FORMER LAKE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 255, 27 October 1945, Page 10

FORMER LAKE

WAIATARUA PARK

SUGGESTED SPORTS AREA

The likely purchase by the City Council of 304J acres of land in the suburbs for development as reserves and recreational areas lends interest to a suggestion that the council should consider the development of a property known as Waiatarua Park at the eastern end of Remuera. It is stated that about half of this area is almost perfectly flat and I could, at a very reasonable cost, be converted into the largest sports ground in New Zealand. On the sloping ground from Ladies' Mile, it is considered, there would be ample room for many tennis courts, bowling greens, croquet lawns and other sporting facilities. Tram access would be easy and parking facilities could be provided for hundreds of vehicles. An advantage of the area would, be its central position. When the suggestion was referred to Mr. J. L. Coakley, chairman of the council's parks committee, he recalled that a large portion of the area had been the bed of the old Waiatarua Lake. The matter had been brought up -•t a council meeting earlier this year by Mr. J. W. Kealy. It was stated then that when the lake was drained, the council had been assured that a portion of the lake bed would be allowed to refill, thus forming a smaller lake. Mr. Kealy asked if the time had not now come when this portion of the former lake could be refilled. If the land had not yet, after some 15 years, consolidated sufficiently, he added, was it likely that it would ever consolidate sufficiently to permit the formation of a smaller lake.

The points raised by Mr. Kealy had been referred to the superinten-dent-of-parks for a report.-said Mr. Coakley. This report .had not yet been prepared, but it was worthy of note that about 100: acres of the former lake, area had been leased by the council and the leases would not expire until 1949.