The rapidly deteriorating Gulf Harbour Country Club has submitted an application to sell a portion of its golf course land, which comes as no surprise to the local community who are fighting to block the development.
The club shut up shop with no warning in July with the owner stating it was not profitable, leaving members and staff out of pocket.
However, a group called “Keep Whangaparaoa Green Spaces”, which was established in August, has said the owners claims of the club being unprofitable and needing to be redeveloped were “absolute rubbish”.
Keep Whangaparaoa Green Spaces chair Owen Patterson told Stuff the group would fight the application and any subsequent attempt to turn the northern part of the course into housing.
Patterson said the proposal was being touted as a minor tweaking of lots “when in reality it actually sets out plans to hive off the front nine holes. It’s totally unacceptable.”
Long River Investments has outlined plans to divide the land into two titles and sell the northern part in a resource permit application.
“This application is the first step in the golf course redevelopment,” Long River Investments said.
Long River said the 90ha course was too large to profitably maintain and selling a 37ha plot would make things more manageable. It also said that public concerns relating to the loss of open space and additional development are “irrelevant”.
Its application also urged the council not to make it publicly notified. “No consultation has been undertaken or is deemed necessary,” it said.
