Land buy victory for Waiheke Islanders

The "Aucklandisation" of Waiheke Island has been stopped by the Auckland City Council buying the prime coastal gateway at Matiatia.

Fifteen years ago, the council could have got the land for virtually nothing in a land swap and was outbid when Waitemata Infrastructure paid $3.5 million in 2000. Since then, property prices have rocketed on Waiheke Island.

The $12.5 million purchase price, announced yesterday, puts an end to a controversial plan by Waitemata Infrastructure to build a $35 million village of apartments, restaurants, bars and hotel accommodation over 8.7 hectares.

It is a huge victory for the 1000 islanders who formed the Community and People of Waiheke group, to stop the "Aucklandisation" of their slice of paradise.

It is also a victory for Mayor Dick Hubbard, who led the public buyout of the "gateway to Waiheke Island".

"Waiheke Island holds a special place in most Aucklanders' hearts and the land at Matiatia is a vital strategic asset for the island. It is the main arrival and departure point for passenger ferries and the first glimpse of Waiheke Island for visitors from around New Zealand and the world," Mr Hubbard said.

Brian Griffiths, chairman of the Community and People of Waiheke, said islanders would be pleased to see the back of the developers, whose aim was "to return as big a financial return for them as possible".

He said islanders were looking forward to being involved in new plans for the land, which include 3.6ha of prime foreshore land for development, 3.5ha of wetlands to be protected and about 1.6ha of steep land overlooking Matiatia.

To help fund the purchase, the council plans to sell the land overlooking Matiatia, sell a long-term lease for the land that is developed and introduce "full user pays" for carparking at Matiatia. It currently costs $6 a day to park at Matiatia.

It is not clear how much these measures will go towards the $12.5 million purchase price. The council is investigating other funding sources and putting the land in a council-controlled organisation.

The council also has to work through remaining issues with a plan change for the land that has been to the Environment Court, which recommended 10,000sq m of development could take place.

Waitemata Infrastructure, whose shareholders are Bill Birnie, Steve Norrie and Alan Moyes, originally wanted to develop 29,000sq m, later dropping back to 18,500sq m.

After insisting three months ago it would press ahead with the development, director Steve Norrie said in a statement the company recognised the strategic importance of the land to the council and "in that spirit" had agreed to sell.