Piha cafe fight costs paid

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The Waitakere City Council has been paid for legal costs incurred during the Piha Cafe court case.

A year ago, the Environment Court ordered cafe opponent the Protect Piha Heritage Society to pay $5000 towards the council's costs of defending the society's appeal against resource consents for establishing the cafe.

The court also ordered the society to pay $10,000 to Preserve Piha, the company which built the cafe and opened it nine months ago.

City legal services manager Denis Sheard yesterday said the society paid in full, although it earlier claimed it was insolvent.

The case cost the council $85,000.

Cafe spokesman Andrew Higgs said the company and the society had reached a deal to settle the costs. That deal included not revealing on how much of the award was paid in cash. "We have put it behind us."

Society secretary Ross Barnes said the court's costs award had deterred several other community groups from fighting local body decisions on development bids.