DOC Confirms Land Purchased in Northland

The Department of Conservation has confirmed that it has purchased a strip of beach front land at Matapouri Bay in a bid to end long standing issues over the boundary between privately owned land and a DOC reserve.

Northland Regional Conservator, Chris Jenkins, said that late last year Cabinet approved the purchase a piece of land belonging to the Ringer family to be added to the adjacent Otito Reserve.

The land purchase price was $3.5m; well below the last agreed valuation of $6m.

Mr Jenkins said the key parts of the deal are that nearly one hectare of prime beachfront land including the waahi tapu known as Whitiroa has been added to the reserve and that the house which currently sits on the property will be removed and a new boundary fence will be built.

He said he was still working through the final detail of the deal with the Ringer family, in consultation with Te Whanau O Rangiwhakaahu Hapu Trust and the community group Friends of Matapouri, both of whom had challenged the boundary in court.

Mr Jenkins said the issue of the exact boundary should have been sorted out by the Crown decades ago, but it wasn’t.

“As a result we ended up with two sides genuinely believing their position on the boundary was correct.
“The proposal the department put forward, which Cabinet accepted, is hoped will put an end to lengthy and divisive court action, and allow all parties to move on.

Ringer Family spokesperson, Val Monk, said that the family was greatly relieved that what had been a hugely stressful and draining issue was hopefully close to being resolved.

“Our family has lived in Matapouri since our grandfather bought the farm here in 1912.

“We hope for the sake of the wider Matapouri Bay community that all parties can now see their way to putting the issue behind them,” she said.