STOP THE QUARRY update from Phil and Marilyn Davison
Taggarts proposal to form a quarry in and around the Rangiora Racecourse
The deadline for submissions, both verbal and written is coming up on Friday 27th November – only 10 days away. They can be made on-line or with the form 520 available from the Waimakariri Council or from Marilyn Davison ph 027 343 5005.
There have been a large number of people complaining that they didn’t know anything about it, in spite of close to 5,000 signatures being received in recent on-line, western residential home walk-arounds and library based forms.
To help rectify this some social media platforms are now involved to let others be heard in addition to the almost 100% support of opposition from our working group that has been meeting at 5 Stags on most Monday nights at 7pm.
Many at the public meeting particularly were keen to show their support against the Taggart proposal by peaceful protests.
To that end there will be such a protest outside Taggarts property on Cones Road Rangiora from 9am where respectful signs could be held to express their opinions if you wish. We have obtained 28 ex Real Estate flute board posters available to anyone who would like one. Just let Marilyn Davison know before Saturday and we can drop off to you.
If you do come please stand across the road, so that you do not hold up their operations or passing traffic.
The health of our community is at stake. We need to have clean air and water, free from pollutions of our aquifers and waterways.
Hopefully we will have enough volunteers to deliver flyers around local streets in the next few days.
Thank you everyone for your fantastic support – together we can win. Let the people speak.
Marilyn and Phil Davison
Waimakariri district plan faces more delays amid changing rules
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Changing Government legislation is causing headaches for council staff, as Waimakariri’s new District Plan is set to be delayed again.
Waimakariri District Council development planning manager Matt Bacon said he was relieved when the last of the public hearings ended last week.
But with final council reports due on December 13, staff will have just two working days to present the final District Plan on December 17. A district plan helps to control and manage the development of the district or city.
‘‘We are working through what it looks like and we will update the council at its meeting on December 3,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘But we will likely seek another extension from the environment minister and the Resource Management Act (RMA) minister.’’
The council first notified its draft District Plan in September 2021, but within months legislation was introduced with new medium density residential housing standards (MDRS).
‘‘We needed to call for further submissions and we had to create a separate hearing panel to consider the plan variations to allow for the MDRS,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘We have tried to merge the process as much as possible, as well as looking at re-zoning and incorporating other new legislation.’’
When the draft plan was first notified there was no National Policy Statement (NPS) for Indigenous Biodiversity, but an NPS was introduced - and then replaced.
The Natural and Built Environment Act came into being last year and then repealed, and then there is the NPS on Urban Development and the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan.
The Government is now working on more RMA reforms and Environment Canterbury is working on the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement.
And then there is the Fast-Track Approvals Bill, which includes three proposed housing developments in Waimakariri - two of them outside of the future urban development areas identified in the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan.
All three housing developments in the Bill have been included in submissions to the District Plan, including a proposed 850-home development at Ohoka, near Rangiora, which is also subject to an Environment Court appeal.
‘‘We haven’t seen the detail, so whether it is the same proposals, we don’t know, but they are different processes so we have to just keep doing what we are doing, until we are told otherwise,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘It might just be a timing thing, but we just don’t know.’’
Bacon said delaying the District Plan until new legislation is in place is not an option.
‘‘We are looking at what we can control and having a watching brief, and we will look at transitional timings because we don’t always have to immediately change planning documents when new legislation comes in.’’
Planning manager Wendy Harris said navigating changing Government legislation is a normal part of council planning work.
‘‘If we waited we wouldn’t do anything and we would go nowhere.’’
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
The tiger who came to tea
Trays are such a useful item to have in the home – they are obviously great for serving food and drinks, particularly breakfast in bed! Find out how to create your own with Resene wallpaper and Resene Colorwood wood stain with these easy step by step instructions.
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