It finally got to the stage where I interrupted their conversation and suggested it appeared they had no understanding of the potential damage to the district if they continued to rape and plunder this irreplaceable asset we have in this district.
The response backed up my concerns. "Well where do we expand if we cannot use this land?"
Not "yes we acknowledge the value of what we have got and we are looking at other areas." That would have been a more encouraging reply.
When I suggested land on the hills behind Middle Rd as maybe an option the response was we cannot acquire that land for subdivision. Oh sorry that's right, those landowners are subdividing for high-value lifestyle blocks.
Is this lack of awareness or understanding because of, as Peter Beaven points out, the councillors are there for a short time and their knowledge of previous administrations' wasteful policies are unknown and pressure from developers to acquire land that is cheap and easy to develop, ie flat, on free-draining soils, is ideal for development?
Of course this is the very best land for cropping and keeping the district progressing.
This problem is not new. In fact my parents' land was taken for subdivision approximately 54 years ago.
In the 1950s the Hastings City Council decided it needed to expand and build a new subdivision.
So they employed a consultant from the USA to study the area and make recommendations as to where and where not to expand.
My father had a very fertile piece of land with an orchard and cropping in Kaiapo Rd and it was in an area designated as fertile cropping land and an area not recommended for a housing subdivision.
Well we all know the track record of councils and consultants reports. It was decided the new subdivision should be where Camberley is now, right where our property was.
There goes our land. Nice flat land close to existing infrastructure, water, sewerage, etc and cheap to develop.
Great, spend all that money on a consultant yet go against his most obvious recommendations. Once again it was done to satisfy the wishes of a large developer!
Nothing changes.
Well, when I heard the four gentlemen talking in Havelock North and land in Kaiapo Rd was mentioned I thought a little history may be of interest to them.
It sure cut short their little get together because they scattered in various directions, led by the HDC councillor after listening to my family's experience.
Hopefully what I had to say had an impact on the councillor's thoughts and, when the council comes to discuss the issue again very shortly, he considers my comments.
I was also interested in Peter Beaven's response to the HPUDS and the number of sections that will be available over the next 10 years.
Those he mentioned plus a number still available in Flaxmere would appear to satisfy the projected demand.
It is critically important that all councillors are made aware and are more pro-active in protecting our unique fertile land resource for our future generations because as soon as you build a house on it it's gone forever.
Robin Sage, Retired grape grower, former president Hawke's Bay Grape Growers, life member Hawke's Bay Winegrowers.
