Anger at development proposal
An Upper Harbour community is outraged at the possible sale of West Harbour waterfront land for development.
More than 100 residents attended a public meeting in Hobsonville on October 18, in protest of Auckland Council’s proposal to sell land at Hobsonville Marina in West Harbour to the current lessee, Hobsonville Marine Limited (HML).
The meeting was called and chaired by the Hobsonville-West Harbour Residents and Ratepayers Association.
Representatives from Panuku Development Auckland, Albany Ward Councillors, and the Upper Harbour Local Board were present.
At the meeting, Panuku Development Auckland confirmed that HML had approached them to purchase parts of the marina.
However, there are no detailed plans or designs available as the proposal has not yet been approved.
Panuku Development Auckland’s Letitia Edwards said if development were to occur, priorities would include retaining public access and ownership of components of the marina, ensuring land for boat hard standing and no reduction of parking.
There was also an opportunity for improvement of public amenities, such as better transport and a board walk, she said.
Under the Auckland Unitary Plan which is operative in part, Hobsonville Marina was re-zoned as a precinct, which takes precedence over its former primary classification as a Coastal Marina zone.
As residential development is a permitted activity in the precinct, it does not have to publicly notified.
The Residents and Ratepayers Association passed four motions, including objecting to the proposed development and stressing council’s ‘‘moral and ethical obligation’’ to consult with the West Harbour community over the retention of a public asset.
At the Upper Harbour Local Board meeting on October 19, the board moved that it had ‘‘insufficient information’’ to endorse the disposal of - in entirety or part - five marina lots.
Panuku’s chief financial officer David Rankin said before any next steps are taken, the Council’s Finance and Performance Committee would first have to consider whether to make available for sale any part of the land.