Stone on agenda for plan hearing

Round two of the battle to retain Oamaru stone as a building material for rural homes in Central Otago begins in mid-May.

Submissions on the Central Otago District Council's controversial district plan changes have been set down for a hearing beginning that month and taking up to eight weeks.

Plan Change 5, which involves 23 changes to the plan, aims to address rural development issues and covers where rural homes can be built, what colours are suitable and what materials are preferred.

It has attracted 289 submissions.

Under the change, Oamaru stone was specifically excluded as a suitable building material for rural homes because it was deemed to be reflective and noticeable in a rural setting.

That change prompted an outcry from residents, architects and the building industry.

Just over 200 submissions were received initially and more were added when the council advertised a summary of submissions in August and asked for further comment.

More than 60 of the original submitters requested Oamaru stone be reinstated as a suitable building material.

Council planning team leader Ann Rodgers said the council's planning officers were preparing reports on the matter, addressing the Resource Management Act requirements and also making recommendations on the submissions.

"We have a time-line prepared for the hearings with eight weeks set aside, and we're looking at starting those in mid-May," she said.

Eight weeks had been allocated but the hearings were unlikely to take that long.

The council's hearings panel would deal with the matter and probably make a decision by October, she said.

Classifying landscapes was also part of the district plan changes.

The council identified landscapes of high natural character values and high landscape quality that were listed as "extremely or highly sensitive" to the effects of rural development, as well as others defined as having "significant"sensitivity.

All the proposed changes related to rural properties.

The new rules also affect the location of new rural buildings.

Under the changed rules, rural buildings and structures should not protrude on the skyline or above a ridge line when viewed from any public place.