Does this picture look familiar?
Does the Christchurch City Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) seem boring? Well, the two are related.
The Council has notified in its draft LTP that it intends to dispose of the land between the current Diamond Harbour housing and Bay View Road, without further consultation (other than LTP submissions). Now, many of you will live adjacent to the land, or use the land. As well as the current sheep grazing, it contains Morgan and Sams gullies where many locals have spent time restoring the vegetation.
The gullies have not yet been protected by covenants (long-term they should become reserves).
There are many issues that should be discussed with the Council and the Community Board before the land is sold. The uses of the land, the gullies, public access. The next stage after disposal, would entail subdivision, where a whole lot of issues arise in relation to roading access, public access and reserves.
There is no requirement on the Council to consult widely about subdivision applications. Look what happened at Black Point for example.
The land is currently Council freehold with a residential district plan zoning. There is a presumption that housing will go on it. It was purchased by Banks Peninsula Council for future Diamond Harbour expansion.
The Council property section are trying to fast track disposal and avoid meaningful public consultation by inserting the disposal into the LTP. I urge you to make a submission to the Long Term Plan on this, requesting that the land as described as (27 Hunters Rd, Vacant Land, Pt Lot 1 DP14050++, 12F/538, 390,222 sq metres), be removed from the LTP and fast track disposal. The normal process for disposal of land that would require Community Board and public consultation, should be used instead.
Submissions close on Sunday 18 April.
View the Long Term Plan
View the relevant PDF document
Richard Suggate
Sale of this land is going to alter the character of Diamond Harbour from a quiet rural community to a small town. So it’s going to need a dramatic investment in infrastructure – another school, a secondary school, a shopping centre, reserves and open spaces, community services, transport links/buses, sewage treatment works, stormwater infrastructure, better quality roads and new footpaths, a larger medical centre, a car ferry (we know that due to climate change sea level rise that the road to Gebbies Pass will eventually be under water)
Obviously this isn’t going to happen over night but I’d like some reassurance that in their rush to dispose, that CCC will have put measures in place to ensure that the people of Diamond Harbour aren’t disadvantaged by the sale and future development.
It appears that some development has commenced already, without local discussion? Workmen are operating laying shingle and closing off the paddock at the top of Whero Ave. Have you any idea of what is actually happening?
Thanks,
Graham & Marion Duncan
1 Kura Lane
The sooner the land is subdivided the better. It’s a positive for the community to grow and for more people to be able to enjoy DH
It is very Important that this proposal has the correct level of community input and council transparency.
Please ensure this matter is handled appropriately with the best interests of the community put first.
Regards Sam Farrar