Community digs in to save local treasure

Last Sunday the community came together with clippers, spades, wheelbarrows and enthusiasm for a working bee to show their support for saving the iconic Takapuna Beach Holiday Park and beautifying our public reserve land. Members of the Devonport- Takapuna Local Board and two of New Zealand’s most respected sporting legends also attended, to show their support for the local community.

“The local community has stepped in because the current holiday park operators are unable to invest in upgrades until they know if the Council will renew their lease” says Jan Gopperth, spokesperson for the Save Takapuna Beach Holiday Park Supporters Group. “Local businesses gave their support by donating plants, Nomad Coffee’s espresso bar supplied complimentary coffee for volunteers and passers-by, CaraVamp in Hamilton brought “Stella”, a caravan refurbished as a 1950’s American milkshake diner and the retro look was completed with a restored Ford Zephyr from the North Shore Vintage Car Club”.

Volunteers spent hours gardening, planting, painting, cleaning up, baking morning tea and showing everyone what a community can do when they work together for a common cause. Local Board member Allison Roe came with a carload of plants that she donated and then spent the next 3 hours working like a Trojan. “The whole day was just brilliant and it was heart-warming to see the local community working together in this way”, says Jan Gopperth.

The Local Board has been hung for almost 5 years over this issue but now the 3 Local Board members who have been listening to feedback from the community; Jan O’Connor, Grant Gillon and Mike Cohen, have been joined by Allison Roe who said that although she was very much in favour of facilities that provide wide amenities and encourage water sports and excellence, “she had to listen to the people, she just had to” and narrowly saved the Holiday Park from the bulldozers when she voted for a further report on possible upgrades for the Holiday Park. This followed the results of the Council’s Feedback Poll where an overwhelming 80% voted to save the holiday park against only 8% in support of the Yachting NZ development. “This is a great example of local Board Members acting in a manner that encourages and values community involvement in local democracy”, says Gopperth. “The people are finally being heard”.

The community will be encouraging Chairman Joseph Bergin to now take a stand and send a strong message to Harbour Access Trust and Yachting NZ to decline Land Owner’s Consent and to abandon their Resource Consent application and find another site for a yachting and water sports facility. Almost $1 million of tax-payers money has already been wasted on something the public has clearly stated they don't want" says Jan Gopperth. “Enough is enough. We are not going away and we will not stand by and allow this treasure to be stolen.”

ENDS

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