Bayswater landmark’s redevelopment moves closer

Boating club floats new plan for heritage building

The revitalisation of a heritage boating-club building at Bayswater is a step closer after Auckland Council last week signed off on moves towards loosening legislation gov erning its use.

The Takapuna Boating Club is looking to expand its operations back to its original site in Bayswater, in an ambitious plan to renovate a dilapidated local landmark.

The club hopes to use the lower two floors of the wooden Bayswater boathouse, and look for a commercial tenant, such as a cafe or restaurant, for the top floor.

Borough Council.

Watts is sponsoring a local bill to amend the 1923 act.

With council sign-off secured, he expects to get it on the legislative programme before this year’s general election.

Community use is also to be part of the plan, which includes decking over a silted-up saltwater pool to provide walkway access from the marina area to a waterside reserve to the north.

Its owner, the Takapuna Boating Club, wants to restore the building and lease some of it out, partly as a cafe or restaurant, making its restoration and long-term future more viable.

But to do so, conditions enshrined in a 1923 Act of Parliament restricting the building’s use to boating and community purposes need to be changed.

Club vice-commodore James Jordan told the Flagstaff the club was keen to bring sailing back to Bayswater, in addition to its existing activities off The Strand at Takapuna Beach.

“We believe it’s our responsibility to return the club to what it was,” he said. “[The building] can never be repeated.”

“This is a real step further,” club commodore James Jordan said.

Jordan said fundraising would be needed to meet an expected cost of $750,000 to get the building up to standard. Most of that would be spent on rebuilding three levels of decks and exterior repainting. Having been reroofed over a decade ago and rid of asbestos and pigeons, it was in better shape inside than outside, he said.

Renovations to the heritage-listed boathouse could cost up to $2 million and would likely be done in stages as money allowed, said Jordan. The building was structurally sound. Its exterior could not be altered, but interior alterations could be undertaken.

A community meeting in the next month or two would inform locals about plans and seek feedback. “We’ve got to get some ideas for it.”

This could include using the building’s middle level for meeting space, available for community use.

Ideas mooted several years back to sell the building were “completely off the table”, he said, with the club now keen to work with the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and the community on enhancing it.

Brighter future... Auckland Council has backed a law change to allow different uses of the heritage boat-club building at Bayswater

Jordan credited both North Shore MP Simon Watts and the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board for their help in advancing the matter.

Due to the building’s complicated legal history, dating back to a 1923 Act of Parliament, the club has had its hands tied in renting out the building for gain. Use for boating and bathing rooms and as a social hub was allowed for.

But North Shore MP Simon Watts has brokered a possible solution, working with political advisers and the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives to come up with a draft legislative change. If passed, this would allow the club to generate revenue to properly maintain and upgrade the building.

North Shore ward councillors Chris Darby and Richard Hills put the motion to the council governing body last month.

The council is involved because the original legislation names what were then the Auckland Harbour Board and the Takapuna

Jordan said the club was keen to bring more boating and sailing back to Bayswater, which was its original home base. Although tides were a factor limiting the scope of sailing from there, it was a good location for the growing sports of foiling and kiteboarding. A windsurfer hire company already operated from the building.

Until the 1950s, the boating club was a community hub, hosting dances, and with a now inoperative saltwater swimming pool.

Police investigate after cycle crash in Vauxhall Rd

It is believed a bill to enact the change would need to be sponsored by the body closest to the original vesting entity, which was the Takapuna Borough Council, so it may fall to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board or Auckland Council itself.

Watts last week outlined to four members of the local board and representatives of the boating

Back to the future... Takapuna Boating Club’s Baywater building as it is today (top), and an impression of how it might look after renovation (above) club that it would likely take around a year to get a bill through select-committee processes if it attracted cross-party support, as he hoped it would. He was not able to sponsor a local bill, but would do what he could to usher it through.

First, the local board or council would need to notify Parliament of the intention to put the bill forward.

Board chair Ruth Jackson urged the boating

Public Meeting on Crime

with Simon Watts MP for North Shore and guest Simeon Brown MP, Spokesperson for Police club to let Bayswater locals know its intentions. “Nobody wants to see the building fall down,” she said.

Board members present were generally supportive of the idea of the boathouse being revitalised, but wanted advice from Auckland Council’s legal team to better understand the legislation and processes.

A cyclist left in a critical condition after a crash on Vauxhall Rd on Thursday last week remained in hospital in a stable condition early this week.

Police were unwilling to reveal any further details about the incident at 5.45am, near the intersection with Tainui Rd, which led to the road being closed for several hours.

Jordan also outlined the plan to a local-board forum last week, where he said a staged renovation over two or three years was envisaged, once the legislation was changed.

The club, which was looking at setting up a separate trust to run the building, was happy to work with Auckland Council’s heritage team, he said.

“An investigation into the circumstances of the crash is underway. As such, we are unable to respond to your specific questions while this is ongoing,” a police spokesperson said.

The building was originally transported by barge from Panmure. Its roof was replaced in 2011.

Monday 12 July, 7pm The Rose Centre, School Rd, Belmont

Aftermath... police photographing near the accident site last Thursday

Board member Toni van Tonder said, “Everyone shares an aspiration to see this building brought back to life.”

A road bike with its rear wheel missing was propped up in front of Vauxhall Rose Salon, while police photographed the scene.

But member Aidan Bennett noted the “chicken and egg” aspect to getting the project underway. “The community, the council and the Government, all have to be lined up in a row.”

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