Phil Jaggard: Takapuna Golf Club spokesperson discusses the new wetland set to take over half the club

Auckland council wants to go ahead with its plans to cut Takapuna Golf Course in half - turning it into a 9-hole course.

This plan will transform half of the club into a wetland to help with any future floods. 

Despite opposition from big-name members at the club such as Lydia Ko and Ryan Fox, alternative options to this plan have been rejected.

Takapuna Golf Club member Phil Jaggard says the club will, 'take a moment to digest this information.'

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Despite the opposition, Auckland Council is pressing ahead with its
plans to chop Takapoona golf course in half. They're going
to keep nine holes and turn the rest into a
wetland to prevent future flooding. Phil Jagged from Takapuna Golf
Club meet with council earlier and is with us.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now, how Phil, Hi, Heather, how's it going? I'm well,
thank you. Are you going to accept this or are
you going to fight this?

Speaker 3 (00:19):
We're going to take a step back and take a
moment to digest this information. A council has stated that
they will be proceeding with their wetland and right attention
area and that no further alternatives are being considered.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
What does the local community think?

Speaker 3 (00:38):
So the local community is obviously there's been some opposition
to the removal of the golf course, but this is
what we've been trying to do is create a creative
solution to the climate challenge, resolve the flooding issues, protect
houses and so forth, but also protect the trees and
natural environment and obviously protect our community assets. So that's

(00:59):
what we put together with a proposal. Now council has
advised us that the Local Board in October and November
this year, they will be going out for consultation on
the recreational use for a F. Thomas Park, and that's
where we'll have an opportunity to put forward at our
golf proposal.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Now, your proposal, this is the one that record in
which you plan to drain the floodwater into Shoal Bay.
Is that right?

Speaker 3 (01:22):
Yeah, so that one has been rejected by council. But
the original proposal that we put on the table was
working with the council landform to create to maintain aiding
holes while we still have the wetland and the engineera,
so that was still on the table. What we will
do now is we've got some further information from Council
in terms of their design from that from their feasibility report,

(01:44):
so we can have a look in greater detail at
that and obviously when this consultation process goes through the
local Board after the elections, will go and be part
of that process.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Phil. Is it true that the reason that they rejected
the Shoal Bay plan was because they plan to save
Shoal Bay for a possible third harbor crossing for Auckland.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
We understand that is possibly one of the reasons why.
So there is they say that to you. So there
is a second harbor crossing in terms of tunnel alignments
in the vicinity. So that is an area that you
know you do not want stormwater pipes clashing with the
tunnel for the third harbor crossing and we understand that.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Okay, Phil, this listen, thanks very much, best of luck
with everything. It's Phil Jagged take a Puna Golf Club spokesperson.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
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