the holiday park, to now being a full on battle with YNZ and their arrogant stand that ignores the overwhelming majority of local opinion. I would like to challenge you to publish this and point out, once and for all that we have absolutely no problem whatsoever, with yachting or yachts people ... we never have.

But we do have a massive problem with Yachting New Zealand and their now obsessive stance, that seems to be based purely upon their arrogant attitude of “we will not be beaten by the peasants”. It appears to have grown into nothing but a vendetta, with the attitude that YNZ will probably still try and obtain this land regardless of cost, opinion or just plain commonsense.

Regards and happy sailing,
Gavin Sheehan
STBHP.

RG: My issue is the complete lack of compromise on the part of the STBHP group. An allocation of 10% of the Reserve space (1050 sq metres of a total site of 16338sq metres) is not a big concession, particularly if a third of the space is already used by the Waka Ama group for boat storage. The area that was proposed was in a part of the Reserve ground that is hard against a bank, has never been used for 'camping', and is not foreshore space.

Two of those who made submissions at the last meeting Local Board meeting stated they were opposed to allowing Yachting New Zealand a 'square inch of land' in the Reserve, which has had many shapes, and forms over its life.

What about the Waka Ama group who stated for the record at the same meeting that they had discussions with Yachting NZ and had agreed with Yachting New Zealand to work together in principle to achieve a fit for purpose space for Waka Ama in the Reserve?

The sailors have been operating out of the northern end of Takapuna Beach for 50 years; this is not a new use. The STBHP group also object to the sailors storing boats on the grassed area of the reserve in front of the Takapuna Beach Cafe. But the Waka Ama group storing boats 5-10 metres away on the same general reserve does not attract the STBHP ire.

The proposed hardstand area would tidy up the area, free up the grassed reserve, give both the Waka Ama and sailors a common workable space in the back end of the Reserve area, and leave 90% of the Reserve for use as a caravan/mobile home park.

The STBHP group do not seem to object to the Waka Ama group having storage use in the Reserve area. If they were consistent, they would be objecting to the removal of all boats from the Reserve, but of course, they are not - just the ones with sails.

The STBHP group are, or should be aware of a previous study commissioned by the then Auckland City Council which looked at the sites they mentioned for a sailing base and came to the conclusion that all had flaws, but Takapuna had the least of any. The downside of Takapuna being parking, but as the High-Performance sailing activity takes place mostly during the week when there is usually plenty of parking space on the reef, this issue is not what it seems.

To see the minuted submissions at the July 19, 2016, meeting of the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board click here