Wayne Bradshaw: Lack of sections bad for growth

Wayne Bradshaw

Few, if any, sections will be available in Havelock North over the next couple of years.

The unexpected shortage of sections coincides with the release of the Hastings District Council 2014 State of the Environment Report, discussed at the council's planning and regulatory committee meeting last week.

The report cited census figures that showed the population of Havelock North grew by 24 per cent from 2001-2013.

Havelock North grew by 2373 people, from 9888 to 12,261, with the Hastings City growing by 606 (+2.1 per cent) and Flaxmere declining by 234 (-2.4 per cent).

Given that 40 per cent of the population growth in the Hastings District has occurred in Havelock North, and is projected to continue in the future, the lack of sections in Havelock North will severely impede the economy growth and employment opportunities of the district and the region.

The Arataki development was anticipated to provide enough sections until 2018. Then an additional 220 sections would be made available in 2019 on the northern side of Arataki Rd ( the Arataki extension).

Due to market demand the sections in the Arataki development are likely to be all sold by mid 2016, (18 months ahead of council's plans).

But the council's district plan hearings committee has recommended the 220-section Arataki extension not proceed.

A small group of councillors have been highly concerned about the poor planning and the future complete lack of sections being available to meet the demand.

Workshops and discussions were arranged with the development industry where they expressed their concerns, but very little has been done to address these.

The only action the council has taken is to bring forward a block of land in Iona Rd that may provide about 140 to 230 sections. These sections may be available for purchase in mid-late 2018 at the very soonest, should the property owner agree to subdivide.

Other areas of poor planning discussed at last week's committee meeting included:

-Omahu Industrial rezoning: This was originally planned for in 2001/2, nothing finalised yet.

-Irongate Industrial rezoning: This was originally planned for in 2001/2 but nothing has been finalised yet.

-Retirement Sector Housing: This "was considered under the Heretaunga Plain Urban Design Strategy (HPUDS ).

The urban design strategy highlighted the 65 year-plus age group as the fastest growing age group that would have 3300 more persons in Havelock North in 30 years from 2015. This will require in Havelock North some 12ha just for retirement villages over the next 30 years.

But Megan Gaffaney, the environmental policy team leader, said in her report that "retirement sector housing did not feature strongly in the strategy".

The Heretaunga Plain Urban Development Strategy's first five-yearly review is progressing but will not be finished until mid-late 2016 at the earliest.

It is strange that Hastings District Council would complete a District Plan Review before the HPUDS review.

It will lead to multiple delays and large costs for our ratepayers.

-Wayne Bradshaw is a Hastings district councillor.

-Views expressed here are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz