KATE NEWTON
Landowners say development at Ocean Beach would protect the public from "nudists and gay people".
Warwick Hansen, whose wife Juliet is the seventh generation to farm Haupori Station, and Peter West made a combined submission to the Hastings District Council on the third day of the hearing yesterday.
They want development
on the southern end of the beach, an equestrian park in the middle and no development on the northern end.
Mr West said a community would be able to look after the dunes and also keep away a growing problem with nudists and gay people.
"Children on horses are stopped by naked men who grab the reins," Mr West said.
"The sand dunes are littered with these people."
Mr Hansen said he supported just one development rather than a sprawled approach and wanted the baches to be affordable so Hawke's Bay people could buy them.
"Imagine if there was a café at Ocean Beach, if there was a village at Ocean Beach. That's what we are after - a community," Mr Hansen said.
Mr Hansen said people had to get with the times. To illustrate this he explained how he had helped his brother Kevin Hansen organise this year's Horse of the Year show in Hastings. Hotdogs and chips had been enough for the crowds in previous years, he said, but this year there had been complaints that more cafes were needed.
They were looking at providing four next year. Mr Hansen said development at Ocean Beach would be similar to Havelock North and Te Mata Peak.
"You have a village and you have an outstanding landscape," he said.
An equestrian park at the beach would support his horse breeding business.
"This is a vision and passion for Juliet and I and this is our property," Mr Hansen said.
"The world will come and see it."
