Stymied Investment Not Good Enough

Far North Mayoral candidate, Laurie Byers, has today exposed how Council has directly caused plans for three major developments to be shelved, and in the process cost the District in excess of $320 million in lost investment.

Mr Byers, “We were told by the current Mayor that he was going to attract all sorts of investment into the District. Unfortunately for the Far North, the reality under his leadership has been very different.”

“The first two projects that Council stymied were a 302-house development worth $250 million, and a 56-house development worth $50 million.”

“To proceed, both projects required Plan changes, which the developers applied for in the appropriate way. Despite advice to the contrary, Council refused to progress the plan changes and turned both applications down.”

“Both applications, as was inevitable, went to the Environment Court. Equally unsurprisingly, the Court found in favour of the applications and awarded each $25,000 of ratepayers’ money.” 

“In his ruling the Judge called Council’s action in these matters as ‘obstructive’. “

“When the issue came back before Council, the current Mayor described one of the developments as ‘another rathole’. This is many miles away from the investment-friendly approach the Value for Ratepayers team had promised. In fact, what they have delivered is the exact opposite.”

“The third development was a major accommodation and commercial development on State Highway 10, four kilometres from Kerikeri. This proposal involved a $25 million investment and the provision of high-end accommodation that Kerikeri so desperately needs.”

“Again Council seems to have gone out of its way to make things difficult. The developer has told me it has already cost him more to try and get consents than it did to buy the land.”

“On the recommendation of a consultant planner from Warkworth, the resource consent for the project was turned down on the basis that it was too large and out of keeping with land which is zoned rural production.”

“What this means is the message we are giving potential investors is that on sites like this you can build an 80 bail rotary cow shed, a fertiliser works or a packing shed, but not a modern, very attractive accommodation and retail estate. This is crazy, and needs to be fixed.

“Council’s decision is currently also under appeal to the Environment Court.”

“If the District Plan is going to be applied in this way then we need to change it. The district plan is a tool that is supposed to manage sustainability while encouraging development and sustainability. Instead it is being used as a blunt tool to make it difficult.

“We need to make it as easy as possible for potential investors to deal with Council. Before the last election we proposed the establishment of a business navigator within Council. Unfortunately this hasn’t been properly implemented. I believe such a role needs to sit within the Mayor’s office and be a senior position. That is what I will do.”

“We have wasted three years on false promises to develop our District. The three examples I have raised prove that it is simplistic for Council to hide failings behind the recession. I hope that on 9 October we are not condemned to wasting three more years. If I am granted the privilege of serving as Far North Mayor, I will hit the ground running and not waste a minute,” Laurie Byers said