Clevedon ready to fight 297-home canal proposal

East Aucklanders are preparing to fight a multimillion-dollar canal-side development that would see their semi-rural village almost double in size.

Developers are likely to be told at a public meeting tomorrow their 297-home proposal at Clevedon will be opposed at every stage.

"They want to build nearly 300 homes on sections the size of tennis courts. It will destroy the community," said Clevedon fireman James Brookman. "The council has gone and hit us with a Dannemora-type development and tried to sneak it through just before Christmas."

Dannemora is an intensive residential subdivision near Howick.

But Derek Presland, who is behind the project, said he hoped the community would support it.

"Five years of work have gone into this now. We're really at the stage where we are past the point of no return.

"We are very confident there is a good market for these [homes] and we feel there are a lot more pluses than minuses."

The proposal follows similar schemes at Pauanui, Whitianga and Matarangi on the Coromandel Peninsula, exclusive enclaves of sprawling homes where boats can tie up virtually at the front door.

The Wairoa River Maritime Village would be 5km northeast of Clevedon on the banks of the river, with a novel "lock" system staffed around the clock to ensure all-tide access.

Mr Presland said four sizeable boats would fit into the lock at any one time and it would take just a few minutes.

The tidal difference at the canal site was 2.7m but the lock system would reduce that to 1m.

The plan would require permission to dredge 40,000sq m of sand outside the mouth of the river and the river itself might need some dredging.

The 123ha site would include a recreational area with wetland and "recreation zone".

Manukau City Council is driving the major change to its district plan the project would require but Mayor Sir Barry Curtis said that was to ensure the public got their say and did not mean he or the council were in favour.