Chris Bishop - MP for Hutt South

25 July 2018

Hutt South MP Chris Bishop is calling on the Hutt City Council to immediately halt its “Significant Natural Area” (SNA) process and go back to the drawing board.

“I have been uneasy about the Council’s SNA process right from the start, when around 1500 letters were sent out of the blue to residents all around the Hutt telling them their land (or part of their land) has been identified as being part of a “Significant Natural Area”. The restrictions that could potentially be imposed on this land are quite significant - including stopping not only sub-division, vegetation clearance, earthworks, but also possibly vege gardens, playhouses or BBQ patios a few metres from residents’ homes.”

“Since then my concerns have only grown as I have seen landowners in the Hutt attempt to get answers from the Council about why the SNA process is being undertaken, what it involves, and what is being asked of landowners.”

“Frustration has now reached boiling point and it is time the Council recognised that they need to throw out the current plans, take a breather, and go back to the drawing board.”

“This process has been a shambles right from the start, but it did not have to be this way. Other Councils have undertaken to protect significant natural areas by engaging in good faith with affected landowners, working in conjunction with them, and approaching things on a case-by-case basis.

“The Hutt Council decided, for whatever reason, that a better way would be to write out of the blue to over 1500 houses telling them their land could potentially have significant restrictions placed on it, with very little context given and with no certainty about the process from here on in.

“There has been no recognition given to the enormous role that private landowners already play in protecting significant indigenous vegetation on their property. Moreover, some landowners have had huge chunks of land classified as a SNA when only tiny bits of the area identified have anything that could be legitimately classified as a SNA.”

“The process has been a total shambles and I’m calling on Mayor Wallace and Councillors to show some leadership. Bin the current plans and start again.”

ends

© Scoop Media