Entertainer has reportedly bought up 12 properties in rural Ngātīmoti and objected to a cycle trail proposal
Noel Edmonds moved to New Zealand in 2019, first to Matakana, north of Auckland, and then to the South Island.Noel Edmonds moved to New Zealand in 2019, first to Matakana, north of Auckland, and then to the South Island.has brought his positive energy to a tiny town in New Zealand, where he has reportedly bought up NZ$30m worth of property and is making his mark on the community.
Stuff reported that in August, Belinda Crisp, a contractor to the local council, visited River Haven with a colleague to discuss the possibility of Edmonds allowing a cycle trail – backed by the council and central government – to pass through his land rather than alongside a highway.Crisp said she told Edmonds the cycle trail would bring thousands of cyclists to his business every year, but Edmonds objected.
Edmonds confirmed to Stuff that he had banned the council contractors from the property, saying Crisp was “not our sort of person” and the council should be supporting struggling businesses, not a cycle trail. King said people could make up their own mind d over the tone of the reported exchange between Edmonds and the council’s contractors for the cycle trail, but it was not the sort of language he would condone.
When the Guardian sought comment from Edmonds, he said: “We’re so busy making a difference there is no guarantee any questions will elicit a response, but feel free to try.”