Land ownership issue thwarting yacht club's redevelopment plans

An issue with who owns the title on a section of old Otago Harbour Board land has left the possible redevelopment of the Ravensbourne Boating Club in limbo, the club's commodore Warwick Graham says. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON

A Dunedin boating club is stuck in limbo while the Otago Regional Council investigates who owns the land beneath it.

For more than six years the Ravensbourne Boating Club has been fighting through red tape to install a sewerage system.

There is an issue with the title of the land the club's building is on, dating back to the disestablishment of the Otago Harbour Board in 1989.

Club commodore Warwick Graham said it seemed the land had not been divested to either the Dunedin City Council or the Otago Regional Council, as other harbour board land had.

Thousands of dollars had been spent on lawyers' fees in a bid to have the issue resolved, he said. But assistance has come from one former club member.

Sir Russell Coutts allowed the club to use his lawyers, but the issue still had not been solved, Mr Graham said.

``Without a title we can't raise the money needed to get the sewage done, which is also holding up our plans for redevelopment.''

The club was also issued with an abatement notice two years ago by the regional council, which meant the building was now only used as a storage shed.

``The kids can't have a shower after sailing and we can't hold any large events because we just can't use any of our facilities. It's basically just a shed.''

Regional council support services manager Gerard Collings said the issue was complex and historic.

The council was working to ensure the correct authority was dealing with the issue, Mr Collings said.

A solution to the problem was thought to have been found in 2017 when Port Otago agreed to take on the land and lease it back to the club, but the transfer was rejected by Land Information New Zealand.

Linz registrar general of land Robert Muir said the application by Port Otago was declined because more information was needed about the title of the land.

tim.miller@odt.co.nz