The Whakatāne District Council is taking further time to consider all aspects of an offer from Seascape Developments Limited to purchase Harbour Fund-owned land at 325-345 Harbour Road, Port Ōhope.

Following the completion of resource consent and due diligence processes, an extensive marketing campaign and further refinement of development costs, Seascape has proposed variations to the terms and conditions of the sale and purchase agreement for the property. At an extraordinary Council meeting last week, Councillors adopted a recommendation that independent advice be obtained and considered before any decision is made on the revised offer.

The Council’s General Manager Community and Economic Development, Julian Reweti, says negotiation over the final terms of any sale and purchase agreement involving a due diligence process is standard practice. “Local government legislation requires councils to manage their revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, investments and general financial dealings prudently and in a manner that promotes the current and future interests of the community,” he says. “We will therefore be seeking expert input to guide the Council’s decision-making process.”

The Council expects to respond to the request on or before 21 March.

The intention to sell the land, which lies between Ocean Road and Harbour Road, immediately to the west of the Surf and Sand Holiday Park, was signalled through the development of the Port Ōhope structure plan in 2011. A key component of the plan is a large recreational reserve linking the ocean to the harbour. After setting aside the land earmarked for reserve purposes, the remaining area available for development is approximately 2.4 hectares, which has been assessed by Quotable Value as having a value of $3.0 million.