Oamaru Harbour's heritage may get greater protection, with
the Waitaki District Council considering whether to list 14
important items in its district plan.
The items include buildings, objects, places and sites within
the harbour area that are not listed for protection.
Originally, the council planned to do that through a
harbour-side variation of its district plan, but did not
proceed with the plan change.
That left the items without protection.
They range from Holmes Wharf and Normanby Wharf through to
the red sheds and even a mast salvaged from the wreck of
Robert and Betsy.
Railway lines, the Cape Wanbrow gun emplacements and the
Oamaru lighthouse are other items.
On Wednesday, the council's strategy committee will look
three options to give these greater protection.
Policy planner Richard Sutherland said the council might also
want to include other heritage items from outside the harbour
area in any plan change.
The options the committee faces are to initiate a plan change
listing the 14 items in the district plan; to place the whole
harbour area and Harbour-Tyne Sts historic area on the
heritage items list; or expand any plan change to include
other unlisted heritage items in the district.
People who favoured a conservation approach to heritage were
likely to want the total area listed, while those who were
"pro-development" would favour a list of items, he said.
If listed, any activity or development that affected a
heritage item needed to be considered on its own merits and
could be handled as a non-notified application (meaning no
public submissions) with the written agreement of the New
Zealand Historic Places Trust.
Without such agreement, it could be notified for public
submissions.
david.bruce@odt.co.nz
