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This Council storage area, off Jack Hawken Lane, filled with rubbish bin lids, pontoons, concrete and fencing, is described as “an eyesore” at the gateway to Silverdale.
Changes at Silverdale War Memorial Park are causing disquiet among the organisations currently based there, with the latest issue being who has authority to make decisions about the park.
An Advisory Committee, which was formed in 1950 and is made up of representatives of Park user groups, including Silverdale Tennis Club, Rotary Club and Silverdale Rugby Club, believes it shares responsibility for the park with the local board.
Last month the Silverdale War Memorial Park Advisory Committee told the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board’s Facilities and Reserves Committee that it wanted clarity on its role in decision-making. In a document presented by spokesperson Chris Carter the Advisory Committee also expressed a number of concerns including an unsightly Council storage area, the construction of a Men’s Shed, parking and what may happen to former bowling club buildings.
Facilities and Reserves Committee chair, Janet Fitzgerald, says that Advisory committees were disbanded when Auckland Council was formed and that decision making rests with the local board. However, she says Council staff are seeking legal advice and will report back to the incoming local board.
Mr Carter says this was news to the Advisory Committee, who have never been told they’ve been disbanded.
“I’d find that unbelievable – totally undemocratic,” he says. “The committee believes that under the Reserve Management Plan for the park, management and administration is shared between Council and the Advisory Committee.”
He says that the War Memorial Park has special status as it is not a general Reserve, and that the issues raised by the Advisory Committee need to be addressed by the incoming Local Board.
