On the third day of the Central Otago District Council commissioners hearing, Market Economics research and consulting associate director Natalie Hampson asked the commissioners to remember "one key thought''.
"It is when one takes a pragmatic approach to the future dwelling yield under the operative district plan, and assuming everything enabled is supplied, Cromwell will run out of capacity to grow between 2033 and 2043,'' she said.
Ms Hampson was one of several consultants giving evidence on behalf of the applicant Winton Group property developer Chris Meehan and his company River Terrace Developments Ltd.
If the plan change is successful, Mr Meehan would build a residential development including 900 "affordable homes'' on Sandflat Rd, 3km south of the town centre.
Several opponents to the development have raised the issue of what impact the approval of plan change 13 would have on the Cromwell master plan process.
In rebutting that evidence, Ms Hampson told commissioners Gary Rae (chairman), Gavin Lister and David McMahon plan change 13 was outside the master plan process.
"It is a private plan change initiated before the master plan process and the outcomes of the master plan process are yet to be confirmed and cannot be relied upon,'' she said.
Senior urban designer Alistair Ray was more circumspect in his evidence.
When questioned by commissioner Lister if he thought the Cromwell master plan process would be "gazumped'' if plan change 13 was approved, Mr Ray said he did not think it sat "comfortably'' with the master plan process.
However, he said the questions for the commissioners to consider were the population projections, implications these would have on the amount and location of land zoned for residential development availability, as well as the likelihood of that land being used for residential development.
"Because land is zoned doesn't necessarily mean it is going to come to the market when you want and in the manner that you want it,'' he said.
The hearing continues.
