Any lay person would presume that when the Auckland City Council rezoned the historic Coolangatta homestead for twelve apartments they were hoping that this might happen. Not so. Apparently they really intended to save the heritage building.
Any lay person would presume that when the Auckland City Council charged rates on the artificially inflated value of the property they were trying to force the owner to sell. No so. Apparently the Council really felt proud that this gem had only had two owners since 1916, and only felt sad that they had no control over the Rating Act.
Any lay person would presume that when the house was put up for sale the Auckland City Council would have been delighted at the artificially inflated price being too high for anyone who just wanted to protect our heritage. Not so. The Council would even have bought Coolangatta themselves but felt the value was beyond their comfort zone.
Once again world-class heritage architecture has been demolished to make way for second-class apartments thanks to a third-world planning process.
Tony Watkins
Karaka Bay
First published in the NZ Herald 20 December 2006
