Fight to save Takapuna camping ground

Supporters of the Takapuna Beach Holiday Park say 'the tide is turning' in favour of keeping it. File photo / Janna Dixon

Plans for a high-performance sailing centre on a Takapuna Beach reserve in Auckland have drawn solid opposition from those trying to keep the site as a camping ground.

Resource consent applications for the $8.3 million world-class facility on the North Shore have been open to public submissions since last month and Yachting New Zealand opened a "pop-up shop" to explain the proposal.

"We've found that once people do understand that we are proposing something which fully complies with the reserve management plan they are comfortable with it," YNZ chief executive Dave Abercrombie said.

The centre's plan calls for the removal of 38 trees and demolition of the 80-year-old waterfront camping ground's buildings and roads.

But Mr Abercrombie said people connected with the plan once they realised that it was not yachties trying to get rid of the camping ground - that decision having been made by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board in its 2013 reserves management plan.

However, a Facebook page dedicated to rallying support for keeping the camping ground had so far nearly 11,000 likes, page co-organiser Jan Gopperth said.

She knew of about 200 people who said they would make submissions to a hearing of the resource consents bid, probably held in June or July.

A last-minute flurry of submissions was expected before today's 5pm deadline for public submissions.

"I have seen excellent, well thought-out views of people from all walks of life, including sailors, long-time residents and campers," said Ms Gopperth.

"I think the tide is turning in favour of keeping the iconic camping ground."

Auckland Council said it would release the number of submissions later this week.

The promoters and finance raisers for the training facility, the Harbour Access Trust, scaled back earlier plans.

It now proposes a single-storey building set into the corner of Alison and Earnoch Avenues, covering 8.4 per cent of the reserve and allowing for a roof garden for a public viewing area.

Meanwhile, the Takapuna Beach Holiday Park's summer season went "extremely well", said park proprietor Marius Rothmann, considering its Auckland Council landlord allows it only a month-to-month rental.

In December, the park had 3372 guests and it had 3898 in January, 3200 in February and 3298 in March.

"Half of guests were from New Zealand and half from overseas - and they spent a lot of money in the local area."

• View the resource consent application here