20 Apr 2012

Coromandel community opposes wharf expansion

9:00 am on 20 April 2012

Property owners in the Coromandel community of Te Kouma say they will continue to oppose plans to expand a local wharf.

On Wednesday the Thames Coromandel District Council selected the Sugarloaf wharf at Te Kouma as a preferred site for development, in anticipation of greater aquaculture activity on the peninsula.

The council expects production from mussel and oyster farming in the district to double by 2025.

Russell De Luca, who owns a holiday home at Te Kouma, says Sugarloaf is an extremely environmentally sensitive site and the current way of life enjoyed by residents enjoy will be lost if the expansion goes ahead.

"You've got the general amenity values that residents - both permanent and non-permanent - of the area enjoy, relating to tranquil sight, lack of noise, lack of glare and so on at night.

"All of that will be lost if the Sugarloaf is expanded and turned into a de facto industrial zone."