A new geotechnical survey of the controversial Forrester Heights subdivision will only increase costs for Waitaki ratepayers and is not needed, the chairman of the North Otago advisory committee to the Otago Chamber of Commerce, Gary Kircher, says.
Mr Kircher was a Waitaki District councillor when the 22-section, 5.8ha subdivision on Cape Wanbrow overlooking Oamaru Harbour, town and the coast was proposed by the council in 2006.
But since its inception it has been dogged by disputes, including over the status of the land, which is designated reserve land under the Reserves Act.
The council believed that was a mistake made in 1937 after the land was originally set aside in 1885 by the government as endowment land for the Oamaru borough.
Now the council is seeking to resolve the issue through a local Bill to Parliament, but opponents are fighting it, calling in political support from the Green, Labour and NZ First parties.
That resulted in fresh calls for a new assessment of stability of the land with another geotechnical survey, particularly after the Christchurch earthquakes, with NZ First MP Denis O'Rourke and Dunedin North Labour MP Dr David Clark joining the fray.
Mr Kircher said the last geotechnical survey for the council in 2010 cleared the land.
"Why do we need another one because of an earthquake 250km away?" he asked.
He criticised politicians calling for new surveys and asked if they would be demanding the same of other subdivisions.
"This has the potential to load costs not only for Waitaki ratepayers, but developers in Oamaru and elsewhere. The same principle needs to apply elsewhere, not just for Forrester Heights," Mr Kircher said.
He also questioned criticism of land stability, pointing out other houses had been built on equally steep neighbouring land and had no problems with proper roading and drainage.
