At the RMA Hearing last week, the applicant, TCAL aka TCC produced the usual glitzy claptrap with no valid robust business case, mostly supposition. The bottom line is that ratepayers will need to front with $7.5 million to put this ‘nice to have' pipedream in place plus $1/2 million in interest a year.
The project is on D.O.C. Conservation Land, and is a Reserve. The Mount (Mauao) is an outstanding natural landscape. Clearly what came out of the evidence is the Wellness Centre is effectively divided off from the Hot Salt Pools, in other words, a separate new self-contained commercial building which is understood will be leased out to private enterprise to run. We all know what happened to Leisure Co. with the Baywave operations. The loss of 24 campsites will cost TCC around $200,000 p.a. for what is a passive investment and currently costs little to administer.
In the case of the Mount Hot Pools, TCAL admitted these had not been adequately maintained for the last 10 years and the facility was in a run down state.
Neither of the 2 minor submitters in support turned up at the Hearing and very telling submissions in opposition were made by Councillor Catherine Stewart prominent architect, Gerry Hodgson local identity, Fred Greenhill, and Messrs. Makgill / Hakiro (TCC Planners) along with many others. Environmental traffic and parking issues are flagged as barriers. Mount Progressive Association does not support the project.
The public should be outraged that this project was even contemplated let alone have got this far, even more so had they heard the submissions presented in opposition at the Hearing. The bottom line is, this is the creation of a new ‘Wellness' Centre, not a redevelopment of the Hot Pools.
R Paterson, Matapihi.