Save Chamberlain Park said the people had spoken loud and clear in the Albert Eden local body elections. We now look forward to working with a new Local Board to constructively look at ways to improve access to the park without destroying what is there.

All three of the key drivers behind the masterplan are gone – Peter Haynes failed in Maungawhau (Eden), Glenda Fryer after leaving Owairaka (Albert) failed in Waitemata and Graeme Easte is currently out also in Owairaka. As it currently sits Margi Watson is the only one left in CityVision and she all along has been a more reasonable voice. Special votes are still to be counted but control of the Albert Eden Local Board will no longer be in the hands of CityVision.

We call on council staff to immediately halt all work on the ‘business plan’ as there is no longer a mandate for the masterplan as championed by CityVision (winning an Albert Eden local board vote earlier this year 5 to 3; C&R have always opposed the masterplan). This would result in the immediate saving of $1,000,000 that had been earmarked for this process. Expressions of interest to manage the ‘business plan’ process closed last Friday.

Save Chamberlain Park said it intended to present its petition that has more than 25,000 signatures (online and hard copy) to the new Local Board when it next met. We look forward to being involved in the restoration of Meola Creek – we have said all along that this is an important project for the area. Our ultimate vision for Chamberlain Park is for it to be an environmentally sustainable inner-city recreational resource that supports golf but also is available to the wider local community.

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