US firm wants resort at Northland butterfly sanctuary

Butterfly Bay is an internationally recognised sanctuary for monarch butterflies.

An American company plans to build a spa resort to cater for foreign visitors on a 41ha coastal site in Northland.

The secluded bay is an internationally recognised sanctuary for monarch butterflies.

Cerulean Properties, a resort development and operating company in San Francisco, wants to build what it says will be New Zealand's first "destination lifestyle spa with integrated travel and health experience" at Butterfly Bay.

The bay is south of the Whangaroa Harbour entrance and is accessible on foot from next-door Tauranga Bay by climbing over rocks at low tide.

It is home to a colony of monarch butterflies attracted mainly during winter by the bay's unique microclimate.

The proposed Project BlueSpa would see construction of 74 guest chalets, a lodge, restaurant, staff and administration quarters, saunas, 18 spa treatment rooms, three swimming pools, a yoga and fitness centre, gym facilities, tennis courts and a bar, all within a bush environment.

A maximum of 229 guests would stay at the resort at any one time. Marketing would be aimed at American, British and Australian visitors.

Cerulean Properties and their consultants have filed a resource consent (land use) application to the Far North District Council to undertake earthworks, remove vegetation and build the resort in a small valley now covered by manuka and kanuka above Butterfly Bay.

Coastal permits are also sought from the Northland Regional Council for permission to build and use a desalination plant within the coastal marine area and to daily pipe more than 200cu m of reject water from the plant into the sea.

The company also seeks approval to discharge up to 135cu m of treated wastewater each day into the ground from accommodation, restaurant and other visitor activities.

Although neither council has yet considered the proposal, for which no cost is given, concerns are already being raised about its effect on the ecology and environment of the bay and its butterflies.

Monarch fan and Russell resident Jacqui Knight has been collecting information on monarchs and their habitat at Butterfly Bay for many years.

She says development must be sensitive to the area.

"It would be a shame to lose the habitat, even though the monarch is not native to New Zealand."

The location attracted national and international attention during the late 1970s when former Herald columnist, the late Vern Sale, wrote several columns about the bay and its butterflies.

Cerulean's consent application says 82,700sq m of vegetation is likely to be removed during clearance work for roads, tracks, parking areas and buildings.

Consultants say more than 30,000cu m of earthworks will be needed to accommodate buildings, access tracks and drives.

The company says it plans to to restore and enhance existing bush.

A district council spokeswoman said the company's application was being processed.

No decision had been made on whether the proposal would be publicly notified.