Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

First Cut Of Draft District Plan Released

Timaru District Plan has released its blueprint for the future of the district, and it’s asking everyone to have their say on it.

The first cut of the Draft Timaru District Plan - He Po. He Ao. Ka Awatea. was today published by Council and is now open for public comment until 30 November at Timaru.govt.nz/draftplan

Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said that this is an incredibly important document, and it’s vital that people take the time to learn more about it and have their say on the provisions in the document.

“The District Plan is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most important documents that council publishes as it manages how we use and develop land and protects what we love about our district,” he said.

“It controls what you can build on your property, what your neighbours can build on theirs, and what your neighbourhood is going to look like in the future. It also protects all of the things such as heritage, landscapes and the coastal environment that we value as a community.

“It sets a blueprint for the future development of the district in the decades to come.

The council has moved away from having a print copy of the district plan to now hosting it online through a new interactive tool.

This tool enables you click on a site and see what provisions of the plan specifically apply to that to that site.

Feedback can be provided on any of these provisions straight from the online tool.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“We’ve made it easier and quicker than ever to give us feedback with a new interactive tool. It enables you to comment on every part of the plan, or drill down into the parts of the plan relevant to your property and give us your feedback on them,” said the Mayor.

“The plan affects everyone and it’s really important that everyone takes a little time to learn about the plan and tell us what you think about it.

“If you’re not so savvy with computer you can request a meeting to talk to one of our planning staff or consultants, who can discuss the issues with you and they can make a note of what was said and put it into the submission system for you.”

District Planning Manager Mark Geddes said that although individual issues have been consulted on over the past few years, today’s publication is the first time that the plan has been released for comment.

“We’re really interested in what the public and stakeholders have to say about this. Making any major policy document is hard to get right, you rely on the different perspectives that are out there to test the provisions and make the document better.

“One area we’re particularly interested in getting feedback is on the new Medium Density Zones, where we’re looking to slightly increase residential densities, and we’re very keen to know whether people think we’ve got that concept right.

This plan is the first one to account for significant issues such as the risks of climate change, enabling people to make more informed decisions around development in coastal areas.

“There’s a lot of aspects to climate change, one of the key ones affecting this district are coastal hazards caused by sea level rise,

“We recently commissioned with Environment Canterbury an assessment which takes into account sea level rise, inundation and coastal erosion, so we now have an up to date model for what that’s might look like over the next 30 years. We can then incorporate this into the district plan enable people to consider the effects more closely.”

The Mana Whenua Kati Huirapa, have been our partners in this process and have played an important part in the creation of this plan.

“Previously the operative district plan didn’t have much in the way of provisions in relation to Maori, and this draft plan seeks to remedy the situation. We consulted with Tangata Whenua from the outset on this process about how they wanted to be engaged,” said Mark.

“We made sure that Maori values are integrated through the whole plan, it’s been very much a partnership with the local Runanga.

“Tangata whenua take a long-term view and are focused on long term sustainable management and providing for future generations, which aligns really well with the provisions of the RMA and provides really good insight for the plan as a whole.”

The first cut of the Draft District Plan is available now at Timaru.govt.nz/draftplan submissions are welcomed until November 30.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.