Rodney District Council Proceeds with Plan Changes to Enable Development in Kumeu – Huapai

Rodney’s District Council will proceed with the notification of changes to its District Plan to allow for the expansion of towns in western Rodney, with staged development of 1,800 new residential sections at Kumeu - Huapai included in the proposed Variation.

The Council had originally intended to notify the Plan Changes in January but delayed the decision to notify because of concern that Watercare Services, who will be responsible for providing a public wastewater and water supply to the towns, had not finalised its commitment to providing these systems.

Watercare’s previous asset management plans had included provision to connect Kumeu - Huapai to a public wastewater supply in 2011 and a public water supply in 2013, but at the Strategy and Community Committee meeting today, Councillors were advised that this is currently being reviewed by Watercare as part of the changes to Auckland Governance.

In a letter to the Chief Executive of Watercare Services, Rodney District Council Chief Executive Rodger Kerr Newell said that, “over the past eighteen months, Council has worked alongside Watercare to develop a wastewater scheme to service the towns of Huapai, Kumeu and Riverhead. There is now an accepted, documented, funded and timetabled programme for completion of the scheme by December 2011.”

Councillors agreed at a meeting today that they would write to the Auckland Transition Agency to outline their concerns that delays in providing infrastructure to Kumeu - Huapai and Riverhead would have an adverse effect on economic development and result in a loss of faith by the community.

The town of Kumeu - Huapai has been identified in the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy as a major growth node since 1999 and planning work has been progressing for some time to enable further development of this area. Growth in these towns and at Riverhead has, however, been delayed by the lack of availability of a public wastewater system.

Demand for residential and commercial land in western Rodney has been high in recent years.

Under the changes to be notified as part of the District Plan Variation, new residential properties will need to connect to the public wastewater system to ensure that public health problems do not arise as result of development.

Rodney District Council has agreed to provide a financial assistance package which will reduce the costs associated with installing pressurised wastewater grinder pumps for existing residential properties.

The proposed changes to the District Plan are designed to provide for population growth in Western Rodney and create demand for new business opportunities within Kumeu - Huapai.

ENDS

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