An application by a luxury lodge to take water from a Northland stream to water its lawns is on hold while the owners consult their Māori neighbours.
Helena Bay Lodge Photo: Supplied
The Helena Bay Lodge, built by the Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov has applied for resource consent to take up to 60,000 litres a day from the small Mimiha stream which runs through its grounds.
Lodge staff who submitted the application got sign-off from the iwi authority Ngāti Wai but failed to consult the people of the nearby Mokau Marae.
Locals who object say the stream is an important one for eels and should not be plundered to make the lodge's lawns look good for tourists.
Ngāti Wai spokesman Haydn Edmonds said the application had been withdrawn.
But Northland Regional Council (NRC) consents manager Stuart Saville said that was not the case, and it was simply on hold pending the outcome of the marae consultation.
The Mimiha stream runs through the lodge grounds. Photo: Northern Advocate
