Mayor Ben Bell says the new Gore district plan will be a "breath of fresh air" for those looking to invest or develop within the district, providing more opportunity, clarity, and a focus on getting Gore to grow.
"It should make things significantly easier than in the past. Obviously the old district plan was quite outdated, this opens up more land to be developed.
"Whether it’s for residential or industry, it should make the rules really clear as to what can and can’t be done. It’s a positive thing, it’s why we do these refreshers, so you have the most up to date information, and we’ve done it with growth in mind," he said.
The new district plan was released in its proposal stage last Friday.
It updates the document for the first time in 20 years after a lengthy process and many submissions from the community.
The document will provide a framework for the community for how it will manage development within the region, providing a path forward for businesses and residential.
The proposed document is, for all intents and purposes, in effect now — although appeals can be made by parties who completed submissions to the Environmental Court by March 16.
One key change is the renaming the Sites of Significance to Māori to Māori Cultural Values (MCV) as a reflection of the broader cultural landscape and intangible values that mana whenua hold for the entire district, not just certain sites.
The document states objectives and policies to direct the "ways the Gore District Plan recognises and protects the historic and contemporary relationship of Māori with the natural environment and places where cultural practices are undertaken within the Gore district".
These will not necessarily apply to every single activity performed within Gore, but would apply for projects involving the Mataura River, earthworks and mining, and Significant Natural Areas (SNAs).
Mr Bell said this was a welcome move which provided clarity after a contentious submission process around the SASM terminology.
"The chapter has been replaced by the MCV. It just makes it really clear as to which parts may trigger cultural values to be considered rather than classifying the whole district as an area of significance.
"I think that was the main area of significance, and obviously there’s a lot more explanation on the significant natural areas as well," he said.
