Few fields to play on

BY: MELANIE VERRAN

An area already suffering a "chronic shortage" of sports fields is set to lose at least two more in the next few years.

The Marist Rugby Club plans to sell its land at Liston Park in Ellerslie as part of a trial merger with Tamaki Rugby Club.

Marist had hoped the Auckland City Council would buy the land and retain it as a sports facility.

Council officers have been kept in the loop with the club’s plans, but claim they don’t have the budget to buy the park.

The Ellerslie Future Framework, a council document, recognises that sports fields in the area are at capacity and says council officers will follow up opportunities to acquire land.

Council recreation policy manager Sharon Rimmer says there is no money to buy Liston Park in the long-term community plan.

Marist Rugby Club member Andrew Evans, who has been involved in discussions with the council, says it’s a shame the council can’t come up with the money.

"From a community perspective there’s a recognised shortfall of playing fields in the eastern suburbs so we would have liked to see them stay as sports fields.

"If the council hasn’t got the willingness or the money to buy, it will be taken out to the open market."

He says he’s already had "a number of parties" express their interest in the land.

The Ellerslie Football Club would like to see the park converted into three football fields.

Member Frederik Poelman says the council won’t get a better opportunity to address the "chronic shortage" in sports fields.

"Liston Park is already developed. It has got carparks, two sports fields and changing rooms."

He says if the council doesn’t buy the land, which is zoned residential 6a, it will be snapped up by developers.

"The council is saying they don’t have the budget but they’ve got $400 million they can spend on a yearly basis.

"They’re spending $25 million doing up Aotea Square when here the community needs are not being met.

"It’s priorities really."

Council funding has been allocated to buy a property on Barrack Rd in Mt Wellington to be developed into two junior sports fields. But there are no plans to buy land in Ellerslie, Remuera or Meadowbank, where Mr Poelman says the real shortage lies.

"There’s no football field in Remuera, Greenlane or Meadowbank. There’s only Michaels Ave in Ellerslie, which they’re upgrading, but that alone won’t cope with what we have now."

The club’s 1200 members need six or seven fields, but have access to only three. Football is a fast-growing sport that is attracting more and more girls and it desperately needs more space, Mr Poelman says.

About 70 percent of their training is done on school grounds, but as the population grows, schools are having to build more classrooms and field space could diminish.

"Within 10 years we’ll probably have half the grounds to train on. That’s a result of this intensification," he says.

With the Stonefields development at Mt Wellington quarry and plan changes lodged for the Ellerslie Racecourse and former Selwyn College land, he fears the situation will only
worsen.

"They’ve actually got to mitigate the intensification somehow or their whole sports strategy will fall over.

"Council can afford not to buy Liston Park only if they’re willing to not rezone these areas."

Mr Poelman, who is in charge of coaching at the club, has been pushing for more sports facilities for the last 13 years.

"It’s not about them and us. It’s about kids doing something. If they don’t have that opportunity what will they be doing?

"I think they’ll be getting fat and committing crime."

The rugby club has a mandate to sell the park within the next few years.

Ms Rimmer says any changes to the council’s long-term plan have to happen at its next review, likely to be next year, "or would have to go to a full council".

- © Fairfax NZ News