Councillors to decide fate of golf course

Opponents to the proposed sale of half a picturesque seaside golf course for housing are calling on councillors to throw the idea out.

The New Plymouth District Council is holding an extraordinary meeting today to adopt – or not – a draft document on the 10 year plan that is to go out for public feedback next month.

Reducing the Fitzroy golf course to nine holes and selling the land for residential housing is the number one issue council wants feedback on.

The options are starkly laid out: sell half of the land leased by Fitzroy Golf Club to raise $40 million for ‘‘flagship projects’’, incur an additional 3.7 per cent rates increase to borrow the $40m, or go without any new flagship projects.

The idea of selling the golf club land has already proved highly controversial.

The club has stated its legal advice is the proposal is not possible because they have a right to renew the lease until 2044.

And intend to do so, club president Mike Earley said.

The land use of the golf course is also designated reserve, which requires the consent of the Minister of Conservation to change, before it can be sold for housing.

Last week Mayor Neil Holdom said the council wouldn’t propose something that wasn’t possible, however the consultation document doesn’t say how these issues would be mitigated.

Retired Environment Court commissioner Paul Catchpole wrote a letter to councillors asking them to throw out the proposal.

‘‘If allowed to continue the proposal will inevitably end up costing the council considerable amounts of money. Legal opinion...is that the Golf Club have an inherent right to a renewal of their lease subject to the fact that the land remains required for its current purpose, which it is.’’

Following a public meeting at the golf club last month a steering committee was set up, co-chaired by ‘‘concerned resident’’ and Taranaki Regional councillor Craig Williamson and lawyer Karen Venables to try and prevent the project going ahead.

Both have written to councillors over the issue, with Williamson asking them to ‘‘kick this nonsense into touch’’.

Venables, Williamson and Earley will each make a presentation to the council before it discusses the draft proposal today.

A Facebook page called Save Fitzroy Golf Club and Recreational Reserve called the draft document the ‘‘worst’’ long term plan consulting document ‘‘that has ever been mooted by the NPDC’’.

And a petition against selling the land had 1700 signatures yesterday.

Councillors will decide whether to release the draft plan as it is today.

Should the golf course be sold, land sales would bring in $5 million in 2018-2022, the draft document states.

From 2021 to 2023 development and land sales at Weka St in Fitzroy would bring in a further $5m and the development and sale of half of the Fitzroy golf course would bring in $30m between 2023 and 2028.

Half of the $40m would go towards funding ‘‘flagship’’ projects and the other half would be put into long term land development that would earn ‘‘future cash for future flagship projects’’, the draft plan states.

If the council had to borrow the $40m it would mean an additional rates rise of 3.7 per cent to repay the debt.

The consultation document also says rate increases, on average over the 10-year plan, are expected to range from 3.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent, with a cap at 5 per cent.

The preferred option stated in the report is to create new funding through land sales development for flagship projects.

The only flagship project mentioned is extending the Coastal Walkway from Bell Block to Waitara.

Also in the draft plan is the proposal to increase the Uniform Annual General Charge and the Uniform Annual Roading Charge, which haven’t increased for 10 years.

And $15m has been put aside in case the decision is made to introduce water meters in 2023.