Paparua concessions on rural requirements

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 6

Paparua concessions on rural requirements

Concessions were made by the Paparua County Council last evening to meet objections to its proposed changes in its town-planning scheme to control subdivision and building iu rural zones. More than 500 objections were received to the council’s proposed changes, and submissions on them were heard over seven days of sittings in July and August. In announcing the changes, the chairman of the town-planning committee (Cr A. Y. Shuker) said that the council had been impressed bv the objectors’ evidence, but had an obligation to consider the over-all public interest and to plan for the county as a whole. Though the hearing committee had recommended important alterations to the original provisions of the change, its recommendations

■ nevertheless upheld basic ob-' I jectives. Cr Shuker listed the major: ; alternations as follows: ■ Proposals for subdivisions I will need to be preceded by a conditional use application i to satisfy the council that' any new lots created will be I independent, economic farrn- : ing units, about to give full- • time employment for one person. All existing owners are- ■ permitted to build houses, ■ but in order to ensure a' ■ farming use. are required to I declare that the property . will be used for food or ani-| mai production. A farming use will be as-, • sumed automatically for properties exceeding 100 acres. When buyers of properties: with areas between five and : 100 acres also build dwell- ■ ings. they must first satisfy i the council by a conditional-

• use application that the land will be either an economic ■:farm unit or would produce more than an economic unit. ; Existing habitable dwellings may be reconstructed or i repaired, but a two-year 11 limit is imposed from the •time of destruction of a -! house being made uninhabit- ■ able. • The original provisions are eased for factory farms and' ••stud farms. Cr Shuker said that no ob-: I'jections for rural or rural- > residential zoning had been] ■ allowed, but the need fori rural-residential zoning was acknowledged, and the coun- • jCil would prepare a change ■ covering this for consideration at its December meeting/ -■ The council’s decisions are I subject to appeal within two* • months to the Town and! • County Planning Appeal • Board.