5,000 Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei iwi members stand to benefit from an ambitious housing development planned on Auckland's North Shore. But locals are already objecting to its impact on the community.
Local residents feel the new infrastructure is going to place a strain on the roads and schools.
Ngāti Whātua says it is aware of concerns, such as traffic congestion on the single access road, pressure on schools and loss of views.
Ngati Whatua Corporate Arm Chief Executive Officer Rob Hutchinson says, “We're sympathetic to the issues and we'd like to think that in our framework plan that we have put in we've got - not necessarily all the answers, but we've certainly got the techniques and the tools to be able to manage as best we can."
At current value, ten percent of the properties, classified as affordable, would cost nearly $600,000 each. The rest expect to fetch for $2mil.
For the local council board, the single access road is a major issue.
Joseph Bergin the chair of the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board says, “Congestion on Lake Road at the moment is regionally significant. It's one of the worst roads in Auckland, and anything that's seen to add to that is going to be negatively responded to. Really what we want to see is clever travel planning. There is a really useful ferry terminal just down the road from this development and as much as possible we want people to use public transport."
Once resource consents are granted, work will begin in 2018, with the first residents in by 2019.