There's change in the air out Hobsonville way - and not everyone is happy about it, reports Joanna Davies.
Barbara Buckler remembers when the land behind her house was open fields. "There's been a lot of changes over the years," she says, "and change isn't a bad thing as long as it's good change."
But the Hobsonville resident is worried about some of the major moves happening in her suburb. "I only found out that there are plans for an industrial site across the road when I went to a meeting about the road-widening. A lot of people around here had no idea that any of this is happening, and some people are struggling to come to terms with it."
Now Mrs Buckler and her daughter, Michelle, are asking the Auckland Regional Council to ensure that the suburb's air quality doesn't suffer when industry takes over the farmland.
"We won't know if odour and emissions are going to be an issue until the industry goes in," says Miss Buckler.
In March this year the regional council expanded the Metropolitan Urban Limit, making way for the rural side of Hobsonville to be developed in the future.
To finalise all the changes the council now needs to update its regional plan and extend the urban air management boundary.
"What they are technically doing is putting the same air management across the road that we already have over our house," Miss Buckler says.
"But this is a residential area. I realise that some of the buildings across the road will be retail, but that can all change and we don't think there will be much that we can do."
June Kearney, president of the Hobsonville-West Harbour Residents and Ratepayers Association, has also been asking the regional council what the plan change will mean.
"I have spoken with the council over this to ensure that it is not paving the way for the use of currently rural-zoned land to industrial or urban uses in advance of any plan change," Ms Kearney says.
"I am assured that it applies only to those areas already designated to come within the metropolitan urban limits and zoned for industrial, commercial and urban purposes.
"As the air quality measure is higher for urban development than for rural, it does not provide for a higher level of adverse effect," Ms Kearney says.
The council's manager for air quality, Janet Petersen, says the biggest change to residents living in the rural area will be that they cannot burn anything in their back garden.
"Open burning is not allowed under the rule change, and people who are installing home heating have to meet stricter emissions criteria."
As for any industrial or commercial users of the land in the future, Ms Petersen says each business will have to comply with the rules and get approval from the right authorities.
"Any industry that has certain types of emissions would be required to get a resource consent," she says. "On July 15 there will be a sub-committee meeting where we will listen to the final submissions and make a final decision."
Pushing boundaries
The Auckland Regional Council moved the metropolitan urban limit further north to allow for growth in the Hobsonville and Massey North areas.
The plan change, which came in effect on March 12 this year, allows for construction of the Westgate town centre, the Hobsonville Point subdivision, and also the industry and commercial construction between Hobsonville Rd and the new State Highway 18 motorway.
How is the air out there?
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