The government is considering whether a Coromandel beach should be put back into public hands.A campaign against development on the privately-owned New Chums Beach was launched after a consent plan put to the Thames Coromandel District Council proposed su
The government is considering whether a Coromandel beach should be put back into public hands.
A campaign against development on the privately-owned New Chums Beach was launched after a consent plan put to the Thames Coromandel District Council proposed subdividing land behind the beach.
Queenstown-based property developers John Darby and George Kerr proposed to build 20 houses on land they own at the beach, which was listed by National Geographic as one of New Zealand's most beautiful places.
Through their company Coastal Land Trust Holdings Mr Darby and Mr Kerr bought six sections totalling 330ha. The pair are behind 1800-house development Jacks Point at Queenstown.
Community groups and Facebook groups have sprung up protesting the proposed development at the beach.
Prime Minister John Key yesterday said the Government had received a proposal that would allow the Department of Conservation (DOC) to buy land at the isolated north Coromandel Peninsula beach.
"There's been public interest in New Chums Beach, there is quite a complex position there on what the development might look like," Mr Key said.
"There's an opportunity theoretically for [DOC] to acquire it but it would depend on certain conditions.
"We would need to, if we did that, satisfy ourselves that that was the best use of funds. We're quite a long way from that satisfaction so I wouldn't jump to conclusions."
DOC is expected report on the proposal in the new year.
