Timaru District Council Timaru District 2045 Draft Growth Management Strategy Consultation Summary and Officer Recommendations For Hearings Panel Review and Recommendations to Council November 2017 1 Timaru District Draft Growth Management Strategy Consultation Review, Nov 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction The Draft Timaru Growth Management Strategy (DGMS) sets out the framework for managing growth and resource management within the district for the next 30 years. It is a non-statutory document. The DGMS establishes a vision, strategic directions and secondary directions for achieving growth, integration of land use and infrastructure, and the management of natural and physical resources in a manner that achieves the purpose and mandate of the Timaru District Council under its respective statutory duties. The GMS will direct the Council’s infrastructure, services, and land-use planning. The process for implementation will be a combination of measures under both the Resource Management Act (1991) and the Local Government Act (2002). Consultation and Process Consultation with stakeholders has been ongoing since July 2015, with feedback sought on an initial ‘Issues and Options’ paper. In the preparation of specific growth options, the Council collaborated with external agencies such as Alpine Energy, Environment Canterbury and Community and Public Health. Prior to publication of the DGMS, a preliminary version was provided to relevant agencies and strategic infrastructure providers for comment. These Agencies supported the Council’s approach, albeit with modest modifications, particularly the approach of a 30-year Strategic Plan linking land use and Infrastructure The DGMS was approved by Council for public consultation on 1 April 2017. Public consultation included a number of drop-in sessions as well as notification in the Timaru Herald and on the Council Website. Submissions officially closed on 12 May 2017. A total of 75 submissions were received, inclusive of three late submissions, and one received from Aoraki Environmental Consultancy Limited on behalf of Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua. Figure 1: Origin of Submissions Submitter Submissions Individuals (e.g. C Wright, F Ross) 59 Business Associations / Community 8 groups (e.g. Levels Golf, Civic Trust) Government Agencies (e.g. CRC) 3 Strategic Infrastructure (e.g. NZTA) 3 Agencies (e.g. Heritage NZ) 1 Iwi (Arowhenua) 1 2 Timaru District Draft Growth Management Strategy Consultation Review, Nov 2017 Feedback themes The major themes that have emerged from the consultation process are: • Need for additional business zoned areas (industrial and commerce). • Whether growth predictions are too conservative, and insufficient rural residential land has been provided. • Support of the focused approach to rural residential development in the District. • Provision of infrastructure to service development, particularly rural residential zones. • Cost recovery for infrastructure provision. • Recognition and provision for natural areas and significant landscapes. • The approach associated with resilience and natural hazards, i.e. sea level rise implications for Washdyke. The aim of this report is to provide a summary of submissions received during public consultation and provide broad level responses and recommendations. Updated Growth Projections (NZS 2017 Update) The DGMS was published shortly after the National Policy Statement – Urban Development Capacity (NPS-UDC) was gazetted which seeks to ensure that sufficient development capacity is provided in urban environments. The NPS-UDC provides a base requirement to use Statistics New Zealand Medium Series projections for growth profiles. Furthermore, Statistics New Zealand updated its population and household projections (NZS 2017 Update) in early 2017. It is incumbent on Timaru District Council to use those projections to identify the short, medium and long-term growth demands accordingly. To assist, Property Economics (Attachment A) have provided the most up to date population and household figures based on the NZS 2017 update at the District and settlement level. Property Economics have also identified the resultant changes in terms of the growth in employment count (ECs) for industry and retail sectors, and advised on land demands. That information has informed the recommendations included in this report. The amended growth projections remain modest, and do not result in any material changes to the growth areas identified in the DGMS. The Hearing On 6 to 8 December 2017, a Panel consisting of Independent Commissioner Bill Wasley and three Councillors (the Hearings Panel) will listen to those parties that have advised that they wish to speak to their submissions. 3 Timaru District Draft Growth Management Strategy Consultation Review, Nov 2017 A copy of this report will be pre-circulated to both the Commissioner and submitters prior to the Hearing. Recommendations contained within this report are not binding on the Hearings Panel who will also have the benefit of hearing material presented by submitters. The Hearings Panel will consider all submissions (heard and unheard) and the staff responses, before directing what changes should be made to the Growth Management Strategy to then be recommended to be adopted by the Council. 4 Timaru District Draft Growth Management Strategy Consultation Review, Nov 2017 Contents Part A – Overview and Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 7 1.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Process and Purpose of this Report ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.1.1 Aim of Report ................................................................................................................................................ 7 1.1.2 Hearing Process ............................................................................................................................................ 7 1.1.3 Background ................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1.4 Consultation Process..................................................................................................................................... 9 1.1.5 Consultation and Submission: Takata Whenua (Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua) ................................................ 9 1.2 Thematic Summary of Submissions ...................................................................................................................... 10 1.2.1 The Survey .................................................................................................................................................. 10 1.2.2 Settlement Approaches .............................................................................................................................. 11 1.2.3 Major Themes ............................................................................................................................................. 12 1.3 Reporting Officer and Approach to Submissions .................................................................................................. 13 1.3.1 Author ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 1.3.2 Content ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 1.3.3 Explanation of terms and coding used in the report .................................................................................. 14 1.3.4 Legislative mandate specific to the DGMS .................................................................................................. 15 1.3.5 Growth Projections, and the Council’s Statutory responsibilities, including RMA Amendments to s31 (19 April 2017) 15 Part B – Macro Issues and Growth Projections ........................................................................................................................ 19 2.0 Key Issues .................................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.1 Matters of Support ............................................................................................................................................... 19 2.1.1 Vision .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 2.1.2 Strategic Directions ..................................................................................................................................... 19 2.1.3 Takata Whenua [D5] ................................................................................................................................... 20 2.1.4 Rural Residential - the approach ................................................................................................................. 20 3.0 Matters of Opposition – Household Demand ........................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Growth