ALMOST EVERY TREE YOU SEE HERE - WILL BE CUT DOWN BY COUNCIL USING OVER 58 MILLION DOLLARS OF RATEPAYER AND TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

THEY WILL COMPLETELY DESTROY THE COURSE.

Welcome to the Keep The Course hub. We are a group of professionals, community supporters and volunteers committed to mitigating flood risk threatening lives and homes in Wairau Valley while maintaining an 18-hole golf course.

QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED

  1. Why are Council hell-bent on destroying a much loved PUBLIC golf course and cutting down over 1400 mature trees, when re-contouring the course will achieve the same level of flood mitigation?

  2. What evidence does Council have that people will love an ARTIFICIAL wetland, when there are 11,000 signatures on a petition that suggest otherwise? Answer: None?

  3. What will happen when the Council proposed ARTIFICIAL wetland…overflows? Answer: Isn’t it obvious?

  4. Why does Council want to inflict ratepayers with the cost of an ARTIFICIAL wetland, when keeping an 18 hole golf course will cost ratepayers zero dollars in ongoing maintenance costs?

  5. What will Council do or say when there is a highly likely MOSQUITO INFESTATION in the proposed ARTIFICIAL wetland? (It’s happened before) Answer: Charge ratepayers to fix the problem?

  6. Given how little effect the ARTIFICIAL wetland will have on flood mitigation and the length of time it will take for any regeneration to occur, how does council wish to justify their environmental crime?

  7. After cutting down and bulldozing over 1400 trees to create an ARTIFICIAL wetland, how long will it take for replanted trees to regenerate? Answer: All of 20 years.

  8. Why is Council working hand in glove with the Golf Warehouse? - What’s going on there?

  9. How much will the Golf Warehouse charge to play a nine hole pitch & putt, compared to the $40 it currently costs to play 18 holes? Answer: A damn sight more, for a whole lot less.

  10. Why hasn’t the Kaipatiki Local Board been fully informed of all the relevant facts?

  11. Why has information been withheld from the Takapuna Golf Course during this evaluation process?

  12. Was the Golf Warehouse made aware of the proposed ARTIFICIAL wetland proposal up to 2 years before the existing leaseholders?

  13. Why does the Golf Warehouse scheme look so attractive? Answer: Is it just a pretty picture?

  14. What will the Golf Warehouse scheme really cost? Answer: One helluva lot MORE than $20 million?

  15. Where else could the Kaipatiki Local board find to put pickleball courts, basketball courts and a skate park? Answer: On the vacant lands and properties recently purchased from flood victims within the vicinity of Milford and the Wairau catchment?

    What is this whole Golf Warehouse proposal actually about? Answer: The PRIVATISATION of a much loved and highly valued public golf course at the expense of the public.

KERRIN LEONI
MAYORAL CANDIDATE
Backs the Course

WHAU WARD

Auckland councillor Kerrin Leoni
is standing in this year’s Auckland mayoralty race.
Kerrin seeks to be the first Māori Mayor of the Super City.
She emphasises grassroots leadership, financial management, and opposes privatisation of strategic assets.

Leoni attended King's College London and received a master’s degree in economics and international politics. Leoni also has a master's degree, completed in 2007, from Auckland University of Technology. Leoni spent 10 years of her life living in London, where she ran a contracting business.

Kerrin has the skills and background to understand the value of keeping the course.

JOHN GILLON
BACKS THE COURSE

NORTH SHORE WARD

Like many residents, John was shocked at the extent of the flooding in the 2023 storms, which severely impacted many parts of the North Shore, most notably the Wairau catchment.

“In Milford, Wairau Valley and elsewhere, overburdened stormwater infrastructure has failed to protect homes and businesses, and two people died. Council must act quickly to address the deficiencies in stormwater infrastructure across the North Shore. There needs to be more funding invested in preventative maintenance, including keeping channels clear and cleaning out roadside catchpits of debris, many of which are only checked twice a year.” WE AGREE WITH JOHN.

John Gillon is excited to announce that he is standing as an independent for one of the North Shore Ward Councillor positions of Auckland Council.
“As an Auckland Councillor, I will put community first and fight for the North Shore.”

HELENA ROZA
BACKS THE COURSE

NORTH SHORE WARD

If there’s one thing that Helena understands, it’s that ratepayers deserve a fair deal and real value delivered for money spent.

That’s why Helena backs keeping the course - because Helena can see the huge community cost and ongoing ratepayer expenses associated with the Healthy Waters artificial wetland concept.

Helena is running for Auckland Council - we think she deserves your vote.

WAYNE WALKER & JOHN WATSON

ALBANY WARD

There are two things that Wayne and John are focussed on,’community value’ and ‘wasteful spending’ The Auckland Council proposal to close down and destroy this Public 18 hole course, definitely fits within their scope for concern.

Both John and Wayne absolutely agree that ‘flood mitigation’ is a key problem to be addressed and solved - but that does not have to be at the expense of our 90 year old 18 hole public asset. The loss of around 2000 existing and mature trees and their habitat will be catastrophic and the financial cost and ongoing ratepayer burden will be in the multimillions. These are just two of the reasons why John and Wayne want to preserve the course as 18 holes.

The other major concern is the loss to the Auckland community of a prized sporting and recreational asset, that can never be replaced.

The golf course is not a cost to the ratepayers, it is a very valuable asset.

More than 200,000 people of all descriptions use this public 18-hole golf course and driving range every year. It returns over $310,000 to Auckland Council annually and it saves ratepayers $400,000 in annual maintenance and improvements. IT IS THE BUSIEST COURSE IN THE COUNTRY. Losing this PUBLIC course will be a crime against nature and our community.

We want to work collaboratively with the Kaipatiki and Devonport/Takapuna Local boards, Auckland Council, including the Parks and Healthy Waters (stormwater departments), local Iwi, government ministers and the community to progress and implement a solution that works for the many thousands of Aucklanders who frequent A F Thomas Park every week, as well as the people, homes and businesses that may be affected by a potential flood event within the next decade.

Yes. We can SAVE trees!

The Takapuna Golf Course is full of highly valuable trees and ecosystems that can be saved - and our proposal will do that. To make this possible and viable, it is crucial to keep the layout of the course as 18 holes. The wetlands option put forward by the Auckland Council Healthy Waters team will destroy many hundreds of trees and existing stream ecology.

How you can help

If you would like to help us to Keep The Course, you can donate to the campaign, volunteer your time and skills, lobby our elected representatives or sign our petition….click here

“The course is full of highly valuable trees. The TAKAPUNA GOLF COURSE SOLUTION will mean that many hundreds of mature trees will be spared from felling and some affected by excavation can be transplanted and saved.”

Scott Geddes - Arborist

We wish to work with the water, the land, the trees and nature, the community and the people
…not against them.

E hiahia ana mātou ki te mahi ngātahi me te wai, te whenua, ngā rākau ā taio, te hapori me ngā tāngata
…ehara i te whawhai ki a rātou.