The American billionaire owner of a Waiheke property has applied for consent to build a luxury lodge at Kauaroa Bay and intends to demolish or remove the existing homestead.
In July 2018 Waiaua Bay Farm Limited received clearance from the Overseas Investment Office to buy the 34ha property at 341 Gordons Road for $18,900,000. The property is owned by Kauaroa Bay Limited, a subsidiary of Waiaua Bay Farm Limited, which in turn is 100 percent owned by Julian Hart Robertson Junior of Long Island, New York. Mr Robertson Jr is described by Forbes as a “superstar trader” who helped pioneer the modern day hedge fund industry and has a net worth of US$4.4 billion.
Three properties owned by Waiaua Bay Farm Limited – Kauri Cliffs in Bay of Islands, Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay and Matakauri Lodge in Queenstown – are marketed by Robertson Lodges as “three distinct destinations, one ultimate New Zealand experience”. A night at Kauri Cliffs in February costs $3200.
Kauaroa Bay Limited lodged applications for resource consents to build and operate new visitor accommodation on 20 December 2019. The Assessment of Environmental Effects prepared by Peter Hall Planning Limited for the consent application says the existing houses and out-buildings on the property will be either demolished or removed from the site. It says resource consent is not required for the demolition of the buildings.
• Erin Johnson
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