Selwyn_Times: July 26, 2023

Selwyn Times Wednesday July 26 2023
4
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Highly productive land policy a factor
in commissioner’s decision
• Turn to page 4
It encompasses Geddes’
lifestyle block and seven
surrounding lifestyle blocks.
Thomas’ reasons for his
recommendation included the
location did not achieve compact
urban form for Prebbleton, and
the plan change did not give
effect to the National Policy
Statement for Highly Productive
Land.
The land is on mostly class
1 and 2 soils, which have been
given enhanced protection in the
new legislation.
The recommendation is opposite
that given last year by
hearing Commissioner David
Caldwell for the planned Lincoln
South (Plan Change 69) development,
where people objecting to
it cited loss of productive land.
Residents’ group Lincoln Voice
is fighting the district council’s
PC69 decision in the Environment
Court.
The decision was made on June
8 last year, four months before
the National Policy Statement for
Highly Productive Land came
into effect.
Lincoln Voice was one of the
37 submitters to PC79.
Spokesperson Denise Carrick
said it was “great news” Thomas
had “listened” to opposing submitters,
and recommended PC79
be declined.
Thomas said in addition, PC79
did not offer enough development
capacity to meet criteria of
the National Policy Statement
on Urban Development, and was
not required to meet residential
capacity demand in the life of
the Operative Selwyn District
Plan. This demand was “more
than satisfied” by two other
recent plan changes in the area,
being Plan Change 68 and Plan
Change 72.
PC68 is for 820 sections on
Trents Rd, while PC72 is for
295 sections on the south side
of Trices Rd and eastern side of
Birchs Rd.
Sheaf said he was “thrilled to
bits” by the recommendation,
while Fraser echoed his sentiments,
saying he “very much so”
felt the same.
“It’s quite bizarre you can
apply for a plan change over
somebody’s land without their
permission,” Fraser said.
While Sheaf and Fraser opposed
PC79 and submitted
against it, the remaining five
landowners in the plan change
area supported it.
Both Sheaf and Fraser are now
waiting for another hearing decision,
as Birchs Village Ltd has
also been seeking the rezoning
for Birchs Village through the
Proposed District Plan hearing
process.
The district council will be releasing
its Proposed District Plan
decisions by August 20.
Meanwhile, Geddes said it
was too early to say whether he
would appeal the decision of the
district council if it decided to
adopt the commissioner’s recommendation
and decline the plan
change.
Geddes has been working
on the project with Ngai Tahu
Properties, which would become
the future developer of Birchs
Village.
“We will keep all our options
open until we know what the decision
of the district plan process
is,” Geddes said.
Geddes made
no apologies for
including the
Sheafs and Frasers
in his company’s
plan change application,
saying his
neighbours would
not be forced to
develop their land
Ryan
Geddes
as part of the subdivision if they
did not want to.
He also made no apologies for
choosing fertile agricultural soils
for the proposed subdivision. He
believed the new highly productive
land legislation was aimed
at protecting farms, rather than
lifestyle blocks, many of which
did not have irrigation consents.
He said he would be
disappointed if the subdivision
was ultimately not able to go
ahead, particularly considering
it was across the road from the
“great asset to Selwyn”, Kakaha
Park.
“I just think it is a huge missed
opportunity to have an amazing
development with a proven
developer, being Ngai Tahu,
to deliver something that was
pretty unique beside the park,”
Geddes said.
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