Paparua planning worry

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 10

Paparua planning worry

Proposed changes to planning in the fringe urban areas could lead to a “planning vacuum,” according to the Paparua County Council’s planner, Mr Bob Nixon. In his report on the Government’s resource management law reform discussion documents, Mr Nixon said the future act might not provide the same degree of control in the urban fringe. “At the moment section 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act can be used as a justification for restricting a dwelling or subdivision,” he said. “If this disappears we could be left with a gap in the legislation.” Mr Nixon said that in view of the fact that provisions controlling subdivision and urban development, particularly on the urban fringe, were not likely to. be in any new legislation, great care was needed to ensure a “planning ’ vacuum” did not arise. Other “prime concerns” of the council were the level at which decisionmaking was made and the co-ordination of legislation. It was recommended by the council’s townplanning committee that the submissions be forwarded to the Ministry for the Environment which is compiling the discussion paper.