Detailed environment report ready

A COMPREHENSIVE “State of the Environment” report for the Manawatu District, covering such areas as land use and subdivision, natural and cultural heritage sites, water and wastewater and natural hazards, is to be presented to this month’s council meeting on Thursday, April 16, for endorsement.

Principal Planner, Wendy Thompson, said “our district – our environment 2007” was an important “snapshot” of the district’s current environmental state and the key issues it faced.

“The report is a culmination of investigation, consultation and data gathering over the past five years to enable Manawatu District Council to report on those environmental matters that affect the communities of the Manawatu,” she said.

The recently-completed document contains more complex and detailed information than the first “State of the Environment” report in 2002, with the monitoring indicators now used providing an established working platform for future five-yearly reports.

“There are a lot more facts and figures on our environment for people to look at,” said Ms Thompson, “with some of the data of real interest.”

She said a continuing rise in noise complaints, along with council’s ability to resolve such issues, were among the report’s significant findings.

“People are becoming more aware and less tolerant of noises around them, especially the stereo blasting away next door, and of their rights in being able to lodge a noise complaint with council.”

Graphs show that the number of annual noise complaints has risen from about 200 in 2001/02 to nearly 550 in 2006/07.

“Council is taking a stronger line on enforcement, resulting in more noise complaints being resolved,” said the report.

Ms Thompson said it was noticeable that there were a lot more private plan changes for residential zoning and a greater demand for residential village subdivisions.

A total of 338 building consents had been issued for new dwellings in the residential zone during the five-year period, as opposed to 313 consents for dwellings in the rural sector.

In the natural and cultural heritage section, the report says that 132 buildings or objects (such as war memorials) with heritage value are listed in the District Plan, as well as 46 archaeological sites and 13 trees or groups of trees.

Ms Thompson said the report will be placed on the council’s website, www.mdc.govt.nz, once it had been endorsed and hard copies made available at the council office and the Feilding Public Library.