Fears over beach development 'elite'

CHRIS GARDNER
The overseas consultants suggesting a trio of settlements at Ocean Beach have been urged not to make one area more exclusive than the others.
Gil Mohi, of the tangata whenua who own land at the beach, was concerned the 60-lot "eco-village" being suggested at the centre of the beach might become more affluent than the "Ocean Beach village" being suggested north of the surf club and the "Maori village" being proposed on the hills above the existing bach settlement.
In all, about 500 houses are being considered following a series of intensive planning workshops held at the Haupouri Station woolshed over four days as part of the charrette process.
"I quite like the whole concept of what's going on," Mr Mohi said.
"Most of it sits well for me, but if you look at it in terms of the local area, the eco-village is like Havelock North, the central bit (Ocean Beach village) is like Hastings and the other bit (Maori village) could be Flaxmere.
"We need to have links between these three communities. Some sort of connection needs to be taken in. I don't want to see elitist groups in these villages."
Karanema Bartlett, who also lives at the beach, reminded DPZ Pacific Design and Development managing director Demetri Baches, who presented the concept to the public on Sunday afternoon and again on Monday morning, that the last 800 metres of Ocean Beach Road accessed the beach over private Maori land.
For him the charrette, which continues until Thursday with refinements to the plan, was a transparent process. Rose Mohi, who had been sceptical, was more accepting after seeing lines on the Ocean Beach map.
"It's much better than I imagined," she said. It's not like Waimarama and that's good."
The plan was a good starting point, but the issue of development on Maori land needed to be addressed, since tangata whenua had said they would never sell the land. During the seldom-used charrette process 1000 people have had input into the form development might take.
Under the current rural zoning in the Hastings District Council's district plan, which would need to be changed to allow the development, landowners can build one house on every 20ha.
"Instead of creating something of value you are just spreading homes across the landscape," Mr Baches said.
The architecture, which would in places be two or more storeys, is based on the "five sisters" on Napier's Marine Parade.
Mr Bartlett wanted to know the height limit of the buildings being proposed, but Mr Baches did not know yet.
"We don't want to get the buildings to get too tall. It's a small village," he said. The community has been designed with all amenities within five minutes' walk of the houses.
Baches could be built at the Maori settlement, which could be extended as families grew.
"Growth happens in the back," Mr Baches said. Mr Bartlett was also concerned about the "eco-village" growing into potential wahi tapu sites, but Mike Day, director of Australia-based Roberts Day Town Planning and Design, said the plan could be "locked-in".
Warwick Hansen, who farms at Haupouri Station, said the plans were the 100-year vision and he did not want it to grow beyond that.
Mr Baches said: "Even if this were to grow, it would not grow in size, it would be by building a new village somewhere."
Mr Day invited public submissions on the provisional plan. Between now and Thursday the consultants aim to refine their concepts, taking public submissions into consideration.
* To have your say, e-mail: oceanbeachcharrette@hotmail.com