A review of the Central Otago district plan is looming. Central Otago reporter Lynda van Kempen looks at some of the changes the district council has in mind.
Central Otago Mayor Tony Lepper says the new district plan will be ''the most important document'' produced by his council.
''The district plan review is a blueprint that establishes the rules and regulations about subdivision, building platforms, size of sections, colours that can be used for buildings, landscape requirements, zoning ... you name it, the rules on what we can and cannot do are in the district plan, '' he says.
He lists the first district plan as the most satisfying thing he worked on during his 21 years as a councillor.
''It was prepared during the 1990s, advertised for submissions in 1998 and became operative in 2008, so it's a very long process but an important one.''
Last year, the council sought submissions on issues to be covered in the new plan and now it has released a discussion document, signalling potential changes and seeking feedback before the district plan review is prepared.
''We're saying to people, if you think we've got it wrong, or if you think we've got it right, tell us now. Use some big-picture thinking and have your say, because this is the community's plan, so we want your ideas on what should be included,'' Mr Lepper said.
• Submissions close on November 28.
Heritage
St Bathans, Clyde, Ophir, Naseby and Old Cromwell all have heritage precincts and the council is looking at setting design guidelines for buildings within those precincts.
''It is envisaged that such design guidelines would sit outside the Central Otago District Plan Review and would therefore not trigger the need for a resource consent,'' the discussion document says.
The guidelines would help people wanting to build developments in precincts and would also be useful for those assessing resource consent applications, to determine design elements that are appropriate in each precinct.
It was considering classifying parts of Cambrian as a heritage precinct. As well as having heritage precincts in urban areas, the council is proposing rural heritage areas.
These rural areas are heritage or cultural landscapes that have '' a strong association'' with historic activities and archaeological sites, the document says.
Examples include the Nevis Valley, the Sugarloaf, Northburn, Bannockburn, Doctors Point, Bendigo and the Ophir historic area, including the area around the 1880 Daniel O'Connell suspension bridge across the Manuherikia River.
Other areas could be added, the council said.
Wilding trees
The council has given a nod to those concerned about the spread of wilding trees in Central Otago's barren landscapes.
In the future, anyone wanting to plant small woodlots of 2ha or less, or shelter belts, using pine trees, larches or Douglas fir may need to obtain a resource consent.
Shelter belts and woodlots of 2ha or less and using those trees are permitted under the current district plan, but the council intends revisiting and probably deleting that rule.
''If this were to occur, all plantings with wilding propensity would require a resource consent,'' the document said.
Dairying
Despite concerns expressed by some people on the impact of dairying in the district, the council has no plans to introduce rural land-use rules that ''single out'' that form of farming.
In the document, the council said the review should not distinguish between one form of farming and another.
It said that in recent years, large parcels of land had been used for large-scale dairying and for raising and wintering dairy cattle from other areas.
Concerns had been raised by some people about the impact of dairying on soil conservation, water quality, landscape and biodiversity.
However, the district council believed the Otago Regional Council was the agency best resourced to address soil conservation and water-quality issues in connection with dairying.
No distinction should be drawn between dairying and other types of farming, in terms of effects on the landscape, the district council said. Dairying, along with viticulture and fruit production, was a permitted activity.
Wind machines and gas guns
There are no plans to ban gas guns used for bird-scaring on orchards or wind machines used for frost-fighting on vineyards.
Some rural activities, particularly seasonal ones, can generate noise in the rural resource-zoned area that can disturb neighbours, the document notes.
However, this is an area earmarked for rural production and some aspects of production have the potential to disturb neighbours.
It would be inappropriate to introduce a ban on gas guns, wind machines or similar devices, the council said.
The council would revisit its rural resource area rules on noise but it was likely a similar or refined rule would be included in the new plan.
Clearing native vegetation
Rules allowing native vegetation to be cleared from properties that have been freeholded after going through the tenure review process will be deleted from the revised district plan.
The change follows an Environment Court ruling in November 2012, following an appeal by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand against a Waitaki District Council decision.
The court found an exemption in the Waitaki council's district plan that allowed native plants to be cleared from properties that had been through the tenure process was not in line with the plan's objectives or the Resource Management Act.
Extended family
Changes are planned so additional self-contained accommodation within a house for extended family is no longer considered to be another household unit, needing planning consent as a multi-unit development.
The council has decided this kind of accommodation can be distinguished from other forms of multi-unit development in terms of its limited effect on the environment, so will consider specifically providing for such additional accommodation within a house.
Business area
Minimum floor areas of planned shops in some of Cromwell and Alexandra's business resource-zoned areas might be reduced from 600sq m to 500 sq m.
The aim was to ensure the minimum floor area in Business Resource Area 1 was appropriate to cater for ''big box'' commercial activities but not set at a level that might cause fragmentation of traditional retail activity in those towns, the document said.
Rules on the number of car parks to be provided by developers of shops in those areas, and business signs, will be revisited by the council.
