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Keep Whangaparāoa’s Green Spaces (KWGS) representatives delivered a petition to Auckland Council’s Planning Environment and Parks Committee on February 15, calling for Gulf Harbour Country Club’s (GHCC) open space zoning to be retained.
The petition garnered 4600 signatures over a four-week period, with petitioners expressing concerns about strained infrastructure and dwindling green spaces.
Property developer Greg Olliver purchased the golf course in mid-2021, and last July abruptly closed operations.
Four months later, GHCC owners Long River Investments applied for resource consent to alter the boundaries of the course, effectively splitting the 89 hectare property into two, with the intention of selling one portion comprising around 42 percent of the total.
Presenting the petition to the committee, KWGS secretary Owen Paterson said people made Gulf Harbour their home because of the protection of an encumbrance signed between GHCC and council in 2006, protecting the site as open space for 999 years.
“Council must not back away from its responsibilities to people who have relied on the encumbrance by allowing one person to pursue an entirely improper purpose, for purely personal gain, to the detriment of the community,” Paterson said.
Paterson told the committee that when Olliver purchased the property “warning bells rang”.
As the committee may be the future decision makers over any development applications, chair Richard Hills said councillors were unable to debate the matter.
Cr Wayne Walker affirmed that the encumbrance meant council needed to act on behalf of the community.
Following his presentation, Paterson said the lack of reply from councillors was expected.
He told Hibiscus Matters that if council fails to uphold the encumbrance, KWGS would lodge a judicial review with the High Court.
