The Whakatāne District Council has received eight expressions of interest from commercial entities interested in developing its property at 77 Bunyan Road.
The 40-hectare 'Piripai Block' was placed on the market on 31 October, with interested parties asked to submit expressions of interest by 6 December. The submissions have since been evaluated against the Council's preferred development outcomes and most of the submitters will be interviewed in early-February before the proposals are shortlisted for further consideration.
Mayor Tony Bonne says submitters have proposed a range of development options, including a lifestyle retirement village, a residential subdivision and a mixed subdivision and retirement village approach.
"We're very happy with the calibre of the submitters and look forward to discussing their proposals in more detail early next year," he says. "From Council’s perspective, the key objectives are that the developer or developers must be committed to making a positive long-term contribution to the Whakatāne District and the wider Eastern Bay of Plenty; that part of the land would ideally be developed as a lifestyle retirement village; and that any development approach must be in general accordance with the Opihi Structure Plan."
The structure plan is set out in the Council's proposed District Plan and has been endorsed by the Environment Court. It sets aside over a quarter of the original land area for reserve purposes, including coastal protection and landscape reserves and a buffer to protect the cultural and spiritual values of the Opihi Whanaungakore Urupa to the east. Work to develop a management plan for the Urupa buffer area is continuing, in consultation with the Opihi Whanaungakore Trustees and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa.
A report adopted by the Council last week approved the next steps in the sales process for the land, including the shortlisting of proposals and a due diligence process. A report is then expected to be brought to the Council in early-June 2017 to authorise contract negotiations, which are hoped to be completed in July.