A concept image of what the Riverbend Rd development in Napier could look like if it goes ahead. Photo / 215 Riverbend Ltd
A concept image of what the Riverbend Rd development in Napier could look like if it goes ahead. Photo / 215 Riverbend Ltd
A planning document setting out where thousands of homes could be built around Napier, Hastings and Havelock North over the next 30 years has been adopted.
An enormous amount of work has gone into preparing a Napier-Hastings Future Development Strategy (FDS) over the last two and a half years.
Being included in the strategy does not mean automatic consent for a site to be developed, as it still needs to go through the usual consenting processes, and district plans take precedence.
However, inclusion in the strategy is a big advantage, including for rezoning purposes within a district plan.
Earlier this year, an independent panel recommended 15 residential growth sites (essentially future development sites), with capacity for more than 5000 homes, be included in the FDS.
Napier City Council wanted to include all three in the FDS.
Hastings District Council wanted to exclude the Middle Rd and Wall Rd sites to protect fertile soils.
The regional council wanted to exclude the Riverbend Rd site because of flood concerns, and the Middle Rd site to protect fertile soils.
The final FDS document has now been adopted after a compromise was reached.
The different views taken by the partner councils which have been noted in the FDS. Photo / NCC
The document has included all 15 residential growth sites, while setting out each council’s differing views on the three contentious sites.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, who was chairwoman of the joint FDS committee, said the work had been “very significant for ensuring we have an adequate supply of housing” over the next three decades, while protecting fertile soils.
“We are very pleased that our development community and our landowners will have a direction for where houses can be built in the future.”
HBRC chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said “the majority of the strategy is agreed, and we have a way forward”.
HBRC councillor Neil Kirton said “the whole process is no better than a farce”.
“We have arrived at a most unsatisfactory position.
“The whole process is essentially brought into disrepute when you have got this situation of not being able to establish robust guidelines [for every site].”
In his view, it meant Napier and Hastings councils could make zone changes to their district plans by interpreting the FDS as they saw fit with regard to contentious sites such as Riverbend Rd.
Despite that criticism, Kirton voted to adopt the final document, as did all councillors present at the three councils’ respective meetings.
“At the end of the day, 99% of the document was in agreement and, for the controversial bits, a compromise was reached to include the respective positions of each council,” he said.
“So, at least we were in a position to reserve the regional council’s position, and leave the door open for a robust response when the time comes around the district planning process.”
The Government previously directed regions to formulate an FDS to plan for future growth. The three councils have now met that requirement.
