Hobsonville West Harbour Ratepayers Assn

470 Apartment Blocks Planned for Westpark Marina

A threat that our community faces is the

 Marina Company’s plans to exploit the real estate potential of the Marina.

Unknown to residents, Council has designated the marina area as a “Growth Hub” and is encouraging industrial activity and “job creation” along with medium/high density housing.

You would have expected that our own Ward Councillors would have forewarned us of the significance of this “Draft Growth Strategy” at the time. There has been no concept planning on this “Strategy” and community consultation is scheduled for some time in 2007/2008.   And yet the development proposals, we are told,  are consistent with this “vision.”

It appears that  our own Council would  be a party to any reclamation of our beautiful Waipareira Bay as holder of the seabed license and the freehold would pass to them.  That this could even be contemplated in our “Eco City” is beyond belief.    The concept of environmental protection appears to stop at the Waitakere Ranges.

So for the first time in NZ there is th risk of our beautiful water views being obstructed by 4 storey high apartment blocks or industrial buildings being built in the sea immediately in front of well established water frontage residential housing!

There are five alternative proposals and you can view them on the developer’s web site www.westpark.co.nz 

The proposals represent a gross invasion of an exceptionally high quality lifestyle that we all enjoy. Should this project proceed we would see the stability of our community significantly affected by increase in traffic and population density, increased noise, dust and industrial pollution, years of pile driving and thousands of truck movements bringing in fill material.

Boat owners will suffer loss of car parking, and major disruptions during the construction phase. In return we are to be rewarded with palm lined streets, better public access, and renewal of the retail buildings.

The brasserie and apartments built along Clearwater Cove are privately owned and not part of the developer’s plans, although a change of ownership is always possible.

We agree that present facilities for the public at the marina site are overdue for renewal and provision of a  public esplanade, but not at the cost of our community and our environment.

At this time (March 2007) the developer’s plans are nothing more that a concept. We have extensively distributed pamphlets to keep you informed, and will keep a watching brief. The next move is up to the developers.  If they proceed with applications for a Resource Consent then these will be required both from the ARC and the Council.

We will all have the opportunity to lodge formal objections at that time.

Your Association will also be lobbying our Councillors and ARC representatives for their support.

To view your Assoc response to the Marina Development Co, click on:

 Hobsonville/West Harbour Residents and ratepayers Assoc response to the developers suggestions.

 

Did You Know:

Plan Change 13: For the Hobsonville Air base includes extensive marine Industrial

 Development.

Plan Change 14: Covers the land west of Hobsonville Rd, across to the new Motorway and provides for large scale Industrial Development akin to North Harbour, Albany.

Plan Change 15: The largest plan change, is opposite Westgate Shopping Centre and provides for large scale Retail, medium/high density Residential and Industrial  Development. So why stuff up our unique and very desirable residential community with “Job Creation” schemes when we will have all this, and more, just up the road?