Fulton Hogan sought the plan change to rezone 120ha of land at Parkburn Quarry, about 12km from Cromwell, to allow a range of urban zoning, as the quarry is nearing the end of its life.
In February last year, the panel of two independent commissioners, Gary Rae and Rosalind Day-Cleavin, together with Central Otago district councillor Ian Cooney, heard Fulton Hogan wanted to convert its Parkburn Quarry, which borders Pisa Moorings to the west, into 543 lots for residential settlement.
There would also be a retail area and industrial zone.
In September Central Otago district councillors accepted the recommendation of the independent hearings panel to allow the plan change.
However, a late appeal was received in November from Pisa Village Development Ltd, on the final day of the appeal period, centring on two pieces of land owned by the appellant which would be affected by the plan change decision.
Central Otago Mayor Tamah Alley said the secret was out — Central Otago was the place to live and work, which was putting huge pressure on the region’s housing stock.
However, it was important there was a coherent plan for development.
A big part of the council’s work was to ensure land was available for development but not in a ‘‘higgledy-piggledy mess’’.
As towns grew and expanded into what was rural, vineyard or orchard land it was important to make sure the expansion was in keeping with the reasons people came here in the first place, Mrs Alley said.
The Environment Court decision ordered the district council to amend its district plan with conditions related to water and wastewater treatment and access to SH6.
Most of the development in the low-density residential area will not go ahead until the Cromwell wastewater treatment plant has been upgraded, the Cromwell and Pisa Moorings water schemes combined and a regional council water-take consent issued.
An alternate option would be to have relevant consents obtained to privately service the area with a communal supply designed to enable connection to a public network when available.
There is also a restriction on the distance from SH6 construction will be allowed.
In the low-density residential and medium-density residential zones there could be up to 559 sections once NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi approves changes to SH6 including a left-turn lane and priority-controlled intersection or single land roundabout.
Further expansion of the subdivision would depend on greater changes being made to access from SH6, including a dual-lane roundabout.
At the consent hearing in February HWR, an Invercargill-based company, which operates a quarry to the north of the Fulton Hogan site, supported the plan change.
Bonisch Consultants planner Christine McMillan said HWR was also considering what to do at the end of its quarry’s life and intended to repurpose it similarly.
julie.asher@allied media.co.nz
