Dargaville Racecourse up for sale, development plans in limbo

The Dargaville Racecourse is looking for new owners and is available with the designation of General Residential, Large Lot and Industrial after a private plan change. Photo / NZME

Plans for the future of Dargaville Racecourse are back at the starting line now the land is up for sale.

A multimillion-dollar development was proposed for the 46.7ha lot by Dargaville Racing Club, Dargaville Community Development Board and Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua in 2021.

A private plan was adopted by Kaipara District Council just two months ago to allow for that vision to come to life.

Some residents who opposed the development say the sale marks an opportunity to put the land to other use.

But Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson hoped an equipped developer would pick up where things left off in a district needing housing.

Up until recently plans were on track for the development, set to feature housing, light industry and a retirement village.

According to a previous Local Democracy Reporting article, between 20% and 30% of the housing would be social.

The rezoning meant the site went from rural to a mix of residential, light industrial, neighbourhood centre and open space.

Awakino Point Ratepayers Group chairman Colin Rowse felt the housing was too high-density for the area.

The association had opposed the development since the beginning.

They believed the land was better suited to food production or a solar farm.

The Dargaville Racecourse is situated around 4km west of Dargaville and a private plan change means the land is now designated General Residential, Large Lot and Industrial. Photo / Bayleys

The land was prone to flooding and the idea of developing for housing was foolish, Rowse claimed.

During the submission process, others aired concerns over a lack of green space for children, connectivity to the Dargaville township and traffic safety.

However, Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua spokesman Tracy Walters said at the time the development offered an opportunity for tangata whenua to return home.

A development on the outskirts of Dargaville was set to have a retirement village, social housing and more. Photo / Supplied

It also offered job opportunities at the on-site retirement village.

Jepson said regardless of the development plans, the Dargaville Racing Club, Dargaville Community Development Board and Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua had achieved a zone change.

“It makes the land very attractive to a bigger developer and hopefully that’s what will happen.

“I don’t see the sale of that property as a detrimental thing, it will go to people who have the expertise to carry it through.”

Jepson said the Awakino Point Rd development would also add to Kaipara’s housing needs.

The development, not far from the racecourse, had a private plan change approved by the Kaipara District Council earlier this year.

It would allow for a subdivision of up to 384 new homes on the 39ha rural block.

“Dargaville has suffered terribly for lack of housing opportunities,” Jepson said.

In future he wanted to see the town flourish, he said.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.