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The Matakana Community Group (MCG) has made a shock bid to buy Matakana Country Park, submitting a last minute tender of $6.25 million just before the deadline on Thursday, December 7.
The idea to try to secure the 20-hectare site is the brainchild of MCG member Chelsea de Berry, who believes the park could provide a vital second commercial precinct, a social hub and a valuable green space for Matakana as the village continues to expand.
MCG chair Simon Barclay revealed the unexpected move at the group’s monthly meeting last Thursday evening. Only a handful of members and residents were present and, when he first announced that park vendor John Baker might be keen for the community to buy the property, the initial response was laughter.
He admitted that it would be a hugely difficult task and would require wealthy investors, community backing and many complex legal hoops. However, after talking with Warkworth lawyer Lucy Smythe and discovering that a non-binding tender could be submitted, they thought it was worth a try.
“I just think it would be a marvellous opportunity if we could get it together,” Mr Barclay said. “If we could do this, and there was a way to fund it, it would be an amazing outcome for the community to own that land for posterity.”
After discussions with Bayleys agent Mark Macky, he put in a tender for $6.25 million on the basis that, if accepted, the MCG did not have to pay a deposit, the group would have unfettered access to the property, they would have the ability to market it to potential investors, and there would be six months due diligence.
“We wouldn’t be liable for anything,” he said. “It would be a six month window to find opportunities and benevolent investors, and to see if the community was supportive in providing a green space for all forever.”
Apart from funding, one of the other sticking points could be that there are 10 separate lots on the site, each with diverse covenants
“It’s a bit of a legal nightmare,” Mr Barclay said. “One of those things where every time you turn over a stone, you find something nasty underneath it, which means it’s very hard for most people to buy (all of) it.”
He added that everything had happened in a huge hurry, and it was uncertain whether they could make it happen, or even if their tender would be accepted, but he ventured that there was no downside in having a go.
Mark Macky says that “a good number” of tenders were received and that John Baker would be looking at them over the weekend, as Mahurangi Matters went to press.
“He will be considering his position and we hope to have a decision in the next few days,” he says.
He was unable to reveal exactly how many tenders had been submitted, and whether they were for the whole site or individual lots, or if Mr Baker might be inclined to look favourably on the MCG offer.
“But I think it’s fair to say that the vendor has done a brilliant job for the community for many, many years and he’s a community-minded man. However, he’s also got a pretty strategic asset and he’s of retirement age, so he needs to do as well as he can.”
Mr Baker has owned the site since 2003. It is home to a number of different eateries and businesses, as well as an art gallery, bicycle hire, craft shop and jeweller, plus a playground, train rides, equestrian centre and St Andrews Church.
