District plan hearings complete

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 637, 21 May 1996, Page 1

District plan hearings complete

Ruapehu District Council' s district plan (previously known as the district scheme) is almost complete, following the last of the hearings of submissions last week. The hearings committee has made a number of "minor adjustments" to the plan following the 17 days of hearings, said committee chairman Graeme Cosford. Two days of hearings were held each week since early March. Mr Cosford said planning staff will now work through making the amendments to the plan before it is presented back for ratification. He said the committee had a lot of difficult decisions to make and that it was impossible to make everyone happy.

More than 300 submissions on the previous submissions were received which demanded more than 1 000 decisions which have to be justified. "When you get views so far apart (as in some issues) there is no way you can satisfy both sides," said Mr Cosford. "Some people made some very good points which we have been able to incorporate so that we will end up with a better plan." Once the plan is ratified, there is an opportunity for people to appeal and then the document becomes the plan, except for any parts that are subject to appeal.