Murray Fish Posted yesterday at 05:12 AM Share Posted yesterday at 05:12 AM Avondale community group to engage Winston Peters over racecourse housing plans 4:41 pm today Share this Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via email Share on Reddit Share on Linked In RNZ Online There were four people who spoke on behalf of the community group I Love Avondale, raising concerns around the cultural, environment and social impacts the loss the area could have. Photo: Flickr / Public domain An Auckland community group say they're taking their push to protect Avondale Racecourse land to Parliament, as they look to maintain a community green space. The I Love Avondale team presented to Auckland Council's policy and planning committee on Thursday in front of a packed public gallery, raising concerns about potential development of the entire piece of land. In March last year the Avondale Jockey club, who own the 135-year-old racecourse, moved to change the entire 35 hectares to a terrace and apartment buildings zone under Council's PC78 Intensification process. At the time, locals said the Avondale Jockey club's plans caught them unaware. More than 20,000 attend the Avondale Markets every Sunday which has been held since the 1970s, while the land is also leased by Auckland Council every year for local sports clubs. There were four people who spoke on behalf of the community group, raising concerns around the cultural, environment and social impacts the loss the area could have. I Love Avondale's team leader Jaclyn Bonnici said she was encouraged by the response from councillors. "I think we got our main points across well and now I look forward to the next steps," Bonnici said. Those next steps include taking the issue to Parliament and the Racing Minister Winston Peters. "We have always intended to speak with the Minister and engage with central government, but as representatives of Tāmaki Makaurau we thought it best to come to our council first. "We actually find our local board and council look to people to inform them and so then we can mobilise together. "Certainly, we will be going next to Wellington," Bonnici said. I Love Avondale said they're not against the land being developed for housing, but it was important to define "for who and by who" this housing would be for. "More than the fear of the loss, we're trying to focus on the ambition and opportunity of what could be possible for a regional park of the scale in terms of urban ngahere (bush), markets and high-quality housing," Bonnici said. "Sports fields, we need to own them, it's ridiculous that Auckland Council have been paying year on year for those sports fields, they should be in community ownership, it should be a fully community owned asset. "This is just another beginning, hopefully a few more ears have opened and hopefully a few more doors for people to take us seriously as a united front," Bonnici said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted yesterday at 05:59 AM Author Share Posted yesterday at 05:59 AM Avondale communities concerned over being shut out of racecourse plans David Long February 20, 2025 •05:48pm 1Comment Share Play Video Future of Avondale Racecourse uncertain after racing ends in 2025 VIDEO CREDIT: David White fast facts Community organisations urged Auckland councillors for local input on the future of Avondale Racecourse land. Rezoning the land for housing could increase its value from $77.5 million to $200-$400 million. Auckland Council leases part of the racecourse for $28,000 monthly for community sporting activities. A group of community organisations from the Auckland suburb of Avondale came together on Thursday to urge councillors to give them a seat at the table over what happens with the town’s racecourse. The 35-hectare site is owned by the Avondale Jockey Club, but racing will end at the venue in July 2026 and the land then sold off. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) is going through a transfer process for the racecourse with the Avondale Jockey Club, and it will be NZTR that receives the proceeds of this sale. Read More from Stuff Fruit fly discovered on Auckland’s North ShoreTeen steals Kiwi mum’s car then crashes it, leading US police to a murder scene at homeThe advice is changing - here’s what to do with your mortgage now NZTR and Avondale Jockey Club are aiming for the transfer to be completed by June 30, but representatives from the Avondale community told Auckland Council’s Policy and Planning meeting they’re worried that the future of the huge section of land will be decided without any local input. The land is currently worth $77.5 million as it’s zoned for recreational use, with only limited residential properties allowed to be built on it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff However, the Avondale Jockey Club is asking for it to be rezoned to allow terrace housing and apartment blocks under the council’s PC78 Intensification process and if this happens the land is projected to be worth between $200m to $400m. Avondale Jockey Club and race track may be rezoned for high density housing.DAVID WHITE / STUFF Around 80 people from the Avondale community packed out Auckland’s Town Hall and heard Jaclyn Bonnici from the I Love Avondale Charitable Trust raise concerns about whether locals will be shut out from discussions about the site, or if deals had already been made. “Has the biggest race at Avondale racecourse already been fixed?” Bonnici questioned. “Are we facing land grabs, backroom deals and a community being shut out? “As community leaders, we’ve spoken with hundreds of locals and we’ve commissioned expert insights. So we’re here to build a table, to pull up a chair and make sure our voices are heard.” Bonnici and the others who spoke at the meeting want the council to set up a working group to oversee what happens to the racecourse. Bonnici and others in the community aren’t against further intensification of Avondale, but want some green spaces to remain and also want the famous Avondale Market to continue. Currently, the centre of the racecourse is used for community sporting activities, which Auckland Council leases from Avondale Jockey Club for $28,000 a month. ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff A new community centre and library are being built in Avondale by the Auckland Council-controlled organisation Eke Panuku, but the amount of land the racecourse takes up in the town would transform it depending on how it’s used. “We have no masterplan for our suburb that looks at the connectivity, the existing infrastructure, public transport, community amenities and climate resilience,” Bonnici said. “We are not prepared to talk about the volume of housing that we would see as realistic for that piece of land, because we want to shine a light on the fact that the conversations are already happening about us without us.” Avondale racecourse has seen better days.DAVID WHITE / STUFF Local councillor Kerrin Leoni says she supports the formation of a working group to look at what’s best for the Avondale community. “We need to be front footing any of these issues, because it’s our city,” Leoni said. “We need to make sure that locals are being heard, and we can’t just have people coming in and saying, ‘this is how things are done.’ “We know that there’s possibly going to be a hearing in the future, but in the meantime, there’s nothing stopping community groups coming together with those who are in charge to voice their concerns. ADVERTISEMENT Advertise with Stuff ADVERTISEMENT “So they’ve come to council. But actually, central government’s got a huge role to play in this as well.” Racing is scheduled to continue at Avondale racecourse until the end of the 2025/26 season.DAVID WHITE / STUFF Leoni says she wrote to Racing Minister Winston Peters about the racecourse last year, but didn’t get a reply. “I asked him if we could have a meeting and that there were concerned constituents around the future of the racecourse,” she said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t get a response. But I’m happy to pick that back up again and get some of the support from my fellow councillors to push that forward again.” Councillor Angela Dalton, who was filling in for Richard Hills as chair for this part of the meeting, said the group’s concern had been taken on board. “You have a commitment from Councilor Hills and I to progress what you are asking of the committee today,” she said. “We won’t know where that lands, and we can’t make a resolution to it today, but you have a commitment. We have heard you and we’ll keep listening.” ADVERTISEMENT After the meeting, Bonnici says she felt the councillors took onboard the group’s concerns. “They’re elected representatives, but they live in neighbourhoods and some of them live in West Auckland. “So they were receptive, and mostly positive and curious and that’s what we wanted most of all. “We want that to lead to some more open forums so that it’s not private profit who has the biggest say in what happens next.” Share your video Have a video worth sharing with the nation? Send it our way and it could be featured on Stuff and ThreeNews share now In a statement, NZTR said no decisions had yet been made about the future of the market and green space on the site of the racecourse. “The focus at this stage is on agreeing a transfer agreement. Nothing has been agreed or discounted at this stage,” the statement said. Avondale Jockey Club did not respond to Stuff’s request for an email or comment. - Stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted yesterday at 06:47 AM Share Posted yesterday at 06:47 AM 46 minutes ago, Murray Fish said: Around 80 people from the Avondale community packed out Auckland’s Town Hall and Does Auckland need a bigger town hall? 80 people "packed out a hall"? No where near a West Coast wedding or wake! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeynz Posted yesterday at 07:45 AM Share Posted yesterday at 07:45 AM 56 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: Does Auckland need a bigger town hall? 80 people "packed out a hall"? No where near a West Coast wedding or wake! That's probably the average crowd at Alexandra Park, might look better if they just shutdown most of the public area to make the crowd that is there look better😃 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Agent Posted yesterday at 09:11 AM Share Posted yesterday at 09:11 AM High density housing is a bad idea in any area. Clean green nothing in NZ any more. Looking at that photo can't you just see the sewer pipe problem in a few years clogging up the waterway out yonder. The traffic is diabolical now so, lets add some more. So would high density allow for extra water tanks like is compulsory in other councils? Doubt it!! Take away the green areas, nothing to do, and another stack of slums with undesirables jammed into this "affordable housing". Well done NZTR, Racing Minister, government and whoever else dares hold their hand up. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huey Posted 21 hours ago Share Posted 21 hours ago Unfortunately they will lose the land , like a lot of smaller clubs around the country. It's disgusting how they and a lot of the smaller venues have been treated, consultation etc all a waste of time. What ever proceeds come from this the industry will find a way to waste nothing more certain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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