There's slim options for Takapuna Golf Course, which looks likely to halve in size under an Auckland Council plan to turn it into a flooding wetland.
The Council's final proposal converts the course into a flood-protection area.
Public consultation is planned for later this year, including how to use the dry half.
Auckland Council Head of Sustainable Partnership, Tom Mansell, says they don't want golf in the wetland section.
"In the remaining area, if they can fit an 18-hole in and that's what the Kaipātiki board wants, then we'll work on that."
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Takapuna golf Course has been thrown a lifeline. All con
Council today announcing it'll develop the golf course into a wetland,
but the area could still house a redesigned golf course
in the future. There have been widespread protests you'll know
about these against the council, planned by golfers, including Ryan Fox.
Tom Mansell is the head of Sustainable Partnerships at all
(00:20):
Con Council with me tonight.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi Tom, Hi, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, what are the chances really of there still being
a golf course here after the wetland's done?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
So theland there's two parts to this. There's one is
the wetland, which is wet and obviously we're going down
to groundwater. Then there's the dry detention area, which is
dry most of the time and just uses the area
when it floods. The wetted area is only about thirty
percent of the a of Thomas or the current golf course,
so quite a small, not huge amount of area. And
(00:54):
then the rest there's another probably twenty five percent, which
is the dry attention than they's a dry area as well.
So what happens that we realize the importance and recreation
in this area. What we need to do as first
and foremost is detain the water to reduce flooding downstream.
(01:18):
That is the most important thing. Once we've done that,
we'll then design. There's a lot of space for recreation
golf included in that.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Right, so legious, paint me a picture when I'm looking
at it. Once you've done the wetland's got all the
work done that you need to keep people safe. When
I look out at this, what do I see grass?
Or do I see you know, flaxes and stuff like
typical wetland? What am I looking at?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Okay? So the actual that wet the wetland will be
wetted areas. It will have walkway cycle ways, quite a
high passive recreation. The remainding area is almost like a
blank canvas, and that can be used for golf or
what other recreation national users uses. It's up to the
local Kaipatock board to decide what they want to put
(02:05):
on the rest of the area. So plenty of road
doesn't plenty of roads?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
No ecological reasons why you couldn't So you could have
Why not an eighteen hole instead of a nine? You said,
there's only going to be room for a nine. Is
that because of the space for the wetland.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Well, I'm not a golf designer, so what we don't
want is having golf throughout the wetland area. We don't
think that is maintainable or fund or feasible. If they
could put in the remaining area, if they can fit
an eighteen hole, and that's what the Kaipatock board want,
then we'll work with that. Right, it's you know what.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Did this work have to be done on a scale
of one to ten? Like, will people die if it
didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, since this all started in the twenty twenty three
the devastating floods there, so this work has to happen.
The insurance are back in wanting this work to happen.
The affected residents. We've just purchased one hundred and forty
houses that were flooded to a extent where it was
a risk to life downstream of this of the ap
(03:09):
Thomas Park. So it is work. This is a stage
one of Stage three and Stage one is funded but
part funded by the government. It's critical infrastructure works to
keep this community safe. It has to happen.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So the rest of it's not funded. So any new
golf course we need to have its own funding.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
That's right, the government. We've got a contract with the
government and they will pay for stormwater mitigation, flood mitigation,
but any other recreation golf needs to be funded.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yes, golf is definitely nice to have, isn't it all right? Well,
it sounds like you've kind of come up with a
bit of a compromise there. Tom will wait and see
what happens.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Great, Yeah, thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Tom Mansel, the head of sustainable Partnerships at all Can Council.
Sounds all quite good, doesn't it. Everyone got what they
wanted out of that. I don't know, just something tells
me that down the line, somewhere there'll be a really
really heaved off Ryan Fox, you know, you know, sinking
is trying to put his way out of a wetland.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news talks.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
Takapuna golf Course has been thrown a lifeline. All con
Council today announcing it'll develop the golf course into a wetland,
but the area could still house a redesigned golf course
in the future. There have been widespread protests you'll know
about these against the council, planned by golfers, including Ryan Fox.
Tom Mansell is the head of Sustainable Partnerships at all
(00:20):
Con Council with me tonight.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi Tom, Hi, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah, what are the chances really of there still being
a golf course here after the wetland's done?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
So theland there's two parts to this. There's one is
the wetland, which is wet and obviously we're going down
to groundwater. Then there's the dry detention area, which is
dry most of the time and just uses the area
when it floods. The wetted area is only about thirty
percent of the a of Thomas or the current golf course,
so quite a small, not huge amount of area. And
(00:54):
then the rest there's another probably twenty five percent, which
is the dry attention than they's a dry area as well.
So what happens that we realize the importance and recreation
in this area. What we need to do as first
and foremost is detain the water to reduce flooding downstream.
(01:18):
That is the most important thing. Once we've done that,
we'll then design. There's a lot of space for recreation
golf included in that.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Right, so legious, paint me a picture when I'm looking
at it. Once you've done the wetland's got all the
work done that you need to keep people safe. When
I look out at this, what do I see grass?
Or do I see you know, flaxes and stuff like
typical wetland? What am I looking at?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Okay? So the actual that wet the wetland will be
wetted areas. It will have walkway cycle ways, quite a
high passive recreation. The remainding area is almost like a
blank canvas, and that can be used for golf or
what other recreation national users uses. It's up to the
local Kaipatock board to decide what they want to put
(02:05):
on the rest of the area. So plenty of road
doesn't plenty of roads?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
No ecological reasons why you couldn't So you could have
Why not an eighteen hole instead of a nine? You said,
there's only going to be room for a nine. Is
that because of the space for the wetland.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Well, I'm not a golf designer, so what we don't
want is having golf throughout the wetland area. We don't
think that is maintainable or fund or feasible. If they
could put in the remaining area, if they can fit
an eighteen hole, and that's what the Kaipatock board want,
then we'll work with that. Right, it's you know what.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Did this work have to be done on a scale
of one to ten? Like, will people die if it
didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, since this all started in the twenty twenty three
the devastating floods there, so this work has to happen.
The insurance are back in wanting this work to happen.
The affected residents. We've just purchased one hundred and forty
houses that were flooded to a extent where it was
a risk to life downstream of this of the ap
(03:09):
Thomas Park. So it is work. This is a stage
one of Stage three and Stage one is funded but
part funded by the government. It's critical infrastructure works to
keep this community safe. It has to happen.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So the rest of it's not funded. So any new
golf course we need to have its own funding.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
That's right, the government. We've got a contract with the
government and they will pay for stormwater mitigation, flood mitigation,
but any other recreation golf needs to be funded.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yes, golf is definitely nice to have, isn't it all right? Well,
it sounds like you've kind of come up with a
bit of a compromise there. Tom will wait and see
what happens.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Great, Yeah, thank you for your time.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Tom Mansel, the head of sustainable Partnerships at all Can Council.
Sounds all quite good, doesn't it. Everyone got what they
wanted out of that. I don't know, just something tells
me that down the line, somewhere there'll be a really
really heaved off Ryan Fox, you know, you know, sinking
is trying to put his way out of a wetland.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news talks.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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