Interim Closing Statement by Reporting Officer for Chapter 2: Objectives Hearing 12-15 April 2016
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BEFORE THE PROPOSED KAPITI COAST DISTRICT PLAN HEARINGS PANEL IN THE MATTER OF The Resource Management Act 1991 AND IN THE MATTER OF The Proposed Kapiti Coast District Plan INTERIM CLOSING STATEMENT BY REPORTING OFFICER FOR CHAPTER 2: OBJECTIVES HEARING 12-15 APRIL 2016 1 1.0 Introduction 1.1 I have considered the evidence and submissions of submitters during the course of this Hearing and make the following interim closing statement in response. This is an interim closing statement, given that several submitters have chosen to delay commenting on Chapter 2 Objectives until the hearing of the “Coastal Resource” chapters (Chapter 3 Natural Environment, Chapter 4 Coastal Environment, Chapter 8 Open Space and Chapter 9 Hazards) later in the hearings schedule. I will attend the hearings of the “Coastal Resource” chapters to hear and consider submissions on the relevant objectives, following which I will prepare my final closing statement. 1.2 In addition to submissions to the panel on specific Objectives some key themes emerged from the hearing and these include: balanced Objectives that are less restrictive in nature the removal or editing of explanations private property rights concerns relating to issues identification and analysis out of scope submissions 1.3 Whilst one submission was out of scope, a response to issues raised is identified below, as it provides further clarification and information for the submitter. 1.4 Section 2 of this response relates to general issues and Section 3 focuses on the issues relating to specific Objectives. In particular submitters raised concerns with the following Objectives: 2.2 Ecology and Biodiversity 2.3 Development Management 2.4 Coastal Environment 2.5 Natural Hazards 2.9 Landscapes 2.11 Character and Amenity 2.15 Incentives 2.17 Centres 1.5 These can be categorised into three main areas of concern including the ability for greater freedom in the rural areas (Objectives 2.2, 2.3, 2.9, 2.10 and 2.15), issues relating to Coastal Hazards (Objectives 2.4 and 2.5), and issues relating to the management of development in the Town Centre (Objectives 2.15 and 2.17, and a request for a new Objective). These will be considered in more detail in Section 3 of this response. 1.6 Whilst I have noted that Ian Jensen (275) submitted to the panel on a range of Objectives, I note that Mr Jensen’s original submission only commented on Objective 2.9, therefore, recommended amendments in this response have only been recommended where scope is provided by other submitters. 1.7 Where Landmatters (411) is referred to in this response their submission is also on behalf of the following submitters: - 2 Waikanae Christian Holiday Park Inc (319) Michael and Elizabeth Welch (369) Barry, Suzanne and Timothy Mansell (380) USNZ Forestry Group Ltd (408) Lutz Brothers Ltd (425) Bellcamp Trust Company Ltd (487) Kennott Trust Company Ltd (492) Mahaki Holdings Ltd (495) 1.8 In response to evidence presented during the hearing I have identified recommended changes where they are over and above those recommended in the Section 42A (s42A) report. In line with the convention in the s42A report new text is denoted by strikethrough and insertions are underlined. Where black text has been struck through and underlined this relates to changes originally recommended in the s42A report and changes subsequent to the s42A report are reflected in red. An amended marked up version of the recommended changes can be seen at Appendix 1. 2.0 General Issues The Need for More Positive Enabling / Balanced Objectives 2.1 At the hearing Waa Rata (327), Allan Smith (443), Kapiti Coast Airport Holdings Ltd (276), Margaret Niven (251) and Land Matters (411) commented on the need for the Objectives and plan in general to be less restrictive and more balanced, and this has been echoed in written submissions to the PDP as notified. Of particular note were Objectives 2.2: Ecology and Biodiversity, 2.4: Coastal Environment, 2.9: Landscapes and 2.17: Centres. The issues raised related to a requirement for more enabling Objectives in the rural areas and centres, to support farming activities and retail development, to recognise that subdivision may have benefits such as increasing vegetation, and the ability to develop plan provisions to deal appropriately with Coastal Hazards. 2.2 In my opinion the Objectives strike an appropriate balance and give effect to the matters of national importance in section 6b) and c) of the RMA - the protection of outstanding natural features and significant indigenous vegetation as well as other matters in section 7b) of the RMA - “the efficient use and development of natural and physical resources”. 