Media release for immediate use 19 March 2024
BEGINS
Keep Whangaparāoa’s Green Spaces (KWGS) is very pleased with the decision by Auckland Council to publicly notify the Resource Consent application by the owner of the Gulf Harbour Golf Course, Long River Investments. We believe this Application to alter boundaries on the Golf Course was the first step in a plan to sell off holes 2 to 9 to developers.
The Long River plan is for significant additional residential development on the Golf Course land which would destroy the beautiful and significant green spaces that the course currently provides and would also have a major impact on Whangaparaoa’s infrastructure and natural environment, particularly more traffic congestion.
KWGS and its legal team has worked very hard to get to this point and has made numerous submissions to Council over the last four months. KWGS also acknowledges the support of the media, Local Hibiscus Board members and Albany Ward Councillors, John Watson and Wayne Walker.
As a result of this decision, the opportunity exists to formalise opposition to the Long River application and ensure the wider community also makes submissions. KWGS is preparing some talking points to help individuals make submissions. These will be posted to the website www.kwgnz.org and on our Facebook page in the coming days.
In ruling the Resource Consent Application must be publicly notified, the Council appointed Commissioner pointed out the anomaly in Long River’s Resource Consent Application where it was stated that:
“Due to the shape of the land available within New Title 2, it will not be possible to consolidate an 18-hole course routing within that remaining 51.3968 ha. As such, contracts to purchase further coastal land adjacent to the existing golf course on Daisy Burrell Drive (Lot 1 DP 152517) are in place. Once completed the golf course portion of the development will have an increased coastal outlook with a more manageable footprint and will create more opportunities for coastal public access.”
KWGS has pointed out that no such contracts currently appear to exist and if they ever did exist, conditions attached to them have not been met and therefore, they have lapsed. Consequently, the whole rationale for the boundary change is flawed and no longer relevant. KWGS’s position is that the Resource Consent Application should be declined.
This would also be consistent with KWGS’s position that Auckland Council must uphold the 999-year Encumbrance on the Golf Course Land which requires that the land shall be used only for golf course and country club purposes.
Council must insist that Long River submit all Resource Consent Applications for whatever their plan is rather than a piecemeal approach. The community needs to see exactly what is planned and make submissions accordingly. This is particularly important now that we believe the purported deal to buy replacement land to reconfigure an 18-hole course has lapsed.
The requirement to submit all proposed planning consent applications for a proposed development is consistent with established Planning Law. KWGS is concerned that the proposed boundary changes could potentially result in the 2-9 holes being sold off to a third party leaving the remaining 10 to 18 holes unviable as an 18-hole golf course as indeed Long River has admitted in its submissions.
While KWGS will aggressively fight any and all Resource Consent Applications that threaten the Golf Course and its green spaces, the ultimate solution must be for the Auckland Council to state unequivocally that it will never agree to remove or vary the 999-year Encumbrance.
After all, that Encumbrance was put in place on behalf of the Community who have made it very clear that they do not want the Golf Course to be used for more residential or commercial development.
For more information contact Chris Gedye +64 21 380 064
ENDS
Howard Baldwin: comms@kwgnz.org
Visit our website: www.kwgnz.org