SOUTH WAIRARAPA DISTRICT COUNCIL APPLICATION FOR RESOURCE CONSENT UNDER SECTION 88 OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT 1991 Application No: 150057 Consent Type: Land Use Applicant: Greytown Soaring Centre Incorporated Proposal: Staged proposal to establish Glider Soaring Centre including the construction of Hanger(s), Clubhouse and Training facility, Equipment Shed and Cottages. Location: Tilsons Road, Greytown Legal Description: LOT 2 DP 434314, LOT 2 DP 428613 LOTS 1 & 2 DP 69690 PAPAWAI NOS 11 14-16 PTS 6E 6F Zone: Rural (part Special and part Primary Production) - Wairarapa Combined District Plan 2011 Activity Status: Wairarapa Combined District Plan (District Plan) Restricted Discretionary Activity – Rule 4.5.5(c) for an activity (Club house, additional hangars and accommodation facilities) not required for primary production and residential purposes that require the use of a building over 25m² in gross floor area. The application is therefore a Restricted Discretionary Activity. Locality Diagram: Consent: 150057 Page 1 of 6 1.0 APPLICATION The site is located approximately 3km east of Greytown and is bound by Tilsons Road on the north, Pah Road on the south and the confluence of the Ruamahanga and Waiohine Rivers to the east. A resource consent was obtained in June 1990 (reference RC14) to establish gliding facilities on the site. It is proposed to expand the existing operation to become a regional facility. This would entail new hangars, a club house and future accommodation facilities. As the buildings would exceed 25m² and are not for primary production or residential activities (visitor accommodation is not within the definition of residential), resource consent under the rules of the District Plan is required as specified above. As the proposal is for a staged development, the applicant has requested a 10 year consent period. 2.0 S95A – 95F NOTIFICATION ANALYSIS AND DETERMINATION 2.1 Public Notification Section 95A(2)(a) of the Resource Management Act 1991 (the Act) states a consent authority must publicly notify an application if the activity will have or is likely to have adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor, the applicant requests notification or a Rule or National Environmental Standard (NES) requires notification. However, under Section 95D(c), an adverse effect of the activity that does not relate to a matter for which a rule or national environmental standard reserves control or restricts discretion must be disregarded. Also under Section 95D(a) any effects on people within the site or adjacent to it are not to be considered for the purposes of public notification. It was decided not to publicly notify the application for the following reasons: The gliding activity has been established on the site through the previous consent. The scale of the gliding operation was not set out in detail, nor restricted through the consent approval. While the proposed buildings might enable the activity to occur at a greater scale than is currently possible, the potential effects to the wider environment would not be greater than any effects under the existing consent to the extent that these effects would be more than minor. 2.2 Limited Notification If public notification is not required, the Council must then determine whether there are any affected persons that would warrant limited notification under Section 95B(1). Under Section 95(E) of the Act, Council must consider a person to be affected if the activity’s adverse effects on that person are minor or more than minor unless an activity with that effect is permitted by a Rule or NES, the effect is not within the matters of control or discretion (as applicable to Controlled and Restricted Discretionary Activities) or that person has given written approval to the proposed activity. No parties are considered to be adversely affected by the proposal as the additional buildings would be similar in scale and location to buildings used for productive rural activities and rural residential activities. The buildings would be clear of the flood hazard as defined in the District Plan and as modelled by the Wellington Regional Council. The proposed accommodation facilities would be greater than 500m from the Greytown sewer treatment ponds, reducing the potential for reverse sensitivity effects. Consent: 150057 Page 2 of 6 Furthermore, there are considered to be no special circumstances, pursuant to Section 95A (4) of the Act, which warrant the notification of this proposal, or serving of notice. 