HOW THIS HAPPENED?
HOW DID IT THE PROPOSAL GET APPROVED?
In response to a request, the Council recommended to the Government that Shelly Bay become a Special Housing Area (SHA). The current Shelly Bay SHA is contained in an Order in Council dated 7 December 2015 (4). A resource consent was lodged in September 2016, and the Council considered the resource consent under the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 (HASHAA). The HASHAA aims to fast track housing projects in areas including Wellington where the housing market is under pressure. (3)
The HASHAA limits councils’ ability to notify the public about proposed developments in Special Housing Areas. Only owners of adjacent land and infrastructure providers can be notified. So, the resource consent was not publicly notified and was granted by council under delegated authority. (3)
WHAT DECISIONS DID COUNCILLORS MAKE?
The proposal includes 0.9ha of land owned by the Council. The Council consulted on whether to lease and sell that land to the Developer (4) so the planned development can go ahead as envisaged (3). The Council also made a decision on the infrastructure and public space cost as it relates to infrastructure investment at Shelly Bay. Council’s contribution would be 50% of estimated costs of $20 million (4) and was capped at $10 million (6). Council approved other expenditure above the $20 million, with the intention that it will be recovered from other developments on the Peninsula (6). There were 1103 public submissions received on the proposed sale and lease of Council land at Shelly Bay (4).
HOW DID THE COUNCIL VOTE
The vote was close: with 7 Councillors in favour (Deputy Mayor Eagle, Councillors Day, Gilberd, Dawson, Marsh, Calvert, Free), 5 against (Councillors Sparrow, Lee, Pannett, Foster, Woolf), and 2 abstentions (Mayor Lester, Cr Young) as a result of a conflict of interest. Cr Calvi-Freeman was absent. (5)
The Council said in a media release after the vote:
The vote removes one of the last hurdles to the project which will see a new 350-home development on the former Defence site which will also include a boutique hotel with about 50 rooms, 280 apartments, 58 townhouses and 14 standalone houses.(5)