Media Release

Wednesday 8 July 2009

Te Arai Coastal Development           

Rodney District Council has accepted the recommendations of Independent Commissioners not to permit the development of a coastal settlement at Te Arai.

The Council delegated the hearing of submissions on a proposal by Te Arai Coastal Lands Trust to change District Plan zoning to allow the development of a coastal holiday settlement/ recreation area to Independent Commissioners Les Simmons, Bill Smith and Conway Stewart.

The Trust originally proposed a development involving 1,400 households, but later scaled this back to 850 and then 180 homes.   The proposal included a boutique thermal spa, golf course, visitor facilities and coastal park and campground. 

A total of 1,724 submissions were received on the Trust’s proposal, with the large majority of submissions opposing the proposal and only 58 submissions supporting the development. 

The Commissioners report states that, “the Parkiri – Te Arai coastline is unique on the east coast if the Auckland Region, and even on a total regional scale is rare.”

The Commissioners noted that the site was highly valued by local residents and people who lived outside of the area as a special place with an undeveloped, remote character. 

The report identified the “significant ecological values” of the Te Arai site and noted that it provided a habitat for endangered and threatened species such as New Zealand fairy tern and the New Zealand dotterel.

At a meeting last week, Rodney District Council decided to accept the Commissioner’s recommendations to reject the Trust’s proposal for a Private Plan Change. 

The Council noted in making their decision that the Commissioners had carefully considered the evidence for and against allowing development and came to the conclusion that the adverse effects associated with the development could not be adequately mitigated without negatively affecting the special character of the Te Arai coast.

The Trust and submitters to the Plan Change have 30 working days in which they can appeal the decision.

ENDS

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