Honeymoon Bay scheme killed

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33773, 20 February 1975, Page 1

Honeymoon Bay scheme killed

(From Our Own Reporter)

NELSON, February 18.

One of the most imaginative development schemes conceived for a tourist area in the Nelson district has been abandoned, and the land on which the development was to have taken place sold to a Nelson syndicate.

The originator of the development, a British industrialist, Mr Bennett Halpin, said yesterday that he had been told by a Waimea County Council officer in March last year that a foreign group which had bought part of the New Zealand coastline “could not be tolerated.”

As a result he had taken no further step to have his scheme at Honeymoon Bay, close to Kaiteriteri Beach, approved by the council. When the development scheme was first announced about 18 months ago, Mr Halpin said his company was prepared to spend about s3m developing about 30 acres of land adjacent to Honeymoon Bay.

The development involved, in the first phase, the improvement of 17 motel and cabin units at Honeymoon Bay and the building of another 23 two-storey units. As a second phase, it was proposed to erect a holiday hotel and restaurant overlooking Honeymoon Bay, to cost about sl.sm, to serve the units and the rest of this popular area. The third phase was to have been the sale of sections behind the hotel area, or the development of the area by building holiday cottages for sale on these sites. Sale completed Mr Halpin, who lives with his wife and family for part of the year on a property in the Wairoa Gorge, commutes between New Zealand and

Britain. He is chairman of directors of the electronics and development company of Halpins of Hampshire, Ltd. The sale of the land and motel units at Honeymoon Bay to a Nelson syndicate was completed recently. The property had been on sale for much of last year—within a short period of a preliminary discussion Mr Halpin had with council officers. Asked about his reasons for abandoning the project, Mr Halpin said these stemmed from a meeting at the Waimea County Council offices of himself, his architect (Mr W. Stephens), the County Engineer (Mr K. H. P. Beck), and the council’s chief planning officer (Mr D. Smythe). Mr Halpin said the meeting took place in March, when the plans for phase one of the development were laid on the table for discussion.

“Not tolerated” “I asked if I could expect to get the council’s co-opera-tion, and was told by Mr Smythe that a foreign group which had bought a part of the New Zealand coastline would not be tolerated,” said Mr Halpin. "I was told at this meeting that the council might be interested in buying the area itself, and I agreed to offer it to the council,” he said. “I was not interested in a profit, merely the recovery of the capital outlay.” [ln his monthly report to the council on April 10, Mr Beck said that Mr Hal »n had bought the property and had ideas of extensive developments. However, Mr Halpin was concerned about natural delays created by conditional-use applications and the restrictions imposed: upon them by the lack of. sewerage facilities. Mr Hal-1 pin, according to the report, I had therefore reconsidered j his position and had made a definite offer of the property to the council at an opening price of $160,000. Mr Beck described the property as having ‘‘enormous potential” and the offer as one which was not often made to a council. He recommended that it be further investigated with a view to purchase. There is nothing in the minutes of the council’s meetings for the period—whether in committee or in open meeting—to show if any decision was reached or the matter even discussed.] Comment declined Mr Beck, approached for comment about the matter — narticularly about the meeting with Mr Halpin—said he! had none to make. Mr Smythe is on leave. It now appears likely that the thousands of people who have in the past rented holiday cottages at Honeymoon Bav will have had their last holiday there. Bookings,

’ made up to 1977,' will be s cancelled. .