The goal is $500,000. If there are donors who would like to give a larger amount to Preserve New Chums for Everyone they can email for information: newchumforeveryone@orcon.net.nz
"Every little penny helps and it's absolutely tremendous what people are saying about their reasons. But there are bigger businesses that could give something."
Among comments on the Give A Little page that has been launched: "NZ is so beautiful. Lets keep it that way for all New Zealanders not just a few who can afford to buy our beach front properties."
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) is working with Preserve New Chums and mana whenua Ngati Huarere ki Whangapoua to bring Wainuiototo and the headland into public ownership.
Ngāti Huarere ki Whangapoua spokesperson Wanda Brljevich said that they are supportive in principle of the proposed campaign to purchase the land.
"As kaitiaki for this whenua we have always fought to protect the cultural and natural values that are of great importance to our people. We are open to negotiating a collaborative structure that protects those values for future generations of all people if the campaign is successful," said Brljevich.
EDS says the wider property is subject to Environment Court proceedings over a proposed structure plan development, with a decision awaited.
"EDS has been working with the owners for some years now, looking to ensure the houses in the structure plan development, if approved, are not visible from the beach," said EDS CEO Gary Taylor.
"The headland was intended to be a donor property with its development rights transferred elsewhere within the multi-lot structure plan. Depending on the outcome of the hearing, there may be no right to build a house on the 30ha lot.
"There is also no clear road access to the lot which is effectively landlocked.
"Furthermore, it's arguable that consent for a dwelling is unlikely to be granted in any event. The headland is an outstanding natural landscape and is likely to be caught by the precedent established in the Supreme Court decision EDS v King Salmon Limited.
He said, in his view: "All these factors make this a messy sale and extremely difficult to place a value on the property. It is also important that the final purchase price is realistic: an overinflated one could make the eventual acquisition of other parts of the property, including the beachfront, prohibitively expensive.
"We believe that this is a case where the BNZ should step up and facilitate a sweetheart deal to protect the property in perpetuity. It is the Bank of New Zealand after all and this would be a great signal of its commitment to our environment and people."
Linda has been on national television campaigning the fundraising and says some people who can afford very little have still pledged, including one of $9 that she says "brought tears to my eyes".
"We've got nine days to go but we've hit $100,000," says Linda. "We've had messages by both TCDC and WRC stating their support for preservation initiatives but they have consistently failed to come to the party [financially]."
EDS is seeking donations towards the purchase.
Any donations received by EDS will be dedicated exclusively to the purchase and if unsuccessful will be refunded in full.
