Proposed plan changes to be notified

Southland District Council will soon notify three proposed changes to the Te Anau section of the Southland District Plan. Resource management planner Luke McSoriley said the proposed changes follow on from the discussion document sent out to Te Anau ratepayers in June 2008.

"Council received 244 responses to the proposals in that document and the three proposed changes received a lot of support," Mr McSoriley said.

The first change seeks to expand the existing urban resource area of Te Anau to incorporate recently consented residential developments currently sitting outside the present urban resource area boundary. This will provide for future urban expansion near to the existing urban area.

The second proposed change seeks to expand the existing industrial resource area and relates to an area east of the existing area. If approved, this will provide additional scope for future industrial expansion and will include a recently consented industrial subdivision development. 

The third proposal relates to the creation of a lakeside protection area and seeks to strengthen the height provisions in the current District Plan. Currently, the limit in the urban resource area is 12 metres, but resource consent can potentially be sought and obtained for buildings higher than that.

"The proposed change would prohibit any exceeding of the 12 metre maximum, thereby sending a strong message that the community wishes to see development maintained at a maximum height of 12 metres beside the lake," Mr McSoriley said.

Council staff have prepared three reports which consider the alternatives, benefits and costs of undertaking each of the proposed changes, which will be publicly notified next month. Once the proposed changes are publicly notified, any party is able to submit in relation to these changes and be heard by Council if they wish to do so.

The proposed changes have been approved by Council's resource management committee. The Te Anau Community Board had previously endorsed the proposals.