Case Study Context 1 Overview

Waitarere is located on the western coastline of the lower North Island of New Zealand, about 12km north of Levin. The coastal settlement of Waitarere had a population of 5883

In 2001 there were 153 households in Waitarere. Nearly 60% were couples without children, giving an average family size of 2 persons per household. Waitarere has a

in 2006.

permanent population with increasing summer visitors and is currently one of Horowhenua’s main residential growth areas (Horowhenua District Council, 2007a). Waitarere is a typical older New Zealand coastal settlement where the traditional kiwi bach or holiday home is the main dwelling. Holiday homes larger than the traditional bach are being built on existing sections and in newly developed areas. The settlement layout is a linear grid with a few recent cul-de-sac developments. Where developments have followed the natural contour of the dunes, the urban design works best with the coastal landscape as opposed to newer subdivisions that have altered the dunes to create a flatter more suburban landscape (Horowhenua District Council, 2007a).

Although there are a few shops there is no community focal point. With an increase in summer visitors there is more pressure for seasonal commercial activities (Horowhenua District Council, 2007a). Open space at Waitarere consists of Waitarere Domain and the foreshore. The foreshore area includes the dunes behind the foreshore which provide a buffer between the sea and the urban settlement. The dunes have ecological significance and are an important part of the local character (Horowhenua District Council, 2007a).

The Waitarere wastewater scheme was installed in 1985 because wastewater from the septic tanks was infiltrating the groundwater drinking supply. At present the capacity of the scheme is limited with increasing seasonal variations in population likely to cause

problems in the future. The wastewater scheme discharges treated effluent into the adjacent pine forests (Horowhenua District Council, 2008a). Currently Waitarere does not have a reticulated potable water scheme and is mainly reliant on household roof water for drinking.

Between 1999 and 2004 house prices in Waitarere rose from an average of $57,750 to $182,500 a change over 5 years of 216% (Freeman, Cheyne et al., 2005) The General Rates charged by the District Council have also steadily increased as property values rise. For example, over one year at Waitarere the General Rate charge increased from $621 in 2005/06 to $645 in 2006/07 on a property worth $105, 000 (Horowhenua District Council, 2006). In 2008/09 this rose to $730 (Horowhenua District Council, 2008b), an increase of approximately 17% over 4 years. This does not include targeted rates for solid waste, water supply, and wastewater.

4.3.2 Consent Application Details

An application by Waitarere Rise Limited was lodged in November 2006 to subdivide 186.747 hectares of rural zoned land into 164 lots. A total of 151 lots ranging in size from 3400m2 to 1.52 hectares were proposed.

The site is located on the northern side of Waitarere. The topography consists of gently undulating sand dunes running east to west. The dunes were previously planted in pine and the inter-dunes were mainly in pasture. There was little indigenous vegetation.

However, there were naturally regenerating natives along the edges of the pine plantations (Horowhenua District Council, 2007b). At the southern edge of the property the

Wairarawa Stream flows east to west. On the site about midway along the east boundary is Otaneko Lagoon. To the north and east of the site is pasture. A Crown owned pine plantation abuts the site on the north-west. The urban area of Waitarere is adjacent to the site in the south-west (Horowhenua District Council, 2007b). Oporau, Kai Kai, and

Wairarawa lagoon wetlands are east of the site and identified as significant (Horowhenua District Council, 2007b).

Proposed earthworks involved extensive cut and fill of about 152, 150 m3. Earthworks include lake excavations, substantial dune recontouring to create building platforms, and road construction. A new roundabout at Waitarere Beach Road was proposed to provide access to the site. Internal roads are to be vested in council. No footpaths, curbs or channels are proposed; instead the berm will be grassed. The wastewater from each residential lot will be disposed of firstly to on-site anaerobic multi-stage treatment systems and then to one of a number of pumping chambers within the road reserve. From the chamber the wastewater will either go into the Waitarere settlement sewer scheme or effluent disposal beds within the buffer strip. Both options were intended by the applicant to be vested in council (Horowhenua District Council, 2007b). There are two areas where stormwater will need to be addressed: (1) stormwater arising from impermeable areas associated with residential dwellings and (2) runoff from roads. It is intended that all residential lots would dispose of stormwater to soakage pits and the road runoff will be managed by the grassed swales on the roadside berms. Each residential property will be reliant on rain water collection and storage for potable water supply.

The initial proposal by the applicant was that just over eighteen hectares was to be vested in council as reserves, including access ways. Just over twenty hectares was intended as private reserve which includes access ways. Thirteen hectares of was proposed as private open space (lot 159). The applicant requested that, because the reserve contribution exceeds what was required in the council’s policy for development contributions, that the cost of the land of the reserves proposed should offset the total contributions required. If this agreement could not be reached with the council the applicant proposed that the majority of reserves be retained for private residential use.

The site is not considered to contain any high class soil and therefore the minimum lot size recommended in the District Plan’s rules is 2000m2. The majority of lots will exceed the minimum size with the exception of four access-way lots.

The application also included a buffer strip around a large portion of the external boundary of the property and two or three reserve areas depending on which wastewater treatment option was chosen. It was suggested that Otaneko Lagoon could be contained within five private lots rather than a reserve vested in council.

4.3.3 Planning Considerations

In determining whether the application was permitted, controlled, or discretionary, etc, (the activity status), its effects were assessed against the District Plan. The planning

considerations used to determine that the application was discretionary also provide an indication of what some of the issues are for the development.

The area of the proposal is zoned Rural and the subdivision and land use consents were required. The land use consent was for the associated earthworks and servicing. The application failed to meet District Plan requirements for allotment size and therefore storage of effluent. A number of sections also failed to meet the rules for vehicle access to the site. Earthworks and road construction under the District Plan are a Discretionary Activity in the Coastal Environment. Because the subdivision and landuse consents are interdependent the officer considered that they should not be separated from one another and therefore considered that the overall proposal was Discretionary (Horowhenua District Council, 2007b). This means that the objectives and policies of the District Plan are used to provide guidance in assessing the application.

4.3.4 Public Notification

The application was publicly notified on 28 March 2007 and fifteen submissions were received. Ten submissions supported the application, three opposed it and two were neutral. The summary of submissions in the Officer’s Report provides an indication of concerns raised by the community.

The issues raised in submissions were as follows (Horowhenua District Council, 2007b): - Support for the creation of an area for public enjoyment

- Support for the good use of marginal land - Support for the layout and design

- Support for the development as an enhancement of the rural and coastal environment

- Support for the development to provide growth of the local economy, infrastructure and community

- Oppose rural land being used as residential

- Oppose the development because of loss of ecological values due to works, and domestic and aquatic pests

- Oppose because there was insufficient information on wetlands, soils, and the water table

- Oppose the creation of amenity lakes, dune contouring & stormwater management - Oppose the application because of the restrictions on existing uses such as pest

eradication and duck shooting

Other concerns raised by submitters were: - Effluent disposal capacity

- Restoration and planting of wetland areas - Provision of adequate water supplies for lots - Access to individual lots

The Officer (Horowhenua District Council, 2007b) considered the submissions and with regard to policy direction in the District Plan concluded that the actual and potential effects of the application include:

- Ecological effects

- The provision of open space and reserves - Reverse sensitivity

- Archaeological effects - Traffic and road safety - Construction and servicing