Cr Woodhead said the council had long undertaken hazard analysis work which highlighted issues, including potential flooding, landslips and other hazards, which should be taken into account by housing developments in various parts of Otago.
Council policy planning and resource management director Fraser McRae told a council policy committee meeting this week special housing areas introduced by the Government were essentially focused on "the building of houses quickly" and not on other matters.
Mr McRae was commenting during discussion of a report he had prepared, which considered aspects with progress over the council’s "policy, plans and strategy".
Cr Woodhead said the ORC and other regional councils had long been concerned about the need to take hazards into account when deciding where to build houses.
He added in an interview he fully understood the need to address housing shortages around the country, as the background to the development of "special housing areas".
But some aspects of the situation were "disappointing" and he was concerned providing housing quickly without sufficient regard to potential hazards could mean some of the mistakes of the past would be repeated. There were many reasons for ensuring that hazard management had been properly taken into account, including to protect future buyers of property who might not be aware of a high risk of damage because of hazards where their property was built, he added in an interview.
Mr Woodhead was pleased the Government had given a higher priority to hazard protection in recent revisions to the Resource Management Act.
He hoped hazards would be properly identified and avoided in special housing areas.
