Lake Whakamaru subdivision opponents eye Environment Court challenge
Wednesday, 25 February 2026
A group opposing a proposed rural lifestyle development at Lake Whakamaru is fundraising to take its case to the Environment Court.
Save Whakamaru, which is made up of community and iwi members opposing a proposed development at Lake Whakamaru, is aiming to raise $5000 to obtain a legal opinion on a potential appeal.
It comes after a divided South Waikato District Council voted to rezone almost 32 hectares at Ongarato Rd from rural to rural-lifestyle to allow up to 66 lifestyle lots to be created across the site.
Save Whakamaru chairperson and Ngāti Te Kohera hapū representative Craig Ahipene said the group was alarmed the vote had gone through “in the face of overwhelming community and iwi hapū opposition”.
The group were opposing the proposed development on the basis it risked wastewater contamination in Lake Whakamaru, which contained a submerged wāhi tapu, alongside degrading the natural character of the area and harming indigenous biodiversity.
Ngāti Te Kohera had previously staged a land occupation at Lake Whakamaru reserve to protest the proposed development.
Asked if that would continue, Ahipene said the focus had shifted to legal options or negotiations instead.
“[The protest] was just about bringing public awareness to it. It was about making a stand, having our voice heard.”
“It costs a lot to support people on the ground and the people undertaking the occupation just don't have the funds to continue.”
He said the situation raised broader national questions.
“As a country, we really need to ask questions when the community have shown majority opposition to something but the law allows it to go through.”
The group has until February 28 to lodge an appeal, 30 working days after public notification of the decision to rezone the land.
They are represented by Annette Sykes and Matthew Smith KC, with legal and expert costs to take the case to the Environment Court expected to total about $60,000.
Sarah Bolt, who set up the group’s Givealittle page, said they also planned to apply for grants to cover the remaining costs.
She said they were being guided by expert advice and did not want to seek further funding unless there were grounds to proceed.
“We are hopeful at this stage of being able to have a case to take forward.”
Bolt said the group was not opposed to development in principle, but had concerns about the scale of the proposal and its cultural and environmental impacts.
Developer Jonathan Quigley said he believed the independent commissioners’ decision would stand.
“It was a decision that the independent commissioners came to of their own understanding of the reports that we'd had compiled and the evidence that was given.”
The independent hearing panel led by chairperson Vicki Morrison-Shaw and commissioner Brad Coombs found the proposal met statutory requirements under the Resource Management Act, was supported by council and applicant experts, and appropriately addressed environmental and cultural effects.
“It was good to see that the years of hard work trying to create a sustainable development sort of pay off and have such an overwhelming decision given,” Quigley said.
He said he and his family had owned land at Lake Whakamaru for six years and spent “a vast amount of time down there enjoying the area”.
“You can go there and relax and reset with the existing community that's there, and there's no reason to believe that wouldn't still be the case if the community grew a bit.”
Those who opposed the development had been “very, very vocal”, he said.
“It does feel like a lot of opposition but actually, of all the people I talked to, I would say the majority support it.”
Raukawa, the local iwi, had been consulted since the very beginning of the process Quigley added.
“Whilst they didn't support it, they didn't oppose it with the ferocity that Ngāti Te Kohera had.”
It would likely be a few years before his company began looking at resource consents for the development as they worked on completing other projects.