Board member Anne Stewart-Ball resigns over Tairua skatepark backdown

Skatepark supporters at the Thames-Coromandel District Council in December 2020 where the council signed off on funding. Photo / Alison Smith

A community board member has resigned, citing the impact on her "integrity, ethics and honesty" from an announced backdown on building a skatepark in Tairua.

Tairua Pauanui Community Board member Anne Stewart-Ball made the decision after the Thames-Coromandel District Council announced it would seek to start again with consultation on the Tairua skatepark.

"The press release on the Tairua skatepark suggests that 'what was the point' about attending meetings and workshops [over] the past 18 months, reading reports, researching background information and listening to all views and reading letters from all views," Stewart-Ball said.

"Passing recommendations from community board to council shows that that was a waste of energy and time.

"I am leaving wondering how many other recommendations we have passed over the past 18 months that the board will also be asked to revoke? The whole process is showing how little regard is given either to our communities or to community board."

The resignation took effect last Wednesday.

A group opposed to a skatepark has threatened to take TCDC to a judicial review over the process of establishing a long-awaited skatepark on Cory Park Domain.

Announcing the legal challenge, the mayor, Sandra Goudie, said the council would still back down and start again with the process, including a fresh round of consultation.

Construction on the skatepark was due to have begun next month.

"Irrespective of what the society decides to do, council and the community board will be asked to consider a staff report at their May meetings, recommending that all previous decisions relating to the skatepark at Cory Park be revoked and that the council starts the process afresh," said the mayor.

"This process would be run from the council's Thames office and the final decision made by council."

The Preserve Cory Park Domain Incorporated Society launched its legal challenge on March 11 and will not comment.

This came after the Tairua-Pauanui Community Board resolved at its February 17 meeting that the skatepark project could proceed at the domain, following a process throughout 2020.

Councillors Terry Walker and Gary Gotlieb were not made aware of the announcement prior to it being made public.

The decision was presented at a behind closed doors workshop, with several councillors, including Gotlieb who represents the Coromandel's South East ward, not present.

"I find this proposed action to reconsider to revoke decisions made as a step backwards and flies in the face of what democratic decision mean," said Councillor Walker.

"The Community Board is unanimous in support for Cory Park, council also unanimously supported Cory Park.

"Care was taken to follow process and tick all the boxes.

"The community contributed a third of the funds to build the skate park.

"This back-door dealing does nothing for the reputation of council and its staff," he said.
"Council's role is to make balanced decisions and support and defend those decisions for its ratepayers and residents to the end."

Gotlieb said it was concerning that councillors had been informed of court proceedings being issued, by way of a public statement on April 20.

"As councillors we need to know what has actually occurred. I am also concerned that there was not communication to advise the community board members who were also left in the dark. This is quite unacceptable.

"Quite frankly the process that has happened here is not good enough."