Paving paradise to put up apartment blocks

Stan Boswell and Jenny Carter, with son Monty, plus ARC's Jan Sinclair are worried about a population increase. Photo / Herald on Sunday

In the quiet seaside neighbourhood of Beachlands, everyone knows their neighbours.

There's a hardware store, and a chartered club that sells pints of DB Draught for $4.40. Most of the small houses, overlooking the Hauraki Gulf, have rainwater tanks on their roofs.

Much of that is set to change - and many residents are devastated.

Planned developments in Beachlands, 25km northeast of Manukau City, are expected to double the town's 3200 population.

A supermarket and shops have also been proposed just outside the town.

A private plan change allowing for 500 apartments and multi-storey buildings at nearby Pine Harbour Marina was put out for public consultation on Friday.

And it comes at the same time as Manukau City Council's own plans for growth, allowing hundreds of new sections, serving an estimated 2300 new residents.

Stan Boswell, a Beachlands resident for the past 18 years, said he feared the town's sleepy, seaside character would be "100 per cent" changed.

He said the roads and beach were already congested on summer weekends. "There just isn't the space for all these people coming in."

Resident Donald Willan said people chose to live in Beachlands for the "quarter-acre style living we enjoy out here".

But the council's proposal included sections as small as 365sqm, while the Pine Harbour development featured multi-storey apartments.

He questioned whether infrastructure in the town, which has no reticulated water supply, could support the new housing.

And Willan said locals didn't want a new supermarket, as the town was already well served by local shops.

Residents group the Pohutukawa Coast Community Association has also voiced its concerns about the developments.

In an open letter to Manukau mayor Len Brown, it said the changes had been pushed through with little discussion, and would "destroy one of the most beautiful seaside villages in Auckland".

But Clevedon Community Board chairman Maurice Hinton said while some opposed change, others welcomed the opportunity for better facilities, such as a library and swimming pool.

"We have a community out there that needs some growth to make it viable for the things they need," he said.

Pine Harbour's private plan change application includes areas of one and two-level housing, more intensive zones of up to six-storey apartment buildings, and commercial buildings.

The first stage of development would include 200 apartments.

The council has acknowledged there are concerns over whether limited water supplies could service the new population.

Most Beachlands homes rely on rain-water tanks, but Pine Harbour has applied for consent to take groundwater from bores to supply its development.

Peter Reaburn, the council's acting manager for district plan development, said the council's own growth plans may have to be scaled back.

"There is a real doubt in terms of whether there's sufficient water for Pine Harbour plus the area we're talking about," he said.

Auckland Regional Councillor for Manukau, Jan Sinclair, said water supply was her biggest worry about the developments.

The Pine Harbour plan is now open for public comment, while the council's proposal for the wider Beachlands area will go to public consultation later this year.

Progressive Enterprises is expected to submit a private plan change for the 3600sqm supermarket and shops in May.

Pine Harbour Holdings Limited said no one was available to comment on the plan change.