Summerset shares fall 3.5% as Hobsonville consent declined

Summerset shares fall 3.5% after Auckland Council turns down Hobsonville consent

By Paul McBeth

Feb. 21 (BusinessDesk) - Shares in Summerset Group fell 3.5 percent after Auckland Council turned down the retirement village operator and developer's application to build a new village in Hobsonville, a decision it plans to appeal.

Chief executive Norah Barlow said the decision was disappointing, but won't impact on the Wellington-based company's build rate of 200 units this year and 300 units by the end of the 2015 financial year. Summerset announced the 7.6 hectare purchase last year. The shares fell 9 cents to $2.45 in trading today.

"This is disappointing to us as we are looking forward to starting development on this decision," Barlow said. "We can confirm we will be appealing the decision."

The decision comes before Summerset is scheduled to report annual earnings on Monday next week. Forsyth Barr analyst Jeremy Simpson expects the retirement village operator to more than triple net profit to $14.5 million on a 34 percent gain in sales to $53.3 million.

The group sold 331 occupation rights for more than $100 million to village residents in the 2012 calendar year, from 231 sales and resales a year earlier, beating its initial public offer forecast by 28 percent.

(BusinessDesk)

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