Future recreational use of A F Thomas Park

This consultation closed on Sunday 23 November 2025.

Thank you to everyone who shared feedback on the future recreational use of A F Thomas Park. We received more than 5,000 submissions from individuals, organisations and community groups, and also ran a deliberative forum with 40 residents as part of the consultation.

What you told us

Your feedback showed:

• Strong support for a mix of recreation uses
• Strong support for some form of golf offering
• A notable proportion of people preferred mostly non-golf recreation

A community Deliberative Forum also recommended a multi-use park, including:

• A smaller golf offer with a driving range
• Improved walking and cycling connections
• Open green space and recreation opportunities
• A relocated and expanded stadium within the park

For more information on the results of the consultation, you can download a full summary of consultation feedback [PDF 6.6MB] and the deliberative forum’s recommendations report [PDF 1.2MB].

What has been decided

The Kaipātiki Local Board has carefully balanced:

• Community feedback and preferences
• Recommendations from the Deliberative Forum
• Technical advice on recreation needs and open space provision
• The requirements of the Ngā Wairau / Wairau blue-green flood resilience project
• Budget, engineering, and site constraints

On 25 March, the Kaipātiki Local Board voted for space in the park to be used for a mix of golf and other recreation outcomes in the following priority order:

Read more about the decision on Our Auckland and find the full list of board resolutions under the meeting minutes.

What happens next

There is still significant work to do before any changes happen on site.

Next steps include:

• Developing a masterplan for the whole park
• Working through how priorities can be delivered within site constraints
• Establishing a working group with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited for stadium planning
• Identifying future funding options for recreation facilities

Construction for flood resilience works is expected to begin from 2027.

Stay updated

If you would like to receive updates on the flood resilience project, email bluegreen@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to join the mailing list.

Deliberative Forum

As part of the wider engagement on the future recreational use of A F Thomas Park, the project team, along with an independent facilitator, hosted a deliberative forum over three weekends during November.

This involved a representative group of community members who were recruited to participate by a third-party agency. The forum participants reflected the age, gender and ethnic demographics of the North Shore and Albany Wards. At the end of the forum the participants produced a consensus-based report with recommendations to the Kaipātiki Local Board on how they should proceed with decision-making.

The forum members' report is available to read here.

The board has committed to giving the deliberative forum report serious and respectful consideration, alongside all other consultation feedback and technical advice. Taken together, this information will inform the board’s public decision on the future use of A F Thomas Park.

What is deliberative democracy?

Deliberative democracy invites ordinary members of the community into detailed discussions about complex issues or decisions that affect them.

In deliberative forums, a demographically representative panel of community members come together to build their understanding about an issue, weigh up the evidence, identify possible options and deliberate on the priorities. This work helps the forum participants make recommendations that councils or governments can use to inform and support their decision making.

The decision-makers agree in advance that they will listen to, and carefully consider, the suggestions of the panel when they make their decision.

For more information on this process you can email the project team at AFThomasPark@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.