Victoria Park decision boost for sports and recreation

An Auckland cricket club has lauded a decision by the Waitemata Local Board to limit non-sporting use on Victoria Park.

The Waitemata Local Board's historic decision in favour of sports clubs - and the public who enjoy the use of Victoria Park - was made last week when the Board passed the ' Victoria Park Event Guideline'.

It has been welcomed by Grafton United Cricket Club Chairman Nicholas Albrecht, who states "this is a great result for all those who play sports on Victoria Park as well as the many of thousands of locals who enjoy the use of the park."

Albrecht added that last year thousands of dollars in damage was made to the Victoria Park turf following the 10 day long Taste Auckland event with much of the ground being unusable for six weeks after the event while the turf recovered.

Albrecht continued "I am all for events in Auckland but they have to be fit-for-purpose.

"It is pleasing to see that the needs of the sporting and physically active Auckland public have been put first especially considering Victoria Park has been a sporting and recreational area for all Aucklanders since 1905."

The Victoria Park Event Guideline, states that a maximum of three events per year, up to five days per event will be allowed at Victoria Park. Each event is limited to only one weekend of sports displacement (per sports code, per season). These include five days for 'pack in and pack out'.

The guideline stipulates events covering the ground for more than five days, considerably deteriorates the asset (sand carpet fields), as such activity limits the amount of light and air to the sports turf. This is when renovation of the turf is generally required, as was the case following Taste Auckland in 2013.