More than 500 submissions for combined Coast plan

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

A total of 534 public submissions were received for the proposed Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP), a combined district plan for the West Coast.

TTPP project manager Jo Armstrong updated the committee last week, noting that about 20 late submissions which had been accepted by the chairperson.

So far 427 submissions had been summarised, with hearings to be held later in the year.

With over 100 submissions yet to
be summarised some delay was expected in completing the
submissions summary for the committee due to the availability of
the principal planner, who was
affected by the Hawke's Bay cyclone damage.

"I think there is a likelihood in light of having lost (time with) our
principal planner due to Cyclone Gabrielle that we will not have a summary by March 30."

Former West Coast Regional Council planning and science manager Rachel Vaughan had been engaged in the meantime.

Armstrong said the submissions yet to be summarised covered a broad spectrum of the plan, and some represented large organisations or groups.

Natural hazard rules and maps attracted nearly 100 submissions while there had been 185 rezoning requests — mainly related to the intersection of rural zones and other areas.

This was "not unexpected at all" given the amount of land rezoned under the proposed plan.

Armstrong suggested prehearing meetings with those submitters
would be a way of managing that workload.

She said there was also a lot of support for the plan.

Sites and areas of significance to Maori drew more than 55 submissions, and historic heritage 25.