Council attitude superb: landowner

Hastings district councillor and Irongate landowner John Roil said the council's changed attitude to developing commercial land was now "superb". Photo / Warren Buckland

Development of commercial land in Hastings District will become easier to cope with "massive expansion" of the pipfruit industry and prospect of the Ruataniwha Dam, says Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule.

Speaking at the opening of Bostock New Zealand and Mr Apple's new 8600sq m coolstore joint venture off Omahu Rd on Thursday, Mr Yule said a further coolstore expansion is pending.

"We battled a bit with supplying enough industrial land for the expansion of this, and I expect by the middle of this year that will be resolved," he said.

"I suspect by the middle of this year we will have variations in place for Omahu Rd and Irongate because it is my view, and supported by my council, that the massive expansion that is going on in the pipfruit industry and if the Ruataniwha Dam happens, we actually want to have the ability to capture the value here."

Hastings district councillor and Irongate landowner John Roil said the council's attitude was "superb".

The industrial precinct's landowners were in dispute with the council over council development charges.

Landowners said the council was charging for unnecessary infrastructure and should look at some degree of self-servicing, such as soak-hole drains and independent water supplies from the underground aquifer.

Mr Roil said Irongate stakeholders met with the council last week and an independent person had been called in by the council to look at some of the self-servicing options.

"Some of this is a huge turnaround, in regards to how council has approached things in the past," Mr Roil said.

"There is a different approach brought about by an independent consultant which is superb."

Mr Yule said the district council recognised land for infrastructure was needed to facilitate growth.

The council was also relaunching the Great Things Grow Here marketing platform and endorsing the district as GMO free.

"It is all about maximising the value of what we grow."

Last year Mr Roil won a court case against his own council.

He appealed to the Environment Court after independent commissioners, appointed by the council because he was a councillor, denied resource consent to develop 4ha in the Plains Production zone adjoining the Irongate industrial area south of Hastings.

The zone protects 26,000ha of highly productive soil in the Heretaunga Plains from development, ensuring the viability of farming in the region.

Mr Roil argued his property should be allowed to operate as an industrial site because its activities were similar to its neighbours and the land poor.

In its decision, the court said allowing Mr Roil's development would do no harm to the integrity of the plains zone.

The area was an anomaly in the Heretaunga Plains, because of planning decisions allowing other developments and poor soil, "and a simple recognition" of that should do harm.