Waitotara land gift returning to donors

Wanganui District Council PHOTO/FILE

A land-locked reserve, originally gifted to the Waitotara County Council, is going to revert to the family who bestowed it.

The reserve covers 397ha and was gifted to the Waitotara County Council in 1987 by landowner Barry Plimmer. It's steep native bush on Kauarapaoa Rd, about 90 minutes' drive from the city.

The reserve was among those tagged for possible sale by the Wanganui District Council in January 2013 as it looked for ways to reduce debt.

But when council officers talked with the Plimmer family they said they would not be happy with the land being sold and any income used for another community project, preferring ownership to return to them.

Leighton Toy, council's deputy property manager, said the original deed said if council decided to dispose of the land then any proceeds should be used for charitable purposes or some community project.

"The Plimmer family is keen for the reserve to be preserved in its natural state and have indicated a willingness for council to 're-gift' the site back to the family," he said.

The land had a 2013 valuation of $205,000.

But Mr Toy said use of the reserve was hindered by a lack of access across a deep gorge between the road and the reserve. Pedestrian access would need a track down each side of the gorge and then across a ford.

He said building the tracks would costs about $15,000 with future maintenance costing about $5000 a year.

The only other option had come from a local beekeeper who had expressed some interest in entering into a licence to occupy a piece of the reserve, putting about 20 hives on the land and paying an annual rental of $1000.