Mr Haworth said the dissenting decision from commissioner Jane Taylor, which opposed the golf resort proposal in its entirety, ‘‘went to the heart of the heart of the [council's] district plan''.
However, he was not surprised at the decision to grant resource consent, ‘‘given the make-up of commissioners''.
Mrs Taylor's decision was ‘‘completely right'', because it took a ‘‘holistic'' approach and view to the Outstanding Natural Landscape classifications, rather than the piecemeal view of both Mr Marquet and Mr Clarke.
The two approving commissioners had not given proper weighting to the ‘‘massive adverse effects'' a golf resort would have on the entire surrounding landscape, and had instead ‘‘chopped up'' and classified different sections of the landscape to ‘‘suit their decisions'', he said.
Mrs Taylor's decision concluded ‘‘the Glendhu Bay area . . . and Motatapu Valley represent an outstanding and natural landscape which is the inheritance of all New Zealanders. In my opinion, the proposed development, located at this site, will substantially devalue and degrade this landscape by domestication for short-term gain''.
Mr Haworth said the UCES would lodge their appeal within the next 15 days.