Imagine a regional park on our doorstep! Most regional parks are on the fringes of Auckland, but by uniting Chelsea Estate Heritage Park, Kauri Point Centennial Park and Chatswood Reserve in Birkenhead, we could create a wonderful urban regional park here on the North Shore. And it would come at very little cost as the land is already publicly owned.

The area is steeped in heritage, recreational opportunity and environmental beauty. It has beaches, native bush, open spaces, views over Waitematā Harbour, historic pa sites and heritage buildings.

It could also one day expand to encompass the whole headland by including the defence force land, Kauri Point Domain and Soldiers Bay.

The vision of a regional park on the headland has been around since at least 1997 when the campaign to purchase land from Chelsea Sugar began. In 2009 that idea resulted in the creation of Chelsea Estate Heritage Park, but the work to form a united regional park across the headland was never completed.

One benefit of being a regional park, is that the land is then protected in perpetuity from sale (or having a motorway built through it) under the “Local Government (Auckland Regional Parks) Order 2008”.

I would like to champion this new regional park as your next councillor.

Read more in the attached article from my North Shore Post newspaper that can be downloaded from: www.johngillon.co.nz or let me know if you would like to receive a hardcopy.

– Authorised by John Gillon, john@johngillon.co.nz