KEY POINTS:
The Auckland Regional Council proposes to sell a chunk of land at Pakiri Beach to reduce debt.
ARC parks chairman Sandra Coney said the proposal to sell the 5.1ha plot, which has a house site, would be canvassed during the council's 2007-2008 annual plan consultation.
The land is part of 126ha owned by the ARC in the controversial Arrigato coastal subdivision in northeast Rodney.
The ARC paid $9 million for 10 of the rural-residential sites in December 2005, after owners Richard Kroon and Kim Spencer had companies go into receivership.
The land adjoined 52ha that the council had bought earlier in the month from owners, including boxer David Tua, for $10.25 million.
Ms Coney said the two properties combined would give an unrivalled regional park and protect 3km of the coast, linking Pakiri and the Cape Rodney Marine Reserve (Goat Island).
The council tried, unsuccessfully, to prevent neighbouring land owners Rae Ah Chee and William and Evelyn Chong from getting resource consent for a 590sq m house on the clifftop at the beach.
Yesterday, Ms Coney said the council thought the inland piece of the Arrigato property was surplus to park requirements. "Selling it won't impact on the park or our ability to develop a coastal loop track."
"Any house built on the site will be near the road and won't interfere with views from tracks or the beach.
"We outlayed $20 million on these properties, so getting a bit back is worthwhile."
Ms Coney said the council had to buy the land as one parcel when it came up in a receivership sale.
"When we bought it the council resolved to sell one or more lots if was deemed to be a good idea."
She would not say what the value of the land was now.
The council took out a 50-year loan for Pakiri.
"We want to retire some debt incurred by park acquisitions which we are going to be paying off for some years to come.
"So if we can make that less of a burden on the ratepayers it's all for the better and it puts us in a better position to look at buying other land.
"We are trying to get key pieces of land for parks while it's still not completely out of our financial reach," said Ms Coney. A concept for developing the Pakiri park with full facilities was some years away.
