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There is growing concern that a large subdivision on Black Swamp Road will further splinter Mangawhai’s commercial centres and could adversely impact the already threatened fairy tern.
Cabra Mangawhai and Pro Land Matters Company submitted a private plan change application (PPC85) to Kaipara District Council in December, which is expected to be discussed by council this Wednesday, June 25. If accepted, PPC85 will be publicly notified next month, when a copy of the application will be made available.
In a preliminary presentation to council in 2023, the company said it hoped ultimately to subdivide its 27 hectares, on the corner of Black Swamp and Raymond Bull Roads, for medium and low-intensity residential, plus some commercial and retail development, possibly in conjunction with a piece of separately-owned adjacent land of around 30 hectares.
It was envisaged the sites would be around 500-plus square metres – “not apartments or anything like that”. The likely number of homes across the two sites would be around 600.
Independent consultant planner for the applicants Burnette O’Connor said last week the area was seen as a logical further development extension and node to Mangawhai.
“The plan change is seeking a range of urban zoning for the land to integrate existing development and provide a range of living opportunities on the eastern side of the harbour,” O’Connor said.
“A range of residential densities and some small-scale local commercial activities are proposed, along with walkway connections, harbour-edge ecological enhancement and measures to protect avi-fauna and road upgrades.
“Rather than a conventional subdivision catering solely for residential use with little design harmony, it is considered that the site lends itself to a masterplan approach. We consider such a direction provides an opportunity to contribute to the managed strategic growth of Mangawhai, while protecting the character of this part of the district from further fragmentation and ad hoc development. It also allows for staging and delivery and, therefore, enables budgeting for necessary infrastructure.
“The aim is to ensure that this area is well-planned and integrated into the settlement of Mangawhai, rather than become a series of small subdivisions, undertaken over time that lack connectivity to each other or to existing infrastructure and amenities.”
However, residents’ group Mangawhai Matters has told its supporters that while it is not anti-growth, any growth should be managed to keep the area’s character and to maintain green spaces, walkways and cycleways, and include high quality stormwater systems to protect the harbour.
“The last three plan changes have allowed for around 2000 more sections in Mangawhai, which does not include all the smaller developments that are approved under the radar,” chair Doug Lloyd said. “We believe this could account for possibly another 200 sections.
“The Black Swamp Road development will be like a satellite village with its own commercial area, which wants to connect to the existing sewerage scheme.
“The community can’t cope with this extra volume until there are major improvements to infrastructure and amenities.”
Lloyd said that three years ago, the Northern Transport Alliance stated that Mangawhai’s roads could only cope with 850 more houses.
“With the three plan changes already approved, we have almost three times that number of sections
already available.
“Mangawhai Matters will be fighting to prevent this development from progressing and supports council’s plan to encourage development at Hakaru [instead].”
Meanwhile, the latest NZ Fairy Tern Trust newsletter said that trust members recently met the Black Swamp developers to talk about their concerns, which were broadly about water quality, disturbance and predators impacting the terns’ feeding and breeding habits.
The trust wants strict earthwork and sediment controls, and ongoing monitoring of stormwater, run-off and wastewater to ensure no contaminants entered the estuary.
They are recommending that there be no boat launching facilities from the site to limit disturbance to fairy tern foraging.
“We support a proposed ban on cat ownership for new residents and the suggested ‘grandfather’ clause for existing properties, and the proposal that dogs must be confined to their own properties through fencing or electronic control, and must be on leash at all times when walked,” a spokesperson said.
“We would like to see an overall predator control programme over the entire property with owners encouraged to take an active part in monitoring their own properties.”
