New harbour group appeals golf consent
PLANS for a holeinone golf challenge on Otago Harbour have hit a snag after a group made up of nearby residents and businesses appealed its consent.
Last month the Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council granted Dunedin businessman Peter Graham consent to use a small reserve south of the Vauxhall Yacht Club as the base for his golf challenge, kayak and bicycle hire and coffee and food van business.
An appeal against the consent was lodged with the Environment Court on Wednesday by the newly established Otago Harbour Preservation Society.
Society member Johnny van Leeuwen said the group was made up of businesses and residents close to the proposed area who were concerned about the impact the attraction would have on the harbour environment and the restrictions it would place on the use of the area.
‘‘Our biggest concern is the balls and the ball retrieval process. They’re allowed to hit roughly 2500 balls a day, seven days a week, into the harbour and if only one of those balls isn’t retrieved each day for the life of the 25year consent, you do the math; that’s a lot of balls left polluting the harbour.’’
Mr van Leeuwen said the group was not opposed to Mr Graham’s other proposed activities but they were totally opposed to the golf challenge.
‘‘We’re not in the business of wanting to shut people down and we applaud the fact he’s giving it a go but we believe it’s not being done in the right location or environment.’’
The man behind the project says he is still determined to see it through.
Mr Graham said while he was disappointed his consent had been appealed he understood it was part of the process.
‘‘It is a resource consent and that is what the process is for but they are going to have to go away and get better advice than what our professionals and consultants gave us.’’
He was confident the evidence in the application would stand up to closer scrutiny and was adamant the plan would still go ahead.
‘‘It doesn’t deter me at all. I’ve done all I can and been given the consent, so now it’s up to them to prove I’m wrong.’’