Developers warned off sandspit

Conservation Minister Chris Carter is calling for a coastal property valued at $37.65 million to be protected from development.

Mr Carter says he expects the Whangarei District Council to protect the natural characteristics and nature of Ngunguru sandspit.

The 115ha site is for sale by tender but Mr Carter last month ruled out buying the site, after being put off by a rumoured $20 million asking price.

An independent valuation by valuers CBRE estimates the Ngunguru sandspit to be worth $37.65 million, exclusive of GST.

Tenders for the property closed on February 28 but real estate company Bayleys, which is marketing the property, is not saying whether the site has been sold.

Mr Carter received letters from concerned Northland residents urging the Government to buy the sandspit on behalf of all New Zealanders.

In his response, Mr Carter said he shared the residents' concerns to see its defining features protected.

But because of the large number of special natural areas needing protection, and budget limitations, the Government's Nature Heritage Fund was unable to contemplate buying the sandspit.

Mr Carter said while public ownership was desirable, it was not necessary in order to prevent inappropriate development.

"Ngunguru is private land and any development is subject to approval from the local authority in terms of the Resource Management Act," Mr Carter said.

The act requires preservation of the natural character of the coastal environment and protection of outstanding natural features.

"Ngunguru is surely such a feature, as well as a dynamic coastal environment," the minister said.

"I would expect the local authority to use mechanisms available under the act to protect the land in this case.

"In the event that there are no mechanisms currently in place, I would expect the local authority to actively pursue such protection for this special area."

The Whangarei District Council, the Department of Conservation, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and Whangarei residents had sought to have the area bought and put into public ownership.

District council community enterprises manager Eric Scott said the council recognised the significant "ecological and cultural value" of the land and supported it being brought into public ownership.

The area contained some of the district's most outstanding visual amenity values and was mostly zoned "coastal-countryside" so that it would not be compromised by "sporadic and inappropriate subdivision use and development".

The sandspit is home a number of endangered or significant bird, insect, and plant species, and contains a pa site and historic burial grounds.

In 1996 an investigation by the Ministry for the Environment found the sandspit to be unique in New Zealand.

Ngunguru sandspit

* The privately owned sandspit is the only one of its kind in New Zealand. It contains a pa site and historic burial grounds.

* Tenders for the property, which is valued at $37.65 million, closed last month.

* Local groups have asked the Government to buy the sandspit to protect it from development.

* Conservation Minister Chris Carter has refused. He says the local council should protect it through the Resource Management Act.

- NZPA