The Results Are in:

Takapuna Beach Holiday Park Must Stay!

In a massive show of support, the local community has spoken loud and strong. The Takapuna Beach Holiday Park must stay. In results just out, an overwhelming 80% voted to save the Holiday Park in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board’s recent feedback poll.

In what has been called the most contentious issue the Local Board has faced in 30 years, the public was asked to help the Council decide the future of the Takapuna North Beach Public Reserve. Should the historic Holiday Park stay or should it be replaced by a Yachting NZ development?

“The message has come through loud and clear, despite what many considered as Yachting NZ’s attempts to mislead voters with promotional material that breached Council copyright; PR spin that the decision to remove the campground had already been made by the Council; and many people not understanding that the Holiday Park would become a casualty if the YNZ development went ahead,” said Jan Gopperth, spokesperson for the Save Takapuna Beach Holiday Park group.

“The people who would be directly affected by the outcome of this decision, the local community and visitors to the Holiday Park (from NZ and internationally) voted in unprecedented numbers to save the iconic Holiday Park. It now seems impossible for the local board to go against the wishes of the people and grant land owner’s consent to Yachting NZ. “The sensible way forward is for the Resource Consent application to be abandoned by YNZ and both tax payers and ratepayers will be saved millions of dollars. -/2

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“The Holiday Park is part of a popular culture unique to New Zealand that is fast disappearing but that has been central in our campaigns to promote tourism. We cherish it in our protected cultural heritage sites and museums that dedicate sections to displaying this aspect of 'Kiwiana': camping, baching, beach, fishing, small boating and the corner dairy. Well, there is a living example of this right here in Takapuna that the people have just saved for future generations. It is an achievement they can be proud of.

“This is a wonderful example of Len Brown’s ‘participatory democracy’. The people have participated, now it’s time to see democracy respond. We are very interested to see the outcome of the Council meeting on 4 August and will continue to keep the public fully informed through social media,’ said Ms Gopperth.

The full report can be accessed online here:

http://tinyurl.com/pudoa5m

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