Ferry company seeking Coromandel deal

By ANNE BESTON

A ferry company is investigating a regular service between Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula but if the deal comes off, it will almost certainly scuttle a long-held dream.

Subritzkyline has been in talks with Te Kouma farmer Ian James over landing rights on his 450ha farm for some weeks, a proposal that might pay enough for the family to shelve their public park dream for good.

Regional council Environment Waikato and Thames Coromandel District Council have been considering the public park idea since it was first mooted by Mr James seven years ago.

In exchange for payment, Mr James would allow public access to his land while remaining living there.

Though a change to Environment Waikato's rules last month would now allow the council to put money in the kitty for the property, Subritzky could get in first.

"Subritzskys are driving it and if it comes to pass we will have another option," Mr James said.

Subritzkyline chief executive Michael Moore would not be drawn on the company's plans but acknowledged it was interested in landing rights at Te Kouma on the farm.

"We are always looking five to 10 years out - we would love to run a service to Coromandel but there is an enormous amount of research, not to mention investment, that would be necessary," he said.

A regular run to Coromandel Peninsula was "logical", he said, particularly in light of the tourism opportunities it might offer.

Ferry company Kawau Kat Cruises ran a service into Te Kouma's Sugar Loaf landing, north of the James' property and which provides an unloading base for the mussel industry, last summer.

One of the company's new owners, Phil Andrew, a former Fuller's Ferries staffer, said that service was "ad hoc" and the company was assessing what it would do there in future.

"We are going to assess what can be done over there but we haven't made any commitment yet."

The shallow waters around the west coast made it difficult for companies eyeing the peninsula as a new market, he said.

Mr James said his property had deep water relatively close to shore.

Time was running out for the family after seven long years of negotiations over the farm, which has 13km of coastline and is a favourite destination for Auckland boaties.

The final option for the family was to subdivide some of the property, valued at $8 million six years ago, but Mr James said that was a last resort.