Uproar over timing of Ryman consent

A Wellington residents’ group is up in arms over Ryman Healthcare’s decision to apply for resource consent for its proposed Karori retirement village during the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.

But the aged-care giant insisted it was not a strategic move, and that it had consulted ‘‘more widely on this project more than any other’’ in its history.

The company said there was a ‘‘very long waiting list of Karori people who are anxious to become residents of the village’’ who were urging Ryman ‘‘to get on with it’’.

However, Responsible Development Karori described lodging the application during the lockdown as ‘‘morally reprehensible’’ as affected locals could not gather to discuss and prepare submissions.

The group was rallying Wellington mayor and Karori local Andy Foster, and the Wellington

City Council, to halt the application while the lockdown is in place, president Andrew Cooper said.

‘‘To land this application on the community at this time is morally reprehensible in our view. [Responding] requires a concerted effort from the community.’’

Plans for the ‘‘comprehensive’’ elderly care facility at 26 Donald and 37 Campbell streets take in 3.05 hectares.

Ryman bought the former Victoria University site for $28 million in late 2017 to build a rest home, hospital and dementia care unit.

‘‘Councils are still required to process consents during the lockdown and we do not believe lodging it during this time will alter their timeline. Processing consents is considered an essential service during the lockdown,’’ a company statement read.

The village represented an investment of more than $200 million into the Wellington economy and would provide more than 300 construction jobs, Ryman said.