Will public have say on subdivision?

Auckland Council is expected to decide soon whether to publicly notify an application by the owners of the shuttered Gulf Harbour Country Club (GHCC) to have its boundaries changed.

The application is a first step towards selling off almost half of the 89 hectare site. The application had been put on hold as further information was being sought from the applicant.

On the last day of business, December 22, the spokesperson said the application was no longer on hold, but a decision would not be made before the New Year. In its application, Long River Investments said it wanted to subdivide in order to sell off the 42.2 percent of the golf course (37.52 ha) located north of Gulf Harbour Drive.

It said the remainder would be used to redevelop the golf course in conjunction with an adjoining portion of land which it planned to buy. However, the owner of that land, Hopper Developments, denied any plans to sell it and was due to begin earthworks last week to develop the site into an 88-home subdivision.

The shutdown of GHCC last July added fuel to long-held concerns by residents that its owners would seek a rezoning to enable residential development – despite a 999-year encumbrance protecting the open space.

The lobby group Keep Whangaparāoa’s Green Spaces is spearheading a campaign designed to ensure that that does not happen.