The developer behind a planned 260-lot Whangarei subdivision has to respond to concerns about the scheme before a date can be set to consider granting a consent.
Development company Trading Corporate Ltd has applied to the Whangarei District Council for resource consent to develop 94ha at the end of Raumanga Heights
Dr. The application was publicly notified late last year and drew 45 submissions, all but four opposed to the plan.
The council said submitters' concerns had been sent to the developer, and it was awaiting a response before deciding whether to hold a public hearing. A council spokeswoman said a public hearing was "highly likely".
Meanwhile, council staff have found no problems with large-scale clearing of bush that is being carried out on the property. The Advocate has received calls from Raumanga Heights residents concerned about bush clearing - the work continuing until 7pm some evenings - and complaints had also been passed to the council.
Policy and planning manager Paul Waanders said council staff had visited the site and found the developer was not breaching any rules by removing the trees.
"We have to remember very few trees are protected in our district. At this stage the developers are not contravening any plans," Mr Waanders said.
While the trees were planted in the 1960s as part of conditions of a consent then to stabilise the area, there wasn't anything in that consent to stop them from later being removed. Under present resource consent systems the council can stipulate the types of trees planted and also usually requires the plantings are maintained.
" Aucklander Stuart Robertson is sole director of Trading Corporate Ltd, the registered owner of the site. The land was once farmed by the Murdoch family. Mr Robertson said the "beneficial owners" of the proposed subdivision were from a Whangarei family who did not want to be identified.
