Editorial: Fields' rezone didn't add up

Wally Yovich at the Old Boys Rugby ground in Okara which is now saved as a public space after Yovich intervened.

There has always been something about selling off some of Whangarei's sports fields for millions of dollars that didn't seem right.

The sports fields and surrounding land are at Okara, where the Old Boys Rugby Club has been based for many years.

There is no foot traffic - to get there, you need to drive up a long driveway off Port Rd.

It is an elevated, out of the way spot.

In 2008/09, it was deemed to be suitable for more large-scale retailers AKA "big box" or "bulk retail".

The sort of retail outlet that has changed Whangarei's CBD, and not for the better.

In 2009, a conditional sale agreement existed for a $20 million deal.

The land was not zoned for retail. That's because it was sports fields.

The deal raised a few eyebrows - we needed the $20 million because of the district council's debt situation. Time to sell some of the silverware.

But $20 million? That's a lot of money. That deal fell over and another - albeit on different terms - popped up for $10.5 million.

Could the town really sustain more bulk retail outlets without twisting the knife into the town's dying CBD, or robbing Peter at existing outlets to pay Paul at the new ones?

It didn't seem to make sense.

It is irrelevant now, anyway.

Wally Yovich, accountant, philanthropist, commercial property investor and former district councillor, led a charge to stop the Okara land being zoned for retail. And won.

Mr Yovich had also opposed the opening of the Warehouse in 2003, along with father and son team Jack and Greg Guy.

The trio had business interests in the CBD, and were arguing that the Warehouse had not met resource consent conditions. The Warehouse opened anyway.

Last week, though, was different.

It was not only a victory for Mr Yovich and his supporters, it was a victory for common sense.