Yachting NZ Misleading Public

Yachting NZ’s latest tactic in the fight to build their NZ Headquarters, otherwise known as the Community Marine Activity Hub (CMAH) on prime beachfront public reserve land in Takapuna has back-fired.

Local residents are furious that Yachting NZ’s latest 16 page colour brochure promoting their “Community Marine Activity Hub”, and prompting people to “vote” for their development, gives the impression that it has been endorsed by the Auckland Council. Auckland Council logos have been used in the booklet that offersa tear-off survey with a pointer box stating, 'Tick both of these boxes to support CMAH with public reserve'. Directly above the pointer box, Auckland Council's 'Shape Auckland' logo appears and the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board's mailing address is highlighted in bold orange. The flyers are currently being delivered to North Shore letterboxes.

Jan Gopperth of the Save Takapuna Beach Holiday Park Supporters Group says “We have been contacted by members of the public who are confused by the booklet and think that it is an official publication from Shape Auckland and the Local Council”. Mrs Gopperth said “the Yachting NZ propaganda machine is well underway with this expensive, full colour brochure that shows images taken on an overcast day of an empty holiday park devoid of all visitors and compares them with photos taken on a sunny day of happy people enjoying the new 'space' that the Yachting NZ Headquarters development will bring.” No-one has been fooled by the imagery and people are angry over this attempted manipulation of the feedback process, she says. Renowned former boat designer James Young is "outraged" after finding the booklet in his mailbox bearing Council logos and telling him how to vote. The long-standing Takapuna resident says "any reasonable person" would think the Local Board endorses the project.

Supporters of the Holiday Park are up against a well-funded and determined machine in the Harbour Access Trust and Yachting NZ that can casually spend thousands of dollars producing such a brochure, she says. It shows the lengths that this organisation will go to in their battle to beat ordinary people who have a dream of saving something special. Legal advice is currently being sought but it is likely that the Council will have no choice but to void all feedback received on the Yachting NZ forms, says Mrs Gopperth. We are not opposed to Yachting NZ building a new facility but the public thinks that the North Takapuna Beach Reserve is the wrong place for practical reasons and they are adamant that the very popular and iconic Takapuna Beach Holiday Park should be protected for the use of all New Zealanders and visitors from overseas.

ENDS

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