$10m island eyed anew

By ANNE BESTON

The Department of Conservation is looking again at a $10 million Hauraki Gulf island that failed to attract visiting America's Cup billionaires.

Kaikoura Island, at the mouth of Great Barrier Island's Fitzroy Harbour, has been on the market since late last year when it featured in a glossy waterfront property magazine published by Bayleys Real Estate to coincide with the America's Cup.

But the 567ha island has not sold, prompting Bayleys to give the Department of Conservation a call.

"[Bayleys] have come back informally and asked us whether we are still interested. We are considering that," said DoC Auckland communications manager Warwick Murray. The department had expressed little interest in the island when it was initially put up for sale because its conservation value was considered low. It has both deer and pigs.

But Conservation Minister Chris Carter has been holding talks with the Auckland Regional Council and said he would consider pulling together a deal for the island's purchase among DoC, the ARC, local iwi and "corporate donors".

The ARC, for one, is pleading poverty.

"Mr Carter would like us to be buying it but we don't have the money," said chairwoman Gwen Bull.

The minister said almost no conservation money was available after several purchases had depleted the Nature Heritage Fund.

"The only argument that could justify us buying it, even if we could afford it and in this case we couldn't, would be if it had biodiversity value and it hasn't got unique biodiversity features," he said.

ARC councillor Mike Lee, who was involved in a 1995 campaign for public ownership of the island, said failing to buy Kaikoura this time around would be short-sighted. "It's crazy not to take this opportunity while it's available."