Cr Perkins told the Otago Daily Times yesterday he questioned the ‘‘wisdom of councils getting involved in subdivision''.
‘‘Every subdivision brings particular challenges,'' he said.
‘‘It's speculative. If you get it right, the returns can be excellent. If you get it wrong, the returns can be zero and the subdivider loses his shirt.''
Waitaki economic development group Venture Waitaki has distributed 7000 surveys to Oamaru households and is hosting an online survey, at venturewaitaki.co.nz, about subdividing the 5.8ha parcel of land overlooking Oamaru Harbour.
The survey, which closes today, asks residents whether they support, need more information, or do not support the subdivision first proposed by the Waitaki District Council in 2006.
Cr Perkins has urged people not to support the ‘‘hugely risky'' high-end residential subdivision, because he did not accept the Venture Waitaki statement that it would cost ratepayers ‘‘nothing'' beyond that which was spent on the project before it was shelved in 2013.
‘‘There might be 0.2 of 1% of the local population that might be lining up for this. This is not a risk that should be spread across every ratepayer.''
Venture Waitaki chairman Simon Berry disagreed with Cr Perkins' assessment of the proposal's benefits and risks. He said he was ‘‘saddened'' by Cr Perkins attempts to sway public opinion while the survey was under way.
Deposits on sections of the subdivision could be as much as 50% of the expected $300,000-plus asking price, which would fund and ‘‘de-risk'' the development.
And ‘‘premium'' real estate opportunities in Oamaru would match the growth in Oamaru's new businesses, the harbour redevelopment, Steampunk HQ, and the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail.
Interest in Forrester Heights would come from a market ‘‘wider than the local population''.
‘‘The key to what changed [in Oamaru] recently is new people moving to town and their businesses. And if we had premium sites, what sort of people could we attract to town and what would that mean for our local economy?
‘‘Who would consider moving to town if there were sections available overlooking the sea?''
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the council would not consider the subdivision if it was only going to benefit a few residents, or ratepayers.
‘‘This is about the 22,000 people in the district who benefit from the profits in that land if everything stacked up. We wouldn't go ahead with it if it didn't stack up, it's just that simple.''
