The following letter has been received in response to the opinion piece by Vision Kerikeri Chairperson, David Clendon in the 13 December edition of The Northland Age.

Development Contributions

In his 13 December column ‘Are we being served? David Clendon of Vision Kerikeri, with reference to the Arvida Kerikeri Retirement Village (KRV) proposal, asks a crucial question, “Where is the balance point between the economic costs to be borne by the public purse, the profit to be derived by the developer, and the wider social and environmental costs and benefits?” The overall KRV project is described as 200 retirement units with a 90 bed care unit and communal facilities. Stage 1 consists of 28 two and three bedroom retirement units.

Record of a 7 November 2018 planning meeting between the Far North District Council and Arvida Group Ltd noted that Mayor John Cart