Views of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds will not be blocked or spoiled by a new hotel, trust says. Photo / File
Views of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds will not be blocked or spoiled by a new hotel, trust says. Photo / File
A shortage of up-market accommodation in the Bay of Islands has piqued the Waitangi National Trust's interest in the hotel business.
The trust has put the word out it would like a luxury, sympathetically designed hotel built near the iconic Waitangi Treaty Grounds but has promised it will not effect the Treaty Grounds' heritage precinct.
At this stage it was a concept only and there were no investors engaged, Waitangi National Trust (WNT) chief executive Greg McManus said.
He has, however, scotched incorrect reports the trust itself would develop the hotel, and that the building would hinder views or not be sympathetic to the area's values.
''The trust owns the land and is basically putting out signals we are interested in hearing from hotel developers and investors,'' McManus said.
''The reality is, there are not enough hotel rooms in the Bay of Islands. The experts tell us there is room for two, possibly three more now.''
The proposed site was not part of the historic Treaty Grounds precinct but half a kilometre ''up the road'', adjacent to the golf course.
McManus said the trust was solely funded by its own operations — the Government only paid for some costs associated with hosting Waitangi Day commemorations on the Treaty Grounds — and saw the proposed hotel as a revenue stream through the lease.
The trust needed to keep developing its services for the growing local tourism market as well as earning enough to look after the national asset, McManus said.
He said he was aware of some concerns regarding more development on the trust's 504 hectares of land, but the 18 hectare Treaty Grounds heritage precinct would not be affected.
While design, financial and lease arrangements, business partnerships and other considerations were open at this stage — and up to investors to propose — ''they would have to stack up with the trust's values''.
A proposal would be subject to the resource consent process to which iwi, Heritage New Zealand and any other parties could have input through submissions, McManus said.
The trust had considered the hotel development idea over several years but looked at it more closely in the past 12 months.
WNT chairman Pita Tipene reiterated the trust itself would not be involved in building a hotel or resort, and it was still early in the concept stage.
The WTN deeds dictate none of the Treaty Grounds land gifted to New Zealand by Lord and Lady Bledisloe in 1932 can ever be sold.
After gifting the Treaty Grounds and house, the Bledisloes gave an adjacent 500 hectares to be used to pay the Treaty Grounds' way.
That land now supports a golf course, mountain bike park, farm, pine forest and other operations, including the Waitangi Copthorne Hotel, with the trust leasing out about 12 commercial packages altogether.
Pita Tipene.
Waitangi National Trust chairman Pita Tipene has hinted the trust board knows how more than an alleged $1 million went missing from the books.
However, Tipene said the trust will not release the information at this stage as the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is still investigating how the money disappeared.
''We will not speak about what we think happened at this stage as it could undermine the very methodical investigation being carried out by the SFO.
''It's very frustrating, and very disappointing.''
The trust became aware of the irregularities in its books during 2016, and handed the matter to the SFO in January this year. The irregularities related to transactions over a 12-month period beginning in 2016, and had been picked up by staff during analysis of accounts.
The SFO usually deals with frauds of more than $1 million or of significant public interest. The SFO will not comment on an investigation while it is under way.
According to the financial statements filed to the Charities Register, for the year to June 2016, the trust earned revenue of $11.5m during the period - including $5.6m in government grants - and had $28.5m in net assets, largely land and buildings.
