Ngunguru Sandspit Protection Society chairman Jim Kilpatrick (left) and former Northland conservator Chris Jenkins at the sandspit.
Ngunguru Sandspit Protection Society chairman Jim Kilpatrick (left) and former Northland conservator Chris Jenkins at the sandspit.
Northland's former Department of Conservation conservator Chris Jenkins has backed a campaign to buy a block of land adjoining Ngunguru Sandspit and return it to public ownership.
Much of Ngunguru Sandspit was put into public ownership in 2012, when the government of the day acquired the property from Todd PropertyGroup, formerly known as Landco.
The Department of Conservation swapped a parcel of surplus government land and buildings in Napier to gain possession of the sandspit, which was then put into public ownership.
The land swap came after years of campaigning by the Ngunguru Sandspit Protection Society, but concerns remained for the southern end and Whakairiora Mountain, which were both still in private ownership.
A Givealittle campaign has been launched that, if successful, will add a further 69ha of the unique, culturally significant coastal landscape to the 83ha of the sandspit that was obtained by the Crown.
In particular, it will protect the base of the sandspit, the Rangikorero pa site and the prominent bush-clad Maunga Whakairiora, which is home to a unique sequence of coastal forest.
The Givealittle campaign seeking $1.5 million of the $3.6m sale price has been organised by the Ngunguru Sandspit Protection Society after it signed a conditional sale-and- purchase agreement with the present owner of the land, development company Templeton Commercial Limited.
Society chairman Jim Kilpatrick said the purchase would end a long battle by the Ngunguru community to protect the land from development. Landco, a previous owner, had once proposed a residential subdivision of 350 lots on the sandspit.
Jenkins has thrown his support behind the campaign, which has so far raised more than $74,000.
"I recognise from my many years trying to protect the sandspit and other special places that opportunities like this are very rare,'' he said.
"The proposal is an outstanding opportunity to complete a project started more than 50 years ago. Three important factors have aligned, but there is only a small window of time to complete the process,"
Red cross-hatching shows the 81ha Ngunguru Sandspit reserve established in 2011. The yellow shows the 69ha of Whakairiora maunga to be added.
Jenkins said the first was that although in private ownership at a time when coastal properties were in high demand, the base of the sandspit and adjoining maunga had somehow remained undeveloped.
The incredibly high biodiversity values of the spit and maunga were largely intact. Secondly, the development company that held the four titles making up the 69ha was a willing seller that had signed a sale-and-purchase agreement to sell the land to the community at a realistic price.
The remaining factor was the offer of considerable philanthropic backing from a private source who wished to remain anonymous.
"Having dealt with many such issuers in the past, I know these opportunities are very rare," he said.
"We have a small time window to do something very positive, the stars are aligned."
The society was confident much of the purchase price would be available from a private philanthropic funder and had applied for Crown funding for a significant amount of the balance.
Former Northland DOC conservator Chris Jenkins has backed a campaign to buy land at the culturally significant Ngunguru Sandspit.
There was, however, an outstanding balance estimated at $1.5 million that the society was working hard to raise with a Givealittle crowdfunding campaign.
Kilpatrick said more than $60,000 raised in its first week was encouraging and illustrated a public passion to see the whole sandspit protected.
Once acquired, the land would be declared public reserve and added to the already- protected 83ha of the sandspit acquired by the Crown in 2011.
Ngunguru Sandspit has significant historical, cultural and natural values and is home to 36 bird species, including godwits, which migrate there annually. Whakairiora Mountain has biodiversity featuring a unique forest association of kawaka, kauri, kowhai, matai and pohutukawa.
