Plenty of Interest in Council Review

There’s been a good level of public interest in Palmerston North City Council’s review of the rural zone and boundary change areas.

Since the consultation process began, just over a week ago, more than 400 people have visited Council’s website to see how the proposed Plan Changes might affect their properties, around 40 people have made enquiries and the submissions are beginning to trickle in.

Acting city planner Jono Ferguson-Pye says the review, the largest Plan Change exercise Council has embarked upon in terms of the Sectional District Plan Review, asks people to comment on how they might improve the areas where they live and work.

“We’ve had a fairly good response, the public seem engaged in the process and the Planning Division is enjoying some good quality robust conversations.”

“Some plan changes are generating more feedback than others,” he says. “The most interest, to date, has been shown in the potential impacts of the draft plan changes relating to the Airport, the Longburn Industrial and North East Industrial zones, the rural subdivision review and the draft Tararua Ranges Landscape Protection Area.”

“There seems to be a general understanding of how significant these areas are to the future of Palmerston North and a real desire to ensure a balance between sustainable economic growth and quality of life,” says Jono.

Tomorrow and on Wednesday (April 8-9) Council is hosting Plan Change Open Days, from 10am to 7pm, each day, at the Palmerston North Convention Centre.

Jono says the open days are an opportunity for the community to get better acquainted with the draft plan changes. “We’ll have a computer available for those residents who don’t have one at home so they can view how the changes might affect their property.”

“We’ll also have copies of the draft plan change provisions and we’ll have Council officers there to answer any questions residents might have,” he says.

Presentations about the draft Plan Changes will be made by Council staff at 12:30pm and 5:30pm each day.

Submissions are currently being received and close at 5pm Monday April 28, 2014.

Once the submissions have been gathered and feedback has been analysed, Council officers will prepare a formal District Plan Change that will propose the actual amendments to the District Plan. This process involves two rounds of submissions and a public hearing before a decision is made on the proposed amendments to the District Plan.

Anyone wanting further information can attend the open days, check out the Shaping our City project at pncc.govt.nz or call the Council’s planning team on 356 8199.

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