Draft District Plan could make your property unsellable

Rae from Maungaraki

haveyoursay@huttcity.govt.nz

Are you aware that the draft district plan could make your property totally unsellable?
Are you aware that many properties on the hillside suburbs will be listed as hazard prone?
Do you care about native conservation? Or climate change? Or water conservation?
Do you plan, one day, to subdivide your property for retirement income?
The District Plan proposes rezoning hillside properties from medium density to Large Lot... “where there are constraints... such as steep slopes or a lack of infrastructure.”
Your property may not be steep but if surrounding areas are, this is considered hazardous, and will impact your property values and saleability.
Council has asked for feedback. Have Your Say now BEFORE 15 December 2023. To the above email.
We have had ours. See below. You may have similar or additional issues. Read the draft plan now. And act.
“Our property has neither steep slopes nor lacks infrastructure; nor threatens hazards to others; unlike some properties bordering us.
The entities (Hutt City Council and Wellington Regional Council) must accept the legal and financial implications of knowingly permitting by-law/regulation breaches by property developers thereon to remove top soil down to the water table and replace it with 15 feet of erosion prone, slip prone, uncompacted, unretained clay to build on.....
New by-law needed: where Council/Developer breaches cause hazards such as steep, unretained, or tree stripped properties, or infrastructure damage; causing them to slip down onto existing properties, or cause flooding; requiring clearing and restoration, that neglect and/or breach of regulations should be remedied at the expense of developers/owners; if not the Councils.
Some years ago we were told the Council was retaining a native bush clad, steep, block of Council land on our western boundary to:
a) create a future water reservoir
b) include in native bush/bird and fauna 'restoration corridors' linked throughout the district; which delighted us.
Within a few years we discovered that block of land had been sold to a developer without public notification of any kind. So much for the birds etc. Have these "restoration/regenerative corridors' been removed from district plans. If so why? Short-sighted not only from a native conservation perspective but also in enhancing carbon sequestration for climate change. They should be restored.
Given the catastrophic state of Wellington's 40% water loss, decisions not to build reservoirs seems not only short sighted but unconscionable. These should be added to the District Plan.