Plans for the new Beachlands South town hub, with multi-level apartments.
Plans for the new Beachlands South town hub, with multi-level apartments.
A new multibillion-dollar 5000-residence town hub in southeast Auckland is proposed on land without reticulated or sewage mains, according to an expert from Watercare, which doesn’t oppose the plans.
Builder and developer Brett Russell, the Super Fund and others want to develop the 307-hectare site, including the Formosa Golf course.
Beachlands South would be initially 2900 stand-alone homes, apartments and terraced residences but then retirement places, schools, a hotel, a town hub and light industrial and eventually 5000 homes if rezoning is allowed.
Watercare head of major development Mark Iszard cited the developers’ plans for mainly bore water for residents of the new town centre as well as a new sewage treatment system.
Iszard’s evidence for Watercare on private plan change application 88 to have the land rezoned for the scheme with $2.5b infrastructure told how the water for thousands of new homes was proposed to mainly come from underground.
“Watercare does not provide water supply to Beachlands,” he said, noting people there use rainwater collection and the existing system owned by Pine Harbour Living, which gets its water from a sustainable aquifer 175m below the ground.
The developers want to tap that aquifer further: “Groundwater is the primary supply source,” Iszard noted.
A coastal path is proposed at the planned Beachlands South development. Photo supplied
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Reservoirs might be needed within the development to ensure fire-fighting supply standards are met. A new water treatment plant would also be needed to ensure the water supply meets drinking water standards and the developers acknowledge that, he noted.
Iszard cited the need for drinking water suppliers to comply with the law and the potential for serious risks to public health if they didn’t: “Although Watercare does not anticipate there is any risk of failure in relation to PC88, it wishes to note the direct interest it has in ensuring that private suppliers are compliant with the requirements of the Water Services Act.”
Formosa golf course land is included in the 307.1ha where a private plan change application has been made for rezoning.
Nor does Beachlands have a reticulated wastewater or sewage network, he noted. The existing Beachlands wastewater treatment plant couldn’t accommodate the increased volumes anticipated by the big new hub.
The developers propose a new membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plant to discharge on land or a permanent stream via a wetland.
Housing and property development in Beachlands in 2017. Photo /Peter Meecham
“On the basis that the applicant can deliver a technically feasible solution privately, Watercare does not oppose PC88,” Iszard’s submission said.
Overall, Watercare considered there were no water or wastewater servicing reasons to decline the developers’ plan change application as long as certain conditions were met.
Russell and others want land rezoned at 110 Jack Lachlan Dr and 620-770 Whitford-Maraetai Rd.
Brett Russell plans the new Beachlands South project. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The Beachlands South Limited Partnership is the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund, parties associated with the Russell Property Group and Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki based in Maraetai, the Waitematā and Tikapa Moana/the Hauraki Gulf.
Peter Reaburn, a consultant town planner giving evidence for Auckland Council, said: “My primary concern I raise is that private plan change 88 represents significant urban growth in an area that has not been specifically identified for urban growth.”
It was therefore not appropriate to rezone the land.
Mark Laing, a consultant traffic engineer, submitted evidence on behalf of Auckland Transport. The rezoning proposal would have “potentially significant adverse traffic effects on the road network surrounding Beachlands” without upgrades, he said.
Plans for the new Beachlands South town hub, with multi-level apartments.
The existing road network surrounding the waterfront suburb had deficiencies that limit the network’s ability to safely cater for more traffic, Laing said.
Russell told the Herald in May that $75m would be raised via a levy per apartment and per house to pay for road upgrades.
Independent hearing commissioners will hear the plan change application from November 27.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 23 years, has won many awards, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
