MEDIA RELEASE

Changes to District Plan support city’s economic growth

8 September 2016

For immediate release

Decisions made by a Hearings Panel on the Palmerston North City Council’s District Plan Change 15A-H support economic growth and the creation of more jobs.

The District Plan outlines what people can do with their land and whether they need Council approval. The Hearings Panel was made up of Councillors and independent Commissioners.

“The city has grown into a major freight and logistics hub for the lower North Island, and the changes will allow for a 126 hectare extension to the industrial zone near the airport to enable more firms to base their activities there,” says David Murphy, City Planning Manager at Palmerston North City Council.

“The changes also allow for industrial, commercial, and accommodation activities on airport owned land next to Airport Drive and a 33 hectare industrial extension at Longburn. This extension will position Palmerston North as a central processing and distribution hub for dairy.”

As part of the outcomes of the Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Growth Study, these extensions will be supported by a rural ring road, and Palmerston North City Council has allocated significant infrastructure budgets to support the planned growth.

To ensure the city’s economy benefits from primary production, changes to the rural zone and rural subdivision rules will result in increased protection of high class soils and a minimum lot size for rural subdivisions of 20 hectares. However, the District Plan will still ensure ample supply of one hectare lifestyle blocks over the next 20 years.

The changes also support a stricter approach to wind farms and the management of subdivisions and development in flood prone areas.

“Although the District Plan will continue to provide for new and upgraded wind farms, future proposals will come under greater scrutiny,” says Mr Murphy.

“The Tararua Ranges were identified by Horizons Regional Council as an outstanding natural landscape, and the decision supports increased protection of the area.”

A total of 123 submissions were received on District Plan Change 15A-H with more than 1000 individual submission points. The decisions can be appealed by anyone who made a submission.

District Plan Change 15A-H is part of a broader review of the District Plan currently being undertaken by the Palmerston North City Council.

For more information about District Plan Change 15A-H or to lodge an appeal visit pncc.govt.nz

ENDS

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