The Golden Bay Cement works at Portland is in a proposed Strategic Rural Industry Environment zone. Photo / File
People have until December 19 to comment on proposed Whangarei District Council changes that will control the district's future rural development.
A rural development strategy setting the direction for the future character, use and development of rural land outside urban Whangarei City, Ruakaka and Marsden town centre was adopted by the council last year after discussions with professional bodies, farmers, lifestylers, community groups, businesses, clubs and householders.
The council's district plan policy and monitoring team leader, Melissa McGrath, said the district plan now needed changes so the rules it contained could be used to ensure rural development followed the path set by the strategy.
Proposed new provisions include six new zones to replace the district plan's existing Countryside and Coastal Countryside environments.
"We are calling this Plan Change 85," Ms McGrath said.
"It aims to introduce new rural production and living zones which will work together to protect primary production in our district and reduce reverse sensitivity issues caused when people moving to the country expect city conditions.
"Existing lifestyle blocks will be recognised, rural living opportunities will be provided for in the most appropriate places, and commercial, residential and community facilities/activities will be consolidated within a rural village setting."
The proposed new rural zones are called Rural Production Environment, Rural Living Environment, Strategic Rural Industry Environment, Rural Village Residential, Rural Village Centre and Rural Village Industrial.
"The three Rural Village environments allow for villages and town centres outside Whangarei city to have some mixed-use activity, as well as residential and industrial activities," Ms McGrath said.
"Some controls have been introduced to manage sprawl of commercial, industrial and residential development. Subdivision rules have been changed to push residential development to existing areas of higher residential density, to protect productive land."
Additional controls may apply to properties where environmental features are present, such as outstanding landscapes, the coastal environment, hazard zones, or sites of significance to Maori. Property owners who may be affected by these overlays will be consulted separately to this process.
Once feedback on the proposed changes has been considered, a legal consultation process is expected to begin around June during which people can make submissions, be heard at hearings, and have their submissions considered by the council before adoption of Plan Change 85.
Details about the proposed changes and comment forms are on the council website: www.wdc.govt.nz
Comments should be sent to Melissa McGrath or Evan Cook, Policy Department, Whangarei District Council, Private Bag 9023, Whangarei 0148.
The proposed rural plan changes rename the existing Countryside and Coastal Countryside environments as Rural Production environment and take the new Rural Living and Strategic Rural Industry Environments out of the Countryside Environment.
At present, Countryside and Coastal Countryside environments have a minimum lot size of 20ha as a controlled activity, with Countryside providing for an average lot size of 4ha and Coastal Countryside providing for an average lot size of 10ha as discretionary activities.
The proposed Rural Production zone will have the creation of minimum lot sizes of 80ha or less as a controlled activity and creating a minimum lot size of 20ha will be a discretionary activity.
Rural Living Environments with restrictions on subdivision and land use activities are proposed in 12 locations where there are lifestyle developments with sites of 1-4ha.
The largest of these proposed zones is at Glenbervie, with other substantial areas at Apotu Rd west of Kauri, Matarau, Whareora, Te Rongo Rd at Parau Bay and Kara Rd north-east of Maungatapere. Smaller zones are proposed at Whakapara, Whatatiri, Newton Rd north-east of Maungatapere, Snooks Rd west of Maungatapere, Prescott Rd near Ruakaka, Monfield Rd west of Uretiti and Cullen Rd near Waipu Cove.
Strategic Rural Industry Environment zones are identified around the Fonterra dairy factory at Kauri and the Golden Bay Cement works at Portland.
Rural villages are identified at Maungatapere, Maungakaramea, Hikurangi, Waipu, Parua Bay, Oakura, McLeod Bay/Reotahi, Matapouri, Ngunguru, Tutukaka, Pataua, Taurikura/Urquharts Bay, and Waipu Cove/Langs Beach.
The Whangarei District Growth Strategy 30|50 identifies Hikurangi, Waipu and Parua Bay as growth areas.