Brian Rudman: Let's not dither and lose another regional jewel

Only a total grinch is going to attack the Auckland Regional Council for snapping up the 51ha Tuaman property on the Pakiri waterfront to add to the regional park network.

You have to seize your opportunities when you can, or spend the rest of your life regretting - and if you are a politician, being blamed for - that moment of indecision.

Pakatoa Island is a good example. It almost became a jewel in the regional estate 15 years ago when its purchase could have been funded out of petty cash. But the ditherers had their way and it stayed private. Now it's on the market for $35 million and forever out of public reach.

So Pakiri, 25km north of Warkworth and in the path of the relentless drift of humanity north from Auckland, just had to be grabbed before it too became lost to the millionaire beach baches.

And what can you buy for $10.25 million anyway these days? Little more than a kilometre of Alpurt B highway, that's all.

Hopefully the news is good as far as 82ha Rotoroa Island to the east of Waiheke Island is concerned as well. It seems both the politicians and the owners are keen that it should remain a community asset.

Since my recent column about the Salvation Army examining the future of the island after their drug and rehabilitation retreat closes, there's been action. Well, talk of action anyway, by both Minister of Conservation Chris Carter and regional council chairman Mike Lee.

Best of all has been the generous attitude of the Sallies, who want to see this "gift of creation" continue as an "asset to the community".

Major Alistair Herring, who is in charge of reviewing the future of the island, says they do not want it to "fall into the hands of an individual or small number of individuals who would just snub their nose at the rest of the community". He said they're not against "property development per se" but it is not what they want for Rotoroa.

The Sallies are waiting for an independent report on their options, due early February. The brief was that the existing operation was moving on to the mainland, there was a desire to have regard for the public good in any future use, and thirdly, "clearly it is an asset to the Salvation Army and there is an opportunity to realise the asset in one form or other to resource the ongoing work of the Salvation Army as a church and human service provider".

Or in other words, it would be nice to derive some income from this asset to fund the ongoing activities, both worldly and otherwise, of the church.

Mr Herring says while selling is an option, "our preference at the moment is for long-term lease".

Preparing to meet Mr Herring is Mr Chris Carter, who is working with Mr Lee as "a catalyst to bring everybody together to see if we can talk through an outcome that guarantees public access".

Mr Carter's preference is to see the island become part of the public estate to ensure public access and conservation are guaranteed for all time. But he's prepared to look at all options.

One solution, he suggests, is for DoC and/or the ARC to find land on the mainland to swap for the island. He says he's frequently reminded by the Treasurer of the shortage of money for his "iconic" purchases, but under the Conservation Act he has the power to swap land of lesser conservation value for land of higher value.

He has asked DoC to check "surplus" land holdings.

He sees a possible use as a centre for environmental education or for school camps. "I'm prepared to explore a range of options because my objective would be for it to be a public asset and to remain available for public use."

Thanks to the Sallies' community-mindedness, it looks as though for once in a property disposal, the public sector might have the inside running.

Let's just hope the politicians don't use this niceness as an excuse to slack on the job. Breathing down their necks is the private sector.

Major Herring has had a flow of "expressions of interest" since the news broke.

Dithering lost us Pakatoa. We can't have the same happening to big brother Rotoroa.