Report from RNZ by Harry Lock
The Wellington City Council has applied to remove a caveat registered at Shelly Bay which is blocking a crucial stage in the controversial housing development planned for the site.
A caveat was registered on council-owned land in 2019.
Caveats can be registered by someone who has an interest in the land but does not own it. It is mainly done through Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and can be used to prevent land from being sold.
In the instance of Shelly Bay, the caveat applies to two sections owned by the council.
The council owns 3.5 hectares of land at Shelly Bay but voted in November to sell 0.36 hectares and lease a further 0.58ha to Shelly Bay Limited – an organisation linked to The Wellington Company. The sale and lease of the land is crucial for the company’s $500 million housing development to go ahead.