Part of the large site in Middle Rd in Havelock North which could be subdivided in future. Photo / NZME
A major planning document for the wider Napier and Hastings area setting out where thousands of homes could be built in future has stalled, with one councillor describing the situation as a “stalemate”.
It comes amid disagreement by partner councils about which sites should feature in that document.
Two proposed future housing sites are proving to be a sticking point - one in Napier (on Riverbend Rd) and one in Havelock North (on Middle Rd) - which could cater for more than 600 homes each.
The Hastings-Napier Future Development Strategy (FDS) was meant to be finalised in June, but could now be months away from being finalised and adopted.
Simply put, the FDS identifies large sites for housing and industrial growth around Napier, Hastings and Havelock North that can be developed over the next 30 years.
Formulating the FDS has been a major focus for the three participating councils – Hastings, Napier and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council – for the past couple of years.
It will be updated every three years and help cater for growth in the region.
Last week, the three participating councils met separately to vote whether to approve the final FDS document.
HBRC approved the draft FDS with the exception of two sites it wanted removed - the Riverbend Rd site because of flood concerns, and the Middle Rd site to protect fertile soils.
Napier City Council approved the draft FDS with the inclusion of those two contentious sites.
Hastings District Council could not reach agreement on the shape of the FDS, and adjourned its decision until its next meeting on July 22. Concerns were raised about the Middle Rd site, in particular.
The initial draft FDS featured 13 future residential development sites, and an independent panel then recommended two more sites be added - taking the draft FDS to 15 sites with capacity for more than 5000 new homes.
As there is no unanimous agreement on the final FDS document, more work will need to be done following Hastings’ meeting on July 22.
That will include a technical working group pulling together a final proposed FDS document, taking on board the concerns of each council.
That technical working group will include staff from all three councils as well as consultants.
A revised FDS document will then go back to each council to be considered for adoption.
“The options range from preparing an FDS that all parties agree on, to potentially having one FDS with notations reflecting the three councils’ requests,” Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said of that process.
In other words, some sites could be included with an asterix next to them in the FDS, and notations or footnotes setting out specific concerns.
Hazlehurst said if agreement could not be reached at that point, “further discussions” would be required between the councils.
Long-standing regional councillor Neil Kirton said he held concerns about the process going forward, given the differing stances.
He said inclusion of the likes of the Riverbend Rd site in the FDS with a “footnote” was not supported by the regional council.
“That’s what was proposed to the regional council [last] Wednesday and was ultimately rejected, the reason being the status of a footnote is uncertain and much less compelling and obligatory than the inclusion or exclusion of an area.”
He said, in his view, a footnote raising certain concerns was simply akin to “weasel words” to have a site included in the FDS, when the better path was to simply include or exclude a site.
“So, we are at a standoff, we are at a stalemate, and I would say if the altered version of the FDS comes back, regional council is likely to stand its ground,” he said.
“If the solution proposed by either or both Napier and Hastings is for inclusion plus footnotes, then I would suggest, in my view, it is time for the regional council to stand its ground.”
He said if it ended with a 2-1 vote in terms of the final shape of the FDS being adopted, he could see that ending up in court through a judicial review.
The three partner councils must all adopt one FDS to meet the requirements of the National Policy Statement for Urban Development.
A 22ha site on Riverbend Rd in Napier is seeking inclusion in the FDS.
An iwi-led project for more than 600 homes on that site was first proposed in 2021.
That site flooded in 2020 and 2023.
However, an independent panel recommended it be included in the FDS, citing an engineering report which referred to it as an “unofficial” stormwater detention area, where flood risks could be mitigated by the likes of pumping.
With regards to the site at Middle Rd in Havelock North, major developer CDL Land NZ is considering a large subdivision project on that site on Middle Rd, between the new Iona subdivision and James Wattie Retirement Village.
A concern for that 52ha site is protecting fertile growing soils.
Having a site included in the FDS is no guarantee it will receive resource consent in the future, but it is considered a big win for the relevant landowner or developer for future development plans.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.