District Plan Review consultation to help in shaping our future
The on-going District Plan Review steps up a gear at the end of this month with a series of public open evenings being held in conjunction with Shaping Our Future.
The Resource Management Act requires that a review of the plan be undertaken ten years after it becomes operative. With the first parts of this district’s plan becoming operative in 2003, background work on the review is now underway, with feedback being sought in preparation for a formal submission process in October 2013.
Queenstown Lakes District Council’s general manager policy and planning Philip Pannett said the review gave everyone the chance to have their say on what was and wasn’t working well with the current District Plan and he said the collaboration with Shaping Our Future was the perfect fit.
“Both Shaping our Future and the District Plan Review are about putting in place the tools and systems that will make this district a better and more appealing place to live so it’s a nice fit,” Mr Pannett said.
He said the District Plan wasn’t necessarily something people gave a lot of thought to until they were involved in a situation like building a house or establishing a business but the reality was the Plan and the way it was administered had implications for every person in the district.
“The District Plan affects everyone, whether they know it or not,” Mr Pannett said.
“The District Plan governs what can be built next door to or in front of your residence, where businesses can and can’t be set up, what times noise has to cease in the CBD and many other things.”
“It would be fair to say that most people, even without realising it, have at some stage had an opinion on something to do with the District Plan and that’s the sort of feedback we’re looking for.”
The first consultation would take place at the Lake Wanaka Centre in Wanaka on Thursday 26 July between 4pm and 7pm and people would be able to drop in at any time during the three hour event to talk to local councillors and members of the QLDC policy and planning team.
Mr Pannett says the Wanaka consultation would focus on issues around enabling a vibrant town centre, implementing the Wanaka Structure Plan and promoting good residential development.
He said people would also be welcome to talk about any other District Plan matters they wanted to raise.
Feedback could also be emailed to Council or submitted online via the QLDC website www.qldc.govt.nz/district_plan_review
Mr Pannett said he was looking forward to hearing what people had to say.
“Basically it’s a chance for people to tell us how they want their neighbourhoods to look and to help us shape and streamline the current District Plan so that can be achieved.”
The District Plan Review consultations will take place on the following dates:
Thursday 26 July, 2012 4pm – 7pm, Armstrong Room, Lake Wanaka Centre
Thursday 9 August, 2012 4pm – 7pm, Council Chambers, 10 Gorge Road, Queenstown
Dates and times for the Arrowtown consultation are yet to be announced.