Waterways Gets Green Light

Parliament has cleared the way for the $100 million Whitianga Waterways canal development on the Coromandel Peninsula to proceed.

MPs from all sides of the house have joined forces to rush through a bill, making amendments to the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act.

The canal development is one of an unknown number of projects to be caught up in the requirements of the Marine Park Act, even though its consents process was well underway before the act was passed last year.

Alliance leader Jim Anderton, who is in charge of the bill, says some consents that have been granted could also have been open to legal challenge without the law change.

The Government introduced the legislation to solve a planning impasse that stopped the canal development.

The formation last year of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park forced the developers of the waterways to re-apply for planning permission, despite already having a resource consent.

Whitianga Waterways is a joint venture between Hopper Developments Ltd and  local landowners expected to take about 20 years to complete. Approx. 1500 sections will include options such as canal frontage, airfield frontage, and a marina.