Dispute builds over retreat at Pakiri Beach

An artist's impression of the house which ARC parks adviser Neil Olsen said will spoil views of the landscape.

The Auckland Regional Council says a house which city businessmen want to build on a cliff top at Pakiri Beach is so big that it will spoil views for visitors to its new northern regional park.

But catering supremo Rae Ah Chee says he and Fruitworld director Billy Chong have every right to build their retreat next to the park.

At a land use consent hearing at Orewa yesterday, he hit back at the ARC saying it was the new kid on the block who had tried to buy him out after securing neighbouring land from boxer David Tua.

Last year, the ARC spent $20 million buying the "Tuaman" property and the Arrigato subdivision where the businessmen bought a clifftop lot in July 2004.

"The regional council have asked us if we would sell," said Mr Ah Chee. "We don't want to sell - the completion of our home is the fulfilment of our retirement dream.

"I can't understand why the regional council can now oppose our application. We presume the purchase of the other rural-residential titles must be the reason."

Mr Ah Chee said the 4.8ha site, with wide views to the north and towards Goat Island in the south, was cleared by experts as suitable for a substantial retirement home where family and friends could stay.

They had house plans drawn up by Hamilton architect Peter Chibnall.

He had been recommended to them by All Blacks coach Graham Henry, whose St Heliers cliff-top home came from the Chibnall drawing board.

Mr Ah Chee said over the past two years plans had been modified to meet the approval of Rodney District Council officers.

The design is for a home of 590sq m with six bedrooms and en suites, garage, living, dining, gymnasium, kitchen, library and service areas.

The building would be 6.8m high and mostly one-storey because it would be sunk into its surroundings of planted mounds and 4500 native trees.

Mr Chibnall told Rodney planning commissioners that most of the house would be screened from the upwards view of Pakiri Beach users.

He said the "scale, nature and appropriateness of the building mass is certainly in balance or sympathy with the surrounding rural location."

However, ARC parks adviser Neil Olsen said views of the landscape would be spoiled by the house.

The ARC produced photo montages to back its claim the house would be visible from and overlook the entire length of the beach.

Mr Olsen said the house would be more dominant from the southern beach and would particularly affect views from and along the coastal ridge and inland parts of the park.

ARC lawyer John Burns said the proposed development went against the Rodney District Plan and the Auckland Regional Policy Statement.

The commissioners reserved their decision.