Those of you who don't live here or have property here, may not realise that we have a very active and well trained team of volunteers who: fight fires, respond to medical emergency's and carry out civil defence tasks.
The volunteer fire force was first set up in 1997 with the guidance and help of the Department of Conservation and it grew and evolved from that point to its present size of 17 fully trained and equipped fire fighters and first response medical team.
The organisation has equipment depots (both fire and medical) at six points around the island plus a fully equipped rapid response vessel set up for fast response to any type of emergency on the island. We have been very fortunate to have been assisted by the Kawau Emergency Response Trust who have raised considerable amounts of money for the purchase of equipment.
Most call outs are medical emergency's and most of these involve visitors to the island. Helicopters are called in when required and I think it fair to say that if you have an accident on Kawau, you are likely to end up in hospital far quicker than you would if the accident occurred on the mainland.
Anybody needing help needs only to call 111 and we will be notified of the situation and what action is required within a very short space of time.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
What sort of houses should be Built on Kawau Island?
There has been some debate recently on the style and size of houses that are built on the island. One example of this was illustrated in a recent (Feb. 14) piece in the Herald on Sunday on a proposed house for Kawhiti Point at the North Eastern end of the island. The Kawhiti Point property was subdivided and developed a couple of years ago and comprises seven large lots accessed over a private wharf at Vivian Bay. All the properties have extensive sea views and were originally on the market for around $3,000,000 each. Prices now are probably considerably less than that.
The Herald on Sunday article focused on a large and very contemporary house called Mahina which the promoters werte offering as a house and land package. You can see it at: www.mahinanz.co.nz
The writer of the article quoted a number of local residents including Helen Jeffery of the local residents association and Michael Marris of the Kawau Island Advisory Committee.They also quoted yours truly based on a very short telephone conversation.
In my view, the article was attempting to show controvosy were perhaps none existed.Most of us believe that people should be able to do what they want on their own property as long as it complies with the district plan and does not adversely affect neighbours. It will be interesting to see if debate on this proposed building continues.
Also on the subject of island houses, a new house is planned for the Hideaway Cove site owned by Edoardo Canal.It is designed and will be built by a company called Box Living and is one of a number of modular designs offered by that company. Have a look at: www.boxliving.co.nz Their designs appear to be far more sympathetic to the island environment than the Mahina proposal and offer the flexibility of sizes from 60 square metres upwards. Being modular in construction, there should be significant savings from prefabrication off site.
One of the great things about Kawau is that every property (and building) is different and, by and large, reflect the desires and reqirements of the owners.
If you are looking at buying a section over here and want some idea of building options, I can suggest a number of people and companies you could talk to.
Have a great week.
John
The Herald on Sunday article focused on a large and very contemporary house called Mahina which the promoters werte offering as a house and land package. You can see it at: www.mahinanz.co.nz
The writer of the article quoted a number of local residents including Helen Jeffery of the local residents association and Michael Marris of the Kawau Island Advisory Committee.They also quoted yours truly based on a very short telephone conversation.
In my view, the article was attempting to show controvosy were perhaps none existed.Most of us believe that people should be able to do what they want on their own property as long as it complies with the district plan and does not adversely affect neighbours. It will be interesting to see if debate on this proposed building continues.
Also on the subject of island houses, a new house is planned for the Hideaway Cove site owned by Edoardo Canal.It is designed and will be built by a company called Box Living and is one of a number of modular designs offered by that company. Have a look at: www.boxliving.co.nz Their designs appear to be far more sympathetic to the island environment than the Mahina proposal and offer the flexibility of sizes from 60 square metres upwards. Being modular in construction, there should be significant savings from prefabrication off site.
One of the great things about Kawau is that every property (and building) is different and, by and large, reflect the desires and reqirements of the owners.
If you are looking at buying a section over here and want some idea of building options, I can suggest a number of people and companies you could talk to.
Have a great week.
John
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Kawau Island Real Estate
So what do we know about Kawau real estate? How much of it is there? Who owns it? How often does it sell? Who buys it and what is it worth? At the risk of boring you with too much information and not enough entertainment, I will try to answer all these questions briefly in the following paragraphs.
Most properties on Kawau Island are purchased primarily because the buyers like the island, rather than because they are looking for a good investment.
However, property on the island has shown itself to be one of the best monetary investments that most of us have ever made - a very nice bonus on top of the immense pleasure and enjoyment that we receive from our little pieces of island paradise.
In total, there are 430 separate properties (titles) on the island, ranging in size from 150 square metres up to 714 hectares (714,000 square metres).
While there are a number of traditional quarter acre (1012 Sq.M.) sections, most properties are nearer 1 acre (c. 4000sq. m.) with an average size of 5642 square metres.
Because of our maritime situation, all the original titles had water access, but with the advent of roads at School House Bay and South Cove, there are now 115 properties with road access rather than water access.
'Riparian rights' is a sometimes misunderstood term and, because of our situation, perhaps deserves some explanation. Older titles virtually all had riparian rights, meaning that ownership extends to the mean high water mark. Subsequent legislation has amended this to 'mean high water springs' which in effect slightly raises the high water line.
When a property with riparian rights is subdivided, the local district council takes a 20-metre-wide strip along the waterfront which becomes an esplanade reserve, owned by the council (commonly known as the Queens Chain). In some cases the width of this can be reduced by negotiation - say, where there is an existing building within the 20 metre zone.
