Heathcote backs review of Conservation Dept decision

Press, 22 July 1988, Page 5

Heathcote backs review of Conservation Dept decision

Heathcote County, one of the councils most affected by the Port Hills gondola plan, is supporting a call for a Ministerial review of the Conservation Department decision on the plan. A meeting of the council last evening decided to make a submission to the Minister of Conservation, Ms Helen Clark, seeking a review of the department’s decision not to allow the construction of the gondola top station on

part of Mount Cavendish Reserve.

The County Chairman, Mr Oscar Alpers, said the Heathcote Council should do something about the department’s decision because it was one of the councils most affected by the gondola plan. He said the option two site for the top station was less desirable for Heathcote Valley residents, particularly because the gondola cableway would be much more visible.

The County Engineer, Mr David May, said the cableway would “stick out like a sore thumb” if the option two site was used.

Mr Alpers said that the refusal by the department was a great disappointment, and also called into question the value of the planning process. “The Planning Tribunal is the place where conservation values can and should be weighed against other values,” he said.

“It seems to me to be an abuse of the procedure for the Conservation Department to refrain from participating in the Planning Tribunal and then to subsequently refuse consent.”

Heathcote is the third local authority to oppose the Department’s decision. Earlier this week both Christchurch City and Waimairi District councils called for a review of the decision by the Minister.