Rural subdivision rules coming under scrutiny

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It's almost the 11th hour for people worried that rural subdivision is eating up some of Wanganui's best land.

"Wanganui is blessed with a small portion of very good land and a fair bit of that is under threat from continued subdivision," Wanganui Rural Community Board chairman Alan Taylor said.

Wanganui District Council is looking to change the rules about rural subdivision in its district plan. The minimum size for rural subdivision could be increased to 10ha in areas with the district's best soils.

The biggest area of good soil is to the west of Wanganui and takes in Westmere and Brunswick, with patches as far away as Maxwell and Kai Iwi. Other patches are at Kaitoke and Fordell.

Cutting up that land for housing meant it was lost to highly productive agriculture, the linchpin of the district economy, Mr Taylor said.

It can also mean new residents complaining about the noise, smell and dust of usual agricultural processes.

The new rules would only need to apply to high-value land close to the city.

The rural community board will have a workshop on rural subdivision on April 15. Board members would like to hear people's views before then, and concerned people can also talk to Wanganui councillors or council planners.

That needs to be done soon, because a plan change is likely to be notified early next month.

People will still be able to make submissions on it after that, but Mr Taylor said it was better to get in early.

"It's much, much easier to get what you want in the plan before it goes to submissions."