The future of former All Black Murray Mexted's property development at Mahanga is in doubt, as new evidence has changed the regional council's stance so that it no longer supports consents it originally granted.
Although the Hawke's Bay Regional Council was prepared to defend the consents it had, with Wairoa
District Council, granted Mexted and his business partners in 2010, it is now taking a neutral stance in light of evidence its expert witness has agreed shows faster rates of erosion than previously thought.
Whether it could ultimately support the consents or not depends on what changes to the development plans Mexted and his partners make to address the new evidence.
Mexted, Paul Williams and Servass Van Breda Malherbe were granted resource consents in 2010 to develop a six-lot subdivision at Mahanga Beach north of Mahia Peninsula. An appeal was lodged by lobby group Mahanga E Tu, but has not yet been heard in the Environment Court.
The new evidence came from Mahanga E Tu's coastal hazard expert Roger Shand, which showed erosion would affect the applicant's site quicker than first thought. Initially thought to be 12cm a year, the regional council's expert witness, Richard Reinen-Hamill from Tonkin and Taylor, has agreed with Mr Shand's evidence that it may be as much as 50cm a year.
