Post by Brent George on Jan 24, 2023 18:56:53 GMT
Family's bid to use floating helipad in isolated fiord as 'holiday home' goes to court
Stuff - National: 25-Jan-2023
A floating structure in an isolated fiord – complete with a helicopter pad and a hot tub – is at the centre of a legal dispute between a prominent family and a regional council.
The structure has been a source of disquiet in Tamatea/Dusky Sound, with critics claiming its owners are positioning to use it as a “private holiday home”.
It belongs to The Alpine Group, which is majority owned by members of the prominent Wallis family. It serves as a base for the company’s tourism business, which advertises one-day excursions on the fiord for around $18,000 per charter.
The company in 2015 bought a dilapidated barge that had been used for storing fishing equipment. Resource consent was granted in 2016 to replace the barge, on the basis that it would be ‘like for like’. Several local groups gave written consent on that basis.
Stuff - National: 25-Jan-2023
A floating structure in an isolated fiord – complete with a helicopter pad and a hot tub – is at the centre of a legal dispute between a prominent family and a regional council.
The structure has been a source of disquiet in Tamatea/Dusky Sound, with critics claiming its owners are positioning to use it as a “private holiday home”.
It belongs to The Alpine Group, which is majority owned by members of the prominent Wallis family. It serves as a base for the company’s tourism business, which advertises one-day excursions on the fiord for around $18,000 per charter.
The company in 2015 bought a dilapidated barge that had been used for storing fishing equipment. Resource consent was granted in 2016 to replace the barge, on the basis that it would be ‘like for like’. Several local groups gave written consent on that basis.