KEY POINTS:
The Northland iwi behind a development near Mangawhai has its fingers crossed that slashing the proposed number of homes will sway the Rodney District Council in its favour.
Te Arai Coastal Lands Trust has already applied twice for permission for the development, just south of Mangawhai. Now it has cut the number of houses from 850 to 180, hoping it will be a case of third time lucky.
The trust, a joint venture between local iwi Te Uri o Hau and Queenstown developer New Zealand Land Trust, proposes creating a coastal park and building a resort called Te Arai Park in the centre of Mangawhai North Forest.
The beachfront 5km either side of Te Arai Pt would be turned into a coastal park with a camping ground. Te Arai Park would include a thermal spa resort, nine-hole golf course, visitor facilities and homes. A public trail network would be built in the forest.
The trust was granted an adjournment to a district-plan change hearing in July after 1700 submissions were received, almost all opposing the second round of proposals, which cut the number of homes from 1400 to 850.
Commissioners said the trust's promise to consider further reducing the number of houses was crucial in granting the adjournment.
Rodney District Council was assessing the latest proposal and submissions would be heard in March 2009, they said.
The trust plans to employ a ranger, protect shore birds and restore native vegetation. Pets would be banned and predator control programmes put in place.
Te Uri o Hau chairman Russell Kemp said the development would bring significant benefits for the iwi and wider community. It would be built on land acquired by the iwi as part of its Treaty settlement - and like any other property owner, the iwi expected a return from its commercial assets.
The development would allow it to keep a tight rein on the scale of the development, create jobs and be good stewards of the land.
Department of Conservation community- relations manager Reuben Williams said the trust had gone out of its way to minimise environmental impact.
"The amount of effort they've put into the environment is more than we've seen with any other developments in Northland."
He dismissed concerns about the threat to endangered fairy tern at Te Arai Beach, because the development was more than 2km from the birds' breeding area, which was clearly marked with tape.
"It's so difficult to get there by foot or car, the only real threat is from horses or quad bikes. Even in that case you'd have to be a real twit to cross the orange tape."
He said it was in Te Uri o Hau's interests to look after the land because their ancestors were buried there.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
