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If a proposed pump track is built at Matakana’s Diamond Jubilee Park, the local branch pony club will no longer be able to exist.
That was the blunt message to Rodney Local Board last month, when Nadia Sakey and Andrea Moore of the Matakana Pony Club spoke on how the Auckland Council-backed project would affect the organisation.
At present, the club has a non-exclusive licence to occupy the majority of the park – although several jumps are sited around the two-hectare space, it is open to the public and non-equine events can potentially be staged there.
The club surrendered its licence to occupy the rest of the parkland, 3400 square metres behind the tennis courts, for community use in 2020.
Although the pump track proposed by Matakana Community Group (MCG) would occupy less than half the back section of that piece of land, Sakey said the tar-sealed wheeled play track for bikes and scooters would take away critical parking for horse floats.
This was because the club was required to run at least four open events each season to raise funds for district and national pony club levies, as well as for itself.
“Without the shared public space being available for event parking, the club cannot exist,” she said.
Sakey added that there were also health and safety concerns that meant collaboration was not possible.
“Wheels and bikes in motion at speed don’t really mix with young kids on ponies. Even the most well-trained horses spook at sound and the pump track will generate sound,” she said.
“The space is also used for kiwi aversion dog training.”
Sakey claimed that a pump track was not conducive to the space being used for open community use anyway.
“Is the demand for this pump track actually warranted?” she asked. “Has there been a public consultation to say that is what the youth of Matakana want and need?”
Although she conceded it was “a fantastic initiative” and acknowledged that Jubilee Park was the only green space in a rapidly changing landscape, but said the pony club was growing in popularity and offered “an educational support system for kids”.
Warkworth member Tim Holdgate said pressure on pony clubs and a lack of recreation space generally was a growing problem throughout the region.
“Horses take a large area per person,” he said. “Have you looked at amalgamating with Warkworth and Wellsford? There’s a big lump of land up at Hoteo Hall that could be ideal, if you get in early.”
Chair Brent Bailey said the national NZ Pony Club Association, or regional Waitemata Rodney Area Pony Clubs group, should be lobbying Auckland Council for overall management guidance with regard to public pony club land and its wider use.
“There needs to be an agreement that accommodates both – the issue is there’s no general policy to inform us,” he said.
Michelle Carmichael asked if alternative venues for the pump track had been considered.
Moore said it would be great to work with the MCG to help them try to find an alternative site that would work for the entire community.
