Rural development

Rural Area Development - Rural development

Last Updated: Tuesday, 26 November 2019 14:57 | Published: Friday, 16 January 2009 11:35 | Print | Email

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What Council Is Doing

Council continues to monitor development on high class soils in the Rural zone. Only one subdivision consent has been declined in the past 10 years.

In 2009/10 Council received an application which proposed to subdivide creating four lots between 5,507 m² and 8,050 m² and a balance larger lot on rural land near Morrinsville. The Hearings Commission declined the application which was then appealed to the Environment Court where the Hearings Commission decision was upheld (Sanson v Matamata-Piako District Council [2011] NZEnvC 165). The judge in making a decision concluded that:

“In terms of taking land out of productive use, we would have to agree that losing 10, or even 13 ha, taken as a single instance, is unlikely to have a significant direct adverse effect, locally, regionally or nationally. But the cumulative effect of the loss of even that much cannot be ignored, especially when such an outcome conflicts with the relevant Plan provisions.”

And also that the proposal would directly be responsible for fragmenting titles and establishing houses on good quality soils: “The outcome would be exactly the opposite of what the Plan says is sought.”

Designations for non-productive activities on Class I, II and III soils can be removed to provide access to these high quality soils. From 2008/09 to 2010/11, no designations for non-productive activities were removed from high class soils, with 23 removed in 2011/12. There have been no designations removed from high class soils in the years since.

The removal of buildings can also make high class soils more available for productive uses. In the 10 years to 2017/18 a total of 70 building consents have been granted for demolition in the Rural Zone.

Removal of non-productive activities on high class soils	08/09	09/10	10/11	11/12	12/13	13/14	14/15	15/16	16/17	17/18	18/19
Number of designations removed	0	0	0	23	0	0	0	0	0	0	3
Number of building consents granted for demolition	8	13	7	6	3	8	5	1	4	4	6

How are we Doing?

Anticipated Environmental Results Rural Area Development	Achieved? Achieving Progress towards achievement Not Achieving Not Monitored
A reduction in the number of building permits granted for dwellings on the high quality soils areas where there is no connection with an agricultural operation	(numbers not reducing)
All land titles are to be useable now and for future generations
Land titles must not compromise the achievement of the Plan’s objectives and policies	- (There is on-going erosion of rural productive area through small lot subdivision, but majority of rural productive land still intact)