Youth hub and tag-football group seek lease of former bowls site

Two applicants are being considered by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board to lease the former Takapuna Social Bowling Club site.

The lease was vacated by the bowling club in February 2022 and the buildings on the site passed on to Auckland Council.

Shore Junction and New Zealand Tag Football Incorporated both applied for a 10-year lease with a right to renew for a further 10 years.

Shore Junction is the youth hub that holds the building lease for the former Takapuna RSA building adjacent to the former bowls site.

It hosts a range of recreational and educational facilities and activities, with the goal of achieving better outcomes for young people.

It plans to expand its operations by using the green space for youth-led events such as Music in Parks and to construct a 3x3 basketball court, among other uses.

New Zealand Tag Football’s objective is to grow the sport of tag football in New Zealand.

It intends to invest in building renovations, including the installation of a kitchen, bathroom and new artificial turf while also planning to host four tag events on the site annually.

While the board is considering both options, Shore Junction’s synergies with the lease site made it a “natural choice” , said chair Toni van Tonder.

Auckland Council community lease specialist Tai Stirling raised a concern that “the longer it remains vacant it could potentially be prone to vandalism”.

Member Gavin Busch questioned if the musical events Shore Junction is proposing might disturb nearby Hospice residents.

Deputy chair Terence Harpur said Shore Junction had a track record of work with young people in the community.

Some board members questioned if the size of the green space was large enough to host tag football games.

Stirling clarified that it would be used for a development programme and games would be played elsewhere.

Busch asked if New Zealand Tag Football could present its plans for the site at a future meeting so the board could get a clearer idea of its intentions.

Van Tonder agreed, saying the organisation might not have known it could lobby the board.

Council staff will report to the local board at the August business meeting where it will give its decision on a preferred lease holder.