David Whitburn: Property Developer on the controversial Delmore development in Auckland getting fast track approval

A property developer says smelly sewage could spoil a controversial North Auckland housing development.  

The fast-track panel has approved a controversial 12-hundred home Delmore development near Ōrewa.  

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says it's amateur, pathetic, and stupid. 

There's concern about a lack of infrastructure to support the development, with Watercare saying it won't be able to connect any pipes until at least 2033.  

Property Developer David Whitburn, who's not involved with the project, told Mike Hosking having to truck the waste out would be awful for residents and those nearby.  

He says it's been done at Auckland's Red Hills and Clarks Beach, resulting in horrific smells.  

LISTEN ABOVE  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's get back to the great fast track v housing debate.
So Delmore is a project of twelve hundred ish houses
north of Auckland. It's got the fast Track green light
house of yesterday. They claim it'll add one point two
two billion dollars to the local economy over twenty five years.
Trouble for now, water Care can't connect them until at
least twenty thirty three, so the treated waste water is
going to be trucked out now. David Whitburn is a
professional property developer and investor and is with us. David,

(00:21):
A very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good morning Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
See, I find myself in a conundrum. I'm all for
fast track and I think the idea in general is good.
But I look at a housing development of twelve hundred
with a lot of trucks and wastewater going out, and
I'm thinking That's not what I'm wanting, is it.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's absolutely Mike, I'm not the Boker tuns up to Objeck.
The houses are spent over twenty years telling people to
build them, developed over seven hundred myself. But that's exactly
why this one bothers me.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Why would a developer want to do this or take
this on. What's in it for them? Do they think
they can make money?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Big money?

Speaker 1 (00:55):
And when you say big money wants that even track,
I've got a text here that says it'll cost hundred
fifty thousand dollars a day to transport the throughage out.
Say that's true. You're still making money even if you're doing.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
That potentially, they asked me, I have not seen the
economic report on that. I've seen the tracking volumes four
hundred and eighty six thousand kilometers of tenker junis between
Ia and fangaday over the Briendurans and who knows what
Fangodai District Council charge and then discharge fees. The factors

(01:29):
if you're building over twelve hundred homes on sixty one
hectares of development, there's many millions of profit. It's a
nine figure profits there both from my quick modeling. Wow,
it's just ludicrous to think that a future urban zone
which all come counts in water care have both opposed.

(01:50):
When there's actually the citieth fast track approval nationally, the
eleventh in Auckland, it was actually turned down the first
time they withdrew it after the draft decision was released.
I'm not too sure what changed. And the second time
when it got approved, that's something that Chris Bishop's you'd
another thing you's got to answer for.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
What's the does the punter worry? I mean, if you're
looking to buy a house in this development, do you
one know that the wastewater is going to be trucked
out in two?

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Do you care? You do care because it smells horrific.
In places like red Hill's Clark Speech where this has
been done before, it's unsightly, causes some interesting odors and
depending on how the wind's going, But often you don't know.
It's not something you disclose in marketing that many of

(02:38):
the sales agents they just want it's one hundred percent
commission only. They want to make their money. So this
is seldom disclosed to people at some buried away and
the fine print so it doesn't get picked up.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Interesting now, all right, David, appreciate your insight. David Whitburn,
who's a professional property developer and invest the same story
goes for Christ. It's not about the trucked waste water,
but Pegus's and Christ you're just twelve hundred on about
six or seven hectares and then you've got the situation
in ourtown. And I note there was a big protest
in Devonport, which is a suburb of Auckland. That's not
a lot of houses, that's a lot of tall buildings
and they don't like the height. And it goes back

(03:09):
to what I was trying to say the other day,
is fast Track about getting things done infrastructurally or is
it just going to turn into a free for all
for property developers who want to build a lot of
homes no matter what the ensuing downstream problems are. For
more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks.
It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast

(03:31):
on iHeartRadio