Council releases draft district plan

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 560, 1 November 1994, Page 1

Council releases draft district plan

The Draft Ruapehu District Plan was presented to councillors at their monthly meeting in Taumarunui last Friday by Ruapehu District Council planners Jeff Page and Jane White and then adopted. The next stage in the process is to seek public Comment on the plan. The district has been managed for a number of years using the several separate town and county plans from the local authorities that amalgamated to form the Ruapehu District. Jeff Page and Jane White said that the DDP incorporates all the recommendations made in the form of public submissions to Council earlier this year plus additional information resulting from the consultative process since those initial submissions. The 179-page document contains detailed information about: Tangata Whenua of the Ruapehu District; Interpretations; Information Requirements; District Rules; Rural Zones; Residential Zones; Commercial Zones; Industrial Zones; Urban Settlement Zone; Protected Areas Zones; Maori Land; Transportation; Subdivisions; Signs; Financial Contributions; Hazardous Substances; Indigenous Vegetation and Habitats of Indigenous Fauna; Riparian Management and Public Access; Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes; Relocatable Buildings; Waahi Tapu; Utilities; Special Activities; Surfaceof Water; Natural Hazards; Heritage; Cross Boundary Processes; Monitoring; Designations; Planning Maps; Suggested Resolutions. The DDP together with the Chief Executive's Commentary can be inspected at any of the District's service centres or libraries, or they may be purchased at the following prices: Proposed Ruapehu District Plan (planning maps excluded) $53. Proposed Ruapehu District Plan Planning Maps $33. Proposed Ruapehu District Plan (planning maps included) $73. Turn to Page 10

Council releases draft district plan

FROMPAGEl Mr Page said once Council adopted the Draft District Plan members of the public had 40-days to make submissions. This wouldbe followed by a period of 20 working days so that submissions made in response to the public submissions can be considered by Council before the Plan is implemented. Mr Page said he hoped to have the Plan operative by this time next year if Council were to adopt the Plan without delay and providing there were no appeals. Cr Bob Peck said he would like more time to consider the DDP at more length and in greater detail before entering into any debate as to its recommendations at last Friday's meeting. Councillors decided, in view of the size and scope of the document and because its contents had already been traversed at earlier Council meetings, to accept most of the recommendations without debate so as to concentrate on the five issues which were seen by District planners Jeff and June Page as possibly being 'controversial' These were exotic forestry, signs, development, hazardous substances, Maori land including riparian management and indigenous vegetation. Exotic Forestry Following a Council meeting in June this year it was decided to canvass a number of 'major' parties that would be affected to obtain their 'overview' about the possibility of Council controlling exotic forestry in the Ruapehu

District. Among the issues of concem with regard to exotic forests were the social and economic impacts on the Ruapehu community, one concem being that exotic forestation (as opposed to pastoral land development) would lead to rural depopulation. According to censuses taken in 1986 and 1991 the Ruapehu district recorded the highest rate of depopulation in the Manawatu/ Wanganui region of 9.1 percent and this population decrease is predicted by the Department of Statistics to continue with a forecast that by the year 20 1 6 the district will experience a further 6.5 percent loss of population. However, it is acknowledged it would be very difficult to prove what effect forestry has had, or will have, on this trend. There are two schools of thought on this issue, one being that exotic forestation will have beneficial social and economic impacts while the other points to negative social and economic impacts. According to the Resource Management Act (RMA) the purpose of the Act is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. Mr Page said the RMA does not allow the Ruapehu District Council to allocate priorities of one resource over another such as forestry over pastoral farming without resorting to courts of law and explained that one of the disadvantages of the two-tier administrative systembetween District and Regional councils was determining the demarcation

