Northland residents battling Butterfly Bay proposal

Far North residents are battling a proposal by an American company to build a major resort at a Northland bay famed for its butterfly population.

San Francisco-based Cerulean Properties has sought resource consent to develop a spa resort for 229 guests at Butterfly Bay, near Tauranga Bay and the Whangaroa Harbour entrance. Butterfly Bay provides sanctuary to one of the largest monarch butterfly populations in Australasia.

Public submissions to the Far North District Council (FNDC) and Northland Regional Council closed yesterday with nearly 50 submissions sent to the council's Kaikohe office alone.

"The majority of submissions were in opposition on ecological grounds and because of the pure scale of the development," an FNDC spokesperson said.

Cerulean Properties wants to carry out earthworks, install sewage pipes and discharge up to 219cu m of reject water per day to the coastal marine area via a desalination plant.

A hearing date has yet to be set.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)