2.3 I consider it is appropriate in Objective 2.2: Ecology and Biodiversity, for example, for the Council to signal that it wants to improve indigenous biodiversity and protect areas of significant indigenous vegetation. Other Objectives, such as 2.3: Development Management and 2.7: Rural Productivity provide a balance by recognising the productive potential of land whilst identifying that protection will be sought from inappropriate subdivision, use and development. In addition Objective 2.2 does not preclude development taking place and gives effect to the RMA as well as Objective 3 and Policy 24 in the Regional Policy Statement. 2.4 Maypole (263) submitted that the objectives, particularly Objectives 2.4: Coastal Environment and 2.9: Landscapes should be more positively worded to allow appropriate development, rather than protect from inappropriate subdivision, use and development. Maypole also sought that a new clause should be added to Objective 2.2 to include this wording. In my opinion the wording as recommended in the s42A report is more consistent with the RMA. 3 2.5 However, I do recommend some changes to the Objectives that may address the concerns of submitters including Allan Smith (443) and Waa Rata (327) identified in Section 3.11 below. In particular in clause f) of Objective 2.3: Development management I recommend the change of the term “preserve” to “sustain” (the actual change is reflected in the recommendations below to Objective 2.3). This is more consistent with section 5 of the RMA, which identifies that the purpose of the Act is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources, and recognises that the RMA is not a “no effects” statute. Other changes recommended in the s42A report such as the addition of protection from “inappropriate subdivision use and development” in Objective 2.4: Coastal Environment and 2.9: Landscapes may also address concerns of submitters. Explanations 2.6 The s42A report recommended that explanations to the Objectives are retained to provide some clarity for plan users in the place of the Issues Statements which applied under the former version of Section 75 of the RMA. Listening to submitters over the course of the hearing it was clear that some submitters feel that the Objectives should stand on their own or the explanations should be edited, whilst others supported their retention, stating that they provided useful information / clarity. I agree with the view that, if the panel were to recommend their retention, the explanations would benefit from editing to ensure that only the most relevant and appropriate information is included. 2.7 Richard Jessup (115) also considered that the explanation in Objective 2.11: Character and Amenity was incorrect in respect of Peka Peka and that it had not grown up from bach use, whilst Allan Smith (443) and Landmatters (411) also commented that the explanations to Objective 2.6: Rural Productivity was incorrect in its presentation of globalisation issues. 2.8 I do not consider there is sufficient clarity regarding the final form of Objectives to make recommendations regarding what should be retained in the explanations. This I because, in the interests of consistency and integration, changes may be recommended to the Objectives based on submissions and s42A reports relating to later chapters. This is most relevant to Chapters 3: Natural Environment, 4: Coastal Environment, 8: Open Space and 9: Hazards in light of Minute 5 of the panel, which recommended ring fencing these four chapters so that a whole of coast approach is presented at the hearings that addresses integration matters. Any amendments to the Objectives may require different explanations to those currently proposed. 2.9 On this basis I am not recommending changes to the explanations over and above those set out in the s42A report. My recommendation would be that proposed changes to the explanations are considered as part of the suggested integration hearing and associated s42A report. I do, however, recommend they are retained in some form as they can help provide clarity regarding the intent of the Objective and identify the relationship with higher order documents. Private Property Rights 2.10 In some respects the comments made in respect of private property rights are linked to more enabling Objectives. Many submitters raised concerns that they should be able to manage their land in ways that was appropriate to the activity being carried out and that they are custodians of the land and are actively seeking to ensure environmental protection. 4 Submissions included those from Allan Smith (443), Margaret Niven (251), Ian Jensen (275) and Rick Swan (231). Bryce Wilkinson (280) also raised a more general issue about respecting private property rights with regards to all Objectives except Objectives 2.10: Contaminated Land, 2.11: Character and Amenity, 2.12: Housing Choice and Affordability, 2.13: Infrastructure, 2.14: Access and Transport, 2.15: Incentives and 2.20: Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation. 2.11 Some changes recommended in the s42A report and in this response may address some of these submitters’ concerns, such as recommended amendments to Objective 2.3: Development Management.