A pedestrian overbridge across the Northern Motorway between Smales Farm bus station and AF Thomas Park and Eventfinda Stadium is being sought as part of the area’s recreational makeover.

Kaipātiki Local Board chair Danielle Grant told the Observer the board wanted council to ask the New Zealand Transport Agency to look at the idea, which would also link public transport to the job-rich industrial area around Porana Rd in Wairau.

Grant said the idea was just one of the “excellent opportunities” thrown up by decisions on the park’s future made by the board last month, which included retaining golf as a priority use of the park in the area not needed for flood-mediation wetlands, and spelling out other recreational aims.

She hoped the overbridge concept would catch the public’s imagination, helping push the case for NZTA funding. It could be similar to that connecting the Akoranga station to AUT.

Auckland Council will now scope out a masterplan for the 46ha park, including the large portion to be managed by Healthy Waters, after the board – as local land leaseholder – determined its future recreational priorities.

In community consultation last year, 5359 submissions were made, favouring mostly golf use of the recreational area, closely followed by those wanting an even split.

“We want to use every metre of AF Thomas Park for the best possible results for sport and the environment,” Grant said.

The board, which also made a “fit for purpose” indoor sporting and events facility as another top priority for the park, had involved council’s events and stadium arm Tataki early to help with big picture input, she said. This might consider Eventfinda’s location and height on its flood-prone car-park site and possible expansion to cater for a shortage of indoor courts.

The stadium, home of Harbour Basketball and gymnastics, was put out of action by the January 2023 floods and repeat floods could make reinsurance prohibitive.

“The local board wants to see a resilient facility that has a long-term future,” Grant said. The board also told council it wanted Shore Archery and Sunnybrae Bowling Club to remain as park leaseholders, walking and cycling pathways provided, and the creation of at least two new playing fields.

Older and younger children’s play, exercise and fitness equipment and dog walking and others sports should be looked at too.

“There’s a lot of work for staff to do, but we think we’ve struck a really good balance for what all the community wanted,” Grant said.

Feedback had been positive and compromises had been needed, she said.

The playing fields would be for bookable use, rather than tagged to one particular club, given the shortage of fields across the North Shore.

Grant said the idea was to dig once at the park, so resource consents, detailed design and the masterplan all needed to fit together.

“We’re trying to bring everyone to the table to start this detailed planning from day one.”

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