6 October 2023 
 
 
Melissa Laing 
[FYI request #23792 email]   
 
 
Dear Ms Laing 
 
Thank you for your request dated 11 August 2023 under the Official Information Act 1982 (the 
Act), requesting the following information from Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities: 
 
‘We are reaching out to you to request copies of any research – including feasibility 
studies and business cases – that your organisation has commissioned, produced, or 
holds copies of on the future and current uses of the Avondale Racecourse in Auckland.’ 
 
I have consulted with relevant Kāinga Ora staff and I can advise you that following the 
publication of the Messina Report, Kāinga Ora commissioned several documents as normal due 
diligence from 2019 to 2021.  
 
These documents are listed in the accompanying table and were produced to determine the 
feasibility of developing the Avondale Racecourse, if its current owners, the Avondale Jockey 
Club (AJC), were to have proceeded with the sale of the site at the time. It is important to note 
that as at the date of your request, Kāinga Ora, while being open to discussions, has not 
received an indication from the AJC that it is intending to sell the Avondale Racecourse.  
 
For privacy, some lines and sections with these documents being provided, have been withheld 
under section 9(2)(a) of the Act, ‘to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of 
deceased natural persons…’ This includes signatures, mobile phone numbers, and contact 
information of third parties, in addition to maps identifying the specific locations of Kāinga Ora 
properties in and around Avondale. 
 
I do not consider that the public interest in release of the withheld information outweighs the 
need to withhold it. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman 
of this response. Information about how to make a complaint is available online at 
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phone on 0800 802 602. 
 
Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases our responses to official information requests 
where possible. Our response to your request may be published at https://kaingaora.govt.nz/ 
publications/official-information-requests/ with your personal information removed. 
 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
 
Rachel Kelly 
Manager Government Relations 
 
 

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OIA Document table – Avondale Racecourse – Melissa Laing (via FYI) 
Request: ‘We are reaching out to you to request copies of any research – including feasibility 
studies and business cases – that your organisation has commissioned, produced, or holds 
copies of on the future and current uses of the Avondale Racecourse in Auckland.’ 
 
In 
Redaction 
Document Name 
Notes 
scope 
Reason  
 
Redacted in part.  
180919 - Avondale Racecourse 
 
1) 
Concept Framework with 
Yes 
Property addresses and 
s9(2)(a) 
Schedules 
locations on maps of state 
 
houses. 
Redacted in part.  
Planning Report on the Urban 
 
2) 
Development Bill - 7 February 
Yes 
s9(2)(a) 
Kāinga Ora Property 
2020 
addresses. 
Redacted in part.  
 
20201203 Infrastructure 
3) 
Yes 
Signatures, property 
s9(2)(a) 
Assessment  
addresses and locations on 
maps of state houses. 
Redacted in part. 
20201203 Appendix A - 
 
Avondale Development 
3.1) 
Yes 
Signatures, property 
s9(2)(a) 
Assessment - Geotechnical 
addresses and locations on 
Desktop Report  
maps of state houses. 
Redacted in part. 
 
Signatures, third party 
20201203 Appendix A - 
contact information, property 
Avondale Development 
3.2) 
Yes 
addresses (excluding current 
s9(2)(a) 
Assessment - Land 
and former petrol stations, 
Contamination Desktop Report 
and Avondale Racecourse 
addresses) and locations on 
maps of state houses. 
Redacted in part. 
20201203 Appendix A -
 
Avondale Development 
Signatures, third party 
3.3) 
Yes 
s9(2)(a) 
Assessment- Civil and 
contact information, property 
Infrastructure 
addresses and locations on 
maps of state houses. 
Redacted in part. 
20210302 Avondale 
 
4) 
Racecourse Development 
Yes 
s9(2)(a) 
Signatures and locations on 
phase 2 work Report FINAL 
maps of state houses. 
No redactions 
CBRE Housing Assessment 
aside from 
Excerpt of report relevant to 
5) 
Avondale November 2020 
Yes 
information out of 
the Racecourse. 
[Excerpt] 
scope of Avondale 
Racecourse. 
 
 

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