Horowhenua StarHorowhenua District Council has reclassified a section of reserve land at the end Muhunoa West Road in Ōhau that will now form part of a planned world-class golf course.
The planned reclassification was publicly notified and received no public submissions after engagement with iwi partners and having been widely advertised in all media.
The applicant, Grenadier Ltd, is a company owned by businessman Hamish Edwards.
The licence to occupy was granted for a period of 33 years, with two 33-year rights of renewal.
The developer has agreed to cover costs associated with reclassification. Conditions of licence include ensuring the reserve’s environmental and cultural values are protected in agreement with mana whenua.
Grenadier Ltd will commit to developing and maintaining a public walkway connecting Muhunoa West Road to the beach.
The reserve spans about 2.5km of coastline and varies between 45m to 55m in width. The development would occupy about 35 percent of the reserve while preserving public access and natural conservation areas.
The proposed 18-hole links course on coastal land north of Ōhau River will see a level of investment seldom seen in Horowhenua, with the course and associated amenities estimated to cost more than $50 million.
Establishing a world-class golf course near Ōhau would be the realisation of a dream for Hamish, who co-founded accounting software company Xero. He has taken to golf only in recent years, and says that once completed the course has the potential to be rated among the top 100 in the world.
He says the course would be for all levels of golf players and a huge asset to the local region, while the initial capital spend and visitor potential would benefit the local economy.
The course has so far been more than five years in the planning, with the first application for consent lodged with Horowhenua District Council in 2020.
An early plan mapped out for the golf course near Ōhau.