Hurunui council expresses opposition to proposed biodiversity rules

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

From local democracy reporter David Hill:

The Hurunui District Council’s District Plan could face a significant rewrite if biodiversity proposals are adopted.

The council’s submission on the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity exposure draft was retrospectively ratified at a council meeting on Wednesday, August 25, with councillors expressing their concerns.

Senior planner Nicola Kirby said should the NPS be adopted in its present form it would force changes to the Hurunui District Plan.

‘‘District plans can’t be inconsistent with a national level document, so there will be some significant changes and we are about to go through the process of working out what we may need to change.’’

Top of the list of concerns was the mapping of significant natural areas (SNAs) on private land, which has proved to be an ‘‘emotive topic’’ since the council first attempted to bring it into the District Plan in the 1990s.

Mayor Marie Black said she had requested Hurunui not be included in the Canterbury Mayoral Forum’s submission, as her community had ‘‘a different view’’.

Councillors voted to name an unnamed portion of road between Hilton Drive and Rosewood Drive in Amberley as Hilton Drive, in a bid to cause the least confusion.

It meant there would now be a continuous looped road, linking Carters Rd and Amberley Beach Rd, with three names.

Pound Rd runs off Carters Rd and then becomes Hilton Drive.

A new stretch of road being developed as part of the Oakfields subdivision will be a continuation of Hilton Drive, linking with Rosewood Drive.

Rosewood Drive was confirmed as a road name in June, when councillors revoked a previous decision to name the entire stretch of road from Pound Rd and linking with Amberley Beach Rd as Hilton Drive.

A right-of-way off Purchas Road at Glasnevin, south of Waipara, has been named Limeloader Lane.

The name Limeloader recognised the lime loading plant which operated on Purchas Road for several until the 1960s.

Eleven properties used the right-of-way.

Councillors voted the waive the entire consenting fees totalling $13,452.39 for the Glenmark Church’s rebuild.

Council staff had already granted a $2500 refund, the maximum allowed in the council’s policy, as well as waiving the Building Research

Association of New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment levies.

Black said the policy allowed for discretion to go beyond the $2500 maximum for projects that benefited the community.

She acknowledged the community’s effort in raising more than $600,000.

The Glenmark Church at Waipara was severely damaged in September 2010 Canterbury earthquake.