Subj : 'Totally reckless' housing intensification rules put on hold
To   : All
From : News Person
Date : Sat Feb 24 2024 01:32 pm

Planning rules that allow greater housing intensification in two Western Bay
of Plenty towns have been put on hold.


The Western Bay of Plenty District Council deferred adopting intensification
planning rules over concerns the infrastructure wasn't in place to support it.


During a meeting on Thursday, councillors described the plan as "totally
reckless" and "social planning of the very worst [kind]".


The Government's medium-density residential standards meant Western Bay's
urban areas of Omokoroa and Te Puke have been earmarked for greater housing
intensification. These areas were projected to have populations over 10,000
in coming years.


The nine standards included allowing three homes on a site, houses up to 11
metres high, half of a site could be buildings, and at least 20m2 of outdoor
space must be available.


The previous government made these rules mandatory.


However, the new Government says councils can opt into the rules, although
the legislation supporting mandatory rules remained in place.


Western Bay of Plenty District Council formed independent hearing panels to
hear submissions on this proposal - Plan Change 92 Enabling Housing Supply -
in September 2023, with recommendations released in January.


The council was asked to consider the panel's recommendations, which covered
various submission points, at a meeting yesterday.

Councillor Don Thwaites said it was "totally reckless" to allow 4905 new
residential dwellings in Omokoroa and for retirement villages to count four
units as one dwelling, as well as new commercial and industrial zoning.


Dangerous intersections and heavy traffic on State Highway 2 had also not
been addressed, he said.


A "temporary roundabout" to be built at the intersection of SH2 and Omokoroa
was insufficient for the area, said Thwaites.


"From a roading point of view, I totally reject [the recommendations]."

Early works have begun on the $43m intersection upgrade, which will create
four lanes on Omokoroa Rd to Prole Rd and the interim roundabout.


The roundabout was expected to remain until the Tauranga Northern Link (TNL)
Stage Two, a four-lane highway between Omokoroa to Te Puna, was built.


The TNL stage 2 was promised and not delivered by successive governments.
Stage one from Te Puna to Tauranga was underway.


Deputy chief executive / strategy and community general manager Rachael Davie
said the government funding for the intersection upgrade was to enable land
in Omokoroa to be opened up for housing.


"This is an important decision for this council, not only in terms of the
community. But also in terms of its commitment to the urban growth
partnership . to opening up land for housing, noting that we have a
significant housing crisis across the sub-region."


She recommended letting the matter lie on the table rather than rejecting it.

Councillor Margaret Murray Benge said plans to allow people to live on
"slivers of sections" with no garages or off-street parking was "social
planning of the very worst [kind]".


"The antisocial environment that we will be creating by having these tiny,
tiny little sections where you cannot swing a cat, I think is just immoral."


Councillor Rodney Joyce raised concerns around safe access for emergency
services and adequate public transport.


"I am very concerned . that we are saying things like `build it and the
public transport will come'. That is not a plan."


Joyce said he understood the need for intensification, but the council should
try for a better plan.


Environmental planning manager Natalie Rutland said the the council rejected
the panel's recommendations, the government would then make the final
decision.


Deputy mayor John Scrimgeour said he accepted the recommendations with mixed
feelings as some of the details were less than perfect, but he believed these
could be picked up through other planning processes.


"It's very important that we retain the ability to react to those changes and
proposals and make our own decisions.


"We need to be very cautious about putting our destiny in other people's
hands."

Mayor James Denyer said the council would lose control if the decision was
left with the government.


"This development is happening anyway. This plan change puts in place
essential parameters to control that," he said.


"If we say 'no' to this, we will get worse development."


The councillors voted to let the matter lie on the table to be revisited
later.


LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

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