By WAYNE THOMPSON
Millionaire businessman Sir Roger Bhatnagar has run foul of the country's premier yachting body over plans to build a jetty for his estate on Kawau Island.
Indian-born Sir Roger, who owns 6.4ha at Smelting Works Bay in Bon Accord Harbour, says he is disappointed that the America's Cup holders, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, are blocking his plans.
"Everyone approved except the squadron," he said. "It owns properties across the bay. It's just property owners trying to protect themselves.
"I have supported the squadron for years. I've given them boats. I help Team New Zealand behind the scenes."
Sir Roger applied to the Rodney District Council for permission to build a 29m jetty with a pontoon berthage for his 17m launch, Enigma. A 61 sq m deck built over the shore would link the jetty and a house yet to be built.
But the squadron's commodore, Peter Kingston, told the council's planning commissioners that Sir Roger would effectively be privatising public space in a popular boatie haven.
The squadron land included the old Lidgard homestead - used for squadron functions - and the Kawau Island Yacht Club premises, a jetty and a slipway.
Mr Kingston said the bay was also full when cruising boats sought shelter. The pontoon would seriously affect the number of boats that could anchor in the protected zone.
But Sir Roger said he did not want to create a disturbance.
He had bought the land in four lots in 1993, and now he wanted to build a Mexican-style Sante Fe open-plan house on one lot. He would visit once a month and wanted to be an active member of the community.
He needed the jetty for access because there were no roads.
The squadron had suggested that their concerns could be met by shifting the jetty from the western edge of Sir Roger's land to the eastern edge, where it would be out of the way and near deeper water.
But Sir Roger said he had asked his architect, Robert Railley, and engineer, Alan Betts, to look for any possible alternative.
"They look at it high tide and low tide, and they say 'you can build it but there's too much hassle - you're going to have to cut a lot of trees.'
"I respect the environment. I don't hurt the trees. I want to live in the bush."
The squadron had suggested a site that required a jetty almost twice as long and one that was more exposed to westerly waves.
It also meant a 400m walk from the boat up a steep hill, or a road costing half a million dollars.
Sir Roger offered to shorten the jetty to the absolute minimum to enable a berth with at least 1.5m depth of water.
"I say to them, if they want to use the jetty ... please go ahead. I'm putting in a helicopter pad."
Mr Kingston said Sir Roger's launch was big enough to withstand the wind or ground swell at the easterly site.
The modifications proposed did not go far enough. The squadron's objection would be met if the jetty was sited on the eastern lot, the jetty limited to 20m, and a condition imposed that it serve all four lots.
Council planners recommended that permission be given but the commissioners reserved their decision.
Millionaire strikes jetty strife
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