Residents invited to have their say

The Southland District Council (SDC) is asking Te Anau residents what plan changes, if any, they want for future developments in and around the township.

The discussion document on possible Te Anau plan changes is being posted to residents and ratepayers in the Te Anau ward, who can expect to receive it by the end of this week.

SDC Resource Management manager Bruce Halligan said the document outlined six possible changes to the existing provisions of the Southland District Plan.

The changes had been suggested by the Te Anau Community Board in collaboration with the resource management department after workshops on future growth planning.

Public meetings were held last year regarding the possible plan changes and while the feedback was "mostly positive" the council recognised not everyone could attend the meetings.

This gave everyone the opportunity to provide further comment.

While the possible changes only involved "parts" of the Te Anau ward, it was appropriate to send the document to all residents and ratepayers who may be affected by changes and may also have "valuable opinions on the future of the Te Anau area", Mr Halligan said.

"More than 1000 new residential allotments have been created since 2000 in Te Anau and the community board wants to take a more proactive approach to managing growth in the area.

"It wants to encourage future growth in a sustainable manner and to maintain unique environmental values, such as the relatively open character of the Te Anau lakefront.

"None of the possible changes are cast in stone - they are possible changes only."

Feedback would be examined by the resource management department and the community board, who would then decide which - if any - of the possible changes would go through the formal plan change process.

If any did progress to this point, residents and ratepayers would have the opportunity to make a submission and be heard by the council, Mr Halligan said.