between responsibilities. Cr Stuart Shaw said trees are notoriously heavy consumers of water and large plantations of forest will "drink" and dry up pastoral streams. Cr Graeme Cosford said the Council was being asked to make a very difficult decision and cited a recent example. "It is almost impossible to forecast what will happen 50 years ahead ... not very many years ago deerfarming was not allowed but now look at what' s happened," he said. Signs The plan recommends the objectives, policies and methods Council should adopt in dealing with signs in order to provide for a range of appropriate signs within the district while 'ensuring that amenity values as well as health and safety are not compromised. Due to the potential adverse effects associated with signs, rules are deemed necessary and these are detailed in the draft plan. While acknowledging that signs are needed for a variety of purposes including directional information, warning of danger and for advertising commercial operations, issues of concem to Council were signs creating visual distractions to motorists resulting in lessening of traffic safety. Also of concem to Council was the effect of signs on the quality of the environment and the amenities within rural, residential and protected area zones. The objective of Council policy was to avoid the proliferation of signs in areas where the health and well-

being of the community might be adversely affected by compromising the safe and efficient functioning of the transportation network and adversely affecting the quality of the (visual) environment. Mayor Garrick Workman reminded councillors of the unusual position of the Raetihi township in relation to State Highway Four. "Signs on the main highway, which by-passes the town, would be of benefit both to motorists telling them of the various services available in Raetihi as well as to business and commercial operators which provide those service in Raetihi," he said. Development The Draft District Plan distinguishes between the different zones for potential development by dividing the district into rural, residential, commercial, industrial, urban settlement, protected areas and Maori land. A brief summary of each : □ The Rural Zone. This covers the largest proportion of land within the district when compared with any other zone. Within the bounds of sustainable management it is proposed to provide flexibility and to promote and provide for sustainable rural activities by recognising the efficient use and development of the finite characteristics of the rural environment as a resource. □ Residential Zones. In general terms the quality of the residential environment is important for the social, cultural health and wellbeing of the community. Accepting this, the philosophy appertaining to the residential zones is directed towards the maintenance and enhancement of amenity values for residential activities. □ Commercial Zones. The philosophy with regard to commercial zones seeks to recognise those areas of existing commercial development within the townships of the Ruapehu District. It aims to ensure the efficient use of resources and to promote an enhanced amenity within the commercial environment. □ Industrial Zones. This category of zoning recognises that presently the infrastructure within the Ruapehu district' is only capableof supporting whatcould be termed light to medium industry and, as such, the provisions in the Draft District Plan are directed towards this. The philosophy regarding the industrial Zones seeks to provide the optimum opportunities for industrial activities to be established while there are minimum establishment opportunities for those industrial activities that could adversely impact on the ability of an industry to operate. □ Urban Settlement Zones. By establishing

these urban settlement zones the Council seeks to provide a management framework for a number of small settlements within the district. The philosophy behind this zoning category is to recognise these areas and provide for their continuing existence while ensuring that the areas are selfcontained. In this context 'self-contained' referstothe sustainability of both the community infrastructure and environmental quality. □ Protected Area Zones. This zoning category seeks to provide for those areas protected as reserves, national parks and conservation areas within the district. The philosophy with regard to these protected areas is that, as important natural resources, they require a management regime which reflects their district, national and intemational importance. Different levels of protection are provided depending on the area' s status. □ Maori Land. The purpose of establishing this zoning category aims to provide flexibility in the way that Maori can utilise Maori Land and is underpinned by Sections 6(e), 7(a) and 8 of the Resource Management Act. Ancestral land is considered to be a taonga and therefore the Council must recognise and provide for the relationship of Maori and their culture and traditions with this land. Further, the Council must have particular regard to kaitiakitanga (the exercise of guardianship and, in relationship to a resource includes the ethic of stewardship based on the nature of the resource itself). Finally, the Council must take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi including those principles of tribal regulation and active protection. District planner Jeff Page agreed with councillors that the (Development) section of the Draft District Plan seemed to focus on "what you can't do rather than on what you can do". Cr Graeme Cosford said Council should prepare a presentation document outlining the development opportunities of the district together with the rules, which could be given or sent to all potential investors and mentioned a recent visitor from Brisbane who wanted to promote investment in Taumarunui had such a presentation document been available.