$4m council house seeks new home

North Shore City is selling this Mairangi Bay beachfront house for removal. Photo / Brett Phibbs

New Zealand's most luxurious council house is to be knocked down or trucked off - for the sake of its waterfront site.

The house at Mairangi Bay beach was advertised for sale as "560sq m of luxury living and presented in pristine presentation" when North Shore City Council bought it for $4.1 million in December 2007.

But the council's interest was in adding the 1230sq m site to coastal reserves.

Now, the council wants the site cleared and the house is for sale by tender for removal, demolition or salvage.

The plaster-clad house was well appointed, said Barfoot and Thompson agent Alan Sandrey in Browns Bay.

It has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a European kitchen, high-quality light fittings and a spa room.

Council property development adviser Stuart Bagley said that if the house was not sold for removal, it had many valuable chattels and fixtures that could be salvaged for sale.

The council also paid $3 million for the site next door, excluding the house on it.

This was moved by its owner to a small rural block at Dairy Flat and, after updating work, was offered for sale for between $1.75 million and $2.2 million.

Buying the properties halved the council's stash of developers' reserves contributions at the time and was not supported by all councillors.

The owner of the site planned a large apartment block for it.

"And that was a saving grace for an expensive purchase," said Eastern Bays Community Board chairman David Cooper.

"The last thing we wanted to see was apartments shooting up there."

He supported the council's wish to add to the public reserve.

"Mairangi Bay is a lovely beach and there is not much flat area for public use."

Council parks chairman Tony Holman said plans for using the beachfront reserve would be put to the public next month.

His committee saw expanding coastal reserves as important for retaining the North Shore lifestyle.

"Trends towards increased pressure on coastal environments mean it's essential we act now to protect these natural environs for the future."

City parks manager Martin van Jaarsveld said people were keen to create open space along the coastal walk and over the years the council had bought private beach houses at Takapuna and Browns Bay for reserves.

The council had a "robust" reserves acquisition budget.

"But it does not mean that every time there is a coastal property on the market we'll go for it.

"We have to go through a long assessment to see whether it will add value to the parks network."

Mr van Jaarsveld was unable to say whether the properties were the last of the council's coastal buys before the Super City merger on November 1.

WHAT RATEPAYERS' $4.1M BOUGHT

* 1230sq m land, across Montrose Tce from the beach.
* Plaster-clad house.
* 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms.
* European kitchen.
* High-quality light fittings.
* Wood panelled spa room.
* East Coast Bays house prices range from $1 million to $2 million "for a peep of the sea" and from $2.5 to $4 million for large cliff-top homes, says the Where to Live in Auckland guide book.