Subdivision plan a ?damn shame

"It's a bloody disaster and a damn shame," says Carterton farmer, Bill Monk when describing the suggested break up of neighbouring farmland for housing just north of Carterton's northern town boundary.
He said it's also against current planning regulations and he's sick of the increasing encroachment on to productive farmland.
"Everyone seems to have gone soft on protecting farmland," he said. "There's plenty of land still available within Carterton's urban zone for housing."
Mr Monk described present council hearing processes as "a farce" where resource consent can allow for anything to happen. He is not confident the Carterton District Council will make a decision protecting the environment and within the rules of the district plan.
He is one of 10 submitters, and one of three who oppose the proposal by Cameron Holdings Ltd to subdivide 53 lots from 28ha currently used as a dairy run off, which and runs from Kent Street across to Andersons Line.
Mr Monk has been farming in Andersons Line for 48 years and should know all about planning regulations. During the 1980s when the Wairarapa South County Council was in existence, he was the council's chairman and also chaired the town planning committee.
After the amalgamation of the borough and county councils in 1989, he was South Wairarapa's deputy mayor.
"The proposed development is wholly inappropriate to the (Andersons Line) site as it's zoned Rural Environment", says Mr Monk in his submission, and points out the current minimum 3ha lot requirement.
A new district plan being created that will become official in February suggests taking that minimum down to 1ha.
Mr Monk quotes the specific sections of the current plan and says the rural environment is characterised by low-density development resulting in an open landscape.
He says the retention of the visual amenity is seen as desirable by the community and should be given high priority.
Mr Monk is also upset that council had given consent three years ago for the creation of six lots fronting Andersons Line, which he was never consulted on, despite owning the farmland immediately next door.
He fears in the future the council will be asked to consent even further to subdivision that will compromise the open landscape even more.
Currently, the proposal before council is for six of the 53 lots to go off Andersons Line, one being 2ha and the rest 1.6ha. The remaining sections would be served via new roads extended off Carrington Drive, which was created off Kent Street three years ago.