Auckland nibbles at rural land

Efforts to contain Auckland’s urban sprawl within Metropolitan Urban Limits (MUL) took another hit recently with a decision by Auckland Council to approve a private plan change at Hatfields Beach.

The plan change challenged the MUL boundary, gaining a further five hectares of rural land for urban residential development. The MUL is the key method in the Auckland Regional Policy Statement to delineate and contain Auckland’s urban area.

Private Change 17 was prepared in response to a request by former Rodney District Council to extend the MUL west of Hatfields Beach, in the vicinity of Hillcrest Road.

In support of the plan change, Cabra Developments general manager Lloyd Barker said the land was identified as suitable for residential use in the draft versions of the Orewa West Structure Plan. He said there was significant demand for residential sites in the area and existing stocks were low.

Two submitters – Otanerua Property Holdings and Julie Robbins – opposed the plan change on the grounds that the MUL should have been extended further to include their properties.

Others opposing the plan change raised issues such as the effect on rural quality of life and rural lifestyle properties, and traffic safety concerns.

In addressing any effects on rural character and amenity, the commissioners accepted that there would be a degree of adverse effect. However, they considered those effects to be of limited significance, because of the relatively small area of additional land that would be able to be urbanised.

Council’s operative plans unit team leader Matthew Twose said that the plan change was one of the remaining amendments to be made to the MUL prior to the promulgation of a new unitary plan, which would include re-assessment of both district and regional planning documents.

Image: The great divide – the rural areas north of Auckland are being incrementally eroded by small scale subdivision.