3.0 S104 ASSESSMENT The relevant statutory provisions that were considered are the Resource Management Act 1991, the Regional Policy Statement and the Wairarapa Combined District Plan. 3.1 Regional Policy Statement (RPS) Section 2.3 (Community outcomes for the Wellington region) notes that a quality lifestyle is an outcome sought for the region. The RPS promotes a variety of lifestyles that enables the enjoyment of art, sport, recreation and entertainment activities for all community members and visitors. The proposal would enable the existing gliding facilities to better cater for the regions gliding activities and would attract visitors to the facilities, the Greytown Township and the wider region. The RPS also notes that rural and open space land can provide for the recreation needs of the region, provided it does not result in sporadic or uncoordinated development. The facilities are approximately 3km from Greytown, allowing the town to support the gliding club through the provision of accommodation and retail facilities. The site itself has been purchased by the South Wairarapa District Council to assist with the Greytown wastewater treatment facilities. The gliding activities would not be incompatible with this function. 3.2 Wairarapa Combined District Plan The Wairarapa Combined District Plan became operative on 25 May 2011. The relevant assessment criteria are contained in Section 22 of the District Plan and the relevant objectives and policies of the District Plan are: • Objectives 4.3.1, 4.3.4 • Policies 4.3.2(d), (e), 4.3.5(c) 3.3 District Plan Analysis Where a proposal does not meet the permitted standards of the District Plan, assessment of the proposal is concerned with avoiding, remedying or mitigating any effects that would derive from not complying with the relevant permitted standards. It is proposed to construct hangars, a clubhouse and future accommodation in support of the gliding activity already consented under resource consent RC14. Rule 4.5.5(c) states the following matters need be considered: (i) Siting of any building; The buildings would be located clear of the flood hazard areas (as defined in the District Plan and as modelled by the regional council) and would be remote from any dwelling on adjacent sites. (ii) Design and location of the access; The access to the facilities would not conflict with any existing access to adjacent sites. New entranceways would be constructed to the rural standards required under the District Plan and NZS4404. Consent: 150057 Page 3 of 6 (iii) Location, size and effects of any signage; The applicant has noted that signage would be provided, but has not supplied details. The consent is to note that signage would therefore need to comply with the District Plan or require a separate consent process. (iv) Amenity and visual effects; The buildings would be of a scale that would be consistent with rural buildings. Also, as noted above, they would not be near any adjacent dwellings, minimising any potential visual effects. (v) Landscaping and screening; The remoteness of the buildings would avoid the need to screen them through landscaping. The applicant also notes that larger vegetation would not compatible with the gliding activity. (vi) Noise generated by the activity; The majority of gliding launches would via launching winches, but there would be some powered aircraft launches. The existing consent (RC14) included the use of aircraft to launch the gliders and the aircraft noise would be consistent with the existing consented activity. (vii) Changes in the type and amount of traffic; The expanded facilities would attract a greater usage, and therefore traffic. The road to the site is sealed, then metalled along the site frontage. However, there are no dwellings adjacent to the metalled carriageway, therefore adjacent sites would not be affected by any additional dust. The provision of hangars would enable a number of gliders to be stored on site, rather than brought in and out each time. This would assist in minimising the vehicle and trailer movements generated by the activity. (viii) Effects of retail activities in the Rural Zone on the viability and vitality of the existing town centres of Masterton, Carterton Greytown, Martinborough and Featherston; The proposal would provide for increased recreational activities and this would support the viability and vitality of Greytown and possibly other Wairarapa towns. (ix) Servicing and infrastructure requirements. The new buildings would need to be serviced through on-site systems designed at the time building consents are submitted. It is considered that the proposal would maintain the integrity of the objectives and policies of the District Plan. There are no other matters considered relevant to the assessment of this proposal. 4.0 CONCLUSION It is considered the proposal will have no more than minor adverse effects on the environment, no parties are considered to be adversely affected, and that it is consistent with the relevant objectives, policies and assessment criteria of the Wairarapa Combined District Plan. Consent: 150057 Page 4 of 6 5.0 DECISION That the South Wairarapa District Council hereby grants Land Use consent, to application no. 150057 pursuant to Section 104C of the Resource Management Act 1991, subject to the following conditions: CONDITIONS THAT: 1. Except as amended by the conditions below, the development of hangars, a clubhouse, maintenance building and accommodation are be carried out in general accordance with the following plans and documentation provided with the application.