Part 1 - Palmerston North City Council

gemconsulting
effects on residential amenity or overall ambience of the residential environment. During the construction
phase, some disturbance may be noted by the City’s residents, especially those users of the Esplanade
Walkway between the Fitzherbert Bridge and Albert Street. This would predominately be from heavy
vehicles using the Albert Street entrance to the river reserve, from the machinery working in the river and
from the stock pile of rock on the river bank. These effects will be temporary with works expected to be
completed over one summer period.
Rule 10.8.3.3 Policies
This rule contains three additional policies that are to be considered as follows:
(a)
(b)
(c)
To avoid, remedy or mitigate the visual effects of flood protection works on residential
neighbourhoods.
To avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse effects associated with the development and
construction of flood protection works on the surrounding residential area.
To recognise the positive effect of flood protection works.
Visual effects of the finished rock lining, snub groyne and bed armouring will be minimal. The bed
armouring will be below the river’s surface and not visible at all. The snub groyne and rock lining will be at
a height near to the annual return flood level and therefore will be partly visible most of the time. These
will look similar to the rock linings along the Dittmer Drive section of river. In this instance the proposed
works are located a considerable distance from residential properties, being approximately 500 metres
from the closest dwellings at the end of Albert Street and at the base of the cliff so not visible from future
dwellings along Vaucluse Drive.
Construction effects will be controlled by adherence to a construction methodology that has been
developed to mitigate possible effects on the river and surrounding areas.
The positive effects of flood protection works are reasonably obvious but are often not noted unless there
is a failure in the works. Without such works in place, much of Palmerston North would not be developed
as it is today and if it were developed would be subjected to flooding and damage on a regular basis. The
proposed works provide benefit by providing long term protection to other flood protection works along
the river and by enabling further development of residential land within the City.
7.3.3 Conservation and Amenity Zone Objectives and Policies
This section of the District Plan contains one objective and four general policies, specific policies under Rule
15.5.5.1 and specific policies under Rule 15.5.7.2 that must be considered.
Objective 1 and Policies
This objective seeks to recognise and protect the City’s conservation and amenity areas. Polices 1.1 and 1.2
require protection of those areas which have high scenic, scientific, conservation and amenity values and
the restriction of activities or development in the zone to that which is consistent with the natural or
undeveloped open space character of the Zone.
The proposed works will take place on parts of three lots of land that are zoned Recreation and Amenity.
These lots also contain ANZAC Park and Pari Reserve. Some of the works will take place within Pari Reserve
but will avoid ANZAC Park. The zoning, lots and reserves can be seen on the series of plans attached to this
report as Appendix A.
In general, the areas of the Conservation and Amenity Zone where the works are proposed are actively
eroding and retreating. The proposed works will protect these areas from further erosion thereby
protecting any scenic or amenity values that they offer. In the long term the PNCC wishes to develop a
public walkway along the left bank of the Manawatu River and this proposal provides an opportunity for the
PNCC to construct such a walkway along the top of the rock lining that will link ANZAC Park to Pari Reserve.
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