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A battle is brewing over the future of a significant piece of Auckland Council owned land alongside the Weiti River, with selling it for development one of the options.
The land, pictured, is in the hands of CCO Auckland Council Property Ltd (ACPL) and was earmarked for disposal – a decision that was made by Auckland Council.
However, Council planners have recently indicated that they would like it to be retained as open space and this possibility is also finding favour with the community.
The 0.8506ha piece of land at 36 Hibiscus Coast Highway extends from the road right down to the banks of the river and local residents say it would make an ideal picnic spot and location for walkways and recreation.
Silverdale resident and former Silverdale Area Business Association president, Lorraine Sampson, who has started a beautification group for the area, is leading the charge for its retention for the community.
She says she was pleased to see that Auckland Council planners had noted the importance of retaining it in their draft Silverdale Plan – a document designed as an overarching guide to the future development of the area (HM May 6).
That document describes the land as “a strategically located piece of undeveloped land that can readily add to the open space network in Silverdale”. It says retaining the land at 36 Hibiscus Coast Highway as open space is one of Council’s short-term goals.
In a report to the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board last month, ACPL said that a decision about the future of the property is currently on hold, pending the completion of the Silverdale Plan, which should be approved by the local board in August.
