Fresh look at district plan changes

The public will soon get a chance to have another say on a controversial series of changes to the Central Otago district plan.

The 23 proposed changes, aimed at addressing rural development issues, were publicly notified on October 11 and took effect from that date.

More than 200 people made submissions on the changes, and a summary of those submissions is now available to the public and open for further comment.

The closing date for further submissions is October 2.

The plan changes related to rural properties and development.

They classified landscapes and covered where homes should be built, what building materials would be permitted, and what colours were allowed on new buildings and structures.

Rural landowners with concerns about some of the changes called a public meeting, which was attended by about 50 people in Alexandra in early December.

Property owners who attended the public meeting were concerned they would require planning consent to install vineyard and cherry netting and frost-fighting windmills on their properties.

They were also surprised to find that Oamaru stone was no longer deemed a suitable building material for homes in Central Otago, because of its colour.

Land development consultant Peter Dymock had earlier aired his concerns about the new policy, which encouraged the construction of rural buildings on valley floors instead of hillsides.

Under the new rules, rural buildings and structures should not protrude on to the skyline or above a ridgeline when viewed from any public place.

Central Otago District Council planning manager Louise van der Voort said a date would be set for the council to hear from submitters when the next round of submissions had been received.

"Depending on the volume of [further] submissions, that date is likely to be later this year," Ms van der Voort said.

• The 691-page summary of submissions is available on the council's website, and copies are available for viewing in the council's Alexandra office, service centres in Cromwell, Ranfurly and Roxburgh and in the district's public libraries.

 

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