Next stage for draft Mapara Valley Area Structure Plan

Over the past 12 months Council have been consulting with the community and preparing a draft structure plan and proposed plan change for the Mapara Valley area - the plan change has now been notified and submissions are being sought from the community.

The Mapara Valley area has been identified as a future growth area for Taupo and it is estimated that approximately 2000 residential lots may be located in the Mapara Valley over the next 20 years.

Proposed Plan Change 23 – Mapara Valley Structure Plan Area adds new provisions and zones into the Taupo District Plan and maps to enable the appropriate development of the Mapara Valley Structure Plan Area.

These changes will mean that the area will change from being Rural Environment to a number of new zones which allow and guide a degree of urban development. The proposed Plan Change includes new rules which will ensure that these areas are developed in a manner which takes into account the landform, infrastructure and water quality issues.

The Mapara Valley residential environment is made up of three neighbourhoods set in the foothills of the Mapara Valley. These proposed neighbourhoods would be staged to ensure that communities are created and infrastructure is provided efficiently. The neighbourhoods would be compact making it easy to walk and cycle around and will be focused around neighbourhood centres which will be linked to parks and open space.

Cluster housing that is gathered together on the flat valley floor and hilly areas has also been proposed. In these areas housing would be grouped together to leave large areas of farmland in the valley cluster neighbourhood and re-vegetated land in the forest cluster neighbourhood.

Gareth Green, Group Manager Environmental Services, said that the notification stage is the end of one process of community consultation and the beginning of another, and thanked all those members of the community that have been involved to date.

Mayor Rick Cooper said that he was looking forward to the public submissions on the proposed plan change and encouraged all those with an interest to get involved.

The proposed Plan Change and supporting information is now available for review at www.taupo.govt.nz and submitters have until 30 May 2008 to get their submissions in.