Ohakune's Town Plan

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 39, 20 March 1984, Page 2

Ohakune's Town Plan

The recent decision of the Ohakune Borough Council to disallow the restaurant at the Hobbit to be open to the public can be blamed on the District Scheme rather than on the Council. To be sure the Council took a hard line in strictly observing the requirements of the Town Planning Act. The only exceptional thing about the application was that it happens to be an excellent idea; this restaurant is an asset to the community and should be open to all visitors. Hopefully the case will go to the Appeal Tribunal where they can exercise wider powers and reverse the Council decision. Common sense should prevail. The more important issue is the irrelevance of the present District Scheme. This town plan was originally prepared for Ohakune when the community was receptive to tourism but nervous of the consequences. This apprehension caused tourist development to be restricted to specific areas in the town by zoning. Conflict with the established community was to be avoided. Natural growth, commercial pressures, and tourist needs have now overtaken this plan. Tourist development of one kind or other (including chalets, syndicate owned houses etc, that are often let as tourist flats) is occurring throughout the Ohakune township, with the acquiescence of the community. Applications are continually being made to Council for land uses that do not comply with the Scheme, and a fair number are allowed. Unfortunately when a District Planning Scheme lags behind and becomes obsolete Council decisions tend to become arbitrary; there is no guiding strategy.

Proposals are permitted simply because more councillors like the idea than don't. Ohakune is growing up fast. It is time for the community to review its commitment to tourism, to review the advantages and disadvantages, to make policy decisions and plan for the future. If tourism is to be encouraged the District Scheme must be updated. Visitors will have to be offered proper facilities and services on their terms. The criteria for new commercial development should be: (i) the quality of service provided, and (ii) whether the activity has an adverse effect on riearby properties, not whether it lies in some arbitrary zone. The time is past for the visitor to have to accept, an eating place he is not allowed to sit down in, a ski hire he can easily find but does not have enough skis, or a restaurant that may or may not be open depending on the mood of the owner.

Peter

Stenhouse