A new land zoning category for a proposed food hub on the outskirts of Hastings has been opposed by Hastings District Council planners.
A report to the Hastings District Council's hearing committee, which is hearing submissions on the proposal on Thursday and Friday, opposes the application to rezone land adjacent to the former Tomoana meat works site from Plains zone to a Tomoana Food Industry Cluster zone.
The Plains zone protects fertile Heretaunga Plains soils for future generations.
In 2009 the council was successful in rezoning part of the Plains zone for the Regional Sports Park and bankrupted a citizens' group that had opposed the 30ha development in the Environment Court, after it was awarded costs.
Since then the council has resisted applications for development on the Plains zone.
The report said the 16.6ha development did not achieve the objectives and policies of the District Plan, did not protect the soil and there was no need for new industrial land.
Trevor Taylor, a director of Elwood Road Holdings which owns the land, was surprised at the council's stance, especially with a nearby rail siding and a sewer running through the property.
"They have spent millions of dollars separating trade waste from the domestic sewer from Omahu right through our property," he said.
"It seems absolutely logical to us that they would encourage industry that would utilise it."
Mr Taylor owns Tomoana Warehousing, next door to the proposed food hub, which supplies 60,000sq m of warehousing and logistical support to Heinz Wattie's.
He said the council was being inconsistent.
"They have spent money expanding Irongate [industrial area] so they want to encourage it to be used but it has no services. You have to wonder at times who makes these decisions.
"Some say the food cluster should go to Omahu or Whakatu [industrial areas]. But Omahu has limited current capacity of their trade waste and Whakatu is where we think dirty industry should go. Whakatu is such a messy area. It is not a food cluster area and the cost of connecting to trade waste is exorbitant because it is very limited where it goes."
He said experts would be at the hearing to challenge council assumptions.
"We have restricted the rezoning to food-related activities so it is going to add value to our crops. We have a professor from Massey University coming to present a paper saying how important this is. We have some excellent support.
"We believe we have a good case. Yes, we are taking 16ha of productive land but interestingly enough, if Omahu, Whakatu and Irongate expand, they will all use productive land."
He said the proposed food hub would create about 500 new jobs.
A research and development centre is envisaged that would attract Government Food Group funding and be available for research trials.
The hub was necessary for value-added exports from the expected 25,000 irrigated hectares of land from the Central Hawke's Bay water project when it is completed in three to four years, he said.
"We have been working on this project for 3 years collectively, so it is not a five-minute wonder."