An analysis of submissions on River Terrace Developments Ltd's application for a private plan change that would allow an 840-house development near Cromwell shows overwhelming opposition to the proposal.
The Central Otago District Council last week released its analysis of the 417 submissions received to Plan Change 13.
The request from River Terrace Developments is to rezone 49.8ha of land on the corner of State Highway 6 and Sandflat Rd, opposite the Highlands Motorsport Park and near the Central Motor Speedway. River Terrace Developments would then build a development of houses, a retirement village, cafes, restaurants, shops, a medical centre and possibly a school.
The council analysis shows 410 of the submissions oppose the application, many with common themes.
Opponents are concerned about the effect of the development on Highlands, the speedway and nearby orchards, and say it would be an inappropriate use of potentially valuable rural land.
Many submitters do not want a "satellite" town built near Cromwell and say it would further fragment residential Cromwell.
Submitter Ian Begg said a new town would be "unrelated and disconnected from the town of Cromwell . . . This new town has no physical or cultural connection to Cromwell and is destined to (and intended to be) a dormitory town for Queenstown. Others areas at Cromwell . . . should be fully developed and largely sold prior to this plan change".
Opposing submissions have come from Highlands, Central Motor Speedway, Central Otago Motorsport and Motorsport New Zealand, as well as Horticulture New Zealand and various orchardists and vineyard and winery owners.
The submission from Highlands said locating high density residential activity and associated noise sensitive activities so close to a motorsport park was "extremely poor resource management" and plan change 13 "fails to protect Highlands from reverse sensitivity effects''. A "no-complaints covenant" would be "wholly inadequate", and transfer the responsibility for managing reverse sensitivity effects to Highlands and the council.
Five of the 417 submissions either support and/or oppose it in part, or neither support or oppose it. They include submissions from the NZ Transport Agency, Transpower, the Otago Regional Council and the Ministry of Education.
A submission from Anthony Streeter is the only one from a member of the public to support the application, saying Cromwell was in "a phase of rapid growth" and the application would allow "for the most suitable option to cater for the growth of the Cromwell urban area".
River Terrace Developments has made a submission in favour of the application, supporting it with amendments.
Further submissions in support or opposition of submissions already made, may be made from any person representing a relevant aspect of public interest, or any person who has a greater interest in the plan change than the general public, by October 29.
A hearing will be held for the application, but the date is still to be set.
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Comments
I bet the naysayers are the same that agree generally housing stocks need to be increased, just not anywhere near them "I'll end up having to wait another 3 minutes for a latte with all these extra people"