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Waiheke Local
Board
03 March 2016
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Alison Park Reserves
Act processes hearing
File No.: CP2016/03003
Purpose
1. To hear the submitters speak in
support of their submissions to the proposed minor variation to the Alison Park
Reserve Management Plan and the reclassification of the footprint of the former
bowling club building. In addition to consider the wider submissions to these
two Reserves Act processes and make a recommendation to the Waiheke Island
Local Board’s 24 March meeting.
Executive
Summary
2. At its meeting held 22 October
2015, the board endorsed the Alison Park Concept Plan for public notification
and undertaking the required Reserves Act processes to facilitate the community
use of the building.
3. Thirty five
formal submissions were received, and thirteen submitters have indicated they
wish to speak at the hearing.
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Recommendation/s
That the Waiheke Local Board
Hearing Panel:
a) Review all the submissions to
the minor management plan variation and the reclassification of the building
footprint.
b) Hear all submitters as outlined
in the hearing timetable (to be tabled at the meeting)
c) Provide recommendations to the
25 March 2016 Waiheke Local Board on whether or not to proceed with the
proposed minor variation to the Alison Park Reserve Management Plan and the
reclassification of the former bowling club building footprint from
recreation reserve to local purpose (community buildings) reserve.
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Comments
4. The Local Board has supported
the preparation of a new concept plan for Alison Park and a review of the
future use of the former bowling club building. To enable the future community
use of the building the Board has supported the notification of:
· a
minor variation of the Alison Park Management Plan 1995 in accordance with
section 41(9) of the Reserves Act 1977 to remove reference to the Oneroa
Bowling Club and to state the building will be leased to a community group or
groups that would then make the building available through a booking system to
wider community use. It also will mention the new concept plan and provide a
link to this on the council website. Refer to Attachment B which shows all proposed changes to
the plan.
· the reclassification of the building footprint, being of
approximately 330m2 of Alison Park, from recreation reserve to local
purpose (community buildings) reserve in accordance with section 24 of the
Reserves Act 1977. Refer to Attachment C indicating the building footprint.
5. Notification of public consultation on these proposals commenced on
14 November 2015 and closed on 15 January 2016. Thirty five formal submissions
were received, of which 23 supported
the management plan variation and 7 opposed this, and 21 supported the
reclassification and 9 opposed this. Refer to Attachment A for the details of
the submissions.
6. At the time of writing this report 13 submitters had expressed an
interest in speaking at the hearing.
7. The management plan variation proposes a change to policy 9 which
covered the lease to the former bowling club building. The new policy reads”
9. To lease the
former Oneroa Bowling Club
building to a community group that will:
a) Utilise the building for a range of uses that will provide wide
community benefit
b) Be
required to provide access, at a comparable community rate, to other community
groups or for social events on a fair and transparent
basis.
8. The public notification noted the lease could be to a
group or groups so the wording of this policy should be amended accordingly.
9. It appears from some of the comments that the complex
requirements of the Reserves Act have not always been fully understood by some
of the submitters. The objections to the management plan variation
and reclassification predominantly focus on the proposal to lease the
building out, with the submitters wishing this to be part of the council
booking system.
Summary of
submissions to the minor variation to the management plan
10. Reasons
given to support the plan variation include:
a) I support the variations as the Oneroa bowling
club will make a great community facility. Let's get it functioning and earning
as quickly as possible thereby enabling the community and reducing the
possibility of damage to and/or reduction of the use or value of the property.
The community needs to be able to use the building for a variety of uses at a
reasonable rate.
b) Concerned about noise from festivals and
events, otherwise all ok.
c) It is a fabulous space that is currently
under-utilised.
d) The island is desperately short of
council-owned buildings easily available and affordable for community group
use. Support if what whatever group gains the lease of OBC, it includes family
groups in the running of the premises. Only if a family group is chosen as the
lessee, or works closely with the lessee in a joint committee, can the needs of
island families and children start to be met.
e) I support the proposal that the building be
leased for community purposes but concerned it will be leased to a single
community group. In such an arrangement that group often develops an
"ownership" philosophy for the building and "controls" access
to the detriment of other community groups.
f) I support the variation only if it is
restricted to the footprint of the building.
11. The decisions those that support the plan
variation seek from the board include:
a) Enable the former bowling club building to be
leased for community purposes.
b) To broaden the proposal to include not only
the footprint of the building but also of the lawns etc. historically
associated with the building during its life as a bowling club. This will
potentially enable the community group/s it is leased to better utilise the
facility.
c) Make the building available to community
groups at a reasonable rate.
d) Consider noise from festivals and events for
neighbouring houses.
e) That the entire park and OBC facility is developed
into a fabulous art hub for the island - sculpture, gallery, theatre,
performing arts etc.
f) That whatever group gains the lease of OBC,
it includes family groups in the running of the premise.
g) That the building (and the park) be managed by
an independent group who represent the community as a whole.
h) Variation to be limited to the footprint of
the building; no liquor licence to be allowed, no loud music or other noise
allowed.
