KEY POINTS:
Developer Landco says it has run up a bill of more than $5 million trying to satisfy council qualms about a housing proposal for the rural backdrop to Long Bay Regional Park.
Giving evidence to the Environment Court yesterday, Landco chief executive Greg Olliver said the company was forced to hire expert advice and analysis to prepare an alternative structure plan to one produced by the North Shore City Council.
Landco owns 178ha or three-quarters of land zoned for housing in the council's structure plan and is one of four parties appealing against the council's plan.
Mr Olliver said Landco had undertaken the full analysis required by the district plan, investigating geotechnical, ecological, archaeological and landscape features - before the council's work.
This meant Landco's plan had been tested for feasibility and quality of development, and would produce what the market wanted.
Urban planning was in an early stage in New Zealand, he said, so Landco had tried to avoid learning by making mistakes, and had urban planner James Lord of San Francisco devise a development which would give "iconic vistas" to residents and visitors and a low density of dwellings, averaging 7.5 a hectare.
The council's plan would remove the opportunity to create something special and different, and no prudent developer would risk its money and reputation on it.
"It has all the hallmarks of delivering 'more of the same' ad hoc and piecemeal development as occurs in other parts of North Shore City," Mr Olliver said.
Large lots proposed by the council were liable to be cut up in an ad hoc way.
Its plans for higher-density dwellings around the village centre would fail because the centre lacked the substance to attract that density.
Other parties wanted buffers between development and the regional park, as well as limits on development of land within sight of the park.
The company's experts argued against the need for these on such a large scale.
For Landco, Alan Galbraith, QC, said the council was wrong to to suggest that a rural backdrop was required by the 1996 Environment Court decision on extending metropolitan urban limits at Long Bay.
"The court's ruling clearly anticipates that unless land is acquired the park will not be fully protected and that some adverse visual effects can be anticipated and are acceptable."
In 2001, the city council and the Auckland Regional Council bought 44.5ha from Landco, partly to avoid adverse visual effects on the park.
The city now wanted to protect further land from development, but without compensation.
