Huge zoning task

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 9

Huge zoning task

After seven days of hearings to dispose of 461 objections. as well as crossobjections, to its proposed rural land zoning changes, the Paparua County Council’s hearing panel will meet today to start making decisions.

It will be a huge job, entailing consideration of hundreds of pages of submissions on various aspects of the proposed change, which would restrict rural zone sections to a minimum of 100 acres, instead of 20 acres, and give much stricter control over building.

“The panel hopes to be able to make recommendations to the next meeting of the full council on September 6, but this will depend on the amount of time councillors can spend at meetings,” said the County Manager (Mr A. Kelly).

When the council does adopt the panel’s recommendations, perhaps in amended form, they will be advertised. Objectors will then have a period in which to lodge appeals with the Town and Country Planning Appeal Board. The Council has in prospect a similar round of hearings to deal with objections

to its proposals to restrict building in the Christchurch International Airport noise control zones.

These have been deferred until a Supreme Court judgement has been obtained on similar changes proposed by the Waimairi County Council. A group of residents in Waimairi County will ask the Court for a declaratory judgement as to the council’s powers to make the changes. The papers were filed in the Supreme Court on July 20, and have been served on the council. It is probable that the Court will hear the case in September.