There is a common public perception, from outsiders, that Kawau is a publicly-owned island. While we as owners know better, Rodney District Council advises that the actual ownership figures are as follows;
Total Properties: 430
D.O.C. owns: 7
RDC owns: 61
HGMP owns: 2
Private ownership: 360
Many private owners own more than one property and the actual number of private owners recorded is only 276. In contrast, a few properties are shared by multiple owners. Many Kawau properties are held by family trusts and while I don't have actual numbers, I would estimate that around one third of properties are in trust ownership.
National statistics show that, on average, New Zealand properties change hands every 7 years, which equates to 14% each year. On Kawau, 163 properties have sold over the last 10 years (some more than once) equating to an annual rate of 3.8% It is obvious from this that properties on the island tend to stay in the same ownership for considerable periods.
Also of interest: during the last 10 years, 61% of road access properties have sold, while only 42% of water access properties changed hands during that same period.
The type of person buying property has changed quite significantly over the last 6 years. At about the time I purchased my own property, there were over 100 permanent residents living on the island and newcomers (including myself) were buying with the intention of living there permanently. Since that time, not only have a number of permanent residents left, but most, if not all, new owners have purchased for holiday use rather than permanent living. The number of permanent residents living on the island is now down to about 65. Probably the most significant group of people buying now are ex-pat Kiwis, living and working overseas. This group, not only appreciate all the island has to offer, but are also able to afford to purchase now, ready to enjoy in a few years time when they return home.
There are some interesting figures provided by the Rodney District Council on Quotable Values (the old Government Valuations) on Kawau.
The total assessed value of all properties as at September 2001 was NZ$101,550,500. an average $236,164.The highest valuation was $3,650,000, the lowest was $347 (for a small council-owned reserve). In terms of market prices, the highest over the last 5 years was $1,800,000. On average, market values are increasing by around 15% per year, with the greatest percentage increases being shown by the lower priced sections and somewhat lower figures for the higher priced houses. It is not uncommon for sections to sell for twice their price of 5 years ago. To get an idea of prices have a look at my web site: http://www.kawau.co.nz/
So in summary, not only is Kawau Island a great place to live and holiday, but it is also a great place to invest.
Most properties on Kawau Island are purchased primarily because the buyers like the island, rather than because they are looking for a good investment.
However, property on the island has shown itself to be one of the best monetary investments that most of us have ever made - a very nice bonus on top of the immense pleasure and enjoyment that we receive from our little pieces of island paradise.
In total, there are 430 separate properties (titles) on the island, ranging in size from 150 square metres up to 714 hectares (714,000 square metres).
While there are a number of traditional quarter acre (1012 Sq.M.) sections, most properties are nearer 1 acre (c. 4000sq. m.) with an average size of 5642 square metres.
Because of our maritime situation, all the original titles had water access, but with the advent of roads at School House Bay and South Cove, there are now 115 properties with road access rather than water access.
'Riparian rights' is a sometimes misunderstood term and, because of our situation, perhaps deserves some explanation. Older titles virtually all had riparian rights, meaning that ownership extends to the mean high water mark. Subsequent legislation has amended this to 'mean high water springs' which in effect slightly raises the high water line.
When a property with riparian rights is subdivided, the local district council takes a 20-metre-wide strip along the waterfront which becomes an esplanade reserve, owned by the council (commonly known as the Queens Chain). In some cases the width of this can be reduced by negotiation - say, where there is an existing building within the 20 metre zone.
There is a common public perception, from outsiders, that Kawau is a publicly-owned island. While we as owners know better, Rodney District Council advises that the actual ownership figures are as follows;
Total Properties: 430
D.O.C. owns: 7
RDC owns: 61
HGMP owns: 2
Private ownership: 360
Many private owners own more than one property and the actual number of private owners recorded is only 276. In contrast, a few properties are shared by multiple owners. Many Kawau properties are held by family trusts and while I don't have actual numbers, I would estimate that around one third of properties are in trust ownership.
National statistics show that, on average, New Zealand properties change hands every 7 years, which equates to 14% each year. On Kawau, 163 properties have sold over the last 10 years (some more than once) equating to an annual rate of 3.8% It is obvious from this that properties on the island tend to stay in the same ownership for considerable periods.
Also of interest: during the last 10 years, 61% of road access properties have sold, while only 42% of water access properties changed hands during that same period.
The type of person buying property has changed quite significantly over the last 6 years. At about the time I purchased my own property, there were over 100 permanent residents living on the island and newcomers (including myself) were buying with the intention of living there permanently. Since that time, not only have a number of permanent residents left, but most, if not all, new owners have purchased for holiday use rather than permanent living. The number of permanent residents living on the island is now down to about 65. Probably the most significant group of people buying now are ex-pat Kiwis, living and working overseas. This group, not only appreciate all the island has to offer, but are also able to afford to purchase now, ready to enjoy in a few years time when they return home.
There are some interesting figures provided by the Rodney District Council on Quotable Values (the old Government Valuations) on Kawau.
The total assessed value of all properties as at September 2001 was NZ$101,550,500. an average $236,164.The highest valuation was $3,650,000, the lowest was $347 (for a small council-owned reserve). In terms of market prices, the highest over the last 5 years was $1,800,000. On average, market values are increasing by around 15% per year, with the greatest percentage increases being shown by the lower priced sections and somewhat lower figures for the higher priced houses. It is not uncommon for sections to sell for twice their price of 5 years ago. To get an idea of prices have a look at my web site: http://www.kawau.co.nz/
So in summary, not only is Kawau Island a great place to live and holiday, but it is also a great place to invest.
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