The proposal includes extending a no development zone around Te Mata Peak. Photo / Paul Taylor
The proposal includes extending a no development zone around Te Mata Peak. Photo / Paul Taylor
A plan has been revealed to extend a no-development zone around Te Mata Peak as far as Craggy Range winery.
The plan has been designed to better protect the cultural (including archaeological) aspects and visual aspects of the eastern side of Te Mata Peak.
It would see an existing buildingprohibition zone, currently in place just around the top of the picturesque mountain, extended a couple of hundred metres to the east toward Waimarama Rd and Craggy Range.
The proposed changes to the district plan were discussed during Hastings District Council's Heretaunga Takoto Noa Māori Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Three options were on the table during the meeting detailing where the adjusted boundary line should fall.
However, after discussing the matter, the committee decided it needed to better engage with the affected landholders before recommending an option.
"The most significant change to the zone rules is a lowering of the building prohibition line as it applies to the eastern face of Te Matā," council papers stated, about the proposal.
The dotted yellow line is where the no-development line would be extended under one of the options. Craggy Range can be seen on the left. Photo / Supplied
"Currently this line sits just below the rocky outcrop at the top of the maunga [mountain]."
The options being proposed included either extending the building prohibition zone boundary right down to Waimarama Rd (in front of Craggy Range) or a shorter boundary that ended closer to the base of the mountain on the eastern side.
Three homes and buildings are currently standing on land which would be impacted by the changes.
They would remain under the plans, but any future buildings would not be able to be developed.
The committee heard discussions were ongoing with the three landowners who will be most severely impacted.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst proposed the committee should engage further with those landholders to avoid any unnecessary appeals or court action in the future, before recommending an option.
That was agreed upon by the rest of the committee as the best action to take.
Following engagement with landholders, a report will come back to the committee in the future.