12. Reasons given to oppose the plan variation
include:
a) It is entirely unnecessary to bypass the
Council booking system. Any leasing of the building will not serve the park
well and will cut it off from the grounds.
b) The park development project is a long term,
in depth project. A building with meeting room, a place to eat together,
toilets, and a wide community availability is essential to the key development
of the park community and purpose. It is the heart.
c) I strongly oppose the proposal to lease the
building to a community group, which would then on-book the facility. The
reasons for not giving any further leases out on the Park are clearly outlined
in the current Reserve Management Plan. It is entirely unnecessary to bypass
the Council booking system. Any leasing of the building will not serve the park
well and will cut it off from the grounds.
d) Oppose the board leasing the building at their
discretion (as at present) to any individual or organisation they deem fit. I
wish the buildings gifted to the local community by the family who originally
owned the land remain in the public domain and be able to be used or rented by
local community groups. The Waiheke Resources Trust is not a suitable
organisation to occupy it. They are a political organisation who should lease
premises by some other means.
e) Should be for recreation and sports use and
community use ...not for council use.
f) The buildings should be removed from the park
so no reason for any change in designation.
13. The decisions those that oppose the plan
variation seek from the board include:
a) Make the building available for all to hire
for all for specific events. Create a way for Friends of Alison Park and the
Croquet Group to have ongoing access for their meetings and working bees, to
toilets and kitchen and park development meetings at minimum cost. Their core
business is the park as a whole entity and its community building function.
b) Let the Council bookings system take over
administration of the building.
c) Is to retain the availability of the land and
existing buildings of Alison Park for the use of local community groups such as
those who have submitted their ideas to date.
d) Remove the buildings and as no need to do so
then do not change the designation.
Reclassification
of the former bowling club building footprint
14. Reasons given to support the reclassification
include:
a) Enables multiple use. Key can be provided to
sports groups for use of bathroom facilities if not to be public. Protections
can be built in, e.g. deposit etc, to ensure responsible use.
b) Include building, lawns and immediate grounds
as well. Treat it like the Onetangi Sports Park and Ostend Reserve where
sports/recreation clubs can have facilities as well as just grounds.
c) Headland Sculpture on The Gulf (hSOTG) is
presently occupying half the office part of the Bowling Club and using the main
part for weekly meetings. We wish to continue permanently with this
arrangement.
d) That whatever group gains the lease of OBC, it
includes family groups in the running of the premise. Only if a family group is
chosen as the lessee, or works closely with the lessee in a joint committee,
can the needs of island families and children start to be met.
e) To enable a very wide selection of the
community to use so I support above if this is the best way to achieve this
objective. The group who are responsible for administering the park will need
access for this as will any visitors to the park.
f) I support the proposal that the building be
leased for community purposes but concerned it will be leased to a single
community group. In such an arrangement that group often develops an
"ownership" philosophy for the building and "controls"
access to the detriment of other community groups.
g) I support the reclassification only if it is restricted to
the footprint of the building.
15. The decisions those that support the
reclassification seek from the board include:
a) Ensure the building is able to be used by a
range of groups, ensure existing clubs like croquet have access.
b) Enable the former bowling club building to be
leased for community purposes.
c) The plan allows for the successful community
group tenant to use the office space. We wish the Local Board to agree to hSOTG
sharing this office space with this group on a long term basis.
d) That the entire park and OBC facility is
developed to be a fabulous art hub for the island - sculpture, gallery,
theatre, performing arts etc.
e) That whatever group gains the lease of OBC, it
includes family groups in the running of the premise. Only if a family group is
chosen as the lessee, or works closely with the lessee in a joint committee,
can the needs of island families and children start to be met.
f) Allow many varied uses of the building
particularly small groups and specialist needs. Allow the users of the park
access.
16. Reasons given to oppose the reclassification
include:
a) The present 1995 Management Plan focusses in
the park as a whole & its recreational function on the Island's life.
