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The Taranaki Green School, at the center of a row of political funding, has been revealed to have aspirations to create an ‘ecological village’ on its Ōakura site, which includes 20 houses.
This is news for Green Party co-leader James Shaw, who says he knew nothing about it before awarding the school nearly $ 12 million.
He has since apologized, describing the move as an error in judgment. He also said that the money is most likely now in the form of a loan rather than a grant.
The Green School is owned by Michael and Rachel Perrett, co-founders of the HRV ventilation company, which they sold in 2010.
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In November of last year, they began lobbying the New Plymouth District Council to change the district’s plan to allow for “school-associated residential activities” in an area currently zoned as Rural Production.
In April, the council approved the sale of several paper highways on the site for $ 165,000 plus $ 10,000 in fees.
Councilors were told the sale would help the school expand its list to 500, but no eco-village or residential development was mentioned.
Kaitake community board chairman Doug Hislop said there had been rumors about housing on the site for some time, but nothing official.
STUFF
Green Party co-leader James Shaw lays out the reasons the government invested money in the Green School, but admits it was an error in judgment.
“I understand that they have always intended to have an arrangement there for parents, I think their international students. That’s how I understand it.”
He said the paper roads, which were for a settlement designed to reward the soldiers and militias who fought in the Taranaki wars, would have been an impediment to any subdivision.
“In the situation where there were paper roads and so on, you couldn’t put a house in the middle of a paper road, if the paper road was still there.”
But with the roads gone, normal planning rules apply, Hislop said.
“And what happens later is that there are rules in the district plan where, if the owner so wishes, he can ask the council through the district plan for consent to build on it or create lifestyle blocks or whatever. whatever they want to do. “
New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom declined an interview.
He said his conversations with Green Party co-leader James Shaw focused only on out-of-the-box projects. The eco-village did not rise.
The Green School also declined an interview.
In a statement, he said that he had always been open about the plans for the eco-village and that they were not needed as part of the Shovel Ready funding application.
“The plans refer to an eco-village housing area that has been in the public domain since the inception of Green School and has been openly shared with anyone interested in the project. It is a matter of public domain.”
But there is no public record of the eco-village. It is not mentioned on the Green School website, in council documents, or in previous media coverage of the school.
Later, the school clarified that the village has been mentioned in verbal briefings to people who have expressed interest.
He said development was in its early stages and would help ease demands on rental properties in Taranaki.
“There is a combination of housing available to parents from the school and the open market, so it will be available to anyone who wants to move to the area.
“These sustainable homes, of which there will be approximately 20, will be physically located across the road and away from the Green School campus.”
Harcourts Taranaki General Manager Graham Richards was excited at the prospect of more homes being available in the area.
“A lot, a lot. It’s a very popular place. Obviously, Green School is a great attraction, but around Ōakura and the surrounding district there is a great demand for properties.”
Richards said they would earn a penny if they ever went on sale.
“A small block of lifestyle in the country generally in that area, it’s quite difficult to get in there for less than $ 600,000 and I guess you can spend up to $ 2 million depending on the size of the block and the actual quality of the house and the improvements .. “
James Shaw also declined an interview.
When asked by email if he thought it was appropriate that the public money used for the Green School expansion could help make the housing development a success.
He said he didn’t know anything about the eco-village.
Shaw said neither the mayor of New Plymouth nor the school’s owners had mentioned the development to him.
Public presentations on the district’s plan closed last month.
Council officials are now preparing reports before the hearings are scheduled.
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
