Cash shortfall threatens park plan

Photo / Greg Bowker

Bid to buy Long Bay ridge from developers founders as campaigners fail to raise the money

Hopes of saving a grassy Long Bay ridge from being covered in roof tops have taken a knock with the loss of pledges of $7 million towards buying the land for park.

Last December, the North Shore City Council agreed to give $5 million "seed money" towards the Long Bay-Okura Great Park Society's campaign to buy 4.8ha of the ridge.

A pledge of $2 million was also made by the Auckland Regional Council, owner of the popular coastal park bordering the housing development.

But the offers have lapsed because the society was to have formed a trust which would negotiate with the land owner and raise extra money needed to cover the purchase.

Society convener Chris Bettany said yesterday Todd Property Group wanted more for the land than the society could cover with pledges from public and private sources and fund raising.

The city council was asked to take over negotiations, with the view of buying some of the ridge. It revoked the pledge and the ARC offer lapsed on June 30.

"We are overwhelmingly sad," Ms Bettany said. "Everyone is disappointed."

The society raised $250,000 to fight in the Environment Court alongside the councils to get a 19.6ha heritage protection area on the private land that abuts the Torbay entrance to the regional park.

Its hopes were now pinned on whatever land could be salvaged by the city council during negotiations with the developer for contributions to neighbourhood parks.

But Ms Bettany doubted enough open space could be saved to protect the "green back drop" at the most southern end of the park from a smudge of red rooftops.

Over 10 to 15 years, the land could hold 2500 to 2800 homes for up to 7000 people.

The developer is preparing a detailed design for the whole area, pending final decisions of the court on a process that began 12 years ago.

This has given the council the opportunity to say where it thinks parks should go on the master plan.

Green fields developers are required to give cash or land for vesting with the council for residents' recreation and open space needs.

"They have to contribute 7.5 per cent of the value of each building lot towards parks," said the city council's parks policy and planning manager, Martin van Jaarsveld.

He said if the equivalent in new community's parks was added to the places reserved for stormwater treatment and heritage protection, it could create a unique park for the region, with some of the best sea views in Auckland.

ARC parks manager Mace Ward said the council was also in talks with the developer.

"The ARC is aware that a new town will develop alongside a regional park and we are looking at how that can be integrated with the park to preserve the experience of Long Bay."

In 2004, the ARC paid $7.7 million for 5.9ha to buffer the southern and middle of the park, and the city council paid $22.5 million on a 38.4ha area at the northern part.