Earlier this month the Wānaka Community Supporting Our Northlake Neighbours Incorporated Society’s (WCSONNI) request to the Environmental Legal Assistance Fund to reconsider funding was once again rejected.

The group’s goal of challenging the no-objection clause in their Northlake covenants is now dead in the water. 

“When I went into this, I fully thought justice would be done and the community voice would be heard and we would win,” said chair of WCSONNI, Niamh Shaw. “My youthful optimism has taken a battering. The system is highly flawed,” she said. 

“I’ve gone through phases where I’ve really fought it, then with more time just thinking the horse has bolted. Taking this on, it does consume you, it has eaten my time, and my time with my family.”

Shaw has contacted all the members of the society notifying them of her decision and has asked if anyone would be prepared to take over. “I think there is a will to fight but I think that the level of fear and anger means that there is a feeling of futility. And that does impact… that someone is unlikely to come forward,” she said. 

Shaw conceded that in the case of the Northlake hotel, it is definitely going ahead — that horse has already bolted. “That developer… there is still land in the special zone with no specified plans so the developer could apply for another resource consent to plonk god only knows what in there. I was always invigorated by fighting the bigger fight, on gag clauses, but it’s a much bigger fight. But its relevance now to this community hasn’t got the same imperative. There are other developments in Wānaka with these clauses. There is still a risk that another developer could come in and do it again.”

Despite the demise of the society’s goal, there is still some fight in Shaw who said her new role as a councillor would help her to ensure any such future development was more community friendly.