Northlake lacking proposed amenities
ANOTHER group of Northlake residents are concerned about the lack of amenities in their neighbourhood and the direction they believe the developers are heading.
They wished to remain anonymous, as they believed they would be threatened by the lawyers of developers Chris and Michaela Ward Meehan if they identified themselves.
The group is to seek legal advice on whether they have a case against the developers for breaching the Fair Trading Act.
Discontent among residents has been rising this year, in light of a plan change request that if granted would replace a proposed leisure centre with a supermarket.
Three weeks ago, the ODT reported a Northlake family was considering selling their house because living in the subdivision had not met their expectations.
The leisure centre was one of many amenities outlined in the Northlake sales brochure. Tennis courts, a swimming pool and a medical centre were also said to ‘‘may’’ be part of the Northlake Village Centre.
However, residents said the tennis courts were to be replaced by a series of villas, the swimming pool sat where the supermarket car park would be and there was yet to be any sign of the medical centre.
‘‘We’re meant to have two swimming pools, two tennis courts, a little recreation centre, and [instead] we’re getting a supermarket . . . who wants a supermarket?’’ one resident in the latest group to complain said.
‘‘I have no idea what they’re trying to do. It’s almost like they’re trying to create their own little city inside Wanaka.
‘‘I just think the whole thing sucks and I’m not happy about it. I don’t even think I want to live there.’’
Green spaces set aside for recreation reserves were also now being filled with houses and the subdivision was ‘‘starting to look like Coronation St’’.
While the sales brochure only says such amenities ‘‘may’’ exist, it does say the Northlake Village Centre ‘‘will provide the residents of Northlake and the wider community with valuable community facilities within walking distance of home’’.
Section 14 of the Fair Trading Act states no person selling land can ‘‘make a false or misleading representation concerning . . . the existence or availability of facilities associated with the land’’.
The residents said they would be seeking legal advice on whether they had a case against the developers with regards to breaching the section.
Northlake development manager Marc Bretherton did not respond to a request for comment.