By DANIEL JACKSON
KAIKOHE - A plan to build a regional prison at Ngawha, near Kaikohe, could split the small community as both sides rally for and against the proposal.
The Corrections Department's application for earthworks resource consent for the $80 million medium-security prison has attracted 28 submissions against the plan and 12 in favour.
Most submissions were from people living in the Ngawha or Kaikohe area, although a handful came from outside the region.
The department is seeking consents from the Northland Regional Council for earthworks, diversion of the Ngawha Stream - which runs through the prime building spot - and an access road to the site.
The regional council land management consents officer, Geoff Heaps, said the main concerns were cultural and spiritual matters, the effects on the stream and on the Ngawha Springs next door, discharges from earthworks and landscape issues.
But a submission by Monica Ashby, of the Ngawha Marae Trustees Committee, said it would support the 350-inmate prison if its conditions were met. These included notification of all human remains found, the remedying of any bad effects on the environment and no sewage on the site.
Jim Hihi Taituha said he had initially opposed the prison but "now I see within my own family the difficulties of having inmates transferred to different prisons."
Shayron Beadle, whose property is next to the site and whose tourism business uses the area's thermal activity as a main attraction, was firmly against the proposal.
Her submission was backed by Act MP Muriel Newman, who said the site was not selected by a proper process and "jeopardised the integrity of what could potentially become one of Northland's leading tourism attractions ... a thermal valley which has the potential of becoming Northland's Hanmer Springs."
Mr Heaps said many people had mentioned concerns about the prison itself but these were irrelevant to the council's resource consent process.
"We're not here to make a decision on whether the prison goes ahead or not. That's not the regional council's function."
The council would arrange a meeting with the department and submitters in mid-January to try to resolve as many issues as possible before holding a formal hearing.
"I don't think it will be resolved at a pre-hearing meeting, but at least it will give people a chance to have their say in a more informal setting."
Two parties are already appealing to the Environment Court against the designation of the land for a prison. Those appeals have been put on hold while the department sorts out its remaining resource consents.
Project manager John Hamilton said he expected the opposition.
"We're aware there are a number of people opposed to the prison, so we're not surprised by people making submissions and we'd actually encourage it so people can have their say."
The planning of the prison was about halfway through.
Consultants were now in Northland to assess the training requirements for locals who wished to apply for the estimated 120 jobs at the prison.
Research was also being done into what work prisoners could do while serving their sentences that would not conflict with employment in the community.
Mr Hamilton said the department had received the go-ahead from the regional council to do minor earthworks at the site to test drainage and compaction.
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