Hastings businesses watching Bunnings appeal

Huge rates increases, some over 100 per cent, have left Havelock North businesses reeling, but an Environment Court case awaiting a decision could provide a glimmer of hope.
The average rates increase for Havelock North firms was about 20 per cent. The increases were because of the increase in the value of the district's commercial land, which was due to the council's tight supply of commercially zoned land.
Nimon Buses site, in Havelock North, is earmarked for a supermarket and sold for $9.2 million. The adjoining fire station's value rose from $730,00 to $1.7 million - its rates jumped from $14,300 to $34,711 - an increase of 142 per cent.
Australasian hardware chain Bunnings knows only too well the difficulty of finding suitable land for a Hastings store.
Bunnings development manager David Boersen said it was told it was not wanted at the Nelson Park retail development - the council sale to Charter Hall was made on the basis of a predetermined mix of retailers.
"We went through quite an exhaustive search and couldn't find a site," he said.
"We actually went and met the mayor and the strategic property manager. They showed us 10 properties. They showed us Pakowhai Rd and said, this is part of our wider industrial strategy - we think this is a good site for Bunnings to go on to."
Hastings District Council mayor Lawrence Yule said the Pakowhai Rd site was not his top recommendation, even though it was zoned deferred industrial.
"I always told them that one would be too hard to get over the line."
Bunnings' application to build a 10,263sq m warehouse store at the intersection of Pakowhai and Evenden roads was declined in 2009 by independent commissioners who said the proposal would impact the productivity of plains soil.
Bunnings appealed against the ruling in March this year, telling the Environment Court the 4ha site had poor soil, was too small, too near urban areas (for agricultural practices such as frost fans and bird scarers) and too small a percentage of an inferior example of the protected Heretaunga soil had been taken, to outweigh the benefits the retail development could bring to the community.
Hastings District Council staunchly defended the Plains Zone in court, saying the 26,000ha of productive land was "eminently suitable for a wide range of productive soil-based activities", and recognised as a premier region of the South Pacific.
Neighbour David Mardon, of Pernel Orchards, gave a long list of crops to the court that could be grown on the Bunnings site.
Bunnings challenge to council's tight stewardship of the land, to ensure food production for future generations, could be used as a precedent for other legal challenges to the Heretaunga Plains Zone.
In the longer term, if successful, it could mean an easing of values for Havelock North businesses, some who were talking of relocating.