Reclassification will shift the focus & purpose of the Park to prioritise
the goals and purpose of the leaseholder just as it did during the bowling
green lease. The park will not thrive and will be open again to the withering
of its true purpose.
b) The proposal for reclassification to a Local
Purpose Reserve for this area of the Park is based on the wishes of the Waiheke
Local Board to lease out the building. No community group should have a
monopoly on the use of this building. They can hire the building on an hourly
or daily basis like the general public or any other group. Such general hireage
would then give all parties maximum access to the building and raise much
needed revenue for Council. Public facilities such as this should not be
privatized by small groups of people who are then heavily subsidized by the
rest of the population and they should not be expected or permitted to then act
as the letting agent for a Council building. That is the job of Council
officers. Storage lockers were kept in the building for use by future regular
hirers. More could be installed if required. Leasing the building will cut it
off from the rest of the Park and limit the future use of the Park.
c) Oppose the board leasing the building at their
discretion (as at present) to any individual or organisation they deem fit. I
wish the buildings gifted to the local community by the family who originally
owned the land remain in the public domain and be able to be used or rented by
local community groups.
17. The decisions those that oppose the
reclassification seek from the board include:
a) Leave the park classification as it is in the
Management Plan. Make the building available for hire under the Auckland
property renting systems but improve the process, access and costing structures
so as to be more user friendly.
b) Withdraw the proposal to reclassify this part
of Alison Park and retain its Recreation Reserve status. Permit Council to do
its job on behalf of the ratepayers and add the building to its central booking
system.
c) Is to retain the availability of the land and
existing buildings of Alison Park for the use of local community groups such as
those who have submitted their ideas to date.
d) Reclassification to be limited to the
footprint of the building; no liquor licence to be allowed, no loud music or
other noise allowed.
e) To broaden the proposal to include not only
the footprint of the building but also of the lawns etc. historically
associated with the building during its life as a bowling club. This will
potentially enable the community group/s it is leased to better utilise the
facility.
Consideration
Local
Board views and implications
18. The Local Board has supported the
preparation of a new concept plan for Alison Park and a review of the future
use of the former bowling club building. The board’s desire to see the
building used for community purposes required a minor change to the reserve
management plan and reclassification of the building footprint. These were
supported by the board at their meeting on 22 October 2015. The resolutions of
that meeting were:
19. That the Waiheke Local Board:
d) supports the
notification of a minor variation or review to the Alison Park Management Plan
in accordance with section 41(9) of the Reserves Act 1977 to remove reference
to the Oneroa Bowling Club and to state the building will be leased to a community
group or groups that would then make the building available through a booking
system to wider community use.
f) supports the public notification
of a reclassification of approximately 330m2 of Alison Park, being
the footprint of the former bowling club building, from recreation reserve to
local purpose (community buildings) reserve in accordance with section 24 of
the Reserves Act 1977.
20. The Local Board then resolved
the hearing date and appointed hearing panel members to consider the
submissions to these Reserves Act processes at their meeting on 25 February
2016 as follows,
21. That the Waiheke Local Board:
a) Confirms a hearing be
scheduled for Thursday 3 March 2016 from 5:15pm to hear submissions and
objections to the proposed Alison Park management plan variation and
reclassification of the footprint of the Oneroa Bowling Club to accommodate the
proposed community use as per Reserves Act 1977 requirements.
b) Confirms the hearing panel
will consist of all Local Board members.
Māori
impact statement
22. Ngati Paoa,
NgaiTai ki Tamaki, Ngati Te Ata Waiohua, Ngati Maru, Ngati Whanaunga, Ngati
Tamatera and Te Patukirikiri were contacted at the initiation of this project
in early June 2015. Ngati Paoa and Ngai Tai ki Tamaki expressed an interest
and provided input into the preparation of the draft concept plan.
23. All iwi were
then notified on 5 November 2015 over whether they wanted to be engaged over
both the draft concept plan and the Reserves Act processes. Ngai Tai ki Tamaki
has provided support for the Reserves Act processes being undertaken to enable
the local board to enter into a new lease of the building to a community group
or groups. This support is conditional on the future lessee making the building
available to others at a reasonable rate. Ngati Paoa has yet to provide
feedback but is being followed up on this.
Implementation
24. Following the hearing the
hearings panel will need to make a recommendation to the Local Board to approve
or not the variation and the reclassification. If the management plan
variation is supported these changes will be made and include reference to the
concept plan which will be available on council’s website. If reclassification
is supported this will require a survey to be undertaken to
identify the footprint of the building and a gazette notice to formalise the
reclassification. In addition a report to the Parks, Recreation and Sport
Committee would be necessary to endorse the reclassification.
Attachments
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No.
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Title
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Page
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aView
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Details of submissions
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13
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bView
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Proposed minor variation to the Alison Park Reserve
Management Plan
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23
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cView
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Footprint of the former bowling club building
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57
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Signatories
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Authors
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Annette Campion - Policy Advisor
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Authorisers
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Mace Ward - General Manager Parks, Sports and
Recreation
John Nash - Senior Local Board Advisor
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