North Mataura residents are relieved the rural setting where they live will not be rezoned industrial.
Yesterday the Gore District Council announced its draft district plan due for release in August would not contain a proposal to rezone land in north Mataura from rural to industrial.
Last month, residents received a letter from the council advising them it was considering rezoning the area.
The block of land where the change was proposed was about 600m wide and on the east ran from about 207 Main St north to Cardigan Bay Rd, and from Cardigan Bay Rd to Boundary Creek.
Dacre and Carteret Sts, which intersect Main St, were also part of the area.
Residents, including Matthew Lucassen, Marty Taylor, Tali McLean and Phill Joostens who spoke to the Otago Daily Times last month, were very unhappy about the proposal.
Now they are pleased the council has reconsidered its plans.
"Common sense has prevailed and the people are listened to finally," Mr Lucassen said.
"I am expecting some response from the council in writing to everyone in this area telling them the rezoning is off the table."
"We can rest a bit easier knowing there’s going to be no big industrial building or pollution in our area," Mr Taylor said.
"This is a good win for everybody," Ms McLean said.
"We just hope that in the next 10 years they’re not going to try again."
"We get to keep our rural setting," Mr Joostens said.
Gore district plan review committee principal adviser Matt Heale said the feedback from landowners in north Mataura was helpful and highlighted several concerns about the land being rezoned industrial.
Those included losing the area’s rural character and the ability to farm the land, and the effects of industrial activity on lifestyle and amenity values due to incremental or piecemeal development.
"We will take on board the feedback and consider whether the existing rural zone should be adapted to address people’s concerns and better reflect existing activities, the density of development and the area’s character."
