Community raises concerns as Avondale Racecourse tipped for housing
Sunday, 14 April 2024
The Avondale Jockey Club has submitted to Auckland Council to see Avondale Racecourse rezoned for housing.
Racing could finish up at the track by the end of 2025.
Members of the Avondale community are concerned they could lose valuable green space and the popular Avondale Markets.
People in Auckland’s Avondale say they’ve been caught by surprise over plans to rezone the suburb’s 136-year-old racecourse for housing.
The owners of the Avondale Racecourse, the Avondale Jockey Club, have filed a submission to Auckland Council to see the 35-hectare land rezoned.
The move comes as New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has indicated it has no intention to allocate further racing fixtures to the venue beyond the next one or two racing seasons.
The Council is set to hear the jockey club’s submission in October as part of their Plan Change 78, a housing intensification plan to allow for more development of multi-story buildings in Auckland.
The land is leased by Auckland Council for sport all year round, while the Avondale Markets, established in the 1970s, takes place there every Sunday, drawing thousands of people each week.
Whau Local Board member Ross Clow said people have been caught unaware by the jockey club’s submission and are concerned about what it means for the future of the racecourse land.
“The time to put in submissions was almost 18 months ago, and people are now going hey we didn't know about that.”
Clow said the jockey club has not consulted with the local community on their plans for the racecourse, something he calls a failure of duty.
“They have put in their proposal and then they've hunkered down and not responded to anyone subsequently.”
Avondale Business Association chairperson Marcus Amosa said a lack of consultation from the jockey club on their submission has been an issue.
“I think this is one of the feelings that is coming through is that we [the community] haven't been considered. Even though it might be early in the process, we would like to be considered and engaged with.”
Both Clow and Amosa are adamant they are not anti-housing, but want to see some of the land retained for the community.
“There is no nimbyism about intensification, we have endorsed it and supported it,” Clow said.
“If you're going to go and cover the whole racecourse in housing, that is too much. We need to have at least 18 hectares of that land held as green space.”
Amosa agrees, saying it will be a major loss to the community if all the land is built on.
“We could potentially lose the market, which is something that means a lot to Aucklanders who enjoy coming to it every weekend, we could lose the sports fields that are used for a variety of sports, there's a lot that will be lost.”
“I think the main thing is it is not us being anti-housing. We just want to be considered so we can be part of the decision-making process and part of the conversation,” Amosa said.
The jockey club is opposed to NZTR’s plan to only retain one race track in Auckland and club president Tracey Berkahn told Stuff they have been forced to consider all options to preserve their member’s interests.
“With the redevelopment of Avondale and intensification of housing it makes sense that in anticipation of the industry selling us up, our open space is given a residential zone,” Berkahn said.
She added the club is hopeful they can have an input into any master plan that eventuates out of their submission and supports any future discussions with the community.
“The club recognises what the Avondale community is saying and what should be preserved for west Auckland in relation to its land. The club will never support a situation where a community asset with a 130-plus-year history is transformed into future, urban blight.”
Berkahn said that the jockey club shares the concerns of the community around the potential loss of green space.
“We continue to maintain that a relatively high proportion of Avondale Jockey Club land be retained as open space for sports and recreation.”
With a decision not likely on the future of the racecourse until 2025, for now, both Clow and Amosa say they are trying to get as much information as possible out to the local community on the proposal and what it means for them.
Clow reiterated the possibility of community action in response to any decision that does not consider the interests of the community.
“Community action can take many forms, including reminding councillors and local board members that green space is crucial and we can't let it disappear. Obviously we're going to be trying to influence any decision,” Clow said.
“Some people just don't understand how it might impact them later on in the future and I think by letting people know what's happening now then they'll know how it's going to impact them,” Amosa added.
Racing is currently paused at the track after a fire in December 2023 cut power to the facility. The Avondale Jockey Club says racing is set to return in July.
The racecourse has been plagued by poor attendance and cancelled meetings for the last few years.