Iconic Avondale threat amid fear
The Avondale Jockey Club has submitted to Auckland Council to see Avondale Racecourse rezoned for housing. Racing is set to finish up at the track in 2025. Members of the Avondale community are concerned they could lose valuable green space and the popu
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 2024/25 season.
The council is set to hear the jockey club’s submission in October as part of their Plan Change 78, a housing intensification plan which would 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, take 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 its 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.”
The jockey club are opposed to NZTR’s decision to only retain one race track in Auckland and club president Tracey Berkahn told Sunday News they have been forced to consider all options to preserve their members’ interests.
“With the redevelopment of Avondale