OCEAN BEACH: `Beach will go in 20 years' | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

JONATHAN DOW

The future of development at Ocean Beach brought 400 people and many different views on what should be done to a public meeting at the Hawke's Bay Opera House, Hastings on Saturday morning.

Waimarama man Mark Sweet likened the time and money spent on deciding how development should proceed to the council's embarrassing venture into planning a new Hastings railway station - only to find it was the wrong size for trains.

"The land where developers plan to build 540 houses is so prone to erosion that it will not be there in 20 years," he declared. "The train doesn't fit the station."

This was an "outstanding opportunity for conservation, but not for development", Mr Sweet argued.

But if people could not build on the flat "you will end up with high-value lots up the hills, right up the beach", Hastings mayor and meeting chairman Lawrence Yule replied.

Land owners had rights: "What we are trying to deal with is these rights and the conservation issues."

Mr Yule defended the council's involvement in the charette - which cost it $200,000 - held at Ocean Beach last October.

The current district plan allowed for about 40 house sites at Ocean Beach.

Development of the area would increase the rating base and create a place where the region's expanding population wanted to live.

"If we don't do anything there will be undesirable development," Mr Yule told the audience.

Warwick Hansen, who farms Haupouri Station with his wife Juliet, spoke in support of the charette process which he said had proposed a development that Hawke's Bay people would be able to afford.

They had declined huge offers from Japanese and American buyers and chosen local developers instead.

"I can assure you that we will be there for a long time and our daughters will be there for a long time."

It was agreed that the northern area was a unique wilderness landscape. Mr Yule said the existing public reserve was too small and any development must allow for public space.