Waikato Business News January 2018

14 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January 2018
Te Awa plan
draws support
Most submitters support a plan change
by Perry Group which would allow it to
go ahead with its Te Awa Lakes water
theme park and housing subdivision
north of Hamilton.
By GEOFF TAYLOR
Hamilton City Council
notified the Proposed
Plan Change on November
1 for public consultation
and submissions. The private
plan change applies to a
62 hectare block of land north
of Hutchinson Road, between
Waikato Expressway and the
Waikato River. The land is
currently located within the Te
Rapa North Industrial Zone.
The council received 62
submissions, in the first round
of consultation, 47 in favour,
10 against and five neutral.
Tourism operators and
many individual submitters
supported Perry Group’s plan
change while big industrial
players such as Fonterra,
Open Country Dairy, Affco
and Ports of Auckland opposed
it.
The plan change would
mean the 62 hectare block
of land would become three
zones; a Major Facilities
Zone with a visitor accommodation
area to enable the
establishment of a tourism and
recreation destination incorporating
an adventure park; a
Medium Density Residential
Zone which will enable the
construction of a mix of single
dwellings, duplexes and apartments;
a Business Zone which
will enable small neighbourhood
shops, restaurants, cafes,
licensed premises, small offices,
banks, doctors rooms, light
service industries and tourism
facilities. This zone will also
enable the opportunity for upper
floor apartments.
Supporters included Hobbiton
Movie Set’s Russell Alexander
who said the tourism
development would be good
for the Waikato region, especially
the overflow from the
Auckland market.
Waitomo Adventures chief
executive Nicholas Andreef
said the development enabled
a positive gateway into Hamilton.
He described Te Awa Lakes
as “a once in a generation opportunity
to change the city’s
perception paradigm from
cow town to progressive”.
“It complements the Te
Awa River Ride and the
Waikato River and the activities
will create a wow factor
generating real excitement.
“The adventure park would
provide a unique amenity to
the community in a city often
criticised for a lack of activities,”
said Mr Andreef.
Vanessa Mills from Waikato
River Explorer said Hamilton
needs to promote tourism
and have activities that will
encourage visitors to come
here and spend.
“Promotion of the region
and the mighty Waikato River
has to be part of this and
Te Awa Lakes will create the
opportunity to finally do this.”
Waikato Tainui also supports
the plan provided indigenous
place names are used,
archaeological sites, water
quality and traditional food
gathering sites are protected.
The majority of opponents
were industrial players such
as Fonterra, Open Country
Dairy, Affco NZ and Ports
of Auckland who said the Te
Rapa North Industrial Zone
was set up to minimise the risk
of reverse sensitivity issues
arising by residential housing
being created.
Affco called for the plan
change application to be rejected
as it would bring about
the loss of important future
industrial land in the area, and
would potentially result in unacceptable
reverse sensitivity
issues.
“These factors will all contribute
to a potential risk that
companies such as Affco will
look elsewhere for future expansion
requirements, with
associated long-term loss of
The site of Te Awa Lakes
water theme park and
housing subdivisions.
employment and economic
opportunities for the city.”
Fonterra said the establishment
of a significant number
of residential dwellings on the
Perry site will have substantial
reverse sensitivity effects on
Fonterra's operations at the Te
Rapa site.
Ports of Auckland said it is
in the process of establishing
an ‘inland freight hub’ across
33ha of land at the Horotiu Industrial
Park.
“Key to the successful
and efficient operation of the
freight hub is ensuring that
the road and rail network can
operate efficiently and effectively,
and without constraint
from non-industrial forms of
development.”
A second round of submissions
is to close on February 2.
In a separate process
which is running in a similar
timeframe, Perry Group has
lodged applications for two
Special Housing Areas in the
same 62hectare block to create
1100 houses. The creation of
Special Housing Areas is possible
under a Housing Accord
signed with the Government a
year ago. Like the plan change
application, the Special Housing
Area applications have to
go through a hearings process.
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